old traditions [pete]

[GRANDMA]

[atrb=style, width,110px;][atrb=style,padding: 0 10 0 15; background-image: none;][atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,btable][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 0 5 20 10; background: url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2v3gcup.jpg);] [atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; overflow: auto; width: 315px; height: 400px; padding: 15px; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; color: #222222; text-align: justify;] Oh what a lovely day it was. Wasn't it always? Okay, maybe not. It was a partly cloudy day, with the gray orbs overhead blocking out the sun. Cool temperatures and a little bit of humidity. It might rain, she concluded. The strong smell of rain was pungent in the air, but she just continued on her merry way home, two full grocery bags in tow. The kids were out and about, playing amongst the grass of the playground nearby. A few waved to her, and she waved back. She had just approached the doorstep of their rather tall house. It was already unlocked, so she just went on in and dropped her bags on the counter. The kitchen was quite messy. She had asked Pete to clean it up before she got back, and look what that lazy boy did. Absolutely nothing, that's right. She turned to look up, thinking perhaps the boy was still in his room. Dana would make sure to go up and get him in a minute. First things first: she needed to put away these groceries. She thought about calling for help from Pete, but realized that he would either not hear her or pretend not to. "Oh that boy, what will I do with him?" She mumbled low to herself and proceeded to put away her groceries. Most of it was vegetables from the local farm, as well as some fresh fruit. With some carrots and rice and other assortments, she was dying to make her delicious curry. She loved to make it hot and spicy with peppers, and would sometimes sneak in a little something extra hot in Pete's dish, just to make him boil, pun intended. Dana continued to set the groceries in their assorted places one by one, working slow and steady with her old grandma fingers. She wasn't even sure why she did all this work. Pete was coming of age now. It was time for him to step up and help others, help his old grandma for once. The fact that she was coming close to her elderly age scared her a bit, but she just hoped that Pete could take care of himself. All the more reason to make him actually do things instead of sit around on his dang computer chatting away with friends from the United States. [/style]

[style=font-size:9px; font-weight:bold;]© MINAMI OF BTN[/style]

[PETE WASUPON]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -o-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px]i don't know where i'm going[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: right; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; color: #466484;]i don't know why i'm trying[/style][style=color: #4c85c1; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 4px;]i just want to see the world with clearer eyes[/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]words -- 592[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]tags -- GRANDMA[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]notes --got a bit carried away with the length ORZ[/style] [style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 100px; padding: 7px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px;][/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #597da2; text-align: center; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; font-family: tahoma;]credit to ZETTA of LS & BTN[/style]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style= width: 265px; height: 350px; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; color: #4b4a4a; background-color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; overflow: auto;] Man, what is it with all of these guys? Are they self-destructive or something? Or do they just have personal issues with each other? Glum thoughts from a pensive boy, whose dark cobalt eyes eerily reflected the unnatural light from his laptop’s LED screen. Said boy’s room was curtained off, quite literally, from the sunlight outside, or what remained of it anyway. He could feel that there was rain coming, as per usual, since the humidity in the air that fluttered in through the thin, cream-ish coloured fabric was absolutely pregnant with that promise. Rain is the lifeblood of all living things, you know. There wouldn’t be any food without farms, and no farms without rain, for starters. Yeah, his Gran was right about that. But when it rained so damn much, and so frequently, that he couldn’t even go outside without coming back in wet in varying degrees (thus ruining his clothes), and that his cleats always squelched on mud and not solid dirt (thus had to be cleaned), and that the sewage water that overflowed from the street grates usually found a way on great expanses of his skin (thus…..just ew), it got a tad bit annoying. Lifeblood or no lifeblood, the rainy season always made his own life just that much harder. Enough about the weather. Pete sighed heartily and leaned back in his chair, stretching. He’d just gotten back from a quick drop by the post office to pick up his copy of SBURB, sneaking out while Grandma was out getting groceries. Bless his fast feet, he got back before she did, bounding up the stairs to his room with his plastic-encased prize. And after reading through the stuff that transpired on the memo while he was gone, he started to wonder about whether working together and playing the game would actually work. There was obvious animosity within this quaint group of online friends, and even though it was between only two people, the ferocity of it was pre-tty strong. Hence the ‘glum’ of Pete’s thoughts. However, there was something closer to home that was bothering him, and he was settling into wrack-the-brain mode (complete with drawn eyebrows, a fist to the forehead, and a bottom lip that was being bitten), when he heard the faint sound of the front door open and close. Oh no, I forgot to lock the front door... Front door…kitchen…Grandma…groceries... ...kitchen…kitchen… “Crap. I forgot to clean the kitchen…!” These mumbled words of revelation were scarcely out of his mouth when his eyes widened and his breath caught. All at once, vines of guilt burst out and started curling round his heart. With a brief moment of fight-or-flight consideration (in other words: ‘go down and kowtow right now’ or ‘shhh, shhh, just stay up here and pretend you were knocked unconscious’), Pete opted for the former. Bare feet thumped down the stairs, skipping three at a time, and skidded to a halt in front of the kitchen. He saw his dear old Gran slowly clearing up the groceries amidst a setting that was his responsibility to clean. It slipped his mind, a mundane task in light of everything that had happened in the past few days. Well don’t just stand there! Say something… Pursing his lips, Pete sheepishly scratched the back of his head and suddenly blurted out: “Ama I’m so so sorry I forgot about cleaning the kitchen I was kinda um um doing stuff here let me help you with those,” Stepping forward into the room, he mentally banged his head against a wall.[/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -o-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px;] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px;]i don't know how to be myself[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #466484;]how i can become myself[/style]

[GRANDMA]

[atrb=style, width,110px;][atrb=style,padding: 0 10 0 15; background-image: none;][atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,btable][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 0 5 20 10; background: url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2v3gcup.jpg);] [atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; overflow: auto; width: 315px; height: 400px; padding: 15px; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; color: #222222; text-align: justify;] The sudden sound of pounding footsteps filled the elder woman's ears. Her gray eyes turned to the stairs, and it continued and continued. He must be coming down from the fourth floor. So he remembers the minute she gets home, huh? She sighed to herself and only continued to clean up the counters and put away the groceries. When he comes downstairs, she sees him panting, out of breath from his long run of four floors. It seems as though he begs for forgiveness, and immediately gets to work in cleaning up what he was supposed to do an hour ago. Dana only chuckle mentally, and her wrinkly fingers clutched the milk, before realizing it was too heavy for her. "Oh Pete," she said, almost disappointingly, "you should get some sort of checklist. I could get one for you. You could write down all of the things you need to do today, and then you wouldn't forget." Or maybe sneak off and do whatever you want, she added silently to herself. How old was she now? Dana couldn't even remember. She was worried that Pete was too lazy to take care of himself. She was growing even too old to wash dishes now and clean the house. Truly, she worried for Pete. And especially considering that game... "Which, by the way, Pete, you haven't gotten that game yet by chance, have you?" She asked, a solemn glance to him before attempting to pick up the milk again. [/style]

[style=font-size:9px; font-weight:bold;]© MINAMI OF BTN[/style]

[PETE WASUPON]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -o-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px]i don't know where i'm going[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: right; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; color: #466484;]i don't know why i'm trying[/style][style=color: #4c85c1; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 4px;]i just want to see the world with clearer eyes[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]words -- 446[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]tags -- GRANDMA[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]notes -- bweee[/style] [style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 100px; padding: 7px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px;][/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #597da2; text-align: center; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; font-family: tahoma;]credit to ZETTA of LS & BTN[/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style= width: 265px; height: 350px; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; color: #4b4a4a; background-color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; overflow: auto;] Hearing his Gran suggesting to him to get a checklist to remember his responsibilities just wretched his heart out. He could almost feel the subtle displeasure gurgling below the surface. Why, why, why did it slip your mind? She told you just before she left, right to your face, so what happened? Oh yeah, that’s right. It wasn’t exactly to his face, now was it? His eyes had been fixated on the computer screen when she had told him from his room’s door, mind doing the tango with other thoughts. He had probably just said ‘yeah, ok’, nodded, and then filed it away, way at the back of his head. Rolling his eyes at the slightly rusted pan (not his strifing pan, but a normal, plain, not-sexy-looking-at-all one) that was currently being hung up back on its hook by yours truly, Pete mumbled resentfully to himself, “Well now you remember all the details, huh?”

[/b]

Pete huffed and executed a mini-pirouette, intent on cleaning the greasy counter, then further clearing away the assorted kitchenware that was somewhat helter-skelter throughout the room. Maybe he really had been thinking too much about the game, his online friends (that he’d never met as well), and everything else to pay attention to something much closer to him, personally. He’d never thought his Grandma as ancient, since prior she’d seemed to be full of life and fire, but maybe the years really had taken their toll.

Now that he thought about it (Late as always, idiot), she did look less intimidating, even. Ah, now that was horrifying.

He was just getting the wet cloth ready when the sudden query about the game (SBURB, the root of all these domestic problems, argh) tossed him off course. He froze, the dampness of the fabric melding with the newly-formed sweat on his palm. What should he say? The truth? A lie? Don’t kid yourself Pete, you don’t have the capacity to lie. Then, just ignore it?

If he hesitated anymore it would definitely look suspicious.

“Uh, well,”[/b] Here goes…! “I, kinda did get it already. Like, sometime…ago…”[/b]

Leave it at that? No, he couldn’t, his mouth was positively itching with the truth, even if it got him in trouble. He had to learn to chin up (Like how you told countless others to do it, and you can’t even do it yourself, can you?) and face the music.

“Nah, Ama, I sneaked out while you were out and got it today. I’m really sorry,”[/b] He bowed his head, letting the words come out in a rush. Biting his lip again, he strode forward and gently lifted the litre of milk up and towards the fridge.
[/style][/td][/tr]

[tr][td][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -o-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px;]

[style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px;]i don't know how to be myself[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #466484;]how i can become myself[/style]

[/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[GRANDMA]

[atrb=style, width,110px;][atrb=style,padding: 0 10 0 15; background-image: none;][atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,btable][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 0 5 20 10; background: url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2v3gcup.jpg);] [atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; overflow: auto; width: 315px; height: 400px; padding: 15px; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; color: #222222; text-align: justify;] Dana's tired eyes looked up from her work, stopping for a moment and looked at Pete with a dead gaze. For once, on this day more than any other, she looked old. Not in the fact that her skin was wrinkly and her hair gray, but that her usually gleeful expression was lost in worry, and that her once healthy self had now succumbed to some sort of weird time sickness. "It's fine, H̄lān, just help me here now." Despite Pete's continuous apology about sneaking out, she just wanted to put everything away. His punishment would come later. Right now, she was too tired to think, and might give him too easy or harsh a punishment. What was she to do, though? Take away the game? Maybe not for good, but just long enough to teach him a lesson. She'd have to think about it later. For now, she was content with putting away the rice. "Pete, can you put this away?" she motioned towards the jug of milk, which was much too heavy for her brittle bones to carry. She wished she didn't have to ask for help, and that she could do it herself, but alas she didn't have the strength. Dana shrugged off everything else and went to the stove, thinking about what to make for dinner. Better to ask Pete what he wants. "What do you want for Kh̀ả?" She said, pointing towards the food left on the counter. Notes cough, sorry for my thai. used google translate. .-. [/style]

[style=font-size:9px; font-weight:bold;]© MINAMI OF BTN[/style]

[PETE WASUPON]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -o-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px]i don't know where i'm going[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: right; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; color: #466484;]i don't know why i'm trying[/style][style=color: #4c85c1; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 4px;]i just want to see the world with clearer eyes[/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]words -- 365[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]tags -- GRANDMA[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]notes -- hahaha, don't worry about it! kudos for trying~ it's correct though~[/style] [style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 100px; padding: 7px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px;][/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #597da2; text-align: center; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; font-family: tahoma;]credit to ZETTA of LS & BTN[/style]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style= width: 265px; height: 350px; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; color: #4b4a4a; background-color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; overflow: auto;] Man, this was sooooo not good. She wasn’t even retaliating at all! Truth be told, Pete had expected some sort of sudden ,brash outburst, which would have seriously put him more at ease, but it was just…nothing. What had happened to her? His quietly intense Gran was now simply quiet. And old-looking. It always had been a sort of old aura of power and wisdom, though… Now she was just like any other ordinary, and dare he say it, feeble granny. This scared him more than anything had in a long, long time, deep down. Pete figured that there would definitely be some kind of consequence to his actions (after all, she couldn’t possibly be that far gone, right?), and maybe there was some hope in that. Call him a masochist or whatever, but when that punishment came and if it was nice and heavy (what he deserved, actually), then he would be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Plus throw in the obligatory complaint, as well. “What do you want for Kh̀ả?” Even her voice sounded brittle. Ah, how his heart ached. But if she was asking that to offer to cook, then it would be over his dead body (figuratively speaking, that is. Knock on wood…)! What she needed now was rest and time to mull over his just desserts. He padded closer to her, softly rapped his knuckle four times on the wood of a passing cupboard, and tentatively laid both hands on his Grandmother’s shoulders. The bones underneath his fingers felt so, so fragile, and totally lacking in everything, which was saying something since Pete himself was rather slim to begin with. Putting a teeny bit of force into his palms, he gingerly attempted to guide her to the living room. “Nope, I’m the one who should be asking you that, Ama,” Insert a small smile here, even though he was behind her. “I’ll be doing the cooking tonight, don’t you worry about it! I’ll even do the clearing up afterwards, alright? Yeah? Yeah.” He nodded, humming some random note deep in his throat. “So what do you want to eat tonight?” [/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -o-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px;] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px;]i don't know how to be myself[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #466484;]how i can become myself[/style]

[GRANDMA]

[atrb=style, width,110px;][atrb=style,padding: 0 10 0 15; background-image: none;][atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,btable][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 0 5 20 10; background: url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2v3gcup.jpg);] [atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; overflow: auto; width: 315px; height: 400px; padding: 15px; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; color: #222222; text-align: justify;] Dana felt a hand push gently on her shoulder, but she didn't turn around or flinch in shock. Instead, she calmly brushed Pete's hand off, opened the bottom cupboard, and began to look for a pot. As she reached for one with a decent capacity, her eyes turned to Pete for only a mere moment. "Since when did you learn how to cook?" Dana said, trying not to mean insult, but it probably came out sounding a bit more harsh than she intended. Still, she was only looking out for Pete. After all, who knew if he would burn his own food--or possibly burn the house down with it. "Decently." she quickly added to take away Pete's chance at a snide remark. She put the pot on the stove, getting out her bag of rice, and getting ready to cook. To be honest, she really did want to go lay down, maybe take a nap, or read a book. She was just too tired to do much today, and felt that maybe she should just take a day off from playing Mommy for the second time. Dana wasn't normally like this, but she just felt that today, for some reason, was a sad and gloomy one at that. Would punishing Pete solve anything? It was really just a simple mistake, right? But if she was easy on him, he'd go soft. She had to be stern, so that he could take care of himself, instead of sitting on his computer idly for the rest of time, chatting away with his friends from America. Maybe she should take a vacation there. Then again, Pete would probably want to run around to every state to meet some of his friends. The only one she was comfortable meeting was Bub... Ba... what was his name now? It was on the tip of her tongue, but whatever his name was, she knew his mother's name: Thia. Maybe it would be a good idea to visit the states? Probably some thinking to do when Pete has proven he could take care of a simple chore such as cleaning the kitchen. She decided to give him a slight tap on his head as a light punishment. "H̄lān, it's fine, I can cook." Her wrinkly hands held the pot firmly. "I am well enough to do so." She was determined to show her grandson that she was fine and didn't need his assistance, although she wanted to say that the thought was kind. Nothing, however, came out of her mouth after that. [/style]

[style=font-size:9px; font-weight:bold;]© MINAMI OF BTN[/style]

[PETE WASUPON]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -o-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px]i don't know where i'm going[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: right; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; color: #466484;]i don't know why i'm trying[/style][style=color: #4c85c1; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 4px;]i just want to see the world with clearer eyes[/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]words -- 743[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]tags -- GRANDMA[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]notes -- WORDSSS....and let there be...an accident! XD[/style] [style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 100px; padding: 7px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px;][/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #597da2; text-align: center; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; font-family: tahoma;]credit to ZETTA of LS & BTN[/style]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style= width: 265px; height: 350px; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; color: #4b4a4a; background-color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; overflow: auto;] Pete leant back a bit, allowing his hands to descend from his Gran’s bony shoulders, and lounged against the counter behind him. Quizzical eyes followed her as she shuffled about looking for cooking utensils. Her memory was a bit off today, wasn’t it? Well, at the very least she seemed to be talking somewhat normally now. If lacking the vigour, but alright. “Technically I learnt from the best, you know.” He raised his eyebrows in her direction, even though she couldn’t see him. “I’ve cooked several times before, for me and for you, don’t you remember? I’m nearly the best there is, now.” He tossed the last bit in just to get a rise out of her. Maybe if she feels well enough to cook, then I guess it’s fine. He could go back upstairs and wait till dinner was ready, but…it wasn’t like he could just leave her here. Besides, that would be totally bad-kid stuff. He could help her with cooking, but then it might feel like he was condescending, since you know, all that old grandma stuff. She really looked unwell, though, but there was no changing her mind once she decided on something. Still, that determination, however quiet, was more like it! Pete smiled to himself, partially relieved. Maybe she was just having a bad day, woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something. It would probably pass after some nice food and good company. Well, as good as Pete could provide, that is. How events have turned, he mentally mused from a nervous, guilt-drenched oh-no-what’s-gonna-happen-to-me attitude to a normal heartbeat and even a small grin on my face. You never know what could happen, could you? ‘Pose that’s where the fun in life is, yeah. A sparkling glint flickered in his eyes for a brief second. So now what should he do, with his Gran so intent on making a meal? Going upstairs was definitely out of the question. Standing there like an idle idiot was also a no-no. Oh, that’s right! He could…take out the trash. Yeah. Exciting. It would make her happy though, probably. And he was going to make up for his misdeeds today somehow. Thus, Pete strode over to the medium-sized bin in the corner of the kitchen, plucked the lid off, pulled out the bag as quickly as he could, replaced the lid, and walked in the direction of the door. He tried not to hold the bag gingerly (sometimes you gotta prove that you’re better than a trash bag), but it wasn’t like he was going to hug it either. Slipping on his sandals he opened the door and sidestepped outside. Right into a chilly downpour. “Ai heia!” exclaimed Pete, the profanity drowned out in the sound of rain. “Forgot to clean the kitchen, forgot to lock the door, and now, I forgot this!” He spat out as the droplets trickled down his forehead by way of his stupid bangs, his hair plastered to his skull. It must have started raining when he was talking to Grandma. Man, was he thick! Not hearing the pounding of the water he heard nearly everyday was just unacceptable. Skipping over puddles nimbly, the drenched boy crossed over to the blue trash drum just outside their gate. He plunked the bag inside quick as you like, and closed the lid, holding his breath all the while. Then leapt his way back inside. Pete shut the door behind him and stood at the doorway for a few seconds, assessing his situation. His favourite blue hoodie was soaked, but luckily he wasn’t wearing any shirt underneath. Shorts: wet patches (quit it, you dirty minded people). Legs and feet: spattered with grimy water. All of it acid rain, it was. He sighed loudly. There was one conclusion. “Ama, I’m going to go upstairs and change, ok? And don’t forget to turn on the lights,” She was probably thinking ‘I knew that was gonna happen to him, silly boy’ or something. After rapidly dragging his feet across the small mat he was standing on, he went up the stairs again, three at a time, taking care to flick on the light switches that he passed too. It was dark, due to the heavyset grey clouds that were probably over their house right now, and anyone could slip, especially if they were dripping wet. [/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -o-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px;] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px;]i don't know how to be myself[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #466484;]how i can become myself[/style]

[GRANDMA]

[atrb=style, width,110px;][atrb=style,padding: 0 10 0 15; background-image: none;][atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,btable][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 0 5 20 10; background: url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2v3gcup.jpg);] [atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; overflow: auto; width: 315px; height: 400px; padding: 15px; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; color: #222222; text-align: justify;] The woman chuckled to herself as she saw the boy run outside, unaware of the thumping of the downpour outside their cozy home. Perhaps she should start the fireplace? She decided she would and, taking a small lighter, flicked the wood to life, replacing the silence of he house with the cackling of fire. She watched as Pete stormed back inside, no pun intended, and made a break for his room. He said he was going to go change. Well, this fire would be right here for him when he was finished. "Just make sure you don't slip." she said softly, maybe even a bit too soft, and she worried if Pete even heard her advice. Oh well. She continued to search for a pot until her fingernails clinked against the sound of metal, and she brought the pot back up to the counter and prepared to cook. After pouring a bit of broth into the pot, she left it there to boil and decided to take a seat on the couch. The first thing she noticed was that her back hurt. Since when did she have a back problem? She refused to acknowledge the pain, convincing herself that she was okay, and leaned back into the soft pillows. Warmth from the fireplace heated the room quite quickly, even the windows were beginning to fog up from the temperature difference between inside and outside. There was no warning of a flood or other storm, so hopefully that wouldn't happen. Pete would probably enjoy that, though, since he spends most of his time indoors anyways. Speaking of Pete, where was he now? How long did it take to put on some fresh clothes? Worry started to cloud her mind, so she decided to sit up just a tiny bit, never moving from her spot on the couch, and said as loud as she could (which wasn't very loud), "Pete, are you alright?" [/style]

[style=font-size:9px; font-weight:bold;]© MINAMI OF BTN[/style]

[PETE WASUPON]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -o-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px]i don't know where i'm going[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: right; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; color: #466484;]i don't know why i'm trying[/style][style=color: #4c85c1; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 4px;]i just want to see the world with clearer eyes[/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]words -- 786[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]tags -- GRANDMA[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]notes -- just say i came downstairs an' stuff. also, wordsssssssss[/style] [style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 100px; padding: 7px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px;][/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #597da2; text-align: center; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; font-family: tahoma;]credit to ZETTA of LS & BTN[/style]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style= width: 265px; height: 350px; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; color: #4b4a4a; background-color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; overflow: auto;] Once he’d gone up the three flights of stairs, dotting their wood with mini puddles along the way, Pete started stripping his damp hoodie off before he even got to his room. He might dry faster now, since he’d probably left most of the rain on the stairs. There was a sudden gush of rain-cool air that made his bare, wet skin prickle, and he shivered. Weird. How did that breeze even get… “Ah. Right,” The door of his room was still ajar from when he had rushed downstairs to confront his neglected responsibility and his grandma. And when the dismayed boy stepped inside his now cold room, he saw that the window had stayed open (of course, ‘cuz he hadn’t bothered to close it in the thick of chatting) and the water had splashed through. So his curtains were also in a state. Just like he was. Brilliant. Trying his best not to sigh (each time you sighed you let a little bit of happiness fly away), Pete finished undressing and tossed the lot into the laundry basket next to his door. Splack. Even sounds seemed to be making fun of his temporary forgetfulness. He settled for rolling his eyes. He strode to his closet in the nude and grabbed a random set of clothes. Just a simple, deep purple t-shirt with white edges and boxers, since he was going to take a shower after dinner anyways. Languishing in the feel of dryness, Pete proceeded to take down his sporadically dripping curtains and lumped them into the basket as well. Yeah, they might grow mold or something. Or smell bad. But it’s only for a little while: I’ll take all of that out and spread ‘em after I eat. Making a strong mental note to do that, he shut the window with a satisfying, dull thump, shook his head vigorously a few times to get rid of the hanging drops still in his hair, and switched off the light. The door was duly left open for ventilation (to dry the floor of his pseudo-wet footprints and droplets of water), and the boy whose optimism was growing by the second made his way back downstairs. While standing on the top step, his experienced nose could already catch a few whiffs of something being cooked way down on the first floor. He should definitely go see what his Gran was making tonight, and started off at his more natural, but still pretty fast, pace of two steps at a time. Three was for first level emergencies. Four was for everything not in the first two categories. As we all know, skipping steps down is far harder than skipping steps up. It’s even worse when some steps happened to have sizable blips of water coating them. And so, even before he made it to the bottom of the first flight, his foot slipped. Crap…Water…Stairs Pete, who had never slipped on these well-worn steps in his life, fell hard on their rigid edges, bum smarting instantly, and eyes wide with shock, then pain. Had he been going slower, it wouldn’t have hurt so much, but he was in a relative hurry. Food was at stake, you see. He’d been careless too. “Ow ow ow ow ow…oh man, ow,” He stiffly shifted onto his side and let out a hiss. Gonna be plenty of bruising tonight. Then the thought of his Grandmother still downstairs brought up the fact that he’d fallen with a pretty loud sound effect, or at least, he thought so. It certainly felt like it, though. But Pete didn’t want her to come all the way up…ah, but it feels like something might be broken. Or twisted. Or some other painful thing. It’s alright. He’ll just continue going down after the pain stopped, just lie here for a moment. Jeez, was the small of his back throbbing though. Throbbing out a beat, even. His elbows, shoulder blades, bum, and the back of his thighs, in all of these places the stinging was receding, but it was as if all of that was coming to concentrate around the small…of…his…back. Hoping that his voice didn’t carry the tenor of aching body parts, he hollered out: “Ama, I’ll-I’ll be down in a second! Just got some, some stuff here! Don’t worry!” He tried to stand, hand cupping and rubbing the hotspot of pain on his back. !!!!!! Ok. That. Did not feel right at all. He’d tried to straighten up, and there was a sudden jolt of something not nice originating from under his hand. He winced, and started down awkwardly, slowly, bending a little, avoiding the wet spots on the stairs like the devil. [/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -o-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px;] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px;]i don't know how to be myself[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #466484;]how i can become myself[/style]

[GRANDMA]

[atrb=style, width,110px;][atrb=style,padding: 0 10 0 15; background-image: none;][atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style] [style=background-color: #fff; padding: 3px;][/style]

[atrb=border,0,btable][atrb=style,width: 350px; padding: 0 5 20 10; background: url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2v3gcup.jpg);] [atrb=cellpadding,0][atrb=cellspacing,0] [style=background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.7; overflow: auto; width: 315px; height: 400px; padding: 15px; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; color: #222222; text-align: justify;] She could've sworn she heard some sort of bump. Her first reaction was to look towards the stairs, but she could see nothing from her rather terrible viewpoint. Maybe Pete had just accidentally slammed his door again. She'd need to teach that boy not to rush. "Are you okay?" she called from downstairs, wondering why he had stuttered. "What are you carrying, your computer?" She winced as she thought Pete knew better than to bring electronics to the dinner table, but she had apparently not gotten through his skull just yet. Was she not being strict enough? She was quite certain with her head bopping and scolds that she was, but his actions said otherwise. She decided to go check on Pete, but as she stood up (rather slowly) to look up the stairs, he was already beginning to come down, three steps at a time. She shook her head and continued over to the kitchen, occasionally stirring her broth and beginning to put some vegetables in it. Soup was particularly easy to make, and she didn't feel like making anything else today. Besides, a nice cup of soup on a cold, rainy day like this is rather soothing, especially when you've got the fireplace lit up. "Why don't you go dry off by the fireplace, and I'll finish the soup?" She had asked, but it was a more stern tone that sounded like a command. Dana pointed to the fireplace behind her, and afterwards, prepared to chop up some celery and carrots, dumping them into the pot and stirring. "It shouldn't be too long, now, for dinner to be ready." She said, turning back to face Pete for a moment before returning to her cooking. [/style]

[style=font-size:9px; font-weight:bold;]© MINAMI OF BTN[/style]

[PETE WASUPON]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -o-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 30px 30px 0px 0px] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px]i don't know where i'm going[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: right; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; color: #466484;]i don't know why i'm trying[/style][style=color: #4c85c1; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; letter-spacing: 4px;]i just want to see the world with clearer eyes[/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]words -- 478[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]tags -- GRANDMA[/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px; font-family: tahoma;]notes --SUPER LATESSS I BEG FOR YOUR FORGIVING GRACE SUN //kowtows[/style] [style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 100px; padding: 7px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 2px;][/style][style=background-color: #b6b6b6; width: 110px; font-size: 9px; color: #597da2; text-align: center; padding: 2px; opacity: 0.7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; font-family: tahoma;]credit to ZETTA of LS & BTN[/style]	[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png');][style= width: 265px; height: 350px; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 10px; color: #4b4a4a; background-color: #FFFFFF; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; overflow: auto;] The way back down was somewhat of a dangerous journey on its own, really. Pete didn’t want to worry his Gran, so he’d just attempted to proceed downwards as he normally would have. That’s right, you guessed it folks: he still went down three steps as per usual. It was annoying as heck though, since he’d had to deal with the dull throbbing in his back and avoid the splots of drying water too. When he finally emerged on the first floor, nostrils full of the warm smell of cooking soup, he saw Grandmother look at him fleetingly, and then shake her head in what seemed to be resignation. Huh! Apparently his normalcy act was quite good! Pete managed a shaky kind of grin, which warped itself into a gritty wince once she looked away. "Why don't you go dry off by the fireplace, and I'll finish the soup?" He didn’t want to talk too much, just in case his voice betrayed some subtle undertone of pain or something, so he just nodded, adding a low, affirmative hum of ‘mm’, and tried his best not to limp too much towards the small living room. After settling himself carefully into their old couch, Pete closed his eyes and allowed the gentle heat to seep through his body. The sound of rain pattering outside, the homey aroma of vegetable soup, and the aforementioned warmth of burning wood combined to drape over the boy in a comforting blanket. The virtues of getting soaked but then drying yourself in front of a fire also added to this. Sure life was a bit repetitive sometimes, and sure it got boring, but moments like these made each day that much tolerable. Moments like these made Pete feel that life, though sluggish, was at least a loving slug. "It shouldn't be too long, now, for dinner to be ready." “Gotcha. And thank you for making dinner tonight, Ama,” Pete hoarsely called out, eyes still shut. If some semblance of pain showed in his voice, he didn’t notice it, at least. He definitely didn’t feel like moving now, especially since the pain was starting to subside. Reflections started mulling and mucking about in his head as he drifted off in a sort of pseudo-dream state, not asleep (the throbbing was still there, after all) but not fully in possession of all of his mental faculties. Yeah, maybe the rain isn’t so bad after all, if you’re inside in a setting like this, But then if everyday was like this, then it would just turn out to be repetitive again, Mmm, guess I should enjoy it, but sparingly. Man, what am I even saying, Live as if you’re gonna die tomorrow, huh? Well… Slowly, Pete fell into soft snooze mode, sitting on the couch in a noticeably awkward position to favour the small of his back, head lolling. [/style]
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0px,true][cs=2][atrb=vAlign, bottom][atrb=style, width: 420px; background: url('http://i.imgur.com/gdBBi.png'); -moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -o-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 0px 30px 30px;] [style=font-size: 26px; font-family: verdana; color: #648db8; text-shadow: 2px 2px 5px #b7b7b7; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: -5px;]i don't know how to be myself[/style][style=background: #4c85c1; opacity: 0.6; font-family: verdana; font-size: 8px; letter-spacing: 4px; text-align: justify; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; -o-border-radius: 15px; border-radius: 15px; padding: 2px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #466484;]how i can become myself[/style]