#i have an immense fondness for this photo session

[liliana-von-k]

[wakaoujisenhime]

May I please request some angst with Kise being busy with basketball and modelling career neglecting his s/o? Additionally his s/o thinks he's cheating on them and just a big misunderstanding. Thank you very much 😊❤️

A/N: Even though I am quite late, happy Valentine’s Day! This actually got longer than I planned it to be, but I hope you’ll like it nonetheless! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Tags: Kise x reader ✅  angst ✅  fluff ✅

━━━━☆ ━━━━☆ ━━━━☆

Misunderstanding - Kise x reader

If someone had told you that you’d become the Kise Ryouta’s girlfriend some time ago, then you wouldn’t have believed it.

Kise was a young face everyone would’ve recognized if they had seen it somewhere in public. His blond hair was partially at fault for that as well, but the main reason for his immense popularity was his side job as a young model for different fashion and makeup brands. On top of that, he had been a part of the legendary Generation of Miracles, a group of six young and talented basketball players who each had an extraordinary and never-seen-before skill that could turn every game around. He was very fond of this sport and wished to steadily improve himself at every possible opportunity so of course, it was a given that he’d continue his training even after middle school.

Thinking about this handsome man and all of his achievements made you wonder just how lucky you were for being able to call him your boyfriend. You still couldn’t wrap your head around the fact that the two of you went to the same school and were in the same grade, but never mind that, what surprised you the most was the moment he’d asked to meet you and then sheepishly confessed his interest in you and the wish to be by your side as your boyfriend. It was such a surreal situation that you couldn’t help but nod throughout the entirety of it.

The two of you didn’t know each other that well at first so the process of finding out everything possible about the other was quite fun and really made both of you forget about the stressful part of your daily lives. At first, you had expected that Kise was your typical playboy who’d just confess to anyone who met his preferences, but as time went on you actually saw past those prejudices of yours and were pleasantly surprised at how different he was than what you had imagined. He was a very caring, gentle, and nice guy who’d do anything to see you smile and hear you laugh or giggle. He made you feel like you were the only person in the entire world and that there was no one else he’d rather spent his time with than you. The surprises he prepared for you on special days such as Valentine’s Day or your own birthday were mind-blowing as well.

You of course made sure to always return that amount of love you’d received and his adorable reactions were the reason you felt like you’d fallen in love with him yet another time.

Everything was working out perfectly and the two of you were as happy as can be, but life, unfortunately, likes to ruin perfect moments like these...

The two of you were now third-years and Kise was slowly starting to think about his future plans, so he began taking on more modeling gigs during his free days, some of these even overlapped with the days on which you had planned a date. You were pretty understanding at first and even told him that you didn’t mind, but as these date reschedulings began occurring every single time it really made you sad. In fact, you were so sad that as soon as Kise mentioned having an upcoming free day you simply nodded and whispered a silent ‘I see.’

Nevertheless, you kept on visiting him during his basketball club’s training sessions and watched him steadily improve his performance with each passing day. His bright smile after every basket made your heart throb and a couple of weeks ago you would’ve interpreted it as a positive feeling but now? It simply pained you. Negative thoughts flooded your mind and is if that wasn’t enough, a group of his fangirls stormed the field moments after the referee had blown his whistle three times.

“Kise-kun, please look this way!!“

“Kise! Can you please sign my t-shirt?“

“C-Can I have your number please!“

Sights like these weren’t uncommon and you were used to ignoring them, knowing that Kise wouldn’t do anything that might upset you or his fans, but as of late situations such as these annoyed you. You sighed, stood up, and left the gym.

“(Y/N)! Wait up!“

At the sound of the familiar voice of your best friend, you obeyed his plea, turning back to the young man who was running up to you.

“Yukio! What’s wrong?”

He stopped right before you, greeting you with a small smile as he rubbed the back of his neck in slight discomfort.

“Is...Is something bothering you? Or more like...has everything been alright as of late? N-No that’s not it...Do you-”

“There’s no need to beat around the bush Yukio and you know it,” you say with a small smile as you gently bump your fist against his arm, “just tell me what’s been bugging you.”

He sighs in relief and you see how some tension leaves his shoulders as he asks you a rather surprising question: “I’ve noticed the tension between Kise and you, so tell me...what’s up with that? Do I need to step in and help you out with something?”

Yukio was quite perceptive, especially when it came to your and Kise’s relationship, he always made sure to keep up with your well-being since he knew how carried away your blond boyfriend could get. If it were any other occasion, you would’ve told your best friend what had bothered you so much, but now that you reflected on it, it seemed a rather meaningless reason for you to be upset over so you just shook your head lightly and brushed it off. Your counterpart on the other hand just squinted his eyes in suspicion but decided to let it go for now.

“Just make sure to tell him if something is worrying you, ok? Remember, communication is the key to every relationship.”

And with those wise words, he bid you farewell and jogged back to the gym...

“Hey...(Y/N)-cchi? Would you like to go on a date next Saturday?”

“..? Excuse me?”

The two of you looked into each other’s eyes with equally surprised expressions and not short after you both burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry Kise, I just didn’t expect you to invite me on a date, that’s all.“

Your boyfriend sat down next to you and took your hand in his own, gently caressing each of your fingers as he let his eyes roam around your facial features. Looking at him being that deeply lost in thought made you wonder just what was going through his mind. Usually, he’d try and avoid dating you in public or when it was still daytime because of the potential rumors and scandals it might start, so you couldn’t help but wonder just what brought this sudden change. With a rather sad-looking smile, he brought your hands to his lips and gently kissed your knuckles, his action causing your cheeks to redden ever so slightly.

“Hehe, sorry (Y/N)-cchi, it’s just...we haven’t been able to spend much time together and I need to tell you something important as well, so I thought that a date might be the best solution for this...”

Nothing he’d just said sounded good to you. Kise was rarely a person who’d organize something according to things he’d like to tell or discuss with you so the idea alone was a massive red flag for you. And yet, you couldn’t ignore the seriousness with which he’d approached you, so despite the uneasy feeling that was building up within you, you put on your best fake smile and nodded.

——

“Oh my god did you read today’s news?“

Stop it...

“I just can’t believe it and here I thought that he was a down-to-earth type of guy!“

But he is, I swear!

“You guys are exaggerating! He’s a playboy, you can see that from a mile away!“

N-No, you’re wrong!

“Did you guys actually know that these were actually some long-term fans of his from way back when he first debuted?“

So what...? I’m sure there must be some backstory to this...

“They could’ve at least picked a better and more hidden-away location than a love hotel right at the center of Shinjuku...“

Maybe they had a photo shoot around that area!

“Ugh, he makes me sick...and to think that I shared my book with him once.”

Please don’t say that...

“I feel sorry for his managers and teammates. Who knows what these poor souls have to go through because of this.“

T-That’s一

No matter how many corners you turned, stairs you climbed, or rooms you entered, everyone was talking about the same thing: Kise. The moment you had woken up, your phone was full of notifications, questions, and missed calls, but before you could even comprehend what was going on, one particular message had caught your attention.

♡ : I’m sorry (Y/N)-cchi but I won’t be coming to school today. This is all just a big misunderstanding...trust me

It was then that you had noticed the big headline of your phone’s news app:

MODEL KISE RYOUTA CAUGHT RED-HANDED! IS ONE NOT ENOUGH? Steamy adventures in front of Shinjuku’s most famous love hotel!

It had been such a massive slap to the face, that the entire morning was foggy to you, reality hit you the moment you had stepped on school grounds.

Gossip. Rumors. Lies. Disgust. Aggression. Madness. Sadness.

No matter how hard you tried to avoid any ill-meant word from your classmates, you just couldn’t escape. Your belief in the man whom you called your beloved, the one who promised you that you’d always be the one in his eyes, the same one who swore that this endeavor was nothing but a misunderstanding, was starting to waver.

Suddenly everything started to make sense.

His distant behavior towards you, the increasing amount of modeling gigs he took on, your surprise visits during his training that he’d loved so much went unnoticed and that important topic he wanted to discuss with you on your next date. Everything.

You felt how all those negative feelings you had accumulated during these past few months started to come forth. Just as you were on the verge of tears and wanted to do nothing but fall to your knees, scream and cry you came across Moriyama and Yukio.

“(Y/N)! There you are! How long do you think I’ve been looking for you?!”

The tall man alongside your best friend was quick to notice that you were quite distraught and immediately took a hold of his captain’s shoulder and squeezed it slightly. You truly appreciated that these two were looking for you and intended to calm you down or encourage you to think positively and rationally about this, but right now you couldn’t manage to listen to their kind and caring words, so you apologized, thanked them, and headed straight towards the rooftop, the place where Kise had confessed to you.

As if on cue, your phone began vibrating and as you looked at the screen you saw that the incoming call was from no other than the man who’d been on your mind since the early morning.

“K-Kise...?”

“(Y/N)-cchi! Thank god, you picked up! I’m sorry for the short and sinister message this morning, but I had to clear some things with my managers first bef-“

“So your image was once again more important, huh?”

“W-What...?”

Before you could stop yourself from saying something you’d regret later, your mouth was unfortunately quicker.

“Lately I hardly recognize you, Kise, it’s as if you’ve become an entirely different person. First, you confess your love to me all sheepishly, blushing from head to toe, then you treat me like I’m the center of the world and the only reason you live for, but as of late you’ve been prioritizing your work more than our joint time. I tried to be understanding, I really did, but if you asked me out just so that you could fulfill some kind of goal and boast to whoever with it, then I’m really the wrong person for this.”

Nothing but silence came from the other end of the line, so you took this as a sign to continue.

“Listen, Kise, I don’t need nor expect you to adore me as if I’m some kind of deity, but I at least would like to know what the backstory to today’s tabloid news meant...and I sincerely hope that you aren’t going to trot out some lame excuse because I wouldn’t be able to handle it.“

“...(Y/N)“

“I’ll see you this Saturday Kise.“ you whispered as you ended the call without waiting for his answer.

——

You looked at yourself in the mirror, dreading what this date would mean for your future with the blond young man. The entire week-long you had deliberately avoided him in order to keep your thoughts as rational as you could and not let them get influenced by neither your feelings for him nor the supporting words of your friends. It was hard to ignore the guilty and worried stares he sent your way and whenever you saw the vicious glares others gave him, it really tugged at your heartstrings, but somehow you managed to withstand any possible temptation.

During the bus drive to the city center, you once again looked at the screenshot you took of the article that had caused you so much despair over the past few days. The blurry photo showed a tall blond man who was without a doubt Kise, trapping some girl whose face was covered by pixels between himself and the wall of the love hotel while the second one was pulling on his dark blue jacket, the same one which you had given him as his last year’s birthday present. Judging by the image alone it did look like Kise and the two girls were on their way to the rather flashy establishment, but your boyfriend couldn’t quite hold himself back and decided to start on the fun beforehand.

Cheating, huh...?

You bit your lip and thought about it. A famous and perky guy like him already had a stable fangirl club that followed him at each step so him feeling tempted during your time as a couple wouldn’t have surprised you in the slightest and yet it pained you so much that you could’ve started crying right then and there in front of all the other people that were sitting in the bus with you.

The city was brimming with people left and right, exiting and entering shops and restaurants. Today should’ve marked a happy occasion since it was the first public date the two of you had ever planned while the streetlights were still off. You had agreed to meet right in front of a small cafe that was close to the station and wasn’t one of the popular hangout spots so that you could at least have some sense of privacy. Each step you took fueled your anxiety of what was about to come and no matter how many deep breaths you took, you just couldn’t calm your raging heart down.

You finally saw a blond head sticking out among the crowd and just as you were about to raise your hand and wave to him, you halted. Kise was apparently not alone and had come alongside yet another girl who was constantly clinging to his arm, trying to get him to move.

“What did I even expect...?”

The crowd before you started to disappear and the two of them finally came into full view, but so did you. His yellow eyes met with your glassy ones and you could immediately see how regret and sorrow distorted his already distressed face.

“(Y/N)-cchi, wait...i-it’s not what it looks like..!”

You felt something warm fall down your cheeks and without paying it any mind you simply turned around and began walking back where you came from. Kise’s desperate calls for you to wait up were ignored and whenever his voice seemed too close to you, you sped up but he was too persistent. Despite the dense crowd you constantly walked amongst he never lost track of you.

(Y/N)-cchi! Please wait!

It’s all a misunderstanding, I promise you!

Listen to me, please!

(Y/N)!

You were trying to isolate his desperate pleas to such an extent that you hadn’t noticed the park you had just walked in. There were barely any people who strolled around this small yet beautiful piece of nature. The thought of elderly people walking their pets here, children running around and couples occupying the benches made you imagine just what excellent spot this would’ve been for a proper first date...

The young man behind you had used the time you were lost in thoughts to close the distance between you, but as soon as had returned from your small daydream and noticed how close he was to you, your body involuntarily urged you to run. And you did.

N-No, wait...!

You were fully aware of what you were doing, and you felt terrible for it. Kise’s leg had been injured for quite some time and he was told to not overdo it, which meant that he had to renounce running for most of the time so that he had enough energy and leg power left for his basketball matches.

And yet why..?

Why was he running after you as if his life depended on it? As if it was the last point his team needed for victory? Why?

You stopped sprinting and swiftly turned around. The man who had been an arm’s reach from you didn’t expect your sudden halt and collided with you, but luckily he caught you just before you lost your footing and pulled you towards his heaving chest. His trembling arms wrapped around your body and tightened their grip.

“Finally...”

The way he hugged you made all the wonderful and sweet memories of your life with him came up, leaving you with no other option but to return his embrace with the same amount of love.

“Kise...are you crazy? Why did you start running after me with your injured leg?” you asked after a short while and even though your question was intended to sound like a lecture, it ended up having a worrisome tone instead.

“This small amount of pain is nothing compared to the pain I made you feel these past few weeks.”

A small smile adorned your lips, but at the same time, you had to continuously think about all the things that had happened in this week alone, causing your smile to vanish almost immediately. You wanted answers and you needed them now.

“Kise, please...I want you to-“

“Explain. Yes, I know.” he interrupted and slowly backed up, looking you directly into your eyes.

After he’d taken hold of your hands, he began by defusing the situation that had transpired some mere seconds ago. The girl that was tugging on him was apparently a fan of his who’d drunk one too many beers. She’d unintentionally run into him and had almost lost her balance, but as caring as he was he held onto her and that’s when she had found out his true identity. Kise tried to keep her as silent and calm as possible, but that was easier said than done. The moment you had arrived was when she had started pulling his clothes, pleading him to come to her house and sign all of her merch.

“So about that article...on that day we had a photo shooting in Shinjuku and I was asked to take a break so I wandered about and that’s when two girls came from the love hotel. I wasn’t disguised so they immediately recognized me and tried to ask me out and whatnot. They were so persistent that I told them about you...they thought I was lying and then...”

You saw his sudden change in demeanor, his jaw muscles had tensed up and his grip on your hands was harder than earlier. Kise was rarely mad at something or someone, but what you saw before you, that anger and unspoken hatred were a first for the normally cheerful young man.

“They began insulting you, saying how you were together with me just because of my looks and nothing more. How dare they talk you down to their level? Just who do they think they are?!”

You expected any random excuse but seeing him get so worked up for your sake made your heart ache and now that you knew the backstory, the pictures made more sense. Your lover explained that he’d lost his temper and had pushed the girl who’d trash-talked you against the wall, warning her to keep her mouth shut before he really lost it. Meanwhile, her friend had tried to get him away from her by pulling on his jacket, and apparently, that’s when one of the passersby shot the photo. He took a short break after telling you that and then out of nowhere he brought his face closer to your own.

“(Y/N)-cchi...that’s not all. Do you remember our phone call when you told me that I’ve changed?“ he asked and waited for your confirmation before continuing, “...well the reason I didn’t call you first and had to deal with my manager is that we considered making my relationship with you public.”

“Wh-What...?“

“I’ve had enough of people trying to flirt with me and not believing when I say that I’ve found the perfect partner already. You see...graduation is just a few months away and after that I wanted to concentrate more on our relationship, hoping that maybe you’d like to...to live together with me.“

If you weren’t shocked enough before then his proposal just know had given you the finishing blow. Your heart was beating so fast and so loud that you feared he could’ve heard it.

“Was...was this the reason you took on so many jobs?”

He noded in embarrassment. “I wouldn’t feel confident enough to propose such an idea when it seems so far away and unrealistic, so I wanted to gain some sense of stability and independence before I asked you.”

Kise continued his explanation, but you didn’t catch most of it since you were so lost in your thoughts. The man before you had taken so many overtime shifts, had sacrificed so many of your dates, had gotten himself in a scandal for your sake, and yet here you were doubting him and doing something so childish like running away from him. You bit your lower lip and jumped into his arms, silently apologizing to your lover for your presumptuous behavior. He simply returned your embrace and kissed your temple.

Sometimes, misunderstandings such as these do have their benefits...

[danhoemei]

Answer with 3 random facts about yourself. Let’s get to know the person behind the blog!

Thank you for tagging me @to-yearn-for , I love these games 💚

So first of all, I’M SORRY BECAUSE I ALWAYS END UP RAMBLING TOO MUCH

Anyway-

1. I’m a freaking hoarder. And I really mean it. I realised the problem (because it was a sick level, like keeping literal trash since elementary school) and started gradually getting rid of some things as well as learning to tone it down or to let go. You can see glimpses of this characteristic of mine on this blog, hoarding content, my precioussss xd A few other things I collect in a healthier way are:

replicas (and not 👀) of weapons, like knives, pistols, hidden blades etc. (everything legal, don’t call the cops)

paintings of small or street artists from different countries (mentioned it in this post recently)

paper books (I have around 400 just in my room, probably over 2000 in the whole home)

fantasy-like accessories, like leather bags, vials, weapon holsters, some jewellery (like rings with patterns winding around the fingers, moonstones, leaves coated in silver, teeth necklaces, braided strings etc.)

plants (my room is already a jungle but I need moar, help)

photos (from literally my whole life and many trips or events), art, memes, music etc (previously downloaded, now gathered in cloud or on platforms such as this, to save up space on my devices and have it neatly segregated and searchable)

anything created over the years by my closest artistic friends (and me), so there are tons of pics and videos of art and costumes, 3d models, games, recordings of singing or music, written pieces, and so on, including the process, sketches, pics from modeling sessions (as one of my friends often needed a model for projects and I had the opportunity to help a few times 💚 could show some pics if anyone was interested 👀)

Could expand on any of the points or take some pics if anyone asks 👀

2. I love adrenaline so I’m always the first to jump on the most crazy rollercoasters, stand on the edge of cliffs (to the horror of people around), jump from heights like with a parachute or from rocks into the water, take part in tough trips like climbing Mt Fuji for sunrise sighting. I love wild nature, water, flying, and heights so much 😭 I’m always thrilled on a boat, or swimming in high waves (even a few meters high), on a plane, on the peak of a mountain, near literal abysses. Still have a lot of things on my bucket list, e.g. bungee jumping, scuba diving to the depths of the ocean, wingsuit flying etc.

3. I got pulled into tabletop RPGs when I was around 13 and since that time I had so many campaigns in so many different systems (Warhammer, many from WoD, DnD, Wolsung, niche or original ones, and some more). I also created two original worlds with my friends, one of which is such a big project that we’ve been slowly working on it for a few years already. We created almost a whole continent with its politics, history, and conflicts, as well as environmental parts like climate, fauna, and flora. There are several races with cultures specific for them and their regions, a whole spectre of different “magic” (or more like supernatural elements of the world which can be manipulated in very different ways and with their own rules). Plus many characters which we either play as, or just fill the world with and use in the stories.

I've always been interested in numerous subjects, as much scientific (biology, physics, computer science, maths) as humanistic (languages, psychology, philosophy, cultures, art), and I use my gathered knowledge a lot here to create something complex and natural but also quirky and interesting. Especially in terms of magic - something more than just “you make things happen because it’s magic”. So there are very different aspects of the world which we could simplify as “magic”, but they are really sometimes just a part of the world which some people tune into. Like, there is a parallel world of spirits which influences our world and the other way around, and some people learnt to peek into it and communicate with it. But to give an example of a typical trope and the shenanigan we made out of it - a “telekinesis” in that world would be just redirecting the kinetic energy to a different object. In simple terms, when you yeet something which was static, another thing stops moving. And to make something “float” you’d have to repeatedly give smaller pushes to it, while of course feeding on other moving things around and gradually slowing them down (unless you use your own body, so full of sweet kinetic energy 😈).

ANYWAY, RPGs are so much fun, immensely creative and educational 💚 I learnt so many valuable lessons, had such diverse experiences, and created piles of art and content for these characters, stories, and sessions. Absolutely adore RPGs and will always recommend it for anyone.

Tagging @silver-colour @willowclarissoon @ohohsomething @a-very-fond-farewell @selkiebycatch @carriewangxian @robinduckling but feel free to ignore this as always

[earthfluuke]

like a drum my heart never stops beating (for you)

summary: when you’re gifted, you’re family. or -- happy moments we don’t get to see, because the show producers are a bunch of meanies who want to see us suffer. 

novemeber 10 brought two amazing people into this world. alexa - @sunsetskyline - and rahul - @gaysarawat - i wish you only the very best of birthdays! may this next year in your lives bring you nothing but love and happiness! i wanted to give you both something for your special days, so i hope that this fic will suffice! i got a bit carried away, and it’s way longer than i intended for it to be. but something tells me the two of you won’t mind.

this exists in a happy universe where supot doesn’t exist, and pom has been in charge of the gifted program ever since he became a teacher. i also had to come up with a few codenames for the characters that didn’t have them, so i hope the ones i came up with are good!

title comes from gone, gone, gone by phillip phillips.

my reasoning for why there are eight parts is because pang is in class eight. do not come for me please, it’s 4 in the morning when i’m finishing this.

i. teach & constellation

Falling face first into the comforter, Pom lets out a long, held in groan. He will never say that he hates his job, because it would just be untrue. Every day brings something new; every student is one he adores. Watching them grow into better versions of themselves is something he will never tire of. The comparison between where they start at the beginning of the year and where they end up brings him immense joy.

But as much as he can say that being a teacher is one of his greatest prides, he can also admit that some days, it exhausts him. Long class periods are followed by one-on-one sessions, and in between, he makes sure all of his students are well fed, properly hydrated, and – most importantly – mentally healthy. That alone is difficult. Add on the fact that they all have beyond human potentials, and Pom’s fatigue becomes much more reasonable.

A hand cards through his hair, gently breaking the coif he has gelled back. Bangs now drooping into his eyes, he leans into the hand, the feeling of fingertips scratching his scalp lulling him a bit. Before he can drift off completely, a voice – half amused, half fond – asks, “Long day?”

“Long week,” he corrects, finally allowing his chin to tilt up to look at his husband. He’s already changed for the evening, his night clothes clashing against the slacks and button-down Pom has yet to take off; the most he’s done is loosen his tie at the door and let it fall to the floor on his trek towards the bed. “The end of the semester is always the busiest. Final evaluations and all that.”

Chanon hums sympathetically, brushing some of his stray bangs behind his ear. “I can handle dinner for the rest of the semester then. Can’t have you overworking yourself any more than you already are.”

“My savior,” he teases, but he’s genuinely grateful for the offer.

Lips tilting up at the edges, Chanon smiles. “What can I say? My husband deserves a break. He’s always caring so much for everyone else; I’ve got to make sure he’s being taken care of too.”

It’s Pom’s turn to smile, and while he’s been looking at Chanon the entire while, he then really looks at him. The front of his hair swoops across his forehead while the back is tussled from where it has been leant against the pillow. He’s in a pair of fraying sweatpants and a t-shirt adorned with a space pun that he’d have to explain for Pom to understand. Resting on his nose are a pair of circular glasses. They’re not the same ones from high school; those had worn out two years into university. But they are similar enough to give Pom a sense of nostalgia. For as much as they’ve grown and aged, Chanon is same chubby cheeked and deeply telescope obsessed Chanon from high school. He is the Chanon that Pom fell in love with; he’s the Chanon that he is still stupidly, ridiculously, earnestly in love with.

Pushing himself farther up on the bed, he settles his head against Chanon’s thigh. The fingers in his hair do not hesitate to adjust to the new position, and it causes Pom to sag further into him.

“We can eat in a bit,” he murmurs, curling his legs up so that they don’t hang off the edge of the bed. “Let me just lay here for a while.”

He cannot see Chanon smile, but he can hear it in his voice when he says, “Whatever you want.” It’s a simple statement, seeing as the thing he desires most is right beside him.

ii. magician & lonely

Korn is truly an enigma, and Ohm is so far from cracking whatever code he’s programed with. He seemingly enjoys to keep to himself, but people can only enjoy that so much, right? Everyone wants company from time to time, and if it is his mission to make sure Korn knows that he’s as much a part of this odd little family as anyone else, then he will gladly fulfill it.

But it’s more difficult than he planned for. Currently sat in an empty classroom, he’s flipping through the photos on his camera, and Ohm would have been convinced that he’s ignoring him, if not for the one headphone pulled away from his ear to rest farther back on his head. For the better part of half an hour, he has been listing off suggestions for their class’s weekly dinner night with no avail. Every option he gives is met with a low hum and nothing else.

He may have a reputation for being a bit airheaded, but he notices much more than people give him credit for. Punn keeps the scarf that Claire used to wear around her shoulders in his bag to hold on to when he feels stressed. Jack and Jo don’t quite mind being referred to as ‘the twins,’ but when called by their names, there are slight flickers just beyond their eyes. And for as slick as Pang and Wave think they’re being, he is more than aware of their roof top rendezvous. They are all little things that apply to each of his classmates, supposedly useless knowledge that Ohm finds more than important (because they are all important to him).

So as much as Korn goes off to be on his own, Ohm still knows enough. Like that he tends to favor Japanese food over anything else. It’s why he’s slipped in the new sushi restaurant that opened not long ago at least a dozen times. It’s easy bait to get Korn to talk and yet, nothing.

 Deciding enough is enough, he slides off the stool he’s been sulking on to stand right beside him. He pouts deeper and deeper until Korn finally looks to him out of the corner of his eye, brow raised. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks.

“Because you won’t pick anything!” he whines. “I’ve suggested every restaurant inside the city limits, and you don’t like any of them!”

“It’s not that I don’t like them,” he amends. “It’s just that I don’t particularly care which one we order from. I’m really not that picky.”

“But the rest of us always choose. I want you to!” Grabbing hold of his arm, he bops the top of his head against his shoulder, nuzzling into. “Pretty, pretty please? We use Khu Pom’s credit card, so the price doesn’t even matter! Whatever you want, we’ll get!”

For a moment, Korn is silent, and Ohm is afraid he’ll have to throw in the towel and try another time. But then he feels him swallow thickly and softly say, “Whatever you want to get. That’s what I want.”

“Korn! I already said, we always choose what we get–”

“Not what the rest of them want,” he says. “What you want.”

Straightening quickly, he tries to catch his eye, but Korn has already tugged the stray headphone over his bare ear and pulled his camera closer to his face to block Ohm from his line of sight. He figures that it’s as much of an answer as he’s going to get out of him, and though he doesn’t quite understand, he takes his word. He can try again another time, but for now, he has a sushi order to place.

iii. bodyguard & angel

“I think this is a bit much, don’t you?” Namtaan says, tightening her arms around Mon’s neck. Her feet hang at her side, swinging back and forth as she’s carried piggyback style through the hallways and towards the dorm building. “Just because I don’t have your potential doesn’t mean I’m completely incapable of exercising.”

Earlier that day, she approached her girlfriend with the request of teaching her self-defense. The interest hadn’t sparked from any specific situation; she had only supposed that it was a useful skill to have. And with Mon’s proficiency in athletics, she seemed like the perfect person to ask. She wasn’t an easy opponent, but Namtaan hadn’t expected her to be. Practicing with someone who can out-fight anyone she may ever encounter will make her more than prepared.

What she failed to remember was that as soon as Mon stopped being her sparring partner, she went right back to being her girlfriend, and honestly, Namtaan isn’t quite sure which one is worse. After seeing her panting on the practice mats, she’d rushed over with a towel – careful to wipe off her sweat on a separate one first – and a water bottle. That was more than enough to tide her over but for Mon, not so much. And thus, she ended up on her back.

“But you do have high blood pressure,” Mon reminds her as she turns a corner. The sun is setting, shining bright as it hangs low in the sky. Namtaan has to duck her head into Mon’s shoulder so that she’s not blinded. “So I’m pretty sure a bit of caution is warranted.”

“Exercise actually helps with high blood pressure,” she points out. “So your argument is completely inaccurate. Want to give me another reason as to why I’m not currently walking on my own?”

Clinging to her when she hoists her higher up on her back, she feels like she’s falling before Mon has her arms hooked under her legs once more. It’s an entirely intentional move that has her kicking her girlfriend’s hips. Her only acknowledgement of it is a breathy laugh that tells Namtaan that she’s smiling and the quip of, “Maybe I just wanted carry my girlfriend around. What good is my potential if I can’t use it on what’s most important?”

Stunned into silence, Namtaan can do nothing more than bury further into where Mon’s neck meets her shoulder, pink cheeks completely hidden. The two of them are not often overt with affection in public settings, but their relationship is still new enough for her to be caught off guard with spontaneous bits of mush and gush. She has yet to find a good way to react to it, so for now, hiding is the best option she has.

“Next time I want to practice, I’m asking Punn,” she mumbles against her skin. Mon laughs, and she kicks her hips again, harder this time.

iv. idol and babies

It’s nice to know how everyone feels in any given situation. It leaves little room for confusion or possible hostilities that arise from deeply repressed emotions. But regardless of how useful her potential may be, Claire tends to keep other people’s privacy as just that.

There are times when the colors are too vibrant to ignore, and they manage to spill into her peripherals even when she isn’t utilizing her potential. And well, curiosity killed the cat after all; she takes a peek, just a small one. But even then, she keeps what only she can see to herself.

But then there are rarities where she can’t not involve herself, though it’s always for a good cause, trust her. Usually, it’s only when one of her classmates goes blue, and the littlest gesture of a drink left on their desk or snacks dropped off outside their door rooms suffices to draw a bit of yellow around them.

She says usually, but…she’s never been able to turn down helping someone who’s pink.

It doesn’t happen very often. Wave has slowly but surely grown from a soft rose to a bright fuchsia, but any advice she has attempted to offer him is met with fierce denial. She can’t comprehend why, seeing as even Ohm has caught on to his and Pang’s terribly hidden secret. Though she likes getting under his skin, they are far from the enemies they were in their first year, so a few light, jabbing teases is all she gives him. Mon and Namtaan are the only two, besides herself and Punn, who have their acts together, so she has nothing to worry about there. And Korn…that’s another conversation entirely.

It’s when she thinks that her romance expertise is no longer needed that she catches a pink glow coming from across the canteen. She hasn’t gotten to talk much to the younger gifted students much, what with the third years focusing on their potentials individually rather than in a group setting. But she knows their names, and more than anything, she knows when someone has a crush.

Her gaze lands on a girl – Grace, she remembers – sitting with her hands curled beneath her chin, and if anyone else were to look at her, they would think she’s staring off aimlessly. Claire, however, follows her line of sight to land on a girl at a table a few away from the one she’s sitting at. She’s talking a mile a minute, hands flying in front of her face for emphasis. When she turns back to Grace, she finds the faintest of smiles creeping its way to her lips. That, she thinks, is what has her moving.

Sitting in the empty space beside her, she doesn’t hesitate before speaking, low enough for only the two of them to hear, “Are you just going to keep staring, or will you actually go and talk to her?”

Grace flinches, head whipping towards her. Eyes wide, she stammers for a reply, “P’Claire–”

“Nothing will come from watching from afar,” she continues. “Believe me, I’m speaking from personal experience. You’ll never have a chance if you don’t even try.”

Swallowing, Grace dares a quick glance back to the girl. She sinks a bit in her seat, whispering, “And what if I do and still nothing comes of it?”

“Then you get to move on. But between you and me,” she brushes a piece of her wavy hair behind her ear and smiles, “I think things will turn out just fine. Trust me when I say that not knowing is much worse than any reaction she may have.”

It only takes another glance to the girl and a bite to her bottom lip before Grace is slowly getting up and approaching the girl. She gives her a bright grin and moves a seat over to make room for her at the table.

Claire’s heart swells. Just as she suspected, Grace has very little to worry about. And now that she’s settled that, she can deal with the dual pink bodies across the table. Third and Time have been bickering back and forth since she’d sat down, but what can she say? She’s always loved a challenge.

v. class eight kid & wizard

Wave can’t remember how he ended up crowded against the wall in one of the school’s stairways, but it’s the position he’s in. And from the looks of it, he’s not leaving it any time soon.

Pang has one hand resting on the wall beside his head, and he’s smiling at him like that. It’s infuriating, but even more so, it’s absolutely heart stopping. One of the sides of his mouth is raised just slightly higher than the other, and he’s looking directly into Wave’s eyes like they hold the answer to the universe. He can feel the glare he’s sending him softening by the second.

“We were supposed to meet up with the others ten minutes ago,” he reminds him, if only to break Pang’s gaze. He should know better; Pang is as stubborn as they come, and when his mind is set on something, it’s near impossible to stray it.

The one side of his mouth raises even higher, and he dares to lean in a bit closer. Wave’s head, already pressed flat against the wall, tilts up, trying to put more space between them. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Pang, far from it. Rather, he doesn’t know if he trusts himself. He’s meant to be the rational one between the two of them, and when he’s encroaching into his personal space, he finds it hard to not let himself be the careless one.

“That means we’re already late. What’s a few more minutes going to do?” It’s a test, Wave is sure. He’s never failed one of those, and he’s not going to start because of some reckless kid from Class Eight.

He’s annoying on the best of days; he gets on Wave’s last nerves on the worst. He’s stupidly slow at times, doesn’t comprehend the most basic of mathematics, cannot button a shirt to save his life, and yet, Wave is hopelessly attracted to him, flaws included. He wouldn’t be Pang without them.

He isn’t quite sure what Pang sees in him, and perhaps he never will. All that matters is that he sees something. Though he won’t admit it (not yet), he feels lucky for it. The way Pang’s eyes hang heavy and half lidded as his free hand plays with his fingers is enough to make him shout it out loud and have it echo around the school for everyone to hear. Instead, he does the only other thing he thinks to.

Gripping the hand that already has his, Wave pulls him the rest of the way in until there’s no space left between them. Kissing is new, and he’s not sure if he’s very good at it. But it’s a nice feeling, it’s Pang, and it’s enough.

Short, simple, and sweet is the best way to describe it. They’re at risk of someone finding them, and more so, it’s enough for Wave to slip away. Flustering his boyfriend is a game he can play just as well as Pang, and as he walks down the hall, hands shoved triumphantly in his pockets, he knows he’s won this round.

“Fifteen minutes,” he calls over his shoulder. “Ohm is going to get antsy and come looking for us. Better hurry and come up with an excuse before we get to the room.”

Quick footsteps patter behind him, and an arm slings around his shoulders as they walk together. Irritating, thick-skulled, and thoughtless does not begin to describe Pang. But understanding, kind, and all kinds of wonderful more than does.

vi. class eight kid, magician & angel

“Namtaan,” Ohm whines, drawing out her name as he drapes himself over her bed. He, along with Pang, have taken refuge in her room, looking for something to do. Unfortunately for them, she’s a bit too preoccupied for whatever they’re needy for this time around. “I can’t believe you’re abandoning us for Mon tonight. We had plans!”

“You had plans,” she corrects, uncapping a tube of mascara and brushing the wand through her lashes. “And you failed to tell me about said plans. So if you’d like to put blame on anyone, put it on yourself.” Eyes flickering away from her reflection in the mirror to look at Pang’s, she asks, “You’re not going to complain?”

Pang shrugs with a grin. “I’m just here, because Ohm dragged me along. I told him you’d probably be busy, but he said you’d never be too busy for us.”

“She wasn’t before she got a girlfriend!” Flipping onto his back, Ohm spreads his arms out wide, kicking his feet in a childish huff. “We watched movies! Had game nights! Now you’re off to dinner with Mon while we have to stay here alone!”

“We can still do all of those things another time,” she assures him, unable to hold back a thoughtful smile. As dramatic as he is, she’s still stupidly fond of him. “And you won’t be alone. You have each other for company.”

Ohm rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. You and I both know that as soon as Wave is done with his homework, Pang is going to ditch me for him.”

Pang lets out an exasperated noise. “What? I will not!”

“Sure you won’t. You’re telling me you haven’t already texted him to tell you when he’s done?”

“…you could come with me?”

“Absolutely not!”

Namtaan leaves them to bicker as she slips into the bathroom to change. Her level of primping is nowhere near Claire’s, but she enjoys looking nice, specifically on date nights. What shame is there in wanting to dress up a bit for her girlfriend?

Even so, it’s nothing far out of her comfort zone: a simple, floral dress with her favorite light blue cardigan. Turning around, she looks over her shoulder into the mirror, spinning a bit to see the end of the dress flutter about her knees. It’s nice, she thinks, to feel pretty sometimes.

Stepping back into the bedroom, she’s met by the boys’ argument, but it’s cut off by the time she shuts the bathroom door. The two of them are staring at her, slow blinks the only movements in their faces. She can’t remember a time either of them have been struck speechless, and she looks down at her outfit for a moment with concern. She understands it’s not her typical dress, but surely it isn’t different enough to garner this reaction.

Fingers curling into where the sleeves of her cardigan rest over her palms, she’s about to question them, but Ohm beats her to it. “Namtaan!” he exclaims. “You look so pretty!”

It’s her turn to blink, because whatever she expects the reasoning for their silence to be, this is not it. But their mouths are quickly breaking into excited smiles, and they’re looking at her like she’s the most amazing thing they’ve ever seen.

“How come you’ve never worn anything like this before?” Ohm asks, hanging over the end of her bed to get a closer look.

“I guess I’ve never had a reason to?” she answers. It’s never been something she’s thought about. More often than not, she’s in her school uniform, and if for some reason she isn’t, nothing she does warrants this level of dress. “I’ve never seen you in a suit or anything like that either, Ohm.”

“That would be fun though, wouldn’t it? If we all got dressed up really fancy?” His cheeks look as though they’re about to burst with how far the edges of his lips push into them. “It’s just…you look really pretty, Namtaan.”

She turns to Pang. He’s only the slightest bit more sensible, but he’s less likely to have the blinding positivity that Ohm does. He only nods in agreement. “You really do.”

This is so far from what she’s used to that she isn’t sure how to respond. It only takes one more look at them – the two impulsive yet caring boys she somehow got stuck with during her first year and never found reason to stray from – for her to return their smiles. They’re dense at times, don’t always think things through, but more than anything, they’re hers and that’s what matters most.

vii. idol, master & lonely

Ever since the gifted dorms had been split by boys and girls instead of provided on an individual basis, Korn has found it more and more difficult to find places to be alone. He can only stay in the classrooms for so long, and even those aren’t always empty. Their secret hideout is rarely vacant, more often than not littered with multiple of his classmates. Before, he’d at least had his dorm for solitude, but now, he doesn’t even have that.

Rationally, he knows that this should be good for him. Keeping to himself as much as he does isn’t healthy, and there are more than enough opportunities for him to spend time with the rest of the gifted kids, seeing as they tend to travel in somewhat of a pack. But jumping head first into the freezing cold water that is social interaction after going so long without it isn’t easy. He’s trying, truly, but sometimes, he needs some seclusion.

Mon is the safest space he has. She understands him in a way the others never will. Their potentials come with side effects that have had them wishing they were born without them on more than one occasion, and during those down times, they find comfort in each other.

It’s what has him stalking to the girls’ dorm room. With multiple nights without a wink of sleep, he feels himself slowly reaching the breaking point he’s talked himself away from too many times to count. If he’s lucky, he’ll catch Mon there alone. And if she’s not, she’ll know him enough to follow him to somewhere private.

The door is slightly cracked open, so he knocks once before sticking his head in. Instead of Mon, he finds the very last thing he wants to. Punn is propped up against the pillows on one of the bottom bunks, flipping through the pages of a book. Leaning against his side, Claire scrolls through her phone, glancing up at the sound of someone entering. She smiles at him, and it’s just too much.

Turning on his heel, he goes for the door, mumbling an apology under his breath. A frantic “Korn, wait!” is called after him, and a hand grabs his wrist. The grip is deliberate, and he knows by the way Claire’s fingertips go white beneath the pink polish on her nails that she won’t let him go without a fight.

He faces her, planting both feet firmly to show that he isn’t going to run. Even still, she won’t release him. Sighing, he asks, “What do you want, Claire?” Over her shoulder, he sees that they’ve captured Punn’s attention. He’s staring at him with a look to his eyes that Korn can’t quite decipher, but the last thing he wants to do is upset Claire enough to get him involved. So he softens his tone and says, “I was looking for Mon.”

“She just left with Namtaan,” Claire says. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t stay! We’re not really doing much, and it’s been so long we’ve talked.” There is desperation in her voice as well as in her eyes, and it pulls at a string of his heart that he thinks has always belonged to her. “Please, Korn?”

It’s then that he realizes that she’s wearing her glasses. It’s not a sight he sees very often, but it’s familiar and makes him feel warm. He doesn’t harbor any romantic feelings for her anymore; he’d gotten over those long, long ago. This is purely platonic, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t intense. This is the Claire – the Medfai – that he’s known since they were tripping over their shoelaces and sneaking bits of their lunches underneath their desks. A simple of pair of glasses reminds him of a far simpler time before potentials and gifted programs and multiple sleepless nights in a row. He so badly wants to cling to it, and he’s almost calls himself selfish until he remembers that this is something that Claire is offering.

“If you’re sure,” he says, as though he’s giving her one last chance to pull away.

“I am,” she assures. She sounds as though she’s holding back her excitement until he shuts the door and ventures further into the room.

Ultimately, it’s Punn that has him moving. “She’s not going to stop asking until you agree,” he says. He’s gone back to his book, and he casually flips a page before looking to Korn again. “It’s much easier to go along with whatever she wants. We both know that.”

We, not I. It’s the first time he can recall Punn acknowledging that he knows and cares for Claire as much as he does; it’s the first time ever that he doesn’t feel guilty for intruding on what he’s convinced himself isn’t a place he’s wanted.

“Okay.” Somehow, a single word brings her so much joy, and she’s tugging him towards her bed. He sits on the end, making sure there’s enough room between them, because there are still boundaries he’s not quite ready to break. But even with the space between them, he feels closer to anyone than he has in a very long time.

“So,” Claire chirps. Legs crossed in front of her, she’s leaning against her ankles and angling towards him. “Tell me what’s going on between you and Ohm.”

Groaning, he lets his head fall back against the wooden paneling around the edges of the bed. Claire is laughing, and he can hear Punn joining her. He would say he’s already regretting his decision, but he can’t; not when he finally feels like he’s starting to belong.

viii. teach & class xv

Pom has no reason to believe that this Tuesday will be different than any other, but he is sorely mistaken. Lesson plans tucked beneath his arm, he opens the door to his classroom and is met with a loud popping sound and a spray of multi colored confetti. Surprised enough to take a step back, he looks beyond the doorway and into the rest of the classroom.

The walls are draped in streamers, and there’s a long banner that reads ‘Thank You!!’ across the front board. On his desk is a tray of cupcakes in varying levels of proper decorations. Every desk has a bottled beverage atop it, and there’s one held out for him by Korn. He takes it, albeit slowly, and lets the door shut behind him.

This isn’t a special day, because he would have known if it was. He has every one of his students’ birthdays marked in the calendar in his office, and the little box for today’s date was empty when he last checked it. It isn’t his birthday either, so he’s at a loss for just what they’re meant to be celebrating.

“Want to explain to me what’s going on?” he asks as he reaches the front of the room. He places his things down, and the kids all take their seats, smiles still plastered across all of their faces. “I wasn’t aware there was something worth celebrating.”

“Of course there is!” Ohm says, because of course it’s him. “It’s the last week of the semester!”

“Ah,” he nods, their actions beginning to make more sense. “Prebreak excitement then? You do know that you still have your final evaluations, right?”

“We know,” Claire says. She points to her protective sunglasses, and even behind them, Pom can see her affectionate eyeroll. “We’ve been practicing nonstop on top of studying for our normal exams.”

“But that’s not why we’re celebrating,” Wave adds.

“We only have one semester left here,” Pang continues. “One semester left of the gifted program. And one semester left with you.”

“You’ve done so much for us over the past three years,” Namtaan finishes for them. “You’ve helped us with much more than our potentials, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re very grateful that we got to have you as a teacher.”

The entire class nods in unison, and it takes a good few blinks to clear the tears from his eyes. It feels like yesterday that he told Chanon that he wanted to be a teacher. Classes have come and gone, and somehow another is almost out the door. He doesn’t pick favorites; he loves all of the kids he’s had and will love all the ones he will ever have in the future equally. But that doesn’t stop the special pocket in his heart that has tucked itself away for these ten kids.

He won’t break down, not until he’s in the confines of his apartment, and he has his husband’s chest to hide in. For now, he returns their smiles with one of his own and pretends it’s not a bit wobbly at the edges.

“And I’m just as grateful to have had all of you as my students,” he says. He hopes they don’t catch the shake in his voice, but if they do, they don’t make mention of it. “Now, come on, these cupcakes aren’t going to eat themselves. Maybe they’ll sweeten the fact that I have the order for all of your individual examination times.”

A chorus of groans echoes through the room as they all file to get their hands on a cupcake. He watches them all, and in each of them, he sees how much they’ve grown from the first day he met them. He never forgets a student, and he sees no reason that this batch will be any different.

[datheetjoella]

Fantober 2020, Day 8: First Meeting

Author: DatHeetJoella Fandom: Free! Pairing: MakoHaru Rating: T Part: 8/31 (read the full collection here) Word count: 1,264 Tags: Canonverse, Established Relationship, Fluff, Childhood Memories Read at: AO3, FFn, or right here!

                                            -----------------------------------

After a particularly exhausting training session with Coach Azuma, Haruka was relieved to finally drop his bag in the genkan. Makoto was already home, sitting on the bed with folded legs, faced away from the door. Haruka's heart swelled with fondness when he saw him.

"I'm home," he said as he took off his shoes, but when he didn't receive a response, he frowned. Was Makoto wearing earphones or had he simply not heard him?

Deciding to surprise him, Haruka tip-toed over to the bed and hugged Makoto from behind, wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Haru!" Makoto yelped and he dropped his phone on his lap. "You scared me!"

"I did call out to you, but you didn't reply."

"Sorry, I didn't hear." Makoto turned his head and pressed a kiss to Haruka's cheek. "Welcome home."

Haruka smiled and seized the opportunity for a proper kiss. This was what he looked forward to all day, so he made sure to savour the feeling of Makoto's lips sliding over his oh so tenderly. Once satisfied, he leaned his chin on Makoto's shoulder. "So, what are you looking at that's more interesting than me?"

"Also you," Makoto giggled as he picked his phone back up and showed Haruka the screen. It was a picture of the two of them together as toddlers, their little hands and faces covered in fingerpaint. "My mom was clearing out the attic earlier and she found all of my baby picture albums, so she scanned them and uploaded them on the drive."

"Oh," Haruka said, releasing his hold on Makoto to sit down beside him. "Show me."

Backing out to the previous screen, Makoto scrolled up to the start of the file and selected the first picture: a tiny baby with one thin strip of hair on his head, lying inside his mother's arms in the hospital. Mrs. Tachibana was smiling brightly, but her eyes conveyed immense fatigue. She once told him Makoto's labour had taken nearly twenty-eight hours and that was clearly visible on her face.

"This was taken right after I was born," Makoto said as if Haruka couldn't tell, "My very first picture."

"You look like a potato."

"Hey!"

"What?" Haruka shrugged, "You look good now, but there you looked like a potato."

"I guess you have a point." Makoto chuckled. "Most of these early pictures all look the same, so I'll go through them quickly to spare your eyes."

Judging by the number of pictures there were, it was clear Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana were very excited about their baby and were determined to capture every yawn and giggle. Not that he expected anything less of them.

"How long did it take your mom to scan all of these?"

"All day," Makoto said, "She started this morning and only got through a few albums. She hasn't even gotten to my third birthday yet, let alone the birth of the twins and all their albums."

"Sounds like she's going to have her work cut out for her the next couple of weeks."

"Yeah, but she's determined. She wants to make sure our pictures are always saved somewhere else, in case a fire or something like that happens."

That wasn't a bad idea. Living in the digital age, Haruka hadn't thought twice about his baby pictures and how they weren't stored in multiple places. It would be a shame if all those pictures, including ones of his grandma, would be lost. He wasn't sure whether his parents took the old family albums with them to Hokkaido or not, so he'd have to check when his mom called. Otherwise, their next trip to Iwatobi would probably look a whole lot different.

They flew through the first year of Makoto's life. With every picture, Makoto's cheeks grew a bit chubbier and his hair fuller, and after a couple of months, he started to look like himself: like the cute little kid that would soon become Haruka's very best friend.

Then, after Makoto's second New Year's and the shrine visit, spring came and with it, a flood of memories. The Tachibanas packed up all their stuff in their tiny apartment and moved into their house in Iwatobi. There were no pictures of what happened right afterwards, but Haruka vaguely remembered it.

By the hand, his mother led him down the stairs, to the house beneath theirs that was previously vacant. A new family had moved in, so they had to be polite and welcome them to town. His father told him he saw the new family had a little boy around his age and claimed he was sure Haruka and he would become best friends. Back then, his dad had no clue how right he would be.

When they entered the garden, a large man was walking towards the moving truck, but he stopped and smiled when he saw their family. He introduced himself and called over his wife and their son to come meet the new neighbours.

That was the first time he saw Makoto; on his mother's arm, clutching her pink sweater in his pudgy fist, large green eyes filled with wonder.

"This was right before we first met," Haruka said when the picture on Makoto's screen showed him sitting among the boxes in their living room. "You were wearing these dungarees."

"Really? I'm surprised you remember that."

"Our moms love to tell this story, so I'm not sure if I actually remember it or if I've just been told so many times that I think I remember it," Haruka said, smiling as he studied little Makoto's bright grin. "You were so happy and bubbly, yet when your mom took you to meet my parents, you were trying to hide in your mom's chest. It wasn't until you saw me that you showed your face."

Makoto smiled too. "I was shy back then. Meeting new people is scary."

"You weren't scared of me, though."

"How could I ever be scared of you?" Makoto said, "I already knew back then that you would be my best friend, the person I would love the most." Makoto continued swiping through the album and a handful of photos later, Haruka made his first appearance. They were sitting on the couch together, mouths full of cookie crumbs. "And we've been inseparable ever since."

Haruka couldn't help but mirror Makoto's expression. "Who would've guessed back then that we would be here two decades later?"

"Me," Makoto said, "I always knew we would stay together, no matter what."

"Is that so?"

"Hm. I knew that nothing could ever happen that would make me want to stop being with you."

Heat rushed to Haruka's cheeks and he averted his eyes. How could Makoto say these things so casually, without a blink or a stutter? "Idiot."

"I mean it," Makoto said as he put his phone down beside him and wrapped his arms around Haruka's body. "I loved you then, I love you now, and I'll love you every day yet to come."

His tone was a bit teasing, like he purposely wanted to embarrass him, but that didn't make the sentiment any less genuine. "I love you too," Haruka said, and before Makoto could say more things that made him want to run out the door and jump into the nearest pond, he pressed a long, silencing kiss against Makoto's lips.

Two decades worth of memories were stored not just in photo albums and on their phones, but also in their hearts. They would continue to make more memories together in all the years yet to come.

[terribleco]

Ghost Town

Coventry has never been a skate mecca, but fun can definitely be had on a skateboard in the city of peace and reconciliation. With that being said, over the last couple of years, some of the great spots I, and many others, grew up skating have been removed by Coventry City Council. With no plans for a new skatepark from the council, it can feel like the skate scene is constantly being slapped in the face with the number of places to skate dwindling. I spoke to some of the Cov locals about some of their favourite long gone spots, in an attempt to understand why our dead spots, no matter how innocuous, are part of skateboarding history. 

Header photo by Ryan Bradley.

I grew up skating in Coventry in the early 2000's. By the time I had started skating, the spots had been skated for decades prior, but still had plenty of life left as the new boom of skaters entered the city. The spots have always had a rough and raw quality to them, but then again that was part of the charm. Banks, ledges, rails, stairs, even the odd street transition - but all of them had a common aesthetic of a city that had been rebuilt and reimagined through a brutalist lense after the second World War. The spots are decent enough to get the attention of Stereo's Carl Shipman, Darkstar's Joe Hinson, and the respective Get Lesta and Baghead crews: so it stands to reason that they are most certainly important in British skateboarding history. 

Andy Clare, one of the OG Cov Street skaters, is the owner and operator of Spray Station - a graffiti shop in Coventry’s Fargo Village. He's a lifelong skateboarder in the city, having seen new spots crop up again and again. He remembers many of the spots from the 90's era, many of which were still present when I started skating, and only recently were demolished:

"Brickies was great, I grew up skating those banks and loved it there despite the terrible floor and smell of piss. The balcony spot (aka Virgin Wall rides) was fun with good flat, grindy ledges and steep banks. The marble bank/wallride behind the west orchards escalators was great, and there used to be some big square wooden benches too."

P: Gaz Taylor boosts a melon out of Brickies for his “New Blood” article in Sidewalk.

Brickies, aka The Brickworks, was my favourite spot in the world. So much so, I wrote an obituary on this very blog when it got demolished last year. For many of us who grew up in Coventry, Brickies was endless fun: lip tricks, bank tricks, raw, unforgiving ground, and the openness of a skatepark made it the perfect challenge for anyone who enjoyed riding a skateboard. 

Gaz Taylor was part of the same generation of skaters as Andy, and has been skating in Coventry almost as long as I've been alive. Consistently adept at tackling the street spots in the city, he even got snapped doing a melon at Brickies in an issue of Sidewalk. Brickies wasn't his only favourite place to skate though:

"There was a flat bar outside the Belgrade theatre next to the fountain, about knee high.  Perfect for learning rail tricks on. I remember it used to shoot you off the end at speed as it was slightly down hill, that was really fun. Also, the old banks at Cov and Warwickshire Hospital were really good fun, that was a very long time ago though."

Ryan Stanway was one of the first skaters I met down the Memorial Park, before Terribleco was even a thing. Despite meeting at a skatepark, he is largely a street skater, and knows the spots of Coventry better than the back of his hand. He remembers one of the most infamous stair sets in Cov:

"Pigeon Shit has to be up high in the list of spots. It was the first decent sized set of stairs I landed tricks down when I was younger. There always used to be massive session there with 20 plus people all trying stuff." 

P: Moose throws a Varial Heel down at Pigeon Shit. Photo by Ryan Bradley

Pigeon Shit was a stairset in a "golden triangle" of spots in Coventry: an area surrounding the University where you couldn't walk for more than 10 seconds without encountering more skateable architecture. It was a long 4 set, merging into a 5 set as the landing was on a slight hill, and had a knee high ledge running along the right hand side. The ledge was battered from years of abuse at the hands of trucks and BMX pegs alike, but it didn't stop people like Kris Vile, Josh Walters, Ant Smith and others getting bangers on it. Josh's last trick in my vid "Batface" saw him getting a FS Tailslide Bigspin out on the ledge, and the same video saw Ralph Cooper close out his part with a switch hard flip down the stairs at Pigeon Shit. It was a proving ground for any half decent street skater in Coventry. 

Ryan Bradley, a regular contributor to this blog, lives out in the Warwickshire village of Cubbington, but his real home is at the street spots in the centre of Coventry. A regular of the scene for more than 15 years, Ryan's memory of street spots is pretty similar to my own. He remembers some of the more obscure spots and lesser remembered favourites:

"The pyramid spot at the old precinct entrance, next to New Look was so tight back in the day, and got so rinsed, especially by Tony Lui. The old blue fountain with transition at Belgrade was cool from what I remember, and was pretty fun to skate around in. The double death set, with the double rail that was right next to Brickies was great too. Obviously gotta mention Brickies itself, just because so much shit has gone down there for so long. There was a road gap on the hill in between the Boy's club and Gosford Street at the University library: I remember Duffman trying to conquer that, and I’m pretty sure they filled that in."

Some of the spots Ryan brings up were incredibly gnarly and were rarely skated. The double death rail didn't see many tricks go down on it, but Stan Byrne caveman boardslid it in the 2013 Terribleco video "Concrete Jungle". The road gap at the University library was like something straight out of San Francisco - a hill bomb spot with a gap over cobbles about the width of 1 and a half cars. The only person I know to have cleared it is Tony Lui. Finally, the old precinct pyramid spot was a small, whippy bank spot, which saw plenty of quick footed lip tricks go down from Tony Lui, Harry Myers, Kyle Smith and a wallie over the whole thing by Joxa. 

P: Tony Lui boosts a FS ollie out of the Pyramid Bank spot. Photo by Ryan Bradley

New spots (at the time) like the Herbert were popping up a lot, replacing old 1960's architecture. It was a reminder that the city had been evolving and changing long before some of us even considered standing on a skateboard, or even before we were born. Gaz Taylor remembers dozens of spots I had never even seen in my time skating:

"Manual pads in Whitefriar's car park were popular in the 90's. Barrack's car park had some rad free standing painted curbs, and some small banks shaped like half of a pyramid that we used to use to get air out of. There was a small rail outside the transport museum with no run up, that was good for cave man slides."

"In the late 80's there was a mini ramp in the woods in Canley next to Tesco, built by Phil Hunt. I remember it had bright orange coping on one side and bright green on the other side. The paint would stay on your trucks for a while after. Safeway's car park on Holyhead Road had some rad slick curbs and some mud gaps. That was one of the main hang out spots for skaters in the early 90's too. Grindable window ledges of the Coventry tax office building were very good fun."

P: An after dark session at the Virgin Wallrides. Photo by Ryan Bradley

This article was inspired by the demolition of the concrete benches at the Littern Tree spot - named after the pub nearby. Current skaters in the scene mourned the loss of the spot, but speaking to sources who have had an eye on the redevelopment a brand new hub of spots is planned. Old spots are great and we miss them when they're gone, but there's a lot to be said for the excitement of new architecture and the spots that are yet to be. 

Nostalgia and history are powerful things, and they definitely contribute heavily to skateboarding. The cyclical trends, the feeling of skating a park you haven't been to in 10 years, and the stories people tell of what trick was done at which spot. No matter what new spots are planned for Coventry, the old spots like Brickies, Virgin Wallrides, Littern Tree and Pigeon Shit will live on through what we remember about them, and of course the footage we got along the way. 

The Brooklyn Banks, Wallenberg, Hubba Hideout: These are all legendary, long gone spots that skateboarders talk about in hushed tones, but they don't compare to our own personal spots we grow up skating, and miss immensely when they are gone. I would give my left nut for the chance to skate Brickies again, without a shadow of a doubt. For every local spot that gets demolished, it takes fond memories of a whole skate scene with it. Everything is temporary, so skate your spots whilst you got 'em. 

[charlotte-bane-blog]

Challenge 1: Charlotte Bane

I didn’t edit this so I am truly and deeply sorry for all the mistakes and typos, but I hope whoever reads this that they enjoy it :) People mentioned: @berklee-boyer @alinaschreave @domschreave @princepercyschreave @princesslillianschreave

———————————————————

It’s easy to let your guard down. It’s easy to make mistakes. But five sets the record.

I was used to attending formal events growing up, but not as an invited guest. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was completely terrified and insecure. Being a six in a room full of ones and twos was enough to knock down my ego a few pegs.

As my maids proceeded to set my hair and apply my makeup, I couldn’t help but think of the recently eliminated. There were girls sent home that I never imagined I’d make it further than. The process made me feel special but terrified. I felt that I could be thrown out at a moment’s notice.

“I’m not okay,” Berk exclaims as she swings open the door, effectively interrupting my thoughts.

My poor maid, startled, dropped her brush and glared at my blonde friend. “Berklee! What?”

“I don’t know! Something about my hair doesn’t seem right!”

I examined her hair to try to figure out what her issue was. “What about it?”

Berklee looked at me as if I was stupid before her faced formed into one of thought. “I don’t know. Like it looks amazing. Maybe I’m just nervous. Like what do you even do at a ball?”

I chuckled at her rambling. “Your hair is definitely gorgeous. And does it look like I would know? Aren’t you the know it all three,” I grinned.

“Stop,” she rolled her eyes. “But do I look okay?”

I let out a sigh. “You look beautiful, trust me.”

“Girl, you look so much better.”

I smiled a bit to myself. It was nice to be complemented once in awhile. With my former profession, I was used to being the one to offer my praise. This all felt so new, yet amazing. “I’m not even fully dressed,” I retorted, gesturing to my robe.

Berk gave me a flat look. “Whatever. Hurry up.”

“Just a second,” I hushed. “I have to finish up my hair. How is it by the way?”

“I love it! The twists are super cute,” she grinned.

I smiled and nodded at her before walking into my closet with my maid. She helped me into the gown since there was no possible way of me getting it on or off single handedly. Once the job was done, I stepped out to show Berk. “Here, how’s this?”

“Oh my god. That’s amazing! It’s so pretty! It’s so you!” The dress was a gorgeous emerald color that reached the floor. There was a 90% chance I’d end up tripping over it at least once tonight.

“Thanks, Berk,” I said awkwardly. “We should probably head over now. Wouldn’t want to be late.”

With that said, Berk and I made our way out of the room and down to the ball. I was met with beautiful decorations and a striking wave of anxiety. I took a deep breath and walked towards the Bitch Squad for a small photo session with the press. I smiled at them and spoke to them for a bit before leaving the group. I still have no clue why I left. I probably should’ve stayed with a friend to help my nerves. But, alas, I had made the first mistake of the night.

I glanced around the room before deciding to busy myself with a few refreshments. I noticed a guard eyeing me closely, so I grabbed a drink, hoping it would discourage him from starting a conversation with me. This plan did not work.

“Hey, princess, how are you,” the guard smirked.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye uneasily. “I'm… uh… okay.”

He inched closer to me. “Wanna dance?”

I stepped back. “I don’t think so…”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

The guard leaned back. “Alright, but find me when you change your mind. Because you will.”

I cringed. “Okay…” I definitely wasn’t going to change my mind. I stepped away from him quickly and looked around for an easy exit or distraction. I was definitely distracted as I saw Evan and Kat talking. Percy had mentioned before of his thoughts toward the pair. He said he felt his brother was a bit hypocritical. Evan must’ve thought the same thing since he seemed to leave Kat quite suddenly. Huh, I thought.

I found a comfortable area to sit in as I watched the ball go on. I was kicking myself for not enjoying this ordeal like all the other Selected seemed to. This could be your life, I scolded myself. You have to get a grip.

Pulling me out of my thoughts, an older woman strutted towards me regally. “Is there something wrong, darling, or are you just not a party person?”

I looked up a bit startled. It was Princess Lillian, Percy’s mom. This should be fun. “Everything’s fine,” I smiled weakly. “This is just a bit new for me.”

Lillian sneered down her nose as if she thought she was better than everyone else. She probably did. “Well, you’d better get used to it if you ever hope to join the royal family.”

Though what she had said was true and something I had already told myself, I wasn’t comfortable with the way she spoke to me. To be honest, it sounded like my own mother.

“Guess you’re right. My apologies, your highness,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I didn’t mean to offend you so greatly.” I didn’t sound sincere at all.

“Of course you didn’t.” Do you not understand sarcasm, Mrs. Schreave? Lillian eyed me more carefully. Part of me was worried she could read my mind. “Which one are you again?”

Should I say someone else’s name, I asked myself. Nope, definitely not. That would end very badly. “Charlotte, ma'am.”

Her eyes flashed with recognition. “Ahh, you’re the one my youngest is so obsessed with.”

Youngest? “Callie? Funny. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her yet.”

“No, I mean Percy of course.” Poor, ignored Callie.

“Right, Percy. I’m not sure I follow.”

Lillian pinched the bridge of her nose. “What don’t you follow dear girl? It’s not that complicated.”

My patience was definitely running out with this woman. Whatever I had drunken earlier wasn’t helping my control at all. “I don’t follow,” I began slowly, “why you would choose the word ‘obsessed’. It’s not that complicated,” I mocked.

“You’re all he talks about. You’re all the media talks about in regards to him. Seems like an obsession to me.” This woman didn’t seem too fond of this realization.

I shrugged. “I prefer the word ‘interested’, don’t you? Sounds less crazy. You wouldn’t want people thinking your son was crazy.”

“My son is crazy, darling. Both of them are, in their own ways. The trick is just learning to accept it.”

Don’t say it, Charlotte. Don’t say it.

“Did you also accept yourself?”

Why? Why did I do that? This would be the second mistake of the night.

“Excuse me,” Lillian blurted.

Shoot. I have to fix this. “Just that if your sons are both crazy, in lovable ways I assume, wouldn’t you say you are too?” Total B.S.

Lillian look absolutely appalled. “No, of course I am not! How dare you accuse me as such,” she exclaimed.

“I didn’t accuse you of anything. I simply asked a question.”

“Mmhmm. A question insinuating that I am, in fact, crazy. Which I am clearly not.” Yeah…

I simply nodded. “Clearly.”

Lillian crossed her arms. “Well, is there anything else or are you able to enjoy my party now?” Oh yes, I’m just having a grand time.

“I’m enjoying it immensely,” I grit out. “Thanks for asking.” There wasn’t a genuine bone in my body in that moment.

“Excellent. Have a nice rest of your evening,” she responded before turning to leave. When she finally walked away, I let out a deep sigh. Lillian was the mother of Evan, Percy, and Callie. I haven’t met Callie or Evan personally but I knew they weren’t awful. And Percy… he wasn’t too bad.

I forced myself to stand up. I may not have been having the best of times, but I might as well try to be social for a bit. If I was feeling miserable after trying, I’d leave. Simple as that.

I spotted Berklee and decided to make some conversation. “Hey, Berk. Enjoying yourself?”

She turned around and smiled at me. “Yeah expect that my feet are killing me. You?”

“Horrible. I just got done having a lovely conversation with Princess Lillian.”

“What happened,” she asked concerned.

“I was already feeling pretty awkward and she wasn’t really happy about that. But, she said her youngest was obsessed with me. I’ve never even met Callie. She did correct herself and say Percy, but whatever. You’ve spoken to Callie, right,” I rambled.

“Yes I have. She’s the cutest,” Berklee grinned. She really seemed to love that girl. “She’s right over there if you want to talk to her.” She pointed over to a little girl with blondish hair.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Berklee grabbed my hand and led me over to the youngest royal. Callie was a whirlwind of energy. She was pretty funny for a little kid. Though the moment she mentioned that I seemed to be the topic of conversation quite frequently. “Oh!! YOU’RE Charlotte!!” Callie exclaimed after I was introduced by Berklee.

“I’M Charlotte?”

Callie grinned. “Yeah. I keep hearing your name, but didn’t know what you looked like.” This little girl seemed to have a mischievous glint in her eye. She acted innocent, but I had a feeling she knew exactly what she was talking about.

Berklee and I shot her a questioning glance. “You keep hearing her name,” Berk asked.

“Yeah. Dom and Percy talk about her a lot.” I flushed at her response. I hoped it wasn’t anything too awful. It probably wasn’t bad at all. Percy and Dom were interesting guys, but I doubted they were the type to gossip. I think.

Callie continued to ramble about her silly antics and never fail to embarrass me with talk about her brother and cousin. She was a good kid.

Berk and I said our goodbyes as she left to enjoy more of the ball. I stood there for a moment thinking about what else I could do to pass the time and maybe actually have fun there.

“Hey there, angel,” someone whispered from behind me, sliding their arms around me.

I jumped away from the person and whipped around. “Jeez, what is wrong with you!? You scared me half to death,” I yelled at Percy.

He simply laughed. “Sorry, I thought it was funny.”

“I’m sure you did.” I retorted sarcastically. “What are you doing over here?”

“Just… came to check in on things. How are you feeling about being at your first ’royal ball’,” he said with raised brows and finger quotes.

“Not… well to be honest. Lots of anxiety in me at the moment,” I sighed and offered him a small smile.

“Why? Just cause I scared you,” he teased.

“No.” I rolled my eyes. “Because I’m not used to this. It’s stressful doing new things, I’ve come to learn.”

Percy shrugged. “Yeah, I get that. But seriously, there’s nothing to worry about here. It’s just the Selected and my family. No big deal. It’s not like you need to worry about the Czar of Russia showing up or anything.”

“But I do need to worry about Illean Royalty being here,” I pointed out.

“Nah, we’re not as special as people think. Really, just be yourself and you’ll be fine. Or just ignore them. That works too,” he joked. Percy looked around the room. “Listen, I have to be seen talking to more than one person, but if you can survive the rest of this ball, I’ll save the last dance of the night for you. Okay?”

“Okay.” Not okay. I really didn’t want to left by myself. I didn’t want him to leave.

Percy gave me an encouraging smile before walking away. I watched his retreating figure and say him turn towards the direction of Aricia. My chest tightened.

I never considered myself an overly emotional person. Everything I felt, I usually kept inside, and I was not about to let it all out. I needed to get out of there.

I stalked towards the exit and say Alina by the door. I figured I’d at least greet her. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alina. But what I did next shone that moment in a negative light. “Oh… Hey Alina.”

“Charlotte,” she exclaimed, drink in hand. “Where are you going?”

I wracked my mind for an excuse. “Just thought I’d take an early night.”

“Noooo! What happened?” She was clearly drunk.

“Nothing,” I glanced towards the dancing couple. “This just isn’t really my scene. I just haven’t gotten used to all this yet.”

“Well that’s because you haven’t had anything to drink!” Alina looked at me as if I was crazy. “Come on, let’s find out what you like!”

“I don’t know, Alina… “ I’ve never had a real drink before. I wasn’t sure if I could even hold my liquor. Percy and Aricia weren’t worth getting drunk over. I looked over towards them again and practically threw my last thought out the window. “You know what? Never mind. I’ll try those pink drinks.” And that was the third mistake.

“Hell yeah you will!” Alina dragged me towards the refreshment table and grabbed me a glass.

I took a sip of the blushed liquid. I burned a bit but had a fruity aftertaste. “It’s not that bad, I guess.”

“It’ll get worse if you keep sipping it like that! Chug!” Wait, what? I wanted to say no. I should’ve said no. I didn’t say no.

I took a deep breath and drank a large gulp. “Oh my God, what’s in this?”

“Keep going,” Alina encouraged and ignored my question. “You can’t get drunk off one glass, so you better chug faster.”

Stupidly, I followed suit. I finished the drink and pressed my palm to my forehead. I still wasn’t feeling it. By then, I wanted to. I wanted it to distract me. “Give me another.”

It took about three drinks to really get to me. It really got to me. “I think we’re done now,” Alina giggled.

I was beginning to why people drank and also why they didn’t. “The room is spinning, oh God,” I stumbled. “This night sucks. Like super sucks.”

“Why?!”

“People. People suck.” He sucks. “You know what, I wanna dance. I’m going to dance.” Before Alina could even get a word in, I stormed onto the dance floor. I needed a dance partner. Maybe that creep of a guard from earlier. Yeah, he’d work. I search the room for him, trying my best to clear my blurred mind. I spotted a tall guy with brown hair and figured it was him. Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. I just needed someone. “We should dance.” I grabbed the guard before recognizing him as someone else. “Oh wait… uh. You’re not the guard from earlier…”

Prince Dominic Schreave. Of course.

That was my fourth mistake of the night.

“Well, hello there, Charlotte.” Dom smirked.

“Your highness… I’d curtsy, but I don’t think it’s possible in this position.” Dom and I were a dancing form. I was trying my best to act ‘not drunk’. I’m pretty sure I was failing. I was sure he could smell the alcohol in my breath. Just great.

“No need to curtsy. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little… high-strung.” He glanced at me worriedly.

“It’s just really hot in here. Do you think it’s hot in here?”

“I don’t know. Hmm… maybe it’s just you,” he winked.

I let out an overly loud laugh. Yeah, that’s not obvious at all. “You’re so funny! Who knew you were so funny? Wow.”

“Yeah, I am pretty funny… Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Is ‘no’ an acceptable answer?” I grinned.

Dom raised his eyebrows. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Probably not, I thought. That’s what the drinks were for.

“Tell me what’s in the pink drinks they’ve been serving here?”

“The Amarula Sunsets? Please tell me you didn’t drink one…” Dom looked actually freaked out now. How sweet. He wasn’t the one I wanted to worry.

“I didn’t drink one. I drank three,” I giggled.

Dom’s eyes widened. “Holy… Charlotte, those things are filled with vodka! And I’m guessing you haven’t had much of a chance to drink in the past, so you haven’t built up any tolerance… maybe someone should take you back to your room…”

“No, no I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” I stumbled. “I’m so sorry. This is really embarrassing…” I looked over towards Percy, hoping he didn’t see that, but didn’t spot him at all. Where was he?

“Charlotte, are you okay,” ran over and asked frantically. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“I’m fine,” I grumbled.

Percy glared at me. “You don’t look fine.” He looked over to Dom. “What happened?”

I hated he looked at me that way. I hated that it bothered me at all. I didn’t want my emotions to get out, yet I let them get the best of me. I drank to make myself forget them, but lost control of them altogether.

“She drank too many of those Sunsets,” he replied.

Percy ran a hand through his hair. “Char, why would you do something so stupid?”

“I didn’t realize what was in them,” I bit. I may not have known what type of alcohol was in those drinks, but I knew what I was doing. In the back of my mind I knew I was being stupid. “You’re stupid.”

Dom nodded towards Percy and stepped away, seeing he could handle this.

“Why am I stupid, angel? You’re the one drinking things when you don’t know what they are.” I knew.

“Th-they were pretty.” I stumbled again and fell into Percy. God, this was embarrassing. I was so pissed off. And for what? A guy? What would my mother think…

Percy catches me. “Maybe I should take you to your room…”

“Don’t flirt with me,” I slurred into his shirt.

He let out a laugh. “For once, I’m not trying to. Come on,” he said as he led me towards the doors.

From that point, I can only remember mumbling random things to Percy. As we got closer to my room, a strong wave of nausea hit me. “I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

Percy groaned. “Ok, let’s hurry this up.” He picked me up bridal style and raced me into my room.

“Percy, I swear to God if you drop me…”

He grinned wickedly. “Never.”

“Put me down anyway,” I scolded. “You have to leave. I’m going to be sick. Why the hell do people drink?” I knew why I did at least.

“No, I gotta make sure you don’t choke on your own puke. And I don’t have any clue why people drink. I guess to make themselves seem more interesting. I’ve never had any interest though,” he responded as he carried me into my bathroom and set me down.

“You’re already interesting.” I dropped to the toilet and leaned over to breathe. Percy gathered my hair up and held it back.

“Exactly why I don’t need to drink. And neither do you.”

It was quiet for a little while as I steadied my breathing. The feeling of throwing up was beginning to leave. “I think I’m fine. Nausea passed.”

Percy rubbed my back. For the second time that night, my chest tightened. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“This was the worst night ever,” I said lowly.

He chuckled. “It absolutely was not the worst night ever. I have had SO much worse.”

“Did you make a complete fool of yourself in front of someone you’re supposed to try to impress,” I retorted.

“You ever heard of strip poker?”

“You’ve played strip poker? You’re 17.” Sure, I was one to talk. I was getting drunk at 17.

“Yeah. Word of advice, never play it when an African King is in the next room over. And you’re playing against his daughter.”

“Of course. His daughter,” I muttered and rolled my eyes.

“Yeah… being a little drunk in front of a few minor royals is nothing compared to that… You should’ve seen Uncle Jameson’s face,” Percy laughed humorlessly and shook his head slightly.

“Are you okay?” I actually worried about Percy. I wasn’t exactly sober but I wasn’t fully drunk either. I wanted him to talk to me.

“Yeah, just… I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life… Well, I think you need to get to bed. Sleep off the embarrassment and hope you don’t wake up with a wicked hangover.”

The room became quiet. “You never danced with me.”

Percy looked at me nervously. “Are you…,” he cleared his throat to continue. “Are you feeling well enough for a dance?”

I looked looked up hesitantly. “Are you asking me to dance?”

Percy stared at me for a moment. I couldn’t make out the look on his face. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Then I feel well enough.”

Percy smiled softly. “Well, okay then.” He pulled me closer to him and let me rest my head on his shoulder as we began to sway slightly.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Percy tightened his hold on me. “What are you sorry for, angel?”

“For being an idiot,” I started. “For getting jealous and not thinking.”

Percy jerked in surprise. “Jealous? Of what?”

I glanced up at him and shook my head quickly. “N-nothing. It’s nothing.”

“No, tell me… Please.” The look on his face and in his eyes told me I couldn’t lie or refuse him. I wanted to.

I dropped my head. “You… other girls… her.”

Percy let out a breath. “You know I have to dance with other girls if they ask, right?”

I looked away quickly. “I know. Of course I know that.”

“Then why’d you let yourself get so drunk? I know it wasn’t entirely an accident. You’re too smart for that.”

“That’s the thing, Percy. I’m not smart. I’m a six. I’m a stupid maid. I can’t be some princess or three,” I pointed out. I knew I wasn’t exactly his type. I knew there was no point to what I’d done tonight. There was no point to any of this. I was a pastime for him. I wasn’t a real prospect. I was just me.

Percy stared at me. “You were smart enough not to trust me at first.”

“I wasn’t smart enough to not let myself get hurt so easily by trivial things that… that shouldn’t even concern me.” I ran my hand through my hair. It was a while before we said anything.

“Everyone has their limitations, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” I scoffed at his joke. “Anyway, you really should be getting some sleep…”

“Maybe I should…” Percy made no move to leave. “I’m still in my dress.”

He grinned. “Do you need help getting out of it?”

I looked down quickly. “Actually, yes.”

Percy flushed and I strangely loved the sight. “Oh, um…. What do you normally sleep in?”

“Whatever is given to me. Usually a night gown. They’re in the closet over there,” I gestured.

Percy nodded and walked to the closet. He ruffled through the hangers before pulling out a skimpy nightgown. He turned around with a questioning look and his signature smirk.

“Definitely not. Grab the white one,” I said flatly.

He chuckled and pulled it out. “I see. So you’re going for the pure, virginal one.” Nothing wrong with that.

“You don’t call me angel for nothing.”

He smiled slightly. “Alright, turn around.” I followed suit. “Hold onto your dress.” I grabbed the front and held it to my chest. Percy slowly pulled down the zipper of my dress. The whole ordeal felt very intimate. Time seemed to slow down and everything faded away. Every problem outside my top was silenced.

When the zipper reached its final point, Percy stilled for a moment. He began to speak but his voices cracked. I smiled to myself. “Ok I’m going to put the nightgown over your head,” he instructed. “So now you can drop the dress.”

“Okay,” I responded quietly. I dropped my dress and tugged the nightgown down fully. I turned around slowly. “Thanks, Percy.”

“You’re welcome, Char,” he replied sincerely. “Alright.” Percy put his hands under my knees and lifted me up. “Let’s get you to bed.” He carried me over and gently set me onto my bed, lifted the covers, and tucked me in. He stood back up to leave.

“Percy, wait.”

“What?”

I hesitated before reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. “You’re a good guy.”

He stared at me with wide eyes and let out a small laugh. “I know, but people never seem to realize it…” He looked at me seriously. “Are you going to be okay now, angel?”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “I’ll be okay.”

He took my hand in his and squeezed it before letting it go. “Good night, Char.” Percy walked to the door but hesitated like he was nervous to leave. With one last glance, he stepped out of the room.

That was my fifth and final mistake of the evening– letting him.

[sarahburness]

Smart Business Ideas For Retired Couples

There are days where I look forward to my retirement. Working 24/7 and taking care of the kids at the same time make you want to retire as early as possible. However, I have seen many retired people who long to work again.

Many retired citizens keep working after retirement because of their financial situation. Then, there are those people who are just bored with their vacations, sitting idly and doing nothing after decades of working every day. The days certainly get long and boring for these retirees.

That is the reason why retired people are stepping into their own business game and it makes perfect sense. When you are young, you have many responsibilities. You can’t afford to risk it all on business. But when you are old, you are free from those responsibilities. With the support of your other half, who’s also as bored as you are, it makes sense to venture into something productive as a retired couple.

Although starting your own business at this age can be a little intimidating, technology had made it less complicated. There are hundreds of websites available to offer you business-starting tips or design your own website. There are also name generating apps, like Namelix and Oberlo.

If you are someone who is retired or going to be retired soon and you’re thinking about your own business, then keep on reading!

Home-based businesses

The business rate of retired couples has dramatically risen in the past few years — thanks to technology which made starting a business very easy.

There are jobs other than babysitting and pet sitting that you can do from your home. These home-based businesses can be based on your hobbies. You can design and create logos for different companies or write slogans and catch-phrases for different products and companies.

You can share your talent and hobbies and charge other people for it. For example, if you like photography, you can teach others to take photos and sell your own photos as well.

At this age, you have the knowledge and experience which you can use to tutor others. You can teach them different subjects or prepare them for different tests such as IELTS, GRE, GMAT, and SATs through sessions at your home or online.

These types of home-based businesses give you flexibility as you can schedule these classes according to your availability.

Outdoor activities as a business

There are many outdoor tasks which can be shaped into a retirement business. House painting, home repair, machine repairs, and gardening are great examples. There are people who are willing to pay for performing their household chores, such as paying bills, shopping for groceries, carpooling their kids, and managing their taxes.

You can charge fees and personally do all their tasks or hire other people to do these tasks and manage them.

See Also: Retirement Activities that are Financially Viable

Writing/blogging

When you have spent a good amount of your life working, you get immense knowledge and experience on the subject. That makes you an expert.

You can use your expertise to guide others by writing manuals and books. Apart from educational and technical books, you can write stories you’ve always wanted to write. These stories can be based on your personal love story, memoir, any incident that took place or something fictional.

Since book writing can be extensive and very time-consuming, you can write blogs, articles, and reviews instead. There are numerous websites where you can sign-up for these tasks and get paid. You can also start your own website and publish your work.

Counseling and coaching

When you have accumulated experience, it becomes easier for you to guide newcomers through it. That is why after retirement, people start their own coaching business. You can see many old athletes now serving as a coach for the new generation. You can go to counseling as well.

Workshops

You can set up a workshop at your home or any other place for different activities. You can set-up a workshop for sewing, stitching, hand embroidery, cooking, baking, painting, writing, crafts, woodworks etc.

Local eatery

As a retired couple with all the children moved out, you can do plenty of things with your home. If you live in the countryside, you can turn your house into a bed and breakfast. You can also turn your home into a local diner or bakery, depending on your interest.

It is not necessary for you to do all the cooking and cleaning. You can hire other people for such tasks. You can serve as cashier and manage it.

Catering

If you are fond of cooking or baking but you don’t have enough space in your home to convert it into a local eatery, there is always an option for catering. From neighbors to party planners, you can take orders and run a catering business from your home. You can also cook by yourself or hire chefs and look after accounts.

Property managers

There are many people who require other people to look after their properties in their absence. These properties can be residential or commercial. You can manage the property owned by people or companies, oversee their day-to-day operations, collect rents, and pay for utilities and repairs. Even better, some employers offer to provide rent-free accommodation in the building, besides salary and other benefits.

Conclusion

These are some of the best retirement business ideas for retired people. By starting any of these businesses, you will be able to fulfill your dream of being a boss and running your own show. You can ask another retired couple who have their own business for some starting tips. You can also cordially start a business with other retired couples in your neighborhood.

Tell us in the comments, which of these retirement business ideas you liked the best and why?

The post Smart Business Ideas For Retired Couples appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

from Dumb Little Man https://www.dumblittleman.com/business-ideas-for-retired-people/

[gsmatthews95]

Oz: a recap

The time has come. It has been ten months in waiting but it had to come. It is with a slight twinge of sadness but an overpowering sense of excitement and happiness that I am leaving Australia on my way to Singapore. Which  is actually pretty ideal because I have a nice long 9 hour layover. There are very few occasions I would describe a 9 hour layover as "ideal" but this is one of them. Such a cool city. So much to do and see. And, apparently, it isn't even too big. So I'm hoping I should be able to DO/COMPLETE Singapore in a nice six hour stint, tick it off my list, add another pin to the map and tell everyone about how I've now basically completed Asia. Sick eh?. A wee bit more background before I delve into the meat of this potentially juicy post which I think I will compare to a fat fillet steak by comparison to the rest of my posts that I would say are more like coles BBQ sausages, 24 for $8... good value but not much substance. A good reference I reckon. So I'm currently on my flight. It is maybe 9am Aussie time and I am awake, not that tired, with very little to do in this flight as I went for the lost budget option (still pretty expenny). You have to pay 11 bucks for films, Ye right. Go do one scoot airlines. Urgh, absolute scandal for a 7 hour flight. No worries however. Gives me ample time to write an absolute Goliath of a blog post. Okay seriously guys stop cheering. It's distracting me and my brain flow you have to pay for food and entertainment. Not good. However, the there are two upsides to this flight with nothing to do, firstly it allows me to blog blog blog and the other upside of this prehistoric flight comfort is that it gives me a chance to register to Stephen Hawkins "a  brief history of time", what a bangin audiobook. Well bloody confusing but I feel cleverer listening to it. Although in the last nine months I have forgotten the vast, vast majority of it. All the better it's like a new book. I'm now not that excited however about my connecting flight to Berlin. 14 hours. 13 hours of no films, just sleep, urgh lame. I may find some more wee audiobooks. I'll tell you what, I may get the game Of thrones ones. They'd be immense, especially as I'm now a proper game of thrones loser (read loser as legend/fanatic).

This is what I mean, I have so much time to ramble this piece is gonna drag. Oo I have an idea. As I didn't have this blog for the majority of the trip should I go back and wrote posts for them? Hmmmm, that does kinda defeat the point of the blog though. I don't think I'll do that. the other nagging question is whether I carry on the blog for the next 3 months as I galavant around Europe. I think I should. You're welcome guys. I love you all too. Also sick that I'm using my British passport to its full extent before we F off out of Europe as part of brexit. Wooo freedom of movement. Cosmopolitan ideals, something we should probs all strive for as much as possible. However, I do think we probs made the right decision leaving the EU as most people who have spoken to me about it will know. This post is not about my political views however. Otherwise it would not be called holidaying. Maybe something like #Jezza4PM would be a better name for it if I were to become a political blogger slash activist. But I digress.

So as many of you may have gauged from speaking to me, reading this blog or merely by observing my Facebook presence. I have had an immense time. Even though my article about the ups and downs of travelling may have seemed a bit depressing, I can safely say the last ten months, yes that ten months, a long time, have been smashing. I am currently conflicted, in poor stylistic technique I have embarked upon this post without a plan. And now I am at a crossroads. Do I continue chronologically or thematically? I think I will stay true to convincing writing styles and go thematically. Let's push the boat out he he. Ok ok ok so I'll start with my hostels. I believe I do want to talk about them a little bit first.  To start, I have been in lots. Off the top of my head in Sydney alone I was in 7 separate hostels. Many for a week as I was forced to move because of the price increase, my bed being sold, being chucked out etc. But 3 main ones. Firstly, hump. What to say about this place. A mad house, a good outside smoking area, a room that stays open all night and a lot of sound people who I've seen since leaving Sydney too. One jack gawthorpe, I've seen in four separate places (who's stalking who...). My month or so there was heavy. There was always something going on, I have very fond memories. Secondly, dury house. As described by James, my friend who I took there one night: "that was literally a crack den". Yes James, but it was our crack den. With the roof that never closed and the never ending session, there was always something going on, whether it be 11am on a Sunday morning or 4am on a Friday night. And again some belter people, who again I've seen down the east coast. Thirdly, finally, and ultimately we had the palms. What a place. What a time. November-December 2017. The palms glory days. Clean hostel, nice kitchen, comfy beds, sound people, like a giant sharehouse it had the intimate feel that you knew everyone but was big enough to still be lots of fun. The palms massive made my first xmas away from home so fun and so comforting. Never forget. Loved everyone there, except dan obvs, I hate dan. Everyone else though, I love you. And the hostel. I'll give a quick shout out to bev and micks in Melbourne. Small, intimate, cosy and friendly. Not that exciting or fun but enjoyable for my three weeks. Plus it was the cheapest place around. However, barossa backpackers. Dirty, smelly, small, tiny kitchen, leaky fridges, small room, had to pay for wifi and in the middle of nowhere. Pretty crap hostel tbh. But as I was there for some time, working with and living with everyone. I had an unreal time. Even working in a potato factory. So much fun cause you're constantly with you're mates and chilling, I won't forget those few months in barossa. The hostels down the east coast were nice. Big and nice but with my motivation waiting and the fact that I was staying at each place for a few days I didn't really form much of a bond with many of them. The hostel is key to your experience. Regardless how long you are in a place for but especially if it's for the long term. And overall I think I did well with a only a few mistakes.

Work. Ok so work never went quite as I'd hoped before I came out to Australia. Maybe I was naive, maybe I just wasn't made for call centres. My one regret actually was not going in to construction in Sydney, making lots of money, doing easy work and finishing at 3:30 each day. I then could have done it all over oz as I'd have had experience and wouldn't have had to do some of my crap jobs. We live and learn, one of my bigger regrets I'd say. No hassle though, all has worked out well and I haven't been too low on money. But yes call centres and cold calling, not the job for me. Neither as it turns out is face to face fundraising. What I have learnt though is that there is no worse job than those and I now have sympathy for those doing it, I have the knowledge that I will never work in a job like that again and it has now given me a great  appreciation of any job that isn't that. Which was one reason I think I enjoyed the potatoes so much. Mainly because it was so easy and so much less depressing than my other jobs. Everyone constantly complained, I just smiled and said it could be worse. People said the job would break me. It never did. Smashing job, smashing people, smashing time. The worst of all these jobs though was the charity fundraising, I knew it would be but I just wanted 2-3 weeks work and it paid well. I lasted 1 week. Never again. The best job. Easy. Grape picking and wine making. It was so sick. I got a lot of hours, lots of free wine and food and learnt to make wine in the sun. Dream job. I even have a wine named after me, I'm gonna get a case delivered home of the 2018 vintage GSM lol. But that's enough about work after all it is a work holiday visa.

This part will be harder to split up do I discuss  specific experiences? Or parts of the journey. Oo I have an idea. Animals. I have devoted a few pieces to various animals but I haven't spoken about all of them. There are two that I will leave out though as they deserve their own piece. Australia, famous for its diverse and unique wildlife and I think I've done well in seeing a lot of it. And I got selfies with lots of them. Firstly I have fed and patted wild kangaroos and wallabies. So cute, they love carrots btw, not apples so much. One of the wallabies even had a tiny Joey in its pouch. Too much for my heart. They're great I loved em both. Then came the quokka. As many of you may have seen by my  Valentine's Day post devoted to this one. They are like giant rodents. Although they're not giant, and they're actually cute. I dunno how to describe them actually just look at my photo, well adorable. I will now move on to the dangerous segment of the list of animals, cause, as we all know, that's what oz is most famous for. Firstly, the red back spider, v venomous. Hannah (friend not sister) almost died as she entered his layer/graveyard and only just escaped with her life. I have also seen three wild snakes, woohoo. That was a real target. The python in the kitchen and the two cuties slithering across the path in Lichfield national park and the twelve (4) apostles. Now. The personal favourite. The crocs. There have been lots of crocs, none completely in the wild without a tour guide sadly, but the jumping crocs were wild and were damn sick. I even have a croc tooth necklace (sorry axel, Brutus and dominator). The one animal conspicuous by its absence I haven't seen though, sadly, a shark. Waaaaa I should have gone shark cage diving, ah it was too expensive anyway. I think I'll carry on with my sea critters vibe now for a few more. Next was the manta. MANTA MANTA MANTA. I saw lots in Indonesia but another at whitsundays. So big, graceful and noble. I love them, as everyone does, they're god personified in an animal I reckon.  I would like to be a manta ray. Next up dolphins. Not many and both times I saw them from a cliff. Not overly exciting mainly because I have been spoilt in the past both in cornwall And in the SAN blas when they swam with our boat, so very nice. My final sea dweller. Whales. Lots of humpbacks as I said in my Fraser Island piece. They are awesome, so big and majestic and loving. I would also like to be a whale. Sue me. I saw lots of camels too, they're funny I like camels teehee and dingos, they're so cute, not scary. I would like to chat to a dingo and befriend him. I love dingos. I think however, my proudest find and subsequent selfie was with the koalas. We found 8 on magnetic island. One barely 8 foot away. Perfect for a selfie. And I snapped it yay. They're such chillers too, I love koalas. I love animals actually. I also miss Rolland, I love you too Rolland!!!

So as to stop myself writing another dissertation I may make this the final para. And I'm going to try and be concise. My favourite moments. I won't describe them much but merely mention them. There's a variety of reasons why a moment could have been so great. Maybe where I was, what I was doing, who I was with. Who knows? Maybe I just felt at peace and the world felt right for a moment. Deep. And I'm not talking about every moment I sat down with a full box of goon. Ok ok seriously. The hump boat party. Both 1 and 2. Unreal, a boat party in the Sydney harbour, beers, mates, opera house, swimming, tunes, I won't ever forget those two days. My first moment seeing the extent of the blue mountains at the end of the garden of the nbb Jill and Richard had so kindly rented for us. A little ten minute walk and you were on the edge of the crator with the blue trees stretching out, I reckon I spent a couple of hours just sat there over the three days, peaceful. Sash, pretty much every sash, but one in particular when I'm pretty sure everyone I knew in Sydney was there. It was sunny and we boogied. I was having so much fun several separate people came and asked me if I sold drugs cause I was so deliriously happy. Oo also the sash it rained that was unreal, dancing in the rain with the boys, never forget. Two more from Sydney. The beach party, amazing. One of the best, if not the best day of my life. Music and goon on the beach, swimming as the sun set over the harbour bridge, so wicked. And finally xmas day. Singing for the Aussie prime minister with a broken voice having lost it the night before was something I will NEVER ever forget especially as I have the video of it all ahahahaha. We move on to mine and Hannis road trip. My first thought. The pinnacles. The pinnacles were sick, so random just a load of pointy rocks in the ground. I doubt two people have ever been so excited in one place. So funny. Also actually hannah, all of our carpool karaokes. They made your company bearable. Completing the 8km hike in kalbari was also a good moment as it was 30+ degrees and we had about two litres of water between us, stupid English. But we did it, I'm proud. Finally hanni, 100% when we chilled with Roos in morriset park for hours after Jill and richard basically laughed us down for going, v funny. A good afternoon. Days of our lives festival. Awesome, what a send off from Sydney. Dury house you did yourselves and me proud, cheers for convincing me to go xoxoxo. The whole outback trip was awesome, if I picked a few moments though... I reckon the first proper big fire was a great moment, and sorting out the car light that we couldn't turn off meaning we didn't have to take the fuse out every time we stopped the car, sheer happiness. Also getting in to alice springs. This may seem weird but I cannot explain how touchy everyone was, we needed food, civilisation, electricity, a shower and some goon. We got all of the above and spirits were restored. Also the natural springs were amazing. So beautiful, completely free and refreshing. Darwin, croc diving, easy, it was unreal. Spotting the koalas on magnetic island obvs was memorable. I want to pick some moments from Fraser but it was all so fun. If I had to pick a few though, I'd say the horse racing on the second night united everyone, we were all so into it and the crumbed sausage obvs haha. I have missed things out but when I look back on oz these are the things I feel stand out as specific moments but like I've said before travelling isn't just about the moments (sorry Alina) but the whole experience, what you feel and who you meet.

What a holiday. I am content with my time in oz. if I came back I'd change things but I'm happy just the way they went. It's been sick. Stay posted I have one more oz piece before we move to EUROPE yahoooooooo. This piece has literally killed at least two hours of my flight maybe even three. I have been very engrossed aha. But back to mr hawking for me. G.

[liliana-von-k]

[liliana-von-k]