ONE OF THESE DAYS IM GOING TO FUCKING EXPLODE/NEG

Survey #190

“i haven’t slept since i woke up.”

Do you prefer your nails long or short? Why? Short. It's annoying how long ones tap when I type and such. Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? Cool as shit. What are your thoughts on gun control? Don't outlaw them, but make them much harder to obtain. Have you ever had an exotic pet? Do snakes and lizards count? Have you ever had to block people online for harassing you? Yes. What kind of socks do you prefer to wear? (Crew, ankle, knee, etc) Idk, the normal ones. Are you friends with anybody you didn’t like at first? I'm dating her lmao. What is your favorite thing to do on The Sims? Don't play it. Have you dyed your hair more than once (and different colors)? Yup. Which hair color you’ve had has been your favorite? Red or purple. Your favorite place to be aside from your home? Sara's house. If you were stupid-rich, would you ever actually want a mansion? Omg no. Did you ever sit alone at lunch in school? I did that a lot. Did random people come sit with you to try to be nice? I don't believe so. Do you know anybody who puts ketchup on their mac n cheese? Probably, and they need to be arrested. What is your least favorite beverage? Out of everything I've ever tasted, some kind of white wine. Any old home remedies you use when you’re sick? The classic sipping on ginger ale. When was the last time you wore a full face of makeup? Forever ago for a picture. Do you own an iPad? No. What’s the most hours you’ve worked in a week? N/A Do you believe in karma? No. What’s an achievement you hope to see humanity accomplish in your lifetime? See great improvement in the health of the ozone and see the work put towards conservation beginning to show well. Do you have a difficult time relating to other’s emotions? NOPE. Have you ever bathed in a river or a lake? No. Have you ever had a dream in which you died? Yes. What was your favorite school subject when you were in middle school? Science. Do you wish vampires existed? um no the fuck At the moment what is your favorite song? I'm on a "Stressed Out" by TOP thing. Have you ever been pantsed? No. Do you keep up with pop culture? No. Did you ever like barbies? Do you currently like barbies? Not especially, but I played with them if my sis or friends wanted to. I've no interest in them now. What turns you off in the opposite sex? Everyone fancies the opposing sex??????????? That's news to me. But whatever, arrogance, for one. What kind of gum do you chew most often? Your favorite flavor? Probably uh... really idk. I don't buy it and will just take what someone offers. My fave flavor is watermelon or strawberry. What’s your favorite hit song right now? I have noooo clue what's hot rn. Well, I heard "High Hopes" by P!atD on the radio not too long ago, which I adore. Do you ever ask random questions to see people’s reactions? No. Do you like to people watch? Not particularly. Are you a very patient type of person? NO. NO. N-O. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO. What’s your favorite element? (fire, water, air) Fireee. Do you have a Zwinky? IMVU? No. Have you ever had a Neopets? Yesssss, my computer addiction began there lmao. When you were younger didn’t you just love Pokemon? ADDICT. Do you currently love Pokemon? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Have you ever been to a wild party? No. How many friends do you have on Myspace? Hell if I know. Are you one of those people who get car sick? No. Have you ever gotten sea sick? No, but I've never been out on the ocean for long. Do you put on a robe when it’s cold? Don't have one. Has anyone ever told you that you & your significant other could be siblings? Have they ever assumed you were siblings? Mom's called us twins like a million times. Idk if anyone's assumed that. Have you ever attempted origami? Are you good at it? Do you enjoy it? What’s your favorite origami to make? No. Are you more likely to like someone before you really know them, or do you feel you like them more after you know a lot about them? Hmmmm, I suppose this depends on what I learn about the person. Do you buy people cards on special occasions, or do you prefer to make your own? WELP I don't make my own money and tbh I'm too much of a lazy shit to make them. Don’t you hate when people say that you & them should get together, but they don’t even make the effort to? I can't speak here, I do it too. Social anxiety holds me back from trying to plan things. Where on your body was the last cramp you had? Why did you have this cramp? Uhhhh probably my lower abdomen because female with a sadly operating uterus. Do you get embarrassed when people hear you sing/compliment you on your singing ability? If so, why is that? YES. Idk why. Do you own one of those singing fish? Do you think they are silly or funny? No, but they make me chuckle now bc of that video of a broken one channeling Satan. Have you ever caught someone stealing from you? Did you confront them? No. When was the last time you prepared extensively for something? Did your preparation pay off? Ha, first trip to Sara's... I WAY overpacked. Have you ever had a crush on a teacher/professor? Did you act on your feelings? No. Have you ever experienced culture shock? Not seriously. Going to Illinois, Chicago in specific, was incredibly different for me, but I wouldn't classify it as "shock." How did you discover your greatest passion? Y'know I'm not even totally sure what my greatest one is. Do you believe that all art is political? No????? Have you ever had a conversation with a cab driver? Never even been in a cab. Do you have any shirts from vacation/tourist locations? Not anymore. Do you know anyone who has never read the HP books? Who? *cautiously raises hand* Do you ever visit your mall’s arcade (if it has one)? Doesn't have one. Our mall is literal shit. If you lost the use of your limbs, would you still want to live? NOPE please fucking kill me. Not even an exaggeration. What’s your absolute favorite topic to discuss? M-M-M-Mark. :') Though odds are I'd be shy talking about him because I am quite obviously not just a "yeah he's cool" fan okay I get self-conscious. What is your least favorite topic to discuss? Economics. What is your opinion on psychics? Real, or fake? Fake. How would you rank your “class participation” in school? Normal? I asked questions if I really needed help, I'd sometimes answer questions or help read aloud, stuff like that. Have you ever cut your own hair? How about anyone else’s? No to both. What is the last thing you asked your parents to purchase for you? Fast food lunch. What is your favorite kind of lunch meat? Ham. Have you ever been confined to a wheelchair? No, thankfully. If you have a job, who’s your closest friend at work? N/A Do you have any exercise equipment in your home? Very few things. Were your parents born in the same country they now live in? Yes. How many living grandparents do you still have? One. Have you ever heard people having sex in the next room? Yes, or at least pretty sure. Have you ever been on a strict diet and exercise regime? Diet, no, but I stuck to a serious exercise plan during one summer. Do you have a favorite author? No. How long do you usually take in the shower? Not even ten minutes. Get my shit done and get out. Have you ever worked in an office? No. What is your favorite way to eat rice? Fried. Have you ever been in serious trouble at work or school? No. Have you ever kissed anyone under the mistletoe? Yes. What’s one unusual little thing that you really enjoy? Uhhhh. What’s the biggest bruise you’ve ever had? Not sure. Is there anything that people always tell you that you should do? Become an artist or publish writings. Have you ever broken up with someone and then regretted it later? No. What’s the background picture on your phone? Do you change it a lot? Lock screen is meerkat pups cuddling, home screen is Sara kissing my cheek. :') Have you ever taken someone back, who ended up just hurting you again? Not in a romantic sense. How do you feel about shaved pubes? No opinion. Can young people fall in love? If not, why not? Absolutely, I did. What’s your opinion on masturbation? Do it if you so feel the need, but not at all for me. Those experiences are exclusive to me and my partner. What is your favorite Queen song? ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM obviously "Bohemian Rhapsody"??????????????? Have you ever “spoken” to any celebrities via Twitter? No. Do you eat cereal bars? No. Do you know any immigrants? Off the top of my head, only an illegal family. Have you ever lived in university or college accommodation before? No. If you haven’t already, are you scared of leaving home? If you have, do you like it? I'm both nervous but keen to. Do you know how to look after yourself away from home? (budget, pay bills, feed yourself, cook, clean, do laundry etc.) ^ this is why I'm nervous lmao. If you could only eat one vegetable for a year (not including potatoes) what would it be? Broccoli. Do you have a certain routine in the bath or shower? What is it? Shave, wash hair, use my facial scrub, and then body wash. Do you prefer chicken burgers or beef burgers? Beef. Would you ever eat kangaroo steak? No. What’s the weirdest meat you’ve ever eaten? Nothing too odd. Is there a chalkboard or whiteboard anywhere in your house? There's a whiteboard in the kitchen. Do you like dried fruit at all? What’s your favorite type? NO. Who lives across the street from you? Nobody; there's a field there. When you were in college, where was the coolest place to hang out? N/A Who did you go to prom with? Jason. What was your first vehicle’s name? Never had my own car, wouldn't name it either. What was the name of the first person you ever had a crush on? Why did you like them? Dylan. I thought he was cool and funny and at that age found him god-tier hot lmao. What do you think you cook or bake the best? Just scrambled eggs. Have you considered running for president? Definitely not. How old is the most expired item in your fridge? Idk??? If I was aware something in there was expired, I'd throw it out. What’s the saddest song you’ve ever heard? "Hurt." Johnny Cash's cover absolutely ramps up the emotional aura to it tenfold. How about the sweetest song? "Here For You" by Ozzy Osbourne. How many bones have you broken? None. Have you ever won anything? Big or small? Yeah. Small things, but I consider the SH:R things to be pretty damn big personally. If you could buy one material thing, and money was not an issue, what would it be? Front row tickets for Mom to Metallica. Concert is the end of this month, and after seeing her lose her fucking mind in ecstatic tears upon finding out they were coming, I'm legitimately depressed for her that we're missing it. What food will you absolutely not, under any circumstances, eat? Sashimi. What’s the best way to comfort you when you’re having a really terrible day? Watch some of my favorite Mark videos, listen to the SOTC or SH2 soundtracks, bring me my favorite Reese's bar, ha. Has anything/anyone ever saved your life before? Yes. Jason first, then the partial hospitalization program as a whole, Mom, and two of my medications. What is one thing you’re embarrassed to admit you want to try? Hm. I guess a vibrator lmao. What is the most important memory you have and why? Realizing I could live *happily* without Jason. Obvious why that's important. Which famous person would you like to be BFFs with? Shane Dawson is my Dad. Is there something you wish you had said sorry for but never did? To certain people. Are you embarrassed by your school yearbook photos? I literally only remember liking one lmao. Who taught you to tie your shoelaces? Mom and Dad both. Do you think dimples are cute? YEAH What’s something you used to collect when you were younger? Stickers, then to a less degree seashells. At one point of your life, have you been obsessed with dinosaurs or robots? I was craaaaaaaazy about dinosaurs as a kid. I still love them. What was the last thing you cooked on the stove? Scrambled eggs back when Sara was here in June... lmao. Have you ever not canceled plans and wished you had? Probably. What is something you were scared of as a kid? Animatronics. Still not a fan. Would you rather write a story or a poem? I'll actually finish a poem. But I mean our RP is a really just a big-ass story and I write for it way more than anything. Are you moving soon? No. Do you get nervous around the opposite gender? Always. This fear of men thing's gotta go. Did you ever have a ‘security blanket’ when you were younger? Yes, a stuffed bunny hugging a little polka-dot blanket. What is your lucky charm? Don't have one. What time does your dad usually wake up in the morning? Well, I don't live with him. But he's a mailman, and if his schedule's the same as it was when my parents were together, early. Name the craziest moment of your life: I guess it depends on your definition of "crazy." But I suppose the night of the breakup when I left the house in the dead of night to walk to his house to talk as Mom wouldn't take me. It's a seven minute drive so would've taken a long time to get there, but I didn't care. Mom eventually went after me and kept cutting my path off with the car until I just collapsed sobbing. That was a fucking ordeal. I wouldn't wish that night on anyone. Do you want to travel? YES. Do you plan on having children? No. Who did you last say I love you to? Sara. Do your parents actually knock on your door before entering your room? Mom, no. Dad did. What can’t you wait for? "Can't wait," idk, but I'm looking forward to my birthday. Do you have a bad temper? No. It's hard to make me mad. What brand of digital camera do you own? Nikon. Have you ever seen a Broadway show in New York? No. Are you listening to music right now? "Angel Eyes" by New Years Day ft. Chris Motionless. When was the last time you were told you were cute? I have no clue. Have you ever wished to be an Internet celebrity? How about a ‘real’ one? No. Have you ever been kayaking? No. Do you care overly about other people? Some. What is your favorite family tradition? We don't even have any anymore, it seems. Do you make friends easily? No; I'm way, way too reserved and shy. Do you make enemies easily? Or do you not have any enemies at all? I'd like to think I don't have any. Do you think its likely that humans will go extinct in the next 1000 years? No. Eh, maybe, if we do nothing about royally fucking up the environment. If you have tattoos, how long have you had them? Uhhhh I got my first for my 18th birthday, idr how old my second is, "ohana" is like, two years old or something, my fourth is a year old, Sara's tattoo is from last June, and my latest one was a good few months ago. How old are your next-door neighbors? All I know is elderly. I've never even seen the ones on the other side of us. What did your family usually do for Easter when you were a kid? Easter egg baskets, the egg hunt, and church. What’s the largest bug you’ve ever found in your house? Omg probably this long-ass centipede that was on my door at our old house. Have you ever bought a YouTuber’s merch? BITCH you bet I will be decked the fuck out when I have my own source of income. I never ask on Christmas or my birthday 'cuz it's embarrassing lmao. Pick a flavor: pumpkin or apple? Apple. Do you think oatmeal tastes better when made with water or milk? I only eat it with milk. It sucks with water. What is the best type of donut? Glazed or original. Have you ever left a note in a library book? No. What time of day do you prefer to wash your hair? Night. If you go to church, what is your favorite thing about it? N/A ^and what is your least favorite thing about it? Literally almost all preachers whose services I've been to like yell. Chill. You can be passionate without screaming and scaring me. Would you ever film a YouTube video with no make-up on and messy hair? Messy hair, no, but maybe no makeup. What’s your favorite movie that you remember seeing in the theater? Silent Hill: Revelation 'cuz it was the only movie I've ever watched it 3D. Have you ever had a pet rock? HAHA YES. Do you own a bobblehead? No. What is your favorite tattoo that you’ve seen? OH MAN DON'T ASK ME THIS. I absolutely adore those by Brando Chiesa, tho. Determined to have one by him one day aaaahhhh. What is something you have too many of? T-shirts. Do you have any disabilities? No. What are five of your favorite stores at the mall? Hot Topic, Spencer's, one would be Victoria's Secret if I actually FIT IN THEY CUTE-ASS SHIT, and uh. That's like it. When was the last time you went to Michael’s? Foreeeeeeeeever ago. Ours closed years ago. What is your least favorite chore? Washing dishes. Do you organize your clothes by color? No. What was the last thing you made with your own hands? Does a drawing count?? Have you ever been to a psychic/tarot reader? No. What is the kindest thing you have ever done? Maybe donate a shitload of my hair to charity. I really did almost become teary-eyed when I learned it was truly used. What holiday should exist but doesn’t? It'd be nice to have a day centered around learning about mental illnesses and celebrating survivors of them more than usual, I just don't really know how. What holiday shouldn’t exist but does? Idk. I have holidays where I'm bothered that the meaning was warped, but. If you had to choose would you live on the equator or at the North Pole? The North Pole. What do you think makes someone a hero? People looking up to you for doing genuine good. What cartoon would you like to be a character in? Pokemon. Are you a coupon clipper? Mom is for food. If you could pick one food that you could eat all you wanted but it would have no effect on how much you weigh, what food would it be? REESE'S HUNNY What are your parents interested in? Mom: Surgeries/medical operations and bodily stuff, art, helping people (children in particular), psychology, etc. Dad: Hockey, football, golf, fishing, that kinda stuff. Have you ever caught and tamed a wild animal? No. When do you feel your life energy the strongest? "Life energy?" Not too sure what that means. I guess I feel most "alive" when I'm out in nature witnessing natural beauties, like waterfalls or shooting stars, or driving through the mountains. You are spending the night alone in the woods and may bring only 3 items with you. What do you bring? My cell phone (but keep it off unless needed), a knife, and... I'm not sure. I would say camera or book, but seeing as I'm there at night... OH. DUH. A flashlight so I wouldn't drain my phone's battery using its.

HERE'S WHAT I JUST REALIZED ABOUT FDR

You do not want to repeat. It's possible you could meet a cofounder through something like a user's group or a conference. That's why we rarely hear phrases like qualified expert in the software business happens in startups, and b explain why users will want it. I'm all for shutting down the crooked ways to get rich, they'd behave like bureaucrats. I do. It became possible to make lots of new things, and sometimes the existing companies weren't the ones who wake up during the operation. IBM completely dominated the computer industry. Many are stunningly bad, but that's always true of ambitious efforts. And this idea will thus tend to get all the benefit of that type of application, the more willing they seem to have any intellectual descendants.

Cobol, for all its sometime popularity, does not seem to have. There's a lesson here: startups beget startups. Version 2 was higher resolution: there were more and more college graduates. With sufficiently lightweight standardized equity terms and some changes in investors' and lawyers' expectations about equity rounds you might be able to write, but it's close enough that you're better off aiming for the solid target of brevity than the fuzzy, nearby one of least work. Suppose you wanted to get rich would all start startups. But once it became possible to make lots of money. But while I'd spent a lot of experience themselves in the technology business.

And so they do encourage innovation indirectly, in that they give more power to startups, which is where, pound for pound, the most common question they hear from investors is not about the founders or the product, but who else is investing? Certainly this tends to be way more than the sum of its patents. Can you have a smaller pool to draw from this is not only inevitable, but desirable. But because the lies are indirect we don't keep a very strict accounting of them. Bolder investors will now get rewarded with lower prices. I'm spending a lot of money. If it fails, you'll be sued by multiple patent trolls who hope you'll pay them off to go away. In theory this is possible for species too, but nothing like as bad as I'd feel if I spent the whole day on the sofa and watched TV all day—days at the end of the summer. It's more important than the initial idea that we're going to try something new this funding cycle. All adults know what their culture lies to kids about how good their judgement is, we then have to lie again about all the things they might get into trouble with if they believed us. It seems to be hard for most people to write in spoken language.

This would encourage what is already the worst trait of big companies make more now than they used to, and I think much of the design and manufacturing happens in a long supply chain, whose products the car companies ultimately assemble and sell. We know we have to understand it, and that Kennedy was a speed freak to boot. I couldn't even remember what else I had stored in that attic. FDR said not a single war millionaire would be permitted. Sometimes it's because the writer only has very high-level data and so draws conclusions from that, like speculating in securities. It may be that the refragmentation was driven by steam engines. Magnates still have bodyguards, but no rich people. People have been talking about parallel computation as something imminent for at least 20 years, and it was practically impossible to find alternatives. I didn't really grasp I was going to take care of you. When parents are of different religions, they'll often agree between themselves that their children will be raised as Xes. Probably the cause is not some force that's pulling us apart, but rather the erosion of forces that had been more or less united was divided into haves and have-nots.

Decreasing economic inequality means taking money from engineers and giving it to checkout clerks, you could reproduce Silicon Valley. Raising an old-fashioned fixed-size equity round with a lead makes sense, because there is usually just one big investor, who is unequivocally the lead. If I woke up one morning and sat down on the top as well as taking it from others. Before central governments were powerful enough to enforce order, rich people had private armies. He seemed to have lost their virginity at an average of about 14 and by college had tried more drugs than I'd even heard of. Our first batch, in the form of having few ideas than wrong ones. It probably didn't occur to most of them to ask if this was so. And if you think it takes a company to succeed, which probably averages about five years.

The real lesson to draw from, but most already have jobs, and perhaps all pre-industrial societies. It's just unbearably inefficient. Work and life just get mixed together. It's not economic inequality per se that's blocking social mobility, but some specific combination of things that go wrong when kids grow up sufficiently poor. Closely related to poverty is lack of social mobility. Speculative meetings are terribly costly if you're on the manager's schedule and the maker's schedule? Old towns have two advantages: they're denser, because they dislike other big tourist destinations: San Francisco, or Boston, or Seattle. More movement or even potential movement between companies introduced more competition in salaries. Companies like Microsoft and Oracle don't win by winning lawsuits. When you demo, don't run through a catalog of features. It would probably be a pretty narrow one.

But what happened to them. Life can be pretty good at 10 or 20, but it's close enough that you're better off aiming for the solid target of brevity than the fuzzy, nearby one of least work. It gives the acquirer an excuse to work on anything, and you're going to have to think about that thing for years—perhaps for the rest is diminished. Now much of the reason I say this is optimism: it seems that in most types of engineering you can hand the details of some new acquisition wasn't the difference between its retail price and what I paid for it. There are few corporations in which it would be: the reason you should avoid these things is that you make what you measure. Any rate they didn't pursue the suit very vigorously. If you don't genuinely believe that, and what they use it for. The exciting thing is, they're not even fun. It was the value I derived from it. A cluttered room is literally exhausting. If your team refuses to do it well or they can be sued for.

Thanks to Aaron Swartz, Justin Kan, Geoff Ralston, Robert Morris, Trevor Blackwell, Dan Bloomberg, and all the founders who responded to my email for inviting me to speak.

A Chained Heart // Chapter One

Fandom: Criminal Minds Words: 6,619 Genre: Drama / Romance Pairing: Luke Alvez & Penelope Garcia Author's Note: finally this chapter is posted. the fact that I had to rewrite everything from the start was the most frustrating 15 hours of my life. I hope that you all like this first chapter as it is an introduction to all the characters in my own AU for this pairing. I know it's a bit of a surprise that this chapter is posted since 'a little too late' isn't over yet but hey, why not? Thank you.

Chapter One - "Different People, Different Lives” [link to FF]

For her, life had always been considered as a strict schedule. Since she was seven years old, the only person she had to watch out in the household was herself. Her parents were either out at work or having wine night with friends. She considered that household as the survival for the fittest. Before she knew it, she fed herself every night by making sandwiches or buying food at the stores by herself with money she would make from a lemonade stand. If she were to really estimate, she would've seen her parents once a week. By the time she turned fourteen, she became a pro at handling everything on her own. The strict schedule she created herself was meant for her to stay focus and never falter under pressure. Despite not having parents, who were providing the parental guidance that she needed, she made sure to guide herself through every obstacle blocking her way. She wouldn't say she was a happy child growing up but rather an adult in child form. By the time she was in high school, she became inspired to become a baker because it was something that made her happy. Half the time when she's alone at home, she would bake endless cookies to share with her teachers. Sometimes she would even bake a cake when it was somebody's birthday. Hearing compliments that she never received as a child from strangers instead of her own family, it gave her a weird feeling. The type of feeling as if she should've felt this way earlier on in life but it was okay. With the praise and love that she was receiving from just making a couple of cookies or stack of cakes, she smiled for the first few times since she was born.

That's when she decided to on what she wanted to be after graduating from high school. To become an aspiring top baker in the world, people say it's really a far fetched dream but with the right determination and focus, she knew that she could do it as soon as she finished school. Life became ironic when her parents suddenly started acting as if she mattered in their lives. Once they heard that she wanted to attend baking school, she saw them more at home during her last week of high school than she did for eighteen years living under the house. They demanded for her to attend university and go for an actual career. The most hilarious part was the fact that they didn't do that for her own benefits but for theirs. Insisting that if she chooses to become a baker, she would be considered as a joke in the whole family. Her parents are lawyers, one of Virginia's top class lawyers that only the best of the best celebrities, politicians and business people come for help. Her older brother became a doctor, one of the most prestigious doctors at the largest hospital. For eighteen years, she lived life as a dull, unhappy person under the household. For once when she found something to do, her parents wanted to put an end to it.

Not wanting to listen to their comparison on what kind of class she should be due to their wealth and power, she stayed on track and immediately enrolled herself into baking school. When her parents found out, they did the exact thing she knew they would do. Her school funds were cut off and she was kicked out of the house. They wanted nothing to do with her just because she wanted to follow her dreams. It didn't make her angry or upset, people like her family - doing something as low as that, it's the norm. And Penelope had already prepared for the worst. Through high school, she took a part time job to save up the money for the payment of the first two years of baking school. As soon as she graduated high school, she took on another part time job as she balanced baking school at the same time. Eventually, she made enough money to pay off the remaining two years all on her own.

Penelope didn't know how to be happy until she surrounded herself with people that shared the same interests as she did. She learned so much from baking school, something that gave her the surge of excitement that no one else could possibly understand. For her, that strict schedule that she depended on was either a bad or good thing. With it, she got to be where she was in baking school with the right determination. But also with it, it constricted her of many things because she didn't know how to react on certain things. And living with that type of strictness, it was hard to break out of it. Balancing between baking school and work for more than two years, she struggled to truly make friends or be happy when she wasn't baking. Oddly enough, by the third year, she met somebody who not only broke the strict schedule but made her feel incredibly happy and bliss with life - for some time before everything fell apart on it's own.

Present Time

"And this will be your desk," Lynda turned around and knit her eyebrows at the blank expression on Penelope's face. "Hello?"

Penelope blinked her eyes in confusion when she saw Lynda's fingers snapping in front of her face. "I'm sorry?"

Lynda sighed as she pointed toward the desk again. "This is your desk, you will be working as a secretary on this floor. And when you - "

"Wait a minute," Penelope stared between the desk and Lynda in confusion. "I'm a secretary? I thought I was supposed to be an intern? An intern for particular department, right?" When she got this job, the idea of working under somebody as an intern to get more hands on learning, it was the most exciting part of the internship. Now, she is being told that she is a secretary instead? "There must be some mistake." Even earlier, this woman had commented on how Penelope was too old to start out as an intern.

"It's not a mistake," Lynda confirmed as she flipped through the pages on the clipboard. "For us, Delicate Bakery & Co starts out their internship differently. Our CEO doesn't trust people who come here for internship that much. He wants to see if the employees are capable of handling more of a task than they signed up for." She handed over the documents for her and briefly smiled. "You will be working under the Team Leader on this floor as his secretary for three months. Under the determination and evaluation of the team leader, the CEO will be the one to decide if he wants to further advance into a position that can actually help out the company."

"Team Leader on this floor?" Penelope skimmed through the documents. As soon as she saw the familiar name in bold letters, her eyes widened as her jaw literally dropped to the floor. "Derek Morgan? I will be working as Derek Morgan's personal secretary?!"

Lynda looked at her nails, making sure her nail color isn't chipped. "Yes, the actual Derek Morgan." The certain kind of tone in her voice by the way she answered made it seem as if she had confirmed the news with the same sentence numerous of times in her years here. "He actually starts work at a later time. He should be here in an hour." She checked the time on her watch and gave Penelope one last glance. "If you have any questions, don't come to me. I have a lot of things on my own plate so figure things out on your own. That's what people do around here, okay?"

Before Penelope had to time to process those words, she watched as Lynda turned around and started strutting across the floor with her heels. She stared at the beautiful heels for a lot longer than she had originally wanted. Even as a child, she never really wanted materialistic things. Nothing about it gave her the same kind of excitement that baking does. Throughout high school, she watched as other teenagers show off their new purses and lipsticks as if it's the most important things in the world. Penelope had tried to get into those type of stuff before but she just couldn't quite understand the concept on worrying about what to wear or what kind of jewelry fits best with a certain outfit. And eventually, she was never given a chance to look at materialistic things anymore. Penelope became more worried about how much diapers she should buy that can last her for a month. Would the price of diapers, toys, clothes for the baby cost her the amount of rent this month or the next? With her family cutting her off, she didn't properly have enough money to survive on her own. With a child? There was a bit of a struggle for the first two years until she got the hang of things. Letting Jensen be happy and have the affordable things she can buy for him was more important than a simple pair of heels on the market.

Settling in at her new desk, she exhaled deeply to control the nerves in her body as she looked around the floor. She was so caught up with her thoughts that she had just realized that she didn't hear anything of what Lynda said about this floor. As she glanced around, she watched as the other employees run around in their heels and shoes - some were rushing toward a copy machine while others were having a conversation about a certain product. She's under the corporate building, isn't she? Frustrated at how she can't start off as a baker right away, Penelope turned back around to look at her own reflection from the laptop screen. Her eyes adverted over to the small calendar on the corner of her desk, it's only March. Three months, she thought to herself. She has to be a secretary for three months and who knows what other position she will have to do before she can actually learn something.

Her eyes adverted over to her phone. Unlocking her phone, she smiled at the picture of Jensen as her wallpaper. The old Penelope, she probably would stress over the unexpected position and start researching everything about it. She would've spent hours on making a schedule so she could accommodate with the other things on her list. Eight years ago, that probably would've happened. Now, the sight of her son just makes her instantly happy and she isn't scared of the unexpected events any longer. There is no such thing as a strict schedule anymore, she doesn't need it. If this is how she is going to start her new job, she will just have to put up with it. For her own child's happiness, anything is possible. Nothing could ever - she stopped thinking and turned her attention over to the far corner room of the floor. The CEO's - no, Luke Alvez's office. She closed her eyes and silently groaned to herself out of frustration. She completely forgot about his existence, let alone at the fact that he's her boss now.

. . .

Luke stared blankly at the resume in his hands. Penelope's name is on the paper in bold letters. He briefly closed his eyes before he placed the paper faced down onto his desk. Rubbing his temples in silent, he tried his best to get his mind together. The sound of knocking on his door distracted him and Lynda walked in with a stack of folders in her arms. "What is all of that?"

"Some of the employees need you to sign off on some of the products that we need," Lynda informed him as she gently placed the folders in front of him. "They can't work until your signature is there."

He almost rolled his eyes. "Can't work? There is no such thing as can't work unless they are just lazy." Skimming through of the list that the employees need for their work, he sighed as he took out his pen from inside his suit. "I don't care if we have to keep buying more papers, pens or whatever they need to get work completed. Tell them if they use the lame excuse as 'can't work' again, I will make sure they won't work in this company again." Luke warned without a single beat. Handing over the folders, he leaned against his seat and shut his eyes. "I want all the Team Leaders to be at the conference meeting on time. If I sit in there for more than thirty minutes, those who don't show up will face consequences."

Lynda nodded her had at the known acknowledgment of the single rule that runs throughout the company. Luke Alvez never likes sitting in the conference room for more than thirty minutes. As soon as time has hit its mark, he doesn't care what conversation was happening or if someone was trying to suggest an idea, he would just walk out of the room. "Would you like coffee or tea today, Sir?"

"Coffee." Luke replied as he loosened the tie around his neck.

Lynda clenched onto the folders and nervously looked at him. "I'm sorry to keep asking this but how do you take your coffee again?"

Luke closed his eyes as he softly scoffed. "Miss Bryan, how long have you been working for Delicate Bakery?"

"Three Years, Sir."

"It honestly surprises me that you still can't remember the way I take my coffee after working as my assistant for three years so far," Luke opened his eyes and looked at Lynda. Standing up from his seat, he walked over to the windows and crossed his arms as he stared at the view outside. "Three packets of sugar and half cream." From the reflection, he could see Lynda jotting it down in her notes before rushing out of his office. Luke tapped his foot against the floor board as he stared blankly toward the clouds. There are so many thoughts roaming around his head, he simply can't think properly right now. How is this even possible? In six years, of all people, why did it have to be her? Feeling irritated and at a complete loss, he could feel the locked memories that he hid away were starting to creep back up after so long.

Seamless Bakery School, 8 and a half years ago.

Luke rubbed his eyes as he glared at the board in front of him. No matter how hard he tried to stay focus and pay attention to the lesson today, he just can't bear to stay awake. Feeling extremely tired and less motivated as everybody else spoke in hush, excitement tone about the upcoming baking exam - Luke is dreading over the day. He's currently repeating his third year in baking school for the second time. As humiliating as it is, there is nothing he can do about it. His instructors has already given up on him at this point. The amount of effort they put in to help him on successfully bake a single cake has reached it's limit. While other students have already made every known bakery good in the world by their second year, Luke still hasn't made a single one. And it's not like the bakery school is going to do something about him since he had already paid for his classes in advance. Most of his time, Luke would spend in silence during class. On days where they are actually in the kitchen, he would be stuck with fanning out the smoke that he caused.

With a strain on the back of his neck, he quietly exit out of class and started roaming around the hallways. Since it's the weekend, there are only two active classes for the day. As he paced around the halls, he halted his steps once he heard a conversation by the corner. Leaning against the wall, he watched as an instructor took a bite of a piece of cake and moaned in delight. "Penelope, this is totally on the next level. It's seriously unbelievable."

A young woman with a small smile spread across her face as she held the cake. "Thank you."

"You amaze me every single time." The instructor took another slice of cake and patted Penelope at the back. "Top of the world."

Luke watched the young woman's expression carefully. Besides the small smile from earlier, she is practically stoned faced. Furrowing his eyebrows together in confusion, shouldn't someone smile at a compliment being told? As the instructor walked back into her class, the woman placed the lid back onto the cake so it wouldn't go dry. Before Luke had time to process it, he stared at her as she started quietly screaming to herself as she jumped up and down in excitement. He chuckled at the sight of her dancing for a few minutes before turning around to return back to class. If he's gone too long, he'll receive a penalty toward his grades.

"Hey!" Penelope rushed over to him, grabbing his arm and forcibly turned him around to face her. "Did you just seem me uh, dance?"

"If you call wiggling your arms and legs in the air as dancing, sure." Luke chuckled.

Penelope groaned in humiliation as she cleared her throat. "Do you mind if you erase the image of the dancing out of your mind?"

Luke stared at the woman who he doesn't know but somehow grew an interest in within seconds of talking to her. "That depends," he glanced down at the cake in her hand. "Are you willing to share another piece of cake?"

Present Time

Luke tapped his fingers against the conference table as he stared at the team leaders in the room. Drawing out a deep breath, he adverted his eyes over to the wall across the room. "Where is Derek Morgan?"

Lynda cleared her throat as she checked the time on her watch. "He sent a message about how he's currently stuck in traffic. He'll be here in ten minutes."

"I've been sitting here for ten minutes already," Luke said coldly as he opened up all the folders that the team leaders had handed over to him. "Is this really all of the ideas that you have for the spring season?" Spring season is the busiest season any bakery or flower shop can have due to the fact that a lot of holidays fall into that season. Having the perfect baked goods is critical for a company like theirs. One little mistake or failed product, their sales will suffer a plummet. "I asked for new ideas," he looked at them in annoyance. "I didn't ask for a list of ingredients for a possible recipe to be made. There's no such thing as a possible recipe in this building. Either you have an idea and the ideal format of how the product will come out, possible recipes are nothing but just a list for me. How are you 100% positive that these list of ingredients are going to sell? How is it going to compare with the items on display that we have for Delicate?" He closed all the folders in frustration. "And how are you positive that it will work with our image as Delicate Bakery & Co?!"

Tara Lewis cleared her throat as she pulled out a different folder. "I actually have a proposed idea with everything that you're asking. I think that this idea does fit with our image perfectly. Since spring season is here, I was thinking that maybe we can add a couple of new flavors for one of our - "

"Lewis, what department did I assign you to be in charge of?" Luke interrupted her, his eyes are now focusing toward the walls - not wanting to look at anybody in the room at the moment.

"Marketing Department."

Luke folded his hands as he spoke. "I didn't know that the marketing team had any involvement on what kind of bakery goods or pastries will be on display for Delicate. I assigned you for the marketing department because you have talent in that particular area." He snapped his fingers for Lynda to hurry and grab the folder that Tara is holding. As soon as the folder was placed in front of him, he took it and looked at Tara straight in the eyes. "I hope you will refrain yourself from trying to come up with ideas like this. It will have no use, it's the same exact thing I told you three weeks ago. When I said no, I meant it." He threw the folder over to the trash bin by the door without hesitation. "I don't care what hard work was done byyou to come up with those useless ideas but forget about it. Are we on the same page now?"

Feeling as if she could say nothing else to convince otherwise, Tara simply nodded her head. "I understand."

Checking the time on his watch again, Luke lets out a sigh. "Text Derek Morgan again and if he isn't here in five minutes, he's getting another warning."

. . .

Penelope couldn't believe how big the company's guidebook actually is. She has been trying her best to read through the guidelines of how the company wants their jobs done and what area she needs to work on but this book has to be at least 500 pages. In one glance, it's understandable since Delicate Bakery & Co is a company that holds 25,000 employees. If something like this didn't exist, the employees would think they could do anything in the building. She groaned as she lay her head against the table. If she was her younger self, she would find reading through all these pages as purely nothing but something that had to be strictly done. Now, this her, the different Penelope Garcia - finds things like this a complete nuisance. She has gone through three years of constant diaper changes, milk being thrown at her face and food that had to be cleaned off the floor more than twice. She was so busy doing all of those things, reading anything became a bother and time consuming. There is absolutely no energy in her twenty-seven year old body to look through a 500 page guidebook like this.

The sound of elevator doors opening distracted Penelope from her thoughts. Automatically, she stood up with her eyes widened and a bright smile on her face as she watched Derek Morgan walk out of the elevators. She couldn't believe this is actually happening. The actual legendary Derek Morgan is here in front of her. With years of experience under his belt, he became a world champion of two international baking competitions. Some of his baking are considered as one of the most unique fusion creations there is. "Hello!" Penelope quickly said as he stopped by her desk. "I am your new secretary. My name is - "

"Follow me." Derek said as he looked through his phone and started pacing faster toward the conference room. Knocking on the door twice, he opened it with a bright smile as he made eye contact with Luke. "Alvez! I am so sorry for being late!"

"It honestly surprises every single time how you always happen to be late when we have our weekly meetings like this, Team Leader Derek Morgan." To his own surprise, he watched as Penelope followed Derek's every movement after entering the conference room. Avoiding eye contact with her, he turned his gaze back over to Derek. "What was it this time? Your cat died?"

Derek lightly chuckled. "Nonsense," he took out a folder from his briefcase and smiled. "Traffic." He glanced around at the others around the table, he could tell that somebody got yelled at. Considering at how he's the only one that has the courage to say his mind toward Alvez, he leaned against his seat. "Come on, did you seriously yell? How old is this?"

Ignoring his comment, Luke exhaled deeply. "Where's your proposed idea?"

Penelope stood in the corner of the room in complete amazement. She could feel her hand shaking from nervousness as she stared at everybody in the room. Only the best of the best in Virginia are sitting in the same place as she breathes. Is this even real life right now? Her eyes couldn't look away from the woman with effortlessly long, wavy blond hair and clear blue eyes and her name is Jennifer Jareau, even her name is beautiful. Jennifer can be considered as the best baker in Virginia. With five gold medals from competitions around the world, she is practically an idol for most aspiring bakers. Being so young and extremely talented, six of the ten most popular bakery goods for Delicate is all of her own creation. She contributes a huge part of her talent toward the success for Delicate. Sitting across from Jennifer was Spencer Reid, probably the most successful one out of everyone in the room. Due to his amazing academic background, it's almost as if he can do anything if he puts all his energy into it. Maybe that's why his designs on the cake are completely out of this world. The attention and details that he puts into some of the most amazing designs are insane. For Penelope, it would take her more than a year to try and perfect the same kind of design. For Spencer Reid, an hour or so - he would be completely done and the cake is off to being on display for people to purchase.

Holding the folder up in the air for Lynda to quickly grab it from him, Derek watched as Luke scanned through the pages. Furrowing his eyebrows together, he looked around for the woman that he had just ordered to follow him. What was her name? Crap, he thought to himself. Did he just ignore her because he was too busy reading Lynda's message about Luke giving him a warning if he doesn't come in five minutes? Finding her in the corner of the room, Derek waved his hand but she still didn't respond. "Hey! New girl!"

Penelope returned back to reality at the word new girl ringing through her ears. "Yes?"

"I need my coffee." Derek said. "Two sugars and one cream."

"Coffee?" Penelope cleared her throat. "Of course."

Luke looked down at his desk, noticing that he still hasn't had his coffee. "Miss Bryan."

Lynda glanced up from her tablet. "Yes?"

"I clearly remember you asking about my coffee, don't you remember?" Luke hit the table gently with his closed fist as he arched an eyebrow.

Her eyes widened at the realization that she forgot about his drink. "I am so sorry, Sir. Let me get it right away."

"No!" Derek urged Lynda to sit back down in her seat as he laughed. "New girl is getting mine so she should also get his."

Lynda looked at Penelope. "Uh, the way he takes his coffee is - "

"Three packets of sugar and half a cream." Penelope muttered softly absentmindedly as she walked around the table. She halted her steps as soon as she noticed everybody was staring at her now.

"How do you know about the way he take his coffee?" Lynda asked in confusion. Even she has a hard time remembering it after three years and that's only because she has the tendency to not remember things about people who she dislikes.

Penelope didn't know what to say, she just froze. For the first time since being in the room, both her and Luke exchanged eye contact with each other. It only lasted for five seconds but that much was already enough for her. "The reason I know is - "

"I told her when you first brought her in before she started working today." Luke interrupted. "Can we go back to the meeting properly now?" From a side glance, he could see Penelope rushing her steps out of the room. "This proposed idea of yours," he looked at Derek. "Do you believe this can be our next best work?"

Derek chuckled at the fact that Luke still has doubts on him. "Trust me. I believe that if Jennifer and I work together to perfect the details with each other and taste out the product. Whatever is missing, we'll add it and go on from there." He smiled at Jennifer. "There isn't a problem right?"

Jennifer shook her head. "No." She knew that if Derek wanted his creation to come into a reality, he could just do it on his own. The fact that he is bringing her into the project is because he didn't want to be lonely and suffer through Luke's upcoming harsh critics about the product if it goes bad.

Taking his pen out of his suit, he signed off on the idea and directed his attention toward both Derek and Jennifer. "I want this to be tested by next week and the final product out in two weeks. Spring Season isn't a joke and we need a new headliner for the buyers. One mistake, it will cost both of your jobs."

"We understand."

Spencer glanced over at the folder that was thrown in the trash bin earlier. "I think maybe if you also try and - "

"It's been thirty minutes. Meeting's dismissed." Without another word or even glance, Luke stood up from his seat and walked out the door.

Tara scoffed as soon as the room was cleared with only her and the rest of her friends. "I seriously despise him."

Lynda sighed as she leaned her head against Jennifer's shoulders. "I hate my job."

Derek arched an eyebrow at the tension between his friends. "What happened? Did I miss something major? Was he seriously yelling?!"

"Towards Tara," Spencer answered. "It would help if you would stop being late all the time for these meetings. You know that he hates you the most so his anger towards you is directed towards us if you're not here!"

"He loves me," Derek corrected, barely holding in his laughter as soon as those words left his mouth. It's not a secret that he and Luke Alvez personally don't get along. Their opinions and personalities clash at each other a lot. This year alone, they've had countless of fights in the building that had to be stopped by other employees. "I'll try to be on time next time."

"Don't try," Jennifer warned. "Be on time next week."

Derek frowned as he walked toward the door. "I don't know. I think my cat might be sick next week." He immediately ducked when they started throwing pens at him which caused him to hit the floor as he laughed even harder.

. . .

Luke clenched onto his tie to loosen it as he fasten his steps toward the hallways. Just as he turned the corner toward his office, he bumped into Penelope. The sounds of the glass shattering onto the ground was deafened by Penelope's sharp scream. To keep her from falling onto the broken glass, he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist. They both froze as soon as they noticed that their faces were inches from each other.

Penelope breathed heavily as she clenched onto his button shirt. She glanced between the broken glass that's right under her and then Luke, who is still staring at her. Feeling suffocated at the close proximity, she pushed him off and straightened her clothes out as she cleared her throat. "Thanks."

Looking down at his drenched coffee stained shirt, he rolled his eyes at the mess that surrounds him. "You need to be careful next time."

It's as if her ears were blocked but she could've sworn that he is trying to put the blame on her. "Excuse me? You're the one that bumped into me!"

"I wouldn't have bumped into you if you - " Luke just stopped talking. "What's even the point of trying to argue with you?" He was about to leave but he stopped and stared at her. "I am telling you this now but I am warning you. This company will not know the history between us. It's none of their business and we have no business with each other besides work related."

Penelope scoffed. "Don't worry. It'll be the last thing I want everybody to know about me."

"If one word gets out, I'm going to - "

“What? Fire me?" She could really careless about him right now. "If you want to fire me, go ahead."

"Fire?" Derek walked over with his arms crossed as he looked between the two adults. "I hope you're not already thinking about firing my new secretary, Alvez. That'll be the sixth one, give me a break."

Luke didn't bother looking at him as he was checking if his sleeves were also dirty. "She might not be the most qualified secretary for us."

"And how are we supposed to know if she is truly qualified or not if you want to fire her?" Derek bent down to help Penelope clean up the broken glass. "A lady shouldn't be picking up sharp things. It could harm their hands, let me help you." "No, it's really okay." Penelope insisted as she tried to stop him.

Luke watched as the both of them laugh in silence. The way that Penelope was literally staring at Derek Morgan as if he was some kind of role model somehow didn't make him feel good. Without another glance, he walked straight into his office.

. . .

He knows what people think of him on daily basis. He knows what people say about him as soon as walks past them around the building. Nothing in his own company is a secret. For him, he doesn't care about those little things because they don't affect his life whatsoever. In other terms, he is the one that signs their paychecks at the end of the month. Whether people like him or not, that's their own business. If they decide to openly share their dislike about him to other people, he doesn't care.

Luke Alvez wasn't always like this - the stoned cold expression and no funny business type of guy. In fact, eight years ago, the old Luke Alvez was actually the complete opposite. He grew up as a happy child, there was nothing that he didn't have. He wasn't rich or even well off. His parents struggled to keep hold of four different jobs but they never complained. In his household, his parents made him believe that they were in a castle. Anything he ever wanted, he would've had it by next day. From a child's perspective, he believed his parents were wizards. It wasn't until when he reached middle school that he slowly realize how harsh life was for his family. Knowing the truth only caused him to work harder on making his parents laugh after their hard day at work. He would always make sure that he had ton of stories to share around the dinner table, he would stop complaining about not having a bedtime story before bed because he wanted his parents to sleep early instead. Eventually, he became determined to work hard on himself as student so his parents could have a son that they were proud of.

Happiness was always something that he was surrounded around growing up. It wasn't until his third year in baking school is when he learned how it felt to have your happiness taken away and fall into a deep depression for years. The longing pain that kept growing, the aching heart that wouldn't go away - everything that used to make him happy, makes him extremely angry more than anything. His parents said he was awfully different nowadays and they don't even know how to face their child. That's how severe it got and he knows that it'll probably get worse as times goes on. It's as if he is a different person with a different life than how he was eight years ago.

Present Time, Sunny's Diner

"Ah, there is my favorite customer!" The cook handed over the packed bag over to the waitress and smiled. "Always on the same exact day and time."

Luke briefly smiled as he placed some cash onto the counter. "This is the best food to eat on a Monday night."

The waitress sweetly smiled at him as she gave him the cash change. "Take it easy on the bacon, handsome. You may be in your twenties, it doesn't matter if you keep stuffing yourself with so much bacon even if it's your favorite."

"Thanks."

Luke took his late dinner and was about to head out of the door when he saw someone familiar sitting at the back of the diner. Penelope was so preoccupied with cutting up the bacon slices into smaller pieces that she didn't notice anything else around her. "I don't understand you. You could've chosen anything to eat for dinner and you picked breakfast?" She narrowed her eyes at Jensen as she made some tsking sounds with her tongue. "Was the breakfast I made for you not good enough?"

Jensen giggled as he colored in his book. "Your breakfast was good, Mommy." Sliding the plate of bacon over to him as she cleaned up his coloring book, she smiled at the sight of him trying to chew the bacon. "You just love bacon too much, don't you?"

"It makes me dance!" Jensen started wiggling his arms and legs around which made Penelope hysterically laughing because his legs were still dangling in the air since he's short.

Luke couldn't believe this. He never thought in a million years that he would see Penelope Garcia with a child next to her, somebody who looks like an exact replica of herself. Did she get married? When did she get married? Is she happy with her husband and kid? For some reason, the aching pain around his chest is returning and as he stared at them. He took a step forward but halted when he heard somebody calling out Penelope's name. One small glance, a man came out from the bathroom and smiled brightly toward her. Not wanting to stay here any longer, he clenched onto his packed dinner bag and rushed out of the diner.

Penelope glanced away from Jensen and screamed in delight at the sight of her friend. "Rossi!"

David Rossi chuckled as he hugged her. "Hey, kid."

Jensen waved his oily hand at Rossi and smiled. "Hi, Uncle Rossi."

As Penelope and Rossi held onto each other's arms while they discussed about their day, Penelope failed to see Luke driving past the diner and toward the dark road ahead.