“You’ve been driving me crazy,” he confessed to her with humor.
She got a sweet dimple in her cheek when she replied mischievously, “The least that I could do was to return the favor!”
Yeah…
You don’t fight fair.
Hugs.
It Was A Big Day
“And we might be able to save our housing.”
My Love,
I miss you more than words can say to describe this ache.
Sleep well and know that my heart is with you.
Tranked
“I was told that the medicine combo would be fine, but it made me slurry-delirious too exhausted.
However, I bet that when I actaully try to sleep, good ol’ insomnia will suddenly wave it off!”
“I Am Dragon”
“Let’s Begin Again” (Song)
By Athena Stairs, January 23, 2026
Lately I’ve been
Fussin’ and cryin’
It’s just so much
That you mean to me
Life’s pain
Has been insane
Back in force
Runnin’ its course
Baby come away
Lets seize these days
Because loving you
Makes me brand new
Let’s create our
Dreams come true
Adhering to
Our own rules
—
(Contact me for permissions)
Make It Real
“‘Cause anything’s better than the way I feel.”
(Sleep Token reference)
Where Do I Stop?
It was like she kept re-living different versions if the same nightmares.
Estranged Times
She remembered looking back, how her ex-husband had contacted her parents, expecting to cast off his responsibility to her onto them once her capabilities had been used to exhaustion and she had been worn down into a frenzy.
She tried her best to not equate the situations.
Signing Off
She knew that it was soon to be requested that the captain give official notice as proof of their resolution – which had she been like most many figures of authority, could have been refused.
But she knew from both sudes the cost and value of freedom – and she did not crave the standard forms of power.
Dancing In The Flames
“I found a way, but it requires more collaboration.
And it looks like they want to break off on their own, anyway.”
(Can’t We Just Talk – Khalid)
“Pixelated”
And Then,
The plunger breaks.
Hon,
Do you have a place where we can go to talk and work things out together?
That Precious Last Step
How do unicorns meet when they are so brave at distance or when needing to charge to assert or defend – but then their hearts are quivering with frail vulnerability when falling in love, again?
So Shy
An affliction they both struggled with in person.
(Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover – Sophie B. Hawkins)
A “Simple” Suggestion
Once they’d broken through the ice and he felt assured of better footing, he allowed his confidence to come forward and cued her with a voice so low and husky, “Aren’t you going to come hug me now, my darling?”
The Dance Of Koi
They kept circling each other like Yin and Yang, trying to figure out how to get closer for fusion.
I’ve Been Noticing
Things keep trying to get in our way.
Are we going to let them?
(Finish What Ya Started – Van Halen)
Come On, Baby
Knock on my door’s window
Hold out your hand
I will reach out with mine
And we can begin
“Change The Game” (Song)
By Athena Stairs, January 22, 2026
I keep waiting in your
Time of heart’s debating
Baby you’ve got to be entwine
While we’re demonstrating
Days run by as wasting
What we could have thats divine
And you
Oh
I want you
Dont you know?
And all these revelations
Ache to claim temptation
I just want to make you mine
But even though you feel it too
Nothing that we say can prove
Unless you reach out for me and decide
And you
Our fantasies in real life should collide
And I
Feel terrified to let your heart inside
So we just keep on playing
Check mate darling I’m just sayin
Won’t you come to me and do this right?
Cause every day I’m losing ground
A solid stance no place is found
My love just keeps on calling in the dark
And you
We should never part
And I
Need you to show me how to start
(Rhythm goes on to build into a final clash shout of “HEEEY!”)
—-
Earnest need’s tension in conflict to spark with KOTO-type background clacking sticks and calling out interweaving rhythms.
(Contact me for permissions)
Escaping Trap Doors
She was glad to find out that none of the others had been him.
You’re A Part Of Me
She was also realizing that at this point, she too was afraid of being looked at and seen for her injuries.
What Am I?
“Vulnerable…
Thus, clearly unapproachable.
Because I have my guard up.”
Stress-Relief Jollery
Later that evening, she and her youngest went to the thrift store on a little side quest and fell into making funniest and fun discoveries while they searched for cookbooks and items and laughed and “ooo”ed together at every opportunity.
Tuesday’s Vet Visit
When she went with her youngest to take another cat to the vet, she got to meet the wonderful staff member who had been above and beyond there for her when the first brain injury was crashing, the three cats were dying horribly in succession, and a guy had been messing with her.
She tightly hugged this beloved friend again and again in thankful-but-stressed laughter and cried as those desperate memories returned and she felt safe enough to at last release some of that old tension.
The Secret To Love
“To love is to also at times to feel fear.
It’s just part of the territory of letting one’s heart feel vulnerable.
Over time, fear can subside.
But if it’s a good love, fears indicate this, too.”
Oh, Yeah
“And the toilet is backed up.”
Forlorn
“My heart, mind, body, and soul could always rally together, before.
Now my heart fiercely and achingly yearns for someone in a time when my mind and body must tread carefully to avoid further and reinjury.
I can’t do what I used to do to save my situation.
And my soul is trapped inside all of this, screaming for an answer.”
My Love,
I wish you were here lying next to me.
Maybe I could sleep if within the comfort of your arms, instead of this relentless insomnia’s.
Things are about to get levels worse for me in losing our housing.
It is difficult to rest with this concussion and hypervigilance besetting upon me.
Hugs
Security
At last he reached out for her, and when she pulled back from automatic self protection due to the overwhelm of her feelings for him, this time, he did not let go.
(Take Aim – Sleep Token)
Open Heart Surgery
God, it hurt.
It hurt so bad that she could have hurt him again through more misunderstanding.
But, once again, she had no control.
These decisions were not up to her to make.
Loving Care
She had spent the rest of the afternoon carefully vacuuming and dusting, in case he had wanted to play the piano.
Exit
Stage left
“Don’t Speak Truth”
“Yeah, don’t ‘pull the thorn out of the lion’s paw’ and then cover it with kisses…”
(Such B.S.)
Shoring Up
“Ok, girl…get ready for next levels of descension…”
Unicorns
Fleeting sightings of paradise.
Carrying On
(Crying and curling up into a ball inside)
—
(Title of multiple meanings)
Rendered Powerless
If she had somehow hurt him, there seemed to be nothing that she could do to make it better.
Her loving, best intentions didn’t seem to matter.
Her imperfect attempts to bridge with him just crumbled and fell short.
Love & Honesty
Some people just can’t handle the combination.
Anymore
“I don’t want to play these games.”
Self Destruction
Test subject one-o one-o nine-o was at last showing great promise of this…
I’ll Just Keep On
“Livin’ in my insular world that the bottom’s dropping out of.
I can throw up my arms and go ‘weeee’ as I plummet!”
Candid Corvid Productions 