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inky-duchess · 4 years ago

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Fantasy Guide to Make-Up and Cosmetics

If I am to be completely honest with you all, I know nothing about make-up. Those little brushes and endless sponges mean nothing to me except the fact that they are really soft and sometimes shiny. I don't wear makeup so you can imagine how useless I am at modern make-up.

However, history is my jam and I know about what make-up they use centuries ago. So never fear @theflyingravenbird I got you.

Ingredients and Applications

Make-up and cosmetics of the past were usually sourced from natural ingredients. The more difficult the ingredients were the more expensive the cosmetic was. Natural dies such as red ochre and berries were used to stain lips or colour powder to use as blusher to add colour to the lips. For examples:

Geishas of Japan are probably the most recognizable make-up wearers in the world. Historically and in some more traditional okiyas, the geishas painted their faces with rice powder to give them that unbroken, white complexion. A popular recipe for their crimson lipsticks involved extracting pigment from crushed safflower petals.

Henna paste made from the eponymous plant can be used as hair dye and to trace designs on the feet and hands.

Kohl is a black powder that is famous for its popularity in Egyptian Cultures and even the Persian Empire. Kohl lines the eyes like modern eyeliners and is found when one grounds stibnite. Kohl actually had the luck of preventing eye infections which no doubt helped in the climate of Egypt and beyond.

The Phoenicians used powdered metals of gold, silver and other metals to dust their faces. This is reputably thought to denote their wealthy status.

Rouge or blusher has had numerous recipes throughout history. The Ancient Egyptians made rouge from red ochre and animal fat. The Romans made their rouge from lead and cinnabar, which sounds about as bad for you as you think it does. The Ancient Greeks made it from pressed mulberries or other fruits such as beet and strawberries. The Ancient Chinese made rouge from extracts of coloured flowers.

Ancient Chinese cultures used a mixture of gumarabic, gelatin, beeswax, and eggs to stain their nails. The colors were often used to denote social class. Gold and silver was worn by royalty or black and red. The lower classes were not prohibited to wear bright colours.

Lipstick has also a few recipes. Egyptians used pounded carmine, a kind of insect, to smear on their lips. Other ancient civilizations used red ochre. Vermilion (though toxic) was also used, along with crushed flowers with red pigment mixed with beeswax during the Elizabethan period.

During the late Elizabeth and then again in the Baroque period, women and some men began to paint their faces with white powder. The layer of white lead and vinegar, or ceruse was popular for tears despite the hair loss and death it caused.

Make Up Tools

Powderpuffs: the powderpuff was a pad of soft material meant to apply powder to one's face. They were made of feathers, cotton or sheep's fleece.

Brushes: Brushes have been been around for ever. They have been found in some of the earliest Egyptian tombs. The brushes were often made from animal hair with wooden or more expensive handles.

Pots of pigment, scents and ointments: Some early tombs excavated from ancient civilizations have included what amounts to a palette (thank you lil sis for that word). The pigments in the pots would be very expensive. Ointments and balms have also been found. Perfumes were very popular in antiquity and made a recurrence in Europe after the Crusades (which helped since some of the make up smelled awful).

Make Up and Social standing

Though make up is rather popular now, it had a rather uncertain rise to popularity.

Most Ancient civilizations wore some kind of cosmetic. The overuse of cosmetics in ancient times was frowned on as prostitutes and actors often wore dramatic make up however the elite often smeared themselves with powders to make them paler and redden their cheeks.

In the Middle Ages, makeup had a dual reputation. The Church frowned on it because it was again popular with prostitutes and actors but it was a common consensus that if the woman was scarred from smallpox or some other disease she was excused from being labelled as vain.

In the late Elizabethan period, theatres were getting more popular and as was makeup. Actors began wearing make up more frequently as did the elite. Elizabeth I herself was infamous for her milk-white skin. Make up became more sociably acceptable among the rich and noble at this point.

The 1700s probably saw the height of make up madness. Both women and men of the elite powdered themselves with white lead paint. They rouged their cheeks to high pigment and stuck small dots of felt to cover blemishes. The commons began to poke fun at the elite's strange obsession with looking like they've lost all their blood. Dandies and painted noblewomen were often poked fun at by pamphlets and satirical cartoons.

The Victorians frowned on make up, thinking it garish and common. Queen Victoria herself denounced make up as uncouth which lead the elite to abandon it in droves. However, most women prized a clear complexion so there was a lot of secret make-up-ing going on.

During the Edwardian period and the 1920s, make up began to get more popular. Older more respectable women began trying makeup to fresh their complexion. The younger generations began to experiment with makeup leading to the infamous smokey eye look.

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cardcaptorcoconut · 6 years ago

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Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Arc Chapter 33 Translation

Happy April, everyone! Hope you’re having a good month so far. :) I went for a walk on Tuesday and got to see some nice cherry blossoms (thankfully before the wind started knocking them all off the trees!)

Here is the translation for this month’s chapter. Thank you to @meimi-haneoka as always for proofreading for me and for her help with a few tricky lines this time.

☆★Translations Notes Reminder★☆

Disclaimer: These are just fan translations. Please support the official release.

Chapter 33

Cover Page: “Come on! Take the hand of someone important to you.”

P1 Akiho: (They’re) delicious! Kaito: Thank you very much. Akiho: These are Dacquoise, right?

[Note: Information on the Dacquoise dessert can be found here.]

Kaito: Yes. I made them with buttercream this time. Akiho: Strawberry with coffee flavor! Kaito: And also…

P2 Akiho: Chocolate (ones).

[Lit: Chocolate flavoring.]

Akiho: (These) are delicious too! Momo: <thinking> Chocolate… Momo: <menacing thoughts and aura> You’ve left some (for me), haven’t you, Yuna D. Kaito? Akiho: Are (these called) Dacquoise because they resemble duck’s bill?

[Note: I think because Akiho speaks English, she’s comparing the sound of Dacquoise to “duck”…?]

P3 Kaito: Oh. Akiho: Oh. Momo: <to herself> Oh? Kaito: (If I recall, I believe) the word originates from the French hot spring (resort area), “Dax”…

[Note: It looks like there was a spelling error in Nakayoshi this month – they spelled ダクス (Dax) as ダスク (Dusk). Google-fu confirms that Dax is spelled as ダク�� in Japanese.]

Akiho: I-I-I-I-I’m sorry! I guessed wrong! Kaito: Not at all. They certainly do look like duck bills.

P4 Akiho: <blushing> I really… don’t know… anything… Akiho: I’ll (keep) reading a lot more books! Akiho: And I’ll remember a lot more things for sure…! Akiho: …Kaito-san? Kaito: Akiho-san, you’ve already committed (more than) enough to memory.

[Lit: Akiho-san, you already remember enough things.]

P5 Akiho: …… <Kaito abruptly gets up to exit the room> Kaito: I also made plum jam. I’ll go bring (some). <Akiho looks on with concern> Momo: ……

P6 Kaito: Tina, Rie, Atropos. Reveal in broad light what was hidden.

[Note: It’s interesting to note here that Kaito’s chant has changed to include “Atropos” – one of the Three Fates in Greek Mythology. On second look at the word Tina, it’s possible that this too refers to Greek Mythology, specifically "Tinia” (Zeus).]

P7 <A portal of some kind appears to open>

P8 Kaito: …They really never learn, do they? Kaito: Even if the Sorcerer’s Society elites all gather together and (cast their spells), they’re weak and afraid of destroying (their) bodies… The (results) will be the same so long as (you refuse) to make use of time magic.

[Alt: …so long as time magic isn’t made use of.]

P9 Kaito: (I command that time stop.)

[Lit: Time, be stopped.]

P10 & P11 Kaito: As time stops, so does (the) spell. Kaito: And… if it’s stopped, then it’s easily broken.

P12 Kaito: (As) I’ve already explained many times. Kaito: Well, (they) know the “magic tool” (they) worked so hard to create is almost complete, so (it figures they) won’t just wait around (doing nothing).

P13 <Kaito’s hand and/or existence(?) flickers> Kaito: …… Kaito: “This” can’t be stopped. Kaito: Hopefully this time, (you’ll) make the card (we’re) aiming for, Sakura-san…

[Note: I put “we’re” here because Kaito’s sentence is a bit ambiguous.]

P14 <Scene changes to Sakura and toddler Syaoran> Sakura: Hoeeeeeeeee!! Sakura: I-I’m (so) sorry! Sakura: Uh… Um! Syaoran-kun… now (you’re)… little!! You’ve turned so small!!

P15 Syaoran: …It seems that way, huh. Sakura: Wha!? Wha!? Syaoran: (Physically, I’ve turned into a child, but I’m still me).

[Lit: My body/appearance has become a child, but my consciousness is the same as present day.]

Sakura: I-is that so? Syaoran: Yeah. (I can tell), Sakura.

[Alt: Yeah. I still know you, Sakura.]

<Sakura breathes a sigh of relief> Sakura: ……

P16 Sakura: <to herself> He’s adorable! Sakura: <to herself> So this is what Syaoran-kun was like when he was (young).

[Lit: …little.]

Sakura: <to herself> I wonder roughly how old this is? His voice is a little higher too. Sakura: <to herself> He’s. So. Cute!!

P17 Syaoran: …This is probably because you’d just wished that “we’d met when we were even younger.” Sakura: So that’s why you turned small…? Syaoran: I think so. Sakura: I’m sorry! Syaoran: (You) can’t control the magic, so it can’t be helped. Syaoran: But, at this rate…

P18 <Syaoran trips and falls> Sakura: Syaoran-kun!? Sakura: Ha… ha… Sakura: HANY~AN! <3

P19 Syaoran: Wha? Sakura: <embarrassed> AH! Sakura: D-Did that hurt!?

[Lit: Didn’t that hurt?]

Syaoran: <cuffs his pant legs> I-I’m… I’m okay. Syaoran: If this is also (caused by) your power… Sakura: …then if I (capture) the card, you’ll return to normal.

P20 Sakura: Release! Sakura: … Syaoran: I want to be the me who’s the same age as you, so I can be of some help.

[Lit: おれはさくらと同じ時間を生きているおれで力になりたい…the “me” who is living the same time as you.]

P21 Syaoran: Besides, we can make memories from this point on together. Sakura: …Yeah. Sakura: You who is without a master, by (the power of) this staff of dreams, I command you to become my strength. Sakura: Secure!

P22 <Sakura seals the card>

P23 <Syaoran returns to normal> Sakura: …(What a relief.)

[Lit: I’m so glad.]

P24 <The Rewind card looks just like baby Syaoran> Sakura: Hany~an!! <Scene changes to Kaito> Kaito: It’s a cute card, but that’s too bad. While it’s close, it’s not -that- “magic”. Kaito: (At this point), it can’t be helped that Sakura-san’s realized she’s been making the cards by herself.

[Alt: Having come this far, there’s nothing to be done about Sakura realizing…]

Kaito: However, it would still be somewhat troublesome if (I was to be mentioned.)

P25 <Kaito uses a spell> Syaoran: There’s something else I want to tell you. Syaoran: What happened today (was) Shi… Syaoran: …… Sakura: Syaoran-kun?

P26 Syaoran: …Sa…kura. Sakura: Y-yes? Syaoran: Yu…… Syaoran: <thinking to himself> When I try to bring up Shinomoto or that butler, my voice won’t come out…

P27

Syaoran: …… <Syaoran tries to write down what he’s thinking instead> Syaoran: <thinking> I can’t move. <Syaoran tries to write, but ends up writing “Sakura”> Sakura: …Y-yes. Syaoran: So (I’m) being (restrained) by a spell.

[Lit: …stopped…]

P28 Syaoran: <thinking> Considering (how powerful that guy is), even (the others) won’t be able to tell Sakura anything.

[Lit: Considering the strength of that magician… / Note: The actual Japanese for the second part of the sentence here is おれ以外からでもさくらに伝えることは出来ないだろう – meaning help can’t be given “even from someone other than me.”]

P29 Syaoran: No matter what happens, I will protect you. Narration: Ordeals come at Sakura & Syaoran…! Don’t miss the next issue either!!

[Alt: ...You (won’t be able to look away from) the next issue either!!]

#cardcaptor sakura #card captor sakura #cardcaptor sakura clear card arc #card captor sakura clear card arc #clear card arc #ccs #ccs clear card arc #translations: clear card arc

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ladyvegeets · 6 years ago

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Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BULMA! (This prompt for Kathryn).

The morning sun shone brightly against the white marble countertops in Capsule Corp.’s kitchen. Vegeta, however, had better things to do than marvel at the beauty of the day. He needed to fuel-up before training. Now that Kakarot was back from the dead, a fire was lit under him. Super Saiyan 3 his ass. What a ridiculous form. Wasteful. He would find a new form, a better one, then Kakarot would be the one needing to play catch-up for once.

Vegeta was on his third bowl of breakfast when something at waist-height spoke up in a tentative voice. “Papa?”

Pausing mid-bite, he looked down to where his son was. The small boy’s face was set in determination, hands fisted, his cheeks puffed in an attempt to bolster his nerves. Vegeta had seen the same expression on the boy during their training sessions. Trunks was trying to put on a brave front.

“I need help.”

Vegeta’s brow hitched up. It was rare for Trunks to ask him for help. The boy knew his father favored a rather brutal hands-on approach to learning. Sink or swim. Fight or die. No one came to Vegeta for help unless they were really, truly desperate.

This ought to be good.

When Trunks saw that his request wasn’t instantly refused, he pulled something out from behind his back. A magazine, folded open to a shiny picture of a strawberry cake, was cautiously pushed across the kitchen counter for his inspection.

“I want to make this,” he explained. “But I don’t really know how.”

A cake? The boy was pestering him about dessert? Vegeta pushed the picture back. “Ask your mother.” She was, after all, far better at cooking than he was.

“I can’t. It’s for Mom.”

Wait… Vegeta glanced at the calendar on the fridge door and grimaced. Tomorrow’s date was circled in thick red marker: August 18th. Bulma’s birthday.

Damnit. He had spent enough years on Earth to know that celebrating one’s birth was something of a big deal, especially to Bulma. So far he had managed to avoid most events, scraping by with the bare minimum of effort. But now that he was married, he got the feeling that his usual recalcitrance wouldn’t be so well tolerated.

“We have to do something,” Trunks pleaded, eyes the same as Bulma’s looking hopefully up at him.

That woman… She had housed him. Kept him well provided for, far better than the Frieza Force ever had. Took care of him, gave him company even when he didn’t want it. Especially when he didn’t want it. She had… loved him. Bore his son. And somehow found it within herself to forgive him after the world tournament.

If there was one person he would suffer for, one person he would endure some overly sentimental display of affection for, it was her. He still woke up some nights, sweating and shaking with nightmares of her being eaten alive.

Her birthday deserved to be celebrated.

He sighed, pushing his breakfast away. So much for surpassing Kakarot today. “Read me the goddamn ingredients.”

-[Read more under the break, or over on AO3 / FFnet]-

~xox~

Vegeta and Trunks (who stood on a step-stool next to him) stared at the horrible mush in the bowl they had been laboring over. Somewhere they had gone horribly awry but Vegeta wasn’t ready to take the blame on this one.

Unfortunately, Trunks had inherited his parents’ bluntness. “I think you did it wrong.”

Vegeta’s jaw clenched, shooting the boy a withering side-eye, but he had to agree. The crushed flower petals drifting sadly in the oily-yolky water looked nothing like Earth food he was familiar with. Two and a half cups of ‘flower’; Vegeta had been skeptical, but Trunks confirmed that’s what the recipe called for. So out they went to the garden and picked some of Bulma’s favorite roses to make the cake.

Trunks continued to stir the ingredients, but his shoulders were slumped in sad defeat. The poor kid. He had only wanted to surprise his mother for her birthday. It wasn’t his fault he was lumped with a father whose nearest home-making ability was how to cook one’s goose. Vegeta made a mental note to learn a few more domestic skills from here on out.

The red circled 18th loomed over them from the fridge door. Like hell he was giving up this easily. “We’ll adapt.”

Trunks looked up at him, brow creasing in confusion. ��Adapt?”

“Yes. We’re Saiyan Elite. You think one cake can beat us? Besides, we know your mother better than a magazine, don’t we?”

Trunks’s eyes light up at his father’s words, a smile forming on his face. “Of course we do!”

“Exactly. So, what’s the most important ingredient?”

“Strawberries.”

Vegeta nodded. He rested his hand on Trunks’ soft head and leaned in, his eyes shining with the light of a predator sighting its prey. “Then bring me every strawberry-flavored thing in this house.”

The glint in Trunks’ gaze reflected Vegeta’s. “Yes, Sir!”

~xox~

“Mom?”

Bulma blinked open her eyes, grey pre-dawn light filtering in through the window. The soft glow haloed the lilac hair of her boy who stood next to her bed. Bulma smiled and half sat up, blinking open sleepy-eyes.

“Trunks, honey? What is it?”

Her son hefted something up, offering a bowl to her proudly. “Happy Birthday!”

“Oh, Trunks, it’s… lovely,” Bulma struggled to think of a complimentary adjective as she took the dish from her son.

What was it? If she didn’t know better, it looked like something had been murdered, scooped into a dish, and gelatined. Then decorated with one unlit candle, stabbed haphazardly in the middle. The whole thing smelt cloyingly sweet, reeking of artificial strawberries like some teenage girl’s body wash.

“Papa and I made it for you,” Trunks announced as he climbed onto the bed, sitting on her legs and watching her with anticipation.

Bulma put a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Your father helped you?”

“Yep! It was supposed to be a cake but we adapted the recipe. We’re Saiyan elite, you know. Mom, you like pudding, don’t you?”

Bulma stared at the cooking disaster, wishing she could have seen her husband and son in the kitchen together. Something remarkably like a soggy flower-petal peeked out from the reddish-brown sludge. “Oh, of course. What uh… How did you adapt the recipe exactly?”

Trunks looked up as he tried to remember. “Okay, so, there are strawberries, and strawberry jell-o, and strawberry syrup, and um—”

Okay, so far it didn’t sound too bad.

“And strawberry mints, and strawberry jam, and strawberry yogurt, and coffee, and—”

“Coffee?”

“You like coffee too, right?”

“Right. Of course.”

Trunks beamed and continued to list off more strawberry products while Bulma lifted the spoon to get a better look at her ‘pudding’. It dribbled back into the bowl the way blood-colored snot might.

Kami, save her.

“Okay, Trunks, I uh, think I get the picture,” she put an end to him listing off all the ingredients. Maybe it was best she didn’t know what it was made of.

Trunk watched her playing with it. “Aren’t you going to try some?”

Bulma hoped her dismay didn’t show through her smile. Trunks had clearly worked hard to make it for her. It was the least she could do to sample some. Perhaps this was divine punishment for not having given either her son or husband cooking lessons. She picked up the spoon and wondered if the dragon balls could wish her back from food poisoning.

“Oi. The candle,” Vegeta barked from the doorway.

Oh thank fuck, she was saved.

Trunks turned around. “Oh right! Can’t you light it?”

“You want me to break your mother’s rule on her birthday?”

No ki in the house. Less things got broken that way.

“But—”

“No buts. Get the lighter from the kitchen.”

Trunks hurried off the bed to comply. “Okay, okay. Mom, don’t eat any until I get back. I wanna watch your reaction!”

Oh boy, he really didn’t have to worry about that.

Her husband waited until Trunks was out of earshot before he approached her on the bed. From behind his back he pulled out another bowl, this one filled with a much more pleasing pink pudding. “We owe your mother one,” he explained, not quite meeting her eyes. Aw, he was embarrassed! Bulma’s heart tightened. Vegeta wasn’t big on sentimentality, or cooking, or asking for help, and especially on admitting when he had messed-up, yet he had done all the above for her. To think that angry little space man from years ago would become her husband, that he would die to save the same planet he had once tried to destroy, and was now offering her strawberry pudding in bed. Life really was amazing.

Vegeta put the candle into Panchy’s strawberry pudding and shoved the horrific one under the bed before their son returned.

Bulma wrapped her arms around his strong neck. “My hero,” she whispered warmly into his ear.

He hesitated, still getting used to this affection business, but soon enough put his arms on her lower back in a hug.

“Ewwww, gross.” Trunks announced obnoxiously loud from the doorway, shielding his eyes behind his hand. “I’m right here you two.”

“I could end that problem real quick, boy,” Vegeta growled.

Trunks gulped and approached the bed, offering the lighter to his father. Vegeta took it and lit the candle as Trunks settled on the other side of his mother. “Make a wish, Mom.”

Bulma looked between her son and her husband, their handsome faces glowing in the light of the candle, waiting on her expectantly. Her precious boys. A warm pain squeezed her chest, her heart filled to the brim with a happiness she didn’t know was possible. She let out a little laugh, trying to expel some of the feeling before she began to cry.

“I can’t think of anything to wish for. I already have everything I could ever want.”

“Oh… Can I have your wish then?” Trunks asked.

Vegeta promptly slapped him upside the head.

“Ow!”

Bulma laughed, grabbing both of them and kissing each one on the cheek. “I love you both so much. Thank you.”

“Ew, Mom, GROSS!”

Vegeta blushed, but his arm wrapped tight about her back, holding her close.

“Happy birthday, Bulma.”

~xo0xo~

AN: For Kathryn who requested: Bulma’s birthday! Trunks does something cute and Vegeta does a secret cute thing because he doesn't give a sh*t but he knows she would be so happy about it.

Thanks to Stupidoomdoodles for helping me come up with some cute ideas.

#ladyvegeets #vegebul #bulma's birthday #birthday #summer musings #bulma #fanfic #drabble #prompt #august 18 #2018 #trunks #vegeta

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pokemon-channel · 6 years ago

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☆—Spread the Love! | Valentines Mix-up

DJ Ben stretches out in his chair, yawning silently to himself. The Delibirds flew out just a few hours prior, and he feels nothing but utmost confidence in them. He’d never bring it up to Mary, but he still can’t believe how the messages managed to get mixed up for three years running. He’s determined to make this Valentine’s Day go as smoothly as possible. Delibird are known for their innate delivery skills. How could anything go wrong?

Ben’s going to show Mary that letting him take the reigns of this event wasn’t a mistake. Everything was going to go right this year! He has a good feeling about these Delibird as they return, one-by-one, to the Radio Tower. Passing around nicely-decorated Pokepuffs to each obedient Delibird as reward, DJ Ben can’t help but feel all too pleased with himself about the event.

Such a shame he mixed the Delibirds up on their way out.

What DJ Ben brings to you, under the cut, is a tragic tale of woe. Each Valentine has been preserved in its original state. None of the people who actually received each Valentine were the intended recipients.

To further add to the confusion, each Valentine was randomized three separate times along with their sender counterparts. Thanks to the based RNG gods, some people received quite the coincidental string of Valentines…

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Green CONTENTS: A Love Ball with candy inside. “You like pink stuff right? Some guy I know from Johto gave it to me."

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Anzu CONTENTS: A fresh and new store bought cape for Silver. “I look forward to where you’re going in life.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anzu WHO RECEIVED IT: Draze CONTENTS: A pastel pink card with “Happy Galentine’s Day” written on the front. The message inside reads “Thanks for being a good friend. If you ever need a favor or maybe just somebody to rough up a bunch of weirdos for you, you know who to call ;) -Anzu P.S. This is from my kid sister.” A colorful drawing of Alice wearing one of her iconic stage costumes is included on a separate sheet of paper, signed by Yuzu in the corner. There is also a small bag containing some homemade cookies from her.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Quentin WHO RECEIVED IT: Lance CONTENTS: Dear Q, Roses are red I don’t want to boast But you’re pretty cool And smarter than most! ~Q P.S. Self-love is important.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Ethan CONTENTS: A collection of old candies that Clair and Lance used to eat with a note that says “I remember you liking these old candies. Here’s hoping you still do."

VALENTINE SENT BY: Quentin WHO RECEIVED IT: Daigo CONTENTS: Dear Katlyn, Roses are red Your music is fine Your drumming Lucario Is cooler than mine. ~Q

VALENTINE SENT BY: Quentin WHO RECEIVED IT: Alice CONTENTS: Dear Claudia, Roses are red Fermata’s a jerk Your dancing is cool But will this rhyme work? ~Q

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Giovanni CONTENTS: A teddy bear for Kris. “I’ve heard of your success with the Gym Challenge! The Elite 4 welcome your challenge any time.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Katlyn CONTENTS: “Remember that old house in the forest? I found this up when we were there and I only came across it when I did some cleaning recently. -Morty”. Inside a gift box is a shining Dragon Fang, almost like it had been polished recently.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Moros WHO RECEIVED IT: Jac CONTENTS: A basket full of Valentine-related things in a very particular shade of bright pink. There are several roses, a few handfuls of foil-wrapped chocolate hearts, a big bag of heart-shaped gummies, and one large, very soft Luvdisc plush. There’s no card, just a tag that says, ‘TO: Lovrina FROM: M’

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anonymous WHO RECEIVED IT: Lovrina CONTENTS: With an image of a beautiful Alolan sunset on the horizon, the inside is a more explosive scene—of glitter! Enjoy that mess.

The loving message to go with it?

“Fuck you buddy.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anzu WHO RECEIVED IT: Claudia CONTENTS: A piece of paper with the following written in pen: “I hate your stinking guts! You make me vomit. You’re scum between my toes. -Anzu”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Quentin WHO RECEIVED IT: Clair CONTENTS: Dear Daigo, Roses are red I wrote this with passion but what I can’t give you Is a new sense of fashion. ~Q

VALENTINE SENT BY: Dawn WHO RECEIVED IT: Anzu CONTENTS: 8 Pepper Chocolates for Brendan. “I hear eating something spicy can get someone pumped up and boosts competition. Here’s looking to our next Contest.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Zia CONTENTS: Motorcycle shaped Cookies for Anzu. “You ride a motorcycle correct?”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Silver CONTENTS: A homemade smudging kit with written instructions on how to cleanse your home (or gym) of negative energy. A note reads “Clair, I’m sorry this isn’t much of a valentines gift, but I thought you might get some use out of it anyway. Happy Valentines Day. -Morty”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anzu WHO RECEIVED IT: Leaf CONTENTS: A sheet of paper with the word "Nerd” scrawled in pencil.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Ariana Natsumi CONTENTS: Mixed Chocolates and Candy for Green. “I do not remember what you enjoyed, but I hope you enjoy sweets.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Lillie CONTENTS: It’s a Pokemon Egg! What could be inside? The only thing that came with it is a note that says “This egg should hatch in a few days. Enjoy your new Pokemon! -Morty”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anonymous WHO RECEIVED IT: Daigo CONTENTS: The card has a pair of Pikachu rubbing cheeks with their tails entwined on the front. On the inside is—oh no, glitter bomb! Enjoy that mess.

Only one word is written inside.“Dork.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Red CONTENTS: Homemade vanilla cookies that are somewhat shaped like Togepi. A note reads “Happy Valentines Day. I hope you enjoy these. -Morty” He’s only a little nervous that a certain Pokemon of his might have messed with one of the batches he made. Hopefully they taste fine.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Brendan CONTENTS: A box of loose leaf tea stored in individual cloth pouches. Different blends include citrus, lavender, chamomile, mint, rose and matcha (because why not be obvious?) A note attached reads “Happy Valentines Day. I made most of these blends myself. I hope you like them. -Morty”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Whitney CONTENTS: A chocolate flower. “Hilarious right? Happy Valentines Day.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anonymous WHO RECEIVED IT: Jac CONTENTS: On the front of the card is a man and woman showing their tanned Alolan summer bodies. Inside, there’s a foil for… er, intimate bedroom activities. ‘No need to thank me.’

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Katlyn CONTENTS: A Red and Black Hat for Ethan.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anzu WHO RECEIVED IT: Alice CONTENTS: A pink note that reads “Sorry that I lost my temper on you. I owe you one for helping me find that Clefairy Doll. P.S. If you find yourself in Olivine City anytime soon, here’s my phone number. I’ll treat you to a free meal for helping me out. -Anzu"

VALENTINE SENT BY: Quentin WHO RECEIVED IT: Morty CONTENTS: Dear Zia, Roses are red You’re fond of a ghost They give me the creeps But you’re still engrossed. ~Q

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Quentin CONTENTS: A shiny new Pokeball with a Gastly inside, adorning a light purple ribbon. “Happy Valentines Day! I wanted to give her to you sooner but she just hatched last week. Her name is Salvia. -Morty”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Barry CONTENTS: Goomy shaped Chocolates for Red. “Send me photos of your little partner!”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anzu WHO RECEIVED IT: Kris CONTENTS: A note reads: “Sorry I haven’t kept in touch with you lately. Hope this helps make up for it.” Attached is a small bag with homemade cookies from Yuzu and several pieces of store bought chocolates.

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Zia CONTENTS: Strawberries covered with Chocolates for Leaf. “I’ve heard of your recent successes! I’m very happy for you.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anzu WHO RECEIVED IT: Red CONTENTS: A small bag of homemade cookies with a note attached reads “Yuzu made too many extra cookies for Valentines Day, so she asked me to help her get rid of some. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Whitney WHO RECEIVED IT: Daigo CONTENTS: Attached with a box of cookies with jam in the centre is a card with a !!very!! cute picture of snubbull cuddling. Inside reads: ❤ Happy Valentine’s Day!! ❤ For White Day, we should go somewhere fun! Or even before! What do you say? But don’t think you can forget about White Day just because you’re a shut-in! 😠 Okay? I’ll be expecting a gift in return! 💕 - Whitney ❤

VALENTINE SENT BY: Quentin WHO RECEIVED IT: Morty CONTENTS: Dear Anzu, Roses are red You’re lacking a heart But the real problem is You’re not very smart. ~Q

VALENTINE SENT BY: Morty WHO RECEIVED IT: Sun CONTENTS: A pouch full of wild berries from the Ilex Forest. It seems that Morty had excellent luck when he went to gather them; there are a few Sitrus berries in the pile. “I wanted to share the wealth. Hope you’re doing well. -Morty”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Anonymous WHO RECEIVED IT: Quentin CONTENTS: From the day I met you at the battle frontier, I knew something was aloaf. My head got all dizzy for the first time in years and I knew, it had to be you. Your just the person of my dreams, and I hope that someday we can be together, though we have things to discuss. Feel free to visit anytime, as I know your always going going. You know where to find me! :)

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Ethan CONTENTS: Some Strawberry Marshmallows “This is thanks for you sister keeping Mimi company, but you can keep some I guess.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Zia CONTENTS: Chocolates for Ariana Natsumi. “Happy Valentines.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Green CONTENTS: Some really messy and sloppily made chocolate. “Torra wanted to give this to you. Happy Valentines.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Anzu CONTENTS: Store Bought Chocolates “Happy Valentines.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Dawn WHO RECEIVED IT: Claudia CONTENTS: Homemade Chocolates for Barry with a note. “You probably don’t realize how much you’ve done for me. Here’s to another good year.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Morty CONTENTS: A chocolate sphere. A solid sphere of chocolate. "Isn’t this funny?”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Daigo WHO RECEIVED IT: Clair CONTENTS: Halloween Candy. “Boo. You like scary stuff right.”

VALENTINE SENT BY: Whitney WHO RECEIVED IT: Lance CONTENTS: There’s a personal photo printed on the front of this card of Goldenrod City’s Gym Leader Whitney crowded by a group of pokémon: a smiling clefable, miltank, aipom, wigglytuff, and a bibarel whose flat eyes stare into your soul.

Inside are a bunch of stickers with this same exact picture, but smaller!

‘Sunny,Happy Valentine’s, Sunny! I’m thinking about you all the way here in Johto. 💕 Do they have a photo booth over there you can take sticker pictures with? You should find out, pronto!! Or send me some cute pictures of you and your pokémon!

Love you lots! 😘

❤️ Whitney ❤️ ’

VALENTINE SENT BY: Lance WHO RECEIVED IT: Red CONTENTS: A Black, Blue, and Red scarf made with Lance’s color scheme for Morty. "Stay warm.” is all the note says.

#valentine event

3 notes · View notes

goldenchildkatsuki · 6 years ago

Text

DAISY AND HER SUN

Kacchako Positivity Week Day 1: Fragile

Summary: Uraraka Ochako is an 18-year old ballet dancer who attends Yuuei Ballet Academy, one of the best ballet schools in the country. After years of hard work she found herself among ridiculously, talented dancers and surrounded by amazing chances to make a career for herself as a ballerina. One day she takes a chance and signs herself up to audition for the role as 'Daisy' in the ballet rendition of 'The Great Gatsby'. Extremely determined to get the role she dances herself into an injury, leaving her unable to dance for almost a month. When she finally recovers, she feels hesitant to dance again. Her classmate and training partner Bakugou Katsuki helps her overcome her fears.

Writers note: Inspired by the song “Young and Beautiful” by Lana del Rey and the rehearsals and performances of The Royal Opera House, here's my contribution for Day 1 of the Kacchako Positivity Week. (see the end for notes)

Word count: 4.699

AO3 link: (x)

"Hot summer days, rock and roll,

the way you'd play for me at your show,

and all the ways I got to know,

your pretty face and electric soul…Shit!"

Uraraka dropped her needle and immediately put her sore finger in her mouth, frowning as she did.

"Ochako!"

"Sorry, mom!"

Her mother entered the room and took the needle off her record player. She leaned against the doorframe and watched the record turn without noise. Uraraka looked up at her with a childish grin of which she knew couldn't fix her mother's attitude.

It was extremely early in the morning, she had been blasting music before her mother woke up and she had managed to turn her room into a mess before she even got dressed.

Her mother furrowed her brow and kicked against a roll of tape she noticed next to the cabinet on which the record player was stationed. The pink roll made its way across the dark wooden floorboard and hit one of the many obstacles Uraraka had laid out.

"Honey, don't you think you should get ready yourself now? You don't want to be late on your first day back right?" Uraraka's mother sighed as she started picking up ribbons from the floor.

She put a hand on her daughter's shoulder as she passed her by whilst cleaning up, chuckling softly.

"I don't think you can do that to Katsuki."

"Mom!" Uraraka yelled.

Her mother picked a few other things off the floor before making her way out of the room. Satisfied with the reaction she got out of her daughter she closed the door behind her.

Uraraka put her hands on her face and fell backward into the mess she made. In her back, she felt more rolls of thread, scissors and she didn't dare to shift because she was pretty sure there was also a needle trying to poke in her shoulder blade. The girl slid her hands off her face, laid them out next to her and looked at the ceiling.

Who would've thought, that when she was finally allowed to be at the bar again she couldn't even get herself up and get ready?

She loathed her past self for claiming a studio at Yuuei this early, there were still some techniques she wanted to try out this morning.

Uraraka rolled over and looked at her nightstand. The stand and the floor surrounding it was filled with pointe shoes. Every single one of them altered in numerous ways. She counted twenty-two pairs. Some of them with burned ends of a ribbon, some with thick elastic bands going across the arch of the foot, some with threading on the pointe, some with the points burned, stained pairs but also clean. The graveyard of pointe shoes was the road of the trial of error of Uraraka.

Since the injury, she had been set on making the perfect pair of pointe shoes to accompany her newly formed feet and to prevent bunions and blisters but more importantly to avoid future injuries. Though she had really been going on a rampage that rehearsal she got injured, it was also the shoe that put her out for almost a month. She had not correctly anticipated what kind of shoe fitted the particular way she would perform the choreography and thus they failed her.

Uraraka had gone from doing the simplest of altercations to her pointe shoes to quite literally obsessing over every possible detail you could alter to the shoe. When she was unable to dance she would still attend most classes and rehearsals, just to see how the other girls altered their shoes for different choreographies. The girls also kindly cared to explain to her why they did certain things and at that moment Uraraka felt so stupid for underestimating the importance of the shoes and focusing too much on the performance itself.

She had even gone to Hatsume Mei, a girl who practically lived in the pointe shoe basement and she had shown Uraraka the best glue brands and boxcutters there were for preparing a pointe shoe. She was also the person who gave Uraraka all those shoes to practice with, excited that there was finally someone who was really passionate about the build of the shoe.

After a lot of burning, threading, taping, gluing and bleeding Uraraka had found a shoe that could withstand the training for her audition. And it was right in front of her. Still, she wanted to try a few more things, but Uraraka knew deep down it couldn't get better than this. The last three pairs she altered came out practically the same. She had definitely reached her peak.

The ballerina sat up and picked up the pair by their ribbons and watched them spin.

"It's going to be you and me," Uraraka spoke to them.

They continued turning and said nothing in response.

She let out a deep breath, threw the pair next to her training bag, and stood up.

After a cold shower, she put on her white pair of tights, a black leotard and dance skirt. It had been a long time since Uraraka wore actual dance clothes and she wanted to see her skirt twirl again. Still nervous about her ankle she ended up standing with both feet on the ground and twirled her hips around in front of the mirror. Whilst she did that she tried to put her hair in a ballerina bun. It had also been a long time since she had done that. Frustrated she kept on twirling and chewed on her bobby pins trying to make the best of the bun that kept falling apart.

Eventually, she settled for a half done hairdo and went downstairs to meet her mother sitting at a decorated dining table. At one of her chairs, her mother had tied three pink balloons. The table was filled with stacks of fluffy pancakes and bowls of different kinds of fruit.

Uraraka rubbed her forehead and tried to hide her smile. "Oh mom, Miss Kayama wouldn't let me hear the end of it if she knew about this!"

Her mother ushered her to come sit down at the table by pulling out the decorated chair.

"Is now really the time to think about calories Ochako? It's your first time back and dancing at Yuuei! I think that's oughta little celebration."

It was a bit over the top but Uraraka couldn't complain. She was honestly over the moon with how supportive her mother was of her. It wasn't easy for her, seeing her daughter move out of the house at the age of sixteen, struggle to get by as she worked herself to the brim of exhaustion. But she knew how much Uraraka dreamed of dancing at one of the elite ballet schools in the country and living where most of the action was and so she rooted for Uraraka every single step of her journey.

Uraraka was convinced that if her mother hadn't driven over to stay with her when she was injured, she would have completely lost it. She most likely wouldn't even have danced today despite having been given the green light by the doctors and her physiotherapist. Without that good cry, she had on her mother's lap the day they told her how long she couldn't dance for she would've been so incredibly lost.

The girl took a single pancake, but on a drop of fresh whipped cream and decorated it with strawberries. Her mother sat opposite her and leaned in.

"I still think you should've danced in a class first before going straight into rehearsal. I bet your classmates are excited to dance with you again as well."

She picked a blueberry from one of the bowls and popped it into her mouth.

Uraraka shrugged. "You have a point but the more I wait to perform this choreography again, the more scared I will get, and you know I'm already pretty scared as it is."

She took a bite of her pancake and hummed at how the cream melted on her tongue. She was definitely going to miss all the decent breakfasts when her mom leaves in a couple of days.

"I'm sure Katsuki is happy about that." Her mother said under her breath.

"Mom, please! Stop mentioning him so much!"

Uraraka huffed and blew her bangs upwards as her mother let out a wholehearted laugh.

"I'm sorry, Sprinkle, but I really like the guy! I felt challenged when he showed so much concern for you, I was starting to question who the real parent was here! Either way, it was so nice of him to stop by so often."

"He was just making sure he wasn't wasting his time," The ballerina scrunched her nose and slapped on more whipped cream on her second pancake.

Though all the time he spent with her should be considered a waste of time, really. The guy had a jam-packed schedule but still managed to find the time to stop by her apartment. It seemed like he had no one else to tease in class because that was all he did when he came over. Cracking jokes about the size of her swollen ankle and questioning what kind of shoes she wore with ‘two left feet'.

"Also," the mother continued to ramble on as if she hadn't heard a word of what her daughter said. "Are all the boys so toned at that school? If so, I can understand why you wanted to attend so badly!"

Bakugou had also talked to her mother a few times. Uraraka tried her best to keep them interacting with each other but her mother couldn't help but fall into conversation with that supposed talented dancer her daughter always danced with. The two would mostly talk about the Academy and if Uraraka really had been sticking to the exercises her physiotherapist prescribed. He was surprisingly polite and weirdly charming almost and it made her mother grow fond of him.

Too fond.

Uraraka dropped her fork and her mother winked at her.

"Only teasing of course. That aside, I am really happy that you're going to dance again, Sprinkle, and I hope you have a fantastic day."

She could sense her mother was trying hard not to get too emotional. It was so sweet, Uraraka almost kind of wished she could stay with her mother for the day. But she knew if she even suggested it her mother would shove her out the door anyway.

Uraraka finished her pancake and talked to her mother about the Sunday morning commute and looking into more winter appropriate dancing clothes. After several hugs and kisses on the head, the ballet student picked up her training bag and walked out of her apartment. Excitement and nerves danced around her body like a full class and she had to take in a big heap of morning air to bring some order to her feelings.

For the first time in a while, Uraraka felt like a Yuuei student again. People on the Metro were turning heads again and stared at her white tights and school-issued bag. Whispered when they noticed the school emblem and smiled at her. Usually, she felt a bit awkward when people were gawking at her, but she had gone to the school in her normal attire for so long she barely felt like she was attending her dream school.

Uraraka was glad she had to walk a bit to the school after getting out of the Metro. She needed more fresh air to calm the emotions raging through her. They were starting to get wilder and wilder. Like a class of Uraraka's right before the injury. Eager and almost aggressively tiptoeing around.

She checked her phone to distract herself from the looming building of Yuuei that was only going to make her emotions weigh heavier.

Katsuki Bakugou, 7:42 AM: Don't you dare let me wait on your first day back

Katsuki Bakugou, 7:42 AM: Not when it's fucking freezing

Uraraka rolled her eyes, opened the text conversation with him and replied.

Ochako Uraraka, 7:50 AM: I'm almost there, don't worry

The ballerina looked up and saw she almost passed the school gates. She took a few steps back and walked onto the school grounds.

All she had to do was not think about it for now. She had all the time to think about going back for the first time and now it was time to stop. Focus on what was happening right in front of her. To cope Uraraka focussed on Bakugou, who was looking up and breathing hot clouds of air into the sky.

How could the guy possibly feel a hint of the cold, he had packed himself like a mother would dress her child for the winter. Beanie only letting out a few of his gold locks, a gigantic scarf wrapped around his neck multiple times and a coat barely reaching his ankles, buttoned all the way up.

"Let's go inside," Uraraka laughed at him.

"Fuck yes, hurry," Bakugou sounded muffled as he had sunk himself into his scarf.

Uraraka scanned her keycard. Bakugou pushed the door open and let her enter first before entering himself and brushing past her. He rushed only for him to wait on her in front of the stairs.

The calm and quiet of an early weekend rehearsal that was favored by most dancers were now not helping at all. Uraraka squeezed her nails in the palm of her hand and reminded herself where she had to be with her thoughts.

She walked over to the stairs.

"We have studio 5E."

"Shit, 5E? Look at that, post-injury perks coming through already," Bakugou crossed his arms and started ascending the stairs.

"Very funny," Uraraka said sarcastically.

He didn't waste any time with cracking one huh?

If it was anyone else she would've probably got upset over the crudeness of the comment but with Bakugou she knew. She knew that all his jokes were his way of supporting her by joking about the injury, making the subject weigh less heavy. The only reason why Uraraka was sure of that was that he did the same thing when he got rejected for a big audition. He kept joking and standing tall. His self-deprecating jokes were definitely light-hearted than what he fired at her every time they were together, but it was nothing too hurtful.

An unusual way of support, yes, but expected from Bakugou.

When they walked into the studio and turned the lights on, Bakugou barely unpacked himself before taking place behind the grand piano. He cracked his fingers and started playing a tune. It wasn't a song in particular, but for something he just whipped up, it sounded damn good.

Also to be expected from Bakugou.

"I'm guessing you haven't been behind the piano for a while?" Uraraka breathed as she stretched her limbs to the tunes of the song.

Bakugou fingers continued to carelessly dance across the keys as he spoke. "Don't even start. All the teacher's I'm playing for are fine tuning their choreography and can't use me for now. I barely have time to play outside of that because of those stupid fucking rehearsals that go on for longer than planned."

It was a miracle the dancer hadn't had a burn-out yet. The guy was ridiculously skilled and put them to use whenever he could. Not only was he a very disciplined dancer but he was also an experienced pianist. Yuuei was very fond of students with experience in multiple art disciplines and liked to utilize since there weren't that many of them. Teachers and older students often asked Bakugou to play in classes and he had even caught the eye of foreign guest teachers and they have invited him to several rehearsals of big shows. Besides that, he was also given the privilege to teach classes to young aspiring dancers attending the school, also a privilege not handed to many.

A busy schedule, where she somehow fitted in.

"Let's start warming up," Bakugou decided after finishing his self-made tune.

Uraraka had already put on her soft ballet shoes and was putting her feet in the first position at the bar. Which was one of the only things she dared to do when she was recovering from her injury; putting her feet in the starting positions. The thought of going on her toes scared her and still did now.

Her hand was already clammy and it felt like it could slip off the bar at any moment. Annoyed with herself Uraraka replaced her hand and put her chin in the air.

"We're going to make this a long one before you dance yourself in another month-long break."

Bakugou cracked his knuckles and started playing one of his well-known warm-up tunes. As he played he instructed Uraraka how to move. Heavily she tried to focus on keeping his voice from fading into the background because every single time she rose on her toes her focus went to her ankle. Hoping she couldn't feel a sudden shot of pain.

The shot of pain didn't come but she could feel her limbs trembling very early on into the warming up. She focused her breathing and tried to ignore the unusual limitations her body had set up for her.

"What's with that stiff face, this is only a rehearsal! And…Tack! Steady…Plié and back!" Bakugou yelled, poking his head out from behind the piano.

Uraraka shot a deadly look at him then directed her face forward again.

"Position four…And…Steady! Uraraka, come on, you haven't been out for that long have you?!"

She had the urge to direct the anger to Bakugou instead of herself but it she chose to stay put. She had learned the hard way that when she got aggressive things didn't turn out well.

When they went over into stretching, Uraraka felt like she was working with her ‘old' body again. With ease, she could raise her leg next to her ear and the splits she could still do too. Bakugou stayed mostly silent for this exercise, which she was thankful for. After that last comment, she was starting to get seriously irked by his voice.

The warm-up at the bar lasted a good forty-five minutes instead of the usual twenty or so. Bakugou ended it with a new exercise, where she had to rise sixteen times on each foot. After she finished that he closed the piano. "That should do you good," He mumbled.

Uraraka wiped her hands off her skirt and walked over to her training bag. All of her limbs were heavily trembling already and she felt tired. She couldn't afford that, not when it was time for the most energy consuming part of the day.

Even when she had done this a dozen of times before, she still had to think everything through. The taping of her arch, the plasters around her toes, putting her foot in the shoe, the tying of her ribbons. Everything she gave more thought than necessary, knowing that she couldn't have done it any different. This was as good as it was going to get.

"Damn, you spent a lot of time on that huh?" Bakugou noticed as he put on his soft ballet shoes.

"Mhm."

She tried delaying the preparation for as long as possible but eventually, she pulled herself up and stood in front of the mirror. Whilst Bakugou connected his phone to the sound installation she eyed at her pointe shoes. It made her feel nauseous looking at them.

Never had she felt fear to the point of wanting to throw up.

Not before her first ever show with Yuuei Ballet Academy, not when she performed her first self-made choreography for her guest teacher, not when she wrote herself in to audition for the master production of ‘The Great Gatsby' and choose to audition for one of the leads.

But right there, on a Sunday morning, seconds before dancing the routine she had danced so many times;

She felt horrible.

When the song started, she jolted.

‘I've seen the world, done it all, had my cake now…'

The song she had listened to for a million times she couldn't sing along to for the first time.

All she could tell herself was to rise, to rise on her stupid points and dance. But she stayed in the first position and watched herself in the mirror, even well after she missed the queue.

The ballerina could sense that Bakugou was trying to make eye contact with her through the mirror but she couldn't possibly look him in the eye now. It was embarrassing, how scared she actually was. Where the hell was her dancer's spirit that she hoped would kick in a beat the fear as soon as she stood in this position? Where was that determination that had kept her going, even after she got injured?

"Dance, damn it, dance!" She thought to herself.

But her body kept refusing.

Halfway through the song Bakugou sighed and pressed pause.

He walked over the bar opposite Uraraka and leaned against it.

"Harder than you thought?"

Uraraka dropped her chin and cast her eyes low. She got overwhelmed and couldn't do anything to stop it. Her hands went to her face as the first sob came out. It was the first time she cried about this whole situation since she heard how long she was going to be out for. And it happened to be in front of Bakugou.

It was far from pretty too.

The ballerina continued to hide her flustered face behind her hands as she started sobbing louder. Between breaths, she gnashed, frustrated that the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

There was no time for crying.

She couldn't afford to stand there and fall apart. Bakugou couldn't afford to watch her do that.

She had to try again.

When she wiped her hands along her cheeks and opened her eyes she saw Bakugou standing inches in front of her. To her surprise, he looked rather, upset with her.

He shook his head. "You know what your problem is? You know why you got yourself in this shitty mess, to begin with?"

Between hiccups, Uraraka immediately wanted to defend herself but Bakugou immediately silenced her.

"You keep thinking that you have to do this all on your own!"

Uraraka tilted her head at him in confusion.

His eyes became more narrow and his voice sterner. "This choreography is a fucking duet, you moron. Why the fuck do you think I'm here in the first place? To support you. And I know it's going to be just you during the audition, but if you don't learn to lean on a partner, you can kiss the role of ‘Daisy' goodbye. You can kiss most of your future roles goodbye."

Bakugou took a hold of both of her wrists. "So, for the sake of my efforts, your career, and most importantly your health- let me support you, damn it."

Uraraka looked down at his gentle fingers wrapping around her wrists. He scolded her like they weren't equals, like a teacher scolded a beginner but he was right. She had been too focused on herself, pushing herself to perfect every single one of her movements, making sure she would stand out during the audition. It was shameful that Uraraka couldn't even remember when or if she ever really acknowledged Bakugou's touch during rehearsal.

She was incredibly selfish and hyper-focused on reaching her goal. If Miss Kayama knew about this Uraraka didn't doubt she would think twice about her place here in Yuuei.

She had forgotten to let go and have fun. Which she definitely knew she could have dancing with Bakugou.

Uraraka put her chin back up and held onto Bakugou's wrist.

"I'll let you support me," She nodded.

Bakugou softened his face and grinned at her.

"Atta girl."

He pushed her to rise to her toes. At first, she felt that the break was still on, but then he tightened his grip on her and it helped her push through the blockade and stand on her toes.

There was no pain.

It felt natural, actually.

Bakugou turned around her and laid their hands on her hip and stretched her other hand out. He urged Uraraka to trickle along with him, stood close to her as she did, ready to catch her if she stumbled. But that also went greater than expected.

Uraraka breathed out a laugh as it was now quite laughable how scared she was, considering how well things were going at the moment.

They continued trickling around the room. The soft thuds of Uraraka pointe shoes, the sharp brushes from Bakugou's soft shoes and concentrated breaths from the two being the only noises in the room.

Bakugou's hands continued to guide her and she sensed his full support through every move they did together. This was by far the most intimate moment Uraraka had shared with him. Now she acknowledged every touch and every stroke and it kept her wondering how much of these moments she missed out on.

After he noticed she had gotten used to being on points again, he steadied her at the hips.

"We're going to do the choreography now. I'm not going to put any music on and we're going to take out time doing every single move. You need support, I'll lend it to you. Got it?"

"Yes."

Bakugou let her get in the first position. After a few deep breaths, she rose to her toes again and started dancing. Uraraka's lips slowly separated and she mouthed the lyrics along in her head.

‘Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?'

‘Will you still love me when I'm got nothing but my aching soul?'

Uraraka felt Bakugou's hands on her waist again and for the first time ever when performing this choreography, she was reminded that she had a partner who she could lean on. She heard him huff behind her and it caused her to smile. Together they continued to dance around the room, Uraraka now paying more attention to Bakugou than herself. When they reached the most technical part she almost wanted to shy away from it. Incredibly enough Bakugou sensed her hesitation again and leaned in right next to her ear.

"Come on, ‘Daisy'," He told her.

He dug his fingers into her waist, lifted her up carried her to another part of the room. There she started hopping, encouraged by his three words. The more she realized that the pain wasn't coming back, the more fun she started to have. Her face that had been all tensed up was relaxing and she was smiling like a ballerina should. She trickled, hopped and spun around Bakugou.

She never felt more like Daisy as she did then.

Playful and fun-loving.

Completely immersed in her role she treated Bakugou like her Gatsby. Took the time to lend him her hand, took the time to make contact whenever she touched him. Couldn't help but giggle as she pretended to play games with him as he guided her from one area of the room to another.

In her head, Uraraka heard the final tunes of the song and Bakugou lifted her up for the final time. Filled with ecstasy her hands traveled from the back of his neck to his face as she made herself small and he spun her around.

‘All that grace, all that body,

All that face makes me wanna party,

He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds'

They hadn't reached the end of the routine yet but none of them chose to continue to dance. The two dancers simply stared at each other, bodies close and breaths heavy. Uraraka kept repeating the bridge of the song in her head, those exact four last lines of it were all she could think of when she looked into Bakugou's eyes.

She was so lucky to have him as a partner.

Bakugou leaned his forehead against hers and smiled.

"You did well ‘Daisy'."

"Thanks to you, ‘Gatsby'."

Writers note: beta reader: @kyuubaee

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abiteofnat · 7 years ago

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THE SUBWAY CAN’T STOP ME FROM HAVIN A GOOD TIME...

Even though my “sea legs” are a little shaky when I’m a billion feet underground and shuttling through the space-time continuum. I love public transit and rely on it to live my life, but the NYC subway is it’s own Narnia of transport. After my family left me for the rats in NYC I was to backpack between Brooklyn and the Upper East Side where two of my best and most beautiful friends recently moved to, each of them very different people and therefore providing me with a week of amazing, diverse experiences and quality #bff time. While I panicked about not having enough to do to keep us occupied I quickly realized I am naive and that NYC is definitely not lacking in things to do, anytime, ever. AND THEY DON’T LACK THINGS TO EAT!

The first couple days were spent with a dear pal Sophia, my crossfit queen and wine connoisseur, and her boyfriend in Brooklyn where the bagels were plenty and we ate a lot of them. Bagel World is where you can find the famous Rainbow Bagel which I believe is an egg bagel with some food coloring stirred in, and with a little plain cream cheese smeared on there it’s the perfect #hangoverhelper and puts a smile on your face. The best thing about NYC bagel delis is the fact they have TUBS of cream cheese for your choosing, and you better believe there are a half a dozen flavors minimum that make the salty & sweet or savory & salty or sweet & sweet conundrum all the harder to decide. I’m a fan of a salty bagel and a sweet cream cheese, i.e. sea salt bagels with strawberry cream cheese (which I tried at Pick A Bagel -pictured below- later on that week) but that rainbow bagel realllyyyy swooned me. And, being a dumbo with caffeine-free brain, I forgot to take pics and just consumed it out of pure glee. May it live on forever in my heart.

I also went to a bombfreaking.com bagel place in the Financial District while Soph was off doing important things, and lemme tell you I absolutely adore that area of Manhattan. While it does feel very “Wolf of Wall Street” and everyone is a business person rushing around under these tall, gray buildings it’s also near the water and feels like a whole new city of it’s own. There are a ton of tiny cafes and coffee shops, bars and mini patios, and a shocking amount of flower shops. I wouldn’t make it a destination area itself but if you’re checking out the One World Trade Center (which is entirely worth seeing, it’s humbling and very breathtaking) you could walk over for a snack and a think. My find of the day was Leo’s Bagels, where I got a poppyseed and chive cream cheese bagel that blew my fucking mind. This bagel was the essential NYC bagel, broiled to chewy perfection and toasted to a golden brown and then SMOTHERED WITH CHIVE CREAM CHEESE THAT I COULD EAT WITH A SPOON FOREVER. I read a book, “The Couple Next Door”, and noshed on my bagel while watching the rain fall on the brick streets crowded with people running underneath newspapers to protect their fancy hair. It was pretty damn perfect.

Outside of bagels, we checked out where to get sangria pitchers and talk about the trials of millennial living which lead us to Barraca, a picture-perfect corner spot in a bustling part of Greenwich. Their happy hour menu was poppin’ and we ordered pitchers of multiple types of sangria, garlic-marinated olives, pan con tomate, and expected menu items such as patatas bravas that were deep fried and topped with a glorious aioli, and then threw in some manchego cheese with grilled toast and jam. It was tasty little bites of tapas classes in a rustic yet modern setting, great people watching, and ideal lounge-forever-and-drink vibes.

We were quite content here and should you want a casual, 5-hour European meal this is your place! Plus Greenwich is a mecca of little bars and late night restaurants, walk a little far to the Meat Packing District to the clubs and fancy pants bars, and the world is your $15 cocktail. Voila!

The last leg of my trip was spent with my oldest and most vegan friend Lolo who went above and beyond to show me an authentic day in the life of her and her huge, beautiful friend group which led us to some pretty cool and totally veggie-friendly spots. Lolo being the wonder she is also let me stop for bagels at any moment and for that she wins an award seeing as she doesn’t even eat bagels! And I’m so indecisive with them!

One of the first places we went to was the food court in The Plaza as it’s a staple for her and I had never been. We woke up ~hella~ early with the world on a Saturday to scamper to Central Park and sit in line for 5 hours to get Shakespeare in the Park tickets for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as it’s free Broadway theater that is packed every single night of the summer, and after scoring four beautiful tickets our eyes were glazed over and my stomach was screaming “FUCK THE ARTS I NEED FOOD”. So we headed to The Plaza, went underneath the elite hotel section to the similarly elite yet casual eatery, and I was shell shocked. I don’t know what I expected, but this food court felt like the most glorious spread of gourmet foods offered to raggedy people like us in baseball caps and tennis shoes.

Lolo led me to the coffee that to this minute of my life is still the best iced coffee I’ve ever had, and with a splash of almond milk and simple syrup I couldn’t quite believe that coffee from a French stand in a food court was changing my entire life. It’s called Epicerie Boulud, and you should go N O W.

We also stopped and got sushi from the sushi stand which would be a running trend of the weekend (little did I know). One of the things I love about my girl is she is an avid sushi fan even though it’s just veggies and rice all wrapped up because she’s meat free, and I can eat sushi for ever single meal without turning into an actual piece of tuna and be happy. It was VERY VERY good sushi, and the men making it were so happy to be rolling up some rolls for the line of people sitting along the prep station and watching. Nothing like live theater, no matter what kind it is.

After this meal we went to Central Park with some goodies from Whole Foods and picnicked until the show started, and my oh MY free Shakespeare was remarkable. The set, the costumes, alllllll of it was so extra and not to mention you’re watching it in the middle of Central Park with Manhattan lighting up all around you!

The last meal spent in NYC was at ~drum roll please~ Chelsea Market, a spot I had never gotten to and was so eager to see. IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! Within this old, brick + steel building there are a billion little shops and curiosity stalls, one at which I bought an ancient postcard of Lady Liberty that I’m obsessed with. This was also the first trip I went out on the river to see Lady Liberty and I think I fell in love a little bit. That statue made me so damn emotional and I kind of can’t wait to go back and wander Ellis Island for a bit. Plus, the boat had a bar on board, and who doesn’t love a Blue Moon while cruising on the Hudson?

At the Chelsea Market we went to Lolo’s favorite place which is called Beyond Sushi and it’s completely vegan and grassy sushi + other sides that SHOOK ME. TO THE CORE. First off, the rice was purple. Second of all, the side of kimchi was so good that I ate it like salad all on it’s own and almost forgot to eat the other aspects of my meal. Try any and all things on the menu; it is all so fresh and delicately made that you don’t even realize there’s no fish/dairy/animal product in them. I’m the first to scoff at sushi that’s devoid of the most insane amount of tobiko/ahi tuna/octopus, but this was legitimately crunch and full of flavor and a remarkable balance of flavor.

Yep. It’s unreal. Yep. See those test tubes of sauce? The plum sauce is best on EVERYTHING. HOW HELPFUL IS THAT.

Right next door to Beyond Sushi is Pineapple Express, the glorious spot where the nicest woman in the world stayed open to make me one of the Insta-famous pineapples filled with pineapple soft serve and topped with fresh fruit, coconut shavings, and an umbrella. Also vegan, this makes the most luscious dessert to end a salty meal with and is perfect for sharing as long as you don’t mind accidental spoon wars. O.M.G. it was so good! And tip this woman well, she loves her job makin’ pretty fruits.

WOWZA AM I RIGHT? Although the Chelsea Market closes relatively early, it is so worth going for a bite to eat and a wander about. You never know what treasures you’re going to find!

Thanks for reading through my NYC adventures, I promise I also have fun Chicago spots to try and that I’m not leaving annyyy time soon. Ok? Ok.

Until next time, Happy Eating!

-Natalie

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