☽ Lunafreya ☾

The sun streamed through the small bars of her window as the light in the room ended up waking her a little before breakfast wake up call. This gave her enough time to wash off her face in the rusty sink in the room, her reflection staring back at her in between the cracks of the mirror. Terror still shown over her features, her heart beating inside her chest like a frightened bird trying to escape its cage. All she could remember were the shadows. She never knew what they wanted.

Placing her hands on either side of her face she shook her head as if to shake away any of the memories of her nightmare. She was surprised she hadn't woken her roommate with all of her tossing and turning. She didn't know if she called out in her sleep, trying to escape what felt like reality. But, those types of oddities weren’t real and could never happen. Then again, Luna was considered off her rocker so thinking of such nonsense was one of the many reasons she belonged here. The only thing that summed it up was that old Wonderland saying We’re all mad here. Nevertheless, she was used to it by now.

The sound of the Warden’s voice came over the intercom telling the patients they would now unlock the cell doors. By now anyone who wasn't already awake was up, her roomie included. The doors were unlocked every morning at 7 am and then each patient had to be back to the room by the 11pm curfew. If anyone was caught outside after the metal doors shut they would be punished by the Saria herself. The last person this happened to ended up with a scar.

No one ever tempted the Warden….at least in their right mind.

With the sound of the metal door moving Luna rushed out the door. “Finally, I feel like I’m starving. Hopefully, they ordered fresh milk today…that other stuff was getting pretty rank.” Then again Luna was usually hungry. Despite her small frame she never had a problem eating her fair share. It was both a blessing and a curse that metabolism of hers.

Passing some of the rooms she recognized quite a few of her fellow patients. Many of them she grew up around even if she did not talk to all of them. One had to be careful in a place like this for the friends they chose. You could never tell who may have it out for you….besides Saria that is. She seemed to have it out for everyone. Lunafreya avoided her at all costs.

Continuing on her way she noticed glazed blue eyes staring at her from in a room….well staring as much as any blind boy could stare. He was new here and that glassy stare made Luna want to avoid him too…

Making her way into the cafeteria she found the milk was still expired. Grabbing some apple juice instead, she placed some yogurt in a bowl with fruit on top. She drizzled on honey and made her way to the table. She sighed to herself while stirring the concoction with her spoon, ”Well mom. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to see anything other than monotony again.” With this she took a bite.

Kit

As the cell door slid open, she darted into the hallway, panting. Being locked in a small room did not mix well with her claustrophobia. Once she caught her breath and soothed her racing heart, she made her way towards the cafeteria. Slowly. Avoiding as much human contact as possible.

She made her way through the cafeteria, hunched over to make herself as small as possible, and quickly piled several fruits, eggs, and various meats on to her plate, before finding a corner to hide in while she ate. She may not have much of an appetite these days, but she knew that if she didn't eat, it would just get worse.

Picking at a hard boiled egg, she yawned and rubbed an eye. She didn't get much sleep last night. Or any night. Not since she first got here, the hospital filled with tiny cages.

She scanned the cafeteria, now, finding nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual. Doctors observing, nurses bringing in more food, her fellow patients eating, talking, hiding. Nothing new had happened since that last new guy, a boy with bright blue eyes who couldn't see, had arrived.

"I swear," she mumbled under her breath. "All this sameness just makes everything worse."

@Fae
"Boy, oh boy!" An unnaturally jolly voice totally unfitting this grim place very suddenly rung right over Kit's shoulder. "Don't be so sad! Nothing's wrong with a carefully maintained daily regimen!"
Gustav circled his great pal and sat at the same table opposite of her - he always appeared unexpectedly and always spoke first to the people, seeing as when somebody else wanted to speak with him he never was around.
"Oooh, what are we having today, good friend?" He inquired with seemingly earnest interest, intently staring at Kit's tray. Nobody was really sure if Gustav was the way he is because the asylum already broke him, because it was his personal sort of madness or because he had his own reasons. "Eggywegs, sweet!
Without even letting Kit reply or react, he plucked the egg right from her fingers and proceeded to enthusiastically finish peeling it.
"Why, don't you know that cholesterols are very bad for a young spry girl such as yourself? Tell me if you still want it though, i'll even peel it for you! But first tell me, how was your day?"

Soren peeled his eyes from the book in his lap as his cell door clattered open. He had awoken early as per usual, instinct demanding he was always awake just before dawn and doing something within an hour. His routine usually involved basic exercise and then some breakfast, but today was a break from the usual. Simply put, the asylum's library had received a few new text to read, and the man had capitalized on that. He stole a glance at the bottom of the page and memorized the number, then stood with a grunt. Sitting still for a couple hours has a habit of locking up muscles.

After a quick stretch, Soren took a walk out of his cell to the dining area and looked around. He knew almost everyone that was already here, having been in the prison for nearly his entire life. The thought brought back the few memories he had of life before this concrete shell, though he shrugged them off. He had played them over in his head hundreds, if not thousands of times, picking out bits and pieces of his abduction, storing them away in writing to use in a court case. If only he could prove his sanity...

Sighing at his one hope, the man grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and an entire carton of blueberries, along with a glass of water, and sat at the end of a table, somewhere near the center of the room. A brief thought of escape crossed his mind, all he would have to do is get to the top of the building and glide to the mainland... but no, he would inevitably end up back here, just in solitary for a year or two, forgotten and left to rot. "There's gotta be a way to bring this place down..." With yet another sigh, Soren dropped a couple blueberries into his mouth.

Isadora Fey

Isadora was awoken before her cell door was open by the chattering of the rats through the walls, it was a little nerve wracking to hear them and their odd little conversations. Since she couldn't see the rats it was almost like she heard voices in her head, wouldn't that be something? She continued to lay down in the bed, her crimson eyes staring at the cement wall, she felt extremely weak and she didn't know if she had the strength to actually get up and out of bed. There was no way she could sleep however due to the rapid movements of the baby in her womb, she figured that she must be hungry. She eventually managed to push herself up on her thin arms and awkwardly crawled out of the sheets, a chill passing over her very thin body. She went over to the mirror to look over herself, her thin, yet delicate hands ran down her round belly, although she was only five months, she looked farther along due to her emancipated frame. It was still strange to her that she was actually going to have a baby... It wasn't something she really planned on ever doing. She turned away from the mirror and opened the door of her cell and walked down to the cafeteria.

When Isadora arrived at the cafeteria, her eyes were wide and her body was shivering, she didn't really know any of the other patients and felt deathly shy around them. She wasn't really hungry too hungry, even if she should be... So, she picked up a bright red apple that was shining in the harsh lighting of the cafeteria. She sat by herself in an isolated corner and started to nibble on the apple, glancing around at the other patients as if she was on guard to attack. The rats were still chattering and it made her uneasy. "Shut up... Shut up..." She whispered to herself.

~Asher~

Icy glazed blue eyes continued to blankly stare at the ceiling as a boy was mentally cursing himself for not being deaf instead of being blind. When they threw him in the room with Gabe, Ash didn’t think the two would have a problem…since he couldn’t see to judge the book the initial emotional read he gathered seemed to show an average person, not malicious or any other of that sort. Unfortunately, none of this information let him know his roommate snored like a bear in hibernation. The idea of sleep was unthinkable.

Even when the intercom went off and the doors opened the noise did not cease. Taking the only pillow out from under his own head he threw it without removing his eyes from the endless space above him; still, he managed a direct hit at Gabe’s face. Finally, hearing a stir from his roommate he figured the bear awakened. Throwing his legs over the side of his bed he looked out towards the door, he could see the living aura of a girl pass by…she avoided eye contact with him. He could tell the aura was of the Luna girl. Lunafry? Lunafree? Lunafreya? He couldn’t remember.

Standing up and stretching his attention went back to the aura in the room. “I never thought it was possible but if I could be Helen Keller right now I would. What are you? A moaning Chewbacca? I never knew someone could snore so loud.” The tone was half teasing as the last thing he wanted was to start off wrong with the person he'd be living with.

So they actually get wake up calls around here. I wonder what the food is like. I mean it has to be better than what I got….no don’t think about it. Asher was still trying to get use to everything here and struggling to understand the schedule, always off a beat, something he hated.

At the least maybe he could find a friend around here. Someone who gets along with the other patients. He needed to get them to understand they were different but he would have to gain trust first. The task alone a foreign concept to him.

“You better get up before breakfast gets eaten without you.” Maybe his roommate would be a good start. Or that girl he saw this morning. Then again they might hate him. Ash was never sure about people.

@duskshine749

♠Saria♠

A slender ivory finger with nails similar to the color of drying blood found their way across the table of buttons to land squarely on the one for use of the intercom. Pressing down, the object lit up as a crisp velvety voice projected itself throughout the halls of the asylum.

“Good morning Patients of Mooncrest Island. The doors will now be opening, allowing for access to the cafeteria. As usual the doors will remain open until curfew tonight. Breakfast will be served until 9. That is all from your Warden.”

Releasing the button, the fingers then moved methodically to press the unit door release. Clicking her tongue against her teeth Saria hissed in irritation. The delivery for the fresh supplies was late and she was not one to uphold tardiness of any sort nor such a blatant disrespect towards her preference of organization. Though she believed the putrid rats in this hole deserved to be unhappy, she herself would be the one to bring it, not those from the outside.

Grabbing her walky-talky off her belt, she grasped the side so hard one would think it would break from the pressure, “Kyle, tell the delivery services if they are ever late on another run that they will answer to me. Personally. Make sure you get the message across…I know how persuasive you can be.” The manipulative voice almost cooed at the man, causing him to do her bidding with pace. Saria had most of the male workers under her thumb, from doctors to kitchen staff, they couldn't resist her charm. They had no idea how venomous she truly was.

Sighing to herself she mentally noted, There doesn’t seem to be a single competent person in this entire compound. Honestly, they are lucky I’m patient. Placing the device back at her side she placed her hat upon her head, grabbed her ring of keys, and made her way out the door. She usually made runs around the complex to make sure everything was in order; however, today she needed to check by the cafeteria before going on with her duties.

I’m sure a certain someone would be happy to know I’m there A devilish smirk crossed her lips, the heels of her boots clicking against the flooring as she made her way down the hallow halls.

Gabe was sleeping soundly and enjoying himself until he had a pillow thrown at him. He thought nothing of it, then realized, who could have thrown a pillow? He opened his eyes slightly and saw the outline of a person on the other bed in the room, and they were making some comment about how he sounded like a Wookie. "Ugh, sorry, I think it was because I'm on my back," Gabe slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, still somewhat asleep. Looking at the figure again he saw it was a boy, about his age, standing and getting ready to go.

The other boy mentioned breakfast and Gabe stood up and got out of bed. "Yup, I'm moving, I can't do anything without breakfast," he stretched his arms and did a little hop. He was a little disappointed when he hit the ground, as he was every morning, though he wasn't entirely sure why. "So, I guess you're my new roomie. I'm Gabriel, but you can call me Gabe, everyone else does." Throughout their entire interaction Gabe had entirely missed that fact that they boy was blind, and continued to do so, he could be incredibly unobservant at times, "so what's your name?"

~Asher~

Ash found himself almost unable to hold back the laugh at how easily the guy before him accepted the situation. It was nice, though, how this Gabe had the ability to let the little things roll off his back. Now if only he could not sleep on his back and all would be “right in the world”. Mentally scoffing he simply thought, As if a world in a cage could be right. I’m not growing comfortable here. “The name is Asher, but you can call me Ash.”

He could tell the guy didn’t take notice of his condition yet. Usually Asher had no problem getting around, but for some reason there weren’t any spirits to guide him at the moment and most of the people in the hospital already were in the cafeteria. If there was one thing Ash hated it was having to rely to other people, well the living ones that is. He wasn’t one to swallow his pride easily.

Hoping his roommate would remain oblivious he made a gesture towards the door.“Also, if you could lead the way to the cafeteria that would be great. Just until I get a hang of the layout. Being new here and all I don’t exactly know where to go.”

New here. That’s a funny way to look at it . Nevertheless, it wasn’t exactly a lie either.

Now if the rest of the day could go smoothly, unfortunately, Ash was not a man of great luck.

@duskshine749 

*Isadora Fey*

As she was eating her apple, Isadora noticed that she had sat down at an already occupied table. She flushed brightly, more obvious with her paper white skin tone. She hoped that the other girl hadn't heard her talking to herself, she gulped down a bite of apple, wondering if she should say anything to this other girl. She was very beautiful, she felt like she didn't deserve to be in her presence. She also couldn't help the fluttering in her heart as she thought about the other girl, while Isadora was always honest with herself... She never really thought if she was attracted to girls sexually. Maybe she didn't even really have a sexuality, she just wanted certain agreements from a partner. She continued to feel the sting of embarrassment on her cheeks as she pondered this, she sighed softly, glancing over at the other girl and managed a tiny smile.

"H-Hello..." She managed to sputter, much to her chagrin. She was always such a loser when it came to these sorts of things.

☽ Lunafreya ☾

As per the usual, Luna was in mid bite as a girl with ivory skin and stunning eyes sat down at her table. Truthfully, no matter how graceful Lunafreya wished she could be there was no doubting she obtained the worst timing when it came to food. Hopefully, the person before her wouldn’t think she was being gross. She never knew how people portrayed her passion of food. Swallowing the mixture, the honey stuck a bit in her throat and she quickly washed it down with some apple juice before offering a smile.

Luna’s worry about being judged went away when she noticed the girl’s flushed face and timid speaking. She suddenly felt a calm wash over her along with an unspoken understanding. “Hey, I know you. I’ve seen you before in the community area. Sorry I haven’t spoken to you before. Ummm I’m Luna.:”

She couldn’t help but feel a little silly in her greeting. It was like she was a little kid unsure of how to talk to someone on the first day of school. She only saw the girl while passing in the hall or maybe catching a glance coming out of the Checkup rooms. Though her frame was frail, no doubt the baby taking a bit of a toll, there was something exotically beautiful about her. They were both a couple of oddballs. Trying to figure out how to balance being alone and trying desperately not to be.

Noticing only the apple in the girl’s hand she tried to add to the conversation,“Guess you aren’t feeling very hungry today. I think I heard somewhere that yogurt can help with strength because of the protein and probiotics but I don’t know. I eat like a horse all the time I’m sure most people think me odd.” She ended up biting her lip realizing it was rude to point such a thing out and hoped she didn't accidentally offend her. Biting her lip she mentally scolded herself.

@Midnight Howl

*Isadora Fey*

Isadora laughed slightly, "I don't find you odd, I promise." She flashed Luna a gentle smile. "And... I suppose I should get something else to eat... Or I might get in trouble..." Her smile faded into a worried frown before she got up and got some yogurt as well.

"I... Used to eat a lot as well..." Isadora admitted to Luna. "I'm sorry... I'm rambling..." She apologized."My name is Isadora by the way." She said, putting her spoon in the yogurt, not making any attempt to really eat it. She found that she really wasn't that hungry, it made her sick to her stomach to think that she was going to eat the yogurt. She sighed lightly, playing with the spoon, a nagging voice in her head telling her that if she ate that yogurt she would get fat. She almost wanted to laugh out loud at that. What fat did she have left? It was only the baby now, but the nagging voice still made her not pick up the spoon. She started shaking slightly as she tried to find the strength to actually just take a bite. She was afraid someone would yell at her if she didn't.

Kit

With a squeak and a jump, Kit spun around in her seat to face the new voice. "Gustav!" she exclaimed. "You scared me." She smiled hugely, blushing slightly at the admission. She turned to follow him as he sat in the chair opposite.

She giggled cutely at his childishness, finding his exuberance refreshing in this dreary place. She froze for a moment, as he filched her egg, before pouting and glaring her most intimidating glare - which was, admittedly, not all that intimidating - hoping for her egg back. It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't giving it back, at least for the moment, but she eventually sighed. "My day has just started, but my night was the same..." She trailed off for a moment, sinking back into her dark thoughts. She eventually settled on one word. "Long."

Several moments later, she shook out of her funk, tilting her head and pouting cutely. "Can I have my egg back now?"

@Keksalot

@Fae
Gustav looked gravely insulted at the last question and at first only regarded her with a cold, evil-looking stare - head tilted down, eyes looking intently up from beneath the eyebrows, almost as if he wanted to drill a hole in Kit's head with the power of his gaze alone - but quickly stopped and burst into quiet chuckling:
"Oh, of course! It's your stomach to fill with whatever you want after all!" True to his word, he quickly finished peeling the egg and handed it back with great diligence and care. "Guten Apettit, Kit! By the way, what's your favorite food? They probably don't serve it here but still, i'd really like to know!"

"Oh ya, no problem Ash, it can be a bit confusing when you first get here," Gabe made his way out the door and downstairs to the cafeteria. "I mean, I would think, I've been here as long as I can remember." Sometimes Gabe tried to remember his life before, but nothing ever really came to him, "so what are you here for anyways? They say I've got bipolar disorder, but my meds keep me from going too crazy."

Shortly after his answer they made it to the cafeteria, "so here we are, not much but the food is alright." Gabe grabbed a tray and started picking his usual breakfast, "they got cereal, fruit, eggs, muffins, enough to keep you happy." Looking around, it seemed they were the last ones to get there for breakfast. "I'll introduce you to the others throughout the day, we can start with Soren, he's all alone right now." After waiting a sec for Ash to get his food Gabe went over and sat across from Soren.

"Heya Soren, how's things?" Gabe had a bit of his orange before continuing, "we've got someone new on the floor, my new roomie, say hi to Ash."

@Midnight Howl @Mega Birb

☽ Lunafreya ☾

Sighing in relief her smile once again return to her face, as she leaned her hand onto her cheek which was propped up on the table at the elbow. Taking another bite of her yogurt as she watched the girl get up to get some herself. Lunafreya could not help but watch the fragile figure make its way. Feeling odd for staring she instead scanned the entire area of the cafeteria noticing Gabe in the distance. Surely, he would sit next to Soren; she did not know if the two were friends, but this was not the first time she had seen them together. She felt her cheeks getting hot and instantly looked back down while taking another bite…that was another issue entirely. Luckily, it wasn’t long before her friend returned saving the day or rather just Luna’s mind.

Happy to not have completely offended the blessed person across from her (at least to the point she seemed to want to return, which is always a good sign) Luna simply waved her hand in the air, “You are absolutely not rambling at all and if you still think you are then please ramble away.” Truthfully, she needed all the human contact she could get. With the dreams getting worse and her fear of the dark intensifying she couldn’t help but be willing to think about anyone other than herself at the moment. Something was going on here, something she could not quite put her hand on.

Pulling her thoughts away from herself and looking at the person across, her Luna was found herself blurting out, “You know you have the most stunning eyes I have ever seen. You’re like really pretty.” After saying it she was completely oblivious the words had been out loud at all, certain they were just in her mind and nowhere else. This type of mindlessness happened often, getting Luna in trouble in more than one occasion when the news was not to kind of one.

Stirring her spoon in her yogurt she looked out the barred windows, past the dull monotony of the courtyard into the distance as greenery folded out before her eyes. “You ever think we are going to get out of this place? I wish we could all just fly away,” To just become birds. Isn’t that a thought. This comment was both to anyone and no one. A though drifting in every patient’s minds without any reality to uphold it. Still hope existed nonetheless.

@Shadow007

~Asher~

With Gabe’s aura leading the way Ash was able to easily make his way through the halls, making a mental map of what the place was like, a tactic he was used to after all these years. Counting his steps to relate them to length he almost scoffed aloud when Gabe stated what he “was in here for”. Yeah and if you knew the real reason you were in here you would have a conniption. Bipolar disorder? Oh, I’m SO sure.

It was hard not to make the comment out loud. Now was not the time. Instead he responded in a more vague way hoping to allow doubt, “Bipolar disorder? Is that what they say? I wouldn’t have figure it at all. You’re one of the chilliest people I’ve met. As to what I have?” shaking her head to one side to help adjust his hair his voice lowered gaining an almost dangerous tone, “They say it’s skitzo….but me I see the dead. And it’s not a mental condition.”

By the time he finished this comment the two were now in the cafeteria and Ash was able to gather Gabe must have picked up a tray. Grabbing once himself he questioned how he would figure out which food was which when he noticed a spirit he recognized in the corner. It was from a boy a little younger than him who died in a freak experiment; his name was Maz.

“Trust me you aren’t going to want any of that breakfast casserole. That is so long as you prefer not having food poisioning.”

Greeting the guy he smirked and sarcastically noted, “Oh you couldn’t help me find my way around, but you can give me advice on food.” With that Maz laughed and told him which food bin held what and Ash ended up with a plate full of his favorite foods. Moments later Maz disappeared.

It wasn’t long before Ash felt a chill run down his spine as he notice a very malicious aura in his peripheral. He clinched his jaw and as his head fell downwards, blank eyes at the floor. He both hissed and cursed the name in his mind, Saria. She was watching him just to mess with him. No doubt another one of her sick and twisted games. He was not about to let her be indulged in it, choosing rather to ignore her. He made his way to the table instead, close behind his roommate and quickly took a seat, doing his best to look inconspicuous as possible. No need for her to know he was skipping his medications.

Soren was both an odd name but one easy enough to remember. After sitting he nodded into the direction of the new person, memorizing the strange aura. “Hey, the name’s Asher. You can call me Ash. It doesn’t really matter to me.”

@duskshine749@Mega Birb

@Midnight Howl

* Isadora Fey*

Isadora blinked for a moment before turning bright red, "Th-Thank you..." She stammered into her yogurt, too embarrassed to actually make eye contact with the other girl in front of her. "You're... So very nice... It's been a long time since I've met someone so nice..." She admitted softly.

Isadora's eyes soon followed Luna's gaze towards the barred windows, she hated those awful windows... Making her feel like a caged animal... It was intensely disturbing to her. "I hope so." She said with a soft sigh. ".... Even if I have no one to return to on the outside." She said after a pause, almost darkly as she drove her spoon into her yogurt as she thought about her dear canine friends that she had lost. Even though she wasn't there for when they were put down, she still wasn't over the anger and despair of losing two of her only friends in this world. Her crimson eyes watered with tears as she started to remember them. It wasn't fair! They were only trying to help her, how could they have known that she would end up in this Godforsaken place?

She sniffled softly and quickly wiped her eyes, not wanting to see her new found human friend seeing her cry, she was taught that she was not to cry in front of others. That it was a sign of weakness. The beatings she had gotten from her guardian reminded her that she still wasn't allowed to cry, even if he was no longer on this earth.

Soren looked up from his meager breakfast as company arrived, glad for someone to talk to. It was Gabe, one of the others that had been there about as long as he had, and a close friend of his. "Ah, Gabe, I'm well. Yourself?" He took a sip of his water as the newcomer was introduced. Ash, a simple enough name, yet one that stuck well. He set down his glass with care, managing to not disturb the water within it. "Well, hello to you, Ash. Just a warning, don't drink anything besides water unless a new shipment comes in. Stuff spoils fast around here, for one reason or another." He took a glance at his blueberries and, upon noticing a patch of white mold growing, he promptly picked up the plastic container and lobbed it into a nearby trash can. "As stated."

The man reached into a pocket and produced a sticky note and a pen, and began to poke a series of holes in the paper, writing in Braille to accommodate his reader's lack of sight. "Anyhow, you're probably wondering why you're here in the first place. Long story short, each of us has a mental disorder that poses a threat to society, so we're kept locked away in what's essentially a maximum security prison. Once you're in, you're likely in for good. There are doctors and psychologists at the ready in case anything happens, and stay on the warden's good side. It's better that way." He set the pen down and handed the note to Ash, pressing it into his palm. If read, it would simply read "Room on the second floor, still smells of smoke. Be there in 2 hours, more to explain. No security." Continuing on as if he didn't just initiate a conspiracy, Soren began to eat his oatmeal, sipping his water every now and then to get the paste down.

"So Gabe, anything out of the ordinary happening today?"

@Midnight Howl @duskshine749

Kit

Kit ignored the look Gustav gave her - he did it often enough that she almost didn't notice it any more. Instead, she just continued her pout until she was rewarded with the delicious eggy goodness. Upon receiving said deliciousness, she quickly devoured it, licking her fingers of the scraps once finished. She then started going through meats.

Once she registered Gustav's question through the food haze, she paused, head tilted cutely and a look of concentration on her face. "Well," she began, still eating. "My dad hunted - deer, rabbit, duck, goose, bear, squirrel, everything he could hunt. Except fox, for some reason..." She trailed off, in thought for a moment or three, before returning to the present. "He always skinned them himself - I helped once or twice, before I was brought here - and store the meat in the big chest freezer we had in the pantry. We didn't eat much store bought meat, just what dad hunted - pork bacon's not nearly as good as deer bacon." She waved a strip at Gustav as demonstration. "Every once and a while, the freezer would fill up, and mom would take the oldest meats and make a stew. She's called it Kit Stew for as long as I can remember - I assume that's cause I like it so much."

She shrugged, before blushing in embarrassment at how much she rambled. "Um, what about you?" she mumbled, hoping to divert attention away from herself.

@keksalot