#meet the newest single mother in your neighborhood!!

[lcveblind]

OOC. Welp. Guess who made a new oc.

[wakatoshine]

all summer long (miya osamu x reader) part 1

after a disastrous confession, you find yourself running away from your problems and finding shelter in the countryside at your mother’s coworker’s summer camp in hyogo. you never had the intention of making friends, but something changes when you meet a certain grey haired counselor and his interesting group of friends

word count: 4.1k

you hadn’t meant to fall in love with your best friend’s cousin during your second year of highschool, but here you were. crying in sakusa kiyoomi’s basement as he awkwardly tried to comfort with you.

you and kiyoomi had known each other since second grade. your parents had attended university together and had stayed friends since. you grew especially close to the sakusa family after the passing of your father during junior high. since then, it was easier to find you at the sakusa household than your own.

komori motoya had entered your life early on as well, it was impossible to ignore him since he was in fact your best friend’s cousin.

you had realized your feelings for the brown haired boy two weeks into your first year at itachiyama, and had confessed the first week of the break leading up to your third year.

maybe you should’ve seen it coming when he had said he thought of you as a sister. i mean, the kid was completely blindsided by your confession. it’s not like you had given any signs of your liking for the boy.

“y/n can you calm down i don’t want your snot all over my couch,” sakusa said, bringing you out of your own thoughts.

you laughed dryly, and sakusa shot you a serious look. you know he was being serious.

“you know omi, i was kinda hoping toya would say yes, you know?” you said pitifully, wiping your tears away with the sleeve of your hoodie (that happened to be komori’s).

“but he didn’t, and you shouldn’t be spending your whole summer break moping around about it.” sakusa stated, handing you a box of tissues.

“it’s not like i could even though i wanted to, there’s a reason why i chose to confess this weekend,” you told the curly haired boy.

sakusa sent you a questioning look, so you graciously chose to elaborate instead of keeping your shroud of mystery.

“i have a job,” you said, “i’m being a camp counselor at this summer camp in hyogo. i knew that if i confessed now i’d be able to run away from any problems it would cause,”

sakusa scrunched his nose, “hyogo, huh?”

you nodded, “mom’s coworker needed a favor, do you have a problem with it?”

sakusa shook his head, “no, i just know someone from there. he’s quite problematic.”

“i’m glad that you’re so worried about me omi, but there’s no need it’s not like i’ll make any connections. it’s just a summer job it’s not like i’ll be going back,” you said, gently pushing him on the shoulder.

“don’t touch me with your snotty hands y/n, that’s disgusting,” sakusa bites out.

you roll your eyes, “only since you asked so kindly.”

extra #1

the first thing you noticed when you stepped onto the train platform in hyogo three days later was the heat. you could already feel beads of sweat form on the nape of your neck.

the change in scenery did not go unnoticed by you. the tall concrete buildings of your neighborhood in tokyo had been replaced by greenery and blue sky. the air felt clearer, and you felt relaxed.

after sending a text to sakusa (and komori reluctantly) that you made it, you start searching for your mom’s coworker in the small crowd of people waiting at the station.

“y/n chan!” you heard someone call. you spot an older lady with clipped brown hair and warm brown eyes.

“watanabe-san,” you greeted, “thank you for picking me up,”

the watanabe matriarch smiled at you, “no need to be so formal! i’m so glad your mom agreed to have you join our staff this summer! the other counselors are excited to meet you!” she said while shaking your hand.

you opened the back door and put your suitcases in the back seat before slipping into the passenger side.

“i’m happy to be here,” you offered weakly, trying to play off your nervousness.

you had never considered yourself to be good with children, so working at a summer camp was quite out of your comfort zone. watanabe had told you that you’re a good fit for the job, but you couldn’t help but be a little self conscious of your lack of experience.

the further and further down the road watanabe drove, the more the scenery changed from small houses and neighborhoods to sprawling fields of rice and various grains. two hours into the drive, the farmland transformed into dense forestry. you were approaching your final destination.

you checked your phone, the reception was gone. you had expected this, and came prepared with envelopes and stamps to write letters to sakusa and your family when you were away. you turned your phone off and pocketed it in your backpack. it would stay there the duration of the summer.

watanabe pulled in front of a run down cabin, “this is where you and your group of campers will be staying. after you drop your luggage off i’ll walk you to main camp where the other counselors are waiting,” she explained.

the unit contained two other cabins besides yours, the other female counselors waved at you and you waved back.

the cabin itself was quite nice on the inside. there were six bunk beds for the campers, and a cubby with a single bed for you and your belongings.

you’d be living there for the next three months, so you packed quite a bit of things from your room so you wouldn’t feel too homesick.

one of them being a few strings of fairy lights, which you decided to hang over the ceiling of the cabin and not just in your area. other decorations you had brought with you included curtains, a carpet, and various board games you planned to play with the kids.

an hour later, you stood in front of the photo wall you created over your bed. there were currently only ten or so photos, most of them pictures of you with your family and friends. your favorites being the time izuna had treated you to ice cream but then spilled your order all over himself (komori had somehow caught it on camera), the photo of you and sakusa from fifth grade in your matching uniforms, and the picture of you with the itachiyama volleyball team after their nationals win earlier this year.

you sighed and gently chastised yourself for getting stuck in your own head when watanabe was most likely sitting on the picnic table right outside your cabin waiting for you.

after reapplying a substantial amount of deodorant and slipping into one of sakusa’s old practice shirts, you stepped outside and told watanabe you were ready to go.

the walk to main camp was about ten minutes, somewhere along the way watanabe had mentioned that your unit was the furthest away from the main attractions.

your jaw dropped once you saw main camp for the first time. it was situated in front of a small lake, the trees gave way to a small clearing where a pavilion and other cabins were built. there were several picnic tables along with a bulletin board listing the week’s camp activities.

watanabe led you to a table where a group of boys were loudly bickering. they all shut up once they noticed the newest arrivals.

“what’s up boss?” one of them asked.

“this is our newest counselor l/n y/n, i trust you guys to make her comfortable,” watanabe said, shooting the blonde who had spoken earlier a stern look.

“we wouldn’t dream of doin’ anythin’ else!” he said with an innocent smile. you called bullshit.

sadly, watanabe had left immediately after introducing you claiming she had her own logistical duties to do before the first session of campers arrived next week.

you stood awkwardly as the boys eased back into their own conversation. great, five minutes into meeting new people and you were already feeling left out.

“would ya wanna sit down?” one of the boys asked, and you nodded. sitting down next to him in the spot he had made for you.

“i’m kita shinsuke, it’s a pleasure meetin’ ya.” kita said, extending a hand in your direction.

“l/n y/n.” you said, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

“everyone,” kita said to the group, “introducing yerself to l/n. ya heard what watanabe-san said,”

“i’m miya atsumu, but don’t go callin’ me miya, i wouldn’t want ya to get me confused for this idiot,” atsumu said, punching the grey haired boy sitting next to him.

the other boy rolled his eyes, “osamu,” he said simply, “don’t listen to what that idiot has to say, he doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ ‘bout.”

“i’m suna, and believe it or not both of them are complete idiots. pleasure to meet someone who doesn’t speak like an eighty year old farmer,” suna says, offering you a sly smirk.

“ignorin’ sunarin’s last statement, i’m aran. there’s a few other counselors in our group as well but they’re settin’ up.” the last member of the group said.

you nodded, hoping that you had committed their names to memory.

“you all seem to know each other well, have you guys been counselors here before?” you asked, propping your chin up on your hand.

“yes, but we also play on the same volleyball team,” kita said, “or at least played on the same team. aran and i just graduated,”

you hummed, “nice. i know a few volleyball players myself,”

“where are ya from?” aran asked, curious about your connections.

“tokyo,” you stated simply, noticing how atsumu promptly came to attention at the mention of the capital city.

“what school do ya go to?” he asked, giving you a weird look.

your nose scrunched, “i’m a second year- third year now i guess, at itachiyama. does that matter?”

the boys looked at each other, “we played against them in finals during interhigh nationals.” kita said.

oh, it clicked.

“i knew your names sounded familiar. especially yours atsumu, i don’t think my friend likes you that much,” you said bluntly.

atsumu’s face flushed red from embarrassment.

“yer friend wouldn’t happen to be omi-kun right?” he said, looking down at the table.

“yup!” you said teasingly, “i’m his neighbor actually, so i’ve heard a lot about you.”

suna laughed, “good luck with this one atsumu,” he said, initiating boisterous laughter at the expense of one miya atsumu.

time flew by and at the end of the day sleep came fast with the knowledge you had five new friends.

extra #2

“oh my gosh my god oh my god,” you mumbled to yourself as you ran through the woods to main camp.

it was the second day of the first camp session, and you had decided to take a small nap during your break in the hammock woods. the hammock woods was arguably your favorite place in camp. the kids never visited because they found it boring, so it was often the quietest place you could find.

the downside of the quiet was that you had to rely on technology to wake you up, and for some reason (later you would learn that you forgot to set an alarm) your phone didn’t go off fifteen minutes before your class.

so here you were, springing to the pavilion and praying that watanabe was in her trailer instead of making her rounds.

you arrived five minutes late, face red and completely out of breath. a few campers, thankfully none in your unit, turned and looked at you weirdly. you smiled at them. they turned back to their projects.

“what was that?” suna questioned, sending you a teasing smile.

you point at him menacingly, “don’t say a single thing sunarin,” you threaten.

he chuckles, “you have a lot to say for someone who was late to their second class ever,”

“you’re an ass, i hope you know that,” you whisper, making sure that none of the campers heard you.

“okay okay,” suna said, “stop flipping out i won’t tell watanabe,”

you sigh and pat suna on the head.

“i’ll buy you chuupets from the general store on my night off this week in thanks,” you say happily.

suna feigns anger, “you better.”

in the week before the campers arrived for session one, you had grown a lot closer to the other counselors. suna especially. the two of you co-taught nature studies so the majority of your time so far at camp planning lessons with him.

since both atsumu and osamu taught on the same day you did (mondays and wednesdays), you also got to spend a fair share of time with them on tuesdays and thursdays.

even though your conflicting schedules made it hard to see kita, aran, akagi, oomimi, or ginjima, you still made sure to talk to them during campfires and in passing during meals.

not having phone reception was annoying at first, but after the first three days you got used to it. you had written sakusa first, telling him about the miya twins and the inarizaki team who happened to also be counselors. he expressed his distaste in his response, but included well wishes (and disinfectant wipes).

you were aware that komori had written to you as well, but that letter was still sitting fully sealed under your mattress. you would deal with that later.

when it came time for the first batch of campers to arrive for session one, you immediately became a hit. both with the campers in your cabin and their parents. because of this, you were thankfully on watanabe’s good side.

your campers were entranced with the way you spoke (“like a true city girl!” one had said), and many of them regularly asked what it was like to live in a big city.

you had tried to keep their questions to a minimum while still answering them with as much detail you liked, which wasn’t too much.

even your students in your nature studies class loved you. they often called you their favorite teacher, which you loved to rub in suna’s face.

you were very grateful that you were given this chance to get away from the trainwreck of emotions you had left behind in tokyo. the change of pace was amazing, and so were the new friends you made.

“y/n i would very much appreciate if you came back to reality,” suna said while waving his hand in front of your face.

“huh?” you shook your head, “sorry, i was just lost in thought,”

suna looked at you, “i could kinda tell,” he scoffed.

“what do you have after class today?” you asked him, eyes doing a once over across the room to check if any campers needed help with their flower drawings.

“i’m on unit duty with aran, but i think i’ll just sleep in my cabin instead if none of my kids are there,” he said, and you nodded, fully understanding how tiring being a counselor could be.

“i’m on lifeguard duty at the lake,” you told him and he grimaced.

“ew,” was the only thing he said back, and you fully agreed.

lifeguarding was easily the worst rec time job. it was always in full sun and humidity, and the mosquitos were absolutely insane close to the water.

“i think both of the twins are on duty with me though,” you thought aloud, “that should be interesting,”

suna nodded eagerly, “you better tell me what they fight about today or i’ll never talk to you again,”

you playfully smack him on the shoulder, “you’re such a drama queen. why they fight?”

oh boy, suna thought, she has a lot to learn.

“well this morning atsumu asked osamu to make him coffee, osamu said no, atsumu got mad and complained to kita and the rest of his cabin, and then kita yelled at him to stop embarrassing himself in front of the kids,” he explained.

you looked at him baffled, “you say that as if their arguments are a daily occurrence,”

suna looked at you with a dead expression, “because they are,”

the rest of nature studies passed by without a hitch. the campers lined up in front of you and suna to pridefully show their artwork off, and after many compliments you were finally free.

after running back to your unit to change into your swimwear, you walked to the beach with low expectations. once you arrived, osamu greeted you with a wave and atsumu gave you a tight side hug.

“y/n why do ya always wear itachiyama shirts and never inarizaki shirts,” atsumu whined once he pulled back from the hug.

“are you serious,” you ask, and atsumu nods, “atsumu i wonder why,”

atsumu groans, “every time i see ya i have to be reminded of omi’s stupid face and i hate it,”

you rolled your eyes, “i’m going to my post and i’d advise you to do the same if you don’t want to get caught slacking off,”

you quickly made your way to your lifeguard bench, and noticed that it was (thankfully) osamu sitting to the right of you. you were way too tired to deal with atsumu right now.

“so y/n,” osamu started, “i’ve been meaning to ask ya why yer here, i mean, it’s not like i don’t enjoy yer company and yer a great counselor and all-“

“you can ask me why i’m here, osamu, i’m not offended,” you interrupt, and he sends you a sheepish smile.

“so why are ya here then?” he asked, not meeting your gaze.

you giggle at his shyness and he blushes, you think to yourself for a moment before replying.

“i got rejected, and i thought a change in scenery would be nice,” you said, not bothering to hide the reasoning to someone you’d most likely never see again after summer ends.

osamu looks at you completely shocked by your brutal honesty. you laugh at him once again, his reaction was priceless!

“was it sakusa?” osamu asks, hoping he isn’t being to direct.

“oh god no,” you exclaim (much to osamu’s shock), “that’d practically be taboo!”

osamu sends you a questioning look that seems to say ‘are you going to continue?’. you sigh and oblige.

“it was komori, if you must know,” you say, somehow managing to keep a smile on your face. “told me i was like a sister, which kinda hurt if i’m completely honest,”

this time osamu looks at you with pity, and you quickly back track.

“oi quit it!” you exclaim, managing to get atsumu’s attention as well, “it’s not like i’m gonna let a silly boy ruin my summer,”

atsumu whistles from his own station.

“shaddup ‘tsumu, we were havin’ a moment!” osamu yells at his twin.

atsumu throws his sandal in osamu’s direction, but it falls short and hits a camper square on the head.

both you and osamu jump down from your respective stations and rush to the camper as atsumu is frozen in shock.

“look at what ya did ya scrub!” osamu scowls at his brother. atsumu just hangs his head, too embarrassed to say anything over the cries of the camper.

you take your hand and gently wipe away the camper’s tears with your thumb.

“hey bud don’t cry, it’s just a small owie ok? you’re such a strong boy, this is nothing!” you tell him, squeezing his tiny hands.

he sniffles and stands up straight before giving you a hug. osamu offers him a high five before the kid runs back to his friends in the sand pit.

“you don’t think we should take him to the med hut?” you asked osamu.

osamu shook his head, “nah, he’ll be fine. plus we don’t want to overwhelm the staff there unless it’s really needed.”

you nod, thankful that your first camp crisis was handled so well.

“thanks for being the bestest lifeguard buddy osamu!” you tell him, giving him a high five that he reciprocated with ease.

“i heard that y/n! don’t forget i’m right here!” atsumu yells in your direction.

“did ya hear anything?” osamu asks, mockingly cupping his hand over his ear.

“nothing at all,” you responded, shooting atsumu a playful glare over your shoulder.

“let’s get back to work then,” osamu suggested. then it was back to the station for you both.

the first session of your time as a counselor ended with many tears, both from you and your twelve campers in your cabin. on the last night of session one, you sat your campers in a circle on the cabin floor and had them share their favorite camp memories. even you were moved to tears by how strong their friendships were after only twelve days.

the next morning was hard for you, seeing all of the children you had called your kids go back home. you would have never expected to feel so strongly for a group of twelve eight through ten year olds.

now that your cabin had been emptied out, you walked to main camp with a backpack full of clothes and toiletries for the weekend. the boys were going back to town and staying at home, and the twins were kind enough to open up their house to you.

“thanks again for your hospitality,” you told them while kita drove the three of you down the road, “i think i’d be lonely alone at camp over the weekend.”

“it’s nothin’” osamu said, “we can hang around town and show ya around,”

atsumu nodded along with excitement, and kita smiled. even he was excited to get to know you better.

as you neared civilization again, your phone began to go off. you ignored it for awhile but when it started ringing the special ringtone you saved for just for sakusa you knew you had to pick it up.

“hey yoomi, what’s up?” you greeted as his face filled up your small phone screen.

“are you coming back to tokyo for the weekend?” he asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

you shook your head and sakusa’s eyebrows furrowed.

“where are you staying then?” he questioned.

then, in a cursed sequence, atsumu woke up from his nap and took your phone out of your hands.

“omi-kun! what a pleasure!” he smirked.

“miya can you please give me back to y/n, i haven’t talked to her for two weeks,” sakusa said, clearly displeased at seeing atsumu.

“so cold,” atsumu mumbled, but he listened and sakusa’s sigh could be heard loud and clear in kita’s small sedan.

“i don’t think i like the idea of you staying with miya, but it’s unavoidable. it’s too far for you to travel back home only to leave again in two days.” sakusa concluded.

you nodded, “i miss you though,” you said, trying to mimic the secret handshake the two of you came up with in fourth grade. it was hard without him actually doing his part. but you did elicit a laugh from the dark haired boy, which made atsumu whip around in his seat.

“motoya misses you too you know. he said you never wrote back to him,” sakusa said after a minute or so of silence.

osamu stiffened next to you and squeezed your knee, knowing that the topic of your rejection still makes you feel uncomfortable.

“is he with you right now?” you asked him.

sakusa nodded, “he’s in the living room, i figured you wanted to talk in private first so i went to my room,”

“i’ll say hi,” you said, and watched nervously as sakusa stood up and walked into the living room you practically grew up in.

“here he is,” sakusa said before passing the phone.

“hiya y/n!” komori greeted. you blushed. it was as if nothing had changed.

“hey toya” you whispered and watched as he curled up more into the couch. you were still unsure how it was possible for one to be so adorable.

“i’m sorry if what happened earlier upset you, but i still love you, you know that right? i was worried when you didn’t write back,” he said.

“sorry toya, but i think i needed some time first,” you answered with a sad smile.

osamu shot you a concerned look but you nudged his calf with your shoe to try to convey that you were ok.

komori nodded, “i’m sorry again, y/n,”

you shook your head, “you don’t need to apologize for not feeling the same way, let’s just get back to normal ‘kay?” you asked.

komori smiled brightly, and you couldn’t help but smile back at him. (smiles do look really good on him, but it’s not like you could tell him that without making it weird anymore).

“that sounds great, i’ll pass you back to omi now,” he says.

“bye toya,” you said, thankful that that conversation was out of the way.

sakusa took his phone back and you heard him gently close the door to his bedroom.

“that wasn’t too painful now was it?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow at you.

“no yoomi, you’re right as always,” you quip, knowing that’s what he wants to hear.

“i’ll let you go now, i know you can hear me miya don’t try anything funny,” sakusa says sternly, “have fun y/n, don’t fall off the face of the earth this time,” he said in a softer tone and proceeded to hang up before you could say goodbye.

you sighed, “sorry you all had to hear that,” you apologized.

the three boys shook their heads.

“yer all good y/n, it seemed like ya needed to have that conversation,” osamu said.

you smiled, “yeah, i really did.”

—

this is long! too long for one post actually! here’s part one though! part two will come later tonight.

general tag list: @cadenceh2o

part two.

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 98: The Advance Guard

Remus almost caught a faint hint of his own self crashing into his face, and slammed against a glass window. He rubbed furiously at his forehead and muttered more oaths of this repeat, but for once was rather glad they were confined to wherever this was, or he probably would have gone right through that. He squinted at his reflection for a few moments, thanking the setting sun on his face before he forced his eyes to adjust past that and see beyond.

There was a small garden with a tiny little pond just on the edge of the property, other than that it was wide open space. Turning slowly back to the inside of the house he found a comfortable looking couch with the others all groaning and sitting up in various states of unrest. Only James and Alice were close enough to scrutinize though, and he was positive enough James didn't know this place anymore than him that he watched Alice carefully. She however looked just as bemused as him at this new location, so he passed the two and caught sight of the kitchen, where Longbottom was getting uneasily to his feet.

Sirius had landed on top of the refrigerator and was just lying there, looking miserable and very uncomfortable. Frank Longbottom was rubbing his backside and looking just as confused as his girlfriend though.

Remus turned just in time to see Peter, Regulus, and Evans coming out of a hallway and could easily see the question on all of their lips as well. It seemed none of them were quite sure where they were.

Considering past times this had not gone well for them, he didn't blame Prongs at all for his curiosity being abated for once and summoning the book to him, he did however frown in confusion at the new chapter title.

"Advanced Guard? Who's coming after Harry now?"

"Keep up Moony," Sirius slurred, his face already turning red from his prolonged, half upside-down position. "Between You-Know-Who, and now random arse dementors after Harry, it's obvious Harry hired advanced bodyguards."

"Yes, I'm so sure that's the ticket," Remus frowned up at him. "Are you okay up there?"

"What's this thing anyways, feels cold, but kind of good," Sirius opened his eyes and twisted his face so it was more against the freezer part.

"Muggle contraption, keeps food cold," he only barely managed to answer before Sirius did fall down from his perch, but he quickly scrambled back to his feet and now leaned his face more intensely against the door.

Remus walked closer to see what had him so riled up. There were a few bits of loose paper tacked to it, like reminders a bathroom sink was clogged, as well as a grocery list, but the idea this was a muggle household was ruined when he spotted the picture Sirius was looking at. It was moving.

A man and a woman he didn't recognize were smiling down at a little girl who was running in delight, and falling quite frequently, but always getting up and continuing. The interesting part was, her hair changed colors every time she got up. From red, to green, to blonde without any discernible reason why, and at one point several colors were in her long mane at once, as if a rainbow were chasing her about. She stopped and did a little spin so she was facing away from her parents, facing them more clearly, and in the blink of an eye her whole face morphed several different features before settling into a heart-shape and taking off once more.

"Well that's, new," he agreed, blinking in confusion at the odd sight. Were the parents doing experimentation on that girl or something?

"Yeah, it is," Sirius said in a weird voice, and Remus checked him to see he wasn't watching the child at all, but the mother, it was unmistakable the way his eyes were scrutinizing her, not tracking the little ones progress.

He hadn't looked closely at either parent really, the kid certainly drew the attention, but now that he was, he frowned in puzzlement to see she did seem vaguely familiar- "there's no way," Sirius breathed, his nose was pressed right to the picture now, causing the girl to fall once more. "Andromeda?"

It took a few moments for Remus to let his mind scatter around and figure out why he recognized that name, before it clicked as one Sirius actually mentioned being related to this cousin from time to time. She was the middle child of the three sisters, but that was all he could think of off the top of his head. He certainly wouldn't have realized it was the same woman now, she was much older for one thing, but Sirius would know best.

"Sirius, you alright?" Remus couldn't understand the strange look on his face as he scrutinized the picture.

"I, um, that's my cousin," he vaguely clarified.

"Yes, I gathered that, though I take no comfort we're in the house of some potential Death Eaters." Remus frowned and waited for him to get to the point. The look on his face was not worry, but something else Remus couldn't put his finger on.

He didn't answer for so long that the book had gone past Harry's next lapse of depressing times at that Muggle place, and reached all the way up to intruders. Sirius finally looked around properly back towards him, but kept the picture in his hand as he finally walked out of the kitchen to keep his eye on this newest danger around Harry.

When Moody and Professor Lupin were announced in quick succession, they all marginally relaxed this was no foreseeable danger, but it did no more to explain their surroundings until the rest of the guard was introduced, and Sirius nearly jumped in surprise at the name Nymphadora Tonks. Remus peeked over his shoulder again just in time for the girl in the picture to have her hair flash from purple, to orange, to pink hardly before he could name said colors. His suspicions were all but confirmed when she explained she was a metamorphmagus, something he'd never heard of, but that must be the explanation for winding up here. Was this her home? Was this where Harry was going to be taken? Maybe even a new girlfriend of his, she didn't sound that much older than Harry with the way she spoke to everyone, and she was singled out going back upstairs with Harry to get his stuff.

Sirius caught his wrist and started dragging him back towards the kitchen, though stopped and kept his head cocked to the side towards James still so he didn't miss a word as he spoke to Remus, "I think Andromeda did something unbelievable?"

"More than what you've done Padfoot? I won't believe it," Remus couldn't help but smirk, but he blinked and quickly caught up with his assumption as he scrutinized the picture again, and their surroundings. "Wow," he breathed before Sirius bounced on his heels and half shouted;

"I think she's married to a muggle! Or Muggle Born. Whichever! I, can you, no one I know would even dare-"

There was a light shining in his bright gray eyes Remus only ever saw when he looked at one person, James. Certainly the admirational look had only ever been attributed to Prongs's next bone-headed prank they'd all gone along with, but never to a member of his own family.

"That's," he swallowed, truly beyond words for what this was implying. "Really great Sirius, looks like you're not the greatest nutjob of your family."

"I'm not the only one," Sirius seemed to savor the words as he went back to eyeing every detail of the photo, and then doing a wild dance around the place as if to take in every detail of this life. Remus let him be, watching fondly as he tripped over his own feet, as uncoordinated as this Tonks in his excitement to finally find someone like him in his own family. Sirius's debilitating fear his blood was cursed had likely only been reinforced by his recent train of bad luck in this future, but maybe, if he really saw there were others who could stand up to his parents, well that could certainly only be a good thing.

He leaned comfortably against the couch now and listened with the first true enjoyment in a long time as Harry escaped those awful muggles and was flying once more, with trusted people. Peter and Regulus were smiling and whispering about something once more, he caught a few snatches of conversation and they seemed to think they were headed to this location for whatever this secret headquarters could be.

Evans, Alice, and Longbottom weren't talking much at all, but seemed just as enraptured at this story's new development, clearly something had been going on behind the scenes while Harry had been kept out of the loop.

James was so antsy by the time Harry landed, he was bouncing on the spot in fascination. The place certainly couldn't be here though, it sounded like a dumpsite more than anything. He supposed though, if they were going to set up some secret place to meet up, a rundown old neighborhood was the place to go.

Sirius had vanished from sight down the hallway, and Remus began to follow him just to keep an eye on that smile. He'd been inspecting things with care, for once, but he didn't want him to get carried away. He froze in surprise though, and whirled back around so fast he nearly fell on his bum himself when he heard the very specific and particular address Harry seemed to be at. 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius's home.

[kingkatara]

Girl Meets Waitress: Opening Up

Disclaimer: I don’t own Waitress. I don’t own Girl Meets World. This is a fanfiction written just funsies.

Looking around, seeing the same things every day brings

          Maya woke up to darkness every morning. Her eyes peeled open after a mere six hours of sleep and were met with nothing. For a split second, there was only darkness in front of her, around her, within her. It was then that she and the world had their daily battle of wills, the war over who would break the stillness first and stir the other into motion. And always it was Maya who surrendered. Her eyes would adjust to the low light and a hot puff of breath would warm her face, still partly under the covers to avoid that first shiver of a New York morning that was always chilly no matter the season. She sat up in bed and surveyed the smoking battlefield of her bedroom, taking in her losses from the night before and wondering which of them would show on her face for the rest of the day. Beside her, the world’s weapon lay dormant, harmless unless she were to challenge the demands for peace. If she came quietly as the world beckoned her, he would slumber on. She didn’t look at him as she swung her legs over the bed and tapped her toes against the smooth hardwood floor beneath her. Her white flag of surrender was the tug on the long curtains that shielded the sunlight from shining into the apartment through the wide window on her side of the bed. This was her cry out into the world that she would not fight. And then the day would begin.

           Wake up, use the toilet, brush the teeth, comb the hair. Put the hair up. Makeup over the dark circles and fading yellow-green lump above the eyebrow. Panties, bra, uniform. Socks, then shoes. Purse. Nametag out of the purse and on the uniform. Every day, the routine was the same. There was ease to it, but it would be a lie not to admit that it was also repetitive. She didn’t know what her life was supposed to be like, but she couldn’t help feeling that it wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was as though there was some missing ingredient that she had long ago forgotten to include in the recipe, which always left the dish edible, but unsatisfying. A ritual she had not shared with anyone in the six years of living in her Lower East Side apartment was that the last thing she did before giving in to the reality of her life was standing at her window and waiting for the first rays of light to peek over the buildings in her neighborhood. She never watched the sun fully rise up into the sky. She simply waited for it to appear and then raced it to work. She never won.

           The ride across town on the subway would have been daunting at best for a tourist, but for a born New Yorker like Maya, the odd little scenes playing out right before her eyes, even as early as six in the morning, were just as natural to the routine as tying her shoelaces. On the way to work, swaying gently along with the subway car, Maya would pull out her sketchbook (which wasn’t a sketchbook at all, but a pathetic server’s pad on which she took down her orders) and mimic the likeness of what she saw and sometimes, on her lowest days, what she felt. Today, there was a particularly amusing picture of an eccentric woman with some sort of hat, though Maya couldn’t quite bring herself to call it that. It was tall, a violent shade of purple, and topped with hot pink feathers. These feathers were of great interest to a small little girl, whose mother, wearing the scrubs of a nurse, was snoozing against the window of the subway car. The little girl was standing up on her seat, using the handrail for balance, and blowing on the feathers of the woman’s hat. The woman gave no indication of noticing this invasion of personal space and was instead muttering to herself about some sort of building with her name on it. The two of them were immediately transcribed into her notepad in short, quick lines of ink.

           From the subway, she made her way through the streets of the Lower East Side, weaving in and out of passerby with an expression that was as equally bored as it was underground. She didn’t look up at anyone and instead chose to keep her eyes down on her white sneakers. The less she looked open to communication or interest, the greater chance she had of making it to work having avoided any unwanted attention—because yes, some men really were in the mood before seven in the morning. Then finally, there was the diner. Where her life played out day by day, where the routine really began and always finished; the diner was more of a home to her than her own apartment, which, of course, wasn’t really hers at all. But the diner? It was the closest thing to belonging that she felt since being held in the arms of her mother so many years ago. She entered through the door in the back of the building that led to the kitchen.

           “Is it a woman thing?”

           “Excuse me?”

           “The being late. Every damn day. Is it a woman thing?”

           “Oh, shove it up your—”

           “Good morning! Who’s ready to start the day?”

           Of course, no home was complete without its inhabitants. Maya supposed she could have had it much worse when it came down to the universe selecting her partners for this life thing. She didn’t hate the people she worked with every day and she guessed that they didn’t hate her either. With that being said, however…These partners were no picnic either.

           There was Zay Babineaux, the cook. All Maya knew about him was that he was from a small town in Texas and he came to New York when he was a teenager. He still had a slight drawl to his snarky voice, the stubborn southern streak within him that refused to be beaten down by the hustle and bustle of the north. He never offered any detail into his personal life, like why he chose to be a cook or how he ended up at the diner, and Maya never asked. When he wasn’t flipping pancakes on the griddle, he could be found grumbling to anyone who would listen (and that was exactly no one) about how nothing in his life made sense and why women were the reason for that. Though he was technically her boss, he and Maya had an ongoing feud over who should be giving who orders within the unhallowed walls of their place of employment.

           Riley Lawrence was a young woman of thirty who was made up of sunshine and daisies. She married her high school sweetheart right on the heels of graduation and went to NYU for a degree in political science. A year into law school, she dropped out to start working at the diner in order to care for her husband, Charlie, who had suffered severe brain injuries in a freak bus accident. Though all of her dreams were now wasted, she still smiled like sunshine in the rain and danced like a daisy in the wind. It was for Riley’s sake that squabbles between Maya and Zay were quickly put to bed—neither of them had the gumption to disappoint a soul like Riley’s, who had endured so much already and never uttered a single complaint.

           “Me. Thirty minutes ago. Why are you women always late?”

           “Perhaps it’s because we know you can’t afford to fire us.” The newest addition to their band of misfits was Isadora, who for some reason allowed them all to address her by her ridiculous surname: Smackle. Even her nametag introduced her as such to the customers. She was a twenty-three year old grad student living the dream that Riley had once chased and for that reason, Maya and Zay tolerated her. It wasn’t that she wasn’t likable; she was nice enough. It was just that Maya had never met anyone who was more tightly wound. Smackle had a particular way of doing things and though the diner had never been cleaner, more organized, and more efficient than when Zay took her on, Maya simply didn’t appreciate changing her way of doing things just to fit Smackle’s compulsive need for order.

           “Actually, I can. I don’t own the place. I just run it. I wouldn’t lose anything but the weight of carrying this business if I had it my way and kicked you three to the—"

           “Business? It’s a diner. And it didn’t miss us for the fifteen minutes that we were late. But it will miss us for thirty if you keep us from actually doing our jobs with your whining.”

           “Alright, you know what? Get out of my kitchen. Get out.”

           Snickering, Maya led Riley and Smackle through the swinging door that led into the dining area. Though Riley sighed unhappily as they left Zay to his dramatics, the girls easily fell into their habitual duties for opening up. Riley got to work on the register, counting bills and setting up the front desk. Smackle wiped down each table and sorted the condiments in whatever order made sense to her otherworldly brain. Maya got to work on the pastry display case. The first thing she did every shift was rearrange it so she could display her creation of the day, which was dreamt up sometime before going to bed every night and arriving at work each morning. What made all the elbow grease she put into the job worthwhile was found underneath the diner in its basement: the bakery. Each dessert, particularly the pies, was made from the imagination of her mother. Every dressing coating its recipe, particularly the cakes, was designed from Maya’s. Serving the sacred combination to the diner’s patrons, who had no idea that they were seeing into the very essence of her being with every bite, was the most gratifying thing Maya got to experience in a montage of diner meals that left her secretly hungry for something more. In another life, perhaps Maya would have liked to be an artist. But she was living in this life and if she couldn’t be that, she supposed being a waitress that got to bake the cakes was the next best thing.

           “What’s the special today?”

           Maya’s fingers twitched towards her apron’s pocket where the sketch of her subway ride lived frozen in time between the pages of her server’s pad. She was planning on using it as inspiration for some kind of cake resembling that crazy old woman’s hat, but Riley’s hopeful expression was especially sweet this morning. Her brows lifted in the direction of her hairline ever so slightly, creating the barest traces of wrinkles that were not yet etched into the still youthful skin across her forehead. Her lips parted in a preciously premature smile of delight. Maya never wanted Riley to know the harsh truth that she did, that hope was for suckers, and so she never let Zay put Riley’s pie on the menu even though it was continuously requested by the regulars. As long as it wasn’t on the menu, Riley still got to hope every morning, for just a minute or two, that that would be the day that her pie was the special of the day.

         “Why, Aren’t You a Peach Polka-Dot Peach Pie, of course.” Maya painted on an indulgent smile and admired how Riley beamed sunlight at her.

         “Peaches, you shouldn’t!”

         “Too late, I already did. Today’s a good day to serve everyone a little Riley, I think. I know I could use a little of whatever it is you got.”

         “Well, I’m happy to share.”

         “Go check the stock downstairs and make sure we have enough kosher salt. We were running a little low the last I checked and I don’t think Zay is ordering new stock until tomorrow.” Riley abandoned the hostess station where she was organizing the trio’s sections as if they ever changed and raced downstairs into Maya’s sanctuary.

         “When am I going to get a pie made for me, Maya?” Smackle asked without accusation, just curiosity.

         “Maybe it’s not a pie. Maybe it’s a cake. Or a cookie.” The blonde answered thoughtfully, to which Smackle snorted and shot her a grin from across the room.

         “I am at least a brownie by now, thank you very much. How did Riley end up with a peach pie anyway? Because she calls you Peaches?”

         “Nah, she calls me peaches because that’s what the pie is.” Maya explained, “I don’t know, she’s just so nice. It kind of threw me off when we first met, being New Yorkers and all. When she learned about how I make the desserts and dress them up, a peach pie is the first thing I thought of when she asked me what kind of dessert she would be. The polka-dots came later when I thought about how she dresses out of uniform. That’s what makes it Riley.”

         Smackle hummed in understanding. “And what makes it yours, with that kind of personal touch. No one can bake like you can, huh?”

         “No one but my mother. I just try to do it like she would.” Maya answered with a casual shrug and brushed her hands against her apron as she finished up with the display case. Smackle was obviously done with the condiments as she had moved on to adjusting the number of napkins at each table. Maya regarded her for a moment. She wasn’t sure how to say so, but the spectacled girl had unwittingly stirred a feeling of warmth in her chest at the astute (and the very gracious, at that) compliment—the kind of warmth that spread slowly, like a pie crust in the heat of an oven. So she said nothing at all. Maya got through each day by watching the people she saw and jotting her notes down into her art, be it on the dish or on paper. She had never considered that Smackle might do the same. Dimly, she wondered where her coworker took her observations. Perhaps a scholarly notebook; that was presumably what a good NYU student like Smackle would use in her classes at school. Or maybe she just kept it all in that great big brain of hers. It probably was time for Smackle to get her own dessert by now, wasn’t it?

         Without Riley around to peer over her shoulder and ask questions, Maya pulled out the server’s pad from her pocket and flicked through its pages until she found her sketch from the subway ride. Some of her glimpses into inspiration never quite revealed their whole picture and without that, she couldn’t transcribe their stories into a cake. Maya had a gnawing ache deep in her gut that this lady and her crazy hat were one of those torturously brief peeks into something special that she would only ever wonder about for the rest of her life. Sighing, she walked over to the hostess stand, tore the sheet from the pad’s binding, and slid the sketch between the thick cardstock page of a menu and its plastic cover. This was the eulogy of all the subway sketches that never went on to become something more. The idea of one of the diner’s patrons finding it out of the blue and seeing what Maya saw, even if it was only for an instant, was exactly what Crazy Hat deserved. She deserved the chance to connect with a stranger who was not looking for her and make them wonder just like Maya did; if she was lucky, that stranger could do something to tell her story more truthfully than Maya ever could.

         Riley had returned from the bakery downstairs. “I think we should have enough to get through the day!” She announced joyously, waving a carton of the last of the kosher salt they had left over her head just to show them she was sure.

         “Great, but why did you bring it up here?” Maya chuckled, sliding the menu back into the stacks that would be passed around to the customers throughout the day. Riley’s smile faltered for just a second as realization came to her. As quickly as it left, her smile sprung back into place as if it was never gone, albeit the accompaniment of sheepish awkwardness was an endearing new factor in Riley’s sunshine.

         “I…I just…I’ll go put this back.”

         “No need.” Maya offered her a gentle look of reassurance, the expression well-rehearsed for the times that Riley, feeling especially Riley, looked to her for permission to go on exactly as she was. She did this as though Maya would ever want her to change. “I should probably get started anyway before the morning rush gets in. There’s some crust defrosting in the fridge, but I’ll have to make the filling from scratch. I’ll just bring it back down myself.”

         “Well, then get to it! I want my pie!” Riley pitched her the kosher salt that was not even in the same vicinity as her direction, which Maya had to scramble to catch in an almost cat-like maneuver. Smackle made a move to shoo her away in jest, but she was already hurrying along down the narrow spaces between tables to get a move on. She skipped the stairwell leading to the bakery and headed straight for the single bathroom in the back of the building.

         She couldn’t get the door open fast enough and she still had to find the dexterity in fingers that were not so nimble as they were when baking to lock it. The kosher salt was forgotten, carelessly thrown to the floor and forced open upon impact with the ground. Hard flakes of it dug into her bare knees as she dropped and flung her head into the waiting toilet bowl. It was the fourth time this week that Maya had emptied her insides at work. She didn’t think that anyone had noticed this theatrical display of her stomach’s hysterics, but if it went on, it would be impossible to keep hidden. She didn’t want to deal with that intervention, because that’s exactly what it would be with those two goofballs for coworkers, and she certainly didn’t want to have to deal with Zay. She didn’t want to deal with any of this, not at all. She didn’t know how. All she knew was the diner, the customers, the girls and the cook. The desserts. All she knew was being a waitress. If Maya added anything more to her plate, it would not be a matter of whether she would break, but when.

[renegadepisces]

Bright Imagine: Kandomere accidentally meeting your family

After a brutal few weeks of almost nonstop danger in your days and seemingly unending paperwork in your nights, you were thrilled to have a day off. The fact that you could spend it with your older sibling and their family made it even better. Working with the MTF was amazing, but you wouldn’t trade a hefty hazard paycheck for time like this with your family. 

These are your favorite kind of days. Perfect weather with sunshine and the lightest hint of a breeze to keep you all cool and comfortable while enjoying the shops lining the pedestrian district of town. You were in one of the trendier human neighborhoods not far from the border of Elftown. It had a hip, artistic reputation, which meant that your nephews were frantically turning their attention from one attraction to the next as quickly as their wondrous, adorable child minds would let them process the scene in front of them. The street was full of other families and couples out enjoying the weather, some holding shopping bags or takeaway containers. 

Your sibling and their young family lived in a quiet suburb while you lived further into the city, but you joined forces on weekends like this to expose the kids to some of the more positive parts of living near LA. You carried your oldest nephew’s gym bag slung across your shoulder, allowing him to chase after his little brother, giggling as they revolved around you and their parents like planets hurdling through space. They’d come from tae kwan do practice and hadn’t wanted to change clothes before lunch. Their baby sister cooed in her stroller at clouds passing in and out of her line of sight overhead.

“What a nice day,” your sibling sighed, “So, how is work y/n?”

“Honey, not in front of the kids.” Their partner warned through a forced smile to avoid alarming the children. “No offense y/n.”

“None taken.” you assured them.

Your sibling didn’t work with the MTF like you, but they were an LAPD detective. You knew your in-law worried for you and your sibling, and you didn’t blame them. LA was a big city, and both you and your sibling saw some of the darkest and most dangerous parts of the city and its residents on a daily basis. Besides, your sibling knew enough from the law enforcement rumor mill and the local news to know exactly what your work life was like. 

“Fine, fine, are you seeing anyone then?” your sibling quipped. 

Their spouse groaned and shot an apologetic look your way before fussing with your niece’s sunhat. Your sibling always was immature, even if they were older than you. 

Your nephews whipped around at this question, suddenly very interested in what the adults were saying. 

“You know these precious boys are the only gentleman for me!” you said, pretending to be scandalized. Your nephews dropped their serious expressions for wide, toothy grins. You were, in their words, the coolest grown up, and they could be jealous of your attention. Of the few men you had dated long enough to warrant introduction to your family, they hadn’t liked a single one. To be fair though, neither had your sibling. 

“Oh y/n, would you mind staying with the kids while we run into this store?” Your in-law suddenly asked, stopping dead in their tracks on the sidewalk. The store window they were focused on looked like a promising place to find a gift for your younger nephew’s upcoming birthday.

“Of course!” you agreed, knowing firsthand what a bad idea it was to take 3 excited children into a store. 

You tempted your nephews away from the intriguing shop window - and the temptation to follow their parents inside - with the promise of gelato. You made monthly trips to this part of the city specifically to visit the bookstore next to the gelato shop, but you doubted you could convince the boys to let you go inside and browse the newest arrivals.

The boys ordered exactly what you knew they would - strawberry for the oldest and chocolate for the youngest. You treated yourself to a scoop of espresso and got a sample of orange-flavored gelato for your niece because you knew she always ate oranges first whenever they were put in front of her and assumed she wouldn’t mind orange-flavored gelato. 

You had just finished putting your wallet back in your pocket and rearranging your nephew’s bag on your shoulder when you felt both of your nephews grab you. The older one wrapped his small hand in yours, while his brother put his hand in your jeans pocket. It was a gesture you’d taught him half jokingly when he got old and independent enough that he didn’t want to hold anyone’s hand in public. It had been a compromise - he didn’t have to hold your hand but he did have to hold on. Both boys were at that age when they wanted to act and be treated like big kids - and that didn’t include hand holding. 

Concerned at their unusual behavior, you turned your attention away from the stroller to look at them. They were both staring intently in the same direction, toward the bookstore. You followed their gaze and noticed a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk. They were about the same height as you, wearing a strangely formal suit for a casual weekend stroll, and their hair was a striking and unnatural shade of grey and blue. And their eyes, which triggered you to finally recognize your boss through the pedestrians walking into your line of sight, were a piercing clear blue like the diamonds glittering in the nearby jeweler’s front window. 

“Special Agent Kandomere,” you greeted him, exhaling air you hadn’t realized you were holding in, “What brings you here sir?”

His lips creased as he drew closer. It wasn’t a smile, but it was certainly less of a frown than what you usually saw on his face. He was handsome regardless of his expression, but the fact that he never smiled made you anxious sometimes. You couldn’t tell if he liked you, or if he was even satisfied with your work most of the time. That didn’t bother you too much though. Your martial arts background brought a rare skillset to the task force, especially among humans, and your reviews so far were stellar. 

The boys’ grips on you tightened as he stepped closer. Were they afraid of him? They’d seen plenty of elves before, so you doubted that was the problem. Kandomere could certainly be intimating even to adults though.

“I’m here for the secondhand bookshop. They have a larger selection of Ovusi than most chain stores.”

You guessed that he lived nearby then. That made sense - this neighborhood bordered the Elven district. And you knew from personal experience how impressive the store’s selection was. 

Kandomere crouched down in front of you, bringing himself eye-level to your nephews. 

“And what are your names?” He asked. And for the first time since you’d met him - for the first time in the several months you’d worked side by side since joining the MTF - you saw him smile. 

The boys looked up at you, as if asking you for permission to talk to this stranger. You nodded encouragingly. Kandomere could be an asshole, but he wasn’t bad. He seemed to be putting in effort to be nice to your nephews. 

Cautiously, they told him their names. Kandomere shifted his gaze up make eye contact with you once more, and you felt a little awkward as you took in the site. Your boss, a respected - even feared - MTF Special Agent in Charge was crouching on a crowded sidewalk in a three piece suit that probably cost more than your rent and car payment combined. 

“Are you training to be like your mother one day?” He asked your oldest nephew, no doubt observing the gym bag slung around your shoulder and the fact that your oldest nephew was still wearing his tae kwan do uniform.

You felt a blistering flush rise in your cheeks as your mouth suddenly went bone dry. Kandomere wasn’t the first to mistake your nephews for your children. After all, they had the same h/c hair as you and they generally resembled you in the same way that you resembled your sibling. But you’d never been this embarrassed by it before. 

“I wish I could take credit, but these are my nephews.” you blurted out.

The fact that Kandomere, instead of the offering the sheepish grin and hasty apology or joke about family resemblances that most people followed up that assumption with, only smiled more intently at you just made the whole situation seem more strange. There was something unfamiliar behind his eyes that you’d never seen before. You were certain you’d never made this much direct eye contact with him in the entire time you’d known him, so maybe that wasn’t so unusual. 

But still. It was all very weird and you wished the ground would swallow you whole. 

“They certainly take after you in charm, agent l/n.” He told you as he rose to his full height in an easy, fluid motion that oozed grace and dignity. That was more like him, or at least the version of him you were familiar with from work. This friendly, smiling Kandomere who was currently eliciting excited coos from your niece was a complete stranger to you. 

You were about to respond with something unintelligible when you noticed your sibling and their spouse approaching. With the practiced stealth of a detective, your sibling waited until the last possible moment to make their presence behind Kandomere known before announcing themselves by loudly greeting you.

“You must be officer (l/n), y/n’s sibling.” Kandomere greeted them, not fazed at all by the tactic. He shook hands with your sibling, and then their spouse. 

Dimly, through the roar of your almost palpable embarrassment, you realized that was the first time Kandomere had ever referred to you by your first name. 

Your sibling finally noticed the paper gelato cups in their children’s hands and leveled a piercing gaze at you. 

“Really? Even the baby? What are you spoiling my children for now?” They weren’t upset. You often joked that spoiling their children was your way of getting back at them for how they picked on you when you were younger. 

“As if I need a reason.” 

“Well, I hope you’ve at least learned a lesson, since yours has melted,” your sibling noted. 

You looked down, having completely forgotten about your espresso gelato until he reminded you. Sure enough, the mound of aromatic, creamy confection had melted into a pale brown pool in your cup. 

“Espresso, y/n?” Kandomere asked, before another smile broke across his features, “you don’t stop mainlining caffeine even on your days off.”

“This one’s just as bad. They both get most of their calories from a Styrofoam cup, I swear.” Your in-law joked, gesturing between you and your sibling as she spoke. 

“Well in that case, you’ll have to let me make it up you on Monday,” Kandomere said. After quickly exchanging goodbyes with you and your family members, he turned to walk away in the direction of the shopping center’s underground parking garage. Unfortunately, this left you at the mercy of your family’s curiosity. 

“Y/n,” your sibling warned, “I think your boss just asked you on a coffee date.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” you said, “He gets coffee at work all the time.”

“Yeah, with his partner.” your sibling said.

“Come on honey, you did ask if y/n was seeing someone.” Your in-law teased. 

“He said they were charming,” your oldest nephew interjected excitedly as your sibling hauled him up to sit on their shoulders. 

“He was staring at you.” his younger brother added, tugging at your hip pocket in the unmistakable signal that meant he wanted to be picked up and carried too. 

“No he was not!” You hissed as a red flush crept into your cheeks again and you stooped to comply with his demand. 

“Was too!”

You groaned, once again wishing the ground would swallow you whole and spare you the pain of waking up the next morning and realizing that the whole incident had in fact happened and wasn’t some figment of your imagination. 

“Come on boys, let’s go get lunch. And then you can tell us what else Agent Kandomere said.” your sibling said, smirking even as they danced out of reach of the playful punch you lobbed at their arm. 

[erinelizabethh]

Caught Your Eye | Leon x Reader (5/?)

Summary: Your little sister is the newest, most promised challenger to beat the region’s Champion. Leon is said Champion. You just have a Pikachu.

A series of drabbles following yours and Leon’s friends-to-lovers slow burn… years in the making.

1 2 3 4

Chapter Five: Goodbye, You

Chapter Summary: ‘Til we meet again.

A Pikachu was his gift to you, a creature the color of the dandelions your mother picked from her garden. She wagged a tail characteristic of a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day, cheeks rosy as she cried out for you, arms out as if a child searching for warmth and comfort. He found the little one swiping at an Eevee on Route 4 was his story, recalling of your once playful manner with the decision that you would love the gift, love her... perhaps love him. Of course, that last part was never said, reduced to just a murmur to the stars, and perhaps it was enough that you were unable to respond. Leon edged closer to you with a Poké Ball in his grasp, prodding at the Pokemon standing at his side, and for once the now sixteen-year-old ran out of words to say.  Once the Pikachu was in your arms, however, eyes twinkling because she was yours, the silence was dissipated with a, “Happy Birthday, love.”

With a shake of your head, your eyes began to burn, tears forming at the corners in an act of weakness you regretted as soon as it was known. How fortunate would you had been if you were still but a child, feigning disinterest in the hobbies of your sister and your best friend by indulging in their existence when nobody was there to catch you in the lie? There was no stopping you from believing how much of a waste of time they all were, no enticing you toward a life where it was acceptable to be worth less to others. The day Leon and Hop moved to your neighborhood, Lydia was the favored child; one day, your mother realized, Lydia would be just enough for the world to turn their heads at her. With no talent, no interest, you were lucky if the world even dared to acknowledge you after all of your hard work. You were lucky if anyone would care to listen, wasn’t like you were important enough to be heard.

This Pikachu was meant to be that one, that pet that those sitting on bleachers awaiting her next move would never see because she was to be yours and yours alone. Her lips would tremble just like yours when you would lament of your score on a test that you wasted your life for, tugging on the denim of your jeans because there was just nothing to tell you other than a pika left in a whimper. By now, you would hope to know what your Pokémon was attempting to relay to you, except it was difficult to comprehend or acknowledge her words when all that could comfort you was confirmation that you really were a failure. Your fist would slam against the wall knowing that it might have all been for nothing, that your friends were off somewhere ignorant to your cries for someone, anyone, to save you from these wavering emotions. All that was left would be her, a Pikachu losing her voice, a gift from a boy who no longer cared for you like you cared for him.

“Fuck my birthday.” Because I fucked yours by not showing up. “Fuck it all, I mean, for fuck’s sake! What a waste of breath this has been!” Your name was said in a tone that caused you to resist his advance to trap you in his embrace, shoving at his chest as if you once didn’t long for your best friend’s warm hugs. The explicit language that rolled off your tongue was foreign, bitter behind your lips, except there was no other word to describe how much better it would have been if this gift wasn’t meant to be in your hands. Everything would have been better if you weren’t there, if you were but a glimpse into his childhood, as you certainly could never make up for being anything more. You didn’t want to tell him, didn’t want to make this any worse, but— ”I’m... I’m leaving, mate. There’s gotta’ be more to this.” You made everything worse.

You were sure of it, because his eyes were wide and the distance between you increased even further. “W-Wha— Where are you—” He gulped down the future he would have, a future where your face will be another childhood memory soon to be forgotten. His body was stiff, fists clenched, and yet his heart would never halt in its dreams to have yours.

“I dunno, Motostoke. Going to finish fourth before, y’know.” He didn’t. He hadn’t a clue. “I was daft to think I... that it was gonna be something. Even more of a bloody idiot to think I could care more about you than whatever that something is, so—” Your free hand fished around in your messenger bag, pulling out a hat with the trace of a crown along the underside of it. Upon setting it atop the ears of the Pokémon cradled in your arms, you returned all of his favors: the friendship you abandoned for your goals, his warmth when the harshness of beyond Postwick caused your blood to run cold, and the three years you spent as babysitters, as neighbors, as... best friends.

So many questions. What brought this on? What couldn’t be fixed? “You’re… you’re gonna be back, though. You’re coming back. ‘S not for long.” With a shrug of your shoulders, the boy thought you cruel; he thought you a madman for not telling your best friend, loathing how he could hardly tear his gaze from yours averted. That was your gift to him, throwing aside his attempt at grasping your attention. Oh, and a hat. Your last gift to him a goodbye that made owning that cap painful, another step back was taken, another minute of time with you stolen. Yet, you continued to play with your food, prodding at the heart he gifted you by absolving yourself from whatever adversities accompanied it; did you even know how much it hurt? Did you care?

You demanded that he take all of it back, because there was no point in leaving any bridges to be crossed once you departed, shutting out his silence for your own. You wanted no part of it, no part of him, no part of Postwick, so you hoped that you could forgive yourself when you indulged in paying mind to the Poké Ball he left on your doorstep the following morning. Leon left no note, not even the hat, just the minuscule reminder of a past he hoped you would find it difficult to leave behind you. It’s a remainder of those bridges you attempted to burn by your words and actions, a single string of fate ever so binding. As your mother wept, your sister silent, your eyes were forward with what was ahead; looking back was too much, as if one glance over your shoulder at the house just a herd of Wooloo’s down was to be your ticket back home.

»»————-　✼　————-««

Your hands are swift as you produce a hair tie from a nearby drawer, pushing it closed with your foot as you tie up strands falling to your back into a ponytail. Seven years later, the word ‘punctuality’ begins to lose its meaning, clothes all over your floor in your flat because you still can’t decide what you want to wear for school. Pikachu remains by your side, amused at your teeth feral in its attempts to secure a piece of toast stuck under for too long, following your movements as you shuffle around your home looking for... “My keys! My damned keys!”

Except the telly’s on, and the news segment seems to take a liking to a certain man in particular. His hair, like yours, falls past his back and accentuates the hair on his chin; his eyes are still as bright as they were years ago, his smile straight and mesmerizing, and it’s a sight many at the local news station love to ogle over. There’s a twinkle in the eyes of his fangirls whenever he passes with the charm that made his win so sweet, so lasting. He is weighed down only by the cape that signifies his win, his status as Champion, free of worries and girls that waste his childhood and take more than they can give. Oh, and his... his hat. No matter who asks, the ambitious boy refuses to comment, only sparing a glance at the camera that refuses him privacy and now, you have all the time in the world to sit down and spare two, maybe three minutes more before you’re forced to leave.

Your Pikachu reaches behind the toaster for your keyring, rolling it between her toes as she is delighted in a job well done. The way the keys jingle upon her wiggling is fun to witness, however loud, thus hitting two birds with one stone: entertainment without her owner if only for a little while, and that same owner allowing just moments of time to a man who Pikachu thinks certainly caught her eye.

[recentanimenews]

The God of High School Script Writer Reveals the Challenges and Rewards of Writing for Action Shows

The God of High School, the newest project in the Crunchyroll Originals lineup, is easily one of the most anticipated titles this season. This action-packed martial arts anime based on the hit WEBTOON series by Yongje Park launching TODAY is for sure the show to check out this season for your shonen battle fix!

In anticipation of today’s launch, we took the time to sit down with the scriptwriter for The God of High School, Kiyoko Yoshimura! In the past, she’s written for anime titles such as GRANBLUE FANTASY: The Animation, GARO -VANISHING LINE-, Sonic X, and now The God of High School. She told us all about her job from her daily schedule as a scriptwriter to the challenges of writing action scenes and the many reasons why you should be watching The God of High School this season!

How did you get your start in writing for anime? I’ve always watched a lot of anime because I enjoy it, but I didn’t aspire to be a scriptwriter right from the beginning. I was an otaku who hoped to be a light novel author and submitted my writing to magazines all the time. I just happened to meet a certain famous scriptwriter on a certain anime fan site, and we started communicating by email. At the time, there was a shortage of anime production staff due to a sudden explosion in the number of anime series being broadcast, so that writer asked me if I wanted to try writing scripts for the project they were doing the series composition for. That project was Jibaku-kun, and I was already a fan of its author, Shibata-sensei, and I was able to dive right into the project since I had already read the manga. So that was my first success, and it was the starting point in getting to where I am now.

    What particular challenges do you face as a writer when adapting a script for anime from existing source material? When I’m in a creative role, I look for the things I personally enjoy and find appealing in the series, whether it’s the characters, the worldview, or the setting, and I focus on those positive feelings as I write. If I don’t feel anything positive toward a series as the writer working on it, then I can’t create something that other people will enjoy. From there, I write the scripts based on consideration of the visuals that the director wants, what everyone hopes the anime will be, and a web of other opinions.

  Are there any common challenges about writing for anime that fans might not realize? This connects to question 2, but I’m generally the type that prefers to write anime based on positive feelings toward it, whether it’s “This is fun,” “I like this,” “This is really interesting,” or “This is so cool.” It makes me happiest when viewers look at something I thought was awesome, and talk about how awesome it is.

  How did you come to work on The God of High School? I worked with Director Park on MAPPA’s VANISHING LINE, and Producer Otsuka asked me to work with them again on this project. VANISHING LINE was very well-received and showed me how amazing Director Park’s work is, so I accepted the job immediately. Also, I personally love battle stories and tales of young people growing up.

    How does adapting a WEBTOON series compare to adapting a manga? I didn’t really notice that many differences. As far as writing scripts goes, I think the best thing about shows based on manga is that the visual composition of each scene in the story already exists, and we can see the image we want to create right from the start. And in GOH’s case, the art and composition of the battle scenes look amazing, so those are the main benchmarks I use to write the scripts.

  What about The God of High School’s story drew you to it most when reading through the original source material? The fact that Mori, Daewi, and Mira start out so distant, but gradually grow closer and more bonded as teammates. Then, after Ilpyo comes into the picture, the scene where the four of them are seen walking away shoulder-to-shoulder really moved me. And also Jegal’s life of unanswered hopes ... He’s an antagonist, but just condemning him alone won’t fix things, and that really made me think about how harsh that kind of world is.

  Could you walk us through a day in the life of a scriptwriter? How do you manage your time throughout the day? An anime writer’s job basically consists of weekly meetings to read each other’s scripts, discussing problem points, going home and making corrections, then resubmitting them and meeting to read them again. It’s quite a mundane cycle. And working on GOH isn’t all that different from working on any other anime. Our meetings involved a lot of staff living in other countries, so we had a lot of remote meetings, but that’s about it. As for my home life, I’m also a mother with a son in elementary school, so I make his breakfast and send him to school in the mornings, help him with his homework, clean the house ... and do some writing in between. When things get really busy, I ask my own mother, who lives in my neighborhood, to help with some of my housework. I can’t express how grateful I am for my family.

  What is the process like for composing a script, from beginning the project to final delivery? The process varies a bit depending on the project, but generally, when I’m doing series composition, I start by coming up with a rough draft of the series as a whole, which is reviewed and discussed by the director and staff. Then we move on to each individual episode’s plot ... deciding what role the number of episodes will play in the series, determining the points where developments happen, and rationing out the work, and from there each writer starts working on their scripts. Occasionally, we’ll be working on a script for a later episode that ends up depicting some development that will require an earlier, not-yet-complete episode to be written in a certain way, so we make those adjustments as needed. When the scripts for all episodes are finished, we pass them along to the production and animation departments, and that concludes the writer’s role. From there, we look forward to seeing the finished product along with the fans!

  Could you tell us how exactly a fight scene looks when you script it? How much of the flow of the battle is in your script? I’ve heard that with things like live-action and tokusatsu series, the fight scenes aren’t written in detail in the scripts; instead, they’re composed right there on the scene by acting and filming specialists. But most anime projects call for fight scenes to be depicted in some degree of detail in the scripts. It directly connects to the time allotment and required number of drawings for the episode, so that needs to be controlled in the scriptwriting stage. At a bare minimum, the script needs to explain who does what, and what effects it has. I don’t usually write every single punch and kick in detail, but in a scene where, for example, a character who was thought to be right-handed suddenly uses their left hand and wins, those details need to be clearly written in the script. In the case of GOH, the battle scenes are composed in very fine detail in the original work, so I generally followed suit in the anime scripts. The most important thing was to make sure the changes in the characters’ feelings as they fought were in agreement with the visual highlights of the animation. If we focused only on the visual depiction, the characters’ emotional expressions would have been left out, and they’d all just be slamming into each other with flashy imagery. Portraying the emotions of a scene through monologues, flashbacks, other characters’ facial expressions, the announcer’s voice, etc., is the most important part of scriptwriting.

  South Korea is a fairly novel setting for an anime. Did writing for a real-world, non-Japanese setting affect how you approached your work at all? While most anime produced in Japan are also set in Japan, there are also many that aren’t, so I didn’t notice that much of a difference. VANISHING LINE, which I worked on with Director Park, was set in America! Still, even though Japan and Korea are geographically close, their languages are quite different (especially the pronunciation), so I did struggle a bit with things like proper nouns and place names.

  Action shows like The God of High School are never just action shows, they also have plenty of comedic and emotional aspects to them as well. Are there any specific tonal scenes you enjoy writing most? One is Mori’s birthday episode. It’s a scene where everything he’s accomplished comes together in the form of a strong bond. Murakoshi-san, the writer of that episode’s script, made that scene extremely emotional. Another is the final preliminary round between Mori and Daewi. It’s the first major climax in the series, and Daewi’s personal drama becomes deeply involved in it, so I tried my best to make it a really intense scene.

    Is there any character in The God of High School you’ve enjoyed writing the most? All the characters do have their own unique charms, but it’s hard to choose just one since it’s much more fun to see how they all bounce off of each other. They’re all strong, remarkable characters, but they have playful sides and even some cute weaknesses that are brought out so skillfully when they’re interacting. Mori and Daewi, Daewi and Mira, Ilpyo and Jegal, Commissioners Q and O, Commissioner Q and Daewi, Taejin and young Ilpyo ... yeah, I just can’t choose (lol)

  The God of High School is, of course, one of the newest Crunchyroll Original productions coming soon. How has working on this production compared to other standard ones you’ve been a part of? Director Park came up with several highly ambitious plans, and he was very passionate about making them into reality, so I couldn’t help feeling like this project was going to turn out well worth all the effort. It was very exciting to work on, and I’m excited to see it when it airs.

  Finally, do you have anything you’d like to say to fans eagerly anticipating the anime’s debut this summer? All of us on the anime staff devoted everything we had to faithfully recreating the intense developments of the original work in animated format. Unlike manga series that you take your time reading at your own pace, the animation will drag all of you into the world of God of High School with the speed and impact of a crashing wave. The action and drama are so fast-paced, you won’t have time to blink! I hope you all enjoy it!

  READ THE OFFICIAL GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL WEBTOON SERIES HERE AND WATCH THE GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL ON CRUNCHYROLL!

Danni Wilmoth is a Features writer for Crunchyroll and co-host of the video game podcast Indiecent. You can find more words from her on Twitter @NanamisEgg.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[multitudeofsxns]

Mr and Mrs Agent

It had been a harrowing few months trapped in the ice, before he was found and he never wanted to do anything like that ever again. So with Howard’s clout and his own influence, and Peggy’s plan, he was able to melt back into society as a private citizen. On paper he was Grant Stephen O’Connell, his mother’s maiden name. Stephen Grant Rogers was dead, according to all the paperwork and all intents and purposes. Captain America was lost at sea still with his best friend Howard Stark still looking for him, according to most papers. 

Now he was living in an apartment across the street from Peggy’s boarding house, a lovely walking distance from work. Well, his new work. Stark had gotten him an in, and Peggy had worked whatever magic she normally did and got him assigned to her same unit. Now was the tricky part. 

They had to play like they had never met before, like they never had once laid eyes on each other. To hell with the idea that they were almost engaged, it was talked about but he hadn’t made it official, they were just coworkers. Today being his first day and their first real test. He wanted to pull the hat down low over his face and turn his collar up, shrinking into the wardrobe that Stark had bestowed upon him. Then he remembered that this was New York, no one paid attention. And that was a huge comfort for him. He was on his way to work just like all the other men fresh back from the front. 

The receptionist pointed him in the direction and he caught sight of his future section chief and hailed him. “Chief,” he called and jogged over to him. “Agent O’Connell, nice to meet you,” he offered his hand to shake. 

“Ah, you’re the rookie.” He grinned and nodded. “Come on, we’ve got a lot to teach you and you’re already late.” 

“I am?” Steve seemed surprised and thought he was actually 30 minutes early. 

“Eh, if we’re on the same lift you’re fine, but if I’m in before you, you’re late.” 

Steve thought that that was the most ludicrous thing but didn’t say a word. Damn Bucky would have snarked at this joker. “Duly noted, sir.” He instead responded and made a mental note to ask Peggy what time she got in the office and walk with her. He was not going to have a target on his back in the first week and this Thompson seemed like a bully. 

He walked in and nearly smiled at his girl but instead his eyes widened when he heard the single most insulting thing he could have ever imagined. “Agent Carter! Is the coffee done?” 

“It was done before you rolled in, get it yourself.” Another male voice called and he didn’t look up from his paperwork. 

“Mind your business, gimp.” 

“How about I make you mind my crutch over your head, Taylor.”

“Gentlemen! May I introduce the newest addition to our team, Agent O’Connell,” He called over the din, effectively ceasing any further fighting. 

“Oy, an O’Irish boy? You’re a big fuckin leprechaun.” The same ingrate, Taylor, shouted. 

“Born and made in Brooklyn, actually,” Steve responded calmly and tucked his hands in his coat and shrugged a shoulder dismissing the quizzical look. 

“Made? Don’t you mean raised?” Taylor snapped. 

“Ah, no, I meant made, didn’t your neighborhood make you who you are, Agent Taylor?” He asked as he followed Thompson past the offensive Agent and towards the empty desk, caddy corner to Peggy. He just had to look up and glance at her, this could make things difficult. But he was next to Sousa, and he seemed like a good man. He was pulling all sorts of Serum jokes this morning for Peggy and hoped she wasn’t too upset at him for wanting to make her laugh. 

“We’ll have our first briefing in 30. Until then, make yourself comfortable and go over the desk contents. I don’t know what was left to you. Carter can get you anything you’re missing.” Thompson offered and walked away. 

Steve took off his hat and coat and hung them on the coat rack before undoing the button on his bespoke jacket before sitting. He was nosing through, figuring what he would have to buy when he saw a stick entering his line of vision. He grabbed it before it could poke him and looked up at Sousa who was grinning. 

“Just wanted to see if you were flesh and blood or a statue, O’Connell.” He offered, looking pointedly at Steve’s bicep in the suit jacket. “That’s not standard issue to most men.” 

Steve let go of the crutch and shrugged. “Ah, no I suppose it isn’t standard issue.” He couldn’t help the smirk. “Neither is a brain standard issue to some around here.” He joked, meaning Taylor. He glanced at Sousa then at Peggy. “Am I right?” 

@inastracaput

[banesbottombitch]

Headcannons of the bowers gang as single parents?🤔 btw, love your writing!

Fuck it, lets do this. I’ve got so many feelings about this. For disclaimers sake, the boys are 20-25, so college age. This is long.

Henry “You are my Sunshine but you’re also a Pain” Bowers

First of all, he was’t ready. Nothing prepared him to end up alone, with a baby that was his newest and most precious responsibility.

The mothers either DIED, or straight up left the baby in his arms and was  like “your problem now” either way, he does not consider adoption. 

Called Vic first, actually crying, because how the fuck does he do better for this kid than his dad did for him? He has no idea how to nurture, to care, to help something grow and thrive. He confesses his fears, and Vic gets Belch and the three of them drive to the closest department store, picking out baby shit.

Has no idea how bottles work. Gets the cheapest kind possible, and is so upset when the baby wont drink from them (texture might be off, his dumb ass didnt warm the milk, his dumb ass gave the baby COWS MILK, the list goes on) and screeches in frustration when they leak because, yet again, he got the cheapest fuckers possible

He’d be out of his dads house by this time, probably college age (about 20-25) but he has made a point to not let his dad know of his child’s existence, because lets face it, Butch would wanna see his grandkid (especially if its a boy). So, Henry keeps the information that he’s a new dad on lock down

Calls Mama Huggins weekly for advice, and actively looks at parenting hacks online. He’s trying his best to be a good dad, and would take extra shifts for work to make ends meet. His kid would probably go into daycare sometimes, but he doesnt like leaving them with strangers and just tries to get one of the guys (or Mama Huggins) to take them for a few hours.

Uses his kid as a chick magnet. Goes to parks and hits on the single moms while he helps his toddler roam around. Gets a lot of ass because of this, since he comes off as a very caring dad (he is, surprisingly).

Dresses his baby girl up like bad asses. His daughter wears his old bandanna with her princess outfit (claiming she is a cowgirl princess, because of course she is) or gets a jean vest with decently kid friendly patches on it, and parades her around when he gets the chance. Insanely protective of her, and follows her when she plays at the park and later as she gets older, he makes her text him where she is at all times. Low key helicopter dad. The type of dad to clean a gun in front of her new boyfriend, 11/10.

 His son’s hair gets styled into a fohawk daily and he’s encouraged to wear cool printed shirts his uncles (the rest of the gang) get him that have various metal bands on them and stuff. Teaches him sports, and drags him along to baseball games when he can. Was a bit torn when he heard his son was causing trouble in school, but decides that he cant have his kid doing the same shit he did and nips the bullying in the bud. His son got his temper, and it upsets Henry sometimes how easy it is for them to snap at each other once he gets older.

Takes his kid fishing, hiking, rides on motorcycles, ect. Lots of out door activities. His favorite is to take his kid out fishing, because they’re TRAPPED with him and he gets to spend the day with his mini-me, making crappy jokes and teaching them how to do proper techniques, like he always wished his dad would have done with him.

Gets really stern with his kid though. Takes no fucking bullshit from them, and lives the line “because I said so”, expecting his kid to listen. He loves them, he would NEVER raise a hand to them, but he’s not above a sit down and heavy glare if they mouth off to him or act up in public.

Lives his life better to make his kid’s life better. Goes to anger management if he thinks he’s starting to emulate Butch, and he’s explained to his kid why they’re so distant from his family. Doesn’t articulate what Butch has done to him, but makes it a point to focus on the fact that they Do. Not. Talk. To. Butch.

Makes a point to take his kid to school every day. Tells his kid how much he loves them. They do not go a day without a clap on the shoulder and a small little smile that he wears just for them.

Reggie “GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH RIGHT FUCKIN’ NOW” Huggins

He was a little shocked when he ended up with a baby. Dazed, confused. He just sat there with this bundle, all soft and small, and held them close. He didn’t know what to do, but does anyone when they become a single parent without word?

If his s/o died, he would be heart broken, but pull through for the kid. If his s/o dumped the baby on him and ran, he’d be fucking furious and vow to never let them within arms reach of HIS child.

The best at easing into parenthood. He told his mama that adoption wasn’t an option, and that he was going to take care of the baby. “I can do it,” he told her, “I’m a man, and men take care of their kids.”

Mama Huggins is overjoyed to be a grandma, even if she claims shes a little young to start being called Nannie, but she spoils that baby rotten. Reggie has to fight to keep her from buying the kid so many different outfits, as she goes overboard and buys too many, and they grow out of them before they can even be tried on.

Leaves the kid with his mom to work, which is fine for Mama Huggins, but Reggie feels like he’s ghosting his kid when he does it. So he works harder and advances in his career as much as possible, wanting to get to  place where he can maybe get extra days off to be with his kid.

Wakes up early to make them breakfast. Every morning he sits down with them, from infancy till they leave his house (read as, his moms, he never moves out lets be real). He wakes them up gently, or flicks on the lights and heaves a great big “UP AND AT ‘EM, KIDDO!” But its all with love.

Doesnt seem interested in dating for the most part, but ends up meeting someone with kids at some point in time, and is happy to have his kid get a new sibling. He always wanted one himself.

Gives in too easily if his kids misbehave. If they cry, it HURTS him, and he just lets them do as they please. Had to nip this in the bud before they got into school though, because he wasn’t going to deal with a spoiled brat for 12+ years.

Straps his kid into the backseat of the Trans-Am, and has a Dad Bag under the seats for bottles, toys, and general baby shit. Patrick likes playing peek a boo with his kid, and Vic only complains a little bit of he has  to feed the baby.

Stops going out with the guys, and is worried that it will dampen his relationship with them It doesnt, they just start  coming over to his house and hanging out. Henry was scared to hold the baby at first, but Reggie eased him into it, and now Henry’s the first one to grab the nugget and bounce them on his knee to calm them down.

If he had a daughter, jesus christ. Jesus H Christ. His most precious gem, his princess, the light of his life. He spends free time doing tea parties, letting her “help” him with fixing Amy, and lets her run wild in the neighborhood. She is fierce, she is the wilderness- NO, HONEY, DONT PICK THAT SNAKE UP PLEASE- DROP IT. DROP IT. NO, DONT ARGUE WITH DADDY. DROP IT!

His son would have a very healthy and loving relationship with him. Everything is open for discussion, and he tries to lead his son into a better light than bullying or the like. Lots of sundays are spent in the front yard, tossing around a football while his son asks the craziest, but most wonderful shit he has ever heard. “Dad, whys girls gotta be so.. weird?” “Dad, do you think Luke Skywalker would have been cooler if he was a sith?” “Dad, if we die, do we meet god, or do we gotta wait in line with our guardian angel?” Loves his boy, cherishes him. He can do no wrong.

Goes to every single parent/teacher conference, and puffs up in pride when they praise his kid. Because, of course they’re praising them! He raised them right!

Victor “Pinterest saved my life” Criss

Legit hid the baby from his parents/bros for a good week before he ran out of excuses as to why they hadn’t seen him for days. He’s at a loss of what to do, and considers adoption. He isnt a paternal guy. he thinks, this wont work out.

Already moved out, like, come on. He’s a rich boy, his parents set him up in a nice apartment/condo in Bangor for school.

If his s/o was still alive, he’d have given the baby back to them. This only works if they ghosted town, or are dead. Otherwise, he’d have been like “fuck no”

Finally figures he’ll give fatherhood a shot, and quickly realizes how much he did NOT bargain for.

Reggie turned up to help one day with Vic holding his baby and sobbing back at the baby while it shrieked and squirmed, the poor guy having no idea what to do. Vic was escorted to the bedroom, and given a nap whole Belch attempted to get the baby to sleep.

Buys all the nicest shit the baby could ever need or want. Lots of sleepless nights are spent with him rocking his baby and scanning amazon, thinking that yet another Sophie the Giraffe is exactly what his demon spawn needs to keep from sobbing through the night

Turns to online archives and pinterest for advice, and slowly becomes a better dad. Lots of trial and error, trips to the emergency room from Patrick convincing a half-dead Vic that his baby’s cough is from the baby black plague, and some angry sobbing of his own leads to a decent routine that makes him and his kiddo happy.

Instagrams his kid, because to be fair, he made a gorgeous baby. Sends lots of photos of the kid to the guys, and Patrick uses some of the most unflattering ones as reaction memes, because he is a dick. Vic has laughed at them, despite being furious Patrick would dare to make his baby a meme.

Literally cried when his kid called him “Dada” for the first time. On the floor. Sobbing. He called Reggie and made him come over. Henry and Patrick came around and tried to get the bay to say swears. They got them to say “sheet” which is pretty close to “shit” so they called it a win.

Throws the biggest birthday parties for his kid. Confetti? Everywhere. Cake? Three layers and professionally made. Presents? Out of this world.

Most stylish child of the group’s kids. Sunglasses, designer clothes. That kid dresses better than you do by the time they’re five. They own it too, and flaunt it for the camera, because Vic takes 89,005,467 photos of his child on the daily.

Taught his kid Beastie Boys songs, and there are videos of his kid rapping along to “Intergalactic”. Vic is so proud of his kid.

Friend dad. Has a hard time punishing his kid if they do something wrong, and sometimes makes up for his own mistakes (raising his voice, getting to upset) by giving them gifts. Its not an amazing system, but his kid is humble…ish.

Having a daughter, that boy is her best friend. She can tell him anything, it wont phase him. Willingly talks about boys, clothes, music. Loves to take her to the park and watch her knock the boys down a peg or two. she inherits his sharp tongue, and its scary how fast she goes from 1 to 101. Blunt child, that one.

A boy? Vic’s son is given the coolest shit, there is no need for want with this boy. Probably some awful mix of fuck boy and wanna be rapper, but Vic loves him anyhow. Shows him off to the gang CONSTANTLY, and shows up in almost matching outfits without realizing it. Its cringey, but it could be worse. Teaches him how to throw a punch and encourages him to kick ass if people step up against him.

Puts his kid in after school tutoring, and thinks bonding time is shopping or watching TV together. Fills their schedules with sports, dance, and music. Expects a lot out of them, academically.

Loves his kid, even if they’re being an asshole, not matter what.

Patrick “You’re Demon Spawn and I adore that” Hockstetter

Was not here for this dad shit. Considered chucking the baby into the system, and would have done it too, if his mother had’t made him face the music.

Total “This is what you get for having unprotected sex, Patrick” rant from her. It ended with him being forced with a baby and his mother’s watchful eye on him. Shes not going to have another Avery on her hands.

Hates the baby the first few MONTHS. No love. Nothing there. Lets it cry itself hoarse, barely remembers to feed it, the type to forget an infant in a shopping market. Considers the possibility of it being real, since it came from him in one way or another, and feels a little threatened.

Drops the baby off with his parents 99% of the time. the 1% is when his parents force the baby back with him.

The first time he feels a little something for the kid is after getting them back from his parents and sitting in his apartment, with him screaming at the kid to shut the fuck up, (the baby is sobbing, lets be real) and they just stop. Right then and there, silence. 

They lock eyes, and Patrick swears he sees a flash of something behind their little baby eyes, almost as if they are betrayed he’d treat them that way, before they quietly sniffle. And then Patrick Hockstetter, the man, the myth, the self proclaimed Literal Satan, feels guilt for the first time.

He picks them up and calms himself down, bouncing them on his hip and softly talks to them. No hate, no love really, just apathetic words that a baby couldnt understand. He does that for hours, until the baby is sleeping, and even then he keeps going. Pours out every thought he’s ever had to this little version of him, and the next time he puts them in their crib, he does so gently. 

Lowering them down and tucking a blanket in around them. He decides they’re worth something to him that day, and everyone in his life see a drastic turn in his reactions towards his child.

Kind of a distant dad, but his kid knows that Patrick is their father and that he, yes, loves them. He’ll still drop his kid off with his parents sometimes on weekends, but as the kid grows up and he starts seeing more and more of himself in them, he’d be more attentive.

Goes on philosophical rants with his kid, and expects them to keep up. Raises his kid to question everything, and they grow up almost just as creepy and weird as him. He’s proud that they’re a little freaky, otherwise he’d be worried they weren’t his.

Patrick wouldn’t do too well with a daughter. He’d make it work, but there would be some issues. He has no idea what common ground to go off from, and would force his daughter to be more tom boyish and enjoy the same shit he does. Wouldn’t care if she was a bully in school, actually encourages it. Hands her cash, shares his weed stash with her once she’s older, and bids her good day. Doesnt see reason to punish her for misbehaving hopes she doesn’t end up dead in a ditch somewhere from her smart mouth. Grades are the least of his concerns. Will kill anyone who hurts his daughter though, and makes good on his threats too.

Patrick thrives with a son. A mini-me, that is almost indistinguishable from himself. Same creepy little smile, same predatory tilt of the shoulders and with eyes that pierce your damn soul. Praises his son to the high heavens, calls the boy a genius, and 100% thinks of him to be the Jesus to his God, if you feel me. The promised one, type of shit. Think of a young Trick from Black Mirror, and thats the kind of son Patrick hopes to have, if not MORE edgy.

Halloween is his favorite holiday as a dad, because he takes his kid out and scares the shit out of other children and teaches them to steal the candy.

The family photo of him and his kid is them out with the gang, with his kid (about 7) wearing his jacket by a bonfire and flipping the camera off, him squatting beside them and doing the same damn thing with the biggest shit eating grin. Ah. Parenting. Patrick’s a natural.

[2021laxteentour]

Day One (Arrival)

Today was amazing on so many levels. I flew across the country to actually explore California and not just stop by. I have seen so many beauties in one day and I loved every moment because there is just a difference seeing something in real life for yourself which brings a rush into your body. Seeing the Memorial and looking at the neighborhoods was very emotional for me by seeing how celebrated he still is after his passing, The Walk of Fame was really crowded so I didn’t get the impact I was expecting but it was still a rush nonetheless. -Paris B.

From the Hollywood Walk of Fame to Rodeo Drive, I was put in the path to explore greatness. Greatness when it came to focusing on a career and greatness when it came to how to elevate a business. While on the Hollywood Walk of Fame I was able to see some of the people stars that I idolized as a child. Doing so served as an inspiration to keep striving for greatness because that too could be my star one day. Alongside visiting the Walk of Fame, you know what they say you didn’t go to Los Angeles unless you went to Randy’s Donut. So far along my travels to Los Angeles for my 6th WECCAAN installment I’ve seen a thriving city on the outside shell. I look forward to being able to see the inside of the shell where the hardships fall at. I’m excited for the adventure that awaits tomorrow as we prepare to volunteer on Skid Row. -Roderick T.

Today we went to Nipsey Hussle's basketball court, store, and memorial area. I've also learned a lityle bit more about the story behind his death as well. Then we went to Hollywood and we saw, and walked on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We also saw a cast member of the Fast and Furious 9 movie in Hollywood. I also saw the car/set of the movie as well. I also learned about the famous theaters in Hollywood and I hope to get an opportunity to perform there in my mother's stage plays/movies. Afterwards, we went to Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills to view the high class stores. This is my first time on a plane and in California. -Tiffany W.

This was only my second ever plane ride so I was slightly nervous but everything went well for me. I noticed that Los Angeles is a lot faster than Columbia and has such a diverse variety of people. Within minutes we traveled from a street with many homeless and drugged people; to a street with purses worth more than a house. My favorite part of the day was visiting Long Beach; it was what I had imagined LA to be like. I also enjoyed seeing the Nipsey Hussle memorials; they were so well done and creatively made. Although Hollywood was very chaotic, I still really enjoyed going there as well. We also visited Randy's Donuts which was really delicious and also something that I was looking forward to when arriving in California. I really enjoy trying new things and everything that I did today was new! -Ariyana L.

Today’s visit to Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon store and neighborhood was enriching which started with the community event at the school.  Seeing the outpouring support from the community for what Nipsey stood for was overwhelming.  In contrast, going to Rodeo Drive and seeing all the high end stores reminded me of how divided the country is - the have & the have nots. Long Beach area was fun with lots to do.  But even there, we ran across a homeless person. Hollywood Blvd wasn’t what I expected.  I guess since it is where the rich & famous hang out, I expected everything to look “rich & famous”.  It reminded me of New York.  A busy, dirty street yet full of history and landmarks. -Pamela F.

Starting the day off with morning circles was cool as everyone got to know one another. I really enjoyed starting with the crepes located in Pasadena as it introduced me to a different culture of authentic food and was really delicious. Also going downtown Hollywood was inspiring with seeing the stars on the ground for actors and actresses showing proof for their hard work and running into Han off of Fast and Furious. Stopping by Randy’s was super good and good to taste the traditional donuts that have been there since 1930’s. Visiting Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive was nice to see how the rich and famous live and spend their money and seeing the nice cars was cool too (different from home). Visiting Nipsey Hussle community was inspiring too as he has had an outstanding impact on the community. Out of all the sites visited today I really enjoyed the school that gave away food, water and clothing. Reminded me of what I want to be able to do with my community and I just thought that was amazing at how they were able to do with no cost to the children or parents. I enjoyed the day as it helped reflect on ideas that I want to achieve on my own. -Morgan F.

Today was a super busy jampacked day with tons of stops. I really enjoyed Long Beach, the weather was perfect and the temperature was just right for walking and enjoying the scenery.  Our stop to Hollywood stars was a bit more exciting this year, we were able to see some celebrities from the newest Fast and Furious movie that will be coming out in a couple of weeks (which I have seen every single one!) Closing out the day with a quick stop to Rodeo drive was calming from the busyness of Hollywood but was a nice addition to see all the shopping areas where-more likely all the celebrities shop.  I am looking forward to my favorite event tomorrow where we get to volunteer in Crenshaw neighborhood. -Rania A.

The first day here in Los Angeles was full and eventful. It is always enjoyable to catch up with previous WECCAAN volunteers and meet new teenagers as we embark on a new adventure. This is my second time in California and Los Angeles and it certainly feels like an experience unlike the first. Having seen Crenshaw and visited Nipsey’s several murals, I was reminded of the sense of pride a community will have during hard times. Yet 2 years after his passing, his legacy lives through the community. It brought a refreshing energy although the aesthetics weren’t your expected California stereotype. Sight seeing in Long Beach, Rodeo Drive, and Hollywood inspires aspiring beliefs of ones own drive for success. I look forward to what day 2 of this trip brings. -Steven V.T.

I really enjoyed starting with the crepes as it introduced me to a different culture of authentic food. Also going downtown Hollywood was inspiring with seeing the stars on the ground for actors and actresses showing proof for their hard work. Out of all the sites visited today I really enjoyed the school that gave away food, water and clothing. Reminded me of what I want to be able to do with my community and I just thought that was amazing at how they were able to do with no cost to the children or parents. I enjoyed the day as it helped reflect on ideas that I want to achieve on my own. -Morgan F.

Today, I met the other tourists to go to new places. We went to Subway for breakfast and went to a Juneteenth celebration. We then went to take pictures at the "Nipsey Hussle Memorial Sight". We took a 30 minute drive to the pier where we took pictures. Today was a great experience. Going to places I've never been, meeting new people, it's been a fun experience. -Darius W.

Interesting day, as we started by taking a stroll down Crenshaw Blvd. In observance to this Juneteenth weekend, we were able to see the local vendors up and down the sidewalk. Adjacent to the mural of the late Nipsey Hussle, the vendors showcased several different items for purchase. Then on to Long Bleach where you seen paddle boats, multishared cyclists, and boats. Took a walk over the pier, seen lots of lovely views from the shoppes to the eatery's and even the friendly people walking with their animals. Sharing this experience with my sons is the greatest feeling and meeting and creating relationships along with memories with WECCAAN is so well worth the flight! -Tia J.

My first day in California was awesome! The beautiful art work that was displayed in Nipsey Hussel’s neighborhood was just fantastic. I was surprised to see so many vendors outside of  where his store once was selling his merchandise. However, I felt that it took away from the memorial the community was trying to build.  As I reflect over this specific site we visited today, I wish I could have served during the first LA tour when  there was a chance to garden after his death. I am looking forward to day two of this awesome experience. -Stephanie L.

Today was an amazing day out in LA. Especially Crenshaw where we went to visit Nipsey’s shop, it taught me a lot on how his people truly cared for him and how much dedication he put into that part of the city, with his music and etc. His murals were very beautiful. To finish off the day with the late night walk at rodeo drive was pretty relaxing too ....today was truly a really good day! -Ashleigh F.

Today was long overdue. It's been quite sometime since I've been with a group of people and in heavily populated areas. That combined with the solidarity of our convening around service to others was a feeling that did my soul a lot of good. Although traffic was horrendous, I was inspired by the people out and about. I met many new volunteers today and was pleased to share the experience of exploring Los Angeles with them post-quarantine. I was thrilled to revisit Randy's not so much for my sweet tooth, but there's some comfort in ritual and one of SSA's while in LA is to visit Randy's everyday of every trip. Seeing the diversity of the people waiting in line reminded me how beautiful it is to contribute to the color of the world. I will surely make the most out of the sleep I get tonight; extremely exhausted currently, but in the best way. -Giovan B.

My family had been to California several times, Anaheim, San Diego, Santa Clara, Santa Ana but had only passed through LA.  While reviewing the itinerary, I wondered how the group would interact and if we’d know anybody since this was our first trip.  The girls were excited about the tour stops and the activities planned.  We went through the TSA check line to get through faster. Even though we arrived 3hrs ahead of time, the lines were pretty long.  The flight seemed long only because a passenger loudly talked the entire way and continuously pressed the stewardess call button.  -Pamela F.

[orbemnews]

The Workweek Diary of a Plant-Loving House Décor Guru “The house shouldn’t be a static place,” the house décor maven Justina Blakeney mentioned, reflecting on the significance of design in our residing areas. “Your private home must develop and alter as you develop and alter. It will possibly assist you, for those who put your thoughts to it.” For a decade, Ms. Blakeney, 41, has preached the gospel of infusing your private home with good vibes, considerate intentions, and plenty and heaps of crops. Vibrant splashes of coloration, mix-and-match layers of punchy patterns, and nods to nature are all key to her maximalist aesthetic. She has included these parts into her life-style model Jungalow, which options duvets, throw pillows and wallpaper, in addition to loungewear and equipment. The Los Angeles-based designer has additionally collaborated with such manufacturers as Keds, Anthropologie and Band-Assist, at all times including her personal hand-drawn and painted paintings or her penchant for eclectic, globally impressed designs. However this yr, she seen design somewhat in a different way; it was about extra than simply jewel-toned mosaic tiles and palm fronds organized simply so. “Persons are spending much more time at house then they’re used to,” she mentioned. “When you’re in the identical house day in and time out, little by little, you begin to understand how a lot shifting the power in your house and placing some effort and love into creating a house that works for you’ll be able to actually be a life-changing endeavor. “What it comes all the way down to, is de facto having the ability to perceive, then channel what it’s that lights you up and lifts you up.” In October, Goal tapped Ms. Blakeney as a House Type Professional, a task through which she’ll provide seasonal house refresher suggestions. In April, she’ll debut her third guide, “Jungalow: Beautify Wild,” which follows her 2015 greatest vendor, “The New Bohemians” and its 2017 companion, “The New Bohemians Handbook.” “It’s somewhat bit memoir-y and somewhat bit retrospective-y,” she mentioned of the brand new guide, which reveals how her ancestry and worldwide travels have knowledgeable her fashion, and guides readers towards taking an analogous autobiographical method to adorning. We spoke to Ms. Blakeney in early December, as she started her subsequent design venture: making over her “Jungalow by the Mountain,” a Northeast Los Angeles Spanish-style home that she and her household will quickly name house. Interviews are performed by way of e-mail, textual content and telephone, then condensed and edited. Monday 6 a.m. Get up, feed Couscous the kitty, then set my intentions for the day, a psychological train the place I channel the kind of power I’m attempting to name in for the day. 7 a.m. Soak within the Jacuzzi, then take an outside bathe whereas I hearken to the morning information. It’s such a cleaning expertise, with the sunshine and the recent air, that I really feel actually clear and energized afterward. 8 a.m. Bike with my 9-year-old daughter, Ida, to Spoke Bicycle Cafe to get espresso and pastries to deliver house for breakfast. 9:30 a.m. Over Zoom, I overview the completed set design for an upcoming photograph shoot. It’s a bed room setup for a group we’re launching in June. My notes are: “Extra crops, please. That’s the vibe!” Then, I end designing specs for a brand new lamp assortment and ship them off to the manufacturing unit. 12:30 p.m. Meet up with my licensing agent. Once I take telephone calls that don’t require me sitting in entrance of the pc, I like strolling conferences. They permit me to stretch my legs whereas additionally noticing the small adjustments in my neighborhood. “Look, the persimmon tree is fruiting! The maple tree’s leaves had been yellow final week, now they’re pink …” Observing nature fuels my creativity. 2 p.m. I get down on some yummy butternut squash soup my husband, Jason, cooked for lunch, then I assist Ida out with one in every of her distant studying assignments for varsity. Estamos practicando español. 4:15 p.m. Type and edit pictures for my weblog and social media shares that includes the “earlier than” pictures of our new house. We closed final week! 5 p.m. I’m going over samples, prop choice and supply dates for a product shoot with my venture supervisor. We’ll be capturing a front room, bed room and toilet, all with merchandise that we designed. Coordinating pattern deliveries throughout Covid is very difficult as a result of we’re not in our studio often and supply schedules are unpredictable. 7 p.m. End and publish my newest weblog submit. For about eight years, I blogged each single day. I wouldn’t overthink issues; I simply posted about something that caught my eye. A lot of that occurs on Instagram now, so I solely weblog when I’ve an extended story to inform, or a significant milestone to share. Enterprise & Financial system Up to date  Dec. 23, 2020, 8:59 a.m. ET 8 p.m. I begin the nighttime routine with Ida — wash up, brush tooth, learn tales after which a fast “lie down with me.” 9 p.m. Watch “Curb Your Enthusiasm” reruns whereas pinning home concepts on Pinterest. Tuesday 9 a.m. I head as much as our new house to shoot a video walk-through. I additionally pay shut consideration to how and the place the pure mild comes into the totally different rooms, and map out the angles for our subsequent Goal photograph shoot. Midday Contact base with my Jungalow crew. I like utilizing Slack as a result of it simulates “chatting within the workplace” a bit greater than e-mail and it’s simple to get caught up with what’s occurring unexpectedly. The most recent information is that there are many delivery delays. Textiles that had been supposed to come back in from India in time for the vacations gained’t make it in time, so we’ll need to pivot and launch them in spring 2021. 3 p.m. I work with our companions at Loloi Rugs on the collaboration app Asana to brainstorm new rug design concepts. I are inclined to method rug design conceptually and take into consideration colours and patterns, whereas they often begin with the rug’s building. 4:30 p.m. Undergo pictures from my journey to India final February, and pull pure tie-dye samples from the manufacturing unit to get concepts for bedding designs we’re engaged on for 2022. 5:30 p.m. Contact base with our sourcing crew to debate sustainability efforts. We’re testing other ways to ship ceramics with out utilizing Styrofoam. To this point, we’ve struggled to discover a extra eco-friendly answer that retains the ceramics secure that the factories can undertake at scale. We resolve to look into compostable egg-carton containers. Wednesday 10 a.m. Meet the gardeners on the new home to stroll by way of new backyard techniques. 11 a.m. Again at house, I’ve a Zoom assembly to stroll by way of images for a summer time 2021 product launch. It appears to be like nice; simply the correct amount of jungaliciousness. Usually, I’d direct the photographs in particular person, however we’re doing it remotely due to Covid. 1 p.m. Eat a late breakfast burrito whereas I submit my guide cowl divulge to Instagram. Then I reply to feedback, and examine my DMs and e-mail. Maintaining with that is getting more durable. I’m questioning if I’ll need to delegate a few of it to a crew member within the coming months. 2 p.m. Month-to-month meetup with our e-commerce crew to deal with buyer expertise points. Plenty of UPS delivery delays are creating difficulties for our small crew. We focus on methods to announce delays on the positioning to maintain clients knowledgeable and completely happy. 3:30 p.m. Approve closing web site and catalog layouts for the brand new Justina x Loloi collections which can be about to launch. One of many collections is called “Chalos,” after my dad, so I textual content him to share the pics. He’s thrilled. 4 p.m. I overview influencer packages for the January launch of a brand new collaboration with a private care model. It’s at all times tough to resolve what to ship to influencers. Since I’m on the receiving finish of those sorts of packages typically, I’m extra-sensitive about sending issues that shall be enjoyable and thrilling. 5 p.m. Work on some sketches for a brand new vase and planter line for fall 2021. Thursday 9 a.m. Whew! Plenty of conferences right this moment. Thursdays are at all times like this. I begin off with a Jungalow management assembly on Google Hangouts. One giant focus is to regulate away from me being a degree particular person for your entire crew. 11:30 a.m. My household goes to get drive-through Covid checks at Dodgers Stadium. We accomplish that periodically as a result of we’re in a pod with our mother and father, who’re high-risk. The strains are further lengthy due to the most recent surge, so I reply emails and atone for social media whereas we wait. 2 p.m. The entire Jungalow crew has our weekly employees assembly to see how everyone seems to be doing, examine in on work-life steadiness, and brainstorm new concepts. Right now, now we have a couple of new members of the crew, so we began by taking persona checks. 3:15 p.m. The advertising crew presents particulars for our first Jungalow Vacation Treasure Hunt. We’re hiding clues across the web site — then our publication subscribers can observe them to win prizes. Determining the logistics has been a bit difficult, however we’re all actually excited to attempt one thing out-of-the-box. Experimentation is my love language. 4:15 p.m. Run all the way down to the Jungalow studio, a block away from my home, to overview a brand new pattern of a canister within the form of a girl. Then, I head again house to begin peeling and grating potatoes so I can prepare dinner latkes with Ida for the primary night time of Hanukkah. Friday 9:30 a.m. I begin my day with some hand-drawing. I attempt to attract or paint on daily basis for about half-hour as a artistic warm-up, and it’s a pleasant method to have private artistic time offscreen. This week, it’s been robust to slot in due to the entire conferences. 10:30 a.m. Time for the sexual harassment coaching all of us should take, in accordance with California regulation. I’m really shocked that it’s each entertaining and informative. There are such a lot of issues to be careful for, particularly in an organization like this, the place we might be very pleasant and accustomed to each other. 2 p.m. I head again to the brand new home, the place I’m assembly the management crew; it’s the primary time the three of us have seen one another in actual life in eight months. We’re masked outdoors on the patio, discussing our sustainability and social media efforts. We find yourself chatting and hanging out greater than getting any enterprise carried out. 3:30 p.m. My husband cuts a gap within the new kitchen’s drop ceiling to see if there are fairly beams hiding beneath. There are. Woohoo! I seize the reveal for social media, then sketch ground plans for the kitchen rework. We start assembly with contractors subsequent week. 4:30 p.m. On the drive house, I squeeze in some extra work. I present a closing spherical of suggestions on the rugs, then I focus on mattress shams with our design supervisor. 6 p.m. I mild night time two of the Hanukkah candles, then hop within the Jacuzzi with my fam. This yr has been so robust and such an emotional curler coaster, and I take a minute to simply be within the second and really feel immense gratitude. Supply hyperlink #Décor #Diary #Guru #home #PlantLoving #Workweek

[rebeccaheyman]

reading + listening 10.05.20

We Can Only Save Ourselves (Alison Wisdom), eBook, ARC (pub date February 2021). The comp titles cited in the market copy are totally on-point (Little Fires Everwhere/The Girls/The Virgin Suicides), but I’d also say readers who loved ASK AGAIN, YES and/or BIG LITTLE LIES should have this title on their radar. My four-star review on NetGalley:

Alison Wisdom's tension-filled, haunting debut, WE CAN ONLY SAVE OURSELVES, exposes the dark underbelly of sunny, safe suburbia. When Alice, a native daughter of wholesome Anywhere, USA, decides to follow a mysterious stranger to a decidedly less-wholesome bungalow filled with lost girls, she leaps feet-first into a version of the wider world that puts her very identity at risk.

WE CAN ONLY SAVE OURSELVES is narrated in first person plural, a la The Virgin Suicides or Then We Came To The End. The neighborhood's mothers keep one foot on their front lawns, even as they follow Alice beyond the confines of the old familiar places; the results are as enigmatic as they are specific -- propulsive, even as the distance between "us" and "her" grows. Like all parents, the narrative chorus has eyes everywhere -- "a superpower we gained as we transformed from women into mothers."

The novel drew me along with stunning prose, deftly drawn characters, and a looming sense of impending dread that made it impossible to look away. For all the qualities that sustain it, WE CAN ONLY SAVE OURSELVES reserves one of its finest features for last: it ends perfectly, and in the perfect place. It's so rare to find a novel that says everything that needs saying, but also leaves unsaid a single extraneous word, but this one does it -- and beautifully.

[I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

A Deadly Education (Naomi Novik), aBook (narr. Anisha Dadia). It’s not a stretch to say I am o b s e s s e d with UPROOTED -- so I’ve had this newest title from Naomi Novik on my radar for some time. Friends, it does not disappoint. NINTH HOUSE meets The Winternight Trilogy meets THE HUNGER GAMES in a vividly realized, voice-driven story that will have you pining, probably not for the first time, for the chance to abandon life as you know it and go to wizard school. 

Our heroine, Galadriel, is destined to be a Dark Queen and prophesied to reap destruction within the magical community, but she’s fighting her baser instincts to walk a path more aligned with her mother’s more inclusive, love-and-light mentality. This struggle makes life at the Scholomance even harder for El than it usually is -- and it’s usually deadly.

I don’t like to get mired in plot specific in these reviews, but suffice it to say A DEADLY EDUCATION boasts all the thoughtful, detail-rich world-building you’ll find in Novik’s other works, along with a powerful, snarky, savvy heroine; a well-drawn secondary cast; compelling conflict in both episodic mini-arcs and myth-building arcs that will carry through the remainder of the trilogy; and a school that is literally trying to kill its students. It was a fantastic romp from start to finish and I’m already looking forward to a relisten/reread when book 2 comes out. 

Anisha Dadia, who I’ve not had the pleasure of listening to previously, knocked this out of the park. Her tone and style remind me a lot of Priya Ayyar, which is high praise in my book.

Angel in the Devil’s Arms (Palace of Rogues, book 2) (Julie Anne Long), eBook. I discovered the first book in this series when Libro.fm featured it in their September Kiss Club recommendations, and the second installment does not disappoint! Julie Anne Long’s style is in line with Tessa Dare or Courtney Milan, in the sense that she gives equal weight and detail to the external, non-romantic elements of the plot as she does to internal/emotional/romance-driven elements. ANGEL takes us back to the Grand Palace on the Thames, where the mysterious return of Lord Bolt sends Angelique’s world into a tizzy. The prodigal viscount is back in London for revenge, but his plans go sideways once love is in the mix. Crossing my fingers that the third book-in-series, due in May 2021, shows up on NetGalley sooner over later.

One to Watch (Kate Stayman-London), eBook. I’ve been trying to up my intake of body-positive fiction lately (and if you are too, please add IT’S BEEN A PLEASURE, NONI BLAKE and ACT YOUR AGE, EVE BROWN to your TBR immediately), so ONE TO WATCH was naturally on my radar. The premise here is that a Bachelorette-style reality TV program casts a plus-size fashion blogger, Bea Schumacher, in the starring role. Stayman-London moves far beyond this premise, though, by integrating public and private media responses to the program itself within the text; blog posts, blog comments, tweets, text threads, Slack chats -- the intertextual input is strong throughout, but the meta-commentary never feels forced or frivolous. I’ve been pushing my authors to utilize intertext more thoughtfully in the past couple years, so I was especially glad to see it done beautifully here.

There’s so much to love about ONE TO WATCH: the portrayal of dynamic female friendships; fat rep, yes, but also authentic-feeling racial, asexual/aromantic, and nonbinary rep; deep exploration of the mental and emotional impact of cultural fatphobia; thoughtful exploration of what it means to find love after the emotional trauma of failed romance; and so much more. I confess that I’ve never been able to stomach Bachelor/Bachelorette-style shows, which I find hopelessly awkward and dull, so I was a tad skeptical about this book -- but ONE TO WATCH moves far beyond its core premise, and is 1000% more interesting than the shows it uses as a reference point. I’m already looking forward to Stayman-London’s next book [insert cheeky “she’s one to watch” pun].

The Perils of Pleasure: Pennyroyal Green book 1 (Julie Anne Long), aBook (narr. Justine Eyre). I wanted to dive into Julie Anne Long’s backlist after enjoying the Palace of Rogues titles so much. Her 11-part Pennyroyal Green series seemed like the right place to start. Once again, Long provides a juicy, twisty non-romance plot to bolster the slow-burn romance between our leads -- who meet when Madeline orchestrates an eleventh-hour rescue from the gallows for the falsely-accused Colin. This was satisfying enough, but things got rushed in Act III, and ultimately the resolution of the external plot relied overmuch on one character monologuing at length to reveal all. I’ll keep listening eventually, though I don’t feel compelled to inhale the series all in one go; skeptics like myself will recall that Kleypas’s Ravenels series starts with a middling book 1, but delivers some seriously satisfying plot (and romance) as the series progresses. I’ve got other titles queued up for listening next week, but I’ll circle back to Pennyroyal Green in the near future.

[trnsparentgirl]

Run Your Own Organisation By Reselling Wholesale Child Clothing On Ebay.com

In order to speak about love and also still create a socially acceptable metropolitan identity, musicians often tend to implement one of the five effective love narrative forms. Nobody recognizes circumstances like that, individuals cant manage it, so they 'll discuss it for life. The lady attempting to sell me their newest phone package referred to a television advert. She maintained me talking for roughly 10 minutes throughout which time she referred me to this particular TELEVISION advert a further 4 times, and also each time I ensured her I had not seen it since I do not enjoy television. Knitting can be picked up throughout the adverts and also operated at for 5 or 10 mins each time. New threads as well as stylish pattern designs make weaving enjoyable and also quickly, and also I can weaved even if I am seeing TELEVISION, albeit an uncommon occurence for me directly! With the internet, even if you live in a neighborhood that is little, you aren't restricted to your local location, as well as can find people not just around the UK, however across the world as well! Then enhance with baby images and also such, after that take it to your local copy store, like Kinkos, and have them publish the web page on pastel colored paper. In some cases weve come across neighborhood road fairs or windsurfing events or a version train gallery. Weve discussed endometriosis, that which can be a cyst. So, you can have hemorrhaging with a cyst yet the majority of the time those are unusual scenarios. The endometriomas, if they persist, as well as theres continual blood loss in the abdominal area as well as the ovary that can create attachments. Any kind of hemorrhaging cyst can be a trouble. A maternity with a corpus luteum, the second sort of practical cyst goes on to create as the baby is expanding. Most of these, the larger blood materials, the larger blood vessels on cysts are generally the corpus luteum cyst. Many ovary cysts in and of themselves are not going to be causing an issue. However, the vital thing below, is that cysts themselves, in as well as of themselves are not mosting likely to be an issue or life harmful trouble. The nature of the celebration is most likely mosting likely to have a tendency towards the feminine side; if the organizers of the party have a stipulation for this, then inviting guys would certainly be fine. Undoubtedly, there are countless men as well as females that are making excellent loan making use of the internet company path. In this song, the poet uses the perceptual story to acknowledge that some guys "dont be comin right ", yet that he has a different perception of women than these various other guys. Meant to aid with the pain, supposed to assist me keep In this tune, Guru makes use of the different narrative to share his sight of what love need to be. It is very important for the clothes to be entirely dry prior to they are done away with or put on by a youngster, and also hanging the garments on childrens clothes wall mounts will assist keep their form. Nevertheless, aspartame was enabled on 1981 for dry goods as well as 1983 for carbonated beverages.

free baby stuff expecting mother

Individuals made use of to exchange items and also solutions for various other products as well as solutions before money was produced, and also some individuals still trade today to stay clear of using money (primarily for tax reasons I am informed). Some other terrific solutions are a diaper service for towel diapering moms, or perhaps a baby diaper delivery service for disposables, and pay for the very first two weeks or a month worth of diapering items. Even the colors used in the textile must be natural and safe. You might be at first attracted by all the eye catchy shades and also the fanciness of the attire, yet if your child is not mosting likely to like it, it is going to come to be ineffective. Pajamas and bodysuits for little child girls been available in all different shades and designs, and also are produced all kinds of climate. A couple of items would certainly do - a pair of rompers, a set of t shirts, a set of jammies. Alternately, you can place a Tee shirts over their jammies. They will secure and insure any type of money you take into a savings account as well as pay you perhaps 3% annual interest on your deposit. They know that if you're pleased with your example, even more than likely you be come to be a normal customer and invest loan with them. There are truly a great deal of freebies offered; you just need to recognize how to look for them. Or search by chemical active ingredients (see checklist below for some instances) as well as discover what brand names contain it. Next, you will certainly get to your search engine result web page; this is a list of all items that meet your search criteria. Allow us take a peek into what makes these standards a must for those parents buying baby clothing. Also, allow your initial couple of road adventures show you what you require to have along. There are numerous very first time mothers available that have a great deal of information to share with you and they do not want you to be without the info. They intend to have dresses with breathable textile and very easy on the body. Is this what we have concerned, - everybody in our area enjoys the same adverts, the very same programmes, the exact same newspaper article every solitary day or evening? Note: After attempting single foods, excellent combinations are potatoes and also carrots or carrots as well as peas. And also not only will I review it for him, Ill make it seem like the Elvis of foods, since Im currently quite certain that Sickness love a hamdog. He also describes his love interest as "this Ethiopian queen from Philly ", making use of the imperial characterization so common in spiritual love stories. If you're truly strapped for money, then you can probably make do with using your bed as a changing table, but if you can, this is something I very suggest. Its far better to feed child very first point in the early morning, then enable some play or remainder time in between prior to offering infant a bath. At a "Pamper Event," an idea progressively prominent for mothers that currently have several children and therefore most of right stuff they really need, they might take residence health facility devices such as a loofah or bubble bathroom. An excellent bath-themed present basket would certainly consist of some hypo-allergenic bath products, like child bathrooms, talcum powder, towels, and bath playthings.

The major plus is that the majority of, if not all of these complimentary products, are supplied right to the mother's house. And also, with that said, allows solve down to the nitty sandy. Do you have the software application you need to begin? At some factor you are mosting likely to wish to transport your infant, so you will need to purchase something. Unless you're intending to hold on to them for your next baby, they're just gathering dirt. With a few simple skills, a helpful collection of "stuff, " and simply a bit of preparation as well as preparation, youll get on your method! There is a location for TELEVISION in our lives as well as it seeks all the fastest method of absorbing news from worldwide. Taking courses abroad Right here, the poet makes use of the spiritual narrative to define the time, area as well as emotions that his love was started on, talking of them as if they were somehow suggested to happen. Perhaps she believed that was her place worldwide and also no-one could fault her if she did her responsibilities to the utmost of her capacity. I when had a neighbor who educated the world and it's mother she thought sanitation was beside Godliness and spent throughout the day each day cleansing her home. It is thought that from this you truly have the choice to take a look at every little thing before you even need to acquire something. Tight neck lines would difficulty you and also even the placement of buttons at strange settings would cause you issues, so examine these ahead of time. At the very same time the switches as well as other elements in the design must be meticulously stitched. But Betty had the money whenever I went to prison This track further illustrates the use of contrasting stories to reveal love. This example additionally shows the usage of initial language in conversational narratives. The poet feels it is unacceptable for anybody to "call you out your name ", or simply put, make use of negative language towards his love. Several of the infant shower concepts will certainly help any kind of place, indoors or out. Do you desire your child to look cute or great with baby clothes however you don't have concepts on where to seek them? Expense is a significant thing you would desire to take into consideration when purchasing baby clothes. It's simple, look at a child apparel store. Apparel treatment plays a large duty in your infant's security. Thus, it is constantly advised that you maintain the safety and security and also convenience factor in mind even when you are looking for celebration gowns for your youngster. Also when you have actually purchased a lacy blouse for your little woman, if you finish up obtaining a dimension that takes place to be a little bigger than her actual dimension, she will certainly be comfy in it. And, parents will certainly be most likely to keep purchasing garments to stay on par with the alterations in the baby's development - dimension, weight, length, as well as shape. Hence, getting clothing that are somewhat larger than the real size of your children body presents will be good as it makes sure optimal comfort for the child.

Nonetheless, these booster shot processes will only make their systems strong yet it does not offer an assurance that microorganisms can't penetrate their method in. So why did she behave in this means? The exact same point can be real with, absolutely with tube pregnancies, thats why those 2 can be perplexed. Yes it holds true that baby clothing do not last long with children expanding as quick as they do, however taking treatment of a babies clothes is still simply as, if not even more, essential. Hip-Hop, you the love of my life and also that's real This passage is distinct due to the fact that it utilizes both the metaphoric and contrasting narrative strategies. The discussion of Hip-Hop enjoy narratives is a really uphill struggle. Which leads us to the most popular metaphoric Hip-Hop love story of our time. Infants will like this dish. Thick as well as fluffy attires will certainly keep the infant cozy from head to toe. Here is a checklist of popular products that has actually been looked into with some of the largest online stores of child products. Right here are some of the basic things you'll want to have. Do you want to give a present to a brand-new mom without spending a great deal of money? They utilize it when cleaning to eliminate smells, soften the materials, and give your infant and also young child clothes a fresh and also a lot more natural aroma. When you are considering your childs comfort, its not only concerning the style of the clothes youre purchasing it will certainly additionally be a matter of how the item rests on your infants body. Take into consideration just how much you have right into the thing. The following time you are re-assembling your package, make certain to add that product. I would certainly instead hang around with my family and also friends, chatting on the phone, going for long walks or dancing the night away. With all that having actually been stated, Ive found a new food that I recognize I'm going to like. Soon you'll uncover that having just a couple of nice clothing ends up being not practical. I had an excellent cost-free website a few years ago I checked out every day. Utilize your Roadway Adventure logbook to tape every people remarks about the day. This will certainly offer no good as acquiring infant items indiscriminately will not simply be waste of money however additionally wild-goose chase and also power which you can place for some positive use. If passing by cars and truck you must constantly use a child seat as well as comply with the producer's directions for suitable. If your trip restriction is no even more than a one-hour auto ride one means, then try to find areas of interest within about 40 miles of house. Which is not an issue due to the fact that similar to kidneys, just like testis, females with one ovary can have equally as many babies as a lady with two ovaries and also two tubes. Obviously it is a 2x matrix, implying those initial 2 people you got to join are on your initial degree. You ought to constantly have two pairs in the evening time, because you never ever know when a baby is mosting likely to spew up or have a baby diaper leak that can call for a complete garment modification.

[alexandra-zgz]

Run Your Own Service By Marketing Wholesale Child Clothing On Ebay.com

In order to discuss love as well as still construct a socially acceptable city identification, musicians have a tendency to implement one of the 5 successful love narrative kinds. No person comprehends circumstances like that, individuals cant bargain with it, so they 'll talk about it forever. The lady attempting to market me their newest phone package referred to a tv advert. She kept me talking for approximately 10 minutes during which time she referred me to this particular TV advert a more 4 times, and each time I guaranteed her I had actually not seen it since I do not see tv. Weaving can be grabbed throughout the adverts and also operated at for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. New yarns and stylish pattern layouts make weaving enjoyable and also quickly, and also I can knit also if I am viewing TV, albeit an uncommon occurence for me personally! With the internet, even if you stay in an area that is tiny, you aren't limited to your town, as well as can locate people not just around the UK, yet across the globe as well! After that embellish with child pictures and such, then take it to your regional copy store, like Kinkos, as well as have them publish the web page on pastel tinted paper. In some cases weve come across neighborhood street fairs or windsurfing tournaments or a version train gallery. Weve spoke about endometriosis, that which can be a cyst. So, you can have hemorrhaging with a cyst but a lot of the time those are rare situations. The endometriomas, if they continue, and also theres continuous bleeding in the abdomen as well as the ovary that can create adhesions. Any bleeding cyst can be an issue. A pregnancy with a corpus luteum, the 2nd kind of functional cyst goes on to establish as the baby is growing. The majority of these, the bigger blood supplies, the bigger blood vessels on cysts are usually the corpus luteum cyst. The majority of ovary cysts in as well as of themselves are not mosting likely to be causing a problem. However, the important point below, is that cysts themselves, in and also of themselves are not mosting likely to be an issue or life threatening issue. The nature of the party is possibly mosting likely to have a tendency in the direction of the womanly side; if the organizers of the celebration have an arrangement for this, then welcoming males would certainly be fine. Certainly, there are numerous males and females who are making good money making use of the net business route. In this track, the poet uses the perceptual narrative to acknowledge that some guys "dont be comin right ", but that he has a various understanding of females than these other guys. Supposed to assist with the discomfort, meant to assist me maintain In this tune, Expert uses the contrasting narrative to share his sight of what love should be. It is necessary for the garments to be totally dry before they are placed away or used by a child, and hanging the garments on childrens garments wall mounts will help maintain their type. Nevertheless, aspartame was allowed on 1981 for completely dry products and 1983 for carbonated beverages.

free baby stuff expecting mother

People made use of to exchange items and also solutions for other goods as well as services before money was created, as well as some individuals still barter today to stay clear of making use of money (mostly for tax factors I am informed). Some other fantastic services are a baby diaper service for cloth diapering mommies, and even a baby diaper shipment service for disposables, and also pay for the first 2 weeks or a month worth of diapering products. Also the shades utilized in the material must be organic and also safe. You may be originally attracted by all the eye memorable shades as well as the fanciness of the clothing, but if your child is not going to like it, it is going to come to be pointless. Pajamas as well as bodysuits for little child women been available in all different colors as well as styles, and are made for all sorts of weather condition. 1 or 2 items would do - a pair of babies suits, a set of shirts, a pair of pyjamas. At the same time, you can put a Tee shirts over their pyjamas. They will certainly safeguard and also guarantee any type of cash you put right into a financial savings account and pay you maybe 3% yearly rate of interest on your deposit. They know that if you're pleased with your example, greater than most likely you be come to be a routine client and spend cash with them. There are really a lot of freebies readily available; you just require to recognize just how to look for them. Or search by chemical ingredients (see listed here for some examples) and also uncover what brand names have it. Next off, you will certainly reach your search results page web page; this is a list of all items that meet your search standards. Allow us take a peek right into what makes these criteria a should for those moms and dads looking for baby clothes. Also, allow your initial few road experiences educate you what you need to have along. There are numerous initial time mommies available that have a whole lot of information to show you and they do not want you to be without the information. They intend to have dresses with breathable textile and very easy on the body. Is this what we have pertained to, - every person in our region views the exact same adverts, the very same programs, the very same news tales every day or night? Keep in mind: After attempting single foods, excellent combinations are potatoes and also carrots or carrots and peas. As well as not just will I evaluate it for him, Ill make it appear like the Elvis of foods, because Im already quite certain that Ill like a hamdog. He likewise refers to his love passion as "this Ethiopian queen from Philly ", utilizing the imperial characterization so usual in spiritual love narratives. If you're actually strapped for money, then you can most likely make do with utilizing your bed as a transforming table, however if you can, this is something I highly advise. Its better to feed child first thing in the early morning, after that enable some play or remainder time in between prior to offering infant a bath. At a "Pamper Celebration," a suggestion progressively prominent for moms that already have a number of kids and also as a result many of the stuff they really require, they might take home medical spa devices such as a loofah or bubble bath. A terrific bath-themed present basket would certainly have some hypo-allergenic bathroom things, like baby bathrooms, talc, towels, and also bath playthings.

The significant and also is that the majority of, if not all of these cost-free products, are delivered right to the mom's residence. And, with that said, lets obtain right down to the nitty abrasive. Do you have the software you require to start? At some time you are mosting likely to want to transport your infant, so you will certainly need to buy something. Unless you're preparing to hold on to them for your next infant, they're just accumulating dust. With a couple of basic abilities, a convenient collection of "stuff, " as well as simply a little bit of preparation and also preparation, youll be on your means! There is a place for TV in our lives and it desires all the fastest way of absorbing information from worldwide. Taking courses abroad Right here, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to explain the time, place as well as emotions that his love was established on, talking them as if they were in some way implied to take place. Probably she thought that was her area on the planet and also no-one can fault her if she executed her responsibilities to the utmost of her ability. I as soon as had a neighbour that informed the globe and it's mom she believed sanitation was beside Godliness and spent throughout the day every day cleansing her home. It is believed that from this you really have the alternative to take a look at everything prior to you also have to purchase something. Tight neck lines would certainly problem you as well as also the positioning of buttons at odd settings would cause you problems, so check these in advance. At the very same time the buttons and also various other aspects in the design need to be carefully stitched. Yet Betty had the cash money each time I went to prison This tune additionally illustrates using contrasting stories to reveal love. This example better shows the use of initial language in conversational stories. The poet feels it is inappropriate for any individual to "call you out your name ", or simply put, use demeaning language toward his love. A number of the infant shower concepts will help any place, indoors or out. Do you desire your baby to look adorable or amazing with baby clothing however you do not have ideas on where to look for them? Expense is a significant point you would certainly want to think about when buying baby garments. It's very easy, check out an infant clothing shop. Apparel care plays a huge duty in your child's safety. Hence, it is constantly advised that you keep the safety and comfort variable in mind even when you are looking for occasion outfits for your little one. Also when you have actually bought a lacy shirt for your tiny girl, if you wind up getting a dimension that takes place to be a little larger than her real size, she will fit in it. And, moms and dads will be most likely to maintain getting clothes to stay up to date with the alterations in the child's development - dimension, weight, size, and shape. Hence, buying garments that are somewhat bigger than the real size of your infants body presents will certainly be great as it guarantees optimal comfort for the youngster.

However, these immunization processes will only make their systems strong however it doesn't offer an assurance that germs can't penetrate their method. So why did she act this way? The exact same point can be true with, certainly with tube pregnancies, thats why those 2 can be puzzled. Yes it holds true that baby clothing do not last lengthy with kids expanding as quick as they do, yet caring for an infants garments is still simply as, otherwise even more, crucial. Hip-Hop, you the love of my life and also that holds true This flow is one-of-a-kind due to the fact that it makes use of both the metaphoric and also contrasting narrative strategies. The discussion of Hip-Hop like stories is a really uphill struggle. As well as that leads us to the most prominent metaphoric Hip-Hop love story of our time. Children will certainly like this dish. Thick and also cosy outfits will certainly keep the infant cozy from head to toe. Right here is a checklist of popular products that has actually been investigated with some of the largest on-line retailers of infant products. Here are some of the standard things you'll desire to have. Do you intend to offer a gift to a brand-new mom without investing a whole lot of money? They utilize it when cleaning to eliminate smells, soften the materials, and give your baby and also kid apparel a fresh and a lot more natural fragrance. When you are thinking of your kids convenience, its not only regarding the design of the clothes youre buying it will additionally be an issue of just how the product rests on your infants body. Take into consideration exactly how much you have into the product. The next time you are re-assembling your kit, make certain to include that item. I would rather hang around with my household and also good friends, chatting on the phone, going for long strolls or dancing the evening away. With all that having actually been said, Ive discovered a new food that I recognize I'm going to enjoy. Quickly you'll discover that having only a few good outfits comes to be impractical. I had a great totally free website a couple of years ago I saw on a daily basis. Utilize your Road Experience logbook to tape-record everyones comments regarding the day. This will serve no great as purchasing child items indiscriminately will not simply be waste of money but additionally waste of time and also power which you can put for some positive usage. If taking a trip by vehicle you need to always make use of a safety seat as well as comply with the manufacturer's instructions for suitable. If your journey limitation is no even more than a one-hour automobile flight one means, then search for areas of passion within regarding 40 miles of home. Which is not a problem since much like kidneys, similar to testis, ladies with one ovary can have equally as several children as a female with 2 ovaries and 2 tubes. Apparently it is a 2x matrix, indicating those initial two individuals you obtained to sign up with are on your first degree. You need to constantly have 2 pairs at night time, because you never recognize when a child is mosting likely to spew up or have a baby diaper leak that can call for a total garment modification.

[lenific]

OUAT - Belle & Emma

Follows First Meetings

MOTHER TO MOTHER (Ao3)

The only fitting description for the Gold's backyard was of a toddler's paradise. The sprawling jungle gym alone would have been the dream of any kindergarten class, along with the wooden fort peeking from the copse of a sturdy oak and the slide under its shade.

Gideon Gold was the luckiest boy in Storybrooke.

"You know you'll never get away from hosting a big birthday party every year, right?" Emma told Belle one afternoon at the beginning of spring, when it was finally warm enough to bring the boys outside.

At the moment it was only Gideon slipping in and out of the plastic tunnels, glancing with hope at the ladders and nets but obediently keeping himself at ground level. Meanwhile Henry slept on, happy to doze in his pram while his uncle did the exploring.

Emma thought of a time when Henry would be old enough to join the adventure. By then Gideon would have friends his age at pre-school, and it wasn't hard to imagine a couple dozen of four-year-olds running around.

After three weeks as the newest resident in Storybrooke, the sheer number of little kids had astounded her. Once they found this private playground, there would be no keeping them away.

"Oh yeah, you won't need to even promise them a show to keep them interested," Emma said, chuckling. "There will already be a line of children at the door every day after school, hoping to be invited."

Sitting at her side on one of the broad benches supplied for supervising adults, Belle gave a little wistful smile. "It's unlikely any kid will resist the lure of an invitation, isn't it?" Then added in a somber tone. "No matter what their parents say."

That hadn't been the first sign that the Golds weren't the most beloved citizens in town, but it was the first time it struck Emma that people's opinion might spread onto the children.

"They don't really hate Gold that much, do they?" Belle raised an eyebrow in silent reproach, but Emma shrugged. "I know. I'm family; I should call him by his first name. But I just can't do that with a straight face. He doesn't look like an 'Aaron' at all!"

Belle considered that, and Emma started to worry she might have given offense, but then Belle started giggling. "It's the suits," she confided. "He's always so formal while he's wearing them."

Emma refused to ask the man's wife whether his attitude shifted when he wasn't. "It doesn't help that no one else seems aware that he can be called in any other way," she said instead, thinking of the aghast reactions she had gathered in her first week in Storybrooke, when she'd explained where she was staying. The inn owner had even offered a hefty discount for when she realized her mistake and fled the Victorian house. No one had even considered that Emma might feel sincerely welcome for the first time in years, or that she had enough experience to know the difference. "Imagine if I used Gold's name in public. I'm afraid I'd break someone's brain!"

Belle's eyes widened with mute laughter. "I've never had that problem," she said, amused.

Emma shook her head. "You married the man. They already know you're unhinged." The expression on Belle's face made her wish she could backpedal. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean... Hit too close home, didn't I?"

"People can be cruel," Belle said, letting out a long sigh. "When it came out that Aaron and I were seeing each other, there were several suggestions that I should return to therapy. Because obviously I wasn't yet over the grief of my mother's death."

Emma gaped.

"They didn't care that he was desperate for news of his son, or that he blamed himself for Bae's disappearance," Belle continued. "He was still in a bad place when we met. In fact, he had just walked away with my father's van that morning. The first time we talked, I was yelling at him for not waiting until the shipment of roses had been unloaded off the van. My father runs the flower shop; it was Valentine's Day. Can you imagine?"

"Sounds romantic."

Belle gave a little laugh. "God, it was anything but. At one point I threatened to destroy his shop, item by item, see how he liked it when his livelihood circled down the drain. He yelled back that he would have me thrown into a dungeon and lose the key if I so much as touched anything."

Emma had seen enough of the two of them to know where the story was going. They made a cute couple, always sure to be caught kissing and holding hands in the privacy of their home. But when their tempers were riled...

"You totally touched something."

"An antique tea set he'd put out on the counter for cleaning." Belle buried her face in her hands for a moment. "I only meant to make a point, prove his word wasn't law and that he could be defied, but then he startled me and..."

"Let me guess. That's why there's a tea set with a chipped cup in the cabinet." Emma smiled. "I was right. This is a romantic story."

"I'm glad someone thinks so. Everyone else caught wind of the argument. Once they heard we were dating, people decided that either Aaron was taking advantage of me or I was too broken to make a good choice, or both."

Emma cringed at the thought.

Raised in several homes across suburban neighborhoods where she'd never even had the chance to meet the people in the block before she was moved away, Emma had always thought of town life as an idyllic place with plenty of caring neighbors to look out for each other. It had been one of the factors that led her to accept Gold's proposal to move to Storybrooke after her unforeseen early release.

Since her arrival, people had been nosy, but everyone seemed too busy falling in love with Neal's child to pay much attention to his mother except to warn her about the heartless Mr. Gold.

Emma decided she liked it that way.

What Belle had just described was the flipside of having people know too much of each other's private affairs.

It sounded like a nightmare, and Emma was doubly incensed in the knowledge that Belle couldn't have deserved it.

"Bastards," she said with feeling. "I'm glad you didn't listen to them. Whatever gave them the right to judge!"

"That would have been my father," Belle told her, lips pulled into a bitter smile. "I'm sure Dr. Hopper would never have gossiped about our sessions."

Emma grimaced. "I'm sorry, but your father sounds awful."

Belle shrugged. "He insists he only had my welfare in mind. We try not to bring that up anymore, and I think he's truly happy for me now."

"Doesn't make him any less of a dick," Emma muttered.

Belle didn't seem to take offense at Emma's opinion. "Often forgiveness is the easiest route to take," she told Emma, then looked at her searchingly. "Maybe one day you'll find that out as well."

Unsaid went the last report from the team of investigators Gold had hired to find his son. If they were truly on the right track, Baelfire - or Neal, as Emma had known him during the months they lived together - might be returning home in the near future.

Forgiveness was the last thing on Emma's mind when she considered coming face to face with her child's father again.

Pursing her lips at the unwelcome thought, she looked away from Belle's hopeful expression. "Doubtful," she said curtly.

Belle didn't press. "Anyway. I'm telling you because sooner or later someone will question you about bringing your son to live with the monster of Storybrooke and his deranged wife."

Emma glanced back. "Seriously? Wow. They do hate Gold."

"They have long memories." Belle seemed to deliberate on what to say next, then let out a little sigh and checked quickly on Gideon to make sure he was out of hearing range. "The truth is, even Aaron will tell you he deserves their hate. It's foolish, of course. Everything happened years ago, and it's not as if he did anything illegal or that he enforced any clause the other party hadn't signed on their own will."

Emma smiled knowingly. "He fucked over the lot of them, didn't he?"

"Without a single regret," Belle confirmed. "Well, for some years at least. As he tells the story, in the beginning he was just trying to prove he could succeed outside his father's shadow; but eventually he lost sight of everything but the power of his position. It got to the point where there was only one person who kept pushing him to change his ways."

"Neal."

Belle nodded. "Baelfire believed his father could afford some leniency, that it wasn't necessary to hold the whole town in terror in order to turn up a profit. Aaron refused to consider the idea."

"And the idiot ran away." Emma snorted. "What a surprise."

Belle eyed her, obviously regretting the turn of their conversation. "He must have thought there was a good reason for it."

"Sure there was," Emma agreed, her eyes narrowing. "His daddy was too mean; his girlfriend was too clingy. Better to vanish into thin air and hell with consequences."

"Emma..."

"Look, it's okay. You don't have to defend him. I've already got the whole town telling me what a terrific boy he was; how sweet and polite and nothing at all like his father." Emma rolled her eyes. "And you know what? That's fine. I'm sure Neal didn't mean for me to get thrown in jail. That was me being stupid. And sure as hell I can't blame him for abandoning Henry when I had no idea I was pregnant. But like I said, consequences happened. And Neal? Nowhere close to deal with them."

Belle sighed. "Can I ask you not to talk like this in front of Aaron?"

"Too late."

On their first phone call, Emma had made sure to inform him that Neal - or whatever his real name was - was an undependable shit, and why should she put herself and an unborn kid into the hands of the man who had raised him?

She remembered his answer word by word: Because I'm also the man who hasn't given up on finding my son so we can be a family again.

Emma had always prided herself of her instinct when it came to detecting lies. When Gold said he valued family above all else, he meant it. Once she was certain of that, her other choices had come more easily.

She had yet to regret accepting his offer.

"Gold is okay," she told Belle, and the older woman nodded in wholehearted agreement, "a little rough around the edges, but his heart is in the right place. That's what matters."

Belle was staring at her with a wide smile. "I'm glad you came to us, Emma."

Physical shows of affection had never been high in Emma's personal list of preferences, but the soft pat of her arm seemed innocuous enough.

"Yeah, well," she said, only a little uncomfortable and not enough to grab Henry and return to the house. "You're not too bad either."

The End 10/02/17

[recentanimenews]

The God of High School Script Writer Reveals the Challenges and Rewards of Writing for Action Shows

The God of High School, the newest project in the Crunchyroll Originals lineup, is easily one of the most anticipated titles this season. This action-packed martial arts anime based on the hit WEBTOON series by Yongje Park launching TODAY is for sure the show to check out this season for your shonen battle fix!

In anticipation of today’s launch, we took the time to sit down with the scriptwriter for The God of High School, Kiyoko Yoshimura! In the past, she’s written for anime titles such as GRANBLUE FANTASY: The Animation, GARO -VANISHING LINE-, Sonic X, and now The God of High School. She told us all about her job from her daily schedule as a scriptwriter to the challenges of writing action scenes and the many reasons why you should be watching The God of High School this season!

How did you get your start in writing for anime? I’ve always watched a lot of anime because I enjoy it, but I didn’t aspire to be a scriptwriter right from the beginning. I was an otaku who hoped to be a light novel author and submitted my writing to magazines all the time. I just happened to meet a certain famous scriptwriter on a certain anime fan site, and we started communicating by email. At the time, there was a shortage of anime production staff due to a sudden explosion in the number of anime series being broadcast, so that writer asked me if I wanted to try writing scripts for the project they were doing the series composition for. That project was Jibaku-kun, and I was already a fan of its author, Shibata-sensei, and I was able to dive right into the project since I had already read the manga. So that was my first success, and it was the starting point in getting to where I am now.

    What particular challenges do you face as a writer when adapting a script for anime from existing source material? When I’m in a creative role, I look for the things I personally enjoy and find appealing in the series, whether it’s the characters, the worldview, or the setting, and I focus on those positive feelings as I write. If I don’t feel anything positive toward a series as the writer working on it, then I can’t create something that other people will enjoy. From there, I write the scripts based on consideration of the visuals that the director wants, what everyone hopes the anime will be, and a web of other opinions.

  Are there any common challenges about writing for anime that fans might not realize? This connects to question 2, but I’m generally the type that prefers to write anime based on positive feelings toward it, whether it’s “This is fun,” “I like this,” “This is really interesting,” or “This is so cool.” It makes me happiest when viewers look at something I thought was awesome, and talk about how awesome it is.

  How did you come to work on The God of High School? I worked with Director Park on MAPPA’s VANISHING LINE, and Producer Otsuka asked me to work with them again on this project. VANISHING LINE was very well-received and showed me how amazing Director Park’s work is, so I accepted the job immediately. Also, I personally love battle stories and tales of young people growing up.

    How does adapting a WEBTOON series compare to adapting a manga? I didn’t really notice that many differences. As far as writing scripts goes, I think the best thing about shows based on manga is that the visual composition of each scene in the story already exists, and we can see the image we want to create right from the start. And in GOH’s case, the art and composition of the battle scenes look amazing, so those are the main benchmarks I use to write the scripts.

  What about The God of High School’s story drew you to it most when reading through the original source material? The fact that Mori, Daewi, and Mira start out so distant, but gradually grow closer and more bonded as teammates. Then, after Ilpyo comes into the picture, the scene where the four of them are seen walking away shoulder-to-shoulder really moved me. And also Jegal’s life of unanswered hopes ... He’s an antagonist, but just condemning him alone won’t fix things, and that really made me think about how harsh that kind of world is.

  Could you walk us through a day in the life of a scriptwriter? How do you manage your time throughout the day? An anime writer’s job basically consists of weekly meetings to read each other’s scripts, discussing problem points, going home and making corrections, then resubmitting them and meeting to read them again. It’s quite a mundane cycle. And working on GOH isn’t all that different from working on any other anime. Our meetings involved a lot of staff living in other countries, so we had a lot of remote meetings, but that’s about it. As for my home life, I’m also a mother with a son in elementary school, so I make his breakfast and send him to school in the mornings, help him with his homework, clean the house ... and do some writing in between. When things get really busy, I ask my own mother, who lives in my neighborhood, to help with some of my housework. I can’t express how grateful I am for my family.

  What is the process like for composing a script, from beginning the project to final delivery? The process varies a bit depending on the project, but generally, when I’m doing series composition, I start by coming up with a rough draft of the series as a whole, which is reviewed and discussed by the director and staff. Then we move on to each individual episode’s plot ... deciding what role the number of episodes will play in the series, determining the points where developments happen, and rationing out the work, and from there each writer starts working on their scripts. Occasionally, we’ll be working on a script for a later episode that ends up depicting some development that will require an earlier, not-yet-complete episode to be written in a certain way, so we make those adjustments as needed. When the scripts for all episodes are finished, we pass them along to the production and animation departments, and that concludes the writer’s role. From there, we look forward to seeing the finished product along with the fans!

  Could you tell us how exactly a fight scene looks when you script it? How much of the flow of the battle is in your script? I’ve heard that with things like live-action and tokusatsu series, the fight scenes aren’t written in detail in the scripts; instead, they’re composed right there on the scene by acting and filming specialists. But most anime projects call for fight scenes to be depicted in some degree of detail in the scripts. It directly connects to the time allotment and required number of drawings for the episode, so that needs to be controlled in the scriptwriting stage. At a bare minimum, the script needs to explain who does what, and what effects it has. I don’t usually write every single punch and kick in detail, but in a scene where, for example, a character who was thought to be right-handed suddenly uses their left hand and wins, those details need to be clearly written in the script. In the case of GOH, the battle scenes are composed in very fine detail in the original work, so I generally followed suit in the anime scripts. The most important thing was to make sure the changes in the characters’ feelings as they fought were in agreement with the visual highlights of the animation. If we focused only on the visual depiction, the characters’ emotional expressions would have been left out, and they’d all just be slamming into each other with flashy imagery. Portraying the emotions of a scene through monologues, flashbacks, other characters’ facial expressions, the announcer’s voice, etc., is the most important part of scriptwriting.

  South Korea is a fairly novel setting for an anime. Did writing for a real-world, non-Japanese setting affect how you approached your work at all? While most anime produced in Japan are also set in Japan, there are also many that aren’t, so I didn’t notice that much of a difference. VANISHING LINE, which I worked on with Director Park, was set in America! Still, even though Japan and Korea are geographically close, their languages are quite different (especially the pronunciation), so I did struggle a bit with things like proper nouns and place names.

  Action shows like The God of High School are never just action shows, they also have plenty of comedic and emotional aspects to them as well. Are there any specific tonal scenes you enjoy writing most? One is Mori’s birthday episode. It’s a scene where everything he’s accomplished comes together in the form of a strong bond. Murakoshi-san, the writer of that episode’s script, made that scene extremely emotional. Another is the final preliminary round between Mori and Daewi. It’s the first major climax in the series, and Daewi’s personal drama becomes deeply involved in it, so I tried my best to make it a really intense scene.

    Is there any character in The God of High School you’ve enjoyed writing the most? All the characters do have their own unique charms, but it’s hard to choose just one since it’s much more fun to see how they all bounce off of each other. They’re all strong, remarkable characters, but they have playful sides and even some cute weaknesses that are brought out so skillfully when they’re interacting. Mori and Daewi, Daewi and Mira, Ilpyo and Jegal, Commissioners Q and O, Commissioner Q and Daewi, Taejin and young Ilpyo ... yeah, I just can’t choose (lol)

  The God of High School is, of course, one of the newest Crunchyroll Original productions coming soon. How has working on this production compared to other standard ones you’ve been a part of? Director Park came up with several highly ambitious plans, and he was very passionate about making them into reality, so I couldn’t help feeling like this project was going to turn out well worth all the effort. It was very exciting to work on, and I’m excited to see it when it airs.

  Finally, do you have anything you’d like to say to fans eagerly anticipating the anime’s debut this summer? All of us on the anime staff devoted everything we had to faithfully recreating the intense developments of the original work in animated format. Unlike manga series that you take your time reading at your own pace, the animation will drag all of you into the world of God of High School with the speed and impact of a crashing wave. The action and drama are so fast-paced, you won’t have time to blink! I hope you all enjoy it!

  READ THE OFFICIAL GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL WEBTOON SERIES HERE AND WATCH THE GOD OF HIGH SCHOOL ON CRUNCHYROLL!

Danni Wilmoth is a Features writer for Crunchyroll and co-host of the video game podcast Indiecent. You can find more words from her on Twitter @NanamisEgg.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com