#October was a bit of a slump and today I got caught in the rain

[bonefall]

howdy, super enjoying clanmew day! hope its not bothersome but I wanted to pop in and talk about two of my ocs' name translations-

thunderchase > krrakapaoha "thunder will-travel", better translated as "will seek out thunder", in reference to her bold daring attitude - it's supposed to evoke the image of running directly into a storm! her name could also be translated as stormchaser or thrillseeker. the boldness of her name is in contrast to her sister's name, which is...

pickerelstripe > kishkiseek (kishki is a claymew word shhh) "chain pickerel with thick stripes". could also be translated as.... uh, pickerelstripe. her name's supposed to be rather dull, especially next to her sister, which plays into some major self-worth issues - it doesn't help that their dad's the leader and christened them with these names.

theres some other fun names I have too but a lot of them involve my own words and i'd feel bad flooding your inbox with stuff from my dialect aha

No no feel free to go on, I love everyone who's submitted a dialect and it's good to see you around. Chop up snippets of your lore and send them in as like... "tidbits" and I'll shout out your sideblog every time, if you'd like. I need to fix up the masterpost tonight to bring more attention to the specific blogs that run their own, btw, thinking out loud.

GO LOOK AT THEIR DIALECT, Claymew, on their sideblog @pickerelstripe

But anyway! Onwards!

Pickerel isn't here in the UK, but there is a very similar sort of flower. Pickerel is a US waterplant, with a rising purple flower that pokes above the surface of the water, but in the UK, there is the very special,

THIS IS ITS ACTUAL NAME,

Smartweed.

[ID: A picture of the real, actual, existing plant, smartweed. It is a clustered, corncob-like pink flower that rises on a stalk out of the water.]

It's also called amphibious bistort, which Clan cats agree with. It's from the same cultural "classification" of flowers as bistort, hyacinth, and loosestrife. At some point I would like to make a "clan culture" guide to how they sort flowers, but for now, the words to know are these;

Tower (Flower) = Swahr A generic term for a tall, compound flower or several flowers that grow around a central point, usually without thorns (which excludes teasel by definition). Typically purple or pink.

Smartweed (Polygonum amphibium) = Yarpow A semi-aquatic flower which can count as a "reed" in Clanmew. A welcome, beloved pop of pink at the waterside, though Clerics occasionally grapple with a recurring falsehood that burning it will make a cat smarter. It doesn't. It just causes smoke inhalation. Where does the falsehood come from? RiverClan perpetuates the rumor as a mean joke against other Clans. Word comes from Brain + Light Pink (the color 'blush', in Clanmew).

[therainroguefanfiction]

🔥 ℝise Ⱥbove I̾t ◈ [Thanksgiving Special! 🦃]

📑 Table of Contents | ◂Backward

Word Count: 4,439

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

〈“Oh, oh, oh, it’s Thanksgiving, we’re gonna have a good time. With the turkey ey! and mashed potatoes ey!. We are gonna have a good time. It’s Thanksgiving~” Nicole Westbrook, “It’s Thanksgiving”〉

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

Oh look, the Author’s Note is at the top this time. I bet you’re thinking, ‘Well shit, this can’t be good!’ And you’d be right 😂 Okay so, I wanted to write a special for Thanksgiving right and I had these plans to make it this shit fest of just absolute crack and humor right. WELL if you know anything about me you know that I go back to angst by default. Like, you know how when you play online games, sometimes your settings just reset on their own and then you gotta go and turn off the music and turn the subtitles back on and why the fuck is PVP ticked on?? That’s basically me okay. I auto default back to angst unless I changed the settings again lmfao

So, I started this off, full fucking intent on being funny right. Yeah, no. Runaway while you fucking can. It got so fucking heavy in the middle and it’s just… I’m sorry bro. That’s all I can say. It might make you cry? I mean, I’m a sensitive lil bitch and I cried while I wrote it sooo~ But fear not! I gave it a cheerful, happy and somewhat enlightening/inspiring ending?? At least I think so anyway… Also, you don’t have to celebrate Thanksgiving to enjoy this! Oh yeah, and don’t @ me about facts, I literally used Wikipedia because I’m an uncultured fuck that knows nothing about Thanksgiving even though I live in the USA lmao Don’t fucking @ me about the song I chose either 😂 I ain’t adding that shit to the playlist tho.

So yeah! Read this shit, cry into your snuggie or your dog that looks like a mop and then go enjoy some turkey or hug your mum. Don’t forget to reblog this chapter because I’m a hoe for them reblogs ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

☔ Rain

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

The door to class 1-A slammed open with so much force, it bounced off the wall and came back, stopped only by a gloved hand. An obnoxiously loud voice filled the room, “Are you ready, kids?!”

“Aye aye, captain!” I jumped up, automatically answering only to curse myself a moment later when he smirked. “Bitch, this ain’t Spongebob!!”

He clicked his tongue and gave me double finger guns. “But you responded!”

I slumped into my seat in frustration.

Present Mic approached the board, picking up a piece of bright orange chalk before writing a word on the board in English: Thanksgiving. He slapped his palm under the word, making several pieces of chalk fall to the floor. “We’re going to be talking about the meaning of Thanksgiving in Western Countries, most notably in the United States!”

“Sir!” Iida’s hand shot into the air.

“Thanks for calling, listener! What is your request?!”

Iida stood tall. “With all due respect, sir, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Japan, we celebrate National Labor Day.”

“You’re correct… almost! Many people consider National Labor Day to be Japan’s Thanksgiving! Plus, I’m your English teacher, so why not take this time to talk about a wonderful holiday where you get to stuff your face with as much food as you can handle without being looked at like a weirdo?!”

“It doesn’t matter what you do,” I commented blankly. “People will always think you’re a weirdo, cockatiel.”

“Hey, aren’t you American, Winchester?” Kaminari questioned, tilting his head back to look at me.

I shrugged. “My mom was American, but I was born in Japan. I mean, Gramps taught me English and we had a small dinner every Thanksgiving to ‘celebrate my heritage’ or some shit, but I don’t really know the details about the holiday.”

“Which is what I’m here for!” He slapped the board again, giving up a grin. “Now pay close attention, listeners! In America, Thanksgiving occurs on the fourth Thursday of November every year! In Western Countries, this holiday is known to be the moment to thank the Native American people for helping European pilgrims to survive their first winter in the United States! Typically, this is a day when families come together from across the country to be with their loved ones and feast!”

I hummed. “Gramps used to always make me watch these American pageants where grade-schoolers put on plays reenacting the interaction between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. I remember one year, this kid was dressed in a fucking black trash bag stuffed with newspaper.”

“Plays are very popular in schools all across the states!” He nodded his head. “Can anyone tell me what year that Thanksgiving became a federal holiday in the USA?” He cupped his ear, but the only thing he got in response was a cricket that had snuck into the room a week ago to avoid the approaching chill settling over Japan. That fucker is really good at hide-n-seek because we still can’t find him and he’s at the back of the room so it’s like he’s in my fucking ear. “That’s right, the year is 1863! Before that, it was celebrated off and on since 1789 but the third president, Thomas Jefferson, just wasn’t feeling the holiday so he put a stop to it!”

“Seems suspect,” I responded.

“Now, who can tell me about the First Thanksgiving?!”

Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp.

My eye twitched and I turned in my seat, eyes scanning the back wall. Where the fuck is that goddamn cricket?! I swear to Deadpool I’m gonna roast that bitch when I finally fucking find it.

“Right again, my impressionable listeners! The First Thanksgiving was created by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621! The feast lasted a total of three days and, according to one attendee named Edward Winslow, there were one-hundred-forty-three rockin’ attendees – ninety Native Americans and fifty-three Pilgrims!” He continued to drone on about the history of Thanksgiving in the states, listing off several different dates and names I couldn’t be bothered to remember.

I mean, History is cool, I guess, but when am I ever gonna need to know this stuff to function as a member of today’s society? Especially here in Japan, where American norms aren’t focused on at all? Plus, that fucking cricket is all I can think about!

“By the way, there will be a test on this and if you fail, you get remedial lessons with me, your chart-topping host!!”

Oh, fuck me.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

I stepped out into the chilly night, my breath coming in puffs of smoke as I walked. Aizawa didn’t like us to leave the dorms after dark, but there was no specific rule about it as long as we stayed on campus. It was two in the morning, and I had been tossing and turning in my bed since I got there. It hadn’t bothered me at first when Mic brought up Thanksgiving, but now that it was just a couple days away, I’m starting to get restless.

This would be my first Thanksgiving without Gramps…

I fell onto the icy cold stone bench, letting my head fall back to stare up at the navy sky. It looked like ribbons of velvet, bright stars dotting across it like sequins caught under the light. The moon was a perfect crescent.

“Jen?”

I glanced over, seeing Zuku with his arms wrapped tight around his body. Even with the thick sweater he wore, it was obvious he was cold. I patted the bench beside me and he sat down, letting me throw my arms around his body. I focused on my quirk, raising my body temperature to warm him up. “Why are you awake?”

“I got up to use the bathroom and spotted you out the window.” He frowned up at me, his brow furrowed. “You look so… sad. What’s wrong?”

My grip tightened around him and I smiled sadly. “I guess I am a bit sad… This is my first Thanksgiving without Gramps, so… it kinda hurts, you know?”

“Oh, I see… I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine. Just something you gotta deal with, ya know? It’s life, and life is full of unfairness.”

“Will you… tell me about it?” He asked softly, playing with his fingers in his lap. “About what the two of you did each year? If it’s not too painful, I mean…”

“I’d love to,” I ruffled his hair and closed my eyes. “Let’s see – Gramps thought it was important for us to celebrate Thanksgiving because my mother was American. ‘It’s part of who you are, kitten, so we must celebrate!’ is what he’d always tell me. He spent the first five years learning everything he could about the holiday because he wanted it to be authentic and at age five, he started hosting a small feast for the two of us each year.”

“It sounds like he loved you a lot.”

“Yeah… Yeah, he did. We were each other’s world, the only two people we had in life. It was just us against the world!” I chuckled, but it held no humor. “Gramps was a hell of a good chef. He always used to attribute that to the fact that he worked for near six years in a restaurant with his father before the man died and the place had to be sold. Cooking reminded him of a simpler time, so he took pride in everything he cooked. Now that I think about it… that was the first time I met Skye and Heather.”

“Friends of yours?”

“Nah, they made my life hell growing up.” I waved my hand. “I don’t think they remembered this, but I met them once when I was seven. They lived a couple blocks down from us and Gramps had met them on several of his midday walks. Skye was half-Japanese on her mother’s side, while her dad was American and Heather was full American but her family moved to Japan just a year or two previously. Since Gramps wanted to make Thanksgiving as authentic as possible, he went to them for advice. Sky’s father had asked his grandma back home to send a few of her recipes for the holiday and that’s when I met Skye for the first time. He stopped by on his way to work to drop them off and she was with him, but she took one look at me and turned her nose up.”

“You were bullied?” He asked softly, lowering his head. “I never would have thought that.”

“Yeah, but it didn’t start until I was twelve.” I chuckled. “Anyway, we didn’t have much money to work with, but he saved up with every paycheck for months in advance. Just small amounts from each check and then the week before Thanksgiving, he’d take the money he saved and go all out, buying a Turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie, the works. Some of the shit he couldn’t even get in our town, he had to travel to specialty shops or order the ingredients online from overseas. I kept telling him it was too much work, but he was a stubborn old man.”

Izuku shifted in my arms, his head on my shoulder. “Tell me more about him,” his voice was soft and growing husky as sleep started to claim him.

I hummed softly. “He liked what the day symbolized – families coming together to be thankful for the people in their lives and for the things they were gifted with. To be honest, I often wondered as a child if he regretted raising me, but I knew that was wrong as I got older. It was almost like… raising me gave him a purpose, a reason to face every day with a smile. And I guess in a way… he was the same for me. I remember it so clearly, waking up at one in the morning on Thanksgiving day to sounds in the kitchen. I’d sneak down the hallway, careful of that stupid ass board on the right that always creaked when you stepped on it. And there he was, seeming to radiate warmth and happiness as he bustled around the kitchen getting all the dishes ready for that day.”

I smiled, my hands fisting around his jacket as I took a shaky breath. “He always wore that stupid ass apron I gave him on his birthday in fifth grade. It was this god awful snot yellow color with lime green stripes. If you stared at it too long, you’d go fucking cross-eyed. And it had this… hell, even to this day I don’t know what it was. I think it was a Rhino in a chef’s hat but I guess it coulda been a hippo? Or a fat giraffe with a short neck. He was convinced it was a Thanksgiving Zebra, but I still think he’s nuts. There’s no way that was a damn Zebra, and I would literally list the reasons why it couldn’t be, but he’d just listen intently with a bright smile, nodding his head to show that he was listening. And once I was done ranting, he’d pat my head and simply say, ‘Thanksgiving Zebras are quite special’. I swear he was batty.”

Zuku chuckled. “What makes a Zebra a Thanksgiving Zebra?”

“They have to be fat as fuck apparently. And orange. At least I think it was orange. It coulda just been a really dark yellow. I’m telling you, this apron was all kinds of wrong! I will never understand what I was thinking when I looked at that thing in the store and was like, ‘This is feckin’ awesome, he’s gonna love it!’. But he did love it, wore it every time he cooked, even on the rare occasions we had guests over. He wore it without shame and always with a smile.”

“Because it was from you, so it was special.”

“Hmm, probably, yeah.” I sighed deeply. “Come on, let’s get you to bed, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“I wanted to hear more stories,” he pouted, but he was clearly having trouble holding his eyes open.

“I promise to tell you some more later, okay?” I stood up, putting my arms under his body and lifting him into my arms. He snuggled closer, mumbling something under his breath before sleep finally claimed him. I held him closer, feeling my eyes sting with tears, but I forced them back. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t cry, not until I’ve earned the right to do so.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

“Hey, Jen, wait up!”

I paused in the hallway, glancing over my shoulder. Ryuu was dodging students as he headed toward me, smiling brightly. When he finally reached me, he threw his arms around my neck, pulling me into a hug. I chuckled, hugging him back. “Hello to you, too. What’s up?”

“Are you busy?” He questioned, pulling away.

“Uhh, I got a shit-ton of homework that I probably won’t do and might accidentally burn but that’s about it.” I grinned.

He huffed, putting his hand on his hip. “You better not! You’re not allowed to get kicked from the hero course because you refuse to do your work.”

“Yes, mother.”

He nudged my shoulder but I didn’t miss the way his lips twitched up. “What do you say we hang out at the library for a bit and work on it together?”

I hummed. “Why, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to lure me away, Hiryuu Rin~”

“As if,” he teased, tugging on my hand. “Come on, let’s get to it!”

“But learning is so boring~”

“You won’t be a hero with that attitude~”

“Last time I checked, pros don’t have to go around dividing letters with numbers to defeat villains,” I grumbled, throwing my head back.

He hummed. “True, but what if you come across a math villain?”

“Punch him in the dick.”

He sweatdropped. “What if he has hostages and he’ll only release them if you solve his math problems?”

I looked at him blankly. “What are the actual chances of that fucking happening, Ryuu?”

He huffed, puffing out his cheeks. “It could happen!”

I poked his inflated cheek with a chuckle. “Anything is possible, I guess.”

Ryuu led me to the back of the library, settling down in the corner. The next few hours were spent taking turns on our homework assignments. I was able to help him with a couple subjects, while he had my back for some of the harder ones, like math. And then there was physics, which left us both fucking stumped.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

The librarian peeked her head around a large bookshelf, her tired, dull eyes landing on us. “Library’s about to close. Time to leave.”

I glanced out the window and clicked my tongue. “Damn, we were here for a while. It’s dark out.”

He nodded, stuffing his books into his bag. “They say time flies when you’re having fun, but…”

“We weren’t having fun at all,” I pointed out and he shrugged, stifling a yawn.

“Can I come back to your dorm?”

“Ho~? I didn’t know you were so forward, Ryuu.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him and he rolled his eyes, rubbing his arms as we stepped out into the cold.

“I was thinking more along the lines of hot chocolate and a movie.”

“Well, that’s no fun.”

“Just what were you thinking…” he muttered under his breath before shaking his head at my grin. “Nevermind, I don’t want to know!”

The walk to 1-A’s dorm passed in comfortable silence, Ryuu practically glued to my side as he soaked up the warmth from my body. I wonder if his body reacts negatively to the cold because of his reptile-like quirk. I should ask him about that later.

We stepped inside and I immediately froze in the doorway, my eyes wide.

Ryuu took his shoes off, looking back at me curiously. “Jen? What’s wrong?”

“I, uh…” I swallowed hard, covering my mouth and closing my eyes. As soon as I stepped into the building, the smell of food had wafted to my nose, almost as if it were waiting at the door to tease me. It smells just like… like the house did every Thanksgiving morning. It’s the exact same smell.

A hand rested on my shoulder, Ryuu looking at me with worry. “Do you feel sick?”

“No, I just…” I took a breath, forcing a smile as I tried to ignore the smell. “Sorry, just remembered something.”

“Are you sure? You look pale…”

I chuckled, pushing past him. “I was born pale. You up for grabbing the hot chocolate and heading to my room for the movie? Not really in the mood for socializing.” I stepped into the kitchen and froze for the second time. What the fuck?

“If you’re not in the mood for socializing, that might be a problem, Winchester.” Kirishima grinned.

“You better fucking get in the mood, bitch!” Katsuki scowled, his face twisted up.

“Welcome home, Jen.” Izuku greeted, brightly.

“Huh, class A certainly loves going over the top for everything, don’t they?!” Monoma laughed, but it didn’t have its usual mocking undertone to it.

“I hope you don’t mind us joining you guys,” Kendo smiled, tilting her head.

My eyes scanned the faces of classes A and B, all stuffed into the kitchen around the table that had been covered in various dishes of food – turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole… Am I dreaming? I don’t… I can’t…

Ryuu embraced me, his hand finding my cheek. “You’re crying…”

“What? No, I -” I lifted my hand, wiping at my eyes. I am crying. I’m crying in front of both classes. They’re supposed to look at me and be reassured and feel safe, how can they do that if I’m crying my eyes out? Why am I even crying?

Momo and Ashido rushed over to me, pushing Ryuu away as they fussed over me, squishing me between them. “We’re sorry, we should have asked first!”

“Yeah, don’t cry, Jen!” Ashido squeezed me tighter.

“I don’t… know why I’m crying…” I sobbed, rubbing at my eyes furiously but the tears wouldn’t stop coming.

Izuku smiled sadly as he approached, pulling my hands away from my face. “All Might thinks you haven’t properly grieved for Gramps. That’s why I thought it would be a good idea to do this, to give you a chance to… to… properly grieve and to realize… to realize that you’re not alone!” His shoulders shook as his eyes filled with tears.

“Damn it, Deku! You’re supposed to make her feel better not start crying with her!!” Katsuki slammed his hand on the table, the silverware rattling.

“Can I… have a minute, please?” I asked softly.

The two girls exchanged a look before hesitantly pulling away. I bowed my head and stepped out of the kitchen, heading back out through the doorway. As soon as it clicked, I leaned back and slid down, my body shaking from the effort it took to hold back the rest of my tears.

‘Remember, kitten, life isn’t always easy. More often than not, you will face hardships and pain that will be so bad, you will begin to question why it has to be that way. However, just as happiness is often fleeting, so, too, is sadness. You may think that crying makes you a weak person, but I assure you it does not. Crying is a sign that you’ve been strong for too long, and there is no shame in it. Don’t be afraid to show your emotions, kitten. They are not your weakness, they are your strength.’

“Young Jen?”

“Toshi…” I sobbed, tears flowing down my cheeks as my body shook.

Warmth flooded me as I was brought into a strong chest, arms wrapped tight around me. A tired voice sighed from somewhere behind him, “I told you this was a bad idea.”

“Shouta…”

He kneeled beside us, his hand gently rubbing the top of my head. “Sorry, I should’ve stopped them.”

I shook my head. “No, I… I just…”

Toshi rubbed my back comfortingly. “When young Midoriya came to me and told me about his conversation with you the other night, I saw this as a teaching moment. He wanted to get together with the rest of your class, as well as class B, to have a Thanksgiving dinner in honor of your Gramps. I knew this would be hard for you, but I was sure that it was the right thing to do. You accepted the fact that he was gone, but you never grieved for him, did you?”

I shook my head, clutching his sweater between my fingers.

“When we lose someone we love, closure is important for us to heal and move forward. And… I worry that you might feel alone in this new world, but you have impacted those around you, even those from class B. They were more than happy to help out when young Midoriya explained things to them.” Toshi pushed me backward, grasping me by the shoulders and giving me his signature smile. “You are surrounded by people who love you, my dear Jen. Never forget that.”

And I smiled back, even with the tears still falling from my eyes.

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

When I returned to the kitchen twenty minutes later, several worried eyes snapped to me, no doubt noticing my red and swollen eyes, but I smiled brightly at them to ease their worries, stepping aside to let the two teachers inside.

“Hey, All Might made it!” Kaminari cheered.

“And Aizawa-sensei, too!” Kishima grinned.

“Does that mean we can eat now? I’m fucking starving,” Katsuki complained, his arm thrown over the back of the chair as he glared at the ceiling.

“Yes, let’s dig in!” Momo clapped her hands excitedly and the room sprung to life, everyone squeezing into the chairs around the table. Not everyone could fit, of course, and they ended up sitting off to the side or on the counters. All Might himself took up two and a half seats as he sat at the head of the table, laughing and chatting with the students as he told them stories from his youth.

I sat at the opposite end, between Shouta and Izuku, both of whom kept glancing at me with worry, though the greenette wasn’t trying to hide it like our teacher was. I chuckled, taking each of their hands with my own. “Thank you for this. It really means a lot to me.”

“Of course!” Izuku squeezed my hand, giving me a bright smile. Aizawa didn’t say anything, but he squeezed my other hand.

“You Sparky fuck, that turkey leg was mine!!”

“Huh? I don’t see your name on it, Bakugo.”

“Do you wanna die?!”

“Ahahaha! What deplorable manners class A has! Pathetic!”

“Be quiet, Monoma!”

“So many beautiful girls packed into one room, I just wanna touch them…”

“You’re disgusting!”

“Can you pass the cranberry sauce? Ribbit.”

“Here you go, frog girl!!”

“You’re too loud, Tetsu!”

“Hey, All Might, what was your favorite thing about America when you lived there?”

“That’s easy, young Kaibara! I loved seeing the -”

“Hey, you guys started without us!!” The room turned their attention to the doorway where Midnight, Gran and Present Mic stood. Midnight, who had spoken, huffed in annoyance. “There better be a turkey leg left!”

“Itps mjinre!” Katsuki mumbled around the turkey leg that he had stolen from Kaminari.

“You little brat, give it here!” She demanded, nearly jumping across the table to tackle him. His eyes grew wide and he took off, yelling obscenities at her as she chased him around the kitchen.

Gran approached me, putting her hand on my shoulder and smiling kindly. “Happy Thanksgiving, deary.”

I looked around the room, watching the chaos that was ensuing around me. And I smiled, my heart full of happiness and warmth. Things haven’t been easy, and I’m sure the road ahead of me is far from clear, but I’m surrounded by people that care about me, that I care about. Gramps… wherever you are right now, I want you to know that I’m okay. You don’t have to worry about me. These idiots may not be entirely sane and they may drive me up a wall sometimes but… they are home. My home.

“Hey, hey!” Mic raised his voice, making the glasses rattle. “Let’s go around and say what we’re thankful for! Start us off, Uraraka!”

She pulled a surprised face at suddenly being called before tilting her head and smiling. “I’m thankful that we can all be here together!”

“Excellent! Iida, you next!”

“I’m thankful to be with friends during this time of giving thanks!”

“That’s the same as what Uraraka just said but good job! Let’s keep this train a-rollin’, folks!”

“I’m thankful for music.”

“Boobs. Definitely boobs.”

“I’m thankful Bakugo didn’t kill me for that turkey leg…”

“I’m thankful that everyone here is so manly!”

“I’m thankful I’m not sitting next to Mineta…”

“Anime and manga, definitely.”

“I’d be thankful if this bitch would stop chasing me!!”

“And I’d be thankful if you’d give me that turkey leg you brat!”

“I’m thankful that all of you dears are healthy~”

“Hah, I’ll be thankful when class A finally goes down!”

“I’ll be thankful when I don’t have to babysit Monoma anymore…”

“I’m thankful I got to meet Kirishima!!”

“I’m thankful that I sparkle so beautifully. I am magnifi -”

“I’m thankful for this awesome food!”

“What about you, Jen?” Izuku asked, curiously.

“Me?” I hummed as several people looked at me expectantly. I grinned brightly. “Ain’t it obvious? I’m thankful for tacos!”

Zuku sweatdropped. “I shoulda guessed…”

“Well, you stick to your guns, at least, young Jen!”

“Speaking of,” I looked Zuku dead in the eye, my expression deadly serious. “Where the fuck are my tacos, bro?”

His body tensed and he swallowed hard. “Um, I… I didn’t see any mention of tacos when I was researching Thanksgiving…”

I clicked my tongue. “That’s fucking shameful, Zuku. No holiday is complete without tacos.”

“I-I’m sorry!”

I grinned, ruffling his messy hair. “Make sure you don’t forget next year, ‘kay?”

His face lit up and he nodded. “Of course!”

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

「“Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot.” – Hausa Proverb」

「“People cry, not because they’re weak. It’s because they’ve been strong for too long.” – Johnny Depp」

「“Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.” – William Shakespeare」

「“Love doesn’t make the world go ’round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones」

「“We fall, we break, we fail. But then, we rise. We heal. We overcome.” – Unknown」

[pug gif]

⊱ ────── {⋅. 🔥 .⋅} ────── ⊰

▸ Forward

📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

[b-chansbbygirl]

I Promise

Summary:  After weeks of planning, a promise was made - one that he tried but failed to keep. 

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Word Count: 1,270

Warnings: Cursing, light angst, light fluff.

A/N: This was written for @niallersnachos, based off of the song Birthday by Maisie Peters.

Dark clouds loomed over Brooklyn, the gentle rumbling of thunder shaking the ground beneath it. It was a cold October day, and the forecast showed a seventy-five percent chance of thunderstorms. Lighting shot across the sky like a bullet as gentle rain patted against the glass of your apartment building.

It seems that Channel 4 News had actually been right this time.

A soft sigh left your lips as you curled into the warm confines of your blanket, turning yourself into a ball on the small sofa. The glass of wine that you’ve been nursing for the past hour sat still in your hand as you watched the storm approach. It’s ironic how this storm happened today of all days. It’s like nature knew what was going to happen before you did and was mourning with you.

Your eyes drifted over to your small dining table. The cake was left untouched, the candles on the top never having been lit.  A full, unopened bottle of champagne sat next to it. This had all been put together this morning in preparation for what you only could have hoped was a good day. But he never came. He promised. He didn’t even call.

Turning back towards the window, you took a small sip from your glass, a slight stain of red being left on your lips. A bright flash of lighting filled the living room followed by a loud clap of thunder as the storm raged on in the sky.

The vibration and blue glow of your phone caught your attention as it alerted you to an incoming call. Picking up from the cushion beside you, you almost scoffed at the name on the screen. Your finger hovered over the little green phone icon. Should you even answer? He left you hanging on today of all days and now he finally decides to call?

You answered before it had time to send him to voicemail, slowly bringing the phone up to your ear. The sourness and anger you had felt earlier in the day had begun to resurface.

“What,” you bit. It wasn’t even a question. It was more of a demand to know what he wanted after leaving you hanging all evening when he said he’d be here.

A soft sigh was heard on the other end of the line and his voice was soft as he spoke.

“Y/N, I’m really sorry-”

“Don’t give me excuses, James.”

He was silent for a moment. So silent, in fact, that you could hear a car pass him on the wet roads. He knew you were really pissed when you called him by his first name.

“I’m not, darlin’. We had an emergency. I had to go. I really should have told you but Steve was up my ass about getting out the door so I didn’t have time.”

Your eyes closed as you thought over his words. It wasn’t an excuse – his job often got in the way of your relationship and it sometimes even made you wonder if it would ever work. This didn’t happen often, though. He was always there and always on time, whenever you needed him. He wasn’t one to miss time with his girl.

A sigh left your nose as you stared down at your glass of half-drunk wine. He was still silent on the other end, waiting for you to speak first. A glance at the clock had your heart sinking as it read just past midnight.

“It’s fine, I guess. You can come over tomorrow if you’re not busy. I’ll still have everything, so we can just eat then.” Your throat was tight as you talked, tears threatening to spill down your cheeks.

“I’ll make this up to you, sweetheart, I promise.”

A bitter smile crossed your face as you remembered his last ‘promise’. It wasn’t his fault but that didn’t mean you weren’t still pissed off about it.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

A sharp knock echoed through the apartment. Your brows furrowed together in confusion as you looked over your shoulder towards the door. Rising to your feet, your bare feet cautiously padded down the hallway. After a peek through the peephole, you dropped the phone from your ear and threw the door open.

Bucky was drenched. So much so, that there was a puddle forming on the stained carpet beneath his feet. He had a hesitant smile on his face and you could barely make out a bruise on his right cheek. His phone was still held up to his ear.

The tears prickled at your eyes again and you put on a sad smile. He had flowers in his hand – they were obviously from the gas station down the street. They were the only place open this late.

His blue eyes searched your face and he could practically see the pain in your heart. It only made him feel even more like shit.

You moved aside, motioning for him to enter your kitchen. After tossing him a towel to dry his soaked hair, you crossed your arms over your chest and looked everywhere else but him.

Bucky was silent as he set the flowers on the counter and moved the towel over his head. He paused as he glanced over to your slumped shoulders, and he noticed how you purposefully kept your eyes on the floor. You were upset. And it was because of him.

He cleared his throat, about to speak, but you beat him to it.

“It’s past midnight, Buck.” Finally, your eyes found his. Tears pooled on your waterline. He watched as your bottom lip quivered, and he noticed when you tried to swallow the lump in your throat.

Looking at your face made his heart clench. He knew how much your birthday meant to you. You’d been alone since the accident and you were so excited to finally celebrate with someone, but he went and ruined that happiness. If he could fling himself off the roof of Stark Tower, he would.

His eyes moved to his hands that were holding the now damp towel. Bucky had to swallow the tightness in his own throat. “I know, doll,” his voice was gentle as he spoke. He wasn’t sure what to say. With a sigh, he threw the towel onto the counter and moved to stand in front of you, placing his hands on your cheeks.

The sensation of both warm and cold was surprisingly welcoming. You look up into his eyes, blinking away your tears. His gaze was soft, but his brow was furrowed in concern. The corners up his lips were turned upward in a small, encouraging smile. You couldn’t help but return it.

“You know I love you, right?” A slight nod of your head was his answer. “Then you know that I’ll always come to see my girl. I always keep my promises, darlin’.”

His smile grew as yours did. Relief filled him as the light returned to your eyes and an embarrassed blush colored your cheeks. Bucky’s thumbs softly rubbed at your cheekbones as he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to your nose.

“That cake is going to be stale by the time we get to eat it.”

Bucky chuckled and stood to his full height, bringing his hands down to wrap into yours. “I’ll get plates, then.”

When he turned into the kitchen, you couldn’t help but admire him. This man had been fighting for the safety of the world. You could only imagine how tired and sore he was, but he came anyway. He kept his promise.

Bucky always keeps his promises.

[thatishogwash]

Support Group for Monsters

13 Days of HQ Halloween pt2

October 1 - Witches AO3

October 2 - Witches pt2 AO3

October 4 - Demons AO3

October 9 - Monsters AO3

“I just don’t understand him!  I’m a ghost, a poltergeist, I’m scary and he should be running away not following me around asking me questions like I’m his eighth grade science project!”  The lights flickered as Tooru’s emotions got the best of him.  Hajime tried the breathing exercises that someone had given him a long time ago for his anger issues.  Hajime had tried to tell them that he didn’t have anger issues, it’s just Tooru that made Hajime’s usually endless patience snap.

Takahiro liked to tease Hajime that he should take it easy on Tooru, he was a ghost after all.  Stuck forever as an 18 year old teen, never allowed to grow up or move on.  Even his interactions with other people was limited.  But Takahiro was a fae after all.  Not the kind that assisted or helped others in anyway.  He was the kind that sold trusting people cursed objects, taking their money and than the object back when it inevitably killed them.

“There’s a-” Tobio spoke up and a light above Tooru burst, raining glass and sparks around him as his face flashed into the visage of a horrible car accident victim.

When Tooru first started to flicker back and forth like that Hajime would  have to look away or sometimes even leave the room.  As much as Hajime snapped and snarled at Tooru, he had been his best friend since childhood and learning he had died when they had such plans for the future killed something inside of Hajime.  Before Hajime could even properly mourn his best friend appeared at the foot of his bed, whispering things of a headache and bad dreams.

It had taken a while for either of them to find their footing in this suddenly near world they were thrust in.  Hajime had stayed local for college, afraid that if he left than Tooru would have no one to interact with and something bad would happen to him.  It left Hajime with a foot in both worlds and feeling apart of neither.

Then over a year ago Tooru had found this group, a support group.  Yachi, the witch who had organized it all liked to call it an Alternative Support Group.  Everyone else called it as it was, a Support Group for Monsters.  Well, monsters and one human.  That human being Hajime because Tooru couldn’t do a damn thing without him.

“I’m sorry Tobio, was I speaking?”  Tooru asked in a sickly sweet voice.  Hajime’s leg began to jiggle restlessly as Yachi raised her hands but she looked too scared to interrupt.

Suddenly a knee was pressing lightly against Hajime’s bouncing leg, causing it to stop in surprise.  The move was so smooth and natural it didn’t look purposeful at all, but Hajime turned to see the smile on the man’s face next to him.  Sawamura Daichi was as handsome as he was the first day Hajime had met him, inhaling his tea down the wrong hole as Daichi showed up late, dripping wet from the rain outside and smiling apologetically.

“Oikawa.”  Daichi spoke up and everyone held their breath.  “Did you ever think that maybe he’s asking you so many questions because he has a ghost in his life he isn’t quite sure how to deal with?  How would you or Iwaizumi felt if you had stumbled upon another ghost in the early stages of your un-death?”  Un-death was a Yachi term, a word or phrase to make something terrible seem not so bad.

Tooru blinked at Daichi, once again returning to looking like the perfect 18 year old as the lights returned to their normal buzzing and yellow glory.  Daichi was good at defusing situations, which happened a lot in a group that consisted of many clashing personalities and attitudes.  He hardly spoke up about his own problems or troubles, but when he did Hajime had always found himself listening a little harder.

“Thank you Daichi.”  Yachi smiled brightly at him, fingers clasped together in front of her as the tension in the room disappeared.  Most likely Daichi had stepped in because the blonde haired, glasses bloke had a way of provoking Tooru even further whenever Tooru started slipping back into bad habits of being mean to their old junior, Kageyama Tobio.  “Does anyone have anything else to share?  I know this can be a difficult time of the year for some of us.”  Hajime frowned because he wasn’t sure what she meant.  Fall was difficult for them?

“Today is Halloween.”  Daichi whispered, lips grazing Hajime’s ear and making him shiver.  He looked over to see Daichi smiling but there were dark circles beneath his eyes and his usually tan skin was a little pallid, his freckles becoming more prominent.

The previous night had been the full moon and Daichi, being a werewolf, had spent the night as a wolf.  The transformation was difficult and painful, it left Daichi feeling drained and exhausted.  He hadn’t been allowed to take today off of work either, which left him slumping slightly in his chair.

Hajime was too caught up in how unfairly attractive his boyfriend was, even when exhausted, that he missed what was said but suddenly chairs were flying and lights were flickering.  Hajime turned an annoyed look onto his childhood friend, but for once it wasn’t Tooru throwing a fit, though he did look far too amused by the entire situation.

There was usually some kind of commotion going on during the support group.  It was a bunch of clashing personalities sitting and talking for an hour, but most importantly they had to be quiet and listen.  Sometimes that was difficult for a couple of the members, like the two newcomers.  They were twins and Hajime didn’t feel too bad that he couldn’t tell them apart despite their different hair colors.  One of them was always saying something snarky, purposefully riling up the more emotional members of the group.

Yachi looked close to having a panic attack so Hajime leaned over to try and comfort her which seemed to be the wrong thing to do when out of the corner of his eye he saw a chair heading straight for him.  Hajime had enough time to inhale quickly but little time for anything else as the chair had been tossed with inhuman strength.

Hajime found himself wrapped in a familiar warmth that was pretty surprising when he thought he was going to be nailed with a chair.  They went tumbling over from the force of Daichi tackling him and Hajime heard the chair clatter in the background, Daichi grunt in pain as he took the brunt of the fall, and then total silence.

There were a lot of terrifying things in this world, Hajime was sitting in a support group for most of said terrifying things.  He worked as an editor for an online newspaper, he knew all about scary things.  Despite knowing Daichi was a werewolf and seeing that several times over for himself, Hajime had never been scared of the other man.  He knew others didn’t feel the same way as he did.

Daichi pulled back, face pulled into a deep frown due to worry as he ran his hand over the back of Hajime’s head.  Werewolves were built a bit sturdier than humans and it left Daichi with a lot of anxiety over Hajime’s health.  Hajime would have enjoyed the attention much more if it wasn’t happening in front of two dozen other people.

“Sawamura-” The voice of one of the twins started but Daichi growled, a low sound that cut through the remaining noise in the room.  Hajime was sure even the faulty lighting in the building stopped its incessant buzzing in fear.  Daichi turned, slowly and Hajime saw several people stiffen.  Tooru still looked highly amused because he knew he wasn’t the one to pull Daichi’s ire.

“Out.”  Daichi commanded.  The silver haired twin watched the blonde one.  Hajime thought it was mostly the blonde one who got them into trouble, but he had a feeling the silver haired one was just more sneaky about it.

“But we didn’t throw the chair.”  The blonde one complained.

“You can come back next week with a different attitude.”  Daichi stated firmly.  Hajime couldn’t see his face but he did see several of the other support group members, the other monsters, lean away from Daichi.  The blonde looked like he was going to argue further but Daichi growled once more and took a step towards them.

“Tch.”  The blonde twin snickered as he got up and walked out, his twin following behind at a slower pace.  Hajime pushed himself to his feet, realizing he had still been sprawled out on the floor.

“Sorry Aone, you were going to say something?”  Daichi asked, tone back to his normal cadance and Hajime watched as everyone visibly relaxed before their attention turned towards the normally quiet golem.  Daichi rightened Hajime’s seat before taking his own.  Hajime sat down as everyone waited for Aone to speak.

As with most situations that involved Daichi, Hajime found it hard to keep his eyes off of him.  He thought it would have gotten better over the years, after all they had known each other for over two and been dating for a year.  But Hajime was just as captivated by Daichi as he was the first day they had met.

The session was wrapped up soon after that and Yachi directed everyone to the table she had set up with treats and drinks.  Hajime started to fix himself a cup of tea, Daichi had been pulled away by Koushi who had the looks of an angel but was an actual demon.  Hajime had worried about that at first, but besides trying to make Hajime jealous by giving little touches to Daichi, Koushi was alright.

Hajime felt the air beside him change suddenly and he looked over in curiosity before taking a sip of his tea.  Kentarou was glaring at him, which really didn’t say much.  Kentarou’s face just pulled in the right way that always made him look pissed off about something.  Mostly he was angry about one thing or another, but Hajime had gotten to know the young werewolf enough to know he wasn’t truly angry.  Kentarou only attended the meetings every once and a while, mostly when he was dragged by the likes of his rowdy friends Ryuu, Yuu, or Taketora.  He hadn’t been at the meeting earlier, which meant he had snuck in after it was over.

“Kyoutani.”  Hajime greeted with a nod.  Kentarou’s face smoothed out slightly as his eyes darted around.  “Do you need to speak to Daichi?”

“I needed to talk to both of you.”  Kentarou’s face twisted back up as he eyed Koushi warily.  “Alone.”  He added gruffly and Hajime resisted the urge to laugh.

“What’s up?”  Hajime asked, knowing that there was no way to pull Daichi away from the small crowd that had gathered around him without causing attention to shift to why Kentarou wanted to speak to them alone.

“I’ve been dating,” Kentarou chewed out in a way that would seem aggressive if Hajime didn’t know the other man was embarrassed.  “-and he’s human.”  Hajime was surprised at that but it made sense why Kentarou would seek out Hajime and Daichi to question.

“Does he know about any of this?”  Hajime motioned around the room.  The room that was almost eerily normal  knowing what Hajime knew, which was it was full of monsters and creatures from myths and legends.  Kentarou gave Hajime a disbelieving look, to which Hajime laughed.  “So he doesn’t know about you.”

“Of fucking course not.”  Kentarou answered gruffly, the tips of his ears turning red as he ducked his head.  “I like him but it feels wrong to lie to him about so much.”  Kentarou was hiding a huge part of what he was.  It wasn’t just the time around the full moon that was difficult, they had to have strict control of their emotions otherwise they might spout some sharper teeth or their eyes would shift to a wolf-color.  Sometimes during the early mornings when Hajime and Daichi allowed themselves to sleep in, curled up beneath blankets and pressed together, Daichi let himself fully relax to the point that fuzzy pointed ears popped up on his head and the soft thud of his tail hitting the bed could be heard in the otherwise silent bedroom as Hajime pressed kisses against his sleep-warm face.

“It’s not exactly the same, I was introduced to this world before meeting Daichi.”  Hajime said apologetically but he grabbed Kentarou’s arm before the younger man could storm off in dejection.  “But if you like him than he must be someone great.  Take your time to get to know him and if you trust him, ease him into it.  It was scary seeing Daichi shift for the first time but I got over it.”

“And now I don’t have to spend the full moon locked up by myself.”  Daichi said, coming up behind Hajime and lacing their fingers together.  Kentarou looked away from them in mock disgust but Hajime could see him ruminating over what they had said.

“Thanks.”  Kentarou finally said as he took a step back, ready to make a hasty retreat before anyone else caught sight of him.  “And congrats for the one year or whatever.”  He walked out just as Tooru shouted his name.

Hajime stared at the place Kentarou had just been before everything finally clicked.

“I can’t believe I forgot.”  Hajime turned to Daichi in apology but the other man was already smiling.

“Hajime, you are one of the best things that has ever happened to me, I honestly don’t care if you forget our anniversary.  It’s not as if we ever discussed it and with the full moon yesterday and your project at work, you’ve been distracted.”  Daichi reached past Hajime to grab a bone shaped cookie.  Hajime couldn’t help but smile even as he felt awful.

“You made me my favorite breakfast and brought it to me in bed, I should have realized.”  Hajime had asked Daichi out on Halloween the year previous, after a group meeting just like this one.  He had wondered why Daichi had been so insistent on going to the meeting, but it was where they had met and could see each other once every week.  Daichi had later admitted he had never made a move because he didn’t want Hajime to feel awkward to rejecting him and then still showing up at the meeting.  Hajime had assured Daichi there was no way Hajime would have rejected him.

“I love you.”  Daichi said, half a bone cookie sticking out of his mouth and Hajime couldn’t help but laugh as he cupped his boyfriends too adorable face.

“Why don’t we go home and grab take away from that place you like?  We can even watch horror movies all night.”  Hajime offered.  Daichi loved horror movies for the inaccuracies they portrayed, laughing the whole way through them.  Daichi smiled and brushed his nose against Hajime’s in silent agreement.

[teacherkmd]

QuFu Week 3: Starting to get the hang of things

Time for the weekly update from QuFu!

Last week ended with a bit of slump mentally/emotionally. I was stressed out waiting for news about my family and friends in North Carolina with the hurricane’s landfall (they’re all fine). In order to combat the blues and distract me from my endless anxiety, Kim and I decided to go for an “American” dinner at Pizza Hut and to see a movie. 

We walked to Pizza Hut (about 2km) and were the first customers there. However, it quickly filled up with families and crazy children. The family that sat down next to us had 5 (read: five despite the new two child policy). The two older girls were very eager to try and ask us where we were from multiple times (they didn’t understand our response) and then preceded to ask if we knew Chinese. 

I ordered a margarita pizza and was very happy with the amount of cheese on it. Kim ordered the pepperoni. For dessert, she, despite my warnings, ordered durian ice-cream cake. Her assessment of the flavor: fart and cream. I stuck with chocolate ice-cream for dessert.

(My glorious pizza)

(Kim’s dessert mistake).

Afterwards, we attempted to use Didi (China’s Uber) for the first time. This was only half successful. For some reason, it wouldn’t let me order a didi, but let me use the app to call a taxi? Whatever. We successfully got ourselves to the movie theater in time for the movie to start 2 minutes early with no previews. Craziness. We watched a move about the Brazilian soccer player Pelé. It was very dramatic but exactly what we needed. 

We decided to start walking home and see if we saw a taxi on the side of the road or driving by. Fortunately, we got to cross off another QuFu must do: ride in a little electric enclosed rickshaw/bangbang/ tuk tuk!  It was a lot of fun. 

(In the Tuktuk)

The next day, Sharlyn (another Fellow), Kim, and I decided to go on a walk. We walked all the way to where I had hung out with the two Chinese girls the previous week. We had just enough time to get a snack before it started to rain. It was just drizzling but seemed like it was picking up. We walked towards the exit of the shopping street, and agreed to let this tuk-tuk driver take us back to the university. As soon as we stepped in and shut the door, it started torrentially down pouring. There had to be up to 5 inches of standing water on the road; in some places there was more. We walked from north gate of campus and very quickly saw that there was enough rain that the freshmen had been released early from military training. They were equally soaked. I should have just taken my shoes off to walk back from where the tuk tuk dropped us off. I really don’t know why it didn’t occur to me. I tried to dry my shoes by hanging them from the AC unit so they’d get some air flow… but that didn’t really work. 

The roads are no longer flooded, but it hasn’t really stopped raining since the weekend. Come Tuesday night, I had agreed to meet with the teacher whose class I observed last week. She had asked me to help prepare a student for a teaching competition. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it turned into me sharing some communicative ideas for teaching middle schoolers (games, etc.) and then giving a demo-lesson for which I was completely unprepared. Probably the worst demo-lesson I’ve ever given. Nevertheless they loved it and seemed really inspired. I also got to talk to the two teachers there about more activities I could hold like this on campus (workshops etc). Slowly building the connections and rapport I need on campus to set up secondary projects!

This week we also had to go to the “police station”-> more like giant administrative building to start our residency permits… did I think I would have this process started sooner, yes… anyhow, in theory I’ll have my passport back on or before October 9th. We all know how trapped I feel without my passport. In the mean time, we have this little nifty piece of paper that apparently vouches for my legality in the country and can be used to purchase bus, train, and plane tickets. 

I also had my first Chinese class this week. We did the listening section of a mock HSK (Chinese proficiency exam). Apparently, even after missing 10 out of 45, that is good enough to pass. We ran out of time before moving on to the reading section. So, now that is homework. I was also assigned the task of looking up all the words I didn’t know on the listening section’s answer sheet and asking native speakers to use them in sentences for me. I also have to do the reading section as homework so we can go over it in class next week. The teacher is really nice and works with all the international students here on campus. 

Wednesday night also consisted of the welcome banquet for the foreign faculty on campus. This included all the English teachers (me, Sharlyn (fellow Fellow), and Kim), the visiting Canadian physics professor Karen, the French teacher Jordan (from France), and mystery Russian lady who no one caught her name. We were organized around the table with a Chinese representative from our departments so we would all have someone with a mutual language to talk with. The food… I should have taken pictures of. I am sorry. The vice president of the university joined us for dinner and many speeches were given. And we were gifted mooncakes! But I am saving those for Mid-autumn moon festival. 

In other news: I had a giant delivery of popcorn kernels today and that was super exciting. I’m planning my first conference trip in October to Changchun! I’m very excited about it. I’ll also be going to Beijing in November to do a Roundtable (small Group) at the Beijing American Center at the embassy and a larger presentation the next day. Lots of presentations to plan! Oh, and I successfully baked bread. 

Upcoming: this weekend QuFu opening ceremony for Freshmen, Confucius Temple, Mid-autumn moon festival, and first classes of the semester next week!