#wheezes and dies in that order/pos

[bakudekuficlibrary]

BakuDeku: No Quirks AU Part III

Click here for Part I, Part II, and Part IV!

6 Series. 72 Works.

Through Your Eyes by KingHugin ( G | 4,137 | 1/1 )

Maybe this Android thing wasn't so bad after all, and maybe his change of views had nothing to do with a certain Android who had more humanity then most humans.

A little Android one shot because i played Detroit: become human way to much.

The World Is Unkind To Those Who Love by grxundzerx ( Not Rated | 1,215+ | 2/? )

 Izuku and Katsuki live in a time where homosexuality is highly illegal. This leads to the pair hiding their love from everyone and thing, resulting in Katsuki to "hate" his lover and to be an easily angered boy, and Izuku to be a shy and an easily flustered boy. Yet behind closed doors, the tables turn, and and the couple are like completely new people.

[Homophobia]

[Series] Kasumi vs the world by kewltie ( G | 12,048+ | 2 Works | WIP )

love scenario by sundaechii ( T | 6,054 | 1/1 )

Some nights, they both speak only sparingly. They would share an earbud as they listen in to Broccoli’s Spotify playlists. In those nights, Broccoli would scribble down on his notepad and Katsuki would either scroll on his phone with his secret, private social media accounts or watch Broccoli work with his brows furrowed in concentration.

Weeks go on like this for them and every night, Katsuki tries his damn best not to fall.

In which Izuku is a street performer that Katsuki, an idol in training, is completely enamored with.

A Place by KatieKat527 ( T | 3,170+ | 2/? )

“You, Katsuki Bakugou, are dead.”

Then things got weird.

[Series] Inseparable by Eggs_in_a_cloud ( G/T | 8,208+ | 2 Works | WIP )

Falling by Dokuine ( G | 2,016 | 1/1 )

Midoriya Izuku did not have much experience or luck when it came to love, but he never expected it to literally knock him onto his rear one day. Not that he recognized it for what it was, not in that first meeting.

Forget Me Not by SummerCinnamonRolls ( M | 6,930+ | 3/? )

Izuku was kidnapped at the age of fifteen. Five years pass and he is now twenty years old in a world he doesn't recognize or fit into. Enter Katsuki Bakugo. He will make sure that his childhood friend has a place to belong. He will give him a world where it is okay to say "no" again.

[Rape/Non-Con | Past Abuse | Self Harm]

All Was Golden When the Day Met the Night by oyasumi_yue ( T | 3,895+ | 1/2 )

Katsuki Bakugou loathes their Collegiate Theatre Club on a spiritual level. On the flip side, he would be very much willing to audition for the Musical character lead if it's for his best friend whom he loves so dearly.

Or: i-would-portray-that-main-character-on-your-stupid-play-just-for-you-to-notice-me

It's Dangerous To Say Something Like That To Me by karmaticinstitution ( E | 3,001 | 1/1 )

Bakugou Katsuki is not one for parties, social gatherings, events, or otherwise, but he sure can be conned into going to them and he can leave them satisfied with his decisions. Based loosely off of this post from bathtubaccidents on tumblr.

The Reviews

"Do people not talk during sex?" - My Friend, to which I say, 'Not if you're doing it right.'

"Can you stop sleeping with people and calling it 'research'?" - My Roommate, to which I say, 'no'

Love is like Heaven but it Hurts like Hell by SecretKiwi ( M | 2,065 | 1/1 )

Katsuki is trying to hit on the cute hipster boy, but Izuku is just trying not to go to the hospital again.

Making Due by Daiako (Achrya)  ( T | 6,250+ | 4/? )

If anyone asked Izuku what he thought of 'Omega Cafes', where omegas dressed up and paraded around catering to lonely alphas and betas, he would have said they were degrading and indecent and humiliating.

And who would know better than him, who secretly works at MidNight Cafe? Well, secretly until former friend Bakugou Katsuki walks in and catches him there. Now all Izuku can do is brace himself and wait to be mocked and exposed...right?

What We Learn Along The Way by Wanderer5 ( M | 29,576+ | 10/? )

Third grade teacher Izuku Midoriya has his hands full this year but the person they bring in to help is...distractingly handsome.

Cinnamon Spice by Sonday ( E | 12,873+ | 3/? )

A cozy story about a sweet coffee shop bartender and a smoldering customer. -- Ch 3

Katsuki blushed. His voice was a little rough when he spoke. “Do you like the wine?”

“I do…” Izuku murmured. “It’s sweet.”

“I like sweet things,” Katsuki confessed moving a little closer, his soft cologne luring Izuku in, those red eyes smoldering as they trailed down his body. Heat pooled in Izuku’s blood, his pulse thumping in his throat, and he was suddenly very, very aware that this game was over before it even started.

They Cry Discord And Salvation by MelodyCircus ( T | 10,968+ | 2/? )

The world below knows strife. Wrought to ruin at the hands of demons and sealed by the God who brings about punishment to their sins. They fight for their survival, employing the power of demons to destroy them. A post-apocalyptic Tokyo, of which its denizens know nothing else. The world above is like any other kingdom, a peace kept through hierarchy and disturbed by the snakes that lie in the underworld. As both worlds begin to interact against the divine that forbid it, secrets of their worlds unravel. It becomes a fight for survival, a fight for a new world, and a fight for humanity. The path son of man chooses is of his own.

A Demon-Apocalypse AU based around the Shin Megami Tensei IV & IV-Apocalypse games.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Throttled by prettyreklessa7x ( E | 16,081+ | 6/? )

Ground Zero is the top motorcyclist in his district, claiming victory in every street race he enters with practiced ease... until a new rider rolls into town, threatening his #1 spot in their very first race together. When the finish flags drop, Katsuki Bakugou is determined to see what *nobody* almost beat him. Unfortunately, he’s faced with a pair of electrifying emeralds that have plagued his dreams for the last 11 years.

Inked Heart by Ludwhick  ( M | 14,075+ | 6/7 )

Midoriya Izuku, a college English teacher, goes out drinking with his friends one Friday. After one too many shots, they all decide to get tattoos. Izuku ends up falling inlove with a certain tattoo artist.

Together, Alone by pandorasboxofsecrets ( M | 2,246+ | 1/? )

It wasn't fair that in their new society, their new order of life, Izuku Midoriya, couldn't love who he wanted to love without fearing for his life.

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

Finally I Have You Again by onebreathyboi ( Not Rated | 4,219 | 1/1 )

Katsuki was taken away because he was dangerous. Izuku is broken by it.

OR

They meet again. Emotions ensue.

Series Part 1 of God Couldn't Keep Us Away

Service With A Smile by asmalltigercat  ( T | 8,609 | 2/2 )

Izuku liked working in an ice cream shop, but there wasn't really anything exciting about the job—until his estranged childhood friend showed up one day.

Symbiote by shingekino_neon ( E | 4,845 | 1/1 )

In which Deku arrives home not exactly himself, and Bakugou's just along for the ride.

The Pocky Game by rekamohcs ( M | 4,981 | 1/1 )

As if Izuku didn’t have enough trouble keeping his intruding feelings for his unfairly attractive best friend at bay, Ochako had to go and teach him about the Pocky Game. Now here he was, his lips wrapped around one end of a chocolate stick, while Katsuki’s wrapped around the other, faces mere inches apart.

And they were both too stubborn to back down.

Izuku had a feeling he knew where this was headed.

(He made a mental note to remember to thank Ochako later.)

If We Lie Here by NightshadeDawn ( G | 2,263 | 7/7 )

Short stories and poems for bakudeku positivity week!

The boy who smelled of Roses by EngelDreamer ( G | 1,233 | 1/1 )

La prima cosa a colpirlo non fu tanto il suo aspetto, ma l'intenso profumo di Rose che sembrava permeare ogni indumento, ogni lembo di pelle, di lui e che lo travolse come un'ondata d'aria fresca, insinuandosi nelle sue narici ed imprimendosi in ogni parte del suo corpo. La seconda furono gli enormi occhi verdi che, un po' dispiaciuti ed un po' intimoriti, si andarono a posare dentro i suoi. •Bakudekupositivityweek 2k18 ❀ Day 2 ❀ Prompt: Flowers

Series Part 2 of Bakudeku positivity week 2k18

Do You Want to Be a Hero? by SecretKiwi ( T | 1,817 | 1/1 )

Two teenage boys learn the hard way that being a hero isn't always as fun as it looks.

-

Short one-shot, No quirk Vigilante AU

Kunwari (Make-believe) by KiKingofSpades ( T | 1,719 | 1/1 )

Izuku was unexpectedly enjoying his commute to work.

Series Part 5 of Boku no Hero Academia Lyric Prompts

Icebreaker by EtherealBeing ( E | 9,916+ | 2/? )

Izuku tried his best to stay positive, and remind himself that his predicament was nothing to be ashamed of — that doctors dealt with this sort of thing all the time. Needless to say, he gave up on trying to maintain that optimism the moment his childhood friend walked in, white coat, stethoscope and all.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe this!” Katsuki managed to wheeze, in between raucous, choking bouts of laughter. “You— You got a dildo stuck up your ass?!”

Or: After several years of no contact, Izuku and Katsuki are reunited at the ER when the former gets a dildo stuck in his ass, and the latter is the doctor tasked with removing it.

Good Luck, Kacchan! by sparkyyy ( G | 1,704 | 1/1 )

Izuku accompanies Bakugou to help him move into his new college dorm. Cute shenanigans ensue.

1327 by don_donaQ ( E | 64,481 | 20/20 )

N/A

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

2305 by don_donaQ ( E | 3,276 | 1/1 )

这里是无人之境��没有人会来打扰他们。 在万里星空下，只有他们。交缠在一起。

desiderata by sora_san89 ( M | 2,655 | 1/1 )

Let them affirm their humanity, their existences, at least only for this night.

(BakuDeku Positivity Week 2018 - Day 04: rise / havoc)

Series Part 4 of BakuDeku Positivity Week 2018 ^^

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence]

[On Hiatus]  HypoThalamus [Hiatus and Being Rewritten] by ToxicPooPoo ( Not Rated | 41,131+ | 7/? )

Coming across old friends wouldn't cause you to discover more about the global mass murderers, an unusual dreaming ability, and the problem of seeing too much, yet Izuku Midoriya found himself in these conditions. The boy is driven by his concealed passion to rescue the innocent despite how illegal it is. With four hours of sleep every night and a hidden power that no one has acknowledged, he manages to complete vigilante duties at midnight. Izuku soon realizes that secrets aren't permanent, tragedies are the future's best friend, and that you should never ever play with fire.

I wouldn't recommend reading this story since I'm rewriting it, building on it and on more important things that I couldn't add at the moment. I feel like it's too rushed since I definitely did rush when I officially began writing. I also feel like I wasn't able to incorporate bigger meanings and ideas that would make this story better. Currently, I am motivated to make this story a lot more built on and understandable. Some parts just felt unneeded. Once I finish planning another fic, I might come back to this or I might finish the other and then come back. Thanks :)

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Major Character Death | Suicide Attempt | Panic Attacks | Dissociation | Addiction | Abuse]

[Series] Tickets Straight To Hell by  Tokiji ( E | 30,378+ | 2 Works | WIP )

It All Started With Beer & Pizza by x_tincan_x ( E | 31,406+ | 13/? )

Half an hour after Kirishima had left, there was a knock on the door. Katsuki had a beer in his hand and walked over to the door. Mumbling under his breath, “fucking shitty hair forgot his fucking keys again..” to himself.

Katsuki opened the door, he looked from the dripping wet Kirishima to the equally soaked male he had gone to pick up. When he saw the familiar tangle of green hair and freckles, he choked on his drink. “The fuck…?” he half whispered.

~~~~

Or, the one where Izuku has a past that he finds hard to talk about. Can he build himself back up with the help of his new friends, and re-kindle a relationship with his childhood friend?

[Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Past Rape/Non-Con | Panic Attacks | PTSD | Abuse] 

Chance Encounter by Eggs_in_a_cloud ( T | 6,518+ | 3/? )

The first thing Izuku thinks of when he sees Bakugou for the first time is that he is a storm. Uncontrolled and raging, strong and bold. Unapologetic and surging. Swirling all at once and creating chaos. Izuku has never been so captivated.

High school student Izuku Midoriya decides to take a shortcut on his way to school, and he meets a blond boy that changes the course of his life forever.

Painting Flowers by Arysa ( T | 49,912+ | 12/? )

Where Bakugo Katsuki works at his parents' flower shop and Midoriya Izuku is a hot regular that simply comes to sketch flowers all day long.

[Series] Angels & Demons by zuccin ( G | 6,957+ | 3 Works | WIP )

Uprising Imminent (Katsudeku) by Death_by_Crayola ( T | 3,036+ | 2/? )

The world Izuku Midoriya lives in is routine, quiet, and isolated. He lives by harsh rules, harsher punishments, and the fact that he didn't have much else to do. The path he was set on was the way it was because that was what he is supposed to do. Nothing else appeals. That is, until he sees infamous delinquent Katsuki Bakugou in person, uprooting a strange curiosity that drags him down an entirely different path.

Midoriya ends up joining the group, what he used to call a gang, and learns not only how to be an individual, but to know what it feels like to truly want more. And, the person at the head of these personal discoveries - the violent, withdrawn, and heart-stopping Katsuki.

Thrills Don't Come For Free by karmaticinstitution ( E | 6,880 | 1/1 )

Bakugou goes to a new school, makes a kickass friend, they do a lot of dumb things, including maybe falling in love.

The Reviews

"Really? You picked that song?" yes

"Did you actually fall in love?" (no comment)

"That's some funky poetic shit" -Bunsie

October 2018's Writing Prompts by LucyDarkhive ( Not Rated | 1,171 | 1/1 )

Bakugou Katsuki didn’t believe in myths. Most were lies based on what someone thought they saw anyway. He didn’t believe, so why was he witnessing one of those myths right before his eyes?

Where the Road Leads by bkdkwritingsdump ( T | 6,627 | 5/5 )

Izuku is called to chase something by the inhuman blood in veins - he needs to - he has to - and there's no stopping it. So, like any good, supportive boyfriend would, Katsuki goes along to make sure he doesn't get himself killed in the process of unraveling the secrets of his lineage. 

[Series] Toy With Me by zuccin ( E |  6,674+ | 2 Works | WIP )

Where I Belong by Nafarik ( M | 50,510 | 13/13 )

Izuku a toujours rêvé d'être danseur. Bercé par les représentations de son idole, son rêve à pourtant pris un détour. Du moins, jusqu'à ce que son ami d'enfance ne resurgisse dans sa vie et le remette sur le droit chemin, sans même en avoir conscience.

Tie Me Up! Please? by sterekhalinsk ( E | 7,526+ | 1/1 )

While browsing through wank-off material, Izuku discovers that he may or may not have a thing for bondage. Resigning to buy some rope and forever closet his new fixation, he wanders into a hardware store late at night. It's there that he encounters a very grumpy, but very attractive blond whose more than willing to test out his new kink.

(Kinktober Day 9 - Bondage)

drive-by by infernalangels ( E | 12,661+ | 4/? )

He should’ve never let Uraraka drag him here. The whole place reeked of beer and gasoline, drunken laughter breaking out from the group of boys he and his best friend approached. Izuku honestly didn’t know why he’d come. Signing, he began to follow Mina, silently praying he wouldn’t regret this.

Oh, he had no idea.

or: Katsuki Bakugou is everything Izuku Midoriya despises: a tattooed covered badass who takes no shit from anyone. He's arrogant, rude, addicting... Maybe that's why Izuku can't stay away.

[Homophobia]

A Champion's Memento by girlygrl25 ( M | 22,758+ | 6/? )

In a world where pokemon replace quirks, Izuku has grown up idolizing Fighting type Champion All Might. Despite his dreams, however, Izuku has always failed when confronted with a prospective Fighting type pokemon for himself. As the entrance exam for UA, the premier Trainer school in Kalos, approaches, he decides that maybe it’s time to try something different, with a little help from an unlikely source. Something that fits better with him than Fighting types...despite his deceptively weak appearance.

Room 1217 by ImpossibilityGirl ( T | 56,533+ | 9/? )

When Izuku found his room again, he could hear music behind the door- loud, with lots of screaming and guitars. His heart sunk a little, but he tried not to pass judgement too quickly. The guy inside was alone right now, after all. He’d probably use headphones once he met his new roommate, right? Izuku took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob, pushing it open as casually as he could to hide his nerves. He thought about the greeting he'd rehearsed in the mirror earlier today.

“Hey! I didn’t see you here earlier! It's nice to meet you, I’m--” Izuku froze in the doorway, the other man in the room mirroring him. He was holding up a sweater, clearly in the middle of putting it on a hanger when Izuku had barged in. Izuku had been preparing for a lot of possibilities behind the door, but this was not on his list.

Blond, spiky hair, and eyes like fire with a temperament to match. Katsuki Bakugou, undoubtedly.

Pocky Sticks and Sunsets by o_r_i_g_a_m_i ( T | 2,710+ | 2/? )

Izuku Midoriya is an exceptional college student at the local Culinary Arts Academy. He has a decent paying job at a candy store, but he can’t help to not help his mother with her bill issues, which lead him to where he is. Izuku is behind on bills, so he has no other choice but to post a Roommate Needed blog. Little did he know, he would soon reunite with someone he hasn’t seen since his middle school days...

(Thank you for picking this read! It’s going to be a little simple, but I’m going to keep a schedule for updating chapters. I want to say thank you to my beta for dealing with my constant mistakes ^^’ Please make sure to leave kudos and comments! I love reading them.)

入宿指南 by don_donaQ ( E | 3,001 | 1/1 )

「请多指教。」爆豪胜己说，「绿谷……学长，可以和我交往吗？」

Falling for You by xpira ( G | 1,235+ | 2/? )

"Kacchan, I love you."

"Yeah."

Brick by Brick by skellingfish ( T | 2,618+ | 2/? )

Sometime around elementary school, Kacchan had put up a wall between himself and Izuku. Now they're living together, Izuku's determined to tear down that wall, brick by brick.

WALANG POREBER MGA ULOL by sundaechii ( Not Rated | 1,203+ | 1/? )

“Punyeta, ano ba?! Bakit niyo ba ginagawan ng isyu? Di ko nga kilala yung tao eh!”

Bagong taon, bagong mga kaklase, bagong mga aralin, at... bagong crush?

The Kill by aoi_inu ( M | 1,373+ | 1/? )

What if I wanted to break? Laugh it all off in your face? What would you do? ___

Midoriya Izuku is no stranger to social alienation. Middle school was hell and he didn't expect high school to be any different.

[Underage | Implied/Referenced Suicide | Implied/Referenced Self Harm]

She's Mine by masteremeraldholder, purplecrystalgem ( T | 3,504+ | 1/4 )

Izuku takes her hand into her own warm, soft palm (Katsuki can’t bring herself to jerk her hand away this time) and says, “It’s okay… You can say it.”

So she does. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m not enough. Like I’m never goin’ to be enough. It feels like it’s all for nothin’.”

It’s quiet other than the gentle hum of the air conditioning. Soothing.

Then Deku’s shifting onto her knees, and her hands come to Katsuki’s face.

“You’ll always be enough for me,” Izuku cups her face. She’s letting Shitty-damn-Deku touch her. “You’re more than enough.”

[Or Katsuki's attacked for making it onto the varsity basketball team.]

[Transphobia | Implied/Referenced Self Harm]

You're My Tear by herosuneater ( T | 2,707+ | 1/? )

╚»★«╝ ᴘᴏᴋéᴍᴏɴ ᴀᴜ ╚»★«╝ ═══════ Being pressured to be in charge of an important job can really break someone terribly. Luckily for Izuku, he has someone he could cope with, and he has his mother who he could always depend on as well.

"Will you always be there to prevent me from doing anything stupid?"

"I've been doing that my whole life, this is no different."

Series Part 1 of BNHA AUs

Album Title in Progress by Allotrope ( E | 50,167+ | 9/20 )

"Are you trying to be funny? Because you need to work on the punchline." Katsuki scoffed in disbelief, eyes narrowing in on the grown man trying and failing to get a pen clip out his forest of curls. "You really don't think you can sing?"

"I mean, technically, sure. Anyone able to sing can sing. But am I good at it?" Deku left the pen alone so he could gesture as though he was weighing two different invisible objects. "...Yeah, I'm okay."

Now that got a chuckle out of Katsuki.

"I wouldn't call that just 'okay'." -- OR; Izuku's singing makes Katsuki realize sex is Real™ and uses those feelings to make a bomb-ass(lol get it? cuz his quirk is...) album while also helping a self-doubting Izuku realize how fire his mixtape is.

or so they say by Ciaru ( T | 2,726+ | 2/? )

Izuku is a nerd, Katsuki is hot, what else is new

(this is) home by Kasplode ( T | 2,900+ | 2/? )

often i am upset that i cannot fall in love but i guess this avoids the stress of falling out of it

-

izuku is a boy. not that anyone knows that. (not yet.)

[Transphobia | Implied/Referenced Self Harm]

Soft Wings by actualdevil ( T | 1,533 | 1/1 )

As someone already prone to accidents, it was no surprise when Deku took a bad fall during track practice. (Or, a quirkless AU where everyone has wings for no reason)

EVP Sessions by autochorystalize ( T | 9,682 | 2/2 )

Izuku had been interested in the paranormal for years now, spending many weekends exploring haunted locations and trying to document proof of spirits. Tonight was the start of his next big project: creating a documentary series about paranormal investigation. Katsuki thought Izuku was full of shit, but he always showed up anyway

another day, another misadventure by dekustyle ( T | 3,155 | 1/1 )

Katsuki’s date with Izuku is ruined when Todoroki Enji arrived at Izuku’s doorstep without prior notice. Now, Katsuki’s stuck babysitting a problematic five year old child with a weirdass hair color as his boyfriend cooks food for them…miserably.

Series Part 1 of (mis)adventures of little shouto with bakudeku

Burn the Witch by sundaechii ( T | 2,233 | 1/1 )

A week after the start of summer break, the Bakugou’s got a new neighbor.

Affection Brewing by KinkyKaitsu ( M | 1,758+ | 1/? )

Katsuki Bakugou works part-time at the local coffee house, Insomnia Café. He hates every second of it. The customers exhaust him, hours piss him off, but the money is good and after a chance encounter with a green-eyed stranger he decides going in to work might not be so bad. 

[Series] Hybrids x My Hero Academia by GreyLiliy ( M | 21,654 | 2 Works | WIP )

Vemödalen by shrill_linguini ( T | 2,382+ | 1/? )

Katsuki Bakugou found such frustration in photography, especially when photographing something amazing; as thousands of identical photos already exist- and his didn't even compare.

He had nothing to say anymore.

He thought all of the stories had been told.

All but one.

it's magic (if it's with you) by MsFluorescent ( M | 29,088+ | 9/? )

high school is... quidditch, love potions, and a little too much butterbeer.

Riley’s Ficlets: Bakugou/Midoriya by AutisticWriter ( T | 1,500+ | 3/4 )

A collection of 500 word ficlets.

Series Part 1 of Riley's Ficlet Collections Part 64 of Aspec Characters Part 43 of Neurodivergent BNHA Characters Part 249 of Autistic Headcanons Part 521 of Tumblr Prompt Fills

[Homophobia]

Our Treehouse by Flavorful_Evening ( T | 19,164+ | 3/? )

Katsuki's forced to adjust to his new life in an ordinary, small town. But he's 13, with no friends, and is a stubborn loner who spends most of his time alone in the woods.

Yeah, it's as depressing as it sounds.

But just when he thought he could get through all problems by trudging past or blatantly ignoring them, some kid with a mop of green hair forces his way into his life. So...how much worse can his life get?

Izuku Midoriya sees the lonely lifestyle of a new Junior High student and can't help but want to butt in rather than watch from the sidelines. Throw away words and inconsistency won't work with this kid, he has to be there all the way.

And it looks like Katsuki isn't going to accept it without kicking and screaming the whole way.

[Underage | Bullying]

Finding Balance in a Typhoon by ameliescoup ( Not Rated | 1,563 | 1/1 )

Newly promoted research diver, Midoriya Izuku, gets the assignment that he's always wanted, a deep sea expedition to complete his research on whale sharks. Getting his dossier, and setting sail on this unknown named ship, excited for what's in store for him, he's suddenly thwarted when he realized who his captain is...his old flame, Bakugou Katsuki.

[majestyssteed-blog]

Strap in boi-o’s it’s a sad one. If you’ve been touched by illness or death by illness just a warning. I didn’t really base it off anyone illness out there for this reason, because this is about them, not the illness. 

Figured I write a little sumthin’ sumthin’ for you guys. If you like the way I write, go check the Admin out on FF.net under “TheLilKnight”

And of course, gotta tag @shiroxichigo c;

  He remembered when he first started showing symptoms, and he remembered when he finally told his loved ones what was going on. He winced, as he remembered, but was brought to his thoughts when he was called into the doctor's office. He’d insisted to go alone, not minding the kind woman that had taken her in. He did work with her nonetheless., and he knew the care that she put into each patient. When the woman entered, Unohana, he suddenly wished he wasn’t alone.

 “Good morning, Ichigo.” She said with that smile and sighed.

 “Come on, Unohana..” Her visage faltered. “You and I both know what’s going on...It came back positive?” Unohana was hard to read before she cleared her throat, making herself busy as she looked at his chart. 

  “It..did.” She said. Ichigo was quiet, he felt nothing. There was nothing left for him to give. Unohana spoke the speech that he himself had given to several patients. Some agreed to find more treatment, but at this stage there usually wasn’t much more that could be done. Ichigo knew his odds. 

    Unohana had a knowing look in her eye as she said she would give him some time and some forms. When Ichigo left,, he still was processing. Ichigo wondered if it was because he was a doctor and that he was immune to this kind of thing, that he was resigned. When arrived home, is when it hit him. Shiro was sleeping on the couch, white locks all were strewn as he dozed away. Ichigo felt the tears and his stomach plummet. 

  Ichigo found himself in the doorway of their home, on his knees, and his hand to his mouth. He hadn’t sobbed like this in a really long time. Shiro wasn’t a heavy sleeper either, so he wasn’t surprised to hear movement. Shiro was over to him as quick as his awakening mind could process. 

  “Ichigo?” Ichigo tried to form words but it was all too much. It was causing him pain, he could handle the physical but...He felt like the biggest letdown. Shiro nodded with a lost look on his face, Ichigo couldn’t pin exactly how he was lost as he pulled him closer and let his other half cry.  

  It hit Shiro like a ton of bricks when Ichigo didn’t recover from his crying fit as quickly as he had in the past. Shiro felt his world spin but..tried to shove down that feeling for the time being. For one time in his life, he wasn’t going to react b his gut instinct, and wait until those crushing words were uttered. 

 “Postive.” Ichigo was able to get out and Shiro felt nothing, he just stared at the wall. He felt himself shut down, and just..be for a couple of scary moments. “Shiro...” He heard whispered and he looked down to see Ichigo looking at him with such an exhaustion, that it deepened that feeling. He felt Hollow with the knowledge that Ichigo wouldn’t be around for much longer.

  They had discussed that if it came back positive, Ichigo knew that the chances of anything aiding him to continue life..wasn’t worth what it would do to his already weakened body. Shiro had been angry at first, for the thought that Ichigo for once was giving up, but he explained to him the science, how it would affect him as a person and he wasn’t prepared to be coddled until he died. He wanted to keep his namesake. Shiro was still angry in a way that was impossible to express, he was angry that Ichigo wouldn’t be able to live until he was old and grey. He was angry that there was nothing that he could do. He was angry that he was going to be left here along because of an illness that stomped a fiery being out. 

  He was angry for a million reasons and right now he was just trying to cope without making Ichigo feel responsible because this wasn’t his fault. It never could be. The two of them sat, together, processing and just offering comfort to one another. 

   “So you’re just giving up?!” Tatsuki yelled when their friend group found out, they were all in the Jaegerjaques home, just trying to have a good time when it slipped what had happened at Ichigo’s appointment. Ichigo sighed, and the tension in the room skyrocketed. 

 “No, I’m not,” Ichigo replied, looking at his friend. “There’s just not a po-”

  “Not a point?!” Tatsuki yelled. “This is your life!” Tatsuki turned to Shiro who was lounging in one of the chairs then to Orihime as she spoke. 

“Tatsuki..” Orihime went to reach out.

  “No! Listen to me, Kurosaki, when have you ever been one to give up?” That lit a fire under Ichigo, before Shiro could say anything.

  “No, I haven’t! But I’m tired, Tatsuki!” Tatsuki was quiet, tears welling in her eyes as he grew more furious. “Do you think I want to die!?” Grimmjow’s eyes flicked from Ichigo to Shiro then to his wife. 

  Nel sighed, they had already known, finding out through Shiro one night of drinking. “I know that if I went ahead with more treatments that It would be even more painful for you guys!” Ichigo snapped. He felt his body protesting to the tension that was building in his neck. It was getting harder to breathe too, the strain starting to eat at his already over-hassled body. 

 “Ya need ta leave it.” Shiro finally spoke up. Tatsuki looked at him.

  “Why are you so calm about this?” Renji sighed as they continued to bicker, watching Ichigo sit down on one of the dining chairs. Rukia was watching too, his skin was paled and he looked more than overdone. Shiro looked from them to Ichigo and promptly brought an end to the argument.

 “If these are Ichigo’s wishes..” Nel began and Tatsuki looked at Ichigo.

 “What about us and your family?” Ichigo looked up through his bangs at her as he took wheezing breaths, Shiro going to his coat pocket and riffling around it. 

 “That’s...not fair.” Ichigo wheezed. Shiro’s jaw was tight as he helped Ichigo get his breath with an inhaler that had been prescribed. Shiro then turned to Tatsuki.

 “Everythin’ Ichigo has ever done has been for other people. You should know tha’.” Shiro said, with a sneer. Rukia sighed.

  “He’s right.” She reasoned with Tatsuki. The women’s cheeks were red as she bent her head and let the tears come. It was easy to say that there wasn’t a dry eye in the place, as they all let it sink in. 

   “What do ya wanna do taday?” Ichigo hummed. He had gotten much much worse, but...Shiro didn’t like seeing him cooped up on a day that was sunny. 

  “...Can we go to the park?” Shiro chuckled, with a nod. 

“Of course, King.” Ichigo managed a scowl, with a flush rushing to his ears. Shiro chuckled again, before helping him into a wheelchair and making sure his oxygen tank was okay. Once their, they made themselves comfortable on a blanket in a sunny part of the park. Ichigo hummed at the feeling of the sun before looking at Shiro.

  “Shi..” Shiro looked at him, and Ichigo saw the pain hidden away in those eyes. “Thank you.” He managed. Shiro sighed.

  “Of course, yer my King..” Shiro trailed off before looking at the sun. He was settled under an umbrella under Ichigo’s orders since his skin didn’t like prolonged sunlight, being really pale and all will do that. Ichigo was quiet for a moment. “I don’ want any goodbyes yet.” Ichigo sighed before just going back to sunbathing.

 “That’s fine,” Ichigo said and Shiro sighed. He watched Ichigo, he knew it was coming, sooner than anyone expected and he wasn’t sure if he’d be ready. They had a nice day, Shiro making sure that Ichigo was okay and Ichigo complaining that he didn’t need to hover over him. When they made it home, Ichigo wanted to make dinner, and he wasn’t against it. Especially from the look that Ichigo had given him. 

  They ate, they talked and laugh, and it was a roundabout nice day. Shiro didn’t know it would be his last day. Until Shiro woke up the next morning when he found Ichigo, were some of the most painful moments in his life. He had to show them the do not resuscitate form. He had to call someone though because he couldn’t do this alone. Nel was the one that answered the call. 

 She went with him to begin the process of Ichigo’s funeral and to notify everyone when all was set and done, Shiro sat in Nel’s car looking completely broken. Nel was quiet as it finally all sunk in for the man beside her as he started to cry. She was quiet, tears of her own in her eyes as she watched her friend. He bowed his head and rested it against the dashboard as his body shook with sobs. She rubbed his back as he put his hands to his face, and she leaned over and rested her head on his back.

  “I know..” She said with a tear thicken voice. “It's not fair..” 

  “..Not this soon..” She heard him weep and it only added to her tears. 

  Shiro went through the motions, through the funeral. Ichigo’s family was devastated to say the least. Shiro couldn’t feel anything. When everyone was getting ready to leave, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Shiro.” It was Isshin. 

  “Yeah?” Shiro replied. Isshin was quiet for a moment.

  “Thank you for...taking care of him.” Shiro was quiet before he nodded.

 “Of course..He..”Shiro was quiet as he looked at the casket. 

  “If you need someone...Come on over to the clinic.” Shiro was shocked.

  “I thought ya didn’ like me?”

 “It’s what Ichigo would have wanted.” Shiro saw Isshin for what he was then, a father that had outlived his son. Shiro nodded.

 “Alright, I will,” Shiro said, before Isshin and the girls left. Shiro was left alone, as he drove home from the funeral. He wanted to be alone right now. It was all too much. He’d never been so overwhelmed but hollow at the same time. Ichigo had brought so much good to his life but now that was gone. When Shiro got home, he stood in the doorway of their home and felt the tears again. 

 “Why am I fuckin’ cryin..” He said. He knew why though, he thought he had been ready for Ichigo to be gone. He definitely wasn’t. In this apartment, it was like he was tiptoeing around where Ichigo had left his mark. Nothing of Ichigo’s had moved from where the man himself has placed it. Shiro felt the tears well up again as he tried to make it to their bedroom, where he sunk to the ground and succumbed to his tears. 

 Images of the life they had in this place drifted into his mind. When they moved in:

“This is ours now?” Ichigo said with excitement to Shiro. 

“Well, we pay rent, but yeah this is our slice o’ heaven.” Ichigo chuckled.

When they first said “I love you”:

The two men were laying in bed one night when Ichigo kissed Shiro’s ear and whispered the three words. Shiro had grinned and mumbled it back with a kiss to his hair as he had fallen asleep.

When Ichigo smiled at him in the mornings on the weekend:

The sun streamed into their bedroom, as Shiro woke up to an Ichigo who was smiling sleepily at him. The sun kissed the orange hair and brought out the gold flecks in his brown eyes. Freckles bringing prominence to the blush that spread when he discovered he’d been caught.

 “Like what ya see?” His face grew a deeper blush and a scowl.

 “Maybe.” Shiro cackled. 

Shiro felt a sharp feeling of acute loneliness, loss, and grief pass through him as he cried on the bedroom floor. 

  Things weren’t easy getting along without Ichigo. Shiro went back to work, but he went to see Ichigo almost every day religiously. He didn’t do much of anything that reminded him of Ichigo. He did go to Ichigo’s grave to talk but anything that had brought Ichigo joy was too painful. It was too painful to know that light was gone.

  His friends were really concerned from him, but that wasn’t his problem. He was just trying to get through if he could. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to being what he knew Ichigo would want for him and what he himself wanted to let happen to him. He just didn’t care. When he went to bed that night though, he hadn’t expected to actually dream. 

 He was in a sideways world, skyscrapers and bright skies. Further away he noticed that bright orange hair and found himself sprinting. He was in all black attire and smiled sadly at Shiro. 

 “Shiro..” Shiro tried to touch him but Ichigo backed up.

  “Ichigo, what’s goin’ on?”

 “You’re spiraling,” Ichigo said and Shiro frowned.

 “So? I don’ have ya anymore, and you’re wha’ mattered.”

 “And everyone else doesn’t?” Shiro stopped. Ichigo frowned at him. “What about Grimmjow? He’s like a brother to you.” Shiro was quiet as he looked away from Ichigo. He suddenly felt those warm hands cupping his face, Ichigo’s natural musk, and cinnamon filling his nose. “You have more to you than just me.” Shiro looked down.

 “Not really, King.” 

 “Ogichi.” Ichigo said and Shiro looked at him, and there were tears swimming in brown eyes. “I will not sit by while you throw yourself away for me. That’s not what you deserve. We’ll see each other again, okay? If anything..Do it for me.” Shiro’s face crumbled. 

  “I’m tryin’..” 

 “Then keep trying” Ichigo kissed him softly. “Because I’ll be with you.” Shiro looked at him before chuckling and nodding.

 “Alright.” Ichigo smiled at him, bringing him into a hug. When Shiro woke up the next morning, he was devastated that Ichigo was gone. Yet, the smell of cinnamon and just...Ichigo hung in the air, the wind outside blowing the curtains in their bedroom. Shiro chuckled after a moment. He felt lighter. 

 “Yer wish is my command, King.” 

[phgq]

NCR's 1st peace & dev't convergence program targets displaced Malabon vendors

#PHinfo: NCR's 1st peace & dev't convergence program targets displaced Malabon vendors

Sidewalk vendors of Malabon City on Saturday welcome the alternative livelihood programs being offered by the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood, and Employment Cluster of the National Capital Region Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. (PIA NCR)

MALABON CITY, Dec. 23 (PIA) – At least 75 displaced sidewalk vendors in the city stand to benefit from the whole-of-nation convergence program designed to alleviate their plight and provide alternative, long-term, and more stable earning opportunities for them.

During Satruday’s 1st Metro Manila Convergence Program of government, private entities, and civil society organizations held at the Malabon National High School, and spearheaded by the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster of the National Capital Region Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in support of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70, the beneficiaries were given the option to learn skills on Hilot (Wellness Massage) NC II, Bread and Pastry Production NC II, and Tile Setting NC II, coupled with orientation on livelihood, business management, financial assistance, and employment opportunities, among others.

Malabon City Mayor Antolin "Len" Oreta, who graced the event, expressed his support to the convergence effort. The mayor also assured that the city was working on providing an alternative means of livelihood for the vendors.

Gilberto Dela Cruz happily shows his seal of approval for the livelihood program. (PIA NCR)

Gilberto Dela Cruz, a 64-year old vendor from Barangay Catmon, said he was quite surprised at first, because despite his age, he is still given the opportunity to avail of the skills training on bread-making.

“Sabi ko po interesado ako, gusto ko pong maipakita sa gobyerno at kay Pangulong Duterte na gusto ko pa rin makibahagi sa programa ng gobyerno,” Dela Cruz said, adding that he will challenge himself to finish the training course and engage with other vendors to avail of the livelihood opportunities.

“Ang totoong gusto ko po ay sa computer [operation] pero baka next year pa raw po i-offer, kaya nag-shift po muna ako sa bread-making business. Pero kasi, interesado rin ako sa ganyan e. Magagamit [ko] sa negosyo at malay nyo, baka makapagpatayo rin tayo ng bakery,” he said.

Nabanggit din po nila sa amin noong primerong orientation namin sa munisipyo na mayroong ibibigay na mga gamit pang-baking kapag nakatapos sa kurso,” he added.

For her part, Lolita Bon, 52, of Barangay Hulong Duhat, who used to sell her wares beside the Malabon City Square Mall, said she and her fellow vendors were encouraged by the local government to avail of the programs being offered. She said she will avail the bread and pastry-making course and also train as a therapeutic masseuse due to its readily available potential income.

“Napakaganda po at napakamaraming matutulungan na kagaya sa aming mga vendors, bale 75 po kami na mga vendors na willing mag-training kasi po, lalo na ngayong clearing time, wala po kaming pagkakataong magtinda sa kalsada nang maghapon. Hinihikayat ko po sila na mag-avail at ito po ang magiging hanapbuhay namin kapag nakatapos po kami,” Bon said.

Training courses would last for as short as 10 days to 18 days depending on its specialty. The convergence program will also provide business opportunities to graduates through-supportive environment such as provision of facilities, mentoring and coaching, training, and networking that will help them establish their respective start-up business.

Graduates of the program are expected to use their skills and knowledge to put up their own business while others can be hired as employees of various business establishments. On the other hand, those who have no business capital may form a group and register as a cooperative so that they can start their own business venture, said Pilar Hernandez-Herbolario of the City of Malabon Polytechnic Institute.

“Ang programang ito, hindi magtatapos sa hilot, mayroon din pang-negosoyo, pangkabuhayan, tapos mayroon din, kung 15 na kayo [members], pwede kayong magtayo ng coop para isang grupo na kayo, na hahanapin. 'Di ba meron tayo na nabuong Tricycle Food Tour noon? O baka sa susunod mayroon na tayong Malabon Tricycle Hilot Tour, at iikutan na kayo ng mga gustong magpahilot para iyong serbisyo natin ay naipapa-abot talaga natin,” she said.

To recall, Malabon City has started promoting its culinary landmarks by means of accredited tricycles, a local public utility transport, which can easily wheeze through traffic and narrow alley ways.

Also, the national and city governments have ordered for the clearing of streets of obstructions to comply with the mandate of the President. (PIA NCR)

***

References:

* Philippine Information Agency. "NCR's 1st peace & dev't convergence program targets displaced Malabon vendors." Philippine Information Agency. https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1031909 (accessed December 23, 2019 at 12:27PM UTC+08).

* Philippine Infornation Agency. "NCR's 1st peace & dev't convergence program targets displaced Malabon vendors." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1031909 (archived).

[plopstories-blog]

Blue Barry

He gallops through the aisles, jumping and bouncing here and there against what he meets, like a frenetic rubber ball.

He does not have full control of his legs, because between his thighs he straddles a rocking horse which prevents him from properly moving his hips, forcing him to strut with a wide gait. A blue feather boa keeps slapping him in the face, tickling his uvula every time he opens his mouth. He checks behind his shoulder, noting two security guards trudging after him, banging against clients and stumbling on the goods. Every once in a while, some of the things he has loaded himself with slip off, falling on the ground and obstructing the path of the two poor men trying to catch him. He turns, pivoting on the rocking horse and using a huge stuffed dolphin to bolster his path. Big sunglasses prevent him from seeing properly, but he lets himself be carried by the flow and he runs bouncing and falling and banging and grabbing and dropping but always, always, running; and for every object he loses he takes two, while he keeps moving through the aisles frightening the clients.

Today he woke up this way. He has opened his eyes deciding he would grab every single blue thing he found on his path. And so the rocking horse, the dolphin, the blue feather boa, the sunglasses with the American flag, the pyjamas with the waves, the elegant hat of a distinguished lady having breakfast at the bakery, a pair of shoes with the heel in shining light blue painting, a colander – now bouncing on his head at every step – a poetry book, a purple savoy cabbage head that looked almost blue, a box and a car. Yes, on his way he tried to lift up a blue car he met just before entering the supermarket. He had looked at it for a while, and after a brief reasoning he had decided that it was truly blue and so he had to carry it with him. So he had gone under it, pushing with his legs – that at the time were still free of the horse - teeth clenched and muscles pumped; but he could just not do it, and he would have still been there, trying to carry the car with him, if not for the distinguished lady with the elegant hat, and this being of a light shade of cornflower, he had decided that he could have been free of the car burden, honouring anyway his intention to grab every blue thing met on his path and also avoiding to be stuck under the car that in that moment was moving with the owner cursing from the window.

Barry is a master of the flow: from morning to evening he let himself be carried by the flashing input inside his head which links together random details telling him what to do, with no syntax, no stops, no breaks. Those flashes give birth to one thought after another, give one order after another to the muscles, and Barry executes every instruction without asking why, carried by that internal wave. But a true flow master knows that the wave is not only inside, because it is more often outside than within; for example, in that moment it wasn’t his decision to turn right, but he had hit against a shopping cart, falling inside it, and the man driving the cart startled, pushing it away, so now Barry is inside the shopping cart which bounces against a pillar and make him turn right.

Emerging from the shopping cart he thinks: “This cart is full of Barry” and it wasn’t a wrong thought, because the cart was really full of Barry and the things stolen – but “stolen” is a strong word, better say “taken” – by Barry. And because the things taken by Barry were all blue, he also thinks: “This cart is full of blue and Barry” and the wave inside his head tells him: “Blueberry!” and so now it happens that he starts thinking he want to eat blueberries – which are blue, and because they are blue they are fine – and so he jumps out the cart and starts running to the produce section, still with the two desperate men looking for him. Then he, seeing the blueberries, starts eating the blueberries, and while he eats the blueberries he thinks: “I am a blueberry” and so he tries to get into the shelf pushing his head on the blueberry baskets which squish his face painting it blue.  

The two security guards locate him from far away while he tries to make little jumps in the hope to push himself more inside the blueberry shelf, surrounded by all his blue things. Barry sees them coming but he doesn’t care much because he thinks: “Surely they cannot arrest a blueberry, the might put it on a cake, or inside the yogurt”. He also thinks that the yogurt his granny gave him for breakfast was blue and maybe it was a blueberry yogurt, but Barry is not sure because his granny never said: “Here, eat this blueberry yogurt”; she just said: “Eat this yogurt, I’ve put a secret ingredient inside just for you”; and she never wanted to reveal the secret ingredient, but she was right, otherwise it would have not been a secret, even if Barry now starts thinking that it might have been blueberry syrup. But Barry doesn’t eat anymore blue yogurt because the yogurt they gave at “The House” is plain white and he doesn’t like it because it makes him pucker his lips and it doesn’t have his granny’s secret ingredient, because his granny is dead and took the secret ingredient “to her grave” as they say when somebody dies. And because the granny died it has been many months that Barry hasn’t see her and he misses his granny and the granny’s secret ingredient in the yogurt. Barry thinks he would like to be with his granny and not at “The House”, and because his granny is dead, now the waves inside his head tell him: “You are dead!”; and he stops making the little jumps and lets himself slide to the ground. The two men find before their eyes a man covered in blueberry juice, surrounded by a rocking horse, a blue feather boa, a colander – that fell nearby while Barry tried to put his head in the shelf – a pair of sunglasses with the American flag (still on his face) - pyjamas with the waves, an elegant hat, a pair of shoes with the heel in shining light blue painting, a purple savoy cabbage head that looked almost blue, a poetry book, a box and a pair of blue lips. Because the dead don’t breathe and Barry, which was dead, has to stop breathing and he is trying, correctly, to hold his breath, so much so that his lips turned blue. The two poor security guys, holding on their knees after the run, don’t know what to do and, after they stopped wheezing, try to lift up the blue man, but because Barry is dead he cannot help them, and so, already tired, they have to leave him on the ground again. Then, one of the two realise that the lips are not blue for the blueberries but because Barry is not breathing, so he jumps on him, opens his mouth and Barry gives a loud cough, spitting blueberries and saliva on the poor man.

And the waves inside Barry’s mind tell him: “You are alive!”. But Barry thinks: “What do you do when you are alive?” and he doesn’t know, because it has never happened that the waves tell him to be alive. He thinks: “It is much easier to be a blueberry than to be alive”, but now the waves told him: “You are alive!” and so he has to try to be alive and not a blueberry.

While the two men hold him by his arms and one of the two says inside a phone: “Hello? Hi, we need and ambulance at the supermarket”, Barry keeps thinking, trying to understand what do you do when you are alive, and, while thinking, he let the two men carry him to the back room.

Blue Barry

Galoppa per le corsie, saltellando e rimbalzando da una parte all’altra contro quello che incontra, come una pallina idiota e impazzita. Non controlla le gambe, perché tra le cosce tiene un pony di plastica che gli impedisce di muovere adeguatamente le articolazioni delle anche, costringendolo ad avanzare a piedi larghi. In faccia, un boa di pelo azzurro gli sbatte sul naso, andando a sollazzargli il velopendulo ogni qualvolta gli finisce in bocca. Si guarda alle spalle, vedendo i due uomini della sicurezza che gli arrancano dietro, sbattendo contro i clienti ed inciampando contro la merce. Ogni tanto uno degli oggetti che si è caricato addosso gli sfugge, cascando per terra e intralciando ancora di più i due poveri uomini che cercano di catturarlo. Compie una curva, facendo leva sul pony e utilizzando un grosso peluche a forma di delfino come sponda. I grossi occhiali da sole gli impediscono di vedere adeguatamente di fronte a lui, ma lui si fa trasportare dal flusso e corre rimbalzando e cascando e sbattendo e afferrando e mollando ma sempre, comunque, correndo; e per ogni cosa che lascia cadere per terra ne riprende due, mentre avanza nelle corsie spaventando i clienti.

Oggi si è svegliato così. Ha aperto gli occhi e ha deciso che avrebbe afferrato tutte le cose blu che avrebbe incontrato. E quindi il pony, il delfino, il boa di pelo, gli occhiali dalla montatura con la bandiera americana, il pigiama con le onde, il cappello con la velina di una distinta signora che faceva colazione in pasticceria, un paio di scarpe con il tacco di vernice azzurra, un colapasta – che ora gli rimbalza sul cranio ad ogni passo –, un libro di poesie, un cespo di cavolo verza viola che però sembra un po’ blu, uno scatolone e una macchina. Sì, lungo la strada ha provato anche a sollevare una macchina blu incrociata poco prima di entrare nel supermercato. L’aveva guardata a fondo, e dopo una breve riflessione aveva deciso che era proprio blu e quindi avrebbe dovuto portarsela dieto. E quindi c’era andato sotto, facendo leva sulle cosce – che all’epoca erano ancora libere dal pony –, stringendo i denti e gonfiando i muscoli; ma non c’era stato verso, e ora sarebbe ancora lì a cercare di tirarsi dietro una macchina se non avesse visto la vecchietta con il cappello con la velina, ed essendo anche quello di un tenue color fiordaliso, aveva deciso che poteva farla franca, perché avrebbe comunque potuto rispettare il suo proposito di afferrare ogni cosa blu che avesse incontrato sul suo percorso, evitando anche di rimane incastrato sotto la macchina, che per altro in quel momento stava partendo con il proprietario che gli inveiva dal finestrino e quindi: via a prendere il cappello!

Barry è un maestro del flusso: dalla mattina alla sera si fa trasportare dalla scarica intermittente dentro la sua testa che collega insieme particolari casuali e gli dice cosa fare, senza sintassi, senza pause, senza fermi. Le scariche costruiscono un pensiero dietro l’altro, danno un comando ai muscoli dietro l’altro, e lui esegue ogni istruzione senza chiedersi perché, trasportato da quell’onda interna. Ma un vero maestro del flusso sa che l’onda non è solo interna, perché spesso più che interna è un’onda esterna, ad esempio ora non è una sua decisione quella di girare verso destra, ma ha sbattuto contro un carrello, finendoci dentro e il signore che lo guidava si è spaventato e quindi ha spinto il carrello lontano e lui ora è sul carrello che è andato a sbattere contro una colonna di sbieco e lo ha fatto girare verso destra.

Emergendo da dentro il carrello pensa: “Questo carrello è pieno di Barry” ed in effetti non è un pensiero del tutto sbagliato, perché il carrello è davvero pieno di Barry e delle cose rubate - ma rubate è un termine forte meglio dire “prese” – da Barry. E visto che le cose prese da Barry sono tutte blu, lui pensa anche: “Questo carrello è pieno di cose blu e di Barry” e le scariche nella sua testa gli dicono: “Blueberry” e quindi gli viene da pensare di voler mangiare dei mirtilli – che poi sono blu e visto che sono blu per oggi vanno bene - e quindi salta giù dal carrello e si mette a correre verso il reparto frutta, con ancora i due disgraziati che lo cercano, ma che ormai lo hanno perso di vista. Poi lui, vedendo i mirtilli, si mette a mangiare i mirtilli e mentre mangia i mirtilli pensa: “Sono un mirtillo” e quindi cerca di entrare tra gli scaffali della frutta infilando la testa sopra i cestini di mirtilli che gli si spiaccicano in faccia e gli pitturarono pelle di blu. I due uomini della sicurezza lo trovano mentre con le gambe compie piccoli saltelli nel tentativo di darsi la spinta per incastrarsi ancora meglio nello scaffale dei mirtilli, circondato da tutte le sue cose blu.  Lui li vede arrivare, ma non se ne cura un gran ché, perché pensa: “Mica possono mettere in galera un mirtillo, al massimo un mirtillo lo mettono su una torta, o nello yogurt.” E pensa che anche lo yogurt che gli dava sempre sua nonna a merenda era blu e forse era uno yogurt ai mirtilli, ma Barry non ne era sicuro perché la nonna non gli diceva mai: “Tieni, mangia questo yogurt ai mirtilli”; gli diceva solo: “Mangia che questo ti piace, l’ho preparato io e ci ho messo dentro un ingrediente segreto solo per te.” E non gli voleva mai dire quale fosse l’ingrediente segreto, ma faceva bene, se no non sarebbe stato un ingrediente segreto, anche se ora Barry gli viene in mente che l’ingrediente segreto potesse essere succo di mirtilli. Ma Barry non mangia più yogurt blu da un po’ perché gli yogurt che danno alla ‘Casa’ sono bianchi e a lui non piacciono perché gli strizzano le papille gustative e non hanno l’ingrediente segreto di sua nonna, perché sua nonna è morta e si è portata l’ingrediente segreto “nella tomba”, che è come si dice quando una persona è morta. E visto che la nonna di Barry è morta, sono tanti mesi che non la vede e a lui manca sua nonna e gli ingredienti segreti blu degli yogurt di sua nonna. Barry pensa che vorrebbe essere con sua nonna e non alla ‘Casa’ e visto che sua nonna è morta, ora le scariche nella sua testa gli dicono: “Sei morto!”, perché vorrebbe essere con sua nonna e lui smette di fare i saltelli con le gambe e si lascia scivolare a terra. I due uomini della sicurezza si trovano davanti un uomo con la faccia impiastricciata dal succo blu dei mirtilli, circondato da un pony blu, un boa di pelo blu, uno scolapasta – che mentre Barry cercava di infilare la testa tra i mirtilli gli era scivolato a qualche passo di distanza - un paio di occhiali con la bandiera americana – che gli sono rimasti storti sul naso – un cappello, un pigiama con le onde, un paio di scarpe con il tacco di vernice azzurra, un libro di poesie, un cespo di cavolo verza viola che però sembra un po’ blu, uno scatolone blu e le labbra che cominciavano a diventare blu. Perché i morti non respirano e Barry, visto che è morto, non deve respirare e sta cercando quindi, giustamente, di trattenere il fiato, tanto che le labbra gli sono diventate blu. I due poveri uomini della sicurezza, con le mani sulle ginocchia per la gran corsa, non sanno cosa fare e, ripreso il fiato, provano a sollevare l’uomo blu, ma visto che Barry è morto non può collaborare con i loro tentativi di sollevarlo, e loro sono già stanchi e quindi lo lasciano di nuovo cadere per terra. Poi uno si accorge che forse le labbra non sono blu per i mirtilli ma perché Barry non respira e quindi gli salta addosso e gli apre la bocca e la bocca di Barry fa uscire uno sfiato fortissimo, sputacchiando mirtilli e saliva addosso al pover’uomo.

E le scariche dentro la testa di Barry gli dicono: “Sei vivo!”. Ma Barry pesa: “Come si fa ad essere vivi?” E non lo sa, perché non gli è mai capitato che le scariche gli dicessero: “Sei vivo!” e quindi rimane immobile mentre cerca confuso di capire come si fa ad essere vivi. Pensa: “È molto più facile essere un mirtillo che essere vivi”, ma ora le scariche gli hanno detto: “Sei vivo!” e quindi deve cercare di essere vivo e non un mirtillo.

Mentre i due uomini della sicurezza lo prendono sotto braccio e uno dei due dice dentro un telefono: “Sì, salve, ci serve un’ambulanza al supermercato di via Taddei”, Barry continua a pensare, cercando di capire come si fa ad essere vivi, e, mentre pensa, si fa accompagnare dai due uomini nella sala sul retro.