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[tammulberry]

hey everyone.

there is a strike going on till the 30th. i will only be reblogging stuff related to palestine. i will not be able to skip school, but i will be doing what i can, even if my platform is small. i beg of you to do the same. free palestine.

[tammulberry]

Polaris: Izuocha Reincarnation AU by T.A.M. Mulberry

I miss these two interacting so much so that's why I created a full blown AU where they interact more than once and perhaps more than a thousand times too...

SYNOPSIS: Ochako Uraraka had a dream. To see the smiles of her parents and let them live an easy life. If it meant going to a far off university to become an engineer, she would do it. But when she fell asleep, all she had were nightmares of a different reality that continued on after the summer it started. Soon, she met Izuku Midoriya, an awkward but ambitious boy that lived just across her apartment. While most would only look his way when he did something outrageous, there was a warmth to his eyes that drew her in. In time, she developed feelings for him. It terrified her. The idea that a boy might get in the way of her goals. However, as her friendship with him deepens, she realizes that there’s an underlying reason to her hesitance. 

Years of the Yapping™ started in 2023 finished in ?

RATING: PG-13 WORD COUNT: 5.6k+

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

CHAPTER 1. The Building Blocks

It was Ochako’s last year in high school and to say it was the most difficult one yet was an understatement. With cram school, academics and part time jobs that never stuck — she had to triple her efforts just to balance everything before college. 

Graduation was fast approaching. Luckily, she passed third year even if it meant skipping meals and burning the midnight oil to pass every project, every test. 

Every test. The thought resounded in her head. It’s been a few weeks since she took the entrance exam for Yuuei. Impatiently, she waited for the results. She was sure of most of the answers and she had dedicated sleepless nights to making sure she aced it but what if she didn’t? It was one of the best schools in the country and the acceptance rate was so low. 

“Announcement!” The speaker sounded. “I will be listing a few names and whoever is called must proceed to the principal’s office.” 

“Ooh, do you think this is about Yuuei, Ochako?” Her seatmate whispered to her. 

“I hope so…” Ochako smiled hopefully. 

As the names were called, Ochako couldn’t help but let out a wobbly smile in anticipation. 

“Ochako Uraraka.” 

She stood up a little too quickly and tripped on her bag but that didn’t matter. “That’s me!” 

"Good luck, Ocha!" Her friend whispered to her and gave an encouraging wave. 

As she speed walked to the principal’s office, she could feel her heart beating out of her chest. Ochako wasn’t usually nervous or antsy about anything but this is her future and if she failed, what would happen then? 

She took a deep breath and opened the sliding door to the principal’s office.

The rest of the students called from her year were already there. 

“Good afternoon, sir!” Ochako greeted him with a bow. “Why’d you call me in?” 

"Please line up with the others first, Ms. Uraraka," said her principal and she nodded, a little flustered by her own eagerness. 

"Alright. So…" he flipped over a few documents. She didn't know how much longer she could wait. 

“Congratulations, everyone,” said the principal. “You are the students from our school with the privilege of passing Shizuoka University’s Yuuei.” The principal then continued to explain all the reminders and announcements to keep in mind before the next school year started. 

Ochako’s mind just blacked out for a second.

“What?!” She yelled in disbelief and scurried to the balding man like a crab desperate for confirmation, her voice dropped an octave. “Do you really mean it?!”

“Yes. I wouldn’t have called you in here if you didn’t get accepted,” he said simply, a little frightened by her eagerness.

The rest of the students were too busy congratulating themselves and each other to notice Ochako's determined face at first, but it wasn't hard to miss. 

"Hey, look at the Uraraka girl," a blond boy whispered to one of his friends. "You don't see her looking like that everyday. I thought she was kinda airheaded." 

"You should see her in math class," one of her classmates whispered back. “She’s way more focused than she looks.” 

Ochako couldn’t control her giddiness. She vigorously shook the principal’s hand and was about to make a beeline for the door before she was stopped in her tracks. 

"Wait, Ms. Uraraka. There’s one more thing." The principal called out from the end of the office. 

"Oh, sure thing, sir," she replied, a little flustered after her emotional high had died down. 

"I must say, it’s very impressive that you managed to land a scholarship for UA. That is no easy feat. You are the only one in our school that managed to.” 

“Thank you, sir,” she bowed and noticed that the other students around her were murmuring. 

“Told you,” said one of the girls. 

The principal stood up and clapped his hands for everyone to pay attention. “Graduation is fast approaching, everyone. I’m sure that everyone must be tired from all the rehearsals. You all have bright futures ahead with this new opportunity. You are all dismissed now.” 

As they headed out of the principal’s office, she heard the students talking among themselves again. 

“Hey, why don’t we go to karaoke after this?”

“Let’s get some yakiniku?”

“Uraraka, do you want to come with us?” 

Ochako was caught off guard by the invitation.  It has been awhile since she has gone out. She loved being around people. It’s not like she didn’t have friends. She realized just how much she neglected her social life in order to juggle her goals for passing the entrance exam. 

Nevertheless, she wanted to celebrate this achievement with her parents first. Everything she has been doing, every sacrifice she has made was for them after all. 

“I’m sorry guys, but I want to spend the night with my parents. I mean I passed UA and got a scholarship! I’ve gotta let them know about it,” she said with a small smile. 

“Okay, suit yourself. See ya around,” one of the girls waved at her. 

When it seemed like she was the only person in the hallway, she took a deep breath. Inhaled and exhaled, as she walked the path with no other people. 

***

Ochako opened the door to the tiny apartment flat she lived in with her parents to find that she was the first one there. As she waited for them to come home, she opened the door to her room to look at her dioramas. Her parents weren't able to afford the materials so she made do with whatever was lying around and learned how to create her own mini buildings. 

There was a small dome-like structure that was created from using a worn out metal bowl that she dinked and drew metallic markings on. It was an imitation of the planetarium that Ochako’s parents took her to just once when she was a little girl. Sure, it wasn’t perfect but soon, she’d be able to make models she’d be proud of. To see stars and planets moving like that for the first time wowed her. 

It was like a real life dreamscape. 

Dreaming was one of Ochako’s favorite things about life. When life was too hectic and heavy to bear, all she had to do was fall asleep and imagine a paradise. Some nights, she could blast off into space and land on the stars. Other nights, she was able to see the most beautiful parts of Japan. On some nights, she'd be in Mochi Land eating all the flavors she wanted but couldn't find.

Yet as cheesy as it sounded, her favorite dream was to see her parents without bags under their eyes or a fake smile to reassure her that they were okay. She could vividly imagine it when she closed her eyes. A stress free life in old age as they laid on a sandy beach somewhere in Hawaii. To see others live a happy life. To see others smiling. That’s all Ochako wanted. 

Ochako liked to think of herself as a lot more grounded than she let on though. Those were all fantasies at the end of the day. But now — now she has a new path. 

Embarrassingly enough, she still had second thoughts on whether she wanted to go or not even after she was accepted. It was far away too, a 4 hour train ride from her hometown to Shizuoka. 

Going meant that she'd be alone. It meant that she would have to spend extra money on an apartment and meals. It meant she had to leave her parents behind without anyone to help them out. If something happened, she’d be helpless. 

Click!

Snapped out of her reverie, she heard the keys twist on the doorknob and she quickly skipped out of her room to greet them. 

"Mom! Dad!" She exclaimed and went in for a hug for both of them. “I got into UA!” 

“Congratulations, Ochako!” said her dad but she noticed that his voice sounded tired.

“I knew you could do it, Ocha…” her mom sounded the same too, and she let go. 

"Um," she hesitated and thought, maybe something happened. "How has work been?" 

"It's nothing, really, Ochako. Really.” 

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong, dad?” Ochako paused as she made the realization. It wasn’t the first time it happened and it really did take a toll on the company.  “Did one of the clients cancel again?”

Her mom nodded at her and her heart sank. 

“It’s nothing that we can’t fix.” Both of them smiled at her silently but she noticed that it didn't seem to reach their eyes. It made her own voice falter. 

“Is there anything that I can do to help though? If there's anything that needs to be done, I can do it," she said earnestly as she enumerated with her fingers. "The laundry, the dishes, dinner, grocery. Anything.” 

"Ochako. You don’t have to do that," her mom replied with a small smile. It was then that Ochako noticed that her eye bags were darker than before. 

"I know you mean well, sweetheart," her dad sighed, as he ruffled her hair. "But like I said before, you're spreading yourself too thin. You don’t have to burden yourself with our problems on top of yours." 

Ochako pursed her lips and chose not to say anything. Was she spreading herself too thin? Was everything that she was doing too much? She sure didn’t see it that way but under the rare warning gaze of her dad, she didn’t want to protest anymore about it. 

“Okay, dad…” She said quietly. Her eyes lost their glimmer and he bent down to hold her by the shoulders. 

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, Ochako. After all, you’re not the only one who has a surprise.” 

“Huh?” Ochako lifted her head and looked at him curiously. 

“We get to go to the planetarium again after a street food fest!” Her dad held up three tickets and her face brightened. 

Did Ochako hear that right? Not only will she be able to eat street food again after so long but she’ll also be able to see the planetarium again. It felt like a dream come true and she rushed to hug the two of them once again. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You guys are the best…” All you care about is money. 

The gratitude in her was genuine but there was a feeling of uneasiness in her stomach. She shook it off. 

***

“Actually, Ochako—we already received a phone call from the principal to talk about how you got accepted to UA under a scholarship,” her dad explained, as they rode the bus to the city town square. “Even before he announced it to the students.” 

“He really did that?” Ochako exclaimed with amusement.

“Yeah, that’s why we were able to secure tickets for the planetarium event happening tonight.” 

“Can I at least use my own money from my part time job?” Ochako asked hopefully. 

“Don’t worry, Ochako. We have it covered.” her dad said as he patted her head. 

“If you say so…” She shrugged light-heartedly yet Ochako couldn’t shake off the guilt. Her parents had more important things to deal with yet they made more sacrifices for this trip to the town square. She was grateful, she always will be—but she didn’t understand why her parents didn’t allow her to help them. 

She snapped out of her thoughts when they made their stop. The family got off the crowded train. The smell of city air and the blinding lights were sensations that she felt so rarely but they brought back some of her fondest memories. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve been to the city,” said her dad. “Do you want to roam around on your own?”

“Let’s walk around together first,” Ochako replied. She remembered being invited to a yakiniku place just a few hours ago and thought … meat. Meat sounded really good to eat right now. If there was one thing she rarely got to eat, it was yakiniku. All-you-can-eat restaurants were all the rage these days but it was almost impossible to get a reservation for her family. 

She skipped around the town square, eyes bright. There was the hustle and bustle of cityfolk as she surveyed the area, looking for something that would fill her stomach. Ochako then spotted the next best thing. 

“Hey, it’s yakitori!” Ochako exclaimed. 

Ochako lined up with her mom at the yakitori stand for the savory delights. Her dad was elsewhere, looking for takoyaki and dango. As they made it to the front of the line, Ochako fished out her wallet before her mom lowered her hand. 

“Remember, Ochako. It’s on us! Use your money for something you really want,” said her mom. All Ochako could do was laugh sheepishly. She didn’t know how to tell them that she wanted extra but her mom saw through it almost immediately. 

“I see, so you want a little extra, huh?” Her mom teased and Ochako nodded shyly and the former slung her arm around her shoulder. 

“Just listen to your father, alright? I know you care about us and how we shouldn’t be spending it on you—but you’re our daughter. And you got into UA! So I say it’s appropriate that we celebrate, right?” 

 It was really difficult to protest against her parents. Deep down, she knew that they meant well. 

“Right...” Her mom ended up buying her extra skewers. Her dad just came back with a huge box of takoyaki and dango sticks. In retrospect, maybe she shouldn’t have asked her parents how their day was. Ignorance was bliss, right? 

For a while, everything seemed normal. Ochako was able to shake off the guilt and she managed to enjoy the good food she had always wanted. They also had huge chocolate crepes, and mochi ice cream for dessert. Yes, maybe she wished they didn’t spend so much but she could let go of that feeling for one night. 

“Hey, dad, what if I try finding a mochi maker?” she asked. “I’ll just go to one of the stores nearby and see if there’s one on sale.” 

“Well, you’re a big girl, Ochako. You can go off and find something you’d like. Just make sure to call me, alright?” Her dad reminded her as he held his phone.

Ochako clutched her flip phone to her chest and nodded earnestly. 

“Don’t worry, I will!” 

She walked around the place and saw a store that caught her eye. A big sign that implied they sold desserts and appliances.

“Mochi…” Ochako sprinted to the shop before it got crowded.

“Must … get … mochi … machine!” She declared, as determined as she’ll ever be only to come to an abrupt stop to open the door gently. The bell jingled and it looked exactly as it did from the outside. It looked quite old but its wooden frames were well-maintained. It was lined with vintage paintings and it looked very warm and cozy. 

Ochako looked around the place to find baking essentials and different appliances. 

“Hello, dear! What would you like to buy?” said an old lady from over the counter. She was short and stout but had a warm smile on her face. Ochako returned the smile. “We don’t normally get customers past this time.” 

“Hmm…” Ochako hesitated as her finger tapped her chin. “I’m looking for a mochi maker that’s affordable, and in pink if you have it.” 

She almost fainted from joy when she saw the perfect mochi maker in front of her. It was pink and had rabbit ears on the sides. However, Ochako hesitated when she saw the price. It was quite expensive. She looked at her phone pensively. Should she lie about the price and buy it with her own money? Will they find out? 

“What’s wrong?” The old lady suddenly showed up beside her. 

“Whoa! How did you get there?” Ochako exclaimed and the old lady simply chuckled. 

“I’m still quite light on my feet, eh!” 

“Yeah, I can see that,” Ochako laughed along. 

“I don’t mean to pry but … what is the matter, dear?” the old lady continued and Ochako hesitated again. “Are the desserts not to your liking?” 

“It’s uh, nothing, really,” she started. “This mochi maker looks perfect and it’s big enough for me to share . But I am … on a budget…” 

The lady looked at her and urged Ochako to continue as the latter hesitated to expound.  

“You see, I’m not from the city, so I don’t get to go to places like this often. My parents told me to call if I ever find something interesting but … I can’t help but feel a little guilty, is all. I don't want to waste their money.” 

“Hm, I know what you mean,” the old lady replied. “When I was about your age, I experienced the same thing too.” 

“Really?” Ochako asked curiously. She figured that it would be impolite to leave so soon. And without buying anything!  

“Yes,” said the old lady. “It was difficult to live in a society where I had to beg to stay alive.” 

Oh… 

“I was shunned just for existing and people would tell me it was my fault for being born.” 

“That must have been awful…” Ochako said sympathetically. 

“I don’t understand why people think it is so wrong to be free. The way I see it, they must be bitter about being chained. But I chose to open this shop—whether they liked it or not.” 

There was an awkward silence in the air. Ochako didn’t expect the old lady to spill specific details about her life. She started to feel uncomfortable about the idea that she believed Ochako was just like her in a way even though their lives couldn’t have been more different. 

“Surely, you must know what it’s like to feel so trapped?” the old lady asked her hopefully. 

Ochako genuinely pondered on that question. Did she feel trapped? In some ways, maybe. But did she love her parents? Without a doubt. 

“All I want is to give back to my parents with my own merit. With all due respect, ma’am, we’ve only just met. My life is completely different from yours and I … don't think it's a fair comparison.” 

“Well, is that so? Perhaps I could tell you more about my story over some coffee at the back of the store. I could really use a friend.” 

Ochako smiled awkwardly. Maybe she would have taken up the offer if the conversation didn't start to go off in a different direction. She glanced at her phone and looked at it skeptically. 

That’s weird, there’s no signal in this store, she thought to herself and backed away slightly when she noticed that the old lady stared at her. 

“That's very kind of you, ma'am, but I’ll have to decline. You see, I need to go somewhere. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be … going out now. My parents are probably wondering where I've gone.” 

“But what about your mochi maker? Don't you want to buy it?” The old lady asked her, the warm tone in her voice slowly disappearing. 

Actually, forget the mochi maker, Ochako, maybe you should run.

And run, she did. Ochako sprinted to the exit of the store as quickly as she could and once she opened the door, the bell jingled and everything went silent. 

Ochako slowly closed her eyes and opened them to see a location that she didn't recognize on the way in. The streets were darker. There were lesser people around. She checked her phone to find out that it read 9:30 pm. 

“Huh?!” 

It made no sense. It was 7:30 when she got there! She was only in the store for a few minutes at best. At least—it felt that way…

Ochako gasped with the realization that she missed the planetarium show and her parents might have been looking for her this entire time. She took a deep breath and tried to think of ways for the situation to make sense but she grasped at straws. The guilt ate her up and the tears slowly fell. 

She surveyed her surroundings to see if the old lady could have possibly followed her on the way out but she wasn't there anymore.

Feeling slightly relieved, Ochako tried to call her parents. All she wanted was to let them know she was safe. 

“Ochako?!” Her dad’s frantic voice yelled from the other end. “Ochako, can you hear me?!”

“Y-yes, dad I can hear you…” she said, her voice cracked and started to ramble. “I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry that I wasted your time and missed the planetarium show. I don't know where I am anymore, I—” 

“Ochako.” Her dad's voice said calmly. “Ochako. It doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that you are safe. Where are you? What signs can you see?”

Ochako looked around, still disoriented, but luckily, thankfully she saw a sign that led to the street food area. 

She frantically rushed towards the sound of the familiar bustling city lights and she tried to suck in the tears the moment she saw her parents talking to the police. Ochako tackled and circled her arms around both of them. 

Perhaps it was the familiar warmth or the unfamiliarity of the situation.

Ochako broke down. 

“I’m so sorry!” she cried. “I’m so sorry I wandered off! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to text you guys or do anything to make sure I wasn’t hurt or worse—” 

“Shh…” Her mom calmed her down as she stroked her hair. “It’s okay, Ochako. It’s gonna be okay. 

That night, Ochako was taken to the police station to be interrogated over what she saw. She told them everything, no matter how crazy it sounded. 

“Hmm,” the interrogator hummed. “Surprisingly enough, Ms. Uraraka. This is not the first case of your kind. We have been getting reports of incidents similar to this for years.” 

“So you don’t think I’m crazy?” Ochako asked. 

“I don’t. But they’re very rare and yours is … the third case in the past 20 years. All I can tell you now is to keep your guard up. Perhaps it’s time to continue investigating this case once again…”

***

After they made it back, Ochako was so relieved. What happened a few hours back was unsettling. Unnerving. A strange store that made her lose track of time. An old lady that started to ask personal questions just to keep her in. If her parents weren't able to find her in time, she could have been kidnapped or worse… 

To think that she will be moving to Tokyo in a few months saddened her.  There were many things that she saw for the first time. Some after a long time. Some she thought she'd never see again. Even with the experience in the appliance store, she was grateful. She always will be grateful for her parents going the extra mile to make her happy. 

She entered her room after her nightly routine and plopped down on the futon. 

I wonder what I'll dream about, she thought to herself. Maybe her dreams will be kinder to her than reality this time. It was how she always coped with the weight of it after all. 

Ochako thought back to the old lady that compared herself to her. They couldn't have been more different. Ochako was blessed. Reminding herself of that was enough for her to drift off to sleep. 

While it was kind to her, Dreamland seemed to have a different plan tonight.

There was always a soft pink haze that surrounded her dreams but this time, things felt a little more vivid. She looked around and noticed that she was in a car in the backseat. Ochako couldn’t see the face of her vessel for the night but she could see the ankle length dress and ring on her … wrinkly fingers? Okay, that was a little weird.

“Gramma, we’re already here,” said someone from the passenger seat as she turned around. The woman was beautiful. In a way, she looked like her own mother but without the tired look. She had a warm smile but Ochako saw a shift in her face before she turned away. 

Not being able to control her actions, all Ochako could do was mutter out a weak thank you in return. The car came to a stop and she stepped out awkwardly. Why were her legs so wobbly? The driver seemed to notice and took her by the arm to help her sit on a wheelchair. 

As she rubbed her eyes from the mist, she could see where they were. 

It was a cemetery. The smell of rain and the thick fog as it cloaked the weathered gravestones was unmistakable. She looked up to the woman, who gripped the handles of the wheelchair tightly as Ochako was guided to the entrance. 

It was strange, really. Ochako could see things vividly, she could think about what she saw but she couldn't control her actions. Most of her dreams were happy so why was she walking alongside a woman to a misty cemetery on a gloomy day? 

Soon, the woman came to a stop and there they were as they looked down at a gravestone. Ochako couldn't make out the name but the cracks on its surface and the engravings have faded over time. 

“You told me you wanted to come here again. It’s been over 70 years now, but …” she looked down at Ochako sympathetically. “I know it still hurts.” 

"It feels like yesterday. We wanted to go on so many adventures together," she spoke without any control of herself. "My most beloved. I hope he's happy in heaven.” 

“It must be wonderful to love someone so deeply and so freely.” 

Ochako woke up with tears in her eyes that night. She was back in her room. It was completely dark out. 

“Oh, that was terrible,” she mumbled to herself as she rubbed her eyes to stop the crying. 

The dream felt so real. Like nothing she ever felt before. It was like she was living through the eyes of another person. Another distant reality. But that’s not how dreams worked, right? Dreams are the wishes of the heart and Ochako knew she didn’t want to be an old lady visiting a grave. 

Stop overthinking it, Ochako. She told herself. It was just a dream, it wasn’t real. You can dream about better things soon. 

Ochako tried her best to fall asleep again. She twisted and turned on the old worn out futon that she had since she was a kid but it was no use. The moment she closed her eyes, she could only see the dream she woke up from. 

Unable to sleep, Ochako left her bed to go out and sit on the balcony of her room. 

She loved starry nights like this. They lived in a part of the prefecture full of lights so she could only see the stars twinkling when the rest of the town was asleep. She craned her head up to look for her favorite star. 

Polaris. It’s always there. In the same position as it was. She liked to think that even if the rest of the world kept moving and even though she’d have to keep moving too, the north star will be where it’s always been. 

She sighed and the tears from her dream slowly dried. Ochako's mind was at peace once again.  

Until she checked the time and the realization that she was sleep deprived hit her. 

***

“Ochako,” her mom called out as she was washing the dishes. “Did you sleep well?” 

Crap, she noticed! Ochako laughed nervously and dismissed the comment as smoothly as she could. “Oh, I — uh,  I just stayed up late watching movies!” 

Her mom looked at her, unconvinced and she gulped. She never even tried to hint about having a nightmare. 

“Hmm, you must be tired from what happened last night then.” 

“Yeah! Yeah that's true…” Ochako had her hands behind her back. To tell the truth, she was still shaken by the dreams. And that old lady. It felt like there were eyes that loomed over her wherever she went—the eyes of that old lady. 

Ochako reasoned with herself that her guard was up and that in time, the feeling would fade away. 

She couldn’t have been more wrong as she experienced the same dream when night fell. 

And the night after that. 

…And the night after that. 

It was always the same scenario. She was living through the eyes of an old lady that would visit someone’s grave. The name engraved on the tombstone was never shown but Ochako could feel a difference in each dream with what she could see from the waist down. The time of day and the silence of whoever led her there. 

Dreams were once one of Ochako’s favorite things about life but soon enough, she was scared of falling asleep. She wouldn't call it nightmarish, but it elicited emotions that Ochako didn’t want to feel. The thing is, Ochako didn’t like to feel things deeply to begin with. There wasn't a reason for her to feel negative emotions because she was already so blessed. 

So why did the tears keep falling? 

*** 

This was the worst one yet. The worst nightmare she has ever had. 

No other vivid dream could compare to the suffocating feeling this one came with. Except … this didn't feel like a dream at all. This pain felt oh so real. Ochako was in a dark room. She could hear the sound of a heart monitor with a beat that was slowing down. She frantically tried to look around but she could no longer move her head. All she could see was a ceiling fan. That was when she noticed that there was something that supported her breathing as several machines were strapped to her body.

What is this? She panicked. Where am I? Am I dying?

It’s like she was drowning with no way of coming up to the surface. Her body slowly stiffened and her eyes started to blur. 

Just then, someone held her hand. 

She looked up to see a silhouette of someone that she didn’t recognize. 

"Hey," he started and Ochako looked at them with beady eyes. "It's me." 

Ochako couldn't speak. She could only let out a weak nod of acknowledgement. 

“It’s going to be alright. Breathe out, Ochako. We’ll see each other again. Don’t you worry.” 

The impact from the train’s sudden stop woke Ochako up. They left in the morning but the sky was already dark. How long has it been since they’ve traveled and made stops? She sat up straighter and rubbed her eyes, only to feel an overwhelming amount of tears. Ochako gasped and wiped them away in a panic. She really hoped her parents wouldn’t notice. 

She turned around to see that her parents just woke up too. Her dad rubbed her eyes and greeted her good morning. 

“Ochako, it’s time to grab your bags,” said her mom. “Today is the day!”

The Uraraka family made their way off the cramped and crowded train.

Ochako rubbed her eyes to get rid of any excess tears and she feigned that it was because of how in awe she was of Tokyo. 

“There’s so many people!” She looked up and saw a huge building with two divisions. Blue windows covering every inch as far as she could see. 

So that must be UA.

“C’mon, Ochako, the apartment isn’t very far away from here. It’s only walking distance from UA University.”

And true enough, it really wasn’t. It was a humble place with at least four stories. They made her way up to the third floor of the building and stopped at A-401. 

"So this is the room you will be staying in, Ochako,” her dad said as she opened the door. 

The auburn haired girl glanced around at the place. It was quite small with a couch for three, a kitchenette, a tiny bathroom, all the things that a seventeen year old girl like herself would be terrified to use on her own. 

But hey, this was what she wanted after all.

It wasn’t as nice as the one at home but it sure felt that way. Her parents weren't able to afford stationery so something she would do is daydream of all the cute designs to customize her space with. She even brought some of the smaller dioramas she made at home to decorate the place with. 

“Hey, Ochako,” her mom started. “Were you able to check the balcony?”

“The balcony…?” Ochako walked into the room she will be sleeping in and was shocked to see a balcony just like the one she had at home. Better yet, it overlooked UA University and the rest of the city. 

"I know it's not much, Ochako but I hope that it will be good enough for you to live in while you go to school—" 

"Thank you..." she hugged her parents tightly. They may not be vocal about it but Ochako already knew that her parents didn’t want her to go. 

"I promise, Ochako. One day we will have enough money to buy you all the things that you deserve to have." 

"No, dad," she replied. "You've got it all wrong. I’ll make the most of my stay in UA so I can be the best engineer the company will have!" She punched the air enthusiastically. 

After that, the look in her eyes changed as she smiled at them sentimentally. 

"One day, you two will rest easy knowing that your daughter is there to give back to you. And I won't ever let anything get in the way of my dream."  

She gave the two of them one last tight hug as she squeezed her eyes shut, afraid of what would happen if she didn’t. “See you in July!”  

TO BE CONTINUED...

[tammulberry]

Deku.

feeling real nostalgic right now.

[tammulberry]

Kuroo x Reader Sneak Peek

"Okay, there's one thing I don't get."

"Yeah? Ask away." Kuroo said casually as he tied his shoes.

"There are people in our class that actually know about volleyball so…" You had two hunches and you didn't know which one you preferred. "Why did you choose me specifically?"

Kuroo seemed to be taken aback and he straightened his posture. Completely dumbfounded by the question. "Ah.. well this is awkward… I didn't expect you to catch on."

"Ha, what are you talking about? I'm asking because I wanna know."

"The thing is that — there is no reason. I just thought spending even more time with you would be cool."

"What?" You were as red as a tomato. Someone wanting to spend time with you just because they wanted to?

"Honestly, I thought you wanted to humiliate me in front of everyone," you confessed awkwardly.

"Now why would I do that?" he asked with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Because some students told me that you had ulterior motives!" You exclaimed, your cheeks reddened. "How was I supposed to know that you just wanted to hang out with me as friends?"

"As friends?" Kuroo grinned at you teasingly. "I never said as friends, y'know."

"Fine. As your genius manager," you retorted.

Kuroo let out a really ugly laugh that you couldn't help but find endearing. Man, of all guys out there, you had to like him?

He patted you on the shoulder and bent down to your level. Your face flushed and you looked away.

"Little miss genius can really be little miss dummy too."

"Hey! No need to tell me something I already know!"

A/N: Stay tuned for the official fic! Kinda nervous about this one cuz this is my first entry to the Haikyuu fandom and I wanted to start it off with the character that introduced me to the series a long time ago lol

[tammulberry]

MIRACULOUS GENESIS | The 1st Season of the Miraculous Dynasties AU by T.A.M. Mulberry begins

SYNOPSIS OF THE SEASON: Miracle Jewels were once widespread throughout the centuries as they traveled through worlds and through dynasties. However, when the rise of machines came, so did the fall of miracles. The new world had long forgotten the old ways as capital cities soon advanced to reach for the stars. After a mysterious rumbling was detected in Paris, a hopeless romantic with dreams of being a fashion designer and a famous teen celebrity collide the new world with the old world.

This is the return of the century. The return of the Yin and Yang. The origin of Ladybug & Cat Noir.

Years of the Yapping™ started in 2021 finished in ?

RATING: PG-13 WORD COUNT: 2.8k+

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

CHAPTER 1. The Invisible String

Long ago, before the rise of machines, there were miracles… 

For centuries, worthy heroes were given jewels that granted extraordinary magic from beyond this world. There are two miracle jewels, however, that stand on top of the hierarchy. The Ladybug of Creation and the Black Cat of Destruction. Juxtaposed for eternity — as one cannot live without the other. 

Legend has it — that when both these jewels are used at the same time, one will have the power to alter reality itself. 

“Are you willing to pay the price of absolute power?”

***

Along the many dark alleyways of Europe, an old Chinese man walked swiftly as if he were being chased. He had a red hibiscus shirt and board shorts underneath the long coat he wore in the chilly evening. On his back, he had a heavy knapsack. 

“I can feel the tug, Fu! We’re almost there!” A small floating creature that resembled a ladybug whispered excitedly. 

A string was shown to be present in the eyes of the creature. It was vibrating towards one source. The source that the strange crew had been following for months. 

“Patience, Tikki. We must proceed with extra caution. We may never know who could be watching!" A floating creature similar in appearance to a turtle scolded. He seemed to be the same species as Tikki. 

Just then, the frantic running stopped. The string was connected to an old crusty mansion that led to nothing but forested grounds. On the outside, it seemed to be abandoned as the vines were left to grow, the fences had paint falling off and the tall gate was full of rust. Nevertheless, it had shown signs of being beautiful once and Fu stared in awe at the sheer size of the mansion.

“So, this is where the string leads to…” 

"After all these years … the Qiji of Destruction laid dormant here," said the small turtle creature in wonder.

Fu glanced at it with a knowing look, and the small creature bowed as Fu said, "Wayzz, Scute Down." 

A magical energy traveled down his entire body and he transformed into a suit with the attributes of a turtle. A circular shield was on top of his head for good measure. 

"Tikki, where does the string lead to next?" Fu asked.

"I think it's … I think it's inside the mansion!" 

Fu contemplated before he took action. It was a gamble on their part. While the mansion looked abandoned, there is no saying that there isn't someone in the small village that was on to them. They needed to be careful.

"If you can feel the tug — then Plagg should be there. We'll retrieve him, Tikki. I promise," he reassured her, and they prepared to sneak in from the back. 

Just as expected, the mansion was covered in vines, rust and dust. Luckily, Fu’s suit protected him from any dangers that lay ahead. 

But not only was it armor — it also granted him superhuman abilities. 

They stopped below a balcony that led straight to the string. Fu grabbed one of the vines and swung it with enough force for him to roll inside. Except, it didn’t go too well and his landing went wrong as he fell splat on his face. 

“OW!” Fu groaned. 

“Are you okay, Fu?” Tikki asked, concerned.  

Crack! "Why, of course Tikki. I may be in my 70s, but I'm still young— ! Ow… right in the tailbone…” he rubbed his back in pain, which completely contradicted his previous statement. 

“Don’t worry, I can still function. Good thing Wayzz is here to keep me safe.” 

And so the old man and Tikki continued their search. Not a sound could be heard with each step he took. Fu could assume that the mansion was from an era before the rise of machines. Ornate doors that stood as tall as small trees, covered in dust. Statues that were in ruins. Curtains worn and torn. Elaborate paintings from moments forgotten in time. 

As they shuffled through cobwebs and the occasional rat, they opened a door that was relatively smaller than the other ones they passed. They were in what appeared to be a storage room. It was dusty and cluttered. Much like the rest of the mansion from the outside. 

"For such a beautiful mansion, it's really filthy," Tikki said, as she flew into even more cobwebs.

“Nevermind that now, Tikki. Now, we must look for Plagg!” 

As they continued their search, Tikki felt a tug. This time, it was much stronger than the previous ones. She looked around frantically and discovered that the string led to the next room. 

"Wait, Fu! It's in the next room!" Tikki whispered. 

"Brilliant, Tikki!" Fu exclaimed. 

After all these years, he was excited to see Plagg, the Qiji of Destruction. Fu had heard many things about him and if the legends were true, then he’d be face to face with the universe’s most dangerous force. It was fascinating to think about. 

But … at the same time, it felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. To him, it meant freedom. To him, it meant the guilt he had been feeling for decades will finally be put to rest — 

CREAK! In his haste to get the job done, he moved recklessly within the storage room towards the door to the other side. The worn out wood of the floor squeaked loudly. He cringed at the sound in contrast to the almost heavy silence of the storage room.  

“WHO GOES THERE?” an unfamiliar voice boomed, and the both of them panicked. 

Fu and Tikki ducked beneath broken cabinets and cobwebs. Fu crawled as far away as he could from the voice. The latter was about to scold him for making that mistake but he shushed her. The two of them listened intently. Was someone following them this whole time? 

Yes, admittedly, he already knew that going into an abandoned mansion like this was a gamble. In fact, he didn’t want to go here in the first place. There were rumors that a kind old man would tend to it every now and then so he thought he could play the part, but… 

"They were here longer than us…" Tikki whispered in his ear.

The tension started to rise when they heard the doorknob twist. The two of them were hiding behind a grand piano and a curtain in one of the corners of the room. They prayed that they wouldn't get caught in a police search. Anything but that. 

Just then, it opened. With Fu still being transformed, his senses were heightened, and he heard two pairs of footsteps walk into the room. He tried to peak from where he was but all he could see were vague silhouettes. 

One of them seemed to be wearing a full suit with a tailcoat. The other looked to be in more casual clothing as he held a flashlight. And so the more sophisticated of the two spoke, "Has someone infiltrated the mansion?"

The other one surveyed the area more thoroughly, and Fu could hear his footsteps getting closer. He may not be in the best condition but he was still capable of defending himself through Wayzz. Fu tried to curl himself into a ball only for his back to betray him once again. 

I hope this isn't permanent, he thought to himself. 

As he braced himself along with Tikki, the man with the flashlight replied, "I can't seem to find anything." 

"Very well. It must have been a false alarm," said the man in a tailcoat calmly and he looked up. "Perhaps a light bulb fell…"  

Relief washed over Fu and Tikki as the former slumped down. He could hear the two men walking back to the exit of the other room. Fu peered over to get a better look at the two of them. Luckily, their backs were turned.

The refined young man coughed a bit as he walked into cobwebs. He swatted away at them and Fu couldn't help but feel amused. 

"We must really renovate this storage room. It is an absolute mess. Just like the mansion's exterior." 

"Agreed, sir." 

Tikki nudged Fu. "Now that we know there are people in the mansion, we need a new plan." 

"You're right, Tikki," replied Fu, as quietly as he could. "So — do you think we can sneak in from another route? 

"I'm not too sure. I can't make it that far without the Ladybug Miraculous near me." 

Fu observed Tikki as she concentrated. Her previous holder was not the most creatively adept person out there. A few moments later, Tikki jolted in the air. 

“Tikki, what’s wrong?” he asked 

"I don't understand — the movement is getting quite rapid," she said confused. “It's like someone is running and jumping.” 

At the same time, when the two men opened the door. They noticed another silhouette at the entrance. One that was shorter and resembled a kid. Fu had the height of one himself so who was he to assume? 

"Hey, boy. What are you doing staying up so late? And why are you here?" The sophisticated gentleman talked down to the silhouette. 

"I'm not sleepy. What's the problem with me staying up late anyway? You don’t even come and play with me.” 

That was most definitely a young boy, Fu thought. 

"Do not question my rules, brat. Know your place. Now go on, shoo and return to your mother." 

“Fine!” the young boy sneered and he slammed the door on the other side of the room shut. 

Something seemed to click in Tikki as she tried to rush towards him. 

"Wait a minute, the ring! It's on that child!" she whispered frantically.

“Tikki! Stop, they're going to hear us!” He yelled as he tried to grab onto her but immediately clamped his mouth shut as the two men looked around the place and at each other. 

"We should call a medium to this place soon. I believe it’s haunted," said the man in the tailcoat. 

"It's twelve in the morning, sir," the other man replied. 

And so the door slammed shut once again. Everything was dead silent. The swaying of grandfather clock’s pendulum was the only sound Fu could hear as his ears started to ring. 

“There’s still a chance to retrieve Plagg!” Tikki said but she was immediately stopped by an invisible force. The force that prevented her from going far from the jewels she was bound to. 

“If we follow this string then maybe we can—”

CLAC! 

“Oh, this was such a fun game of hide and seek," said the man from behind the other door’s entrance. 

Fu wasted no time as he felt his life flash before his eyes. 

“CARAPACE!” 

He broke the window and part of the wall with the expanded circular shield as he hastily grabbed the box. Tikki’s trail followed suit. He landed on one of the bushes and rolled out. A spherical shield had formed around him. A shield that no mortal machine can penetrate. 

As he rushed to the entrance, he looked around and noticed that there were more guards coming from the ground floor from both sides. 

Did they already know someone was breaking in? Where did they come from? 

“Fu!” Tikki yelled. “We can still go back there! The carapace can take on a thousand bullets! You have to fight!” 

An unpleasant memory flashed in Fu’s mind but the adrenaline from the sound of gunshots kept him focused on running away. 

“Nevermind that now, Tikki!” He answered back. “We need to keep running! They might track me down if I show my face!” 

They were nearly out of the mansion. All he had to do was bulldoze through the gate and he can detransform somewhere safe enough to look like an innocent bystander. 

Fu thought it was futile for the guards to continuously fire their ammo, but little did he know that there was a crack in the carapace. It was like time slowed down the moment he saw the first hole on the shield. The look of horror on his face as he wondered how that was possible. 

I’m sorry, Tikki…

His desire to be free from the guards overrode anything else and he managed to break through the gate. He ran, and ran, and ran until he reached a forest outside of the mansion’s territory. It was guarded by thick trees and bushes that light couldn’t pass through. He kept himself transformed in case they used their weapons again. Fu could hear the guards as they walked in the direction that he escaped, his ears muffled by the intense ringing. He hyperventilated and prayed that they would stop looking. 

He didn’t want to die. Not like this. Not in a state so pathetic. 

He overheard the man in the trenchcoat talking to what seemed to be the head guard of the mansion. “We need to issue a search party. What did the man look like?”

“I wasn't able to see his face clearly, sir.” 

In the brief silence, Fu thanked the universe for Miànshā—the veil that managed to keep the identities of jewel holders hidden.

“However, I suspect he is one of those people.”

That silence was broken as he flinched at the light. “We need to issue a search party. We don’t know just how much that man saw. But if he is what you think he is, he can’t be left alive.” 

The color left his face as the men walked in the other direction. 

He can’t be left alive… 

If he’s caught… then he’s going to die…

***

Four hours had passed since the fiasco at the mansion. Fu had detransformed. He, along with Tikki and Wayzz, found themselves in another dusty old shed in the countryside. They were able to hitch a ride on a train far from the mansion. 

They were safe, at least for now. 

Fu was afraid. Something wasn’t right about that place. Even a fool like him could tell. It seemed like no one was there when they snuck in but once the man in the trenchcoat knew, it was like the guards on the ground floor appeared out of nowhere. 

“You understand the situation, right? You’re a wanted man now, Fu,” his Qiji, Wayzz reminded him. 

“I am aware of that, Wayzz,” said Fu, agitated. “What I don’t understand is how those guards managed to damage carapace. It’s supposed to be impenetrable to machines and technology, and—” 

“Fu. Those guns they were using had Mogui energy in them. Those weren’t just ordinary mortal weapons,” explained Tikki. 

“But that’s impossible…” Fu got up from the haystack he sat on.

“Do not tell me what’s impossible, Fu. I know what I saw and I know for a fact that the mansion is hiding something more sinister than we realize. And you ran away.” 

“I know! I know…” Fu said as he tried to calm himself and Tikki looked at him intently.  

“How long are you going to run, Fu?” She asked him sternly. “How long are you going to keep up this act of bravery? Feeding us false hope? It has been decades.”

“I’m afraid I agree with Tikki on this matter, master,” said Wayzz ruefully. “Perhaps if you stayed and pursued Plagg then—”

“That’s easy for you to say!” Fu snapped and they stayed quiet. He couldn’t bear to hear the words of Wayzz or Tikki any longer. 

"A hundred years to both of you is like a blink in time. You cannot die but I can! You don’t know what it’s like to fear dying! If I didn’t have to die then everything could have stayed the same as it always was!” 

Wayzz and Tikki did not answer back anymore and Fu let out a deep breath as he slumped in front of the haystack, his hands on his face. 

“We cannot go back there. I don’t think we can stay in this country any longer,” said Fu, more to himself than to the two of them. “If we manage to escape outside their borders, we will be outside their jurisdiction.” 

Wayzz and Tikki looked at each other, as if they pitied him. 

Fu started to regain control over his own emotions as he remembered something that made him smile again. Even after all this time. 

“Wayzz,” he started as he looked at both of them. “Tikki.” 

He looked at them half-heartedly. A million questions, a million memories, a million regrets flooded his mind but there was one that resounded in his head the most. 

“Are you going to run away again?”

“It is time for us to go to Paris.” 

Perhaps he had ulterior motives. Perhaps it was born from the primal desire of not wanting to die. There were many things Fu feared but to die without atoning for his mistakes terrified him the most.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Note:

I'm so excited to share my passion project with everyone. I've been working on it for over 3 years now and it's about time that it got published.

This isn't really a rewrite of the show per se but the beginning does follow the origin slightly before completely going off the rails in the next few chapters. This is just an exploration and my attempt at trying to make a living, breathing world for these characters because I really enjoy the quantic universe and I guess this is my take on it if it focused on one magic system specifically.

Some notable differences will be the age range and the target audience. This AU is not really for younger kids like the original show and that is why the main cast's age range in Dynasties is 18-20 as the story starts with them in their last year at Lycee Francoise Dupont.

There will also be some changes in terms to keep it consistent with the Chinese mythology that the magic system is based on (ex. Kwami is changed to Qiji) and a lot of changes and additions to the magic system like the powers or weapons to fit with the lore of the Dynasties AU better.

Hopefully, there will be people who can enjoy this silly little fanfic series of mine and I thank you so much if you do!

[tammulberry]

MIRACULOUS DYNASTIES: Introduction to an AU by T.A.M. Mulberry

Long ago, before the rise of machines, there were miracles… 

For centuries, worthy heroes were given jewels that granted extraordinary magic from beyond this world. There are two miracle jewels, however, that stand on top of the hierarchy. The Ladybug of Creation and the Black Cat of Destruction. Juxtaposed for eternity — as one cannot live without the other. 

Legend has it — that when both these jewels are used at the same time, one will have the power to alter reality itself. 

“Are you willing to pay the price of absolute power?”

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

OVERVIEW

I started working on this AU by the time Season 3 was still airing. It is basically an alternate universe exploring a different timeline, origin and conflict for Marinette, Adrien and the rest of the crew. I've been wanting to share it for the past few years but never got around to doing it. Might as well do it later than never.

There won't be any major spoilers here since I have an entire story for this AU laid out for the world to see so if you ever find this post, make sure to stay tuned to any updates on le prologue chapter.

GENERAL CHANGES

Marinette and Adrien start out as 18-19 year old students that go to a Lycée Francoise Dupont of the Fine Arts instead .

The setting is in a post-modern futuristic Paris with advanced technology.

Most of the people in the story are from the Uptown area in Paris, because one of the themes in the story explores the superficiality of fame and money along with the dark side of being a celebrity.

The general tone and mood is darker but it's still cute and wholesome.

Miraculous and Miraculi are used interchangeably due to an in AU translation error by past historians.

The inheritance of Miraculi operate on a dynastic cycle that can be overthrown.

Less villains but are reoccurring

POWER SYSTEM

So this is my take on the Miraculous power system for this AU. I wanted it to be a lot grander and powerful so that the risks of wielding one will be even more apparent. This will only be showing a brief history, the kwami name change + other definition of terms and the types of miraculous.

DIFFERENT TERMS & ADDED TERMS

Chi / Qi: It is the general term for the power within someone.

Tianshi Energy: This is pure energy and it loosely translates to angel. It is a force that is created after a sacrifice.

Mogui Energy: Similar to an akuma, a Mogui translates to devil in Mandarin. It is a dark force that is created from the inner evil of human souls.

Qiji: The name change of the Kwamis. It means "miracle."

Miànshā: The veil that keeps the identities of Miraculous holders hidden.

ENERGY BALANCE / CHI

Because of an event that had happened in Ancient China that involved someone using both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous to grant them the wish to drive out anyone that wanted to overthrow the Middle Kingdom, there was a sudden surge in Mogui energy that overthrew the Tianshi Energy. Overtime, this corrupted the state of the world as it continued to spread. That was, until Piao Chong and Hei Mao brought the balance back.

THE QIJI

For this AU, the kwamis are known by a Chinese term instead to be consistent with the lore of the Miracle Box because its roots in China will be explored.

The Qijis (pronounced: CHEE-jee) were first discovered by an Ancient Chinese Monk and they were the first ones to be converted into Miraculi, meaning that they were the oldest ones made. In English, it roughly translates to miracle which is why the Miraculi today are known as — well, Miraculous.

"Maybe we got lost in translation."

"You can't just insert a reference with no correlation to the topic at hand."

TYPES OF MIRACULOUS

YIN AND YANG MIRACULOUS

These are the first Qijis that manifested into existence. They are the most powerful Miraculi to be created and they were made to balance each other out. Only Creation can restore Destruction and only Destruction can completely destroy Creation. Even if they are individually more powerful than any of the other Miraculi, they need to simultaneously exist with each other to keep the balance.

Ladybug & Black Cat

LOTUS MIRACULOUS

These are the Miraculous that manifested from both the concepts of Creation and Destruction. They are not as powerful but they do have more specific applications. They are based on the different aspects of a human psyche and represent the different Chinese elements. Because they rely on both Yin and Yang aspects that have stemmed from the Ladybug and Black Cat, they also have passive abilities when they are detransformed.

Turtle, Moth, Peacock, Fox & Bee

ZODIAC MIRACULOUS

Now these are the Miraculi that stemmed from the Lotus Miraculi. While the ones mentioned are based on the Human Psyche, the Zodiac is based on the natural world and the abiotic elements of it. They all have different forms that change depending on the season, natural phenomena or internal balance. However, their fifth forms all give them a limit of 5 Minutes to use before transforming back and they cannot switch between forms while in transformation.

Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog & Pig

TIMELINE

PREHISTORY - The Eons of Wild

“Eons have passed, floating in space Without a name and without a face The avatar of creation had nothing to create Until destruction birthed another with no name.”

— a passage from the ancient days

ANCIENT HISTORY – The Age of Miracles

"It was only during then that the beings that have existed longer than all of human history were given names. They started to embody the traits that early humans possessed and observed them from birth to death. A fragile existence."

— an excerpt from historical research

MIDDLE AGES – The War of Regimes

"Elite families were originally chosen by the monk that created the jewels. However, just as dynasties can be overthrown, so can the families of ancient history."

— an excerpt from historical research

MODERN HISTORY - The Rise of Machines

"Revolution. Industry. Progress. Suppression. The future. The rise of machines was the fall of the old world. The fall of miracles."

— an excerpt from a monk.

MAIN TIMELINE — The Convergence

As the leaves began to fall, it was a sign that school was back in session; and for the eager high school students of Lycée Françoise Dupont of the Fine Arts, it was another opportunity to make it big in the industry. The hustle and bustle of aspiring musicians, actors and authors showed just how everyone was determined to make it there on time.

At least … most students were.

— an excerpt from Chapter 1

Stay tuned for more updates on this AU! I hope that you'll find something enjoyable about it once it comes out.

T.A.M. Mulberry

[tammulberry]

music (fanfiction) writing challenge!!

use your music taste to write a fanfiction or any story in this challenge!

first open your music app of choice and make sure your playlist is on shuffle -- then the first 5 songs that pop up will determine your:

Premise -- What your story is going to be about in the first place. What is going to be the main "selling point" of the story that sets it apart from the rest.

Main character -- Your main character's personality or inner struggle.

Main conflict -- The main conflict that drives your story and becomes an obstacle for your main character.

Vibes -- Is this going to be a light-hearted story? Angsty? Romantic? Whatever matches the vibe of the song.

Ending -- How this story is going to end.

yes, this is very vague, but that is the point! this can give you some ideas of what to write while also leaving plenty of room to be creative. feel free to switch up what songs represent what or even shuffle them a couple more times!

[tammulberry]

Sweet Beginnings: Marichat AU (Mulberry Conundrum)

SYNOPSIS: After graduating high school, Marinette inherited the bakery of Tom & Sabine. While business was booming and life was peaceful, all that changed when a mysterious man in a gaudy outfit by the name of Cat Noir makes her try to weaponize bread.

RATING: PM for Passionfruit Macarons

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

A Cat With Sunglasses?

Working in a bakery was a feast for the senses. The smell of fresh pastries, delicious bread and sweets. The elegant yet simple designs that surrounded the place. The taste of home. Marinette was content, to say the least.

After graduating from high school, she was set to inherit her parents' famous bakery. Some would say it's the best one in Paris. Tom and Sabine's Boulangerie-Patisserie.

What more could Marinette want? She certainly didn't want anything to change.

Until it ... did.

See, there was a certain customer that always showed up at a specific hour and a specific day. Friday at 7pm when the bakery is about to close.

***

As Marinette was cleaning up and saying goodbye to the last few customers, she heard the bell on top of the door ring.

"Welcome to the best boulangerie-patisserie in Paris!" Marinette greeted in her best customer service voice. "How may I help you...?"

She turned around to see a tall man. Now, Marinette wasn't normally intimidated by tall men but whatever she was looking at right now was enough for her to go into full panic mode.

Bright orange board shorts. Green patterned socks. Sandals. An oversized black hoodie with cat ears. A facemask. Perhaps the worst one of all... huge sunglasses at 7 in evening.

If he showed up this late at night with an outfit as ugly as that then it meant that he most definitely had some ulterior motives. Ulterior motives that Marinette absolutely didn't want to know.

So she screamed and the man mirrored her.

"W-wait a minute, I just wanna—!"

"I HAVE A STALE BAGUETTE AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!" Marinette swung it around like a sword before throwing it at him. The man dodged it smoothly. A little too smoothly that Marinette didn't know if she was frightened or annoyed that he wasn't scramming. It hit the door of the bakery with a loud thud before it fell down and left a mess on the floor.

"Whoa! Marinette! Chill out!" The man tried to calm her, but the adrenaline made her ears ring.

"How do you know my name? Are you stalking the bakery?" She interrogated him further as she grabbed him by the collar of his hoodie.

He stepped away from her and laughed. He laughed.

"You have a name tag, ma'am!" The man continued to laugh and all Marinette could do was stare up at him, confused, embarrassed and oddly charmed by his laugh.

Shut up, self. You almost hit the guy with a baguette.

"Anyways, I'm sorry if I frightened you," he cleared his throat. "I'd prefer if we start over."

The man bowed down like a theater act and Marinette, whose head already managed to cool down was taken aback.

"Good evening, I go by many names but everyone else calls me, Cat Noir."

Marinette tried to stifle a laugh. That sounded so ridiculous.

"I'm Marinette," she said with a warm smile. "I'm sorry for trying to hit you with the baguette earlier. When they're stale, they can be... well, I— uh. I'm sorry in general."

"Hey, it's no big deal," the man said, holding out a palm.

"Well, since you walked in here..." Marinette started. "You probably want to buy something."

"Right. Yeah," he looked at the selection that was still available. "Do you guys still have passionfruit macarons?"

Marinette's face lit up. "Of course! Macarons are one of our bestsellers but the passionfruit macarons aren't as famous as our other flavors."

"Guess, I'll be coming here from now on then," he chuckled lowly and Marinette's face flushed. "I'll be taking your entire stock by the way."

Marinette looked at him incredulously. "Our entire stock is enough for a big family. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I can pay for it," he fished out a wallet that looked expensive. Especially compared to the outfit he was wearing. He fished out 60 euros and offered it to her. "Consider it an apology for nearly scaring you to death."

The blue haired girl nodded and opened a box to place the macarons in. She felt awkward and embarrassed ... yet intrigued? While she didn't want to assume anything, there was something so strangely familiar about the guy, ugly clothes and all.

"So... Cat Noir? People call you that like a stage name?" Marinette questioned, in an attempt to make small talk. "What do you do?

"Well, I ... uh..." he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I do charity. And I chose to be a black cat."

"Is that so?" Marinette replied, not completely convinced. He looked like a mixed bag of traits. Smooth, confident, awkward and warm. She couldn't deny that it made the peaceful yet monotonous day a lot more interesting.

She realized she was already done with the box of macarons and handed it to him. Marinette almost wanted to ask him more questions but she hesitated. "Thank you for coming to the bakery."

"Thanks," his facemask prevented her from seeing his face but she could tell he was smiling. "I'll make sure to come back, Princess."

"Princess?" She repeated, her face flushed."

"Yeah," Cat Noir started. "Cuz you're sweet like one."

Okay, that was the cue to call Alya because she might actually faint on the spot.

He snickered mischievously and opened the door. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

END.

[tammulberry]

Every single one of the 13,000+ children murdered by Israel was robbed of their futures

[tammulberry]

Some relevant movies and tv shows that should be boycotted:

Stranger Things: Noah Schnapp claimed zionism is sexy and Hamas is ISIS and liked videos on twitter mocking Palestinian people; actor Brett Gelman and producer Shawn Levy are zionists and both support Schnapp

The Last Of Us: israeli politics in The Last Of Us Part 2; Neil Druckmann openly supports israel

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Rick Riordan, the author of the books has made zionist comments neutral to Israel and the genocide

The Umbrella Academy: Aidan Gallagher openly supported Israel on instagram with a post "I stand with Israel", post is now deleted

Deadpool 3: Shawn Levy, the director of the movie is a zionist

Dune 2: Timothee Chalamet made a joke on SNL about the genocide in Palestine

Any Disney movies and shows including Inside Out 2, PJO, The Eras Tour movie, Moana 2, Marvel content: Disney is funding Israel, it has been announced that a new Israeli superhero will be joining the MCU

If you support Palestine, boycott zionist companies and stop funding them. Besides, there are many ways to watch the newest movies without paying a cent.

Please feel free to add more movies and shows with source links! 🍉

In addition, here are some other useful links:

Palestine Google docs masterlist

Poems for Palestine Chapbook Launch

Donation links

Click the button once a day to donate

[tammulberry]

[tammulberry]

Shrek's Domain: A Shrek & Jujutsu Kaisen Crossover (Mulberry Conundrum)

On why I did this, I don't even know the answer to that.

SYNOPSIS: Shrek gets kidnapped.

Years of the Yapping™ started in 2022 finished in 2024

RATING: GG for Goodness Gracious WORD COUNT: 1069

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

Somebody once told Shrek that he would be left all alone in his swamp. Yeah sure, he ain't the brightest tool in the shed but what exactly was the issue with that? Shrek was living the Far Far Away dream. He had private property, a mud jacuzzi, a limitless supply of slugtastic cuisine and signs that tell people to get off his property.

However, that amazing life of his was gonna be over sooner than he expected. Not because of some short dude compensating for something. Not because of a talking donkey that he wanted off his ass. It wasn't even because of some fairytale creatures that decided to invade his home.

His life was ruined because of two things: a soapy finger and a white haired bean pole with a punchable face.

***

Shrek's eyelids started to flicker as he heard an irritating voice. As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a strange dude with white hair and a blindfold. Maybe his eyes were used for stew, he thought.

"Heyy! What's up, stinky!" the voice drawled at him as he was still delirious. "Care to hang over with me on the wall of the place that we call home in the dumpster fire of the sea and the stars?"

"What?" As Shrek slowly opened his eyes, he saw rings.

"Care for some onion rings? I heard your species liked those things."

Instinctively, Shrek tried to swing his right arm but alas, he was tied up. He struggled against the rope and the annoying beanpole laughed.

"Haha look, I know you're an orc and all but no way are you gonna get out of those restraints. It's magic."

"First of all, I'm an ogre," said Shrek nonchalantly. "Second of all..."

"WHERE IS MY SWAMP?"

The white haired man gasped dramatically. "The goblin is going to kill me!"

"I'm an OH-GER!" Shrek enunciated. "My name is Shrek!"

"Yay!" The man clapped. "He can talk! Since we're doing introductions now. I'm Satoru Gojo. The strongest sorcerer there is!"

"Where am I?" Shrek asked as he looked around. It was full of strange papers with even stranger markings hanging from every part of the room.

"You, my repulsive green friend, are in the chambers of Jujutsu High School."

"Oh, and spoiler alert," Gojo whispered. "It's far far away from your beloved swamp."

"Then why am I even here?" Shrek asked exasperatedly.

Gojo raised his pointer finger. "That's a very good question! Megumi! Come over here!"

Shrek raised his head up to see another figure walk into the room. He had black spiky hair like a porcupine and looked like he didn't want to be there.

Great, that makes two of them.

"Why don't you tell the troll here about what happened?" Gojo asked the boy with a wide grin, his hand rested on his cheek.

"For the last time, Gojo, how was I supposed to know that he was gonna eat it?" Megumi scoffed at him.

"Wait, eat?" Shrek raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I see. You idiots want to slaughter me for a banquet."

"Absolutely not," Megumi deadpanned. "You're here because you came into contact with one of the most dangerous relics known to man. Do you realize that?"

"I'm an ogre so it probably ain't that threatening if I know nothing about it."

"Do you remember eating anything strange?" said Megumi.

"No, I didn't—" But Shrek's world started to spin around like a whirlpool.

"What's happening?!" Shrek exclaimed and if things couldn't get any worse, the white man was the only thing he could see as he spun.

"See ya later, maneater!" Gojo waved at him.

***

Shrek woke up again in what seemed to be his swamp. Maybe it was just a nightmare, he thought. Relief flooded his system momentarily until he got up and looked at his surroundings.

Everything was trashed. Frantically, he tried to search through all his belongings only to find bones, muck and ruins.

He burst out from his house and saw a man that looked like him. If he was buffer and had facial hair.

"So, you've finally entered my domain," said his doppelgänger with a gravelly voice.

There goes "it was just a dream." This day couldn't get any better but Shrek could care less at this point.

"Why do you have a British accent?" Shrek asked him, perplexed.

"Shut up, ogre." At least he knows he is one. "Believe me, I do not want to be in this situation either."

"Hmm," started Shrek. "That makes you, me and the porcupine boy."

"Silence!" The other Shrek boomed. "Do you know who I am, foul beast?"

"I preferred it when you called me ogre."

"I am Ryomen Sukuna! The King of Curses! I have taken over your your body after you conveniently found my finger in your disgusting premises."

Shrek shuddered and grimaced but he's experienced weirder. "Ohh, so that's what this is about. If the whirlpool was a clue, do I just need to flush you out?"

"No!" Sukuna facepalmed. "I am a walking disaster! A bomb that can easily level cities!"

"Heh, the only bomb that can level cities is the huge load I'm about to drop on the white-haired wizard once I get out."

***

Shrek opened his eyes again. Lo and behold, Satoru Gojo and his apprentice, Megumi observing him.

"Fascinating..." said Megumi. "He's so indifferent to the situation that he managed to keep the Ryomen Sukuna at bay."

"Well!" Gojo raised his arms. "Now that you received a vague explanation as to why you are here... I'm going to offer you an ultimatum?"

"Do your worst."

"Either you become my servant OR I kill you!" Gojo exclaimed with finger guns and Shrek sighed.

"How are you gonna kill me?" Shrek asked as he seemed to be considering that option a lot more.

"We're going to spill your guts and use it as fertilizer for our plants. I'm gonna "Gojo" your eyeballs and — "

"Eh, not a bad way to use my dead body — " Shrek shrugged.

"You're not supposed to be so calm about this!" Megumi yelled.

"Whoa, chill, Megumi," said Gojo nonchalantly as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Be as indifferent as our squonk friend here."

Gojo turned to Shrek and removed his blindfold, revealing sparkling blue eyes.

"So what's it gonna be, ogre?"

"Your eyeballs would look better than mine in a cocktail."

END.

[tammulberry]

You are light...

I'm at the chimera ant arc and every episode my heart crushes a bit more tightly. I suspect it will soon explode.

I really want to do more fanart, hope I will find the time (I wanna draw Kurapika sm). I actually have several complete HxH animatics in my head that I cannot do, it's frustrating af (literally the only free time I have I spend it watching this shit, i'm doomed).

Anyway this anime has occupied my entire brain lately. Or maybe 80%, the 20 other being a random book I'm reading (that I will soon do fanart of hopefully).

[tammulberry]

Conundrum: The Groupie Menace (Flash Fiction)

I can't believe this is going to be the first original flash fiction piece I'll be sharing online but whoop dee doo, let's go

Years of the Yapping™ started in 2022 finished in 2024

RATING: GG for Goodness Gracious WORD COUNT: 1.4k+

Copyright © 2024 by T.A.M. Mulberry

Giggles.

Hikaru could hear the faint sound of it every time he was on school grounds. Every moment of every day. At first, he didn't pay attention to it. He knew that there were people that admired him. After all, being the captain of the basketball team came with a boost in popularity. That, and his stellar looks. Poetic girls that confessed to him usually said that his name was chosen by the heavens. Whatever the hell that meant.

It wasn’t uncommon for him to receive a pile of love letters on his desk or whenever he opened his locker. Sometimes, there were chocolates and other gifts. Then, there were the slightly rarer occasions of an undergrad bowing her head in embarrassment as she poured out her heart to him. Those were all pretty normal encounters except for a mutant girl that pulled out her own beating heart to offer him.

“I love you so much, it’s like my heart burst out of my chest. Can I have yours?” The mutant girl said with blue lips and pale skin.

“No! Put it back in!” He would tell her frantically, as she fainted on the spot.

Luckily, mutant girl never came back to haunt his dreams. She probably never will come back after that stunt, he thought. So everything went back to normal. He was admired, he basked in the glory of it all and he managed to get away with being an irritable jerk to his teammates.

Until his friend Clayton placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey,” the clay boy started. “We need to talk. Meet me at the place with the really good pizza after school. It’s really important,” he emphasized with wide eyes and walked away casually. Hikaru raised his eyebrow and assumed that Clayton was being the drama queen he always was.

"Dude!” Hikaru called out and Clayton turned around and he acted like everything went slow-mo.

“If it's so important then why don't you just say it?" He asked with a hint of annoyance. It wasn't hard to piss Hikaru off and Clayton got on his nerves the best.

"Because…" Clayton began. He looked around and Hikaru frowned as he followed his friend's eyes. What's his problem? "We should be alone."

And so the guy strutted away to the other side of the building.

Hikaru scoffed. “I was kinda hungry anyway," he said as rolled his eyes and walked back to his classroom on the other side.

***

On Fridays, the basketball team had no practice to compensate for the intensive training on Saturdays. As Hikaru packed his bags, he started to hear a faint conversation.

"Hey, why don't you just go talk to him already?"

"Yeah, you've made it this far. C'mon, you don't need to be so nervous since we're here!"

"And if he rejects you, which he probably will, then at least it won't suck as much."

Hikaru could see them in the sea of people. It’s not like they were being very quiet anyway. They were probably a year below him.

Just some groupies, he thought. He checked his watch to see that it was already 4:30 pm. It was time to have that talk with Clayton. Well, a talk with Clayton was usually just Clayton ranting.

"Hey Hikaru, wanna walk with us to the entrance?" The vice captain, Kevin and the rest of his team waved at him to join them.

"Yeah sure," he agreed and so he continued his walk from the classroom all the way down the stairs, no one around.

Just then…

Giggles.

Hikaru turned around quickly to see that no one was there. Hikaru thought he was going insane. Was it just him or could he still hear the groupies that ogled him from the second floor?

He didn't hear the girl with the crush on him talk yet but when he glanced back, he could hear the faint sound of, "See, he stared at us!"

It's called glancing but whatever, girl. Hikaru did a double take and took note of short auburn hair and blue eyes. Just in case they were ACTUALLY following him.

“He stared again! He’s so into you!” The other delusional groupie squealed.

Hikaru normally walked with confidence in his step but this time, he felt uneasy as he tried to tune the groupies out and listen to his teammates talk about the good life.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he received a text message from Clayton.

CLAYTON: Where are you, babe?? I already ordered for us!

Hikaru had to stop himself from laughing at his friend’s statement. Yes, Clayton was weird. Yes, Clayton was flirty. And yes, Clayton liked to pretend he was in love with Hikaru. But that was normal, right? That was just the mark of a dramatic guy, right? Him being extra bold lately didn’t mean anything more. Right?

Snapped out of his spiraling thoughts, Hikaru stopped walking. The rest of his team followed suit and glanced back.

"Uh, hey. I'm gonna go to the pizzeria. Clayton called me and said it was important."

Kevin and the rest of the team exchanged glances.

“Hey, why are you guys doing that?” Hikaru asked sternly but Kevin dodged the question.

"Sucks but 'kay, see you tomorrow, bro." The varsity team left him in the corridor to go to the court.

And now he was all alone. He didn't mind it, really. But right now, he could really use some company. As he walked the dimly lit corridor, his sharp ears heard the shuffling of feet, and he turned around to see the same groupies. The moment she noticed he stared, she hid her face and her group snickered.

At least she wasn’t a mutant girl that tried to pull her heart out. That was enough reassurance for him at the moment.

Hikaru finally arrived at the pizzeria.

It was an expensive place, packed to the brim with big families. Big in more ways than one.

Weirdly enough, it was empty now. The uneasiness had yet to subside.

“Hika!” Clayton waved at him from the other side of the pizzeria. Now, Hikaru’s uneasiness threatened to give him an ulcer as he tried to maintain his confidence.

“So why did you want to talk to me?” Hikaru said as he sat down.

“C’mon, no hello or thank you for the food ordered?” Clayton chuckled lowly and true enough, Hikaru’s favorite pizza and wing combo was in front of him.

Hikaru had it in him to smirk and fist bump Clayton. “Okay, man, thanks for the food.”

***

Hikaru had enough.

He didn’t have a lot of patience to begin with but Clayton was really testing it right now. 30 minutes had passed and all the guy did was jump from one topic to the next. And none of those topics had anything to do with what he really wanted to say. Clayton was clearly stalling.

“Dude, lemme stop you there. I don’t need to know about how you accidentally stepped on an ant on the way to the vet, okay?” That shut Clayton up and Hikaru sighed. If what he’s suspecting is really true...

“Look, I’m gonna be straightforward with you. Are you being extra weird because you’re planning to confess?” Clayton looked at him like he had two heads.

“What? No, you dumbass!” Clayton exclaimed and Hikaru didn’t know if he was relieved or offended. “The reason I called you to talk was because there’s a creepy girl that’s stalking you! That’s why I needed to tell you alone!”

“Wait, what? That’s what you wanted to say all this time?!” Hikaru bit back with frustration, exasperation and a mix of embarrassment.

Unable to process anything, Hikaru’s eyes widened in panic as he saw a familiar girl holding up a black bag. “Wait, Clayton! Behind you!”

The girl tried to engulf Clayton in it but Hikaru was able to drag his friend behind him which angered the girl.

He was able to look at her clearly now and he fumed. Auburn hair and blue eyes. It was the delusional girl following him all day...

“Who the hell are you? What do you want?” Hikaru’s voice boomed throughout the pizzeria. The staff and the other customers all rushed to the scene. “We’re gonna take you down, 2 vs. 1. Right, bud—?”

“That’s not the same girl, Hikaru! I’m sorry! I didn’t have a choice!” Clayton was on the ground restrained by another girl.

“What are you talking about?!” Hikaru yelled and he heard a sinister giggle come out of the auburn haired girl. Just then, she unzipped the back of her head and the muck of the disguise fell on the floor.

“I’m sorry, Hikaru...” said the girl. “I really did love you, y’know?”

END.

[tammulberry]

First Manga Colorings

It's been awhile since I actually did manga colorings so I guess it's time to share the ones that I did first. So have a relatively(?) random line-up

FEATURING:

Zenitsu Agatsuma from Demon Slayer: Chapter 144, finished in 2022

Kurapika Kurta from Hunter x Hunter: Chapter 343, finished in 2023

Ochako Uraraka from My Hero Academia, finished in 2023

[tammulberry]

!! The Mulberry Conundrum Begins !!

Starting my online writing journey with a messy disjointed series that explores nearly everything I wrote through the years. From poems, to song lyrics, to flash fiction to short stories. In the Mulberry Conundrum, anything goes...

RATING: GG for Goodness Gracious

YEARS OF THE YAPPING™

Breaking News: written & finished in 2023 Filipina: written & finished in 2024 Yesteryear: written & finished in 2021, revisited & revised in 2024

NSFW Accounts DNI

[tammulberry]

Welcome to the Mulberry Verse!

I don't know how Tumblr works just yet but hello! I'm Tam and I do everything, anything and nothing at all. A jack of all trades, master of none. In love with knowledge, drawing, stories and songs⭐🍀

This is gonna be a blog full of fanfic AUs, A LOT of OC content and hopefully some original stories.

 👇 I'm multifandom too and here are some of the ones that'll show up on my (re)blogs in the future lmao 👇 

Haikyuu!

Attack on Titan

My Hero Academia

Jujutsu Kaisen

Demon Slayer

Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir

Hunter x Hunter

ATLA

PJO

Hoping to find a lot of new friends here and kickstart my content creation goals hehe

Instagram, Ao3, Wattpad & Twitter: @tam_mulberry23

Do you know the muffin man? 👨‍🍳🧁

This is an SFW blog and it's going to stay an SFW blog. 18+ accounts can interact though on the condition that nothing too inappropriate will be said.