#i had a math homeroom this year and did i like the material? no. could i teach it in a way that is understood by the children? like yeah

[just-rogi]

btw... mtel practice test number two done... crushed that bitch! the Comm/Lit one is supposed to be the easiest but still it felt nice to get a 90% gonna take the humanities practice tomorrow but i suddenly feel way better about this

[theamberwriter]

hi, love your writings! can we please get more of Aizawa with his waifu? maybe she get a job at UA? nurse assistance to recovery girl or something? chaos insured with baby always on school grounds?

Read the Series! [1] [3] [4]

Pairing; Shouta Aizawa x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4434

Warnings: None?

[I honestly had so. much. fun. writing this! Thank you for sending in a request! I hope that you like it!]

Shouta Aizawa nearly fell over as his wife happily announced that she'd taken a position at UA. They had been having family time over the weekend. It was early afternoon when his wife got a phone call. Then she said she had an announcement.

"[Name] - You're not serious," he uttered in disbelief. "What about Kohaku? We don't have a daycare at the high school."

The pairs one-year-old sat happily sputtering in her mother's lap. [Name] beamed at her husband. "Since I'll be working in the nurse's office, Recovery Girl said I was more than welcome to bring her along. Isn't that great?"

[Name] caught her dearest husband's eye twitch. It only did that when he was annoyed. "She's already exhibiting signs of a quirk. I'm not sure that's a good idea."

They had discovered that little factoid by accident. Kohaku had rolled off her changing table. Her parents took each other out trying to catch her. But the girl bounced harmlessly off the floor. When caught, her skin felt like it was made out of rubber.

Another time, the pair was doing some housework. The baby was awfully quiet in her playpen. But they didn't think anything of it, suspecting she'd dozed off, until they heard a metallic tink, tink, tink, tink. When they found their daughter, she was shiny and silvery. Her skin appearing to be a thick diamond-like material. And she was hitting a hammer against her legs. The metal head had large gouges missing.

[Name] lifted up her daughter and blew a raspberry on her cheek. "Daddy is just being a worrywart, isn't he? You won't be a problem, will you, KoKo?"

Kohaku gurgled happily. Giggling as her mother blew a raspberry on her tummy. Shouta knew it was a lost cause. [Name] had made up her mind. Once that happened, there was no changing it. He would just have to wait and see how it played out. But he could feel a big, fat I told you so coming in the future.

[Name] started her new position the following week. She had the baby in a carrier strapped to her front, while Shouta carried Kohaku's bag. He walked with her down the halls of the school. Making sure she knew where his classroom, the cafeteria, and the emergency exits were. 

The couple heard Mic's voice before they saw him. "Look, yo, it's my best couple with favorite niece!"

"Hey, Mic," [Name] laughed as he came up behind and threw an arm around either of their shoulders. 

Shouta rolled his eyes, pulling out of Mic's embrace. "You're going to wake up the baby."

"Me? I would never -" Mic started. [Name] turned as the baby started making noise. He looked panicked for a split second. But Kohaku settled back to sleep quickly. "[Name], yo, I heard you got a job here. Dude, that's awesome!"

"Yeah, I'm working with Recovery Girl. She claims she doesn't need the help. But she is getting older, you know?" [Name] said, shrugging. "Well, we should be going. Don't want to be late for my first day."

"Good luck, yo!" Mic cheered, grinning. 

Shouta was quick to slip away. He groaned, mumbling something about killing Mic if he'd woken up Kohaku. [Name] chuckled to herself. Shouta walked her back to the nurse's office.

"Remember, if you need anything - if she becomes too much -" Shouta said, trying not to sound too concerned.

"They'll be fine," Recovery Girl said, opening the door. "You worry too much. Come now."

Recovery Get pulled [Name] into the office and took the baby bag. Then shut the door in Aizawa's face. He groaned but made his way back to his classroom. He had a bad feeling about this. But he wasn't going to try not to worry too much.

Shouta found it hard to focus as the day pressed on. Knowing that his wife and child weren't too far from him was tempting. But also the leering worry that hung over him. Wondering if his wife would be able to handle the pressure while keeping an eye on their daughter.

The first day went by without consequence. [Name] and Shouta met up at the end of the day. He took the baby this time. While she carried the bag. Just one little happy family. That - so help him - the students weren't going to find out about.

"So, how was your first day?" Shouta asked, letting his daughter tug at his hair.

"Everyone here is so nice," [Name] noted, smiling to herself. "Recovery Girl didn’t really want my help so much at first. You could tell. But when some of the classes started combat training, she actually seemed to appreciate the help. I'm sure the students are just happy that I don't have to kiss them to heal them."

Shouta chuckled softly. "I'm sure they are."

The mornings fell into a routine quickly. Alternating who was dressing and feeding the baby, and who packed everyone's bags. Often times the pair showered together, bathing the baby at the same time. It wasn't hard to make it a semi-oiled machine. 

If they were lucky, they saved enough time to slip into the school well before homeroom. Meaning they didn't have to scramble to keep their relationship a secret from the students. Although a few had begun to have suspicions. Especially considering how strongly Kohaku resembled Mr Aizawa.

The first week and a half went by as if that's the way things had always progressed. Kohaku didn't make much noise or cause much trouble. Secret lunches were slipped in. Midnight and Mic even offered to babysit so the Aizawa couple could catch up over a quiet lunch. 

It was starting to irk Shouta, though, that some of the boys went to the sickbay just to flirt with his wife. [Name] laughed as she told him a story about a third-year who'd been in the office all week. Claiming to have one ailment or another. But yet still refused to leave even after he was "cured." 

Apparently the boy had been slipping casual comments about how lovely she looked, and how much her smile helped, and soft her hands were. Her husband's eyebrow twitched as he mentally noted to get the name of the student. That way he could ban him from the nurse's office, except for absolute emergencies.

Things didn't start getting hairy until the following week. It started off as a normal, hectic morning. Packing lunches, stuffing diaper bags, triple-checking everyone had everything. But the pair was running late.

As soon as they entered the school, they split. Exchanging quick kisses before being where they had to. To make matters worse, Kohaku had been restless. She kept crying all morning. Nothing kept her quiet for very long.

[Name] was practically dropping everything by the time she got to the nurse's office. Kohaku was crying at the top of her lungs. To make matters worse, there were already a few students there. Apparently, they'd gotten into a fight before school. And needed to be patched up before seeing the principal.

[Name] put the baby in the playpen she kept in the office. Then dumped her stuff in the corner before she started to help heal the students. Kohaku quieted down as she got settled in the mound of toys in the playpen. Leaving her mother able to work in peace.

What [Name] didn't notice, though, was that after about a half-hour Kohaku knocked over her playpen. She'd made herself metal, heavy enough to easily get out. Then went to pull out the drawers of the desk next to the door. She stood on top when a student opened the door.

Kohaku fell as the desk rocked. Nobody could get her in time. But she bounced harmlessly off the floor like a rubber ball. - And then began to bounce herself out the open door and down the hall.

"Oh shit," [Name] cursed, and sprinted after her.

Ominous bouncing could be heard through the halls. The space between hits getting shorter and shorter. [Name] followed, but couldn't keep up. Kohaku was getting faster every time she bounced off something. Finally, [Name] decided she couldn't chase her down alone.

"Midnight!" [Name] shrieked, skidding into her classroom. She was alone, her class off for morning English and math lessons. "I can't find Kohaku!"

"She can't have gotten that far, she's a baby," Midnight said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Have you met my child??? She's literally bouncing off the walls." [Name] gave Midnight a certain look. The woman caught on Immediately.

Midnight cursed under her breath. "He's going to kill you if he finds out."

"I know! Please come help me! I last saw her bouncing down this hallway. But she's gone now. I can hear her, but she's getting faster. I can't keep up."

Midnight put her hand on [Name]'s shoulder. "We'll find her. If he finds out, I'll knock him out and we can make it seem like a dream."

"Diabolical,"[Name] laughed, her and Midnight exiting the classroom. "I love it! But let's hope we don't have to resort to that."

The pair chased the bouncing sounds down the halls. Splitting up at one point. They asked passers-by if they'd seen a bouncing baby. No one actually answered the question. Just staring at them like they had three heads.

Twenty minutes later, Midnight and [Name] finally had the baby in their sights. She was just a blur. But, just before the pair could catch her, [Name] watched on in horror as Kohaku went flying right into All Might's face. She hit him hard, sending the thin man to the ground with a painful thud. He groaned. [Name] was surprised he was still conscious.

"Oh my stars," [Name] shrieked, sprinting to him. "All Might, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine," he coughed. 

But one could tell she knocked the wind out of him. He coughed, splattering blood onto the floor in front of him. Kohaku sat happily by his side. She was totally unscathed. [Name] picked up Kohaku, and Midnight pulled All Might to his feet. 

"Here, let me heal you," [Name] said, offering him her hand. "I'm sure a concussion and a broken nose aren't pleasant."

"How'd you -" All Might started.

"I don't think you've been properly introduced," Midnight stated. "All Might, this is Aizawa's wife, [Name], and their daughter, Kohaku. [Name], All Might."

"It's nice to finally meet you," [Name] said. "I have a healing quirk, I can see a patient's injury then just a touch of my hand heals them up! So I can patch you up in a jiffy. I'm sorry about Kohaku. I know she's young. She's only one, but she's already getting her quirk. It makes her a little unpredictable. I think she likes you though."

"Nice to meet you," All Might greeted, shaking her hand. 

In a warm rush, his headache and dizziness dissipated. The pain in his face from the hit was gone. And he wasn't even tired. Kohaku twisted in her mother's arms, reaching for him. All Might took her warily. She giggled merrily, then immediately yanked on his hair. 

"She's quite strong for how young she is. But with you and Eraserhead as parents, I can see why," All Might chuckled. "And getting her quirk already? She's a special one."

[Name] nodded. "Trust me, she's been running Shouta and I ragged -"

"I got it!" Shook the voice of a person [Name] and Midnight hadn't realized was there. "Aren't you the new nurse? - You're also Mr Aizawa's wife?!"

"I - uh -" [Name] sputtered, taking a step back.

The kid's eyes sparkled in amazement. "I'm Izuku Midoriya! I'm in his class. It's so good to meet you! - I didn't know Mr Aizawa was married! Or had a daughter!"

Midnight eyed him. "And you better keep it that way, young man."

Midoriya's grin faded just a bit. "What?" 

"We kind of wanted to keep that bit private," [Name] laughed awkwardly. "Sho - Mr Aizawa doesn't really like spreading his personal business around."

"Oh!" Midoriya perked up immediately. "Because of like, villains. Right?"

[Name] shrugged. "Well, there's that. And because that's just how he is. Work is work. And home is home. He's been that way since we started dating. - He's just a private person."

"I understand. I swear, I won't say anything to anyone!" he pledged. [Name] was taken aback by his sudden seriousness. As if he'd made it his entire goal in life to keep this one secret.

"Speaking of secrets," [Name] started nervously. "If we could keep this little incident between us a secret, that'd be fantastic. Shouta didn't want me bringing the baby with me in the first place. The last thing I need is for him to find out this happened."

"He won't get a word from me," assured Midnight. But [Name] knew one drink too many and she'd spill all the beans. That was how she and Shouta had started dating after all.

"You don't have to worry about me or young Midoriya saying anything, either," All Might said, and passed the child back.

"You all are lifesavers!" [Name] groaned, relieved. "I should probably get back to the office. Sorry, again, about her bouncing into you. And Nemuri, thank you so much for helping me find her."

Everyone split off into different directions. [Name] felt like something bad was coming. If Kohaku was learning a little control already, then her and Shouta were in for trouble. 

[Name] made sure to keep an extra close eye on Kohaku. She also warned Recovery Girl. The old woman promised that she wouldn't breathe a word. Unless it was absolutely necessary. 

The two days that followed, [Name] made sure to keep Kohaku padded. This child was not going to get out again. They'd even out a warning on the door. And another sign on her playpen saying PLEASE DO NOT LET THE BABY OUT. 

All Might came to visit a few times. Mostly just to play with Kohaku. She squealed in delight every time she saw him. But he would also talk to [Name]. Learning more about her. She could see his fatal wound but wasn't quite sure how to fix it. Although she wasn't opposed to trying.

But everything changed one morning.

It started off normal. The little family got to the school early. [Name] hung out in Shouta’s classroom as long as she could. Kohaku cried when she had to leave her dad. But he kissed her head and assured her that he’d see her later. And [Name] got to the nurse’s office just before the students began to show up. Making sure Kohaku had enough to play with.

The child was fine for a few hours. Sputtering and giggling, extremely happy with an early visit from All Might. It was when he left that something unexpected happened. [Name] had been working on a student when she heard something weird. A sound she’d never heard before. When she turned, she found Kohaku was half out of her playpen. But not because she’d knocked it over or because she put a hole in it. No.

[Name] could feel the panic settle in immediately as she watched her child’s whole body pass through the side. Like most. The woman quickly dove to catch the baby. But her hands slipped right through like she was trying to catch air. She tried a few more times but still couldn't lay a hand on the child. [Name] knew this wasn’t going to end well. Especially once Kohaku crawled through the nurse’s office door.

“Oh, no,” [Name] muttered weakly.

“Well don’t just stand there, go on,” Recovery Girl urged. “Are you sure you and Eraserhead want more children after this?”

[Name] cut the older woman a glare, and then sprinted out the door. She was trying to follow the faint laughter she heard. But this wasn’t like trying to catch her bouncing. Would she even be able to catch her?! This was going to be the ultimate stealth mission. And she needed help.

“Nemuri!” [Name] called, sprinting to her room. Mic was with her in the empty room. They were grading papers. “Hizashi, Nemuri - I have a problem.”

“The baby, again?” Midnight asked, looking up. “What happened?”

“Kohaku figured out another way to use her quirk. My hands slipped right through her. I need help. I don’t know what to do!” 

Mic made [Name] sit in a chair. “Breathe. What do you mean your hands went through her?”

“Exactly what I said!” [Name] shouted. “She went through her playpen, and then right through the door. And the wall. And - how do you catch someone you can’t touch?”

Midnight stood, her face very serious. “Do you know where she is now?”

[Name] shook her head. “I was trying to follow her laughter. But it’s too hard to hear through the walls.”

"Let's go find her," Mic said, pulling [Name] along behind him. 

The trio listened in the silent hallway. That's when yelling was heard down in another hallway. They raced towards it. People were clambering out of the room. Looking absolutely terrified.

"Ghost!" yelled one.

"Did you see that?!" cried another.

"It was a baby, what's so scary about it?" asked a third in a bored tone.

"Excuse me!" [Name] shouted, sprinting faster.

"Hey, it's the new nurse," noted someone. Everyone turned to look down the hall.

"And Present Mic and Midnight. What're they doing here?" said somebody else.

"Sorry," [Name] panted, stopping in front of them. "But that's my baby. Do you know which way she went?"

"Your baby is a ghost?!" exclaimed the group.

[Name] laughed. "No, she's starting to get her quirk. She can go through walls."

"She was heading that way," a student said, pointing down the hall. This was followed by more shrieks in another classroom. "I guess someone else found her."

"Thank you!" [Name] called as she squeezed through the group.

The trio continued, going from class to class. Shouta was definitely going to find out at this rate. Who knew so many wannabe heroes were afraid of ghosts?

The group tried to be extra quiet as they eventually made their way down Aizawa's hallway. They'd lost her. The classes of shrieking student ceasing. They'd nearly caught her a few times. But she hadn't deactivated her quirk yet. Their fingers still slipped right through her. Now they were poking their heads into every door now. Except for in the room of Hero Course 1-A. They tried to go by unheard.

However, Shouta popped his head out of his classroom door to catch his wife, Mic, and Midnight sprinting down the hall. "What the hell are you three doing?"

They all clambered to a stop. Turning slowly, they found him using his quirk. Glaring the trio down. He could be very threatening. They all let out nervous laughs.

"Oh, you know," panicked Midnight, giving him a fake smile.

Mic nodded. "We just messin' around." 

"You know us," [Name] chortled nervously. "Just screwing around."

"Don't you all have jobs to do?" Shouta deadpanned.

"Well, you know, we had some free time…" Midnight was going to crack at this point. [Name] could see it in her face.

Shouta dropped his glare, hair falling back into place. He still stares at them warily. But sighs. "If you're going to be idiots, at least keep it down. Some people are trying to teach."

When he disappeared, the three sprinted off again. Trying to get well out of earshot. They had to have checked nearly the whole school by this point.

"That was too close!" Mic announced, stumbling to a halt.

[Name] groaned, leaning against a wall. "You're telling me."

"We can still try -" started Midnight. But she was cut off. A tone was played through the school. Lunchtime. How had they been at this for two hours? And still not managed to catch her?

"Shouta is going to kill me," [Name] whined, collapsing in defeat in the hallway.

Mic out a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be fine. He loves you -"

[Name] turned to Mic, an incredulous expression on her face. "He may love me, but have you met my husband?"

"We'll make sure to write you a nice eulogy," Midnight said. "That child of yours has an incredible quirk. You two might have a number one pro on your hands."

"She's not going to be anything if I don't find her. I'm going to be nothing if I don't find her. But she just -" [Name] swatted at the air. "Right through my fingers. She's never done that before! How do I keep her from doing that?! She could get out of the apartment and we'd never be able to stop her. And -"

"Hey, chill out," Mic soothed. "It'll be fine. It'll all work out. - We'll keep looking."

"He'll get suspicious if you don't show up for lunch," agreed Midnight. "We'll figure out how to catch her if we see her."

"I don't deserve this, but thank you guys so much." [Name] hugged them goodbye, wishing them luck. But she doubted they were going to catch her. Her stomach twisted up. What was she going to do?

[Name] walked into Shouta's classroom. Ready to go to lunch. Feed him a lie about leaving the baby with Recovery Girl. He'd believe the old lady was watching her. However, [Name] stopped in her tracks as she spied her child in her husband's arms.

Shouta's mouth was in a hard, flat line. "Care to explain?"

"I -" [Name] stuttered, utter relief flooding through. "Kohaku."

"I told you this was a bad idea." Shouta cut her a sharp look. "We should've found a daycare. I'm going to guess that's what you three were up to this morning."

"Shouta - I - we tried -"

"And how long would it have taken to find her if she hadn't wandered in here? It shouldn't be that hard to chase down a child." 

"It's not my fault -" [Name] pleaded.

"And how exactly is that?" his voice was cold and bitter. [Name] knew he'd do anything for their child. But so would she. She'd been running around all morning to chase Kohaku down all day, after all. But how would she convince him?

[Name] didn't have to think long. Because that's when the child phased through his arms. Shouta paled, just a bit. Kohaku dropped to the floor, phasing through desks and chairs to get to her mother. Her father watched on with surprised, wary eyes.

"Because she did that this morning." [Name] stated, picking up the happy baby. "She made her skin permeable. But I don't think it's just her skin anymore. I think she can change the material that all of her matter is made of. Or else she wouldn't be able to do that. She'd just phase right out of her bones. Either way, she went right through the office door. And our hands slipped right through her when we tried to catch her. That's why it's not my fault. It's not like I didn't try. I am trying to be a good mother. Even if you may not think so."

Shouta was taken aback by the last part. Seeing his wife's eyes glass over with tears. He walked towards her, putting his hands on her upper arms. She avoided his eyes. Even when he lifted up her up chin to look at her.

Shouta sighed, wrapping his arms around her and Kohaku. "I don't think you're a bad mother."

"You've sure been making it feel like I am…" [Name] pouted. "You didn't think I could handle this. I may not be a pro hero. I just have some stupid healing quirk. But I can still do this -"

"Your quirk isn't stupid," he said softly. "Yours is much more efficient than the old woman's. You don't leave the people you heal drained. But by now you should know that I worry. And not just about Kohaku. It's been rough since she was born -"

"But I'm fine now," [Name] insisted, eyes hesitantly finding her husband’s. "I can't stay cooped up at home anymore! I was so lonely. They don't exactly have ‘spouse and child of superheroes’ support groups. I wasn't going out every Sunday to take her on playdates. You did so much while I was sitting around, doing nothing. I just wanted to help."

Shouta kissed her forehead. "I didn’t mean to make you feel isolated. But you weren't doing nothing. You were healing. And taking care of Kohaku. That's far more important than anything I've done."

[Name] laughed sadly. "Right. Says the pro hero who literally saves people every week. I couldn't even keep her from getting out. - It happened a few days ago, too."

"I know you probably did everything you could. And I know that she was bouncing down the halls," he said nonchalantly.

[Name] couldn't believe it. "What?! How?!"

Shouta’s eyes light up in amusement. "Nemuri drunk texted me, apologizing. You've gotten her into quite a lot of trouble this week. I understand that Midoriya knows, too."

[Name] couldn't believe that Midnight had gotten drunk already at some point. It'd been three days! "You're going to make me put her in daycare, or make me quit - aren't you?"

"You nearly got away with it," he half-chuckled. "I'm not going to put her in daycare. I don’t think even they could handle this. But I am going to watch her in here a few times a week. I shouldn't have been expecting you to do that on your own."

[Name]’s face scrunched in concern. "But your class -" 

"It'll be fine." Shouta ruffled Kohaku’s hair. Then put a hand on the back of [Name]’s head, gently pulling her to softly kissing her forehead.  

[Name] smiled to herself. “So what are we going to do? If we can’t keep her in, if we can’t protect her -”

“We’ll figure it out,” Shouta promised. “Besides, I can always erase her quirk. Now, are we going to eat? I’m sure using her quirk has her hungry.”

“You’re going to need a lot of eye drops. C’mon, I’m hungry from chasing her,” [Name] chuckled.

Shouta went with [Name] to Recovery Girl’s office and got Kohaku’s lunch out of her bag. The trio ate together in his room. One can imagine his class’s surprise to find a woman and a baby that looked like both of them when they came back. There were many questions after that. About their relationship. About [Name]. But most of them were about their bouncing baby girl. And if she was the ghost that the entire lunchroom was buzzing about.

[lollybliz]

bout to make a Monster of a fic rec post here we go

heyo @jinx108! We’ll start with the complete ones because sometimes you’re just not in the mood to wait for the last chapter, you know? I don't remember details of all of these so i’m just going to copy the author’s summary rather than write my own. I am literally just going through my bookmarks, I got 400 of these to sort through. if ive talked to or am familiar with the author im gonna mention them, but if I mention you and you don't want me to have Please tell me and i’ll remove it.

If you’re not into spoilers Please Tread Carefully, I don't watch out for that stuff so I wont know to label it

1>Crushing Truth by Bunzuku: Tododeku. “Romance is hard enough for a teenager to understand when they have a good relationship role model. For Shoto, it takes two excited meddlers for him to even realize what his feelings really are.“

2>Disowned by b00mgh: tododeku + others. Unrated, some traumatic elements. “Shouto freaks out under a bridge and I use the word "grass" a lot more than I really should. Izuku does his stupid martyr thing and everyone makes continuous references to his propensity to break his bones. Aizawa goes "oh FUCK my kids are dying again" and his students use him as emotional (and physical) support. A friend requests angst, I say what kind, she say idk make someone get disowned and i say oh this I can absolutely provide my good buddy.”

3>cotton candy hands by @chonideno: Kiribaku. I will take Any excuse to rec this fic, its the most fluffy pile of feels Good Lord. also the first fic I ever bound into a physical book. “Studying to become a hero requires knowing how to take care of yourself. Sometimes you might need help on the way so if your crush offers to do your hair for you or to give you a well-deserved back rub, it'd be stupid to say no. A series of soft vignettes in which a love-struck Kirishima and a touch-starved Bakugou care for each other and it's definitely not making their hearts jump through hoops, they’re never this close to kissing, no, they're totally best friends bro“

4>Catching Sight of the Storm by neo7v: Kiribaku, tododeku. A considerable amount of Whump and related angst, and kinda sad tbh. “Blind. Quirkless. Useless.The first two things were stated clearly by the doctor that sat about five feet in front of Izuku. The third was a word that Kacchan called him everytime he failed to make the jump on whatever forest excursion they were on or when he ran into a tree because he hadn’t seen it. “I’m so, so sorry, Izuku.” Was his mom giving up on him already? But he could still be a hero if he tried hard enough, right? Quirkless or not. Blind or not. Just because Izuku was useless now didn’t mean he would stay that way forever, right? *** A Blind!Izuku AU”

5>Yell Heah by fakecharliebrown: Chatfic. M a n y pairings. technically complete, but part of an ongoing series. “Iida creates a group-chat for Class 1-A. It doesn't go as planned.“

6>Sunshine by Rosey_Note: BIG SAD. tw- failed suicide attempt. KiriKamiBaku. “They didn't deserve to put up with his crappy mood. Because Denki Kaminari did not feel like Sunshine right now. And they deserved sunshine. In fact, Denki didn't feel much of anything right now.“

7>Electric Connection by  Onlymostydead: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk has always had... Weird side affects. Like his ADHD. And his constant energy. And his insomnia, which wouldn't leave him be right now, when he really needed to just get some sleep. But, thankfully, he has good friends.“

8>The Best (The Worst) by Onlymostydead: no romantic pairing. tw- rampant transphobia, both outside and internalized. “Bakugou Katsuki has known who he was since he was four years old. He was a boy, it was as simple as that. Around his friends, at school... But things couldn't just be that simple, could they?“

9>Lichtenberg Figures by Q_loves_you: no definite romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki has a very powerful force of nature running through his body. Kaminari Denki doesn't want to hurt anybody. He doesn't always get what he wants, and "anybody" does generally include himself.“

10>Eventuality by KikaTouka: ill be honest I don't remember this one at all, I maaaay not have read it yet :/. anyway. ShinKami. “Shinsou learns more than just hero lessons after being transferred to 1-A.“

11>Pickup Lines for the Soul by MustardSoup: ShinKami. “Denki is twelve when he is flicking through the TV channels and lands on an old RomCom movie about soulmate marks – specifically the same type that he has. “I can’t believe I’ve had to walk around with a cheap pickup line written on my ankle my entire life because of you!” The leading lady yells at the leading man as he stares at her in awe. Denki laughs. “Oh no.” His mother says, watching him. “Oh no, indeed.” His sister repeats quietly.“

12>caught in my own web by @anxioussailorsoldier: ShinKami. “Shinsou needs some help after getting caught up in his capture weapon. Kaminari enters from stage left.“

13>not so summer love by nataliya: ShinKami. “Class 2-B’s common room, although typically quiet, was currently filled with five students—three slowly giving up on homework, one bitching about noise and another that rushes through the front door. “We’ve been waiting for you—” Mina starts, but Kaminari’s vaulting over the back of the couch, eyes wide as he practically buzzes out of his skin, emitting light like crazy as currents dazzle across strands of hair. “I have a big ugly crush,” He steps off the couch and onto the coffee table, much to Bakugou’s chagrin, “On big ugly Shinsou.””

14>Blamed by coldandhotsoba: ShinKami. Tw- they fuckin kill a guy and its a lil nasty. “This was not how the day was supposed to end. They were supposed to end the day like they do most nights.  Kaminari clutching onto him like a koala as he slept, wrapped in the millions of tacky blankets Kaminari had bought. Warm and safe in their bed. It was not supposed to end with both of them tied up in some cold metal room.“

15>Lightning Scars by Present-Mics-Scream (write_your_way_out): Shinkami. “It's hard to be confident in your abilities when you're surrounded by people with incredible quirks. Shinsou Hitoshi would know better than anyone. Sure, he was admitted to the hero course in his second year, but being admitted to the hero course, and keeping up with the rest of the class are two different things. Lucky for him, Kaminari is there to prove that the flashiest quirks come with the largest drawbacks.“

16>See No Evil, Hear No Evil by randomfan188: no romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki is legally blind. When he forgets to wear his contacts and breaks down during math class, comfort appears in the strangest of ways.“

17>how not to enjoy the weather, an article by kaminari denki by dreamtowns: no defined romantic pairing. “If there was one thing Kaminari hated the most in a world wth villains, it would have to be thunderstorms.“

18>”Studying” by emmyrox22: ShinKami, EraserMic. “Shinsou and Kaminari have been “studying” together for a while (but not for school). Shinsou gets stopped by his dads on the way to another “study” session and mistakes are made“

19>Weaknesses by sunflowerstorm: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk and storms compliment each other in the worst way, but he's convinced he can deal with it on his own... until he really can't any longer. When Shinsou accidentally overhears Aizawa confronting Kaminari about recent changes in behaviour and hears about the hell his quirks been putting him through, he can't just pretend he never heard. He wants to help.“

20>it’s hurt denki hours by memeingfultrash: ShinKami + others. ““Certain members of our class are...under the impression that...you’re the traitor.” Denki’s body went cold and felt like he was going to short circuit. ~some of class 1a believes that denki is the traitor and avoid him”

21>Petition to replace Mineta with Shinsou- (signed by Kaminari Denki) by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami + others. This is one of my favorites, I go back to reread it from time to time. It SAYS 41/42, but that's just a glitch cus chapter 36 doesn't exist for some reason, I talked to the author about it and its fine. “Mineta brings shame to the color purple. You know who does not bring shame to the rich color, but pride and sexual tension to one infatuated Kaminari Denki instead? Shinsou Hitoshi, aka sexy zombie man, aka the most perfect hunk of a man to walk planet earth, aka future husband. Shinsou has finally gotten his chance to prove himself to the hero course, and he did more than prove himself. The only question left unanswered is whether he will start in A or B, and how Kaminari can manipulate the end result.“

22>How to Get a Boyfriend (in Four Easy Steps!) by e1ana: ShinKami, EraserMic, + others. “Step 1: Get kicked out of the house by your homophobic parents. Step 2: Run headfirst into your brooding, mysterious crush. Step 3: Sleep in his dad’s (see: your homeroom teacher) house Step 4: Watch everything you thought you knew go to shit. This isn’t exactly the sweet, romantic plan that Kaminari Denki longed for. Will everything be ok, or will step 5 be to crash and burn?“

23>Bakugou and Todoroki’s Foolproof 5-Step Plan to Fuck with Mineta Minoru by Anubis_2701: Kiribaku, TodoDeku, + others. This is another one of my favorites, and the one I am currently folding and sewing into a physical book. you learn how to do funny things when bored and quarantined ig. “It was a simple enough idea; screw around with the resident bastard of Class 1-A to let him know that his medieval ways and perverted behaviour weren't going to be tolerated by even the most career-focused of UA's students. To say that things had snowballed was an understatement. Todoroki had no idea how he had ended up sitting on Bakugou's floor at 1 am, holding a dossier of incriminating material that would make the FBI slobber, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The long and short of it was, fuck Mineta.”

24>Colour Theory by chancellorxofxtrash: TodoBakuDeku. this one’s a series. “Midoriya/Bakugo/Todoroki slow burn soulmate AU. All three of them are nerds with their own emotional issues, trying to navigate their way through becoming heroes, and their own relationship with each other.“

25>Summer Sunshine by Mara97: TodoDeku. Ever want a Barbie in a mermaid tale/Bnha crossover? No? well here you go anyway! “Instead of worrying about college, Izuku spends his summer vacation finding out his father is, supposedly, a dead merman king and going on a quest to dethrone the current king, Endeavor. Along the way, Izuku becomes close to the three journeying with him, makes friends with strangers, starts crushing on an unattainable prince, and, in the end, learns to love himself. Oh, and he saves a kingdom, too.“

26>The snowflakes on our skin and the flames in our soul are one (and the same), my love by missunderstuffyou: TodoDeku, Kiribaku. this is one of the ones I keep a running reread comment going on. its at,,, 6, atm.  “Before your quirk begins to present itself, the soulmate link comes through, and suddenly whatever you write upon your own skin appears on the body of your soulmate. As your soulmate writes to you, the emotions they feel follow through the ink.Izuku Midoriya is four years and a few months old when he first feels the slight ebbing in his arms. It doesn’t hurt… he can just feel something, and it’s enough to make him sprint into his mother’s arms screaming that his quirk is coming. She had been washing in the kitchen, and the sudden screech as her son rockets into her side is enough to make her jump with panic, immediately grabbing at him and looking for cuts and bumps before she understands his words and the stupidly bright, alight smile on his face with large, watery, hopeful eyes. Shoto Todoroki doesn’t feel his soulmate connection open up. It is drowned in the aches of a small body worked far too hard.“

27>It was dark inside the closet by Chad_Champion69420: Pre-ShinDeku? maybe? its tagged shindeku but like. it’ll make sense if you read it. “Midoriya is invited to a party. He and Shinsou decide to play a little trick on the rest of the party during Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

28>how to woo your local trash gremlin: a comprehensive guide by Todoroki shouto by wonhaebunny: TodoBaku. this is the fic that dragged me into todobaku, fun fact. “five times shouto tries to confess to bakugou, and one time he doesn't bother tryingaka: wikihow is a scam and bakugou is a terrible, terrible boy“

29>top ten photos taken right before disaster by Shookspeare: ShinDeku. “Izuku participates in a harmless prank, only to end up ruining it and running for dear life.“

30>Secrets to Share by pechebaie: no definite romantic pairing. “Kirishima comes out first, and nothing changes. Kirishima and Kaminari still hang out to complain about class and talk about boys - and sometimes girls, too, in Kaminari’s case; he still plans stupid pranks with Sero that get them sent to the principal’s or nurse’s office every time; Ashido still kicks his ass at Mario Kart without hesitation; and Bakugou doesn’t get angry at him any more than he usually does.“

31>What One Hides by Pinalinet: TodoDeku. “All Might gives class 1-A an unusual assignment that results in Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto attending a weekly acting class. But with a mysterious villain targeting individuals without Quirks, and a developing issue of Todoroki's own, an after-school assignment is the least of their worries.“

32>whether or not we’re fated, we’re meant to be by juurensha: KINDA SPOILERY. TodoDeku + others. “Todoroki didn’t have a soulmark for most of his life.His siblings all did, but up until the day of the U.A. entrance exam, he had shoved the idea aside. It’s not like they could help him anyway. And then a 9 appears on his chest, and a green-haired boy barrels into his life with a fire and ice soulmark on his arms, and suddenly Todoroki cares very much about all this could mean.”

33>The Midnight Shift by meiishu @meiishu @totallytodoroki (idk which you’d rather I attach so I went with both): ShinKami. ““Hey Toshi,” Denki says, and he laughs, clearly embarrassed. He’s got on a jean jacket that did him absolutely no help and a white tee shirt that is currently stuck to his torso. It’s got a pikachu design in the center. “By any chance, do you sell umbrellas?” “You really went out in this weather.” Hitoshi deadpans, instead of dignifying that with an answer. or hitoshi works the midnight shift at the gas station, which also doubles as a pokestop for pokemon go. of course, denki is a regular.”

34>Rock the House by AkabaneKayo: ShinKami. “It wasn’t just his bed. It was his entire fucking room shaking. Only one thought crossed his mind at that moment: “Holy shit. My room is haunted.”“

35>Technically, they’re morning kisses by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami. “Most nights, Shinsou cannot fall sleep. Neither can Kaminari. It seems counterproductive to have a sleepover then, but they try to make it work. And they fail, but that is okay.“

36>someone to call mine by nearly_theyre: ShinKami, EraserMic “From: Me wish you were here, denks From: kitten 💛💘💛 what if i was tho? OR Four times Denki snuck into Hitoshi's room and one time he walked through the front door.“

37>Pretty by Onlymostydead (noticing some repeat authors? me too): no definite romantic pairing. “(Or, Kaminari still can't figure out bra clasps.) Kaminari has never really felt good about himself. Herself? Whichever way, not knowing doesn't make anything easier. Especially when he (she?) and Mina have their bodies swapped during training, and everything seems too right.“

38>If I offer you my hand, will you take it? by bleukitsune: Kiribaku. SPOILERY. ““Why?” Kirishima leaned back on his hands, trying to create some space between them. Too close. The ash-blond looked really nervous, his usually arrogant and cunning demeanor gone. “What do you see when you look at me? Kirishima is worried. Bakugou is hurting. After his confrontation with Midoriya, he finally reaches out to him. “

Theres way more but I haven't tagged them properly yet so that m a y come later if I can ever finish going through and adding my sorting tags.

and then a last few that Are Not Complete but im really very fond of them. not as many as id like to add, but my hands are getting tired tbh.

39>State of Mind by GuardianOfTheLoaf: no relationship YET but its looking like it’ll be either tododeku or shindeku, probably the former. EraserMic. tw- childhood neglect and severe depression. Izuku’s not a happy kid. “Izuku was a late bloomer, his quirk lying dormant until his tenth birthday when in a fit of emotion he grabs his mother and she disappears. With All Might slowly restoring his confidence Izuku begins the difficult journey into becoming a hero.“ 18/? chapters.

40>Izuku Eats His Problems by CosmicAce: ShinDeku. Izuku’s a flerkin, what more could you want? “His whole life, Izuku Midoriya was taught to keep his powers, his Quirk, hidden from the world. His kind were feared, hunted to near extinction because of it. He just wants to show people he’s different. That he can be a HERO. And nothing is going to stop him. Even if his Quirk IS like an eldritch abomination.“ 43/? chapters

and then probably my current favorite bnha fic- although it fights with Apertum Mortem for that spot but that ones d a r k and not here-

41>family of the year by periiwren: EraserMic. “Hitoshi is done. Done with moving around every few months to a couple that will scrutinize him and eventually dump him right back where he started. Good thing he’s well past his strike limit now- at least he can stay in one place, be content to age out of the system and finish out his training with Aizawa. Maybe transfer into the hero course, maybe be a hero- but none of that was guaranteed. The only thing for sure was that he was going to stay in that center for the rest of his childhood. Or so he thought- because Aizawa Shouta and Yamada Hizashi have other plans.“ 24/? chapters. we’ve been informed that this one’s gonne be l o n g and im Very Grateful.

42>Here There Be Dragons by here_and_there: pre-ShinDeku. “Izuku looked at the small circle Aizawa had motioned to in front of them. "I won't fit," he whispered, thinking. He raised his hand, tentatively. Sighing, Aizawa grumbled, "What?" "I-I have a question. Actually, two." His teacher just stared at him, unimpressed. Izuku continued. "Can we activate our quirks before we step into the ring?" Aizawa looked up into the sky, muttering something Izuku didn't hear. "If you must." "O-Okay. Uh, second question. You said we have to stay inside the circle, right?" "Yes." The man looked disappointed, not only in Izuku but in himself for letting the kid speak. "Great. Uh... does that include tails?"“ 6/? chapters.

43>Another Option by sandersonsister: TodoBakuDeku, Touya/Hawks, Dabi/Hawks. Potentially Spoilery, depends on whether horikoshi has the guts to confirm Touya. this one is waiting around the corner with a baseball bat, its really cute, and then r e a l l y painful. it might be getting better though. maybe. it might be getting worse. “When Touya stops his mother from hurting Shouto, he decides enough is enough. He needs to get out of this house and he's taking his baby brother with him.“ 33/? chapters.

That's it i’m done for now, oof. maybe ill edit more onto this post later, maybe i’ll just make another one. hope some of these work!

[hitsuackerman]

What in the World? (Akaashi Keiji x Reader) pt.12

a/n: it begins >:)

Akaashi’s lineup: @alluring-akaashi @oikawalmart-hq @extrasugafree @bbykiyoomi @apricotjihyo @awings @simpformiya @sayakaaaaaa @colorseeingchick @demursv1ogs​ @chrisrue15 @beanst0ck @something-that-idk (i have no idea why i can’t tag some of you :( huhu )

links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 13

Time flew by so fast in this dimension. Now that you were well adjusted and loving the new life here, it had not dawned on you that 7 months had already passed. Things were moving smoothly and pleasantly.

“Here you go.” Akaashi handed you a snack bar. The two of you (well maybe three if Bokuto is included) were practically inseparable. The team had finally managed to pin the both of you down and confirm that you two were indeed dating. “Did you sleep well?”

Walking to school was still a thing both of you did. Except this time, fingers were intertwined and barely any distance between the both of you. The only time you two let go was when the school gates were near. Still, walking down the hallways, Akaashi made sure to always brush his fingers with yours.

“I did!” You pulled him in to kiss his cheek. The small smile he gave you still made your stomach butterflies flutter. “I did have a weird dream last night. You and Bokuto-san switched personalities. Seeing you do his ‘HEY HEY HEY’ was just so wrong on all levels.”

“Is there a quirk that can do that?”

At this point in time, you barely relied on your quirk. The feeling of accomplishing things without it’s aid was much more satisfying. Of course, Akaashi still reaped its healing benefits and took note of how his stamina had improved.

“High chances. If we can have a washing machine as a pro-hero, then there’s bound to be a quirk swapping quirk.”

“A washing machine?” He brushed his thumb on the corner of your lip to wipe off a crumb. “Even now, your world still surprises me.”

“It’s great if you hear it.” Leaning on his shoulder, you tightened your hold on his hand. “Living in it is a completely different story. It’s been, what, 7 months since I arrived here and I am more than content with not having to rely on my quirk.”

“What about your combat skills? Shouldn’t you still be sharpening them?”

“I wish I could.” That was true, though. “I’m pretty much useless at 30%. Even if I wanted to lift boulders or shit, I have to maintain at least 40%. The difference is small but the output is huge. I don’t get my quirk’s logic.”

“Well, it’s still early.” The gates were now in sight but he refused to let go of your hand. “I’m pretty sure you can work on your quirk. The others won’t arrive within 30 minutes.”

“It’s been 5 months and you’re still curious to see how I fight?” You giggled.

“Yes.” He nodded. “If my girlfriend trained to be a hero, I’d love to see how you move.”

“Well, you made that sound sexy~” You nudged his elbow. “Think we can have a little action before we head to the gym?”

“It’s 6:30am, (y/n). It’s too early for that.” He teased. Yet his steps were a little faster than before. “But, I guess I can’t oppose the idea.”

The next thing you knew, your back hit the wall as Akaashi hungrily kissed you. With your legs wrapped around his waist, your fingers found themselves coming through his hair. Pinning you even more, Akaashi’s hand undid your ribbon and unbuttoned the first two. Letting go of your lips, he trailed kisses from your cheek down to the crook of your neck.

As he was softly sucking on your skin, you loosened his tie and undid the two buttons as well. Tugging his hair, you were face to face with him again. Lust filled eyes staring back into yours. Leaning in, you gently kissed his lips before returning the favor. Activating your quirk, Akaashi felt his feet leave the ground. Knowing what you were about to do, he could feel you turning the both of you around.

Skillfully placing the both of you on the floor, Akaashi leaned on the wall as his hands began to roam higher and higher up your skirt. Having you straddle him this early in the morning was rather pleasant in all aspects. Tilting his head a bit, he gave you much easier access and felt you sucking on his skin a little harsher this time.

“Make sure it’s hidden under the collar.” He managed to whisper. Hickeys were a common thing to have both your bodies. He smirked at how your only response was a nod.

Caressing your cheek, he admired the way your face glowed even more. Pulling you in softly for another kiss, he felt his stomach fluttering when you smiled.

“We should probably head to the lockers now.”

“Fine.”

“We can continue this in my room later.” He whispered before kissing you deeply.

“Counting the hours~”

Moments later, you were now pumping air into some volleyballs. Morning practice for today would only take an hour so there was plenty of time to freshen up before the homeroom. Now that the gym was packed with your boys, you rolled out the volleyball cart and positioned it beside the net.

Everyone was now used to having you as a ball girl. In fact, some of them even tried to challenge you by purposely hitting the ball too hard or too low. With your hero training, it was nothing but a walk in the park. You did notice, however, that your body began to sweat a bit more. The after effects of not using your quirk for a long time was showing.

Nothing bad happens, though. Just panting and sweating.

“Aghkaashe!” Bokuto yelled. “Can you and (y/n)-chan help with my math later?”

“I don’t mind. What about you, (y/n)?”

“Sure thing~” You approached your two favorite boys. “Bokuto-senpai, how well did you do on your previous quiz?”

The captain’s golden eyes sparkled.

“HAHAHA! Thanks to you both, I managed to get a 32/50! Whatdya think?!” He punched the air and grinned widely. When the both of you applauded he began to jump up and down while shouting his trademark.

“Calm down, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi tried to stop him from jumping up and down. His friend obeyed and gave a cheeky thumbs up.

“God, I love you both so much~” You giggled at their exchange.

“But you love Ahkaashi more, don’t you (y/n)-chan?” Bokuto added as he shouldered Akaashi. This time, his deadpan face was holding a soft smile.

“Of course!”

When Konoha’s alarm sounded, each of you began to clean up and prepare for the rest of the day. With how often you did it, it had now become second nature to you. Yukie and Kaori even admitted that you adapted much faster than they had anticipated. Once all of you were now freshened up, the gym was locked once more and each player looked forward for the after school practice.

“Exams are approaching.” Akaashi said as he let you step into the classroom first. “Have you prepared your notes?”

“I did. But, you do remember that the subjects you have here are way too easy for me, right?” Placing your bag on your desk, you took a seat and faced Akaashi. “Shall we study in your room or mine?”

“we can take turns.” Now that he was seated, he fished out one of his notebooks and placed it on his desk. Not that it was needed, it merely became one of his habits. Watching as you dragged your chair closer to him, he offered you a pen and flipped the notebook open.

“So, what do you want me to draw?” This had become one of your recent traditions. Before the start of homeroom, Akaashi noticed how you liked to doodle on his notebooks. Deciding that a special one was needed, he took the liberty of buying a blank journal for you to fill with whatever it is you saw fit.

“Hmm, I recall you saying that you designed your own hero costume.” He saw how your eyes lit up. “May i see what it looked like?”

Starting the sketch, you began to draw a figure and dressed it with your costume.

“So, my costume isn’t flashy unlike the others.” You explained. “A quirk like mine doesn’t really need a lot of support items so I went with mobility and comfort. I decided that simplicity was key. Just the normal jacket, shirt, pants, and boots. The only support item I had were my gloves.”

Sketching your gloves, Akaashi couldn’t help but adore just how focused you were. Tucking in a loose strand of hair, he felt the butterflies in his stomach churning once again as the corners of your mouth formed a smile and your cheeks turning a faint hue of pink.

“What do your gloves do?” They looked like standard fingerless gloves.

“The material was specifically designed to aid in manipulating my quirk. It concentrates the energy I release and wraps around my hand. Sorta like a human torch~” It was a bit difficult to explain how it worked knowing you didn’t listen to the man who gave you the item. As long as it aided you, it was fine.

“What were Todoroki-kun’s support items?”

“Shoto’s support items were mostly temperature regulators. Wristbands and a big one he wears like a backpack to help even him out.” You drew his support items rather well.

“Can you try to sketch Todorki-kun’s face?” Letting you draw your friends was something he wasn’t so comfortable with. Not for that reason of course. He merely assumed that it would be a sensitive topic knowing the circumstances of how you arrived in his world. When you giggled, he tilted his head.

“About time you asked~” Beginning to draw your childhood friend, you continued. “I honestly wouldn’t mind drawing my friends for you, ya know? There’s no way I can introduce you to them so sketching them would be the best alternative.”

“I’m sorry.” He held on to your free hand. “I just didn’t want to make you uncomfy.”

“You never make me uncomfy. Keiji~”

It was a quick sketch of half and half but a good one. He squinted his eye when he took note of the scar. He had heard of Tokoyami and Mina, but this one merely showed a boy about his age with a nasty burn on his face.

“Shoto’s got one helluva back story.” Your thumb began to brush Akaashi’s knuckles. “That scar was given to him by his mum when he was around 5 or 6 years old. It’s sad but he grew to accept it and is now healing.”

“You were engaged before, right?”

“For a while, yeah.” You handed him back the pen and closed the sketchpad. The bell had now rung and right on time, the teacher entered the room. Just as she was relaying a message, you were rummaging in your bag for a notebook.

“Please introduce yourselves~” The teacher said.

“Bakugo Katsuki”

“Midoriya Izuku.”

- - - - -

a/n: sooo... what yall gonna do now? :’)

[call-me-rei]

Chapter 2

Kellin Quinn was a ray of sunshine.

That’s what his mother always said about him. “He’s my little ray of sunshine,” she’d say when someone complimented her son. She was so proud of him and the person he was becoming.

Kellin just saw himself as a regular kid. He didn’t think there was anything overly special about him like his mom did; he just thought he was a kid. He was Kellin.

Kellin’s friends thought he was pretty great, though not to the extent his mom did. They thought Kellin was funny, kind, and occasionally spontaneous. And yes, Kellin was all of those things. He loved telling jokes and being goofy; he loved playing outside and making a mess. He just loved life.

Kellin could put a smile on your face without trying. All he would have to do is smile at you and you were sure to smile back. It was a weird power he had on people. Even the grumpiest person thought Kellin was wonderful.

It was easy for him to make friends. Like mentioned before, all he had to do was smile and everyone was hooked. He had the attention of almost every girl in his class whether it was romantic or platonic, and the boys in his class hung out with him to try to learn his ways. Last year he had gotten full-sized candy bars from the girls on Valentine’s Day. He wasn’t sure why, but what second grader would refuse full-sized candies?

The summer before third grade Kellin spent a lot of time wondering why people thought he was so great. It was starting to get weird to him. His birthday had occurred before school let out and he’d worn a pin on his shirt to signify the day and advertise that he wanted money. It was just a test to see if he’d get anything. Surprisingly he made thirty dollars that day. There were so many bills on that pin that he had to hand it over to his teacher to take care of.

Why would kids give him money? Why were people so drawn to him? He wasn’t necessarily complaining, but he wanted an explanation. What made him so special?

“I don’t know, sweetie. It’s just something about you,” his mom answered.

“But what? What makes me so special? I don’t get it.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. Just consider it a gift.”

Kellin huffed but accepted his mother’s answer. He figured it was better to be liked than hated.

He didn’t question his appeal anymore. It was a pointless effort anyway, so why bother? All that mattered was that he had people who liked him. He took that mindset with him as he entered his school to start third grade.

He was nervous about the year. Third grade was going to be so different from the grade before. For one, this was the year that he’d have to switch classes, so he’d have two different teachers. He wondered if his second teacher would be as nice as his first teacher, or if his first teacher was nice at all. He didn’t want to be in a class taught by a mean person.

He was also nervous about someone else sitting in his seat for half of the day. Kellin was an only child, so he wasn’t used to sharing his possessions. Of course, he shared toys with his friends, but this was something different. Someone could steal from him if they wanted to!

He put those thoughts out of his head when he remembered that he knew everyone in third grade. He’d lived in San Diego his whole life and had gone to this school since he was able to. He knew everyone in his graduating class, and they knew him. He knew he could trust them since everyone was a friend to him.

Kellin walked into his classroom with a smile on his face, but it faltered when he saw the students in his class. He was disappointed that his best friends weren’t in the same class as him. Jack Fowler and Jesse Lawson were nowhere to be seen. He went out into the hall and peeked into the class across from his. Sure enough, his friends were there.

Okay, he thought, at least we’re in classes that switch with each other. That was better than nothing.

Being in classes that switched with each other meant that Kellin had the exact same schedule as his best friends. They had lunch and recess at the exact same times compared to the other two third grade classes that enjoyed those times of the day ten minutes later than his class.

Kellin found his nameplate and sat at his desk. He recognized all the names that were at his table pod and smiled with content. He knew everyone who was supposed to be sitting with him which meant that he was going to enjoy his spot in class.

The first day of school started how it usually did: the teacher introduced themself then asked the students to introduce themselves. Everyone went around the room and shared a good thing that happened on their summer vacation. Their teacher then asked them to write a journal entry about someone else’s response. Kellin liked that. He loved writing.

Kellin’s first teacher taught English-language arts and reading (ELAR) and social studies. He was very excited to be able to start the day with his favorite subjects. Unfortunately, he had to end the day with his least favorite subjects: math and science. Kellin wasn’t the best with numbers.

He refused to dwell on the thing that would upset him, so he focused on the activities in his first class then went to lunch.

The cafeteria was pretty big and had enough room for three different grade levels to have overlapping lunch times. Third grade had lunch right at noon, then second grade came in halfway through, and fifth grade came when third grade was lining up. Kellin remembered being in second grade and wishing he had lunch earlier. Now he was in the next grade, and he felt excited to have seen his wish come true.

Kellin went through the lunch line and got his food then went to his class’s table. He sat on the side closest to the other third grade class’s table so he could strategically talk to his friends. It had worked out in his favor. Jesse and Jack sat at the other table with their backs facing Kellin’s back. They would be able to turn around and talk when they were done eating.

“So, who’s in your class this year?” Kellin asked. He didn’t have his best friends this year, but he was hoping they had more of their friends with them.

“No one interesting,” Jack replied with a shrug. “Lauren’s at our table though so that’s cool.” Lauren was the girl Jack had developed a crush on last year. Kellin knew he was downplaying how “cool” it was to have her in his class so he wouldn’t come off as obsessed.

“There is this new kid though,” Jesse whispered. That caught Kellin’s attention. He looked behind his friends to see if he noticed anyone he didn’t recognize. Sure enough, there was a boy sitting at the very end of the table.

This boy had tan skin, short brown hair, and big ears. Kellin thought the boy’s ears were kind of precious. They fit his face, even if they were bigger than he was used to seeing.

“What’s his deal?” Kellin asked. He was confused as to why the boy was just staring at his tray. He wasn’t making an effort to talk to anyone who sat around him; he just ate his food with his head down. Kellin couldn’t help but feel a little sad. Was he shy or had he not made friends yet?

“He’s mean,” Jesse replied. “He doesn’t talk and he doesn’t answer questions. He just looks at you.” Jesse was very upset with the new kid, obviously. Kellin wasn’t sure what happened, but he didn’t like that someone had upset his best friend.

“So we don’t like him?” Kellin asked. Jack and Jesse nodded vigorously. “Okay then, we don’t like him.”

And Kellin intended on not liking the new boy. Anyone who made his friends upset would never be a friend of his. He was very protective of his friends. Since he didn’t have any siblings, he held onto his friends and treated them like they were family. He felt that if he didn’t then he would never have anyone to play with, and he couldn’t bear to let that happen.

At recess Kellin, Jack, and Jesse played a game in the grassy area behind the playground. Kellin had noticed that Jesse invited the new boy to play. When he asked the redhead why, Jesse responded with, “Lauren made me.”

Kellin shrugged it off. Fine, he thought. Maybe this was what the kid needed; maybe he wasn’t very outgoing and needed to be invited before he interacted with others. Maybe he wasn’t like Kellin.

No, the new student wasn’t like Kellin at all. He was afraid to play with the boys. He wasn’t even sure why he was invited. No one ever invited him to play. Ever. So when he saw that the boys were too engrossed in their activities, the new student slipped away to sit underneath a tree and watch the fun everyone in third grade was having. No one noticed he wasn’t a part of it.

Recess ended in thirty minutes and the third grade classes were called inside to switch to their next teacher and continue learning. Kellin gathered his necessary materials from his desk and walked with his classmates across the hall. He smiled at Jack and Jesse when they passed him.

Kellin’s second teacher, Ms. Barnes, instructed the students to find their names on the nameplates on the desks. Since this was the second class Ms. Barnes had, she put their names underneath the names of her homeroom.

Kellin looked around the desks until he found his name underneath a name he didn’t recognize.

Victor? Who was Victor?

Kellin shrugged it off and sat down. He was a little bummed; he’d hoped he was sharing a desk with Jack or Jesse. Oh well, maybe one of them was sitting at his desk.

He put his notebook, binder, and pencil bag in the desk. He was surprised to see how neatly Victor’s things were organized. Victor had stacked his things on the left side leaving the right side bare and available for whoever was going to be sitting in his spot. Kellin smiled to himself. He appreciated that this person thought about other people.

Ms. Barnes did the introductory things like Kellin’s homeroom teacher had done, just without the journal entries. Then the math and science started.

After a couple lessons that Kellin could barely follow, his class was allowed to go into the hallway and get their things from their lockers and prepare for dismissal. Shortly after the bell rang and the school was dismissed. Kellin stood by a wall in the hallway to wait for his friends. As soon as he saw Jack and Jesse walk out of Mrs. Jones’ room, he waved to them. The three boys fell in step with each other and exited the building.

“I don’t think I’ll like Mrs. Jones,” Jack groaned.

“How come?” Kellin asked, surprised. He already loved his homeroom teacher, and it was just the first day of school.

“Because she’s gonna make us write a lot and I don’t like writing.” Kellin chuckled to himself. He knew that Jack hated his handwriting. His previous teachers had commented on how sloppy it was, and even though Jack had tried his best to fix it over the years, he never got it legible enough.

Kellin put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Maybe this will be the year a teacher can read your stuff.” Jack shook his head and muttered something about his mom wanting to get him help if a teacher said something again. Kellin wasn’t listening though.

Something had caught the boy’s eye. Or rather, someone.

Kellin looked down the sidewalk and saw the new kid once again, but this time he was with a smaller kid. The new student had a younger sibling? That was an interesting discovery. Kellin had some questions going through his head. What grade was his sibling in? Was he as shy as his older brother?

Most importantly, what were their names?

“Jesse?” The redhead hummed in response to Kellin. “What’s the new kid’s name?”

Jesse scrunched his face in thought. “Uh, Nick, I think? I’m not sure; he said it really quietly when we were introducing ourselves. It’s either Nick or Vic.”

Kellin nodded and looked back to the two new boys. They were getting into a dark blue sedan driven by a woman with a bright smile on her face. Her eyes lit up when she saw her boys approach the vehicle and her smile grew when they got in the car.

The sight reminded Kellin of how his own mother was. She was always so happy to see her son when she picked him up from school. It was as if her day was dreary until her “sunshine” was in the car.

Kellin’s mother picked him up shortly after the new boy’s car left. Kellin said goodbye to Jesse and Jack and got into the car. As usual, his mom’s demeanor brightened once her son was in his seat.

“How was your first day?” she asked.

“It was fine. I’m not in class with Jack or Jesse and that kinda sucks, but my first teacher is the writing teacher and I like that. And I get to have lunch and recess with them so that’s cool. And there’s a new kid that Jesse doesn’t like so I guess I don’t like him either, but the new kid has a little brother. I just saw them leave. I don’t get why he doesn’t talk but Jesse says he’s mean.”

Somehow Mrs. Quinn was able to follow her son’s rambling. She was used to it by now. It had always been as if Kellin’s mouth moved faster than his brain could process.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Mrs. Quinn said as she drove. “You don’t even know this new student and you’re saying you don’t like him?”

“Yeah.”

“Did he do anything to you?” Kellin shook his head. “Then why wouldn’t you like him?”

“Because he made Jesse mad.” Kellin thought he’d made that obvious, but the look his mom was giving him through the rearview mirror told him she didn’t like that response.

“Did he call Jesse a name?” she asked. Kellin shook his head. “Did he push Jesse?”

“No.”

“Then what happened?”

“He…” Kellin thought back. “He didn’t talk to him?”

Mrs. Quinn snickered. “If that’s all that happened then I don’t think that’s a good enough reason to not like him. Maybe he’s shy. You said he’s new to school; maybe he needs someone nice to be his first new friend. Maybe that could be you.”

Kellin thought over his mother’s words for the rest of the day. He had to admit, it didn’t feel too good to be mean to the new kid when he didn’t even know him. That wasn’t the person Kellin wanted to be.

Kellin was an optimistic person. He tried very hard to see the good in everyone, even if his friends said someone was the worst; he needed to make sure of that himself. That’s why he made the decision to talk to the new kid.

The next day Kellin walked into the third grade hallway and peeked into Ms. Barnes’ room. The new boy was there, sitting silently at his desk with his face in book. He wasn’t making any attempt to talk to the kids around him. Kellin went into his classroom and sat at his desk. He noticed the new nameplate signifying that a student from Ms. Barnes’ class was going to be sitting in his spot.

Victor.

The same name that was at the spot Kellin would sit at later today was on his desk. Kellin smiled. Hopefully they’d get to know each other.

The day started and Kellin enjoyed the ELAR lesson from Mrs. Jones. But all too soon it was time for lunch, which meant it was time for Kellin to put his plan into action.

He’d thought about the best way to approach the new student; he didn’t want to scare him off. Kellin watched as he sat at the end of Ms. Barnes’ lunch table and ate his food silently. When he was done, he picked up the book he had brought with him and read until the lunch monitor told his class they could line up to leave.

The new student went outside with his class and ventured off to find a nice shady spot to keep reading. He had somehow snuck away from his classmates and the teachers and found a secluded area where he thought no one would notice him, not that anyone ever noticed him anyway.

But that day Kellin noticed him.

Kellin was a curious kid; he had many questions and wanted answers to all of them. The particular question he had for this new person concerned the book they’d been reading since he laid eyes on them before class started that morning.

“Can I sit with you?” The new student looked up from the page he was reading and into the green eyes of the person who’d just spoken to him. This was the second time in the last twenty-four hours that someone at school had attempted to talk to him. He was apprehensive to answer considering he had upset the first person who’d tried to talk to him. He knew all about the redhead who thought he was mean.

The new student couldn’t trust his voice to give an answer, so he just shrugged.

Kellin took the gesture as a yes and sat next to the new kid in the grass under the tree. “My name’s Kellin,” he said. The new kid just stared. “This is when you tell me your name,” Kellin giggled.

The new student blushed in embarrassment. “My name’s Vic,” he mumbled.

“Cool,” Kellin replied with a smile. Vic nodded then began to feel awkward. What now? He wasn’t comfortable starting a conversation, so he didn’t. He looked down at his book and continued reading. He didn’t want to be rude, but he honestly didn’t know what to do in this situation, so he did something familiar to keep the anxiety away.

“Oh cool, Pokémon! I love Pokémon!” Kellin exclaimed when he noticed the cover of the book in Vic’s hands. Vic looked up from his book and at Kellin who was wearing an excited smile on his face. “Which one’s your favorite? Wait, that’s too many. How about your favorite Pokémon type? I like fire types, but the water types are so cute. The psychic types give me a weird vibe though.”

Vic listened to the boy talk a mile a minute about Pokémon types. He wasn’t sure Kellin had taken a breath while he spoke; his words just seemed to run together.

“Um, I like flying types,” Vic answered once he realized Kellin was down with his rambling.

The green-eyed boy nodded. “How come?”

“Well, because they can go anywhere whenever they want. They can travel far away from anything and anyone, and they can take you to safety if you need to be rescued.” Vic often wished he had a flying-type Pokémon to rescue him. Sometimes being where he was was too much for him. Better yet, he wished he was a flying-type. He could just escape when he was overwhelmed, which was far too often for his liking.

Kellin hummed, bringing Vic back to the current happenings. “That’s pretty cool. I think being a flying Pokémon would be awesome.”

Vic sat there in surprise. Kellin had listened to what he said and he liked his answer! That had never happened to him before. No one ever bothered to ask about Vic’s favorite things, and on the rarest occasion where they did, they didn’t like the answers he gave because they were “too weird and sad.” But not Kellin. Kellin accepted his answer for what it was and wanted to keep talking to him.

“Can we agree that we don’t like rock types though?” Kellin asked.

Vic couldn’t help but giggle at the boy’s question. “Yes.”

The two boys sat under the tree and talked about Pokémon for the rest of recess. Actually, it was more like Kellin rambled and Vic interjected when he felt comfortable enough to respond. Kellin didn’t mind though, he just liked talking about Pokémon.

This went on for the rest of the week. Vic and Kellin sat under the tree and talked about Pokémon, Digimon, and Yu-Gi-Oh for the next three days. And although there was something in the back of Vic’s mind that told him that Kellin was too good to be true and would abandon him, he couldn’t help but want to spend those thirty minutes outside with him.

-----

I updated again because this story is so cute and I wanna keep it going. Let me know what you think!

[notalwaysthevillian]

No Hints

@sanderssidescelebrations

Pairing(s): Romantic Royality, Romantic Analogical

As Virgil walked down the hallway of Jefferson High, he couldn’t help but grin as he heard the swirling rumors. Most of the year, he wanted to be left alone, unseen, hiding in the shadows. But once Halloween rolled around, he was the talk of the school.

It made the effort he put into his costumes worth it.

“Virgil!”

Glancing up, Virgil saw Roman waving from his locker. The two of them had been enemies until freshman year, when Patton had forced them to talk through their problems. They’d been best friends ever since.

“Sup?” Giving Roman a nod, he started stuffing his books in his locker, grabbing the ones he needed for the morning.

“Sup? That’s all you’re going to say?” Roman shut his locker and leaned against it. “Please, just give me a hint.”

“Nope.”

“Pleeeeeeeeeeease?”

Shutting his own locker, Virgil shook his head. “No one gets any hints. You’ll just have to wait until tomorrow like everyone else.”

“But I’m your best friend!” The two of them headed for homeroom, walking to the Math hallway together. “Come on, I bet if Patton gave you puppy dog eyes that you’d tell him.”

“He’s tried that.”

Roman’s jaw dropped. “You can resist those eyes?”

“He’s got you wrapped around his finger, doesn’t he?” As Roman let out a series of offended noises, Virgil laughed. “No one gets any clues.”

“Not even Logan?” Roman started to waggle his eyebrows.

Virgil shoved him, feeling his face start to burn. “Shut up, Ro!”

“Maybe I’ll just have to get him on my side and have him ask you.” He sang as he ducked into homeroom. Which he just so happened to share with one Logan Pallas.

With a groan, Virgil sat down next to Patton.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your boyfriend is evil.” Virgil mumbled, pressing his forehead against the desk. “He’s using my crush against me.”

Patton giggled. “Who said it was his idea?”

“Oh my god, all of my friends are conspiring against me.”

More giggles poured out of Patton until the two of them were both laughing. Virgil flashed Patton a smile as the bell rang.

As the day went by, Virgil did his best to avoid Logan. Roman and Patton he could handle, but if Logan turned those baby blues on him, he’d crack immediately.

Of course, this was impossible come his final class. He and Logan were lab partners for AP Chem, considering the two of them were the smartest in the class.

“So, Roman asked me to ask you something this morning.” Logan said once they started on their lab.

Rereading their worksheet, Virgil sighed. “Yeah, I figured he would.”

“How does six o’clock sound? We can grab some pizza at Gino’s and then walk down to the movie theater. They’re replaying the first Star Wars movie.”

Virgil stared at Logan. “What?”

Redness started to creep into Logan’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed that what Roman told me was true.”

“What did he tell you?” Virgil whispered, plotting to kill Roman as soon as he saw him next.

“He told me I should ask you out?” Logan finished their mixture, placing the liquid in a vial and corking it. “Was he wrong?”

“I - um -”

“I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, Logan -”

“Forget what I said.”

“No!” Virgil blushed as he realized the whole class was looking at him. He turned in their vial, waiting for the attention to die down before he continued. “I - yeah, I’d love to go out with you. I just...I thought he was going to ask you to ask me about my costume.”

“He told me I should ask about that too, but why should I?” Logan gave Virgil a smile. “It’s much more satisfying to see the day of.”

That night, Logan and Virgil went on an amazing date. As they were walking out of the theater, hand-in-hand, Logan cleared his throat.

“While I don’t wish to know your full costume, may I get a hint?”

“I don’t know, I don’t usually give hints.” Virgil teased.

The look in Logan’s eyes had blood racing to Virgil’s cheeks. “Perhaps I can convince you.”

Leaning back against the building, Logan pulled Virgil with him. Virgil gasped as their lips met, fireworks melting every rational aspect of his brain.

“Can I get that hint now, or do you need more convincing?” Logan whispered, leaving hardly an inch of space between their lips.

“It’s a cross between two creatures.” Virgil mumbled, before their lips met again.

The next day, when Virgil walked into the school, his friends were awestruck.

“A DRAGON WITCH?” Roman shouted as he felt the material of the costume. His foil sword hung around his belt, matching his prince costume.

Patton bounced on his heels behind him, his princess dress bouncing with him. “That’s so cool!”

Logan walked up in a wizard robe, greeting them with a smile. “Oh, a witch cursed with dragon form? I hope there’s a cure.”

“True love’s kiss might help.” Virgil said, hearing Patton squeal and Roman gasp.

Logan laughed, wrapping his arms around Virgil’s neck.

“That can be arranged.”

[erascrhead]

November Ice Breaker Tag Game

loI was tagged by the lovely @bnhastanning! I’m sorry this took so long - I’ve been procrastinating all of my work and i had to take care of it before did this but now? watashi ga kita motherbuckets.

November Ice Breaker

1 - What was the last thing you were really excited about? 

Not gonna lie, things are a bit bleak at the moment, but I suppose I was very happy because I did really well on my last lesson test in my Japanese class and I raised my cumulative grade by a whole percentage! I am not very good at it but if I do decently for the rest of term I think I can make my way up to an A-, which would be really cool!

2 - What do you wish someone taught you long ago? 

Don’t be so singularly focused on your goals and responsibilities that everything else is removed from your life. Most of my middle and high school career, I was focused only on achieving what I needed academically and extracurricularly, and pushing myself beyond what I really could handle, that I ended up overworked and lonely. If it puts it into perspective, in my 10th grade year, I not only had multiple people ask me if I had taken a semester away because I had spent so much time hiding in the library, but I literally gave myself an ulcer from stress and taking on other people’s responsibilities because I had painted myself into a position where I was never allowed to refuse. While I did get to achieve beyond what I ever could have dreamed of (and I’m really proud of myself for that), theres a lot of my adolescence that I have a sort of phantom nostalgia for, and that’s something I really regret. 

Your life needs to have balance to it. Make sure you find that early on, and understand how to equally prioritize your own well being with what you want and what other’s want from you.

3 - What are some of your guilty pleasures? 

Not doing the reading for class lmao. As someone who never once skipped the reading until I graduated HS, skipping some of the reading in college, when I end up having around cumulative 500 pages per week is quite nice. I wish I had something less goody-two-shoes but I do nothing and also have zero (0) shame.

4 - What topic could you give a twenty minute presentation on without any preparation? 

There’s a couple of different things I could talk about in differing qualities ranging from classical ballet scores to a linguistic breakdown of a hamilton song, and of course I could go off about bnha for a long time, but I’m gonna go with a fun one.

My most fun answer is that I could talk about racism and race correction in Harry Potter for like three hours. Black Hermione is god tier fanon, and JKR’s attempts to race correct her make me really frustrated, not only with the problems with the action itself, but as well with the nonchalance she attempted to do it with. I have a bit of a ‘cheat’ on this one, because last year I wrote a ~5000 word academic research paper on the subject. I was already really passionate about it before that though (that’s why I wrote it in the first place); the only difference now is I can spit out narrative and numerical facts™ off the cuff, and my argument would be better organized.  

5 - What scene in a movie or tv show gives you goosebumps every time you watch it? 

I don’t really have an answer for this, which is kind of sad but also hilarious considering what my parent’s jobs are. If I had to pick something, I don’t really have a scene in particular, but the movie Amadeus (the extended directors cut edition) is one of my favorites that leaves me breathless in the best of ways. 

6 - What were some of your favorite holiday traditions growing up? 

One of my favorites is that every year since I was little, my mother and I would pick out either 1-3 new ornaments for our tree. I remember being little and walking into the Macy’s Christmas section and just being dazzled by the lights, and typically, we would pick out some white and gold porcelain birds. As I got older, are choices started coming from more small time shops, like a kiosk in hawaii or a small knick-knack shop near the place where we occasionally ski in the winter. For me, it’s really the act of going and picking out something beautiful with her that’s really nice.

A newer tradition is that every year I bake chocolate-chip bread pudding in a dutch oven. I am, unequivocally, the best baker in the family both immediate and extended, though not the best chef, and this became a hit around the time I was 15. It’s just really fun to make -- I like to belt out to Christmas songs while I bake. 

7 - What book had the most significant impact on you? 

HARD QUESTION. There’s a bunch of different ways I could answer this: the impact on the way I think, the first chapter book I read on my own that helped me discover my love of reading, my favorite example of intricate world building? I have a lot I could say. The direction I’m going to go for is the impact on my writing, and the one of the first books that really made me marvel at the beauty of words, just as they are. My two runners up are The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson, but my final answer is Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Representation aspects aside (but also, yes!), this book was one of the first books that made me feel emotion for the words themselves. It’s more of a character study than it is plot driven, and as a kid who grew up loving action adventure fantasy novels, I think that’s one of the reasons it really stood out to me. I pulled an excerpt, just to give the gist:

I stared at the reproduced mural in the book -- but I was more interested in his finger as he tapped the book with approval. That finger had pulled a trigger in a war. That finger had touched my mother in tender ways I did not fully comprehend. I wanted to talk, to say something, to ask questions. But I couldn’t. All the words were stuck in my throat. So I just nodded.

One of my favorite things now is to play with words, to roll them around on my tongue and isolate their melodies, placing them in them in rhythm to a beat only I can hear, and I think that this was the first book that showed me how to do that.

8 - What weird thing do you have nostalgia for? 

So I went to a small school for all the way up until college; about 45 kids in my sixth grade class, 22ish in my homeroom/main class. There were four kids, including me, that had an aptitude for math, and understood the lessons without being taught them, and so what my teacher would do is give us the homework packet for the week and send us out to the outdoor benches next to our classroom to complete it during the period. We, being 11, would goof around Monday through Thursday and do the entire packet in the Friday period and then turn it in. Not the best teaching decision (i wish i had been taught the next year’s material tbh) but that’s not the point.

It was just a year, but those periods felt so untouchable and surreal and innocent. I remember, the school was so quiet, and it was just us, and we were just kids who were getting away with not learning math for a whole year, and it felt like the greatest victory in the world. 

9 - What's a problem you have, that might be entirely unique to you? 

I don’t know how unique it is, but the intensity with which I currently need to pet a dog is unparalleled.

10 - What are two of your favorite snacks? 

I literally eat an apple with peanut butter on a daily basis I cannot emphasize this enough i am, a slut, for peanut butter. 

There’s also this specific Costco Brand trail mix that I literally have eaten so much of that I got nauseous. We love Kirkland Signature™ up in this house.

That’s all! I’m tagging @kicheetah @teamstevesass @stark-tony @bakugox @rabbitproduce @pixie-witchery @joeytrlbiani @queenangst THOUGH NO PRESSURE and also anyone else who wants to! Have fun!!

[neoangelic]

Don’t Need Your Love

➳ an nct dream series

After a horrible first love experience, Yang Ahn joins the Don’t Need Your Love club via invitation. Things don’t turn out the way they were supposed to. 

➳ a story of not-so-romance featuring: the coolest club on campus, the meaning of unrequited, teenagers, best friends, heartbreak, healing, first loves, and new ones. 

➳ masterlist 

➳ note: female oc, multiple pairings, ot7 dream, not saying anything more bc spoilers!

➳ word count: 2235

DNYL. A four-letter word—if you would even call it a word. DNYL: four letters that defined the rest of my youth. Four letters that changed my perspective of quite a few other four-letter words. These four consonants brought together a broken band of romance misfits, the love-lost and the lovelorn, and I was the unfortunate latter.

A scoff dared to spill from my lips when I heard Harvey’s voice crackle over the loudspeaker. It wasn’t abnormal for clubs to advertise themselves via intercom, but those were your usual clubs: basketball, taekwondo, art, math, and such. It started off one of those usual announcements at first, but his next words turned everything around.

“The coolest club on campus: DNYL—”

Such a declarative statement. It stopped me in my tracks on the way to homeroom.

“—Don’t Need Your Love.”

And like the rest of the student body, his audacious proposal of a club nearly made me laugh. Harvey was a sweet exchange student from the United Kingdom. A gregarious boy with a knack for gathering people’s interest. This stunt was no exception. Like the rest of Neo Culture Tech’s teenager-filled population, he droned on about relationships, though he spoke of the broken kind. 

Since I had no relation to such types of relationship, I let his voice fade into the background of chattering students and teachers ushering them off to class. At this point, all I paid attention to was the scuff on my Mary Janes as I walked and the way the spine of my notebooks sat uncomfortably against my bicep. My grip on them grew tighter as bits and pieces of Harvey’s speech were growing harder to suppress. Intrusive thoughts crawled its way into my mind. A whisper of an unforgotten forgotten name. Ghosts of conversations in a foreign language. A face began to form in my memory. One with cat-like, sharp eyes. Before my fingertips could come into contact with the cool metal of the doorknob in front of me and snap me out of my thoughts—something else did.  

“Do you feel down from all this unrequited love?” 

Do you feel down from all this unrequited love? Was that even a question?

I finally let a chuckle past my lips, once again turning my attention towards the scuff mark on my shoe, once again letting the name of first love to be forgotten and remembering that I had a class to attend.

“What’s so funny?”

“Lee Jeno, Jesus Christ,” my shoulders jumped to my ears. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“You looked dumb standing like that,” he gestured to my hand that floated above the doorknob.

“Are you trying to act like Hyuck-oppa by insulting me?”

“Well as your new best friend, I need to fill the void that Haechan left in our Ahn-ah’s heart.”

“You say that like he’s dead.”

“Yeah, dead to you.”

“Only sometimes,” I roll my eyes. “He’ll be back in one more month and I never said anything about you being my new best friend.”

He pouts, like a puppy. “Well haven’t I done a good job of taking care of you while he’s gone? You did post on your insta story about best friend applications being open and I remember sending you a resume that I don’t think you ever read. He’s been gone since like the beginning of last school year—”

Jeno continued to ramble on with loud hand gestures. It was odd to know that this was the boy I was introduced to during freshman year of high school. His features have grown to become more chiseled and—due to his resolution of ‘becoming fit’ over the summer—I couldn’t help but notice the outlines of muscle through his school uniform. Still retaining his puppy-like features, puberty didn’t steal away his cuteness just yet. The Lee Donghyuck he currently was ranting about was my best friend of now four years. I concluded that his one-sided competition for Donghyuck’s role as my best friend was his little way of reminiscing the devilish boy. Although, he’d never admit that he missed him. Neither would I.

Donghyuck was the funniest boy I ever met. He was like the sun at its brightest as it shone through a stormy day. His reactions were exaggerated and animated and he never failed at catching every opportunity for a quick-witted remark against me. But my favorite part about him was when he made jokes with a straight face. Sometimes I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. He breathed life into my gloomy 7th-grade self. But I don’t think I could forgive him for not metaphorically holding my hand throughout first year. He had to leave Korea a quarter through the first semester because his parents won a trip to Canada. And I get it. Canada was a great place to be, but he failed to inform me that his trip would last about a year. Before he left, he introduced me to Jeno and told me that we would get along splendidly. 

In the words of my best friend; ‘you’d be too much of a loner while I’m gone, so I bestow this pity gift on you.’ 

Not to mention, our first meeting was hilarious. 

He was right. I missed him like the moon missed the sun in the cold night sky.

Luckily, Jeno and I had more in common than I thought and maybe Donghyuck knew that. Maybe that was why he introduced us. He always had an eye for such things. 

The first thing I said made him choke on his milk and flush cherry. Let’s just say I recognized him from an old advert he did as a child actor, featuring the said drink he choked on. The Lee Jeno I first got to know was awkward and shy, never without his crescent-crinkled eyes, a bashful smile, and fingers pulling on a hoodie string. The Lee Jeno that stood in front of me was wide-eyed, broad-shouldered, and confident as ever. 

He grew up a lot.

Don’t ever tell him this (lest you want his ego to inflate) but I really admired him for that. 

“—in conclusion, who was there for that whole fiasco? Not Haechan. What did he ever do? Facetime you every day? Pff I bought you ice cream. Now that’s a real friendship. You didn’t see him flying over from Canada to comfort you, did you? Maybe he was whisked away by a Canadian babe or hunk—”

“You got me my least favorite flavor,” I remarked.

“Ahn-ah,” he whined. “Give me some credit.”

“Tough love. If you wanna be Donghyuck try to be more annoying. He’d never greet me like that.”

“Oh yeah? And how would he have greeted you?” Jeno leaned forward to meet me eye level as if challenging me. Regret flashed in his eyes as I promptly jumped up to put him in a headlock, messing up his perfectly combed hair with my free hand.

“Aw isn’t our Jeno-oppa so grown up?” I pout, pulling and pinching at his cheeks. “Every morning that I see you, you seem to get taller. What am I going to do with you?”

He scrunched his nose in disgust, furrowing his brows. “I think I have cooties now.”

“That’s the spirit. Now keep that up and you’re on your way—maybe—to be just like Hyuckie.”

“The absolute disrespect you’re giving him while he’s gone, calling someone older than you so casually” he scoffs, wrestling his head out of my grasp. “How has he had this much influence on you while he’s gone?”

“Well—”

“Lee. Yang. I don’t suppose you’d want to be late for my class while having a lovers quarrel, don’t you?”

I push Jeno away from me and bowed, flustered. “Sorry, saem.”

“Saem-nim,” Jeno clicked his tongue at my rough gesture, running his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think I could think of her romantically even if I was paid five million won.”

Mr. Song tapped his knuckles against the boy’s head. “Be nice to girls, Jeno. I was joking. I guess you finally found another boy to bully, Ahn?”

“In my defense, sir, the last boy was the one who bullied me.”

“Pfft—”

“I liked you better with the other boy you were friends with, yes. Why don’t I see him with you anymore? You seemed to cause a lot less trouble with—”

Jeno swung the door open. “I think we should get to our seats, Ahn-ah. I’m sorry about the trouble Mr. Song.” His hands clasped around my shoulders and ushered me into the classroom, another scuff to probably form as I tried to not trip over my own feet or drop my books. He shoved me toward my seat.

“Hey—”

“Shh,” he shot an annoying smile at my irritation. “Class is starting.”

“Rude. I think Donghyuck got to you too,” I grumble, sinking my face into the palm of my hand as my notebooks lay in disarray on my desk. It was unfortunate that our homeroom teacher was nice. He let Jeno sit next to me.

“I’ll call attendance now.” 

My unfortunate seatmate leaned closer toward me. I inched away, rolling my eyes as he whispered.

“So… does that make me better BFF material?” His eyes disappeared into crescents as he prodded me with is a pencil, chuckling deviously. I slapped his hand away.

“You’re still not as funny as him.”

“What the hell—”

“H-here.”

“Lee, Jeno?” Mr. Song stared at the black-haired boy with a raised eyebrow.

To which he coughed loudly to cover up his expletive.

And aside from Harvey’s little announcement that morning, the rest of the day went on without a hitch. Soon enough, Monday turned into Tuesday, which morphed into Wednesday and bumped into Thursday. All the “day”s seemed the same. Monotonous. The only thing that was different was the slowly shifting breeze and the changing colors of the leaves of plants and trees. The autumn scenery was finally settling in.

And you know what they say about autumn.

It was a fitting season for the boy in front of me. A season of endings and changes—amongst all the other autumn things. 

“Why are you tearing them down?” I caught a piece of paper that fluttered down the stairway. It had been a while since I spoke English, the language strange on my tongue. “They’re cute.”

Harvey turned around and flashed a tight-lipped smile. He shook his head with a disappointed exhale. “Quite frankly, the whole thing was a bust.” His hand reached for another DNYL poster, one of many that scattered the walls of this place.

I picked up some rogue posters that fell onto the steps, approaching the foreign boy. I wasn’t lying about the posters being cute. They were handmade and created with color and illustration, the words written in an aesthetic way. Though, I didn’t mind to read them. 

“Why’d you make the club in the first place?”

“I guess I’ve just seen those people around campus who’ve just been so unhappy,” he said. “It felt horrible knowing that there was nothing I could do to help but I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, if I created a safe haven away from that heartbreak, then nobody would feel lonely enough to cry their heart out. Have you ever had the feeling of wanting to start something beautiful?” Harvey’s eyes were green and genuine. The golden light from the window was filtered through leaves, creating a taste of a nostalgic, bittersweet what-if. 

“Once,” I answered, a feeling pulling at my chest. An urge. A remembrance of what was and what could have been. There was a wish for warmth, even soaked in the honey glow of the sun. Longing. For new beginnings. 

Who hasn’t felt the wish for something to ignite?

For something to explode.

For undreamt dreams to just come true.

“I guess I also wanted to leave a small legacy before I leave. I need to go back home pretty soon.” A solemn sigh left Harvey once again as he stared down at one of his white posters. A pitiful silence hung in the air, dust fairies dancing and floating around us, falling and disappearing away from the light.

“Maybe you just need to find your targeted audience,” the words didn’t mean to come out of my lips, but they did anyway. “NCT is a highschool where teenage romance never sleeps. You’d be best off finding some outliers—y’know like the people you mentioned.”

“The ones I’ve seen around campus?”

“Yeah. Those who have been dumped, had a bad breakup, dealing with a broken heart… isn’t that what you said this club was for?”

“I wouldn’t suppose you’re one of those outliers?” He called out.

I looked behind at Harvey and the colorful papers that stuck out from his arms and his backpack. I looked at the empty walls and the tape that he wasn’t able to scrape off and half torn stickers that spelled ‘DN’. I look at him and smile without meaning to.

“If this is truly the coolest club on campus, then send a message my way.

“I don't have your number.”

“Who said you needed to text me to communicate? Send me something interesting—something special. I wanna feel like I’m being invited to the Phantom’s masquerade,” I turned away, biting at the inside of my cheek. My next words came at a frightening decrescendo as I realized what I was getting myself into. “If you find that I’m suited for your club…surprise me.

<< recruiting now | masterlist | boys are never worth it >>

footnotes -

saem: a shortened word for ‘seongsaeng-nim’ or teacher.

oppa: well, I think we all know this one but I mostly use it to signify respect or difference of age

[sandersstudies]

Quirky - Chapter 2

A High School Superhero AU - Sanders Sides

(US Boku No Hero Academia AU - Find more in my “studywritesstuff” tag :) 

Chapter Three ->

<- Chapter One

Warning: Contains mild violence and swearing, contains bullying

Spending the morning in Literature and Mathematics rather than running around outdoors was refreshing. Logan had put in a request to be moved up a grade in Mathematics class, as he’d looked ahead in the syllabus, and recognized the concepts for the year as material he’d already mastered. Unfortunately, the teachers were taking time to work out the logistics involved, and Logan was still in first-year math, the last class before Foundational Hero Studies.

“We’re one day in and I’m already lost,” Virgil muttered as students put away their Algebra books.

“I can help you, if needed,” Logan said. He thought about adding that he planned to move up one class, but refrained for fear of looking like he was bragging. Considering Virgil;s reaction to Roman the previous day, it was reasonable to suspect that he did not appreciate people with overgrown senses of pride.

“That might really help, thanks Logan,” Virgil said.

“You’re welcome.”

“Hello, class,” Mr. Sanders said, sitting at the desk. “For those of you who don’t know, I’ll be teaching your course in Foundational Hero Studies as well as serving as homeroom teacher.”

A student raised his hand.

“Yes, Dominic?”

“Can we see your replication quirk?”

“Only if it’s necessary for educational purposes,” Mr. Sanders said, smiling though his tone was serious. “All of you should try not make a habit out of using your quirks to show off. They’re tools to be used in your professional work, not party tricks.”

Virgil was staring pointedly at Roman, who raised his hand.

“Yes, Roman.”

“Isn’t publicity and endorsement an important part of hero work, sir?”

“Sure, but that’s not something you guys should be worrying about as first-year students. UA’s hero program focuses on developing and controlling your skills, not getting you TV commercial spots.”

Roman accepted this answer with a nod, but his brow was furrowed.

“We will be performing a group exercise today,” Mr. Sanders went on. “Now that you’ve had a chance to use your quirks for individual exercises, you’ll be able to use them in a team.” He clasped his hands together, as if imitating cooperation.

A few kids whispered eagerly, or pointed at one another across the room, and Mr. Sanders held up one hand. “I’ll be choosing the teams.”

There were scattered groans.

“Here’s some news you may appreciate,” he said, standing. “Today you will get the first opportunity to wear the costumes you designed.” Several students cheered out loud. Upon admission to UA, hero students had sent in suggestions to the UA support team, which would create a hero costume based on the designs. Costumes were meant to enhance a hero’s skills in the field in addition to being flashy, and were just as critical to a hero’s success as a powerful quirk.

Logan had constructed his own design with all the logic he could muster. He had researched fabrics that were breathable and easy to move in, but he felt he lacked the certain “pizzaz” in design that many heroes used to build their brand. No matter; skill and use were the main things, not showiness.

“Get changed, and meet me on the western field,” Mr. Sanders said. “That’s where your entrance exams were held.”

“Stuff sure moves fast here,” Virgil commented, but was almost drowned out by the excited voices around them.

“I agree,” Logan said. “But perhaps that is beneficial. The life of a professional hero can become busy, and snap decision-making and adaptability are critical skills.”

As they reached the locker room, they found their costumes labeled with their names. Logan held his up in front of him. It followed his design almost exactly. He’d chosen a black and white color palette with clean lines and no flashy logo. The main piece was a loose and athletic bodysuit, white with black stripes along the seams. There was also a slim jacket, black with white stripes along the seams, that pulled over easily for cold weather. He had no helmet or headgear,  except a clear visor for rain visibility which clipped to the inside of his jacket when not in use.

“No flair for the dramatic, Logan?” Virgil asked. Logan turned around. Virgil was in all black clothing, including a cape and a fabric mask that pulled up from his chin to hide most of his expression except his eyes.

“I’m afraid not,” Logan said. “It is not one of my strong suits. No pun intended. I’ve aimed primarily for practicality.”

“Capes aren’t practical?”

“Too much risk for catching on things,” Logan said. “Could even be to one’s disadvantage if grabbed in a fight. Can be thrown over the head and be blinding. Can-”

“I get it,” Virgil said. “I just thought it looked cool. Maybe I should lose it, huh?”

Virgil sounded despondent. Logan hadn’t meant to be discouraging.

“Despite its impracticality, the appearance is certainly...cool,” Logan admitted. “Let’s go.”

The entrance exams had been held in an enclosed arena with a few rundown buildings and rubble all around. It was meant to imitate a disaster area, where superheroes were frequently needed for citizen recovery. Outside the arena and off to one side was a viewing area, with large screens live-streaming camera footage from several places inside the false city.

Though the arena itself was bland and grey, on the outer field Logan felt bombarded with bright colors and flashy logos. Many of the students had chosen costume appearance over practicality.

Latex? Logan thought. That will only impede mobility.

“Alright, everyone!” Mr. Sanders said. “We’ll be splitting into two sides, heroes and villains!”

There was some quiet conversation.

“I don’t want to be a villain.”

“Maybe it’ll be fun.”

“We’re here to learn to be heroes.”

“Quiet down,” Mr. Sanders said. “Don’t get yourselves too worked up over a tool for an exercise. You’ll be drawing slips to see who is on which side, and from there I’ll put you into pairs for the next part of the exercise.”

Logan kept mental calculations of students on both sides as they approached Mr. Sanders to draw lots from a jar. Heroes: Roman, Remigius, Kenny… Villains: Patton, Virgil, Terrence…

His turn came. Logan reached into the jar and pulled out a slip of paper, folded once. He unfolded it.

“Hero.”

It didn’t take long until all students had drawn. Mr. Sanders put down the jar and faced the students.

“Your sorting into hero and villain teams for the day is random,” he said reassuringly, “but your pairing will not be. Now that I’ve seen your initial work in yesterday’s test, I’ll be putting together combinations of quirks and personalities that will play to your own strengths and weaknesses.” Logan noticed that the older hero gestured frequently with his hands while speaking, drawing in the air in front of him as if painting a picture for the students. “Your grading on this exercise does not rest only on your wins or loses, but also on your ability to utilize these strengths, and overcome these weaknesses. The teams will be as follows: Virgil and Dominic will be facing Rafaela and Dahlia. Terrence and Remigius will be facing Logan and Roman. Patton and…”

Logan scanned the crowd for Roman, who was facing straight ahead and did not return the look. His costume was gold and white, with a short red cape and an emblem of a seven-pointed star on his chest. He had no head covering, and his dark golden hair was reflecting the sunlight.

Logan squinted. The gleam in Roman’s hair and shimmer of his skin were not artificial. They were part of his quirk, like the glowing eyes. Mostly useless, but flashy.

Maybe he can blind a villain before he attacks.

“Pay attention, now,” Mr. Sanders said, and Logan turned away from Roman. The teacher was reading from a clipboard. “For this challenge, each hero team and their opponents will be sent into the field. The heroes’ goal is to find a false explosion device hidden somewhere inside, and deactivate it. You will receive additional points for capturing one or both of your villain opponents along the way. The goal of the villains is to locate the same device and reduce its time to detonation. You will also receive additional points for capturing one or both of your opponents. I assure you, the device itself cannot harm you in any way, but your opponents will have authorization to use reasonable force to prevent you from reaching your goal. Any questions?”

“Define ‘reasonable force,’” Dominic shouted out.

“Capture and restraint are fine, as are quirk forces that will slow or incapacitate your opponents. Causing serious unneeded injury to a fellow classmate, however, will result in your score being reduced to zero instantly. Any other questions?” This was the first time the hero teacher seemed stoic, and Logan wondered if students had been injured in previous years.

Nobody spoke.

“If that’s all, then the first team will enter the field in five minutes,” Mr. Sanders went on. “They will have fifteen minutes to locate the device before detonation. Virgil, Dominic, Remigius, and Dahlia, you will go first.”

“Wish me luck,” Virgil muttered.

“Luck is illogical,” Logan said. “I will wish you the skilled use of your quirk and your brain.”

“Thanks.” Logan wasn’t sure if that was sarcasm. “I’m going to find Dominic.” Virgil. began weaving through the crowd. Logan looked around for Roman again. He was standing with Kenny and Kai, who had been assigned “hero” status, and laughing. Logan had to push past several people to reach him.

“I think it would be best if we developed a strategy,” Logan said.

“I’ve got one,” Roman said. “Stick behind me and stay out of my way.”

Roman’s friends sniggered, and Logan frowned.

“I have no doubt that our opponents will be forming their own strategy,” Logan said. “It would be rational to plan to counter them and target any quirk weaknesses they have.”

“Listen, Specs,” Roman said. “I’m sure you strategized your way out of plenty of lockers in middle school, but if you just leave it to me, it’ll be fine.”

“It may interest you to know that I’ve done extensive research into Terrence’s quirk, and as he is our opponent, I suggest-”

“Specs, it’s going to be okay, I swear.” Roman clapped Logan heavily on the shoulder. Roman was almost a whole head taller than Logan, who was exactly one centimeter taller than the national numerical mean as of August second, which was the last time he had measured.

“Virgil and Dominic are going in!” Terrence shouted.

Logan turned to the screens which displayed live footage of the arena. Virgil and Dominic were entering the ruins. They were in very stark contrast to one another, as Dominic’s costume was entirely white. Every time the two ran through a shadow, Dominic stood out, and every time they were in the light, Virgil was like a dark blot.

“Where are Rafaela and Dahlia?” Roman asked.

“They entered over there and went into a building,” Kenny said.

Logan scanned the screen as Virgil and Dominic ran through the streets of the imaginary town.

“There!” somebody shouted. Rafaela’s arm emerged from a window and snatched Virgil’s cape.

I tried to warn him, Logan thought.

Virgil jerked to a stop, thrown off balance. Though he wasn’t near enough to the camera to be audible, Logan could imagine that he’d been choked by the sudden yank of fabric, and his hand went briefly to his neck before he pulled the cape out of the arm’s grasp.

Dominic had already whirled around, and as Rafaela’s other hand writhed out of the building toward him, he visibly let out a puff of air, and the slight cloud that usually hovered near his mouth expanded unto a mist between him and the arm, which paused and retreated. The cloud of mist contorted like a living thing and retreated back toward Dominic.

Dominic’s quirk is very interesting, but Rafaela’s mastery is especially impressive. I wonder what material she used in her uniform, Logan thought. It clearly has the ability to stretch with her.

“Where’s Dahlia?” somebody else asked.

Dominic and Virgil stood back-to-back. Virgil had quickly recovered from the grab, and was now half-crouched and wary. Dominic said something to Virgil, who nodded, and the two moved toward the building where the arm had emerged, climbing in through a broken window.

“Look!” Kenny said, pointing to another screen. Dahlia had emerged from a building down the street, glancing back at where Dominic and Virgil had vanished inside. She started running down the street in the opposite direction.

A diversion, very clever, Logan thought. If only Roman was willing to...well, no use worrying about that now.

A camera had trained on Dominic and Virgil inside the building. There was no sign of Rafaela, but both boys were clearly on the defensive, glancing around the room before Virgil leaned in to Dominic to make some comment, and the two jogged upstairs.

Who knows how far Rafaela can extend her limbs? Logan wondered if she’d watched her two opponents from an upper window while distracting them. He glanced back at Dahlia’s screen. She was peering into windows as she passed, apparently looking for the explosive device.

An upstairs camera picked up Virgil and Dominic again, this time in a room with a great deal of rubble. For about twenty seconds, nothing happened. The partners scanned the room, and even peered out the windows.

Rafaela’s arm emerged suddenly from behind a large pile of concrete, slinking near the floor like a snake. Virgil’s mouth opened to shout a warning, but the hand reached Dominic’s ankle just as he turned around, and Dominic fell heavily to the ground.

Rafaela wasn’t strong enough to drag Dominic with one arm, and as her second one emerged, it had to face Virgil, who wrapped his hands around the wrist. The hand at the end of the arm twisted and flailed helplessly, and Rafaela stood up, revealing her face to the partners for the first time. Her teeth were clenched, and the arm Virgil held suddenly retracted, dragging Virgil halfway along with it before he let go. The other arm had extended even further to coil around Dominic’s lower leg. Dominic was grasping at it as it shook back and forth, preventing him from getting a solid grip. Logan was reminded of the crushing embrace of a boa constrictor. Virgil tried to cross the room to help, but Rafaela’s foot lashed out about ten feet in a quick kick to sweep his legs from under him. Virgil just has time to get back up before an alarm suddenly sounded.

“Dahlia made it!”

“Bomb detonated. Villains win,” a computer-automated voice announced. “Students, please leave the competition area.”

The fake bomb had reached zero, and the villains had won. Rafaela made a little cheer, and her fist sprang several feet above her head in her enthusiasm. Virgil and Dominic shared a defeated stare.

“Roman, Logan, Terrence, and Remigius, move toward the entrance to the city,” Mr. Sanders’ announced. Logan glanced around for Roman, who seemed to have vanished. He rolled his shoulders and grimaced.

When he arrived at the city entrance, Roman was there as well, glaring at Remigius, who was standing next to Terrence and preparing to enter a second gap in the outer walls. The villains and heroes would be separated by several buildings on their entrance into the city, and the groups would be out of sight from one another as the exercise began.

“All ready?” Mr. Sanders announced. “”Three...two…one.”

Terrence and Remigius dashed instantly through the opening, and Logan squinted. Terrence and himself knew all the limits of each other’s quirks. It would make them fairly well matched.

He’d only glanced away for a moment, but when he glanced back and began to jog forward, Roman was already a hundred feet inside. Logan sprinted a few steps to close the gap as Roman slowed to a stop at the first corner and glanced right and left.

“I should probably inform you about a particular element of my quirk before we procee-” Logan began. Roman’s hand reached back to silence him.

“You sure talk a lot, nerd,” he said. “But this is a situation for brawn, not brains. Why don’t you be a lookout?”

“I am an excellent lookout,” Logan admitted.

“Then stay behind me.” Roman dashed across the street and into a nearby building. Logan followed at a slog jog and paused outside the large doorway. He could hear Roman climbing some steps.

Go on and let him fumble around, I suppose. There’s no way to get him to listen to me.

The only windows on the first floor were too small for a person to climb through, and the door opposite the one Roman had entered was boarded up. Logan glanced upward. The windows on the second and third floors were much larger, and only about half of them covered in glass, many broken. Neither Remigius nor Terrence was likely to be able to scale the building.

Logan kept glancing up and down the street, feeling vaguely exposed. Terrence could approach from any direction in seconds, and one glance from Remigius would be enough to incapacitate Roman or Logan for the rest of the competition.

Logan heard Roman descending the stairs, and the taller boy shoved past him on his way out the door.

“Nothing here, you seen anything?”

“I have not seen anyone,” Logan admitted.

“You’re a great lookout, Specs,” Roman said, starting for the next building. “If you see Shades, let me know. I’d like to show him some ‘reasonable force.’” Logan couldn’t tell if Roman was being sarcastic or not.

The second building was much larger than the first, shaped vaguely like a hospital, with many broken windows on every side and three different entrances to the first floor. Virtually impossible to keep a lookout on all sides.

The first floor was a single large room, so as Roman ascended the stairs of the building, Logan followed him up a few steps and sat, with a good view of all three entrances.

It will take Roman a long time to check the whole building. This one has eight...nine floors.

How many buildings could Terrence search in that time? Certainly, he slowed down as he got more fatigued, but even after a dozen staircases he was likely much faster than Roman. If he and Remigius had made a strategy beforehand, it was likely that the second boy was serving as an authentic lookout - ready to look out and knock out anyone who came close. They were excellently suited for the task.

Roman was probably ascending to the third floor by now, if he wasn’t dwelling too long in any room. Just half a block away, three two-story buildings crouched in the shadow of the metal Goliaths of the other towers. They would be an excellent place for hiding a bomb - fairly inconspicuous, likely with lots of small rooms for hiding things.

Logan stood up. He could search all three of those buildings before Roman even reached the ninth floor, and be back before Roman noticed. Even if the bomb wasn’t inside, if he managed to search the buildings so quickly, maybe Roman would take him more seriously, and they could develop a proper strategy.

He jogged for the first building.

***

Nothing in here, either, Logan thought triumphantly as he finished the second building. He headed for the door and emerged into the bright daylight. Roman didn’t look so impressive on a day as bright as this, but it was too much to hope that the sun would humble a character such as Roman’s.

Logan glanced down the street, toward the building where Roman was. The other boy hadn’t emerged, and must still be searching, but…

Logan couldn’t tell if he’d imagined the figure in the first floor window, and was too far away to look inside. He began to move toward the entrance, then sped up when he got close enough to hear the familiar patter of Terrence’s steps on the stairs.

Oh no. By the time Logan was inside, Terrence - and possibly Remigius - had vanished up the stairs. Logan could still hear footsteps ascending, somewhere above him.

He took the steps two at a time, but had to rest his hands on his knees by the fourth flight. He inhaled sharply a few times, until he was roused by a crash up above. Roman shouted something unintelligible, and Logan dashed up the stairs again. As he came onto the fifth floor, he took in the situation at a glance.

Roman had focused a steady stream of light from his palm onto Remigius’ face, and was using all his other limbs to try and shove Terrence away from a cylindrical device on the floor. Terrence’s arms were moving almost faster than Logan’s eye’s could follow, and landed on the device several times, but never had time to grasp or manipulate it. Roman was taking minor hits solidly, his teeth bared and his limbal rings gleaming ominously. Remigius was covering his eyes with his hands, and tried to get closer to Roman, but tripped and fell in his blindness.

Logan sprinted and dove for the cylinder, and Roman cried out in astonishment as, with a deft motion, Logan disabled the device.

The alarm sounded.

“Bomb disabled. Heroes win,” the computerized voice said. “Students, please leave the competition area.”

Logan sighed in relief. He’d scraped his knees when he’d reached the bomb, but it didn’t matter; he’d won the exercise for the heroes, and finally proven himself to Roman and the rest of the class. He turned around and expected to see Roman triumphant, but instead the other hero pushed away Terrence’s extended hand of congratulation and glared at Logan.

“What was that?” he yelled.

“Excuse me?”

“Some mighty fine lookout you are! You just left, and I had to manage these two on my own.”

“I apologize, I-”

“How useless can you possibly be, Specs?”

Logan glanced at Terrence, who was standing by and looking uncomfortable.

“Give it up, Roman,” Terrance said. “You guys won, after all.”

“I would have had time to disable the bomb by myself if it wasn’t for you!” Roman snapped, not turning away from Logan. “You just delayed the mission and you could have cost us the win!”

“Students, please leave the competition area,” the computer said again, more urgently, over Roman’s voice.

“Come on, dude,” Terrence said.

Roman whirled around, clearly about to snap something. Remigius put one arm in front of Terrence, shooing him backward.

“We can have a repeat of what happened yesterday, if you’d like,” he droned.

Roman’s chest filled and emptied stiffly. He shoved past Remigius and started for the exit. He stopped at the door and glanced over his shoulder.

“Some hot shot you are, Shades,” he said. “You sure are brave when you can’t get hit.”

“And you sure are brave for saying so right as you head out the door,” Remigius responded. “Get lost, Sparkles.”

Roman inhaled sharply and he stormed down the stairs. Logan could have heard his stomps from three flights away.

“Thank you, Remigius,” Logan said.

“Getting real sick of that guy,” Remigius said, pulling a watermelon sucker out of his pocket, ripping the wrapping off in one pull, and popping it into his mouth. “And you can call me Remy, anyhow.”

***

Most of the class was quiet as Logan, Terrence, and Remigius emerged from the playing field. Roman was nowhere to be seen.

“Really great job, you guys,” Virgil said, walking up to join the trio as they moved away from the exit.

“And you as well,” Logan said. He was happy to put the competition arena behind him, for now.

“Well, but I lost pretty hard, didn’t I?”

“The important thing was your use of your mind,” Logan responded.

“It was impressive that you were able to hold of Rafaela so long!” Terrence said. “She has a really powerful quirk.”

Virgil’s lip twitched halfway to a smile as the group entered the spectation area. “Thanks, but Dominic deserves most of the credit.”

Remigius pulled his lollipop from his mouth with an audible pop. “Don’t put yourself down, now, honey, or I might have to put you down to sleep.” He crammed the sucker back into his cheek.

“They’re going in!” Rafaela shouted from the crowd. Up on the screens, four small figures were entering the arena, and Logan squinted to make them out. One the right, the villains, Patton and a boy whose name Logan could not remember, proceeded slowly, glancing back and forth cautiously. On the left, Kenny and Kai were dashing inside the first building.

“What’s Kai’s quirk?” Virgil asked.

“Shooting a kind of goo,” Terrance said.

“It’s actually a carbon-based material which includes organic polypeptides, similar to those in human DNA, which are likely formed due to replication near the surface of Kai’s skin during production,” Logan said quickly. Virgil turned to him with a confused look.

“It’s essentially goo,” Logan corrected himself. Make it convincing. He smiled widely, and Virgil turned away.

“That will be really useful for immobilizing an enemy,” Terrence said.

“Well, they’ve got to find them first,” Virgil muttered. “Who’s that guy with Patton?”

“October,” Remigius said slurringly around his lollipop. “He’s my cousin, and we went to the same middle school.”

“What’s his quirk?”

The lollipop clicked against Remigius’ teeth when he smiled. “I think it’s better to just let you find out.”

October was peering into high windows, Patton following behind him. Kenny and Kai had split up and were checking buildings individually. At one point, a beam collapsed, and Kai shot a projectile at it in shock, and then, though there was no sound from the screen, appeared to chastise himself.

“He’s a little jumpy,” Virgil muttered.

“How long does that goo stick around?” Elliot asked from somewhere behind Logan.

“Considering its construction,” Logan said. “One would expect it to be very resilient, but in actuality it decomposes fairly quickly, and will probably be entirely disintegrated within twenty-four hours if Kai does not personally get rid of it.”

“You sure know a lot about it,” Virgil said. “Did you go to middle school with him too?”

“Oh, no, I-” He fumbled. “I’ve only made some educated guesses, based on what I’ve seen.”

“Oh,” Virgil said. “Yeah, I guess you know a lot more about quirk stuff than I do.” His gazed dipped slightly, and Logan hoped he hadn’t made Virgil feel at all uneducated. They’d both made it into the program by the same test, after all.

“Look at Kenny!” Talyn shouted. On the screen, Kenny had punched through the boarded-up door of a building and climbed inside before clearing the rest of the boards with a small kick.

Meanwhile, October was also clearing rubble from in front of a door so Patton was then able to roll in. Once inside, he had to dodge the largest of the rubble, but was otherwise able to navigate the fairly open space.

October said something to Patton, pointing up a set of stairs, and Patton nodded. The other boy dashed up them and vanished from the camera. Patton rolled outside and into the next building, which had no boards across the door. He went around the first floor, peeking behind large rubble before rolling to the next building. He checked all the one-floor buildings on the block, and rounded back to meet October where they had began.

There was a brief mutter as Kenny and Kai appeared on an overhead camera, only a single street away from Patton and October.

“One loud noise and they’ll find each other,” Virgil said. Kenny was pointing around to Kai, perhaps explaining a plan to him. October and Patton were heading up the block toward the un-searched buildings, getting even nearer to the other pairing. If both groups turned the right corner, they would virtually run into each other. Several of the spectating students were practically holding their breath.

Patton’s wheelchair rolled over a board which had fallen off a nearby door, and the wood snapped in half resoundingly. Around the corner, Kai suddenly ejected his goo all the way from the tips of his fingers to his elbows. This, at least, explained why he’d given himself a short-sleeved costume. Kenny was splattered with the stuff and shouted loudly, so both heroes were momentarily distracted as October sprinted into a nearby building, followed almost instantly by Patton.

Kenny and Kai finally rounded the corner and glanced around wildly for the villains. On another camera, October was pointing upstairs in the building they were hiding in, and Patton nodded again. Patton rolled to the window, apparently also assigned the role of lookout, as Kai and Kenny dashed off in the opposite direction.

October, two flights up, appeared on yet another camera, crouching over the cylindrical false bomb. He muddled over the settings for a moment before reducing the time remaining from seven minutes to ninety seconds. He was down the stairs in a flash, and as he shouted something to Patton, Kenny and Kai whirled around a few hundred feet away.

Patton rolled into the street in front of October, and dodged a hasty shot of goo from Kai.

“Hey!” October shouted, standing with hands on hips as Kenny dashed toward him. The camera was near enough to him that Logan saw him wink, and the next moment Kenny stumbled to a stop and took a few woozy steps backward, eyes half-lidded.

A few students gasped or cried out.

“Is that his quirk?” Virgil asked Remigius.

“Part of it, just watch,” the other boy responded as he began to crunch the lollipop in his teeth.

October extended his pointer finger and then curled it towards himself in a universal “come here” signal. Kenny stumbled a few steps toward him. Kai, who had been watching Patton and trying to control the foamy goo emerging from his limbs, turned around and saw the bewitched Kenny for the first time.

“Is it mind control?” somebody asked.

“It’s not as simple as that,” Remigius said. “But I guess.” He pulled the bare lollipop stick out his mouth and flicked it deftly into a trash can.

A chime sounded just as Kai made a rush for October.

“Bomb detonated. Villains win,” the computerized voice said. October dashed to Patton and high-fived him. As he did, Kenny snapped out of his daze and thumped into a seated position on the ground, blinking in confusion. Kai reached out a hand to help him up, and the four boys headed for the exit.

“Still not sure how that one kid got in,” mumbled a voice somewhere behind Logan. “Can’t believe he and October beat Kenny and Kai.”

Logan glanced over his shoulder. Roman was standing at the back of the group, muttering to his friends just loud enough that everybody else could hear.

He sure is competitive, Logan thought, but there was no need to put down the other students.

“Somebody really needs to knock down that guy a peg,” Virgil muttered. “I thought he might learn his lesson after messing with you, Remy.”

“Some guys never learn,” Remigius said. “And some of those guys end up as head heroes anyway.” He crushed a small fragment of fallen lollipop under his foot, and turned to walk away.

Patton, October, Kai, and Kenny approached the spectators, and several students muttered congratulations, especially to October.

“What a cool quirk!” one student said.

“It would be amazing out in the field,” said another.

October brushed off the compliments, and the class was quiet as the next group entered the arena.

“So far the villains and the heroes seem pretty evenly matched,” Virgil said.

“I agree,” Logan said. “And my research would concur with you, as well.”

“Well, with research on my side, I’m awfully flattered,” Virgil said.

Logan could not always tell when Virgil was being sarcastic, so he only nodded. The other boy was mysterious, and Logan supposed that he liked it that way. After all, he’d chosen an all-black suit, and seemed fairly secretive about his quirk.

I can hardly call the kettle black, Logan mused. That would make him the pot. He also didn’t much like discussing his quirk in public, especially among so many talented peers, some of whom - he heard Roman laughing at something Kenny had said - would jump at the chance to tear down an opponent. He didn’t like to suppose that his fellow student meant him any harm, but Roman was quick to anger and, judging by his cold behavior toward Remigius, slow to forgive.

Virgil leaned down to mutter congratulations to Patton, who had rolled up beside him, but Logan noticed that he did not make eye contact. Patton’s gaze seemed invasive to others, and Logan wondered whether, like October, he possessed some form of a mind-control quirk. It would explain his recommendation to UA, and many mental quirks of that kind were very useful. However, if Patton had been prioritized over October, then his quirk must be even more powerful. The small and cheery boy seemed like no threat, but Logan made a point to remember to not to look him in the eye.

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars (Week 28)

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

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Christmas in July, anyone? It might be hot and summery for us right now, but for Izumiko and the others in RDG right now, it’s December! I’m sending cooling thoughts to everyone broiling in the summer sun with this week’s installation.

Red Data Girl: My Wish on the Night of the Shooting Stars By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 4: Mizuho Part 1 (2 of 2)

When Izumiko went up to the student government room, she found Miyuki there already, just like Mayura said she would.

Aware of Izumiko’s arrival, Miyuki looked up from the computer screen. For the first time, Izumiko realized that she wasn’t worried about her grades like she had been earlier in the semester. After all, she had already showed Miyuki all of her tests and she didn’t think he would react as unexpectedly as Mayura had upon seeing her results.

All the same, when he opened her report card, he said in a surprisingly bright voice, “Wow? You ranked tenth? You really did well!”

“Yeah. I reached my goal. And it’s all because you helped me.” Izumiko smiled and placed her bag down before settling into a nearby chair. “So…”

“The fact that your grades went up this far in such a short time shows that until now, you have been putting in very little effort. Clearly you can do well if you actually try.” Miyuki seemed to notice nothing as he spoke, saying things that hurt a little to hear. “You decided you weren’t any good at math and science, didn’t you? That’s not true. You and I might approach the material in different ways, but you quickly find the answers through instinct. Don’t just assume you’re going to be wrong because you’re not used to doing that kind of work.”

Izumiko shrank into herself, but decided to go along with the conversation for a little longer.

“I kind of get what you’re saying. Before this, I didn’t really understand the point of trying hard just because of tests. But now that I’ve done so well, I feel like I shouldn’t be saying I want to be like Mayura. Now I just want to pass her, exactly like you’ve been saying.”

Happy that her roommate had done so well on her exams, Izumiko smiled at Miyuki. “I heard that Mayura just barely beat out Takayanagi for first ranked in the grade. It seems like no one can beat her.”

“For sure. She’s definitely impressive,” Miyuki said with no particular enthusiasm. His tone might have been uninterested, but Izumiko caught the tiniest bit of a smile on his face.

“By any chance, were you aiming for first rank too, Sagara?” Izumiko asked, feeling a little unsure of herself.

Miyuki’s awkward smile remained. “What do you mean ‘by any chance’? When you’re capable of doing something, shouldn’t you put all your effort into doing it? It’s human to feel disappointed when you lose out on what you were aiming for. I’m the same as anyone else.”

“But you’re so good at everything. I can’t even compare myself to you,” Izumiko said in surprise. She honestly couldn’t see what Miyuki felt badly about. Wasn’t this the same Miyuki who had said he’d be happy as long as he scored in the top five?

“So, we should celebrate today…”

Miyuki spoke up, unaware of the direction Izumiko was seemingly trying to move the conversation in. “You’re not an incapable person. You can do so much more than you do now. I’m not just talking about studying. You’re starting to turn this academy into a safe place for yourself all on your own. The goddess hasn’t possessed you in a while, and you’ve managed to make the diviners your allies. I feel like something changed when we were named Team Goddess. I’ve got to think more about how else I can be useful now.”

Caught up in whether or not this was a good chance to reach for her bag and the present inside, Izumiko only heard the last part of his statement.

“Think more about… what?”

“Takayanagi, the Soudas, and everyone else are part of the team to protect the goddess, right? They argue here and there, but I can tell that from here on, they’ll be there to have your back with their spiritual powers. It’s their destiny to eventually become World Heritage Candidates like that. But that’s not the same for me.”

Izumiko sucked in a surprised breath and then heartily denied his words. “That’s not true at all! You’re part of this too, Sagara! Weren’t you able to get rid of those shikigami before at the Christmas party just like Takayanagi was? You were the one who helped me when the Wild Hunt came, too!”

“I was able to see the shikigami and get rid of them with my staff because Wamiya lent me his power,” Miyuki pointed out calmly. “You already know it. I don’t have abilities like everyone else does. If Wamiya ever felt like letting go of me, everything I can do now would disappear. That’s why I can’t be part of the team.”

“Why can’t you? Isn’t it okay for you to use Wamiya’s power?” Izumiko said, voicing her true feelings before pausing to think. “One day, you’re going to be the one who helps me out more than anyone else. I think Wamiya knows that and that’s why he’s with you.”

“That’s fine for the three years we’re here. I’ve more or less gotten used to him at this point. But if you think about it in the long run, I would only be able to show any abilities while I was near you. Admit it. That’s not exactly useful protection for myself. For example, if you were in Japan and I went abroad, do you really think Wamiya would actually cross the ocean with me?”

There was no hesitation in his voice, almost as if he had already thought about this many times before. Izumiko blinked and readjusted herself in her chair as she gazed over at Miyuki.

“Do you think you want to go abroad, Miyuki?”

Miyuki straightened his back and said, “Nothing’s set. I’ve only thought about the possibility. I don’t know what would be best for me yet. But I know I wouldn’t be gone for a long time. I’m not thinking I’d be gone my whole third year. I’d probably just be testing it out on a quick trip.”

“Testing out… going abroad?”

“I’ve talked with some people about becoming an exchange student,” Miyuki confided without any hesitation.

Izumiko’s body stiffened. Her breathing paused as she stared at him. All the same, it didn’t seem as if Miyuki thought what he was saying was all that shocking.

He continued speaking, his tone calm. “I’ve told my homeroom teacher that I’m considering the possibility of studying abroad for half a year or maybe a whole year when we’re second years. There’s downsides to being an exchange student, and I’m still thinking it all over, but there are definitely things I’d only be able to learn if I went now. I want to put myself first, and while I hadn’t planned to hand over my place at the goddess’s side from the start, if it turns out that the “team” is only you and one other person, Takayanagi or Mayura’s abilities are more important for you to keep nearby. You have to keep people who have the ability to fight near you.”

Izumiko was overwhelmed by the realization that Miyuki didn’t understand. He didn’t understand what Izumiko was wishing for in her precious three years at the high school or why she had come here at all.

We only have three years here, but if he’s not here too, there’s no point to it at all. I don’t even want to think about him not being here with me. Miyuki might not have any special powers, but he’s been my best support...

Something occurred to Izumiko just as she was about to say all of this out loud. If she said the things she felt, it would be the same as her saying that she needed him. She realized that was the one thing she hadn’t been able to do since Miyuki had been bound to her and her destiny.

Staying silent, Izumiko looked down at the hem of her skirt, knowing she couldn’t say the things she was thinking. Miyuki looked at her quizzically. However, it didn’t seem as if it was because he was wondering why she was acting the way she was.

“This is all still in the future, and I don’t know how it’s going to work out, so you don’t really have to think about it. I haven’t talked to Yukimasa about it yet either.”

“If Mr. Sagara says yes and gives you the money… will you go abroad?” Izumiko asked finally, her voice hoarse.

“Not necessarily. It would depend on where I could study.”

Maybe it was because he was thinking about Yukimasa, but Miyuki took a short breath and then said, “It’s just that with everything going on and now that I have to track down Yukimasa who’s disappeared into thin air, I probably won’t be able to go to Tamakura Shrine this winter. It seems like Yukimasa’s flown to the United States.”

“What? Really?...”

There was no reason that Miyuki had to spend his time at Tamakura Shrine over the long vacation. Izumiko knew that. They hadn’t bought tickets together in advance like they had for summer vacation. Seeing as her mother’s friend, Dr. Mizuho Nakayama was coming to Tokyo for a conference, she had bought a ticket for Izumiko as well so that they could travel back to Tamakura together.

Still, Izumiko couldn’t imagine a New Year where she didn’t see Yukimasa or his son even once. This, too, was quite a shock for her.

*****

On the twenty fourth, a silver and white Christmas card arrived for Izumiko at the girl’s dorm.

 Merry Christmas, Izumiko.

This year, I thought I’d give you your last Christmas present of the season first. But what should it be?

Yukimasa

 Izumiko stared at the card in front of her a little sullenly.

He must be teasing me with this…

Yukimasa had disappeared from the school without one word to Izumiko. Why was he asking her what she wanted now?

No matter how you think about, it’s generally pretty weird that an ascetic monk is wishing me a Merry Christmas…

The card arrived in the afternoon while Izumiko and Mayura were getting changed for the day’s party. Angelica’s party was still three hours away, but it would take them an hour and a half once they left the school to ride the Keio Line and then the subway to their destination. It was a good idea to give themselves some extra time in the process.

Mayura looked over at the card curiously, but she didn’t seem to think that the sender’s name was the Yukimasa Sagara they both knew. Soon enough, she moved away and went back to her own preparations.

“Hey, Izumiko. Why haven’t you given Sagara his Christmas present yet?”

“The timing hasn’t been right so I haven’t given it to him,” Izumiko replied reluctantly. Bringing it up only made her feel more disappointed about the situation. She let out a sigh. “I might give up on giving it to him. It’s not anything special and walking around with it all this time has hurt the wrapping paper.”

“What are you talking about? Today’s Christmas Eve, isn’t it? What if you give it to him before we go to Angelica’s house?”

Izumiko bit her lip. “Miyuki said something came up all of a sudden that he needs to do and he already left. He’ll meet us there. He sent me a text about it this morning.”

“Huh? He must have only sent it to you. Miyuki was the one to decide that we’d go to this. I’d love to tell him that he should actually be coming with us for that exact reason. Manatsu and I are only going because of him.”

Mayura glanced towards Izumiko and then let out an unexpected laugh. “Wow, Izumiko. You look seriously peeved. You went out of your way to put on such a cute outfit, but with that face… Look at yourself.”

Izumiko was wearing a dress with a short sweater over it. She had on a necklace and a corsage to dress the outfit up as well. Her hair was still in its usual braids, but she wore a rhinestone headband to give them more of a party-like appearance. Dressing up was supposed to make her feel better about going to the party, but Izumiko still wasn’t excited about it at all. She looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror on her wardrobe’s door, but she couldn’t focus on her expression at all.

“I never know what Miyuki’s thinking…” she complained.

“And he doesn’t understand how you feel either,” Mayura said bluntly in response. “Why can’t you give him that present? I promise you he’ll be happy to get it.”

Izumiko continued to frown. “I imagined myself giving him a better present on Christmas Eve. What I have is so ordinary.”

“You’ll know what he’s thinking when you finally hand it over. If it’s from you, it’ll be special to him.”

When Izumiko did not respond, Mayura smiled. “Well, I guess I have to say this then. In Europe, Christmas is celebrated for twelve days. I think you should give Miyuki that present even if it’s on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Don’t give up. You’d be stupid not to give it to him.”

The two of them finished getting ready with a little time left to spare before they had to leave. As they finished though, there was a knock at the door and the head of the dorm, Ms. Saijou, poked her head inside.

“Izumiko, do you know a woman named Dr. Nakayama?”  

Izumiko looked in Ms. Saijou’s direction in surprise. “If you mean Mizuho Nakayama, I know her.”

“Yes, yes. That’s the person. She’s just arrived here to pick you up. She’s in the lobby.”

“What?” Izumiko glanced towards Mayura in confusion. “What should I do? Mizuho must have gotten my return date wrong by a day.”

“Oh, is this the person you’re going home with?”

“I’m going to go down and talk to her for a minute.”

Mizuho Nakamura was not a careless person and so Izumiko couldn’t imagine that this was a case of misinformation. She hurried out of the room and down to the lobby.

In Izumiko’s mind, Mizuho was always a doctor in a white coat. The woman waiting just inside the door, however, was wearing a well-tailored beige trench coat. Regardless, Izumiko knew who she was. She was tall and just a little too thin with her hair in a high ponytail held up in a barrette. Her sharp cheekbones gave her strong, easily recognizable facial features.

Still confused, Izumiko stopped in front of the woman.

“Mizuho, I’m sorry, but today’s not actually the day I’m going home…”

Before Izumiko could finish speaking though, Mizuho wrapped her in a tight hug. Her grip might have been powerful, but Izumiko noticed the strained look on her face. This wasn’t the easygoing smile Mizuho wore when Izumiko visited her office in the hospital.

“I know, Izumiko. I need you to be calm and listen to me,” she said close to Izumiko’s ear. Her voice was so low it was practically a murmur. “Without making a scene, we’re going to leave together right now. Yukariko was injured at work. I’m taking you to her, but she doesn’t want anyone else to know her whereabouts right now.”

Keep reading!

[cupidsmusings]

The Affair that Never Happened

Description: It was her third and final year at Seishun High School. A year that was coveted by most and looked back on with cherished memories. For this particular student though, she found herself in a peculiar situation that set a catalyst for things to come. 

Rating: PG-13

Series: The Affair that Never Happened

Chapter 1: Rebellion

Couples: Eventual reader x Shinichi, unrequited reader x Chiharu

Author’s note: I had this idea for a while now, about four months actually until I decided to give in to the creative itch and write it. I always wondered what it would be like to write a story where a student slowly falls in love with Shinichi and him with her as well. Knowing his past, without spoiling anything for people that haven't read his story yet, I thought it would make for an interesting story. 

Chapters: 2, 3

   The sun was in the process of sinking behind towering buildings and tree lines. The sky was a burst of orange, pink and purple and the warmth of summer stuck to the skin in a way that was a mixture of comfort and discomfort. It was an odd feeling, but not as odd as the scene displayed in front of the young woman. It was odd, it really was, for now, she felt a peculiar chill run down her spine. It froze her limbs and she just stood in her spot. The two in front of her took no notice of her presence and she was positive that in the future she would be grateful.

   Her hand that had been gently grasping the doorknob found itself tightly gripping it. Would it count as peeping if she was staring at them through the window constructed in the door? It wasn’t like she wanted to see what she was, but there she was, feeling like a voyeur. A voice called to her, one that sent her skin crawling in surprise. His footsteps grew closer and she jerked her hand away from the doorknob and turned her body to face him. It was Kagari-sensei, both her math and homeroom teacher.

   “What are you doing?” He asked as he neared, his tone matching the suspicious glint in his gaze.

   “I was supposed to meet up with Chiharu,” she told him, purposely making her voice louder than it needed to be. “We were gonna study.”

   “That’s fine, but there’s no need to yell.” He stated and let his expression visibly show his exasperation with her.

   Her response was to giggle in a feigned way that reminded one of a ditzy girl from a high school drama. As the two stared at one another the door to the clubroom opened.

   “What’s with the commotion?” It was a familiar voice, one that caused her heart to skip a beat.

   But just as it fluttered against her breast it quickly dispersed into sharp shards. The remaining scraps of her heart sunk deep into her stomach. The next figure to appear from behind him was her English teacher. She was successful in keeping her teasing smile in place as she shrugged her shoulders in response to Chiharu’s chiding. Should she mention it when the two were able to be alone or should she reframe from saying anything all together? Student-teacher relationships were scandalous, sure, but they still happened. It wasn’t as if she wanted to tattle on the two of them, she was just curious about how the boy she had come to love got into such a capricious relationship. He was by no means the type that would trick or be tricked, so it was safe to assume the two were serious about one another.

   “You’re late, {Name}.” Chiharu stated and the tone took on a serious note that did not match up with what she just saw.

   “Well, I’m sure you weren’t too bored.” She thought to herself as she played the role of school-slacker.

   “What are you gonna do if it’s your fault that the dating ban doesn’t get lifted?” Chiharu asked her with a quirked brow.

   “Who says I’m even following the dating ban?” She commented with a kittenish smile that caused all three of the people around her to stare at her in shock. “It was a joke.”

   With a roll of her eyes, she walked passed both Chiharu and her English teacher.

   “That wasn’t a very amusing joke,” Kagari-sensei said and she could feel his cold gaze against her back.

   “It’s not my fault your sense of humor is as bland as bread.” She called to him from over her shoulder, her amused smirk only proving to goad him on.

   He didn’t respond to her and merely called to her English teacher, telling her to follow him. As she took a seat at the student council table she watched with a lethargic gaze as Chiharu joined her.

   “You need help in math, right?” He said as he brought out the study materials from his schoolbag.

   “Yep, yep.” She nodded as she placed her own study materials on the table.

   A day had passed, and the curiosity of the entire situation had gotten the better of her. Sure, she was heartbroken, but she was also a girl with an overactive imagination. She would slyly look from her English teacher to Chiharu. When did it happen? Her English teacher had been given the job to overlook the student council, which Chiharu was part of. Was it then? The two of them alone in a quiet room, talking about school life and the pressures that both of them had? And as time progressed, so did their feelings. By the way the two were practically mauling each other in the student council room, she couldn’t help but smirk to herself.

   “Chiharu, you sly dog!” She thought to herself as she turned her attention to the front of the class.

   Usually, this part of the day would be her study period, for she was a foreign student from the states, but she chose to sit in and observe. There was no objection from her teacher, and the other students, though they thought it odd, didn’t say anything either. As class dragged on, she never let her eyes strain from the two.

   “{Last Name}-san!” The teacher called to her, which caused her to instinctively straighten her posture. Was she staring too much? Wait. No that didn’t make any sense. Of course, she would be staring at her teacher.

   “Yes?” She asked with a polite smile.

   It wasn’t until she took a good look around her did she notice that students had left for lunch. With an owlish blink, she tried to keep the embarrassed heat that crawled up the back of her neck at bay.

   “I know this block is a study period for you and I was wondering if something was wrong. You’ve never attended this class until today.” Amano-sensei started, each of her words chosen carefully. “I heard that Kagari-sensei was supposed to meet with you to discuss your current score in his class. Were you perhaps hiding out here in order not to meet him?”

   Well, that was a wonderful excuse. She herself had completely forgotten about the meeting she had with Kagari-sensei. He wasn’t going to be too pleased with her and she had his class for her last class-period so it wasn’t like she could avoid him.

   “Yeah,” she lied with ease, but the troubled smile she gave was genuine, as was what she said next. “You know how it is. You know you’re failing, you see with your own eyes that you’re failing, and the last thing you want is for someone to also acknowledge it.”

   Her mind wandered to the days of her schooling in America. Some teachers were nice, but others… Others would flatly state that she was a hopeless cause in certain subjects. One such subject being math. Those teachers would be flippant in their remarks, which made it easier for their comments to roll off her shoulders, but Kagari-sensei was different. His words would probably be like thin blades piercing deep within her carefully constructed blasé exterior. The thought did not bring a lick of amusement or joy to her. It was decided, she would leave school right then with a feigned stomach ache. Why should she have to go and sit through something that darkened her mood?

   No. Running away would only push back the inevitable. She’d go in, act nonchalant and crack a joke or two before promising to do better. After that, she would promptly leave and as a reward, she’d say screw curfew later on and go party in her old stomping grounds.

   “I’m sure Kagari-sensei will be fair, and maybe even offer to tutor you!” Amano-sensei said and flashed her an optimistic smile.    “It’s hard to believe you when you still sound like you don’t even believe what you’re saying.” She couldn’t help but laugh, the pitiful smile turning into one of amusement once more. “But there’s no helping it right? If I can I’ll try and have a talk with him before school ends.”    The worried furrow of Amano-sensei’s brows eased apart and her smile, which was once forced, was one of genuine happiness. Well, while looking at Amano-sensei this way, she wasn’t all that surprised why Chiharu decided to pursue the woman despite the age difference and the fact she was an educator.

   “{Name}!” A voice called to her.

   It was a great distraction actually, for sitting at her desk in anticipation for Kagari’s arrival was nerve-wracking. Her classmate had come over to ask her the answer to one of the questions for their English homework. She was more than willing to give him the answer with a quick explanation, which she doubted he even listened to because he scurried off back to his seat before she even finished.

   She opened her mouth to playfully snap at him but the sharp sound of the classroom door sliding open caused her lips to screw shut. Kagari walked in with his usual stern expression and clean-cut suit. So polished and pristine, and despite the fact that she knew he was human she often wondered if he was actually an android sent from the future. On that thought, she drifted into a daydream in which he was an android. Sent back in time to mold the mind of one particular student and if it resulted in failure he’d have to kill them.

   “What kind of weird terminator style day-dream are you having?” She mused to herself as she tried to keep her chuckling at bay.

   When she turned her attention in his direction, she felt pinned in place when their eyes met. His eyes, cold gray and calculating, watched her with thinly veiled annoyance. Shame washed over her and she couldn’t help but look out the window. It wasn’t like she missed their meeting on purpose! So why did she feel so guilty? Maybe that’s just what his gaze did to her. It tore her apart and looked into her most embarrassing crevices. So annoying.

   She propped her left elbow on her desk and rested her chin in her palm. Using her fingers, she made it a point to press them gently against her face in a natural way to hide its lower portion. It wasn’t as if that truly did anything, but to her, it felt as if she was able to shield at least some of herself from his penetrating gaze.

   It was in the midst of class that her name was called. It was sudden and it was a dreaded thing. Was he calling her up to answer an equation in a weird punishment type way for missing their meeting? No… No, he wasn’t a child. It was more likely because he wanted to make sure she was paying attention. To be fair she was, but to also be fair it wasn’t as if she understood what was happening. And she wasn’t the type to ask for him to go over a certain equation one more time. That’s as embarrassing as walking up to the board to answer the question scribbled across. This also wasn’t the type of situation where one could fake it until they made it.

   With poise, she stood up from her seat and nonchalantly walked up to the board. She could feel everyone’s gaze on her but it was his gray eyes that pierced through her. With great effort, she thought of what she guessed to be the correct way to answer it. She steadied her fingers as she pressed the white chalk against the board. Her collected and calm façade was flawless and she would have been proud of herself if Kagari-sensei hadn’t released the most troubled sigh someone could have.

   “You used the wrong formula to answer it. It should have actually been…” As he explained it he quickly made work of the chalk to write out the proper formula and answer.

   But like, could she go sit back down? How long should she stand there all awkward like?

   “You may go sit back down now.” He sighed.

   She gave a mock salute before making her way back to her desk. When she sat she made sure that her posture was unperturbed by what just occurred. It wasn’t that big of a deal honestly. It really wasn’t. But the shame of embarrassment washed over her in tidal waves and it left her distracted. Time passed by incredibly slow after that, and she didn’t know whether to be thankful or not. With dread in her heart and the ring of the bell signaling the end of final classes, she slowly packed her belongings into her school bag. As she eased each object inside she listened closely as multiple feet shuffled across the floor. The voices that once filled the room grew distant and soon she found that it was only her and Kagari-sensei.

   “Kagari-sensei,” she smiled as she walked over to him, her voice feigning an easy-going tone. “I’m sorry about missing our meeting.”

   That was when she bowed, but when she glanced up she saw that he was only eyeing her with slight disinterred. Well, that was, to put quite frankly, hella rude. With all her effort she made sure that her aggravation didn’t show in her expression or voice.

   “I completely forgot, I’m very sorry.” She told him, except this time she straightened her posture. No use bowing to someone that was so rudely ignoring her sincerity. To be fair, she knew it was her own fault, but he didn’t have to look at her as if she was the one annoying him. He was equally annoying too.

   “That’s fine, we can discuss what it was now.” He stated primly.

   “Alright.” She said and leaned casually against the teacher’s desk. “What was it you wanted to talk about.”

   “It is quite obvious, isn’t it? It’s not as if you aren’t aware you’re failing my class. As both your homeroom and math teacher, I wanted to let you know that if you fail the next test or any test after that one, you’ll likely fail the class.” He told her.

  “I know that, well not the failing the class part, but I figured that I needed to do better on my tests to raise my score. That’s why I have been studying with Chiharu.” She told him with a small, proud smile.

  He did not look impressed.

   “If you were actually trying to improve you would have been able to answer the question today in class. It was a very basic formula.” He told her in that stern voice of his that sounded more dictator than educator.

   Anger boiled in her and she didn’t bother hiding it. Her brows furrowed and her eyes squinted into a sharp glare. If he was taken aback, he didn’t show it. Instead, the two stood in silence, both just staring at each other.

   “Well, you can’t deny that I’m wrong.” He finally spoke.

   She continued to stare, well glare, at him for another moment. What was she supposed to say to that? She was trying and screw him for not believing in her. He knew nothing about her so how dare he act as if he did.

   “You should be studying more than with Chiharu. It is rather obvious that you can’t grasp math as fast as others.”

   Did he just call her stupid?

   “I suggest you study more than an hour and a half every night, as well as studying with Chiharu after school ends as much as you can.”

   He kept talking but she stopped listening. He was just like all the others, just like she thought. With a false smile and words coated with sweetness and venom, she finally said, “I will keep that in mind Kagari-sensei. I best be on my way now, since I have a meeting with Chiharu to study.”

   She didn’t even wait for his response and walked briskly passed him. Once she exited the room she found herself wanting to slam her fist into a wall. Or a person. Preferably Kagari-sensei. While she walked towards the usual room she used to meet with Chiharu she fished her phone out of her skirt and scrolled through her contacts before she found the chat she was looking for.

   “Hey, loser, wanna meet up tonight? Haven’t seen you in a while.” She texted to the male on the other end.

   “Sure, sure. What time and the regular place?” The person responded.    “9:00, by that time it will be less likely for someone to enter my room. And yeah the regular place is fine.”

   “Can’t wait,” the person responded and added a cute winking emoticon before replying with one more speech bubble. “I’m guessing something happened. Don’t worry, you can lean on my shoulder and cry if you want.”

   “Screw you, whose gonna be crying?” She muttered under her breath while she replied with an eye-roll emoticon.

   When she arrived at the door, she placed her phone in her pocket once more before taking a deep breath. She forced her usual amused smirk and made sure her tone was extra teasing as she entered the room to greet the male with whom she was in love with.

[haiky-u-lously]

April fools success stories.

Hello all! As a teacher, you find joy in the little things of daily life. As a teacher in another country you get to help expand students knowledge and understanding of different cultural events and holidays. Today, I got the chance to teach about 200kids the joy of a good April fools prank.

Details below(:

So my first class of the day was a group of 8th graders. We were supposed to have social studies today, but as I also teach them a transitional math class and that class was cancelled due to an early weekend, I made today be math class. This was funny if only because I am primarily a math teacher and am only teaching S.S. because my school couldnt find a new teacher for the whole subject. Add to this that instead of doing new material like we should have, we played bingo with the math symbols they had a test on two weeks prior.

My second class was a group of 10th graders. And before I get into this one let me explain what led up to it. My coworkers and I decided we wanted to switch classes to mess with the kids. I see 10S 4th and 5th period and the music and drama teacher sees 7S 5th period. Me and him decided to switch our 5th blocks. Now. When 10S walked in for 4th period, I told them "the school wants me to test yall, cause I guess I dont do it enough. You have an instruction sheet that you must read entirely and follow. Good luck" I reminded them to read the instructions 4-5 more times...most did not. But basically, this was a geometry class that had never had English statistics or a real stats class taking a test meant for a stats class well into the year. They only got 10min to do it, I collected to page and then went over the instructions with them. Where one read "do not do anything and you will get a 100". None of them listened heheheh. Then! Our international teacher department head came in and sent me to the principal. Where I "stayed" for 5min "having a talk". Came back in full blown tears saying that I had been fired and they had to leave so that I could pack up. (Mind you the boss man was in on it). So he led them to the music and drama teachers room, who the kids have literally never had a class with because he only teaches grade 7s and 8s lol.

Then his class came in and I started teaching them the 10th grade content. Mind you these 7th graders do not have a high English level if any in some cases. So they got really really scared. I only did it for 5 minutes though, then pulled an older kid to translate the rules of bingo and played that with them. Then! The 2 troublesome kids that always give the music and drama teacher trouble, I made go to the front and have a pretend wedding, where I took pictures and sent to their homeroom teacher hehehehe.

Okay okay. Then came the 9th grade class. And they were late from the class before mine, so I sat there "writing up denetention slips" for every single person. And they kept saying "no but teacher held us late!" And I kept saying they didnt tell me, (they had). Then I gave them the same test I stumped the grade 10s with. Same result heheheheheh. THEN! I told them all I had lied about writing them up because the teacher had told me! Their faces were priceless! I wish I'd had my camera up for it. So then I'm just talking with them because we do not have too much time left of class and I tell them I ordered a cake to make up for being so "mean". And this one kid goes, "no teacher. No believe you anymore" and so i show them the message of the delivery making it's way, it's in English so they still dont believe so I show them the other one in Chinese and the picture of it and they are like "!?!?!? Wasbi cake?" Because it's a western cake so real frosting and no fruits drowning it and its green ombre. And I'm like no it ain't wasabi and they dont believe me until they came back at the end of the day to eat it.

So all in all I got some great pranks in today. And even though I was so mean to my kids, I also rewarded them and everything is good and dandy. Now...how to plan for next year...😁😁😁

[mayoi-archive]

[SCHOOL STORY] Stray Dogs Gakuen 2 (Pt. 1 & 2)

Chapters: One & Two

I parted from Dazai-san to head towards my own classroom. Atsushi: Dazai-san handed this over to me, but… I had a “Late Pass” in my hand.

Atsushi: “Be glad that you can use this, since it will be difficult to enter the classroom.”

Was what Dazai said when he handed it to me.

Atsushi: But ahh, Dazai-san said it… Will I really be okay? Atsushi: I am already 30 minutes late to class….

When I arrived at the classroom I was in doubt, but the teacher looked at the pass that I received from Dazai-san, and I was then able to enter the classroom without a problem. 

Atsushi: The teacher didn’t even say anything…. 

There wasn’t even a scolding. So, like air, I moved through the classroom. When I reached my seat and sat down, I looked at the pass that was handed to me. 

Atsushi: That was unexpected. I was really able to use it. Atsushi: How in the world did Dazai-san prepare this? Atsushi: I was honestly late, but it was as if everything was justified…It’s like magic. Atsushi: Who even is Dazai-san?

While thinking about it, Homeroom ended, and my very first class began. 1 Hour passed, and then 2 hours, and then morning classes ended.

Atsushi: Ahh, it’s already time for lunch. I wonder if I will have to eat alone…  Atsushi: (( The person sitting next to me has been asleep since this morning. I will try to call out to him…))

I think his name was -- Miyazawa Kenji.

Atsushi: U-uhhm… 

My voice woke Kenji-kun, and while yawning he looked at me sleepily.

Kenji: Eh, could it be that morning classes have finished? 

Atsushi: Eh? Y-Yes.

Kenji: Ahh, I did it again. Recently, I realized I’ve been having longer lunch breaks….. Oh? Now that I think about it, the seat next to me was empty before, but… who are you? 

Kenji said as he tilted his head in wonder.

Atsushi: Oh, that’s right, you were asleep when I entered the classroom, and you didn’t notice me. Ah, my name is Nakajima Atsushi. On my way to school I was involved in a variety of things, and I became late. 

Kenji: That must have been awful….

Kenji: I’m Miyazawa Kenji. Atsushi-san, from here on out, please treat me well! 

After Kenji said that, he suddenly fell asleep.

Atsushi: You’re sleeping again!? What a carefree person…

While I was thinking, at the same time, a voice called out my name from the hallway.

Mysterious Person: Nakajima Atsushi. I want to talk-

Kunikida: Nakajima Atsushi. I’d like to have a word with you. 

It was the Math teacher Kunikida-sensei who called me. Kunikida-sensei was the teacher who issued my and Dazai-san’s Late Pass. 

Atsushi: I was tricked after all!  Atsushi: I was thinking that I wouldn’t bother anyone, and have an extremely ordinary high school life! I wonder if my high school life will end on the very first day of school? 

While I was thinking worriedly, I came into the hallway, and with a shaky voice, I asked Kunikida-sensei--

Atsushi: What is it? 

Kunikida: IT'S NOT 'WHAT IS IT?' 

Atsushi: Eek!

Kunikida: Bastard, what is your relationship with Dazai? 

Atsushi: ......Eh? 

Kunikida: Don't play dumb. You obtained a Late Pass from Dazai today, right?

Atsushi: Y..Yes...So, t-thank you for your help! 

Kunikida: WHAT 'THANK YOU.' YOU AND HIM ARE CONSPIRING TOGETHER, AFTER ALL. 

Atsushi: HYAEE-- 

Kunikida: He appears from unexpected places and devises ways to find out my weaknesses - He is a demon who pesters for late passes and threatens me for them! Kunikida: He appears from out of nowhere and crushes and shatters my ideals and leaves! Some time ago… Kunikida: and this was just before pay day, he materialized and, for some reason, took my payslip and threatened to tell the story of that one time I committed something crude during the End of Year Teacher’s Party.

I noticed that other students began to look at Kunikida-sensei as he explained himself in a loud voice, and after a while, he cleared his throat and continued to talk.

Kunikida: Anyway…I need information to punish Dazai. You will gather information about him, when you're around him. If he seems to be doing something, report to me immediately. Got it?

Atsushi: Eh….. But that’s…

Kunikida: If you decline, then I will revoke the Late Pass you got today. 

Atsushi: I’ll do it! 

Kunikida-sensei nodded once and looked satisfied with my answer.

Atsushi: It can't be helped, this is for the sake of protecting my ordinary and peaceful high school life! But how should I gather information? 

Kunikida: Ahh, about that, come in here…

Kunikida-sensei said to me and handed me a paper with the names of members of organizations written on it. As for that "organization".… 

Atsushi: T-The Student Council!? 

Kunikida: Yes, Dazai is a member of it. Don't worry, I'm the adviser.

Atsushi: It’s not a problem, however… (( For Dazai-san to be a member of it... This Student Council isn't just a Student Council, is it? Isn’t it an organization? )) (( No matter how you look at it, the name of the Student Council written on the paper even looks dangerous.))

I glanced at the paper once more, and the name written on the title of the page was: "Armed Student Council.”

END.

[patrickcharlton-oshea-author]

Death Becomes Him: An Age of Steam and Sorcery novel

Chapter Three:

“Peter, time to get up! You'll miss your bus!”

Peter sat up and rubbed his eyes. Through the starburst that always came from pressing on your eyeballs too hard he could just see an error message: You have been logged out – idle for two hours.

“So that's what happens when you fall asleep in a game,” he muttered. Still, for as little sleep as he'd gotten it had been the most restful he'd had in a while. He resolved to log back in as soon as he got back home. Provided he survived the next eight hours.

Blearily he clambered out of bed and began pulling on his clothes. The school uniform wasn't particularly onerous. No tie and blazer here, just shorts and a collared t-shirt. Socks and runners completed the ensemble. He stopped to check himself in the mirrored door of the cupboard.  Hat, shirt, pants, socks, shoes. Check.

Down the hall echoed the sounds of breakfast preparation. Following them more from instinct than intent, Peter slumped into a chair at the table. His mother placed a bowl of cereal in front of him with a spoon in it.

“The most important meal of the day,” she said in a tone that sounded too happy to be real. “Now eat up, you've got ten minutes to be down at the stop. Your lunch is in your bag, which is by the door.”

Peter winced at the forced joviality in his mother's voice. He winced even harder when he bit into a spoonful of cereal. Granted that it was full of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins, but over the years legislators had contrived to force breakfast cereal companies to convert their product from something sugar filled and delicious into something with less taste and more texture than the cardboard box it came in. He chewed and swallowed as fast as he dared without losing a tooth.

As soon as he'd eaten as little as he could get away with he hopped up and poured the rest down the in-sink-blender-thing. He'd never caught the name of it, his parents just called it a “muncher”. Popping the bowl on the small pile of like crockery he hugged his mum and dashed out the door. A second later he dashed back in the door, grabbed his backpack and dashed out again. Seeing that it was on its way down already, rather than wait for the lift he pounded down a couple of flights of stairs to catch up, and took a moment to catch his breath as it descended the rest of the way. At the bottom he didn’t wait until the doors were fully open before dashing out through the lobby and over to the bus stop.

Just as he arrived, so too did the bus, arriving with a soft purr of electric motors. The doors swung inwards to allow him and the two other people who'd already been waiting to get on. Peter made his unsteady way to about the middle of the vehicle as it pulled away from the curb. The algorithm in control of the bus wasn't going to wait until he'd sat down and even accelerated harder as he swung into the seat, nearly pitching him headfirst into the lap of the boy in the window seat.

Peter gave him an apologetic grimace as he muttered “stupid machines”. The boy returned the grimace then proceeded to stare fixedly out the window. The rest of the blessedly short trip was spent in awkward silence.

The bus glided up to the stop outside the school and the doors opened with a slight hiss. The students shouldered and jostled to be the first off, as they had since time immemorial. As soon as their feet hit the pavement they fanned out into their cliques. The sporty ones ran inside, a football appearing as if by magic. The cool kids slouched along the fence, carefully cultivated indifference on their faces. The smarter crew babbled as they made their way into the grounds as they discussed topics from chess to chemistry to music. Peter ducked across the aisle to an empty seat to let his unwilling seatmate join them. He was happy to be last off.

Standing at the gate to the schoolyard Peter took a deep breath. “Best get it over with,” he mused. He began making his way through the school, the wide spaced buildings joined by covered walkways that thronged with students preparing for the day in their own way. Peter stepped around the groups, sometimes taking to the grass beside the walkways when there were too many people blocking the path. He arrived at the sheltered area where his class's lockers were. Every student was issued a locker and a combination lock that you were allowed to customise. Peter had gone with a classic: 36 left, 24 right, 36 left. He'd taken it from an old animated TV show he'd watched with his grandad when he was still alive. He still didn't know why Grandad had found it so funny, but that little yellow kid's locker combo had stuck in his mind.

Peter opened his locker door and dropped his bag into the bottom. Unzipping it, he began extracting his sports clothes, lunchbox and the tablet PC he was supposed to have used for homework last night instead of surfing the web and playing games. Games. His mind drifted back to the serenity of the garden he'd fallen asleep in. How photorealistic the textures had been. The gentle breeze and, now that he thought about it, the faint strains of background music. It all lived up to its name, it truly was a Garden of Tranquillity. Peter's arms dropped to his sides and his eyes closed as he recalled the scene.

CLANG! A big, meaty hand slammed Peter's locker closed, making him jump. Peter glared into the small piggish eyes of Billy Tomlinson. Or, as nobody ever called him to his face, Bully Tomlinson. Kid's insults aren't particularly inspired, but at least they're on point. Billy was the menace of Peter's grade. He'd managed to fail so comprehensively he'd been held back three times. He was head and shoulders taller than the next closest kid, and built like a brick outhouse. He was small minded and petty, but to balance that he had a very large opinion of himself. And right now his attention was on Peter.

“Scar-boy. Wha' choo doin'?” Billy had no volume control. His voice rebounded off the walls in the semi-enclosed space and drew all eyes. Billy rapped his knuckles on the now closed locker door. “Ah axed you a question, Scar-boy. Wha' choo doin' standin' dere lookin' at'cha locker for? You'se in me way.”

If the ground could have opened up and swallowed Peter right now he would have welcomed it. He kept his eyes averted and made no sudden moves. “Mjustgettingmystuff,” he mumbled. “SorryI'llgetoutofyourway.”

Billy placed one oversized paw in the centre of Peter's chest and thrust. Peter fell on his ass and slid across the concrete floor to fetch up against the lockers on the opposite wall. “Stay outta me way or you'se gonna get 'nother scar.” And with that Billy stomped off to fail another class.

Peter clambered up off the floor and quickly gathered his wits and belongings. Homeroom started soon and he couldn't miss the roll call. He waited until Billy was well out of sight though – best not to tempt fate.  Peter thanked his lucky stars that monster wasn't in any of his classes.

A few minutes later Peter was dropping himself into a plastic chair just as the bell began to ring. He slid his bag under the desk and waited for the homeroom teacher to arrive. He wished that he could access the internet while he waited, but schools were geo-locked to educational sites only. All he could see in his icon area was the school's crest that indicated that any net searches had to go through their portal. He doubted the Age's wiki was on their whitelist. He made do with taking some notes on things to check once he was unrestricted again.

He took his stylus out of his bag and tapped it on the desk. A note pad appeared in his vision and an overlay changed the grey cylinder of the stylus to a vibrant green fountain pen. It was an expensive skin for the device that his grandad had bought him for his last birthday before his grandad passed away. Peter made sure to use it every chance he got and even practiced his penmanship in Grandad's memory.

In virtually perfect copperplate he jotted down a short list of things to research, like skills and how they're acquired, item durability – since he'd already managed to tear his shirt and didn't want to wander about naked, and how to learn magic. After a moment he added crafting and materials. If his stuff was going to break, it might be a good idea to know how to make new gear.

He was just sitting back admiring his handiwork when the teacher logged in. Whilst it had been deemed that children benefited greatly from the group learning environment, a number of high profile court cases and the universal availability of the implant meant that it was better for all that the teachers were only present digitally. They were still able to present their classes normally, and were actually able to give any struggling students the attention they needed and teach the rest of the class simultaneously. Not to mention it meant that teachers could work from home and didn't have to deal with irate parents when their precious snowflake received a poor mark on a test.

The class greeted their homeroom teacher with a chorus of “good morning teacher” with varying levels of enthusiasm. Mr Wadsworth was a fairly decent teacher who taught woodworking and metal shop during the day. Peter was scheduled for that class just after lunch. After homeroom he had a double Maths and single English.

“Good morning class. I hope everyone had a fun weekend?”

The class responded with a round of “yeses”, “nos” and one whoop from John at the back of the room. Clearly he'd had an excellent weekend. Peter was instantly jealous.

As Mr Wadsworth began taking attendance Peter tapped the disk icon at the top of the notepad, saving the page for later. He dropped the stylus back into his bag and raised his hand as his name was called.

“Here,” he called out. The average response. The more studious, or brown-nosed, called out “present”. The cool kids, or at least those who thought they were cool, responded with “yup” or “yes”. It wasn't a large class, only about eighteen in all, and was soon done.

“Righto, off you go,” Mr Wadsworth said as he stood up. “I'll see some of you this afternoon, the rest of you have a nice day.” He stepped towards the door and disappeared in a puff of virtual wood shavings. It wasn't the usual disconnect animation, but he'd been teaching for a long time and earned a few concessions.

Peter grabbed his bag from under the desk and joined the flow out the door. The stream of students merged into the faster moving current of bodies on the path outside as he navigated his way to the Maths classrooms.

His journey took him past the school library, which made him smile. It's very existence was something of an anachronism, there being very little need for books anymore. Still, there were some kept here, as well as the traditional quiet research cubicles and group study tables. The space that once held shelf after shelf of hardcopy had been given over to lounges, beanbags and thick rugs with cushions. During lunch times this was his haven where he could read or study without being bothered. Billy and his ilk never entered these hallowed grounds.

The ever moving tide dragged him onwards to wash up on the shores of the Maths building. It was a two story antique, said to be the oldest on the grounds. Peeling white paint flecked the outer walls and a row of port racks sat opposite the classrooms themselves, waiting to accept the bags of the students. Inside, it had been modernised, eDesks and a holoprojector retrofitted into the aging infrastructure.

Slipping the tablet out of its sleeve in the bag, Peter slung the bag into the rack, then cursed himself and opened the bag and pulled out his stylus. Re-zipping the bag he turned and went inside to find a desk. He stopped at the first unoccupied seat and slid the tablet into the slot at the top end of the desk. The screen lit up and he slumped into the chair as the tablet synced with the classroom. It sometimes took a while for them to connect as the cases were bulky and hardened and didn't always sit neatly in their slot. They were also heavily encrypted. Obviously the school knew that students would love nothing more than to hack the devices and give themselves perfect marks, which was the primary reason they used them to record the students responses and progress instead of relying on the student's implant.

His tablet had only just finished its routine when Mr Luck pixelated into view. He didn't even offer any pleasantries and instead launched into a recap of everything they'd learned last week. Perfect. Peter let the educator's droning voice fade out as he called up a book he'd saved to the notepad and started reading. It wasn't uncommon for Mr Luck to spend the entire double saying the same thing multiple different ways. In part, it was his idiom. In part, it was because you needed to rotate some concepts through multiple axes to fit them inside the head of the more obtuse of his classmates. Either way, he had plenty of time to kill and his head was already starting to ache from lack of sleep.

He wasn't sure if he'd dozed or just been focussed on his book, but before he knew it the bell was ringing for the end of the class. Peter thumbed through the list of stuff on the tablet for the educating that had occurred around him. He was confident that he'd missed nothing and could knock over the questions at home. Tugging the tablet out of the slot he once more joined the flow of students out the door.

Once out the door, and having snagged his bag and dropped the tablet into it, he had to force his way opposed to the flow to get to his English class. It was held in a newer building up a slight rise which gave it a commanding view of the grounds. It boasted an outdoor area for dramatic curricula, and an indoor classroom that resembled a miniature amphitheatre. Mrs Easton, his teacher, knew how to extract the most from the facilities with such a voice and presence that it had been halfway through the first term before one of the other students had paused in the middle of an oral exam to exclaim “Mrs Easton, you're short!”

Indeed, now that Peter looked at her avatar as it pixelated in, she was just barely taller than the desk. Such was her command of the language it had taken weeks to realise this. Her passion was infectious; many who had never read a book in their life before starting her class were now devouring novels in their spare time. Ok, maybe not novels. See Spot Run might be a classic, but it's no Treasure Island or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Still, it's a start.

This week they were reading and acting out parts from an Australian play called And the Big Men Fly. It didn't particularly interest Peter; he'd never liked football of any kind let alone an obscure style like the one this play was about. It’s one saving grace was that it wasn't primarily about the game itself but about the lies people tell to convince others to do their bidding and how those lies come back to us, not unlike the Australian boomerang to an untrained thrower.

It was impossible to sleep in Mrs Easton's class, and Peter spent most of his time reading the play instead of his book. He was actually sad when the bell rang for lunch.

Peter pulled his bag from the rack outside the class and jogged across the grass to where his locker resided. He scanned the crowd for danger and found it clear. Good. He quickly unlocked his locker and pulled out the lunchbox. After the disappointing breakfast he was feeling quite peckish, and so pulled the lid off the lunchbox in a hurry. Out fell two sandwiches, tomato and cheese and cucumber and lettuce, judging by the look of them. Suddenly not so hungry Peter dropped the offending “food” into a nearby trash can. He knew his mother was just trying to give him a healthy meal, but why did healthy have to taste like ass? Sod it. He could raid the cupboard when he got home.

Still wrapped up in his irritation, Peter slammed the door of his locker, jammed the lock together, turned and marched straight into a wall of meat. For the second time today Peter ended up on his butt staring up at Billy Tomlinson. Billy's face was rapidly turning red as what had just occurred filtered into his consciousness.

“So Scar-boy, you'se wanna go?” Billy slammed his palms into his chest in the age old gesture of manliness. “You'se tink you da king now?”

Peter scrambled off the floor, seeing red. “Shut it Bully. Just because your mum changed her name to some boy-band reject doesn't make you a rock star.” A niggling thought at the back of Peter's head raised the possibility that this was not the best course of action. It was swiftly drowned out by the rising ire. “The only reason you're still allowed to go to this school is because she's sleeping with the treasurer. Not even the principle. The. Treasurer.” Peter paused and blinked, suddenly unsure as to where to go from here.

Billy provided the answer. Peter's vision exploded into stars. The last thing he heard before darkness enveloped him was “You shoulda left me mam outta this. Scar-boy.”

[icannott]

Secret Admirer (Stanley Uris x Reader)

Requested: nopeee

Pairing(s): Stanley Uris x Reader

Warnings: swearing, sexual innuendos (richie will be richie), fluff

A/N: day 9 of Christmas Fic Countdown!!!!

Gif Credit belongs to @eddiospaghettio

Stan smiled as he watched from a distance as you opened your locker. As soon as the door opened, a rose fell out, attached to a small envelope. You delicately opened the envelope and read the note enclosed on the paper inside.

If snowflakes were kisses, I’d send you a blizzard.

A smile grew onto your face as you tucked the note back into the envelope and placed it in your backpack. Your smiled remained as you rushed off to your home room.

Stan liked you. In fact, he has liked you for just about three years, since you first moved to Derry. You had easily found your way into the Losers’ Club, winning the role as the first girl. Stan found himself easily getting lost in your eyes, in your words. He was practically oozing affection toward you in the beginning. Luckily, much like now, you were too oblivious to even catch the slightest hint that he was into you. But that didn’t stop him from trying to be low-key about his affections. 

For the past two months, Stan had been leaving small notes, and sometimes flowers, in your locker for you to find. He had decided that he needed to take action on his feelings before someone stole you away. He figured he’d win you over slowly, and then when the time is right, he’d reveal himself.

At lunch, Stan noticed that you and Beverly were absent from the table. After finishing his food, he excused himself and decided to check outside. He walked out of the school building and almost immediately spotted you both sitting at the base of a tree. 

He was about to walk up to you both when he heard you say, “I don’t know, Bev. I just...” You sighed and rested your head on her shoulder. “I don’t know. And I don’t like not knowing.”

“Well,” Beverly sighed, “you could just always tell Stan how you feel?”

Stan’s heart skipped multiple beats, and he found himself breathless when it started beating again. Surely he must’ve heard wrong.

“But what if it’s the wrong decision?” you replied easily. “What if the secret admirer fesses up, and suddenly I want them more than I want Stan? What if, in the end, I break someone’s heart? I can’t, I just can’t do that, Bev.”

Bev chuckled lightly. “You wanting someone more than you want Stan? How good are these notes?” You giggled through your frustrated state. Stan’s heart and lungs were ablaze in his chest.

“They’re amazing,” you said honestly. “But it doesn’t seem that the writer’s going to out them self any time soon.”

Bev hummed. “I say tell Stan how you feel. If he likes you too, you date, and maybe then the writer will reveal them self. If he doesn’t, maybe the writer hears about it and asks you out.”

You shrugged. “I’m really going to have to think about this.”

She smiled. “There’s no rush. Take your time, girl.”

“You’re the best, Bev,” you said, engulfing the girl in a hug. “Thank you.”

She smiled again. “Any time, my girl. Now, let’s actually eat before we have to go to math.”

You both opened your lunches, and Stan took this as his cue to sneak away. He rushed into the boy’s bathroom and locked himself in a stall, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His heart was racing in his chest, and his face felt incredibly hot.

He smiled as it dawned on him. You liked him. And from what it sounded like, you may like him just as much as he likes you (except for the fact that he proclaimed it as impossible for anyone to like someone as much as he liked you, but it’s the thought that counts). As he basked in his thoughts, an idea came forth.

He took a breath before exiting the stall he had locked himself in and returned to the lunch room, making his way toward where the losers always sat. He noticed that you and Bev had finally joined them.

“There you are!” Eddie exclaimed. “Where did you go?”

“Bathroom,” he spoke shortly, sliding into the seat across from you.

“That’s a long time to spend in the bathroom, my man,” Richie said. “What were you doing?” He wiggled is eyebrows suggestively. Stan rolled his eyes.

“Rethinking my choice of friends,” he said, making you all chortle in response.

Richie put his hand over his heart and feigned a hurt expression. “My feelings!”

“What feelings?” you responded with a smile, prolonging the laughter that was emitting. Richie’s mouth hung open in mock offense. Stan smiled, feeling proud of the girl he wished was his.

Stan took a deep breath before approaching your locker and slipping today’s note inside. He hid around the corner and waited for you to arrive.

You approached your locker with a smile, looking forward to your usual sweet note to subside your aching mind. You opened it and caught the paper out of instinct before it fell to the ground. You unfolded it and read:

I think you’ll make the right decision in the end. -Your Secret Admirer, Stan Uris

He watched your face light up like a Christmas tree in both hue and expression. He watched as you smiled brightly though your face was bright red. You took a deep breath before grabbing your needed materials and heading to your homeroom with a delighted expression. But when you turned the corner to head to the classroom, you were greeted by a smiling Stan. You smiled in returned and walked up to him.

Without saying a word, you leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. Though the kiss was short and innocent, his heart leaped and butterflies swarmed in his stomach.

Your smile never faltered. “I’m glad there isn’t a wrong decision.”

He breathed out a chuckle. “Me too.”

xtra-

Stan had leaned forward to connect your lips once more before you both had to get to class, until-

“Get it, Stan!”

“Richie, shut the hell up!”

“...Hi, guys.”

[asexualmew]

Learning Disabled and How The American Public School System Failed Me

Arc I - Special Ed

Okay, so I’m learning disabled. The earliest age they can actually test for that sort of thing, with the exception of speech tests which was done much earlier, was in 2nd grade, but it was apparent before then, too. I was put into multiple Special Ed type classes.

Alphaphonics

Some English class? Different from Alphaphonics?

A Math class

Speech therapy

Apart from speech therapy that I had started when I was 2 years old and continued to sometime at the end of 4th grade when I finally graduated, these classes felt...

Pointless.

I mean, there was definitely a need for special education, but the way my elementary school went about it, it felt absolutely useless. I can’t even remember doing any work in my English class. I remember once the teacher read to us a book, and another time the teachers wanted to see if glasses with tinted colours could help me read better, but for the most part, this “English” class was just used as a free time for us kids. We’d just hang out and play lots of games.

Alphaphonics was particularly awful due to its repetition, and it wasn’t until I was an adult trying to explain to my friend how redundant and awful it was that I discovered that it really was a bullshit class, in the sense that it was a ciriculum made by an ableist man that went around trying to sell off this bullshit to schools and not many schools took the bait, but mine did. Every single day from 2nd grade to the end of elementary school, we spent the mornings cycling through flashcards, “U. Umbrella. OO. Book. OO. Moon.” Etc. Every day. For years.

And then the math class... That class did do something. Just. Not efficiently enough, I think.

Now, before I go on in this story, I want to stress that at this time I was a lawful-good goody-goody-tooshoos that was afraid of breaking a single rule in class. I was also nearly a straight A student, with a couple of B’s hanging out here or there. Thinking about that annoying teachers pet in elementary school? Good, that was me.

Okay well, this math class, this special ed class, it was patronizing as all get out! We were so behind the regular class and where they were in math. And it wasn’t because we weren’t doing well or learning the material, it’s because the teacher kept kiddy gloves on while teaching us, constantly, and she kept us behind. We’d be working on work sheets with subtraction of larger numbers, and all of us at my table would make a 100% on it... but meanwhile, at that very moment, the regular math class, the students were already on basic division. 

And this was upsetting. Especially given just how often you have to be told by the grown ups around you that “You’re not stupid! You’re just special! You’re.. you’re GIFTED!” when you know that you’re just being told this to placate you, and you feel worlds behind all the “normal kids”. It doesn’t mean anything to be told that you’re not stupid, when you’re taught that grades represent your worth as a child, and you’re not even being taught the same things as the other kids your age. Being “gifted” means literally nothing when you know there’s no worth to those words.

So, being a typically quiet child who always raises their hand to speak in class and who always does the “right thing”, one day I just snapped.

Arc II - Hey! Teacher! Leave those kids alone!

I stood on the table and yelled at my special ed teachers in that math class. How DARE they treat us like we’re stupid! WE’RE NOT STUPID! We’re smart just like everyone else! We already learned this stuff months ago!! But you don’t let us move on to the next thing! We’re NOT STUPID! WE’RE NOT STUPID! STOP TREATING US LIKE WE’RE STUPID! I wanna learn what everyone else is learning! WE’RE NOT STUPID!

All of the other kids in class cheered and wooted, but the head teacher in that class was livid. I know she tried her best to make sure we didn’t feel stupid, with words like “gifted” and all that, but actions were louder than words, and I wasn’t very remorseful to her hard work. She asked me if I wanted to leave Special Ed. If I wanted to be dumped in normal class. She told me I’d fail. That I would want to come back. But I was determined, and my pride was hurt, and I wanted to be treated normal. So, she arranged it so that I was no longer in Special Ed for math. (Where was my mom in all this? I forget!)

It was 5th grade and I was very much so behind the regular class. I was given no bridge to prepare me for division. I mean, I eventually learned multiplication and division, and, my poor teacher tried to help me all she could but, I was already beginning to fall like a rock. I went from getting consistent A’s to consistent F’s. I was heartbroken.

This is when I first discovered my perfectionist tendencies, and, also, the first time those tendencies began to ruin my life. Because I couldn’t do it. And I gave up. I stopped doing my homework, first in math, then in everything. I tried what I could in class, but I never reached high. I just... gave up and quit. But I refused to go back to special ed. I’d prefer to fail on my own.

Arc III - Conspiracy

Finally, 7th grade. Middle school. I was gonna start a new here! I wouldn’t be bullied, I wouldn’t be a failure, I would do my best! Clean slate!

Well. The principle of this middle school approached me at some point. “I noticed in your papers that you were in special ed in elementary school, but then you got out? Would you like to be listed as learning disabled to make school here a little easier for you?”

Honestly, I didn’t know what that would mean, how it would be “easier”, but I knew is that I wanted nothing to do with that! I didn’t want that! I wanted to get far far away from being treated differently because of how my brain was wired. I had already been treated differently my entire life for it, and the way I was treated differently wasn’t very fun. I was scared. And prideful! I refused.

I had no idea that refusing this offer would start a little war in the school between the staff and my mom and me.

After that my grades started getting mysteriously lowered. Homework that I turned in was getting marked as “missing”. I was being sabotaged. The school kept calling in my mom to talk to her, to tell her how poor I’m doing, and try to get her to agree to have me set as Learning Disabled but, she actually respected my wishes to be free of that label. I tried to tell her, too, that “No! I really did do the work, Mom!” but she doubted me a lot. I don’t blame her.

And then, one day, my history teacher had messed up. He returned a test that we had done, all graded and everything, and I had made like, a B or something. But later, when I saw my progress report, the grade that was entered into the computer was significantly lower.

I had proof.

I showed it to my mom and she got pissed. She started showing up at the school every day to try and get them to fess up and to stop treating me this way. Meanwhile, the principle would hound me down in the halls between classes, or when I was trying to go home, to tell me how terrible I am at school and how I needed to sign up as learning disabled.

One day, in first period, I was thinking about my mom and the teachers, and all of a sudden I started breathing really hard and I couldn’t stop. It disrupted the class and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was hyperventilating for the first time. My first panic attack before many, many more in the near and far future.

Arc IV - It All Comes Down To Money

My homeroom teacher asked me what I was thinking of, I said “Mom!” and he told me to stop thinking about it, and had the student sitting next to me walk to the nurse.

My homeroom teacher called my mom and told her to meet him after school. There, he confessed everything. He admitted that the principle was threatening all of their jobs over this. That they had meetings about how to deal with me and how to deal with my mom separately. How they were told to lie about my grades, and then tell me to my face that I really was a bad student so that I may believe them. All because the government pays more money to a public school that has learning disabled students. The more learning disabled students, the more money the school gets. And I guess when I got pulled out of special ed in elementary school, that’s how my teacher had done it, by removing me off of the list for learning disabled. I don’t understand honestly, but what I do understand, was that my principle was specifically targeting and hurting me out of greed.

After my teacher finished up explaining all of this, he said he wasn’t going to take part in it anymore, and that when the school year ends, he was going to move back to Russia and teach there, again. I really appreciated that he came forward with this at risk of his job, and that he couldn’t stand to watch this happen anymore.

I had several more panic attacks after this, including after being chased to by the principle whom, when she made it to the car I got in to go home, when the window was rolled down she stuck her head in just to continue telling me how poor of a student I was.

But it didn’t matter. Now that we knew what was going on, we would fix it.

And Mom pulled me out in that first semester and home schooled me for the rest of my middle school days.

Arc V - But the damage had been done

That was elementary school and middle school. I was sent back to public school for high school because my mom felt there were so many missed opportunities if I stayed home schooled, things she couldn’t teach me, and interactions I’d never have. I was doing very well being taught one-on-one and I learned years worth of material per semester. But- high school had art class... sooooooo.....

Unfortunately though, I just couldn’t do as well in a public setting, and I started slipping through the cracks again. It’s incredibly disheartening to know that you were the only one who cared about your German class, and you were also the only one who failed it, for example. It wasn’t that long after, when I started making all F’s and C’s again (there aren’t D’s in Texas) that I was approached and was given the offer again.

“If we label you as learning disabled, then you’ll need less credits to graduate with and you’ll be given more time during tests.”

And for everything I worked for to be cleared of that, for everything my mom did to protect me from this, I took the offer, and then continued to fail in school, but now properly as a learning disabled kid.

I had already forgotten how to do well in school, after all. And whenever I tried, and I failed, I’d just continue to fail cause I’d give up like the perfectionist I became after leaving special ed.

Public school just really isn’t designed for people like me, which is why people with some of my disabilities have such a high ratio of dropping out of school. We’re set up for failure from our early years. Even if I hadn’t left special ed, what do you think happened to all the kids int here that were behind that were being dropped in schools that didn’t have those classes? I don’t know. I mean, I can’t justify it. Like, even if I say “It’s my fault for leaving special ed”, I was also a kid. Like, 10 years old! It shouldn’t be my fault for wanting to be treated like a normal human being and doing everything in my power for that result.

I could also say it’s my fault for just not trying hard enough, but, I also can’t justify saying that, either! Heh. Cause my behavior was very much so learned.

Anyway, I graduated by the skin of my teeth through a computer remedial class and that’s better than what my mom had and I feel really fortunate for graduating at all.