#its technically tuesday because midnight but fuck it

[naquey]

Meet The Character Monday

<< 6/24/2024 picrew

Marnie Jones

So, when I thought of her, I was quite literally trying to think of an alternate to Mary Jones from Spider-Man because I was going to make a Drake and Josh: Spider-Man AU. Then I wrote that one shot (which is getting a sequel I swear)

My thought process wasn't to make a clone of MJ but an alternate version of her because the multiverse is vast and yadda yadda. Then I had a pretty great idea.

She's one of Drake's closest friends. While he's rehearsing with his band, she's in the kitchen with Josh, trying to ignore how loud his guitar playing is. After he dumps a girl, she takes them under her wing and reevaluates their worth. Those girls almost always try to get with her because they think she's so much like Drake, and in some cases, they are similar. Marnie and Drake are charming and laid-back, but she is not a slacker. As opposed to him, she *actually* does her work and cares about her academic status. They like the same music and have relatively the same style. They radiate confidence and breeze through life compared to Josh, who struggles quite a bit.

She was friends with Josh before Drake and Audrey appeared in Josh and Walter's lives. Josh jokes that Drake corrupted her to the dark side. Unlike his stepbrother, Marnie lacks superficiality. (if that's a word??) That means while Drake only dates girls, and it never goes past the "having fun" phase, Marnie is the opposite. But because of Drake's reputation for dating girls, including girls who dump their boyfriends for him, many of the guys at their school don't exactly trust Marnie. But it's not as if she minds it. As much as she'll deny it, she has a crush on Drake. Seeing him go through girls like they're pairs of socks has... disillusioned her. (but she can admit he's attractive and can be nice when he wants to be)

Literally, the trope is that most people without brains think that Marnie and Drake are the same person.

Besides Drake and Josh, Marnie is friends with Mindy Crenshaw, Craig Ramirez, and Eric Blonowitz. She spends more time with Mindy, especially once Josh and her start dating. Craig and Eric often beg her to join the debate club since they need a fourth member, and she almost always turns them down. She hasn't joined a single club and doesn't want to.

She absolutely despises Dr. Pepper and loves Cherry-Vanilla Coca-Cola. Pepsi is a neutral-feeling beverage, but she would choose it in a restaurant over ginger ale (unless she was sick.)

Marnie considers herself the "cool girl," like Drake considers himself the "cool guy." The main difference is that she does not associate herself with the popular people in their high school. She acts as though she doesn't care about many things and teases her friends to no end, but she shows how much she cares about them in subtle ways. But from time to time, it gets harder to pretend she doesn't care about something, especially if it's something like Star Wars or Halloween. Her demeanor is like that of Craig Tucker from South Park. At high school parties (if she ever gets invited), she's off to the side, watching the room, keeping her eyes on everyone around her. She's quite embarrassed to admit that her favorite hobby is writing, worrying about what her friends would think if they found out she had a blog dedicated to her various random rants and opinions about video games. She also likes to read but only ever makes a show of it, ignoring Drake if he's pissed her off or significantly irreparably hurt one of his exes.

Her parents, an anthropologist father, and a doctor mother, put a lot of pressure on her to perform well in school, but it's not an immense amount. She doesn't feel like they value her grades more than they value her. Mindy and Marnie spend quite a lot of time together because their parents are friends. Her older brother, Nick (4 years apart), loans her many clothes that he grows out of, significantly affecting her clothing style. He's given her denim jackets, leather jackets, jackets with thousands of pockets, band t-shirts, ripped jeans, and some bracelets.

She was raised Christian and participated in communion just before they took her out of the private Christian school because they had to move. The ring she wore around her neck would have been her purity ring, but by the time she was old enough for that stage, she had grown out of Christianity. More or less, her parents were only Christian through tradition and didn't make her read the bible or participate in going to church, which profited toward "growing out of it." (they stopped going after they pulled her from private school)

[godtears]

The last few days (minus yesterday, I only ate 903 yesterday) I've just barely managed to eat up to 1200 calories and I'm VERY proud of that. And some time last week I managed to just once, for the first time, eat 2000 calories. Which is AMAZING. But it made me feel so sick afterwards, I hated food so much.

I genuinely do not understand HOW you people can eat around 2000 calories a day????????? Do you eat like. Barrels of food? Do you eat things that are like calorie thick somehow? Like. The doctor I saw was like "you should at MINIMUM eat 1500 a day if you can't eat the required 1800-2000" and brother I can't even get that far majority of the days. And if I do get close to 1000 I feel so sick after. Hell, yesterday (Monday) I only ate 903 and I STILL felt sick after. I still feel sick right NOW and it's after midnight (technically Tuesday) and the thought of food feels disgusting. Like. I don't get it. I genuinely don't understand how people are able to eat more than what I can stomach. I feel like what I eat is a normal proper amount, since it makes me feel comfortable. But then I tell people what I've eaten and they're like "Dude wtf are you starving yourself?" and its like no I'm not!!! Why are you saying that!!!

I'm just baffled. I don't know what to do. But like!!! No one fucking believes me!!! Because they look at me and see that I'm fat and assume that I'm lying and that I overeat. That is such a bad problem that one of the doctors I saw gave me a hunger suppressant despite saying OUT LOUD "now I know you undereat BUT" like LADY if I'm UNDEREATING then WHY are you giving me a HUNGER SUPPRESSANT?

I don't know why I'm fat! Okay? I do everything I can to exercise anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours a day. That includes walking, carrying things, squats, bends, stretches, dancing, stairs, carrying things ON stairs, etc. I used to do PARKOUR as a kid and would be seen walking and running around and climbing trees for up to 12 FUCKING HOURS.

My diet has always been as healthy as I could make it despite not having a lot of money growing up. We were lucky to have family who grew their own fruits and veggies and would give us some. I only really ate fresh foods. I rarely really ate any junk growing up. I don't really like eating junk all that much now. Majority of my diet is vegetables. I eat small amounts because larger amounts make me sick. Sometimes I can manage bigger amounts, but at a cost.

So like. Why am I fat?! "oh PCOS makes you fat" okay but EVERYONE I've talked to says that even though I have PCOS I can still lose weight with diet and exercise. I took metformin to help with my insulin resistance from my PCOS. And the doctor told me "oh you lost 10 pounds! But you're not gonna lose any more. You're stuck like this forever." but WHY?! The only time I genuinely lost weight was when I would go without eating for 1-2 days at a time. Do I need to do that again? Like fasting? I don't know! I don't understand!

I just feel so miserable being like this. I can't fit into clothes I like. I can't fit into any of my clothes anymore. I can't really buy new clothes easily. No one takes me seriously, especially not doctors. I get harassed. I get stared at. I get judged. I get bullied. I can't do things normal people can. Fuck I'm asthmatic because of second hand smoking but people are blaming it on me being fat and bully me for being asthmatic! I can't be "queer enough" cuz I'm fat. Transphobes use my weight as an excuse to call me an "ugly predatory man". Someone told me that my daughter was going to kill herself because of how fat I was. I black out sometimes and people have brushed it off as being because I'm fat. I live with someone who constantly makes me feel worthless for so many reasons including because I'm fat. I can't live like this anymore.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

[bookofkatherine]

HEAT | A Tom Hiddleston Poem (Feat. Archangel Loki)

What does a girl do after a long orgasmic morning in the Dreamworld with a hot Loki variant? Write him a poem, that's what!

Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 4:26 p.m. Dear Journal,

Oh, what a fuck of a day. Nick finally reappears yesterday along with Alexander Skarsgard and the husband of mine from the Original Design: John... and now Nick's gone again. He needs healing.

But oh!!! What hot and holy 24 hours this last day has been!!!! I love it when he's home. Even when he leaves for work, he's still close by (unlike this weekend, when he was in the Himalayas fighting a cave of spiders, for fuck's sake. Argh!!!) .

And when Nick's close by, shit gets hot over here on my little holy hill, as the wizard likes to call it now. This morning was no exception.

Tom Hiddleston sent me a new recording of his, the hottest he's ever sent me. And my God, we throttled that thing into the Dreamworld and hit brand new heavens over and over again. And we didn't stop until noon... When Nick arrived home I was drenched in sweat, my hair completely matted atop my head.

Nick didn't even blink an eye. He's used to a life full of Love and angels.

Anyhow, in between my last orgasm with Tom and Nick's arrival home, I wrote a poem to Tom (he really is Loki, but he's been known by many names since then - and he prefers I call him Tom, so... yeah). I called it Heat. Here is it:

HEAT

The midnight hour limits not our heat. It contains not our sin. It holds not our brow, In some cold prison, Under moon and star.

Our heat flows in, And it flows out, As if we are tied, To the very tide and its waters. Our heat is immeasurable. The Sun and Moon but witness us.

And our heat pours forth.

For hour after hour, We can glow, burn slow. In sixty seconds we can reach, Beyond time and bend the below.

No. We are the Sun. We are the Moon. We are the starlit sky. We are the night. And we are bright dawn of day. We burn both fire and clay.

Witness us. Witness us burn, one and all. For life begets life. And it toils day and night. And that life beats within me, And it beats within you...

And we burn - We burn an eternal, Forever, Heat.

_

When Nick returned home, I brushed out my wet tangles while we talked to Enoch.

We learned the Enoch is Nick's father. (Holy shit! We knew it had to be someone big!)

And then his did a bang-up job being Mercury and linked me to both John and Tom/Loki for mind blowing sex. Well, technically it was hand-banging, but my god..... (we're saving most of the rest for when we meet in person). And that triggered a whole other letter to Tom.

He loved it so much he actually called me to tell me what he thought. That's a first. And because of that, I think I'll keep that letter private for now, dear Journal.

I love you.

[theradioghost]

I don't know if you're still doing podcast recs, but if you are, I really like dramas, horror, sci-fi, honestly anything that gives you the feels (especially if it has lgbtq+ rep). I am not much of a comedy person though unfortunately. The only podcast I finished was tma and I really loved it.

The recommendations are always on tap here, whenever my askbox is open! You might wanna check out:

Archive 81, for a found-footage horror about mysterious archives of tapes full of encounters with otherworldly horror, dark rituals, cults, and a long-suffering archivist with the same name as the show creator who plays him, which despite all that could not possibly be more different from TMA and yet easily matches it as one of the best horror stories I have ever enjoyed. The sound design on this show is basically unparalleled – where TMA has fairly minimalist sound design, A81 goes all out. Quite a few lgbtqa+ folk also.

I Am In Eskew, for a surreal, Lynchian horror about the city of Eskew, where it’s always raining and the streets are never the same twice, as narrated by a man who is trapped there and the woman hired to find him. Take the most viscerally disturbing episodes of TMA as a baseline for how intense this show is, then imagine the Spiral built a city and invited all the other fears over for a party. Also right up there as one of my favorite horror things ever, and recently ended, so you can listen to the whole thing right now.

Within The Wires, for a found-footage scifi dystopia, telling stories from an alternate-history world. Three of the four seasons focus on lgbtqa+ leads, and the first season, a set of instructional meditation tapes provided to a prisoner in a shadowy government institution, is still some of my absolute favorite creative use of medium and framing device ever.

Kane and Feels, for a surreal noir-flavored urban fantasy/horror hybrid, about a magically-inclined academic (and sarcastic little bastard man) named Lucifer Kane and his demon-punching partner with a heart of gold, Brutus Feels. They share a flat in London, they bicker like an old married couple, and they fight supernatural evil. This show WILL confuse the hell out of you and you will enjoy every second of it.

Alice Isn’t Dead, for a weird Americana horror story about a long-distance truck driver, criss-crossing the US in search of her missing wife. Along the way she discovers that both of them have been drawn into a dangerous secret war that seethes in the empty and abandoned expanses of America, and that inhuman hunters have begun to follow her. Also finished! And as the title kind of gives away, the lesbians do not die!

Janus Descending, for a sci-fi horror miniseries about two scientists sent to survey the remains of a dead alien civilization on a distant planet, only to learn all too well why the original inhabitants have disappeared. You hear one character’s story in chronological order and the other in reverse, with their perspectives alternating, which is done in an incredibly clever way so that even technically knowing what will happen it still holds you in suspense right to the end. Also, it made me cry, a lot.

SAYER, for a sci-fi horror with a touch of dark comedy, and probably the single best use of the “evil AI” trope I have ever seen. Tells the story of employees of tech corporation Aerolith Dynamics living on Earth’s artificial second moon, Typhon, in the form of messages from their AI overseer SAYER. The first season is great, the second season is okay, and the third and fourth seasons are fucking amazing.

Tides, for a really interesting sci-fi about a lone biologist trapped on an alien world shaped by deadly tidal forces. It’s different from just about any other sci-fi I know, focusing more on the main character’s interactions with and observations of this strange new world, where she’s very aware that she is the alien invader. (Also I don’t think any of the characters are straight.)

Station to Station, for a thrilling sci-fi mystery where a group of scientists and spies on a research ship (the ocean kind) discover that the time-warping anomaly they’re studying might be causing people to vanish from existence. Corporate espionage and high-stakes heartbreak abound. (And once again I’m not sure anyone is straight.)

The Strange Case of Starship Iris, for Being Gay And Doing Crime IN SPACE! Or, decades after a war with an alien species leaves humanity decimated and under the control of totalitarian leaders, the lone survivor of a research mission joins up with a ragtag crew of rebels and smugglers to figure out why the very government she worked for tried to kill her, and to stop them from inciting a second war. 100% lgbtqa+ found family in space heist action and it’s glorious in every way.

Unwell, for the horror-ish Midwestern gothic story of a young woman who returns to her hometown to help her estranged mother after an injury, and discovers that there is something just a little bit wrong, not just with her mother, but with her mother’s house, and with the whole town. Subtle and creepy. The protagonist is a biracial lesbian, one of the other major characters is nonbinary, the cast in general is super diverse.

The Blood Crow Stories, for an lgbtqa+ focused horror anthology! The four seasons so far have been the stories of an ancient evil stalking the passengers of a WWI-era utopian cruise ship, a dark Western mystery about a group of allies trying to stop the mysterious killer known only as the Savior, a 911 operator in a cyberpunk dystopia who starts getting terrifying phone calls from demons, and strange and deadly goings-on at a film studio in the golden age of Hollywood. Everyone is Very Gay and anyone can die, especially in season 1.

The Tower, for a melancholy experimental miniseries about a young woman who decides she’s going to climb the mysterious Tower, from which no one has ever returned. Quite short and very, very good.

Palimpsest, for a creepy, heartbreakingly sad and yet incredibly beautiful anthology series. Season one is the story of a woman who suspects her new home is haunted, season two is a turn-of-the-century urban fantasy about a girl who falls in love with the imprisoned fae princess she’s been hired to care for, and season three is about a WWII codebreaker who begins seeing ghosts on the streets of London during the Blitz.

Mabel, for a part-horror, part-love story, the kind of faerie tale where you feel obliged to spell it with an E because these are the kind of faeries that are utterly inhuman, and beautiful, and dangerous. Anna, the new caretaker for an elderly woman, leaves messages for her client’s mysteriously absent granddaughter Mabel. An old house in Ireland has a life and desires of its own, few of them friendly. Two women fall in love and set out for vengeance against the King Under The Hill. Creepy, strange, and gorgeously poetic.

Ars Paradoxica, for a sci-fi time travel Cold War espionage thriller. Physicist Dr. Sally Grissom accidentally invents time travel, landing herself – and her invention – in the middle of a classified government experiment during WWII. As the course of history utterly changes around them, she and what friends she can find in this new time must struggle with the ethics of what they’ve done, and the choices they’ll have to make. An aroace protagonist, Black secret agents, time-traveling Latina assassins, Jewish lesbian mathematicians, two men of color whose love changes the course of time itself, this show says a big fuck you to the idea that there’s anything hard about having a diverse cast in a period piece and it will break your heart, multiple times. Also finished!

The Far Meridian, for a genre-bending, poetic, at-times-heartwarming-at-times-heartbreaking story about an agoraphobic woman named Peri who decides to begin a search for her long-missing brother Ace after the lighthouse in which she lives begins mysteriously transporting to different places every day. I can never forget an early review that described this show as “the audio equivalent of a Van Gogh painting.” Suffice to say it is beautiful, and fantastically written and put together.

What’s the Frequency?, for a Surrealist noir horror mystery set in mid-20th-century LA. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I can really explain what goes on in this show, but it features a detective named Walter “Troubles” Mix and his partner Whitney searching for a missing writer. Meanwhile, the only thing that seems to be playing on the radio is that writer’s show Love, Honor, and Decay, which also seems to be driving people to murder. Fantastically weird, deliciously creepy.

Directive, for a short sci-fi miniseries about a man hired to spend a very, very long trip through space alone, which doesn’t seem all that sad until suddenly it hits you with Every Feel You’ve Ever Had, seriously I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say anything more but listen to this and then never feel the same way about Tuesdays again.

Wolf 359, for honestly one of the best podcasts out there, containing all of the drama and feels, seriously this show ended over two years ago and I still cry literal tears thinking about it sometimes. It has definite comedic leanings, especially in the first season which reads a bit more like a wacky office comedy set in space, but it takes a sharp turn towards high stakes, action, and feelings and that roller coaster never stops. Take four clashing personalities alone on a constantly-malfunctioning space station eight light years from earth, add some mysterious transmissions from the depths of space, toss in some seriously Jonah-Magnus-level manipulative evil bosses, and get ready to cry.

or, may I suggest Midnight Radio? It’s a lesbian-romance-slash-ghost-story completed miniseries about a late-night 1950s radio host in a small town who begins receiving mysterious letters from one of her listeners, and I have been assured by many people and occasionally their all-caps tweets that it provides ample Feelings! (also I wrote it.)

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

Their Hero Academia: Funeral for a Friend

Presenting the next raw and unedited chapter of my on-going, next-gen, My Hero Academia fic, Their Hero Academia!

Earlier chapters can be found here Note: This installment takes place during the same week as the previous few post-Internship chapters

Tuesday

“Welcome home, Himari,” Eri said, as Kota opened the door to the young girl’s bedroom.  No, not just a young girl.  Their daughter.  Three years old, with purple skin, pointed ears, and darker purple hair, her parents lost in a Villain attack and not even a distant relative to claim her.

They’d spent the better part of the year preparing to adopt her, getting to know her in short visits. It had been a long process, but they were both Pro-Heroes (albeit it teachers, rather than active in the field) of good reputations, with references ranging from Deku to All Might.  The approval process had been rather simple when it came down to it.  That she was a doctor and Kota highly trained in first aid was likely another factor in their favor.

“It’s so big!” Himari said, her eyes lighting up.  “I don’t have to share?”

“All for you,” Kota assured her, bending down to her level.

Himari gasped and threw her arms around him.  “Thank you,” she said.  “Thank you.”

Eri could understand her joy.  The foster system was by no means terrible, but far from perfect and still far too overburdened.  The room was decently sized, but to the small girl, it must have seemed like a palace. The colors were mostly pink, Himari’s favorite according to the conversations they’d had, and there were plush versions of some Pro-Heroes, including a well-worn and much loved “Deku-Bear” that Momo had made for her as a child.

“We got you a lot of things we thought you’d like,” Eri said.  “But if you want something different, we can try that too.   We’ll help you everything all set up in the morning, okay? But right now, it’s getting late, and you need to sleep.”

She nodded rapidly, like a bobblehead doll.  “Okay!” Himari looked back and forth between them rapidly.  “Can we… can we read a story first?”  There was so much need in that little voice, so much crying out for a little time, a little space to call her own.  It practically broke her heart.

Eri smiled.  “I don’t see why not,” she said.  She went over to the small bookshelf and selected one of the books there.  “All Might Goes to the Farm.  This was one of my favorites when I was a little older than you…”  Of course, she hadn’t learned to read until she was nearly seven years old, so she’d had a late start on that.  But the All Might Goes to line of books were best sellers to this day, so hopefully they’d do the trick.

So they got Himari ready for bed, with new night clothes, helping her brush her teeth, and finally settled her into the bed.  Eri set on the edge, book tilted so they both could see, as Himari reached out and put her arms around her.  

She could feel her heart melting already.

***

Later, Eri plopped herself down on the couch, Kota joining her a moment later.  He put an arm around her and gave her a small squeeze.  “So, we did it.  We’re parents.”  To her, it sounded equal parts pride, happiness, and fear.

“We did,” she agreed, leaning against him.  “Think we’ll get it right?”  

“I think we’ll do the best we can,” he said.  “And we’ve got lots of people we can turn to for advice too.”

Neither one of them had had what could be called a normal childhood.  Kota had been raised by his aunt and her teammates on a nature preserve. She’d been tortured and experimented on for years, before being rescued by Deku and adopted by Dad and later by Mom. And as much as she loved her parents, they were hardly the most conventional of individuals, especially Dad.

Certainly, she’d had a mother.  But she hadn’t had a mom until Mom had married Dad, and that hadn’t been until she was twelve, though Mom had been “having sleepovers” for years before that.  So despite all the books she’d read, she didn’t have much of a firsthand perspective on what a mom was supposed to do for a young child.

She hoped she was up for it.

“Aunt Shino and the rest are coming down a couple days before the funeral,” Kota said, “so they can meet Himari.  Uncle Yawara promises he’ll keep Aunt Ryuko down to a dull roar.  I have my doubts.”

Eri laughed at that.  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said.  “Dad’s coming by for breakfast tomorrow.  And Mom’s coming down later in the week.  She’ll get to know her whole family before too long.”

“How mad is he that we kept it a secret we were going to be adopting?” Kota asked.  He was, to this day, incredibly scared of Dad.  Which, given the numbers of times Dad had tried to put the fear of him into Kota when they were dating wasn’t surprising.  

“Not at all,” Eri said. “He already knew.  I don’t know how, but he already knew.”

Kota’s mouth opened and closed a couple times before he shook his head.  “Why am I not surprised?”

“He did say we did a pretty good job though.  He’s just that good.”

Kota just laughed.  “Yeah, that’d do it.”

They were parents.  Of a beautiful little girl, who might someday call her mom.  It had taken her a while to feel safe enough with Dad, and had taken a lengthy explanation from Deku and Mirio as to just what a dad was, before she’d felt comfortable calling him that.  Himari could take all the time she wanted, as far as she was concerned.  

She hadn’t been this afraid in years.  But she’d also never been happier.

***

Wednesday

Nemuri felt a splitting headache coming on and took her glasses off to rub her eyes.  There was a frightening amount of paperwork involved in keeping U.A. running, much of which accumulated itself on a daily basis.   However, as if he had been sensing the end was near, Nezu’s paperwork prior to his death had been completed in its entirety.  It didn’t surprise her in the slightest.  There was very little that had been able to surprise him.

She wasn’t unused to the paperwork.  She’d been the Vice-Principal for many years now, ever since Nezu had suggested she put her interpersonal skills to work there, rather than in the classroom. Another correct decision from him and, again, unsurprising.  But now, with him gone, the thought of dealing with twice the mountain of paperwork until a new Principal could be found simply made her brain ache.  

They still didn’t have a clue who that would be.  She certainly didn’t want the job.  She was happy with her current position.  And if she was honest, the Hero Public Safety Commission wouldn’t have allowed it anyone. While U.A. was, technically, a private institution, they received enough of their funding from the Commission for them to have considerable influence over policy.  And she’d butted heads with them often enough over the decades that they’d never have accepted her, even if she wasn’t quite as “R-Rated” as she used to be, trading her flashy costume and dominatrix gear for a sensible if not completely modest suit jacket and skirt.  She kept the boots though.

She never had quite forgiven them for giving in to pressure from “concerned citizens” and getting laws passed on just how naked a Hero could be, though.  Definitely none of their business!

She was tired.  The stress of the Nomu attack over the weekend, the death of Nezu, and the need to provide the children with some measure of structure, normalcy, and for those who had been involved, the counseling they needed, had all taken its toll on her. And she hadn’t seen Hizashi since Saturday.  She really needed… release, but that didn’t look like it was coming anytime soon.

The door to her office opened and her secretary poked her head in, her pink hair the texture of cotton candy piled high on her head.  “Vice-Principal Midnight?” she asked.  She looked worried.

Nemuri looked up.  “Yes, Hironaka?” she asked.  Her headache was definitely starting to kick in.   Whatever was going on, she had a sense it wasn’t going to be good.

“There’s some men here from the Center for Quirk Research.  They want to talk to you.”

A deep, sinking feeling settled in her stomach.  “Did they say what it was about?”

Hironaka frowned. “They said it was about the Principal’s…” she stumbled over the words, “remains.”   The way she said it made it clear she was repeating what they had said.

Yep, there was the headache.

Fortunately, they’d anticipated this.  “They’re still outside the gate?”

“Just like you asked. I said I’d have to get your approval to let them in.”

“Good,” Nemuri said. “Tell them we’ll meet them by the fountain in the main courtyard.”

She pushed back from her desk.  “Time to round up the boys.”

***

Technically, it was the boys and the girls, but that didn’t have quite the same ring to it.  But they’d anticipated this and made plans for it. Each of the staff she’d asked to meet her out in front of the fountain was chosen carefully for this specific meeting. Herself, of course, in her role as Vice-Principal.  All Might, as the elder statesman of their faculty and profession, even with his Quirk long exhausted.  Shota, for reasons which needed no explanation.  Skyline, Figure Sk8, and Hopper had all been invited because they could all annoy the fuck out of anyone, and because they were all more than capable of kicking significant amounts of ass if the situation called for it.  And Hawkeye, just in case things got rough.

“Is this really a good idea?” Skyline asked.  “I mean, I like messing with authority figures as much as the next guy, but...”

“Shut up,” Shota said, giving the American-born Hero a glare.  “You’re here to be the ugly American, not ask questions.”

“Ooouch,” Figure Sk8 said, putting an arm on her friend’s shoulder.  She reminded Nemuri so much of Tensei when she smiled.  She and Mic had never had children of their own, but she loved the girl, and the children of other friends, like Eri and Kota, like family.   “He’s got you there, Skyline.”

“They’re coming,” Hopper said.  His tongue shot out and licked his eyes.  

Just two of them, fortunately.  One was a balding and officious looking little man, the other a bruiser easily as tall as All Might, who looked like he had been stuffed into his suit for the express purpose of intimidation.  Against normal people, it might have worked.  But against seasoned Pro-Heroes like them?

Not a chance in hell.

The men stopped in front of them and presented their ID’s.  Shota took both and examined them, pulling a small device from his scarf and scanning them.  After a moment, it beeped and flashed green and he nodded.  “Genuine,” he said, handing the ID’s back.

“I am Professor Kudo,” the balding man said by way of introduction. His eyes lingered warily on the assembled group of Heroes.  This clearly wasn’t how he had expected this to go. “And this is Ueno, one of our security agents.  I am here on behalf of the Center for Quirk Research.”

“We’re aware,” Nemuri said, not bothering to disguise the irritation in her voice.

The others were hanging back, letting her take the lead in this, though none of them appeared relaxed. Hawkeye kept one hand on one of her pistols in a show of dominance, maintaining eye contact with Ueno.  In a showdown between the two, Nemuri knew who she’d put her money on.

“And you’re here for…” Nemuri prompted, her finger tracing circles in the air to tell them to get on with it.  The sooner they stated their preposterous claim, the sooner she could kick them out.

Professor Kudo reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of paper.  “Ahem, yes, I, ah, have a document here authorizing us to claim the late Principal Nezu’s body.”

They had known this was coming.  In life, Nezu had been a lab rat before finding his freedom.  He had fought long and hard to prove his worth and “humanity” and gain the acceptance of the government, the Hero Commission, and the public at large.  He never spoke about his past beyond the most basic details, though All Might and Recovery Girl knew more than some.  But what was known as that he had suffered greatly at the hands of humans who had thought him nothing more than a curiosity to be studied.

As one of the rare animals with a Quirk, beyond the horned horses sold as unicorns to the mega-rich, it stood to reason someone would want to cut him open after his death.  They’d had to log the details of his death, of course, there was no hiding that…  But the thought of what these people wanted still burned.

“Let me put this in words I’m sure you’ll understand,” Nemuri said.  She made a gesture with her right hand and her riding crop dropped into it from its storage spot in her suit jacket. She took a step forward and smacked Kudo’s hand with it, making him cry out in alarm and drop the document.  

“Go fuck yourself.”  

Kudo stumbled back in surprise.  “You can’t… I have the proper authorization! Signed by the director himself!”

Behind him, the giant Ueno tensed.  

“Whatever you’re thinking,” Shota said, “don’t.”

“It’s a lovely day,” All Might said.  “It would be a shame too to spoil it with violence.”  Nemuri wasn’t worried about him if things got rough.  Even in his seventies, he was still more powerfully built than many men, with a lifetime of experience behind him.  That his tone carried a slight warning about who would be impacting the violence on whom did not go unnoticed by the men.

Kudo, however, was proving himself to be a very stupid man.  “I am an officer of the government!  And I have been authorized to claim those remains for research!”  He was practically turning purple with fury. “Do you know what we might learn?!”

A crack of gunfire exploded at his feet, forcing him to step back again, bumping into Ueno’s broad form.   Nemuri spared a glance over her shoulder and saw Hawkeye had discharged her gun.

“You… you could have hit me!” Kudo shrieked.

“Please,” Hawkeye said, “if I wanted to hit you, I would have.  Super-Accuracy, remember? That was a warning shot.”

Kudo looked around, his eyes settling on Skyline, Hopper, and Figure Sk8.  “Surely one of you must have some sense?”

“<Sorry,>” Skyline said, switching back to his native English, “<I don’t speak Japanese.>”

Figure Sk8 brushed her white forelock out of her face.  “They just keep me around ‘cause I’m pretty.  I don’t make the decisions.”

Hopper shrugged.  “All the sense in the family went to my older sister.  *Croak*”

Nemuri let a sinister smile cross her face.  The kind she used to put on when putting the screws to some Villain.  “And even if we wanted to—which we don’t—Nezu’s going to be cremated, as per his last wishes.  He was a lab rat in life.  We weren’t about to see him become one in death too.”

Kudo flushed red with anger, pointing a finger accusingly.  “You were told when we contacted you to hold the body for examination! This is deliberate defiance!”

“Oh,” Nemuri said, “have we been… naughty?” She shrugged, tilting her head to the side slightly. “We really do appreciate the warning, by the way.  Gave us plenty of time to prepare a proper welcome.”

“You.. you… you…” Kudo babbled, too incoherent to find the right words.  “You’ve making a grave mistake.  I’ll take this defiance all the way to the highest levels of the government!”

Nemuri looked behind her, getting a small nod from everyone, even All Might, who had drawn himself up to his full height, any of the goofy demeanor he used around civilians completely gone.  He had been one of Nezu’s few friends and took the protection of him in death very seriously.

“You’re welcome to try,” she said.  “There’s not a teacher here who wouldn’t back up what we’re doing.  And I’ve got any number of Pro-Heroes in my rolodex who would just love to hear what you were thinking of doing to our beloved Principal.  You know, Pro-Heroes like Ingenium, Shoto, Deku.”

He growled. “This.  Isn’t.  Over.”

“It is for now,” Shota said. His eyes were glowing and his hair was up.  “I recommend you both leave.”

Kudo held his gaze for an impressive two seconds before looking away and starting to walk off. “Come, Uedo.” The giant grunted and followed after.

“Skyline, Aizawa, see them out,” Nemuri said.  

When the officials were out of sight, she finally let herself feel the tension she’d been feeling, nearly sinking to her knees.   That could have gone much, much worse.  

All Might helped to steady her.  “You did well, Nemuri.  Nezu would have been proud.”

She shook her head. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat. But there’s going to be consequences for this.”

“Then we’ll deal with them when they come.”

***

Thursday

“All Might,” Nemuri said as she entered the teacher’s lounge.  The school day was over and she’d already made certain that the other teachers had cause to be elsewhere.  Shota was, predictably, curled up in his sleeping bag in the corner. One of these days, he was going to have back trouble from all of that.

All Might looked up from the videos he was watching from the day’s Heroics classes.  1-C by the looks of it.  She could see Yoru Kan, their former fellow teacher Vlad King’s young daughter, and Haya Tanaka, the girl with the Comet Quirk who’d crashed into the 1-A dorms early into the term, protecting a “bomb” from other students in the class.  

The start of the term felt like a lifetime ago.  The Quirk Virus seemed to have vanished as mysteriously as it had first appeared, with no one the wiser to its origins, no matter the investigative power they had thrown at it.  

“Battle trials, eh?” she asked.  “I’m glad to see you finally learned not to start the classes with that.”

All Might gave her a sheepish grin.  “Yes, well, live and learn, I suppose…   What can I do for you, Nemuri?”

She took the seat next to him.  Super-Ball’s, judging by the decorations.  There was a picture of his husband, a man with a minor ice Quirk who worked as a bartender, if she remembered correctly, and stack of selfies, inscribed “From your friendly neighbor bouncing ball.”

All Might’s own cubicle was filled with pictures of his wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, unsurprisingly, and one picture of a pretty, smiling, muscular woman with dark hair.  There were also plenty of scribbled crayon drawings, including one where someone older had clearly helped the artist print “Super Mighty Fire Maid,” which, if she remembered correctly, was the current chosen future Hero name of his youngest granddaughter, Mako.

“It’s about the principal job,” she began.

He gave her a kind smile. “Well, if you want this old man’s opinion, you’re certainly more than qualified for it.  You’ve certainly got my support if you want it.”

Nemuri shook her head and smiled.  “I’m happy with my current position.  And we both know the Hero Commission would never accept me, especially not after the feathers I ruffled yesterday.”

“The CQR can’t possibly have that much influence…”

He may have been the former Number One Hero, but All Might was blessedly naïve at times.   “Hardly the only thing,” she said.  “But that’s definitely a contributing factor.  But I’ve been thinking it over and discussing it with some of the others.  And I’d like you to take the job.”

It was a little more complex than that, but even with the influence and “recommendations” of the Hero Commission, some degree of autonomy was assured.  Selecting staff was one of them.  It was the only reason they had some of the teachers they’d had and did.

“Me?” he asked.  “I couldn’t…”

“You’d still be able to teach some classes now and then,” she assured him.  “And keep tabs on your grandson.”

“I haven’t done that…” He wilted slightly under her gaze.  “Nearly as much lately.”

Nemuri sighed. “You’re the best of us, All Might. Even now.  With everything going on in the world right now, with Nezu gone, with the mess I just made of everything…”

Of course, she’d had the backing of the other teachers and staff when she’d told them off.  But as the Vice-Principal, she still felt it fell on her.  “We need to show the world that we’re still U.A.  That we’re still strong and capable of going forward.  We need to show them we’re still worthy of their trust.  And you inspire all of that.

“You’ve more than earned the right to do whatever you want in your golden years, All Might,” she told him. “But I’m asking you do this.  For U.A.  For the students.  Please.”

“You do know I’m absolute rubbish when it comes to paperwork, right?” he asked.  

“Then we’ll get you another secretary.  Take the damn job.”

Both their heads snapped to the corner of the room, where Shota’s head was poking out of his sleeping bag.

“How long have you been awake?” Nemuri demanded.  That damn man was still a ninja.  It was insufferable!

“Long enough,” Shota said. “Nemuri makes a convincing argument though.  Of course, if we did get shut down and I didn’t have to deal with the kids anymore, I might actually have a chance to get some decent sleep.  So do what you want.”  He rolled over and was back asleep in seconds.

“There is the matter of my replacement as the first year Heroics teacher, though,” All Might said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “This is rather serendipitous, actually.”

She sometimes forgot just how smart All Might actually was.  “I take it you’ve got someone in mind?”

He nodded.  “Yes.  He’ll take some convincing, though.  And perhaps a bit of time to get fully up to speed.”

Okay, now she was intrigued. “I’m sure we can manage an effective transition plan.  But who’re you talking about?”

He told her.   She blinked slowly for a moment, then let out a laugh that startled All Might so badly he nearly fell out of his chair.   “I knew you had a sense of humor, but…”

He shook his head. “No joke.  He needs this.  And he’ll be good for the students, ultimately.”

“That’s it,” Shota said, somehow back in their conversation, “I quit.”

“No quitting!” she snapped, fixing him with an icy glare.  “If you quit, I’ll give Hizashi permission to hang around with you all day and night.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Don’t test me, Eraser.”

Nemuri returned her attention to All Might.  “Well, I do trust your judgement.  If you can talk him into it, I think we can make it work.”

***

Saturday

With the funeral on Monday, the staff of U.A. had decided to go drinking.  There was a place near campus that Present Mic had discovered ages ago and it had been a tradition ever since. Kukiko Iida watched as Midnight carefully took the contents of the three smaller, brightly colored drinks set before her and poured them into a larger glass.  With a look of absolutely concentration, she stirred it with a straw until it turned a color Kukiko was pretty sure there wasn’t actually a word for. What was more worrying was this was the third time and the third combination the older woman had tried tonight.

Of course, given her dad’s stories about what Midnight had been like in her younger days, none of this was a surprise.  She apparently got more experimental the drunker she got.  

She leaned over to her left and whispered to Samidare, “I will give you five thousand yen if you take that and drink it.”

He gave her a look which suggested he’d rather try lying to his sister.  “Not on your life.”

“Coward.”

“I’m twelve years older than you.  I will have the hangover from hell if I drink that.  And Midnight will kill me if I come between her and her alcohol.”

“Coward,” she repeated, but leaned back over to her right.  “What about you, Michael?  You want to give it a go?  Five thousand yen.  Cash.”

Michael Skyline, despite the “stupid American jock” act he often put on to fool others (or to get out of work) was not an unintelligent man.  He shook his head, which sent his mane of blonde hair flying.  “Not on your life.”

“Don’t tell me you’re worried about hangovers too,” she teased.  “You’re only twenty-eight.”

“And you’re barely twenty-three,” he said.  “How can you drink me and Samidare under the table?”  He was on his second glass; she’d already moved on to her fourth.

“High speed metabolism,” she told him.  “And you’re a coward.”

“But I’m an alive coward,” Michael said.

“They know we can hear them, right?” Aizawa, sitting across from them, asked Hawkeye, who was sitting to his right.

“I don’t think they care,” she replied.  Both of them were still on their first drinks, sipping them slowly.

“Stop trying to be a bad influence, Iida,” Battle-Fist said.  Kendo Tetsutetsu pinched the bridge of her nose.  A gesture, Kukiko noticed, her daughter tended to copy when frustrated.

“Does it count if I’m the youngest one?” Kukiko asked.  “Can you influence up?”

“How’s your niece, by the way?” Kukikio asked.  “Your sisters were out of the fighting, right?”

“Right,” Samidare said. “Thank heavens for small favors. Tsu and Satsuki were both too far out to get involved.  But Asuka’s fine.  She got hurt earlier, before the fighting, so she wasn’t involved either.  But she’s fine now.  Whole family’s fine.  What about yours?”

“Uncle Tenya’s fine,” she said.  “Uncle Shoto too.  The Twins saw a little bit of action and Izumi wore herself out, but they’re good. As long as Momo doesn’t try and use it as an excuse to try and pull her again.  Don’t know how long Uncle Sho’ can talk her out of it.”

“Be a shame if she did. Girl’s got a lot of potential.”

Kukiko frowned. “She’s worried about her.  Guess that’s a mom’s job.”

Not all the teachers had been able to come, of course.  Doc Clock and Water Spout were busy with their new adopted daughter and most of the second and third year Hero teachers had begged off.  

“Okay, now this little beauty is complete,” Midnight said, possibly not having heard their attempts at drink thievery.  She took a long swig of her drink.

“Well?” FireFox asked, the whiskers of his red panda head twitching.  “What’s it taste like?”

Midnight considered this, licking her lips in such a way that both Samidare and Michel suck in a sharp breath.  “It tastes like… purple,” she declared after a moment.  “Veeeery purple.”

“Nemuri, dear,” a voice from the far end of the table asked, “don’t you think you ought to have some water?”

Midnight made a face and gave the green-haired woman a slightly intoxicated glare.  “Why are you here again, Inko?”

Inko crossed her arms. She only had a non-alcoholic fruit cocktail sitting in front of her.  “Because the last time you all engaged in these shenanigans, my husband came home drunk as a skunk at three in the morning and trying to sing.  So I’m here to remind you all to be responsible.” She used her Quirk and brought her drink to her hand.  “And you’re going to be, aren’t you?”

“Yes, dear,” All Might said, looking somewhat nervous at becoming the target of his wife’s ire. In their defense, All Might rarely joined their drinking excursions, claiming it was a “young person’s game” so they might have gotten a little overly encouraging when he did.  But hey, they’d made sure he’d gotten home safely, right?

Inko held Midnight’s gaze for a moment, before Midnight let out a huff.  “Fine,” she growled.  “I’ll drink some water.”

“Thank you, dear,” Inko said. FOOSH!

“What the heck, dude?!” Super Ball, who was sitting next to FireFox, asked.  “How about a little warning the next time you set your drink on fire?!”

“Fire make drink good,” FireFox told the Homeroom teacher seriously.

“I’m literally made of rubber!  What if I melted?”

“Would it shut you up?” Aizawa asked.

The table erupted into laughter over that.

“I wasn’t joking,” Aizawa deadpanned.  An awkward silence followed, as no one could tell for sure if he was joking.

“Ahem,” Midnight coughed, breaking the silence.  She stood, albeit unsteadily.  “I just want to say…  I just want to say…”  She frowned, trying to remember the words she wanted.  “I just wanted to say thank you.  All of you.  I know this past week’s been rough on all of us.  But we’ve pulled together and pushed forward.  You guys…  you guys and Mic…  you’re my family.  And I’m grateful for all of you.   We’re… we’re gonna keep going.  No matter what.”

She raised her glass. “To U.A.  And to Nezu!”

Kukikio and the others raised their glasses.  “To U.A.! To Nezu!”

***

Monday

In his many years, Toshinori had attended many funerals.  As the Number One Hero, it had been expected of him to pay his respects to his fallen breather.  He’d seen far too many fellow Heroes die in the line of duty.  Until his son had broken the back of villainy rather decisively, it had been far more common for Heroes to live hard and die with their masks on.  Even then, it was still a dangerous profession, and he felt both very guilty and very lucky that he had been able to retire and live to an old age.

There had been funerals where there had been almost no one to mourn for the fallen, like his late Master’s, just him and Gran Torino.  Others, like Best Jeanist’s, had drawn Heroes and mourners from across the country, so beloved was the man.  

For Nezu, it seemed as if the entirety of Japan had shown up.  There were Pro-Heroes, including his son and his family, and many more, many of whom had been students under Nezu.  There were police and politicians.  There were Support Equipment designers, Agency staff, and ordinary civilians, lawyers and businessmen and others, who had been students in other courses as well; Nezu had done a remarkable job connecting with all his students.  There were former U.A. teachers.   There were all sorts of current and former police officers, his friend Police Chief Naomasa Tsukauchi among them.  Even Deputy Hero Commissioner Hawks was in attendance.  

In the courtyard before the main building, a small statue of Nezu had been raised, painstakingly crafted by Pixie-Bob and Cementoss.  It depicted the Principal on a pedestal, smartly dressed as always, sipping tea from a cup and looking out over the whole campus.

Principal Nezu

Served XXXX – XXYY

“To go beyond, you must first train the mind.”

Around the statue, present and former teachers, staff, and their families had gathered.  Other mourners filled the stands of the Sports Festival, with everything being broadcast on the big screens there.

Toshinroi approached the small podium they had set up, his eyes sweeping over the assembled.  Aizawa and Emi, with Young Eri and Kota, Nemuri and Hizashi, and all the rest.  Most looked mournful, of course, but Hizashi was sobbing openly, leaning on his longtime girlfriend’s shoulder.  His eyes finally settled on Inko and he drew a moment of strength from her.

“Unlike many of you,” he began, “my time at U.A. ended before Nezu joined its staff.  I didn’t meet him until I was already an established Hero, though I’m given to understand I may have been one of the first humans he had significant contact with following his… escape.  But he has always been someone I could trust, a source of advice and wisdom, and someone I was proud to call a friend.”

He took a breath.  “Nezu made no secret of the fact that he was not, in fact, a human with animalistic characteristics, but instead an animal uplifted by the presence of his Quirk.  It would have been easy enough for him to have hidden it.  Certainly, there are members of society today who look far less like a “human” than he did.  No one would have questioned it.  But he did not believe in hiding who he was.  And he had fought, rather viciously, for his right to exist and live in the world of man.  So he would not hide.

“What fewer people know is that before he was a principal, before he was a teacher, before he was a Hero, even before he was a free citizen… Nezu was a lab rat, quite literally.   He was experimented on and tortured, daily.  It left him with scars, both mental and physical, that he carried with him every day. In those times, he saw deep injustices, firsthand.  It made him dedicated to seeing that no one should suffer as he had.  He engineered his own escape.  He studied human society and law, and successfully argued for his own freedom.  And then he set about making good on his promise to do the same by others.

“Nezu was a transformative presence at U.A.  As a teacher, he pushed for U.A. to expand its scope beyond the traditional Heroics Courses, reasoning that if U.A. were to produce the best Heroes, then should it not also produce the best Support Designers, the best managers, the best students in general?  It was Nezu that pushed for additional academic rigor, transforming it into the institution it is today.

“It is safe to say that there are many Heroes out there today who would not be the successes they are, if not for Nezu.

“And when I was at one my lowest points, the strength that had served me for decades failing and my own health falling apart, it was Nezu who showed me a new way forward.  He reminded me that I had more to offer, that I could teach the next generation of Heroes.  I wasn’t good at it at first, not by half. But with his guidance and the guidance of others, I eventually confirmed his faith in me.  Faith I am not so certain I deserved.

“But he has always made this a place for everyone, student and teacher alike, could reach their full potential, where they could feel safe.  There have been many times where there have been students in need, in need of safety, in need of an escape, in need of guidance, in need of someone who actually cared about them.

“Nezu always made sure U.A. would provide.  He had no family save for U.A. and its staff and students.

“U.A. is mostly automated, but Nezu knew the name of every single person working here, from the workers in the cafeteria to the teaching assistants, to the maintenance crew.  He knew how to make everyone feel valuable.

“And until the moment of his death, Nezu was fighting for U.A., for this country, and for its people. He was working tirelessly into the night, coming up with plans and contingencies for our safety and future.”

Toshinori paused, as a tear rolled down his cheek.  He forced himself to go on.

“He had seen the writing on the wall coming for a long time.  He had never been certain what his lifespan was, but he knew he was getting older, getting slower, even needing a cane these last few years.  But he was determined to use his every last moment for us.

“We can do no less than continue to honor his vision and go beyond.”

Toshinori looked to the statue.  “To that end, we dedicate this statue to him.  He wished to leave no earthly remains, and we have honored that request. Nezu was neither a religious nor spiritual being, but he understood the levers of faith and the power of mourning and remembrance.  We look to his vison to continue to guide us, and hope that wherever he is now, he is at peace and rest at last.”

He walked away from the podium and touched the statue.  “I will miss you, my friend.”

***

In a hidden bunker, belonging to the League of Villains, Doctor Ursa looked up from the compound he was analyzing.  The day’s news had focused on the death and funeral of U.A.’s principal.  It had captivated the League’s leader’s attention.

“A pity,” their leader said.

“Sir?” Ursa asked.

“Nezu was a remarkably intelligent creature.  Too heroic for his own good, but I am certain he, of all people, could have been made to see reason.  Still… with U.A. in chaos, our plans can continue!”

“Of course, sir,” Ursa replied.  “It will still be some time, however, even with the supplies the other members liberated while the Nomu distracted the Heroes.”

Their leader made an impatient noise.  “I suppose it will have to do.  And perhaps a little more time spent waiting for the other shoe will rattle them more.   Our Virus taught them to fear their Quirks.  The Nomu attack showed them how fragile their Heroes are.  Now… we can show them a different path.”

[prorevenge]

You okay the project for the whole team? Great turn it in to the professor tomorrow

Tl/dr; Kids in group project don’t take having a real life client seriously, 1 fails, 1 fails and doesn’t graduate, and 1 goes from A to C and screws up GPA.

  Enough of the Backstory, here are the characters, obviously no where near their real names:

Matt - Professor

Client - Store owner

Damien - Project Partner

Jeff - Project Partner

Kirk - Project Partner

Barry - Me

      The SPRING class in this story was a Implementing Business Computer Systems class. For the yearly project we had a real life client that our school volunteered the students for Pro Bono work of small business in the area. We were seniors, so we are trusted with the clients work as it is oversaw by our professor. This is a big step and I, for one, am excited. I had been doing nothing but working as a Bartender/Server in a fine dining restaurant and having my head in books learning how to code with barely any time to do much else - this was an opportunity to get a taste of the real world we were about to embark on.

      The project started out fine, we all drive thirty minutes away to meet our client. A wonderful woman that owned a small floral business and she was paying 1-800-flowers to sell her product for her, which came with a website itself and a HUGEEEE price. This lady was also in her 60s and by no means fluent in computer - this is important for later. We talk, find out she wants a new website, her contract with 1-800-assholes ends in the summer. No pressure, we will be able to finish the web site and give it to her by the end of the semester, if not earlier. This will give us time to teach her what is needed and what to do so that she can maintain and run the website by her self. Afterwards we delegate the tasks, and since I have the most extensive background in coding and computers, I volunteer to learn how to create this website for our client as long as Damien, Jeff and Kirk work on the other parts of the project - the user guide and the technical documentation. For our client, this needed to be extensive so that she would be able to post her product on the website with an easy transition.

      As we weigh our options over the next week, we come up with some proposals to the client and we set a meeting to go over these on a Tuesday - the day everybody is the most free in their schedule - the following week. Sunday - Jeff says he can't make it, Kirk quickly responds and says he can't make it either. I say its cool, Damien and I will be able to make it. Monday - Damien says we should reschedule because now he can't make it. I say no, I will go by myself we shouldn't cancel on the client - no biggie, I understand things come up. As the project went through the semester, I am killing the website. I have a working e-commerce store integrated with the stores paypal, i have a shop tab, and a featured page for in season flowers. I ask about the documentation and the user manual and I am told by the all three of them that they are working on it and will have a rough draft for me soon to check out. Cool, No problem. Time to show the client the product to see if she wants any changes or if we should just continue creating this website for her; we set a meeting with the client on a Tuesday a week or two in advance and everybody says that is okay.

      Same song, different story. Sunday - Jeff says he can't make it, Kirk quickly responds and says he can't make it either. I say its cool, Damien and I will be able to make it. Monday - Damien says we should reschedule because now he can't make it. "I say fuck no, this is a client. You don't do that to clients." So I hop my ass by myself to drive 30 minutes to meet our client. I show the Client the website and she client is happy with the product and asks us to continue and she is excited for the finished product.

      How our weeks are set up is in such a way which they start on a Wednesday and end on a Tuesday. So the last day of classes are on a Tuesday. The school then gives an extra free day that Wednesday for a "Study Day", then the exams schedule goes Thu-Fri-Sat || Mon-Tues-Wed. I am sure you can infer what students do on that Tuesday before study day. Fast forward to the end of the semester, I still haven't seen any documentation or user manual and it is due on the class' exam day, which is the first day of exam week. So a week before it is due I am told I will have the documentation and user manual in my hand before our meeting which is at 12PM that study day - Wednesday. I receive a email at 11PM on Tuesday as I am getting off work and I see that is the technical documentation and the user manual. i open it up, promptly get pissed, turn off my laptop, play some xbox and pass out before midnight. The reason being, technical documentation was 1 page and did not contain anything about the Database Schema used, the website language, the paypal information, the emails registered. Just the URL and some other information that wasn't important and was half a page long. Remember how our client was in her 60s? The user manual was 1 and a half pages long and, I shit you not, contained about 5 sentences and 3 pictures with an arrow. 0 explanation on how to use the website.

      Come to the meeting at 12pm, I show up and wait about 5 minutes. I then text everybody asking where they are at, no response. I start looking over how to fix the user manual since I obviously have to start over. While I am working on it, I haven't said anything and then Damien walks into the room.

  D: "Did you get the docs?"

Me: "Yeah. You guys really think this is finished?"

D: "Oh yeah, it should be good to turn in."

Me: "Idk, I think we should add a little more, this is for our client, she won't understand this. Where is Jeff and Kirk?"

D: " ahhahaha We all got fucked up last night after finishing up the documentation, they are probably still passed out. Also, I'm turning it in tomorrow, if you want to do anything else go ahead, but whatever I have I am turning it in. I think its ready to turn it so I won't be doing anything else, I have other classes to study for. I already have an A in this class so it doesn't matter to me and Kirk and Jeff have A's as well so they don't care at all."

      Perfect he said the magic words and then he left with a flash drive. I immediately went upstairs and told my professor, Matt, everything. I said I don't want to leave my client hanging, yes my client, not ours. Matt said that he completely understands and even commends me for wanting to stay on top of everything and not give our client a bad taste for our students. He then asks why. I simply stated, "What you are about to receive tomorrow for 'our' project is completely unacceptable. It is unfair for us and for our client to leave her hanging." I showed him the website, which he likes and then I showed him the user guide and technical documentation. I asked for an extra week to finish the documentation and user guide - as I had a plan for what it should be and needed time to create it all. Matt said absolutely, but forget about the documentation. You obviously know what is in it, just focus on the client. So I created user videos with dictation, drove to the client and showed her how to use it all, where to find the videos. I even created a program that had all the videos inside so she could have it on her desktop and the program pulled up the video of her choice for whatever she needed help with with some buttons so she wouldn't have to search folders for the videos. I gave her my contact info and said I'll be here over the summer if she ever needs help with the website or has any questions and I can swing by.

    After all of this happened and afterwards I gave an update to Matt who also had an update from me. Apparently he almost failed the rest of my group because they turned in their project by slipping an unmarked USB drive under his door. He only accepted it after they emailed him asking him if he received the USB. Matt also called our client to verify my story of the fact that they never showed for client meetings and the client told him I was the only person that has been showing up. Hearing this from other people, anybody in my group that had A's in the class leading up to the project got a C, anybody with a B in the class failed. Damien's GPA was screwed up from this class as it was a 4 hours class. Kirk and Jeff both failed and Jeff wasn't allowed to graduate and Kirk had to retake it the next semester even though he wasn't graduating. My grade which was an 84 before the project was bumped to an A. The next year Damien asked how I did in that class because he was confused about his final grade, and I simply said I did fine, received an A. He has no idea the reason why. Don't f*ck with me and my grade and I won't f*ck with you.

(source) story by (/u/sw1mm3r202)

[fictionerd]

Good to see you, friends!

Okay, okay, I know it’s TECHNICALLY Tuesday right now. I know that I can only lean on time dilation and mysterious circumstances so often, but in my defense I was doing something really important that delayed my post.

"He was playing a visual novel.”

“But it was a very engrossing and inspiring visual novel with a lot of love put into it.”

“One which you haven’t paid for because you live in an extra-dimensional Library. So you really have no excuses here, Scaleboy.”

I will FIND a way, Aria. You know that.

[Aria sighs] “Yeah, you always do.”

[Fic Sighs] Yeah. I’m sorry about that, friends. Let’s get back on target talking about this week’s Dororo, shall we?

Synopsis: So the second son of THISEST OF ASSHOLES is digging around for dirt on the secrets that Poppa Dickbag is keeping from him and receives word that it’s a baby that pops is after. He tries to confront Daddy Dickest about it but is rebuffed. So he instead turns his attention to the woes of his people. A village is being attacked by a Giant Enemy Crab.

Our misguided boy Tahomaru decides to take on this colossal foe for the sake of his one-day subjects, but is stopped cold because unlike in real feudal Japan this Giant Enemy Crab doesn’t have an obvious weakpoint to hit for massive damage. Where’s the realism Mappa? 0/10 Too much water for the GEC to take advantage of. Rather than resorting to an electric type for super effective assaults Tahomaru decides that he’ll use human ingenuity to win the day. With the help of the villagers he spends weeks constructing a set of sluice gates to lure the monster into one of the smaller lakes and then drain away its home field advantage.

This would be great and all, but he didn’t realize that the game he’s in has destructable terrain so the GEC ultimately trashes the sluice and things are looking like they might go south for Tahoe and the Fun Police, but then our ACTUAL boy Hyakkimaru shows up just in time to Kill-Steal like a fucking BOSS! As he gives Tahomaru the thousand-yard stare through his “Deal-with-it” shades Tahomaru wonders who this mysterious sword-armed stranger is exactly.

Synopsis: ((HEIKE CRAB! Breaking character for a bit. I have an odd history with this particular beastie. Back in the “Before Times” when I was a College Newbie and a TTRPG noob I tried to run a few games. One of those was a Castlevania campaign. One of the monsters I populated the game with? A Samurai spirit who appeared to all observers as a crab. It was based on a quick google search that turned up the folklore surrounding the weird face-shaped crabs. I thought: What better way to work with this than to have a Samurai Ghost whose helmet and armor are designed to emulate this crab and its legend who wins points in the surprise game by looking like a normal crab. Bonus points: It let me reference “Crab Battle” with a tiny crab kicking my adventuring party’s ass however briefly. Okay that’s enough OOC. Back to Fic.))

Weird, the text stream got interrupted. Looked like Fourth Wall interference. Whatever. The look into Tahomaru’s life was great. I like the fact that he’s really nothing like his father. Instead he emulates this idealized benevolent ruler that he sees the man as. It could have been easy to paint him as simply ambitious being his father’s son as much as Hyakkimaru is nominally their mother’s, but seeing that he genuinely believes in this land as something lifted up to greatness and wants to preserve that for the people and his father’s legacy is really great. Can’t wait to see where that goes.

Anyway. Looking forward to next episode for sure. Hopefully next week I’ll get it out before midnight on the day I’m supposed to.

Until next post keep talking fiction, friends. I’ll see you soon.

[georgiaolivia03]

A Quick Little Diddy...

Hello, 

I will not be lengthy tonight because I had a fairly uneventful day. 

1. My Miracle Morning Challenge has been severely lacking since Tuesday because I got depressed and drank 2 bottles of wine in less that 2 hours. Woke up hungover AF on Wednesday and called out of work. Just stayed in my jimmy jams all day and slept away most of the day as well. 

2. Today, Thursday, I returned to work and stayed extra hours to make up for lost time on Wednesday. I got a lot done and luckily not too many people interrupted my work. 

3. It’s technically Friday since the current time is 12:16am but I don’t do that shit where it’s like “Oh it’s after midnight so that means its Friday!” Nah, bitch, I didn’t go to sleep yet so it’s still fucking Thursday. 

Sorry for the cursing and lack of depth but I’m quite sober and not at all as moody as usual. 

Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow!!!

G.O.

[gingerambition]

Ginger vs. Labor Day Weekend

While you were in The Hamptons enjoying your last weekend to wear your white supremacy, I was smacking murses butts and gearing up for a sexual harassment case. Just kidding, the only butt involved was my own, at an urgent care, getting 2 shots because, “well, technically you should be in the ER because we don’t do IV antibiotics here, but we’re gonna give you a couple shots and hope that works.” Mad respect for the blatant medical procrastination and pure laziness approach, very ballsy, which I’m usually all about - like that is my healthcare aesthetic to a T and my personal recommendation to replace Obamacare - but it didn’t work. I should’ve known since it typically takes about 4 shots for me to feel anything, including joy.

I spent three days and two nights posted up in a twin size bed at the hospital with a kidney infection. It was like the world’s shittiest sleepover party where instead of staying up until 2 AM playing 20 questions with boys over AIM asking boxers or briefs, a nurse is drawing your blood in the same spot for the 8th time. Hand to God, not the first time I’ve half-asleep said, “try another hole.” The nurses kept trying to get me to walk around the halls in my anti-slip crew socks with my IV poll and I was like F to the no am I walking around braless and hunched over like the evil queen in Snow White. If I can’t at least duct tape my tits together I am not leaving my bed. (Yes, that is an actual thing I would do in college when mesh back bodycon dresses were trendy, and apparently still are if your last name is Kardashian. Nice little duct tape bridge across the mosquito bites does the trick every time. Easy to take off when you’re drunk, hard to explain in the morning when it looks like the dude robbed a Home Depot.) 

This all started Tuesday AM when I began having some aggressive back pain. At first I thought oh my god, are my boobs big enough to complain about my back hurting?! But then I looked down and could still see my feet, so no. From there I assumed, and my primary care doctor agreed, I just inflamed some muscles unpacking boxes of my literal relationship baggage Monday night because my ex finally shipped my stuff and I was thrilled to go through 3 boxes all labeled “wine glasses.” 

Skip ahead like my parents watching “Game of Thrones” to Friday night, and I’m puking, shivering under a blanket wearing an off the shoulder top so I legit look naked, and taking a bean bag to the face for being lame at a pregame. Obviously I didn’t make it out. The following urgent care details, ER visit #1 Sunday AM, and ER visit #2 Sunday PM, are boring and nothing like Seattle Grace, but it was basically multiple male doctors mansplaining a UTI to me. 

Just for a little background info I’ve had an unusually high number of these in my lifetime, probably close to 30, and if you’re a girl you fucking KNOW when you have one. No part of you is like, “Mayyyyyybe it’s a UTI? Idk, I’ll finish my Panera you-pick-two, chug a La Croix and see if I feel better.” No, if you’ve had a UTI your only thought is, is this urge to pee legit or nah. When you finally get to squeeze those two drops out it feels like birthing a thousand hot steak knives like you’re the dishwasher at a god damn Outback. But yes Dr., please go on about “vaginal irritation” after I’ve already told you I’ve had both a UTI and a kidney infection before. 

One of the tests they did was an ultrasound to check out my lady tubing and the doctor must’ve referred to me as a “unmarried young female” like a thousand times. “We run this test on unmarried young females . . . avoiding radiation on unmarried young females . . . paints a really clear picture for unmarried young females . . . “ Fairly certain I involuntarily rolled my eyes every time he said it too. I must’ve looked as crazy as I actually am.

I don’t even known how I got the kidney infection in the first place. Certainly not the fun way of forgetting to pee after drunk sex. Haven’t been chilling in any wet bathing suits or sitting spread eagle in a bubble bath lately either. The last time I had a kidney infection was 2012 while was dating my ex and I thought, if that dick can put me in the ER, that is the dick for me. I legitimately had that on my list of reasons why I thought he was “the [first] one.” I sure know how to pick ‘em, huh?

Anyway, I briefly moved into the hospital, watched a shit ton of TV, ate my weight in cubed citrus jello, and stole a mug because if I am going to pay 10k for this weekend and not leave the state I want a souvenir. Didn’t meet a single attractive nurse, doctor, surgeon, urologist, or food services employee. I barely slept because CT scans after midnight are apparently a thing and if I did fall asleep it wasn’t for long because sleeping with your IV hand under your head fucking hurts. Now I’m home, unable to drink for 9 more days (not that I have a countdown like its Christmas) and have just enough energy to stay awake but not enough to be productive. Good thing I drunk bought a dart board on Amazon last weekend. Until next time tacos and hot dogs.

[skylain]

A “should we know us a little better” tag

RULES: you must answer these 92 statements and tag 20 people

Tagged by @thatdorktori​ (Thank you so much friend!  I LOVE these!)

THE LAST:

1. Drink: Water, with fruit punch Crystal Light in it

2. Phone call: My grandparents; Nana and Papa.  They’re the best <3

3. Text message: My mom

4. Song you listened to: Since I’m playing Dark Souls 3, it’d be “Soul of Cinder: Phase 2″

5. Time you cried: Pretty sure I wake up with tears in my eyes daily because my dreams really touch my heart...but last time I genuinely cried?  Few weeks ago, I think.  Hard to say.

6. Dated someone twice: Yeah

7. Kissed someone and regretted it: Negatory

8. Been cheated on: Unfortunately

9. Lost someone special: Sadly

10. Been depressed: For over 7 years now.  Had a few suicide attempts...bad territory.  But I’m always willing to share, talk, help, and compare metaphorical scars.  There’s always someone who loves you.  

11. Gotten drunk and thrown up: Yep, first time, only time.  Never gonna do it again

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS:

12-14: Blue, black, gray

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU:

15. Made new friends: Certainly!

16. Fallen out of love: Nope

17. Laughed until you cried: I believe so.  

18. Found out someone was talking about you: You bet

19. Met someone who changed you: Absolutely, in very good ways.

20. Found out who your friends are: Big time

21. Kissed someone on your Facebook list: Without a doubt

GENERAL:

22. How many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: Nearly all of them.  Some are musicians in bands I like that I’ve made friends with.

23. Do you have any pets: Yes and no.  No pets in my home, my mom is allergic.  BUT Nana and Papa have three cats...Scottie, BG (Beautiful Girl), and Namine.  I also consider my buddy Don’s cat, Striborg, to be my pet, as well as my friend Dan’s cat, Link.

24. Do you want to change your name: Wouldn’t be out of the question.

25. What did you do for your last Birthday: Went to a Brazilian Steakhouse with Kairi, had my first legal drink, got ice cream, came home, and cuddled and snuggled

26. What time did you wake up: Today?  Like...5

27. What were you doing at midnight last night: Playin’ Dark Souls 3

28. Name something you can’t wait for: FYWROK (Fuck You We Rule O K) trip!  Weekend-long punk fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Going with my best buds, Don and Kelly, leaving on Tuesday!  

29. When was the last time you saw your mom: Few hours ago before she went to bed

30. What is one thing you wish you could change in your life: The mistakes I made with Kairi.  I hope that damage can be healed...

31. What are you listening right now: The fan in my room whirring, the birds outside waking up and chirping

32. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: My dad was named Tom, and I have a friend in Fredonia named Tom.

33. Something that is getting on your nerves: My actions in the last year

34. Most visited Website: YouTube n’ Tumblr

35. Mole/s: Skin tag right around my armpit, that’s about it.  Had two moles removed though, from the left side of my neck.

36. Mark/s: Nothing really, but I have a cool scar on my elbow the looks like the Quake logo!

37. Childhood dream: To enjoy life to its fullest and not be bogged down but the world

38. Hair color: Naturally? Normal brown.  Currently?  Green.  In a few days?  Red and black

39. Long or short hair: Normally on the shorter side, but my I’m working on that depression growth.  Gonna swing by my buddy Gabe’s place before FYWROK to get it cut.  If my hair was straight I’d grow that shit the fuck out, but it’s curly and...bleh.

40. Do you have a crush on someone: Technically yes, technically no.

41. What do you like about yourself: I’m smart, witty, charismatic, have great music taste...and I know good food.

42. Piercings: Nay

43. Bloodtype: UGH I had to trek ALL THE FUCKING WAY across my room to get my donor’s card... A-

44. Nickname: Sora

45. Relationship status: Single off of a 4 year relationship as of a few months ago...it’s complicated, but bottom line, we both needed a break, time to grow and develop ourselves.  I took her for granted, did a number on her even though she loved me passionately still...and we just needed time apart.  But everyone in my life believe that it’s real, and we can indeed make it happen again after we heal.

46. Zodiac: Capricorn

47. Pronouns: He/Him

48. Favorite TV Show: Something current?  Black Mirror

49. Tattoos: Nothing yet, but once I have those dolla dolla bills, you bet your ass

50. Right or left hand: Right

51. Surgery: On my wisdom teeth last year...and on my balls in 2011.  Testicular torsion.  Worst.Shit.Ever.

52. Piercing: You asked this 10 questions ago

53. Sport: Olympic nothingness

55. Vacation: Anything, anytime, anywhere.

56. Pair of trainers: Boy I go barefoot, come on now

MORE GENERAL:

57. Eating: Stinger Sub from Picasso’s 

58. Drinking: Nothing, currently

59. I’m about to: Eat some more

61. Waiting for: The inevitable sweet release of death

62. Want: Kairi

63. Get married: One day

64. Career: I’ll take it under advisement, forward that to my secretary.  I’ll get back to you on that.

WHICH IS BETTER?:

65. Hugs or kisses: THEY’RE EQUAL

66. Lips or eyes: Eyes.  They capture my soul.

67. Shorter or taller: Don’t really care

68. Older or younger: Doesn’t matter

70. Nice arms or nice stomach: Boy really now?

71. Sensitive or loud: Both, depends on the situation, boss

72. Hook up or relationship: Relationship, definitely.

73. Troublemaker or hesitant: Troublemaker, no doubt.  I’m not as bad as some of my friends, but regardless, my halo is a tarnished pinhole.

HAVE YOU EVER:

74. Kissed a stranger: Indeed

75. Drank hard liquor: I prefer it to beer

76. Lost glasses/contact lenses: Nope, somehow I manage good track of that shit

77. Turned someone down: I think so?  Not sure.  I’m kinda particular.

78. Sex in the first date: Definitely not.

79. Broken someones heart: As much as I hate to admit it, I know indeed that I have

80. Had your heart broken: Shattered

81. Been arrested: Technically.  I was 15, almost got charged with petty larceny.  Nice.

82. Cried when someone died: No doubt

83. Fallen for a friend: Yep

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

84. Yourself: I try my best to

85. Miracles: You sexy thing

86. Love at first sight: Not love, but definitely the beginnings

87. Santa Claus: Y E S

88. Kiss in the first date: If it is appropriate, then yes

89. Angels: There are indeed some girls out there who are

OTHER:

90. Current best friends name: Don and Kelly

91. Eyecolor: Brown like mud! <3

92. Favorite movie: Mr. Nobody (Extended Cut of course)

Sorry to disappoint but I don’t know 20 people that I can tag that’d do this, so I’ll throw one at this boy @waffle--kun, because he loves this shit as much as I do.

As for the rest...

ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO DO THIS CAN CONSIDER THEMSELVES TAGGED!

[rachsmashing]

Birth

Since this is technically a blog site I’m going to jot down some of my thoughts and story of childbirth. It’s more for me to read back if I ever have another baby because I’d like to do things slightly differently next time !

Saturday 24th June 2017:

I went into hospital to be induced. At that point I was desperate to get baby out ! My blood pressure was really really really high when I went to the midwife but every time I went to get checked out by a doctor it was back to normal so I was fed up of driving back and forth to hospital every week. When I reached my due date they induced me. I was happy.

I got settled into hospital and was induced around 3pm. The first pessary didn’t kick start things enough so I had to get another one. The first wasn’t too bad but the second was awful. So sore and uncomfortable.

While waiting for my next check I was having contractions every 20 minutes and couldn’t sleep at all. A nurse gave me a diamorphine injection and I was out like a light. Best sleep ever.

Sunday 25th June :

I was checked again at roughly 6am and was 7cm dilated so almost ready to go. Just had to wait for a labour suite to become available.

It took bloody ages to get a room. I was in pain by this point and just desperate to get the bloody baby out of me haha.

Finally got a room about 11pm Sunday - yes it took that long. So annoying.

Walked down myself because I didn’t wanna wait longer for someone to bring a wheelchair haha.

Everything that happened in the labour ward is blurry. Time made no sense to me. I was hooked up to a hormone drip to get things going quicker and I had gas and air. It seems like I was waiting for ages then suddenly I was pushing and the reality of having a baby hit me. I was in agony because of the way I was sitting , my back pain was worse than labour pains. I’ve suffered from back pain for years but everyone kept telling me it was just because of baby. It bloody wasn’t so shut it.

Monday 26th June (midnight):

I was pushing for hours but to me it felt like nothing. The head was crowning but wasn’t doing much more. The midwife said she would have to give me an episiotomy. Basically cut my vag to make more space haha. I remember the local anaesthetic and then a weird feeling of cutting and then baby Robin flopping out of me. Best way I can describe it lol.

After that things went tits up. I remember seeing Robin for about two seconds and then things went blurry. Everyone started panicking I could feel the energy change in the room. Suddenly people were rushing in and hooking me up to all sorts. Lots of drugs getting injected and a doctor shouting at me to open my eyes. Then saying I was bleeding lots and needed stitches asap. This doctor was at the foot of the bed digging around inside me for what felt like an eternity. I was drifting in and out of consciousness and remember very little.

After all that I think I slept for a while. Robin was born at 5.44am and the next memory I have is from roughly 8am.

Ryan was amazing throughout all of this and he went to tell our families that our baby had arrived at 8 ish once I was awake again.

After 5 minutes of calm it was back to stress. Robin was plonked on me and a midwife tried to milk me like a cow to get colostrum out. I had two canulas and could hardly lift the weight of my own arm let alone hold a baby.

I fucking hated that woman. She was your typical hard ass. She was treating me like an idiot, no sympathy and blaming me for not being able to hold Robin. Thankfully Ryan and I are strong people and we stood up for ourself and told her what’s what haha. Don’t talk to me like that ya bitch !

Robin didn’t latch on but she got some milk from a syringe and my finger.

I got back to the ward and was so happy to be away from that woman. The trip up in the hospital bed, holding my daughter was the first time I felt relaxed and happy.

Ryan had gone home for a sleep but came back around lunch time.

I had slept as well and tried to feed Robin every chance I could. I was hellbent on breastfeeding but that’s another story for another long post.

A doctor came to tell me what had happened during the birth. The episiotomy hadn’t gone to plan and a major vein had been cut. I lost over 2l of blood so no wonder I had no clue what was happening. I needed a blood transfusion, possibly three bags, I wasn’t looking forward to that.

The family came to visit (my parents and sisters, Ryan’s Mum and sister) and it was lovely. Everyone got cuddles and I felt proud and relaxed again.

Tuesday 27th June :

We got home at 4pm. Thank fuck. I instantly felt 100% better being in my own house. I hate hospitals and I think I do better with things on my own. I wasn’t scared to have this tiny baby with us, I was excited. I felt very ready to be a mum.

NEXT TIME -

After that long rant that probably only I will ever read (which is fine it’s mainly for me anyway) I am going to list some things I would do differently.

Induction - I don’t want to be induced again. I know there’s not much choice involved but I would do anything to avoid it.

Birthing position - I was lying back, the typical tv pose. I hated it. I want to squat next time and maybe a water birth. Anything but that lying back position. So painful for me personally and I felt I couldn’t get enough grip to push hard.

Drugs - I just had gas and air and didn’t use it much because I wanted to feel everything. Sounds weird but I thought about the women giving birth in the past with no drugs or women today with no access and I wanted a raw experience. It’s a natural thing so I can handle the pain ! After birth I said next time I’ll get an epidural and go the whole hog but I’ve actually changed my mind again. I managed fine with gas and air so I can do it again. I hear negatives about epidurals so I’d like to avoid it again.

Breastfeeding - again there’s a whoooole massive story that goes with this but basically I felt like I was failing and I gave Robin formula in hospital because I was scared she would starve to death. Obviously looking back it was stupid and now that I have been breastfeeding for 9 months I have the power of hindsight.

Next time I will have a better experience at the start. I feel like I’ve got the breastfeeding skills and knowledge now so next time should be easy. Hopefully.

So thats it really. Wouldn’t change much else. On the whole pregnancy was a breeze. The birth had its scares but in the end we were all ok and we got home quickly to start our life as a family.

Hope you enjoyed that ridiculous story. That was the short version ! A hell of a lot more happened but I couldn’t possibly type anymore.

Hopefully I will remember to read this if I get pregnant again :)