#as a single-person household I can't take care of everything and have enough time to recharge with just two days

[mari-beau]

FUCK CHORES AND PROJECTS!! I'M WRITING FANFIC THIS MORNING AND IT'S MAKING ME HAPPY!!

[gaywatch]

I need more music to listen, so unleash your reccomendations

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh dear I never get to talk about music enough so pardon me if I explode all over you

(Links are to songs that are both faves and good places for a newcomer to start.)

Taylor Swift - Yeah yeah she's a household name but no kidding, she has 10 albums spanning several genres and I can guarantee you that she has at least some songs that you will permanently add to your rotation. Google around for a good place to start and dive in (...or just ask me because I will gladly help you out).

Taemin - He's been known as 'the Michael Jackson of kpop' for years now, but what's wild is that he started at Michael and has since grown into a dancer and performer all his own. The only kpop artist I fully stan. His singles never. ever. miss.

Delta Rae - Incredible folk/country/Americana band from the state I live in with male and female vocalists. They are criminally underrated because they were liberal country artists before that was even remotely possible. Seen them live twice, met them twice, they are the most genuine people and outstanding artists.

Amanda Palmer - Originated as The Dresden Dolls, a duo that invented the 'punk cabaret' indie subgenre, and has been a solo artist for like 15 years at this point? Intense piano, intense lyrics, intense everything (the linked song is the anthem for girls with daddy issues). Objectively the most personal lyrics I've ever heard. Voice may take a second to adjust to. Not made for mainstream and doesn't want to be. One of the most important artists to me, personally.

Marianas Trench - Pop/punk perfection (but also simply genre chameleons) with a musical mastermind at its core. One of the best vocalists. Most albums end with an opus arrangement of the songs that came before and it's life changing.

Pink - People don't realize how powerful her vocals are and how incredible her lyricism can be. A pop icon. This bitch raised me, forever grateful.

Halsey - If all you know is Without Me and Closer, you haven't heard Halsey. Every album is outstanding but hopeless fountain kingdom doesn't have a single misplaced sound. It's pretty freakish actually.

Chvrches - Sheer and utter synthpop perfection, every single song. The one I linked is one of my favorite songs of all time, period.

MUNA - Queer girls making queer indie pop. Great lyrics, immaculate vibes. Recently opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, and well deserved.

The Midnight - 80s/90s synth like you can't even believe. Saxophone for days.

Imogen Heap - A genius and pop legend. Her greatest song was sampled in something god awful and got meme-d to death, I don't wanna talk about it. If a pop artist does breathy vocals, 95% chance they're doing it because of Imogen. She sang me happy birthday. Haven't been alive since.

Rina Sawayama - THIS BITCH. Falls under pop but never met a genre she couldn't master. Stayed in the game into her late twenties (which is geriatric by pop standards), when she finally blew up a bit. A variety of sounds, some of them strange, but all of them brilliant in one way or another (even if you don't personally vibe with it).

Troye Sivan - Twink icon whose first two albums were as gay as they were pop brilliance. I don't care much for his newest work, but you might.

Alice Merton - She's the girl with that Roots song from a few years back. Two albums now, both genius. Unique voice, varied sound but with a distinct Florence oomph to it.

Ava Max - UN. DER. RATE. D. Classic, anthemic pop. Vocals for DAYS. Music so infectious you have it on loop for days. So much more than Sweet but Psycho.

Kesha - I prefer recent Kesha to her classic dance pop madness, personally. She grew into an amazing artist who can blend her weird ass dance flavor with her more mature sounds in a way that doesn't really seem possible.

Bishop Briggs - Nobody has a voice like this. A sort pop/alternative vibe that can be anthemic as easily as it can be dark.

The Chicks - Icons for a reason. Their most recent album, written by the main lyricist after leaving her husband of 20 years for cheating on her left right and sideways, is one of the best break up albums of all time. Period.

The Civil Wars - They only lasted long enough to make two albums, but both are flawless. Nobody will ever harmonize quite like them. Folk/country in the most *beautiful* way possible.

Evanescence - 2000s rock with with a stunning female writer and vocalist whose melodies are simply beyond compare when we're talking about their stuff from 2003-2006. Goth, dramatic, hard hitting, cathartic.

Freya Ridings - Adele but make it a touch more contemporary. Gorgeous deep voice, lots of ballads but her up tempo stuff is just as good.

Billie Eilish - If you haven't heard her first album yet or her early EPs, you need to. Nobody that young should have that much of a grasp of music and her place in it.

Foxes - Underrated pop queen! I have yet to hear a bad song from her, but her latest album is quintessential synthpop mastery.

Jukebox the Ghost - Piano pop/rock. It's actually too much fun to listen to them, tbh.

Kelly Clarkson - Listen, her latest album follows directly after The Chicks' on the string of ultimate divorce albums we've gotten from pop icons lately. I've loved Kelly forever, but in bits and pieces. Her latest album is her strongest project to date, easily.

Labrinth - I do not comprehend what this genius does with music. Electronic, experimental, metaphorical, personal, just something else. Did the music for Euphoria, but his first solo album was an experience and a half.

Lorde - Everybody tells you to listen to Melodrama because you should.

Maisie Peters - Everybody calls everybody else 'the next Taylor Swift,' and they're wrong. It's this girl.

Marina and the Diamonds - SUCH a unique voice, lyrics that are way too smart for mainstream pop.

Patrick Wolfe - A deep-voiced violinist who released a pop album in 2011 that I still listen to because I'm a sucker for pop laced with classical instruments and it's just that good.

Owen Pallett - A higher-toned violinist with more of an indie approach, coming up with concepts and melodies that would go well with an A24 film.

Emilie Autumn - Violin-fueled industrial/pop/metal, often with Victorian leanings. Visceral lyrics on mental illness, depression, bipolar, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, sometimes with a satirical bent or through a historical lens. Voice might take a second to get used to, it's unique and she does unique things with it (including "ugly" sounds on purpose) but once it clicks it clicks hard. Opheliac and Fight Like A Girl are good starting places.

The Veronicas - Underrated (yet oddly influential?) pop icon twins from the early 2000s to now. Killer voices, KILLER pop.

[retconned-royalty]

[shower] – sender takes one look at a bruised and bloody receiver, and goes to run them a shower. hot showers fix everything.

(From cowboy Stefan, before Damon moved out)

Heavy trigger warning below the cut

God he's just a fucking kid. Damon groaned internally, ignoring the fact that he was also just a kid.

Who knew Guiseppe was technologically advanced enough to check browser history on the family computer? Damon hadn't even known how or he wouldn't be in this mess. It was the first time in a long time that his veins had run ice with fear - he hadn't feared his father in years. Just taken the temper, taken the blows and thrown household items, taken the blame for anything that could be remotely his little brother's fault. A hand, a wooden spoon, a fucking belt it didn't matter - dad wore himself out and bruises healed quickly, rarely was blood drawn so Damon was just numb to the whole ordeal.

Tonight though. God tonight he'd been afraid. Tonight he'd been pretty sure his father was going to kill him for being a f*****. Tonight Damon had cried and begged and pleaded for daddy to stop. Tonight his shirt was shredded and his skin was split. Tonight his stomach had steel toed bruises and a painful catch in each shuddering breath.

It was his own fault. Damon knew how his father was, god they'd never wondered for a second what Guiseppe thought about what a man should and shouldn't be. The only person he laothed more than himself was his father and still he'd been stupid enough to sate his curiosities where he could be caught. Why didn't he just stop at the chat rooms? Was it really worth the 20 terrifying minutes it took to download the images? Why why why.

Stefan was risking his own hide tonight too - for daring to sneak over to Damon's room. Mom had gotten the younger of the two out of there after half heartedly telling thier dad to remember his blood pressure. Damon let out a choked laugh, tasting pennies on his tongue. Not a single iota of effort to protect her eldest. Just. 'Remember your blood pressure.'

He tried to tell Stef not to come in, 'Don't touch me, the f** might rub off on you.' 'Shut up.' the kid was white as a sheet but determined. And maybe. Well. Maybe Damon just wanted someone to care about him for a minute. And maybe he didn't have the strength to make him leave. It just made him feel even more worthless though. At thirteen, his little brother should have been safely in bed dreaming about his homeroom teacher or something. Instead he was running a shower for Damon. Instead he was picking off the threads of Damon's shirt and grimacing as it revealed more and more nightmares.

"I can't stay here." Damon was only sixteen. "He's gonna kill me."

"I know."

[codegeassfacts]

50 Questions to Lelouch // Newtype Romance February 2007 // Canon

These are 50 questions asked to Lelouch in the Newtype Romance; While it's not that much interesting, it's still quite fun;

** @rainfall-tumbles already translated those, so please visit and reblog her link !

My observations will be noted as such by **Italic thoughts**

What's your Birthday ? December 5th

Blood Type ? Type A.

**Blood type is very telling about the personnality for japanese people**

Your height is? 178 cm

Favorite color? Violet. Because it is a refined color, and it has the greatest mysterious appeal.

**It was either Violet or black** Hobbies ? I like making things by myself , sort of do it yourself stuff

**handmade stuff actually**

Liberal arts? Sciences? Or are you more the athletic type? What a meaningless question.

What's your best subject? Mathematics. What are your grades like ? I think they're quite high, but I'm not sure/ don't care

Your dream for the future? To destroy Britannia.

Please describe your personality in between two characters and six. Rock. In other words, I don't let small things get to me. Yes I do? Don't be absurd.

**Quarelling with the journalist ?**

Please tell us what your strong and weak points are. I've never really thought about that.

Favorite foods? Creamy food, or tender texture food. Like shrimp, or pudding.

Your least favorite foods? Gooey/gummy foods. Things like natto, or grated yam.

**He seems more focused on texture taste that actual taste** After you wake up, what's the first thing you eat/drink ? Coffee. Morning person? Night person? Night person. I'm like the owl of Minerva. Which do you prefer, baths or showers? I tried using a narrow bathtub for the first time after arriving Japan. As long as it's just once in a while, it's nice enough. **He has a real bathtub at his disposal in Ashford though, does he barely use it ?** When did you first fall in love? (And with whom?) I'd rather keep that to myself. **Incest. It's complicated to describe.** Your greatest failure? When I couldn't protect my mother and sister. How do you vent your frustrations?

I determine the root reason of my frustrations and take care of it. Then there's nothing to vent anymore.

Who would you say is your personal hero? My mother. **Obviously this interview happened before R2** Indoor type? Outdoor type? I won't bother thinking about that, as I can't imagine the interest of this categorization. What's in your wallet?

There is no cash. I use credit card.

Special skill?

I suppose you can say I'm clever with my hands.

How do you go to school?

I live on campus.

When have you been glad to be a man? I've never imagined what it would be like to be a woman. **impressive given he had to cross dress quite a few times** What do you most want to eat right now?

Curry Udon. This food surpasses cultural barriers.

Describe your ideal family situation.

In traditional Japanese architecture, there's this concept of a central pillar. A single pillar that supports the entire house. I think the head of a household should be like that. **This is so Lelouch like, it's the very fondation of how he acts with the one he loves, he had to endure everything.*

Favorite season?

Winter. Because it helps me keep focus. I don't really like summer, it brings back unpleasant memories.

Do you get up easily in the morning, or is it a struggle? I kind of struggle. I have low blood pressure, after all. How many hours of sleep do you get on average? Approximately three ? But, with some naps throughout the day, it might be more like six hours. Your last dream? I dreamt a meteorite landed on and crushed me. I blame C.C.'s atrocious sleeping posture.

**He never actually accepted to sleep on the floor right ? I can totally see C.C. kicks him in the guts while dreaming**

How much time does it take you to get ready in the morning? I've never paid attention. Do you have anyone you admire? Arthur. Please tell us how you spend your holidays. Holiday? this concept is unknown to me (He never takes holiday)

Western food or Japanese food? What is western food ? Oh, a generic term? Then, western, I guess, I like Italian. **I never would have imagined Lelouch craving italian food, I hope it's not again because of pizza hut, this is not italian food** If you could be born again, what would you like to be? Arthur.

What have you been really into lately? Creating an organization, I suppose. Your favorite animal? Cats. They're lithe and beautiful. Like a waltz. Even if Arthur is more like a pop song.

Of the necessities of life (clothing, food, shelter), which is the most important? Shelter. It's a person's base of operations, as well as their place of refuge; It is fundamental to any country.

**Ahh Lelouch...** Sorry to spring this on you, but what is love? Something given unconditionally. **Something he indeed gave unconditionnally at the end of the anime ** Please take a guess at what you'll be like 30 years from now. I'd like you to pray for me that my hair won't become anything like that man's… *....*

If you could travel through time, when would you go back?

I guess, if I would still remember what I actually know, I'd be able to prevent all of it from happening…

Favorite book? (Or what magazines do you read frequently?) Lord of the Rings, The prince of Machiavel, Hamlet… **Of course they had to mention the prince, but the lords of rings ? One might wonder who were his favorite characters and what he loved about this story** Your preferred type of woman? A soft person. You know what I mean ?

*Fuwa fuwa na ito >> As a toughtful blogger reminded me, Lelouch said person, not woman ;) ; Fuwa fuwa with the "you know what I mean ?" can actually means something more ecchi than soft girls, so it's either soft (sweet girls) or soft (ecchi sense) girls, or both (or boys, no gender preference over here). Lelouch could have been more hormonal than we knew**

Is it better to devote yourself, or to have someone else devote themselves to you? I find it more fulfilling to want than to be wanted.

**Why not both Lelouch ?**

Did you receive any Valentine's Day chocolate? How much?

I will not answer that. …"probably none ?" I got some! Not as many as Nunnally, though, for whatever reason.

**Now that is surprising, wasn't the whole school head over heel in love with him ?**

What would you do with a million yen? (Like if you won the lottery?) I'd invest them and make ten times the ammount. What type of person is Suzaku? Softhearted to the point of turning stupid We've already reached the forty-ninth question. Are you getting tired? I've been tired since question 5.

What do you want for Christmas? A sewing machine. I plan to update my cloak and mask.

[happy-place-for-sad-people]

hi, I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for in your ask box, but I really need to get this out. I'm 16, living in a single-(abusive)mom household, extremely low income family. I'm getting to the point where I'd usually apply for college, but because we have no money to move, I can't. I'm facing a lot of pressure to apply to music conservatory, which I don't want to do - that's additional to applying for regular uni for pre-med (which I do want to do). my mom is going to work and save money, and I'll work when summer comes, but I'm just so stressed out. I literally considered just ending it (don't want to trigger anyone so I hope you know what I mean) yesterday because I'm so so so tired. we have no money, I have no one to talk to - every time I talk to my mom it ends with her picking apart everything she doesn't like about me - and I'm just so incredibly lonely. we literally have nothing. I feel like crying all the time, but I can't in front of my mom, and I don't even have my own room, so I have no privacy, and I'm just so tired. sorry for the long vent, but I just feel so much weight on my shoulders and I'm about to collapse. the tlou finale did not help either lol

thank you for reaching out. i cannot even imagine the amount of pressure and stress you must be going through right now. i feel for you, especially since it's been this hard and triggering. i understand what i means coming from abusive, unstable and non-conventional households. i come from one myself and it scars you for life, and the amount of trauma is unimaginable. as impossible as it feels right now and even if i don't know your whole story, please, know there's a way out. i know it's kind of frustrating when you feel like drowning, i know the pain seems unending, but you won't be in this situation forever. take this from me: you're worth it, you deserve love, patience and kindness, regardless of what your environment has made you believe. you're enough, you're smart and you'll get there. remind yourself of this every single day that goes by. you're your own person, and as such you're entitled to having your own goals and dreams, and you can do as you want to do with the life that's been given to you. this world is a vast place, scary and cruel sometimes, but there's also joy and beauty right around the corner. if you ever need to talk, a friend, whatever, i'm here. my messages are always open. you can always reach out, no matter the situation. you don't have to go through this alone if you don't want to. i care and love you, beautiful soul. treasure the miracle that you are. you've got a friend here. take care of yourself.🌻

[mythvoiced]

“Yes, she’s…she’s doing well.” Or at least Myungdae hopes Yuri is. It’s still tricky sometimes, figuring out what exactly is on her mind. She’s still timid too, seldom to ask for help but it is only to be expected isn’t it? It’s not like just getting her out of that household is going to fix everything… “Sleeping well, I mean.” 

Just as long as she falls asleep next to him, Myungdae doesn’t add. Her social worker doesn’t need to know that most times they both end up falling asleep on the couch more often than not.

He wonders what her social worker thinks of him. Do they see a competent guardian or do they see someone merely playing the role of a parent? He glances over at Yuri helping Nell and Alfred at the kimchi making station before turning his attention back to this mandated appointment. He had forgotten about it until the social worker knocked on the door to the locked coffeehouse. “What…what were you asking again?”

( AND JUMPING BACK HERE FOR THIS ONE– eunjae and myungdae this time, aka myungdae, a good parent, just kind of a hot mess at the same time, feel free to roast him eunjae :'DDD i swear i'm gonna come up with more tomorrow lenlen <3 <3 <3 but in the meanwhile no pressure to answer any/all of these if you're not feeling it!! CARE YOU LOTS MY DEAR FRIEND 🥰🥰🥰 )

@clemencetaught | no you see i just??? YOU SEE???

The most unfortunate aspect about this side of the job for the people they visit is how inclined Eunjae is to assume the worst. Hesitate half a second too long in an answer and you'll find them pausing, regarding you with the kind of look meant to make your skin crawl.

It's only the rationality people had assumed them incapable of back in their teen years, that actively keeps them from jumping to conclusions. Forgetting an appointment is one thing, answering with stilted pauses questions pertaining to a freshly adopted child - 'fresh' is a word Eunjae stops using at around a decade of no trouble, frankly - well, who wouldn't love to take that opportunity and jump at it?

Someone worse than Eunjae. Or someone better than Eunjae, depending entirely on the angle you're regarding the scenario from.

Eunjae's face does remain deadpan, but something about the person before them doesn't strike them as terribly threatening, most definitely not for themselves, and most likely not for the children.

Two, nonetheless.

Unmarried, single as a whole, never a father before, and suddenly, two children, one in the midst of the hurricane of his teenage years, and one still stuck halfway through her formative years.

Who green-lit this adoption.

"I was asking about any new or particular struggles she might have faced settling in her new environment," the adoption isn't violently fresh, no. But fresh enough.

Judging from the way Yuri navigates this environment, both around her father and those Eunjae assumes to be friends or colleagues - whom they have a few questions about as well - implies at least some sense of safety.

But, then again, children are surprisingly efficient at pretending like nothing's wrong. Mostly because when as young as Yuri, things just are. They turn into 'wrong' or 'right' once they're exposed to the alternative.

They're instinctive as well, though. They don't know what's 'right' and what's 'wrong', but they understand when they feel 'bad' and when they feel 'good'.

And if they're taught to feel guilty for feeling 'bad', well... the entire thing becomes muddled enough Eunjae is spontaneously reminded of why they do this.

In a way, they can't say they're too surprised about having to hunt parent and daughter down. From what they recall, and they do recall things very well if necessary and of seeming relevance, Shin Myungdae, well...

How to put it kindly...

When's the last time he fucking slept?

Maybe that's where the lenience is coming from. Reading people well means an instinct to discern if they're stood before someone who doesn't care, or someone who does, but might be faltering from force majeure.

Or whatever provided him with the cane.

Eunjae sighs, shifts their weight, stuffs the empty report template back into the bag Tae-il had gotten them as a gift aeons ago - which is why it doesn't suit the rest of their energy at all.

"You know, Shin Myungdae," they say, after readjusting their stance and meeting his eyes again. "I'm here for you as well. Not against you. For you. I'm here to help. To answer questions, to connect you with people who's services might be of use to you. My goal is not to find ways to consider you incompetent. My goal is to help you be a confident parent. A good one."

For the child's sake, more than anything else.

"How are you?"

[thecreativeforge]

Shipping and Handling [for roy owo]

Tumblr just fucking deleted my entire post as I was about to post it, and now I gotta rewrite everything asdakjdfh

First and foremost, you got to be able to get along with children. More specifically, you have to be able to get along with his daughter, Lian. There is no way around it; Roy will not even consider you as a romantic option if he sees that you can't handle kids in general. You don't need to be an expert in child rearing, but just show the right attitude towards children and the willingness to be part of taking care of them if it will ever come to it. Roy is a proud single father (by defult, Jade is out of the equation entirely) to a fiesty four to six years old Lian who is just as fun as she's a handful. His daughter is aware of his vigilantic lifestyle, as he doesn't really bother concealing his identity with his close ones anyway, and was around heroes and capes most of her young life. If you treat Lian right and agree to spend the time with the two of them, and even go as far as spoiling her rotten? You already won Roy's heart.

Roy is a person who pays enormous amounts of attention to his partner and takes note of the small details that make them feel special and loved. He will go above and beyond to please his partners, but that probably makes it a little harder to spoil him in turn. Not necessarily because he's picky, but because he's just a little awkward getting the same kind of treatment he so freely gives in turn. It touches on his lack of self confidence and the inner fault in him that he doesn't inherently think he deserves it, and the constant need to prove himself to others, especially with a recovering addict background. If you work through it with him, show as much attention as he's giving despite any initial awkwardness from his side, you'll get to see the incredible, sensitive and vulnerable side of the archer, allowing him the space for open, healthy romance.

Roy has a lot of appreciation to partners who do an effort to spend time with him exclusively. He constantly juggles between parenting, doing vigilante work and maintaining a household, and it's not an easy work. In the free time he has, he would be more than happy to spend it with his loved one on fun date activities, from a walk in the park on a sunny day to luxurious dinner dates. It doesn't necessarily has to be fancy or grandiose (though he wouldn't say no if they were), just show that he has an important place in his partner's life, enough that the time they spend together means something to both of them.

Roy is proud of his Navajo upbringing. He feels part of the native community even if he wasn't born there, but a hefty chunk of his childhood was spent being raised among these people, and it's where he got the foundations of his impeccable archery skills. By defult verse, he wears a Navajo band tattoo around his right bicep. He will not tolerate any disrespect or bigotry towards his people, or any minority in general.

For a small, final bonus detail, I'll say that Roy really enjoys it if you touch his hair. You can play with it, brush it, run your fingers through it, tug and pull at it in more intimate settings... He'll be like a putty in your hands.

@dramatisperscnae

[chonnysinferno]

h. vent / rant i need to put out for my sake

i feel so awful. i hate these people i have to force myself to call my parents i hate how they get angry at me for the littlest mistakes yet i can't get angry at their constant jests and jabs about my yellow crooked teeth or my long nails or my messy hair or the way i walk or the way i talk or how i sit or how i can't be normal enough or how i can't manage one grade good enough because i have to at least have a low a and they have to say this everywhere about everything i do to all of their friends and their strangers outside and the whole household and the extended family and ALLL fhat type of shit and i just want to die

it's so horrible and when i try to "joke back" because it's always a joke and it's never serious and they never mean any harm and and when i do it i either take it too far or i don't reciprocate it well and when I don't respond im the horrible person for not playing along even though these jokes sometimes hurt and make insecurities worse and they gotta do it all the time every where it's hard to cover your ears and your eyes to things that nudge you and bother you every single second because sometimes they joke about some other minority they hate and im part of that minority and it hurts it hurts they have to be hateful 24/7 when can they stop

i can't even tell them anything j can't even be angry because being angry is not just for them and they're the parents and they know best and there is not a single good reason why i should EVER be angry about ANYTHING even though you scorn me and dehumanize me and nmake me feel less than with my "imaginary friends" who "don't exist" and then have the audacity to say "don't talk to me i won't talk to you" even though what i did is not nearly as enough as what you did. dont think i forgot what happened years or even months ago that apology was never enough to suffice. you BROKE THE BROOM YOU COULD NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR THAT EVER YOUR SHITASS APOLOGY WAS NEVER ENOUGH FOR ME YOU BITCH YOU COULD'VE DONE MORE FOR ME TOO YOU COULD'VE DONE SO MUCH MORE I HAD TO MAKE SOMEONE ELSE CALL THE POLICE BECAUSE I WAS CRYING ON THE SIDEWALK AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE BALLS TO EVEN CALL THEM. YOU WATCHED ME GET HIT WITH A BROOM AND DID NOTHING NTIHKGN

when does this ever stop when do i ever be free when do i finally kill myself i genuinely just want to get hit by a car and suffer a horrible death maybe it'll finally kick in to their small ass skulls that their child hated them to the point it drove them to kill themselves because you couldnt care less whether they were suffering because you couldn't give a damn about "feelings"

[bxllafanficc]

¡Skate/sing your hearts out! (Yuri Plisetsky x reader)

(part seven)

Part one. Masterlist!

Summary: After last year's cancellation of Figure Skating Grand Prix, Yuri Plisetsky finds himself unable to bring out his inner skater after a year of doing nothing but enjoy life like a regular teenager. That's when you enter the picture; We Are Voice Grand Awards's currently hottest competitive vocalist come first place two years in a row. Just like the other competitors of Grand Prix, it turns out that Victor and Yuuri faces the same issue. With an arrangement between Victor and Yakov, they agree to travel to Japan and hire you as a mutual coach for Yuri and Yuuri to help bring back the emotion into their performances like before, maybe even more intense than ever. Yuri however, who's never experienced issues with his coaches before, for some reason finds this one particularly difficult to coexist along with in their (reasonably) odd partnership. Warnings: none

*Yuri's POV*

(Next week)

A week had passed by in a rather slow pace. Yuri's recovery seemed to never end when it had just been a few days. But those days were spent sleeping and eating, using his phone and sleeping some more. Mostly he had no one to talk to since everyone were busy with their own lives. Especially (Y/n) who had to keep her inner performer alive at all times. Her coach came with the idea of hosting a smaller gig where (Y/n) would perform about two or three numbers for the people of Japan. It was planned out as a small nightclub gig at first but the numbers of interested in Japan rose over the charts and well... (Y/n) said that she didn't want to let anyone down. Though her coach was apparently hesitant into taking more than a hundred people. 'Three numbers are too little for a concert.' They said but the people of Japan insisted on paying for the price a concert ticket anyway.

(Y/n) had told him this two days after his fever started. He remembered it made him scoff at how she decided the ticket would only cost a quarter of what a normal concert ticket would then. He had told her it was a ridiculous way of thinking.

He barely saw her after the first day of his fever. The way Yuri had taken a hold of her hand and fallen asleep... She waited until he woke up. Well, not exactly waited. She fell asleep at the edge of his bed.

And since that, the two of you barely talked during the days. They barely even met before she went to bed because she spent every waking hour to practice her numbers with her backup dancers. She still made you breakfast when she head the time though.

Yuri's glad it would soon be over and he could go back to normal. Everyone had been attending to him like he was some child and he felt like a huge burden. He had told Victor that he wished (Y/n) especially wouldn't just dismiss his attempts at doing things on his own just because he couldn't get out of bed with single effort. 'Right, she told me about that! You fell on your face right after while trying, didn't you?' He had replied.

So... yeah... Yuri wanted things to return to normal real fast. Yakov had promised him that he would get to start his session with (Y/n) as soon as the music for the program was set. And that was what Victor had been helping him with a couple times. It was hard to find something he wanted to use. Everything felt overused and boring. Just another performance. Yuri didn't want it to pass as that. He wanted to stand out and earn his gold medal for real just as last year. Now was also really the year of improvement so the music had to be well thought through. He was certainly going to take advantage of having a coach for emotional performances with him this season as well. Meaning, his free skate program was already set to be something hurtful and strong. Not love, he already did that. Something far more serious. He wanted the audience to cry after his performance. Everyone should be bawling. Yakov, piglet, Victor and even (Y/n).

Most important of all, no one would be expecting him to do a program with such deep meaning. Because he was one to avoid it in the past.

His short program should be something upbeat and flashy. He wanted the choreography so intense that he'd be coughing up blood at the end of the performance, if that was possible. So the music had to make the pulse of the audience rise when hearing it. Meaning, the music would be in the rock genre. And he already had just the song for it.

This performance would show off his skills and flexibility as well as the importance of his stamina since the entire program would be non-stop step sequences and jumps throughout almost the entire music. Since he intended to be in better shape than ever before before the competition started, he felt no point in holding back on anything. If he played it safe, then what was the point?

"Ah! Good morning Yuri! I come bearing gifts!" Victor busted the door open with his foot and stumbled inside the room, balancing a tray in his hand. The tray was set down in front of him and Victor sat down at the end of Yuri's bed.

"Where's (Y/n)?" Yuri was truly surprised to see Victor being the one to bring you the breakfast today. It had been her until now. And he hadn't even seen as much as her face today since she left so early.

"Ouch. I'm replaced already? I can't go on knowing I'm not your favorite anymore, you know." Victor put a dramatic hand to his forehead and fell backwards onto Yuri's legs. The tray with the breakfast threatened to tumble and Yuri made an effort to stabilize it. It was bacon and eggs with apple slices. A part of him felt a little sad that the slices weren't in the shape of stars...

"You were never my favorite, old man. And you didn't answer my question." Yuri picked up the fork and pointed it towards the man slopped unto the bed end. He ignored the sad pout he received and took a bite of the apple cut into pieces. Each slice were to large and it didn't even taste the same even though they were of the same apples like yesterday. The eggs were decent and the bacon slightly undercooked. Victor's efforts to cook for the household during the day were appreciated of course. But there was no wonder why (Y/n) stood for the head of the dinner at days when her schedule wasn't as crazy.

"She's practicing like mad. Called her dancers to say that she would be starting a few hours ahead of time because she got an energy boost. She wants the show to be at her best efforts possible."

"I haven't even seen her today. How can she practice like a maniac when she's probably already learned her numbers flawlessly?"

Victor was watching Yuri with a funny look. Probably wondering where all those questions came from.

"I think the show is a way for her to relax."

Say what? Going out of bed before sunrise and coming back from practice just mere hours before midnight could never be considered relaxation. Yuri would never be able to pull that off. That was an insane view of the word relaxing, definitely.

"The steam and demands from her competition in We are voice are currently lifted off her shoulders like heavy weights, you know. This is probably just fun to her. She doesn't have to compete with anyone. I think it gives her a sense of relief."

Yuri stopped eating and thought a little extra on what Victor said.

Yes. She was always stressed in every video where a fan or a nosy reporter came out of nowhere and started recording. Yuri had seen those videos. Especially the one where the random person happened to record the exact moment her mind broke down and she had a breakdown in front of a large crowd. Now there was no denying that Yuri sees (Y/n) as the most weirdest and ridiculous being alive. The way she is so determined to get her way and how much she cares for strangers she's never met. Yuri kind of still consider the two of them to be strangers, even after two weeks being with each other on a daily basis. Her eyes are also too intense for anyone to be up close with to her face and as if that wasn't enough, she's also a morning person and that's already a big warning sign to stay away from a person.

But even though he had had this mental conversation with him many times. Even though he agreed that he disliked her; he couldn't help but being captivated by her performances.

It felt so weird seeing her cry like that just minutes before her performance and then watching her going on stage having the time of her life. There was no doubt she loved her fans and performing on stage but that was one of those moments where Yuri really got to see the mind behind the happy smile. It was the first time he had seen her crying or feeling a negative emotion. It's still the first but he got a taste of her irritated self not so long ago.

It made Yuri think about her performance that day. It was a remarkable song filled with sheerness and excitement and her eyes were still wet with tears as she got up on stage.

"Remember (Y/n) performing 'Animal' during the acappella collaboration sequence?"

"Yes! One of my favorites. She was so happy on stage that day." While it had been true that she found happiness, it's not to ignore how broken she felt right before. 'Animal' by Neon Trees (A/N: listen to the Glee version of the song for the best acapella dynamic!) Was one of (Y/n)'s best performances, according to Yuri. He had watched it on repeat just this morning. There's really nothing special to the song in itself. It was the way she delivered every word and tune with such bravery after her internal battle like that. Her emotional response has always been on point but this particular song was something completely real and touching with her tears glistening in the corner of her eyes the entire performance. The tears of sadness had been replaced with joy and she had genuinely just been having a great time with the acapella group at her side, cheering and jumping around on stage with stars in her eyes.

'Oh, oh

I want some more

Oh, oh

What are you waiting for?

Say goodbye to my heart tonight'

The chorus were always his favorite part. Maybe it was the interpretation of the love-hate relationship the words of the lyrics intended. (Y/n) was belting out 'what are you waiting for' with such passion even though it was hardly a difficult song to perform.

'Here we are again

I feel the chemicals kickin' in

It's gettin' heavier and

I wanna run and hide

I wanna run and hide'

The short verse got him every time. The way her eyes watered at the end and then were immediately blown away by the chorus once again. The way she let go of her sadness and let her happy thoughts consume her. No, she let the song consume her and gave the song a completely different touch never done before.

Yuri had lost count of the time he'd watched it and he knew the choreography and song in and out by now. It was mainly intended for the purpose of studying her expression and getting some kind of inspiration for his music choice. He wanted his theme of his music choice for the free skate program to be 'to let go'. If there's any theme harder than love, then it's letting go of the thing you love. And not just what you love. Letting go to be able to love as well. Whether it's love for yourself or another person. There are countless interpretations and that's what (Y/n) had performed that day, with no intention whatever of doing it in such a way.

"I have... I have chosen the music for my program. At the inspiration of t-that performance."

Now don't get Yuri wrong. He'd never admit it to anyone that (Y/n) had been an inspiration to his free skate. He would probably had figured out the idea anyway, it would just had taken a little longer. And her performance was his own way to interpret it so he'd been the one to come up with the decision anyway. So in a way, she didn't have anything to do with it. And his choice of song would be far more intense and heartbreaking than anything Neon Trees could produce. And so Yuri told Victor about his music choices even though he had no clue why he put that kind of trust into the man.

"Those are some really clever choices when combined with your own vision. I'm almost a little jealous. Maybe I should just hire (Y/n) as my coach myself. It seems like it did wonders for you already!" The man laughed and patted Yuri on the shoulder.

"Nonsense. She hasn't began coaching me yet. She had no part in this." Yuri pushed away the empty tray to make room for sitting up and crossing his legs.

"Oh, but it seems like you learned a lot by ogling her all day long though." The smirk Yuri received made his teeth grit and his ears flush.

"I-i wasn't ogling her!"

"Then what were you doing exactly? I heard 'Animal' playing for a good 30 minutes from the wall connected to the room beside yours." Victor laughed at the startled freeze of The Russian Punk.

Okay fine. Maybe he went overboard with the video. But a new problem had seemed to appear now as he admitted defeat.

Yuri now had a witness that would have to be taken care of somehow. He leaned forwards and gripped the collar of Victor's shirt in a tight fist. The glare of daggers shot forwards onto the smiling man.

"Tell anyone about it and you're gonna have to reconstruct that pretty nose of yours. That's a promise,not a threat."

"Trust me! You won't hear a peep!"

[lewis-winters]

(gif by @lyselkatzfandomluvs)

oh? me? writing about single dad!lewis who is a disaster human being but a good dad to a precocious little girl named Bea who adores him but at the same time thinks her daddy is the silliest person to ever exist?

you bet your ASS i am.

anyway, here have this headcanon list:

Bea is Lew's little girl from a one night stand. her mom didn't want to abort, but she didn't want to keep her, either. Lew considered putting her up for adoption, but the second the doctors let him hold her he knew that that just wasn't an option.

at that point, Lew never really knew what love was. not really. but looking down at that lil bundle in his arms that resembled more a bean than human, he decided then and there that that is exactly what true love feels like.

Bea is AMAB and has always known she was a girl. Lew always indulged her, especially when she finally learned how to talk and walk and have opinions. if Bea said she wanted to wear a dress or play with dolls or grow out her hair, he'd let her and he'd sass down anybody that let her feel like she couldn't. bc of that, Bea never thought that she was anything but a girl for ages.

i mean, the only thing she truly hated was her name. bc it was a boy's name and was therefore very ugly.

when she was four, she told Lew and everybody that would listen that she wanted to be called Beatrix-with-an-X instead of the name they gave her. she heard it on tv one day and loved it so much, she just decided to use it and that was that.

I wouldn't say Lew didn't have his moments of crisis over it-- he had a whole paradigm shift, and he definitely had to read up some stuff and talk to people, but he never let Bea know it. that's his baby girl. and he loves her. he'd never forgive himself if he'd ever let her feel otherwise.

he calls her BumbleBea on a regular basis, but in his head and when referring to her to anybody else, he calls her Little Miss Nixon

occassionally Little Miss Hypochondriac if she's being particularly fussy that day

bc Bea is VERY fussy

she's under the belief that her daddy doesn't take care of himself very much. she is right. Lew does not like to admit it.

she prepares his vitamins and reminds him to drink water and eat his veggies

they take care of each other a lot

Lew makes sure Bea does her homework and is polite and gets dressed real nice and is making the right friends

Bea makes sure Lew remembers to brush his teeth or eat breakfast or drink water or dress up warm during the winter

their little mantra in the morning is--

Lew: Be good, but if you need to be bad--

Bea: Don't get caught!

Bea also understands sarcasm a bit too well for a baby child

Lew says it's the natural Nixon gene. Blanche says it's bc Bea spends way too much time with Lew.

Bea calls Lew two things: Daddy, on the regular, and Dada when she wants to be cuddled or carried or held or comforted

Lew has NO idea why she does, but every time he hears her call him Dada while holding out her arms in a silent request to be picked up, he melts into a puddle

George, Lew's old college buddy and Bea's godfather, and Blanche are her regular babysitters. she loves them both so much but she definitely loves Blanche more because when she's with Aunt Blanche she gets presents

George treats her like a mini adult, which just kinda reinforces why she's so fluent in sarcasm to begin with or why she's half as mischievous as she is.

Bea is a morning person. Lew is a night owl. when Bea was a baby, this was definitely a problem, bc she'd have Lew running to her side at 3 am, so much so that he just moved her bassinet to his room and then just little by little let her migrate to his bed and let her serve as his alarm clock.

but when she started to walk and talk and become big enough to do things on her own, they've come up with a system where she'd get up, try her best to make Lew coffee, then wake him up with kisses

the coffee is never good but Lew swallows it down anyway

Lew is very good at braiding hair for some reason

Bea always did say that her Daddy is fit to be a stay at home husband bc he keeps track of their household stuff better than his at work stuff

Lew doesnt work at the plant-- Stanhope didn't like the name Beatrix, let's just say. Lewis told him to go fuck himself. thankfully before doing that, he saved enough money to sustain him and Bea until he could find a job. also, he has a group of very good friends and an amazing sister who stuck by him and Bea, so really, leaving Nixon behind to get a fresh new start in New York with his baby girl was the best decision he has ever made

(Lew always says Bea saved him somehow-- taking care of another human being helped him learn, little by little, how to take care of himself. how to function. he wants to be a better man for Bea, wants to be able to be somebody she's proud of. and by wanting that and doing everything to be that, he's managed to heal himself. day by day. it hasn't been easy. but it has been worth it.)

(he still drinks, though. but never in front of Bea. and never more than a glass. he can't afford to go down that road right now. not with Bea.)

Bea meets Dick first. she's seven years old in a brand new school being run by her dad's college friend and her godmother, Kitty and Dick, fresh from his last tour in Iraq, is there to visit Kitty's boyfriend and fellow teacher, Harry, who is his old college buddy.

Bea likes Mr Winters very much and talks about him to Lew when she gets home

Dick, of course, is easily charmed by this precocious lil girl with an inquisitive nature and an oddly dry sense of humor. He's planning on getting a job in the school's administrative branch so he's there quite a lot. Bea always stops to talk to him, and he never fails to humor her. He rather enjoys her company.

Lew, otoh, is getting very jealous

all Bea can talk about is Mr Winters said this and Mr Winter said that and ooohhh did you know Mr Winters was a soldier? that's pretty cool

Lew has a 9-5 desk job. Bea doesn't think that's very cool.

bc of this, Lew does not like this Mr Winters on principle

All of Bea's godparents (George, Kitty, Lip, and Ron) and her Aunt Blanche think this is hilarious

Everytime Lew sees them, he grumbles about Mr Winters. This, of course, drives Kitty to find a way to introduce them.

so, during during the Parent Teacher Conference, Lew meets Dick. and he finds he does like Mr Winters after all. he likes Mr Winters a lot.

Dick, otoh, sees Bea light up and run into Lew's open arms, giggling when Lew peppers her face with kisses and raspberries, and immediately knows he is very much In Trouble.

Bea, being perceptive as she is, picks up on their mutual crushes on each other and thinks they're meant to be (she's right, of course) and immediately starts trying to push them together.

Bea: Mr Winters, do you like bad boys?

Dick, who most definitely has always had a thing for dark haired, rakish characters with hearts of gold and is also blushing very hard: Uh... sure I do

Bea: Great. Because my daddy is bad at everything.

it becomes Bea's mission to get her daddy and Mr Winters together

she doesn't have a plan for it. she just waits to throw them at each other at every opportunity until something happens.

she's very determined. Lew would stop and admire her ambition if only he wasn't busy fumbling into this new relationship with Dick while also doing his best to be a good dad.

and it's all very cute and fluffy and nothing bad ever happens ever bc this is my au, gdi, and i'm allowed to be as indulgent as i want, thank you.

[deepwaterministries]

Esther 1

- the king was named Ahasuerus, who reigned from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces.

- he reigned Persia, which, as the silver shoulders in King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, was on of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. Thus, it is safe to say King Ahasuerus was one of the most wealthy, powerful people in the world. His word was law. Here is a picture of the room he hosted the parties in:

- Vashti was throwing a party for all when julwomen of the palace.

- he summoned Vashti to show off, and she refused to come, so he was mad. I don't think the two of them had a very healthy relationship.

- his next actions were at least partially to save face, a) so women would still respect and subject to their husbands, and b) prevent strife, because if the king didn't have authority, who did?

- so the king agreed to the words of his advisors, and an irrevocable decree was issued, the queen banished, so every man was the leader of his household and could keep his family according to the ways of his people.

Esther 2

- even though the action was backed with fact, a better action could have been taken, had the king not acted in anger. He went over the events in his mind in a regretful way.

- apparently, the king had a lot of wives and concubines, and Vashti had been feasting with them. Those were her friends.

- it seems the king and queen didn't have a very good relationship. So Vashti's actions are explainable if not justifiable. (Lack of respect for a) another person, b) her husband, and c) authority)

- the advisors told him to gather young, virgin maidens and have them beautified by Hegai, then whichever he liked best, he could make her queen.

- Moderdecai and Esther were Benjamites. I just think that's cool.

- Esther impressed Hegai with her kindness. He gave her 7 attendants and the best part of the house.

- she didn't tell them her people, on request of Mordecai.

- Mordecai visited her daily, to check on her. He was an excellent adoptive faster, and we can see it even more so later on.

- after a year of beauty treatments, each women got a turn to come before the king. She was given whatever she wished and sent to the king for a single night. The next morning, she was taken to the king's harem , to live with his other concubines. She would never see him again unless the king remembered her name. And the fact that Esther's was the only name the king remembered speaks about this horrible practice.

- when it was Esther's turn, she took nothing but what Hegai recommended, and everyone who saw her liked her.

- the king, along with everyone else, loved her. He remembered her name. Out of the hundreds of beautiful women, he remembered Esther. This was no accident, not a coincidence that a godly woman found favor with the king, becoming queen. God put Esther Into the place she needed to be to help His people.

- Esther loved and respected Mordecai, and rightfully so.

- Mordecai ended up being by the king's gate a lot. He was probably known pretty well by the palace inhabitance.

- because of Mordecai's hanging out around the palace, he overheard Bigthan and Teresh plotting to kill the king.

- he tells Esther, who tells the king, and tells him a little about Mordecai (not too much, just his name)

- so the king's life is saved and Mordecai's name is recorded in the king's files. All because Esther had become queen. "That was no accident either," ~Master Oogway

Esther 3

- later, Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all the princes and of the king's servants were made to bow down to him. Mordecai didn't. The king's servants asked Mordecai why he wouldn't bow, and told him daily that he was supposed to. They talked to Haman to see if he would let Mordecai get away with it, since they knew he was a Jew.

- Haman was furious at Mordecai, and wanted to lay hands on (fight) him, but decided that him alone wasn't enough. Haman decided to take revenge on and destroy all Jews under Ahasuerus' kingdoms.

- in the first month of the year, Haman cast lots and decided when to destroy the Jews. He settled on the 12th month.

- he then told the king that a certain people were living in his lands that didn't follow the king's laws and kept to themselves, saying that it wouldn't profit the king to let them live. Just because he didn't like a single person he convinced the king the entire group was evil and needed eradication. He even put a bribe on the Jews heads, that if the king let them be destroyed, Haman would pay 10,000 sacks of silver into the king's treasury. The king didn't take it, he said the money and the people were Haman's to do what he would with.

- and it was sent out to every part of the kingdom. On the 13th day of the 12th month, every single Jew must die, and everything they possessed would be distributed to those who killed them.

Esther 4

- When Mordecai learned about the coming slaughter, he tore his clothes and donned mourning attire; sackcloth and ashes, and wept in the streets. He came up to the palace, but didn't go in, as people in sackcloth couldn't go in.

- ^both to preserve the decadence of the palace and to keep protesters away from the king.

- (also just those in mourning/mourning clothes couldn't go in cuz of the above)

- Esther sent Mordecai new clothes, but he refused them. She sent one of the King's chamberlains to go talk to Mordecai and figure out what was wrong. (Esther wasn't supposed to leave the castle so as to not get mobbed or injured)

- so the chamberlain talked to Mordecai, and Mordecai told him all about Haman's decree, giving him a copy of the decree, with an order to go to the king and plead on behalf of the Jews.

- the chamberlain told these things to Esther, and Esther told him to tell Mordecai that no one, man or woman, can't come into the king's inner court without the king's calling them. The offender would be killed if the king didn't extend his golden scepter to them.

- the king hadn't called Esther in thirty days.

- Mordecai returned with this message, "Don't think that you'll escape this because you're in the palace. If you hold your peace now, mercy for the Jews will come from somewhere else, but you and your line will perish. Who knows? Maybe this is why you were made queen?"

- I want to talk about Mordecai for a minute. Esther communicated clearly her situation, without strings attached, because she had a good relationship with him. He then told her her what was going to happen,, not sugar coating, not trying to damage. He knew that one way she would die and the other she might live and have a chance to help many people. I can logically say that he had prayed about it and learned what to tell her. GOOD COMMUNICATION.

- He also allowed himself to deal with negative emotions; even though he knew the Jews would be saved, he allowed shelf to let out his mourning so he could be clear headed and mentally healthy. Jesus did something similar much later with Lazarus. Even though he knew he could raise him back to life, he was still sad at the death of a close friend, even family. He wept, but then he got up and took care of things. You can't heal until the thing causing the hurt is addressed and delt with.

- Esther asked that the Jews in Shushan fasted for her 3 days, and her maids and she would do the same. "And if I perish, I perish." Mordecai did what she asked. (Sympathy for her difficult task from Mordecai; huge devotion to God and her people from Esther. Being totally willing to die for God's will, showing that even though she might have felt unqualified, she could be a courageous leader.)

Esther 5

- from the way Ahasuerus talks to her,the has grown to respect her. Referring to her as Queen Esther, offering her up to half the kingdom, (and not in a flirty way, I. The way he would offer a trusted court member such a gift. And remember, most court members at this time were male, so for him to respect and trust her this much is amazing.)

- she invited the king and Haman both to a banquet. They attended, and the king asked what her real request is. She said for them both to come to another banquet tomorrow when she'd tell him what she really wanted.

- Haman went away full of joy, but hid mood was spoiled when he saw Mordecai at the gate, not bowing. Even so, he came home, and told his friends and his wife, Zeresh, about all the ways he was rich and how the king had promoted him. He then told them how the queen had invited only him and the king to a private banquet, and how he was invited to another one of the same style tomorrow.

- even Haman with his ego respected Esther. He's not the sort to look up to people, and from the way be speaks about her, he really looks up to her. She must have been doing a great job as Queen to earn the respect of such a self centered man.

- he finishes by saying that all of these things are worth nothing to him as long as he sees Mordecai at the gate.

- the assembled group suggests that he erect a gallows and request the king that Mordecai be hanged on it in the morning, then he could enjoy the banquet later.

- the way they tell him this, nonchalant and certain, tells me that Haman often gets whatever he wants from the king and is a slight power behind the throne.

[utterlyinevitable]

Ask 3 we all know that ethan is a very conplex character so if becca wants to stay with ethan she have to understand him she have to give him time broking up because he is staying in office longer is not love if i was in becca's place and i love my partner i would talk to him make him understand if ethan can change is rules he can change for her also and in the WIADTS series she still keeps her ild flat because she can't trust her relationship if there is no trust there is no love and relation

Based on |  Ans 1 |  Ans 2

Ethan and Becca are both complicated characters. 

They both need to understand one another. And sometimes they don’t. It all boils down to communication. Which is not their strong suit. They’re also very similar in a lot of ways, with differing outlooks. 

Becca needs to understand Ethan, where his fears come from and that he’s had a decade longer than her to come to terms with his ways. She needs to understand that his mother really messed him up. She does give him time - she gives him a lot of time and puts her romantic feelings aside to learn about him. [Basically all of Book 2]. She loves him for all this flaws. 

Ethan has to understand Becca. Becca’s dad messed her up at well, which she doesn’t show often but it’s very rooted in her mannerisms. Although they both grew up in lower middle class single-parent households they had very very different experiences. And they both carved different paths for themselves because of it.   

Sometimes it’s not easy to open up to someone. Sometimes doing so risks rejection. Sometimes their not strong enough to have the gumption to talk about it and fear the unknown. Sometimes it’s better to take things into their own hands to take care of themselves. 

Becca and Ethan do talk. Eventually. Eventually they suck it up and are finally honest with one another. It takes a while but they finally get there. 

Yeah, Ethan changed his rules about dating a subordinate because their feelings couldn’t be denied any longer. That’s one thing. But asking Ethan to change his entire personality for Becca? That’s not fair. And why would you want to be with someone like that? Again, that’s toxic. 

Ethan and Becca respect one another. So they aren’t going to ask the other to change for them. They have to want to change. So they communicate and compromise and decide that their relationships is the most important thing. That they want to put in the work.  

In WIADTS, Becca doesn’t trust Ethan because she’s afraid he’s going to hurt her like her father hurt her mother. She’s afraid he’s going to promise her things and pull back just like he’s done a few times before. She’s afraid they’re going to get to a point of no return and everything will fall apart. She doesn’t want to change him because she loves him. And instead of having these talks about her fears, they put the argument in the past and never resolve things until it happens so frequently. 

In Stuck Ethan did some processing and is the one to finally realize that he does want family life and he never told her. He never made it explicitly clear where he stands. So he fights for her. All the while Becca is fighting for herself and her feelings - she wants to get out before things go further south than they already are. They love one another so much they’re willing to implode to give the other all they deserve. 

It’s complicated. They’re complicated. Their actions are sometimes selfish and self-preserving. Ethan and Becca aren’t perfect. 

And you’re right, if you can’t trust someone you shouldn’t be in a relationship with them. Which is why Becca thinks she’s justified in setting them free. She doesn’t see that effective communication is the key to solving nearly all of their problems.  

From experience there are still some things I won’t tell my husband because I’m afraid he’ll see me differently and stop loving me. But I know that will never happen. The fear is still there, but that doesn’t mean we love one another any less. 

It’s complicated. Feelings aren’t black and white. There’s a lot a gray areas. And these areas are influenced by a history, personality, epigenetics etc. 

In the WIADTS world Ethan admits he wants marriage and kids down the line with her. And in other versions Becca eventually realizes she’s just happy being with Ethan, just them two. There’s a lot to play around with with these two and it’s a lot of fun exploring different variations of this mature relationship.

[exfriends]

I'm not allowed to not know how to do something. I have to figure it out, because if I don't figure it out, it fails, and when it fails, there's no one to help put it together again. This is a piece of real life venting that I want to print out and give my ACOA sponsor to try and help me move through the resentments I feel towards my partner and how I was raised.

My apartments ceiling is leaking severely. There's an issue with the new roof they just installed. I take off work, I put out buckets, I call maintenance. Eventually, my neighbors ceiling caved in. I have to evacuate. I get the cats, get my valuables, and I sit in my car for four hours trying to figure out where I'm supposed to go because my partner is the kind of person who never had to figure shit out. He just clings and gets in my face and tries to comfort with physical touch and I just want to scream "I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE NOT A SINGLE PROBLEM SOLVING BONE IN YOUR BODY SO CAN YOU PLEASE JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE SO I CAN FIX EVERYTHING AGAIN THANKS" because at every opportunity i am reminded that he lived a life where he could trust, where he could ask for help and actually get it, and i am the wounded self trying to cope with my unmanageable trauma by controlling every single thing around me and he doesn't have to experience that kind of pain and it makes me angry because why did i have to go through it all? why the fuck did i have to get beaten regularly/emotionally abused/berated for years until i crashed and moved out so quickly that i didnt even know where i was going. i arranged every element of us moving here because i had reached my bottom and i couldn't wait anymore. and because of my haste i am exactly what my aunt believes me to be; someone who doesn't think, who is stupid, who rushes into things because i want it when i want it and i want it now, but it never feels that way to me because how could it?

telling my cousin that i was moving out, he told me i was making a terrible financial decision moving into an apartment bc i wasn't building any equity, and i screamed at him that at what point am i supposed to consider my own emotional and physical safety for once, rather than my investments. steve knew what was happening to me because the last time i got beat and kicked out i stole her car keys and wouldn't return them until she gave me my medication and allowed me to pack my things. thrown out again in my pajamas, i took a fucking uber to the AAA that had my car at the time, and drove to my partners house where i cried on the floor as my phone blew up and everyone told me to go home. and when i told him it happened to me again, he downplayed it. "you know she just goes through these things, she gets frustrated" he couldn't understand, wouldn't understand, because he saw it as a choice this whole time. how could it be a choice, when i know she needs me? but she would never admit that she did need me, she always said that she didnt and would go through these phases where she demanded that i go and i still believed that she did need me because how could she not? the last time she tried to hurt me again i was in my pajamas and i stood up for myself and refused to leave until i could put clothes on. she beat me and destroyed my bathroom because the beating wasn't good enough because she wasn't strong anymore. i got what i wanted, i got to change clothes and leave. and when i left, i went to my partners house again and slept. but always with the boundary. you can't stay here. i don't know how to help you. why is it that when i do ask for help, for someone to take care of me, i'm met with the things they can't do for me? when i was walking around town bleeding from my hands when she clawed me years prior, i asked for help because i had no way of getting anywhere, i only had my phone that time, i didn't think six steps ahead to hide money in my car or when she got mad to stuff my phone down my shirt with 20 bucks in the case--and the person i asked couldn't help me because they had to work, they couldn't drive, didn't know anyone that could come and get me. the other person i asked stated "that sucks im sorry thats happening to you" and then proceeded to change the subject.

I ACTUALLY FOUND THE CONVO WHICH WAS AWESOME BECAUSE IT VALIDATED HOW THE FUCK I FELT AT THE TIME

now the home i grew up in is exactly the way i left it in march, except now there's more damage. every place i hid is exactly how i left it, but my aunt's pain is leaking all over the house, there is so much mess and so much hoarding and she's overwhelmed with it all and the dogs spend all their time in the kitchen because she never comes home and its unfair that i chose myself over the wellbeing of that household i feel like sometimes, because it really was my choice to leave even though i felt like my choice was obvious.

and today, in my apartment with holes in the ceiling (that are now leaking water- by the way) my aunt texts me. "i am here for you". and i cry again because despite everything that has ever happened to me, i feel like i am doomed to want her approval and praise for every decision that i make.

"hey, you know, even though i am panicking, i know i did everything right, i took the video, i called the emergency line, i tarped the electronics, like all things considered i knew what to do for the most part and i'm really proud of myself for that"

"yeah, it's good that you knew to do that."

[linphd]

katsuki x villain!reader | you belong with me

katsuki bakugou x reader

female reader

U.A students are targeted by the League of Villains, once again, else there is a familiar new member with them.

warning : mention of death, kinda angsty

the lyrics are from you belong with me by taylor swift but here listen to the punk goes pop cover

And I know your favorite songs.

And you tell me about your dreams.

Izuku was the only one who knew about this, only because he had gone to the same middle school as them. Katsuki and (Y/N) used to date. Well, they would surely still be dating if (Y/N) hadn’t run away. They had started to date during their 3rd year of middle school, and the girl had also planned to go to U.A, she wanted to be a hero. The boy couldn’t even tell how she was able to make Katsuki soft for her.

He was actually very happy that she was going to U.A with him, but it was until her dream got crushed. Her parents got killed by villains. Because some heroes were too late to save them. They didn’t do anything for her. They just saved whoever was still alive and put the villains to jail, but they didn’t look for her nor help her. They didn’t try to know if the dead couple had a family. ‘’Those were shitty heroes ! If it was All Might, he would’ve done anything he could-‘’ Katsuki would try to tell her. But she wasn’t listening. She seemed like she wasn’t able to. Her jovial attitude was gone.

‘’You could stay at my place, my mom really likes you.’’ The blonde would continue. But she couldn’t stay at the Bakugou household forever. For days, he tried to talk to her, text her, go to her house since she wasn’t going to school anymore. But she only sent him a single text : ‘I’ll go somewhere else. I’m sorry but don’t follow me cause you’ll get in trouble.’ Izuku had received a shorter text, as they were still friends. Indeed, despite dating the blonde, (Y/N) was actually friendly towards the boy.

I think I know where you belong.

I think I know it’s with me.

Katsuki was mad, no- enraged. Izuku knew it was only to hide his sadness and desperation. He even knew that once the blonde got closer to All Might, he confessed about his girlfriend being gone suddenly, without anyone looking for her but him. The number one hero had promised him he was going to do anything to find her. But it seemed like she had disappeared. And even if now the blonde was at U.A and his girlfriend had disappeared some months before graduating middle school, he was still thinking about her. All the time. He knew she would love his hero costume.

But actually, (Y/N) wasn’t that far. After finding some villain associations here and there -since the villains seemed actually more caring than the heroes- she found the League of Villains. She actually saw that Katsuki had been missing on the news, and as a villain, she had some contacts and relations. But when she finally found the League, the blonde had already been rescued. ‘’Did he fight you well ?’’ She asked Toga, who was now her best friend. ‘’Yes ! He avoided all of our attacks !’’ She said, (Y/N) nodding and smiling at the thought.

However, she was going to finally see him again, after so many months. She hoped he didn’t have a new girlfriend. He was hers, after all. She had maybe run away and become a bit crazy in the process, but she never stated that she wanted to break up with him. Even if some villains gave her some boosting drugs to make her quirk evolve and train her as she was still young, she still was sane enough to know that Katsuki was obviously meant to be with her. She was the one who knew everything about him, who was making him open up.

Can't you see that I'm the one,

who understands you.

(Y/N) had seen him again, actually. He just didn’t know. So many times, she checked his house, waiting outside, only to see the light of his room on -until he moved to a dorm. Indeed, she knew he was at U.A now, so how couldn’t he notice her stalking ? But it wasn’t a problem anymore ; she was going to see him again in person now, with him knowing ! She was so excited.

The League of Villains was attacking U.A, once again targeting the 1A students. They had been training in a forest this time -as if they could hide from them. And it was the perfect moment to strike again. The girl was still hiding in the forest, somewhere, waiting only for her boyfriend to show up. He had his hero costume on -weirdly, weren’t they training only ? And how handsome he looked !

He was with a bunch of his classmates when she attacked one of them. He recognized that quirk. Izuku did too. ‘’Hi, Kacchan.’’ She almost whispered, her voice creeping out the students. The said boy jumped at the voice, his eyes widening when he saw her. ‘’(Y/N) ?! (Y/N), you’re ba-‘’ he cut himself off. She was wearing a shitty version of the hero costume she had designed, surely because since she hadn’t made it to U.A, she couldn’t ask for professionals to design it and had to do it herself with anything she could find. And the look in her eyes had changed. Her smile was creepy. Her voice was creepy. Everything about her felt creepy to Katsuki.

Standing by and waiting at your back door.

All this time, how could you not know ?

Baby you belong with me.

Still, she was so beautiful. She had dyed her hair a different color, and Katsuki could tell she had become a bit older, despite only it being a few months. ‘’Where did you go ?!’’ He shouted, furrowing his eyebrows -maybe it was that blonde villain that had taken his former girlfriend’s appearance. ‘’I don’t know, I just stayed here and there. But then I knew the League of Villains caught you, so I joined them. You escaped, so I’m taking you back.’’ She said, walking towards him.

‘’Be careful ! She just attacked Kaminari !’’ Izuku shouted, making the girl arch an eyebrow. ‘’Deku-‘’ (Y/N) sang. ‘’You’re not included in the conversation.’’ she continued, her tone changing drastically. She turned her head towards the blonde once again, and smiled. ‘’Your hero costume is so cool ! You’re intimidating -like you wished, right ?’’ She asked, but it only made Katsuki gulp, his palms emitting tiny explosions at his panic.

Of course he was panicking. She was obviously a villain and there was something wrong about her. He had to attack her, but how could he attack his missing girlfriend ? Her quirk started to show up as Sero tried to make a move towards her. She sent him away quickly, making him yelp in pain. The blonde got even more panicked now. ‘’You’re stronger.’’ He muttered. ‘’Of course I am !’’ She replied, giggling. ‘’The villains did a lot of things to me so I could get stronger... but now I can protect myself when the heroes don’t help me ! Aren’t you proud, Suki ?’’ He gulped, not replying anything.

Have you ever thought just maybe,

you belong with me ?

‘’What do you want ?!’’ He finally shouted, holding his hand in front of him so he could attack her if needed -she was very close now. But she stopped when he asked, giving him a genuine smile. ‘’I want to take you home with me.’’ She said. He frowned. ‘’I won’t be a villain, (Y/N) ! You don’t have to be one neither !’’ He said. ‘’Come with us, (Y/N) ! Our teachers will help you to get healthy and safe !’’ Izuku shouted, wanting to help Katsuki by catching the girl’s attention. She became mad at this point. ‘’This... isn’t... about... YOU !’’ She yelled, using her quirk and giving the boy the same treatment she had given Kaminari and Sero.

Katsuki started to attack her, though, despite her being as fast as him, maybe even faster now. He had a plan ; kidnap her and get her safe and sane again. She mostly avoided him, not wanting to attack him. However, as he exploded whatever she wa sudoku to attack him -that was a part of her quirk- she lost it and attacked back. However, she smirked, finally having someone who she could struggle to fight with. ‘’You’re so strong ! You’re so strong, Suki !’’ She was very proud of him.

The ‘Kacchan’ was already something very intimate -and irritating when it was Izuku- to say, but the ‘Suki’ was too much. And once again, the blonde preferred to get enraged instead of showing his sadness. ‘’You won’t follow me, right ?’’ He asked, before throwing an attack the girl easily dodged. ‘’Not if it’s to talk to heroes.’’ She replied, throwing an attack back, with him only using explosions to counter-attack.

Oh why can’t you see,

you belong with me ?

Seeing how powerful the fight was, the students decided to get deeper into the forest, but still close enough to see Katsuki if he needed help. But Izuku told the boys their story, and they had decided they couldn’t step into their fight. After getting hurt enough to actually bleed, (Y/N) got angry. ‘’Can’t you see that I’m doing all of this so we can be together ?!’’ Katsuki frowned, once again. ‘’I do that too ! But you’re too stubborn to come with me !’’ He replied, still fighting. ‘’You’re too stubborn to come with me !’’ This time, she threw him in the air. Bad idea. Katsuki had developed a special attack throughout time ; the Howitzer Impact.

Once she saw she couldn’t avoid it, (Y/N) smiled, almost tearing up. ‘’You’ve gotten so strong, Suki ! I’m so proud of you !’’ She said, before being crushed by the impact. He surely didn’t hear her, though. Katsuki landed a few meters away, breathing heavily with his mask torn in half, looking at her -he still wanted her to be okay enough to follow him.

She was laying, but she turned her head towards him and smiled when she saw him. ‘’Why do you do all of this, (Y/N) ?! Why can’t you just... come back ?’’ However, the said girl didn’t really reply to his question. Still, it seemed that to her, she did. ‘’Cause you’re the only thing from my previous life that I still love.’’ He gulped, his eyes widening. She seemed so sad !

You belong with me.

You belong with me.

He was about to cry. He could see the sadness in her eyes. A single tear was rolling down her cheek. ‘’I do all of this because you belong with me, and nobody else can understand you like I do. They don’t know everything about you.’’ She said, her voice fading a bit due to her lack of energy. Suddenly, a purple portal appeared, right beside her. But Katsuki was far enough to be out of reach. The scarred villain came out of it. ‘’Dabi.’’ (Y/N) whispered, reaching for him with her arms -she couldn’t walk, her legs were so bloody. Surely that Katsuki’s attack had landed more on her lower body.

The brunette sighed and carried her, looking briefly at the students. ‘’You’re lucky this time, kids. The boss wants us to go back home.’’ He said, not even wanting to be here in the first place. They didn’t have a proper plan ! Why did they even attack them ?! He settled the girl in his arms -they needed her, but they needed to fix her legs- and started to walk towards the portal, again. Still, (Y/N) looked at Katsuki, her arms sneaking around the villain’s neck so she could be more comfortable. Her chin was resting against his shoulder.

Seeing the blonde’s expression -fear, sadness, despair- she smiled at him, but it was actually a sad smile. Maybe she was showing compassion ? However, quickly, her smile turned back into a casual one. ‘’I love you.’’ It was a whisper, but Katsuki could read her lips. And even if she was a villain, even if she was changed, he still replied : ‘’Me too.’’ unsure himself of if it was right. That said, the girl rest her cheek against the villain’s shoulder, as if she was now contented, as he walked into the portal and they disappeared.

[sylphid187]

Coming Home, Taking Flight ‐ Chapter 2: Road to Osaka

This Chapter 2 of my fic focusing on Hinata's journey home. A look into Hinata's return to Japan, his interactions with his friends, and how he makes it into the MSBY Black Jackals.

Hinata Shoyou wakes up religiously the next morning. He gets up, goes for a morning jog, gets some yoga in his routine, then makes time for morning meditation. He makes sure to do all this, before heading to the kitchen to make some breakfast for his family. 

He spent most of yesterday and last night catching up with his family and friends, who had to leave late in the night, after they realized that the sun was down and Tsukishima still had to drive Yachi and Yamaguchi home. During dinner, Shouyou had spent blissful time with his family, his mother seemingly very happy about having the returning presence of her eldest, back in their household. He is reminded again how being back in the company of his family in their own home, was so comforting. 

He walks around their kitchen and, as he waits for the rice to finish cooking, he goes into the fridge to find some salmon slices and some tofu. Shouyou smiles and figures that he probably has enough ingredients to make a healthy japanese breakfast with the salmon, and he's sure his mom has enough ingredients to make some miso soup to go with the meal. He smiles as he is reminded of how he fiddled around in hisbshared space with Pedro, and how Shouyou would usually make breakfast for his roommate, before going to wake him so they could enjoy a meal together. 

As much as Shouyou wanted to treat his family to some brazillian recipes he'd learned from Nice, he didn't have enough ingredients for it right now. So he promises himself he'd do that another day. He'd be more than happy to share the other culture that he's grown to love, with the one that he grew up with. 

Later, when Shouyou is just about finished with setting up the table and their morning meal, he hears padded footsteps make their way through their dining area, and is sure that it's Natsu that's making her way to the kitchen. He hears a gasp and looks up to find that he's guessed right, and Natsu is there staring at their table. 

"Wow Nii-chan, this looks great!" she claps her hands together in glee and continues to scan over what Shouyou has made. 

"Thanks Natsu! Hope you like it! I packed one for mom so she can take it with her to work." Shouyou smiled. His mother still worked on the weekends, and she was used to laboring hard as a single mother. She had worked hard her whole life to sustain Shouyou and Natsu. Shouyou hopes that his dreams of going pro wouldn't just be a benefit to him, but would help lighten the load on his family too. 

"It really does look good! I can't wait to dig in!" Natsu clasps her hands together again, before heading to the sink to wash them, and sitting down at her usual spot on the table. 

Shouyou then sits across from her, and they both give thanks before beginning to dig in. Natsu immediately gives out a happy squeal after a few bites, and Shouyou can't help but chuckle at his sister's antics. He's extremely pleased though that she seems to genuinely like his food. "Nii-chan! This is so good! It looked great, but it tastes even better." 

Shouyou grins. "Flattery will get you nowhere Natsu, but thank you. I'm really happy you like it." 

"It's a real shame you won't be staying longer Nii-chan. I wouldn't mind eating more of your cooking. You're leaving this afternoon right?" she asks him with a smile. 

"That's right. I'll leave by noon, sorry I won't be able to spend more time with you and mom. And I just got home too." Shouyou states, a little gloomy at the thought. 

It saddens him a bit that he can't spend more time with his family, just after he's gotten back. But Shouyou cut it really close when he chose to fly back yesterday. He couldn't book earlier flights because he also wanted to maximize spending time with Pedro, Heitor, Nice and Coach. That, and he did promise to wait after Heitor and Nice's wedding.  But, he needed to be home in time to make it to tryouts. Granted, his chosen flight really didn't give him much time for any detours. Tryouts were on Monday, and today was Saturday. The plan was to head out Saturday afternoon to Osaka via train. 

The train ride from Miyagi to Higashiosaka in Osaka was about nine hours. He had planned to leave around noon to get to Osaka by 10pm. He still had to find a place to stay, but he figured he would work it out when he got there. He could, of course, leave on a Sunday. But Shouyou wanted to have enough time to familiarize himself with the area before tryouts, and have at least a little bit of time to get in shape while waiting for the day to arrive. He didn't want to show up to Osaka not knowing where he was headed and end up missing tryouts because he got lost. With this, he'd at least have a full day to go around the area. 

"Don't apologize to us for following your dreams, Shouyou." The two look to the sound of the voice, to find their mother there with a smile on her face. "We support you, always remember that. And whenever you're having a hard day and need to come home, we'll be here to welcome you back." 

"Mama..." Shouyou smiles. He really was very lucky, and he will never tell himself otherwise. 

"That's right Nii-chan! And I can't wait to tell my friends and teammates all about you when you make the team!" Natsu says as she shoves another piece of fish in her mouth. 

"Natsu! I told you I have to make the team first. There's definitely tons of competition for a spot on the team." He contemplates on this. He's both nervous and excited for tryouts, but he will definitely be doing his best, no matter who his competition is. 

Their mother goes to the countertop and picks up the lunch Shouyou made and smiles at her son. "Oh believe me, you'll make it." 

"Mama! Not you too! I don't wanna be overconfident about it." 

"Shouyou, I'm not saying it because of any other reason, but because I truly believe that you'll make it." She goes over to him and pats his head. "It doesn't matter to me how old you and Natsu ever grow up to be. I will always be your number one fan. And you always remember one thing, I am so very proud of you." 

" Thank you." Shouyou feels like crying, but he stops himself and opts for a wide smile instead. "I'll definitely ace tryouts, you'll see. I'll make sure they notice me."

"Yes you will!" Natsu chimes in. 

"I know you will." She thanks him for the meal he's made for her before kissing both kids on the cheek and making her way to the door. "By the way Shouyou, are your things packed for later?" 

"Yep! I made sure I had everything before going to sleep last night." He says with a proud smile. "I might end up leaving a little earlier though. I want to make sure I catch the train on time." 

This makes their mother stop in her tracks, and Natsu snicker. "Shouyou, did you think you were taking the train?" 

Shouyou is confused. "Yes? I mean, how else am I supposed to get to Osaka?" he asks as he tilts his head to the side. 

"Natsu." 

Natsu grins "Don't worry about it mama. Nii-chan will find out later anyway. So everyone agreed to keep quiet about it." 

"Keep quiet about what?" Shouyou asks again as he looks between them both. "Am I missing something?"

"It's a surprise." And what a surprise it was. 

 ---

Shouyou was just grabbing his things and about to head out the door, Natsu following behind him. "Nii-chan I really think you should wait a bit." 

"Sorry Natsu, if I wait any longer I might miss my train!" He ruffled her hair affectionately and continued "Take good care of mama while I'm away, okay?" 

"Nii-chan wait!" Natsu tries to grab Shouyou as he opens the door, but misses. He slides their door open and comes face to face with none other than Kozume Kenma and Kuroo Tetsurou. 

Shouyou blinks. And then again. And again. "Kenma-nii! Kuroo-nii! You made it just in time." he hears Natsu speak from behind him. 

"Yo, chibi-chan! What's up?" Kuroo's personality hasn't changed at least, Shouyou thinks. 

"Wha...what are you guys doing here?!" Shouyou gasps, as he looks over at the newcomers. 

"Shouyou." He looks over to Kenma who is smiling at him. "I'd like to think you owe me a better greeting than that." 

"Yeah, that's kinda hurtful chibi-chan. After we came all the way here to take you to Osaka." Kuroo says with a grin as he slings his arm around Kenma's shoulder. 

" You're taking me to Osaka?!" Shouyou exclaims again in shock. 

Kenma sighs, a small smile still on his face. He dislodges himself from Kuro’s hold and goes to envelope Shouyou in a hug. It takes a moment, but Shouyou relaxes and immediately hugs back. "Welcome home Shouyou." 

Shouyou feels someone ruffling his hair and he opens his eyes to see Kuroo there with a smile. "Glad to have you back Chibi-chan" 

He feels Kenma let go, and the gamer finally stands back to take a good look at Shouyou after all this time. "You look good." 

"Thanks Kenma! You too!" He grins. 

"Should I be jealous?" Kuroo asks with a smirk as he watches them, but one look from Kenma shuts him up as he raises his hand in resignation. He chuckles and shakes his head, allowing the two to continue talking.  

"You've changed too." Kenma continues as he grins. "I can't wait to see what else you're gonna do Shouyou." 

"If you get boring, I'll drop you."  

Shouyou ends up giving out a nervous laugh as he remembers Kenma's words from back then, just when Kenma offered to become his sponsor. But deep down, he knows that Kenma has only ever done everything he could to help Shouyou, and that was said in jest...probably. The former Nekoma setter was just really fascinated with him, for some reason. 

"As much as I love the touching reunion, we have to move folks. It's a 10 hour drive to Osaka!" Kuro exclaims as he pats their backs. 

Kuro and Kenma both begin to help Shouyou and Natsu bring the former's things to the car. While they're loading up, Shouyou continues to say thanks to his friends for taking the time to bring him to  their destination. "I really appreciate it you guys, thank you. I was fine with taking the train though!" 

Kenma scrunches his face in disapproval and replies "There's no way we'd let you take the train, not when we had the time to pick you up ourselves." 

"I hope you guys didn't put off anything important." he tells them. He knows how busy Kenma has been, as he's regularly kept in touch in Brazil. 

"I can manage Shouyou, don't worry too much about it." Kenma says with a wave of his hand. 

"What Kenma means to say, is that if he had it his way, he would have been the one to pick you up from the airport too. Unfortunately, he lost at a game of rock-paper-scissors to Tsukki and had to give the airport pickup to them. And he also wants you to know that he finished all his workload early to make sure we were free when you got here. So don't you worry about it." Kuroo says as he shuts the trunk and dusts his hands. He looks over at the two with a large grin before he feels someone lightly punch his side. 

Kenma gives Kuroo a glare and then another playful shove. "Just get in the car before I decide to leave you here Kuro." 

"Awww you'd never do that kitten." Kenma stares at Kuro with a piercing gaze, and Shouyou thinks if looks could kill, that was it. "Annndd I'll be quiet now. Come on chibi-chan! let's get you to Osaka!" 

Natsu waves at them animatedly as they all get in the car. She lets out a loud "Keep safe!" as they drive away from the Hinata household and begin their 10 hour car ride. 

The ride begins similarly to that of yesterday, filled with catching up and updates on how everyone else has been doing. Shouyou has had little contact with the former Nekoma team, with the exception of Kenma and Kuroo. This wasn't for the lack of trying either, but he’s only ever occasionally spoken to Inouka and Lev, and that's during one or two video calls during a day off. It isn't a surprise to him that team Nekoma have all worked their way up the ladder as they grew up, and even through their success, continued to stay connected within their own circle. Kenma and Kuroo themselves regularly spoke to all their former teammates and told Shouyou much of how they were all doing. 

"Waaah! I've heard from Lev about his modeling career! I didn't know he'd become such a big name in Russia." he exclaims excitedly. 

"Lev is still Lev. He might look pristine and proper in the photos, but he's just as loud as ever." Kenma says with a sigh, as if just talking about Lev was tiring him out. 

Kuroo guffaws. "At least he's mellowed down some because of Yaku." 

Shouyou tits his head "Are they?" 

Kuroo looks at him from the rearview mirror and smiles. "We can neither confirm nor deny, I'm afraid. Neither of them have said anything, but Yaku's sent us photos of them together. It's pretty common at this point, ever since Yakkun's been playing for the Russian V-League." 

"We hear he plans to come back though. There's some talk that they've begun to scout for players fit for the Japanese volleyball olympic team, and Yaku wants to be here and play for Japan." Kenma states, as he begins to fiddle with what seems like a new game console. 

"Ah yeah! Bokuto's been excited about that too. But he wants the Jackals to win this season first and finally kill the Alder's winning streak." Kuro tells them with a smirk. "And you know, they might actually be able to if you make it on the team chibi-chan." 

"Ahaha...well I'll definitely make sure to make an impression during tryouts." Shouyou says. "I can't wait to see Bokuto-san on Monday! I wonder if he'll be watching tryouts?" 

"From what Bo tells me, Coach Foster is requiring them to watch this year. He wants the whole team's opinion on getting a new player." Kuro replies. 

"Shouyou, what do you mean by seeing Bokuto on Monday?" Kenma immediately asks, putting his game down and turns to look at Shouyou. 

"Eh? I mean, I won't be seeing him till tryouts." Shouyou reiterates with a tilt of his head, when else would he find the time to see Bokuto-san? 

"Wait chibi-chan, aren't you going to..." Kuro doesn't get to finish. 

"Shouyou, where in Osaka are you staying? Sorry, we forgot to ask earlier." Kenma asks him. 

"Oh! Sorry, my bad. I was wondering if you guys knew of any affordable budget hotels that you can drop me off in that's near the tryouts gym?" Shouyou asks with a smile. He sees Kenma freeze and Kuroo's eyebrows shoot up. 

"..." Kenma stays silent for a little too long, and Shouyou wonders if he's said something he shouldn't have. 

"I can look one up though! So you guys can drop me off somewhere in the area and I should be able to find one that'll let me stay two nights!" 

"Kuro." That's all he hears Kenma say, before the rooster haired man is nodding and passing his phone to Kenma. 

"Got it. Just send the text out and let them know it's you. Shouldn't be a problem." Kuroo replies. Shouyou doesn't understand what's happening.

"Um." 

Kuroo looks over at him again. "Don't worry about it chibi-chan, we know exactly where to take you." 

"Really? Where?" He asks, confused. 

"You'll see." 

He can see Kenma vigorously typing a message using Kuroo's phone, and once he's done, looks over to Shouyou again with a smile. "You're not sleeping in a random hotel, Shouyou. I'm not letting you." 

"Eh?" 

"Don't worry though, we've already found a solution." Kenma continues with a smile. 

"Eeh?" 

"Better to just go with it, there's no stopping Kenma when he's like this." Kuroo grins again. 

"But..." Shouyou begins to protest. He really hopes his friends aren't spending money on him. "K-Kenma..." 

"But you know," Kenma stares at him then, with catlike eyes that seem to be boring into his soul. "If you ever do something like this again and not let me know, I'll be really upset Shouyou." 

"Eeehhhh?" Shouyou binks. He looks between the two and can't help his confusion from growing. 

What in the world is Kenma talking about? And where in the world were they taking him?! 

CHAPTER 1 BELOW

[ghost-chance]

Excerpt from "The Demon King and the Half-Breed Hermit"

Gotta log off for a while after this but first, I wanted to share this (unedited and incomplete) scene. It's for an upcoming (in-the-works) chapter of my Piccolo/OC-centric ▶Dragon Ball post-GT◀ fic, found on my FFnet account. Why am I sharing it? Firstly, it's proof I'm still writing (...trying...) and despite the long wait for new chapters, DK&HBH has NOT been abandoned. (NOTHING has been abandoned!) Secondly, THIS is what happens when I tell myself "I need to start writing characters who can effectively communicate and deal with their emotions like functional adults!" 😑 Yes...AUBERGINE happens.

Hopefully the "Queen of Issues" can make someone smile.

🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲🌳🌲

Life as a single mother was generally a struggle; as a single mother of two half-Saiyan boys, life was a never-ending catastrophe. Fortunately for Son Chi-Chi, both her boys were grown men capable of running their own lives; unfortunately, that left her to manage her household alone. Oh, sure, Gohan and Videl regularly offered to move her into their home and take care of her, but she wasn't quite ready to accept that offer. She was quite capable of taking care of herself…at least, that is, when she wasn't weighed down with groceries and being chased down by a saber-toothed wildcat.

Winded, she stumbled and landed hard on her knees, her bags falling and the contents scattering. One moment she could practically feel the beast's rancid breath on her neck; the next a warning shout split the air, quickly followed by a pained yelp. Chi-Chi scrambled onto her back and stilled at the familiar silhouette cast by the afternoon sun through the trees. Black hair as ragged as ever and eyes dark as pitch, Aubergine held the struggling wildcat by the throat, leaching away its strength. She drained it a little longer before letting it slink away in shame, then looked to her fallen sister-in-law over her shoulder. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Chi-Chi answered as she gathered the spilled goods, then belatedly added "thank you." Aubrey shrugged and hoisted the bags onto her shoulder as the black faded from her eyes.

"Well, someone's got to shield the squishies," she replied instead. The familiar retort used to irritate Chi-Chi, but now she recognized it for what it was: you're welcome. I don't mind. Aubergine's long silences, half-answers, and silence took a while to adjust to but by now it was like a second language to her sister in-law. 

The remainder of the journey to Chi-Chi's home passed in a silence midway between comfortable and awkward, and before she knew it, the matron was stowing away her groceries. Aubergine sat at the table, brooding and fiddling with a small shaker jar from the revolving rack in the middle. Recognizing the speckled contents, she pried the lid open, sniffed at the contents, and sneezed; her eyes and sinuses burned in protest as she jammed it closed and shoved it back on the rack. Yes, she identified it correctly. "So how's Piccolo settling in?" At the resulting silence, she turned to find Aubergine scowling like someone who just chewed five lemons in a row without stopping to sweeten them. "That well, huh?" Chi-Chi teased. I

Aubergine shot her a deadpan glower then exchanged the speckled powder for a jar full of tiny seeds. As if it explained everything, she grunted, "he's not dead yet." These seeds didn't burn her nose but they had a rather unpleasant smell somewhat like rank body odor. Nose scrunching at the stink, Aubrey exchanged the jar for a tall shaker full of tiny white crystals with a much sweeter scent. Over by the table, Chi-Chi gave a knowing smile as the half-breed examined her spices. "I don't understand how one person can require so many of these things," Aubergine muttered surveying the multitude of tiny jars and shakers on the Lazy-Susan. "What's the point of all this crap?" 

"Spices?" Chi-Chi asked, and upon receiving a blank look added, "they make food taste good. As for the number, different dishes require different spices—you can't cook everything with the same ingredients." Aubrey stilled, eyes wide and locked on the three jars she investigated before. "What brought you here anyway?" If Chi-Chi didn't know any better, she'd say the half-breed was embarrassed.

"He quit complaining," Aubrey mumbled. "He used to whine that I was poisoning him; now he doesn't say anything…but…he doesn't have to. I thought…" She fell silent, cleared her throat, then collected the other two bottles and shoved the lot toward Chi-Chi. "Fish. It was worse than usual."

Chi-Chi was used to getting only half the picture from her half-Saiyan sister-in-law but this was even less information than usual. Those three spices were never used in the same dish; then again, this was Aubergine, and Aubergine was quite possibly the worst cook in the realms. "Correct me if I'm wrong," Chi-Chi asked, "but are you saying you cooked fish…with black pepper, cumin, and sugar…?" The half-breed glanced at the jars, read the fading labels, and gave a wary nod; Chi-Chi felt her breakfast threaten reappearance. "No wonder, then," she sighed. "Cumin and pepper can be used on fish but generally not together, and you don't use sugar on seafood."

"This is so stupid." …and so began Aubrey's usual response to statements regarding food as anything beyond life-preserving sustenance. After so many years of hearing the same thing over and over again, Chi-Chi easily tuned out the increasingly loud rant and gathered a few more appropriate seasonings for fish. "Food doesn't have to taste good!" Aubergine spat without regard. "Its only purpose is to keep you from dying of hunger, anything beyond that is friv—" Finally, she went silent. Of course, taking Chi-Chi's frying pan to the skull would shut anyone up.

"There's more to life than just existing," Chi-Chi scolded as Aubergine rubbed the already swelling lump on her skull and growled under her breath. "There's more to life than just survival. We were put on this Earth to thrive, not just not die."

"We were put on this Earth because my dumbass brother didn't have the balls to kill that midget Pilaf from the start." This time she ducked the frying pan. 

"You're missing the point as always," Chi-Chi huffed. "I swear, you're so much like my Goku. Aubergine, when your life's over, you'll have an eternity to look back on what you did. If all you have to look back on is not dying, then what's the point?" Aubergine went silent, glaring at the wall beside her as if blaming it for everything that ever went wrong in her life. It didn't escape Chi-Chi that said wall stood between her kitchen and the home Goku and Aubergine grew up in. Not for the first time, she wondered what the half-breed's life was like in those early years, and what molded her into the distant, bristly woman she was now.

"Life was always enough before." The admission was quiet—half-muffled in Aubrey's mostly flat chest and aimed into the polished tabletop—but to the human matron it had the same impact as a battle cry. "Stay out of danger," the half-saiyan muttered as though reciting some sort of task list. "Find and maintain shelter, locate reliable sustenance, protect your brother…" ..wait for me to come find you. I promise, I'll come find you! Bardock may have been a visionary, but an honest Saiyan, he was not. He never came for them… "That used to be enough…" …until said brother ran off with a blue-haired teenager in search of adventure and left Aubergine behind. Sure, she caught up after a while and tagged along for a few misadventures—living alone in the wilds got boring, after all—but at the end of the day, she couldn't even accomplish the most important of these tasks. She couldn't protect Goku. One hand strayed up to brush her bangs out of her dead eye. She couldn't even protect herself. "Why isn't that enough anymore?"

"Perhaps it never really was enough." Chi-Chi's smile held no judgment and her voice no censure. "Perhaps you're only just realizing it now." Perhaps…Aubergine turned to the window, eyes trained on the distant misty peak of Mt. Paozu. After so many years of feeling stuck in place, maybe it was time to change. "I've offered before and the offer stands—I'll teach you to cook if you'll let me." For the first time, the offer was answered with a long silence instead of some bitter retort or evasive remark, proof in Chi-Chi's mind that the other was finally considering it.

"A year ago none of this would've…" Aubergine fell silent; again, she was driven to brush her bangs away from her blind eye though they weren't impairing her sight. That nervous tic would be the death of her someday… She cleared her throat and tried again. "Nothing mattered a year ago. It still shouldn't matter." Chi-Chi faltered. She recognized where this topic was leading as easily as she knew how Aubergine must have reacted to Piccolo's resurrection. She smoothed the skirt of her long dress and seated herself at the table. The rest of the groceries could wait a bit longer.

"The first time I lost Goku…" I lost Goku. Even after so many times of saying those words, her throat still caught around them; even after how many times Goku died, the very mention still triggered an echo of the day Krillin brought her the news. Her son, missing – her husband, dead – worst of all, the threat wasn't even over. "Well, I was a mess," Chi-Chi finished mildly. The past was in the past—let it lie there in peace. "Every time I lost him, I felt sure it was my fault for not being strong enough to keep him. Every time he came back, I tried harder than before to make him stay…and every time, I lost him again anyway…the last time, for good. He refused to be revived." Even now, the words made her eyes burn and her throat clench, so it was a comfort when Aubergine broke the tense silence.

"He was an idiot like that." The dry remark earned a weak chuckle.

"Indeed. Even now, were he to walk through that door, I'd still take him back. He left us all behind when he refused resurrection, but I'd still welcome him home with open arms." She hummed softly, leaning on her elbows and looking out the nearest window. Already the blue of the sky was deepening and the days, shortening—harvest time might come early this year. "For all his faults, and there were many, Goku was always so much stronger than I ever could be. I could never leave behind those I love, even to keep them safe…he did so without a second thought."

"But when the danger's gone, how does staying dead solve anything?" Aubergine cut in—an unusually long sentence from an unusually brief speaker. "The people he left behind—they still needed him—they depended on him, and he turned his back on them!" Chi-Chi hazarded a glance at her company; Aubergine was off in another world, her vision trained somewhere far beyond the woodgrain of the tabletop. "Didn't he know? Didn't it matter?" Chi-Chi's wrinkle-framed lips tilted into a sly smile.

"He knew there were such people, I'm sure," she answered. "I have a feeling he didn't quite understand what it would put you through." Aubergine gave a faint nod, eyes distant, then startled as she realized the subject change. Both women knew they were no longer talking about Goku; neither was ready to admit it, either. The half-Saiyan's cheeks darkened in embarrassment, but the effect was lessened by the venomous glare aimed out the window. "You never told him, did you?" Chi-Chi pressed.

"Why bother?" Aubergine muttered. "He knew what he was doing. He had to know I'd—" She fell short, remembering vividly the searing pain in her chest from the day the earth was destroyed—the fracturing of a heart timed to the shattering of a planet. From the first wince to the last breath, she felt Piccolo die, and it was a feeling she'd never forget…or forgive. "...I never should have marked the bastard."

Once again, Chi-Chi was given only bits and pieces, but this time she was content with it. If the scars on Aubergine's throat were any indication, the whole picture wasn't one she cared to see.