#can't wait for the roster drop tomorrow!

[istharoth]

24/7, 365 [Haku Kusanagi]

Synopsis: Drinking the previous night of midterms is a bad idea, but is it really so bad when the guy you like is with you? Will the memories of last night stay or will they be forgotten? [As how Towa forgets exams are a thing.]

Part-timing at Rui's bar often meant seeing the ghouls. More often than not meant seeing the same familiar faces that were Haru and Romeo. On the days her luck was failing, she was met with Kurosagi Leo. 

Her and Lyca are planning a campaign for him to be banned from all public spaces, Rui's bar specifically. Subaru signed it, and so did the Frostheim Chaos Combo. 

But enough of that, she doesn't know why Rui trusted her enough to lead the bar on her own today. He had a mission to take care of while Lyca was studying for his midterm tomorrow. She's done most of her studies, though the revision she was doing on her phone during work couldn't hurt anyone. 

"Are you prepared, Fico-Senpai?" She tilts her head, watching him angrily write down something while chugging a drink she'd made not so long ago. Time for a refill, she supposes. "I am," he huffs, nodding in thanks, she's assuming, for the refill. She wouldn't have expected Romeo Lucci to be studying in a bar, he was really the last person she'd expect to see studying. 

Though it's likely he's doing so because Sinsostra's captain just happened to be a nut-case who sent them into probation every so often. While washing the glasses, the bell rings and she finds herself facing none other than Haku carrying a sleeping Rui. She's surprised Rui could even sleep with how much energy he had. 

"Good day at work," She nods in thanks, her eyes falling on the plastic bag in his hands. Before she could ask about it, he goes through the door leading to the dorm, probably to let Rui sleep on his bed. "I'm about done cleaning anyway," She mumbles, sanitizing the table and putting the towels in the wash in the corner room of the bar. 

 When she returned from the room, Haku was already there. "Ready to go?" He tilts his head, offering his hand. She won't lie, she's a bit dumbfounded. In all her days working, she'd not once seen Haku in Rui's bar. Taking his hand, she intertwines his fingers with hers. His hand is cold, but she likes how it feels on her skin. 

The walk from Obscuary to the Cathedral is quite a short walk, it's a bit disappointing she can't spend more time with Haku. "Planning on getting wasted after exams?" She asks, pointing at the plastic bag in his hand. He hums, smiling at her warmly. 

"That was the plan, don't think I can wait that long though," 

"Want to drink right now then? You can spend the night, I can wake you up in the morning," She rummages through her pockets to find the keys to the Cathedral. "Drink with me?" She drops the keys, blinking in surprise.

"You have a way of getting people speechless," She mumbles, looking at the ground, bending to pick up the keys, "Only you," She isn't sure what to make of that.

Here they were, sitting on the floorboards of the cathedral, empty canned beers around them. She promised herself she'd only drink one can, but it turned into three. 

Haku had a high tolerance, she wondered if it was because he was a ghoul. Maybe they find it easier to start something and not get addicted. Oh well, that's a conversation for another day. There's a comfortable silence after their previous conversation about the last mission they've been on. 

A murky feeling settles in her, she isn't sure why. Or what it is. She glances at him, a soft expression on his face as he stares at her. She doesn't like this. 

"I get it!!" She clenches his jacket, shaking him frantically forcing him to put the can of beer down. "You have a roster and several girlfriends," Where she's getting that from, he doesn't know but he has to admit, she was quite adorable when angry. 

"and I'm not first on the roster...heck I'm not even on the roster!!" She cries, letting go of his jacket to stand up though she ends up slipping, landing on his chest. 

"I'm not dating anyone and I don't have a roster," He wraps his hand around her waist, unwilling to let her go. "You're lying," She mumbles, digging her face into his neck. Her warm breath on his neck makes his skin shudder. 

"I'm not," He chuckles, his free hand patting her head softly. "You're too nice, so nice that I'm sure I'm deluding myself into thinking you like me." She slurs, his hand loosening around her waist staring at her curiously. 

She drags herself to a wall, resting her back against it, her eyes cloudy, face flushed as she stares back at him. "Please love me," She begs, her head in her hands, refusing to even glance at him. She hears footsteps, the creaking of the wooden floor makes her anxious. He's leaving. She's blown it. 

The floorboards creak once again and she hears his groan as he crouches down in front of her. Gently prying her hands off her face, he sees tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. "I do. Until death and after, I will love you." 

His hand intertwined with hers in the room devoid of bright lighting, his lips hovered over hers for a moment, "Can I?" He whispers,

"Please," His lips meet hers, it's bitter. Pulling her body close, his hand on her hip, his tongue slips between her lips, deepening the kiss before letting go. 

"Sorry, should I stop?" He whispers, his breath choppy. "You," She jabs her finger at his chest, glaring at him. 

"...Can I take this seriously?" He chuckles, a bit dumbfounded at her drunkness. "You can, but, let's get you to bed first," He plants a kiss on her forehead before carrying her in his arms, and walking to her bedroom. He's been here a couple of times, sometimes with the other ghouls, most times to work on the case files. 

He hopes she won't forget what happened this night. 

"You alright, senpai?" Sho chuckles at her massaging her temples, a frown on her face, "More or less. Drank a bit too much yesterday," she sighed, packing her bag after the ridiculously long study cramming with Sho. 

"On the job, tsk, tsk," He shakes his head in faux disappointment making her elbow him, "No, after work. Haku-San somehow got his hands on real liquor. I think he left after putting me to bed." He stops in his tracks, a teasing grin on his face. 

She already knows where this is going. During one of their sessions, where he cooked while she baked, they found out about either's crush on the Hotarubi ghouls. 

That was one long week where Sho was under the impression she liked Subaru, and she was under the impression he liked Haku. They avoided each other to the point Leo had to lock them in a room until they figured out things.

'So...Haku-San, huh,' He scowls at the mention of Hotarubi's vice-captain, 'Subaru-Senpai for you,' She stares at him in confusion until something clicks in both their brains. 

'I'm jealous of Kusanagi, don't like him,' Sure, she understands why he could potentially be jealous of Haku. He's always teasing Subaru, though Sho is always doing that too. 

'Oh my god, I'm stupid. You like Subaru-Senpai and not Haku-San?' She confirms and he nods, scratching his neck awkwardly, 'You're madly in love with Kusanagi and not Subaru-Senpai?'

'...You say it as if you don't look at Subaru-Senpai like he's your whole world. Closing your truck to deliver him forks? Simp behaviour, down bad behaviour.' She teases him, snickering while he glares at her lightheartedly. 

'Kusanagi-San probably has a roster and 5 girlfriends,' He points making her scratch her head in irritation, 'Do you think I'm first on the roster?' She receives a blank stare, giving her all the answers she needs. 

'Where's your self-respect?' 

'Lost it the minute I stared into his eyes,' At least it gets a laugh out of Sho. 

"Don't say anything," She growls, smacking his arm playfully. 

"You were quite literally dying until the day your study session with Subaru-Senpai came," He shrugs, fully embracing the texts he sent her during that day. He didn't need help, but he enjoyed Subaru's company. 

"Hopefully you get in the Top 10, you'll have an excuse to go on a date with him." If only she were as bold as Sho. Seriously, who goes to their tutor with a cheeky smile and says: 'If I get on the Top 10, go on a date with me.' Subaru agreed to it too! 

Seriously, if they both like one another, why they aren't dating is beyond her. 

"Not too late to ask Kusanagi-Senpai the same," she blinks in surprise before giving it a dismissive wave. It's okay, she doesn't remember what happened last night but she's pretty sure she confessed and he rejected her. She very briefly remembers her asking him to love her...that's embarrassing! She hopes she doesn't remember more than that moment. 

Taking her silence as a stop to the conversation, he changes the conversation to the exams. "I have Economics in an hour, then Mathematics right after," He cringes at the back-to-back midterms. 

"Seriously? I've got them laid out like a normal schedule. Three today, an hour-long break between each." She huffs at his more laid-back schedule.

"I've got two soon, then my third one at 7 to 9. Till 11, if he decides to do a last-minute lab." She yawns and upon the mention of the lab, he instantly takes it as Hyde's subject, Anomalous Biology. Hyde sure loved torturing his students, Sho still doesn't know how they're related. Hyde has to be adopted, or their parents made him in a lab. He'd rather it be the latter. 

As she walks with Sho to his examination room, she's stopped by someone calling for her. "It's your loverboy, see you later, senpai," He grins at her teasingly before jogging off to the examination room. Wishing him luck, she turns around to see Haku, a book in his hand. He likely also had an exam on this floor. 

"A friend?" He tilts his head making her nod in confirmation, "You've probably seen him around Hotarubi with Subaru-Senpai," He thinks for a while before snapping his fingers in recognition. 

"Ah! Haizono?" She hasn't heard someone say his last name in so long, it feels a bit weird. "Yup, him." She's a bit hesitant to ask if she did something yesterday. 

"By the way, do you remember anything from yesterday?" He beat it to her. She frowns at the blank memory in her head, "Did I do something I shouldn't have?" She thinks she sees a flutter of sadness on his face before the smile. He shakes his head, offering her a lollipop much to her confusion. 

"You said they bring you luck when buying concert tickets, maybe they'll work for exams too." She hates him. His stupid charming face, his laugh, his kindness. She hates how he works so hard only to dismiss it so casually. She hates how easy it is to love him.

She bites her lip as he turns around. It's now or never. Grabbing his wrist, he turns around, smiling at her warmly, tilting his head. "If I get a Top 10, no, Top 50 ranking on the exams, please go on a date with me!" She's using the same tactics as Sho, but in his words, it's not too late. 

She looks up at him only to find him hiding his face with his book. "You can't do this to me, Y/N," He relaxes his arm, falling to his side. She lets go of his wrist, apologizing for grabbing it which he chuckles at. 

"Don't worry too much," He ruffles her hair, retracing his hand realizing he messed her hair up. Fixing it to the best of his ability, he smiles at her, "So, when and where is our date?" She wonders if this conversation took place last night when she was drunk. She purses her lips, thinking of a place and time for their date. Off the top of her head, she thinks Mystery Diner but that's the last place she'd want to take Haku to. 

Before she could say anything, an announcement rings, 'All students taking the Anomalous Chemistry exam, please be seated in Class 167 B in the next five minutes.' 

"Oh, that's mine," Haku offhandedly says, looking at the intercom. "Good luck, you'll do great," She smiles at him making him hum. 

"Can I get a kiss from my good luck charm?" Spluttering, unable to make heads or tails of what to say or what to focus on. Should she focus on him asking her to kiss him or calling her a good luck charm?! Pulling his hand towards her lips, she plants a kiss on his wrist. He blinks in surprise before chuckling at the action. 

"I'll kiss you on the third date and when I'm first on the roster!!" She exclaims, running away from him. He positions his wrist near his lips, smiling softly. 

Now, who's going to tell her they've already kissed and she's the only one on the roster? 

Her math exam went horribly, though she's lying. It went well for the most part until her head started aching and the memories from last night came rushing in. 'This is so embarrassing, why did I tell him I kiss on the third date when I've already kissed him!?' Groaning into her book, she makes her way to the library to meet with Yuri and Jiro to study for their biology exam. 

If she remembers correctly, Luca and Kaito were currently taking their language exam, she hopes it goes well for them. Meeting Yuri sitting in the ending pathway of the library, she waves at him to which he nods in acknowledgement. 

"Okay, but you know," She points her pen at Yuri while he is reading over her notes as he didn't bring his, "Medical question, my heart races every time I come across this one person," He looks at the textbook beside her notebook, sighing at her. 

"Isn't it anxiety? Nicolas-Sensei diagnosed you with you not long ago," Jiro sits beside Yuri, a bottle of water in hand as he swipes away her notes from the table. At least her note-taking is beneficial to the second-year ghouls...

"He did?" Yuri asks making the two nod in confirmation.

"Anything else apart from your heart racing?" She hums in thought at the question. Well, there are a few. She's sure it's just her liking him but if it's something else, she won't be so mad. 

"I feel butterflies in my stomach, my body gets warm" Her serious response makes Yuri choke on his spit, "and, I think my face flares up whenever I speak to him. I want to hold hands with him," Yuri slams his hands on the table, a flustered expression on his face. 

"You worm!" Heard that one before, "Who is that person?" Jiro tilts his head, not particularly interested but he is curious why Yuri was so embarrassed. 

"Kusanagi Haku," She only receives a blank expression from the two. Yuri lets out a deep sigh, his face still embarrassed for reasons she doesn't know. Maybe he's just shy about talking about crushes? 

"You're a lost cause, Y/N." He shakes his head like a disappointed father making her chuckle. Putting her hand on her cheek, silently studying around one another, occasionally asking questions Yuri is glad to answer. But of course, asking Yuri things means you'll get called an insult before you get the answer. 

Twirling her pen, her eyes shift to the corner of the library, a figure looking through the shelves of books. She drops her pen making the two ghouls follow her line of sight. Upon seeing none other than Kusanagi Haku, the Hotarubi vice-captain, they look at her, her hands on her face. Yuri sighs, done with her pining over Kusanagi. 

"Would you like to call him over?" Jiro's question leaves her shaking her head frantically, "If you don't want him here, then study!" She pouts, glancing at Haku one final time, him already looking at her with a smile before he moves to the front of the library to check out the book. 

'...Yeah, I'm screwed.' An announcement rings calling for the Anomalous Biology students taking the test. "Gotta go, good luck on your Physics test," She waves them goodbye, packing her stuff before rushing out of the library, a book in hand as she crams the last few topics in her head. 

"Y/N!" She stops, turning to see Haku running towards her, "Hey, Haku-San, what's up?" She has to go but it's okay, the exam can wait, Haku is more important. He smiles mischievously as he lifts her chin with his hand. 

"I love you, good luck on your exam." He leaves a swift kiss on her lips, ruffling her hair and leaving her a blushing mess before he jogs the other way. 'There's no way I can focus on the exam now??' Putting her hand over her gaping mouth, she groans as the intercom announces about the exam again. 

She's going to get him back after the exam and, of course, tell Sho everything that happened. The universe is unfair, she's born to call Haku her husband but is forced to call him a friend.  

Walking with Luca and Kaito to the bulletin board where their results were posted, they hide behind Luca, unwilling to look at their scores. Sho texted her not so long ago, telling her he was third and Subaru-Senpai said okay to the date when he asked again. He seriously works so fast it's insane. 

"I have to get the Top 50," She hugs Luca from behind, Kaito hugging her, forming a train of sorts. "You think Kamurai-Senpai would see us like this and call us disappointments of Frostheim?" Kaito pouts, their conversation soon stopping when they come face to face with the bulletin board. 

"I spoke to Towa and he said he was first even though he didn't study...life is unfair," Kaito cries upon seeing Towa ranked first on the bulletin. 

"...I can't do this Y/N-Chan!!" Kaito cries harder, shaking the Honour student's shoulders frantically. "I can't either Kaito!! I need to get in the Top 50 or else I'll die!" She's exaggerating, they both know she is but at the same time, they're curious why she suddenly wanted to get in the Top 50s amongst three hundred or more second-year students. 

"Oh! I'm ranked 25," Luca grins at them dashingly and the two fall to the ground. Looking at one another with determined gazes, they start from the bottom of the list. 

"Kaito, you're ranked 127," Luca informs, pointing at the mid-150s. Kaito follows his gaze, his mouth gaping in surprise, "Luca!!! It's because you helped me study! Lucaaaaa" He drags on, hugging Luca with tears in his eyes. 

"You worked hard, nice job!" She ruffles his hair before the three look for her name on the board. Finding her name, she gulps before looking at the rank. "It's the bare minimum 48 but let's go!! I passed!" She's going to ask him out this time!

While she walks with the Frostheim Chaos Combo, turning a corner, she collides with someone. "Oh, sorry, I didn't see where I was going," She apologised, bowing slightly but the person simply chuckled, telling her it was okay. 

"Oh Haku-San!" She smiles at him, introducing him to Luca and Kaito. "Kusanagi Haku, Hotarubi's Vice Captain. This is Kaito Fuji and Lucas Errant," Luca shakes Haku's hand, already treating him like a friend but Kaito is pretty on the fence about it. Not to say he doesn't like Haku but the Hotarubi vice-captain is just, off? 

"So? Top 50?" He cocks his neck, his hands in his pockets. "So this is why Y/N-Chan was dying moments ago," Kaito ushers to Luca, saluting Y/N and running away with his other half. 

"Bare minimum really, 48." She scratches her neck awkwardly and he hums, pushing a stray hair out her face and behind her ear. "You did well, balancing missions, studies and part-timing at Rui-San's bar isn't easy." Oh. That's. Why did he always know what to say? 

"Thank you, that means a lot,"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow." He gives her an R&R permit, she's slightly wondering how fast he got it approved, unless he'd already planned to go on a date? 

"Haku-San, I remember what happened that day I got drunk. Can I take this seriously?" She needs the reassurance, she needs to know she isn't making a mistake. 

"You can," He'll give her all the reassurance she needs. "You can take this seriously and can have all of me," He leaves a chaste kiss on her lips, once again, leaving her a flustered mess. 

"...I hate you," She mumbles, holding onto his sleeve, "I love you too,"

[fractionallystruckout]

Seventh Inning Stretch

TetsuJun, future fic, established relationship, domestic fluff, slice of life, implied sexual content

Also on AO3.

Even after hours of work, Tetsu is still grading papers when Jun comes home and suggests he take a break.

—

"I'm home!"

Tetsu looked up from the essay he was reading, glancing back towards the sound of Jun's voice.

He could hear the shuffle of Jun taking off his shoes and the sound of the front door closing. He looked down at his work, the essay in his hand, the stacks of others sitting on either side of him. The pile on his left was taller than the one on his right but not as tall as he expected given that Jun was home.

He looked up at the clock on the wall. Jun wasn't early, Tetsu had simply lost track of time.

He came to terms with this new information as he rolled his shoulders back and stretched his neck from side to side. The stiffness in his body was more aware of the time than he was.

Jun walked into the living room and dropped his practice bag on the floor.

"Hey."

"Welcome back," Tetsu said, watching Jun empty his pockets. "How was practice?"

Jun's phone and keys went into his hat, all of them joining his bag on the floor.

"Pretty good," Jun said, his gaze drifting down to where he'd dropped his things. "Nakashima was pitching in batting practice today and it felt like I was making good contact on his curveball. He's going to pitch again tomorrow since that new pitcher the Carp got throws a curveball a lot like his."

"Shibata Daiju."

"Yeah, that guy. The rookie everyone's talking about."

"That's a good practice."

Jun shrugged, the hem of his shirt caught between his fingers.

"If I play."

"You'll play."

Jun turned towards him and Tetsu nodded, receiving a smile as Jun approached the couch.

"We'll see," he said, coming up behind Tetsu. He ran a hand across Tetsu's shoulders. "How was your day? Have you moved?" he asked, taking in the stacks of papers and the empty cups on the table. "You were grading when I left."

Tetsu sighed and flipped through the pile of ungraded essays.

"Not really," he said, glancing at the graded papers, the stack looking too small. "Coach Kataoka and I have been so busy preparing the team for the summer tournament that I fell behind on grading. I have to hand these back this week or I can't assign the next one."

Jun peered over his shoulder. "Just give them all perfect scores."

Tetsu looked back at him. "I can't do that."

"It's one essay," Jun said, drawing his hand back to the base of Tetsu's neck. He pressed his thumb into the knot there, rubbing in tight circles as he talked. "It won't really matter by the end of the year. The smart kids will be satisfied and the others will be relieved. I know I would be."

"I can't…" Tetsu hummed involuntarily, leaning into the pressure. "I can't do that."

"I'm just trying to help," Jun said with a laugh. His hand slid forward, gently tilting Tetsu's head back. "Did you eat lunch?"

Tetsu nodded. "I made the last of the soba. There's still some left if you're hungry."

"No, I'm good. I can wait until dinner."

Jun leaned down to kiss Tetsu's forehead before wandering away from the couch.

Tetsu smiled, taking a moment to watch Jun frown at his phone. He picked up his pen and turned back to the essay in his hand.

"What are we doing for dinner?" Jun asked.

"I thought we could-"

Tetsu looked up mid-sentence to see Jun peeling off his shirt.

He put his pen down.

Professional baseball looked good on Jun.

That wasn't new information.

Jun was in his fifth season in the NPB and his second since being brought up from the farm team. He worked hard every day to maintain his promotion and fight for a spot on the bench roster. Higher expectations and team trainers had molded a boy who spent most of his life playing baseball into a man built for the sport, comprised of efficient muscle and lean power to support Jun's head on style of play.

Tetsu had been front row center for the transition.

The result still caught him off guard from time to time.

"What?" Jun asked.

"What?" Tetsu repeated.

Jun frowned. He gestured with his shirt in his hand. "You said for dinner you thought we could..."

Tetsu struggled to recover his previous train of thought. "Go out?" he said, almost guessing.

Jun nodded, dropping his shirt onto his bag. He reached up towards the ceiling. Tetsu followed the stretch with his eyes.

"Sounds good," Jun said, his hands falling to his belt. He slipped it loose, the metal clink of the buckle seeming unusually loud.  "It's been a while since we went out. Did you have a place in mind?"

Tetsu shook his head. He might have had an idea when he started talking but the thought was gone, replaced by the way Jun's hips moved when he shifted his weight.

"We could try that new izakaya in the shopping street," Jun suggested.

"Okay," Tetsu said, agreeing blindly. He didn't know there was a new izakaya in the shopping street.

Jun ran a hand through his hair as he thought. Tetsu's fingers curled into the papers in his lap.

"Or do you want something else?"

"Okay."

Jun turned to him, studying Tetsu briefly before a grin started to pull at his mouth.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said.

"Okay."

Jun laughed.

Tetsu watched Jun walk away, his gaze tracking the movement, the play of muscle across Jun's back until he turned in the direction of the bathroom.

He looked down at the essay in his hand. There was only one page left. The stack of ungraded essays hadn't gotten any smaller. He attempted to smooth out the edges he crumpled but the damage was done.

He took a deep breath and picked up his pen.

"Tetsu."

Tetsu looked up to see Jun standing in the spot he just left. He was wearing less than before.

"Are you coming?" Jun asked.

Tetsu glanced down at his work and then back at Jun. He waved a weak hand over the essays surrounding him. "I'm not done."

Jun tilted his head just so, his hair falling over his eyes as he smiled, subtle, suggestive, sharp.

It was a telltale move they both knew well.

"You look like you could use a break."

Tetsu was on his feet in an instant, discarding his work on the couch.

He reached Jun in a few strides, his mouth meeting laughter, his hands finally grasping strength and tone. Jun grabbed Tetsu with both hands and pulled him towards the bathroom, only allowing space between them to push off the rest of their clothes. The water in the shower ran pleasantly hot and they lingered long after Jun was clean, until the steam settled and they hungered for something that wasn't each other.

Jun was right.

Tetsu had been working all day.

He could use a break.

[coridallasmultipass]

Make sure you vote tomorrow, March 5th (2024), when most states are holding their primaries!

Speaking as a Californian and my personal experience as a voter and in doing pollworking for the past couple elections...

If you got a Vote By Mail ballot, you can drop it off at any polling place/post office/ballot drop box (if it has the correct county envelope you got it with - the county will forward it to the correct county for vote counting, same as the post office). MAKE SURE YOU READ THE ENVELOPE BECAUSE YOU'LL NEED TO SIGN AND DATE THE ENVELOPE BEFORE YOU RETURN IT. (And your signature needs to resemble the one you signed when you registered.)

If you want to vote in-person, you will need to find a polling place WITHIN the county you're registered to vote in, preferrably your assigned precinct - you should check your county's website to find the location if you didn't get a notice by mail.

I don't know how every county does this, but in my county, the accessible ballot marking device has access to all the ballots in my county, which is great for people who can't find or travel to their assigned polling place during the poll hours. Each polling place only has access to pre-printed paper ballots from the precinct(s) assigned to it, which is why the accessible ballot marking device (which prints the ballot once you finish marking it) has been super important, since people tend to just go to any polling place they've heard about or used in the past. (And we DON'T have access to ANY ballots from a different county, not even on that device.)

Voting registration and vote collection is done by each county SEPARATELY, so you won't show up on a roster in another county, and they won't have the ballot you're eligible to vote on. You'd need to re-register/vote provisionally with the different county in order to vote on their ballots. (Which is why it's important to vote on the Vote By Mail ballot that was sent to you - it has all the races you're eligible to vote for, SO GO DIG IT OUT OF YOUR MAIL PILE AND VOTE ON IT, 'CAUSE THEY WERE SENT OUT IN LIKE JANUARY OR SOMETHING. THAT SHIT COST AN ABSURD AMOUNT TAX DOLLARS PER BALLOT, SO DON'T WASTE IT.)

If you haven't registered to vote yet, you can register on the same day you vote! (Again, this is for California, I don't know how other states do it.)

Again, make sure you find a place IN YOUR COUNTY, and try to vote at your assigned polling place, so your vote is counted where it matters!

TLDR: Order of importance:

1. Fill out the mail ballot that was sent to you. Take it to the post office, polling place, or official ballot drop box. It must be collected BEFORE THE POLLS CLOSE. Drop it off on your lunch break, if you need to get it in before closing time.

2. If you can't do that, go to your assigned polling place. (Check your county website.) Same importance as number 1, but you may have to wait in a line depending on what time you arrive.

3. If you can't do that, go to any polling place in the county you're registered to vote in.

4. Register/update your registration to vote. No one can be denied the right to vote at the end of the day, but if it's not with the county you're eligible to vote in, your ballot may be deemed ineligible. (I've never done anything on the ballot-counting side, so I definitely can't answer questions about that. If you're curious, you can get an answer by calling your specific county.)

Side note: do not wear any merch that has a candidate's name who's on the ballot while going to vote. This is electioneering, which is illegal. (Also includes any propositions or other items on the ballot.)

[three-headed-monster]

another wjc 2023 update

hey everyone!

i'm gonna talk about all this stuff on the podcast later this week but i wanted to make a small post about all the news about to come out this week

selection camp roster announcement and team canada wjc schedule

from the mayor, who covers the kings,

i personally expect the announcement to come ~12 pm est and/or 12 pm local time (ast). last year i'm pretty sure it came out at 2 pm est, which is 12 pm exact mst (edmonton's time zone)

that means we officially have a full look at what camp and the rest of the tournament will look like!

dec 1st: wjc selection camp roster announced

dec 9th-12th: selection camp occurs in moncton

dec 19th: first team canada pre-tournament game in moncton

dec 26th-dec 31st: wjc preliminaries begin

jan 2nd-jan 5th: elimination rounds

i also found a tweet that contained the full pre-tournament schedule, which may or may not be on tsn (i actually don't know, keeping an eye on that)

2. roster size

per corey pronman:

this means the team will probably take only 1 extra forward, 1 extra dman, and 1 extra goalie

so anyone on the outside looking in right now (i'm thinking like zach l'heareux or chase stillman or conor geekie) are unlikely to make the team

this applys to all teams though, so it's looking like trouble for any underage forwards not having great seasons.

3. brandt clarke's status

after the 9-8 mess of a game la played last night, they're also playing against arizona today (i think it's a back to back with travel). considering how awful the dcore was last night, they should be looking to make some changes to it. it's in my opnion that if brandt clarke plays tonight against arizona, that ends the hopes for him making an appearance at wjc. they wouldn't be burning his elc year if they truly thought that he was going to end up going to wjc camp in like two weeks. they have called up jordan spence as well though, alongside some other dmen, so it'll be interesting to see which route la ends up taking there. should be informed of the lineup later today.

4. shane wright's status

i haven't seen as much about this as i maybe should have? but as far as i know, with morgan geekie's injury, it's likely that wright gets into the montreal game at very least before heading to wjc camp. he may not head to wjc camp at all with how well he's been playing. the kraken haven't called up anyone to replace geekie yet. that being said though, they have continued to win without geekie and wright so perhaps the staff will finally make the right decision and just let him go to wjc. i don't know though, it all depends on what they think

5. switzerland wjc selection camp roster

interesting to see lian bischel here after he famously denied going to the summer tournament for the swiss ice hockey federation. perhaps this is a sign that relationships can heal though, and hopefully we get something of that sort with brandt clarke and hockey canada

[xpeachesncream]

perfectly wrong | one

summary: there were rules that had to be followed: no one could know about you two, there was no ‘getting to know each other,’ and there was absolutely no emotional attachment allowed. if this could be done, there should be no complications. but somehow, the rules always get bended.

pairing: reader x fuckboy!kth

genre: college au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 2301

chapter warnings: cussing, mature language, very slight angst, some hints of jealousy, alcohol consumption

notes: pls remember that this is set a few months after you and tae have been going at it, so it will seem like things are happening a bit fast. i’m not trying to prolong this series. also most importantly, i tend to usually write shorter chapters > shorter, but more chapters published. enjoy!

> series masterlist <

Jungkook decided he was going to see if he could jump over your couch and land perfectly in a seated position.

"Wait, wait, wait. Absolute silence everybody." He says as he's stretched over, trying to estimate the timing and height of his jump. He had always been super athletic and competitive since you two were small, so there was really no changing his mind on this. He always had to prove something, even if that meant creating his own competition of jumping over the couch.

"It's just me and you." You watched him from the kitchen, making sure the pizza in the oven was baking properly.

"I have an audience, okay? Don't be rude, Y/N." He says as he points over to the fake audience clapping and laughing during a 'Friends' episode.

"Whatever, as long as you don't go breaking my shit, Jeon Jungkook." He was 22, but his mentality was 8. That was for damn sure.

"Siiiiiiilence." He says at a whisper, his eyes shut as he puts a finger to his mouth. He lets out a huff and a puff before he gets the courage to throw himself over the couch and land a perfect landing. "And once again, he sticks the landing!" He stands up with his hands up in the air.

"You're annoying." You laughed, getting paper plates ready for the pizza that was about to be done because you were in no mood to do any dishes tonight.

"Thank you! I'll be here again tomorrow, same time." He calls out to his fake audience.

"No the hell you're not."

"Ouch, nevermind. Someone apparently doesn't want me here." You laugh at how dramatic he is. At this point, you just let him be because that was something you always loved about your bestfriend. He embraced the kid in him and always brought good times. You had similarities, but you also had some major differences. You liked being in your comfort zone & you were labeled the innocent nerd amongst your friends. You just like to consider yourself simple, though. A 'take it day by day' kind of person. Kookie was fun, adventurous and childish at times. He was also shy, but loud at the same time? An introverted extrovert, you could say.

But you loved each other nonetheless, that's why you've clicked so well since you were young. You taught each other things & grew together.

"Here, fool." You placed the pizza in front of him with the paper plates.

"Set it up, I'll grab us the drinks. You want anything in particular?"

"That bottle of Stella Rosa, please." JK knew you loved that Stella Rosa, so he happily grabs the bottle and two wine glasses. He plops back next to you on the couch, pouring your glasses and grabbing a heaping serving of 4 slices of pizza.

You both decided you want a good laugh, so you throw on Kevin Hart's newest installment: Zero Fucks Given. It isn't long before you both are rolling on the floor, almost gasping for air at how much you're laughing at Kevin Hart's stand up. The pizza is gone, the wine is gone, and you're still feeling pretty tipsy. The whole thing sounds nice, until your head starts to wonder what Taehyung is doing and if he'll text you to come over tonight. You know he probably already has plans with another chick though, and that hits you.

Curse this fucking alcohol.

Let's get this straight - the only time you 'talk' is when he's trying to fuck.

And yes bitch, you let him do this to you. You're out that door before you can even fully slip your shoes on. Dick is just that good. It's something about Taehyung that makes you addicted. The way he gives you a stupid ass smirk when he opens his door, the way he touches your skin and gently lays his shit on you until you both become really invested in the moment. So invested that shit hits the roof. It gets messy. It gets rough. It becomes unspeakable.

You aren't friends. No one knows about you two, or that you even know the other exists. You don't know shit about each other. The only thing you know is that he's fucking other girls. He has a whole roster, you'd imagine - a starting five, at least.

He doesn't care about you, and for the most part, you don't either. At least, that's what you like to portray because it's been some months now since this whole thing started and you can't help but feel some kind of emotional tie to him. You're leaving your house between 12-2am in the morning and sleeping in his bed until 6-7am. It's a routine; a routine you've become used to. You skip out on some late night kick-its with your friends cause you anticipate a text to come through from him.

But, he doesn't care. You aren't the only female slipping into those sheets, and boy does it fucking make it hard to swallow. Reality hits hard when you think about it and you feel this huge pit in your stomach. You try to be different, you try to stand out one way or another. But it doesn't work that way. You knew what this entailed going into it, so it makes zero sense as to why you're hurting and getting jealous from time to time.

You know it still doesn't matter to him.

He's only fucking you over cause you let him. You know damn well you're not gonna change and let this go, though. You love thrill of it too much. It's the most thrill your life has had. You're not perfect and you're only human. You make mistakes, but this one definitely puts the cherry on top. Because not only do you refuse to learn, but you let it repeat itself over and over again.

"Aishhhh, my stomach hurts from laughing too much." Jungkook laid his head back and patted his belly. "But that was good though. I needed that."

"Yeah it was. Thanks for coming by to watch that with me, Kook." He tilts his head over to look at you and smiles.

"Sure thing." He checks his phone and sits up. "Yoongi is blowing up the group chat." You check your phone to see multiple unread messages from none other than Min Yoongi himself.

[yoongi] 10:37pm: aye

[yoongi] 10:45pm: all of a sudden, everyone is ghost in this group chat?! you all had a lot to say not too long ago.

[yoongi] 10:52pm: even though you guys are fake as fuck, does anyone wanna come with me to the bars tonight? meet at my place so we can head out.

You and Jungkook laughed at how butthurt Yoongi was in the groupchat. Yoongi definitely was the most serious and blunt one in your group, but he still liked to party and have a good time. It was just how he was. Hoseok was always full of energy and probably the most extroverted one out of all 4 of you. He was never shy. You and Jungkook met Yoongi and Hoseok your first year in college and became inseparable ever since. You all just click with your different attributes.

[jungkook] 10:53pm: lmaoooooooo

[yoongi] 10:53pm: fuck you dude lol

[jungkook] 10:54pm: i'll come through in a sec, i'm at y/n's right now. not sure if she's gonna come though?

[y/n] 10:55pm: i'll pass, i'm tired and wined out.

[hoseok] 10:55pm: ahahahah yoongi shut up, blowing up my phone for no reason. i'm passing on tonight too. im tired from working that overtime *cries*

[yoongi] 10:56pm: you both are boring. i'm especially offended at how i didn't get an invite to your little powwow, y/n. and now you don't wanna hang out?

[hoseok] 10:57pm: she mentioned she was going to watch kevin hart's thing yesterday and offered us to swing by if we wanted to though....... selective hearing, maybe?

[y/n] 10:58pm: ^ okayyyyy and that's on period! thank you hobi <3

[hoseok] 10:59pm: anything for the baby

[yoongi] 10:59pm: lmao you're a brat, y/n. whatever, i'm still hurt by you both! kook, hurry on over so we can drink

"Fuck I regret this, I'm gonna die." Jungkook laughed as he stood up and stretched. He quickly helped you clean up before he figured it was time to go or else Yoongi would have a fit.

"I feel like it has to do with that one girl he's been talking to on and off."

"Perhaps." Jungkook shrugged before putting on his shoes. "We shall see." he sighs before giving you a tight hug. "You sure you don't wanna come out?"

"Nope."

"You don't even have plans tonight."

"Yes I do."

"Doing what?"

"Laying in bed." Jungkook snorted as you shook your head and shrugged. What else did he think you were trying to do? He should know you by now, at the very least.

"Alright, I'm not even going to argue. I'm off."

"Be safe, have fun, text me if you both need anything, okay?" He nods as he shuts the door, leaving you to your lonesome. You swirled the teeny tiny drop of wine leftover in your glass around before picking up your phone.

No new texts. Well, let's be specific: no new texts from taehyung.

You did forget to respond to your oldest cousin though, when he was just trying to check up on you.

[seokjin] 8:35pm: pssst y/n

[seokjin] 8:35pm: psssssssssst

[seokjin] 8:35pm: oyyyyyyyyyy

He was damn near 30 years old and hated talking on the phone so much that he decides to blow up your phone this way. But, he was the cousin you loved dearly and you had a very tight, sibling-like relationship with him. He was like the older brother you've always wanted. He watched you grow, protected you, kept you safe, supported you and cheered you on - especially when your family talked so much shit about how you and him weren't gonna get anywhere with your goals. You know, the fucking stupid ol' saying of 'chasing your passion isn't going to bring you money & wealth.' Your family was all about the titles and money, but Jin was passionate about cooking and wanted to open his own cafe. You, on the other hand, wanted to pursue your art. Jin was the biggest role model for you because he was the first to defy your family's wants and wishes. He was the black sheep of the family with a huge 'I don't give a fuck' mentality and he taught you that along the way.

Don't ever be afraid to do what you're passionate about. Fuck 'em.

[y/n] 11:13pm: hi sorry, jungkook was over and we were watching kevin hart's new thing on netflix over some wine and pizza.

[seokjin] 11:15pm: that sounds fun! sorry, i just wanted to check on you but i see you're doing okay lol

[y/n] 11:16pm: i am. :) i'll hang out with you tomorrow

[seokjin] 11:16pm: how sweet, my freeloading baby cousin is coming by

[y/n] 11:17pm: hahahah shut up! although you're not wrong, i am going to steal some food. but most importantly, i do want to hang out and see my bestest oppa <3

[seokjin] 11:18pm: awww y/n, you're so full of shit <3

[seokjin] 11:18pm: go to bed

[y/n] 11:19pm: haha love you tooooo

And so, that's what you did. You got yourself all ready for bed, believing you wouldn't be leaving your house tonight. You pampered yourself, put on a face mask and got yourself all lathered up in lotion just to lay down. You're in Jungkook's shirt that he left behind (and never looked for, so technically it's yours now) when the guys had stayed the night and some Vicky Secret panties.

You're scrolling through your Instagram feed, seeing Jungkook's newly posted story with him and Yoongi already at the bars, acting a damn fool. You laughed at the video he took of Yoongi trying to dance in a tight, awkward space on the crowded dance floor even though he was never the best at dancing. It lowkey made you wish you went out with them so you wouldn't be stuck here thinking about your feelings and how lonely these hours get.

And then you see Jimin's story from an hour ago. He knew you were friends with Yoongi, and although Yoongi wasn't fond of their group too much, he was still an avid party-goer and mingled with people there. You've only spoken to Jimin once because you had to work with him in the same group on a class assignment. You tried to keep it that way though because he was Taehyung's bestfriend. They went everywhere together, did everything together. He, too, was very popular among the ladies and across campus. I guess it was just their thing.

You assume they were at a party cause Jimin quickly flashes the camera at Taehyung, who's in front of him getting a lapdance from some chick. Jimin quickly turns the camera back to his face as he's laughing uncontrollably then abruptly cuts it off.

Great.

She's forsure going home with him tonight.

You set your phone down on the night stand and put on a show on your laptop to help you fall asleep.

Just as you're about to get some shut eye, your phone vibrates. You let it slip at first because you thought it could be one of the guys playing around, but it vibrates again, signaling another text coming through. You pick up your phone just to make sure Yoongi and Jungkook aren't in any trouble and need you to bail their asses out.

[taehyung] 12:17am: hey

[taehyung] 12:20am: come over.

You scoff at how he assumes you're still up and that you'd be coming over. You hated that. He knew he just had your ass.

track two: hit different - sza & ty dolla $ign

[flyersheartbreaker]

Forever By Your Side| Isaac Ratcliffe

a/n: this is my first imagine that I am officially publishing! I am very excited to share all of my writing content and series with you guys :)

Pair: Isaac Ratcliffe x reader

Summary: Watching your boyfriend Isaac get seriously hurt during one of his home games and watching him battle through the toughest injury a hockey player could battle, so he can continue on with dream playing in the NHL

Warnings: Hockey Injuries, Cussing, Cute Fluff

Word Count: 3,321 words

It was just another ordinary Sunday afternoon watching a game live from the PPL center here in Allentown, Pennsylvania or so I thought. The game was going really well with the Phantoms up 3-1 on the Hershey Bears half way through the second period. There was your beloved star-studded boyfriend number 19 carrying the puck up against the boards through the neutral zone when suddenly bam everything went to complete silence, except for that shear sound that you wish you could so badly get out of you head.

I jumped out of my seat and darted up the stairs from the lower-level seats that I was sitting in with some of the other girlfriends. I can hear the god-awful scream ringing in my ears over and over again that was coming down from ice level. The crowd was silent, so quiet that you could probably hear a pin drop and when that happens you know for a fact that it isn’t good. Nothing ever good comes from silence at a time like this and I needed to get down to the locker rooms as quick as possible.

Isaac got hit hard up against the boards and fell awkwardly down to the ground, and his right foot looked like it twisted the wrong way. He's had rough collisions before, but never like this. Isaac is a big dude that you surely didn’t want to ending up colliding with, but this time it looked like Isaac got the wrong end of the play. I never in my life ever heard him yell in absolute pain like the wat he was when the trainers and his teammates were trying to help his 6-foot-6 body off of the ice.

My heart was in my stomach as I was racing down the stairs that would lead me to the home locker rooms. I quickly flashed my team badge to the security guard Frank without saying a word. He must have known it wasn’t good either, as he told me to breathe and be careful myself as I jumped down the last few steps.

If Isaac had a season ending injury, it would kill him. He was just heating up and playing his best hockey yet and working his ass off day in and day out so he could eventually make the Flyers roster within this season or even next season for sure. But if his season is over that means his chances of getting to the NHL level could be too and that would just destroy him completely.

As soon as I rounded the corner to the trainer's office, I saw him being helped on to the examine table. His face was as red as a cherry, and he was in a lot of pain. The trainers quickly started icing the area the best that they could as they slowly untied his skate and too it off of him.

��He is definitely going to need some X-Rays done immediately and possibly an MRI as well depending on what the results of the X-Rays are.” The Phantoms trainer Brian Grogesky said to Neil who was one of the Phantoms physicians.

“Jeff and Robert are on their way down from the press box and getting the emergency X-Ray equipment ready. In the mean time you need to relax the best that you can Isaac.” Neil said to Isaac as Isaac tried his best laying down comfortably on the examine table.

Both Brian and Neil noticed me standing outside of the door of the trainer's room and signaled me to come on in, in hopes that Isaac could ease up and relax a little bit more with me by his side.

“Hello, y/n! Looks like we got a live one here and that big boy landed pretty hard on that ankle of his.” Brian said trying to make light of the situation.

Isaac sat up on his elbow and looked me dead in the eyes. I can see and feel the pan behind them, my heart sank even more for him. I just want him to be okay, I want him to be able to play the rest of this season, he worked way too fucking hard for this to happen to him.

“Hey babes, how is the pain?” I said walking over to Isaac and grabbing his hand while kissing him ever so lightly and carefully.

“It's a bitch babe if I am being honest. I’m trying not to think of the worst, but I can’t help it. This isn’t fair, why me? Why fucking me?” Isaac said in more frustration.

“Isaac, don’t get too far ahead of yourself. We don’t know the actual results just yet. But whatever the outcome is you can come back from it stronger than ever. Hockey injuries is sometimes apart of the game as silly and stupid as it sounds, but you’re a fighter and you got this.” Neil said as he placed another bag of ice on Isaac’s ankle.

“They are right babe, your team trainers, physicians and any other doctors have your best interests. Let’s get you into the X-Ray room and then go from there okay big guy.” I said while planting another kiss onto Isaac’s lips.

Jeff brought in some crutches for Isaac to use, so they can take him down the hall to get the X-Rays taking care of. I am hoping that is all that Isaac is going to need and that whatever it is, it's a quick recovery.

After a few short minutes Isaac was crutching back out of the X-Ray room with a look of disappointment on his face.

“Oh no babe...how bad is it?” I asked him while he collects himself.

“It’s not broken...but they are sending me for an MRI early tomorrow morning to see if that shows up with anything and then go from there.” He said in a low tone.

“Well, that is a plus sign that it isn’t broken. You got to be positive about this honey, you need to be optimistic. You can't be negative. Everything is going to work out for the best. Hopefully it's just a minor sprain and you will be back on the ice in no time.” You told Isaac as you wrapped yourself around his side.

All of Isaac’s staff and trainers helped Isaac out of the arena and to his car and safety got him into the passenger seat while, I got into Isaac’s driver's seat.

“Alright, make sure when you get home you put more ice on that ankle for at least 15-20 mins on and then same time off. Do it throughout the night if you can and also, make sure you are using the crutches as much as possible and for the love of God Isaac do not put any pressure on that ankle until after we get the MRI results and see exactly what is going on. We don’t want to make the injury any worse than what it could already be. Try to get some much-needed rest and we will see you in the morning.” Brian said closing the passenger door.

The ride back to Isaac’s apartment complex was extremely quiet. I didn’t know what to say or what to do, so I just let Isaac sit there and pounder in his thoughts alone without me distracting him. Which probably wasn’t a good idea, because I know my boyfriend, I know for a fact that he is thinking the worst possible scenario that he could think of right now.

I helped Isaac out of the car and into the elevators up to his apartment and got him comfortably settled on the couch with his foot/ankle elevated and two ice packs placed on the injured area.

“Do you want or need anything? You want me to bring out another pair of comfy clothes for you?” You asked Isaac as you placed a pillow behind his head/back and placed a blanket right by him as well.

“No, I’m fine...” He whispered as scrolled on his iPad to rewatch the ending of the game and rewatch highlights and the moment of his injury.

You so badly, wanted to say something along the lines to him like "babe don’t be watching that now, it wasn’t your fault, there was nothing that you could have done to prevented that from happening, so on and on.” But deep down you knew nothing would make him feel better until he knew what the main results were. And as the night went on, you could see the realization hit him that this was going to keep him out for a while. He just looked sad, and drained.

After a couple of hours, another X-Ray, and an MRI later, you and Isaac were sitting there waiting in the trainer's office for the results from both the trainer and team doctors.

Both Brian and Jeff walk in with a folder which I assume held the test results for Isaac’s ankle/foot.

“Well, the good news is the second X-Ray that we took this morning once again showed that there was no brake in both the ankle and the foot.” Brian said.

“And what about the MRI? What did the MRI show?” Isaac asked nervously.

I grabbed Isaac’s hand and interlocked his fingers with mine. I could see the look on both Brian’s, Jeff’s, and even Coach Gordon’s face that this news that they are about to give doesn’t seem to be very promising.

Jeff cleared his throat ever so calmly and spoke. “The MRI came back with a high ankle sprain injury which means we really don’t have a timetable for you to return to at this point of time. This type of injury is extremely difficult to recover from quickly. So, with that being said we need to place you on injury reserve indefinitely until we get more of a clear view on this injury.”

“Out indefinitely...so that could mean that I might be done for the season?” Isaac ever so softly spoke.

“Unfortunately, yes Rat...I am so sorry and with it being late into the season already we don’t want to risk anything further and do anymore damage to the ankle. Brian, Jeff and myself all agreed on shutting you down for the remainder of this year. So, it’s better for you to take this time to heal carefully and properly and then eventually rehab it back to full strength without any other necessary tests or worse case scenario surgeries. Then once you have healed properly, we can train and get you back to 100 percent for next year's rookie and training camp.” Coach Scott Gordon said while looking at both Isaac and myself.

My heart broke ever so much for Isaac, this isn’t fair. I know injuries can be a part of the game sometimes, but why did this have to happen to Isaac and why now?! He has been killing it day in and day out since being drafted in 2017. He deserves his chance at playing at the NHL and now with this setback is he ever going to make it to that level?

The ride to Isaac’s apartment was once again a quiet one and this time I don’t blame him. I mean how is he supposed to react to something like this? What is he supposed to say or do when your head coach, trainer and team doctor shut you completely down for God knows how long.

Isaac settled down on the couch and tossed his crutches to side and unstrapped his high ankle boot so he can comfortably rest his ankle on the pillow in front him.

"Baby, I am so fucking sorry that is happening, it’s not right nor is it fair to you." I said, resting my head on his shoulder while getting cozy next to him.

"What if this is it for me? What if I can't play anymore after this?" He asks, eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't say that.  You being negative will only make that happen. You are a fighter Rat...you are one tough, strong as hell hockey player who will power through this. I promise you that." I said grabbing his hand and interlocking our fingers together, while placing a kiss on his hand.

A tear rolls down his cheek ever so slightly. "All I wanted to do was be that excitement that both the Lehigh and Philly fans need. All I wanted ever so badly was to have my chance to make it to the NHL level and it got taken away from me. Why do bad things happen to good people?" Isaac asked broken and frustrated.

Once he started crying, I had lost it. Nothing I could do, or say would take that pain away from him and it just broke my heart. I went into the kitchen and I just cried as grabbed him more ice packs from the freezer. How am I supposed to look at the man that I love, and not have my heart shatter like glass when I look into those eyes that were once so shiny, and bright, but now shows nothing at all?  I have no idea the pain he is going through or the frustrating emotions he is now going through as well and I feel terrible.

I eventually collected myself and walked back out into the living room and ever so easily and softly place the ice packs on the injured area and took my seat back on the couch next to Isaac.

"That's the crappy thing about life.” I breathed as I took a deep breathe myself and continued on. “For some reason, it always attacks the good ones, and praises the hell out of the bad ones." I sob, wiping away not only my own tears but also his tears once again. "We'll get through this. I promise. It'll be hard, and it'll be long, but we're going to pull through this." I tell him as I run my hand through his hair.

He squeezes my other hand tightly. "What if during my time out things don’t get better and I need to get surgery, and it's worse than they thought? That could happen. What if they see that my injury is worse than what they thought and that I am out on the shelf even longer and I completely miss this upcoming season as well? Or worse they tell me that I can't do this anymore?" He asks, gasping for air. "I don't want that to happen and I'm scared to death that it will."

I snuggled beside him even more then I already was, resting my head on his chest, sobbing harder than I was before, because I honestly hate when he thinks that he isn’t good enough or he thinks his career is over because of a minor setback or in this case a possible major setback. "Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay? Just for now, it's a bump in the road. No journey to greatness is a smooth one Isaac. Whatever the hell happens next, we'll face it together as a team, because I am not leaving your side and letting you fight this injury alone. I know that you so badly want to break and that you feel like this the end of the road, but you need to keep pushing and listen to the training staff and follow their instructions."

"I love you so much." He tells me, sniffling. "Thank you for helping me with this, baby, I couldn’t do this without you" Isaac said while planting a soft and slow kiss on my lips

"I'll help you through anything. No matter what." I said while smiling and kissing him softly back.

It was battle to get Isaac’s ankle back to a healthy, normal, and stable ankle for a hockey player at his height and weight but we were able to do it. It was a long road and journey until Isaac was back out on the ice skating again and preparing himself for this upcoming training camp season.

Isaac looked and felt good, until one day right before the Flyers condensed training camp something didn’t seem right with him.

Isaac met up with Flyers trainer Jim McCrossin and after a deep examination we found out that Isaac was suffering from a fractured rib and a collapsed lung. We don’t know how exactly this had happen or when it happened. It could have been from when he fell during his ankle injury or from being hit during Rookie Camp, we don’t have the answers right now. And once again, here I am watching my boyfriend being completely destroyed and devastated all over again.

Isaac became instantly depressed, and much worst this time around because he knew there was no chance of making the Flyers squad this season and who knew when he could lace up for the Phantoms season as well. But thank God for Jim McCrossin who helped Isaac get the right and special care that he needed and got him completely healthy so he could play for the rest of this Phantoms season as well.

Isaac was getting game day dressed for a home game here in Allentown. I sat on the bed and watched/admire him as he fixes his tie in the mirror.

"Try not to worry about tonight so much baby, you are going to absolutely kill it out there like always. Once you get out on that ice, I have no doubt in my mind you will play just like how you used to before all of these setbacks. And just remember that no matter how easy, or how hard tonight’s game is going to be I'll be here for you always. But also, please promise me one thing, that if you don’t feel right to let your staff know immediately because I never want to see you get hurt like this again.” I said walking up behind him and wrapping my arms around his torso.

"I promise babe, I know that I need to take my health more seriously and whatever happens, happens. One day I will make my dream a reality and officially play in the NHL, but for the time being I got to focus on the now and my health." He said as he spun around and kissed me.

Watching Isaac warm up made my heart race and beat fast. But it was all worth seeing him back out there skating with the team and his boys. He looked so good and happy out on the ice and that is all that I could ever ask for.

The journey was extremely hard and long this past summer and fall for both Isaac and I, but in the end it definitely made us a stronger unit in our relationship and it has totally made Isaac a stronger hockey player both physically and mentally.

After the game, I bolted down to the locker room this time excitedly to see my boyfriend, not in a complete shear panic like last time and waited for Isaac to come out after he was done with the media.

The door swung open and I immediately saw Isaac and jumped right into arms like a little high school girl. “Babeee, you were beyond amazing tonight! I am so very proud of you, how are you feeling?” I asked nervously but giddy at the same time.

Isaac picked me up and kissed me ever so passionately before answering any of my questions that I just threw at him. “I felt good and still feel good. It was awesome to be back out on that ice again playing with the boys in front of our home crowd, their excitement and energy helped out a lot. But truthfully, I couldn’t have done any of this without you, y/n. I love you so much and I can’t wait to continue this amazing hockey journey with you right by myside.”

[penrose-quinn]

Pen, NGL I was just WAITING for you to reblog that post... I hope you saw this coming! 😁

36, 42, 49, 62, 66

Also, only if you can/want to! No pressure at all!(I'd ask you a lot more tbh you're just so awesome as a writer!)

I hope that RL is treating you kindly. Take care! (Also, please correct me if I'm wrong but you're starting your new job really soon right? May it go swimmingly!! ❤️)

Hi Yoko 💞

Actually, SAME. The moment I saw you rb the post, I felt like asking you a ton of questions because you're one of my brilliant writer moots! No pressure tho! I'm not sure if I forgot to mention it in my ask and I might've gotten too carried away with my excitement haha, but feel free to only answer if you'd like/are able to!

RL is okay-ish now. I'm just gonna savor my last break. You're right! I'm actually starting work tomorrow and thank you for this and for asking!! Wishing you the best and take care too ❤️💜💙

36. What fic are you proudest of?

It's not just one! The fics that I’m proudest of are all of the works I'm able to finish, especially if it's a series or a multi-chapter fic, because I'm one of those writers that lose patience and drop an ongoing story the moment I lose inspiration 😔 That's why I tend to write in one-shots or a series of them nowadays because it's quicker and readers get an ending at least. Green Light is the only exception because I find so much peace in writing it more than the others.

42. What’s your favorite title that you’ve come up with?

I hope you don't mind me going off for a moment because I had two in mind!

It’s Musubi and Saltation. For the former, it’s because the title encapsulates so much about the threads that bind people, time, and events together and the nature of Kenshi’s Inherited Technique to be entwined with fate and how her attachments had become into a curse in her life. One of those attachments is Geto. Musubi [結び] means ‘ending’ or ‘conclusion’ but it also means ‘joining’, ‘union’, and ‘knotting’, almost as if it’s implying that there’s a beginning and end, a connection. On a fun note, all the chapter titles are connected because of the thread radical [糸].

As for Saltation, it means an abrupt evolutionary change, a sudden large-scale mutation, as to reference the nature of the demons in KnY since the focus is on them in this fic. Another meaning for saltation is dance, or at least the action of leaping or jumping. It’s more the former for me because I’m also alluding to Kibutsuji’s surname [鬼舞辻], that being ‘miserable demon dance’.

49. What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

This one is tricky! Most of my readers knew me from my Mugen Chronicles series. I don't mind it being an introduction to me, but the thing is it's definitely not something you should read casually since it's the darkest thing I've written. I'm also pretty indifferent to KnY so I sadly don't share the same enthusiasm of the readers who reach out to me to ask about the manga. I just wrote a series and dipped 😔

I'd like to be introduced through Green Light though! It's still in my brand of angst but warmer. I'd argue my whole Bright Light series is an antithesis to Mugen Chronicles. TR broke me so much with the tragedy that it inspired me to write something tender and hopeful for once lol. The issue in this one now is you can't expect a similar fic like GL because it really is that exception among my roster of works that are mostly angst and dark fics.

62. In [insert fic], is there a deleted scene/idea you wish you could have included? Why did it get cut?

I’ll just share about the other installments of the Bright Lights Series because I had some deleted scenes/ideas for them. Sadly, I can’t share much about the Benkei fic yet :((( 

❁ In What We Don’t Talk About, it was supposed to have two chapters: one set in Shin’s funeral and the other was somewhere in the Bonten future – but got scrapped. This is the only bit I was able to finish:

Takeomi thought the sun should fuck off.

The walls were splintered with gold from the blinds though that wasn't what roused him awake.

It was from the sound of footfalls.

Terribly familiar with each slow step that a part of him fell back to rest more comfortably as he slept over the Sano house for a night, second only to the early riser with the bedhead and the peeved face who began to pace around the room.

"Good morning."

But Shin wouldn't greet anyone first. You did.

That was when he truly woke up.

❁ If it wasn’t the Bonten future with Takeomi, I was going to continue on with a different spin-off in the canon timeline which is my untitled Mikey fic where MC stays with the Sanos after Shin’s death. I’m still planning to finish that Mikey fic someday now that we have his POV. The Manila fic for this one, Where I End And You Begin, is screwed-up (because Shin-less MC, Izana, and Mikey are all so awful to each other) and I’m too embarrassed to share more details about it tbh lol. Not sure if I’ll continue it, but I guess I’ll share a snippet:

"Those glasses look stupid on you."

You shrugged. "Mikey likes them on me."

Izana thought you doted on him too much.

"He's not here."

You sighed, removing your glasses in one swift movement and shelving them inside the drawer of your desk. Your eyes were on him, framed alone by the sets of your long lashes, and while you took him seriously, he loathed how he was still seen as that boy you met all those years ago.

You propped your chin over your folded hands. "Are you here just to tell me you don't like my glasses?"

"It's not like you needed them," he stated.

"Ah, an astute observation," which meant you intended to keep them and the impertinence should have you beaten. "What else?"

"You grew out your hair." His eyes lingered on your neck, but Izana didn't contemplate what your throat looked like slit open.

"I'll get it cut some other time."

"You shouldn't."

An order. Though it was one that didn't demand a lot from you and he figured there should be a change in how things were. You should be grateful.

❁ In Couldn’t Tell, I was supposed to write about Waka's mom. She sort of exists but doesn't play a big role. Him and MC were supposed to be that close and it was kind of endearing and sad too (Waka reminds me of Inui sometimes), though I had to cut it off because character-wise, it makes things both more complicated and irrelevant at the same time. He's always given off that vibe that he had to survive on his own like Benkei. Besides, the mother thing should just be between Shin and MC. Here’s a snippet:

The next time this happened again you bought him a candy bar, but Wakasa just invited you over hot pot under the insistence of his mother. You'd return back to being polite around them, but to his surprise, your laugh would echo over the walls from his mother's lame jokes. It's never usually this loud, unless she brought a close friend over. Then she'd sneak him a telling smile.

"Your mom's cool," you said, finding your place on the backseat of his motorbike.

Wakasa told you to never talk about this to anyone, but he didn't disagree. You didn't say a word about your mother.

66. What’s a fun fact about [insert fic]?

I already share a lot about Green Light in this blog. I guess I’ll just add the names of MC’s siblings. I’m not sure what more to share without spoiling.

Maybe, I should write about MC's heroic story (failure story). It went somewhere along the lines of during their high school years, MC kissed one of the girls that rejected Shin. It was more out of curiosity between her and them, but it ended there. The girl was genuinely interested in MC though she figured out that they didn't feel the same way for her after their first kiss. MC didn't tell anyone about it, except Waka.

[teamgeiszler-gottlieb]

Hi. I have an angsty request. It's totally fine if you can't do it or don't wanna do it. Javi comes back home at night, after seeing some shitTM. Shit involving children, pretty disturbing. She finds his girlfriend/fling sleeping so peacefully... And knowing she's a kindergarden teacher, who loves working with children of poor neighborhoods... What do you think he would do to take that weight off his chest?

Angst is good! Javi dealt with so much of this shit on his own the least we can do is give him someone to hold though it 😭😭 I think we saw after what Carillo did in 2x3 that he’d try to fuck away his PTSD but if he was in a committed relationship with someone he knows works with kids? Oof.  I think he’d try to do what’s always worked because he doesn’t know how else to deal  but the second she asks him what’s up, he’s gonna need softness.

Anyways I wrote a lil fill beneath the cut! 

Javier Peña x OFC (named Mia) 

Word count: 969

Warnings: Mentions of canon-level violence + death. A bit of bad language.

Javier closed the apartment door as quietly as he could. Mia would be asleep in the bedroom if she hadn’t fallen asleep on the couch waiting for him. He’d meant to call hours ago but then it had happened and everything had spiralled downwards so quickly that now, past 1am, he was still reeling.

A bomb had gone off downtown. Another day at the DEA, another roster of casualties, but when Javier had arrived with fire pumping in his veins at the possibility of catching the motherfucker that had planted it, the wind had been knocked out him. Steve fared just as poorly, vomiting off to one side. He was probably thinking about Olivia. Olivia, who in a few years would fit into the little pink dress that was tangled in the rubble.

Javier could still smell the blood and smoke as he walked to the bedroom in the dark.

Mia was curled up on top of the covers with a book strewn to her side when he entered.

He knew she was safe. He’d known that before he got home but all he could think about was the group of children that had been there when that bomb exploded. How they might even be some of the kids from Mia’s class.

Quietly toeing off his shoes and shrugging off his tac vest, he slid onto the bed behind her. It was awkward given the way she’d spread out while waiting for him, but he pressed himself to her back, breathing in her scent. His hands had been steady this whole time but he felt shaken inside, like his bones were trembling apart. A part of him itched to wake her, to bite at her skin and sink into her, to rut until he stopped thinking and he stopped feeling like his blood was on fire.

He didn’t realise how tightly he’d been holding her until she stirred, squirming in his grasp. She smiled sleepily at him, the light that broke in through the curtains from the streetlamp outside casting a soft orange glow onto her face. Her sleep-mussed hair and the quirk of her lips left him breathless.

“Hey, I waited for you,” she whispered. He reached up and brushed a hand across her cheek. There was a fine tremor in it now, a chill that wouldn’t stop when he thought of how she spoke to her children when he picked her up outside the school, how she smiled at them. How he couldn’t protect any of them. Or her.

“I know,” he said. His voice must have given away the heaviness inside him because she propped herself up on her elbow, frowning.

“What happened?”

Javier meant to shake his head, to tell her that it was a long night at the office and nothing more, but the need broke through and he surged forward for a bruising kiss.

She made a muffled sound of surprise and he tried to swallow it, closing his eyes to try and imagine that this was okay, that he could hold her in his arms and she’d be safe from all the terrible shit Escobar was doing to the city.

She pushed at his shoulders and he rocked back with a sound partway between frustration and desolation.

“Javi, what’s wrong?”

He could lie. He could pretend and push it away or tell her that he just needed her to let him do this. She’d let him. God help him, she loved him enough that she’d do whatever he needed, but she knew what that was more than he did these days.

He breathed out for what seemed like the first time since that afternoon when she ran her fingers through his hair.

“There was a bomb… Escobar – there were kids. A little girl…” He could barely speak but Mia understood, gasping, her face softening. It pained her too, so much so that he saw the brim of tears in her eyes before she wrapped her arms around him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“No, I’m sorry cariño, I should have called, I should have-” Protected those children. I should be protecting you.

“No, shh, it’s okay. You know I’ll always wait for you and I’m going to be here when you get home, whatever you need. Don’t shut me out. If you need to talk, we talk. If not… whatever you need. But don’t think you have to deal with this on your own or that you have to push this away from me. Steve’s got Connie – and you’ve got me. I’m not going anywhere.”

Javier dropped his head slowly to the soft duvet as she spoke, the gentle brush of her fingers leeching the shakes from his muscles. The burn of need and shame became less clamorous in his bones and he sank into the moment, the immediacy of his girl running her hands through his hair. He pulled her so close that he could feel her heartbeat against his chest.

“It’s not down to just you to protect everyone, you’re doing the best you can.”

He tilted his head to protest but she fixed him with a look so gentle, so filled with awe and love that it burnt away the itching remnants of need in his skin. It would return, maybe tomorrow or another day when he’d ask her to let him push her against a wall and let go, but he could already feel how much smaller the hole in his chest felt. How different it was to share the pain in him than try to push it onto someone else for a night.

“We’ll protect each other,” Mia said.

It was different, something Javier never expected he could have again, but as he began to drift in her arms, he found it was exactly what he needed.