#it took 2 years to find my safe diet

[rorleuaisen]

So, I’m one of those people. Ibs. Bread hurts. Gluten is fine. And I absolutely cannot have any wheat based store goods, besides saltines and pasta. I also can’t do gluten free goods, because I have a rice intolerance. It’s fun.

But also, I talk to people and they share their food issues with me. So I hear interesting things. Like someone who can eat a specific brand of flour, but can’t tolerate even the wheat things I can eat(like pasta). Or how some people with wheat issues can’t eat butter sourced in the usa, but irish butter is safe for them. And I get to share my weird little things, like how little bit of butter or milk hurt my gut, but I can have mozzarella cheese everyday without issues.

Bodies are fascinatingly complex, and food and digestion are a lot less understood than I would like. And I hate fad diets. But I can also appreciate how it can make people try something different and maybe it’s better for them.

And I don’t think people understand the impact food can have on your body. I’ve had to whittle my diet down bare bones to get to a pain free state. I’m on a 100% pain free diet, and as a side effect, whenever I add a food back into my diet, I can feel the changes in my body. Food can give me depression, overload, massive cravings, pain, fatigue, bloating, bowel issues, body odor, migraines, and brain fog. I don’t say what foods give me what, because these are my food triggers. My food intolerances. But I never noticed any of this before. And it has been… enlightening.

That said, diet with caution. Listen to your body. Fad diets can seriously harm you. Restricting food can harm you. If you choose to diet, do it is a learning experience to see if you can learn new things about food and your body. Fuck “super foods”. Fuck “empty calories”. Listen to yourself, and experiment with food safely.

Here are some things that are true: if you don’t have gluten intolerance, gluten is not going to hurt you. Gluten does not cause autism or ADHD or whatever.

Here are some other things that are true: Up to 20% of people will suffer from IBS during their lives. IBS is more common in people with autism and other mental disorders. IBS symptoms are uncomfortable and having them all the time can distract you and push you towards a meltdown. Bread is a common IBS trigger.

I’m going to ramble, so here is the important advice: if bread upsets your stomach try switching to sourdough (check the ingredients – if it contains vinegar or acid it’s not real sourdough) and make an appointment with a dietitian (not a nutritionist. Dietitians have training. Nutritionists have opinions).

Now let’s pretend you don’t know the above facts. You just know that dealing with meltdowns is hard. One day a friend tells you that cutting gluten helped them and you’re desperate for anything so you try it. You feel better. You have less meltdowns. You make an appointment with your doctor to tell them about this. The doctor runs a test and tells you you aren’t gluten intolerant. The doctor doesn’t ask any more questions. Maybe you try reintroducing bread back into your diet and your symptoms come back. Do you conclude that your doctor knows what he’s talking about? Or do you conclude that gluten is bad for you despite your apparent lack of gluten intolerance – maybe it’s just a poison! Maybe no one should be eating it!

I don’t have a point. Rather, I have several points.

The first and most important point is to get yourself checked for FODMAP sensitivities. Wheat is not the only FODMAP and if you tweak your diet a little you can have a much better time. 

The second point is that if someone tells you something stupid try to meet them with compassion. It might not be true that they have a secret gluten issue that the doctors are lying about, but it might be true that bread upsets their stomach and makes them miserable and they are telling you about this with the best language they have. It might be true that everyone else is either dismissing their problems or telling them that gluten is a poison, and by giving them a more even view (it probably isn’t gluten but did you know that wheat has other components?) you are opening up the world to them! This will be a lot more persuasive to them about the gluten thing than just telling them they’re wrong will be. 

The third point is that even if someone is wrong about why something helps they might have a point about it helping. Homeopathic hospitals had better survival rates in the 1800s because the doctors washed their hands. Buying gluten-free bread can help your autistic meltdowns by not triggering the IBS you don’t know you have. Asking why someone thinks something will get you a lot farther than just telling them they’re wrong. Curiosity is an awesome tool. Use it!

Shit’s complicated. We’re all just doing our best.

[dksw0rld]

Things I’ve Learned As A Young Woman

I’m in my (almost) mid 20s, I turn 25 in a few weeks. Since my birthday is coming up I’ve been reflecting on things I’ve learned as I always do in the weeks leading up. I want this blog to be a safe space for women to learn and grow in community so I wanted to share some of the lessons and pass them on to others. 

Health 

1. Consult with your doctor(s) before starting any sort of diet, no matter how good you may think it will be for you

At the end of the day, the internet is not a doctors office. You don’t know how a diet could personally affect you, as a woman and / or as a human. You don’t know if trying a certain diet will deprive you of a vitamin you’re already deficient in. You don’t know if that diet is good for your reproductive health in the long run.

2. Tying into point 1, always get your yearly check ups (blood panel, obgyn checkups, yearly physical, dental cleanings, etc.)

A lot can change in a year. You don’t know what could have developed, what you could have become deficient in, what you need less of, etc. if you don’t get your yearly checkups done. Staying informed and up to date is one of the best ways to combat anything that could come up, benign or not. Keeping up with your health is the highest form of self care!!

3. Speak to your doctor(s) extensively AND do your own medically backed research before choosing to go on birth control (and seriously consider other options first)

I know this can be a bit of a taboo topic but quite frankly I don’t care. Doctors nowadays are VERY quick to push birth control onto women without educating them on all the side effect, ways it can affect our bodies with long term use AND what can happen when you get off of the pill. I understand a lot of you want to partake in sex without having to worry (more on that in another point...) or you want to take it for other reasons not pertaining to sex but the healthiest way is to naturally keep track of your cycle and ovulation schedule. No one told me the issues I would have taking birth control for years and then getting off. I didn’t even start taking it to have safe sex, I started taking it when I as 16 because of the bad period symptoms I was having and to help control my acne. When I finally got off of it, my hormones were a wreck and I was diagnosed with PMDD thanks to the birth control wrecking my hormones. It took me literal months of research and trial and error to naturally re-balance my hormones. 9.5 times out of 10 taking birth control is just not worth it. Before you decide, please make sure you weigh all of the pros and cons and look into other options. 

4. Please be careful what you are putting in AND on your body

We are in a day and age where there are chemicals in and on everything. As women, a lot of these things mess with our hormones, our reproductive health and overall health. You have to do the work of reading labels on food products, researching if anything in your household products are harmful, purchasing all natural products when possible (makeup, cleaning products, candles, air sprays, etc.), and making as many things at home as you can (air sprays, cleaning solution, food, etc.). The companies making these harmful products are not going to tell us the risks. They’re just not. The detergent company you’re using to wash your intimates is not going to tell you how the chemicals they’re putting in their detergent is going to make your hormones unbalanced when you wear the underwear you washed with it. It is up to you as a woman to watch out for anything that can be harmful to your health. I wish it wasn’t that way but it is.

Mental Health

1. Stress and Anxiety are real and can really affect your body negatively

The affects of anxiety and stress are real. They can wreck havoc on the body. Find activities that help channel it. Journal. Speak to a therapist. Let go of what you cannot control. Research if what you’re consuming is helping contribute to the issue. 

2. Therapy does not make you weak

There is literally no shame in speaking to a therapist and anyone who thinks so needs to grow up. It’s actually extremely responsible and mature to make the decision to speak to someone to become a better you. You don’t even need to have gone through a traumatic experience to speak to someone. Therapy guides you in digging deep about every “why”. Why you respond the way you do, why you think the way you do, why you love that thing so much, what made you who you are today.  Everyone can benefit from therapy in some way. 

3. Your diet plays a part in your mental health

The mind-gut connection is real. What you put into your body has an affect on your mental health, especially as a woman. Yet another reason why it’s so crucial to know what you are putting into and on your body. Take it from someone who spent months and months naturally balancing her hormones. It matters.

Relationships

1. Stop sleeping with just anyone. That’s not being “liberated”.

I’m going to tell you right now. Stop. Your flower is extremely sacred. Letting anyone and everyone have access to it is not being a liberated woman. It’s actually trapping you into the mindset that being treated with the bare minimum (aka how you should always be treated by a man or woman) equals sex. If a man takes you out and doesn’t ask to split the bill you’re about ready to give it all to him on the first date because “he’s rare”. No. Number one, men like that are not rare, you’re just looking in the wrong places and / or entertaining low value men. Number two, men automatically see that as “oh so all I have to do is treat her with the bare minimum, she’ll eat it up and I can smash her”. Sorry, but it’s true. That type of treatment I just named is the BARE minimum. How a man or woman should treat you every single time of every single day. You have no idea how that man actually is from one or two dates. He could be putting on a show hoping to get in your pants. Honestly, that’s most likely what he is doing. And if he’s not, why give one of the most important part of yourself so soon? You’re just that easy to impress? Stop! A man worth giving time to knows how to control his sexual urges and will not ask you to have sex on the first few dates. Honestly, the men worth giving time to will wait for you to feel comfortable enough to bring it up, they won’t even mention it! Or on the other hand, if you’re sleeping with just anyone because you want to be a “liberated woman” who wants to express her sexuality freely, true liberation comes from being picky about who you choose to share yourself with and feeling safe and seen enough to share it with them. How do you feel after you have sex with someone in the name of being “liberated”? Once the hormones settle I bet you feel like crap. Let’s also mention that you don’t know who else they’ve slept with. You don’t know what someone else they slept with has. You’re genuinely putting your health at risk every time you choose to share yourself with someone you barely know. Not to mention you’re risking making another human with a man you don’t even know would be a good father, if he chooses to acknowledge he’s the father at all (harsh, I know, but unfortunately very true). And if you do know them, you should feel comfortable enough to ask them about their sexual history, when the last time they got checked was AND to show you proof they are free of any STIs. If not, then you shouldn’t be sleeping with them. If they refuse or make excuses, you definitely shouldn’t be sleeping with them!

2. Stop looking for love, let it find you 

I won’t lie to you, this one took me a while to learn.  But I’ve mastered it now. Love is not something you find. I truly believe that. Love finds you when you are ready for it. Whether that be forever love or a love that’s meant to teach you and prepare you for the next level of life and eventually the next love. I was on dating apps on and off for years. I believe dating apps can help you gain experience and help you meet new people but in my opinion I don’t think they’re conducive to finding your forever love. There are exceptions to that just like there are to everything but I believe letting love find you when it’s meant to is the best way to do it. Now if you genuinely feel like you’re being called to use dating apps to find love than by all means do so, but do the work first and make sure it’s not just because you feel lonely, left out, impatient to find your person, or are afraid to be alone. I had to be honest with myself and say that I was on dating apps because I was being impatient. And after digging deeper into that I realized it was one of the reasons I was still single. I wasn’t letting love unfold when it was supposed to, I was looking for it and forcing it. You can’t force love no matter how hard you try. Since being honest with myself, I found that I would much rather find my love interests organically. Not having to force it by swiping right solely based on how the person looks and a shallow glance into their interests. If I meet someone with potential at a bookstore, I already know we have something in common, a love of reading. Plus, there is so much more to life than a romantic relationship. Focus on you and creating your ideal life. Date yourself. Treat yourself how you want someone to treat you one day. I know we’ve all heard those so much but there’s a reason for it, they’re true! Love will find you when it’s supposed to. What’s for you will never pass you.

These are some of the many lessons I’ve learned on my journey. I truly hope at least some of these taught you something or rang true for you. If so, send me a message I’d love to hear. Or if you have any questions on any of the topics I touched on, send me a message and I’ll expand on it!

With love,

DK

[skinnipinni]

Things that helped me survive:

Don’t exclude things. It is scary, like wtf crisps are caloric af. But it will help you to not binge. You feel like eating some crisp? Eat some, count it into your daily intake. Maybe eat them tomorrow too. That way you wont fill yourself with unsatisfying food and still end up binging on whole bag…

Protein is the most important thing. Buy everything wit “protein” on its label

Celebrate Christmas and Easter with your family. This one day won’t change anything. Really. Your family doesn’t deserve to worry on Christmas Eve and you can eat food that only occurs at special occasions.

Take vitamin D

DON’T CHEW GUM. Research shows that actually it makes you more hungry.

Water is mandatory. 2 litres have to be drank daily.

You can drink cola 0 on ketosis while fasting. Somebody once told me that I can’t. You can drink it because it doesn’t have carbs so your ketosis is safe <3.

If you binge, don’t fast right after it. After your fast you will just binge again. Come back to normal restriction and try fasting in 2-3 days.

Buy good skin care and hair care products. You will need that. Your skin might start being grey and dry and hair will just fall out. Buy good brush, use masks, conditioners and hair growth products. Use t-shirt/special silk towel to dry it. Don’t bleach it. It will only make it worse.

VOLUME EATING - a real lifesaver, it will make you soooo satisfied. You can make whole bowls of low cal protein and veggies. Your stomach will feel full and you will have no space to eat something “forbidden”

Go for a walk. Really, that’s enough, thats how I lost 40kg. Unless you want to be toned walking is enough and you won’t faint and over exercise yourself.

Dieting can be cheap, but you have to plan for whole week.

If you live with someone, don’t even say a word about dieting. I had situations at home when I fasted for 3 days and my mom yelled at me for getting close to the fridge because she didn’t know I haven’t eaten anything for long time. Be normal about it. Hide the scale after using it. Make a password for your computer, phone, tablet. Have your own bin in your room and empty it regularly. Don’t do too much lax because they will notice you occupy bathroom for too long. Eat something high cal once in a while in front of them.

My friends are always going out to eat. If you have a boyfriend just give him some of your portion, if you are single order something lower in calories than other options and start with eating low cal ingredients. Don’t waste money on food at restaurants, buy something cheap, you are not going to eat all of it anyways. You are supposed to get skinnier, not your wallet.

If your friends want to drink, try drinking non alcoholic beer. It’s not so high in calories and you can find excuse for drinking it. If you really want to drink alcohol divide it into two portions and drink it with 0 cal cola. 0.5 shot of vodka and rest of the cup is cola, then repeat and you will appear normal.

Don’t buy konjac, I know its tempting but believe me it won’t help you with your toilet visits.

Don’t overuse lax. It took me 2 years to start sh*ting without problems and extreme pain again.

You can watch fat mukbangers or 600lb life. It makes me motivated. BUT DON’T POST FATSPO OF RANDOM PEOPLE. IT IS JUST EVIL. IF YOU DO THAT JUST STFU AND GET OUT, UR HUMAN PIECE OF TRASH. People on those shows were there voluntarily and they know they will get critique but random girls on social media don’t deserve it…

Find manual hobby that requires a lot of concentration. It will take your mind of fasting and will relax you <3

Remember ED is not pretty or cute or delicate dainty fairycore sh*t. It is pain and tears and mental damage. It’s not glamorous as we want it to be.

[curiousitycollective]

We're slowly getting our diet back to a healthy state after struggling for about a year due to celiac issues and its made us pretty firmly believe that:

1. Fad diets like keto, paleo, and gluten free caught on at least partially (if not mostly) due to the fact that they eliminate common intolerances.

A lot of criticism of the diets note that the foods don't cause issues in healthy people, but there are scores of people with undiagnosed allergies and intolerances who will see their issues resolved and given most of the diets are significantly more well known then anything like celiac or other intolerances it makes sense people wouldn't realize that if they saw a huge health improvement it likely indicates some underlying issue

2. A lot has been said about stuff like raw food diets and it being restrictive in the way of orthorexia but I'd bet at least some people are dealing with something like arfid.

We say this because we have arfid and raw fruits and vegetables are one of our only consistent safe foods, and generally the more processed something is the more likely we'll have issues. In most cases for anything premade or bought there's maybe one or two items from a single brand we can reliably eat (hence the year long saga to find new foods we can actually eat).

The experience of it is like trying to eat something completely inedible like dirt, and it took a long time for us to be comfortable even smelling certain foods that we'd had bad reactions to because of how viscerally uncomfortable the feeling of trying them was.

This isn't a commonly known presentation of arfid and I can see how someone with similar issues would see these diets and feel validated in their experiences.

Hell as someone with arfid I can say a lot of what some of them say about cooked/processed food sounds like what I feel like when my sensory issues with food are set off

Which all is to say we don't think that any criticism of the diets and people who promote them that doesn't at least acknowledge these things is likely to make a huge difference.

Many people are claiming health benefits because they had these benefits and many people are saying certain foods aren't actually food because that's how their body reacts to it.

All of them no but honestly we'd bet a large portion of the people following them do have a health issue that's undiagnosed and treated via diet changes or that causes sensory issues with foods.

-Aisling/Scarlet

[technotalksnimien]

Chicquette

Hi everyone! It’s me again, Mien. I’m dropping off my fourth and fifth blog today since I am not that busy and I kind of miss posting here.

I just want to share that 99% in our class got approved in techno! Yes, our pitch has been approved and we will now proceed to our business plan. The last one will do his or her pitch this Friday.  I am so happy that no one gets left behind. Hoping for good results. This blog will be mainly about my techno idea – CHICQUETTE. It sounds very girly and chic, isn’t it? After my first idea was rejected because it already existed, I took my time in figuring out the perfect techno idea. I tried looking online and spent hours there. I never thought that the idea that will bring me success is the one that gives me so much curiosity, SKIN CARE. I am very particular about what products to use on my face, or more like scared. I’ve read so much testaments online of them using a product but at the same time, comments say otherwise. So who do I trust? Are they really sincere in saying that a particular product is effective or they are just doing it for money? Yes, some content creators who endorse products are mostly sponsored, we don’t even know if they are applying it themselves. Is it FDA approved? Safe for all skin types? That was not indicated. I was just curious about skin care that time, but I didn’t give in. I did my own research; some sites weren’t reliable. That was a couple of months ago. Just last year, I finally got the courage to buy myself my cleanser, and sunscreen. I found the perfect match for my skin. Not sponsored but celeteque cleanser and fairy skin sunscreen works best on me. I never had break outs or irritations. And then one time, I realized, why not make this a techno idea? About skin care. I know there are other people who are confused as well, and there are people who are victims of fake products. So I decided to name it – CHICQUETTE, chic and coquette. I made sure to include something novel in my proposal. But before I share the features, let me share first how I came up with the most unique part. I tried searching FDA website online and curious about the process to find out whether a product is approved or not. Clicked cosmetics then search. “fairy skin” and then boom. There were so many results! I couldn’t find the product I was looking for. Like there were too many products that has the same name. If you want to see the product you’ve been looking for, you have to input the company, expiry date, manufacturer, license number I think, and many more. Imagine going through such a long process only to check a single product! What if you were to check 10 more? So that’s how I came up with the search feature in my app, you can use voice search, describe the product or image recognition, take a picture of the product. It will then redirect you to FDA website that contains the necessary information. Other features are:

1. Tracking of Lifestyle and Eating Habits

maintaining a nutritious diet is essential for achieving and maintaining healthy, glowing skin. Eating habits play a crucial role in skincare because they directly impact the health and appearance of the skin. The app will allow the user to input their current diet or the foods that they are planning to eat and the app will tell if it is good or not (will indicate what ingredient will trigger the user’s allergies or possible skin reactions) aside from that, it will also display suggestions of food alternatives that the user can choose from

2. Set up and Personalize Profile

specify your skin type, if you don’t know your skin type, the app will provide series of questions for you to answer, “know your skin type test” , after the test, you will get the percentage break down of skin types, and the one with the highest is the skin type you have. If you want more accurate results, you have to pay for dermatologist consultation (in app purchase). This is crucial so that the app can accurately match products according to your needs Aside from that, the user also needs to input his or her allergies in order to get safer skin care suggestions.

3. Beauty Podcasts

purchasing a subscription will let users join exclusive podcasts or live streams of skin care enthusiasts and dermatologists (includes masterclasses, make up techniques, skin care routines). free users may also be able to access but only once

4. FDA Approved Product Scanner and Voice Search

FDA portal allows searching of approved products on their database, however, there are lots of products with the same brand name which makes it difficult to find immediately. if you want more accurate results, you have to manually type the brand name, company name, registration number, issuance and expiry date TAKES TOO LONG IF YOU WANT TO CHECK MULTIPLE PRODUCTS so now, the app will allow you to scan a certain product. Voice search can also be used. You are to describe a product you want, the specific ingredients you prefer and it will show you the results. automatic speech recognition system (ASR)

5. Community

members can share tips, advice, product recommendations, and experiences, provide a supportive environment for skincare enthusiasts to connect, learn from each other, and stay updated on the latest trends and research in skincare

6. Business model

ads in app purchases, subscriptions/memberships partnership with cosmetic brand

7. Others

the user will be informed if he or she has allergy to the product he or she searched for, making it unable to purchase (restricted) after that, safer alternative products will be displayed. Visual representation of possible effects on the skin of that certain product. the app will show references/facts or research related studies (regarding why a certain product is not allowed or why is it beneficial) app will analyze weather conditions, will remind user to hydrate, reapply sun screen, etc. (user will input the time he or she applied it) chiquette will give off journal/tracker vibe that allows user to monitor their lifestyle.

[leglessstreetlights]

man i don't want to sound like a golden retriever or anything but i rlly love walks.. i just took my neighbors dogs for a walk and it was the best experience i've had all week. the air was perfect and we encountered at least 17 different squirrels, including one incredibly ballsy one who decided to run right up to us and say hi; i saw no less than TWO (2) cats just out and about doing cat shit, very supportive we love to see it; we met the most well-mannered goose i have ever met in my entire life (it honked at me exactly zero times) and to finish it all off, i got to help a turtle cross the road safely. 10/10 amazing experience, would highly reccommend. like genuinely, walks become so much more fun when you stop thinking about them being chores that u have to accomplish (my executive dysfunction always procrastinates doing this bc it thinks taking care of myself is a tedious, unnecessary thing) and instead start thinking of them as Adventures. I don't want to "go exercise" but i'd love to go play outside, frolick, dig holes in the garden, look for all the dandelions i can find, look for weird bugs, find the Best Stick in my yard and someone to whack with it, and stand barefoot in a stream watching tadpoles go by. idk man i just think that the commercialization of "health" as a certain body type that you have to train for and clothes you have to buy and a diet you have to subscribe to is a little lacking in Whimsey. like, by all means, go do all those things, i'm not stopping you, but if you think that looking and acting like that is the only way to be healthy, then my good sir, you are sorely mistaken, and you should go hold some moss. Health is also acting like a ten-year-old child who's been left to their own devices in the woods all day, and started a fairy cult with their friends out of Boredom and Necessity. Walks aren't Chores, they're Journeys, but you get to come Home at the end and give someone you love the dope-ass pebble that u found along the way

[liebermintz]

a peculiar comorbidity, part two

i'm experiencing a diabetes-associated autistic meltdown. and it's not pretty. it's made me develop a really bad relationship with food, a massive fear of it. it makes me doomscroll on Beyond Type 1, on Twitter, on Reddit, just to find some glimmer of hope. It makes me panic-message my endocrinologist if I stay elevated at 220 for like two hours - I was between 200-270 mg/dL when I developed ketoacidosis symptoms, I can feel my heart pound in my chest at 250 mg/dL, I develop ketones within an hour of staying out of range. and yet her biggest concern is the fact that I kinda have to bend over backwards to wrap my life around this autoimmune disorder, to get really tight control and stay out of highs (but ultimately be more susceptible to lows - which are not good at all, since I am mostly hypoglycemic unaware) in fear that I will have to be charged to the hospital later that night. my body works really fucking weird - like, Nick Jonas had to have a blood sugar of 700 mg/dL just to get admitted for DKA in the middle of recording It's About Time. most T1D diagnosis stories share the same thing. the closest diagnosis story I can compare mine to is maybe a few LADA stories - but LADA cases always start out mimicking type 2 diabetes, which I could've been well in danger of developing because of an astoundingly bad fast-food-heavy diet (three times a day when I was working at the bookstore, IIRC - binge-eating during the bookstore closure). it takes YEARS for a LADA case to really show its true colors. mine took two months. I'm gonna try to get my C-peptides tested again - and if they're still 0.9 (just slightly under range) after three months of a raging autoantibody reaction, then I know there's more to me than "body attacks body." i'm hoping they are. that means I could benefit from Tzield - if they ever approve it for people like me. every few weeks or so I have diabetes burnout so horrible that it intermingles with the meltdown and, combined with whether or not the sun's outside, puts me in a really bad mental spot. and you wanna know how bad it gets? you really want to know? well, let me put it like this, to quote Kid Cudi's weird grunge album: "I hate the gun, but I love the sun." From "Confused!" - from Kid Cudi, whose big shtick is that he's REALLY honest about his struggles with suicidal ideation. that specific line is about how he really does not want to kill himself, but he DESPERATELY wants peace of mind. usually, when it comes to suicide, nobody talks about it or, if you do, people just lock you up and throw away the key. i have worsening suicidal ideation because of this comorbidity. Nick Jonas thinks the worst he has to deal with is that he can't eat pizza super-libertine anymore or that he might get shaky enough to chug an apple juice in the middle of singing "Waffle House" during a show? imagine being afraid of all your safe foods because if you take too little insulin, you're in the hospital for DKA later that day because elevated sugars hit you way harder than everybody else, and your entire medical team (but specifically your educator and endo) will tell you "don't eat that anymore, don't eat that anymore" because they don't get the fucking memo despite you not making eye contact with them at all, despite having the monotone voice, despite occasionally stimming since I can't keep my guard up at all times - they think that as long you don't look like the Rain Man, counting cards in a suit from Armani and underwear from K-Mart, you're not autistic.

do I HAVE to whip out my diagnosis and observation papers from 1994 to 2005 just for them to get the idea of why I'm desperate for the long game to be a relatively short game? I get that this shit's gonna last a while, but when I say I can't live the rest of my life with this, I really can't. the average life expectancy of an autistic person is, what, 51? well, you just cut my life expectancy down to, maybe, 45 since I am way more prone to distress and burnout. all the type 1 resources, both by type 1s and medical organizations, have been tailored for neurotypical type 1s or type 1s with way lighter neurodivergences, for neurodivergent kids who've always had diabetes so the cormorbidity isn't bad (so they can still freely determine their safe foods). this is why I want to get on Tzield now - I want to prove that the PROTECT Study is worth its weight in gold. I want more clinicals near me to widen their eligibility for me - to not have the cutoff age be 30. I want Novo Nordisk and Sanofi and Eli Lilly to end the price-gouging of insulin either through extreme government intervention or by making insulin totally free. forever.

[trans-advice]

Hello, person i dont know how to refer to, im here to ask for help, im a mtf teenager, i have 14 years of age in a country in wich the legal age to transition is 16, and i dont know if i can wait this long, i live in the country with the highest trans murder rate (Brazil), i am from a conservative family (my grandfather from the mother’s side is a pastor), so i am really afraid from coming out, i honestly dont know what to do, my dysphoria is at an all time high and i cant see myself coming out

I did come out to 2 friends, one of them just ignores it and the other one tries to be supportive, but sometimes misgenders me

So, im here to ask you, you have any tips on coming out or how to lower my dysphoria?

Btw sorry for my bad english, im not native and im on mobile

I'm sorry this took so long, it took me many drafts to write this.

So I don't know how much privacy you have for storing affirmations either physical or digital. I don't know what specific problems you have with passing. I don't know how many types of expression your conservative family would accept as a form of masculinity so that you could have some things resemble affirmation of femininity. (I recommend getting familiar with domestic violence survival strategies for dealing with your family.)

The friend who's supportive but sometimes misgenders you is probably a positive development in your life. I hope both you & them know that your right to privacy & to give/deny disclosure is up to you not them.

So there's 2 issues:

You need to find spaces that are safe from your family

You need to vet friends to figure out whether they're someone you want to come out to

Go outside the home, go to a library, go on walks around town, if you're in school then try doing extra-curriculars, if you have money try buying some time at fast food restaurants.

So usually people when vetting others will look up the media diets of the people they're interested in coming out to. Personally, besides just checking for anti-lgbtqia+ stances, I would also recommend some intersectionality by looking up stuff like bodily autonomy, antisemitism, racism, rape culture, whether they're paternalistic, militarism, ableism, ageism, whether they're "business people". Reason for this extension is that it will help figure out what sorts of things you need to avoid broaching.

Readers any feedback?

Good luck, Peace & Love,

Eve

[sa7abnews]

Ohio baby ‘smiling again’ after chiropractic adjustments, parents say — but is it safe?

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/ohio-baby-smiling-again-after-chiropractic-adjustments-parents-say-but-is-it-safe/

Ohio baby ‘smiling again’ after chiropractic adjustments, parents say — but is it safe?

A newborn in Columbus, Ohio, has a brand new demeanor ever since being treated by a chiropractor, her parents say.Lily Freeman, just 2 months old, wasn’t a happy baby, her father, Joseph Freeman, told Fox News Digital.When his daughter was born, her umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck twice. SOME PREGNANT WOMEN USE CASTOR OIL TO SPEED UP LABOR, BUT EXPERTS SAY IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONEAbout a week after the birth, Freeman and his wife, Stephanie Murdock, noticed that the baby exhibited extreme fussiness, grimacing, clenched fists, and stiff arms and legs.Murdock, who was breastfeeding, went on a strict diet, cutting out all dairy and eggs, hoping to spark some change.”When she was placed on her back, she would cry uncontrollably,” Freeman said. “The only thing that worked was holding her upright. We knew something was wrong.” The couple took their baby to four different doctors, who concluded that since she was gaining weight and was healthy, she probably had colic — which would improve in three to four months.”As her parents, we could not just sit back and wait it out,” Freeman said. “We knew she had invisible pain.”NEW GERBER BABY IS NAMED FOR 2024: MEET ADORABLE ‘SONNY’ FROM ARIZONAThe couple posted on social media, searching for answers from fellow parents. Many recommended they see a chiropractor.”We had no previous knowledge that chiropractors treated children,” Freeman said. “We were extremely skeptical because Lily was only 2 weeks old.”Freeman and Murdock took their baby to see Dr. Josh Russell at Ability Chiropractic in Hillard, Ohio. The doctor explained to them that the birthing process can be “traumatic” for mother and child.In an interview with Fox News Digital, Russell said that he and his colleague, Dr. Tyler Morman, often treat babies with colicky behavior.They typically perform a “thorough exam” and investigate the child’s history, including the details of the pregnancy, labor and delivery.CHILDHOOD MEDICAL MYTHS DEBUNKED AS EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON 5 COMMON WARNINGS”The whole premise of chiropractics is to help the nervous system function the way that it should,” he said.”When you have a lack of mobility within the spine and tightness in musculature … that interferes with the nervous system’s communication to send signals to the rest of the body.” When evaluating a baby, the movements of the spinal joints will help determine where adjustments are needed, Russell said.When adjusting, the doctor said the appropriate pressure is what might be used to check “a peach or a tomato for ripeness.”NEBRASKA BABY BORN WITH CATARACTS HAS 3 EYE SURGERIES TO SAVE HER SIGHT: ‘I JUST KEPT PRAYING’”It’s a sustained pressure, holding a specific area that needs to move better,” he said. “Once that nervous system interference is gone, we see huge changes.”Freeman, the baby’s mom, told Fox News Digital after the second chiropractic visit, he and Murdock noticed a “huge change” in their little one’s mobility and demeanor.”She started smiling for the first time since she was born,” he said. “We could place her on her back without her uncontrollably crying.” He added, “She was able to sleep without waking up every 20 minutes in pain. It was a beautiful thing to witness Lily transform into a totally different baby.”Russell said he sees family members ranging in age from one day old to 99 years old.Babies, toddlers and kids who may be having trouble with eating, sleeping or bowel movements could find great benefit from an adjustment, according to the chiropractor.ASK A DOCTOR: ‘IS IT DANGEROUS TO CRACK MY NECK OR BACK?’For toddlers, Russell claims that chiropractic care can also help with hyperactivity.Regarding parents’ worries that an adjustment could hurt their baby, he stated that the practice is “overwhelmingly safe.””I haven’t had any adverse reactions to chiropractic care,” he said. “Our protocol … is a thorough exam, very light adjustments. It’s really nothing crazy.”EGG-FREEZING IS ‘EXPLODING’ AMONG SOME AGE GROUPS – HERE’S WHAT WOMEN MUST KNOWFreeman encouraged other parents to “do their research” and consult with a chiropractor before undergoing treatment.”Knowledge is power, and we had to advocate for Lily,” he said. “You have to be the voice for the voiceless.” Dr. Lora Tanis, a New Jersey chiropractor who is also the president of the Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics, also weighed in, telling Fox News Digital that she “definitely recommends” chiropractic care for babies. “Often there are mechanical forces or circumstances that would warrant a spinal evaluation for a baby, and therefore, having a baby evaluated early can potentially avoid future problems,” she said in an email.PREGNANT WOMEN STRUGGLE TO FIND CARE IN ‘MATERNITY DESERTS,’ NEW STUDY FINDSChiropractors are trained to perform “age-appropriate exams prior to determining if the child is a candidate for chiropractic care,” Tanis, a board member of the Foundation of Chiropractic Progress, added.Babies who suffer from neuromusculoskeletal conditions will show signs of “greater comfort” following a visit to the chiropractor, she said.”Many parents report that their baby cries less and sleeps more soundly after chiropractic care.””Adjustments performed on children are very gentle, precise and appropriate for their age,” Tanis said.For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/healthShe encouraged parents to seek chiropractic help for children if they notice abnormal posture or head position, decreased motion of extremities, irritability with movement, or trauma.Not all experts agree that chiropractic adjustments are safe for newborns.An observational study published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), concluded that “serious adverse events may be associated with pediatric spinal manipulation.”JD VANCE PROMOTES FAMILY IN AMERICA AMID BIRTH RATE DROP, FUELED BY SEVERAL FACTORSBeth C. Natt, M.D., system medical director of pediatrics at Atlantic Health System in New Jersey, echoed those concerns.”I do not recommend chiropractic care for babies,” she told Fox News Digital.”Although watching a newborn baby get ‘adjusted’ might be a popular video clip on TikTok, the reality is that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other reputable medical organizations do not recommend chiropractic care for infants due to safety and efficacy concerns.”  Claims that chiropractic care can treat conditions like colic, reflux and sleep disturbances are “not supported by rigorous scientific studies,” according to Natt.Although some believe that infants need to be “realigned” after childbirth, Natt disagreed.”The infant’s body undergoes these natural adjustments and development after birth, and infants are wired to adapt to their environment without external interventions like chiropractic care,” she said.Infants have “delicate and developing bones and joints,” the doctor noted, which makes them “more susceptible to injury from spinal manipulations.” CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER”There have been documented cases of serious injuries, including fractures and spinal cord injuries, after chiropractic care in infants,” Natt warned.The doctor recommended parents speak with their pediatricians about their concerns before seeing a chiropractor.The pediatrician can perform an assessment of the infant and determine whether other, less risky therapies are better for the infant, she said.Natt added, “At the end of the day, we are all aligned — we want to ensure that we care for the health, safety and comfort of our patients.”Fox News Digital reached out to the AAP requesting comment.

[mostlymalena]

April 13th 2024 10:50pm

Just got done eating G out. Wonderful and tasty per usual. She is asleep next to me, and she is really pretty.

It has been a while, apologies, I have been so empty but a candle has been relit inside my soul. Why? NO IDEA LMAO. I'm just waking up again and thank god bc the last couple weeks have been an empty shallow hole.

Do I have tea to spill. Remember rine?? Of course you do since ive been writing about her for some time now!!! We had our lovely sleepover and the NEXT FUCKING DAY I get the wonderful news this bitch has a FUCKING BOYFRIEND LMAO and for some time too!!!!! I was so upset tbh bc why is this such a pattern?!?!?! Anyways I confronted her at Reggies bc she was meeting me there and we had talked about her sleeping over that night. She confirmed it and I walked away and left instantly to bluepost. We have not spoken since and will not. I get to bluepost and Gracie is there. I tell her immedielty what has happened and she makes me feel better. Out of the corner of my eye I see something slither into view dressed like a distressed scarecrow. Who else but Belle, parks her 2by4 ass across from me and Gracie and just idk.. keeps and eye on us?? Just stares. I do not know if P is there but I do not stick around to find out. Me and Gracie leave and she sleeps over.

G and I have been hanging again on account of my therapist telling me that shutting down and cutting people out of my life the second I feel vulnerable is not a good thing. Wild huh. She said I need to give Gracie a chance to let me forgive her. Uncomfortable but will give it a shot. We are hanging but I will continue to accept dates from other people. G is such a safe space for me to be goofy and relax.

No feelings of passion or romance have stirred inside me yet. Those have laid dormant since November and I fear every day they have been lost for good. I really hope not.

TOTALED MY CAR LMAO. It has been a shit two weeks ngl. I am just so lost but did all my dishes and felt hope in the world. I will find a job and I'll be okay. Argentina is so soon and I cannot wait!!!!

Went out to opera room with the crew friday to support my friend who is a DJ. She did great but saw several ops. Confronted this one dude who I know has been talking shit and spreading rumors and he apologized. Also talk to Emma - graces recent ex to make sure she knew even though it's weird and uncomfortable there is no bad blood and I have 0 issues with her. That went well and we ended the convo with a hug.

Today we had a soccer game and won then O and I took a nap and when we woke up me, Ethan, and Gracie went and got pizza. Zach!!!! A tender man who I fumbled 2/3 years ago which I will always regret WAS WORKING THERE!!!! I saw him and went outside and waited lmao. He has a beautiful gf of like 1 or so years now and I'm glad he is happy.

we all got ice cream after and I chose the rankest flavor called blueberry basil. Tasted like a salad dressing RIP. Got home drank Diet Coke and smoked on the porch and now Im catching up on writing and thoughts before watching 500 days of summer and going to sleep! Feeling settled and content.

[cherryblossomsandhydrangeas]

The Cultivation of the Hydrangea - Chapter 2

Read Chapter 1

You can also read this on my Wordpress.

Word Length: 13, 439

Time to Read: 73 Minutes

Summary: Kaoru still sleeps, and the world moves on without him. The news of his comatose state brings new problems while his friends are faced with more hardships.

Reminder: All scenes with triggers will have an -X- at the beginning.

-X-

Pigeons harped and fluttered their iridescent feathers as honking horns screamed upwards toward the dusky, cloud-covered sky. An almost oppressive sadness filtered through the morning air, indifferent to the boisterous sounds of an awakened city.

A small band of Toyota Yarises were driving along the highway following one after another down the busy roads. The three following cars all had one person seated within while the leading car contained two passengers. Inside, the radio played on low volume as the duo conversed.

“And now for the Crime Report. Just two days ago, a man by the name of Furuya Kazu was arrested after an altercation in a parking garage where he attacked two citizens with a baseball bat. One of the victims was thankfully unharmed while the other was taken to Naha General Hospital for treatment. Detectives of the NPD have found evidence that may link Furuya Kazu to a drug smuggling ring and an unsolved homicide case from five years ago...”

“What's this world coming to? You can't even walk to your car anymore without worrying about being attacked.”

“It's been dangerous, and it's only going to get worse if we don't get some good men in office.”

“Still, can you imagine? I hope whoever got hurt is alright.”

To their left, a grey Mazda signaled for a lane change. As it crossed over, the two couldn't help but notice its tinted back window pane. A small family of orange and purple stickers danced in a circle of flowers while a jolly, white shiba jumped all around them.

“In more pleasant news, Diet Member Shindo Ainosuke is planning a charity ball for wayward and underprivileged children with half of the proceeds going towards the orphanage and the other half...”

“Do you think they'll find the person who hit Raki?”

“I don't see why they shouldn't. It happened within the city, so there had to have been a witness. It's only a matter of time; you needn't worry, Masami.”

Masami sighed. Curling a slim finger around her black bangs, she tugged hard. “I'm worried that the witness might be a coward and stay silent.”

She tugged at them again. The thought of the criminal going free had her needlessly worrying at her hair, and her bun, already loose from being jostled against the back of a first-class plane chair, threatened to come undone completely.

“I'm a mess,' she thought miserably, frowning at some of the wrinkles she saw in her sleeves. She hadn't had the time to steam her yukata while she was double-checking her luggage and assuring that the plane tickets were safely secured in her purse. She'd barely even had time to wash her face and brush her teeth, what with the equally frantic movements of her room companion and the too-small bathroom they'd been afforded.

“For their own sake, they'd better have a backbone,“ her husband grunted.

Three red lights stopped them before they turned right on an intersection of a shopping district. A McDonald's, a KFC, and an A&W passed them along that road, the smell of chicken, beef, and hashbrowns wafting through the cool interior of the car.

The radio spoke up with an ad. “Come on down and get a large, steaming bowl of heaven at Keola's Ramen Shop. Made with fresh ingredients, never frozen, all day, every day from 6am to 10pm. Yes, come on down and get your money's worth at...”

They took another right turn. A blinking, yellow light yelled at them to hurry up at another intersection. Overhead, a flock of scarily precise birds rained down on unsuspecting windshields.

"Brrbrr! Brrbrr!" The grey phone nestled in the center's cup holder vibrated vigorously; its notification light blinked rapidly.

“Is that work?“ The woman frowned. “I hope there's not another problem.”

“There better not be,“ was the reply as she grabbed hold of the device. “Will you check?”

“It's Kenshiro. The new IT hire arrived and is fixing the damage from the attack. We may have to buy some replacement computers,“ she said.

“That's fine,“ he replied. “As long as they're not trying to get me to come back. It was difficult enough getting here on such short notice.”

Masami sighed dejectedly. “It had to happen at a time like this.”

The last thing any person wants is to be forced to stay at work when a loved one is admitted to the hospital; however, that's exactly what happened to them. It was only through pure luck and neverending persistence that they were able to catch one of the earlier flights to Naha.

The thought of her child nearly brought her to tears. “Oh god, my baby.” She sniffled into the back of her hand.

“It's going to be alright." A hand left the steering wheel to squeeze her thigh.

Some time later they arrived at Naha General, driving past a partially rusted welcome sign and a lichen-covered fountain. The parking lot was a maze of cars, vans, pickup trucks, and pruned juniper trees protected within concrete slabs. It took longer than they would've liked before they found four spots close enough to one another.

“Argh! I'm never using a neck pillow again.“ A brown-haired male said as he shut the door to his vehicle with one hand and cradled his aching nape with the other. “For something that's supposed to be comfortable, I feel like absolute shit.”

“I told you those things were a waste of money, Kouga.“ Another man with a similar face said as he stepped out of his driver's seat.

“And for once, you were actually right. Ahh!” Kouga cracked his neck, grunting in relief as the pain subsided.

Masami slipped from the passenger's seat. Finally free from the confined space, she took her chance to let her hair down, her silky tresses pouring down her back all the way down to her waist. She only let the strands breathe for but a moment before she was hoisting them back up into a neat bun. She attended to her clothes as best she could, pulling at her lavender yukata's sleeves and hems.

'It'll have to work for now,' she thought and glanced over the rest of her family.

Her husband was fixing his clothes as well, tugging at his emerald tie and dark brown suit jacket. His chin was covered with the burgeoning five o'clock shadow he hadn't had the chance to shave before they left for the airport, and his eyes were shaded from lack of sleep. Kouga was a little worse for wear, his shirt was only partially wrinkled and his jacket was unbuttoned halfway, but his tie was completely undone, falling across his chest in two red ribbons. Koutetsu had forgone his jacket and tie entirely, and the crease in his pants had seen better days. However, the last and oldest of the brothers looked as if he'd only just gotten out of bed. His glasses were askew, his blue tie undone, and his shirt looked like it came straight out of a hamper.

“Are you alright, Kouhei?” Masami asked, eyeing his dour countenance.

“I'm fine.“ The man responded as his car locked with a press from his keyfob. “I haven't gotten much sleep the past couple of days. Don't worry about me, okaasan.”

“I haven't slept much either.“ The woman smiled solemnly. “Let's make sure to get a full night's rest after we leave here today.”

Fully situated, the family moved as one towards the hospital. A murky entrance door greeted them at its front, and as they walked in, they saw the reception area was filled with an army of people. One woman sat in a corner cradling her bloody arm in a white towel. Another sat near the front with a baby latched onto her nipple. One man in the very back was leaning backwards in his chair holding an icepack over a large bump on his forehead. And a city worker was laid across three chairs in the middle row, gripping his stomach with an anguished face.

As they got closer to the welcome desk, one particular occupant caught Masami's eye. A young boy, face scrunched up in pain as he hunched over his oddly bent wrist. Sitting on either side of him were two other children. One was muttering words of reassurance and praise while patting the injured's back and the other silently held all three's skateboards in their lap.

“Skateboarding,“ the middle-age woman shook her head in disproval.

“Can I help you?” The receptionist called the family up.

Masami smiled as she stepped closer. “We're here to visit Sakurayashiki Kaz-Kaoru,“ she corrected herself.

“Date of birth?”

“March 27, 1993.”

A nod. “What's your relationship to the patient?”

“I'm Sakurayashiki Masami, their okaasan.“ She nodded back to the men. “Sakurayashiki Daishi, their otoosan, and Sakurayashiki Kouhei, Kouga, and Koutetsu are their elder siblings.”

The receptionist nodded again as they scrolled through the patient's information. After a bit, they stopped, frowned, and leaned back in their chair. “Hmph, that's strange, he doesn't have you down in his chart at all. All I see here is a Nanjo Chiyoko, a Nanjo Benjiro, and a Nanjo Kojiro.”

Masami forced herself to keep her smile. “They're emergency contacts. Our family works in the mainland, so we aren't able to be in Naha as much as we'd like.”

“I see. Well, when he wakes remember to remind him to add you to his chart, just in case.“ They responded. “Well, you're clear to go. You'll have to wash your hands before you enter the wing, but he's in room 108 right down that hall.”

“We will, thank you!” The family walked off.

One quick detour and the family went through the directed doors. The ICU was like an entirely different universe to the rest of the hospital. Stark-white walls with black trims lined the halls. The floor tiles shined aquamarine. An eerie quietness snuck up behind them along with the distinct smell of bleach and lemon-scented cleaning chemicals.

“At least some part of this place looks decently maintained,“ Koutetsu muttered. “And here I was wondering if we could have Raki moved to another facility.”

“Koutetsu,” Masami scolded. “At least wait until we're in private!”

The door to 108 was much like the rest of the wing, white and black and in much better condition than what they had previously seen. Daishi slid it open without a second of hesitation.

“Oh, Raki,” Masami whispered as she strode into the room. “My baby.”

A bandaged body lay on the bed dressed in light blue hospital garbs. Dark purple bruises sat across their slender face, and a long, clear tube trailed from their mouth. The heart monitor attached to their finger beeped slowly but steadily to the woman's relief.

Masami ran a hand over long, braided locks, curling her finger around a few loose strands. She smiled, thinking back to the many times she'd spent by the chabudai singing with her child as she brushed their soft, rose-colored hair. How they'd eat anpans and drink black tea afterward while watching television.

Her fingers itched for the brush in her carry-on.

“Look at her. So peaceful,“ Daishi said as he rested a hand on Kaoru's forehead. “Almost the angel she should have been.”

“Still an angel,“ Masami chided softly, looking up to share a smile with her husband.

Kouhei walked around to the other side of the bed and took up a chair closest to his comatose sibling. He stared intently at the odd, ovular-shaped bruising across their pale skin. Reaching over, he rested a hand on their splinted arm.

“I wonder where her child is?” Kouga mused as he ran his own along the end of the hospital bed.

“More than likely with Nanjo Chiyoko,” Koutetsu mumbled. “I can't imagine she'd leave them with Kojiro-kun.”

“She might've if he's the father,” Kouga countered.

“And we can't know that without a test,” Koutetsu retorted.

“We can ask for one. I can't imagine Little Kojiro's changed much since his teens. I doubt he'd want a child attached to his name.” The older twin shrugged. “Not that I can blame him. I wouldn't want a bastard attached to my name either.”

“I find it hard to believe that the Nanjo's haven't had a test done already, considering Raki ran to them.“ Koutetsu shook his head. “It's only practical.”

“None of us have ever even seen the child,“ Kouhei interrupted them. “It's useless to speculate the father in these matters.”

Masami sighed deeply as the brothers argued. Her Raki hadn't been the only one to become close to the Nanjo family as she and Kojiro were growing up. Nanjo Chiyoko used to be a dear friend of hers, yet they had broken apart so easily and hadn't spoken a single word to one another after their last phone call.

“It's not an entire waste of time,“ Kouga tapped the bed. “Whenever Raki decides she's tired of being alone, she can come right on home. Our dear niece or nephew can be raised properly, and the father...well if he's worth something then maybe we can make a deal out of it. Then the last seven years won't have been stressful for nothing.”

Kouhei ran a hand through his black locks. “You only think in numbers, Kouga.”

“Numbers are the most important part of a business, brother dear.“ The twin smirked. “If you're going to be the next head of the company, you'd do well to remember that.”

“Kouga's right,“ Daishi interjected from his spot beside the bed. “Whoever the father is is only mildly important. Sooner or later, your sister is going to let go of those delusions of hers and realize we only want what's best for her. And don't fret about Nanjo Chiyoko; even if there is a blood relation, a court will rule in favor that our family is more financially suited to Raki's and her child's needs.”

With his declaration, the family fell into a careful vigilance. Masami, Daishi, and Kouhei stayed close to the bed while the twins strayed to the walls. A good hour passed before a soft knock echoed against the door.

“Good morning.“ The family turned as the nurse entered the room. “Sorry to intrude, but I have to do my rounds.”

“It's no problem at all,“ Masami said, moving away with her husband in toe. “May I have your name?”

“I'm Nurse Yagi Eno.“ The woman smiled brightly.

“It's nice to meet you Yagi-san,“ Masami crossed her fingers below her belt. “I'm Sakurayashiki Masami, Kaoru's okaasan.”

“Oh, you're relatives?“ The nurse blinked, looking the family over. “I never would have guessed. None of you have the same hair color as Sakurayashiki-sensei.”

“It's a recessive trait from my side of the family,“ Daishi commented. “Truly a rare blessing. The last person to be born with Sakura-colored hair was my third great-grandmother. My otoosan wept with joy when they were born.“ He thrust his chin in Kaoru's direction.

“Oh really? How interesting!“ the nurse said as she picked up Kaoru's chart.

Eno checked Kaoru's vitals and made sure that all the machines were in working order. While she did, Kouhei's eyes once again wandered over all the injuries that his sibling had sustained. Though all of the wounds were horrible, the facial trauma was still the oddest one out of many.

“Is it normal for the face to bruise like that after being hit by a car?” Kouhei asked.

“Depending on how fast the car was going, how they were hit, and how they landed afterward.“ Nurse Yagi shook her head. “To be honest I'm just shocked that they got away with no organ damage and only a few broken bones. The cuts along their back suggest that they skidded across the ground, but there was more dirt than gravel in the wounds. They had two head fractures, one in the back and one in the front; the back one was after impact, but I'm uncertain how they got the one on their right temple. They wouldn't have survived a head collision with a car, but their back injuries negate the idea that they could have hit their temple first.”

Kouhei's eyes narrowed. 'Strange,' he thought, 'Could it not have been a car accident?'

“I wonder what they were doing out so late at night?“ Koutetsu pondered. “Sakurayashiki Calligraphy is closed during the weekends, so they should've been at home.”

“Oh! I can answer that,” Eno chirped. “They were going home from a costume party.”

“A costume party?”Masami blinked and cocked her head to the side, bewildered. “Such a silly thing so late at night?”

“Mhmm, him and two of his friends,“ Eno said. “It was a bit strange seeing Sakurayashiki-sensei being hauled in wearing a ninja costume. And his friends were even stranger.”

“I thought it was two random men who brought them here?“ Kouhei's brow rose.

“Are you sure they were their friends?“ Kouga crossed his arms. “Were they any suspicious to you?”

“Suspicious? Well, one of them had this large tattoo on his shoulder; it made me a bit nervous.“ The nurse made a circular motion on her body. “And the other was wearing some scary-looking face paint, but I kind of thought that was for the costume. The first one wasn't wearing a shirt and the second was wearing some weird spandex type thing.”

Both of the Sakurayashiki elders smoldered. They knew that their daughter had had a penchant for sticking around the more unsavory types, but they would have thought that with such a successful career she would have strayed away from such a lifestyle.

Masami let off a worried whimper. “And this tattooed man? What did he look like?”

“Oh, he was a walking sculpture!” the nurse exclaimed. “He's the most muscular man I've ever seen. He had dark skin, dark red eyes, dark green hair, and the tattoo was of a sun. Do you...know anybody like that?”

“Kojiro,“ Daishi muttered distastefully. “I'm not surprised he would deface his body.”

“And still dragging our youngest into trouble,“ Kouga added before addressing Nurse Yagi. “Thank you, Miss, we do know someone like that. Fortunately, it's not some yakuza types.”

“That we know of,“ Daishi grunted.

Eno smiled. “I'm glad. Well, I have to make my other rounds. You have my condolences, and I promise to give Sakurayashiki-sensei the best care possible.”

Kouga went and took the woman's hand in his own. “Thank you, genuinely.“ He smiled at her.

As the nurse left the room, Koutetsu spoke, “I can't see Little Kojiro joining a gang. Delinquent he may have been as a child, but a life of crime?”

“I see no other way for that little diner he calls a restaurant to be so established without some backside dealings.“ The father's eyes narrowed. “The Nanjos were never well off. He shouldn't have even been able to make a down payment on a building, especially one in such a high-traffic area.”

“Perhaps Raki loaned him some money?” the twin suggested. “She's always been soft on him.”

“Then that's a debt he owes to our family. If that's indeed the case, then it's good leverage for later. Good thinking, Koutetsu.”

“Thank you, Otoosan.”

Masami walked back to the bed and took Kaoru's face in her hands. “Going out so late at night with two men. I know I taught you better.”

“She's always been stubborn.“ A hand found its way to her waist. “Enragingly so.”

Masami looked back into her husband's golden eyes. “I always thought that her delinquency was a phase, something she'd grow out of, but she just can't seem to let it go. God sake, what if she's still affiliated with all those hoodlums from back then? They could be gangbangers by now, Daishi! You know the type of things they do to young women!”

The matriarch let go of her child and leaned into the patriarch's touch. “What do we do? If she's still meeting with those sorts of people behind closed doors, who knows what sort of trouble she could get into? What if something like this happens again, or worse? She's a mother; she needs to stop!”

“She's had plenty of problems over the years, and not just flaunting herself around petty criminals.“ The man shook his head. “From her nightmares to the anxiety, and the trangenderism, I'm surprised she's as stable as she is.”

Daishi ran a soothing hand over his wife's lower back. “Mental illness is common. She just needs to see a professional.”

Masami sniffled and wiped at her eyes. Daishi wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her tightly as she wept. Around the room, the brothers watched as their usual serene stepmother broke down, her shrill cries adding a heavy pressure to the already tense air of the room.

Through tear-stained fingers, Masami found Kaoru's form again, limp and cold in the folds of the hospital sheets.

“Oh, Kazumi, please wake up soon.”

--

“How could you?! I trusted you!”

“Trusted me? Hah! You fool; I was only using you this whole time!”

“But why? Weren't we friends?”

“Friends? I don't need friends. I only need power!”

“You villain! You fiend! I'll never forgive you!”

“Hahahaha! And what are you going to do about it? I'm all-powerful!”

“I hate you!”

“What are you doing? No! Ahhhh!”

And so the villain fell, down, down the jagged cliff's edge, their body smacking against sharp stones, piercing their arms and legs and torso again and again until they were nothing but a bloody mess of misshapened holes.

“Curse you, Toma!!!”

Splash!!!

Their body came down, and a large burst of ocean water erupted from the sea. Wisps of blood trailed from their puncture wounds, creating a thin cloud of bloody mist as they fell deeper into the abyss.

And so they sunk. And sunk. And sunk. And sunk.

And then they hit wood.

“Oh no,“ another voice interjected. “What a sad end to a friendship.”

Ainoshin nodded, staring down at the fallen, bulky action figure spread eagle on the hardwood floors. “They were a bad person.”

“Indeed. Akiba hurt Toma's entire family and their village. They had to be stopped.“ The man smiled. “But what is Toma going to do now?”

“Hmmm,” the boy blew a raspberry. He sat cross-legged on the floor, resting his chin in the palms of his hands as he thought.

“Hmmm....Oh, oh!” A lightbulb formed over his pink-haired head. “He could be an adventurer!”

“An adventurer? Well, what sort of adventures will he take?” the caretaker asked.

“Umm?”

Knock knock knock. The two jumped at the sound of a heavy hand at the front door.

“I got it!“ the child chirped and shot off into the living room with a flurry of tiny, stomping feet.

From his spot at the dining table, Benjiro heard the door unlock, then the knob turn, and lastly a grunt of effort as his grandson pulled the door open.

A gasp. “Kojiro-ojisan!” the boy cried out.

“Hey, Ainoshin,” came Kojiro's deep voice, “I got you something.”

Another gasp. And then an excited squeal.

“Thank you, ojisan!“ Benjiro heard an “oof” from his son. Ainoshin had jumped up and hugged him.

The front door closed with an audible click and clack as the lock slid into place. “So, where's your sobo?” he heard Kojiro ask.

“Your haha's in bed.“ The father called from the kitchen. “Come in here with me, Kojiro.”

He could hear his son shuffling off his shoes and slipping on his house slippers as little feet clambered back to him.

“Jiji! Jiji! Ojisan got me chocolate.” Ainoshin ran in, cradling a matte green box with a gold ribbon tied around it. The boy held the package high over his head for his grandfather to inspect.

“Oh really? How nice of him.” Taking the chocolate, Benjiro laid it on the side of the table. He smiled. “You can have some after supper, okay?”

“Aww.“ The boy let off a pout but nodded and sat back down on the floor with his action figures.

“Chichi,” Kojiro called as he walked into the kitchen. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,“ Benjiro greeted, eyeing the way his son shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door frame. “Come and have a snack with us,“ He gestured to the spread he'd laid out.

Sitting on the table was a plate of toasted breads, small round jars of two different nut butters, and plentiful bowls of chopped strawberries, bananas, blueberries, kiwi, and figs. A steaming, black pot of coffee sat on a mat next to his father.

“How did you know I hadn't had lunch today?“ Kojiro smiled, sitting down in the seat across from his elder.

“Knowing you, you probably just got done with a run,“ Benjiro chuckled and moved to fill a plate with the man's preferred fruit.

“Nah, I had my run this morning. My sous chef kicked me out again, so I decided to come visit you and haha,“ Kojiro replied as he accepted his plate. “Thanks.”

As he slathered almond butter on a piece of toast, Kojiro addressed Ainoshin. “So, little man, how've you been?”

Ainoshin smiled and held up his defeated villain. “I'm okay. I've been playing with jiji.”

“Oh really, what have you guys been playing?” the chef asked through a mouthful of bread and fruit.

“Monster Hunters!” the boy cheered. “Jiji is the leader of the Adventurer's Guild.”

“Oh? And what's your sobo?”

“Sobo's the leader of the Healing Circle.”

“Ooo, sounds important.”

“Mhmm, and chichi's a prince, like me!”

Kojiro did his best not to snicker. “Oh, I didn't know I was talking to royalty! Forgive me, my lord!”

Benjiro scarfed down his piece of banana and blueberry bread before he spoke. “Ainoshin, how about you go get your other toys to show your ojisan, huh? I'm sure he'd love to meet Ricardo, Ami, and all the others.”

Scarlet eyes shimmered in delight. “Okay!” The boy was gone in a flash.

“That'll give us a minute,“ Benjiro smiled and bit into another piece of toast slathered with peanut butter. “He has so many toys, he'll spend forever choosing just one.”

Benjiro took the coffee pot and filled a cup for his son. “Now, how are you doing?”

Kojiro shook his head as he accepted the drink. “I'm...still not entirely okay. There...hasn't been any change with Kaoru.”

“Is there any bad news?”

“Not really, no? His injuries are healing up nicely, just that he hasn't woken up yet.”

“Then that's good.”

Kojiro hummed. “And how are you doing, chichi?”

“I'm fine.“ The fifty-eight-year-old nodded. “It's my day off.”

“That's great. You need a break every now and then,“ the son said. “And haha?”

“Her back was hurting real bad this morning, so I made her rest. I keep telling her it's because she keeps picking up on that boy, and that he's getting too big for her, but she just won't listen. Stubborn woman.“ The man giggled at the thought of his wife.

“Well, long as she's actually resting,” Kojiro smirked. “Knowing haha, she's upstairs crocheting something.”

“She better not be,“ Benjiro looked up at the ceiling as if he could look through it to see an ailing Chiyoko.

Kojiro nibbled on his fruit while his father refilled his own cup.

“This chocolate looks fancy,“ Benjiro noted, poking at the gift box with a finger. “What store did you buy this from?”

Kojiro paused for just a moment as he thought up an answer.

“It's from one of those new specialty stores in town,“ he lied.

The twenty-six-year-old spared a glance at the no doubt pricey package of variety chocolates. It was one of the two surprises that he'd gotten the other morning after being woken up by a call from his manager.

“Sensei's van is in the back alley,“ Sayuri had said warily to his sleep-wraggled brain.

It'd taken him a minute for him to put two and two together, but, as soon as he did, he'd hopped out of bed like a frog dropped into a pot of hot water. He'd nearly toppled down the stairs while pulling on his clothes and stumbled outside to his awaiting staff.

And then there it was. Kaoru's van was parked right in front of Sia La Luce's back door. The entire thing sparkled from ground to roof; the wheels had been washed, the windows had been scrubbed, and if Kojiro was going to be generous he'd say that the damn thing had been waxed as well.

'One of capmen must have a crush on Kaoru,' he thought as he opened the driver's door. There, cheekily strapped into the driver's seat, was the box of chocolates.

He'd immediately known it was far too expensive for any of the tracks maintenance workers to afford, and the only thing stopping him from smashing the damn thing right then and there was the knowledge that all his employees were watching him.

“Um. How is this here?“Jona had asked.

He'd shared a look with Sayuri, and the two made up a quick lie. Luckily for him, there were more S members scheduled to work that morning than regular people.

Benjiro stared hard at his son for a moment. “Did you buy these for Kaoru?”

Kojiro blanched. “Uh, no.”

“Then you bought them for Ainoshin?” The elder man raised a brow. “Cause you don't like sweets.”

Kojiro ran a hand through his curly locks, cursing the man who'd bought the chocolates in his mind.

“Fine, yeah, they were for Kaoru.“ He gave a lackadaisical shrug. “Decided that Ainoshin should have them before they go bad.”

“Mhmm,“ Benjiro replied.

The two ate a bit more in silence. The fruit was devoured until their fingers glistened with their juices, and the coffee pot was drained halfway.

'Speaking of Kaoru...' Kojiro thought as he chewed.

“So, chichi...” Kojiro took a moment to formulate his question. “What's your whole part in this...plan?”

Benjiro gave him a crooked smile before sighing, “You're haha told me you two talked already.”

“Yeah.“ The son licked his lips. “You know I'm not mad at you, right?”

“I know, but I wouldn't be upset if you were,“ the father stated,

The elder Nanjo leaned back in his chair with a hand against his ear to make sure that Ainoshin wasn't coming back yet. Hearing nothing, he started,

“I wanted to tell you in the beginning,“ Benjiro muttered. “But I eventually came around to Kaoru's and Chiyoko's reasoning.”

The fifty-eight-year-old rested a hand on the table. “You see, Kaoru was thinking of you. But I was thinking of the both of you.”

Kojiro said nothing but nodded in acknowledgment.

The father continued, “There was nothing you could have done for Kaoru in Italy. Telling you would have just put you off your studies cause you would have been so worried about Kaoru and the baby. You not knowing was the best thing for you at the time.”

“Sakurayashiki Daishi beat him black and blue.“ The chef frowned. “He was already in a bad way from his boyfriend leaving him, and then I left right after. When I was in Italy I could only talk with him every so often cause I couldn't afford a good phone and internet plan for overseas calls. I was already worried sick about him.”

Benjiro's eyes hardened at the mention of Kaoru's father. “He did. Which is the other reason I went with Kaoru's plan.”

“Hmm?” Kojiro leaned forward.

“Trust is a big thing with Kaoru; I don't really have to tell you that“ The man reached over for a sip of drink. “And he would not have trusted me if I told you he was pregnant. I wouldn't have been able to be there for him like I was.”

Kojiro bit his lip. “Did...was it hard? For him?

Benjiro took another sip of coffee. “Of course it was.”

Kojiro's stomach dropped. Pushing his plate away, he gave his father a severe look.

“What else can you tell me about after I left?” he asked.

“I can tell you a lot. The real question is do you want to hear it from me?” the elder replied. “Wouldn't you rather hear this from Kaoru once he wakes up?”

“I..” Kojiro looked down. “Yeah, I do want to hear it from him. But...as far as I know, he won't be waking up anytime soon.”

Benjiro smiled into his cup. “Kaoru's always been stubborn. He'll wake up soon. I just know it.”

Kojiro huffed. “You're right about that. Now I hope you're right about-"

“Ojisan!” something soft and white was shoved into his line of sight.

Kojiro startled and leaned back a bit. “Hey, buddy! So, what's this?" He focused his eyes. “Oh, the leopard?”

“This is Ricardo,“ Ainoshin plopped the stuffed animal into his uncle's lap. “He's the strongest guardian ever!”

“Oh really,“ Kojiro smiled as he eyed the toy. “And what does Ricardo keep safe?”

Just as he'd thought the other day, Ricardo was in impeccable shape. Its glossy, amber eyes were like a deep, never-ending pool of water. Its coat was free of stains and rips, unlike the other furry guardians he'd seen on his last visit. And his stitched-on smile was almost menacingly sharp, like at any moment he'd open his mouth and bite Kojiro's head off.

He looked brand new compared to the other toys. It was a little unsettling.

“Me!“ the six-year-old answered. “Ricardo keeps bad dreams away and fights monsters while I sleep.”

The chef nodded in understanding. Knowing Kaoru, he was probably worried that his child would inherit his chronic nightmares and insomnia and sought out a mitigative measure. Having an all-powerful leopard friend who could destroy all evil was probably a good sleep aid for a child.

Kojiro looked at the stuffed animal again. Ricardo stared back into his very soul. “He's so brave and cute!” Kojiro grinned at the boy.

Ainoshin grinned back. “Chichi made Ricardo!”

“He's had that leopard since before he was born,“ Benjiro added, “Almost inseparable.”

“And this is Chika,“ the child laughed as he dumped another animal in the man's lap.

Chika was a brown teddy bear, a veteran, Kojiro noted, in the fight to keep nightmares away from her young prince. She wore her battle wounds with pride, her missing right eye not seeming to affect her in the slightest and her reattached arm was still as good as the other one.

“This is Leonard!” The one-eyed tiger from the other day was settled right next to the bear on his lap.

“And this is Hana.“ The poor eviscerated panda.

Looking past his little nephew, Kojiro spotted a mountainous pile of dream fighters. A duck, a swan, and a chicken took the lead, while many other animals took up the rear. At the rate they were going, the twenty-six-year-old was going to be drowned in a pile of fluff, colorful fabric, and unblinking plastic eyes.

“And this is Sakura!” Ainoshin sang as he held up the swan. His smile was as bright as the sun itself, and his eyes were like all of the stars in the cosmos combined. They were full of innocence and joy, oh so similar to golden ones of years past.

Kojiro resigned himself to his fate.

Looking over to his amused father, he spoke. “So...who's your favorite guardian?”

--

When Sia La Luce was open for business, it was a revolving door of satisfied diners. In and out people went, sitting at the white-clothed tables, addressing the well-tempered staff, and munching on the more than decent menu offerings.

However, during its in-between hours, it might as well have been an establishment for ghosts. The mahogany bar shined, but reflected no faces, glasses chimed, but were filled with no wines, plates squeaked and glistened but no entrees were set upon them. The music was off, and no appetizing smells drifted from the back.

Normally when the thirteen-year-old graced the restaurant's doors, the first thing he saw was thigh-length pink hair swishing back and forth while black armored forearms tinkered with the mechanics of a talking skateboard.

It was utterly wrong, Miya thought as the door closed behind him with a chime, for Cherry to not be sitting in that seat.

“Miya, done with practice already?“ A familiar voice greeted.

“I thought your sous chefs said they kicked you out?“ the teen questioned as he pulled out a chair and threw his bag on top of the nearest table.

“They did, but a truck came with more than we ordered, I was upstairs, and it was the middle of the lunch rush,“ The chef smiled at him from the kitchen window, “I don't think anybody could really complain if I helped unload a few boxes and then took inventory.”

Miya stared hard at the man's mouth and frowned hard from behind his backpack. It was so fake.

'Don't pretend to be happy, idiot,' the teen thought.

“Make me something without tomatoes then,“ Miya ordered and pulled out his switch.

“I'm gonna need more information than that Miya.“ Kojiro huffed and tossed his towel over his shoulder. “How about a mushroom risotto?”

“Too much cheese.”

“Chicken cacciatore?”

“I had chicken for lunch.”

“How about some aracini?”

“What even is that?”

“Basically deep-fried rice balls.”

“No thanks. If I wanted onigiri, I'd go to a konbini.”

“Miya, I will serve you spaghetti.”

“And I'll leave a one-star review.”

“Miya.”

“Have you visited Cherry again?”

A pause. Kojiro looked to the side before replying. “No, not since I last took you to the ICU. How about some cappon magro?”

“Why not?“ Miya set his switch down. "That was three days ago."

“...I just...not right now, Miya.“ A clang came from the kitchen.

The young skater hopped from his seat and flew to the bar, one knee propped up on a chair while his hands pressed down so hard on the countertop that his palms burned.

“But why?“ Miya pressed. “You can visit him whenever you want. Don't you want to see his injuries getting better? To know what happened isn't permanent?”

Again, Kojiro paused. He looked over the youngest member of their little skating group, his teeth clenched and eyes pink around the edges. After seeing Kaoru in the hospital, the boy had settled somewhat, but now it looked as if his nerves were frayed all over again.

“What's really the matter, Miya?“ Kojiro held back a pained look. “I know you're worried about Kaoru, but that's not why you're asking me, is it?”

The young prodigy flinched, falling back to the wooden flooring of the establishment. He crossed his arms, putting his back to the chef.

Miya bit his lip hard. “Adam chose Reki.”

“...What?”

“He chose Reki,“ the boy repeated. “And that idiot accepted.”

--

-X-

The next night, for the first time in his life, Joe hated the rapid pumping of his heart as they stood before the metal gates of paradise.

Hundreds of skaters road ahead of them through the tree-lined mountain tops. The group was still at the entrance inside Cherry's Blossom's white van as they waited for the capmen to check for pins.

“I wish Shadow could've come,“ Reki said from the middle seats. “Sucks that he's still in the hospital.”

“He said he would be watching from his phone,” Oka replied from the front passenger seat. “So, he's still with us in a way.”

The car ahead of them drove forward and a shadow-faced capmen approached the van.

“Stickers and pins?” was all he said.

Five pins glinted as the man passed a flashlight through the vehicle. For once, Joe felt nothing as he shifted his jacket on his shoulders.

“Go ahead,“ the man nodded.

There was very little chatter as the group drove up, the wind whistling through the cracked windows the loudest speaker out of them all. Huddled together, Reki and Langa whispered to one another, while Miya, Oka, and Joe sat with stiff postures and straight faces.

It was ten minutes to midnight when they finally found a parking space.

“Are you sure about this, Reki?” The keys bit into Joe's hand as the engine died. “No one will think less of you if you back out.”

The teen smiled at him. “I'm sure. “

Joe took a moment to stare at the boy through the rear-view mirror. Gone were the bags under his eyes, the ruffled, unkempt hair, the slouched posture, and barely there voice. His eyes, which once looked like smoking ashes dying under drizzles of rain, were once again bright braziers topped off with gasoline.

The decision he was making was utterly foolish, but at least it was the normal sort of decision Reki would make.

It was five minutes to midnight by the time they made it up to the starting line. A sizeable crowd huddled together along the sticker-covered fencing, a cacophony of voices, some indecipherable from one another forming a mob of gossip, rumors, and bets.

In the middle of it all stood a figure shrouded in crimson clothes and washed-out traffic lights. A cigarette burned between his black, gloved fingers as he stood straight, the wind blowing through his midnight hair and cape; his longboard sat between his feet.

“I was beginning to wonder if you'd changed your mind or not, Little Red,“ Adam simpered as the group approached. “Oh, and look, you even got Joey to come back.”

At the sight of their chiseled, curly-haired god, the Sunflowers immediately flew into a joyous frenzy, all jumping, laughing, and crowing away.

“My man Joe!”

“Joe!”

“Joe! You're finally back!”

“Joe, how's Cherry?!”

“Where've you been, Joe?!”

“Glad you could make it, Joe!”

Despite their ardor, the fangirls' and fanboys' words bounced right off the Musclebound God's chest and crashed to the ground.

The Matador of Love chuckled at the stone-hard look set upon the Six-Pack Skater's face. “What's wrong, Joe?“ he asked with a mocking smile. “Usually, you love their attention.”

Joe narrowed his eyes at the man. “I'm not in the mood”

Adam huffed and tossed his cigarette to the side. “How's our darling Cherry? I haven't had the chance to visit him myself just yet, but...from what I've heard, sounds like he needs a kiss from a prince to wake him up.”

The Six-Pack Skater clenched his fists. “Adam...”

“Hey!“ Reki stepped forward and glared. “Don't talk about Cherry like that. He's not your darling anything.”

Adam crooned, “Oh, Gingersnap, you really don't know anything, do you?”

The redhead growled, “I'm gonna make you eat your own words. And after that, you're gonna apologize to Cherry and stay away from Langa.”

Adam's mouth quirked. “Oh?”

The God of the Mountain lifted his board, pointing its sharp horns right at Reki's eyes. “Then tonight I'll decipher your true nature, little red ant, and see what's so special about you. And after that, I'll get to watch over and over how my Little Langa reacts to what's left of you.”

At his words, Miya took a step forward as if to run up and push the elder man away from his friend; however, a firm hand grabbed hold of his shoulder, keeping him in place. Miya looked back in shock and betrayal, while Langa simply shook his head.

“I don't plan on losing tonight. I'm going straight to finals to race against Langa, “Reki stated determinedly.

The eyeholes of Adam's mask flashed scarlet. “Ahah! Let's get this over with, shall we?”

Almost in unison, the two got in position against the starting line, eyes focused on the traffic light just a few feet away.

“Stomp him out, Adam!”

“You got this Reki!”

“Does this guy really think he can take on Adam? What a joke!”

“Make him apologize to Cherry-sama!”

“I'm betting money on you, little red dude. Try to last at least a minute and a half!”

“You betted on this, you idiot?! Dude's gonna get trashed!”

The horn blared, and the crowd grew silent. Ahead, the flag lady stood in the middle lane, S's symbol held high above her head, its white fabric billowing in the wind.

Three...two...one...

“Bzzzt!”

--

-X-

Adam was going to kill him.

“Reki, just forfeit already, you idiot!” Miya hollered at the megatron. “It's not worth it!”

Another punch broke the skin above the redhead's eyes and blood spilled out, painting his cheek a deep crimson. Even just watching the screens, everyone could see the heaving breaths of the younger skater as the Matador of Love battered him.

“Joe!” Miya called to the man. “We have to do something!”

“It's no use,“ the two turned. Snake stared past them, his green eyes unblinking on the scene before them. “Adam's already made up his mind to destroy him in every way possible.”

“Ahh!,“ Their eyes flew back to the screen. Adam wrenched Reki's head back by his hair. The boy hissed, baring his blood-covered teeth.

“Come on now, “Adam murmured with sickly sweet charm, “Is that really all you've got?”

With what seemed to be a simple flick of his wrist, Reki's feet flew back off the rear of his board and his face fell down upon the hardwood of its desk. His jaw clattered. His teeth ached.

The boy's body involuntarily tried to curl in on itself as hands flew up to his mouth and he rolled off his board. "Ngh," Reki grunted and forced himself to stand.

"Oho!" Adam whistled at the glare the teen threw at him. "Ready to go again?"

The crowd watched as the beating continued. Reki was dragged, thrown, run down, tossed, slammed, and tugged. Adam's onslaught seemed relentless. A few people screamed in terror as the Matador crushed the teen against the jagged rock walls of the tracks.

“He's gonna kill that guy.”

“Holy shit, man!”

“Oh man.”

The two racers were coming up on one of the steep ledges of the track.

“Ah, I'm bored.“ Adam stretched while Reki looked dazedly ahead, body rocking side to side on his board. “I thought you would've given me more, but I guess this is all you have to offer. Shall I end it at this corner?”

“Is he...gonna toss him off the cliff?” a horrified voice whispered.

“Oh god. Oh my god.“ Another had broken into tears.

On the lower levels, Reki's friends watched in abject horror. Unstoppable tremors rocked Miya's body. Sketchy had hidden himself inside Oka's collar. Langa stared on with clenched fists and clenched teeth.

Joe felt far away. Adam looked back at the boy, the darkness ebbing away from the sockets of his mask. His grin was wide, sharp, and full of malice as he reached a gentlemanly hand out towards the unmoving Reki.

'He's really going to kill him,' Joe stared at the screen unblinking.

He could already see the next moments clearly. A body flying over the edge of the cliff, slamming down against sharp rocks before they slipped into the open air. They'd almost look like they were flying and not falling from a deadly height. When they finally hit the group, the body would burst and collapse in on itself. Blood would stain the track, the person it gushed from unrecognizable.

He wouldn't look away. Not when he should have stopped this beef from happening in the first place.

Wait...

“Hold on, what!”

“He's speeding up!”

“Is he...” Joe whispered and flinched as the situation came to him. “Is he seriously going to ride off the side of the cliff?!”

“No way!”

“He's insane!”

“He's gonna kill himself!”

“Go, Reki!” Langa shouted over them all.

And go he did. The blood-covered redhead scaled down the side of the cliff, flipping over rocks that would surely send him tumbling. At the edge, a large, curved rock pointed high into the night sky. With an unwavering grin, Reki shot up the ledge and soared.

“He's flying,“ someone said in awe.

“He's so high,“ another gasped.

The drones that surveyed and recorded every inch of the tracks were too low to capture this moment, but the sheer confidence and elation that exuded from the teen high above the crowd could be felt as if it was a ray from the sun.

And as he came down, the elation extended to the onlookers. No more fear clouded over them as the ground came closer and closer. And no one was surprised when...

He landed it.

“Whoo!” the crowd screamed in delight.

“Holy shit that was awesome,” a woman screamed.

"Amazing, little red dude!"

"Go redhead go!"

"You're so cool, redheaded dude!"

Reki flew around a sharp curve. "My name isn't Redhead; it's Reki, and don't you ever forget it!"

Cheers flew all around the mountain. Whether it was because people were truly impressed with what the teen had done or were just relieved that they didn't see him die could never be known. All that mattered in that moment was the beating of their hearts, the blood pumping through their veins, and the wheels gliding down the track.

“Oh, Gingersnap, you can't expect to win this on a fluke.” In only a few seconds the Matador of Love had caught up.

"Tch. Damn, "Oka hissed.

With a cry of thunder and a clap of lightning, the sky opened up. A sea of rain fell soaking everyone and everything within seconds.

“It's gonna be even harder for Reki to win now,“ Miya murmured fearfully.

On the track, Adam irritatedly flicked rainwater from his face. He looked ahead to Reki, who soldiered on, uncaring of his headband that slowly slid down his face to his neck.

"Tsk." The man shook his head. "I loathe the rain. All it's good for is ruining decks, the ultimate enemy of skateboarding."

He glared at Reki's back. 'I should finish this all ready.'

Another curve was coming up and fast. Both skaters got low, sliding along the muddy track. Adam's wheels couldn't get a good grip; he was sliding far off his mark. And Reki-

"What?!"

"Hold on?!"

"Wait a minute?!"

Adam gasped and then snarled. "How?!"

The rain did not bother the soaked redhead. Reki flew around the curve and sped down the straightaway, nearly leaving the Matador behind.

'How is he...' Adam's gaze zeroed in on Reki's board. 'Those wheels!'

"He's using wheels specifically designed for rainy weather," Langa informed his group, "That's why he isn't losing his grip."

"Huh, really?" Miya looked on. "Then that's why..."

"He was going so slow in the beginning," Oka finished. "He knew it was going to rain?"

"Mmm." Langa looked on, eyes glittering with pride. "Reki bet everything on this."

It was quite a sight to behold, seeing the Matador of Love falling behind someone nearly a decade his junior and nowhere near his skill. The muddy tracks made it look as if Reki was a master and Adam was a rookie.

Adam growled. "That's it!"

He stomped down, sending his longboard flying into his hands as he glided along the slick ground. He charged forward through a wooded area of fallen sticks and free-falling leaves and popped out right ahead of a still-approaching Reki.

Adam whispered into the pouring rain. "I call this the Full Swing Kiss."

Alarms blared in Joe's mind. "No!"

Miya screamed. “You can't take that hit!”

Everything happened in slow motion. Reki flew ahead, looking as if he meant to meet Adam head-on, while Adam's board swung straight toward the teen's skull. Below, everyone watched with bated breaths as the seconds ticked forward.

One...two...thre-Slam! Adam's board connected, and a wet thump sounded. The Matador grinned at the sight of his opponent's jacket flying up, certain he'd see the boy's bloody mangled face in just a moment- when suddenly he gasped.

"Whoa!"

"No way!"

"How did he?"

Reki's jacket flew up, wrapping around the mountain king's board as its wearer slipped fully free from its confines. The teen ducked low, riding under the older man's arms and out of reach of his attack.

Seeing what had happened, Adam bared his fangs and tried to quickly turn round, intending to smash the teen with a second strike.

“You brat-Guh!”

Thump!!!

Silence.

“....”

“....”

“....”

'What?'

Befuddled, Joe looked all around him. The Gallery shared the same look upon his face, eyes and mouth open wide while rainwater splattered against their shocked faces.

“Was that...Adam?”

“No, couldn't be...could it?”

“Our Adam?”

“No way!”

Oh, but it was. Laying there in the muck, body spread out wide like a pinned toad, covered in impurities, was the Matador of Love. His board lay ahead of him, ripped away by the unforgiving elements; it too was covered, stained, ruined.

Joe looked on with a fluttering feeling in his heart. He couldn't help but feel empathy for the fallen man in those first moments, but those feelings were quickly overwhelmed with feelings of pure and utter joy.

His shoulder shook, “Mmhmhmhm....”

“Joe?” Oka looked over, concern coloring his voice.

“Pfft-Tahahaha. He had it coming!” The sound came out loud and blithe.

As if following the Six-Pack Skater's cue, many more raucous arose. All at once, the mountain was swathed in laughter.

"Ahahahaha, is this serious!"

"Pft, seriously? Is that seriously Adam?"

"What a loser!"

"Hey!" Miya called to his friends. "Let's get to the finish line!"

Flying ahead unimpeded, Reki smirked as the factory came into view. Along the way, many watchers cheered him on, waving their hands and boards like flags of support.

The factory was filled to its brim. Bright white lights shined down on all the cheering inhabitants. Standing in the center closest to the finish line, Rek's friend jolted in delight when the redhead rode in on the catwalk.

"You're almost there, Reki!" Langa called.

"Just a bit further!" Miya added.

A couple feet away from them, Snake was astonished. "Is Ainosuke-sama...actually going to lose?"

Reki leaped off the edge of the staircase and flew down, slamming down hard on the concrete ground floor. He continued on, lowering himself to gain more speed.

Cli-clack! The teen stumbled. Shocked, he looked down and watched as his cracked wheel forced his board to jump and slow down.

'Did it break when I landed the first time?' he thought.

"Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. Unforgiveable. UNFORGIVEABLE!"

A cold front blasted through the open doors of the factory. The lights shook from the power of the wind, blinking on and off. A new body flew in on the catwalk covered in a red mist.

From his spot, Joe saw the rage controlling the Matador, his face twisted into a demonic grimace. "Hurry, Reki!" he shouted. "He's closing in!"

Above, the Matador of Love leaped from the catwalk, and screams of terror erupted. He grabbed hold of a loading chain with one hand, the other keeping his board firmly under his feet. He leapt again, landing on a line of shipping crates.

"You...WORTHLESS TRASH!" He growled, using his board to smack away rolls of rebar.

The metal clanged against the ground, and Reki looked back, the King of S not far behind him. He gritted his teeth, willing his wheel to hold on, and shot forward.

Hearts were beating out of chests as the two raced neck and neck to the finish line. Red and yellow seemed to cross at exactly the same time, and the skaters went flying from their boards, skidding along the dirty floors.

"Woohoo!" The Gallery cheered. "That was awesome!"

"That was moving, kid!"

"Reki! His name is Reki!"

"That was moving, Reki!"

Reki! Reki! Reki! Reki!"

"Reki!" Langa shouldered himself through the boisterous crowd, running towards the still-downed redhead. "Reki, are you okay?"

"Ugh, "Reki smiled at the other from his place laid out on the concrete. "That...was so much fun! I love skateboarding!"

"Reki!" "Reki." The two looked as the rest of their friends ran forward.

Reki grinned at Miya. "So, what'dya think?"

Miya sniffed, wiping at his eyes. "You...did alright...for a slime."

"I think he was pretty great."Joe, chest still full of pride, winked at the teen.

"Can you stand?" Oka kneeled on the other side of the boy. Sketchy chirped and jumped to the ground. "Do you need help?"

Reki looked down at himself, wincing at the sight of himself. "I-

“You."

The group froze. The Gallery grew silent and fell back into the dark corners of the factory. The crimson-clothed figure stood up from the spot where he'd been thrown on all fours, breathing heavily.

The Matador of Love limped closer. “How dare you? You think just because you know a couple tricks and your way around a board you'll amount to anything? You think you can get in my way, stop me from taking what I'm rightfully owed?"

Langa moved in front Reki, eyeing the Matador with a cold stare. Miya hunkered down behind his friend, eyes wary.

Adam exhaled. "Eve. Langa-kun. Dear. Darling." He moved forward again. "Get out of my way, so that I can teach this ant a lesson."

The pastel-haired teen said nothing in reply but stepped back closer to his friend.

"Can't you see what he's doing, trying to rip us apart? Or has he already gotten into that head of yours? Are you trying to leave me?" He moved even closer. "Leave me all by myself in a world made just for us?"

Scarlet eyes were flush with anger as he came up on the three boys. His breathing grew more ragged, and his body shook.

“You worthless little-

“Stop it; that's enough!” The Six-Pack Skater flashed in front of the kids. “The beefs over. You won, Adam. Leave the kid alone.”

Adam hissed, "Move."

Reki shakily hauled himself up off the paint-covered ground, his friends' hands hovering just centimeters above his skin, wanting to help but wary to touch him.

Adam tried to move around Joe, only for the taller man to intercept him again, walling him off from the injured teen.

The battered redhead spoke. “Joe once told me something. “You don't want to end up alone, especially by your one hand.”

A crackle of thunder shook the factory, and many lights died at once, shrouding the room even further. The Matador himself seemed to be held by the darkness, cradling his sullen form.

“.....Ah..Ahahaha!” Adam suddenly cackled.

Joe narrowed his eyes as the man continued to howl. It was a sharp, harsh thing that reverberated in his throat, his drenched, mud-covered epauletes jerking up and down.

Adam bared his fangs at his ex-friend. ““Don't end up alone”? Is that what you really told him, Joe? You of all people?”

Adam took another step forward, bringing himself nose to nose with the Six-Pack Skater. Scarlet and burgundy met head-on, a lightning storm versus an icy tundra. Behind them, Oka moved in front of the younger skaters, his arms held out wide.

An even larger aura of anger had enveloped the Matador, fully directed at his fellow man. “You,“ he chuckled darkly. “The man who plans on dying alone because he's scared of being rejected?”

The rain-soaked god of the mountain let off a growl. “You talk all you can about confidence, romance, and aggression, but you're the biggest coward around! Too afraid to take what's right in front of you!”

“Hey...”Reki started.

“Shut up!” Adam shook his head. “I've had him and thrown him away, and yet you can't even relish in something you've had this whole time!”

The man lashed out, grabbing hold of the lapels of Joe's jacket. Unafraid, the Musclebound God of Skateboarding simply pushed the man back, keeping his hand pressed against his mud-stained vest.

Joe's voice was as hard as stone. “I've never had his love. His friendship? His care? In abundance. But he also gave that to you and more, and you didn't even appreciate it.”

Adam snarled again as Joe continued. “You threw away one of the few people willing to go to hell and back for you. One of the few people who damn near begged to understand you. He loved you, and you tossed him away like he meant nothing.”

All at once, the Six-Pack Skater summoned his strength and separated the two with ease. Adam slid back a couple of feet, his eyes dimming to a darker, bloodier red beneath his cracked mask. “So next time you want to talk about how alone in your world you are, think about the person you abandoned.”

Turning away from his former friend, Joe walked over and took ahold of Reki's waist, throwing one of the boy's arms around his shoulder. “Come on, kid. Let's get you to a hospital.”

“But, Joe, I'm fine.”

“Langa, get the van.”

“Okay.“ The Canadian nodded, ripping the keys from Joe's waist and running off.

“Eh, Langa?! Joe, are you even listening to me?!”

“No. Miya grab his other arm and help him walk.”

While the two dragged the protesting redhead into the pouring ran, Oka collected the teen's board, and Sketchy growled at the rain-soaked god standing in the flickering lights of the factory. The group wandered off, unable to hear the next words that came from the Matador's mouth.

“Last I checked, you abandoned him too. But I'm only too fortunate...I won't be alone much longer.”

--

“That was amazing, kid!” Hiromi's voice boomed.

“Thanks, Shadow!” Reki laughed.

The warm-colored, overhead lights beamed down on them within the quaint, olive-colored hospital room. Langa sat on Reki's left, his cerulean eyes wandering over the chattering redhead's body in search of secret injuries the hospital staff might have missed while Miya sat on his right, both scolding and congratulating his friend in tandem with Hiromi's own elated speech. Oka and Kojiro sat in the chairs nearest the bed, with the brown-haired manager holding Reki's phone so that the teen didn't have to.

“You had me worried for a while there, but I'm glad you made it out alright.“ The florist let off a hearty laugh.

“More than worried.“ A gloved hand fell atop the injured teen's shoulder. Oka sighed, “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

The boy gave him a sheepish look. “Ehehe.”

Reki looked as if he'd gotten into a fight with a roll of toilet paper and lost. His hair, though brushed free of any stray debris, still looked as if a bird had made its home in the middle of his head, ready and waiting to deliver its eggs. The swelling on his right eye had gone down a bit but was still a plump, firey red. Anyone else who saw him would have described him as the sorriest loser they had ever seen.

But in all their eyes he couldn't have been more of a winner if he tried.

Oka smiled. “I don't think I've ever seen anybody laugh at Adam before. You've made history tonight.”

Reki exhaled deeply. “I think I made history by coming outta there a-okay?”

“A-okay?” The two turned to Langa who looked at his friend with fire in his eyes. “He was treating you like a ragdoll, Reki!”

The redhead struggled to shrug. “It's not that bad.”

“Not that-you're a mess!” Langa's eyes molded into the sharpest steel. A sweatdrop formed on Reki's forehead as the other high schooler stared him down. “He could've killed you.”

The others watched the two high schooler's have their back and forth. Even though Reki's injuries were serious, they luckily weren't life-threatening, even if the nurse had said the teen was “the second worst skateboarding accident he's ever seen”.

The redhead winced as he moved his arms up and down in a placating manner. “Fine, fine! He did a number on me, alright? You don't have to look like that, dude; it's not the end of the world.”

Somehow, Langa's gaze became even sharper.

Reki shook his head, a small blush tinting his cheeks. “Seriously, man, I'm still not used to this new you.” He lowered his hands, rubbing at his sore arms.

Miya swatted his friend as he tried to prod at a couple of his bandages. “Stop it, slime! You'll never get better if you start messing with them.”

And he truly was a long way to recovery. Even his most minor injuries- the cut above his eye and a dislocated shoulder- would take a bit of time to fully heal. Yet those had nothing on his back, reduced to a shredded mess of rock-filled gashes and rashed skin. The nurses had been as gentle as possible peeling off his tattered, bloody, dirt-covered clothes that stuck to his wounds before tossing them in a biohazard bag, cleaning him up, and layering on ointment and bandages.

“You should be lucky that your injuries were light enough that you can go home in the morning,“ Miya glared.

Reki cringed. “My ma's going to kill me.”

“You'll deserve it for being an idiot,” Miya sniffed.

“Hey!” Reki exclaimed.

Knowing it would be a while before the next nurse came to check the room, the five talked and talked about the past few hours. It wasn't long before Reki's phone had to be plugged into the wall socket to keep Hiromi on the line. At some point, Langa tapped out of the conversation, leaning back against the wall deep in thought while the others slipped into the S app to rewatch some of the highlights of Reki's beef.

“Pfft, he just goes down like a deck of cards!” Miya sneered at the image of a laid out Adam on the track.

“More like a bowling pin,” Reki giggled. “God, I didn't even see this happen!”

“Well, it happened! Best part of the beef. Somebody even made a gif out of it,” Hiromi said with a bellowing laugh.

“Holy-what tag?” Miya demanded.

“Think it's on #burntbeef,“ the man replied.

Oka snickered when Miya found the tag and started jeering again. The mood of the group had lightened considerably ever since they'd left S and gotten Reki proper treatment. However- Oka turned to look at Kojiro- there was still one of them that was being unnervingly silent.

“Well, all in all, I think this is the best outcome we could've expected,” the twenty-eight year old said. “I'm mostly just glad he's got his spark back.”

Kojiro turned to him, his eyes dark and glossy. “Yeah...he's gonna start complaining about having to rest as soon as he gets home, but at least the kid can still walk.”

Oka shook his head, knowing what the other said was true. “I'm gonna have to take him off the schedule again until he gets better. Tell me though, did we really have to drive an extra thirty minutes to come to Yoshioka Health Center? There's nearly a pool of blood in the back seats; it's gonna be hell to get out.”

“I think if I walked back into Naha General dressed like this again, they'd send me to the psych ward.”

“Ah, right. It would be suspicious if you showed up with another injured person in the middle of the night, dressed in the same clothes and everything, wouldn't it?”

“Yeah. Last time I went there I was still getting some weird looks, even in my day clothes. I think if I showed up with an injured kid, they might actually try to kill me.”

“Tah, it's possible,“ Oka smiled. “How is Cherry by the way?”

“He's...well they haven't felt the need to update me, so I'm assuming he's probably the same. Wounds healing, but he's not waking up.”

“Joe?” The man looked to the bed.

Langa had a pondering look on his face. “Earlier...what was Adam talking about?”

At his question, the other four immediately quieted and looked toward the still shirtless man.

Kojiro stared at the young Canadian for a moment. “Why are you wondering about that?” he answered with a question.

“I'm curious.“ Langa blinked. “He really wanted to hurt Reki. But then he got so mad at you. He's never done that before.”

“Yeah.“ Miya frowned at the thought of the Matador of Love. “He said some wild stuff.”

Kojiro watched the cogs turn in Langa mind, his focus once again centered on the King of S. His brows were pinched tight, wrinkles forming on his forehead. While anger still showed through his crystal blue depths, curiosity was well at the forefront too.

'He wants to know more about him?' Kojiro thought. 'Even after all that. What's going through your head, Langa?”

Who knew what type of danger the rookie would get in if he got fixated on the obsessed Matador again? Would telling him about their shared past even assuage his curiosity? Or would it make it worse? Was staying silent and keeping his secrets any better? For, if he couldn't get his answers from Kojiro, wouldn't that send him straight towards the man he wished he could stay away from?

Kojiro sighed wearily. “There...was a time when the two of us were in love with the same person,” he said, thinking back to swan-like singing and a blushing face framed with sterling silver.

The three children gaped. On the other side of the line, a choking sound could be heard from Hiromi.

“What?! Really???” Reki nearly shouted.

“How?!” Miya squawked.

Kojiro shrugged. “They were a member of our old skating group. I fell for them first, and then Adam came along and fell for them too. It just sorta happened.”

“Did you two fight over them?” Langa asked. “I remember Adam talking about rivals in love some time ago”

The chef shook his head. “It was...you can't really call it a rivalry or a competition because “they” were never a prize to us. We just wanted to be around them, to impress them. They were the topic of a lot of Adam's and I's coversations when it was just the two of us. I think we bonded over our love for them just as much as we bonded over skateboarding.”

“A love triangle.“ Oka grasped his own chin, contemplative.

Kojiro let off a small, jaded chuckle. “I...guess you could call it that.”

“What were they like?” Miya wondered aloud, “For the both of you to fall for them?”

“They were...” Kojiro licked his lips. “Beautiful. Creative. Wild.” The man chuckled again. “Never easy to please. A bit stand-offish. Scarier than death itself if you pissed them off, but at the same time so bright, passionate, and lovely when you got to know them.”

The more he spoke about “them” the more they appeared in his mind, their soft, styled hair, their sharp, starlight eyes, their mocking, upturned lips. Every little argument they had ever had came back to him, every moment of quiet and trust. He reveled in those memories, each and every one, though it didn't stop his heart from freezing with loss and breaking from grief.

“They eventually ended up with Adam,“ Kojiro said almost in a whisper.

Another amazed yet inquisitive sound left the boys' mouths.

“You got rejected?!“ Hiromi's shocked voice came over the phone.

The Six-Pack Skater huffed. “You can't get rejected if you never revealed your feelings in the first place.”

“But...” Hiromi wanted to say more but stopped himself.

“I wasn't upset,“ Kojiro smiled. “I was happy because I thought Adam would take care of them, give them something far better than I could. All I've ever what was for “them” to be happy.”

“But Adam abandoned them,“ Miya countered.

Kojiro clicked his tongue. “Yeah. Yeah, he did. And I'll never forgive him for that.”

“What happened to them?“ Langa asked.

“They're..." the man settled on the word, “fine." "They still attend S and everything; the two of them just act like the relationship never happened.”

“That's strange,“ Oka interjected. “Doesn't Adam usually...destroy the people he “loves”?”

“He did destroy them.“ Kojiro looked towards the window, out unto the darkened parking, drenched from the heavy rainfall. “....just not physically. While they're still functional, there's still a part of them that hasn't been the same since.”

“What a bastard.“ Miya crossed his arms.

“Yeah. I can't imagine anybody with that guy coming out okay. Still, it's weird no one ever talks about them,“ Reki muttered. “You'd think they'd be more popular if Adam used to like them and they can still skate; he's not exactly subtle about that sort of stuff.”

Kojiro paused for just a moment, but that was all it took. A hissing sound came from over the phone. “You alright, Shadow?” Reki asked.

“Uh...yeah, kid. I just...uh...thought of something.“ The twenty-four-year-old's voice sounded disturbed. “I'm fine..don't worry about it....Uh...Joe?”

“Yeah?” Kojiro replied, already having an idea as to what the man was thinking of.

“Shit man,“ Hiromi coughed. “I'm sorry that happened...for the both of you.”

“It's alright,“ the chef said. “I'm the one who seems to come out better every time anyway.”

“But still...holy shit man. If I was...your friend...I would've punched the bastard in the face the second he returned to S!” the florist fired back.

Kojiro snorted. “That's my job.”

“Langa?” a soft voice called from the door.

“Mom?“ The boy abruptly hopped to his feet.

Standing in the entryway was a nurse. The frame was gripped tightly in her slender hands. Her eyes were wide with both fear and relief.

“My colleagues told me a redheaded skater with the name Kyan was admitted,“ she muttered. “So it really was Reki-kun. Are you alright?”

“I'm okay, Hasegawa-san.“ Reki gave the woman a lopsided grin.

She strode into the room, taking her time to look over her son and smushing his cheeks- to the boy's utter embarrassment- when she was done before turning towards Reki. She checked his chart, then the bandages covering his patchwork mess of a back. When her eyes finally settled on Miya, the thirteen year old swiftly shook his head, murmuring that he was “Totally fine. Not even a scratch”.

“At least you didn't break any bones,“ she sighed. “Please be more careful, Reki-kun.”

The redhead gave a weak laugh. “Yes, ma'am.”

Satisfied that the children were- at least somewhat- alright, the nurse turned her gaze towards Oka and Kojiro.

“And you two are?“ Nanako raised a brow.

Despite being a foot and a half shorter than Kojiro, the woman gave off an aura that made the two men want to take several steps back from the kids. The two were immediately inundated with images of a ferocious, mother bear huddling over her pack of cubs.

'I...really need to start zipping up this jacket.' A bead of sweat formed on Kojiro's forehead as the woman's gaze drifted to his bare chest. Her hair stood on its ends. He could see spirals in her eyes as no doubt millions of ideas appeared in her head.

“Mom!” Langa quickly grabbed her attention. “Joe's a friend we met at the skatepark a while back! Oka is my manager from work.”

The woman didn't look all that convinced with his answer. “Joe?”

“It's a nickname.“ Kojiro smiled awkwardly as he zipped up. “Some of my other friends call me that and it just kinda stuck.”

Nanako's brow rose a bit more. 'Ah, Kaoru, now I get why you get so pissy when the kids call you Cherry in public.'

Langa continued. “Reki got really hurt, and I knew you were still at work and Mrs. Kyan was probably asleep, so we didn't want to wake her. We called Joe 'cause he lived close to the part of town we were in.”

“Sorry about..all this,“ Kojiro laughed weakly. “When I heard the kid hurt himself I just kinda rushed out of the house as soon as I could.”

The untrusting look stayed on her face, but at least the spirals subsided. She looked the two over again, searching for something they couldn't name. “Well,“ Nanako's hands found their way to her hips, “Thank you for bringing Reki-kun. I'll take over from here and drive these three home when he's discharged. Besides, I need to tell Masae-chan everything Reki needs to heal up properly.”

“Eh?!“ Reki's tried to wave his hand in a negating gesture, only to hiss in pain. “That's not necessary, Hasegawa-san!”

“No, no,“ The woman smiled, “Masae-chan is always telling me how worried she gets when you sneak out of the house, and this is far more serious than any other injury she's told me about.”

Reki flushed harder. “Aw man.”

Oka spoke up. “Well, it's better to leave kids in their parent's hands anyway. Before we go, I'll need to bring their boards in from the van.”

“Nanako nodded. “Lead the way, please.”

Despite the three teens' protests, Kojiro and Oka were quick to give their goodbyes and promised to check in on them later. On the way to the car, the mother spoke up again.

“So, they called Joe, but how are you here, Oka-san?” She looked at him.

'Shit,' the man thought before he replied. “I had just left a friend's house and was walking by the skatepark when I heard the three on the phone with Joe. Reki was in pretty bad shape, and I was checking to make sure he didn't have a concussion by the time Joe came by with the van.”

“Ah, I see,“ she said before looking to Kojiro. “And, may I have your real name, sir?”

“Right,“ he managed a small smile for her. “My name's Nanjo Kojiro, ma'am. I met Reki, Langa, and Miya a few months ago at the park and offered to teach them some tricks.”

“You skate, Nanjo-san?” She blinked.

“Yeah, since I was little. I've been in love with the sport for a long time, and the kids seemed to love it just as much as I did, so I wanted to pass on some advice.”

“Mhmm,“ the woman hummed. “And what do you do for a living?”

“I'm a chef and restaurant owner,“ Kojiro replied. “I own Sia La Luce, an Italian restaurant.”

“Oh, really? I'll have to look it up later. I've never had Italian before.“ She finally gave the man a smile. “I'm sorry for being so rude. It's just that...Langa sneaks out so much now, and, while I'm happy he has friends, it worries me.”

“That's understandable,“ Oka said while Kojiro nodded. “I'd be worried sick about my kids if they went out and I didn't know what they were really doing.”

“Skateboarding can be really dangerous,“ Kojiro said to her, “I know I got my fair share of scrapes, bruises, and breaks back in the day. But Langa's really talented. His skills from snowboarding really transferred over for the better, and he's improving a lot. He rarely falls anymore.”

“He told you he used to be a snowboarder?” Nanako looked surprised.

“Kinda. I have a friend who knows a bit about well everything, and they speculated before Langa confirmed,” the man replied.

The van was waiting and parked haphazardly underneath the building's awning when they got outside.

“Oh dear, that's a lot of blood,“ Nanako gasped when Oka opened the back doors. “I'm sorry, I'll pay to have it cleaned!”

“It's no worries,“ Kojiro shook his head. “I'd rather the back seats be full of blood than not have Reki get some help.”

Nanako's smile grew as she accepted the skateboards. “May I have your numbers?”

Oka and Kojiro blinked as the woman continued, “It's just...for a piece of mind. If I know that you two may be out with them at night and you can call me if there's ever a problem and-

Kojiro huffed at the franticness in her voice. He was far too used to anxious people. “Sure thing. It's...”

Once the numbers were secure, Kojiro and Oka piled into the van, while Nanako went back inside.

“Good night, Nanjo-san, Shokichi-san,“ Nanako waved from the entrance doors.

“Goodnight, Hasegawa-san,“ the two called.

The engine shuttered to life, and the van slowly crawled out of the parking lot and into the streets.

"Ah, "Oka sighed and leaned back in his seat, "Those kids are going to give me grey hairs early."

The pockets of the man's jumper rumpled and a high-pitched yawning sound came from within. Sketchy slowly peeked his head out, looking up at his owner's tired eyes, and yawned again.

"That seems to be the top point of their bullet lists," Kojiro smiled. "Now, what's your address so I can drop you off?"

"Huh?!" Oka jumped up. "You really expect me to go home and not help you with that mess in the back?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Don't have to. Want to," Oka grinned. "Besides, it'll be faster with two hands."

"Oh, so you know a bit about cleaning up blood, huh?"

"Yeah! All we need is some hydrogen peroxide, soap, detergent, and..."

---

Chapter 2 down! I'm really happy with this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long for this one, the action section of Adam and Reki's beef gave me a block for a couple days while I also had a minor health problem.

I figured that Langa would just call his mother mom in english and not Japanese because he probably spoke more english in Canada and it would be kinda hard to switch after using one referal for her for so long, especially seeing as he's only been in Naha for just some months, and he also had a problem with some words in the beginning episodes. This was one of the reasons why I'm using both honorifics and the Japanese words for relationships. The other is because of people's statuses in the story. Both Kaoru and Ainosuke are referred to with the honorific "sensei", one because of their occupation and the other recognized for his talent. It wouldn't do their characters justice to have people simply calling them "Mr. Shindo" and "Mr. Sakurayashiki" because that's too common and doesn't hold a lot of weight. I also can't constantly keep writing "Diet Member Shindo" everytime someone spoke to or about Ainosuke, that would get stale fast.

--

Original Character List Sakurayashiki Daishi – Kaoru's father, 58yrs old Sakurayashiki Masami – Kaoru's mother, 46yrs old Sakurayashiki Kouhei – Kaoru's eldest half brother, 37yrs old Sakurayashiki Kouga – Kaoru's second half brother and the first born twin, 35yrs old Sakurayashiki Koutetsu – Kaoru's third half brother and the second born twin, 35yrs old Sakurayashiki Ainoshin – Kaoru's son, 6yrs old, soon to be 7yrs Nanjo Chiyoko – Kojiro's mother, 58yrs old Nanjo Benjiro – Kojiro's father, 58yrs old Yagi Eno – ICU Nurse

--

Okaasan – Mother Otoosan – Father Chichi – Papa Haha – Mama Sofu & Jiji – Grandpa Sobo – Grandma Ojisan - Uncle

---

Read the Next Chapter

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Walked into my cousin’s house (he’s a firefighter) to find everyone trying to find out what it means when the firemen say, “A Collyer’s Mansion Situation.” No need to look, I knew it referred to the Collyer Brothers of New York City- the code for fire in a hoarder’s house. The picture above is of the police knocking down their door w/an axe. 

It usually means it’s not safe to enter the building. In 1947, it took police 5 hours to plow thru the junk and find the first brother’s body. It took them 3 weeks to find the 2nd brother just 10 feet away, buried under a collapsed junk tunnel.

History’s worst hoarders, the tragic but fascinating tale of the Collyer brothers can speak to anyone with a penchant for collecting or thrifting. How did 2 prominent members of society end up sealing themselves off from the outside world, fiercely reclusive and entombed by over 140 tons of collected items?

Homer and Langley were both educated at Columbia University. Homer had a degree in law and Langley studied engineering and also became an accomplished concert pianist who performed at Carnegie Hall.

They had a normal childhood. They never married or lived on their own, & chose to remain at the family’s Harlem brownstone with their mother. When their parents died, everything was left to them.. 

In 1933, Homer went blind from eye hemorrhages. His younger brother quit his job to care for him full-time, which is when their withdrawal from society began. Langley began keeping years of newspapers so his brother could read them when his sight was restored.

In the midst of the Great Depression, the brothers became increasingly fearful of their own neighborhood, which was shifting from the upper-class area they had known to an area synonymous with poverty and crime.

People became curious, local kids threw rocks at the windows, increasing their paranoia. Langley boarded up the windows, removed the doorbell and wired the doors shut.

Several people attempted to burgle the home, which prompted Langley to construct booby traps and elaborate tunnel systems made of junk all around the house.

Langley ventured out only after midnight for food runs. He would collect countless unwanted and abandoned items on the street that caught his eye along the way.

When Homer became paralyzed due to rheumatism, the brothers refused to seek medical treatment. Even though their father was a Dr., they didn’t trust them. Instead, they decided to use their fathers medical library in the house.

Langley believed his brother’s sight could be restored with a diet high in vitamin C so he fed Homer 100 oranges a week. He adapted a Model T Ford to generate electricity after their power was cut off, along with their water and gas, due to unpaid bills.

When the bank came to evict them, police found Langley in a clearing he had made in the walls of junk. Without a word, he wrote a check for the equivalent of nearly $100,000 today to pay off the mortgage and ordered everyone off the property.

The next time authorities returned, it would be to search for the bodies of the Collyers. To enter the sealed brownstone, an officer broke a window on the second floor and climbed through.

Unable to get past the solid walls of junk, a squad of men began making their way through the debris by throwing out everything blocking their way onto the street. The spectacle drew a crowd of thousands.

After several hours, they found Homer’s body. Medical examiners later determined he had died of starvation and heart disease.

When they couldn’t find Langley, they thought he fled and launched a search. Finally, a workman found his decomposing body. He was buried in one of his 2ft. wide tunnels lined with rusty bed springs and a chest of drawers. He had died of asphyxiation after he accidentally tripped one of the booby traps and was crushed. Police believe that he was bringing food to his brother. 

The house was deemed an unsafe fire hazard and was razed later that month in 1947. Some of their stuff went to museums and the rest was sold at auction.  Since the 1960s, the site of the former Collyer house has been a pocket park, named for them.

messynesschic.com

[rorleuaisen]

Yeah just gonna add that “healthy” is bullshit. I ballooned up when I changed meds, and I had the internalized fatphobia. I fought against my weight for a year. Exercising more, eating more veg and higher fiber. And my weight just limboed back and forth as I steadily got larger and larger.

When covid hit, I thought it was a good time to try and do diet testing. I’d had fairly constant gut pain for a few years, with “random” gut explosions that would leave me utterly fatigued for the day, but I’d kinda ignored it in favor of a) chronic migraines and b) being a productive person.

When I found the first food trigger(rice), I actually started to lose weight, without any effort on my end besides avoiding rice. And then I found out that my moderate exercise was a trigger. So I stopped doing that too. Only small walks. And as I whittled my food triggers down, candy took over the calorie gap. Ironically, a box of junior mints hurt me a lot less than fiber and veggies. My weight still steadily(and safely) declined.

I definitely had some nutritional challenges while I was doing this. I tried to get a nutritionist to help me out. But they were just like “eat more veggies”. Veggies HURT. I fucking love veggies. I miss broccoli. And peas. This wasn’t me wanting to eat junior mints for the rest of my life, but the fatphobia and the “healthy eating” guidelines were far more important to medical peeps than whether or not I could safely eat food. I was on my own. And it took me 2-3 years to find a diet that got me all the nutrients I need, and does not cause me pain. On my own.

Not to say all the doctors were unhelpful, but as far as diet was concerned, they were all useless. Ironically, my physical therapist was more help as she told me about herbal alternatives to pain meds(cuz I can’t take the good ones anymore and periods still hurt like a bitch). But yeah, they made sure to do all the gut tests to rule things out. I had a specialist who redirected me stretches and pt for my abdomen, which are really important in my current journey of regaining mobility.

But basically “healthy” hurt me. And I didn’t realize it was hurting me because I was too caught up in following the generic guidelines. Also, food can do stuff to you and the gut is one of the big mysteries in the medical community. Diet can absolutely affect your mood, mind, pain, smell, and comfort. But it sure as hell is not a cut and dry “good foods” and “bad foods”. Rice and turnips will give me a significant bout of depressed and brain fog, strong cravings, significant pain, and very excited bowels. Junior mints make my tummy hurt less.

they have a point though. you wouldn't need everyone to accommodate you if you just lost weight, but you're too lazy to stick to a healthy diet and exercise. it's that simple. I'd like to see you back up your claims, but you have no proof. you have got to stop lying to yourselves and face the facts

Must I go through this again? Fine. FINE. You guys are working my nerves today. You want to talk about facing the facts? Let's face the fucking facts.

In 2022, the US market cap of the weight loss industry was $75 billion [1, 3]. In 2021, the global market cap of the weight loss industry was estimated at $224.27 billion [2]. 

In 2020, the market shrunk by about 25%, but rebounded and then some since then [1, 3] By 2030, the global weight loss industry is expected to be valued at $405.4 billion [2]. If diets really worked, this industry would fall overnight. 

1. LaRosa, J. March 10, 2022. "U.S. Weight Loss Market Shrinks by 25% in 2020 with Pandemic, but Rebounds in 2021." Market Research Blog. 2. Staff. February 09, 2023. "[Latest] Global Weight Loss and Weight Management Market Size/Share Worth." Facts and Factors Research. 3. LaRosa, J. March 27, 2023. "U.S. Weight Loss Market Partially Recovers from the Pandemic." Market Research Blog.

Over 50 years of research conclusively demonstrates that virtually everyone who intentionally loses weight by manipulating their eating and exercise habits will regain the weight they lost within 3-5 years. And 75% will actually regain more weight than they lost [4].

4. Mann, T., Tomiyama, A.J., Westling, E., Lew, A.M., Samuels, B., Chatman, J. (2007). "Medicare’s Search For Effective Obesity Treatments: Diets Are Not The Answer." The American Psychologist, 62, 220-233. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2007.

The annual odds of a fat person attaining a so-called “normal” weight and maintaining that for 5 years is approximately 1 in 1000 [5].

5. Fildes, A., Charlton, J., Rudisill, C., Littlejohns, P., Prevost, A.T., & Gulliford, M.C. (2015). “Probability of an Obese Person Attaining Normal Body Weight: Cohort Study Using Electronic Health Records.” American Journal of Public Health, July 16, 2015: e1–e6.

Doctors became so desperate that they resorted to amputating parts of the digestive tract (bariatric surgery) in the hopes that it might finally result in long-term weight-loss. Except that doesn’t work either. [6] And it turns out it causes death [7],  addiction [8], malnutrition [9], and suicide [7].

6. Magro, Daniéla Oliviera, et al. “Long-Term Weight Regain after Gastric Bypass: A 5-Year Prospective Study - Obesity Surgery.” SpringerLink, 8 Apr. 2008. 7. Omalu, Bennet I, et al. “Death Rates and Causes of Death After Bariatric Surgery for Pennsylvania Residents, 1995 to 2004.” Jama Network, 1 Oct. 2007.  8. King, Wendy C., et al. “Prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders Before and After Bariatric Surgery.” Jama Network, 20 June 2012.  9. Gletsu-Miller, Nana, and Breanne N. Wright. “Mineral Malnutrition Following Bariatric Surgery.” Advances In Nutrition: An International Review Journal, Sept. 2013.

Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function [10].

10. Tomiyama, A Janet, et al. “Long‐term Effects of Dieting: Is Weight Loss Related to Health?” Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6 July 2017.

Prescribed weight loss is the leading predictor of eating disorders [11].

11. Patton, GC, et al. “Onset of Adolescent Eating Disorders: Population Based Cohort Study over 3 Years.” BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 20 Mar. 1999.

The idea that “obesity” is unhealthy and can cause or exacerbate illnesses is a biased misrepresentation of the scientific literature that is informed more by bigotry than credible science [12]. 

12. Medvedyuk, Stella, et al. “Ideology, Obesity and the Social Determinants of Health: A Critical Analysis of the Obesity and Health Relationship” Taylor & Francis Online, 7 June 2017.

“Obesity” has no proven causative role in the onset of any chronic condition [13, 14] and its appearance may be a protective response to the onset of numerous chronic conditions generated from currently unknown causes [15, 16, 17, 18].

13. Kahn, BB, and JS Flier. “Obesity and Insulin Resistance.” The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Aug. 2000. 14. Cofield, Stacey S, et al. “Use of Causal Language in Observational Studies of Obesity and Nutrition.” Obesity Facts, 3 Dec. 2010.  15. Lavie, Carl J, et al. “Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: Risk Factor, Paradox, and Impact of Weight Loss.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 26 May 2009.  16. Uretsky, Seth, et al. “Obesity Paradox in Patients with Hypertension and Coronary Artery Disease.” The American Journal of Medicine, Oct. 2007.  17. Mullen, John T, et al. “The Obesity Paradox: Body Mass Index and Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Nonbariatric General Surgery.” Annals of Surgery, July 2005. 18. Tseng, Chin-Hsiao. “Obesity Paradox: Differential Effects on Cancer and Noncancer Mortality in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” Atherosclerosis, Jan. 2013.

Fatness was associated with only 1/3 the associated deaths that previous research estimated and being “overweight” conferred no increased risk at all, and may even be a protective factor against all-causes mortality relative to lower weight categories [19].

19. Flegal, Katherine M. “The Obesity Wars and the Education of a Researcher: A Personal Account.” Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 15 June 2021.

Studies have observed that about 30% of so-called “normal weight” people are “unhealthy” whereas about 50% of so-called “overweight” people are “healthy”. Thus, using the BMI as an indicator of health results in the misclassification of some 75 million people in the United States alone [20]. 

20. Rey-López, JP, et al. “The Prevalence of Metabolically Healthy Obesity: A Systematic Review and Critical Evaluation of the Definitions Used.” Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 15 Oct. 2014.

While epidemiologists use BMI to calculate national obesity rates (nearly 35% for adults and 18% for kids), the distinctions can be arbitrary. In 1998, the National Institutes of Health lowered the overweight threshold from 27.8 to 25—branding roughly 29 million Americans as fat overnight—to match international guidelines. But critics noted that those guidelines were drafted in part by the International Obesity Task Force, whose two principal funders were companies making weight loss drugs [21].

21. Butler, Kiera. “Why BMI Is a Big Fat Scam.” Mother Jones, 25 Aug. 2014. 

Body size is largely determined by genetics [22].

22. Wardle, J. Carnell, C. Haworth, R. Plomin. “Evidence for a strong genetic influence on childhood adiposity despite the force of the obesogenic environment” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol. 87, No. 2, Pages 398-404, February 2008.

Healthy lifestyle habits are associated with a significant decrease in mortality regardless of baseline body mass index [23].  

23. Matheson, Eric M, et al. “Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Mortality in Overweight and Obese Individuals.” Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 25 Feb. 2012.

Weight stigma itself is deadly. Research shows that weight-based discrimination increases risk of death by 60% [24].

24. Sutin, Angela R., et al. “Weight Discrimination and Risk of Mortality .” Association for Psychological Science, 25 Sept. 2015.

Fat stigma in the medical establishment [25] and society at large arguably [26] kills more fat people than fat does [27, 28, 29].

25. Puhl, Rebecca, and Kelly D. Bronwell. “Bias, Discrimination, and Obesity.” Obesity Research, 6 Sept. 2012. 26. Engber, Daniel. “Glutton Intolerance: What If a War on Obesity Only Makes the Problem Worse?” Slate, 5 Oct. 2009.  27. Teachman, B. A., Gapinski, K. D., Brownell, K. D., Rawlins, M., & Jeyaram, S. (2003). Demonstrations of implicit anti-fat bias: The impact of providing causal information and evoking empathy. Health Psychology, 22(1), 68–78. 28. Chastain, Ragen. “So My Doctor Tried to Kill Me.” Dances With Fat, 15 Dec. 2009. 29. Sutin, Angelina R, Yannick Stephan, and Antonio Terraciano. “Weight Discrimination and Risk of Mortality.” Psychological Science, 26 Nov. 2015.

There's my "proof." Where is yours?

[biaswreckme]

how to care for your hybrid | jjk

Pairing: hybrid!Jungkook/Reader

Member: Jungkook

Length: 5253 words

Genre: smut, fluff, angst, 5+1

Rating: 18+

Triggers/Warnings: smut, hybrid smut, oral (f receiving), fingering (f receiving), insinuation of past abuse (but nothing explicit or even saying what happened), mention of abandonment 

Project: @btscreatorscorner​ March workshop with the theme push the limits

Summary: how to care for your hybrid, or 5 times you cared for bunny hybrid!Jungkook and one time he took care of you

A/N: So this was supposed to be a drabble and it turned out to be a 5k fic. Alright. This was written for this month’s workshop for BTS Creators’ Corner network, and the theme was to push the limits. I had never written a hybrid fic before, so I interpret the theme as coming out of my writing comfort zone (even though it’s still smut...) Thankssss to my lobely lobely betas, @heejinnien​ for beta-reading the sfw parts of this fic, and to @taegularities​​ for beta-reading the nsfw bit :3 I love you girls ♥

You can find the sequel here.

1. Provide them with a comfortable home

You still remembered the day you had brought Jungkook home from the shelter. You had gone with a friend, just as a companion, not intending nor really wanting to adopt a hybrid. Sure, you’d feel lonely sometimes, living by yourself and in a foreign country, but the thought of adopting a hybrid had never crossed your mind. Adopting a plant? Sure. Adopting a cat? Maybe. Adopting a hybrid? Never. Until you saw him, that is.

The shelter was legit, your friend had said, having done her research. But the place still made you uncomfortable; the creatures, those people, inside the divisions - you refuse to think of them as cages - waiting for someone to help. You had to bite your lip to keep from crying upon seeing them, knowing it was a rescue shelter, and then your eyes crossed with his.

There was some magnetic energy in the air that had pulled you closer to his unit until you could read the informational pamphlet: he was named Jungkook, a rescue bunny hybrid. Your gaze had immediately shifted to the man again; he was only a couple of years younger than you, but there had been something about his gaze that almost hypnotized you. He had such wide, expressive, and round eyes glistening with moisture and paired with his ears drooping low on the back of his head, you could not resist it.

There would be a home inspection and you would need to get some provisions to fulfill all the exigencies, but you rushed to get everything together. They had provided you with a list of items to make the bunny hybrid comfortable and ease the transition, and you did not hesitate, deciding to worry about the credit card bills later.

And so you took him home. He had clung to you entering the apartment, slowly exploring the space and showing where he would be sleeping. At the shelter, they had told you the hybrid would need an appropriate bed, but you hadn’t felt comfortable just getting a bunny bed at the store, so you got him a real and human bed, wanting him to feel at ease enough to not need to shift into a full bunny to sleep - they had also told you he tended to do that, sleeping as a bunny because he did not feel comfortable in his hybrid human-like body.

You had gotten the basics necessary for the approval of the adoption, and then you took him to the store, letting him choose his own things. It would be a while until that wide-eyed, surprised look would leave his expression, even when you were alone at the apartment and just hanging out on the couch on a Sunday night. That first night, giving him the blankets and tucking him in, you promised to take care of him, and you could barely hear his voice in reply, so small and shy, even though he was much taller - and more muscly - than you. It did not feel right that he had to make himself so quiet and small if that was even possible, so you swore to yourself that you would do everything to help him come out of his shell.

And soon you would find yourself in the company of a very loud and boisterous bunny, no shame about singing, his love for gaming until late hours, and working out. And you could not avoid falling in love with him.

2. Make sure they are getting appropriate food

It was a Friday night, you got home tired after a long day at work, and you smiled to yourself, biting your own lip upon the sight that greeted you upon entering the apartment. A shirtless Jungkook, towel haphazardly thrown over his shoulders, his torso glistening with sweat from working out in your living room. He lifted his head upon hearing you enter, a big smile lighting up his face and his long ears pointed up. He got up and made a movement to hug you.

“Hi, noona!”

“Oh no, you don’t,” you barely ducked out of the day. “Jungkook, you’re sweaty…”

He was faster than you, predicting where you were going to dodge his new attempt at enveloping you with his arms, something he had been picking up whenever you joined him in a boxing workout. His arms quickly went around your body, pressing you against him, your forearms up in the failed endeavor of avoiding getting his sweat all over you. He hugged you tight, his chin resting on your shoulder and you felt one of his ears on your head as his entire body seemed to tremble, and as you looked down you saw his tail wiggle from side to side rapidly.

“You’re finally home,” he sighed, swaying you softly from side to side.

“Is everything okay, bun? I’m sorry I’m late, they had me stay…”

“I’m so hungry,” you could almost see the pout, knowing the small lisp that came out whenever he pursed his lips and whined.

You looked around the living room, seeing the empty protein shaker bottle on the coffee table, narrowing your eyes.

“Didn’t you have your shake? You were working out.”

“Well, I did…” he started.

“We went grocery shopping and there are still some veggies and fruit cut up from our weekend meal prep, bun,” you felt him hiding his face even more on your shoulder, squeezing your body. “What’s going on? Am I forgetting something?” There was a slightly teasing tone in your voice, knowing what he wanted.

“You promised…” his voice was a mumble, muffled by the way his pouty lips were pressing on your body, but before you could ask him to repeat, “You promised pizza night, noona.”

“I know, bun, I haven’t forgotten it,” you stepped away from him, looking into his eyes and seeing his demeanor change completely.

“Oh?”

“I made the order when I was stuck at a red light. I got your favorite,” you were about to continue, but was interrupted by his sweaty hug again, this time accompanied by a chuckle.

“Ok, we have just enough time to shower before it arrives, so let’s run and get ready.”

You were right and there was just enough time to quickly wash the day - and Jungkook’s sweat - away. You set up the coffee table while he went to get the pizza, knowing it would be hot and he would almost drop it entering the apartment as usual. You sat side by side on the floor in front of the small table, turning the television on to the show you have been binging, your backs propped up against the sofa.

Jungkook was usually very strict with his diet, being mindful of the food he ingested to maintain his physique and try to lower his body fat percentage - which was crazy to you, his muscles were already prominent and he seemed to get only bigger… how were you supposed to leave the house to work when you had your bun looking like that, especially early mornings, his hooded half-open eyes almost smiling at you wishing you a good day at work. Your fridge was always full of fresh and cut-up vegetables, fruit, and greens, catering to his diet (and you had to admit you have been eating much better since he entered your life). Sometimes you thought it was all his difficulties from before, his time spent in the shelter, that he had such a love for a cheesy hot pizza every once in a while during the weekend.

And how could you say no to him when he purposefully lowered his ears, pouted, and widened his big round eyes even more to convince you?

3. Explore new things together

“Come on baby, you said you wanted to try this. It’s just us now.”

“Y… yes, noona. It’s just so… big.” Jungkook’s eyes were wide open, looking at the size of the pool in the club. For as much of a muscle bunny he was, the sheer magnitude of the pool seemed to scare him.

He first brought up the idea when you were watching tv a few days ago, some random program late at night showing people on a beach, and Jungkook had seemed to be fixated on the screen. He wanted to visit the sea, for he had never been there before. You agreed to it, but you had to admit that you were scared too, so you compromised: you would start your water adventures at a pool, so he could test things out, see if he truly enjoyed being in the water and swimming.

A few calls later there you were, standing by the water. You picked a time when they said people weren’t usually in - it even involved getting a day off work so you could go this early, but you would do everything for Jungkook. You looked at him, observant, watching his reactions carefully. His ears were down the back of his head, his hands clenched together in front of his shirtless torso, his front teeth worrying into his bottom lip. You took one of his hands into yours and started taking him in the direction of the small ladder to enter the pool. For a moment you wanted to jump in, but you didn’t want to make him even more nervous.

“It’s okay, bun, we’re going into the shallower part so most of your body will be above the water, ok?”

He nodded, but still seemed hesitant to get in, waiting for you to do it first. You stepped down the small ladder, showing him that almost half of your body was above the water, that he would be safe and didn’t need to worry about this part. The water was on the warmer side; you thought going for the hot pool was the best idea to help him feel comfortable at first. He stepped in feet by feet, slowly, his nose scrunched, but the moment he felt the warmth on his feet it was like magic: his ears shot up and his eyes widened in surprise, his mouth coming into a small circle.

You smiled encouragingly and stepped back, giving him some space, seeing him put one of his feet to the bottom and then the other, grounding himself. He was taller than you and he noticed the difference in the level of the water surrounding you. You lowered your body, telling him you were doing it first so as not to frighten him and submerged yourself to get your hair wet. When you emerged, you saw his eyes were wide again, but his ears were not down as before. There was a glint of curiosity in his expression and you nodded in encouragement for him to try it out.

“It’s just like when you wet your hair in the tube, bun. Here, hold on to my hands and remember to hold your breath.”

He did so, holding them tightly in his fists as he bent his knees and lowered his body. You chuckled slightly when you saw that half of his ears were still out of the water, so you quickly untangled one of your hands from his and lightly pressed on them so they were submerged too. He got up and shook his head, water droplets flying everywhere. He started laughing when he saw you put your hands in your eyes, and you couldn’t help but laugh along with him.

“Good?”

“Yes, noona, it’s good.”

“Are you ready to go a bit deeper?” His long ears perked up at your question, but his face seemed apprehensive. “Not much, we’re not swimming today, just going a bit more so you can maybe try floating.” His head moved up and down, agreeing to the idea, and you couldn’t help but think it was so cute the way his ears moved too.

You grabbed both his hands again so you were looking at each other as you slowly started to step back further into the deeper part of the pool. You didn’t rush, letting him adjust to the increasing level of the water, and only moved when he seemed comfortable. Jungkook always loved to have baths, so you figured he would love going to the pool too, especially a hot one. His smile got wider with each step, feeling more confident and safe with you. When the water hit your shoulders, you stopped and let his hands go.

“Bun, let’s try floating, ok? We’re starting small today, so you can just come closer and put your arms around my shoulders.” You said as you turned your back to him, and almost immediately you felt his arms around you. “Good! Now try letting your feet rise from the floor, let your body float a little.”

He tentatively lifted his feet, clinging to you harder as his body moved with the slow slushing of the water.

“I’ve got you, Kook,” you said as you pressed your hands to his. “I’m not letting go. Trust me, bun. Kick your feet back and put your weight on me.”

You felt him kick the water behind you, his strong arms flexing as he let his weight fall onto you. You knew the moment he started to float and enjoyed it; he pressed his face against your neck and started giggling, and when you looked at him, his nose was scrunched with happiness. His long ears were slightly facing backward, his eyes half-closed, and his little tail wiggling. You walked around the same area of the pool while he kicked his feet behind him, laughing freely as he enjoyed himself. As soon as you taught him to swim you would be taking a small holiday on the beach; you wanted to see this joy in him forever.

This moment was worth everything.

4. Make sure they are getting enough attention

“Morning, noona.”

You heard his voice, so gentle and still thick from sleep, waking up to the sound and the small kisses, his lips softly pressing against the back of your neck, his nose smelling your hair, his warm chest pressed against your back. You made an attempt to move your body but he tightened his arms around you.

“No moving yet, noona.”

“Morning, bun. What are you doing?”

“Just making sure you’re not going to leave my arms today,” he started, and you noticed his voice was heavy with emotion.

“Bun?”

He stayed quiet, hiding his face on your shoulder blades, and you did not say anything else until you felt it, until you felt them. There were small droplets of tears falling on your skin, and you turned around quickly to look at him fighting his embrace. Your hands immediately went to his face, wiping his cheeks, seeing him close his eyes and just quietly crying. Whenever he got like this, he would usually be quieter, needing to talk in his own time, so you did not ask him anything else, giving him space to let his feelings out. All you did was press your forehead against his and wipe his tears with your thumbs, and when you saw he would not stop so soon, you hugged him, letting your shirt dampen without caring about it. The moment you cradled his head against your chest, sobs started to wreck his body, making him shake and you could feel tears gathering in your own eyes. You had no idea how long you were like that, slowly caressing his hair, minding his long ears, but all that mattered was Jungkook. Slowly you felt his body starting to shake less, his hard sobs turning into small hiccups as he almost clawed at your back, needing to be closer to you.

“You’re… you’re not leaving me, right, noona?” His voice was quiet, but his question was too loud in the silence of the bedroom on a Saturday morning.

“Jungkook… no, love, I’m not leaving you,” your heart started to crackle with this question, and you pressed him against you even more. “Why, why do you think that, bun?”

He sniffled, pressing his nose against you and inhaling deeply, then said, his tone still small, “I’m feeling lonely… this past week…”

“Oh, Kook…” it seemed impossible, but you held him even closer to you, “I’ve been just too busy and exhausted from work, I know I got here yesterday and you were already in bed… I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”

He sniffled again and you felt a new wave of fresh tears wetting your clothes.

“I thought…” he started, but his voice faltered. “I thought I made you mad. I thought you were angry at me… and that…” there was a small sob that shook his entire body, “I was scared, noona, I was scared you were going to take me back.”

You could not stop your own tears from falling on top of his head; you had no idea he had felt that way. You had tried texting him during the day whenever you could have a moment for yourself at work throughout this insane week, but again and again, they demanded more hours from you and you did not have the chance to say no. Jungkook was still finding his freedom and footing in the world, and it had worried you that you had to leave him to spend more time by himself than usual. But you never expected this reaction, and you made up your mind. They could ask someone else at work, why did it always have to be you?

“No, Kook… Listen, bun,” your voice trembled, so you paused to be more stable when talking to him. “I’m so sorry you were alone this week, this is not going to happen again, I promise. And the day you came home with me I made a promise, remember? I’m never taking you back unless you want to go.”

He shook his head quickly, signaling his opposition to the idea.

“I don’t want you to go either, bun. I love you, and I’m sorry again.”

He finally looked at you, murmuring I love you too, a small smile gracing his lips. Your chest was starting to feel lighter, starting to relax after being so worried at his crying. You had never seen him like this, and you never wanted to see it again.

“What do you need from me, bun?” you said and kissed his forehead, letting your lips linger for a brief second.

“Can we just… stay in bed today? I want to stay like this in your arms, I missed you too much, noona.”

“Whatever you want, love, I’m yours.”

“I never want to leave this bed,” he whined, burrowing closer to you, and you noticed that even though his face was swollen from the tears and his voice was hoarse, his ears were more relaxed than they were before; they were tense in a way that was new to you.

“What about food? And I’m sorry, you’re not using this bed as a toilet, ok?” you tried to lighten the mood and it worked, the sound of his delightful chuckle filling the room, and you laughed along. But you understood and agreed. You never wanted to leave this bed. And at least for the day, you would only leave when necessary, needing to feel him in your embrace and carefully observe as he truly started to believe in you, leaving his worries in the past.

5. Love them unconditionally

The first time it happened was purely accidental. You were cuddling on the sofa, watching television, your hand caressing his hair when you felt his entire body tremble with such force that you stopped and looked at him, your hands away from him.

“Jungkook, bun, what… did I hurt you?”

You were worried; his arms were crossed in front of his body and his hands clasped together tightly on his lap. His doe-like eyes were more expressive than ever, open wide, his long ears were down, and he seemed to still be shivering. What had you done? You noticed there was a pink hue starting to tint his cheeks and neck and when you kept staring at him, you saw that he tried to make himself smaller. You felt tears start to gather in the corners of your eyes, fearful that you had done something to remind him of his life before, as he usually referred to the time that preceded the shelter.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook. I’m so sorry, just tell me what I did so I don’t do it again.”

“You didn’t…” he started, his voice slightly higher-pitched than usual. He cleared his throat and continued, his eyes wandering around the living room,  “you… I…”

You nodded, trying to encourage him to speak, needing to know what went wrong.

“Noona… my ears… my bunny ears, they’re, hm, too sensitive,” he said, blushing harder, and he shuddered.

Oh.

Oh. Your gaze shifted downwards, and you could see his hands were trying to conceal his erection. You licked your lips unconsciously, and his eyes seemed to get even bigger.

“Bad sensitive or good sensitive?”

He looked down at your question, clenching his hands and pressing them on his crotch, but said “Good sensitive, I think?”

You scooted a little closer to him on the couch but still did not touch him. “Talk to me, bun,” you said softly, feeling that the subject was delicate, but you wanted to know whether or not to bring it up again, whether or not you could touch him like that.

“Noona… no one ever touched them like this before, like you,” he seemed hesitant, but continued nonetheless, “you don’t hurt me. You like it, you like me, right?”

You did not think twice before enveloping him into a hug, pressing him tight against you, overwhelmed with emotions at his question.

“I love you, Jungkook. Every part of you.” You had a feeling that this was what he needed to hear. It was not often that you saw him being insecure anymore, and it tugged on your heart uncomfortably. “You don’t ever have to feel bad with me, ok? I love you,” you repeated, emphasizing, trying to comfort him.

“I love you too, Y/n,” his voice continued soft, but he looked a tiny percentage more confident. “I think… at some point… maybe…” he looked at you, and you nodded again for him to continue. “I think I might want you to touch them when we’re, you know,” he wiggled his eyebrows up and down, chuckling, and there he was, getting back to you.

You laughed with him. It was unusual seeing him this shy in talking about sex, as he was definitely not shy at all performing it or even talking about it most of the time, but you understood this was a different issue.

“Only if it will make you feel good, bun, you know I don’t want to hurt you or make you uncomfortable,” you took his hand and held it, caressing the back of it with your thumb, and he nodded.

The next time it happened was not accidental at all, and it caught you by surprise.

You were already in bed, whispering sweet nothings as sleep didn’t reach you. The kiss started innocent enough, his lips pressing softly against yours while his hands stopped at your lower back, pulling you towards his body. His tongue caressed your lower lip and you opened your mouth, deepening the kiss as you pressed your body closer to his. His leg nudged its way between yours, and shortly after he rolled over you, his underwear not able to conceal his erection and you felt it directly where you needed it as he grabbed your leg and wrapped it around his waist.

His kisses moved down to your neck, nipping and sucking, his hips subtly moving, stimulating you. You grabbed his hair as he descended, lifting your tank top, softly sucking on your nipples as his hands started to lower your panties. He wasted no time, licking your slit from bottom to top, pausing to circle your clit before putting his lips around it and sucking rhythmically as one of his fingers teased your opening, slowly moving in and out. It wasn’t long until you felt your orgasm building that your hands grabbed his hair, pulling him up and towards you.

“I want you in me,” you whispered against his lips, tasting yourself, you needed to feel him.

He nodded and quickly removed his underwear, throwing it haphazardly behind him. He moved back between your legs, lowering his body on top of yours as you crossed your legs on his waist, helping the angle. His cock started to press into you and you felt the delicious stretch, inch by inch. His thickness filled you perfectly; you could almost feel the veiny lines that adorned the underside of his cock pressed on your walls, and whenever his hips made those small sharp trusts, the upwards curve of his erection put some pressure just right where your sweet spot was.

It was sweet and slow, your mouths connected in a seemingly never-ending kiss, his hips moving without rush, the pleasure building unhurriedly and constantly, his weight on top of you heightening the feelings. You started canting your hips with his, your languid movements following his rhythm, and his hand reached to yours, intertwined your fingers. He broke the kiss, looking into your eyes as he directed your hand to his hair. You immediately entangled your fingers on his dark strands, tugging on it and he moaned, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again and stopping the movements of his hips. Before you could ask what happened, he pushed your fingers from his hair, shaking his head softly and smiling. Still staring, he lowered his head and made your fingertips graze against one of his long ears, almost a ghost-like touch. You opened your mouth in surprise and let out a loud moan at the same time, as your first touch on that sensitive part of his made him snap his hips hard once against yours.

A shiver perpassed his body, probably due to the intensity of the touch, but he looked at you and nodded, and so you did not hesitate. Your other hand went to his head too, so you could gently caress his bunny ears; he trembled again but started moving his hips, this time with more urgency and small whines came out of his mouth in between kisses on your neck. One of his hands sneaked between your bodies, his thumb circling your clit, pressing on it, needing you to get closer, the intensity of his orgasm starting to overwhelm him. You were already close, so close to it, but you wanted him to reach his peak with you.

“Can I…” you pause to moan, feeling the edge approaching, “can I touch your tail too?”

He seemed so lost in the moment that you had to repeat the question, the need clear in your voice, and upon hearing it again, he did not hesitate in moaning out an affirmation, curious to see what it would feel like. You waited until you were at the brink of the precipice, your right hand going down his body, his back. And just as a sharp snap of hips hit you just right, snapping the coil of your orgasm, your fingers reached the fluffy tail. Feeling your touch, Jungkook let out a loud shout and stopped his hips, his cock deep inside you as you felt him pulse and his entire body trembled. He fell on top of you as aftershocks still ran through his figure, little high-pitched moans leaving his lips. You were not sure how long you were like that, legs entangled, your fingers caressing his back soothingly as your own body calmed down from the intense orgasm.

“Jungkook?”

“I’m…” he moaned out, “good. We’re doing this again as soon as I have control over my body, okay?”

You chuckled and he moaned for you to stop, the tiniest of movements overwhelming his senses. The next time you giggled at a comment he made, he turned you over, pushing your upper body into the bed and hoisting your hips up, and you certainly did not laugh anymore that night.

+1: Expect to be surprised by them

You heard the commotion outside on the street and you ran out of the apartment to the front door of the small building to see what it was about, and you opened it just in time to see Jungkook stepping out of the cause of the noise.

“Bun, what’s all this?”

“Oh hi noona! Surprise!”

It was indeed a surprise. This morning you had woken up and could not find Jungkook anywhere so you assumed he had gone for a run, but apparently not. There he was standing and waving at you in front of a camper van, a huge smile on his face, his long ears perked up. You could see your neighbors, Taehyung and his cat hybrid Jimin next to him, a sheepish expression on Taehyung’s face and a smile as big as Jungkook’s on Jimin’s lips.

“We’re going camping, noona!” Jungkook said as he approached you, enveloping you into his arms. “You’ve been so tired from work and now that you have a break, I thought we could go camping and have some fun…”

“Right now?” You asked, a little overwhelmed, but starting to get excited about the idea.

“Yes! Taehyung-hyung called up this place and rented the van, we got groceries, and Jimin even helped me pick a new coat for you, noona, I know you needed one.”

You felt your eyes tear up. You were so used to taking care of Jungkook and putting him in the first place that it was strange having someone take care of you like this. But this was Jungkook, you should have expected that. The day you brought him home from the shelter, he had said he would take care of you just as much as you would take care of him. You kissed him softly, pressing him against your body, and you whispered a thank you low in his ear.

“I love you, noona. Now let’s get your things ready, we have to get going, or else Tae-hyung said he is going to play all his old records in this player he brought the entire trip,” he stated wide-eyed and clearly hinting that he definitely did not want that.

You chuckled, knowing how picky Jungkook was with everything - his food, his clothes, his music. You took his hand and pulled him into the house, waving to the other boys at the front, signaling you would be out in a minute. You quickly packed a bag with Jungkook’s help and you waited as he got his camera and equipment bag, not forgetting the aux cord, set on not letting the other boys have control over the music.

What you would find only later on that evening is that for the first night, Taehyung and Jimin would set their tent a little far from the camp, giving you two some space for the date Jungkook had planned. A bottle of your favorite wine, Jungkook cooking a simple dinner by the fire camp, the bun’s eyes shining brightly as he scrunched his nose, and his small tail wagging slowly to the rhythm of a Frank Sinatra record under the moonlight.

--

Hope you enjoyed it and if you want to read more, how about finding out about the first time bun!Jungkook went to the beach?

[fandomlit]

neutral, chap. 2 (dream smp x reader)

series summary (in game!au) when an exiled tommy finally rebels against a manipulative dream, he finds safety in neutral territory, a place owned and guarded by you. staying in your safe haven opens up the younger one’s eyes to your way of life, while also revealing your deeper past before neutral; a past that involved a war for your love.

chapter summary tommy learns a little bit more about your relationship with dream before spending his day with ghostbur, exploring neutral territory and learning of the war that sparked its creation.

warning mentions of war, violence, and injuries

previous | series masterlist | next

gif cred belongs to @chillcrafting

“you have a package, y/n!” ghostbur called out just as you placed tommy’s breakfast in front of him. the ghoul’s words went completely ignored by tommy, whose gaze was solely focused on the beautiful stack of pancakes placed in front of him.

y/n smiled to herself. “you can bring it in, bur. i know who it’s from.” she shuffled syrup and butter over to tommy just as ghostbur came in with the fateful package.

tommy was already half way through scarfing down the stack of pancakes when y/n managed to open the package, ghostbur gazing over her shoulder. she took out a note set atop of the contents.

she read aloud, “y/n, i’m sorry i haven’t properly stopped by in a while. my work requires much of my undivided attention right now, which i’m sure you understand. please work your magic for me with the clothes included, and i will be sure to drop by for them and a meal soon. there are a few extra gifts included for you. i hope tommy isn’t burdening you. signed dream.”

“i’m not a burden!” tommy spoke offendedly through a mouthful of pancakes.

“you’re right, tommy,” y/n hummed, handing him a napkin to wipe some syrup off of his chin. “you’re perfect company.” tommy smiled to himself as he finished off his stack of pancakes. y/n sighed to herself, “clay really knows how to ruin a good piece of clothing..”

“so you and dream are close, y/n?” tommy grumbled, picking up his glass of milk.

she shrugged. “as close as you can be with someone you barely see.” she placed his battered clothes to the side, sighing again when she saw the rest of the contents of the box. tommy didn’t realize this, continuing with his questions.

“i remember that he respected your territory when he stepped into it,” he recalled. “he was going to kill me, but then he realized he was in neutral.”

y/n nodded. “when i made claimed this territory as neutral, i made a deal with everyone: i would mend and tailor anything you needed as long as you respected my territory as neutral.” she held up a box of diamonds and a smaller box of netherite to tommy’s view, making his mouth drop open with surprise. y/n held out another napkin to him for the milk that had sputtered out of his open mouth while ghostbur laughed into his hand. “clay is the only one who still tries to pay me.”

“with netherite?!” tommy exclaimed, letting out a surprised laugh.

y/n shrugged, seemingly not phased by the generous gift. “the nether..” she shook her head, placing the valuable materials onto the table, “is not a place i like to go. and most of this will probably be going toward dream’s armor, anyway.” she sighed, placing the gifts back into the box and laying the tattered shirts on top of them. “trust me, he’s still too kind for his own good with these sorts of materials.”

“how much netherite does that man have?” ghostbur scoffed, looking at how much was contained in the box.

“probably quadruple that amount,” y/n chuckled. “he has far too much free time.”

“and he doesn’t even spend it with you,” ghostbur sighed, shaking his head with a goofy smile.

“i know!” y/n spoke sarcastically before laughing out. she closed the box and set it under the table. “i’ll deal with that later. do you want any more pancakes, tommy?”

“no, i’m stuffed,” the teen yawned. “but thank you.”

she nodded. “well, then how about ghostbur shows you around the territory today?”

the boys perked up immediately. “really?”

“yeah,” she laughed, taking tommy’s empty plate. “you two can take the day to explore and have fun. go be a kid, kid.”

tommy excitedly looked up to his ghost friend. “fancy a game of ultimate tag?”

“you’re gonna get crushed,” ghostbur laughed before they both ran out of the house, laughing. y/n smiled.

“oh! i should make them lunch..”

...

“how big is this place?” tommy laughed after a few rounds of tag. they had found their way to a pond in a forested area, tommy deciding his knee needed a break after all of their running. 

“it’s bigger than you think,” ghostbur assured, making sure to keep an appropriate distance from the water as they sat along the small shore. “y/n claimed the territory before l’manberg, so there really wasn’t any need for a turf war of any sorts for what she settled.”

“how long has she lived here?” tommy questioned.

ghostbur shrugged. “almost two years, i think. she’s made quite the life for herself since.” more to himself, he muttered, “god, has it really been that long since it happened?”

“since what happened?” tommy asked, leaning closer to his friend with sparkling, curious eyes.

ghostbur sighed, “i’ll admit, i don’t remember too much.. but i know there was a fight. one of the first wars of our time, and it was all over y/n.”

“they were fighting for her?” tommy spoke with confusion. “she’s not an object.”

“very good, tommy,” ghostbur prided, patting his friend on the shoulder. “you’re right, she’s not. that’s why y/n left her original home and sought to create neutral territory; to end the fighting and create a place where peace could reign. in exchange, she’d offer her goods and services.”

“so they were fighting over her for her skills,” tommy understood. ghostbur made a face. “..or not?”

“both sides obviously wanted her skills, but i think y/n tends to neglect the fact that they were all madly in love with her,” ghostbur sighed, shaking his head.

tommy raised his eyebrows. “a crime of passion, eh?” he joked, making them both laugh out before he asked, “who was it?”

“let me think,” ghostbur sighed, tapping his chin. “i know one was dream, but the other.. i think it was-”

“boys! lunch is ready when you are!”

tommy turned back to ghostbur. “well? who?”

ghostbur shook his head. “sorry, tommy, i don’t remember that far. that’s as much as i can tell you.”

tommy couldn’t help but fel disappointed, but he knew he couldn’t blame his friend. “that’s alright, ghostbur. let’s go get lunch before y/n comes looking for us.”

...

after lunch and an insistent rematch of tag, ghostbur and tommy made their way to the organized garden area.

“y/n grows anything you can imagine,” ghostbur bragged as tommy marveled as the fluorescent, beautifully natural area. “she’s been to nearly every biome to complete her garden.”

“you can grow cocoa?!” tommy exclaimed when he finally spotted y/n, who was swinging an axe at a low jungle tree.

“y/n found a way,” ghostbur shrugged, guiding tommy over to her. “hey, y/n!”

“hi, boys,” she smiled, plucking off the plant she had loosened from the tree. “was lunch good? im sorry i didn’t stay and chat.”

“it was delicious,” ghostbur complimented, tommy nodding in agreement as his mind drifted back to the mouth watering coleslaw and toasted sandwiches she had prepared.

“that’s good!” she smiled, placing the cocoa plant on the ground. “you boys may want to step back.” they did as told as y/n swung her axe over her head, splitting the cocoa clean in half and revealing the delicious beans inside of it. “voila!”

ghostbur clapped politely. “thank you,” y/n laughed, dropping her axe and picking up the split plant. “would you boys like a sample?”

“sure,” tommy shrugged, stepping forward with ghostbur. he picked out a few beans before popping them into his mouth. breaking through the semi-tough shell, the delicious, dark taste flooded his taste buds and made him nearly moan, as y/n’s food often did. he and ghostbur shared a look of satisfaction before he voiced, “oh, y/n.. they’re perfect.”

“that’s good,” she laughed before nudging her bucket closer to her and scooping the seeds out into it. “how has your day around the territory been?”

“entertaining,” tommy spoke before asking, “how did you get into gardening, y/n?”

y/n gave ghostbur a knowing smile before she answered the younger boy’s question, “i was tired of eating only meat and bread. gardening was a way to expand my diet to more than just carbs and proteins. also, it’s very calming.” they followed when she hiked up her bucket and moved to the next jungle tree.

“is it?” tommy questioned.

she affirmed with a nod. “it’s nice to be able to spend a day tending to things you made. the fruits of your own harvest are the sweetest, they say.” they watched as she knocked down another cocoa plant.

“they are,” tommy nodded solemnly, his mind drifting to a sadder, more familiar place. “that’s why i miss l’manberg.”

y/n was barely surprised by the boy’s open confession. she tossed her axe down again, going to place a hand on tommy’s shoulder. “i know you do, tommy, and i know it’s rough right now. but what we’re playing here is a waiting game; we’re waiting for a safe opportunity to get you home, and in the meantime, i’ll take care of you, kid.”

tommy offered you another nod and a smile. “we?”

y/n gave him a kind grin. “im going to help you as best as i can from where i am. and i know that’s not much from me, but i know that everyone deserves a home that they love. and you can’t get there alone, kid.”

“you’re right about that,” tommy sighed before looking into her kind eyes. “thank you, y/n. your help means a lot.”

she squeezed his shoulder. “of course, tommy. you and ghostbur go explore some more; try to keep your mind on the things you can control.” she picked her axe back up.

tommy looked to the pitying ghoul beside him before looking back to y/n, a new thought fresh in his mind. “can you teach me how to cook?”

y/n grinned as she lifted her axe over her head again. “of course i can, tommy.”

tommy smiled as she cracked open the plant. he looked back to ghostbur. “wanna go for a swim?” the ghost shot him a fearful look. “im kidding! im kidding, let’s go use some pigs for target practice.” they both began to walk off, chatting and giggling before tommy turned and called, “y/n!” she looked up attentively. “what’s for dinner?”

she smiled. “i was thinking ribs!”

tommy’s mouth watered at the thought. “oh my god, i can’t wait to learn how to cook..”

tag list!! @vanhakirja @victory-is-here @inkyynki @airiour @sylum @kiritokunuwu @221bee-slytherin @bllatrixcarpnter @soullesstaco @stxrryb1tch​ comment below or message me if you would like to be added <3

[pricescigar]

The Werewolf

(Pt. 2)

Three long days had passed, with pure luck Elvira's condition was slowly improving. Not by a lot, but hey at least she wasn't knocking on death's doors anymore. Woods was keeping a close eye on her, he didn't have much food on him sadly. His diet was rather different, than humans of course. Yet he assured that she was well fed, making sure there were enough things he had to nurse her back to health. Soups, hot drinks, warm clothing, medication and constantly cleaning the wounds. To ensure no infections would come through. Luckily he had a pair of helping hands, not too far away from his Cabin. His Best friend, Alex Mason, was a life saver. Just like he always was. Maybe he has that magic touch or something. Seeing she was becoming more coherent, as time slowly went by. Hopefully Elvira would be able to soon remember what had actually happened to her. Hopefully.  

Woods knew he was dealing with someone powerful now, now that he took a good look at her. Her name was Elvira Wolff… The legendary hunter in the flesh! Seeing the kind of weapon she possessed on her. If he messes up, and if he was obvious about his true form, he's done for. But for now, he kept her weapon locked away… In a safe place of course, but since this was his Cabin. She doesn't know where her weapon is of course. Until he knew she was trustworthy, to an extent that she wouldn't kill him with her bare hands, or backstab him in any way… Then he became worried for his own safety too.

Elvira's eyes slowly opened, a wet flannel was on her head to reduce the burning temperature, her whole body screaming in pain. Though her eyes had closed again briefly, it took a little more effort to actually open them again. She looked around in the unfamiliar surrounding that she was in, she didn't know what was going on. She slowly sat up groaning a little in pain, her body still aches like anything 

Woods at the time, was currently occupied with a few things in the little place he had resided in. He was fixing a few things that needed to be tended too, you know little stuff that needed to be tightening or changing the light bulbs. It was only a small cabin he had of course, he lived in it for quite a while now. A few decades? It's been a while. But regardless he liked it. No one ever disturbed him in over the years he had resided there. He turned to see that she was finally awake, relief was washed over him. and immediately rushed over to help Elvira, who was struggling to even sit up by herself. 

"Hey don't move too much, you almost died, you need your body to rest as much as possible." He would say to her, he placed his hands gently on her shoulders.

"What— Who are you? Where am I? Fuck… Everything hurts…" Elvira would reply back to him, she needed to get back to her base as quickly as possible. But she was in too much pain to even do anything, Frank laid her back down on the bed. Taking the flannel off of her head that was now damp.

"You're in my cabin, don't worry, you're safe ... I found you bleeding to death. You almost died, from the injuries you endured and along with hyperthermia... No one will find you here. You're safe here now." Woods explained to her, leaving her sitting up by herself and grabbing a wooden chair from near the table. Then down beside her, by the bed. Now it was the appropriate time to finally introduce himself. "My name is Frank Woods, I mean you no harm... I just want to help you, that's all..." He reassured her.

"Fuck ... Nein, I can't believe this. Nein..." Elvira would mutter in disbelief, it was miraculous enough that she had even survived, as of her father. He sadly didn't make it either— Feeling the guilt riddling over her. Now, Elvira had no one, no one to look after to call friend or family either. Elvira was the only one of her family left alive now. Looking up to the ceiling a little, this must be a dream ... Surely? Just one bad dream. She then turned over in order to look over at Frank. There was almost fear in her eyes, did her father actually become one of them for real? She was still in denial.

"My vater. He– He turned into one of them… I saw it with my own eyes…" She said. 

"You mean the newly turned Werewolf that had tried to kill you? Yeah, I saw. Dealt with him, don't worry. He almost got you there." Woods assured Elvira, and Frank Woods himself made sure that guy stayed dead. And no one was following him either. 

Elvira stared at him in disbelief, there could be no way that he had died? There was no way... Admititngly she didn't know how to react, at the end of the day it was her father, but was it really? How she saw him act like that, how he had nearly killed her and possibly injured Woods too. There were a lot of mixed feelings going on in her mind. Though by observing Woods closely— The man didn't seem to be injured. Which was a good sign. Unless he was hiding it of course, but she wouldn't have blamed him. Realising she hadn't properly introduced herself, she cleared her throat. "Sorry... I didn't introduce myself. My name is Wolff– Elvira Wolff... But it is nice to meet you, Frank Woods." She replied

Woods' eyes suddenly widened in surprise. Holy shit was all he could say to himself right about now  "You mean, you're telling me. That you're the daughter of that famous hunter? Damn I know my conscience was right when I first saw you when you was dying…" He implied, to which Elvira nodded in agreement. 

"Well, shit, who would've thought? Eh? Me meeting someone like you…" He scratched his beard nervously, he began to think. Amidst the situation, he felt kinda bad that he killed her father. Though he had no other choice did he? Mainly he felt bad for Elvira now, he killed her father like he was nothing to him. He then sighed.

"Shit... Now I feel bad, really bad I mean. I was the one who killed your father, and man I'm really sorry about it... You don't have to forgive me, you know? I understand if you don't want to..." He would say to her.

Elvira shook her head, there was no reason to hate him. Maybe in his eyes there was, considering her being a hunter, and him a Werewolf. If Woods wasn't obvious, then she wouldn't have to know. And he could stay alive even. But what were the odds? A human girl being attacked by a Werewolf, and Woods saving her out of the blue. Luckily he was there even, she could've become one of them even.

 "You don't need to apologise, nor do you need to be sorry. You made the right call to do so, and that's all you need to know. So ... Danke, for saving my life, Frank. Really. I owe you, maybe I can repay you possibly? One day." She assured him. 

Woods nodded to her in agreement, he turned to give her some clothes that were left on the side. They belonged to him– But Elvira needed clothes anyway, and these were the only ones she could find that she could wear for now. He handed them over to Elvira. "Here, I figured you might need these, it'll keep you warm for mow." He insisted for her to take them, it would help her be much warmer.

"Danke, I appreciate it." Elvira took the clothes, Woods momentarily left the room so she could get changed. When she finished getting changed, he soon returned back into her room, closing the door behind him.

"You know, I wish we could've met in better circumstances... And you know, you weren't coherent enough to even say anything… but I'm glad that you're alive and ok." Woods smiled a little.

"Well still I appreciate you saving me like that and I agree wholeheartedly, I wish we could've met properly. On better terms even…" Elvira spoke softly as she sat down at the edge of the bed, it felt better to not be laying down again. It seemed to have made her more exhausted than she originally was, though she cannot rest for long. She had things to do.

"Yeah but things happen I guess, but you're looking better. So that's all that matters to me." Woods simply replied, he placed a glass of water beside her, noticing the glass was empty.

"Though, I can't stay for long… I have to go back to work… I can't dawdle or waste any more time now." Elvira insisted as she stood up from the bed, Woods however stopped her from doing so. He wouldn't allow it.

"Hey, you can't push yourself, you almost died from the infection. I know you're a hunter and all, but what can possibly be more important than just resting?" Woods raised an eyebrow.

"I have to kill the person most responsible for all of this mess, Perseus." Elvira stared up at him. "Now, if you don't mind… I'd like my weapons back, bitte." She realised they weren't around here, no matter yet he probably put them away somewhere.

"Perseus? The Legendary Werewolf? Shit, I mean… I've been hunting hom for years. No one hasn't seen him in centuries, I know that because I've been hunting him myself." Woods explained to Elvira.

"Really? You've been hunting him too? I didn't realise there were many other people that actually hated him so much, well… Except for Russell Adler of course." Elvira referred to the well known hunter who had been cursed to be a Werewolf, by Perseus himself.

Woods nodded. "Yeah I know Adler, we go way back. He's still hellbent on catching him after all this time, but we only have a couple of leads so far… Leads that only refer to his men and women too." 

"Fuck… We've been trying to track down Perseus agents for ages. We only got a couple of leads too…" Elvira then stayed silent, looking at Woods. Maybe this could be a chance that the two could  work together? 

"You told me that you knew Adler, are you a Werewolf by any chance?" She casually asked, she didn't seem angry or anything.

"Uh, fuck… Well you got me. I am a Werewolf, I tried hiding it… But I guess I am truly that obvious, if you want to kill me you can." Woods said.

"You saved me? And you think my solution is to kill you? Nein, I said I would repay you back for saving me, and now it's the chance to do so… We're going to take down Perseus. Together, just you and I." Elvira looked at Woods seriously.

"Well… As long as you don't backstab me or kill me along with Perseus agents then. You have yourself a deal then, Elvira Wolff." Woods extended his hand to her, and then she shook it back before they pulled their hands away.

"I mean Elvira Wolff, with a surname like that… Imagine how funny it would've been if you actually became one? You'd finally howl into the Night." Woods joked with her a little to lift up the mood.

Elvira laughed softly, the joke was funny she would admit that. Nodding in agreement. "That would've been funny, I like that joke…" She smiled.

Woods chuckled softly, then he became serious. "Now that you're feeling a little more coherent and better, I got to show you what info I have of Perseus men so far." He helped Elvira off the bed, just in case her body suddenly decided to give up.

"Danke… And ja, show me what you have Woods." Elvira let Woods help her up, she held onto his arm before she walked out of the bedroom with him.