#i literally change the way i draw them every 6 months its like a ritual

[qui-gg]

As usual i will forever be insane abt the sea animals whether you like it or not

[galadrieljones]

About the Writer

tagged by @asoulonfire. thanks, you! <3

1. Is there a snack you like to eat while writing?

I don’t really eat while writing? I’m like a two year old and always seem to have jam hands even when I’m NOT eating something so like I try to keep the food away from the typing.

2. What time of day do you usually write?

Whenever I have time. Either during my kid’s nap (about 2-5pm), my break at school (1:30-3:30pm), or at night after my kid goes to sleep (10-1am). I’m also kind of a workaholic so like any spare moment I have, if I’m deep in a draft, might go to writing a couple sentences or editing something I wrote earlier.

3. Where do you write?

At my desk, in my bedroom. Sometimes (rarely) at our kitchen table. In my office at school. Sometimes in the classroom, while my students are writing.

4. How often do you write a new fic?

Lately TDS updates have been about 14 days apart. The school year has started, and I’ve been doing a lot of sketching, so my time is a little more limited. But lately it’s only been taking me about three sittings to hammer out and edit a chapter. Mostly this is because I’m on a down slope, where everything is releasing and sort of happy, so the writing is enjoyable. It’s not difficult. I’ve been doing fewer prompt fills lately and stopped taking prompts for the most part. I have about 150 unfilled prompts in my inbox and am starting to feel kind of like a failure in that department lol. I try, and I see them, and I consider them all, I swear!! <3

5. Do you listen to music while you write?

No. I find that listening to music has the ability to color my writing, or inflate its worth in my mind. It’s like watching a movie with a soundtrack, but soundtracks are conventions of movies, not fiction. In a movie, music has a job. For me, with writing, it makes my job harder. Everything the music is doing, I need the words to do all by themselves. That said, I do have a robust playlist. I listen to that a lot when I’m not writing, because obsession is my worst enemy and my best friend.

6. Paper or laptop?

Laptop. I hate handwriting stuff. The only things I handwrite anymore are like, grocery lists, notes for the daycare lady, notes of critique for my creative writing students, and, oddly, the DWC headcount every Friday ^_^ I’m also so fond of digital art I don’t even really sketch as much on paper anymore.

Growing up, however, I used to handwrite and hand draw everything. I see a lot of value to it, especially when you’re just starting out. It forces you to soldier onward and stifles perfectionism in favor of speed and productivity. 

7. Do you have a special pre-writing ritual?

No. I usually know what I need to do before I sit down, so I just sit down, and there I go. Though my writing process lately has been haphazard and unconventional. I’ll sit down bored as hell and have no idea what I’m doing, then randomly type 3,000 words after not having written anything in days, roll over, go to sleep. I have no idea. These things happen in cycles for me.

8. What do you do to get into the writing?

I’m not sure? I daydream a LOT. A lot. I often say the story sort of lives in my mind. It’s always evolving. I don’t keep written outlines. It’s in my head, every strand, every arc. So I’m sort of always sifting through it. The better question for me might be: What do I do to get OUT of the writing? That would be: TV. Marathoning episodes of Party of Five, watching the Ken Burns Vietnam War doc with my husband. These are things I do to decompress, or at least send my mind in another direction. Also, art, though this is just another obsession, which is not relaxing. Art for me is about the finish line. I like finishing stuff. It scratches an itch. But it’s not the same as the writing. So I get frustrated when I’ve done too much art/too little fiction. Like now. Merp.

9. What do you always have near the place you write?

All manner of shit. My art shit. Stacks of books. A disorganized bookshelf. My writing brain is very organized, in its way, and I’m very good at keeping track of everything. But that means that sometimes, my physical environment is a mess.

10. Do you have a reward system for word counts?

No. I just go go go.

11. Is there anything else about your writing process your readers don’t know?

At this point, my writing process is about as chimeric as my actual writing, changing shape all the time with a few guiding tendencies that will never change. I’ve written so many pages of undigested, sometimes altogether secret work that has never seen the light of day but for maybe my husband, or a workshop table with six of my peers and a mentor, or that spare publication that feels good for about six days until the high wears off and you’re back in the dump again, that at this point, whatever you want to know about my writing process, you can find right in the pages of TDS, which goes through so many transformations over the course of its sixteen months, five amassed books, and 300K+ words that I don’t even know where to begin.

The one thing about my process at this point that was not true even just a year ago is that I no longer fear that writing will not get done, or that chapters will not get finished. I’ve finished enough of them to know that the end will happen. It will always come, and so just as long as I stick my nose to the grindstone, I can trust myself to finish: wishing and hoping don’t make words, of course. Typing makes words, so as long as I’m typing, at some point, I’ll find the end. It took a long time to get to the point where I can trust that the work will happen, even on days when it seems tragically elusive. Self-doubt becomes a relic, and so experimentation and change can finally, truly take place. My writing gets tangibly better over the course of TDS. You can see it with your own eyes. And I can safely say this change is because of the literal, unfathomable amount of words I’ve written, all thanks to a bald elf hellbent on ending the world. In the end, I’ll always argue that writing improvement is a game of critical mass. Write enough, and you’ll get better. It’s an ongoing struggle, but it’s the struggle that matters, not the endgame. Every word counts, even the ones you cut. Because once you’re better, you’re only gonna want to get BETTER. And on and on and on. So focus on the writing, not the endgame. Focus on the writing, not whether you think you’re “behind.” Because as long as you’re writing, you’re never behind. That’s how change happens.

tags for @thevikingwoman @tel-abelas-mofo @princessvicky01 @adventuresinastrangeworld @roguelioness @kaoruyogi @buttsonthebeach @ellstersmash @katalyna-rose and anyone who has not done this and would like to <3

[i-d-k-man]

If I’m Being Honest...

[Tododeku, BNHA]

A03 Link

Chapter 1

Bright sunlight made Todoroki squint as he stepped through the hospital’s automatic doors.  

It was a beautiful day - surprisingly cool for June - with a pleasant breeze tossing Todoroki’s bangs.  Even the hospital had seemed cheerful, his mother smiling softly as Todoroki opened her window, then laughing behind her hand as the wind caught the curtain and smacked her son in the face.  

She had been laughing more and more lately, each giggle (and occasional snort) threading one more stitch across the fractures of the past between them.  After all, Todoroki had heard that broken bones grow back stronger.

Closing his eyes leisurely, Todoroki basked in the sunlight.

A short buzz in Todoroki’s pocket interrupted his musings, and he pulled his phone out.   Midoriya Izuku , the screen read.  Speaking of broken bones...

As Todoroki typed in his passcode, another buzz rattled the phone, also courtesy of Midoriya Izuku .  A perfectly suitable contact name, intentionally dull so as not to raise any suspicion.  Kirishima had more than provided a cautionary tale last year, when Ashido had discovered that his contact name for Bakugou was “BakuuuBabe”, accompanied by a rather unfortunate string of emojis (the water droplets especially stood out).   For nearly a month, a chorus of “Bakuuu!”s chimed whenever Bakugou entered a room or hallway, like some occult ritual.  

A couple charred streaks remained on the hallway floors to this day.  Needless to say, Todoroki wasn’t about to go putting Midoriya’s contact as ‘light of my life’, ‘reason green is my favorite color’, or any of those other intrusive thoughts that spun right ‘round like a record through Todoroki’s head whenever he was around the boy.   Midoriya Izuku was proper, professional.

(Midoriya Izuku somehow still managed to send a pleasant chill up Todoroki’s spine.)

>> hey man, u still wanna join us or should we just go ahead and start ? 

 Todoroki glanced at the time, 10:37.  Ah, he was running late.  The unofficial little “Men of Class 1-A Weekend Workout Squad” (or “Swole Team 6,” as Kirishima called it) usually started an hour or so before lunch.

 << Count me in, if nobody minds waiting.  I should be back on campus in half an hour.

 >> great !!    Midoriya replied almost immediately.    see u there, Freezer Burn :) 

 ‘Freezer Burn’, huh?  That was a new one.

It really was a beautiful day, so Todoroki let the butterflies flit freely within him as he basked in the sun at the train stop.  He liked when Midoriya called him nicknames.  Or called him his real name.  Or looked Todoroki’s way in general.  It didn't take much, with Midoriya.

The breeze smelled like roses.

A couple minutes passed, and the train pulled into the station, rumbling to a halt.  The doors slid open, revealing an angry couple, screeching hysterically.  The warmth of the sun dissipated as Todoroki boarded and found a seat, as far from the racket as possible. Todoroki sighed - the peace had been nice while it lasted.

“Don’t even try giving me that bullshit again, Subaru!”  some lady was yelling, her eyes cocooned in black eyeliner and long nails glittering in the fluorescent light.  “I’ve seen the way you look at her, it’s like a dog drooling over a piece of meat.  Or its own vomit.  You’re disgusting, Subaru, a fucking disgrace!”

A man - presumably Subaru - threw his arms up in frustration.  “For the last time, Mitsubishi, I told you that she’s just a friend.  I’d hang out with any of my friends at 3 am, that’s no big deal!  In fact, I’d love to go out late with you, but you insist on sleeping before midnight, like some senior citizen.”

“Yeah, so I love sleeping.  Sue me!”  Mitsubishi was really fuming now - it reminded Todoroki of someone, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.  “At least I do it alone.  Unlike you, you fuck!”

Bakugou!  The answer clicked in Todoroki’s head.  That’s who Mitsubishi reminded him of.  It must be the homicide in her eyes.

“T-that’s ridi- I can’t believe you’d say-!”  Subaru stammered.  “Mitsubishi, I would never.”

A wicked smile uncoiled across glossy red lips.  “Is that so?  Then why don’t we make ourselves 100% certain?”

Dread eclipsed Subaru’s face, and he began backpedaling both literally and figuratively, retreating into Todoroki’s personal space.  Great.  “N-now, there’s no need for extremes, babe.  Have I mentioned how sexy you look in that lipstick color?  Why would I ever even look at another girl when I have you!”

“Let’s find out,” Mitsubishi menaced, eyes positively sparking with ill-intent as she stretched out a hand towards her (soon to be ex, in Todoroki’s opinion) boyfriend.  Her expression was downright murderous - had Bakugou mentioned having an aunt in the area?

Any musings surrounding Mitsubishi and possible relation to Bakugou were dispelled as Todoroki felt his phone vibrating on his knee.  Midoriya Izuku.  Ahhh.  Todoroki put the phone up to his ear.  “Hello, Midor--”

Three things then happened at once.  

1)  The train cabin shuddered suddenly without warning.  

2)  Mitsubishi, caught off guard, lost her balance, desperately grabbing Todoroki’s shoulder in order to stay upright.

3)  A violent bolt of nausea crackled through Todoroki, and his head swam painfully.

Thankfully, the train returned to its original course as quickly as it had left it.  Todoroki’s stomach smoothly unwound, the nausea disappearing completely.  He breathed heavily, eyebrows knit in confusion as he rubbed his shoulder where Mitsubishi had speared him with her nails.   What the hell was that about?  Had he eaten something bad?

A loud gasp tore Todoroki from his thoughts.  Mitsubishi looked downright horrified, her hands slapping over her mouth.  “Oh shit, shit, shit!  Fuck, do you feel sick at- hey, wait.”  Her heavily outlined eyes popped even wider, if possible.  “Are you that Todoroki kid, from U.A.?”

“Yes,” Todoroki replied, curiously quickly.  He normally tried to avoid drawing attention in public.

“Oh, I see you all over Twitter!  You were so cool in the sports festival last year - I was totally rooting for you, by the way.”  Mitsubishi beamed widely, a small blotch of lipstick disrupting the glare of her white teeth.  Todoroki nodded weakly.  To think, just a minute ago he had been calling her a relative of Bakugou.  

Still smiling unnaturally wide, Mitsubishi beat a hasty retreat.  Subaru, for his part, looked even more horrified than before.  He opened his mouth, but Mitsubishi sent him another Bakugou glare, yanking her thumb and pointer across her lips harshly in the universal ‘zip your lips’ gesture.  

Todoroki frowned.  What was that about?  And wait, what was up with that whole nausea thing?

Todoroki opened his mouth to inquire as such, but Midoriya chose that moment to conduct his own questioning.  “Todoroki?  Are you there?  You stopped replying!”

The warm crackle of Midoriya’s voice, as always, quickly monopolized all of Todoroki’s brainpower, and soon enough, all thoughts of Mitsubishi and possible food poisoning had vanished.

“Yeah, I’m here.  Sorry, the train got a little bumpy for a second…”

Todoroki exited the train station as carefree as he had entered it.  It really was a beautiful day.  

An hour later, Todoroki walked into the men’s locker room, a towel and water bottle in tow.

“Hey, bro!”  Kirishima looked up from where he was tying his shoes, grinning.  “Glad you decided to come!”  

“Of course,”  Todoroki replied a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to say.  Kirishima always greeted him like it was Todoroki’s first time working out with them, while in reality he attended nearly every week.  Todoroki had actually been one of the founding members of the group (along with Midoriya and Iida), despite actually preferring to exercise alone.  

Working out in groups was great, is all.  Very important for both mind and body, building camaraderie.  And if Todoroki had had an ulterior motive for forming Swole Team 6, then nobody had to know.  

“Took you fucking long enough to get here, asshole,” Bakugou grumbled with a scowl, and in retrospect, Mitsubishi’s harshest expressions seemed downright welcoming.

“I’m so glad you could make it!”  Midoriya, the ulterior motive himself, beamed.  “Taking the train can be such a pain.”

Todoroki only allowed his mind to dwell on gooey thoughts concerning green hair and bright eyes for a moment before he forcibly ejected them.  “Thanks for waiting.  So, what are we doing today?”

Iida raised his hand and sprung upright.  “I would like to present an idea!  Last night, I had a dream about Mr. Aizawa, and--” 

“--Wow, how scandalous of our very own class president!  I never knew you liked older men, Iida,”  Kaminari interrupted, waggling his eyebrows.  

Iida glared at Kaminari sternly, adjusting his glasses.  “Not that kind of dream.  Which should go without saying.”  Another pointed glare.  “In it, I forgot to turn in a large assignment, and Mr. Aizawa erased my quirk forever as punishment.”  Iida shuddered.  “It was an unpleasant dream.  However, I began thinking about my abilities without my quirk, and I realized I’d like to work on my hand to hand combat skills without quirks.”  

“That’s not a bad idea,”  Tokoyami nodded.  “We should always be prepared for scenarios where our quirks are disabled.  Darkness surely lurks behind every corner.”  

The entire locker room chimed in agreement, collectively ignoring Tokoyami’s last comment.  Kaminari pulled a die from his pocket.  “We can use this to pair up.”

“Why..are you carrying around a die?”   Midoriya asked.

“I use them to do magic tricks,”  Kaminari winked.  “The ladies love them.”

Todoroki wasn’t so sure.  

After a couple minutes, the group had split up.  Todoroki ended up paired with Midoriya - of course he did.  Why would the universe ever cut him a break, especially when his self-control was already on the wobbly side, crippled by changing in the same room as Midoriya?  Sparring with his crush was a double-edged sword if ever one was forged, and there was no way he’d escape without any nicks.

“Hey, partner,”  Midoriya jogged over to Todoroki.  “This will be great training, don't you think?”

“I think. Yes, I do,”  Todoroki babbled, a little thrown off by Midoriya’s radiance, then wanted to die when he realized what he'd said.  God, there was no way he'd survive this, at this rate.  The sword was already unsheathed.   

Yet, impossibly, with 15 minutes past, Todoroki had managed to avoid any overtly self-incriminating actions.  The sparring session couldn't make up its mind between rapture and torture.  

A pro:  Midoriya unconsciously licking his lips in concentration.

A con:  Todoroki taking a hit every time Midoriya unconsciously licked his lips in concentration.

Pro:  getting to ogle Midoriya’s neck when he tossed his head back to drink water.

Con:  resisting the urge to kiss Midoriya’s neck when he tossed his head back to drink water.

Pro:  falling on top of Midoriya on more than one occasion, their bodies pressed close.  

Con:  desperately reciting mathematical formulas in his head to avoid a more, ahem, prominent reaction when Todoroki fell on top of Midoriya, their bodies pressed close.

Pro:  practicing hand-to-hand combat technique, one of Todoroki’s rustier skills.

Con:  Todoroki was not focusing on his hand-to-hand combat technique, one of his rustier skills.

Stars twinkled in Todoroki’s skull as Midoriya landed a particularly nasty right hook - Aoyama would have been delighted.  

“C-crap, Todoroki, I didn’t mean to hit you that hard!”  Midoriya’s eyebrows were knit in concern.  “Does it hurt?”

“No” , Todoroki lied - or at least tried to.  Somehow, the word wouldn’t come out.  Todoroki frowned.  “No”, he said, more firmly.  Still, nothing came out but a raspy exhale.  

Something akin to panic began rising in Todoroki.  Had the punch fucked with his vocal chords?  There was no way, right?!  He was just overreacting.  

Midoriya, meanwhile, was wringing his hands anxiously.  “T-todoroki?  Oh my god.  Please don’t tell me I gave you a concussion.  Do you feel alright?”

Crap, he hadn’t meant to worry Midoriya.  Todoroki took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself.  Just say ‘Yes.’  He took one last deep exhale, focused, and…

An empty huff croaked out of Todoroki as agony suddenly cracked through his skull, and nausea slammed his body like a [door in Paranormal Activity].  Holy fuck, was he having an aneurysm?  Todoroki groaned as a fresh wave of pain bowled him over, his head on the verge of imploding.  

Midoriya appeared to be panicking, grabbing Todoroki’s shoulders.  Todoroki yelped again, his side splitting.  Fucking hell, he could hardly even see Midoriya through this haze in his head.  His stomach tweaked in all the wrong ways.  

“No!” Todoroki shouted desperately, completely involuntarily.  Midoriya’s eyes, all watery, widened in confusion at his outburst.  “No, I don’t feel ‘alright’.”

And just like that, all traces of pain vanished.  What the hell?!  

“Todoroki?  S-shouto?”  Midoriya’s voice and eyes wobbled in unison.  “Can you hear me?”

“Yes,” Todoroki whispered, with complete ease.  Huh?  Unease settled in Todoroki’s bones.  He had absolutely no idea what was happening to him.  

Absently, Todoroki caught a vague scent of smoke, and a breeze tickled his side.  Shit, he must have partially singed through his shirt because of the pain.

“Do you feel stable?”  Midoriya implored, hands tightening their grip on Todoroki’s shoulders.  

“Yes,”  Todoroki replied again, perfectly fine.  

“Oh my god, thank heavens,” Midoriya sobbed, wrapping Todoroki in a desperate hug.  Todoroki could feel the boy’s heart pounding through his charred shirt, which was, well… If Todoroki didn’t feel so freaked out, he certainly would’ve ascended to cloud 9 by now.  

“I’m so, so sorry, Todoroki!”  Midoriya squeezed him even tighter, hands balling up against Todoroki’s back.  “Y-you just normally dodge those right hooks, and I banked on that and put too much force into it, and then you started grabbing your head and smoking and curling up and oh my god it was so terrifying, and I’m so sorry, and I would never ever hit you that hard on purpose, you know that right??”  

Todoroki nodded, Midoriya’s soft hair tickling his chin.  He focused on the warm, solid body pressed up against his and melted into the embrace, pulse relaxing.  Whatever the hell that episode had been, it was over now.  

Except-- the beginnings of a headache began unfurling in Todoroki’s temples and he stiffened.  As soon as he opened his mouth to suck in a nervous breath, however, he found himself murmuring “Of course I know that, Izuku” into Midoriya’s hair.  

Todoroki’s burgeoning headache dissipated as his confusion returned in full force.  He hadn’t meant to say that, even though it was true.  And wait, had he just called Midoriya ‘Izuku’?

A slight flush rose in Todoroki.  He really hadn’t meant to say that.  What was happening to him?!  Maybe I do have a concussion...    

Todoroki broke the hug, taking a few tentative steps back.  He still didn’t entirely trust his body to not belly flop into a swimming pool of agony at any moment.

Specks of ash from Todoroki’s shirt stuck to Midoriya’s own.  The boy picked at them absently.  “You, uh, did you just call me ‘Izuku’?”

“Ah, um, yes.”  Todoroki flushed further.  “I wasn't thinking.  I'm sorry.”

“No, no!”  Midoriya’s hands waved in protest.  “It's..nice.  You should call me Izuku all the time.”  

“Huh?”  Todoroki breathed, quite eloquently.    

“I said,”  oh man, apparently it was now Midoriya’s turn to glow bright red,  “that you should call me Izuku.  If you want.”

“Oh,” Todoroki replied, lamely. “I do want to. And call me Shouto. -only if you want to.  Too.”

“Whatever you say, Shouto,” Midoriya grinned, and began gathering his things. “I think we’ve done enough for today. I'll see you at lunch!”

“Yeah. See you.”  

Midoriya looked expectant.  Oh.  “...Izuku.”

The name melted pleasantly in Todoroki’s mouth, like cotton candy, and Midoriya bounced on his heels.

“And just so you know-”

Todoroki paused with his water bottle halfway to his face, glancing at Midoriya.

“Just so you know,” Midoriya repeated, eyes flickering down.  “You should, uh, put on another shirt before lunch. Yeah. Bye!”

Midoriya left, and Todoroki looked down at his tattered top, only half remaining.

The walk back to the locker room was occupied by Todoroki berating himself for allowing himself to think that Midoriya’s cheeks had glowed ever-so-brighter with his parting comment.

If wishes were fishes, Todoroki could open a goddamn aquarium.

Back in the locker room, Todoroki mindlessly slipped on a fresh shirt, as if his brain had subconsciously labeled Midoriya’s suggestion as it's top priority.  

It wasn't far fetched.  

Todoroki’s stomach surged softly as his mind replayed his inexplicable agony earlier, and a cold sweat broke out over his sweaty skin.

Too freaked out to shower just yet, Todoroki collapsed onto a sink in the locker room, knuckles white as they clenched the porcelain.  What’s wrong with me?  How can the headaches appear and disappear so quickly?

Mismatched eyes found themselves in the mirror, and Todoroki stared intensely at the glass, imploring his own reflection for answers.

Does the pain only activate with questions, like some strange cousin of Shinsou’s quirk?  But the pain only happened twice, and Izuku definitely asked more than two questions.

Unfortunately, Todoroki’s reflection seemed just as confused as he was, and offered no solutions.  The glass fogged as Todoroki sighed in frustration.

Is it even the work of a quirk in the first place?  I could just be getting random headaches...  Midoriya did hit me pretty hard.

“Checking yourself out, Todoroki?”  Kirishima’s grinning face joined Todoroki’s in the mirror, creating a pretty decent rendition of the comedy/tragedy mask.  Todoroki stiffened - he hadn’t heard his classmate enter and wasn’t quite in the mood for conversation.  

“I, I wasn’t checking myself out.”  Todoroki felt the strange urge to clarify.  Thankfully, no tendrils of pain began unfurling in his head.  So it's not question-based?

“Sure you weren’t,”  Kirishima grinned even wider.  “Besides, I’m pretty sure that the entire rest of the class has got that covered.  Hell, more like the entire rest of the country.”

Well that was...generous.  “Thanks?”

“Don’t mention it, Pretty Boy.”  Kirishima crowded closer to Todoroki in the mirror, eyes scanning Todoroki’s reflection.  “Damn dude, speaking of that iconic face, what the hell happened to your jaw?  That’s shaping up to be quite the bruise.”

Ah, Kirishima was right - only then did Todoroki notice the throbbing along his jawline.  “I accidentally let my guard down during Midoriya and I’s spar.  It was a stupid mistake.”

Kirishima clapped an arm around Todoroki’s shoulders.  “Don’t be too hard on yourself there, Stud Muffin, everybody loves a guy with some battle scars.  It shows moxie.  Besides, I know exactly what you're talking about.”  Kirishima winked.

Todoroki simply nodded, a bit lost.  

“So tell me, Hot Stuff - or should it be Cold Stuff?  I’m gonna go with Lukewarm Stuff.  So tell me, Lukewarm Stuff, just what did Midoriya do to cost you that bruise?”  He winked again.  Kirishima seemed to like winking.  “My bet is he got hot and took his shirt off.”  

Speaking of getting hot, the air in the room suddenly felt quite oven-like, and Todoroki desperately battled three scrapbooks’ worth of mental images.  Midoriya did tend to shed clothing when warm, a fact that reflected quite poorly on Todoroki’s faint, gay heart.  

Todoroki gripped the sink even tighter, refusing to encourage Kirishima with an answer.  

Kirishima bulldozed on, encouraged.  “Don’t worry, man, there's no shame here.  I of all people understand the deadly combo of shirtlessness and sweat.  It’ll really get ya.  For a while I’d nearly turn Katsuki down if he asked to spar because I knew I'd end up ogling and leave with a game of connect-the-bruises across my body.”  Kirishima hummed.  “Plus he's just really fucking good at hand-to-hand.”

Todoroki didn’t even have a chance to become flustered before that terrifying, now-familiar flutter of nausea laced through his gut.  His jaw throbbed as he grit his teeth in apprehension.

Kirishima seemed to notice his unease.  “Woah, dude, I’m sorry if I went a little too far there.  I really am!”  The nausea grew, becoming just this side of excruciating.  “In my own dumbass way, I was just trying to let you know that I’ve been in your situation and I’d be more than happy to-”

“His pants were tight!”  Todoroki spit out, feeling the nausea recede.  “Midoriya was wearing these ridiculous pants that started clinging everywhere when he sweat, and…”  

A palm swung up to stop Todoroki.  “Say no more, Dreamboat.  We’re more than on the same wavelength.  Katsuki likes to wear these thin tank tops that really fuck me up.”  Kirishima sighed fondly.  “In a good way.”

The mirror, helpfully, supplied Todoroki with knowledge of just how lost he looked, and Kirishima blessedly took mercy.

“I'm oversharing, aren't I?”  He scratched his neck sheepishly.  

Flatly:  “Yes.”

“That's my bad.  Again, I just want you to know that I've been there, and I get it.  I know you like Midoriya for way more than that sort of thing, don't worry.  Mind above the gutter, yeah?”

Todoroki opened his mouth to demand how Kirshima had figured him out, to deflect, to agree - practically anything except what actually came out.  “Not all of the time, no.  I fantasize about Midoriya quite regularly, sometimes even in my dreams.”  

Oh god, oh hell no.  Why did he keep saying stuff like this, stuff that was way too...personal?  And true, disgustingly true.  Kirishima, bless him, just laughed awkwardly.

Todoroki turned red and away from Kirishima, snatching up his things.  “I’m.  I'll be in my room.  Alright bye.”

Kirishima didn't even protest.

Outside of the locker room, Todoroki collapsed against the wall, clutching his water bottle to his heaving chest.

Just what - to reiterate - the actual fuck was going on?

Thanks for reading!  :D

[sandigirl-blog1]

‘Girl of the Month’: Courtney George

This month, we sat down with Courtney George - dedicated yogi, Reiki I certified healer, and Sandi’s newest #girlcrush. Originally from Massachusetts (and our hometown!), Courtney has been local to San Diego for about 2 years now. Driven by an innate desire to teach, share, and create, she lives a busy, adventurous lifestyle searching for new ways to expand her awareness and better the world. She is on a beautiful journey to create the life she wants for herself. Courtney embodies the very essence of a ‘Sandi Girl’, and we’re very proud to call her our friend.

Why did you decide to make the move from Massachusetts to San Diego?

I graduated from college in December 2014, then continued living in Amherst, MA for 6 more months to save up some money. My original plan for my funds was to do my 200 hour yoga teacher training in Costa Rica, and go from there. However, that same year in May, my best friend, Emma, graduated college as well. We were going through some big changes in our lives and decided to just send it to San Diego. We made the decision - and about 6 weeks later we picked up our whole lives and drove 3,000 miles across country, with no jobs, no housing, and no plans. It was quite liberating!

What do you love most about living in SD?

The lifestyle is an absolute dream come true. I love being able to bike everywhere (to work, the grocery store, yoga, the beach, etc.), endless yoga studio options, the community, the variety of delicious food options, and that there is always something to do/somewhere to explore.

What is currently on your iTunes playlist?

My Spotify is broken into different types of yoga playlists (Lyft, Sculpt, Vinyasa, Yin, etc.) so it’s honestly a whole mixture of juicy goodness. It ranges from Rap/Hip Hop, Heavy Dub/Trap, Trance-y Electronic..to Wah! and even some chanting. It really depends what I feel like flowing / biking to; every day is different. I am heavily influenced by music, it can completely alter my mood.

How long have you practiced yoga? Why do you practice, and what are your future plans for your practice?

I’ve been practicing yoga for about 5 years now. I took a semester off from college when I was 20 years old and moved back to Massachusetts from North Carolina. It was during my time home that I really felt the mind, body, and spiritual benefits from yoga. Gillian Gorman, owner of Radiance Yoga (Pittsfield, MA), is an inspirational teacher who really shined the light for me. Ever since then, I have incorporated yoga into my daily life, its magical.

I practice to silence my mind. I’m a very type A person so my mind is always running and thinking about a thousand things at once. Yoga allows me to address my mind state, and begin to quiet it. It’s a profound mind-body experience; it’s truly empowering. Yoga is more than being flexible. It essentially helps to strengthen qualities you want, like calmness or acceptance, and weaken ones you don’t, like judgment or criticism. You really become aware of the qualities and thoughts that you are feeding, and then, with that awareness, you begin to question “do I want to feed this or not?” We practice yoga to cultivate awareness, like awareness is a muscle, because it is.

My future plans for yoga is to do my 300 hour teacher training in India. I want to learn the truest roots of real Yoga.

What is your favorite healthy snack?

Sugar Snap Peas & Garlic Hummus / Bitchin’ Sauce (whichever ones in my fridge), a Beaming Bite from Beaming Organic Superfood Cafe, or a Perfect Bar.

Can you tell us a little about Reiki and its healing benefits?

Ah, the power of Reiki, it’s hard to put into words but I’ll try! Reiki is the higher self’s connection to the universal energy that breathes life into all living things; it is encoded into our genetic make-up. Reiki is holistic; it works on the body, mind, and spirit by stimulating a person’s own natural healing abilities. When a child, for instance, falls and hurts their knee, instinctively they place their hand on the sore spot and the pain is relieved as they unconsciously work with this energy to heal themselves. Likewise, a parent will kiss their child’s hurt or injured limb and place their hand on top. Unknowingly, both the parent and the child are working unconsciously with this healing energy. The parent sending and channeling the energy, the child receiving and drawing the energy. Does that make sense? I could go on forever about it. It is something I highly recommend everyone to experience and ideally get attuned. A full Reiki treatment reopens the chakras and re-balances the flow of the universal life force around the body.

Who have some of your biggest influencers been in regards to your Yoga & Reiki path since living in San Diego?

Definitely my sister, Alisha Hawrylyszyn Frank, Christina Chambers, Desiree Crossman and Hailey Young (my 200 hr teachers). Everyone from my 200 hr and Sculpt TT honestly. Such an incredible group of people I’ve been blessed to practice, teach, and learn with. My best friend, Paige Demerer, Whit Helena, and all of Buddhi Yoga, Reach Yoga and CorePower Yoga’s teachers and community.

What is your morning ritual?

I’ve been working on waking up early. I had a yoga teacher/workout enthusiast tell me, “no one is a morning person, you just have to fucking get up”. I know it sounds simple, but most mornings I wake up and question whether I want to sleep just a little bit longer. It can be a battle. I don’t give in, I make myself get up, stretch, drink water, and listen to “Unbroken” - it’s a motivational speech video that can be found on YouTube. Then I’m off to a yoga class, whether it be an ass kicking sculpt class or a vinyasa slow flow (or both).

What are the three main philosophies you live by?

1. Life’s about finding a balance.

Whenever you label yourself as something or another, it restricts you a whole lot. I focus on what ignites my being. Sometimes that’s green juices, tea, a good book and then going to bed early. And other times, it could be eating tacos, drinking tequila, and staying up all night partying with friends. It’s your life, do whatever makes YOU happy.

2. We are far more powerful than we believe.

Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually - and I think we all need to recognize that in order to grow.

3. Trust your intuition.

As Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever - because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well worn path and that will make all the difference.”

What are you currently reading?

Tools of Titan by Timothy Ferris and Journey into Power by Baron Baptiste (again).

What is the greatest piece of advice you have received and by whom did you receive it?

Bryan Kest held a workshop at Buddhi Yoga a few weeks ago, he was laying down all sorts of advice. A few quotes that stood out to me would be..

“You have to discover yourself every fucking day, because you change every fucking second.”

“There’s people out there who aren’t going to fit what you want them to do. You judging them is only poisoning yourself.”

“Whatever you are attached to will be taken away from you, the more attached you are, the more you suffer.”

“People bring their shit to yoga and turn yoga into shit.” To elaborate more, Kest was saying how countless amount of people show up to yoga and bring all their baggage with them onto the mat and throughout the practice. That is literally the opposite of yoga. The point of yoga is to stop the movement of your mind. The only thing one should focus on is their breath.

What do you have booked for future travels?

So far, I’m going to enjoy a nice little vacation in Cabo, Mexico soon. Hitting up Tahoe for spring skiing and then I’ll be heading back home to MA for the summer. I booked a one-way ticket to Bangkok in October with my girl, Ali Birnbaum. From there, we are going to backpack SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand. We have a ton of spots and goals we want to conquer, but we’re definitely going with the flow for most of it. It’s going to be an unreal trip that I’m incredibly grateful I get to experience. I’m really looking forward to it!

Follow Court’s moves and future travels on Instagram! @courtneylgeorge

XOXO

[doodlewash]

Hello! I am Vasundhara. I am born and was brought up in Satara, Maharashtra State, India. A beautiful scenic town situated amidst seven hills, Satara is a five picturesque hour drive from Mumbai. As a child, I was always fascinated by the beauty I found around me. My eyes used to form objects by seeing uneven shapes of stones, clouds, tiles, brown crust of chapati (flatbread). Anything could be endearing for my visualization.

But nobody, including me, realised my exceptional talent for drawing until the age of 6, when I enlarged an approximately 5cm sized image of Lord Krishna into the 3ft tall sketch on the blackboard without scales. Everyone was amazed! I remember my father clicking my picture along with the sketch in his camera. Maybe that’s how I started. It felt so good when my drawings made everyone happy.

The encouragement I received from my grandmother had a profound impact on my paintings that you see today. I have seen her sewing and knitting beautiful things, along with her absolute hand for beautiful rangolis. So, I would definitely say that it is in my genes, as in family, my parents are pretty much obsessed about perfection, and I perceive them as a blessing. Also, there are many members in my family who can draw perfect lines and sketch sometimes, but they’re all in different fields, and never enrolled themselves in the Fine Arts because there was no Art School in our town those days.

But I was very sure and clear about my goals at a very young age. I did not want to go into the fields of commerce or science (the only options we had in our town, moreover it would have added another two years of waiting to go for G D Art & I had no patience to wait). I used to participate in drawing competitions, and even though I bagged the first place in my batch, unfortunately it was never considered as a core subject to include in grades.

At the age of 15, I took the big decision of my life. I somehow gathered courage and told my art teacher in the school that I wanted to pursue my education in Fine Art, that I wanted to do G.D. Arts (Graduate Diploma in Arts). My teacher considered the conversation with warmest regards, later to find out my father’s agreement to my decision and wanting to send me to Pune (two hours’ drive from my town, which was a big deal for my family then, as sending daughters away for education was something they weren’t familiar and comfortable with), where I could pursue my dreams.

I was amazed, excited and nervous at the same time. To achieve my dream, I had to leave my loving family, my town, my comfort zone and go to Pune City, which has a rich legacy in education and considered as the Oxford of India.

My 10th standard exams were over and like every year I bought a new drawing book for myself, so that I could draw the way I wanted to with no worries about other subjects like history, maths etc. My results were out and I passed with 56% which was not something to be proud of, but still I distributed sweets to all the members of my family and friends as a funny ritual. The next day my father took me to Pune to get a prospectus of the college. I glided with joy after seeing the college of my dream. I wonder how hard it was for my parents. I am grateful they could control their emotions while sending me away for my education, or rather, for the sake of my dream.

I got the admission for Foundation (1st year) in Bharati Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune. On the desired date, my parents and siblings came to drop me to the hostel. Thankfully, one of our relatives were there to guide me till the second day of college, until which whom I was supposed to stay with. I didn’t realise the pain I was going through staying far from my family. I used to cry a lot (as if someone had forced me to go away from them). But college was a blissful distraction. I used to learn deliberately and most importantly enjoy everything which came along my way.

My professors appreciated me all the time. The things I learnt in college still stand strong, the values cherished every day. I had learnt good understanding of light, shadows, depth, perspective at that age. I used to do my assignments in poster colours aka gouache. I never tried watercolours those days (which is a regret, how I wish I had known it is a delight of painting). I stood out first in the annual examination among girls and second in the class. I wanted to continue in the same college for the next four years but as I hadn’t completed my 12th grade, I wasn’t qualified for the degree course.

I had to move to another college which has a Diploma course, which is equivalent to a Degree, that’s how they call it, `Graduate Diploma in Art’ aka G.D. Art. I was selected through merit in Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya, Pune, for the Elementary (2nd year). I got to learn the things which are efficacious for a lifetime. My personality developed from a shy girl to a confident artist. I became proficient in subjects like life drawing, illustration, graphic design, caricature, portraits, calligraphy and typography.

Even at this stage, I never considered watercolours for my projects. I used to do it in acrylics when I had to paint on the canvas. I had plenty free time in those days and I hardly did plein-air landscape paintings in poster colour. I remember doing a commission work of 6ft x 6ft mural in acrylics and I bought a first model of 3.2mp camera phone for myself, to help with my projects. In those days I was a career enthusiast and often dreamed of making a career in painting.

I worked as a graphic designer in TimeOut Bengaluru Magazine after I was married. Needless to say, life changed completely as I moved to Bangaluru, Karnataka State with my husband. A state where the regional language was different than my native place. I feel fortunate to have wise in-laws, who always encouraged my art even though everyone comes from a technical background and didn’t know what exactly I was going to do with my degree. I used to get few commission works and for that I had to search for materials which was not as easy as it used to be in Pune. I had to start everything from scratch.

I hardly received funds from the clients which was minimal compared to my efforts and contribution to fetch perfect results. But it certainly gave me different subjects to work on and helped me learn new things. It was heart-warming when people didn’t know me, yet tried to trust my work. Later on, I got pregnant and took a huge break and my baby became my passion. I was enjoying the contrast in my world. My basic trait of enjoying the beauty never diminished and I used to feel the nature intently with my baby now. It developed the little world in my womb. My childhood literally came back to life.

When my little one was about 4 years, I gradually tried to explore the spectrum of my art. I fashioned handmade greeting cards along with customized envelope from scratch. I designed my logo as `Piece of Mind’ and received orders for customised work. It used to fulfill my creative yearnings. I managed to paint some canvases with a different illustrative character. I exhibited my work in Chitra Santhe (Art Market) where artists from all over India get an opportunity of exhibiting their work for a day. My work did good business and I acquired good connections in the field. When I finally felt settled, my husband was relocated to Scotland.

I was going to get a new world but, for that, I had to leave so many things behind, again! I had to search things related to my art, again! I had to prove my talent in the unknown place, again! Most importantly, I couldn’t carry my beloved art materials which I had gathered after all these years. Obviously buying things related to art is not easy. It is quite challenging financially and qualitatively.

We moved to Glasgow in Scotland (a place I had never heard of before). It was love at first site. It released a true artist hidden inside me. Naturally, it took a few months to find what I could do with my art here. As being in a new country has its own many challenges. After dropping my child to school, I used to walk miles in search of materials and waited for my calling. My husband encouraged me to advertise my cards in the Scottish Design Exchange, but unfortunately I could not reach my expected targets. I was completely embarrassed but did not give up on hope.

One fine day, a friend took me to Glasgow City Mission (GCM). I met a few of the kindest people who work for homeless and refugees. In order to gain proficiency in the English language, everyone was welcome to attend. It encouraged interactions from people all over the world and it was a huge confidence boost for me. I had a look at their event schedules and it said ‘Art’ on Fridays. I was overjoyed to see this and I went there on Friday and was enchanted by the lovely artistic aura of the place. People were doing everything related to art, sketching, painting, pottery. I tried pottery for the first time and it blew my mind. I found it very satisfying. I started looking forward to Fridays.

Once, I observed an artist painting a wreath with watercolours and I also felt like experimenting. I borrowed a lightly tinted paper and gave watercolour a try. It was extremely overwhelming. I sensibly invested in WHSmith watercolours and A4 watercolour paper book and started experimenting with it. I first painted live, sitting in my living room. It was a view of sunlight falling on the bedroom. I was happy with the result. The next day, I captured a sunset image while going to a grocery shop. I painted it after returning home by seeing it on my phone. It took me nearly 2 hours to complete it. I was stunned with the alluring effect of watercolours. I wanted to do more.

I referred another image from Edinburgh, which I had captured from a hop on-hop off bus. I was satisfied when I discovered I could do better than I expected. I have a habit of clicking pictures on my phone. I don’t own any DSLR camera as of now. So that’s how I took a shine to this new side of my art. I never stopped from that point. Later on, I got to know that, for watercolours, I should use good quality paper, which must be 100% cotton. I didn’t want to buy it immediately, though I dreamt of painting on that. I wanted to gain more confidence to achieve the best results.

Also, those papers were expensive to start experimenting with. (I always considered my logo ‘Piece Of Mind’ (POM) is going to present me as my brand. And I had no funds remaining at POM. Even though my better half would love to invest, I didn’t want to treat myself with easier options. Challenges can bring out the best in you. So, I bought an A4 size Cass Art watercolour book after I completed my first book with good results. I started posting my work on Instagram. I made a video of the book flipping by taking help from GCM. My second book was a bigger accomplishment.

I do not own a studio for my art yet. As my work requires a lot of floor space, I paint in my living room sitting beside my kid’s toy arrangements. It is funny and challenging at the same time. It is my dream to own a studio plus workspace, with ample amount of natural light, a good storage space for materials, a desk, an easel, and essential gadgets like DSLR camera, scanner, printer.

Now, I am working on my third book, an A3 sized Winsor & Newton watercolour book. From the first painting in this book, I was elevated with the relaxing strokes I painted on it. I have bought three shades of Winsor & Newton professional watercolour tubes. The paper felt very beautiful for the washes and it dries out late so it helps to do wet on wet technique easily. Also, the texture is amazing to see the pigment granulation. Every painting I paint is a subject of profound happiness.

The credit goes to Glasgow and its environment, for being purveyors of eternal beauty of its buildings. I got inspired seeing this and my real talent started to transpire. I wish I had known my passion for paintings much earlier. Being a homemaker, I face many obstacles and get involved in many time consuming chores which keeps me from my painting, but I manage to find the time to engage in my fancy for watercolours. I give myself more challenges to overcome the anxiety of painting complex subjects. Believe me it works the best!

I am someone who prefers looking for art materials rather than jewellery, accessories and clothing. People think I should invest in gold, which can be useful in the future. Either way they’re right. But each piece I create is more precious than gold for me. I may not earn today. But it will be respected even after my life! Gold can be melted and turned into another piece. My paintings will be engraved in many hearts and remain forever as a beautiful memory. Thank you for reading and I wish you all the best for your artistic journey!

Vasundhara Instagram

GUEST ARTIST: "My Profound Love For Watercolour" by Vasundhara - #doodlewash #WorldWatercolorGroup #watercolour #watercolor Hello! I am Vasundhara. I am born and was brought up in Satara, Maharashtra State, India. A beautiful scenic town situated amidst seven hills, Satara is a five picturesque hour drive from Mumbai.