#as a kid i KNOW summer would be in swing because my papa would b outside fighting our blackberries w his life

[so-very-small]

I’m mad at the giant for not buying Oreos at the store so now I’m outside planting invasive mint directly in their garden

[hellothirteenhere]

formation a (and other related stories)

Summary: 

Or, the five times that Megumi received unsolicited protection from the members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical college. 

(And the one time he asks for it)

Part 1 of 6

A/N: This is based on a post I did a couple of days ago about Episode 23′s Jujutsu Stroll. I would be posting the completed fic in all its entirety (plus extra scenes!) on AO3 eventually but for now, however, enjoy!   

Everyone warned Satoru from taking in the Zenin bastard child. 

It would distract from his studies and his training, they wheedle - he was born to be the new god ruling over the jujutsu world, not to play house with two children. (Why not both? Satoru shrugs, swiftly putting an end to that particular piece of bullshit)  

What would people say, when they find out that the sole heir of the illustrious Gojo clan had taken in two runts from the streets? (The clan elders did not think that one through - Satoru would love nothing more than to give the jujutsu world a good shake. By taking two little brats of dubious parentage - one without a lick of cursed energy - into his care and protection on a seeming whim, when there were hundreds of dodgy old sorcerers clamoring for it; that, he decides, was a good start.) 

Most unfairly of all, however, was Yaga sitting Satoru down the day he broke the news to the college. It was not fair to the children, he said. The Fushiguro kids needed - no, rather, they deserved a stable parental figure instead of a flighty excuse of a guardian who can barely afford to stay for a day. (It was unfair because Satoru can’t deny that). 

However, at the end of the day, it was only Satoru who could protect Megumi from the Zenin clan. Whether he deserves him or not, Megumi was stuck with him. 

And he’s determined to do right by his precious student. 

Work keeps him out of town more often than not but whenever he could, he would swing by to check on the kids, keep them company for a couple of hours, maybe spoil them a little - or as much as Megumi allows him to. 

Which is why he found himself humming as he pressed the doorbell of their apartment, returning before the sun had gone down for once.  

“Yo!” Satoru grinned as the door swung open. “You look well, Tsumiki-chan.” 

“Gojo-san,” Tsumiki smiled. If it had been anyone else other than Satoru, they may have missed the brief millisecond of disappointment in her face. 

But she knew it was Satoru standing in front of her - she knew who she was dealing with, so he didn’t waste time with pleasantries. 

“What’s wrong?” His eyes instinctively scanned her from head to toe. Before he even got to her feet, he already knew that she was alright. But his Six Eyes immediately alerted him of the possible cause for her distress.

Megumi wasn’t home yet. 

Satoru looked at her in the eye. “Where is he?” 

“I -,” Tsumiki started, before breaking off with a sigh. “I don’t know. Not here.”

That wasn’t like Megumi at all. For a kid that’s all but ten years old, he sure acted like an old man. He went home immediately after school ended, often did his chores and homework without kicking up too much of a fuss, and stayed holed up in his room unless he was called for dinner. At least, he did. 

“He’s been g-having trouble in school lately,” She wrung her hands nervously. 

Well, that confirms it: something was definitely wrong. 

Satoru quirked an eyebrow at that, a smile frozen on his face. 

Tsumiki flushed, knowing that she had been caught in a lie. “He’s been getting in trouble at school lately,” she admitted. “The teachers -” 

Ah. Satoru breathed out.

“Old bastards giving our Megumi a hard time again?” He said lightly. 

Tsumiki’s shoulders slump. “Yeah.” 

“Well,” Satoru rolled his shoulders back, reanimated now that he'd identified the root of the problem. “It’s up to your Satoru-nii to go talk to them, right? Don’t worry, Tsumiki-chan -”

“Please don’t -” 

“Don’t go too far - yeah, uh-huh, got it. I’m not gonna hurt anyone,” he waved a careless hand at that. “I’m just gonna scare them a little -”

“Gojo-san!” She protested. 

“A little!” Satoru jutted his lower lip out, looking at her pleadingly. “What’s the point of being your Satoru-nii if I can’t deal with the big bad adults for you? You’re lucky to have such a proactive older brother in your life, you know.”   

Tsumiki sighed at that before looking at Satoru with a weary smile on her face. “Don’t get too carried away, Gojo-oji-san.” 

“That’s cold,” Satoru complained as she closed the door on him.   

Smiling, he started his walk towards Megumi’s school. He could teleport, of course, but he actually had a pretty good idea where the kid was. His Six Eyes told him that Megumi was at a park around five minutes away from his home. He couldn’t help but crack a grin at that. 

Typical Megumi - rebelling by staying away from home, while still staying at a safe, walkable distance as to not worry his step-sister too much.  

Personally, he had never been as nice of a kid as Megumi is, so he doesn’t know how Megumi’s brain works exactly. However, he could guess that he probably chose that park because, while it was close to home, it was out of the way enough from school that Tsumiki probably didn’t think to check there. 

His best guess was that Megumi had wanted to stay close to home in case his sister needed him, but that he didn’t want her finding out where he was unless he came to her. 

And for good reason too. 

Because his Six Eyes shows him not only where the kid but that Megumi - quiet, responsible Megumi - was fighting with someone.  

Satoru hummed lightly. It should probably worry him that a seven year old kid was fighting with what seemed to be older neighborhood kids who all towered over his slight frame. A stable parental figure probably would have bolted to the park, running as fast their 9-to-5 limbs could take them. 

However, his Six Eyes shows him that, despite being outnumbered and outgrown, Megumi had a fair chance of winning. 

So he walked. 

Megumi was too young to learn how to fight curses just then but it wouldn’t hurt to let him learn how to fight assholes at this age - maybe if he gets him mad enough one day, he could sic him on the elders. He grinned at the thought. 

“Get off me, you psycho!” 

Satoru got to the park in time to see one of the older boys creep up behind Megumi as he pounded his tiny little fists on another boy’s chest. The kid reached over and grabbed Megumi’s hair, yanking him off his friend with a sharp tug. 

He felt the edges of his vision go red for a second. 

“Hey, let go!” Megumi protested, kicking at the kid’s legs. 

“You’re such a freak, Fushiguro.” The boy he had been sitting on scrambled to his feet clumsily. He gave Megumi a nasty look. “Girls aren’t su -” 

“I’m not a girl!” Megumi growled, kicking his legs out at the kid. 

“Yeah?” One of the kids taunted. “Well, you sure fight like -”

Yeah, no.    

Satoru called out, “Playing with your friends, Megumi?” 

The children all froze at the sound of his voice and turned towards him. He could feel the older boy’s apprehension at the sight of his height. 

“Who are you?” One of the kids - the one holding Megumi by his hair - asked. 

Satoru paused. His omnipresent eyes took in every little detail before him - the scruff and frays in the kid’s clothes that suggests that it was not his first playground fight, the defiant look on Megumi’s face that suggests that it was not his first playground fight, and, perhaps most telling of all, the pudgy little fingers fisting the hair over Megumi’s ear. 

Ah. The entire-boys-will-be-boys thing had always sounded ridiculous to Satoru, who had been taught by private tutors of the Gojo family before coming to the college. 

But he never would have thought that there were actually children who would take the term ‘pigtail-pulling’ way too seriously.    

“What if I told you I’m his dad?” He smiled at the kid who dared pick on his precious student. All because he didn’t know how to process the emotions that came with a first crush. Ah, youth. He thought, strolling up to the kids with his hands tucked into his pockets. 

“W-what?” The kid holding on to Megumi paled, letting go and backing away. 

Megumi fell to the ground, barely catching himself. He glared up at Satoru with those wide, defiant green eyes of his. How cute. 

“No way!” The other kid protested. “You’re way too young to be a dad!” 

Satoru grinned at him with entirely too much teeth. “We have good genes.” 

“Just look at my pretty boy,” He leaned down, wrapping a hand around Megumi’s arm and pulling him up. Megumi reluctantly allowed Satoru to pull him close, a sulky expression sourind his face. “Doesn’t he look just like his dear old papa?” 

He could see their eyes flicker from his white hair and blue eyes, to Megumi’s dark hair and green eyes. Despite himself, Megumi snorted under his breath. 

“Boys,” The kid gritted out, looking up at Satoru with a scowl on his face. “Boys can’t be pretty. Only girls are pretty.” 

“Really now?” Satoru gasped in mock-surprise. “I think I’m quite pretty myself.” 

He could practically see the gears of the boy’s brain stop at that. 

“Of course, my son is still the prettiest.” Satoru brought his hand up to ruffle Megumi’s hair. His eyes flicker to the boy who had grabbed Megumi. “Isn’t that right?” 

He watched as the boy’s face flush into a bright, splotchy red. The other boy continued to glare at Satoru, oblivious to his friend’s crisis. And Megumi - oh, sweet summer child Megumi - had no idea what’s going on. 

“I- uh, no, b-but -” The kid stuttered as Satoru leaned forward, placing a hand over each of the boys’ shoulders. As much as he could with the Infinity, of course. 

He deliberately pitched his voice down, squeezing down on their shoulders with deliberate force - not enough to hurt them, but enough to make a statement. “And I don’t like seeing anyone pick on my cute son. You wouldn’t want to see it too, don’t you agree?””

Satoru deliberately allowed his sunglasses to slide down his nose a little - enough to show the kids a flash of his eyes. Enough to scare the living shit out of them. 

Just a little, he remembered promising to Tsumiki. 

Well, he amended. Just enough.

Upon seeing them nod, Satoru straightened up, pleased to see that kids looked as though they were about to piss themselves. “Glad we’re in agreement, boys.”

“Off you two go, then. Wouldn’t want to worry your mothers by getting in late.” He smiled cheerily, pushing them to a running start. They didn’t waste another second and took off, sprinting as though the devil himself. One of them, however, kept tripping over himself by looking back over his shoulder at Megumi every now and again, eyes wide as though he was seeing him for the first time.

Satoru scowled at that. 

That was not part of the agreement. 

[knifeshoeoreofight]

part 1  part 2

Sid feels a vague sense of melancholy the whole week following the potluck dinner. He tries not to get like this— his life is a gift. He has wonderful friends and family, he’s able to make a living in a way that truly makes him happy. He has his animals, and his health. He really can’t ask for more. And he usually doesn't.

But the conversation he’d had with Evgeni over a pile of dirty dishes won’t leave him, and unease hangs about him like a miasma.  

He has a good life, he tells himself again.

The week has its bright spots. The mama cat and her kittens receive a clean bill of health from Dr. Brassard, and Flower calls him to ask if they can take one for the girls when they’re old enough. That only leaves one kitten to find a home for, and Sid isn’t opposed to keeping both it and its mother if need be.

He’s started calling her Caroline, after one of his favorite female hockey players. It quickly gets shortened to Caro. She makes chirpy “mrrrrrp!” noises at him whenever she sees him, and isn’t phased in the slightest by Ref’s clumsy and bewildered attempts to make friends. As the kittens grow, she takes occasional breaks from them and has decided that when not curled around her babies, her favorite location is draped around Sid’s shoulders.

She’s a comfort, and so are the rest of his misfit menagerie. Puck, the black Percheron, is the best listener. Sid talks to him, and Puck just regards him with one kind, warm brown eye, and then leans his massive head into Sid’s chest so Sid will scratch him in the place he likes best, right under the thoatlatch. Stanley, the gray, is usually more interested in hay than in Sid’s problems.

“So, I should just get over myself probably, huh?” Sid ask him, pulling loose a piece of alfalfa that’s been dangling out of the corner of Stanley’s mouth for the last ten minutes. Stanley sneezes, misting horse snot all over Sid’s clean shirt, then nuzzles him, leaving behind a smear of spit and partially chewed hay, just to complete the effect.

“Thanks,” Sid tells him dryly.

***

He’s in the grocery store Thursday evening when he hears a piping “Sid!” followed by a small body hurtling into his legs. It’s Sofia, a tired-looking Evgeni pushing a cart in her wake.

Evgeni smiles wide when he sees Sid, though, and leans with his forearms on the cart handle to talk to Sid.

“How is kitten?” he asks. “Getting bigger?”

“They’re growing like weeds,” Sid replies. “Clean bill of health from the vet, too. He says they’ll be ready to go to new homes when they’re about eight weeks old.”

An inadvisable idea strikes him. He really shouldn’t, but he’s weak.

“But you could always come visit them before then.” In for a penny, he thinks. “What are you doing tomorrow evening?”

Evgeni blinks. “Not...really do anything. I’m have job interview in morning and Sofia have AM kindergarten but nothing after that. Are you sure—”

“Come for lunch, then,” Sid continues, before he can stop himself. “If you want. Sofia can see Maple and Biscuit again too, if she wants.”

“Maple? Biscuit?” Sofia shrieks, because she certainly has picked up those English words.

Evgeni smiles and shakes his head. “Okay, sure. We can come. One pm, is that good?”

“Perfect!” Sid enthuses, and mentally berates himself for using an adorable child’s love of ponies as a lure to spend more time with her and her attractive father. Her attractive, straight father, who’d had a wife before she’d left him, for god’s sakes.

I’m being neighborly, Sid tells himself. It’s called making friends.

Evgeni's eyes are kind of, gentle, as he regards Sid. “You like have people over. I’m remember.”

Oh great, now he just comes off as some kind of desperate recluse. Sid looks down at the box of Raisin Bran in his cart and feels his cheeks flush with shame.

“Happy to come over,” Evgeni says, and his voice sounds a little odd. “Will look forward to, so much.” The tone is achingly sincere, and it’s enough to make Sid able to look up again.

Evgeni is doing that thing again where he’s staring at Sid like he’s just realized something, and Sid dearly wishes he knew what it was.

***

Friday is clear and sunny, the afternoon filled with the beautiful, hazy autumn light that Sid loves best.

He hears gravel crunch in the driveway and Ref start barking his head off, warning him that Evgeni and Sofia are here. He has Caro draped around his shoulders instead of an embarrassing novelty apron this time.

“Hey! How was the interview?” Sid asks, smiling up at Evgeni.  

Again, with the staring. Sid is going to get a complex at this rate. Is there something on his face? He wipes at his mouth just in case.

“Was pretty good. Maybe, you know?” Evgeni shrugs

“What was the job?” Sid asks, as he ushers them inside. Evgeni remembers where to hang up the coats and to take his shoes off in the hall, and it makes Sid feel warm to see it.

“You know university next town over? Russian studies program have opening. Difficult job to get but would be perfect.”

“Wow,” Sid says, impressed. “That’s amazing. Is that what you did before? Teach?”

“I did,” Evgeni says. “But in city. Only adjunct jobs. Had to take two, three at a time to make enough money. Still not enough. Part of why Irina leave, I think.” His shoulders hunch, like he’s ashamed.

“I’m sorry,” Sid says softly. “I know you must have been trying so hard.”

Evgeni looks at him, pain pooling in his eyes and hardening the lines of his face. Sid wants to reach out. Hold him.

“I did,” Evgeni says, and it’s like he’s realizing it for the first time. “I did...”

Sid can’t help it. He reaches out and grips Evgeni’s shoulder. “Of course you did.” Evgeni takes a deep, shuddering breath and sways into the touch.

“Papa?” comes an uncertain little voice from the kitchen doorway. Sofia is looking at them, one hand clutching Ref’s fur.

Evgeni smiles. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He says something gentle to her, and they all go in.

***

They eat in the kitchen instead of the dining room like at the potluck. Sid loves this part of the house the best. There’s a deep bay window and a nook just big enough for a comfortable little table. Through the window he can see a lot of his property as it slopes down to the road; the orchard on one side and pumpkins and pasture on the other.

“Good view,” Evgeni comments, as Sid brings over the soup he’d made and the bread he’d been warming in the oven. The tightness is starting to fade from around his mouth and his eyes.

“The best,” Sid says, and can’t help but smile. He can see Jake in the field, helping a family choose a pumpkin, while the goats stick their heads through the fence and try to beg treats from everyone in sight.

They eat, and Evgeni elaborates on the interview, getting animated and worked up as he talks about the quality of the program and what he’d do if he gets the job. It’s good to see, especially after the moment in the hallway.

Sid, through Evgeni, asks Sofia about her day at kindergarten. Today was apparently themed around the letter B and the color blue.

After they eat, they check on the kittens, and their growth, wiggliness, and squeak volume are assessed. Sofia doesn't know yet that she’s getting one, and her father wants it to be a surprise.

Evgeni apparently can’t help himself from pointing to the littlest one, a boy according to Dr. Brassard, and asking Sofia for name ideas, though. Sid smiles as Sofia frowns intently. She’s taking her job very seriously.

Evgeni laughs at the Russian word she eventually comes up with. “Don’t know how to translate. Is like, little snow? Snowflake. Very cute, fluffy name, usually for girl cat or girl dog.”

“Oh, I don’t think he’ll mind,” Sid says, and nods at Sofia. “Good job.”

Sofia beams. “Good job,” she echoes. She’s definitely picked that phrase up at school.

***

Later, Sofia of course needs to see Biscuit and Maple. Sid secures Maple’s lead rope safely to the fence with a quick-release knot and turns Sofia loose with a bucket of grooming tools. She chatters happily to the pony in Russian, with a few English words scattered through.

“Good, Sid?” she calls hopefully to where he and Evgeni are leaning together on the fence, showing him the crooked braid she’s just made in Maple’s mane.

“Very good!” he tells her, and gives her a thumbs up. She beams at him and goes back to work.

“Why you do for her?” Evgeni asks quietly. “You nice guy, but this is a lot. You have whole farm to run, you’re busy. Why?”

Sid takes a moment to think about how to say it best. “I grew up in a fairly big town, actually. We didn’t have the money or the room for any animals. The best part of my summers was when we got to come out here and visit my Aunt Esther. Great aunt, actually. I loved it here so, so much. She and my great uncle were older, and they weren’t able to do much with the property, but they had chickens and a dog and an old horse in the back pasture. Uncle Jack had used to show draft horses, back in the day. Skip was the last horse he had left. I used to coax Skip over to the fence so I could climb up swing over to sit on him while he grazed.” Sid laughs. “Not the safest, but he was a sweet old guy. Took care of me. Let me hang all over him.”

He pauses. The next part of the story isn’t as idyllic.

“Uncle Jack got cancer and passed when I was nineteen. I was taking some time off after high school and was just working a shit job at a corner store, wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. Aunt Esther couldn’t handle the place alone, was heartbroken about needing to sell it. I couldn’t stand the idea, or seeing her so sad and scared about moving away from her home. So I quit my job, told my family I was leaving, and showed up on her doorstep.”

He laughs a little. “The first years were...really hard. I was a kid who knew nothing about farming, trying to do a man’s job. But Aunt Esther taught me a lot, and she got to spend the last years of her life at home. She died when I was twenty-five. Left me everything.”

“Sid,” Evgeni says, but doesn’t continue.

“So all this to say, that I get it. Being a kid, feeling like this place is kind of magic. Wanting to visit and see all the animals. Being obsessed with the horses.  It’s...kind of why I’ve been shifting the focus of the farm’s income to visitor based stuff. The pumpkins, the apple cider. U-pick fruits and vegetables in the summer, apples in the fall.”

He ducks his head, embarrassed at the look and the smile Evgeni is giving him. “It’s just, more people can experience it too, then?”

“Sid,” is all Evgeni says again, and he shakes his head.

“That’s me,” Sid replies, like a dork, because he doesn’t know what else to do or say.

“It is,” Evgeni says. He says something else in Russian, low and fervent.  

When Sid looks up, Evgeni kisses him.

[nightglider124]

Different II

So, this is a sequel to my oneshot Different which deals with the aftermath of Val-Yor. I hope you guys like it and all the Mar’i-ness in it.

Dick folded his arms over his chest as he leaned back, resting against the bark of a tall oak tree and effectively shrouding himself in shade, away from the iridescent sunlight bathing the afternoon.

Absolutely everything was streaked in warmth from the sun. The grass swayed in the gentle breeze and the leaves rustled and glistened from the light washing over them.

It was that type of weather that brought out a happier side in everyone.

Everywhere he looked; he couldn't help but note the broad smiles from parents and children alike.

He couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly; it was as if the weather simply brought out the best in people.

Dick smiled softly as he scanned the school yard, excitable little kids running riot, dragging their parents by the hands in order to get home for the weekend or to take them to the park before all the good swings got taken.

It was the perfect cusp as the year was shifting into early summer.

He cleared his throat and straightened up a little, pushing himself off of the tree.

Dick rolled his shoulders, the blue material of his shirt brushing against his skin.

Adjusting the pin of his badge, he focused his eyes on the entrance of the school again, waiting for a certain little bubble of joy to make her appearance.

Getting away from the precinct a little earlier on Fridays made his afternoon, in all honesty. He loved getting the chance to hear about her day and what she managed to reach during recess when playing around with the skipping rope.

It wasn't that he lacked the chance to hear all about them usually but he enjoyed the little bit of free time on their walks home; away from being Officer Grayson and away from being Nightwing. It was nice to just be dad.

The happy tune he had begun to whistle abruptly stopped as he saw a mop of black, fluffy hair, so much like his own. A wide smile spread across his face as his eyes alighted on his little Mar'i.

And it disappeared almost immediately.

His little girl was marching away from the doors to the school, her shoulders hunched and her head down.

Dick narrowed his eyes, wondering what had happened.

Of course, when she briefly looked up and met his gaze, his expression shifted.

He smiled at her and gave her a wave.

She returned the gesture, her face lighting up a little and waving back at him.

And yet, there was something missing. Something that was usually so very Mar'i.

He decided to be careful of his approach.

Although, it was truly disheartening to watch his daughter trudging towards him, keeping her eyes focused on her little black shoes.

She was usually so vibrant, much like her mother. Mar'i would exit, see him waiting for her and her eyes would light up. She would break into a sprint, shouting "daddy" at him and waving a new drawing or something around in the air at him.

Today? Nothing.

As she neared closer, he noticed the small frown on her lips and the way she was clutching at her backpack straps.

Dick kept his own smile on his face, not wanting to broach it until she was ready. She looked up at him, her deep green eyes meeting his cobalt ones.

"Hey sweetie." Dick greeted, crouching down to one knee to give her a hug and a kiss on her temple.

"Hi daddy." She mumbled, slipping her backpack from her shoulders after separating from her father.

"You want me to take that from you, Princess?" He chuckled, slipping one of her pink backpack straps over his own shoulder.

She nodded and gave him a tiny smile, "Yes please."

Dick watched her, his eyes searching her face for some answers.

"Ready to go?" He asked, standing up again and offering her his hand.

Mar'i nodded, slipping her tiny hand into his and waiting for him to lead the way home.

She inhaled a deep breath, "Definitely."

Dick frowned but shrugged it off, a silent understanding that if she was going to mention anything; she certainly didn't want to do so on school grounds.

He gave her hand a squeeze, "C'mon then, trouble."

She offered up a twinkle of a laugh but it was far too short lived for Dick's liking.

They wandered through the grounds, towards the big gates, Mar'i's footsteps becoming incredibly rapid.

As soon as they were passed the gates, Mar'i relaxed but only a tad. Dick let their joint hands fall back and forth, trying to entice her usual personality into emerging.

She glanced up at him several times before she quietly asked, "How was work, daddy?"

Dick smiled, "It was good, honey."

"Did you stop all the baddies in Bludhaven?"

He chuckled, "Not all of them, but we're getting there. Takes a lot of work, but it'll happen."

Mar'i nodded, "You can do it, papa... you're the best officer in the world."

Even her childlike praise seemed dampened, like she had been well and truly crushed over something. He gave her hand a squeeze,

"Well, thank you, honey... glad to see I have a number one fan."

Mar'i quirked a smile but it slipped quicker than he had hoped it would.

He took a breath, "How was school?"

It was obvious without even look at her and it was brief too but he noticed. Dick was trained to notice the little things, after all.

She stiffened as the words fell from his lips before doing her best to relax again, as not to alert her father.

"It was fine."

Dick raised an eyebrow, "Just fine? Wow, sounds like a crazy day."

Mar'i shrugged, "We did not do anything that fun."

He nodded, deciding to change his tactics and steered them in another direction, a route that differed from their usual one leading home.

"Daddy?" Mar'i queried, "where are we going?"

Dick shrugged, "Just a bit of a detour. It's such a nice day after all."

As she slipped into silence, Dick brushed his thumb over the silver bangle wrapped around her small wrist, hiding her true form.

He sighed as they strolled into the local park, eliciting a lift of the chin from Mar'i. Her eyes focused in on the pond that sat in the centre of the grounds.

She inclined her head, looking at the ducks and the few swans that were floating upon the sparkly surface. He smirked.

Dick knew Mar'i had quite the soft spot for the park. The sight of the water and the birds seemed to calm her almost every time.

Mar'i blinked her emerald orbs at him in silent curiosity. He jerked his head towards the bench, placed just in front of the pond. She followed obediently and hopped up onto the seat when they reached it.

Sighing as he sat down, Dick eyed the way the sunlight brushed over the peaceful pond before turning his head to look at Mar'i.

"Thought we could stop by the park, for a little bit. I know you love the ducks, huh?" Dick murmured,

Mar'i nodded, "I do love them."

"You know, mommy was telling me how Silkie was whining at home today, apparently missing his bestest friend in the whole world."

She giggled, "He can be silly."

"Mm, he can be..." He paused, "Ah, and mama also said she was thinking pizza for dinner tonight. Huh? How does that sound, sweetie?"

Mar'i nodded, fiddling with her tiny fingers, "It sounds good, daddy."

He reached out and brushed some of her ebony hair behind her ear.

"So... did anything else happen at school today?"

She flinched, "No."

"You sure?"

"Why?"

"Just checking, sweetheart. You usually have so much to tell me about your day at school."

Mar'i hunched her shoulders slightly, almost attempting to hide herself.

Dick sighed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Mar'i?" He softly said,

She cautiously lifted her head and stared at him, wincing as she made eye contact,

"Mar'i... is there something you're not telling me?" He paused, "because, you know you can tell daddy or mommy anything, right?"

The 6 year old's lip started to tremble and she was working hard to hold back.

Dick furrowed his eyebrows and rested a hand against her head in affection,

"Starshine?"

Abruptly, his little girl was in tears. They flowed and rolled down her cheeks, dripping onto her school skirt. Her cheeks were flushed and her shoulders shook with emotions as sadness wracked through her.

What broke his heart was the tiny, almost silent sobs that escaped her throat. It was like torture.

Without hesitation, Dick lifted his daughter up and onto his lap. He cuddled her close, hushing and soothing her as best he could.

"Hey now... what is it, Starshine? Huh? Tell me what's wrong." He whispered, brushing her hair out of her face.

She cried into his chest, hiccupping, "I-I don't like it at that school, daddy!"

"What? But you've been having such a good time there. What's changed?"

Mar'i sniffled, "The other kids do not like me... I-I do not have friends... th-they all make fun of me!"

Dick was floored. Mar'i, a little girl that radiated such warmth and kindness, was having problems with kids at school?

Instincts caused him to tighten his arms around his precious baby girl.

"What've they been saying, Mar'i?"

Mar'i whimpered, wiping her sleeves over her face, "Th-they laugh at me... for how I... t-talk sometimes and... for putting mustard on b-bananas..."

Dick closed his eyes and exhaled, his heart immediately going out to his daughter.

"Oh, Starshine..." He murmured, kissing her hair.

There was a brief silence before he heard her again.

"Why am I so different, daddy?" She whispered, tearfully,

A flash of memory struck him with that single question.

"You're not-"

She sat back slightly, looking up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"No one else is like me at school. I liked being different before school... I hate it now."

Dick's brow crinkled, "Hey... we celebrate being different, Mar'i."

"I wish I was only human."

Inhaling a deep breath, he touched Mar'i's chin to get her to look directly at him.

"I don't. And do you wanna know why?" He took a breath, "I love that you're both. It shows the streaks of me and mommy in you and that makes me so proud, honey."

She sniffled.

"You're unique, Mar'i. You are so very special and there are so many things to love about you. You have quirks but they are nothing to feel bad about, do you understand me?"

"B-but the other kids-"

"I don't care what the other kids think, Starshine. You are perfect and I certainly don't want you to be like the other kids. They make fun of other kids because it makes them feel better, not because there's anything wrong with you."

Mar'i nodded, "I am different though, daddy. That cannot be changed."

"You're not so different. What makes you so different?"

She looked stricken, "Well... I... it... I-I just am."

Dick shook his head and smiled, "No, you're not, Mar'i. You're exactly the same as any other human kid. You look the same and you act the same, alright, you have a few quirks but they make people love you so much more."

Mar'i remained silent.

"And actually, you're better. You're so much more special than any of those silly little kids who spoke to you like that."

She blinked, "I am?"

"Of course you are. You're kind and loving and helpful. You're so confident... people might just be a little intimidated but I'm sure, as school continues? You're gonna make a ton of friends, sweetheart."

She slowly lifted the corners of her mouth into a smile.

"Really?"

He grinned, "Mhm. Daddy doesn't lie."

She giggled and looked around before turning to him, "I did not mean I do not like being Tamaranian, daddy... I love being like mama..."

"So you should, she's pretty great, huh?"

Mar'i softened, "The greatest."

"You know, you're not alone with feeling like this, sweetie."

"I am not?" She asked, bewildered,

Dick shook his head, "Nope. Back when mommy and I were still just best friends... she had this feeling."

"She did? Why?"

He swallowed before considering how to phrase it, "A long time ago... a bad man came to Earth and... he didn't like mommy at all."

Mar'i's eyebrows furrowed, "But mommy is nice to everyone!"

"That she is, honey... he was being mean to mama without any of us knowing until... she mentioned something to uncle Vic. We were all angry that he had treated her like that and after we told him to leave... mommy got quiet and she was upset."

"Because she felt different too?"

Dick nodded, "She felt like she didn't belong anymore because one person who didn't know a thing about her, told her otherwise."

Mar'i slowly nodded.

"Those kids at school, Mar'i... they don't know you yet. Give them a chance to show off how amazing you are to them. They'll come around. I know it."

For the first time since picking her up from school, she graced him with a giant smile. Wiping her eyes a final time, Mar'i threw her arms around her father's chest.

"Thank you, daddy."

He shrugged, "Ah, I didn't do much, kiddo. You've just gotta always remember what a great person you are and don't let anyone ever tell you different."

She nodded, showing off her brighter side once more.

"C'mon, little one... let's get you home so we can prepare for pizza."

He stood and offered her a hand which she accepted as she jumped off the bench and brushed down her skirt.

"Daddy?"

"Mm?"

"Did mama stop feeling so different?"

"Maybe you could ask her about it when we get home, hm?"

She nodded and then huffed proudly, "If I am different just like mommy... I do not see it as a bad thing anymore."

Dick grinned, "Good. That's my girl."

There was a prominent bounce in her steps as they continued on their journey home, their hands swinging back and forth at Mar'i's doing, this time around.

"To really ensure this kinda thing stops... maybe we can arrange a couple of superheroes to drop by your school... teach you classmates about being who you are..."

Mar'i's eyes sparkled, "Truly?"

Dick smirked, "That's right, Starshine."

Happiness radiated through her. Everyone in her class idolised her mother and father, without knowing it of course and took everything they said very close to heart. She could relax knowing her parents were in control of the situation.

"You know what? I think we need to up her game for tonight."

"What do you mean, daddy?"

"I'm thinking pizza... then movies, popcorn and ice cream."

Mar'i gasped as Dick stared at her,

"Mint choc chip ice cream." He whispered,

The excitable girl squealed in delight, tugging on his hand to get home quicker but for an entirely different reason than before.

[wanderluster-blog]

Let’s jump right into this one shall we.  Two things to say first.

If you live in Georgia and don’t go “drink” in this small town you are an igit.

If you don’t do this weekend you are a bigger igit.

Cave Spring, GA population 1,154 (2016) is a quaint little town on the outskirts of Rome, GA, in the area known as the Historic High Country.  This place is is tiny!  The town has 1 full time police chief and a handful of part time officers.  The grocery store is a ma and pop shop.  If you Google Earth the town you will see an “H” for the medical center which is a tiny walk-in clinic, the largest building appears to be a day care, this tells us what everyone does on a date night.  There are old buildings covered with ivy, trees lining the quiet streets and a smell of honey suckle in the air. Surrounded by rolling hills and sweet Georgia pines this area is the quintessential small southern town you would expect to see in a movie about a big city doc from Hollywood, who had to move to a small town for one disastrous reasons or another.  In the middle of town square is a gazebo, seriously y’all, a gazebo.  Two roads intersect here and are littered with a handful of stores selling antiques, flowers and clothing.  There is even a general store that had three retired men sitting in rockers talking about how hot it was.  Unbelievable!  I fell in love with this town immediately! This place is currently in the number 1 spot for where I want to live out my retirement!

Currently though we were in search of breakfast so we headed into a local restaurant called, Southern Flavor. We entered and tried to head to a quieter area but the staff directed us to, “Not back there, it’s cooler up front”  So we turned heels and went to sit with about 15 locals who greeted (nodded at) us as we entered the dining area.  It was crowded so we slid into a two top and glanced around.  A number of the locals were seated around a very long table that took up the length of the room. They didn’t sit directly beside each other and the plates of food were all in different degrees of consumption. They came and went greeting each other or saying goodbye, all taking up a seat at this communal table. Fascinating! They talked about the weather yesterday, the fishing tournament today, and church tomorrow.  Walking into this made me feel as if I had a glowing neon sign that flashed the words “Outsider” on my chest. Poor Shane, he is along for this whole “Wanderluster” ride and is not outgoing or a “step outside your comfort zone” kind of guy. So when I struck up a conversation with three local men, I am sure he was less than enthusiastically thinking, “Ok well, here we go, whoop whoop“.  But look, you find the BEST information by talking to locals.  I mean seriously, what better way to get in good with them, than to getting them talking about their town and themselves!

We discussed The Trail of Tears that runs right through Cave Spring and you can see Chief Vann’s Inn (house) in the town square.  They directed where the house lies “O’vr yonder” (I could see it through the window) and where the trail starts even though it is clearly marked right outside. Such southern charm! We drank our coffee from mugs that were obviously picked up at a local rummage store.  Shane’s had “Delta” imprinted on it and mine, I hope is a Christmas theme, because it had “hohohoho” all printed all over it. … … … The men continued to talk to us about researching the Cherokee and Creek Nations and Shane even chimed in about his great great grandfather who was a Cherokee that married a white woman. Interesting fact: this was quite common in the late 1800’s because the natives knew that the best way to survive was to assimilate to the white man culture. Sad, but true.

We finished up our coffee and headed on out to take in the local sights, and there are TONS!  I mean come on this is like going to Orlando!  (just kidding) There isn’t much to see if you are into tourist stuff.  But if you like exploring this place was a goldmine. In town there is Chief Vann’s home that was getting a spring cleaning. New turf and whatnot so all we could do was walk up on the porch.  We meandered down the deserted street of the square (it wasn’t even 9am) and headed over to the general store.  Well now, this must be where the restaurant purchased their coffee cups!  This store is packed with all kinds of crazy odd and ins.  It isn’t so much a general store as a yard sale on steroids. Fun to look at if you like all sorts of junk.  Never know what you may find in these places right?  I mean who couldn’t use a Papa Smurf glass from Wendy’s Collection circa 1984.  Right?

We headed off to check out the local architecture of the buildings that seem to date back to the 1800’s.  GOLDMINE! I couldn’t resist the ivy covered buildings and snapped some photos of the town’s old mill and may or may not have trespassed a little to get some of my shots.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If you like this type of thing the Town Hall (at least I think it is the town hall) is something to see.  It appears to be an old wood mill of sort.  There were old creepy stairs leading up that I just had to go see!  They creaked and were broken in places.  It was fantastic!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Here’s the best part! Rolater Park, is the gem in the middle of this quaint town.  This is the reason we came.   It was this small park that drew my attention, weeks ago.  Within Rolater park resides a tiny little limestone cave. Visible inside the cave is a natural spring that produces over 2 million gallons a day.  It is this spring that gives the Cave Springs it’s name.  This natural spring water is the purest water I have ever put in my mouth.  There isn’t any additives that coat your tongue.  It is cold and pure.  It comes out of a grate right at the mouth of cave where you can fill up your bottles.

Spring Water right from the mouth of a cave

It was crowded at the park that morning. The Veterans Administration was hosting a fly fishing tournament and it was in full swing.  Men were fishing, children were splashing in the water and women were fussing at children.  The fish that was caught was being fried up right there and eaten on the spot.  Just as we found a park bench and sat down to watch the spectacle for a while, a flock of geese made their way on to the scene.

The cave doesn’t have any business hours posted so we were a bit concerned that it would not be opening that day.  We spoke to a few locals who said, “I reckon they will open it today with the tournament and all….“

Southern small town y’all, they do things on their own time stamp not yours.

Finally at 10:30 A.M. an elderly gentleman announced that he was opening the cave.  It took him 15 minutes to open the door, count the money till and turn over the sign.  It was like opening the gates to Disney World, y’all a mass rush of people swarmed the entrance separating Shane and I, who were waiting patiently to enter.  I think you will agree that it was in our best interest to let this group of 25 people go on ahead of us….

We were hoping for a quiet meander into the cave but instead we heard a lot of children’s holler’s echoing throughout. We could have waited for the rush to die down but hey you gotta live on the edge baby! The cave itself is tiny. It is a quick walk from entrance to the back of the cave. The tunnel gets very small in the very back.  So small that Shane, being 6’2″, decided to passed.  I even had to scrunch down to squeeze through the opening and I am short. The cave has stalactite hanging from the ceiling and is coated in Georgia red clay.  The day was beginning to get hot but as soon as you walk into the cave you are blasted by a draft of cold air.  We both were sweating and it felt really nice to have some of God’s natural air conditioning blowing on us.  We hung out in the cave for about 10 minutes hoping to enjoy it in silence but with this many people at the fishing tournament it just didn’t happen.

There is a trail outside the cave but we decided to pass on it today. It was muggy and hot here in July and we were ready to get into the cool car. On our way out of the park we stopped the Hearn Inn Bed and Breakfast that oddly wasn’t open, like I said, small towns operate on their own agenda.  I guess if there isn’t a guest, the B&B isn’t open. Makes perfect sense to me.  We sat on the porch a few minutes rocking in the chairs and enjoying the silence.  And then and checked out the 2nd largest swimming pool in the state of Georgia. This pool is really cool. The natural spring water from the cave feeds the pool so it is a very cold 68 degree dip on hot summer days here in Cave Springs.  People say the pool is shaped like Georgia and I can kind of see it, but.. no.. not really.

If you are looking a quiet laid back few days, come to Cave Springs, GA y’all.  We stayed right outside the city in a small loft cabin on Dry Creek.  We meandered through the town, ate with locals, sat on the porch, drink from the springs and enjoy the people and the southern charm of the small town.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We found this Underappreciated Gem. You Should, Too. Let's jump right into this one shall we.  Two things to say first. If you live in Georgia and don't go "drink" in this small town you are an igit.

[we-walk-the-miles]

51 questions, we want to know all of them!

I bet you do :P

1. Zodiac signTaurus

2. Sexual orientationStraight

3. Relationship statusTaken

4. Someone you missMy boyfriend Evan. We saw each other like every few days over break, but now thatwe’re both back in school it’s not as easy and it’s hard to get used to again:/

5. Person who’s arms you’d like to be inMy boyfriend’s

6. What you find attractive in Men/Women?Well they pretty much have to be smart. I honestly don’t have much patience fordumb people. They also have to have a good sense of humor and not be too easilyoffended, because my sense of humor is kind of vulgar and dark lol. Physically,I’m into big, tall, masculine guys with long dark hair.

7. How tall are you?5′8″

8. What you love about yourself?I like that I’m intelligent and can learn things quickly, and that I’m goodwith animals. Physically, I like my eyes and my boobs haha.

9. What you’re doing tomorrow?Going to class, and that’s probably it.

10. What are your future plans?My future is a big source of anxiety for me honestly. I’m at the point where Ihave to start making decisions about what I do after I graduate, and I’m notthrilled about that. In the short term, at least, I’d like to do the MFAprogram at my school for creative writing. I think I’ll enjoy it, andthe “thesis” is a book manuscript, so I’d get that out of it, which iscool. I don’t know what I want to do for a career though. I’m considering dental school.

11. Your last night out in detailMy boyfriend and I went to see Hannibal Buress live for our anniversary (wewere supposed to go in like November, but it got postponed conveniently to ouranniversary weekend). I had to drive from school to his house (two and a halfhours) in a very crunched time period because it was a Friday and I had classesthat morning. So pretty much as soon as I got there we left. It was a reallygood show, Hannibal and the opening act were both good. The guy they had DJingbeforehand (if you could even call it that) was terrible though. He played,like, a copyright-infringing amount of three or four ‘80s movies (including TheFly) mixed with memes and mediocremusic, all SUPER loud. But otherwise we had a good time. Afterward we went backto his house, got Papa John’s, smoked with his roommate, and watched the firsttwo episodes of Westworld (which is AMAZING).

12. Your favourite bookProbably A Game of Thrones.I really don’t read as many books as I should though.

13. All of pets you’ve ever hadWell, my family has had loads of fish, a couple green anoles, box turtles, greenturtles, bearded dragons, a green tree frog, and a spotted turtle. My dad has agreen iguana. In my lifetime, my family’s had three Brittany spaniels, abeagle, and a mutt (we think he’s a pug-lab mix) Our current dogs are Molly (aBrittany) and Hank (the mutt). We also have three cats, because the mothershowed up as a stray and she was pregnant. So we have her, a tuxedo namedFlower, and two of her babies, a black male named Frodo (my sonion) and aticked-tabby female named Soot. Personally, I’ve had two guinea pigs, a rescued black male named Smokey and abuff-and-white female named Cedar. I leased a horse for a while in high school,a red dun Paso Fino mare named Gardenia. I raised two baby box turtles namedRosie and Layla, cared for one my family’s elderly bearded dragons for a while,and currently own two mice, a yellow and a black, who I have not named becauseI’m an indecisive piece of shit haha.

14. Something that changed your lifeIdk. I think going through pretty severe depression and recovering from thatwas pretty significant. Also meeting my wonderful boyfriend. We met online, andhe’s the only boy I’ve ever dated and I just got so crazy lucky.

15. Do you remember your last dream?I guess not. I can’t remember any dreams more recent than a few weeks ago.

16. What your last text message says?“Cleaning my coffee maker and mouse cage (common denominator is vinegar :p),” to Evan.

17. Do you respect your government and the way your country isrun?I mean, I respect the government in the sense that I recognize that we verymuch need it and that it’s more intricate than I could fathom. I also respectpeople who are willing to put their whole lives into politics (even though somany are pieces of shit, it’s an impressive dedication). But I’m certainly having my doubts with this newadministration, for obvious reasons… I think religion (Christianity, anyway)is given way too much influence in this country, and that accounts for a lotof the problems I have with it.

18. Where you would like to live?Geographically, I think I would like living in Montana or somewhere up there.It’s cool and dry and beautiful. Dwelling-wise, I’d like to live somewhere withsome land. Enough to have a horse or two ideally, and some woods. I don’t havea lot of specifics as far as a “dream house.” I love woodwork, stonework,and rustic architecture though. Like European cottage-style stuff.

19. Your  favourite flavour of ice creamI’m a big fan of Turkey Hill’s Double Dunker (it’s like mocha ice cream withchocolate cookie crumbles and cookie dough). I also really like butter pecan.

20. Last thing you ateA steak burrito from Chipotle.

21. Which swear word do you use the most?Lol idk. Probably “fuck.” Lately I’ve been watching a lot of Australian YouTubers and saying“cunt” more than I probably should, haha.

22. Your plans for summerI’d like to be able to intern or something at the Knoxville Zoo. We’re familyfriends with the director of animal collections there, formerly head of theherp department, and I would love to work with him if I can. I’ll probably also look more into dental stuff (shadowing and what not).

23. Any upcoming concerts?Not that I’m going to, or particularly want to as far as I know.

24. Something that you’re proud ofProbably my intelligence, again. And my writing ability and talent withanimals.

25. Do you still talk to your first crush?My first crush was when I was in kindergarten, and that was in another state,so no lol.

26. What language do you want to learn?I took one semester of German, and I’d really like to keep learning that.Though I’ve heard German starts getting really hard really quick after thatpoint, haha. I’d also like to learn Irish, but that’s not terribly useful andit’s hard af.

27. Where you have lived before?I lived in eastern Tennessee as a kid, and I’ve lived in two houses in the same generalarea in NC.

28. Eye colorGray, kind of greenish.

29. Favourite style of clothingIdk exactly. I wear a lot of jeans, flannels, black shirts, and black boots.Black is a common theme, haha.

30. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?About an hour and a half, if I take a shower and put on makeup and everything.

31. Where did you go today?This morning I went to a meeting with the dental program adviser. Then I went out to go to Ulta to return some stuff, and to Bath & Body Works to spend some coupons. I also went to Chipotle and stopped at the grocery store.

32. Where are you right now?In my bedroom at my desk.

33. How many countries have you visited?Just this one and Costa Rica.

34. Something oldThe poinsettia sitting on my desk that’s very nearly dead.

35. Something newI bought some lavender essential oil over the weekend, so I’ve been basically bathing in that.

36. Something inheritedMy lack of patience and ability to hold my liquor, haha.

37. Is death more scary than life?Depends on the life and depends on the death. A horrible death is scarier thana comfortable life, but a miserable, tortured life is scarier than dying in myopinion. I’m more scared of people I care about dying than myself, or if I died how that would affect my loved ones.

38. Experience you’ll never forgetWhen I was in the seventh grade I did a backflip off a swing at recess, and overshot it, so instinctively I stuck my arms out, and I landed square on them with all my weight. I basically went into shockinstantly, and the art teacher had to walk me to the nurse’s office. Turns out, I totally smashed both my wrists. Like, nothing came through the skin, but they were shattered. So they had to put me under to reset them, and when I woke up I had massive splints on both my arms because they were too swollen to put casts on. Then, once the swelling went down, my bones were too loose in there to take them off without risk of having to reset them again. So they put the goddamn casts over top of the splints. So I had giant sloth arms for like two months and could barely use my hands (like, couldn’t even hold a pencil). This was basically me:

39. What’s your favorite part about today so far?I don’t have any homework to do, so that’s good. And I got a few treats like Starbucks and Chipotle and B&BW.

40. Who is your hero?Not really sure I have one. There are a lot of people I look up to, but I honestly don’t think it’s all that necessary (or healthy) to have one person you idolize. They’re just a human too, after all.

41. Are you happy with whereyou live?Relatively. The apartments I’m living in now are hella convenient for me to get to class, so that’s nice. But the rooms are very tiny and bare-bones (white walls, high ceilings, no ceiling lights, cheap, shitty laminate and cabinets, etc.). Plus the roommates I have now are filthy pigs, so the kitchen is always a mess. But overall I’m fairly content. I’m moving to a nicer place next year, and hopefully that’ll be more pleasant. Geographically, it’s alright. North Carolina is kind of a clusterfuck, but we have some cool stuff. It’s significantly too hot here for me, but I just don’t go out of the house during the summer if I can help it, haha.

42. Do you like yourhandwriting?Meh. It’s readable and pretty neat. It’s not anything special really.

43. What do you wear to bed?Nothing yo. It’s healthier to sleep naked. Plus I roll a lot, so pajamas always twist around on me and piss me off.

44. Tea or coffee?Coffee always.

45. Chocolate or Vanilla?Depends. For cakes and ice cream and frosting and stuff, vanilla. But I do love actual chocolate (candies and such).

46. Are you excited foranything?I’m excited for Evan to come stay with me this weekend

47. How late did you stay up lastnight and why?Three AM I think? No reason. I just lost track of time, which happens a lot.

48. What’s your ringtone?My phone is on vibrate like 98% of the time. If I turn on the sound I usually just set it to some generic ringing sound. If I make a song my ringtone or alarm I very quickly come to hate that song :P

49. Did you have a dream lastnight?Not that I remember.

50. What keeps you going eachday?I honestly don’t really have a “mantra” thing like that. I kind of just live in the moment I guess? Long-term, I guess my loved ones and my desire to someday have a comfortable life the way I want it to the best of my ability. My anxiety is also partly to thank, because I have a crippling fear of missing a deadline or something and fucking everything up, so there’s that I guess :P

51. Picture of yourselfI don’t think I’ve posted this one on here yet: