#so she buys stuff to make actual meals but also quick easy things for lunches like canned ravioli

[vanillacoolatta]

leaving my grandma's house where my aunt bought a bunch of stuff she knows i can/will eat (like bagels or non-dairy snacks) and going home where we only buy food for my brother and dairy products that fuck with my system is like physically going from :D to D:

#food tw #eating tw #my aunt knows i struggle with making things once i get hungry #because she is that way too #so she buys stuff to make actual meals but also quick easy things for lunches like canned ravioli #but the only groceries we buy at home are gluten/dairy free stuff that only my brother is allowed to eat; frozen meat for dinners; n yogurt #because my mom and dad never have breakfast and dont eat lunch at home #so they never realize that like. i am home this whole time watching the child. i need more than frozen chicken to survive; #that is a tiny bit dramatized but you understand #negative #vent tw #<- just in case #delete later

[supercorpkid]

Life goes on.

Supercorp, Kara Danvers x Daughter!Reader, Lena Luthor x Daughter!Reader

Word count: 2900.

Turns out, you are not fine.

Lena is back home. That sentence alone should bring you immense joy. You should be out there doing cartwheels. It’s all you wanted, it’s what you’ve been incessantly working for. Lena is home, her memories are back, your family has been through the worst and came back from it.

So when you lay on your bed you should be able to sleep and rest. You should be able to think about anything else. About your own life. But no-

Not you.

Not this time.

You fall asleep on your bed but wake up at your mom's bed. So tangled up in Lena you don’t even know how and when you got there. She can’t get up because there’s a freaking kryptonian keeping her in place.

“Baby, are you up?” Lena asks softly in your ear, and you shuffle letting her out of your strong embrace.

“Did Kara bring me here?”

“No, my love. I’m pretty sure you were sleepwalking.” She strokes your hair, gently. “You can go back to sleep if you want, I’ll go make breakfast before Kara burns down the kitchen.”

“No, I’ll-I’ll go with you.” You wake up, still feeling like you could sleep at least another three hours, but if Lena is up, then you should be with her.

And that’s how you spend your weekend. Following Lena around like a lost puppy dog begging for extra care. Always there, Kara barely has time to kiss your mom, without you showing up to interrupt. You don’t care. You know she missed Lena too, but this is different. You need Lena’s undivided attention.

But Monday comes. And you’re not ready for Mondays. You’re not ready for school, and for the kids asking where you were and how the hell you’re still not dead. But most importantly, you’re not ready for being physically far away from Lena again.

“Do you have to go to work?” You ask, while watching Lena picking up her stuff in a hurry and throwing everything on her bag.

“I-What?” Lena glances up to you, trying to understand where that question is coming from. You give her a sheepish smile. “Yes, baby. I have to go to work.”

“But-” You look at Kara for back-up, but she doesn’t seem to be in the same state of codependence as you feel yourself right now, as she keeps devouring the food before her. “Do you actually have to, or is it more like a ‘I have to go to work ‘cause everyone goes to work’ kind of thing?”

“Baby, what are you asking?” Lena stops organizing her stuff, and she goes to where you’re sitting. She pulls the chair next to yours, and sits down, forgetting she was ever in a hurry. “It’s Monday. On Mondays I go to work, you go to school, and Kara-” She looks back at Kara for a second, who is still eating waffles, and not joining the conversation. “Does her usual Kara’ stuff.”

You bite your lower lip. “You almost died.”

“No, I didn’t. You saved me, remember?” She smiles at you, and you raise your hand touching her scar on the side of her face. “This is just a scar, baby.”

“I just think we should be resting.” You breathe out, and Kara snaps her head up at the sound of that.

“You don’t have to go to school today, little one.” Kara says, and you realize you said ‘we’ instead of ‘you’. Well, that means something. It means that you also think you deserve a rest from the world. “I can work from home today, and I’ll only leave if there’s an emergency.”

“Can’t you work from home too?” You look at Lena.

“I can’t, babygirl.” Lena looks sad about it, and you think that maybe if you push just a little more, she’ll stay.

“Then can I go with you?” You pout, making Lena reach for your face. “I would stay on the couch and not make a peep.”

“Why would you want to do that?” Lena asks like she doesn’t know the damn reason why you want to be with her all the time, after she simply forgot you existed for a few days.

“So I can be with you.” You’re not even done with your sentence and Lena pulls you in for a hug, holding your head so strongly against her chest you almost forget everything while listening to her heartbeat.

“What if you stay in with Kara and I’ll go to work and do what I have to do, but come back as soon as I’m done?”

“That could be in three hours or thirteen, mom.” You sigh, dropping your head low. “Who am I kidding? Knowing you, it will certainly be thirteen.”

“It won’t.” She kisses your forehead and gives you a soft smile. “I’ll be here before you even have a chance to miss me.”

“Then you won’t leave at all.” It’s out of your mouth before you even process what you’re saying.

“Baby.” Lena holds your face. “Life goes on.”

You look at her, trying not to show any emotion while you think about it. Life goes on. That easy. It beats you down, knocks you unconscious, makes you lose your will to live, but still goes on. No matter how gut-wrenching going on may be.

“Right.” You blink at her, unable to do more than that. “It goes on.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Lena kisses your cheek, picks her stuff and gets out. You lower your glasses watching her when she’s out the door. You watch her get in the car and drive away. You bite your lower lip holding the tears back.

“Life goes on.” You repeat to yourself, and you feel Kara’s hand on your shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “It shouldn’t. It should give us time to recover before throwing more pain on our backs and asking us to handle it whether we want to or not.”

You get up from the kitchen table and go to the living room. Why does this feel so hard for you? Kara dusted herself off, she was even willing to figure out her life with Lena even if she never got her memories back. Lena also wrapped her mind around all the trials and tribulations she went through awfully quick. And here you are.

“Hey.” Kara follows you, throwing herself on the couch with you. You make more space for her. She wraps her arms around you, and hums content. “Let’s have our time to recover. Whatcha wanna do?”

“Nothing.”

“I thought we could train a little.” She asks, taking a lock of hair from your face.

“I don’t want to train. All I do is fight-fight-fight. I’m tired of fighting and getting beat up. And having wins that mostly feels like losses. I’m tired of almost dying or seeing the people I love in danger. I’m tired of doing almost enough and I’m-”

“I think you should see a therapist.” Kara blurts out, and you sigh. “Because all of these feelings you’re having are valid, and I can try to help you with so much, but this feels out of my reach.”

“I just need my mom.”

“Your mom is safe.”

“That’s not enough anymore.” You grunt, annoyed. “Right now, the idea that she’s safe, that she remembers us, that she’ll be back home is not enough for me, momma. I need her here.”

“I know, baby.” Kara agrees softly.

“You remember when I almost died and you-you wouldn’t let me leave the house without you, and you would only wear sweatpants, and you didn’t show your face at work for a month?” You ask and Kara agrees weakly with her head. “That’s what I need. I need sweatpants and disgusting meals and not existing in the world for a while and I need mom with me all the time, so I know she’s safe and sound.”

“And you need therapy.” Kara adds and you agree with your head. “Like I needed when that happened.”

“Yeah.” You lay on the couch, putting your head under the cushions and then mumbling. “And that too.”

Turns out, staying on the couch all morning is not as healing as you thought it would be. Having Kara with you, also doesn’t withdraw the need of constantly using your super hearing to check on Lena. It seems that Kara might be right after all. It seems that this time, shaking off the image of Kara’s bloody face, and Lena’s empty look towards you, it’s going to take a bit more work.

“Wanna have your favorite food for lunch?” Kara asks, and you growl your answer at her. “Donuts?”

“I don’t think that donuts can fix this.”

“Ok, then what do you wanna eat?”

“I didn’t say no.” You look at Kara. “I said that I don’t think it can fix me, but I would love to see it try.”

She smiles fondly at you. “I love you so much.” It’s her answer before disappearing somewhere to order said donuts.

It’s about twenty minutes later when you hear the doorbell, and Kara rushes to answer it.

“Maya!” You hear Kara’s shocked welcome, and you snap your head up at the sound of your girlfriend’s name. You don’t look injured anymore, but you also don’t look the best you’ve ever looked.

“Hi Mrs. Danvers. I’m sorry to show up without a warning, but I’m just a little worried, and I thought I would come and check on-wow, now that I say that out loud, I sound like a total stalker.” Maya says, and you get up looking for your glasses.

“You don’t, sweetheart.” Kara says reassuringly. “Why don’t you come in?”

You get a glimpse of yourself on the TV screen. You look terrible, but that will have to do. You have no strength to make yourself more presentable.

“Hey.” You say, going to the front door, and Maya’s expression warms your heart entirely. Just seeing you makes her so happy.

“Oh, thank God!” She throws herself in your arms and you hold her tight, hearing her heart beating fast. “You’re ok. God! I was so worried!”

“I’m ok.” You assure her, running your fingers through her hair and breathing in her smell. You missed her. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s ok.” She lets go of you, and looks at your face, with a soft smile and you smile too when you look at her dimples. “I’m just glad you’re ok.”

“I’m gonna go buy some… Food.” Kara says, disappearing. You breathe relieved that she’s giving you and Maya some time.

“Come on.” You hold her hand, taking her to the couch. “I think I have some explaining to do.”

“Jamie told me it was a family thing, and I-I saw the attack to L Corp on the news.” Maya fills you in on what she knows, making your job a lot easier, because now you just have to fill in the gaps. “Is everyone there ok?”

“Yeah. Now.” You push a smile out, but it comes out empty and sad. “But, um, when they attacked it, they-they took Lena.”

“What?” Maya yells, looking scared and shocked.

“It’s ok. She’s ok now.” You rush to reassure her. “It took a while, but she’s-she’s safe and totally fine.”

“So, what happened? Why did Jamie’s mom go to pick you and then her?”

“She thought we could be in danger too. Apparently, they wanted to attack to the entire family, so-”

“Were you? In danger?” You smile a little thinking you literally died and was brought back to life.

“Maybe, but-” You see her expression switch to worry immediately. “The entire family was in a safe place just waiting.”

It’s not lying. Whatever you’re doing here can’t be called lying, right? You’re leaving all important -maybe too important- information, but you haven’t lied at all. The family was in a safe place, she doesn’t have to know you weren’t there too.

“Oh, I-” Maya reaches for her backpack and gives you your phone. You raise your eyebrow, confused. “Jamie put it on your locker, and I sorta forgot and have been calling you non-stop for the past week.”

“Thank you.” You pick the phone in her hand and toss it behind you without even a glance at it. “So, um, this thing that happened.” You breathe deep trying to get your words out. “It’s more common than it should in our family.”

“Because you’re Luthors?”

“Um…” No? Yes? Maybe? You breathe again. “I guess that’s also one of the reasons. You know how people hate us. I mean, even your family hates us.”

“But they wouldn’t-”

“No! Of course not! That’s not what I meant.” This is harder than you could imagine. “But some other people would, you know. So, we’re sort of always in danger somehow. I mean, last year they tried to kill Lena, and you remember when I had that cast on.”

“That was all because of your family name?”

“It was certainly because of my family.” But she doesn’t need to know what side of the family, right? Really, it doesn’t feel fair blaming all on the Luthor side when being a Super has caused a lot more problems to you, but you can’t exactly tell her that. As long as you don’t straight up lie, you can somehow forgive yourself. “I just-I’ll understand if you want to run away and pretend that we’ve never met.”

“What? Babe, I don’t want that!” Maya holds your face and kisses you gently. “I wanted the opposite, I-I wanted to be there for you, and hold your hand when all of this was happening.”

“You did?”

“I do.” Maya says, pulling you into a hug, and you melt into her arms.

“I think I’m gonna need it, cause I’m not in a very good place right now.” You say and she kisses your cheek.

“I’m here for you.” She whispers next to your ear, and you smile.

Kara comes back a while later, with the donuts in hands, and you share them with Maya. Definitely, donuts could not fix you. Kara’s attention was nice but could not fix you. Maya’s kisses made you feel better, but no, they also couldn’t fix you. Lena’s hug as soon as she walks in home, a lot earlier than she’s used to, sure helped but you’re still not fixed.

“Baby? Do you want to help me with dinner?” Lena asks, calling your attention and you keep looking at your phone. You’ve been checking it and there’s so many missed calls and texts from Maya you feel bad for not looking for it before.

“Hm?”

“Hey.” Lena kneels in front of you, both hands on your knees, and you finally lower your phone to look at her. “Are you ok?”

“No.” You sigh. “I don’t think I am, no.”

“What are we going to do about it?” She asks, softly. No pressure. No push.

“It seems that therapy is probably overdue in this case.”

Lena gets up from the floor and kisses your cheek. She looks at you with a smile. “I’m proud of you. That’s a big step. Especially for a Luthor. But we still got you. You know that don’t you?”

“Stronger together.”

Lena shows you her hand. You hold it, before getting up. “Always.”

It seems that even though you stopped in time, in place and with the same emotions, life has not stopped itself too.

So, begrudgingly, you go back to school, and willingly, you go to therapy. And your therapist has to sign so many NDAs that you actually feel safe telling him everything. Words come out of your mouth so fast, he is pretty much acquainted with your entire life after just one hour.

“Hey!” Kara’s voice comes from the living room the moment you step inside your house. “We’re in here!”

You adjust your glasses on your face. Don’t do it. Don’t take them off, don’t look to the living room. You walk there slowly, to find both of your moms on one couch, Alex and Kelly on the other, and Jamie sitting on the floor.

“We were waiting for you to start.” Kara adds, and you notice the games on the coffee table. Great. Game night. Exactly what you didn’t need.

“I won’t be playing tonight.” You give one look at Jamie, and she stands up right away, understanding you probably need to talk.

“Are you… sure?” Lena asks and you agree with your head.

“Oh, we need to talk, actually.” Jamie adds and her help it’s much appreciated.

“Well, do you-maybe-would you like to-how was your therapy session?” Kara asks, and everyone’s faces light up in genuine curiosity. You push a smile out of your lips.

“Great! We talked about a lot of things.” You point upstairs with your head, and Jamie agrees, going to your side so you both can leave the room. “In fact, I even made a resolution.”

“Oh, that’s-” Lena looks at Kelly, like she is asking whether it is a good thing or not. Kelly agrees with her head. “So good! Can you tell us about it?”

“Sure.” Your smile comes out untruthfully. “I have decided that I’ll quit being Superkid.” You breathe out one more time and say it more assertively this time. “Starting today, Superkid doesn’t exist anymore.”

#supergirl #kara danvers #supercorp #supercorpfamily #lena luthor #supercorp daughter #kara x lena #kara x reader #supercorp fanfic #lena x reader #reader insert #superkid

[tl-notes]

Kobayashi’s Maid Dragon S2 Episode 10 Notes

I’m extremely not an expert in birds, but I tried to look these up to see if they were a species native to New York (since they’re similar to the sparrows we usually see around Kobayashi’s place). Apparently there are few similar-looking species in New York? My totally uninformed guess is that they may be house sparrows.

The sun sets in Japan relatively early (probably around 6:30pm when this episode takes place), which would make it entirely plausible that if she just flew east (with a slight northward angle) she’d find herself over New York in the early morning while most of the rest of the country is still dark.

These bumpy grey pads at the pedestrian part of the intersection here are known as (among other things) tactile paving; they’re to assist people who can’t fully rely on eyesight to get around.

Interestingly (imo), they were actually invented in Japan in the 60s (by a Miyake Seiichi), where today they’re extremely ubiquitous. They even show up later this episode!

They’re often referred to in Japan as 点字ブロック, tenji (Braille) blocks, and they tend to come in two types: the “dot” design, which indicates a place to stop (or an angle change, or more generally “caution”), and the “line” design which indicates you can safely keep going. They’re generally colored yellow in Japan, ideally making them stand out more to help people with impaired vision find them, and are mandated by law in most places public transport can be found (among others).

Not really a translation note, but “deer cola” felt especially funny in the context of all the horse medicine stuff. 

I guess “[animal] [drink]” is a common branding device in-universe, given the crab beer Kobayashi’s always drinking.

Also not really a translation note, but the difference between how “hard” Kanna and Chloe are running to be at the same speed was a nice animation touch.

遊んだ遊んだ！ asonda asonda!

One feature of the Japanese language is a very heavy use of repetition. This includes “reduplication,” a linguistic term for creating words by repeating a root (e.g. a “boo-boo” in English or the dara-dara example below in Japanese), but also just like… saying the same word multiple times, as Chloe does here.

Typically this is done for emphasis or to help increase clarity: if you’ve worked in a Japanese office, you’ve likely heard someone in a phone conversation say desu desu in response to someone asking for confirmation. 

This acceptance of repetition sort of extends beyond the obvious uses like this as well: for example, personal pronouns are much less common; instead (if the subject isn’t dropped) you’ll often just use the person’s name again. You’ll notice similar trends with other types of words as well.

Not to mention the ubiquity of things like otsukare.

This often ends up being a challenge for translators, because reusing words in English (when it’s not for an obvious reason) tends to stick out rather unflatteringly, even if they aren’t that close together. 

(Like when I overuse “hence” in these notes.)

This “Christ” in the Japanese was “ったく” (short for 全く mattaku, but just used as a semi-generic exclamation). I mostly bring this up because it’s a good example of a word that doesn’t work out of its cultural context; e.g. it wouldn’t make any sense for a fantasy character to say “Christ,” but since this is an American speaker it works just fine (and helps distinguish that fact, even). 

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but English uses a lot of “explicit reference” words like this, that can break immersion if put in the mouths of characters who wouldn’t have exposure to said reference—which can be annoyingly limiting when trying to write dialogue sometimes.

As a bit of a culture shock for a lot of Americans I’ve met, most Japanese homes tend to have wall mounted air conditioning units, like this one, that are only for heating/cooling the one room they’re in. (Many also have a “Dry” setting that makes them act kind of like a dehumidifier as well.) It’s common to not have them in every room, like bedrooms, however.

This is in contrast to the central air conditioning system used by a majority of homes in the US (though type/use of AC in the US varies a lot by region; less common in the north for example)—and places like the UK where apparently residential AC units of any kind are quite rare.

You may have noticed that the doors between rooms always seem closed in Kobayashi’s apartment. That’s not just to make the backgrounds simpler, it’s also a good habit to keep if you’re going to be running the AC!

“Kobayashi, are you お休み today?” 

“Yeah, お休み.”

お休み o-yasumi, is a noun form of the 休む yasumu, to rest. The word has a variety of applications, as we see here. A day off work/school, i.e. a rest day? お休み. Want to say “good night” to someone before bed? Also お休み.

In this case, it’s not even necessarily clear it’s being said as a pun; as mentioned earlier, repetition is a common feature of the language, so despite the yawn there wouldn’t really be any reason for Kanna to think Kobayashi was about to go to nap or anything.

“Laze about” here is だらだら dara-dara, another phenomime (擬態語 gitaigo in Japanese)—one of those words that mimics the “sound” of an idea/concept/state, which don’t actually make a sound per se.

These phrases aren’t necessarily childish or anything (overuse of them can be, but you can find them even in news articles and political speeches for example). They are, however, used frequently by children, and by adults talking to children, as they’re very “easy” words: they’re expressive, they capture useful daily-life concepts, and they usually roll off the tongue. You’ll notice, for example, that Kanna uses them a lot.

Kanna has a very interesting way of talking actually, which I’ll touch on a bit more later.

Kobayashi’s “bean jam” here is あんみつ anmitsu, a traditional Japanese dessert (technically a spinoff of mitsumame). It typically is a mix of red beans (and/or red peas), agar (an algae-based gelatin equivalent), some fruit, some variety of rice flour product (shiratama in this case, similar to mochi), and a syrup (often black sugar based).

You can find it year-round, but it has a strong summer association and is even used as a summer season word. (It’s typically chilled and you can often get it with ice cream as an ingredient.)

It’s also sometimes paired with a green-tea flavored something as well (e.g. ice cream, agar, or syrup). The trinity of green tea, red beans (aka azuki), and shiratama makes what I like to think of as the “Japanese S’mores Flavor (for Adults)”. No I will not elaborate on this.

I will though point out the shaved ice flavor Kobayashi ordered later in the episode:

え？今スイカ様子あった？

A word of note here for language learners is 様子 yousu, which has a lot of definitions, but in cases like this where it’s attached to a noun or phrase means roughly “the appearance of __” or “an indication of ___” etc. In actual use, it typically means something that makes you think of whatever ___ is—or the lack of something that would make you think ___.

For example here, it’s like “Watermelon? Where’d that come from?” (since the TV was talking about a different dessert-y food entirely). 

Or an unrelated example: “I think that guy is hiding something” → “Really? I haven’t seen any yousu of that.” In other words, it can be a lot like “sign,” as in “I’ve seen no sign of ___.”

These color-bordered envelopes (originally colored based on the flag of the country of origin) used to be the standard for air mail, domestic or international, though they haven’t been required for several decades.

That said, they’re still popular for that “ooh, international mail!” feel (at least in Japan) and you can buy them at most places that sell stuff like envelopes. As here, they’re often used in media to immediately convey that a letter came from outside Japan.

Kanna (and Kobayashi) says エアメール, lit. “air mail” in English, which is used colloquially for international mail specifically, rather than “mail sent by plane.”

They’re having what’s called 冷やしそうめん hiyashi soumen, chilled/cold soumen for lunch here. (Soumen being a thin wheat noodle; udon but thinner.) As Kanna says, it’s very easy to make!

Basically you just boil it, wash it in cold water, add ice, get some sort of sauce to dip it in, and you’re done! It’s a popular quick meal in summer, and much easier than the more involved nagashi soumen setups you may have seen elsewhere, where they slide the noodles down a chute for you to try to grab and eat. (It’s basically the same meal aside from that though.)

(You can of course add more to it, but as we see here, you don’t really have to.)

The type of tea here, for the curious, is 麦茶 mugicha, barley tea. Mugi is the general name for cereals/grains including wheat (komugi), barley (oomugi), rye (kuromugi or rye mugi), and oats (enbaku or oat mugi). It’s incredibly common in Japan (and much of East Asia), where it's the household summer drink.

It has no caffeine like many other teas, and has a bunch of various nutritional benefits, so it’s considered a good way to stay hydrated as you’re sweating buckets in the muggy Japanese summer weather.

帽子した？  boushi shita? した！ shita!

I thought this was a cute way of phrasing this question/answer, and a good example of the “parent and their young child” way these two talk.

The suru (past tense shita) verb used here is the ultimate in “generic verb,” and it basically doesn’t get any simpler grammar-wise to phrase something as “noun+suru” like Kobayashi does here (even the particles are dropped). 

Kanna, for her part, doesn’t respond with a “yes” or etc, but instead just repeats back the verb itself in confirmation.

Just to note another one of those words like dara-dara: bura-bura, used for things like wandering around, doing something (or nothing) casually/aimlessly, or (with one bura) for something dangling/swinging in a more literal sense, like a spider, slack yo-yo, or wind chime.

These booklets are a common homework assignment for practicing kanji; you can see along the left side there it shows the stroke order, with the first block giving an example to trace over & showing where to start each stroke.

Each character is made up of radicals (e.g. “hot” above: 日 and 耂), which each have a standard way to write them. There’s 214 such radicals (though many are pretty niche; only about ~50 of them are needed to make most characters), and once you get a hang of them it makes learning new characters much easier (not too different from learning word spellings in English imo).

Kanna is repeating out loud the reading for the “hot” character as she writes it.

In addition to the above workbooks (which usually involve both kanji and math problems at Kanna’s grade), elementary school summer homework in Japan typically involves doing an illustrated diary (not a daily one necessarily) and some sort of research project about a subject of your choice. (Think kind of like a small science fair project).

The “research” project part is pretty expansive, and you can typically even do something more arts & craftsy for it.

Manhole covers in a lot of Japanese municipalities feature art representative of the area. For example, the city of Chofu, where the author of GeGeGe no Kitaro lived most of his life, has several with art of that series.

(Photo from https://www.gotokyo.org/jp/spot/1734/index.html)

I mentioned earlier that Kanna has an interesting way of speaking. Probably a better way to put it is that she has a pretty convincingly childish way of speaking (despite the monotone). That is, she uses simple grammar and “easy” words most of the time, but then throws out random big words and fancy idioms from time to time that make you go “...where did you learn that?”

In this case, the phrase she uses is 巷で人気 chimata de ninki. Chimata originally means like a fork (in the road), and since those are often places with lots of people passing through, it expanded to mean “the undefined place where people talk about ~stuff~.” So it’s used for “many people are saying~” or “word on the street is~” types of situations (or “talk of the town,” as here).  

It’s kind of an “adult” word though; for example the character for it isn’t included in the jouyou kanji (the 2000+ that are taught in elementary through high school). Hence Kobayashi’s reaction here.

The word she uses for “protected” here is 死守 shishu. The word is the combination of the characters for “death” and “protect,” ~meaning to protect something even at risk to one’s life (to the death, as it were).

It's a word that you learn in third grade in the Japanese education system—the same grade Kanna is in!

Both of these types of signs are common sights in residential areas like this: depending on where you live, it can feel like there’s always some sort of construction project going on, and Japan’s many family/individually-owned businesses like this tend to be closed on various extra days during the summer (and certain other times) to allow for time off.  

In this case, them being closed August 12th~16th implies they’re taking off for Obon (and probably leaving town to visit family).

The word Kobayashi uses here is 風物詩 fuubutsu-shi. Fuubutsu refers to something that makes up part of the “scenery” of a place or season, in a pretty broad sense. This shi typically means “poem.”

So fuubutsu-shi is originally a type of poem celebrating a season or a scene of natural beauty, that sort of thing. From that, it’s also now (more popularly) used to describe things that are representative of a season; the kind of stuff you say “it’s not winter until…” about, or “you know it’s summer when…” (It can also be used for places + seasons, like the ice sculptures of Hokkaido winters, or even summer Comiket in Tokyo.)

They’re very similar to the season words I’ve mentioned previously, though they’re far less strict about what counts as one. Here, Kobayashi’s could be referring to the whole package experience of “having to take cover and wait out a sudden heavy rain, despite it being mostly clear skies a few minutes ago,” which you could call fuubutsu-shi (summed up probably as like 夏の雨宿り etc.)

In contrast the relevant season word here would probably be yuudachi (or niwaka-ame), a word referring to the short, sudden bouts of rain that tend to fall (from cumulonimbus clouds, the makings of which are noticeable in the backgrounds before this) on summer evenings.

Feels like in season one she woulda eaten it. Three cheers for character growth!

The parentheticals there are just the “English” in hiragana/katakana.

Kobayashi’s comment (nihongo de ok, roughly “you can just use Japanese”) is an internet-born term people originally would use to reply to someone who said something that didn’t make any sense, had terrible grammar, or was so full of katakana loanwords it was hard to read etc.

Kanna says this line in English, and while I have no proof at all, my guess is that the specific choice of “wicked” was taken from the translation of “maji yabakune?” used in season one.

#maidragon #Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid #kobayashi-san chi no maid dragon #translation notes #anime

[xeo-kunsatan]

Dissatisfied One shot +14 (Part 1)

Warning

This story contains sexual themes, Domestic abuse themes, Toxic relationships, Suicide, cigarettes use, bad words and prostitution references. If you are sensitive or underage please don't read this story.

Dissatisfied.... i don't think it's difficult to found out why do i feel like that..

I wasn't always being the inappropriate whore my grandmother or even my uncle used to call me.. I was supposed to be a innocent child.. tsk yeah.. an innocent child with the shitty luck of having such a shattered family and a stupid child with the shitty luck of having a pedophile as teacher who tried to rape him when the bastard child was just 10.

It's alright.. I guess.. I just woke up in the bed from one of my classmates, let's say he wanted a fun night so I accepted to gave him pleasure.. at least he paid me money so I can leave this room, .. but that didn't satisfied me.. nor even filled me.

I taked my stuff making sure he didn't woke up too but he still..

Rocky: Hey Bunny~, are you leaving to soon?~.

Bradley: Are you Horny again? we did it for almost 2 hours the last night, if you want to continue you most pay again.

Rocky: I have not enough money

Bradley: *change on his clothes* Then I have nothing to do here

Rocky: Tsk, you lost...

Bradley: Lost what? *Sarcastic Chuckle* Your "Buddy" is just bigger than mine, is not the big thing..

Rocky: *chuckles* As if you were that hot~.

Bradley: *takes his backpack* You didn't said that that night.

I left that room, that guy seemed mad by my comment, I can't help it, they still see me as the bastard son of the fire ghost which mess with their city but they actually desires me to gives them the pleasure that a girl or anyone else can't gave them..

I was walking through the hallways, then suddenly someone touched my hand to catch my attention, it was that big blue guy who uses to play American football, another client more.

Bradley: Unwin? Are you sure about this? You didn't had a girlfriend?

Unwin: Well yes.. i have a girlfriend, she asked me to do it one day but I'm not ready to do it nor even i have no idea about how to do it.

Bradley: so.. your first Time?

Unwin: Yep..

Bradley: alright.. we will do it this night, don't forget you have to pay for the fun night, i will teach you how to do it.

Unwin: Ok.. thanks man, Heheh now I see why people calls you Bunny, and not just for being little~ *leaves quickly while he was laughing at Bradley* Slut~.

Bradley: But Rabbits are cute...

After that I went to the school restrooms to take a quick bath to at least go to classes without any boy smell.

Since when i thought that this shit was a good idea?.. why did i thought that this would make me feel complete or even satisfied? I questioned myself while the shower drops were falling on my face.

I have a lot of missed calls from my uncle who is surely mad instead of worried by not arriving at the round house.

I dried myself quickly to then change my clothing and go to classes in time, at my seat I saw him.. Skeebo, after that day it's not the same being next to him. He used to bully me by the same old shit as the others but he stopped since that day I saved his life and i snapped to that lemon head which calls himself hero for a nonsense reason.

If you are asking why the heck I was selling my body like this if I have a traumatic event related with this?

I will answer your question, hate me or not depends of you, I will explain.

First my uncle is a hypocritical stingy, he will not give me any fucking money not even for a candy, he just gives money to my cousin, understandable, and the stupid lemon for his mediocre work.

The second reason... Everything happened in a normal school day (yes, after I got Skeebo's respect), also a normal day of ghost attack, there was a new ghost around the netherworld, this one has a weird power which makes everyone Who touches him or is slimed by him, that person ends into a lust state, it was easy to recognize when he attacked someone...at least for me, he has peculiar smell to Cherries, Strawberries and... saliva.

I didn't had to hide, the ghosts didn't attacked me as always, that lemon ball was around eating them and burping their eyes. That clumsy Pac crashed against me and suddenly Skeebo which was running away locking us in a locker by accident.

Bradley: shit...

Skeebo: Arghh!.. that lemon head!!...

Bradley: *sighs*....

Skeebo: are we in a girl's locker?.. this place smells good~

Bradley:*sniffs*... Oh.. shit.. we are not in a girl's locker...It's my locker....

Skeebo:*sniffs on Bradley's hair* is it you? You smell so good~

Bradley: Well my perfume used to be from my older sister, and i use Pactene Shampoo because my uncle has lots of them for my cousin and me, so it has sense.

Skeebo: It's still so good~

Bradley: fuck fuck fuck fuck... Skeebo.. you were infected by a lust ghost.. and you will not snap from that state until you....

Skeebo: me what?~

Bradley:... *Sighs* i-i.. I'm still scared for t-this... But.. just do it with me... D-d-dont worry.. you will not remember any of this moments...

Skeebo: you're so cute~ you're so sweet~..

Bradley: Ok i think he lost the control short time ago..damn it..

Then Skeebo slowly was ripping off my virginity.. I thought it would hurt as when that awful man tried to do to me.. but... This time.. I felt different.. I felt.. strange... i was embarrassed.. it hurted but I liked it..I don't know how nor why...He where keep going for 1 hour until he ended inside me.. for me it was difficult to still up but that feeling was too difficult to describe... Did I feel satisfaction?.. is this what am I looking for to feel full, did I feel good for at least one time of my life, he finally snapped out that state he didn't understand what happened and suddenly the locker door opened, I was a little naked so I acted quickly and transformed myself into a rabbit to escape from a already embarrassing moment leaving him with the shame. Because of me everyone saw Skeebo half-naked and stained in with his own fluids.

Ms Globular: Mr Spheros.. Mr Skeebo! Wake up!

Bradley: Huh!?...

Skeebo: What!?

Almost Everyone laugh about that.. specially to Skeebo

Ms Globular: Please focus yourself in the exam.

Bradley:..*sighs* yes Ms Globular..

Rocky: what's wrong Skeebo aren't you playing with your "buddy" again?

Izod: Yeah, please don't splash us~

Skeebo: *blushed and mad* you 2 shut up!

Yep... also that day was even worst for Skeebo than the day became into Heebo-Skeebo, he was even a bigger mock for almost all the students, it was my fault by running away as a coward..

Izod: Or what?

Bradley: Do you have any idea about how pathetic you look making fun with a guy because of an embarrassing moment he clearly wants to forget?

Rocky: You have no rights to speak slut!

Skeebo: Don't call him slut!

Izod: Aww the Sper-Man is defending the Play-Bun?.

Bradley: So sad that the sizes of your "Buddies" are not that good enough to compensate your lack of brain..

Ms Globular: That's enough you 4!! If you don't quit speaking that dirty stuff in the class i will send you to detention!

Izod/Rocky: Fine Ms Globular..

Bradley: Alright Ms...

Skeebo: *sighs*

The School Bell rings

It was now lunch time, i wasn't hungry so i left to the school yard to smoke a cigarette, a cherry one, I'm allergic to the normals.

Bradley: *sighs*

"Can i sit with you?" - a voice sounded..

It was Lexy Soto, one of my classmates and the most popular in the school for being so kind with all and bringing desserts from his Dad's restaurant also one of the most famous restaurants in Pacopolis), for it Lexy is really respected and beloved here, especially for that Lemon Ball.

Lexy always left a single meal for me and comes to me to give me company, it's still incredible that he is my friend without caring about my Dad's actions, did Latins are like this?

Bradley: Sure Lexy.

Lexy: Good, *sits to him* i noticed that you weren't in the Cafeteria so i left this cupcake for you.

Bradley: Thanks Lexy, you don't had to do it.

Lexy: I have to, Weon

Bradley:*smiles a little and takes the cupcake* Thanks Lexy, *bites it* Hmm~ is so sweet and soft.

Lexy: Chocolate with raspberry cream.

Bradley: Also.. let me guess, did you put ice cream for the cream?

Lexy: You got me.

Bradley: I knew it!

Lexy: *giggles*... *Starts sniffing Bradley* where selling your body again!?.

Bradley: Oh shit.. you got me

Lexy: Bradley, please you don't have to do it..

Bradley: Lexy, i don't have money to buy any stuff i need, and my uncle doesn't give me a shit.

Lexy: And i thought that presidents in Latin America are awful.. but please... You don't have to do it if you don't like it..

Bradley: That's the problem Lexy.. I think like it..but I hate to do it with that bastards.

Lexy: How you can like that awfull thing?...

Bradley: Because I'm sick Lexy..I know i am sick...but i can't cry for help.. because my uncle will not understand..

Lexy: I could ask my Dad to help you but.. i don't want to bother him...

Bradley: *pets him*... Lexy.. you don't have to do it... Maybe i could be sick.. but i will be okay.

Lexy: *starts sobbing* You're lying!... You are not okay! You said that you would be okay but that's not true.. i know you are suffering.. and it... It worries me a lot!! *Cries*

Bradley:...it's because that awful neighbor did to you, right?

Lexy: !!..

Bradley:*hugs Lexy* I'm sorry... I didn't mean to worry you like this.. maybe it would hurt but.. If something happens to me.. i already have a place in the netherworld with my Dad..

Lexy: If Pacopolis were your home too...

Bradley: Even if i live in netherworld, we would still be friends.

Lexy: At least.. please found a solution...

Bradley: I promise I will try.. *dries Lexy's tears* cheer up BerryPie.

Lexy: you most be the one who most smile first Cabro Culiao!..

Bradley: Heh..*smiles* sorry, like this?

Lexy: *cheers* much better~

6:00 pm

The school And clubs activities ended, Lexy have left to his home early to help out his father with his job as always, it was getting late and time to start my job with that moron, so i left the reading club (Club Wich has a single one member, me) to meet up with that guy i just forgot his name and i don't give a care in remember it.

Unwin: Finally..

Bradley: we will do this quickly, i have to go back to the round house.. i have piano practice at 8:00 pm.

Unwin: All you have to do is please me..

Bradley: just if you pay the price, if you don't i will make sure one of my boys to torment you, got it?

Unwin:*sighs* fine!..*pays him 10 Pac Dollars*

Bradley: Good Boy~.

And well i did it with him as i did with the rest of the boys from Maze High (Except by Pac and Spiral, dude i have my limits, i can't leave that stinky lemon to touch me, and Spiral, i know he likes Pacster since long, it's kinda obvious and i prefer them to have that experience by theirselfs) but ..i didn't felt nothing similar to that curious feeling i felt with him.. it wasn't the same.. but it wasn't possible.. even after he ended as a mock because of me.. i would not be able to stand the guilt...

7:00 pm

By finishing, i just put in my clothing to take my stuff and left the dorms, it was almond late for my classes and even worst i was having a lot of walking problems, fortunately or well.. unfortunately my uncle's limousine arrived next to me And taked me to the round house, the bodyguards didn't looked at me in any moment.. it was uncomfortable.. when we arrived to the round house, there was my uncle waiting for me, he seemed completely mad.

Bradley: *sighs*..

Stratos: Bradley..Where the heck you have been!? Why you didn't come back to home yesterday!? Or not even answered my calls!!??... And ugh!.. what's that awful smell!!??

Bradley: Do you care?.

Stratos: wait.. don't tell me you where sleeping with a guy!!?

Bradley: So what!?, If i was sleeping with someone or i was making out with someone, that's not of your business!!

Stratos: of course it's my business to take care of you!

Bradley: As it was your business to take care of my dad when he needed you more than anything... You cared so much of me that you left me with grandmother!

Stratos: It wasn't that bad!

Bradley: That Bad...It wasn't..That Bad!? I was her fucking Boxing bag and used me to turn off her cigarettes

Stratos: You are exaggerating, she was educating you to be a disciplined and decent man!.

Bradley: So sad, it didn't work..

Stratos: It was for you could not end like your father.

Bradley: Should I'll remember you the boiling water cup she threw me in that Barbecue in the round house by "Accident?

Stratos: Agh just go inside and take a bath right now!.. don't let Cedrick see you!.

Bradley: Whatever...

Yep the same old shit of always... I taked another bath and went to my room, i was so tired, Quartzy was sleeping on my lap to comfort me.. but i still had to play that piano.. so i get up to go to the piano room.. my Uncle wasn't there... that was a good thing, that means he would not bother me.

So i sat in that sit and taked a cherry cigarette from a box i use to hide from my uncle and cousin.

I smoke one of them while I was playing a soft melody in the piano..I was losing myself in my thoughts and the music.. then suddenly someone entered in.

Cedrick: Hey Brad!

Bradley:*throws the cigarette through the window* Oh, hi Cedrick

Cedrick: what where you eating?...

Bradley: oh, it was nothing.

Cedrick: Oke, can I stay with you? I love how you play the piano :D.

Bradley: Alright little bud.

So I played a melodies for my little cousin, I didn't wanted him to see me like this..

I'm at least a little alright if my cousins, my people, my sister, Buttler and my Dad are alright too.. maybe.

Lately when I was close to Skeebo I was feeling something unusual.. like a hungry.. hungry for his virility, hungry for his touch.. I sounded like a monster... I'm sorry..

Suddenly i felt that someone was calling me.

#pacman and the ghostly adventures #pmatga #pacman #my ocs #+14 #Dissatisfied #Pmatga one shot

[elisaphoenix13]

Family Bonds

"Trade you my turkey sandwich for yours."

William stares at his twin as he slurps his soda noisely, ignoring the annoyed look Cassie is giving him from across the table. He had adopted quite a few mannerisms from the family after he finally felt comfortable expressing himself, and the noisy drinking could have easily been learned from Harley or Peter. Thomas didn't even look bothered. He just lifted the top slice of bread to show the fixings of the sandwich and it was enough explanation for his seemingly weird question.

It was devoid of honey mustard. William despised the stuff, but for some reason Thomas loved it. It was disgusting and he had no problem shoving the sandwich in front of him over to his twin. Once he got his blessedly honey mustard free sandwich from Thomas, he finally set his can of soda down.

"Mom probably wasn't paying attention when he was putting our lunches together." Thomas says.

"I don't blame him. He was frazzled this morning because Valerie and Lucy are sick." Cassie points out and then takes a bite of her salad. "Tony has meetings all day today so he can't help with them."

"How do you even know this? You weren't upstairs at all this morning." William points out.

"Dude, she's Mom's underling. Cassie is starting to just know things." Thomas snorts.

Cassie smiles. "Actually, he texted me and asked me to pick up some medicine for them after school. But I'm flattered you think I'm at that level."

"You are." The twins say in unison.

Cassie just rolled her eyes in response and they ate their lunch with the usual chatter. Classes, teachers, assignments, the newest rumor, and what they planned to do after school. The three of them normally walked home together (or William portaled them if he was up to it), and one of the things they knew they were going to do is go buy some medicine. Cassie also said she wanted to pick up some stuff to bake and decorate cupcakes and when Thomas asked about the occasion, she said it was just because. William didn't mind. He really liked her baking, not just because it always tasted amazing, but she also did a really great job decorating them. She even decorated them without going overboard with the icing which some professionals did.

The amount of icing should not equal the size of the cupcake.

"Maybe we can pick up some strawberries and whipped cream? Val likes to share those with me." William says.

"Sure. Mom said we could pick up whatever snacks we want anyway." Cassie replies.

"I need more pens too." Thomas says around his mouthful of sandwich.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Cassie huffs.

William half expected his twin to open his mouth just to gross Cassie out, but Thomas didn't and instead chewed and swallowed his food. Stephen reprimanded him for it on occasion as well, so it was probably finally starting to sink in. When they finished their lunches and tossed their garbage into the nearest trash can, the bell rang for class and they said their temporary goodbyes before they headed to their classes. William had a class by himself next period, but Thomas and Cassie had their next class together. In the past, when he didn't have classes with Thomas or Cassie, he used to feel alone. Now he didn't care. School actually got a lot better for him and his brother ever since Stephen and Tony took them in.

They used to be bullied for jumping from one foster home to another, for the crappy clothes each home barely managed to put on their backs...and they even went days without food, bathing, or adequate sleep. It was depressing. William and Thomas decided they would prefer to live on the streets than deal with more abuse, and it was barely a week later when Cassie brought Stephen to them. At the time, William barely trusted her, but he trusted her enough for him and his brother to go home with them. Maybe it was some kind of desperate hope that it would be different than before, that they would be shown the care and love they deserved.

When it was, William and Thomas didn't know what to do. Right off the bat they were given a hot meal, a hot shower, warm beds, quality clothing...an endless list of things. William was personally afraid that it was too good to be true, but as time went on, nothing changed. Well nothing except him and Thomas being moved up to the penthouse once Tony was done building their rooms. The penthouse was huge and probably had room for five more bedrooms, but it was nice to be close to their new parents and siblings. The twins, of course, still went downstairs to visit Wanda and Vision for movies or lunches, but being upstairs made them happy. At least William. He enjoyed the feeling of family he got from the two men and the other kids. He even felt part of it. He was part of it.

Now he was happily in a relationship with Harley, and he also enjoyed spending time with Valerie. He was one of the few she would spend time with if Stephen wasn't available and it made him feel special. He also liked that she was so easy to please. If he needed to keep an eye on her, he could put on her favorite movie and she would lay with him until she ultimately fell asleep, or she would color while he did his homework. Just like Diana followed Cassie around a lot, William had his own little duckling following him.

When the school day was finally over, he went to his locker to put away the books he didn't need and Thomas and Cassie met him just as he was closing it.

"Ready to go?" Cassie asks.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll help with Val today." William says.

"Mom will probably appreciate it. Apparently Tony has work he needs to do and can't put it off any longer." She says as they walk out of the building.

They walk as quickly as they can to the nearest store, and William has to keep himself from laughing when he notices how antsy Thomas seems to be. He was constantly found bouncing his knee while sitting or looking ready to bolt when standing that one would think Stephen and Tony didn't regularly try to give him a place to run as much as he wanted. Which wasn't the case. Their mother always opened a portal to the lake house for Thomas when he looked ready to vibrate out of his skin or whenever he asked. William was a little luckier that he could practice his magic as long as he was careful.

Cassie was quick to find the medicine Stephen wanted for the little girls, and then the three teens gathered the snacks they wanted before heading to the front to buy everything. Usually they would be picking up Diana by now but she had a half day so someone else picked her up. All they had to do was walk home. William teleported them this time because they had cold items that he wanted to stay cold when he made his and Valerie's usual snack.

"Hey Mom!" Thomas grabs the box of cheez-its that Stephen was already holding out for him when they arrived. "Thanks!" He says before running into his room.

"Here's the medicine." Cassie says as she digs it out of the grocery bag and hands it to Stephen.

"Oh, good. Thank you. It's time for their next dose." Stephen sighs as he digs out a small medicine cup and also a medicine dropper. "I knew I had just enough until you kids got home. Would you mind taking Diana downstairs with you for tonight?"

"Sure!"

William pulls out the strawberries and whipped cream and joins Stephen at the counter to cut the fruit. He could hear Cassie telling Diana to get her homework, toothbrush, and pajamas together and saw Lucy sleeping in the playpen in the living room. Considering that Stephen looked a little tired when they got home, one or both of the girls had been fussing all day because they weren't feeling well, but William was intent on helping him out now.

"Is Val asleep?" William asks Stephen.

"Maybe. She's in bed watching The Little Mermaid if she's not." He replies as he gently places the cup filled with pink gloop in front of the teen. "Don't let her have too much whipped cream and make sure she finishes this please."

"Okay."

William scoops the strawberry pieces into a bowl and some whipped cream into a smaller bowl before gathering them together and grabbing the medicine and juice box that Stephen also set in front of him. He also grabbed a breakfast bed tray on his way out of the kitchen so Valerie would be able to access the snacks easier and not spill. William had put his backpack down on one of the stools at the counter so it was out of the way, but if he didn't grab it soon, he was pretty sure he would find it in his bedroom. Stephen knew he was good about taking it straight to his bedroom, but considering the circumstances, he would send it to William's bedroom through a small gateway. So he left it on the stool in favor of getting up to Valerie.

She was sharing Diana's room now that Stephen and Tony had moved the toddler out of their room, but she was still prone to getting up in the middle of the night and climbing into bed next to Stephen. Once she was past that stage, she would be moved permanently into her own room. It was already ready for her, and she used it to play in and sometimes for naps, but Diana's room was closer to the master bedroom. Valerie's was closer to William's, and he fully expected to find her in his bed when she was in her room.

Diana and Cassie pass by William as he walks into the bedroom, and he closes the door once they leave and turns to look at Valerie in her bed. She was awake and blearily watching her favorite movie as William placed everything on the nightstand so he can set up the tray. When she notices his presence, she immediately makes room for him and he lays on the bed next to her, smiling when she snuggles into his side.

"Hey angel. Brought you a snack." He says softly.

"Berries?" Valerie whispers.

"You know it. You gotta take some medicine first though okay?"

"Yucky." She makes a face when William grabs it from the nightstand but takes it and drinks it anyway.

"You can wash it down with juice and strawberries." William laughs and grabs the juice box and opens it while the little girl sits up. "Here you go."

"Thank you Liam." She says quietly and sips her juice.

"You're welcome."

He then grabbed the two bowls and put them on the tray that he had set up over her legs and she puts her juice box on it to eat some of the fruit. William didn't even have to cut her off from the whipped cream. Valerie didn't seem very interested in eating much of it, and he was able to make up for it since she didn't double dip. He made sure to teach her not to do that when she started sharing snacks with him.

"Can you stay?" Valerie asks softly after a few minutes.

"Like sleep in here?"

"Uh-huh."

The teen looks over at Diana's bed and then back at Valerie. "Sure. Dia is gonna stay with Cassie tonight so I can sleep in her bed."

The smile his answer brought to his little sister's face was worth it. He was almost one hundred percent certain she would crawl into bed with him eventually but he wasn't worried about getting sick. If he did, it wouldn't be a big deal. Stephen would undoubtedly stay home again and make sure William was taken care of despite the fact that he was older than the girls and capable of taking care of himself, but the teen was happy knowing he had someone to go to for something as simple as not feeling well. He didn't really have that luxury when he was in the other homes. The foster parents would basically tell him to suck it up and go to school anyway. He learned to suffer in silence after a few times of that happening.

He and Thomas even did their silent suffering after being taken in by Stephen and Tony, but the silence didn't last long. Stephen very quickly found out (as Harley and Peter warned it would happen) and he gently scolded them for not going to him. The sorcerer dropped everything to take care of them and it was the best thing the twins ever experienced. Stephen brought them soup, medicine, and made sure they were warm and comfortable enough. William hardly noticed he was sick.

Stephen came into the room about an hour later, and halfway through Cinderella, to find Valerie cocooned in her blankets against William and sleeping soundly. The teen had since set the tray aside to get more comfortable and he pointed to the empty medicine cup before the sorcerer could even ask.

"She took it all."

Stephen smiles softly. "Thank you. Tony is finally done with work so he's taking care of Lucy now. Did you want to get up?"

"No. I'm okay for now. I told her I would sleep in here with her tonight anyway." William replies quietly so not to disturb the toddler.

"I'm sure that will keep her from being scared. Any requests for dinner?" Stephen asks.

"Food."

The sorcerer looks at him flatly. "You're no longer allowed to date Harley. He's clearly rubbing off on you."

William smiles. He knew Stephen wasn't actually serious, and the smile his mother gave him before leaving the room was confirmation. He ended up having to eat dinner in the room with Valerie when Harley brought it up for them later that night, and he did his homework on Diana's bed while Valerie watched another movie before going to bed for the night. Fortunately he didn't have much homework and was able to go to bed at a decent time, and he double checked to make sure his sister was asleep and okay before he went to sleep.

As he predicted, he woke up with Valerie in bed next to him, curled against his side, and the plus side?

Her fever had broken.

#mama bear au #william kaplan #thomas shepherd #cassie lang #stephen strange #valerie stark strange (oc)

[k-writer1998]

Who Said Love Was Easy? (10/12)

      There are many different kinds of people who come and go from your life. Some will stay constant and sturdy like a river, growing alongside you, others will come like a whirlwind who wreaks havoc and leaves just as quickly, then there is everything in between. In this twisted maze of connections, that is where our story begins. A steadfast boy, a girl with a past, a little bit of alcohol, mistakes, and some love. Where can you go wrong with that?

angsty fluff

w.c: 2.1k

A/N: sorry for missing last week’s update, life was kinda a mess then but we’re back in business!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      After that, everything felt more… natural. We’ve grabbed coffee and had lunch a few times… mainly because I forced my way, but he is less reluctant than before. The boy needs a break from all that company stuff; I heard some staff are trying to screw him over since he entered because he’s the president’s son. It's not like he’s complaining… too much, but I can visibly see the tension leave his shoulders when he steps out of the building. In addition, our conversations no longer circle around our crushes and it was somewhat surreal to be so normal and friendly when he was so apprehensive before. A few weeks passed like this but because of exams I haven’t visited Jeongin recently. It was yet another night of studying when the lo-fi playlist I had been playing was interrupted by my ringtone. Grabbing my phone I was surprised. He never calls. 

“Hello?”

“Uhm hi… I’m Jeongin’s coworker. You’re the girl who eats lunch with him occasionally right?”

“Yeah… is there a problem?”

“Jeongin is drunk and can’t get himself home. Could you come pick him up?”

“No problem, just text me the address.”

      Once I got there I saw Jeongin sitting on the curb as a man in a suit stood beside him on his phone. I jogged over and apologized to the man on Jeongin’s behalf. 

“It’s fine, it’s only natural something like this would happen. A few of the higher ups wouldn’t stop giving him more.”

“Well thank you for caring for him. If I may ask, how did you know who I was?”

“Your message about grabbing lunch again was in the notifications. Please get home safe you two, that’s my cab,” he pointed at a car pulling up. 

      I called a cab after the co-worker left before turning to Jeongin. They give him a hard time, he isn’t happy and yet he won’t let go of this stupid job. With a sigh I crouched down in front of his face and he looked up at me in confusion. Before he could ask I grabbed his face with one hand to make sure he was focused on me. 

“Yang Jeongin, where do you live?”

“Down the street from that cute bakery,” he mumbled. 

“Which one? What area?”

“The one with a stray that always walks by and I buy cat treats to… Area? Uhmm…”

      Lord. I tried to get it out of him but by the time the cab came I had no address to give the cab driver so I gave him mine, there were no other options. Once I finally situated him on my bed I sat down next to him with a sigh. I’m glad my weak ass could get him into the apartment without collapsing. Looking at his figure, he buried his face in my pillow and was mumbling incoherently as his eyebrows furrowed. Out of instinct my hand moved to smooth out his brow, which seemed to relax him. After a moment, I got up to grab him water and aspirin for his impending headache in the morning but a sudden tug of my wrist had me tumbling to the ground. In the process of internally thanking God for the rug cushioning my fall, my heart stopped at his sudden desperate plea. 

“Gahyeon… Don’t go… I don’t want to be alone again…”

      I couldn’t breathe. It took a moment for the words to register in my brain, causing my eyes to glaze over. Gently, I tried to pull away from his grip but it was too strong, still so desperate… but I couldn’t stay here. After a few moments of no escape my free hand went to muffle my mouth as everything came crashing down. I was stupid. I forgot why he was doing all this and got too eager since we’ve gotten closer, getting ahead of myself again… Time and time again he keeps telling me she’s his everything and I was dumb enough to think that I actually stood a chance. It felt like ages until his grip loosened and I bolted, closing the door behind me. My lungs shakily dragged in desperate breaths they weren’t able to in that stifling room as part of my mind desperately tried to reign in the overthinking so the tears could subside. I got complacent and started to hope, which meant I started to expect and the worst thing about expecting… is the disappointment that comes when you realize you were wrong. 

      Sleep eluded me, my mind mocking me on an endless loop and the last thing I wanted to do right now was face him. Luckily I had morning class so I got ready with the sun and moved about my apartment quietly. Making something quickly for Jeongin while I was at it before leaving a note and heading out. Later I received a text from Jeongin apologizing and saying that next time lunch would be on him. I’ve gotten too greedy and wanted more of him than I was allowed to have and right now I just can’t. I gave some half-hearted enthusiasm and left it at that.

“So why are you avoiding Jeongin? He said you’ve been busy with school but last I checked you’re here since your hard exams are over.”

“. . . Did you tell him?”

      I was caught so there was no point. I had been dodging Jeongin for a few days but of course Seungmin called me out. He was quick-witted, easily putting the pieces together about my crush after seeing a few interactions. Not like it was a secret because everyone, minus the dense Jaehyung and Gahyeon, practically knew. 

“No but he knows something’s off, he thinks he did something when he was drunk.”

“He didn’t do anything I’m just stupid,” I sigh. 

“Did you do something to him?”

“Of course not! Let’s just say I’m being petty.” 

“Be petty later then. Apparently his dad wants him to lead some project so he’s gonna be busy soon. Something about buying out a building and business stuff, I don’t remember. ” 

      It wasn’t until another few days did I call Jeongin out for lunch again. I didn’t want to cause the pain but I also miss seeing him… feelings are so fickle. At the restaurant Jeongin’s body language screamed anxious; fidgeting, shy glances when he thinks I’m not looking, awkward bursts of conversation, the works. 

“Just say it. You’ll give yourself an upset stomach like that,” I prompted as I sipped my water. 

“I forget how sharp you are,” he chuckles awkwardly before continuing, “Uhm… did I do something the night you picked me up? It’s just… you aren’t your usual self lately…”

      Why did he have to be so perceptive with the things I’m trying to hide? I wanted to be honest but how could I tell him that I got upset on my own? No matter how up front I may be, even I have my limits. 

“You didn’t. I’ve just been out of it and didn’t want to rub off on anyone, especially you, Mr. I-got-a-big-job.” I tease before adding, “I heard from Seungmin.”

“When did you two get close enough to gossip about me?”

“Why wouldn’t I talk about my favorite person to his best friend who knows all his secrets?”

“Geez, “ he sighed, “I’m glad I didn’t do anything to upset you though.”

“What is this? Am I someone you don’t want to lose?”

“I- stop playing around and eat before the food gets cold.”

      I smiled and continued to eat, pretending to ignore the red creeping its way to his face. My heart fluttered and I wished he wouldn’t be misleading like this… it's already hard to keep myself in check as is. As the meal continued everything fell back into place albeit I now have to remind myself not to get lost in the moment but besides the point. Jeongin paid and as he was organizing his things to go back to work he handed me an important folder to hold. On this breezy day an especially strong one blew by, causing me to hug the folder tight as one of the papers tried to escape. Once the wind calmed I went to place it amongst the other papers when… Wait. That address… that building number shouldn’t be here…

“Hm? Y/n? Why did you stop-”

      Guilt flooded his face as he noticed the open folder in my hand, even after all my warnings… How could he? If he knew what that building meant to Jaehyung- no wrong is wrong. He can’t come back from this. I need to stop him, but not with an audience. I grabbed his hand and dragged him down a secluded alleyway before trying to control my temper. 

“Jeongin… what’ve you done?”

“You weren’t supposed to see that…”

“You weren’t seriously planning on going through with this were you?” I hissed. 

“It’s my job, what else am I supposed to do?”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“It’s not like he’s getting cheated and changing locations isn’t a big deal-”

“Yes it is! It has to be there.”

“Why?!”

      It wasn’t my place to say this but there was just so much anger and frustration built up from that night, ignored warnings, the shit going on in my own life, I just couldn’t hold my tongue or the venom anymore. 

“That’s the building he chose with his best friend… who died back in college.” 

“. . . Things are already moving ahead, there is nothing that can be done anymore.”

“Do you hear yourself right now?! Jaehyung treated you like a brother and I know you felt the same. You’re doing this to get Gahyeon's attention but do you really think things will be fine once she finds out?” 

“What else am I supposed to do?! My only chance is as my father’s heir and to do that this project is necessary!”

“Just don’t do it! You’re betting all these relationships on a statement made on a whim!” I gave an exasperated shout. 

“Y/n you just don’t get it I need-”

“This obsession needs to stop! She may have saved you but no matter how much you lie to yourself, she isn’t the reason you’re living. When has she been there knowingly after ‘saving’ you? You live for yourself and other things have brought you meaning. You need-”

“Other things? Like what? You?” He scoffs and everything in my body freezes over. 

“I meant someone like Chan or Seungmin. Do you not know how far they would go for you if you simply just asked? Before getting defensive you should see what's around you, asshole.”

“Like you’re one to talk.”

“I am… cause not once have I stopped my life or abandoned who I was, for you.”

“Right… like there was no ulterior motive cause you CARE SO MUCH-”

      Yelling was fine until that moment. He had closed in with arms flailing in frustration and my immediate response was to flinch away. A moment after that the tremors came, spreading like a plague through my body, and my vision began to blur with premature tears. My brain knows Jeongin would never but after living in that house for so long it’s become a conditioned reflex. The air grew heavily silent as I felt his presence pull back and I struggled to see him through the tears. His words stumbled as he cautiously reached out for me but I moved out of reach. 

“Y/n… wait, what just- I’m sorry I-”

“What? Now you feel guilty? I told you, I hate pity,” I scoff before continuing, “After everything you’ve seen you should’ve expected something like this. Although I can’t ask you to care about my feelings when you never really did anyways and don’t try to give me shit for saying it. You know I like you but it’s always about Gahyeon and it hurts because the further you chase her the less “you” you become.” I shook my head as he stood there like a deer in headlights. “It’s partly my fault for being so indulgent but it doesn’t matter. I’m not gonna watch you destroy yourself… Just know there’s no turning back after this.”

      I couldn’t process anything, my brain let whatever come out of my mouth as long as I got out of there. The alleyway suddenly felt too narrow as my feet desperately carried me wherever as long as it was somewhere with more space. The haze had blurred things together but I vaguely remember calling Changbin, a silent car ride, and falling asleep on the couch.

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids au #skz imagines #skz #skz au #yang jeongin #jeongin imagines #jeongin au #server! jeongin x regular! y/n #my writing #wslwe?

[purplesurveys]

1024

What would you say is your favorite food? Sushi. < Ahhh, this is a good one. My favorite is down to a tie: it’s either chicken curry or burgers.

What color eyes does the person you like / love have? Are they pretty? Dark brown. I’m not too sure what the second question is referring to but yeah, she and her eyes are both pretty.

What was the first television show you were obsessed with? Hi-5, omg. That show was my life in preschool and I always watched the 12 NN replay as soon as I got back home from school, back when I was still on a half-day sched. I was so hooked I remember having legit tantrums before starting Grade 1 because grade school meant full days in school and thus having to miss out on the show entirely.

Do you like Mexican food or any other foreign foods? For sure. All my favorites are Asian (Indian, Japanese, Indonesian, Chinese, etc.) but I also enjoy Italian, Mexican, Greek etc cuisines. I generally haven’t tried African cuisines but I really, really want to.

What color is the keyboard you are currently using? The keys are black with white lettering.

Do you own any of those ‘chunky’ and cute rings? Nope, not my style.

What are you planning on eating for dinner tonight if you haven’t already? I saw my dad cooking up something deep-fried; it was like his own version of katsu or something, or maybe it’s fish fillet? I’m not too sure what it is yet but I’m excited and will probably eat lots of it as I skipped all my meals and have only been running on coffee and vape all day - not good.

Do you own an iPod or MP3 player? If so, when did you get it? Technically I still do. Haven’t used it since high school. I got it when I was 10 back in ‘08; I was envious of the kids in school who had iPods, so I asked my dad to buy me one even though I wasn’t super into music at the time. Not the best kid in the world.

When was the last time someone took your picture? Last Saturday when my package came. Apparently online deliveries now require your photo to be taken upon receiving your package and I think it’s for the seller to keep track of their transactions. I’m not a big fan of the new procedure, but it’s whatevs.

Would you rather write a report or type it on a computer? Type. 

What color was the last jacket or hoodie you wore? Gray.

Do you receive more compliments or insults on a daily basis? Neither, really. I haven’t been talking to people a lot; and when I do it’s for work, where I receive neither compliments nor insults.

Who is the lead actress / actor from your absolute favorite movie? Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney, or Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

Can you recite the alphabet backward? [continued from last night] Slowly, but I’m sure I can finish it.

Do you eat chili when you get a hotdog, or do you like it plain? We don’t do hotdogs with chili here. I generally don’t see chili much where I live and I wouldn’t call it a common dish.

Would you say it’s easy for people to make you smile or laugh? At first I thought it was, but I’m slowly realizing that it isn’t.

What would you say is your favorite cereal, if you even like it? Cookie Crisp is the only one I like. I don’t have cereal often.

When was the last time you went on vacation? Where was it? It was a quick weekend getaway to Tagaytay and then Cavite, if it counts.

How many states have you been to in your lifetime? Zero.

Do you and your friends normally say you love one another? Yep, especially with Andi and Angela.

Have you ever been an outcast at your school or anywhere else? I was definitely one in early grade school, and again in Grade 6 when both my closest friends migrated in a span of six months, and I spent nearly all my lunch periods alone. Looking back on it, I’m really glad I powered through and made it here because I truly wasn’t happy at the time.

Do you own any dresses? If so, what colors are they? I have lots of sundresses and little black dresses because I was into those for a very long time at one point. Some of them are black, obviously, but I also have dresses in blue, maroon, and olive.

Would you say you drink more pop / soda than you should? I never drink soda as I’ve always felt like I spend more time complaining about how drinking it feels like burning my tongue and throat than actually enjoying it.

Would you rather have orange juice or milk with your breakfast? Water.

How many different colors has your bedroom been painted? Just one. The walls have been white ever since we moved here 12 years ago.

Do you cuss? If so, do you ever cuss in front of your parents? I’ll slip in front of them sometimes but I never get in trouble for it anymore.

Would you ever tell your mom about the things you’ve done sexually? Our humor together can be raunchy sometimes but I don’t think I’d ever do this. I dunno if she wants to hear I’ve had sex with a girl either.

Is there anyone out there who can make you cry very easily? Yes.

What was the worst news you’ve heard this entire week? *In the last week, hearing about the typhoon’s effects in other cities didn’t feel good. This entire country is literally only getting by with donations from the private sector because the government isn’t doing shit for cities and families who got severely affected by the typhoon; it’s almost depressing to hear and read about.

Have you ever been in a car wreck? I’ve been in minor car accidents but it would be too much to call any of them car wrecks. They had all just been tiny bumps or thuds.

Do you have your ears pierced? If not, what do you have pierced? Yes, my mom had my earlobes pierced when I was an infant. I don’t plan on getting any more new ones as I’m not really into piercings.

Has anyone ever told you that they think you have ADHD? Nope.

What is your biggest pet peeve? When people reach out first via text/IM then even if I get back to them in 5–10 seconds, it takes them a long time to get back to me. It’s especially annoying if they classify it as urgent, I drop everything to reply quickly, then they end up disappearing. Like why?

Do a lot of people understand you completely? Who does exactly? No, I like keeping a wall up. 

Would you say you’re really good at cooking and baking things? Haha no. But it’s something I want to be skilled in, definitely. I’d love to be able to make the food I usually just thirst over on the internet. I’m taking baby steps, like figuring out how to make certain sandwiches, but I have a long way to go before I can consider myself any good.

How is the weather outside right this second? It’s been a little cloudy this morning but it might start to get fair seeing how I’m beginning to see the sky turn blue. I’m just hoping there won’t be too much sun, period.

Do you have a lot of trees around your house? What about buildings? No buildings as I live in a gated village. We have a number of trees around, but I wouldn’t call it ‘a lot.’

Would you say either one of your parents are 'pack-rats?’ No. I have that title, and I believe I inherited it from my great-grandmother who was a bit of a pack rat herself, as I’ve been told.

Have you ever disowned anyone in your family? For what reasons? Kinda. I don’t associate with one of my uncles because he has a terrible drinking issue that he never got to permanently fix. Whenever I see him at family gatherings he just smells like stale gin or whatever it is he drinks, and it just ruins the essence of family reunions for me. As recent as Christmas Day last year he drove drunk and crashed into a car with an entire family, but as always his ass got lucky because 1) no one in the family got hurt, and 2) said family let go of the lawsuit they were planning to file against him.

Have you ever seen That 70’s Show? Do you watch it regularly? I tried watching the first episode but genuinely could not find it entertaining for the life of me. Sorry, Mila :(

If you could choose, what decade would you rather live in? I never really think about revisiting decades - they’re already behind, so what’s the point? As bad as the 2020s have been looking, I’m okay with staying here.

How often would you say you get sick? Once a year at most.

Is there anyone out there who has hurt you so much, you wish they’d die? I used to wish they would die, but I don’t feel that way anymore.

Has anyone ever called you a socio-path before? I don’t think so.

When was the last time you watched a movie in theaters? December.

Have you ever moved to a completely different state before? We’ve moved to different regions before.

Do you mind it when surveys ask you really personal questions? No. Isn’t that part of the point of surveys?

When was the last time you told someone you love them? Thursday or Friday I think, when Andi said it to me first and I said it back. I wasn’t having a good day and they were just looking out.

Which one would you like more: kiss on cheek / kiss on neck? Depends on my mood. Right now a kiss on the cheek sounds nice.

Does it bother you when people steal your stuff on MySpace? This never happened to me because I had Myspace for such a short time and I never caught it at its peak. Also, how do people steal your stuff over there? That’s pretty intriguing lmao

Do you have freckles? Do you like / dislike them? I don’t have any.

Who would you say is the best actor / or actress in your opinion? My biased ass would rally for Kate Winslet all the way, but some other great ones for me are Toni Collette, Emma Stone, Jodie Foster, and Natalie Portman.

How many times have you been drunk in your life? Many.

What would you do if the last person you kissed said they hated you? Be confused and ask them to give me a few concrete reasons. I don’t think too highly of myself, but I know I’ve never done anything to make me deserving of hate, especially with regard to us.

Do you ever think you might be pregnant? No, it has never been a worry of mine.

When was the last time you acted really immature? The weekend.

Do you enjoy watching comedies or horror movies more? Horror. I never watch comedies and the only subtype of it that I watch is romcom.

As a child, did you ever have an imaginary friend? Yeah but it lasted all of five minutes until I got bored with the concept.

Does anyone call you baby? Who would that be? No.

Can you rely on one or more people to take up for you? I have no idea what take up means. If this also means ‘stand up for me,’ then yeah I can.

#survey #surveys

[aonrivers]

Pregnancy, Birth, Postpartum, and Baby Time! (TMI warning) - Part 02

In Part 01 I went over the truths about being pregnant. Now that the nine (really ten) months are over... Labor and Postpartum begins.

Labor and Postpartum Truths: 1) Not being able to eat sucks once you're admitted into the hospital. You seriously only get ice water like they say online. So make your last meal one that can hold you out until after birth. 2) Contractions feel like really bad period cramps. I'm sure there's some women who feel them worse, but that's all I got on the topic. I was numb for them most of the time. 3) To induce labor, at least for me, they shoved this "shoelace" thing up my you-know-what. As I said before, I was swollen down there, so any time my cervix was checked I was in a lot of pain, and this thing was no different. 4) Hospital rooms are not quiet. Between hearing everyone outside at the nursing station to the beeping in your room, you also have constant visits from nurses when all you wanna do is rest because you're basically waiting for labor to begin. 5) Water breaking isn't a "oh hey I think I peed myself". No. It's like a queef then GUSH and it doesn't stop until you and your bed are soaked. 6) Catheters are handy when you are bed rest and drinking gallons of water. Also, you get one when you get the epidural. Which they don't really tell you until the epidural is offered. 7) Take the epidural if you don't want to experience a natural and painful birth. I felt no pain leading up to labor. I did however feel a shit ton of pain when the pain relief ran out. They tell you it's because labor is all in your back - this excuse is bullshit. I was in so much pain when that shit wore off that my husband said my labor pain face didn't match this one. Once they take the tube out of your back, the pain fades away. But my back still hurts in that spot even as I type this. The pain in the spine also lingers after giving birth. Almost like you need your back seriously cracked. 8) The epidural needle doesn't really hurt if your pain tolerance is high for stuff like this. It's a pinch. What you do feel that is considered almost like a quick throbbing pain is when the fluid is injected. It's like a small punch to your back. 9) Projectile vomit will most likely occur. All the gallons of water you consumed waiting for labor will come projecting out of you before you go into active labor. Be glad your head doesn't start spinning. I up chucked three times and had to have myself redressed and my bedding changed out. 10) Some labor beds have built in handles to assist with labor. See if yours does. They helped a lot. 11) I tore two tiny spots inside my VJ giving birth. They stick a numbing agent where they see you'll be tearing, so that's cool and all - you'll feel it when you start being mobile again. BTW, some women tear bigger. Luckily my baby was only 7lbs. 12) You may not know your labor doctor. I met mine briefly the day before at my doctor's office, but never before that. Don't feel shy about being exposed in front of them though, they do this for a living. 13) Speaking of being shy. I am a prude with my body. I don't want people checking out my ass or having my nipples poking through my shirt on a cold day but all of this goes out the window when you're in the hospital to give birth and here's why. One: this is the doctor and nurse's job. They see boobs, ass, and vagina every day. And two: you're giving birth - who TF cares what you look like. 14) Pushing a baby out is not like pushing pee out. It's like taking the biggest shit of your life. You push with your asshole. Literally. And it causes hemorrhoids and for your ass to hurt WEEKS after giving birth. (Do yourself a favor and get some fiber enriched foods because pooping is not easy it pain free.) 15) Those home videos of the women giving birth don't exist anymore. It's pretty much illegal. I guess people were blackmailing the mother. Idk. That's what my nurse said. But they give you a big ass mirror to watch the birth of your baby so that's really cool. 16) Hospitals offer photographs of your newborn (unless you gave birth in 2020). It's usually expensive and I would've done it too if they offered. My husband got amazing shots of our daughter which I cropped out to make that oval baby picture our parents in the 80s got. 17) Taking pictures of your baby in the nursery is a big no no. I wish I could've seen my baby under the UV lamp with her glasses on to fix her jaundice, but I was bedridden with the pre-eclampsia. Hubby saw her though. He says she was just chilling while all the other babies were crying their heads off. FYI, the reason you can't take pictures is because of the other babies in there. They're not yours. You don't have the right to photograph them even if your baby is mixed in and she's the only one you want the picture of. 18) I wasn't told this until it came time... But they push your belly and I mean in your belly button and hard. They check if your uterus is shrinking and returning in place. (Breastfeeding helps it go faster.) This pushing hurts like a mofo. Seriously. And they don't care if you're in pain from, oh idk - THE EPIDURAL WEARING OFF! They are required to check. 19) My friend told me this which I think is important to know... When you're doped up on pain meds before birth or if you're having a really hard time during the labor process (time  you entered hospital to when the baby pops out), have someone with you. Have that person listen to the words coming out of the doctor and nurse's mouths. My friend didn't and took meds they gave her and was devastated when her baby came out gray and on the edge of death. She didn't know what they gave her or what they said about the meds. If she did, she would've known this would be the outcome of her child's birth (baby lived btw. He just graduated high school last year!) 20) Labor and Delivery nurses are freaking awesome. Postpartum nurses not so much... 21) The hospital food really isn't that bad. At least, it wasn't where I stayed. I had choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner too! 22) Nurses can't technically tell you no to taking the baby to the nursery. Yes you need bonding time with your baby, but you also need rest. 23) The chair that pulls out into a bed for your partner is uncomfortable af. They have cots. Ask for one. 24) I couldn't have visitors. Make sure you don't either. It's nice. You don't gotta worry about appearance or staying awake for your guest. Birth is about you and your baby (and partner) and the time you have with them. Your guest can wait till you get home. 25) Back to the heartburn and hairy babies talk. This isn't really a myth. My baby came out with a full head of hair, hair on her ears, and fuzz all over her shoulders and back. At a month old it's going away, but that head of hair is real. And so was that heartburn!! 26) Bleeding after birth is like having your period back, but it goes on and on. It changes colors and has a gross smell to it. And wearing a pad again SUCKS! I do have to say though... That mesh underwear they give you is freaking awesome. I want some for my daily wear. 27) For a week or two, I felt like I was punched in the cooch. Walking hurt, getting up hurt, even bathing hurt (no baths until you heal btw, so I showered). Even now, a month later, I still feel pain down there when sitting a certain way (like Indian style). But what do I expect? A freaking baby was pushed out of me!! 28) After the six week heal time is up, don't expect sex to go back to normal. It still hurts for me but this time because of the bruising and stitches. 29) When it's time for sex, lube up. Breastfeeding and hormones still rampant don't assist in easy glide ins (if you know what I mean). 30) When the milk comes in, your boobs get bigger, harder, and start to ache. Feed feed feed or feed and pump. It's the only way to fix it. And don't be surprised when you wake up and your bed is stained with milk puddles because you're still sleeping naked to easily feed your little one at night. My side of the bed is disgusting, but ce la vie! It comes with the territory (like lack of sleep). 31) Also, sleeping on your side with milk filled boobs is not easy. It hurts. Go back to sleeping on your back because belly sleeping isn't comfortable either. 32) Everything you buy or received for your baby screams suffocation with it's warning labels. Don't let it get you paranoid like it did for me. Learn your babies habits and go with your instincts. They also sell baby breathing monitors that alert you if the baby stops breathing. 33) Outfits are cute and irresistible, but try to resist buying those newborn clothes. My baby grew out of them all within three weeks and wore only half of the clothes we had. Also, buy larger clothes - season conscious - that way you're ready when the baby starts growing out of their clothes. We had hardly any 3 month PJs, now her closet is over packed... 34) The baby may not sleep in their crib or bassinet right away. My girl would rather be on me or my husband than a cold bed. Seriously. They want your baby sleeping with nothing but a fitted mattress that's cold and a swaddle or wearable blanket. My baby hates swaddles and kicked too much with the wearable blanket. She sleeps with me for easy feeding and comfort - for me and her. I don't sleep much but slowly I've been getting my Z's and during the day I put her in the bassinet on her belly because I can watch her and she's amazing with that head support already. When she doesn't feed every 2-3 hours, she'll be spending more time on her own in her bed. So don't be discouraged if it's not working for you. It will happen. Just takes time. 35) Sound machine was a waste of a gift. Our phones have sound effects we can tune into. Google Home and Alexa even offer it. My baby doesn't like it, she'd rather listen to us or the TV. Also she doesn't like the dark until she's actually sleeping. She loves bright lights. They tell you the opposite online. 36) If your boobs are small, don't bother getting the shirts where you pull your boob through a window because it won't work. The shirts with the clip that drops to expose the breast are the best. Amazon has great prices and quality shirts on this. My one from Kohl's broke after wearing four times. 37) I really don't think those smiles are gas like they claim it to be. Sure some are. But when your kid smiles without passing gas, they're smiling because they're happy/content. 38) You'll probably end up missing your belly bump the first few weeks like I did. I kept thinking she was still in there. I mean, it's nine months carrying a creature in you. You get used to it. And lastly... 35) You get what you wished for. Any time I talked about having babies, I said keywords on what I wanted: a beautiful, healthy, happy, and smart baby. And I got just that. === So there it is. My journey, my tips, and my nitty gritty of it all of just pregnancy, labor, and postpartum alone!! There is so much more to being a mother; and that will continue in my part 03,04,05,etc to come. IDK how many there will be, only time will tell.

I will continue to update Part 01 and Part 02 when I remember more things.

As Part 03 is conjuring, I would like to say congrats if you're pregnant or gave birth already; and good luck if you're trying.

#pregnancy #birth #postpartum #baby spice #baby #nitty gritty #child #childbirth #children #mother #motherhood #blog #post #new mom #mom to be

[peaches-of-1]

Peachtober | Day 23: Crinkle

Reader x Werewolf!Jimin

Genre: Fluff

A/N: I did my best not to use he/him or she/her when refering to the reader, so please let me know if I did so that I can fix it.

The day starts as usual, with a pair of black pants being slipped on and the routine of teeth brushing. Laptop is dead, so you decided to leave it home as you begin making a quick microwavable breakfast of Hot Pockets. Two and a cup of whatever drink you have left in the fridge. You do the daily makeup look you’ve gotten used to doing since moving to Seoul due to a teaching job you found no joy with.

Still, the Korean city had claimed your heart and so you were lucky enough to get a job at one of the many coffee shops around town. It had been open for hours already as you were part of the afternoon/late shift. After the meal is thrown down your throat, you quickly tie up your work shoes and catch the bus with all of the other college students who are continuously cramming for the next test.

A little hop to the pavement, a turn to the left, pass the nail salon and vintage clothing store lies a tiny store where you were currently making a living.

Casual greetings all around as the manager tosses you an apron, “With Y/N here, I’m gone for the evening. Goodbye, everyone!”

Her and her husband must’ve gotten in a argument and not speaking because those were the only times she left when you showed up.

“What is it this time?” You asked the only other part timer there.

Big brown eyes and shaggy blonde hair was making yet another Brown Sugar Expresso, “Oh, um. Not sure. They’ve been fighting all day.”

“Ahem,” The manager said.

Jimin looked at him innocently, “I said nothing.”

Both waited for their boss to pass by before asking.

“You think this might be the breaking point?”

He laughed, “They’ve reached this point several times before, so I doubt it.” and then he smiled at the young man waiting for his coffee. “Enjoy your drink.”

“Thank you!” He replied in hesitant Korean.

The blonde boy began to set up the fresh batch orange crinkle cookies and then began to sniff, ending up near your cheek. You asked what he was doing, making him jolt backwards.

He looked at the floor and then back at you, “Sorry. You just. You don’t smell like honey today.” and quickly, he busied himself with eating one of those cookies for himself.

“I decided to actually have a real lunch instead of bread and honey today.” You said, blushing. “I didn’t know you noticed.”

The dark skinned man approached the counter again, “Can I have some napkins, please?”

“Here you go.” The blonde said, giving him several.

“Thank you!” he said with a smile and went back to his laptop.

“Jimin-ssi, you should get his number.” You said, nudging him and boxing up a dozen donuts since a regular would be here rather soon on the way to an office meeting.

Jimin shook his head, “What? No. I couldn’t.”

“But he’s totally your type.” You glanced at the man with coffee bean skin.

“I mean, you aren’t wrong, but I have someone I already like.” He said as you rung up the young woman with short brown hair and glasses.

You looked at him, “Oh, really? They must be the luckiest person in the world to have your affection.”

“Well, I don’t think they know. I have secrets that I don’t want them to be a part of. Secrets like how your crinkle cookie recipe is the best thing I’ve ever had.”

You smiled. Then the bell on the door rang as another regular came in which made your heart jump. They were so cute and suave, but not your type. Still, he was very handsome and always showed up in a crisp suit usually with some sort of unique pattern on it.

“I’ll have a--”

“Pumpkin Spice Caramel Latte with extra foam?” You replied. “It’s easier to remember because you always put your own spin on the seasonal specials.”

He smiled, “Yes, and with a--”

“Chocolate cinnamon bun? Coming right up.”

The Korean blonde man snuck another cookie as Y/N served their obvious crush. Their customer had to know that they were into him. It was clear to Jimin as he worked on cleaning a now empty table with a pencil left on the floor that he’d just put in the lost and found for whenever the woman came back. However, the pencil smelled strange. It was moist smelling...ah, it seemed that she liked to bite on her writing utensils.

“Jimin-ah, can you make some more muffins, please? We’re running out.” Y/N called as they approached the table of an elderly woman who came here ever since her daughter was in middle school.

The daughter rarely came here anymore, busy travelling according to the mom.

As the day went on, the two worked well. The other owner left to go buy flowers for his wife since he felt bad. He told Y/N to lock up since Jimin had to leave earlier. The young blonde had been nervous all day, knowing he would have much time after work to go to the store and then get home before he--a gentle hand scratched the back of his head, calming him down.

“Are you ok, Jimin-ie?” Kind eyes asked the now smiling face.

“Y-yeah. I’m just behind on groceries.” He replied. “I have a big meal to make.”

Y/N nodded, “You really like meat, don’t you? I remember your friend Taehyung visiting and handing you a lot of meat last month. A cooler of it or something. Is it already gone?”

Brown eyes glittered as he nodded at you, “Y-yeah. I do like meat a lot.”

The last customer left, and it was an hour until closing. Jimin could tell Y/N was looking for something inside of her mind. Thinking deeply.

“I’ve got this. You go do your shopping..”

Jimin asked, “Really? It’s not safe for you to be by yourself for so long, and I am supposed to walk you to--”

“I’ll be fine, Jimin. I’ve got my phone on me, and we’ve got tons of knives.” Then Y/N motioned into the corners. “Also, cameras.”

Quickly the man left and then felt his torso for something. He circled around the lockers in the back, like a dog chasing his tail. Then the sparkling trinket of a wolf necklace was dangled in front of him.

“The chain broke and it landed in a drink during our daily rush. I’ve been keeping it in my pocket. Almost forgot about it.” the beautiful coworker said, placing it in Jimin’s small hand.

“Th-thank you, Y/N.”

Then soft hand felt his head, “You’re not getting sick, are you? Your voice is deeper than usual.”

The young man covered his mouth and quickly gathered his stuff as he talked rapidly, “It’s nothing. I promise. Even so, I should go to the doctor’s and get it checked out, but only if it gets worse. I’m sure I’ll be better by tomorrow. Just tired. Sometimes voices get deeper when the person is tired, don’t you know. Um, anyways, I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. If you need me, don’t hesitate to call me. Be safe. Ok bye.”

And out the door he went.

You blinked and smiled. Jimin was an adorable coworker, always so excited to see you and very good at following orders. Almost like a puppy, especially when his hair got shaggy. Even the way he often pushed back his hair was like a dog scratching at his ear. Since things were slowing down, you decided to begin the nightly shut down of all the machines since you wouldn’t be cooking or baking anything else for the night.

The time ticked by, and then it was time to lock up. You jumped over the counter and turned the sign. The only things left on were the lights and the speakers as you blasted your favorite K-rock songs as you swept and mopped. You were thinking about your Halloween costume since your friend was holding a party at her place on the spooky holiday.

Maybe you’d see if you could fit your old maid costume or see what outfits went well with a pair of leggings. Nothing too important or special. Just a chance to get drunk with candy corn flavored vodka and cinnamon soju made just for the fall season.

Last thing you had to do was throw out the trash, so you turned off the lights and the speakers and threw your messenger bag on before heading out, making sure to keep the left over blood orange crinkle cookies. You had given the café the recipe, yes, but you yourself hadn’t had the treats in a while.

However, you heard the clanking of trash cans. Was it another cat or a stray dog? Two eyes glowed back at you once it noticed another being near it.

“Ya! Get away from there!” You called, too tired to think about the danger of approaching a potentially rabid animal.

It seemed to back up, though. Then you turned on your phone flashlight, allowing you to confirm the animal was not a cat. It was bigger. It was much bigger than you had seen any dog. Not just any dog. Wolf. It was a full grown wolf that seemed to be not just beast, but had human like legs covered in tan fur. It got on all fours as if faced you. It fan towards you, and you thought you were a goner. Instead, the creature dashed away, but not before you caught the glimmer of silver with green emerald eyes.

That was Jimin’s necklace around that thing’s neck. You ran after it without any hesitation, forgetting about the trash and not realizing that somehow you’d have to fight a wolf to get back your co-worker’s iconic necklace. It wasn’t running as fast as you thought a beast like that could go, so he was easy to catch up with.

The wolf was hiding behind a tree whining.

You held up your hands, “Hey, you have something that belongs to my friend. I just want it back and then I’ll leave you alone.”

“I’m...so...hungry. Stay. Stay back!” It growled.

“So you can talk…” You looked around and saw a nearby convenience store that was still open, such as most things were. “Stay here.”

You quickly went to the store and bought all the stale and warm fried chicken you could afford. Then you dashed back and placed the buckets near the tree and said that you were going to back up. However, you were not given the chance as the form lunged at the poultry. It was no mistaking it now in the moonlight and the street lights. This was a werewolf, something you believed to only reside in fairy tales and fiction of tradition.

There was nothing you could do except watch as it swallowed most of the food whole and spit the bones to the side. Once it seemed to calm down a bit, it waved its tail as it sniffed around your bag. You gave the creature the box of orange cookies that resided inside, the only thing it could be smelling.

“Thank you.” The werewolf said. “I forgot to stock up food and began to wander.”

“You’re welcome.” You replied with a smile. “I should get home, but I need that necklace around your throat. It belongs to a guy I work with.”

It retreated when you said that, starting to stand and walk away.

“Oh, come on. He might like me back if I return it to him.”

The creature stopped in his tracks and asked, “You like him?”

Your cheeks became heated. Did you really just tell something like that to a stranger? A werewolf too?

“Y-yeah. He’s a dumb guy I work with, really sweet. I’m not his type. He’s out of my league, but I would be happy enough if he were grateful to me. He wears that every day. The chain snapped earlier, and I’m sure you just found it near the building, so please.” You stuck your hand out.

“You’re not out of his league. He’d be lucky to go out with a person like you.” His body language was almost...shy?

You laughed, “How could you know?”

“Because I’m him.” He turned around and you saw the unmistakable brown eyes of your coworker. “Y/N, it’s me. It’s Jimin.”

“...what?” You blinked. “You’re joking. Just give me the necklace, and I--”

“You come in everyday smelling like honey because you put it on your toast. You memorized the order of that cute business man because you think he’s cute, totally your type. You always make sure that secretary's order of donuts are ready for her ahead of time. Y/N, please believe me.”

By instinct, you stepped back when he stepped forward.

He sat down, “When you scratch the back of my head, I love it the most.” and he got into a non-threatening position.

You approached cautiously and scratched the back of his head. Just like Jimin, he closed his eyes and smiled, putting his head back as to get more of your touch. It was him.

“So, I’ve got a crush on a werewolf.” You laughed at yourself. “Seems just about right.”

“Would you like to have a werewolf boyfriend?” He asked.

You shrugged, “Sure. Why not?”

#BTS #Jimin #Park Jimin #Bangtan #Jimin x Reader #Reader x Jimin #nb!Reader #Female!Reader #Male!Reader #enby!reader #non gender specifc #Werewolf!Jimin #Human!Reader #Afterhours #food mention #food tw #Day 23 #Peachtober #Inktober

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Fifty: Far From Home ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

The worst part about his job? The business trips.

It doesn’t matter how fancy the hotel, how grand the destination, how appealing the attractions of the local area while he’s there.

Because all Sasuke can think about while he’s gone is what he left behind.

He’s only been married for six months now. But that doesn’t mean he misses Hinata any less ardently whenever his father sends him out on these escapades. At least Fugaku gave him some leeway when they were first married: two months without a single excursion from his new wife.

But...work is work, and he couldn’t avoid them forever.

Itachi, of course, is much in the same boat. Fugaku keeps him just as busy, if not more so given his lined up future role as CEO after their father. Add in the fact he’s already got a child, and he’s run ragged...and just as homesick whenever he’s far from home.

This time, they have a rare duo outing. From their home city of Nagoya, they’re to fly to Los Angeles for a new trade deal Fugaku’s got planned. It must be a massive one if he’s sending both brothers.

Packing up his suitcase the day before, Sasuke does his best to look at the bright side. If this deal goes through, both he and his brother have been promised a rather sizeable bonus. Something Sasuke can’t really say no to. After all, the pair are doing their best to save up to leave their (admittedly very nice) apartment for something a bit more…homey. An actual house, to be exact.

Because eventually, they’d like to have a kid or two. Granted, not for a couple of years yet (or so they plan), but it’s never a bad thing to put some money away in the rainy day fund.

...not that either Uchiha brother is underpaid by any means. But, semantics.

Happening to be home from work herself, Hinata’s been helping out with preparations: mostly in regards to making sure all the laundry was done that morning for him to cram into the space he’s allotted in his suitcase. Also helping to round up all his tech he’ll need: laptops, thumb drives, cell phones, and a ridiculous amount of cables and cords. He’s got a rather important presentation to give, after all.

Hence having five copies of it.

Hey, he’s a guy that likes to be prepared.

He even gave one to Itachi to hang onto.

“Okay, here’s the last of it.”

Turning from his position alongside the bed where he’s perched his gear, Sasuke sees Hinata haul in the laundry basket full of newly-folded clothes. “Thanks.”

“I think I might make some lunch - anything sound good?”

“Just something light - I don’t want to risk having an upset stomach on a flight that long.”

Smiling behind a hand, Hinata nods, retreating to do just that.

As she goes, Sasuke’s movements slow, watching her go. He’s going to be gone for nearly two weeks. Granted, most overseas trips are on the longer side. They try to cover more during their opportunity to meet in person, after all. But that means even longer without being home. Without home-cooked meals, a warm body to sleep next to, company to relax with.

Sure, he loves his brother...but his brother’s not a wife. Besides, Fugaku went overboard and got them each their own room.

He’s the type to flaunt.

Mood a bit melancholy, Sasuke finishes up the clothes portion of his packing and decides to save all his gadgets for later. For now, he wants to soak up some wife time before they call it a night. His flight is in the morning, so this is really his last chance until he gets back.

Juggling a few things in the apartment’s kitchen, Hinata glances up at the movement, giving a soft smile. “Taking a break?”

“More like procrastinating.”

Sympathy tinges her expression. “I’m sure it will go quickly.”

“They never go quickly.”

Hinata’s expression then falls to a flat pout. “...I’m trying to be optimistic!”

“I know. And I love that about you.” Coming up behind her, Sasuke just...plunks his chin atop the crown of her head, leaning ever so slightly as she works at the stove. “You’re the sunshine to my clouds.”

That earns him a soft snort. “And you’re the cheese to my crackers - w-what was that line?”

“Me being out of sorts because I’m going to miss you so badly.”

“At least you get to see your brother for a while, right? You two never have any time, since you’re both so busy…”

“...I guess.” In truth, they’ll likely have little downtime to enjoy that time together. But he’s already being a sourpuss, so...he’ll leave that part out. For Hinata’s sake.

They indulge in lunch before Sasuke gets back to packing, making sure he’s got every doodad and thingamabob he’ll need to make this trip work in the tech department. By early afternoon he’s pretty sure he’s got everything stuffed into the case, and he leaves it by the door for a quick exit tomorrow morning.

But for now...it’s lounging time.

They pop in a movie to waste a bit of time, snuggled up on the couch and mostly just zoning out. Or...Sasuke is. Hinata actually looks pretty invested. But she’s always been rather easy to entertain. Which is good. Because Sasuke often lacks a sense of humor that’s not flat and dry, so even he can still make her laugh.

A miracle, really.

By the time the movie ends, it’s time for dinner, which they prepare together now that Sasuke isn’t otherwise preoccupied. Instead, he handles the more mundane parts (the ones Hinata trusts him with) while she does...pretty much everything else.

It’s not that he’s a bad cook, he just...has an aptitude for fire. Even when...there shouldn’t be any fire. Which is why he’s not allowed near anything remotely warm.

Even the microwave is an iffy subject.

From there, Sasuke decides to double check his stuff. Because he will not be happy if he gets all the way to Los Angeles and realizes something is missing. A cord, sure - he can buy a new one. Same with clothes. But some things are rather irreplaceable.

Watching from the couch, curled up with a mug of tea, Hinata lets herself be amused. “Got it all?” she calls once he zips the bag closed for what probably won’t be the last time.

“Think so.”

“It’s a wonder you ever manage to leave for these t-trips with all your fussing,” she can’t help but tease, leaning her head on his shoulder innocently as he plops beside her.

“Not sure my father would consider that an acceptable excuse for missing a flight.”

“Probably not.”

Hinata then starts up knitting, Sasuke leafing through a magazine. He hates how...idle they get when they’re just waiting for him to leave. It feels like they should be doing...more. But what more is there to do?

Besides, well...the obvious. But he’s a little stressed for that. At least, he tells himself, they’re spending time together. Besides, neither of them are particularly...active. In the sense they don’t need to be doing something to enjoy themselves. Companionable quiet is their specialty.

So maybe this is the best way to spend his evening.

“...think we should get to bed? Don’t want to be groggy at the airport.”

“Yeah...I guess so.” He doesn’t want to sleep - sleeping will bring tomorrow all the faster! But in the end he has little choice - there’s no way in hell he’s pulling an all nighter.

Once they’re tucked into bed, he latches onto her with a sigh. “...I hate this.”

A hand brushes his hair consolingly. “I know...me too.” But this is what his job entails. It’s either suck it up, or probably lose speaking privileges with his father if he quits. “You can call me any time.”

“Time zones, Hinata.”

“I don’t care. Any time means any time. If I don’t answer, just...text me instead. I’ll write back when I can, o-okay?”

A nod against her hair.

“...I’m turning out the light now.”

“Okay.”

“You need to sleep now.”

Silence. And then, “...okay.”

Once it’s dark, she shimmies in his grip to give his brow a kiss. “...wake me before you go. I want to see you off.”

“Will do.” Returning the gesture, he holds it a long moment, as though to make it easier to recall once he’s alone. “...night, ‘nata.”

“Goodnight, Sasuke.”

                                                           .oOo.

     An entry this early? What witchcraft is this?! xD ("early" being a very relative term, given it's still after midnight lol)      Admittedly, I've been feeling rather burnt out lately...but that's probably mostly because I have another big project going on: I'm hosting a ship week here on Tumblr! One focusing on OCs paired with canons, lol - and I'm not only hosting, but also participating, so I've been TRYING to get mine done in advanced. It starts Saturday, and I have 3/7 entries done...whoops. But at least 4 is halfway done. Might poke at it a bit more tonight.      BUT ANYWAY, if you notice things are a bit...shorter or seem a bit more rushed for the next ten days or so, that's probably why! Sorry ;;;      As for this piece, it's Sauce being a lil prematurely homesick in modern. Not connected to any other pieces, just...random fluff, lol - I think he's the sort to be lowkey clingy. At least Hinata doesn't mind x3      Anywho, that's all from me tonight! Thanks for reading~

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #best years of your life [ au ] #365daysofsasuhina

[silvana-fangirls]

Target [Dabi x ua!Reader] Chapter 7

I really don’t even want to excuse myself, but I kinda have to because I don’t know when the next update it’s gonna be up and it’s for the exact same reason so...

Hey guys, it’s me... after so much time. First of all I wanna thank the ones that reached out to me through my ask box (I will answer those in a sec) and through PM. I am okay, just crazy busy I suppose. We got a new project in the place I work so it’s really been consuming my life for the past month... that and college. So yeah, it’s been hard. i haven’t even been able to reblog or so much like posts here on tumblr aaaand I’m still dealing with it so while I wanna promise that the next update will be up soon I don’t wanna lie to you guys. I’m not saying ‘IT’S GONNA TAKE MONTHS!!!!’ because it can take only days or weeks, but it depends... and I don’t wanna compromise. 

Anyways, feels good to be back and update this. Feels good to dive in in this story as well... I’ve missed it. 

I hope you enjoy this chapter, tho. Please let me know. 

ALSO READ NOTES AT THE END THEY ARE IMPORTANT

Links to chapters:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

TAG TO FIC IS: SILVANA WRITES : TARGET

READ IT IN [AO3]

or below the cut

Dabi felt like he lost a small battle when he sent Twice to give the girl her next meal after the ‘incident’ or whatever that type of situation could be called.

It felt like somehow he complied what she ordered him to do, and following orders never sat well with him. So, he kinda was cursing at himself right now for ‘giving in’ in some way.

It wasn’t because he wanted to please her in any way, though. It was mostly because of her words left him mute at that moment.

“Just tell me what you want from me”

The fact that he didn’t even have an answer for himself was pissing him off.

What was the true reason why he was the one who was acting as a maid?

Shigaraki didn’t ask him to do so. He didn’t even mention the girl once when he talked to him these past days (he did mention her to the other members of the League, though. Dabi found that quite odd but haven’t really commented on it. It’s not like he was interested anyways).

It just sort of happened before he could even realize what was going on.

The first morning in the new base Twice was sent in his civilian outfit to get something to eat for the prisoner. It seemed that it only downed to them that the girl hasn’t really eaten anything in more than a day, and it wouldn’t really be convenient if she died on them accidentally. Killing her would be more profitable.

Twice returned quickly from his small trip to the nearest grocery store, possibly because one of his ‘sides’ somehow had a little soft spot for the girl. He was quick to put on his suit again and heat up a small cup of instant noodles before rushing to her ‘room’. All while Dabi’s eyes followed his every move from the only couch that the base had, that was conveniently placed somewhere with a very great view of her door.

Magne was sent to the grocery store later in the day, since Shigaraki trusted her with food much more than anyone else in the place. She returned a couple of hours later, casually commenting that she only stole half of the stuff she brought with her.

Spinner then offered to help with the food. They made omurice for the League and lazily put some frozen nuggets in the small oven for the prisoner.

The next thing Dabi knew was that he snatched her tray of food just before Twice could get his hands on it.

“I’ll take care of it” The words slipped out of his mouth.

He could feel Shigaraki’s eyes on him as he made his way towards the girl’s room.

He brushed it off.

It wasn’t the first time something like this happened to him. It’s been happening for the past years of his life. He unconsciously realized he wanted to do something and he did it. No doubts, no questions asked, no overthinking.

He functioned better this way, and he liked functioning this way, too.

He won’t ever get ordered around again, he won’t ever hast for permission or give explanations for his actions.

Once he got in front of her door, he simply unlocked it and opened it up to then see her laying on her bed with her back facing him.

She didn’t turn around or flinch, she didn’t even tense up. In fact, she seemed quite comfortable where she was, considering she was currently kidnaped by villains and held somewhere unknown.

He found that quite odd.

He began to walk towards her, expecting her to turn around at some point, but she didn’t. It was only when he was close enough to the bed that she did turn.

He clearly saw how her eyes turned from slightly confused to completely horrified.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a bit pleased by that.

Horrified eyes instantly turned into a death glare, though.

She turned her back to him again, and spat out “I’m not hungry” in such an angered way that Dabi couldn’t keep the corners of his mouth from lifting up.

He carefully placed the tray on her bed, and simply settled to sit laying on the opposite wall.

Again, he didn’t know why. But something about her being all tensed up now made him stay and watch.

It didn’t take long to watch her explode.

She got up and snapped at him like a rabid puppy –quite amusingly if he may add- while he simply looked at her lazily. He could see that she was fighting the urge to hit him with something, but she was smarter than that.

Because it definitely wouldn’t be pretty for her if she dared to touch him.

When she finally gave in and ate, he felt something he was sure he never felt before in his life.

Dabi liked challenge, to an extent. A very, very short extent if he was being honest.

After his entire childhood and puberty was a constant competition he wasn’t very fond of the feeling in a certain way.

He didn’t like the fact that when he was competing against something or someone, somehow, he felt like he didn’t have his own rails. He felt like someone else had control over him, and it would only give him that sour taste in his mouth he was very familiar with from the past.

Still, he found that he did enjoy certain challenges now. Like challenging over power, over control. It was mostly involved with his villain ‘job’ per say. Otherwise, his life was pretty careless, lazy or easy going.

He didn’t give a shit about most things.

But now, seeing that oddly mixture of challenge yet fear in her eyes he couldn’t help but feel a pull towards it.

What was going on in this girl’s mind?

He knew that he was pretty much hideous.

Burns and staples all over his face was a look straight out of a horror movie. He knew that she knew his quirk was pretty much devastatingly powerful as well. Lethal. And he was also positive that people were able to tell that feelings weren’t really fond of him so ‘mercy’ or ‘compassion’ were definitely not written across his forehead.

While she was being partially smart to be afraid of him, she was also being partially stupid to snap on him like that or look at him in a challenging way at all.

She was lucky he was curious enough about her not to roast her off to a better life for simply daring to annoy him.

Oh-

That was it.

He was curious. He was curious about her.

And he had plenty reasons to be.

Her past, her insistence of fighting even if she doesn’t stand a chance, her self-sacrificial antics, her wishes to be a heroine.

But most important of all, the feelings that she expressed every time her parents were mentioned. Feelings that mirrored his own perfectly.

He figured that he wanted to know exactly how things went down. He wanted to know everything, from the beginning. Perhaps it was because he never really encountered anyone that has been through a similar situation or whatever; he didn’t really care what his inner-unconscious motives were after all.

But it wasn’t only that…

If he was being honest he never really had any experiences with girls (obviously not romantically speaking) other than family or Toga (that didn’t count because she was batshit crazy, so, she wasn’t really a reference). He never got a chance to. But, even still, he knew that this particular girl was not ordinary.

Before she asked that damned question that left him mute as an idiot he would confidently say that the reason why he kept on being the one that gave her meals was because he was curious and he wanted to observe her like she was some rare animal in the zoo (not that he ever went to the zoo, but… whatever). But after she asked that he realized that what he was doing was actually pointless, considering that 99% of the time she would be ignoring him or snapping at him. So, what was there to ‘learn’ that would satisfy his curiosity if he was just sitting there for half an hour or so watching her do pretty much nothing?

That’s why he sent Twice in today, and he was mentally kicking himself for it. Not just because in some way he did what she told him to, but also because he let stupid, meaningless words to affect him enough to overthink them.

What did he want from her?

To join them? No. Not really.

Mostly because she hated her parents and she doesn’t want to follow their steps.

So, if it wasn’t that, what was it?

The only thing left (besides the curiosity issue) was that he now acknowledged and accepted in a way that he enjoyed being challenged by her.

When she threw the tray of food making it crash and splatter all over the floor he felt a sudden rush of anger in his blood. He was furious. Because how dare this helpless school girl defy him in any way?

But part of him enjoyed it as well. The challenge.

And maybe that was the reason why he was with her lunch on one hand while unlocking and opening the door with the other.

It was the first time she wasn’t facing backwards to the door. In fact, she was sitting cross-legged on the bed while reading a book. It was also the first time he saw her in a different set of clothes and with her hair down and slightly wet.

He instantly remembered that Twice was sent to buy some clothes for her early in the morning after Shigaraki said ‘We’re still freaking recruiting her or did every of you idiots forget about that already?’

She was now wearing a simple yellow T-shirt and some sports shorts. Both too incredibly large for her, but then again he couldn’t even imagine what shopping with Twice would be like.

The book was probably doing of the side of Twice that thought the girl was a toddler.

She lifted her gaze right after the door closed behind him and he saw how her eyes widened slightly before returning to her reading.

He did the exact same thing as any other day: Place the food tray on her bed and go straight to sit in the exact same spot he always did.

It was kind of surprising to hear her talk right away.

“I thought you were finally released from maid duty” She said without even bothering to look up from her book.

A chuckle threatened to escape his throat.

Yeah, this girl is definitely not ordinary.

“Missing Twice already?” He said mockery pretty clear in his voice. “Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but he seems to have a thing for Toga” He said looking straight at her with a smirk in his face. “Part of him, at least”

She sent him a vicious death glare, but turned to her book right after.

“Rather be with him than with you” She merely commented, as casual as she could.

“Ouch” He simply said and she glared at him again.

She closed the book for a moment and grabbed the tray, placing it on top of her knees to then calmly starting to eat the gyudon that was in front of her, flinching and scrunching her nose right after tasting the first bite.

He didn’t blame her. Compress cooked today and it was a complete disgustingly disaster.

She kept on eating, though.

“Why did you come back?” She casually asked like she was talking about the weather. “To burn me again?”

“I didn’t burn you” He answered after a few seconds. Yeah, he wordlessly threatened to but his palm wasn’t hot enough to actually burn her.

“Right” She said, and after sipping some water she continued. “Why not, though? Will get you in trouble?”

She was taunting him.

He narrowed his eyes just barely at her to then smirk ever so slightly.

“Not at all” he said. “I just thought that burning you isn’t a really effective way to convince you to join” He said the first thing that came to mind.

“Yet you burned Bakugou and you were trying to ‘convince’ him, too”

His eyebrows lifted ever so slightly at the sudden mention of the angry boy’s name.

“Still mad about that?” He asked at first. “I didn’t know you two were friends. Want me to send him an ‘I’m sorry’ card? I can add that you say ‘Hi’”

She quickly avoided his gaze with her jaw clenched.

They both stayed quiet for a few moments.

“Why don’t you just kill me?” She asked, breaking the silence.

The question definitely startled him.

“Huh?” He said, hiding completely his curiosity and startlement about the question.

She looked at him, dead in the eye.

“You heard me”

“You want me to kill you?” He asked. He didn’t take her for the cowardly type. In the few days she’s been captured, and ever since seeing her for the first time even, he thought that she was a pain in the ass, in a good way… sort of. That annoyingly persistent type of person that won’t stop pissing you off and wont budge until they got what they wanted.

The death exit definitely seemed coward compared to the initial impression he got from her.

What was off of this whole conversation was the lack of fear or desperation in her eyes while talking about death.

“Not necessarily you” She shrugged. “I mean the whole... Villains Gang or whatever the hell you guys call yourselves”

“’Villains Gang’?” He mentally scoffed.

“Y’all know I won’t join you” she continued. “I know you know” She said, referring to him in particular. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill me off and show it to the world?” She added, eyes never leaving his. “That’s still a win, isn’t it? That way you’ll still win and the Heroes lose. So what are you waiting for?”

He wanted to laugh at himself for being startled before, so he did. He let out a quiet snort.

Of course she was challenging him, again.

He didn’t know what her ultimate goal was but she was trying to get under his skin.

“I hope you’re aware that you’re playing with fire here, sweetheart” He warned.

“I didn’t know you were the punny type” She said completely disregarding his threat with an ‘innocent’ look on her face.

He chuckled again and started to walk towards her, getting a sickly pleasant feeling once he saw her tense up as fear flashed through her eyes for a moment.

He simply took her food tray with one hand while with the other he softly brushed hair out of her color drained face while looking straight into her eyes dangerously.

“You truly are something else, I’ll give you that” He said as he softly let go of her. “Just don’t get too comfy around here, okay?”

And then he left.

X

If Bakugou could blast the world off and turn it to ash, he would. He would, without a single doubt.

It’s been four days of coming and going to the Police station to check if they managed to get the lead of something –anything- but those fuckers where complete and utter incapable idiots.

It also seemed that without All Might and Best Jeanist the heroes turned into incapable idiots as well.

He kicked forcefully the door of his house, snapping it open soundly as he stomped through the halls making his way to his room.

“Katsuki?” His mother said as she got out of the kitchen. “Any news? Do they know anything about her?”

He didn’t answer; he simply stomped his way up the stairs and closed his door forcefully almost snapping it in two.

His hands were itchy, so unbearably itchy.

He needed to blast something off -or several somethings- before he went mad.

He was an incapable idiot, too.

How could he allow something like this to happen!? How did he even allow himself to get kidnapped in the first place!?

He sighed, his shoulders trembling slightly out of rage because of his last thought.

He was actually glad he was kidnapped, in a way.

He was glad that at least at the beginning that girl wasn’t on her own.

They should’ve stayed together. Either free or captive, but together.

He was supposed to become the world’s greatest hero, yet he allowed himself to get saved by a sacrifice.

He was at his home, safe and sound, while who knows where or how she was.

He should’ve gotten free of Kirishima’s grasp and tried to save her or sacrifice instead or at least get captured again with her.

His mind hasn’t stopped for a single second ever since he saw how she was carried by the crusty bastard through the portal, disappearing from his sight. Every single second was filled with her.

He couldn’t stop chastising himself, blaming himself and cursing himself after everything.

He was an incapable idiot. He was weak, and useless, and stupid.

He felt like shit, and the rumors running around the country weren’t helping either.

Instead of worrying about her most people were already dissing her.

Saying that she’d probably joined The League already.

Fuckers.

He was gonna find her, he was gonna bring her back and he was gonna prove all those fuckers wrong. She was gonna prove them wrong.

And he will make those bastards of The League of Villains pay.

Notes:

 I truly hope you enjoyed this....

Anyways, I’ve gotten several concerned reviews about a few issues so I guessed I should adress them to help calm down the insecurities of some of you:

Regarding Stockholm Syndrome: I am not really going for that... I mean yes, this is a romantic fanfic and yes our Reader/OC is captured but that’s really not exactly what I’m going for... I have the plot in my head already and while I can’t really give you details, I can assure you that it’s not gonna happen that way.

Regarding OverPowering: I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again: I hate overpowered characters. I hate superman and I don’t like Captain America or any of those characters that are god send or ‘chosen ones’ or just invincible characters. I like characters with flaws, with drawbacks, with weaknesses. I like them to be human and relatable because i like to feel related to them. So don’t worry about that. She won’t become supergirl in the future or ever to be honest. 

Regarding the ‘She’ll join the league’ theory: She won’t. Oops. 

I know a lot of you want this, but I didnt create a strong willed character with strong convictions and dreams and beliefs and views just so she can forget about everything because of a boy of all things. Sorry, but nope. 

That doesn’t mean that Dabi is gonna switch sides either. Just wait and see. 

I guess that’s all... 

Anyways, thanks for all your amazing reviews! i truly appreciate them :)

Do you want a next chap?

-Silvana.

tag list: @buckybear97 @this-lost-child @aebeessun @ye-rinn@ihatemyselftoinfinityandbeyond @cindxalex @luvley-shadow@taeniix@roadtripsonspaceships @iana-therese@darkagedoctor @liliafangirls @darkfaethedestroyer @celestiallsunshine @meggy126

I’m so sorry if I missed anyone, please comment in THIS post or hit my ASK BOX to get tagged!

#silvana writes : target #Dabi #bnha dabi #dabi fanfiction #dabi x reader #dabi x oc #reader insert #reader interactive #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mha #The League of Villains #dabi todoroki #dabi is a todoroki #shigaraki tomura #twice #bakugou katsuki

[stuclyblrs]

as usual here’s my first thoughts of the semester

being in shanghai in general

i havent rly seen much of the city yet so idk cant comment

but life here is def different from nyc this isnt necessarily a super walk able city (but subway lines are pretty extensive)

in terms of academic life same thing very different like my dorm is 20min by bus to campus (not sure how long the subway takes tho) and its not really walk able compared to nyc where i walk literally everywhere on campus. additionally, here is one academic building and the dorms so rn its 5pm and ive been in the same building since 9am or so...... its nice to not have to rush to classes cause sometimes they can be far apart but i could see this getting old quick

the building is pretty nice tho idk everything thats here but i wanna find a better study spot than the library cause its soooooo small and gonna be a nightmare near exams

food ????? idk where to buy some or even how to cook LMAO so idk how im going to eat while im here today i ate lunch and will eat dinner on campus (no meal plan but we have a dining hall) but idk what im gonna keep doing lol

chinese

soooooo its been a while (a full year lol) since i last took chinese so im nervous lol im already a little overwhelmed with the amount of work we have for this class which is expected cause its the same amount of workload from elementary i (lucky korean is a bit less even tho its still a lot) but idk man i just dont wanna get behind and do poorly again especially since im in china....... i need to speak chinese........

my prof seems nice but its hard to say if she will always be this easy as a prof since it was the first day - i guess i can make further judgement once she starts actually teaching and to see how hard she grades stuff

there are some assignments that im rly unclear about tho since there more like idk stuff for chinese as a language here compared to in nyc since everyone except for native speakers are required to take it so idk how things work

calc iii

ummmmmm not off to the best start lol

my professor is hard to hear and idk what he was going today the stuff we were doing is stuff ive (supposedly) learned before but i dont understand anything he told us ???????

and not sure what the workload for homework will be since its every week + we also have a quiz every week yikes i miss my calc ii prof

physics ii

huhhhhhhhhh im scared marty

i was hesitant to come abroad b/c of physics - i just started the major last semester (ie when i took physics i) so im still v shakey on physics and Yeah i didnt know one if this class would ~count~ as physics ii (ive been told its fine lol cause like it still is a lower level class so it should be fine right) and two what the workload for it would be like here in shanghai lol especially since my physics i professor was very unconventional

additionally taking physics ii with the professor that teaches it in nyc is kind of like a rite of passage kind of thing w/in the physics majors lol (not that deep whats more importatant is me doing well and being on track for the rest of the major)

with that also being said i was unsure b/c i didnt want to take myself out of the community within the physics department cause everyone i met was so amazing (as in students idk many profs) and i have like a group of ppl that i tended to do work with so i dont have them to rely on anymore

okay so back to first impressions its kind of hard to say anything abt my prof yet cause stuff we did today was rly basic (like talking about the charges of a proton/electron lmao) but for the class itself......... big yike cause there’s only 6 ppl including me in it and thats too small for me personally and im the only study-away student (or just non-chinese student in general) in the class so i feel like i stand out a lot and that im the odd one out skldjfvnjdfskv i dont like it :(((((

opinions will change once we actually get into the material and start doing hw lol 

memory politics in china

i manged to get this to count for my cultures and contexts core ayyyyyyy

actually tho in general i wanted to take some kind of chinese history/culture course cause you know........ im in china but tbh there was nothing good (like no straight chinese history class like ?????) so this was the most interesting out of what i could take relating to china

overall seems okay idk im just not a writing person and this requires three main papers and like 9 one-page assignments

#another edition of i wrote this awhile ago and then didnt post #study abroad adventures #college adventures #personal

[justanoutlawfic]

Life Unexpected: Chapt. 4

Story Summary: 15 years after the events of Why Did It Have To Be Me? and much has changed. Mary Margaret and David are back living in Storybrooke, but don’t speak to one another. One day, David gets a knock on his door from the daughter they gave up all those years ago. She wants to get emancipated from the foster system, but they can’t let themselves sign the papers. As they split custody and try to help her heal from a lifetime of pain, will they find their way to each other?

Chapter Summary: Emma starts a new school, where she meets a cast of interesting characters. Meanwhile, she gets a better glimpse into David’s life.

Also on AO3

Emma was used to first days of school, to being the new kid. Boston was such a huge city and whenever she would be moved to a new home, there was a chance that she’d be brought to a new school district. Once all of her files had been sent to Storybrooke Academy, she was expected to start. She didn’t even mind.

 That was until she found out that there were uniforms.

 “I thought this was a public school,” she told Mary Margaret on their shopping trip the day after their lunch with Regina. She was letting Mary Margaret buy her whatever she wanted, though she kept staring at the ever growing pile. At least there was no pink.

“No. It’s private. There is a public high school, but it’s honestly not the best and it’s further away from the loft,” Mary Margaret explained as she looked through the button up shirts. She could see the look on her daughter’s face. “It’s not going to be that bad. Only 5 days a week and you can change as soon as you’re done.”

“I’m not wearing a skirt.”

“You don’t have to. There’s khakis or the navy pants. I ordered you a few vests with the logos as well.”

“You really don’t have to get me so much stuff.”

“You’re going to need it.”

“I don’t think I could wear all of this in a lifetime.”

“Well, you’re going to be living with David, too.” Emma tried to ignore the look that fell across Mary Margaret’s face at the mention of him. “This way, you won’t have to bring clothes back and forth.”

“How long are you going to hate him?”

“Hate who?”

“David.”

 Mary Margaret paused, her hands hovering above the pants she had been looking at. Emma knew that David had broke her heart, but it had been 15 years, hadn’t it? He had been 18 years old. How bad could it have really been? Maybe a part of her didn’t want to know that.

 “I don’t hate David,” Mary Margaret said, finally, pulling the khakis off the rack. “I forgave him a long time ago.”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

Mary Margaret sighed. “It’s just a really complicated thing.”

“He was young when he made the choices he did.”

“It doesn’t make them hurt any less. Look, we’re going to get along so we can best take care of you.” Before Emma could say anything else, she put the pants in the cart. “Let’s go look at shoes and then you can come try all of this on.”

The uniform wasn’t that bad, Emma supposed. The shirts were comfortable and were blue, she liked blue. She had chosen to go with the darker pants rather than the khakis and paired with the sweater, she did look like something out of an 80s rock video. She let her hair hang loose and pulled a black beanie over her head, Mary Margaret said she could accessorize after all.

 She headed down the stairs and was instantly hit by a flash. She blinked a few times before finding Mary Margaret standing there, a polaroid camera in one hand, fanning out a picture with the other. She was smiling brightly.

 “You look so beautiful,” she said.

Emma rolled her eyes. “It’s just a school uniform.”

“I’ve never gotten to send you off to your first day of school, let me have my fun.”

 Emma honestly couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been this excited for her to start school. She walked over to the island, plopping down and taking a spoonful from the bowl of Cheerios that had been left out for her. That was something she was still adjusting to in a bit. Ed had food in the house-most of the time-but he’d never prepare any actual meals for Emma. Ever since she moved in with Mary Margaret, her mom had either cooked for her or they had gone to Granny’s.

 “So, I put together some lunch for you,” Mary Margaret said, walking around to the other side of the island. She held up a lunchbox that she had packed, it was a simple red one that Emma had picked out and seemed so much more sturdy than the brown paper bags she had carried around Boston. Her backpack was just as strong, if not more so. It definitely wouldn’t rip and need to be repaired with duct tape anytime soon. “I have to head to the studio in a bit, so you’ll have to take the bus. Do you remember where it is?”

Emma did her best to hold back an eyeroll. “You only showed me half a dozen times.”

Mary Margaret held back a sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m just…nervous, I guess. Here, I want to give you this.”

 She grabbed a box from under the counter and pushed it towards her daughter. Emma moved off the bow and lifted the lid, finding a cell phone inside. It was the latest version of the iPhone, with a red protective case over it. She tilted her head.

 “Mary Margaret…”

“I’ve put you on my plan. It’s got unlimited text, call and internet. I’ve programmed my number, David’s as well. You can text or call us anytime.”

“You didn’t have to do this.”

“Of course I did, you’re my daughter.”

 Daughter. That word still sounded so damn foreign to her.

 A quick knock at the door interrupted the sweet moment between the two of them. Mary Margaret walked around the island and over to it, finding David on the other side.

 “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to take Emma to school.”

“Oh. Well, the bus is coming…”

“Can I not take my own kid to school?”

 Mary Margaret thought about what Emma had said at the store over the weekend. She had to try, she wanted to try. It was what was best for their daughter, she needed them to get along.

 “Of course you can. Come in.”

Once Mary Margaret stepped to the side, David walked in and grinned at Emma. “Hey kiddo,” he said.

“David.” Emma smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“Taking you to school, if that’s okay with you.”

“Better than the bus.”

“Finish your breakfast and then we can go.”

 Emma wolfed down the rest of her food, not noticing the looks that her parents were giving her. Once she was done, she grabbed her backpack, shoving her lunchbox inside before throwing the bag over her shoulder and hopping off the stool. She noticed that David was staring at her for a minute.

 “What? Do I have milk on my mouth?”

“No, it’s just uh…you look like your mother did when she was in high school with that uniform.”

“She’s got your coloring,” Mary Margaret pointed out.

“True, but…still.” He shook it off. “Come on, let’s go.”

 Emma headed to the door, but then paused at Mary Margaret. She wasn’t sure if she should hug her or kiss her cheek, they were still trying to set up boundaries between the two of them.

 “So um, I’ll see you later?”

Mary Margaret nodded. “Yeah, see you later.” She quickly kissed the top of her head. “Have a good day.”

“You too.”

 David opened the door to lead her out and Emma followed him out to his car. Classic rock played over the radio and Emma looked around it, noting a briefcase in the back. It took her a moment to realize that David was dressed in a suit, it was the first time she had seen him so dressed up since they met.

 “You working today?”

David nodded. “Yes, I’ve got to go to court.”

“What’s the case?”

“Standard custody hearing. Luckily the parents agree on what needs to be done, so it should be easy.”

“Lucky,” Emma murmured. She noticed the odd look he was giving her and forced a smile. “So…I’ve met some of Mary Margaret’s family. When do I get to meet yours?”

“Well, I could take you by my place to meet my roommate’s daughter and everything this afternoon.”

“I meant like your mom, your step-mom and siblings.”

David gripped the wheel, gnawing on his lip. “That may take a bit.”

“Why?”

 He sighed, scratching the back of his neck once they approached a red light.

 “Emma, I was really young when Mary Margaret got pregnant with you. I was scared…”

“I got that from all the fighting you two have been doing.”

“It’s just that…at the time…I didn’t tell too many people about you. I had a girlfriend at the time…”

“Whoa wait, you cheated on your girlfriend with Mary Margaret?”

“No, no. My girlfriend and I were on a break, seeing other people when I got together with your mom. Anyway, I told her when I broke up with her for good, but I…I never told my mom or my brother.”

“Why?”

“I was scared. Scared of how they’d look at me, scared that they’d hate me or think less of me, that they’d be disappointed. James and I were the first people in our family to go to college.”

“Were you ashamed of me?”

 David looked over and saw the shock in Emma’s eyes. She looked so vulnerable and it broke his heart. He pulled to the side of the road, putting his car in park.

 “No,” he said. He saw the doubt in her eyes. “Emma, no. It had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I was a coward back then, I couldn’t stand the thought that people would think differently of me. I loved you, from the moment I knew you were coming.”

“Right.”

“I did. Look.”

 David reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He flipped past a picture of Ruth and Eudora and another of Belle, James and Gideon to get to the sonogram. Emma studied it, confused.

 “What’s that?”

“This is the sonogram your mother gave me when she was pregnant. It was the only picture I had of you for 15 years.”

“And you held onto it?”

“I never could let it go. You were apart of me and I thought of you every single day. I might not have carried you or been there when you were born, but you never left my mind or my heart. You were my daughter and if I knew that you were struggling as much as you were, I would’ve been there in a heartbeat.”

 Emma stared at the sonogram for a moment, a frown on her face. Eventually, it slowly formed into a tiny smile. David couldn’t help but match it as she looked back up at him.

 “You should probably replace it.”

“I will.” He put the car back into drive and continued to head towards the school. “So, I did tell my mom about you and she was upset. Not at you, at me. She missed out on 15 years of your life and it’s my fault.”

“Do you think she wants to meet me?”

“Oh, of course. My brother, step-mom and step-sister do too. I’m sure they’ll even see you before they’ve forgiven me for all of it.”

“What are they like?”

 David spent the rest of the ride telling Emma about his parents and siblings. He told her about James and how Emma had nearly two cousins. He explained the big hoopla that was going around Tiana and Drew’s wedding-which Tiana had texted him that he wanted to talk to Emma about. He hoped that deep down, no matter how mad they were at him, they wouldn’t wait to get to know Emma.

 After another 10 minutes of driving, David pulled up in front of Storybrooke Academy. It was like being pulled into a time warp, nothing had changed. The sprawling campus had several stone buildings, all named for dead white guys that had contributed something to the town or the school. A part of him had always hated going there, but Ruth had insisted. He was now splitting tuition with Mary Margaret and knew that it was the best option for Emma, he just hoped that she enjoyed it more than he had.

 “Do you want me to come in with you?” He asked.

Emma laughed, as if that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. “This isn’t my first school.”

“Well, I’ll pick you up once classes are done. Like I said, I’ll take you back to my place for a bit.”

“Mary Margaret knows?”

“Yes.”

“Well…okay.”

“Have a great day. She gave you a phone, right? Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.”

 He kissed her cheek and she blushed a bit before hopping out of the car. He watched as she walked into the administration building, before pulling out of the lot. He had a kid in high school, how the hell had that happened?

Storybrooke Academy was a tad more intimidating than Emma had imagined. She had never gone to a private school before. The closest thing had probably been the Catholic charter school that Bill and Katie had forced her to go to during her 6 months with them. As strict as that dress code was, at least they didn’t have a uniform and it was all in one small building. The secretary gave her a map of the school along with her classes and she looked around, wondering if she got lost enough, she’d find a dragon to slay or something.

 She was able to find the building that her first class was in easy enough, but the numbering systems of the classroom weren’t as clear. Emma realized she’d be hard pressed to find anyone t willingly help her, most of them were staring and whispering. Storybrooke really was that small, a new student stuck out like a sore thumb.

 Before she could give up and find a teacher, two girls walked in front of her. One was wearing a navy dress with the school’s logo in the corner and had a blonde braid going down her back. The other was wearing the typical plaid skirt but the button up shirt was tied above her belly button, revealing a piercing. Her raven hair went wild and she was grinning from ear to ear.

 “You look lost.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“I was the new girl last year,” the blonde noted, her voice a bit softer than her friend. “I’m Elsa. That’s Lily.”

“Emma. Emma Swan.”

Lily studied her for a moment, before snapping her fingers. “You’re Mary Margaret’s long lost kid.”

“You know about me?”

“My mom works with Regina, we run in similar circles.”

“Think you could help me find my class then?”

Lily’s grin widened. “We’d be more than happy to.”

 She grabbed hold of Emma’s schedule and they compared it with their own. As it turned out, most of her classes had at least one of them in it. Lily was with her in first period English, so she allowed her to take her by the arm and lead her off. By the time they got to the classroom, Emma felt like she knew everything she needed to about Lily. She was an only child, her mom was a single parent by choice. Elsa was pretty much her only friend, though she got along with some boys in the older grades.

 As soon as they walked into the classroom, the teacher stopped writing on the board and turned to them. He tilted his eyes up to the ceiling before, looking back down at Lily.

“Lilith, you know the rules.”

“That you have to have a stick up your…”

“Do you want detention, again?”

 Lily rolled her eyes, but untied her shirt, allowing it to fall down. She took her seat towards the back of the class and Emma went to follow, when the teacher cleared his throat.

 “And you are?”

“Emma Swan,” she said. “I’m new.” She handed over the form that the secretary had told her to get signed by all her teachers that day and he quickly scribbled on it before consulting his roster.

“Ah yes, Miss Swan. Welcome, where are you from?”

“Boston.”

“Well, I hope they taught you well there. We have a heavy course load and a test on Wednesday, but I’ll allow you to study and make up for it next week. Sound good?”

“Um, yes.”

“Great. Now, go take a seat.”

 Emma went towards the back, settling down next to Lily.

 “Ignore Forrester,” Lily whispered. “Everyone does. I swear, he’s like the town grump.”

“This school is the most serious one I’ve ever been in,” Emma mumbled. “And I once went to Catholic school.”

“You’re Catholic?”

“No. Foster parents were.”

“You were in the system?”

Emma nodded. “12 years.”

“Miss Page, Miss Swan,” Mr. Forrester interrupted their conversation. “Anything you want to share with the class?”

“F. Scott Fitzgerald plagiarized his wife’s work,” Lily replied, without missing a beat.

 Emma couldn’t help but giggle, as did most of the people around them. Mr. Forrester rolled his eyes before moving onto discussing the book at hand.

The rest of the day was a lot of fun with Lily and Elsa by her side. They knew how to joke around and despite most of the school looking at them weirdly, they just didn’t care. For once, Emma felt like she could actually feel herself making friends outside of August. He had gone back to Boston and she hadn’t realized how lonely she was. Sure, maybe they weren’t the best influences, but they were what she needed. Elsa even offered to help her catch up with the work.

 It was officially one of the best first days of her life.

 She actually left the school with a smile on her face, Elsa and Lily on either side of her. David’s car was in front of the car pool lane and Emma couldn’t help but feel her smile grow. She wasn’t used to people keeping their promises, but there he was.

 “I gotta go.”

“Is that your dad?” Elsa asked.

“Um, yeah. I guess.”

“David Nolan.” Lily let out a low whistle. “You’re lucky.”

“I am?”

“He’s one of the nicest guys in town.”

“If you say so. I better go, but I’ll text you guys later.”

 She got in the car and David pulled out of the lot.

 “How was your day?” He asked.

“It was actually pretty good.”

“It seemed like it. Those friends of yours?”

“We hung out pretty much all day.”

“Sounds like friends to me.”

“Maybe. And your day?”

“Good. My client got the custody schedule they wanted, that’s all I can ask for.”

 David’s house was closer to the school than Mary Margaret’s loft so they were there in no time. Once they got inside, Emma found herself being attacked in a hug. Her eyes widened and she sort of planked in place, looking over the stranger’s shoulder at David.

 “Who is this?” She asked.

“I’m Alice!” The stranger pulled away and allowed Emma to get a good look at her. She had wild blonde curls that bounced down her shoulders and big blue eyes that were filled with wonder. She didn’t look to be much older than she was. “I’m Killian’s daughter. I’ve heard so much about you. I mean, not until today, Papa said you were coming over. I had no clue that David had a daughter, but that is so awesome. I think he’d make a great dad and…”

“Starfish.” Killian appeared behind his daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Breathe.”

Alice let out a deep breath before a smile returned to her lips. “Sorry, I’m just…I get a bit excited is all.”

“A bit?” Emma asked.

She giggled. “You’re funny, cute too. You look so much like David…” Alice must have realized she was rambling again, because she stopped. “Anyway, like I said, I’m Alice. I don’t live here anymore, but I visit.”

“Emma.” Though, she had a feeling that Alice already knew that. “So…David’s lived with you guys awhile?”

“Going on what, 7 years now?” Alice looked back at her father for confirmation and he nodded. “I can show you your room, I know Papa and David have been working hard on it. It used to be mine, but like I said, I’ve got my own place now.”

 Alice stilled for once, clearly understanding that she might be a bit too much for Emma to handle. After a moment, Emma nodded and adjusted her backpack, following Alice up the stairs and to the right. The room was painted red and had lots of different murals done throughout, clearly done by different artists. The bedspread was a lot more her style than the one at Mary Margaret’s was, it was red with bits of blacks throughout it.

 Emma listened to Alice talk a bit, as she took in the room. She laid her backpack down and picked up various accessories, like a mirror on the desk or ran her fingers along the spines of some of the books on the shelves. Eventually, Alice went downstairs to grab them a snack and Emma decided to look around more of the house. A quick peak into Killian and David’s rooms didn’t tell her too much. They were so unlike Alice’s, void of any real personality.

 She headed back down the stairs and started looking around the living room. There were pictures and degrees everywhere. She noticed that in a lot of them, David, Killian and Alice all looked like a happy family. There were ones of them on vacations, at birthday parties.

 Emma couldn’t help but pause at a series of three frames by yet another bookshelf. Alice’s high school diploma was proudly framed, with a picture of her accepting her degree on one side. On the other was one of her in her gown standing between David and Killian. Both men had their arms around her, beaming proudly. They were a little family. Even if they weren’t a couple, David had helped his friend raise his daughter for the past 7 years. He was there for her, when he wasn’t there for Emma. Despite him having his reasons, Emma felt a bit of jealousy creep up in the pit of her stomach.

 Sure, he’d probably be at her own high school graduation, where had he been for the rest of the big moments? Where had both he and Mary Margaret been?

 The jealousy only grew and the tears built up in her eyes.

 Emma wouldn’t remember what happened next. One minute, she was just going to hold the picture and the next moment…it was on the floor, glass everywhere. She bolted up the stairs to grab her backpack, before running out the door. David was calling after her, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t until she was back near the school that she pulled out her phone and texted Mary Margaret to come pick her up.

#life unexpected verse #snowing #snowing au #charming family #charming family au #daddy charming #daddy charming au #mama snow #mama snow au #star swan #star swan au #frozen swan #frozen swan au #captain charming #captain charming au

[superlepato]

The shape of you. Kind of Harringrove Modern Au

I honestly don’t know how to call this so I borrow the title from Ed Sheeran. Anyway the day before yesterday I wake up with this idea, I didn’t post it that day because I’m awful administrating my time and I got distracted easily.

For the sake of this plot, you need to have this information for reference. So according to this page Joe and Dacre's measurements are:

Joe Keery: 74 kg = 163 lbs / 1,80 cm =5 ft 11 inches Dacre Montgomery : 77 kg = 170 lbs / 1,78 cm = 5 ft 10 inches 12 Kg = 26 lbs

Note: I found interesting that in numbers there isn’t much difference between them.

Note two: I found hilarious that in the page the distinctive features Joe are: long hair and boy next door appearance.

I don’t know much about gym or diets, just basic stuff. You can leave a comment if I make a mistake.

• The day that Steve got the invitation for Nancy and Jonathan’s wedding he knew that he got a problem. Don’t take him wrong he cares and is happy for them, but it’s been a long time (years) since he last saw them and…he isn’t exactly the same.

• After graduating and start working with his father learning the basics, you know from the bottom, it was easy to stay in contact with the kids and everyone since he still stayed on his parent's house, but after moving out to be close to the branch office in Chicago he maintained contact mostly by phone.

• He thought he was going to hate working from his father but the work was actually pretty nice, apparently his people skills and quick thinking were an important asset in that line of work, for once he didn’t feel like lacking.

Also, he had Edna, his secretary, that woman still conserved her wit at her sixties, sharp as a knife. She helped him and compensate his youth and the bad judgments that come with it sometimes.

• Something that he learned that school didn’t teach him was that sometimes it was more important how you do things than what you do, in other words, it didn’t matter if you knew what were you doing or not, always be confident. One thing that seems to work was inviting investors or close deals by paying a dinner in a good restaurant or drinks in a bar.

• So it was inevitable to gain some weight, he worked in an office and when he didn’t he was too exhausted to work out, he wanted to relax a bit, watch T.V and eat Chinese, ok? Also, he didn’t gain so much just 26 lbs.

It wasn’t a big deal but still he didn’t want to be the one to look like he left himself go (you know the one that people talk at his back in high school reunions), it was stupid but he has pride and he’ll be damn if he became the first one of the group.

• He couldn’t decline not only it would be rude and coward on his part, but also because Jonathan requested to be one of his best men. (To be honest, in my mind I imagine Nancy being the one to do the request but at the same time and for plot reasons, I don’t see him as a bridesmaid (It would be funny, not going to lie))

• He had like four months to lose the extra weight which he couldn’t do alone, so he subscribe to a gym that was a bit far from his apartment but it was the best according to the nephew of Edna and if she says it was good then it was good.

• It was the first time going to a gym, especially one where he didn’t know anyone so he was kind of nervous and for the sweet way the receptionist treat him, he wasn’t doing a good job trying to no let it show. They took his measures, weight and his body mass.

The instructor that was assigned to him was some Billy Hargrove, he will help him not only to lose weight but gain some confidence.

• Holy shit. He just saw who was going to be his instructor and he was so fucked up, it would be a miracle for him to end this session without an erection. The guy was beautiful, stunning blue eyes, short blond hair a bit curly in the front, strong jaw and a body to die for. Damn.

• Now he understood what they said he will help him with his confidence, the guy not only exudes sex appeal but also charisma, he knew that he was just being nice but it was hard not to be flustered with was coming out of his mouth.

The instructions were simple he was going to get married to cardio and weightlifting, also he needed to reduce his carbohydrates intake, he couldn’t eat more than his body could burn. The good thing is that he wasn’t going to die of hunger, his calories intake should be between 3.000 -7.000.

• That’s how his journey started, his diet changed drastically, no more takeouts, fried foods, always drinking water, his only snacks between meal were veggies and nuts. If it weren’t for Edna he wouldn’t have lasted, she always makes sure that he didn’t cheat or forget to eat at a time. It was a shame that she couldn’t help him with his crush of Billy, he couldn’t have nothing with the guy since it was against the policy of the gym but one could dream, and how did he dream.

After Nancy he dated some girls and mess around with some guys, nothing serious but its been a while since the last time he had sex, God he was just 25 and already live the life of a fifty-year-old salaryman.

• By the third month, he loses all the extra weight and he really feels good, he forgot how good it felt to run in the morning and wake up full of energy. Now that he reached his goal it was up to him to maintain and keep the hard work. He was going to miss Billy though, he could ask him out now but he didn’t want to leave the wrong impression and be one of those people.

• He got his chance in a coffee shop and found him sitting alone at a table, he went to say hi, one thing leads to another and in the end, he got his number.

• He didn’t want to disturb him at work so he tries to send texts during his lunch break or after work, in one memorable occasion, he sends him a text in the morning, in his defense he was excited that morning he discovered that he has abs! He couldn’t remember having it in high school, he needed to share the news so he sends a photo to Billy.

• His relation at work was better, his new energy made the load of work easy to handle, he smiled more thanks to Billy, everyone in the office could see the changes especially after buying new clothes and getting a haircut.

People were giving him and trying to get his attention, but Steve was oblivious to it, could it be that he only has eyes for Billy or the fact that he got used to not attract the attention of anyone in the office, that now he couldn’t see more than friendliness in the approach of the same people that a few months ago didn’t mind him.

• He goes to New York a week earlier so they can take his measures for the smoking, a brief tour of where was going to be the wedding and practice the do’s and don’t’s. It was nice to see everyone again, especially the “kids” but he couldn’t stop thinking of Billy. He wished that he were here with him.

• The wedding was beautiful, the reception, the food, he danced with Nancy, Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Byers and some cousins and still the only thing that came to his mind was the blond.

• The first thing that he did at his return was to ask him out, which was the correct thing to do apparently Billy was dying to do the same, according to Billy he didn’t take the step for how disinterested Steve seemed at his advances. To Steve seeing Billy flirt in the coffee shop and the stares he attracted, make him believe that he didn’t have a chance.

He was surprised to find that he did have a chance from the first day, the things that really matter didn’t change with more or less weight (Billy’s words), it was sweet until he mentioned his dick and perky ass, he almost redeems himself complementing his eyes, almost. The apology sex was more than enough.

The other version of this Au was that Billy and Steve met before in high school, everything would be the same except that Billy would tease the shit out of Steve in the gym.

#harringrove #steve harrington #billy hargrove #The Shape of You #my writing

[supersoldierslover]

A New Beginning Part 4

Summary:  After moving a lot, you found yourself in a small town in the middle of Europe ready for a new start. You see yourself falling in love for the city and developing a crush for the cute stranger that you never had the courage to talk to until you’re forced to. (Modern Au)

Pairing: Steve x Reader

Words: 2884

Warnings: Fluffy and secrets.

Thanks to @widowsfics for being my beta

Credits to the gifs owners

PART 1  PART 2  PART 3

After dinner with Steve, your relationship with him was moving really fast and slow at the same time. During the next few weeks, you two saw each other every morning for your walks. You never imagined that you could love mornings as much as you do right now.

You two also went to a few more dates, after two amazing dinners, your third date was at this amazing ice cream shop for milkshakes. It was a fun and simple date.  The fourth date you two watched Casablanca on the drive in, it was a special night.  There was something really romantic about watching a movie and sharing popcorn on a cold night.

And your fifth date Steve took you dance. When he said that you two were going to a dance you imagined that he was taking you to a night club with loud music and expensive drinks. But no, he took you to a salon where classical music was playing and couples were having the time of their life’s.

Sure most of the couples were twice or three times your age, but they look so happy and in love that you couldn’t help but smile.

Sometimes you feel like you live in a crazy town, like the one of Gilmore Girls Stars Hollow. There was always some kind of event happening, it could be a fair, or the night of classic on the drive in or some kind of celebration.

Even though that you and Steve spent a lot of time together and you two are going out for almost a month the relationship was moving slowly, especially physically. Steve didn’t have a problem with being affectionate, he was always holding your hand, hugging you and kissing you.

The problem was that the kisses never turned out into something more, his hands never explored your body and he never tried anything. At first, you were thankful for this, all other guys you were involved with always moved too fast, but now you two were together for almost a month and nothing happened besides exchanged kisses and cuddles on the couch.

You sighed, putting your hair in your ponytail and going outside “You are late, sweetheart.” Steve says kissing your cheek, taking Blueberry’s leash from your hands and giving you a cup of coffee “My bed was so comfy this morning that I had to stay there for a few more minutes. Did you wait for long?” You asked worriedly, the fall had started and you’d hate it if he got sick waiting for you on this cold morning.

“Not really, I also spent a little more time in bed this morning.” You agree, you lean on his body, the cold didn't make easy for you to wake up earlier and you are more tired than ever “So I was thinking, maybe we could have dinner at my place tonight?”

You smile, you have never been to his place before and you can’t deny that you are curious to know what he´s been hiding “I love this idea, are you going to cook for me?” You ask playfully as he hugs you by the waist “I can try, or I can order some food. I just you want you there tonight. You can even take Blueberry if you want.”

“Are you inviting me to spend the night?” What else would you have to take your dog to a date for? “No, I mean yes but only if you want to. I am not suggesting anything, really take your comfiest pajamas and I have a guest bedroom if you prefer…”

“Steve, shut up. I would love to spend the night, but Blueberry is going to stay at home, she likes to be alone.” You say coltishly, kissing him; you loved when he got flustered “I can pick you up from work if you want.” You shake your head no, you have to pack a few things and make sure that Blueberry has enough water and food for the night.

“Text me the address, I will meet you there around seven?” He nods, kissing you “It is a plan.”

After you two finish your walk, Steve goes home for a quick shower and gets ready for a long day at work “Morning, Wanda.” He says to his assistant, as she hands him his coffee “Morning, boss. Mr. Stark called, he will be here next week for a meeting, I emailed the details. And Mr. Barnes asked for you to call him back as soon as possible.”

He enters in his office with Wanda following behind him. It’s not even 8 in the morning and he has already so much stuff to do “What did James want?” He asks looking at the contract in front of him; Tony was not going to be happy with that agreement “He was asking about the prosthetics and how the designers are going. Also, he asked if you bought your plane tickets and…. Well, how were you this week.”

“I will give him a call, did you send the tulips?”  Wanda nods “Yes, they were already delivered white and yellow ones.” Good, these were her favorites “Do you need anything else, boss?”  Wanda asks with a smile on her lips, she works for almost 8 months and so far she was the best assistant he had ever had.

She was smart, quick and didn’t take his bushtit “Yes, I need you to go the store and buy some things for me and leave them at my place.” He hates to ask Wanda to do personal things, but he knew that he wouldn’t have time to do it himself.

She smiles when she sees the list “Date night, boss? This is a really good wine. So when are going to meet the special girl? Are you taking her to the fundraiser next month?” He found odd how happy she was for him, but then he remembers the reputation that he has on this company: he is like a lone wolf.

“How do you know that?” She arched her eyebrows at him “Steve, please, you don’t need to be a detective to figure this one out. For the last month you had this big smile on your face and now you are asking me to buy expensive wine and actual food for you. Not take outs or frozen pizza. So when are we going to meet her?”

Steve shrugs, these events are so boring that he usually escapes them as soon as he can but maybe with you, these things aren’t going to be so bad “Maybe in the fundraiser.” The assistant writes something in her notebook before asking “Do you need anything else? Candles? Candy? Flowers?”

“No, maybe candles… no, follow the list. And Wanda please, don’t let me stay late, kick me out of my office if it’s necessary.” She laughs “You got it, boss. She must be really something special, I never saw you leaving the office on time.”

The rest of the day goes by without him even noticing. Between analyzing contracts, reunions with suppliers and looking at new designers, he hadn’t stop for a second. He even called Bucky on his lunch time to update him on the prosthetics matter and about his relationship with you.

The conversation with his best friend wasn’t easy. Bucky always worried too much about him and always asked too many questions. He told Bucky that you were going to spend the night in his place for the first time today and how he was thinking about inviting you for the fundraiser next month.

Bucky thinks he should do it, that you are good for him and that you should know about his real job. Of course, he was also excited to meet you, the girl who was able to make his friend smile. The end of the conversation was still playing on his mind.

“You should tell her everything, the latter you tell her the worst she is going to react.” He rolls his eyes at his friend, he wishes it was that simple “If I want her to run away and never see her again, sure.” He says sarcastically.

“You are so stubborn and dramatic. She is not going to run away, it’s not like you have a secret family here in New York. Remember the advice that you gave me when I was having problems with Nat? You said just talk to her and now I am asking for you for do the same. Tell her about your job, at least because if she founds out in any other way she is going to be pissed.”

He hates when Bucky is right, and lately, he was always right, not that he was going to admit this out loud “Bucky, I told her I was a designer and I still do that and it is my favorite part of the job. And second I will tell her, but you know that as soon as I tell her I am going have to explain how someone so young became a CEO and then everything. So give me a break.”

“Of course, Captain... Can’t wait to meet her next month.” He can imagine the smug smile that Bucky has in his face right now “Don’t call me that, you know that I hate this fucking nickname.” Since he started to work for Stark, he was good with leadership and solving problems. He was the perfect leader for any project, especially the ones that were designed to fail.

He was a good Captain, especially of sinking ships.

“Are you ok, Steve?” He notices the change of tone in his friend, he knew what the reason for this call was made with this question “Not really, but I have been worse.” He was glad that he was not going to be alone tonight “Me and Nat are going to visit her today, do you want us to say anything?”

He takes a deep breath “Just tell her that I love her and that I miss her, Wanda sent the flowers already.”

“Boss it is time to go.” Wanda says taking him away from his thoughts “Thank you, Wanda. Go home and rest.”

At home he prepares the recipe like his mother used to, praying that he can do his mother’s meal justice. He decides to cook spaghetti a carbonara, the recipe was easy enough for him not to screw up.

You are 15 minutes late, in your defense it is not your fault. You were busy baking a chocolate lava cake for the both of you, maybe it was your fault but dessert is very important. You knock on Steve’s door, you can’t help but laugh when you see him.

Steve was still wearing his work clothes: a nice blue dress shirt and formal pants, but the best part of his whole outfit was the apron saying: kiss the cook. You gave him a peck on his lips before saying “You look adorable.” He pulls you into another kiss “And you look beautiful. Come in, let me help you.”

He takes your purse, letting you get in and you start to look around. His apartment is beautiful and spacious but was so impersonal... it was like opening a decoration magazine and recreate whatever was on the page.

The walls were white, he had a black leather couch in the middle of the living room and a coffee table in the same color. There was a big blue fluffy rug close to the couch, a few decorations in red but that was it, no pictures or anything that said that someone actually lived in there.

“I brought a cake, the best one you are ever going to eat.” You say putting the cake in his hands, he leads you to the kitchen who follows the same color scheme that the living room “I bet it is, everything you do is amazing. I hope you like my cooking if it sucks we are going to order pizza.”

“Don’t worry so much, and it smells amazing. If it tastes half as good we are going to have an amazing meal.” He gives you a glass of wine, smiling at you “I have an invitation for you, you can say no if you want... But next month I have this thing in the company… it is a fund raiser and it is going to be boring. But I would love if you come with me.”

He runs his fingers thru his hair, sometimes he is so confident and other times he is like a high school boy with his first girlfriend “You sure know how to convince a girl, but yes I would love to come with you. Even though that a month is far away from now, are you sure?” He nods, hugging you “100 % sure, actually there are a few people who want to meet my girlfriend.”

It feels so good to hear he said the word girlfriend out loud. You knew Steve liked you but it was good to know where you two stand “Do you talk with your friends about me?” You ask following him to the living room, where you are about to have your meal “Just my best friend and my assistant but I do consider her a friend.”

He pulls the chair for you, you look at the table in front of you. The spaghetti looks amazing, but what really caught your attention is how he set the table with candles and flowers “This is amazing, Steve.”

The food was good, it wasn’t amazing but it was very good for someone’s first attempt to cook. You two ate making small talk. You told him about the new employer in the pet store, about the puppies that were for adoption there and how you almost took them all home with you.

Steve talked a little about his day, he didn’t give you too many details but it sounds chaotic. He looks tired, not just work tired but like he didn’t sleep last night “Are you okay, babe?”  You ask when the conversation fell into silence “Yes… this week has been kind of hard for me… and I didn’t have too much sleep last night.”

You catch his hand on yours playing with his palm “Do you want to talk about it?” He nods, you get up off your chair sitting on his lap. He holds you close, hiding his face on your shoulder “Yesterday it was my mother death’s birthday, she passed away a couple of years ago…”

Your heart aches for him, you notice that he was kind of distant but for you, he just had a lot to do on work,. You never imagined that was going through something like that “I am sorry, Steve.”  Your hands play with his hair, you don’t know what to say to him.

You remember how painful was for you to lose your grandmother, how around the anniversary of her death and the holidays you can’t stop thinking about her “You two were close?” He nods, you wonder why he invited you here today.

It was oblivious that he was not in the right place of mind right now, maybe he just didn’t want to be alone, maybe he thought that he could go by this date without getting affected “My dad died when I was a child. I don’t remember much of him, I just know that I look a lot like him. It was always just us, she was the best mom.”

You catch his face in your hands, making him look at you “I am sorry, this should be a fun date and I am here crying on your blouse.”  You clean a few tears out of his face and kiss his forehead “I am not, I am glad that you trust me enough to open up about this. Why don’t we lie down for a minute?”

“Are you going home?” You can hear the despair in his voice, he doesn’t want to be left alone and you would never leave him in this condition “Only if you want me to.” He shakes his head a no, he takes your hand and leads you to the bedroom. There he takes his shoes off and lies on the bed “Please, stay.” You lay by his side, he rests his head on your chest while caressing his back.

“She was a nurse, she worked a lot of crazy hours but she was always there for me. She took care of me when I was sick. And trust me, I was sick all the time growing up… I just miss her. She was so good at giving me advice, she always knew… I remember this one time I was sick and she skipped work just to take care of me. We watched old movies, she made me soup and cuddled with me all day.”

Steve tells you a few more stories about his mom and growing up. You wish you could say something to make this better, but all you can do is listen and give him some physical comfort. Eventually, he fell asleep, holding your waist with his head on your chest. You kiss his forehead “Goodnight, Stevie.” You say, closing your eyes.

Part 5

Please Leave feedback, I really like this series and i believe this can be a really good one. So share your opinions with me. And of course, if you want to be tagged let know.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers imagine #steve x reader #marvel imagine #marvel x reader

[weallscreamforrpmeme-blog]

Some Japanese Culture for Writing References (Part I: Shopping)

This is a long post of general things you can find or expect regarding shopping in Japan. You can find the rest of it under the cut.

Every fruit is peelable here. Not sure what I mean by that? Well, have you ever peeled grapes in your country? Many Japanese people peel the skin off of grapes before eating them. To be fair, their grapes are huge. I’ve also seen the small ones at grocery stores, but the big ones are more common (or at least more noticeable). 

That brings me to my next point related to fruits: they’re expensive here (one apple is 200 yen = $2), but they’re also good quality (and not to mention bigger than their US equivalent). I never see rotting fruit at the grocery store, no heavily bruised bananas, no bursting berries. They discount fruit that probably has a day or two left of life, but they keep that separate from the fresh stuff and often put it in its own individual package with a new price on the discount shelf so you notice it. If no one buys it by the end of the day, they’ll just throw it out. (This might apply to certain grocery stores though because a lot of the produce at Don Quixote for example is not always in such a good shape as the ones at my local grocery store. Donki is also known for its imported food, so that could be part of the reason.)

This is an addition to the previous point, but the reason why fruits here is so expensive is they’re treated as more of a luxurious dessert than a quick snack like we see in the US. They’re also very delicious (and I say this with no bias because I don’t really like fruits so I don’t buy them, but sometimes I receive them as gifts so I eat them because I don’t want to waste them).

In any general store Japan, the shelves are at a reasonable height for those who are not gifted in being able to reach things on the top shelf (compared to Walmart where everything is just stacked to the ceiling and you have to climb some shelves when no one is looking to get that one thing you need). Everything is arranged also with senior citizens in mind - ready-made meal packages or general ingredients that seniors often need are stocked in an easy to reach area for their convenience. A lot of seniors feel bad (or are stubborn) about asking for help with those kinds of things, so in order to help them preserve their dignity, they make sure their necessities are easily accessible.

In general stores that have shopping carts available, you’re supposed to take a basket and place it on your shopping cart and push it around and not directly place your items into the shopping cart itself. I don’t know if this is just a cleanliness factor (because I’ve seen some people put bigger, non-food items in the shopping cart itself and use the basket for food), but I think it’s just because the carts are much smaller and narrower along the sides than your average shopping cart. Things will fall out unless you have a basket and since Japanese people typically go shopping for a few things they need every day, it’s very likely their items will fall out unless they have that basket.

You know how the US has that fast food culture? I remember getting groceries and having plans for meals to prepare but then eating out and wasting everything because I was too tired/lazy to cook anything. Eating fast food or just eating out in general is somewhat of a luxury in Japan. Families have their own meal plans, typically mothers spend the day preparing everything for their kids and husband when they come home. For single salarymen (office workers) who don’t have someone to cook for them, grocery stores come in very handy because they always have bento boxes and different already made meals that you can just buy and eat when you get home. They’re for sale throughout the day too, so if you need breakfast or lunch, these will cover you pretty well and they’re fairly reasonable, filling, and healthy balanced meals (unlike fast food). 

Also, if you come in during the last hour or so just before closing time, you can find a lot of discounted food (like I mentioned above). Sometimes if they have a lot of a single type of food for sale (too much of the same kind of sushi that hardly anyone bought, for example), they might start discounting it early in the day just so they can give people an incentive to buy it so they don’t have to throw it out and waste it. If something is going to go bad the next day, it’s most definitely going to have a discount sticker on it some time late in the afternoon. The later it gets, the more they discount it, but be careful because you might lose out on something if you wait too long!  (They also don’t just do this with food, btw. They also put discount stickers on stuff that they have too much stock of at the time and they need to move it out to make room for new stuff. Pokemon goods is a good example.)

The cashier will greet you and then tell you how much everything costs in your basket as they ring it up for you. Sometimes they’ll ask you if you want to use a bag especially if they’re really environmentally friendly and they ask if you have ‘mybag’ (meaning, your own bag for groceries). If you say yes, and actually have a bag to use, then you can get 3 yen off on your final purchase for saving them the cost of the bag. It doesn’t seem like much but it’s a big deal for someone who buys groceries every day (which is a lot of the population of Japan - most of them buy only what they need for that day or for the next two days to keep from being wasteful).

Grocery stores also have microwaves for those who buy their lunch there. They also have free ice boxes at the self-bagging area where you can literally just take it up to the ice box (in the same area) and fill it up with ice to take home for free. And yeah, you bag your own groceries in Japan with the exception of maybe a slow day when no one’s around and you bought one or two things - the cashier will put those things in a bag for you if you don’t have ‘mybag.’

You’ll also find a lot of different food items that are followed by the word ‘my’ like in the example of ‘mybag’ as a kind of trendy word to make something feel more personal. I’ve seen ‘mybagel’ and ‘mypan (bread).’ (Something related but not quite part of shopping: I had a teacher ask me today if the camera I had was ‘mycamera.’ Like she literally said: ‘Is that mycamera?’ while pointing at me, so yeah, they use ‘my’ incorrectly grammar-wise but to show that they’re talking about something that belongs to the person the speaker is talking to.)

Stores will show you the price of the item and then the price of the item after tax below it so you can figure out your total for yourself and have the exact change ready at the checkout stand. Well, you don’t have to, but Japan is a cash country. You won’t be paying with credit card most of the time. If you can’t stand not having a card though, there are point cards that you can get for each store (some you can use at multiple stores). Just reload your card with cash at one of the machines, and then you can swipe it and even get rewarded with points that you might be able to use toward your next purchase or even just get something free if you accumulate enough points!

For a different kind of shopping, if you go shopping for clothes and they have a changing room, you’re supposed to take off your shoes before entering. Most of the time, they’ll also have this paper thing that you’re supposed to put around your head as you try on your clothes to keep the germs (from your face I assume?) off of the clothes as you’re trying them on. It’s not such a bad idea if people are sick, for example but it can be a pain if you’re not used to it.

I’ve encountered these in the US sometimes, but this is normal in Japan: there are always little bags for umbrellas as well as hand sanitizer at the entrance of Japanese stores (grocery and general stores, not always small stores). There’s usually a vending machine right near by too in case you get thirsty... inside the store.

The workers are always greeting you or welcoming you to the store if they see you, and it gets uncomfortable after a while. They do it because they have to, and if you’re in a small store and you don’t even buy anything, they’ll still thank you for coming as you try to run out hoping they don’t notice you. (I think it might be a way to guilt trip you actually. It gives me a the feeling that it has to do with the shy culture in Japan, and it probably originated from small food stands and stalls from long ago. If they want people to come take a look and maybe buy something, they’ve gotta be loud and welcoming or customers won’t feel inclined to come over. I know that works on me all the time when I’m going somewhere and someone calls out to me when I make a single glance over. But then again, I could just be very easy to manipulate.) 

The largest bill is 10,000 yen which is the equivalent of about $100 and unlike many stores and restaurants in the US, it’s totally acceptable to pay with a 10,000 yen bill. Some big stores have machines that will take the money and then calculate how much change you need and spits out the exact amount to make the cashier’s life easier. People tend to spend their 10,000 yen bill first at those stores so they can have change to spend at other places where cashiers have to actually count the change by hand. It’s not necessarily a bad thing if you spend 10,000 yen at stores where the change spitting machine doesn’t exist, but you can annoy someone if you make it really inconvenient for them as well as the customers waiting in line behind you.

There is usually a tray on the counter for you to place your cash when you pay. You don’t leave your unwanted receipts there (that’s rude), but Japanese people typically don’t want to touch strangers, so the tray is there to avoid that awkward accidental touch when taking your money. A lot of them are really smooth, however, when they give you your change, often using the receipt as the go-between so they can avoid contact with your hand, but in cases where there’s a lot of coin change, they’ll suck it up and hold your hand as they place the change in yours so it doesn’t fall out. Otherwise, if you drop it, they’ll have to overapologize and it’ll be awkward for everyone, so physical contact isn’t so bad in comparison.

Convenience stores literally have everything you need. You can find snacks, breakfast, lunch, general meals, other food, writing/letter materials, neckties (in case salarymen find themselves in a situation where they need one immediately for whatever reason), flowers, media (books, magazines, DVD, non-hidden adult magazines), drinks, and things you don’t think you need but are actually very convenient for Japanese people such as candles for graves (for Obon season for example). You can also purchase movie, concert, and event tickets at some of the convenience stores (Lawson and Family Mart for example). They have a machine where you can order them, print them, and pay at the counter. 

If you buy ready-made food at a convenience store, they’ll ask you if you would like them to heat it up for you. Then they will if you want to or they won’t and just take your payment. 

100 yen shops are the cheap convenient stores, meaning that they’re fairly common in every city, but you only pay 100 yen per item (with the exception of some special quality stuff that they mark as a different price in red but isn’t more expensive than probably 500 yen). The real convenience stores (what they call ‘conbini’ here) are also a little more expensive than if you were to buy the same kinds of items at a grocery store. In other words, you’re paying for the convenience of the item. Since conbinis are pretty much everywhere and a lot smaller than having to go through a whole supermarket to find the same item, it’s a lot more convenient. (How many times have I used that word?)

That last point ended up getting into conbinis again, so here’s another point about 100 yen stores. You can find all kinds of things that you never expected to find - kitchen supplies, gardening supplies, cleaning supplies, food, snacks, writing supplies, stationery (very nice looking stuff too), fans, Japanese-looking stuff (perfect for souvenir shopping), make-up, books (for even workbooks for different subjects for kids), stuff you never knew that you needed basically. It’s great. 

A completely random point but something that should be mentioned because this isn’t a thing I see anywhere else: the souvenir culture here is so important that you can find a whole area dedicated to food souvenirs in stores to bring back to your coworkers or friends if you’re visiting someplace. Sometimes they’ll even have specific stores for the sake of selling souvenirs (or what they call ‘omiyage’). You’ll see the most omiyage sold in train stations no matter how small they are. They’re often large packages of anywhere between 10 to 30 small packs of a certain snack usually for the sake of giving to co-workers. (For example, there are 34 teachers at my school, so I often buy 2 packages of 18 packs to cover everyone.) There’s usually a model near the actual product so you can see see what the actual snack (and the inside) looks like.

It’s an unspoken rule that pictures are not allowed to be taken inside of stores. I think it has something to do with not wanting their competitors to know how much they price certain stuff (because prices fluctuate based on stock and consumer interest). It’s totally okay to take pictures at the Pokemon Store though because their prices are all advertised on their website anyway. The Pokemon Company owns everything anyway so they don’t have to worry about competitors though there are stores that do sell certain things that are priced a little higher than what they go for at the Pokemon Center. That partly has to do with the convenience of being able to access those items because not every prefecture has its own Pokemon Center or Pokemon store.

If you end up in a store where the cashier bags your items for you (a non-grocery store), they’ll put a piece of tape on the top to keep your bag together so things will stay in place. This is especially helpful when you’re shopping at the book store or when you get a big bag of goods from the Pokemon Center, but they probably also do this as a way to prevent people from just throwing in extra items into their bag on the way out (i.e. stealing). 

#Japanese culture #writing reference #food #grocery stores #general stores #convenience stores #original