Let's play house. 

Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Let's play house. 

Let's play house. 

There are AE balls and AE chat threads, but Nymph and Sea Glass never like to go out, not where there are people (as do I). So this is a thread about what they do all day, maybe a sort of diary or log of their introverted/antisocial activities.

There might be RPing. They might talk. They might ramble on for entire posts directed at no one about whatever it is they're thinking. I don't know, but feel free to join.

Try to stay away from shipping and drama; this is about your AEs as beings with complex characters doing stuff in their spare time. Or what they do in the time that isn't spare. That might include social interactions, or it might not. Post the name of the AE of focus at the beginning of each comment, and develop. 

submitted by Viola?, age Secret, Secret
(February 5, 2018 - 10:37 am)

Well, I have officially been neglecting my AEs. I haven't posted a single thing on this thread, and I said I was going to try to do something every day. I'm really sorry to all of you, Abcde, Grace, and Rayne. Will you forgive me, please?

Of course I will! It's fine, I haven't really done much to write about anyway.

I forgive you, PygmyOwl.

No, I do NOT forgive you! I can't believe you would ever think I would do that! How could you forget about me, of all people?!

I SAID I was sorry, Abcde. You didn't have to rub it in.

Anyway, time for journal entries. I gave each of you three a diary, and I expect for you to use them.

 

~Rayne~ 

The babbling brook

Flowing with sweet, clear water

Beside my tree of joy.

I have decided to try my hand at poetry. I'm starting simple, with a haiku, but I'm hoping to work my way up to sonnets and ballads. I've always thought that poetry was the most beautiful type of writing in the world, and I want to do my best to bring beauty and joy into life. Grace already does it, when she bakes. She is the best cook in the world, and her cookies, which she loves to give to others, show her value. They are sweet and full of depth, just like her. I can't ever tell Abcde, but Grace is my favorite sister. She always cares for me in whatever way she can, and she loves to bring joy to the world. And Abcde is a pest.

Not that I would ever tell her that, though. And she does have some good traits. She's funny, and pretty, and she does truly care about the people she loves. Like Shaow. Sometimes I wonder if Abcde really cares about anyone besides that kid. She sure doesn't show it. She acts like no one else matters. Including me. But I want to her to like me. She is my sister, after all.

This is becoming less happy than I intended it to be. When PygmyOwl gave me this journal, I decided that I wanted to fill it only with beauty. Poems and descriptions of sunsets and stuff like that. But I have already strayed from the path. Maybe I should set this aside and try to make peace with Abcde. I know she's feeling rather sad right now, she and PygmyOwl got in a fight. Another one. Those two are always fighting, and yet I think that Abcde is PygmyOwl's favorite.

But this sort of talk can only lead to jealousy. I think I'll go see if Abcde wants to watch Hamilton with me.

 

~Abcde~

My life is so boring. I despise everything. I hate my siblings. I hate PygmyOwl.

And I'm not allowed to use the word hate in my daily conversation, because my stupid chaperone PygmyOwl is stupid and strict. And she has neglected me and my siblings as if we are unimportant. Well, Miss PygmyOwl, we are NOT unimportant and you know perfectly well that if I decided to abandon you, your life would be a living ****. Because you would miss me so much that you would cry and scream for all of eternity and regret your neglect of me until your fingernails turned yellow and brown and ugly and fell out. Well, guess what! I don't care one teensy little bit what happens to you, because I despise you beyond the comprehension of your tiny mind. SO THERE!

That felt really good to get out of my system.

Now I can get down to business.

This is my diary. I have a diary now. And I will write in it all the time as a coping technique. As a psychological mechanism designed to relieve me from the day's harrowing trials. And NOT because I am an angsty teenager who has an overgrown ego and an under-grown mind. Can you believe that anyone would say such a thing to me? ME! Abcde, the best AE in existence. Well, PygmyOwl did. She said those very words right to my face when she gave me this diary. She told me that diaries are important for "moody teenagers." Well, she is a moody teenager herself and she doesn't even have a diary, only a dream journal that she rarely writes in. That rude, hypocritical jerk! Why did I have to land with her of all people to be my Chatterboxer? It's not fair!

 

Rayne just came back from his tree. He found that thing the day we moved here, and now he's been going there every day to read old-fashioned romance novels and eat cookies that Grace baked. I'm pretty sure he's been writing poetry, also. He thinks I don't know about it, but I followed him, and I saw what he has been doing. And now he wants me to watch Hamilton with him. I never thought that he would say such a thing, he is always talking about how overrated the show is. PygmyOwl probably told him to do it just so that I would get over my anger and hard feelings and etc. I'm not one to accept a bribe, but Hamilton is Hamilton, and Grace baked us cookies.

 

~Grace~

Today, I made cookies. Lots of cookies. Abcde and Rayne devoured my last batch so quickly, I hardly had them out of the oven before they were gone. The first batch of cookies that I made today was chocolate chip. You can't go wrong with chocolate chip, and they were meant for other people.

Yes, other people. Because we have neighbors! Yes, I know that we chose a house that is pretty near to other AEs, despite Abcde's protests that other people are miles away. But no one else has been very active. (Including us.) But now, Jubilee and Lupine's AEs have begun to start doing stuff. And when I get neighbors, I start baking.

I went over to Penny, Stargirl, Cem, and Tofix's house first. I know them a little bit from the AE Ball, so I wouldn't feel quite so awkward if they were home and wanted to talk. No one came to the door at my knock, though, so I just left a box full of cookies and a note (From Grace, your new neighbor!) at the steps to their house. Then I went over to Zinnia, Sunflower, and Lavender's place. They live farther away from us than Jubilee's AEs, but the walk was nice. I nearly rang their doorbell, but then I heard a rush of music coming from an open window. It was very loud, and not in the style I like at all, so I just threw the box and note in front of their door and fled for me life. So much for being neighborly.

submitted by PygmyOwl & AEs
(August 13, 2020 - 5:10 pm)

ZINNIA'S NOTEBOOK BLAH BLAH BLAH

HELLO NOTEBOOK. YESTERDAY I WENT OUTSIDE TO PLAY BASKETBALL (WE HAVE A BASKETBALL HOOP IN OUR DRIVEWAY, BECAUSE THERE'S NO CAR THERE) AND THERE WAS A MAGICAL PACKAGE OF COOKIES JUST SITTING RIGHT THERE!! IT WAS LIKE THEY FELL FROM THE SKY! MAGIC. ANYWAYS, I ATE THEM ALL AND THEY WERE SO GOOD! YYAY.

THEN SUNFLOWER CAME OUT WHILE I WAS SHOVELING THE LAST ONE INTO MY MOUTH AND SHE STARTED SCOLDING ME FOR 1. EATING ALL OF THEM MYSELF, AND 2. RANDOMLY EATING FOOD OFF OF THE GROUD. WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT SUNFLOWER'S LIKE. ACTUALLY, MAYBE YOU DON'T. BASICALLY, SHE TRIES TOO HARD TO PROTECT US, BUT DOESN'T REALLY KNOW HOW, WHICH MAKE HER IRRITABLE. SHE DOESN'T REALLY COME OFF AS MOTHERLY, JUST KIND OF BOSSY. EH. AT LEAST SHE TRIES. 

THOSE COOKIES WERE SO GOOD THOUGH. I CANNOT COOK, BUT SUNFLOWER CAN. SHE CAN'T MAKE COOKIES THAT WELL THOUGH. :P MAYBE IF I CAN FIND OUT WHO MADE THEM I CAN BRIBE THEM INTO MAKING MORE FOR ME--I MEAN, FOR US. YEAH. *COUGH*

~~~~~~~~~~

Sunflower's Diary

Dear Diary,

Today Zinnia ate an entire package of cookies off of our front porch. I have no idea where they came from. I'm actually sure it's fine, but I'm kind of worried that Zinnia's too rash. What if she gets hurt?? Then it'll be my fault, because I'm the oldest! I'm even older than Lupine. She kinda does her own thing, though. Although, seriously, I wanted one of those cookies. Zinnia needs to learn how to share.

~Sunflower

~~~~~~~~~~

Lavender's Journal

Zinnia and Sunflower were arguing earlier. I think it was about cookies. Usually I hate it when they argue, but today it was funny. A package of cookies materialized on our doorstep, and Zinnia and Sunflower had no idea where they had come from. Sunflower was freaking out. It was funny becaue neither of them noticed the note that was attached to the package! It said it was from Grace. I think that she lives near us. It was probably a housewarming gift. Maybe I'll go over and say thank you later...if I'm brave enough. I'll probably tell Zinnia and Sunflower about the note later, because it'll be hilarious to see their faces. But I wish Zinnia hadn't eaten them all.

I'm worried about meeting new people. There are a lot of AEs in our neighborhood. They seem pretty friendly, which might mean that they'll say hi before I have to. This is good, because I usually like the other person to start the conversation. That's basically how I make friends. Maybe Grace can be my friend? She seems nice. She left us cookies, after all.

Love, Lavender

submitted by Lupine's Crew, age 13!, Platform 9 and 3/4
(August 13, 2020 - 6:36 pm)

Felix's Diary Thing

I think I'm sick. I dont want to get out of bed, or talk to anyone, even Pine. He's knocked on my door about 200 times now. I tried to tell him I'm fine but I don't think he heard me. So I'll stay in bed buried under a mound of pillows and write in this. Maybe I'll get up later. Maybe. I'm too hot under this collection of pillows, but its a little cave and it's nice. Also I don't want to move. Why do I feel this way? Does this have something to do with Starlight and Pine? Probably, I guess. They were acting so alike yesterday it was hard to not see they were siblings. I dont have any siblings. Thats cuz I was Sky's imaginary cat, then she dropped me into a human form and made me her AE. At least I'm friends with them? *sigh*

 

Pine's PRIVATE Journal
STARLIGHT KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF MY BUSINESS

I'm worried for Felix. I think he's sick. Why wont Sky come and help? I asked her fifteen times to open his door and go in, but she said we need to respect Felix's privacy. Sometimes I hate Sky. Im going to go make some cookies. Where's my recipe for butterscotch chip? Maybe Felix's favorites will cheer him up...

 

Starlight's FORMER Dream Journal  
Ignore the dreams and do not read!

August 15 2019
Tonight I dreamed about a flying camel that called me a fly. It was weird. The camel had pink eyes. Dreams are weird.
August 15 2020
Well, Felix wont leave his room, Pine is worringly making cookies, and I have the beach to myself. Lovely. I think I'll collect more seashells. You can never have to many, I suppose.
I don't want to get rid of this journal, even though Sky says I should. It used to be a dream journal, but I filled it all up and kept it. The cover is the reason I'm re-using the pages: it's purple fabric with silver thread inlays, small gold beads making the center of flowers with silver petals. The fabric is faded and fraying, and the leather binding on the spine is peeling off. I still love it. Sky can't find another since she got this from a Mind Merchant and they never come to the same place twice, sadly. The sand is hot. It feels like the sun just fell into the grains of pale gold and stayed there, slowly warming me. In fact, it's too hot. I need to swim. I'll just dip my toes in the water, or maybe swim out to the Island... Yes, I think I shall swim to the Island. I love the Island, it's so peaceful. 
I'm on the Island. I hope my litttle journal didn't get wet. 
The Island has white sand, is surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise water, and is small enough that it takes ten steps to get to the other side in all directions. There's a fair amount of sea glass on the North side and several shells too. Its a short swim from the beach to the Island, but long enough so you get your excercise and are swimming through pretty deep water, which is why I made this my special place. I dont think Sky knows about this. Actually, scratch that. She knows everything about our home. I'm going to collect shells now. Hopefully I'll find enough to fill my bag halfway. 

-•-•-•-•-

I love this thread so much <3 

 

submitted by Star, Pine & Felix
(August 15, 2020 - 2:58 pm)

XD PygmyOwl I love your Æs

Star

When I got back from my walk, it was just beginning to grow dim. The night sky was fading into yellow, purple, and orange. Jubi's favorite colors. I looked up at the tall grey apartment building and sighed. How I longed to be at the beach, maybe sipping hot cocoa with my head on Coral's shoulder, waves lapping at our feet. I sighed again. Why did I think so much about Coral? It's like I depend on her to live. Well, I love her. Maybe that's enough of an excuse. I stepped up the long driveway and almost tripped over a sack of cookies. I touched them. Cold. I picked them up and smelled them. Heavenly. Well, maybe someone put poison in the middle... then I noticed the tag. "From Grace, your new neighbor!" I sigh gratefully. I know that Grace is PygmyOwl's Æ, and she likes to bake too. Thank goodness. I don't know if I could have lived with out eating those cookies. I personally favor lemon cookies, but you can't go wrong with chocolate chip. When I got to our apartment, I heard cheers and the occasional flip of a page. I could picture the scene now: Penny with a huge bowl of popcorn sitting on our big periwinkle couch in front of the television. She would be watching The Masked Singer with Cem, who would be perched on the armrest. In the corner, Jubilee was expected to be flipping through a book in her big orange chair with Tofix in her lap. Occasionally, she would look up and comment on a costume. I quietly opened the door and peered in. How did I know. Holding up the bundle, I said, "I brought cookies from Grace!" Immediatly Penny was jumping to grab them. Taller, Cem was more successful. She brought down 2 cookies for her and Pen. Jubi held her hand out for one, and I tossed it to her. Penny jumped up and caught in her mouth, and Tofix shouted something about the Admin, Ydmni. We all laughed. I was back with my family, and it felt nice. 

-Stargirl 

:) Grace's cookies brightened all of our days, in more ways than one :) :) 

submitted by Jubi+Co, age unknown, the stratosphere
(August 15, 2020 - 3:34 pm)

The Daybook of Blaze, aka Blaze’s  diary~

Dear… let’s call you Rosie. Dear Rosie,

I’m calling you that because your cover is covered in pale orangey-yellow cloth, the color of my favorite rose. Your spine and border are embroidered with a flowering plant in gold thread, and the front has a golden rose embroidered in the center. You are beautiful. Your pages are tea colored and smell just like new paper, one of the best smells in the world.

But don’t go getting a big head about it. We must remember that your lock (painted rose gold, by yours truly) is engraved with the letters B-L-A-Z-E. And we all know what that spells. Now, down to business. I’m not here to tell you how beautiful you are because that would make you think you’re better than me. Which you aren’t.

LUMI IS MAKING US MOVE. I am so upset about it. I LIKE our house on the lake, even if I have to share a room with Midnight. Which I hate. But Lumi says that there will be more AEs where we’re going, and she says that it’s basically going to be a dream house. 

She might be right. Because the house on the lake has jacaranda trees overlooking it and those flowers can really make a lot of mess. Lumi says that our new house will only have sycamores and oaks and black walnuts and they won’t drop sap on our roof. She says that there will be fields of golden poppies and a lake like this one.

I must admit it does sound quite good. And not having to share with Midnight is a big upside. Oh, and that’s why I got you, Rosie. Oh, I have to tell you about that! So here’s the story (Midnight’s face was absolutely hilarious when he saw you and the others.) 

Lumi had ordered something, but none of us knew what. When it came, Midnight did the usual shaking it up to see what was inside. Kiwi did the usual trying to discreetly lift the tape. I did my usual scolding about how it really isn’t okay to look at other people’s packages. 

Then Luminescence came home. Midnight and Kiwi were both convinced it was books. Lumi just smiled secretively. Finally, after dinner (which was ravioli and sauteed spinach) and dessert (which was peach pie and vanilla ice cream), she opened it.

Midnight still thought it was books. He was hoping for the Heroes of Olympus series because so far we’d only read it at the library and he wanted to read it again. He was wrong. Lumi handed each of us a book and said it was a good idea to start documenting our lives, and moving was a good place to start. (Crazy CBers). But it was worth it, because mine was you, Rosie. 

Kiwi got a kelly green one embroidered in brown-beige thread with a leafy vine, and she said she was going to use it for sketching. Midnight wouldn’t show me what his book looked like, but you should’ve seen his face when he opened it and realized there weren’t any words yet. Hmph. Well, that’s pretty much it for now. Luminescence is yelling at me to start packing up my stuff and Midnight and Kiwi are already ready so why aren’t you. Until tomorrow,

~Blaze.

The Night Journals, aka Midnight’s property keep out~

Blaze writes her diary in the morning, though I can’t see why. Nighttime is the best time of day to write journals, because you haven’t forgotten anything from the day. But I guess that’s why: I like looking back into the past, but Blaze is all about thinking of the future.

We’ve moved, now, and Blaze won’t be able to write about it until tomorrow. And I actually heard her talking to it. I mean, even for me, that’s odd. The new house is everything Lumi said it would be, even though I thought she was exaggerating.

I suppose, since I haven’t much else to say, I’ll describe the way the Night Journals look. It is covered in striped cloth- navy and royal blue- and the spine is embroidered in a black chevron pattern. In the middle of the front is an embroidered black “M” in a font I don’t recognize. 

I like it. It isn’t excessively fancy but it isn’t plain either. The inside smells like new paper, which is one of the best smells in the world, and it’s a clean white in color, with black lines running horizontally across each page. I like the way the black pen I’m using cuts across the blankness.

Now enough about this journal. I said I’d use it for important things and I intend to do just that. I’ll describe the new house, because if that’s not important I don’t know what is. 

I have my own room. Finally. Blaze is the most annoying person to share a room with! All her stuff migrates onto my side and she never ever picks her books up. They’re stacked up everywhere: under her desk, at the foot of her bed, at the food of my bed (ugh), under my desk (double ugh), ev-e-ry-where. 

Now, though, everything is much better. Blaze has her room, painted a pale orangey-pinkish-yellowish color, with fairy lights running all around the room and books stacked up everywhere and the big windows overlooking the poppy field and the flowery curtains. 

More importantly, I have my room, painted a definite blue, with the books actually put on the bookshelves and the reading lamp, and the windows overlooking the lake with navy curtains and the softest rug. It’s absolutely perfect. There’s the beanbag chair Blaze will no longer be able to steal every time I think to sit in it. And everything is neat. 

It is such a relief.

So far, this has been a pretty great move- not that it wasn’t without its hiccups. There was an incident where Kiwi somehow got packed in a suitcase and almost- I’m not going to jinx it. Then that sister of mine nearly made us late. Other than that, it’s gone much better than I could have imagined. 

After we unpacked- which took Blaze approximately one hour, Luminescence approximately two to three, and me approximately three to four- I explored a bit. 

PygmyOwl, Grace, Rayne, and Abcde, Jubilee, Tofix, Stargirl, Cementha, and Penny, Lupine, Zinnia, Sunflower, and Lavender, and I think Heroes, Felix, Pine, Tomru, and Starlight live in the neighborhood, so Lumi was right: there are a lot more AEs around here.

Well, it’s getting late and Lumi is knocking on the door, probably to tell me to shut the light off. Grrr… well, until tomorrow.

~Midnight

submitted by Luminescence Inc., age XI, California
(August 15, 2020 - 7:59 pm)

Georgia - 

Mary bought us all new journals and told us to start writing whenever we want, so I decided to start right now! My journal is light pink, with stars all over it and a gold outline. The pages are wide ruled for my big handwriting. It's perfect!

Anyway, ummm... I guess I should write about my day. Well it started off like any other until our newspaper arrived and I found an ad for new apartments. I told Diana that I wanted one, and she and Arrow agreed and we're moving in tomorrow! I'm so excited! I never thought we'd leave our shack. The peaceful area and ocean view are nice, but I'm certain apartment life is for me. Oh! And we get a balcony! I'm so excited!! Right now I'm sitting on the wood floor of the shack's living room, which is now mostly empty because we are packing things up to bring them to our apartment tomorrow! So we'll have all our old stuff in a brand new space. I'm super excited. It's going to be awesome. Have I mentioned how excited I am? I think I have.

Anyway, Arrow is trying to move stuff and apparently I'm in his way. I don't know why he can't just walk around me, but WHATEVER. I'll write tomorrow when we move into our apartment! 

~ Georgia.

Diana - 

Mary gifted us each new journals today, all customized by her. Mine is deep blue with my name written in perfect silver caligraphy. It was a very kind gift. For me, a new journal always signifies the start of a new era - nothing says "fresh start" like the first blank page of a notebook. And we will be starting anew tomorrow when we move into our new apartment - Georgia's discovery.

It will be nice, no doubt, posh and clean, but I'm not sure apartment life is for me. I prefer our little shack, where all we have to do is step outside and we can breath in the fresh ocean air. But I love seeing my siblings happy. Arrow seems to hate having all three of us share a room, which I understand for him - Georgia can't sit still for a second, and Arrow mostly just tries to read. Strangely enough, though, I have enjoyed our life in this shack. Even if my siblings can drive me crazy, I love them, and I enjoy eating dinner by the sea with them, going swimming on hot days, making campfires on cold days, and curling up inside together on rainy days.But I shouldn't act so sentimental-ish. It's not like we can't come back and visit whenever we want. Maybe having separate  rooms will be good for all of us  - I won't have to act like a babysitter for my siblings anymore. It will be a good change. 

Anyway, I should probably head inside now. I've been sitting on this rock by the ocean for quite some time, and my siblings may be wondering what's become of me. I'll write some other time.

~ Diana

 

submitted by The Majestic Team, age ageless, Majestopia
(August 16, 2020 - 7:45 pm)
~Grace~
We are going to move again soon.
PygmyOwl has purchased a new apartment for us. The advertisement reminded me a bit too much of the Westing Game for me to be quite comfortable with the offer, but Abcde insisted, and PygmyOwl gave it. PygmyOwl always gives in to Abcde eventually. All I can do is hope that no distant relations have died recently. Because this whole thing really reeks of Westing Game vibes. It all seems too good to be true.
I can tell that Rayne doesn't want to move, either. This little house has become a home, and he has found a lovely little nook in the forest nearby that he truly seems to love. I know that we are keeping the cottage as a vacation home, but that's not the same thing at all, and Rayne knows it. The whole "secluded cottage in the woods" thing really suits him. He is an introverted romantic poet type, and everything about the place is so Rayne-like.
Abcde, however, has never truly gotten used to this house. She loves her bedroom, of course, but nothing else really sits right with her. She is really a bit of a social butterfly, and she can't stand the loneliness of the place.
I don't find it a bit lonely. I love people of course, but it is the companionship of people that I love, and I can find that in the trees around me as well as in other AEs. But a tree can't admire Abcde's face, and therefore, it is not a fit friend for her.
I will, of course, like the closeness of other people living in an apartment complex. I will only need to walk next door in order to sit down and chat. I can give away cookies to my heart's content. But, somehow, I don't know if the apartment can ever be truly HOME for me. Although, if the kitchen is nice enough, I might be willing to change my mind.
~Abcde~
"A toad, Madam? Perhaps it is you who are the toad."
(The Phantom of the Opera, Act I, Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh)
I have decided to begin each entry in this diary with a quote from a musical that can. This quote will inspire me to write an original and creative diary entry that I can look back to in later years and realize how great I am right now. It will also be useful in getting my (very) creative juices flowing.
How does the Phantom calling Carlotta a toad relate to my life? The answer is simple and, quite frankly, rather disturbing.
Last night, Rayne came in from a good-bye trip to his beloved tree. And he was carrying a toad. Worse: It was a THREE-LEGGED TOAD!!! He said that he felt sorry for the beast and it would remind him of home once we move into our aristocratic, new apartment. I don't think he understands that he can come back here at any time. I mean, the apartments aren't actually that far away from this house.
But now, we have a toad.
Worse, it is a toad named MISS BRONTË. Have you ever heard such a thing?! My brother is naming a toad after Charlotte Brontë. Sometimes I honestly wonder if that boy is quite sane. And I don't know why he thinks that a three-legged toad will fit in at our new apartment! I was supposed to make a good impression over there! How am I supposed to make a good impression when I am living with a toad?! Life is unfair.
Sometimes, I truly regret asking PygmyOwl for siblings. I used to BEG her to get more Alter Egos. And this is what I get! A crazy poet brother and an almost as crazy baker sister. What is this world coming to?
~Rayne~
The Ballad of the Toad (verse one)
Across the pond, so far from view,
the toad does sing its song.
Ignored by all, revered by none,
these toads shall sleep ere long.
I am writing a ballad in honor of my toad, Charlotte Brontë. Toads are such unappreciated beings, you know. They sing so beautifully, and yet everyone (including Abcde) treats them like disgusting creatures who aren't worth their time. Doesn't she understand how wonderful toads are? She can't look past the warty skin and missing leg of poor Charlotte to see her beautiful, loyal soul.
And yes, I do believe that toads have souls. They have more of a soul than Abcde, at least, although that isn't saying much. But that is an unkind remark, and unkind remarks bring only ugliness into the world. My goal is to create beauty, and I can't do that by insulting my sister.
Miss Brontë is missing a leg, poor thing. She can't survive in the wilderness. A snake was chasing her when I found her, and she couldn't move quick enough to escape. If I hadn't jumped in, she would have died. But I have saved her life, and now I am going to nurse her back to health. I wonder if any vets nearby would be willing to create a prosthetic leg for her. The poor, sweet darling won't be able to do anything otherwise. All I can do is hope that I can save her. Until I learn more, all I can do is believe in myself and in Miss Brontë.
submitted by Grace, Abcde, Rayne
(August 18, 2020 - 11:35 am)

Ahh, the magical world of AEs...

Im thinking of drawing a map for the AE world, can I get the location of all the houses?

Felix's Diary Thing

Im not doing any better. Pine brought more cookies. I went to sleep. Sky came in and talked about new AE apartments, she actually asked if I wanted to move. I said no, or rather, grumbled no. Thats it.

 

Pine's PRIVATE Journal
STARLIGHT KEEP YOUR NOSE OUT OF MY BUSINESS 

Im even more worried. Felix wont leave his room. Sky went in for an hour and came back out looking rather stressed. I wonder if its the room. Im going to try and get him out of bed. Ill write more later. ~Pine

 

Starlight's FORMER Dream Journal
Ignore the dreams and do not read!

August 18 2019
A blank space. Frightening shadows. Then Tomru screamed and woke me up. 
August 18 2020
Ah, well, Im at the Island again. Its very choppy today, with the waves crashing on the shore and leaving a load of shells and sea glass. Im just staring at the beach in the distance. I think someone's sitting on it. Maybe Pine? Oh, thats Felix next to him. How in the world did he get Felix out of bed??? 

 

Pine~ 
I carefully turn Felix's doorknob. the door wont open though. I feel like screaming but instead knock quietly.
 I say, "Its Pine, can I come in?" Theres footsteps and then the door opens, revealing Felix, shorter then ever and wrapped in a trailing blanket. He stares blearily at me, eyes wandering. I sigh and reach out, take his hand and say, 
"I thought you might like going down to the beach, just for a little." Felix says nothing and looks up at me, almost like he's going to cry. I just smile a little sadly, and take a step into his room. Felix shuts his eyes and tightens his grip on the blanket. He opens his eyes and squeezes my hand almost painfully, then slogs toward the door. I follow halfheartedly- Felix isnt like this.
Somethings actually wrong. 
We walk down the porch steps and onto the winding trail, not a word spoken. Felix is staring at the ocean, which is dark and stormy. I find a spot on one of the sand dunes and sit down, Felix sinking onto the sand next to me. I take a corner of the blanket and wrap it around our shoulders, leaning against Felix's frail shape to conserve heat. The waves are calming down, the constant hiss of foamy water on wet sand creating a lullaby that seems to ease Felix to sleep. I glance over and see his eyes are still open (How in the world can he be so QUIET?) and revise that opinion. He's just drifting into daydreams, I suppose, and theres an easy, albeit small, smile on his face. I put my arm around his shoulders and look out at the waves. Felix leans against me, his head on my shoulder. He feels so small. How can I fix this?

submitted by Heroes & Peeps
(August 18, 2020 - 11:55 am)
submitted by ignorethepartabouthe, mapplease
(August 18, 2020 - 5:49 pm)

Bean~

I tug on a pair of boots and open the front door, stepping outside onto the stairs. It's surprisingly chilly for mid-August, so I retreat inside to grab a jacket. Rifling through the foyer closet, I find an old denim jacket of Quill's and shrug it on. Waving a brief goodbye to Basil, who sits atop her cage, I leave the house again, walking down the front steps and away from the house.

Our home has always drifted inside Quill's mind, but lately we've been thinking of tethering it somewhere, so we can have places to roam outside instead of being cooped up all the time. It seems all the other AEs have land outside of their houses, and it all seems to be connected. We've decided to try out some different landscapes before settling on one, so for now I can go pretty much wherever Quill thinks up.

I follow a winding path through a pretty forest, taking in my surroundings. The woods are nice, but I'd rather be close to a beach. Hopefully that's a part of whereever we decide to live. I do know once we retire, we'll be living right on the beach. Hopefully that isn't anytime soon.

I only know this because of Hailey, Quill's old AE. She was retired soon before I came into existence, along with the old CAPTCHA, Alex. Technically, she is my sister, since she's Harper and Ace's sister, but I don't know her very well. We had her over once for Thanksgiving dinner (which Quill said was breaking every rule in the book, but it made Harp and Ace happy). I feel bad saying it, but I don't like her much. She was rude, and seemed resentful towards me. She feels I'm her replacement. However, she hasn't returned from retirement since that Thanksgiving, and I don't believe she will, so I don't have to deal with her.

Shaking myself out of my reverie, I notice that I've reached a fork in the path. I choose to go left, and soon hear the sound of running water. I pick up the pace, and after a few minutes, I turn a sharp corner and see a river flowing through the woods. Smiling, I kick off my boots and wade in, feeling the running water over my feet. I take a seat on a large rock nearby and dip my feet into the river. This would be a lovely place to journal or just be alone with my thoughts.

I allow my mind to wander, thinking of the homes of other AEs. It occurs to me that we should have guests sometime soon at our house. Harper would panic if I suggested such a thing, but I think it would be nice, and good for all of us. Maybe I'll see if anyone is interested.

Ace~

I ease open the door to Bean's room, looking over my shoulder. She said she was going out for a walk, but you can never be too careful. Harper might catch me, or Basil. Seeing no one, I walk into my sister's room. I know I shouldn't be in here, but I'm on a covert mission. I'm going to steal back the airhorn that she stole from me! That way she can't use it against me anymore.

I look under her bed first, because that's where I keep most of my stuff, but unsurprisingly it's clean under there. I peer into her closet (organized by color, like something out of my nightmares), then look on her desk. You'd think with a room so clean it would be easier to find things. Finally, I heave open the trunk at the end of her bed, which is where she keeps most of her personal stuff. I triumphantly grab the airhorn, but pause as I'm about to close the trunk.

Atop a box of nail polish, there's a leather-bound journal that I recognize as the one Bean writes in every night. She loves journaling, even though I find it kind of boring. Knowing I shouldn't but doing it anyway, I reach into the trunk and take out the journal. Should I read it? Absolutely not. Will I? Oh yeah.

I flip through the pages, skimming over the entries. There are a lot of them, since she journals almost every night. I read some earlier entries about her old crush, and some about her being sad when the AE was already shipped. I remember that- Bean moped around the house for days. Some of the more recent entries are about the ball currently going on, and I see me and Harper's names a few times.

I close the journal and put it back, making sure to leave it just as I found it. Bean would kill me if she knew I read it, but I'm accomplished at the art of snooping. There wasn't even really anything good in there. I leave the room, closing the door behind me, and return to my own bedroom with the airhorn. Mission accomplished.

~

I don't have time to let Harper write, and this is already really long, so I'll do that another time! Also, the offer stands if any AEs would like to hang out with my gang, they'd love to have guests!

submitted by Quill's AEs
(August 18, 2020 - 2:10 pm)

Starlight's FORMER Dream Journal
Ignore the dreams and do not read!

August 19 2019
Nothing. I dont remember.
August 19 2020
 
I think today Ill describe the house. I just dont feel like doing anything else.
So outside theres a bleached porch with a hammock and fire pit on opposite sides. The door is painted sky blue with a bronze knocker in the shape of a flying eagle. Theres a scruffy welcome mat in front. When you open the door (actually, the doors, since theres a screen behind the blue one) you step into the open hall, which has a white dining table in front of you, and then the living room to your right with the lavender couch, the TV, and the wall of books. To your left is the bathroom, with a mint green door, and then the kitchen, which has pale yellow walls and white countertops. And an island covered with Felix's painting stuff. Then past the dining table is the staircase with iron railings. Upstairs is the hallway, and the birch wood floor is perfect for sock sliding races. Felix's room has a yellow door and a giant bean bag chair. Also his low, wide bed which is always covered in multiple blankets and several pillows. Next to his room is Tomru's, with a bright red door, a bunk bed, and crayons all over the carpet. Across from Tomru's is my room, with a dark purple door, a balcony, and my navy blue hanging chair. Across from Felix's room is Pine's room, and of course he has a forest green door, a loft bed and several plants. Theres a bathroom at the end of the hall and a shimmery blue trapdoor in the ceiling that leads to Sky's magical room, which is basically the command center for the house, and sometimes her mind. When Pine's angry at her he goes up there and projects images of dancing pies into her mind. The trapdoor is only there when Sky's in the house, which isnt often. So yeah, thats our house. Its home, and I couldnt think of living anywhere else. 

I really had fun worldbuilding <3

=khate= 

a cat? did Scrabble run away again?

=iduno= 

submitted by Starlight, The Beach House
(August 19, 2020 - 11:25 am)

~Maya~

Whoohoo! We just got journals!  I got a blank one where I put stickers and doodles all over it!!!! Although Glida's is kinda dull.  Just a black journal with the stuff like "Belongs to" etc etc. 

 

Today I had the sprinkler running and I took out my umbrella and stood under the sprinkler! So fun!! It's a shame Glida can't do something like that, because she's a robot and she might rust. 

 

Come to think of it, I should see if our store carries Robot Waterproof Spray. 

 

~Glida~

Journals are quite strange when you think about them.  Pieces of paper with blue and red lines glued to a cover.  

 

I am also not used to having feelings, having my feelings software installed is pretty much like reliving my life again. 

 

Huh.

submitted by Alex+Maya+Glida
(August 20, 2020 - 12:52 pm)

Tuesday, 25 August~Xeix's Diary

Oh, look, Braoin is sulking around. How unusual. I wish he would just get out of the house, get over Panem, and stop sashing the windows.

OH I JUST HAD THE MOST AWESOME IDEA!

What about an AE and Captcha (not sure how to capitalize that haha) ball/party thingie? Of course,  the Captchas would need supervision, but it would be fun. 

Here's the invitation draft:

Dear AE or CAPTCHA, do you like to party? If so, show up on September Thirteenth with whatever food and drink you like!

Good! I'll get to maybe have a chance to meet some people.  

submitted by Velvet Serpent
(August 25, 2020 - 9:08 am)

Live!

submitted by TOPsy Turvy
(November 14, 2020 - 7:18 pm)
submitted by top
(November 15, 2020 - 12:46 am)