• Published 11th May 2014
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The Shimmer of Magic - Hakuno



Sunset Shimmer is stuck again in the human world. Struggling with the consequences of her actions, she must redeem herself with the help of five girls and a very interested magician.

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28. Perfect Storm

Chapter 28. Perfect Storm

Trixie stared at the pink door, fiddling with the deck of cards inside her hood’s pocket.

“Go on,” Rarity said, placing a hand on Trixie’s back.

“Tell me again why we’re at Pinkie’s house,” Trixie said, nervously biting her lower lip. “Can’t we just go to the mall and wait?”

“No,” Rarity answered with a roll of her eyes. “You can’t keep letting this Maud girl control the terms of engagement. That’s how she keeps you on the back foot!” She motioned to the door. “So, the best course of action is to go after her when she’s not ready.”

Trixie sucked in a breath and nodded vaguely, staring at the door for the longest moment.

“That means now, darling.”

Trixie swallowed and with a shaky hand pressed the bell.

“Hey, you’re early!” Pinkie said as she opened the door. “I only have the requests sorted from a to- Oh, hi girls!” Pinkie smiled at Trixie and Rarity. “Hey, Trixie! Didn’t think you’d come in person!”

“I, uh… T-Trixie’s here to surprise your sister,” she said barely above a whisper.

“Oki doki loki!” Pinkie stepped aside to let them in. “I’ll be in my bedroom if you need me! Now, what goes after f…?”

Trixie looked at Rarity with a cocked eyebrow, and Rarity only shrugged. Pinkie had always been a mystery to Trixie, and she had learned to not question the what, why or how she did things. In any case, they had a bigger problem to take care of. In the living room.

Maud looked up at the girls from her seat in one of the couches. Her face was expressionless, but Trixie could see the faintest glint of surprise in her eyes.

“Hello,” Maud spoke up after a slow blink.

“Good day,” Rarity answered. “My name is Rarity. You must be Maud Pie, right?”

Maud stared at Rarity for an uncomfortable amount of time. “Are you trying to get romantic with Trixie?”

That took Rarity off guard, and she leaned back in surprise. “Wha- No! She’s just my friend!”

“Don’t start, Maud,” Trixie said, glaring at her with a frown. “You have no right to get jealous. You’re not my girlfriend.”

“Yet.”

Rarity huffed. “Listen, Maud, darling. Trixie has something to tell you.” She looked at Trixie with a reassuring smile.

Trixie stepped forward and took a deep, slow breath. “Ok… Maud, I... “ She fidgeted and looked down for a moment. “I want you to stop trying to get me back… I-I want to be with Sunset, not you.”

Maud stood up. “Not true.”

“Wha- How rude!” Rarity crossed her arms. “Can’t you be more sensitive with a lady’s heart?”

“I’m realistic,” Maud replied, not even giving Rarity a glance. “You lie.”

Trixie clenched her teeth and pressed her fists until her knuckles became white. “I… ok…” She sighed deeply, staring into Maud’s eyes. “You want the truth? Here’s the truth: I do have feelings for you, I can’t deny it. But I also have feelings for Sunset. If I’ve got to balance the scales and make a decision, Sunset is heavier..”

Rarity looked at Trixie. “What?”

But Trixie ignored her. “You broke up with me, and then left to college. I grew up, and I owe you that much, but you’re… You’re just my first love, alright? And Sunset is much more than that!”

“Do you love her?”

“Can you stop asking that question?!”

“No.”

Trixie huffed and grabbed the sides of her head. “I… I don’t know. I have no point of reference- No!” She yelled before Maud could speak. “Don’t say that I used to tell you that I loved you! That wasn’t love; that was obsession!”

Maud stepped closer. “Tell me you love her, and I’ll stop.”

Trixie looked away and hugged herself. “T-That’s not… I mean...”

“Come on, Trixie. I love sunset. I love all my friends. I’m sure you feel the same.”

“Well, yes, but... no. No, It’s not the same.” Trixie struggled to find the right words. Of course she felt that kind of love, but they all knew that would just be equivocation. The kind of love she was asked to declare… she just wasn’t ready. Trixie shook her head and looked at Maud. “What can I do to make you realize we’re through?”

Silently, Maud stared at her as she stepped even closer. “Kiss me.”

“What?”

“What?!” Rarity yelled. “Now wait just a minute! How can you be so rude as to ask her that? She just said she doesn’t want to be with you!”

Maud held a hand in front of Rarity without looking at her. “Kiss me, then tell me you don’t want to be with me.” She blinked, and Trixie noticed a faint, almost imperceptible glimmer in her eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, Trixie frowned and looked straight into Maud’s eyes. “Maud, if I do, you won’t try to get me back again and you’ll leave us alone, understood?”

After a momentary pause, that could almost be interpreted as hesitation, Maud slowly nodded.

“What?” Rarity asked. “Trixie, do you realize that this is a terrible idea? There’s no way-”

“I understand your concern,” Trixie interrupted her. “But I know Maud, and nothing will make her change her mind.” She offered her a reassuring smile. “Besides, I already decided, didn’t I?”

Rarity frowned, and with a huff, walked to the other side of the room. “Fine, do whatever you want. But don’t say I didn’t warn you!” She leaned on the wall and crossed her arms.

Trixie nodded, more to convince herself than anything. She closed the distance with Maud, feeling her legs shaking like crazy. She placed her hands on Maud’s cheeks, and after a small pause, she kissed Maud.

Her heart hammered inside her chest, and her breath was heavy. As her mouth danced with Maud’s, Trixie confirmed that she, indeed, still had feelings for her. She knew that a few months back, she would’ve fallen for her again. But there was something else, something that grew in her heart as time passed.

Resolution.

Trixie broke the kiss and stepped back, looking at Maud with a stern frown. “I pick Sunset.”

Maud blinked and then looked down. “I love you.”

“I know…” Trixie sighed, resting a hand on Maud’s shoulder. “But it’s been four years. Everything in my life is different, I’m different… I have friends, and I have a girlfriend…” She hesitated for a moment. “I can’t say I love her just yet… I don’t want to get obsessed again, but… as I see it, it’s certain that, at some point, I’ll be able to say that I love her.”

Maud didn’t reply, and instead sat down, looking at the floor.

“I think we should go,” Rarity said. “I won’t tell Sunset about what happened here, as long as you don’t have any more ex-girlfriends.”

Trixie only gave her a sideways smile. “Thank you.”

The sound of steps running down the stairs startled them, and Pinkie appeared from around a corner. “Oh, good, you’re still here!” She said, looking at Trixie with a goofy smile on her face and holding a folder, covered in glitter cat stickers, in her hand. “Shimmy sent me a message saying she’s sick. Can you give this to her next time you meet?.”

Trixie nodded, taking the folder. “Alright.” She turned to Maud with a sad frown. “I’m sorry, Maud. I have to go.”

“Sure,” Maud replied without looking at her.

Trixie looked at Rarity, who nodded, and both walked away after saying goodbye to Pinkie.

Pinkie looked at Maud and tilted her head. “Hey, you ok?”

“Yes,” she answered, looking at the T.V. again. “I just need coffee.”

Pinkie only hummed and sat down next to Maud on the couch. “No, I think you’re gonna need something stronger, silly.”

“Just coff-” Maud started, but she fell silent when Pinkie wrapped her arms around her.

~~~~~~~~

The way to Rarity’s house was a quiet one. Trixie knew Rarity was upset, disappointed, even. But she knew she had done the right thing. Maybe it wasn’t the best way she could have gone about it, but she had made Maud understand she had no chance against Sunset.She was sure that Rarity wasn’t going to say anything about it; even if she had a reputation for gossip, she had never given Trixie a reason to doubt her.

“Don’t do it again.” Was everything Rarity told Trixie before she entered her house.

It was rather obvious what Rarity had meant. If Trixie allowed Maud to return and kiss her again, Rarity was going to tell Sunset. So, Trixie had yet another reason to be firm in her convictions and not screw this up.

And with that weight lifted from her shoulders, Trixie arrived home and let herself fall on a couch. If the clock on the wall was right, she had about two hours or so to prepare before Sunset arrived. And this time, she wanted her to stay until her parents arrived. Usually, they’d just hug and occasionally make out, but this time, Trixie thought Sunset deserved more snuggles and kisses.

The only problem was she wasn’t sure if Sunset would even come. Pinkie said she was sick after all, so there was a good chance Sunset could text her any minute now to cancel their date.

After fifteen whole minutes of doing nothing but waiting for that text, Trixie decided it wasn’t coming and went to take a shower and overall get ready. She took extra time to look prettier. Of course, she was very aware that Sunset liked her “au naturel”, but she reckoned that a little makeup and some perfume weren’t going to hurt.

She waited in her living room for the remaining time. For some reason, she was a little nervous. Maybe it had to be with the fact that she had picked Sunset over her first girlfriend. Yes, it had been the only mature decision, and she shouldn’t be patting herself on the back for doing the obviously right thing, but still, it felt good.

The doorbell rang, and she jumped to her feet, hastily making her way to the door. “Hey, Sun-” Her breath caught up in her throat as she looked at Sunset.

Her eyes were swollen and red, her cheeks a soft pink, and her hair was messy. It was much worse than Trixie had imagined when Pinkie had said Sunset had called in sick.

“Oh my goodness, Sunset!” She said, placing her hands on her shoulders. “You look really sick! Why did you even come in that state?”

“I’m fine,” Sunset answered with a monotonous tone, without even looking at Trixie.

“You don’t look fine,” Trixie replied. “Come in!” She rounded Sunset and ushered her inside, closing the door behind them. She guided Sunset to the living room. “We have medicine in the kitchen, you just wait here and-”

“I’m not sick.”

Trixie turned around and looked at Sunset. “What? Have you looked in a mirror? Don’t try to act tough.” She huffed. “I’ll get a pill, and I don’t want you to-”

“Trixie,” Sunset interrupted her, still refusing to look at her, instead focusing on her feet. “Is there… something you want to tell me?”

Trixie frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?” She then looked at the folder upon the coffee table. “Oh, right! Pinkie wanted me to give you that folder!”

“A folder,” Sunset deadpanned. “Trixie, what were you doing in Pinkie’s house?”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she remembered what she had done. Did Sunset somehow know? But that was impossible! Trixie swallowed. There was no way Sunset could know. Rarity said she wouldn’t tell, and even though Maud most likely told Pinkie the moment she left, Trixie was sure she wouldn’t tell either.

In the end, she decided to go for the safe path.

“Just went to hang out. Why?”

“Interesting way to hang out. Kissing girls.”

Trixie’s stomach fell at that. “W-What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie!” Sunset yelled, finally looking up at Trixie. “I saw you kissing!”

A chill ran through all of Trixie’s body. How could have she seen her? Her eyes widened as she realized that Pinkie had been expecting Sunset. And by the looks of it, Sunset had arrived at the same moment Trixie kissed Maud, and had seen them through the window. Trixie gaped, mouthing silent words for a moment, trying to come up with the proper thing to say.

“I… Sunset, it’s not what you think! S-She kissed me!”

“So you did kiss!” She stood up and stepped closer to Trixie. “Why do you lie to me?!”

Trixie flinched and gave a step back. “I’m sorry! I-I didn’t want you to be upset!”

Sunset’s eyes twitched. “Then why in the world did you kiss her?!”

“I told you she kissed me!”

“Stop lying!” She yelled. Tears already forming in her eyes. “I saw you walking up to her and kissing her!”

Trixie stepped back again. “I…” She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest. Sunset knew everything! Lying hadn’t been the best move, after all. Trixie took a deep breath and decided to tell Sunset the honest truth. “Sunset, I-I’m so sorry. I… I did kiss her, b-but I have a good reason!” She put her hands in front of her in a pleading manner. “She wanted to be with me, and she wouldn’t listen to reason! She… She was being really pushy, and-”

“Pushy?” Sunset interrupted her, astonished. “Pushy?!”

“Sunset, I-”

“So you go kissing everyone that’s a little pushy to you?!” Sunset yelled, completely out of herself.

“No! That was Maud! She just showed up and she forced me and I didn’t want, but I had all these stupid feelings and I didn’t know how to make her stop. I-I think maybe I thought I sort of liked it, but I don’t want her!”

Sunset stuttered for a moment, unable to produce a coherent word. For the past hours, she had been going over all the possible reasons why Trixie had kissed another girl, but for some reason, as impossible as it were, it didn’t cross her mind, not once, that it had been Trixie’s ex-girlfriend.

A turmoil of confusing feelings stormed inside. Betrayal, because Trixie had cheated on her; Rage towards that Maud girl, that could so easily steal Trixie away; And Fear that Trixie could dump her at a moment’s notice.

What was she doing wrong? She had been honest to her. She had given her proper space. She had even told her that she wouldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to!

Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe that was it! Maybe what Trixie really wanted was someone that wasn’t afraid to be assertive! Of course, it all made sense! “That’s what drew you to her?”

“And to you!” Trixie said hastily. “You were so confident and strong, and-and I liked that. Maybe you reminded me of her... B-but I think I was too scared to even talk to you until after, you know, you calmed down some... When I saw Shimmer all I could think about was how you were then, all evil and ruthless, b-but I-”

She grabbed Trixie by the shoulders and shoved her to the couch, resolution and apprehension powering her movements. Trixie yelped, and didn’t have time to react as Sunset climbed upon her. “That’s what you’re after? I can still be that! I just have to be more pushy, right?!” She didn’t let Trixie answer, grabbing her blouse and and forcing it open, making a few buttons cut loose and fall to the floor.

“Sun-” Trixie was interrupted by Sunset forcing her lips on hers. Trixie tried to push her away, but Sunset had her perfectly pinned down.

When Sunset leaned back, Trixie thought she could voice her complaints, but then Sunset grabbed her bust with too much force, and started kissing her neck. Trixie yelped, and her stomach fell as she finally realized what was going on.

Sunset’s whole body felt like it was on fire, burning everywhere. She couldn’t tell whether her heart was beating furiously fast, or wasn’t beating at all. The only thing she knew was that there wasn’t a word that could describe how she felt. So many emotions, so many feelings, and all of them on the negative side. She felt threatened, desperate, angry, and afraid. The only coherent thought she could process was that she wanted to keep Trixie with her.

At some point, she noticed that Trixie stopped struggling, so she stopped kissing her neck and leaned back to look at her.

She didn’t know what she was expecting to see, but certainly not this.

Trixie had closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face, and her teeth were tightly clenched. Her chest moved heavily as she sobbed, but, aside from that, she wasn’t trying to stop Sunset anymore.

She wasn’t enjoying this at all.

She jumped away, staring wide-eyed at Trixie. What did she do wrong? Why didn’t Trixie like it if this was what Trixie was abandoning her for? Why couldn’t she do this the way Trixie wanted her to? Her hands burned, and her heart felt like it was being crushed. She saw Trixie slowly opening her eyes and looking up at her. A lot of feelings convened in her glare, but Sunset could only see hurt. She had hurt Trixie in a way she should never have.

Guilt flooded her body, she had to do something, anything to make this even a little bit better, but the only thing Sunset could think to do anymore as she watched Trixie glare at her like that was to get out of her sight. And so, she ran.

Trixie watched Sunset disappear, and then heard the front door slamming. And just then, when she knew she was completely alone, she cried. She didn’t fully understand why, but she hugged herself and cried.

~~~~~~~~

Once she had managed to calm herself, Trixie decided to take a very long shower. It did nothing to help her relax, or stop the filthy feeling she had all over her body. But at least it helped her look better; she didn’t want her parents to start asking inconvenient questions.

By the time she had donned her pajamas and tied her hair in a ponytail, it was already almost time for her parents to return. She went to the living room and spotted the folder Pinkie had given her. Trixie felt a pull in her chest; in the end, she didn’t give it to Sunset. Wanting to know what it had inside, she grabbed and opened it.

It was a list of possible shows for her, with contact numbers, addresses, and estimated prices.

It made her feel even worse; guiltier. How could she have betrayed Sunset? Now that she had had time to think about it, it really had been a stupid idea to go kiss Maud! She could’ve just said no, and Rarity would’ve backed her up! While Sunset was doing her best to help Trixie, she was cheating on her!

She decided she had to make things right, so she grabbed her phone and dialed Sunset’s number. After a while, the voicemail answered. It wasn’t even Sunset’s voice, so Trixie hung up and tried again.

After over twenty tries, Trixie reckoned Sunset was ignoring her phone. There was so much she wanted to say, so many times she wanted to apologize, she couldn’t just stop trying. So, instead of calling, she decided to send a message to Sunset.

Well, maybe fifty. Going from “I’m sorry” to “Please forgive me” and some “Please call me”. She could only hope that Sunset would answer at some point. If that failed, she was going to go to her apartment and wait until she returned.

There was a sudden screech outside that startled Trixie. She barely turned around in time to watch a car’s headlights turning off. She straightened up, hearing hurried footsteps towards the front door. Trixie knew it was her father, but for some reason, she was starting to have a bad feeling.

The front door slammed open, and Straight stormed in, a furious look in his eyes.

“Trixie!” He yelled in the direction of her room just a second before noticing her on the couch. “There you are! I want an explanation! Now!”

Trixie recoiled back, staring with wide eyes at her father. She didn’t have time to ask what was going on, when he threw a sheet of paper at her. It didn’t take a genius to know it was a photograph. Hesitantly, she grabbed it and turned it around. She immediately regretted it.

It was, indeed, a photograph. It was a perfectly clear-cut picture Trixie recognized as the last time she and Sunset went to the movies. They had decided to hang out after the movie had ended. Sunset was being an annoying brat and refused to lean down for Trixie, so she had to get up on the tips of her toes in order to shut up those taunting lips.The photograph had captured the exact moment she succeeded.

She was frozen, feeling the coldest chill running all throughout her body. Her hands started shaking like crazy as she look up at the infuriated man. She could only gape, unable to come up with any excuse.

A moment passed before Straight spoke up. “I’m waiting,” he said while crossing his arms. Trixie remained silent, as the seconds passed, Straight only became angrier. “Answer, damn it!”

Trixie flinched. She couldn’t remember the last time her dad had been so angry at her. She swallowed and said the first thing that came to her mind. “I-It’s not what it looks like.”

“Don’t treat me like an idiot! You are kissing this Sunset girl!” He breathed heavily. “I can’t believe I allowed her in my house! I can’t believe you are like that! I won’t allow it!” He turned around, covering his mouth with a hand in a thoughtful expression before looking back at Trixie. “I forbid you to see her again! I will hire an escort for you so you stop being so indecent!”

“What?!” Trixie yelled. “You can’t do that! I’m not a child anymore!”

“I don’t care! I won’t allow my daughter to be a disgusting lesbian!”

Trixie gasped, covering her mouth with trembling hands. She thought she’d be prepared for this moment, she’d imagined it often enough, but to hear her father actually call her that… Something inside her just erupted. She stood up and faced him. “Well, you’re too late!” She almost grinned at his surprised expression. “I’ve known I liked girls for years now! And I won’t change just because you hire some stupid goon!”

“Watch your words, Trixie! I’m your father and you will respect me!”

“No, I won’t!” Trixie yelled louder. “You just called me disgusting! You called my girlfriend disgusting!”

“Shut up!”

“No! You will listen to me!” Her body was shaking so badly she felt like she would collapse if she ever stopped screaming. “I’m an adult! I can do whatever I want! If I want to kiss girls, I will do it!”

“Fine!” He walked up to her, grabbed her by the arm and forcefully dragged her with him.

Trixie struggled to break free, but his grip was surprisingly strong. “What are you doing?! You’re hurting me!”

“You want to act like that? Do it then! But don’t expect me to tolerate it!” He opened the front door and shoved Trixie outside. She fell to her knees and looked around just in time to look at her father for the last time. “Don’t come back until you want to be a normal girl!” And with that, he slammed the door.

Trixie stared dumbfounded at the door. Her heart hammered inside her chest and her breathing was short and painful. She had been kicked out and left with nothing but her pajamas and her cellphone.

A cold breeze made her realize it was almost night. She frowned and decided that she’d rather hit her head against a wall than to beg her dad to let her in again. She stood up and reckoned there was only one place she could go in this dire situation. She could only think of one girl she could turn to now for a helping hand; that she could reach before freezing to death anyway.

With a nod, she walked away, ignoring the stares of the few people on the road. She was already very self conscious about her stars and moons themed pajamas as it was.

By the time she arrived to her destiny, night had already fallen. She could only hope that she’d be allowed to at least stay the night. In fact, she was starting to doubt that she was going to be helped, after what she had done earlier. But she was already there, so she took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

“We’re closed!” A voice called from inside.

“Rarity, it’s me!” Trixie yelled, and she realized how shaky her voice was.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and Rarity immediately gasped. “Darling! What happened to you?!” She rushed over Trixie and placed both hands on her shoulders and flinched. “Heavens, you’re freezing! Why aren’t you dressed?”

“Can I come in?”

“Of course! Of course!” Rarity allowed Trixie in and closed the door behind her. “Please take a seat, I’ll get you some tea,” she paused a moment as she looked over Trixie’s shivering form. “And a blanket or three.”

Trixie nodded and did as was told. When she sat down, she felt her body heavy and tired. She stared at the ceiling, and could have fallen asleep if Rarity hadn’t quickly returned with a teapot and a pair of cups.

“It’s chamomile,” Rarity said as she poured a cup and offered it to Trixie. “It’ll help you relax.” Trixie only nodded an acknowledgement as she grabbed the cup and sipped a little bit. Meanwhile, Rarity fetched a quilt and pulled it around Trixie’s shoulders before sitting down beside her. “So, darling, what happened?”

With a heavy sigh, Trixie rested the cup on her lap, holding it with both hands. “Where do I even begin?” Looking at Rarity, Trixie shook her head and forced herself not to cry.“I was kicked out.”

Rarity’s eyes widened in horror. “What?! Why?!”

Trixie looked down at her cup of tea. “My dad found out I’m gay…” Her grip on the cup tightened as she remembered the scene. “He… He had a photo of me and Sunset kissing… I don’t know how he got it, but it was impossible to deny it, so I told him the truth. And he didn’t take it well…”

“I can see that,” Rarity replied, genuinely flabbergasted. “He didn’t even give you a chance to get changed, did he?”

Trixie shook her head. “And if that wasn’t enough…” She hesitated, and a miserable laugh escaped her lips, and tears began forming in her eyes. “Sunset… She found out about Maud.”

Rarity’s expression became one of pure horror. “Darling, I swear I didn’t-”

“I know you didn’t tell her,” Trixie interrupted her. “She saw me kissing her…” Her tears were already streaming down her cheeks, but she kept cracking the occasional laugh. “I get caught kissing girls by two different people on the same day! What are the odds, right?!” She could only watch her tears dropping to her tea as hiccups made it difficult to talk. “This morning I had it all! Now I have nothing! I’m homeless, I have no money, and Sunset won’t answer her phone!”

Rarity scooted over and wrapped Trixie in a tight hug.

“I don’t know what to do!”

“It’s ok, darling,” Rarity said with soothing words. “I’m sure my parents won’t mind you staying for a while… And I’m sure Sunset will answer her phone sooner or later.”

“You didn’t see her!” Trixie cried out. “I really hurt her, Rarity!” She tried to say something else, but she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. She grabbed onto Rarity’s shoulders for dear life and cried.

Rarity didn’t reply and just hugged Trixie closer, patiently waiting for her to calm down.

Time dragged on as Trixie finally managed to calm down. It had been a horrible day, but at least she wouldn’t have to sleep on the street. She leaned back and used the sleeves of her top to clean her face as much as she could.

“Sweetie Belle is out at a sleepover with her friends, so you can use her bed this time. We’ll think about better arrangements tomorrow,” Rarity offered with a smile.

“Thank you,” Trixie answered with a pathetic whimper.

But just as she was about to stand up, her cellphone beeped. It was the melody of a message, but it was enough to make Trixie’s heart jump. She grabbed the phone with shaky hands. “It’s Sunset…” She hesitated for a moment, but finally managed to gather enough courage to open the message.

She read it once, then twice, and then she stopped reading at all. She was frozen, and her grip loosened, letting the phone drop to the floor.

“What happened?” Rarity asked, but Trixie didn’t answer. She grabbed the phone and read the message.

It was only one sentence.

“I think we should break up.”

Author's Note:

So my editor is mad because he's a Trixie lover.

Also, did you really think I'd write a love triangle? You clearly don't know me. No, this chapter is just me testing the boundaries of what I can write without hating myself too much.