Dynamite's Diary - 28th August 2021

It's the last night before I go back to school again. I so wish that I could spend just the last two days of August doing what I want, but that's not going to happen unfortunately.

I said earlier on that I alternate every week between Mom and Dad's places, but I decided to spend just one more week with Dad. Simply because there's more to do at his place than in the city. Mom was pretty iffy about that when I phoned her but we ultimately made a deal that I spend the next week and after at her place to even it out.

Honestly, nothing really major happened during that time. Hence several blank pages in my diary. Okay, maybe there was that incident where I caught what I thought was a fish for lunch in the nearby lake, only for it to be some...weird...dragon-like thingy. Hard to tell what it was really, but it chased us around for quite a bit before Dad shot it down with his gun leg and we proceeded to have it for dinner that night. Oh, maybe there was the day in which Dad went for a ride in his dune buggy, only for it to get stuck in the middle of the lake somehow and it taking hours to get it out. But all of that's pretty normal stuff when I'm at Dad's. If I ever have just a "regular" day at his place, clearly there's been a glitch in the matrix.

I will say though that Dad seemed a little more somber than usual for the past three days. We were doing all sorts of fun things together, like going to the nearby shooting range (I finally beat him that time! XD) and watching Homeward Bound together (he always cries whenever the Shadow scene happens at the end). But I noticed that he didn't seem to be talking much while we were at it, and I don't think it was to do with me finally being a better sharpshooter than him.

I finally brought it up last night when we were having a barbecue together. Squirrel burgers. Dad's favorite. We were sitting outside having them together. Normally, Dad tends to scoff them down. But this time he was a lot slower. Every now and then, he'd just pause and look at nothing in particular.

"Dad, are you okay?"

"Mm?"

"You just seem to be...well, more quiet than usual. Is something wrong?"

"No no, I'm fine. It's just..."

He paused and seemed to zone out for a few seconds before sighing. "It's just, if only I could have done stuff like this with my own dad..."

If you're wondering about Dad's own dad...well, he left him when he was just a kid, and I've never been told anything about who he is or what he looks like. All I know is that Dad's had a major grudge against him as a result. Since them, he's been obsessed with finding him and giving him a piece of his mind. Apparently, Marshall was supposed to be helping him track him down (yeah, look how well that worked out), but nothing's been found so far.

I've been doing a bit of research myself today by binge-watching ALL of Dad's videos. I just thought I would be helpful. It was quite exhausting having to watch them throughout the whole day, but I have a couple of ideas so far on who my missing granddad might be.

The first is that Colonel Sarge from when Dad and Wiz were doing the "Meta vs. Carolina" fight for Red vs. Blue. Sarge was there too and he was acting so strange when Dad brought up his childhood. I mean, he pretty much ran off straight afterwards. That said, they did seem to like the fact that they both used shotguns. Plus, they kind of have the same voice - pretty gravelly and southern. Oh, and let's not forget how they treat that Dexter Grif guy - poor sap. X)

I brought this suggestion up to Dad, but he just laughed and said "I wish!". He doesn't believe me on that point at all. In fact, he was going on and on about how Sarge would actually make a great father because he's a good mechanic and knows how to discipline his army. Um, sure. I'm seen how he interacts with Simmons and Grif before. I wouldn't necessarily call that good father material.

The second is that Deadpool guy who keeps popping up from time to time and really drives my dad up the wall. There's something that's always confused me about that though. They're both pretty similar in that they're both loud and boisterous and love to joke around, which would make me think they would actually get along. But then again, I've seen Dad interact with Marshall, so maybe being similar doesn't work for friendships after all.

That said, Dad has behaved rather weird in some of the videos focused on him. I mean, there was that time he tried to summon Deadpool his second preview and got really pissy when he didn't show up. Plus, there was that time when Deadpool was going on about Smokey and McGruff and Dad actually found it funny. What's up with him anyway? Either he just doesn't want to admit he actually likes him or there's some deeper connection going on. I'm not to tell Dad about any of this though - he'll just go nuts if I suggest it.

I really like Deadpool myself. I appreciate his style of humor and I'd love to have the same powers as him. Regenerating lost organs and limbs AND having the power to warp reality by seeing everything as a work of fiction? Sign me on! Sure, there's the possibility that I could go crazy as a result, but that's just the price to pay if I want to have the best superpowers in the world.

In fact, if I'm being honest, I actually have a bit of a crush on him. I'm not going to let Dad know that either though. God forbid he finds out about it.

Of course, it would be so weird if it turned out to be either of these guys. Besides, they're fictional characters from other universes, right? If not, I'm seriously going to start re-evaluating my life as a whole. Especially if it's Deadpool. That would be really gross if I was crushing on my granddad all along.

Anyway, I'm saving these notes here so I have something to go back to in case further information pops up. For now, I'm just going to finish off that summer school project I was supposed to be doing for school. Or rather, get started on it. I kinda forgot I had to do schoolwork during vacation time (for whatever dumb reason). Eh, I'm sure that three hours should be enough time to get it done in. And the next morning as well, just before getting back through those school gates. I mean, I can only dream, right?

Dynamite's Diary - 17th August 2021

I was able to get out of the hospital and get back to Dad's shack today, despite the doctors still worrying about my scarring. But let's be honest, both sides are now stitched up and it's not like I'll be getting any infection now, right? Right.

I will say that the scarring is pretty visible, but it's not the worst injury I've had. And I was pretty much blameless in this scenario. Unlike that time when some angry emo chick tried to hold me at gunpoint. Word of advice - sticking your finger into the barrel only works in the cartoons. Believe me, I know.

Either way, since it seemed as if that scarring was still going to be there for some time, I thought I might as well go the Nami route from One Piece and cover it up with a sweet tattoo for the front side. I've already got one on my left arm of a Devil Puppy, so why not get a kitten equivalent? It would make for a nice pairing. :D

Dad was not happy about that at first, until I told him that it was a Devil Kitten and not a Devil Cat. Then he was fine with it. It's weird - he adores kittens but cannot stand cats for some reason. He says that dogs are way superior and that cats are harbingers of doom, but he's just exaggerating. Maybe it's due to having to deal with God of Destruction when Mom made him pet-sit him that one time she went on vacation. Anyone who's have to deal with that cat is going to have some life-scarring afterwards.

The only downside about this is that I have to wait until I'm eighteen in order to get a permanent tattoo like Dad has, which is kind of a pain. But I've got quite a few body paints at home so I can paint them on myself. Sure, they wash out, but I have to admit, constantly repainting them on has actually improved my art skills quite a bit. And possibly made me into a contortionist.

Anyway, I did the painting and trust me, that tattoo came out great! Especially considering the fact that I had to paint it upside down in order to have it come out the right way up. Both Dad and I agreed that it looked awesome and that it went well with the arm tattoo, and best of all I could barely see that scar after all the paint I used on it. Still not sure what to do with the scar on the back, but maybe it's best to leave it there. Then I can boast about how "I survived a meet-up with a serial killer!" to anyone who asks. Also, given some of my other scars, I don't need to worry about it that much.

Now all I need to do is just buy some new body paints...

Dynamite's Diary - 16th August 2021

Well, the camping trip didn't turn out to be as straightforward as I thought it would be. Okay, maybe it was straightforward for the first two days. Super fun too. We got to see all kinds of cool creatures out in the wild and explore the nearby woods. Sure, there was a bit of an incident where Lottie and I got chased by some mad cows in a field, but I sure got a laugh out of it. Lottie claims that it was because I went too close to them, but c'mon, the calves were so cute! How could I not!

Lottie as always complained about how she would have preferred something different, but we just ignored her. Marlene started out unsure but seemed to ease into it eventually. By Sunday, she was already having fun climbing trees with us and checking out all the mushrooms and insects on them. As for Gemma, well...it's Gemma. Of course she was going to have the time of her life.

The problem mainly came with our last night. It was getting really late - I guess it was about 9pm - and we hadn't even had dinner yet. Gemma had gone off to the nearby bog so she could check out the bugs there. That just left Lottie, Marlene and I at the camp. Turns out our food supplies were getting low. I volunteered to go fishing for them.

"Ew no, are you serious?" Lottie groaned. "The way that you have to gut them-"

"Hey, I didn't say you were the one going fishing."

"And the smell! It's just - it's just gross, okay? You know it always makes me gag!"

"Well, you can have that or I could get some berries. And let's be honest, I'm not sure whether those are gonna be poisonous or not."

It was Marlene who spoke next. "Sure, I'll go with the fish option. I'm not sure about the berries either."

Lottie pouted but ultimately gave in. I left her and Marlene to sort out the campfire together whilst I headed over to the river. Sure, fishing's kinda dull since you sit there doing nothing for a while, but it's always worth when you manage to hook a big sucker.

And that's when I saw him. That weirdo.

You know how we'd planned not to got to any lakeside camps due to all the serial killers that lurk there? Well, one of them had made it over here anyway. Big hulking brute with bandages round his face and a machete in his hand. I guess he felt the same way that I did and that out in the complete open rather than in the forest or by the lake was the least obvious option.

I could have run away like Lottie would have done, but first of all, I'm not a wuss like that. Secondly, the dude probably would have caught up with me anyway. Besides, Dad had pretty much taught me that in situations like this, the fight solution really is the best one.

I decided to use the martial arts I'd learnt from Dad, and sure enough, they worked. That crazy masked lug was put in his place alright. Plus, I'd brought one of Dad's pistols along just in case, so I was able to put a bullet between his eyes. Guess he wasn't so tough after all. >:-)

Unfortunately, the guy was still able to jam that damn machete into the right side of my body before he died. Blood everywhere. What's more, he'd managed to peg me into a nearby tree in the process, so it made it pretty hard to move around. And it was at that moment of all things that Lottie and Marlene turned round and noticed what was happening.

I was thinking "just great" the whole time. I mean, Gemma was the one person I knew who had proper first-aid knowledge and she was some distance off studying insects. Lottie could have gone to fetch her, but she was screaming bloody murder the whole time.

Marlene was pretty shaken too. "Oh no! This is really bad! Um, let me help! No no, don't try and move it yourself, it might make things worst!"

She turned out to be a real life-saver there! The machete was out in no time and I could finally move again. Marlene wasn't so sure though.

"We need to get you to hospital! Quickly! Just try not to move too much, okay?"

I mean, I would have been perfectly fine anyway, but I appreciated Marlene's sentiment. I mean, she was still panicky but at least she had an idea what she was doing. Lottie in the meantime went to fetch Gemma just so we could have more first-aid people nearby.

So yeah, that's how I ended up in hospital with my dad coming to visit me the next day. We actually had a good laugh about it together - Dad says that I'm following in the family footsteps when it comes to surviving the odds. Honestly, I feel fine, even if I do get jabbing pains at times. I actually feel well enough to write all this down. The doctors are super spooked out though and are still worried about the possibility of an infection.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I kept that machete. I mean, I'm fine with Dad teaching me how to use guns and all, but his training tends to get stale after a little while. Sure, I have explosives as well, but none of that really allows you to fight up close. Why not have some more versatility for a change? Of course, I had to persuade Gemma to get the machete over to Dad, since the hospital is obviously going to confiscate it.

I think I'll be fine to go home the next day. The doctors think otherwise, but we all know what my dad said. It's just family tradition that we survive shit that's meant to kill us. I'd really like to ask Dad about whether he had a similar camping trip back in the day. Knowing him, he probably did. X)

Fan Character Rundown - Marlene

I posted a character rundown on my head canon for Boomstick's daughter last week. Now that was a character who was confirmed to exist in Death Battle canon, but ultimately I had created my own lore for her. With this character on the other hand, there is no confirmation as to whether a character like her exists in canon or not.

Unlike Boomstick, whose family backstory has been revealed bit by bit, not much has been revealed about Ringmaster's family. Sure, he mentioned that he had a mother-in-law who apparently died, but then claimed that she was a fictional character. Whether he meant it genuinely or as a means of breaking the fourth wall, I don't know. 

Marlene has dark hair that serves as a cross between black and blue. It depends on how you look at it. Blue is a colour that I associate with her anyway - she has dark blue eyes and wears blue outfits. Her main one consists of a blue long-sleeved dress top with a ribbon on it, black leggings and boots with fake fur on them. As for the hair, she has it tied in an uneven side ponytail with another ribbon.

Essentially, she's the opposite of Ringmaster in every way. While he's loud and bombastic and appears to project confidence, she's quiet and shy and gets nervous easily. She also prefers to wear dark colours in contrast with his brightly-coloured suits. She doesn't tend to change her appearance much either - she prefers to stick with what she knows. With regard to the spotlight, she would much rather stay out of it.

In a way, Mikan Tsumiki from Danganronpa was an inspiration for this character too. Like her, Marlene apologises way too often, even when it isn't her fault, and can be rather clumsy at times, tripping up without warning. Furthermore, she can become rather teary-eyed if too much pressure is placed on her. This often makes her the target of bullies, though Dynamite is usually around to sort them out.

Despite all this however, Marlene's not a complete pushover. In situations where Ringmaster would probably freak out, she can be surprisingly level-headed and keep her cool. She knows first aid and often serves as a voice of reason, especially when it comes to the more boisterous Ringmaster and Dynamite. And let's not get started on how she would react around Boomstick either. I like to think that despite her similarities with Mikan, she would have to serve as the voice of reason around her too.

Marlene also has an eye for fashion, though prefers not to follow the trends that everybody else does or even start them. She plans to be a fashion designer when she grows up, specialising in dark colours and intricate patterns with ribbons. In a sense, it probaby suits her better - what better way for her to gain recognition than have other people take the spotlight for her in the clothes that she made for them?

Unlike Dynamite, who is aware of her father's antics, Marlene isn't so knowledgeable on what Ringmaster gets up to. She's pretty alert to the fact that he's crazy, but she has no idea about the whole "fight to the death" thing that he promotes. Obviously Dynamite plans to change all that, which should grant us some interesting results...

Dynamite's Diary - 11th August 2021

Marlene was outside the stadium again today. I'd already told Lottie and Gemma about her conversation yesterday and I felt that it was only right that they met her too.

I introduced Marlene to Lottie and Gemma as soon as I got her attention. It was really awkward at first though, because as soon as Gemma went to say hi, Marlene's eyes widened like dinner plates.

"Oh, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Marlene started getting all worried.

Gemma was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you just seem hurt. You - um, did you burn yourself?"

Gemma seemed surprised at first before she realised what Marlene was talking about.

"No, no, it's always been like this. It's EB."

You see, Gemma's got a genetic condition that's affected her for most of her life. Her skin gets blistered by even the slightest touch, so she has to be extra careful. She's got blisters over her arms, legs, even her face. It's always gotten her some weird looks, and it pisses me off that those blisters are the first thing people bring up every time they talk to her.

Marlene got super flustered and apologised several times over, but fortunately Gemma was cool about it. Besides, other people have been worse about it before and I've had to deal with them on the spot. Actually, Gemma's surprisingly chill about it all anyway. As she told me before, eventually she just got used to it.

Lottie was simply on board with the whole fashion designer thing I told her about. She really wanted to know what kind of fashion trends Marlene was into. She was kind of flustered by Lottie's questioning, but eventually she did open up a tiny bit.

I was even able to convince Marlene to join our camping trip. She seemed unsure about my idea at first, but I reassured her that it would all be fine. Besides, bug bites aren't that itchy anyway and if any creature tried to get into our tents, I'd see to it straight away.

"I-I'll think about it, okay?" she stuttered. I think she's just still nervous because it's the first time we've met each other, but I hope she does go through with the idea. Gemma and Lottie have been the only members of my friendship circle for years, so it would be nice to have some new ones.

I mean, if my dad and Marlene's uncle know each other (even if not in the best way possible), shouldn't it be the same for us? I really need to get to know more about the people he hangs with anyway - I'm just curious about the stuff he gets up to with them.

Anyway, we're heading off Friday morning and have everything sorted out. This whole camping thing should be a breeze, right?

Dynamite's Diary - 10th August 2021

Today I was just texting my buds about our rearranged summer camping trip again when I came across the cutest girl ever. She had long blueish black hair in a side ponytail and was wearing a pretty snazzy dress top with leggings and boots. She seemed a bit quiet, shuffling and looking down at her feet the whole time.

We were standing outside that massive DBX stadium that Marshall owns. That thing is massive - I bet you could fit about twenty Olympic swimming pools in it. Must have cost a shit-tonne of money to set up. The girl wasn't heading in though. She just stood there doing nothing.

Being the expert in conversation that I am, I decided to say hi to her.

"Hey girl, whatcha doing here?"

She was all super nervous and stuttered for a bit. But eventually she responded.

"Waiting for my Uncle. He works here."

I was kind of suspicious about this.

"Your uncle? He doesn't happen to be called Marshall by any chance?"

"Uh, yeah! Wh-why do you ask?"

Of course, you can pretty much guess that I was super vigilante about the whole matter. I was questioning her about whether she knew about her uncle being the WORST FRIEND EVER to my Dad. She got kinda teary-eyed and nervous on the matter though, stammering away that she didn't know, so I went easier on her after that.

Anyway, we ended up talking for a bit and I have to admit that I kind of like her. Her name's Marlene and she's actually nothing like Marshall at all. If anything, she's kind of shy and a bit of a doormat. But hey, that's where I come in. I plan to teach her everything I know on assertiveness so that she can stick up for herself when the moment arises (and hopefully not get herself in with a toxic friend like Dad did). She's also planning to become a fashion designer when she's older and I could certainly do with someone with fashion expertise.

It was a shame that Marshall came out afterwards. I was all set to lay a smackdown on him, but Marlene must have known what was going to happen because she dragged me away was making some awkward apology towards him. Boy, Marshall was super confused. X)

On the bright side though, me and Marlene were able to get back to talking as soon as she got me away from Marshall. At one point, I asked her if she liked bugs.

"Oh, um, what do you mean?"

"You know, insects? I assume you're more of a butterfly girl yourself."

"Uh, yeah! Butterflies, they're great. Why did you ask?"

"Oh no reason in particular. I just think that insects are cool and all."

If Marlene's still here tomorrow, I'll introduce her to my pals and see if she'll come on our camping trip too. Yeah, you probably think I'm weird for planning to recruit someone who I've barely met. Some people prefer to just take things slow when it comes to new friends, but that's not for me. I prefer to jump in immediately in case I miss out on any opportunities. Besides, I get the feeling that this could help Marlene to open up more.

I hope Dad's alright while I'm gone though. Hopefully Marshall doesn't give him any trouble. Because I'd know. And I wouldn't be happy about that AT ALL.

Dynamite's Diary - 9th August 2021

So I've gone back to Mom's flat for the week. The trip there wasn't too bad I guess, but as expected, the flat is a disappointment as always. It's pretty cramped and apart from the one TV and games console, there's nothing much to do. There's one cat called God of Destruction who causes a mess all the time, but that's pretty much the only excitement.

At least I've got that camping trip to look forward too at the weekend. Now that it's going ahead as planned, I talked with Gemma and Lottie on the phone yesterday about it and we ultimately decided to just make it a wilderness sabbatical with our own tents. I've watched enough slasher movies to know that those lakeside camps house all sorts of creepy serial killers.

Gemma was super excited as expected. She doesn't normally get to do stuff like this, so she always likes it when she can visit the countryside. She's still wondering what kind of creatures and bugs we're gonna come across - she's an avid bug collector herself and always likes to keep them as pets. Also, she was going nuts staying inside for the majority of last summer, so she's happy to be getting out at last.

Lottie was rather peeved about it all though. "Y'know, we could have just cancelled the camping trip entirely rather than move it to a later date. Make Disney World our getaway trip instead!"

She really doesn't understand. Disney World was meant to be a private therapy trip for my dad, not a substitute plan that Lottie could get on board with. I don't get her at times anyway. She's always been super prissy when it comes to nature and freaks out if she comes into contact with even a ladybug.

I don't even remember how we became friends in the first place. I still remember how she was super into pink and princesses back in elementary school. Now she's all about fashion and makeup. She's always found me and Gemma weird for being into bugs and getting dirty. And yet despite all the times she's complained, somehow she still sticks around. Ha! XD

We've decided the same as what happened with the Disney World trip - we head out Friday and come back Monday. Oh, and we bring masks too, just in case something happens and we need to travel to someplace nearby for resources or help. Gemma's also the only one of us that actually knows proper first aid, so that may be a bit of a problem as well.

Oh well, I'm sure it will work out. The Disney World trip did, so why shouldn't this one?

Dynamite's Diary - 8th August 2021

So this weekend was super busy, what with Disney World and all that. Dad and I caught the plane to Florida on Friday and then chose to stay in one of the theme park hotels. The flight was only one or two hours and we set out in the morning anyway, so we were able to slip in some time in Disney World before properly going around it throughout the weekend.

I don't know how we did it, but we got our pets through the airport as well. The whole time, I was worried that somebody would catch on, but I guess nobody did. We couldn't take them into the theme park itself though, so we had to keep them in the hotel room. You can bet that our dog Jack Spaniels made a real mess of it every single time we were gone!

As expected, Dad had the time of his life at Disney World. He even decided that he was gonna go on every single ride he came across - or at least the ones that we were allowed on. You bet that we went on the big name rides in the process! We went on Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you name it. We even went on those Storybook Land Canal Boats that take you inside that giant whale. That's always been my favorite part of the ride.

I have to admit, I actually had fun myself. I even went on the Tower of Terror three times simply because I was enjoying it that much this time round. I refused to go on the Small World ride though. Those dolls and clown balloons always creeped me out. That was pretty much the only ride I skipped.

I will complain about one thing though. On our last night, Dad got absolutely sloshed at the bar and passed out shortly afterwards. I had to carry him back to the hotel room and let me state this - he's so fricking heavy! Even weight training from him didn't prepare me for something like this. He had a pretty nasty hangover in the morning, but he felt that it was worth it.

We tried our best to get the hotel room back into shape before leaving, but I'm pretty sure that there's no way to get rid of that weird smell on the TV. Maybe we shouldn't have let Jack near it. Dad also took some of the towels with us - he'd originally taken them into the park to dry off after the wet rides, and then just decided to keep them anyway.

Anyway, we're back home now. Dad's already wanting to go back to Disney World, though I honestly think one weekend is enough for the moment. I think it's done a solid on his mood - he's feeling much happier now despite everything that happened last week between him and Marshall. Hopefully he stays like that for a while longer.

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to Mom's place to spend time with her there. Mom and Dad have never gotten along well and they still don't. I guess you could say I'm one of those "suitcase kids", switching from one parent to another each week. It's tricky, but I've gotten the hang of it overtime.

Besides, now that the Disney World break is done, next weekend is camping time between me and the girls. We still need to pick somewhere to actually head to, as I came up with the idea but not the location. Gemma's just as excited as I am, though Lottie keeps wanting to pull out. Who knows, maybe she'll change her mind at the last second.

Fan Character Rundown - Boomstick's Daughter Dynamite

I've decided to start on an ongoing Death Battle fanfic focusing on the escapades of Boomstick's teenage daughter. I always imagined what it would be like if such a character existed in the Death Battle universe, though it was only first confirmed back in 2019. Given the fact that I've thought up ideas for other potential characters as well, I thought it would be best to do a character rundown on my interpretation for her.

Please keep in mind that this is only my head-canon for the character. I cannot control what the actual canon surrounding her is, though I will incorporate it into the fanfic if necessary. Plus, other people will obviously have their own ideas on her. For now though, here's everything I had planned about the character so far and how I see her.

Dynamite (also known as "Dynah" for short or "Lil' Boomstick") is Boomstick's daughter who he had with his most prominent ex-wife, the one who apparently likes eating too many tacos. She switches between them during different weeks, though prefers to stay with her father due to sharing more personality quirks with him and having a less strained relationship with him than with her mother.

Her appearance consists of two short bunches (a.k.a. pigtails) tied up with black ribbons. She has inherited her father's brown hair and blue eyes though ultimately has a slimmer build than him. She likes to wear a red sleeveless button-up shirt that shows off her midriff along with blue ripped denim shorts and brown sandals. Sometimes she even wears a cap with her outfit, depending on her mood. On her left arm is a Devil Dog tattoo (as she calls it) and she has a Devil Cat tattoo on the right side of her waist in order to cover up scars from a bullet wound (kind of like how Nami from One Piece got her new tattoo to cover up stab wounds as well as the old tattoo). Due to some of the scrapes she gets into, she has a plaster on her left knee and a small scar near her right eye.

Dynamite looks up to Boomstick - he's trained her in the same martial arts and gun skills that his mother taught him when he was little and she wants to be just like him when she grows up. However, sometimes she feels that he can be a little too overbearing. For instance, he gets way too overprotective of her when it comes to her dates and she would prefer it if he understand that she can stick up for herself if anything goes wrong. Besides, she gets the impression that she has to babysit him more often than he has to babysit her. And even if she does want to follow in his footsteps, she also feels that she has to have her own identity and not just be associated with him.

Plus, there have been occasions in which they've clashed over differing opinions. For instance, Dynamite is a major pegasister and cannot get enough of My Little Pony - Pinkie Pie is her favourite character by far, though Discord is another one. Boomstick on the other hand cannot get into it at all. Inversely, Dynamite cannot stand RWBY and finds it to be overrated, especially with regard to Yang Xiao Long. Boomstick however adores it and gets very annoyed when Dynamite makes perverted jokes about Yang and her breasts.

Despite the times in which they've clashed and had several heated arguments (mainly to do with his overprotectiveness and their contrasting interests), Dynamite is pretty protective of her father herself. If anybody wrongs him or makes him cry in any way, she'll track them down and make them pay. There are only a few people that can escape her wrath, but even then she keeps a vigilante eye on them.

She's mostly what people would call a tomboy, being obsessed with first-person shooters and getting dirty outside. As a little kid, she'd even get mistaken for a boy by her peers. However, ever since entering her teens, she's gained a girlier side to herself and wants to be a bit trendier. She's obsessed with cute boys and celebrities and has started to wear skimpier clothes in order to show off her figure. She's even gotten into pop music and reality shows - something that Boomstick is pretty iffy about.

Dynamite has two good friends she's been with since childhood - Lottie and Gemma. Lottie is a spoilt girly girl who loved playing with Barbies as a kid and wanted to be a princess when she grew up. Now she's obsessed with makeup and the latest fashions. Despite being horrified by the crazy antics that Dynamite gets herself into, she still sticks around for some odd reason. Gemma is a lot more easygoing and the most optimistic of the three, despite being born with EB (Epidermolysis Bullosa) and therefore not being able to do some of the things that others may take for granted. I'll go into more detail about them in some later posts, especially with regard to Gemma.

Dynamite uses shotguns and martial arts in combat like her father does, but she also likes to carry around explosives, as befitting her name. She has grenades, bombs and sticks of dynamite for that extra kaboom factor and will use them if any problem arises, even if others think that it's a bad idea to do so. And if that problem involves her father in any way, the results can be even more explosive.

She tends to flunk at school unless it has anything to do with Science, Maths or P.E. Furthermore, despite showing the same interests as other kids at her school, she would rather stay away from the popular crowd and not bring their attention to her - they can be pretty obnoxious after all. That said, she will fight back against them if they wrong her loved ones in any way. Just make sure that she doesn't have that stick of dynamite on her if you're one of their popular kids.

When it comes to meeting new people, Dynamite is very confident. She wants to establish instant friendships rather than take a slow approach, befitting of her extroverted nature. She doesn't mind too much about the types of friends she makes, though she would prefer to bring the timid ones out of their shells and teach them how to be more assertive. She also likes to give some of them nicknames.

In general, Dynamite has inherited the same crazy and fight-happy personality traits that her father has, though is more emotionally stable than him in comparison and willing to play the sane one in certain situations. She's someone who wants to be a fighter, but at the same time wants to be like the other teenagers that she knows of. For her, it's just getting that balance right.

Dynamite's Diary - 5th August 2021

I decided to put my weekend break idea to the test yesterday. Once Dad wasn't so teary-eyed and shaky, I told him that it would be super cool if we could have a weekend adventure together, just the two of us. We haven't been able to have as many family outings recently, so this would be a good time. Plus, time spent away does wonders for the mind, especially if you're dealing with a no-good "bestie" who treats you like crap.

And then, just to show Dad that I was super serious about the idea, I told him that he could choose the place that we could go to. Boy, he was chuffed about that. That instantly put an end to his blues. Mission accomplished! X)

Of course, he chose Disney World straight away. Honestly, I would have preferred it if he hadn't. We've been there so many times and it would cost us way too much money. Besides, I've outgrown it anyway. Even the Tower of Terror does nothing for me anymore. The only ride I would choose to still go on is Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and that's just because that ride takes you into Hell for some reason (no really, I've been on it myself and the ride ends with you travelling through the fires of Hells whilst that creepy judge laughs at you). But that's at California, and Dad wants to go to Florida instead.

Couldn't we have just gone with a trip to the nearby gun rally or a road trip around the desert instead? It would save a lot more money for starters, and we wouldn't have to travel out of the state. Oh, and we wouldn't have to deal with the big crowds.

But hey, I guess if Dad wants to go, he can. I said earlier on that he needed the break, and maybe this is what will help him get over that whole Marshall business. If Disney World makes him happy, then so be it.

So now we've just spent the whole day packing everything we need. The face masks, the toothbrushes, the toothpaste, the passports, my iPod, the works. It's been pretty hectic, but I think it's all sorted out now. I'm surprised that Dad's not taking a six-pack of beer with him, but I guess he'll be able to get his fix at the hotel we choose to stay at.

Oh, and Dad's decided to take our pets too. So that's another slight problem. Dad just won't settle with any alternative. He won't let a friend look after them or let them stay at the kennels (though one's a turtle, so maybe it wouldn't have worked anyway). He didn't even support my idea of letting my friend Gemma handle them, even though she's good with pets. So now we have to work out how to sneak them through the airport without being caught out in the process.

I called my mates to let them know what was going on, so our camping trip is now taking place next weekend. They were pretty chill about it, which was a good thing. Now I just need to think how to make the most of this weekend. Eh, I guess giving Tower of Terror another go wouldn't be much harm, right?

Dynamite's Diary - 4th August 2021

I'm writing all this whilst sitting on the toilet in my dad's shack. It's pretty cramped in here - there's only room as a whole and everything's just crammed into it. Smells pretty nasty too. But hey, it's better at Mom's place. That apartment's just a nightmare to be in. Plus, at least here you've got the countryside to walk around in.

Dad's currently crying into his pillow across from me. I've checked on him a few times to see if he's feeling better, but no luck there. I placed his can of beer next to him in case he wanted that, but he hasn't even touched it. Not like him at all. Normally he can't get enough of the stuff.

To explain why Dad's so upset, let's just say that his "friend" Marshall (though he tends to go by the name of Ringmaster) turned out to be not as much of a friend as he thought he was. Supposedly he'd allowed him to be his co-host on the DBX show he was running, but then just replaced him completely. Several times in fact. And now it seems that he won't be inviting him back on at all, now that it seems that he's found a brand new spanking new co-host. Dad only found out today when watching it.

I don't get what Dad sees in that guy at all. The whole time I watched that show, Marshall just treated him like shit. And don't get me started on the stuff he said behind his back. Oh sure, he's got pretty cool hair and I would love a pair of Kamina shades like the ones he has, but he just drives me up the wall.

Oh, and guess what? Technically it's not even his show at all! It was Dad's! He just allowed him to take over hosting duties on the agreement that he would return to be co-host at some point. Well, look how that turned out.

I'd already warned Dad that getting that contract deal was a shit idea. That it was just going to end in tears for him. I even reminded him after all was said and done.

But Dad was insistent. He was so determined to defend his guy for all he did to him.

"But we've been bestest buds since college! We had so many fun times together!"

"Oh yeah? And was it the same then as it is now?"

"Look, he's really sweet when you get to know him better. Sure, he's kinda rough and can be an absolute spotlight hog, but he's super friendly and has my back when I need it."

"Yeah, sure thing Dad. I believe ya there. And I'm sure he's like that behind your back, right?"

We ended up getting into a particularly heated and ugly argument at that point, up until Dad started crying again and I had to spend ages comforting him. Fricking Marshall. Why does he have to treat him that way? If I actually had the chance to meet him, I'd kick his nards in and give him a piece of my mind. Besides, that scientist Wiz guy's been much better to him over the years, even if he does use him as a human guinea pig for his experiments at times. But no, Marshall has to be the "best friend" figure, not him.

I don't mind the new co-host Marshall has though. She seems pretty cool. Dad was scowling the whole time she appeared onscreen, but I wouldn't mind meeting her myself.

I love my dad, I really do. But sometimes he just doesn't think properly. And when things don't go the way he expected, he breaks down big time. I cannot begin to list the amount of times I've had to provide him with tissues every time something went wrong.

Maybe I need to take him on a break. That should cheer him up. He can forget about that so-called friend of his and just have a fun time doing whatever he wants. Sure, it would mean having to rearrange that summer break plan I had with my friends and been looking forward to for so long, but that shouldn't be too hard to figure out.

I'll stop writing now. It seems that Dad's calmed down a bit - he's drinking from that beer can now. I just need to check up on him some more. Also to get to thinking about where to take him. Hopefully he likes what I come up with.