#Food and cooking is one of those things that will probably always be complicated for anyone who goes through that no matter how recovered

[freebooter4ever]

unrelated to the stick but have you seen cooking with geno?

Haaaaaaaaaaaa. I have :) i mean...what self respecting geno fangirl hasnt? If im honest i think it was the first thing with him that i watched, but i was not paying attention to him at all at all then. Aside from noticing that Fuck He's Exactly My Type If I Ever Had One and being very annoyed by it. My ADHD research spiral in the summer of 2022 went something like this: ra*ngers -> pana*rin -> russ*an red w*ngs -> larion*ov...and then i side tracked over to alyonka's mental health/ E*D*O videos, and then her podcast which also interviewd several hockey players including her brother (which are really interesting btw)...tldr i actually watched that video more curious about alyonka than geno, cause in her more current stuff she talks a lot about those early 2000's days and what it was like working in the league as a woman. Unfortunately for geno at that point the only thing i knew about him was that he was on the penguins and that he said some shit in one interview about bread, and i had already decided based on that and his instgrm that he looked like an asshole. I cannot find that interview quote about breadman, for all i know it could have all been made up, but it reaaaaally made me dislike him. So the first time i watched the video i was doing my best to ignore geno and pretend like he wasnt radiating attractiveness. My one conclusion about that video and a few other old pens videos with alyonka (and not geno but other players) i watched was that i was surprised how much more informal things used to be. She felt very casual and more like a friend to the players than the more professional style interviews i have seen while watching this stuff live now.

And if none of that research spiral makes sense just be grateful you dont have ADHD.

ANYWAY then lucky for geno he features in my favorite hockey photo ever - that one of him sitting on the boards with the snow and baby blue jersey. So i had to draw that photo, and then i started paying more attention to him that season, and watched that dan and sushi interview, and realized shit i might have been wrong about this guy. And maybe my change of heart only has a little to do with his Very Pretty Eyes.

And moooooonths (a year?) later i finally rewatched the cooking with geno video and had to basically admit that my initial gut instinct of Oh Shit He's Hot reaction remained the same. He's a terrible cook, somehow even worse than me which is saying something cause i'm really fucking bad at it myself. But his physicality/personality rather shines in the clip. (i have heard people say he was sexualizing or staring at alyonka??? It doesnt look like that to me, they just seemed very comfortable with one another and maybe a little teasing but im not the best at recognizing flirting etc). Young Geno's got that same confidence/swagger as old(er) geno that in most guys would come across as arrogant but with him it's very quiet and understated. He makes a lot of dumb jokes. Even on my second viewing i still didnt understand the basketball joke. He didn't talk much but there were a lot of shy smiles. He reminded me a lot of my old friend ethan in attitude and height - just like how he kind of awkwardly looms in the background at times, and how all his obvious strength is sort of soft in a gentle way. He also seemed like a guy very willing to listen, which was cute. But -and this might be me projecting. But sometimes when people try to 'teach' me how to cook i play dumb just so i can check out and not use my brain and let them do all the thinking and tell me exactly what i need to do. Its very lazy and i recognize this but sometimes my brain is tired. And i swear geno was maybe doing that to alyonka at times. Like i think his effort in the video was at most 70%. Maybe 50%. It takes one lazy cook to know another one. And i am a very lazy cook.

Sorry anon, ive been cleaning and working all day so you got more than you asked for, basically a character study, whoops.

Oh, also on the second rewatch i realized the weird short grimlin who only appeared to eat the food and then disappeared was tanger. I did NOT recognize him. I still cant really believe thats him.

[cheeseceli]

Their s/o is infertile

Pairing: Ot8 ateez x afab!reader (individually)

Genre: fluff, hurt/comfort, headcanons

Request: ateez finding out their fem s/o can’t have kids/is infertile and how they’d cope/help reader through it?

Warnings: discussion about infertility, mentions of overthinking and feeling down, mentions of medical treatment, mentions of food (seonghwa).

A/n: I truly hope this can be of some comfort to anyone who might need it <3 | daily click

Seonghwa - looks after you

‌He would never make you feel useless or patronise you

‌All his focus is on trying to soothe life for you

‌Life is already hard as it is, he just wants to make it a little bit easier for you

‌So he cooks for you and cleans the apartment. He makes sure you don't forget any of your medicines. He guarantees you aren't overthinking.

‌And as much as he feels down sometimes and knows this is a complicated moment for both of you, he always keep on being optimistic

"It's late, we should go to bed. Tomorrow will be a better day, hm?"

Hongjoong - takes one step at a time

‌He's fully aware that this is a rather delicate time

‌And he knows that by rushing decisions and assumptions, the situation will only get worse

‌So he does his best to keep the calm for you both

‌He will take time with researches and appointments

‌He will make some space to just breathe with you

‌Prioritising both the infertility matter, your well being and your relationship

‌Overall, he's what is grounding you

"It's okay to feel a little lost. Don't worry, I'm here. I can be your anchor."

Yunho - keeps your mind out of things

‌Honestly, he'd probably be the reason you didn't jump into the rabbit hole of overthinking

‌He knows precisely how to avoid overload of information

‌He knows how to filter every "advice" you see around

‌So when it comes to that, he would always ground you both so well

‌And he tries to focus on other things as well

‌Not in a sense that he avoids the matter, just because he knows that obsessing into it is not healthy

‌Genuinely tries his best all the time

"Let's go on a date tonight. We could use some time to relax, don't you think?

Yeosang - looks for alternatives

‌He'd be optimistic for you both, even when you can't really see the light on the situation

‌He knows every matter has a way out

‌So he'd do his research, would ask for help, would do everything he could to find a solution

‌He'd talk with you about treatment. Maybe he'd suggest getting a pet for now. He would want to discuss adoption

‌And if you ever refuse one, two or even all of his ideas, he'd understand

‌And he has total faith that one day, you'll both find the perfect solution

"I heard that adopting a pet is very helpful to manage stress. And it could also make us company. What do you think?"

San - reassures you

‌This is the moment where a lot of doubts start to surface

‌And he doesn't want you to ever doubt yourself

‌So whenever you forget your self worth, he is there to remind you of that

‌You are an amazing person, a perfect partner and would be an even better parent

‌And he can't see you forgetting those things

‌There's also this thing I saw that Adam Sandler makes for Jennifer Aniston, and I think San would do that for you as well

‌He would gift you flowers every mother's day, every year, even if there's no signs of a baby coming

‌Simply because he knows that you would be an amazing mother

"I know this is rough, but know that I'm with you through it all"

Mingi - makes your bond stronger

‌At first, it feels heartbreaking

‌But Mingi knows that this is the moment you both need to rely on each other

‌Need to be there for each other more than ever

‌So that's what you do

‌There were nights where none of you would sleep, just talk to each other about everything that came to mind. In those nights, you'd both cry a lot

‌There were also nights where you would just sleep, comforting each other through gentle touches. In those nights, your tears would be softly dried

‌Small acts of love and kindness would take place in the relationship, and soon you would build a comfortable home around you both

‌So throughout this journey, you know you are never alone. No matter what

"Although the world is being rough on us right now, I won't be anything but kind to you"

Wooyoung - he makes time for you both

‌He knows this is a delicate time

‌He also knows that people's comments and interruptions wouldn't be of any help

‌So he decides to be alone with you for a while

‌You, him, and a very nice trip to somewhere far away

‌With this, he hopes to clear your mind a bit

‌Maybe then you'll both talk freely and find a solution, or at least get any closer to that

‌Then you can also strengthen your relationship, so you can go through this together

"No one needs to make assumptions about us and try to trouble us. We'll be fine, we just need to be together."

Jongho - supports you through it all

‌This man would be by your side supporting you in literally any occasion

‌He'd go in every medical appointment with you

‌Not even work would stop him from making you company

‌He's there when things get tiring or depressing

‌He's there when you need him the most

‌He's there even when it feels like there's no hope left

‌Similar to Mingi, I think this is the moment where your relationship would get stronger than ever

‌Simply because it's when you realise that you'll be there for each other through thick and thin

"It's going to be okay. I don't know when, but it will. Until then, I'm here."

Masterlist | you'll probably like: no matter what

Dividers by @thecutestgrotto | images 1, 2 and 3

Thank you for beta reading @duhgurl @mareuxkala @silver-hwaberry @day138 @newdawnphoenix <3

[diminuel]

Considering Crocodile likes the finer things life has to offer. I imagine he's a good cook (he's also paranoid enough to not trust many people to cook his food without poisoning him), but also if he's gonna eat it will taste good. I also see him as someone who has problems not being good or excellent at things, so naturally he at one point in time went on a whole hyper fixation induce time period where he got really good at cooking. Regardless eventually cooking becomes a nice relaxing part of his day, to destress and listen to music and he learns to love cooking. (He'd probably hate the monstrous appetite Monkey D's have though).

But when the kids get older, cooking becomes a time when they either sit/help their Baba in the kitchen. They talk about their days and work and anything else. If they had homework (do Crocodile and Dragon actually teach them or send them to school? Or they forever wild jungle kids?) they could do it then. Eventually when they are teens, I feel Crocodile makes it his mission to teach his children at least the basics of cooking. No child of his will not know how to season whatever they catch with spices or at the very least know when meat is cooked, what you can eat raw safely, and which mushrooms are the best.

This probably has varying degrees of effect. Ace probably has a tendency to overcook things by cooking them to hot or too fast. Sabo is fine. If Merry (Baby 2) is a thing (depending on AU) she might be the best or the worst. Luffy probably is okay maybe was taught some self restrain to cook one or two more complicated dishes that are his favorites Baba makes...I feel Luffy would have more restrain if cooking for others, by himself he'd just roast meat likely.

But imagine Sanji gets sick or hurt. The other strawhats are debating who should cook now, and without being asked or really thinking much about it, Luffy steps up and cooks for his crew, as his crew argues about who should cook. Luffy makes that one dish his Baba taught, that Luffy likes to cook. Maybe it's curry or something using those Alabasta spices as it's what Baba always liked to use or a simple stew to help Sanji feel better. But Luffy stepping up because he can and as Captain it's his responsibility to help his crew and Sanji shouldn't worry about the crew eating when he's not well. I don't know how the strawhats actually react to their captain doing this, but I feel it would be amusing.

Dragon should probably be banned from the kitchen. Burns everything. He can cook meat over a campfire, and that's it. The man burns his toast no matter what. Poor guy.

Oooh, I love it!

He does love to cook, but preparing Monkey D. appropriate meals is probably quite a bit harder due to the sheer quantity they consume.

I love the idea of cooking time being family time too (and yes, I do imagine that the kids get sent to school. Maybe Dragon wouldn't be too fussed about it but the jungle can't teach them everything they need to know so Crocodile would insist on school.) and that the kids would learn to cook.

And yes! Luffy cooking for his crew when Sanji can't is so good and I do think they'd be rather shocked about it because he never lifts a finger to cook otherwise so they just assumed he couldn't do more than put meat over a fire (which is generally the thing with Luffy, also in this AU I think. He doesn't share information that isn't relevant or do things that aren't necessary - why cook if they have a cook, why navigate if they have a navigator, etc etc).

Dragon's banned from the kitchen for more than one reason. Not only does he seem to be cursed to always burn his toast (maybe he actually IS cursed *lol* Garp has probably made enough enemies for one of the other curse aimed at his bloodline or firstborn to stick) but the curse will infect Crocodile too! (It's not because Dragon is so distracting, with wandering hands and kisses pressed against his neck~) If the kids don't want burnt food they have to get Dad out of the kitchen *lol*

(When it's Dragon's turn to watch the kids on his own they all know it's time to go hunt for food and cook it over a campfire X'D If they need something else they can go to Makino *lol*)

[ziggyzolch]

Your Prettiness is Seeping Through III (Wanda Maximoff x Reader)

Warnings: probably bungled the mental hospital descriptions. Bulimia and gross descriptions. suicidal ideation. anything surrounding those two topics tbh. A/N at the end.

Previous Chapter!!!!

----------------------------------------------------

------look at the cage i've been caught up in------- ❅❅❅

You wouldn’t consider yourself disordered.

Mentally ill – maybe – but not because of your bulimia. Your scars were enough evidence to prove that you weren’t well, but your purging never felt like part of your self mutilation. It was just a weight loss method. A disgusting, slightly extreme method, but one nonetheless. It’s not like you had an irrational fear of food, nor did it affect other aspects of your life. Your social life didn’t take a hit, if anything it got better.

You wouldn’t consider yourself an introvert in any way, having been a social butterfly since 10th grade. Before then, you kept to yourself.

‘The funny, fat kid’ is what you considered yourself at the time. People enjoyed talking to you, but they never stayed long after the joke died. Not until you lost half your body weight.

You often showed people old pictures of yourself when you were tubby, letting them make fun of you and often joining in. If you thought about it long enough, you’d get sad. It was still kind of you that they were making fun of, but she wasn’t you anymore. You’d never go back to being her.

You knew it was objectively disgusting. Having to wipe vomit off the toilet seat and floor, saliva from your forearms and jaw; having to change your underwear because you strained so hard you pissed yourself. Despite all of these things, you never felt disgusting. If anything, it gave you a sense of control. Bulimic characters in shows were never relatable, always feeling some kind of guilt or disgust about their ‘disorder’.

You didn’t.

So being here, at the doors of a mental institution, felt unnecessary. You’ve been purging and smoking for a little over 3 years, and your heart hasn’t failed you.

Watching the automatic doors slide open, you walk into the hospital. You’re at least grateful for the fact that you were sent to a high-end institution. Well, as high-end as a place filled with a bunch of crazies was.

“Welcome!” You hear a voice from the front desk the second you step past the doors, smooth and practiced. “Hey.” Waving awkwardly, you walk further into the room, towards the receptionist. She was dressed in all white, looking to be in her early to mid 30’s. Her clothes are pristine, not one wrinkle in sight, and an impossibly wide smile.

A chill went down your spine at the sterile environment. All white walls surrounded you, with random, expensive looking paintings hung around. You took a shower before you left, but this place makes you feel dirty. Handing the receptionist your folder, she asks you to take a seat.

Your parents didn’t come with you. As mad as you were that they made you check into the hospital, you wanted them to be here for it. Your mother at least. The relationship you had with her was complicated. It felt like she popped into your life when you were 12, having been raised by nannies up to that point. She didn’t raise you, dress you, play with you. It felt like after your older brothers, she gave up.

All you remember of her during your childhood was the image of her on the living room couch, playing candy crush and smoking a cigarette.

She wasn’t all bad, though, having moved to America with your father in your second year of university to be closer to you. She still cooked for you, did most of the chores without asking for help, making sure you were at least safe. You’re not sure if it was because she cared or if being a mother was all she knew, often making too much food and sweeping rooms that were already pristine.

“Alright! Come along now.” A nurse pops into your view. He looked young, not much older than you. You smile at him, standing up and pulling the handle of your suitcase. He ushers you to the elevator, entering after you. You pick at your cuticles, the ride seemingly taking forever. A hand stops you before you could start biting your nails, “Don’t be nervous. This is a safe space,” The nurse releases your hand, “We’re here to help you heal.” You ignore your discomfort at the statement.

You sigh in relief when the elevator finally dings, signaling that you’ve reached. The nurse, who you noticed had ‘Ezra’ written on his nametag, leads you down a hallway. You adjust your bag as your footsteps and your suitcase squeaking echo throughout the otherwise silent building. Ezra notices your discomfort, patting your shoulder, “Everybody’s having lunch right now, don’t worry.” You nod.

“This is your room,” He pushes open a door labeled ‘402’, “There’s two beds, if you haven’t noticed. You’ll be having a roommate.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. You hated being alone. You just hoped your roommate wasn’t an antisocial weirdo.

Ezra gestures for your suitcase, which you hand to him without a fight. He searches through it, pulling out your mascara and lip gloss and setting them aside. That’s fine, you could live without them. Your eyes widen when he takes out your earphones, “Sorry, protocol.” He says. Music was half of what kept you going. You wish you had enough of a backbone to argue against it.

“We allow electronics here, as most of the residents are students. We do have some websites blocked, but nothing that would inconvenience you.” The nurse smiles. The last thing he takes out of your suitcase is a worn down hoodie, stating that the strings were a hazard. He put it back after you took out the strings, though. You’re surprised he hadn’t taken away your cigarettes.

Ezra explains your weekly routine, pointing at the schedule next to the door. There are group sessions everyday, whether you decide to attend is your choice, however it would increase your chances of being discharged. From eating disorders to drug addiction, they had groups for everything. There were also therapists you could talk to at any time, which was neat. He left the rest of the facility for you to discover on your own, which you were grateful for. The nurse points out the list of rules hung up next to the schedule before he bids you goodbye, leaving the door open as his footsteps fade.

Looking around the room, it wasn’t all bad. The windows were barred, all the sharp corners in the room were padded, and the mirror in the attached bathroom was made of this weird, plastic that warped whatever it reflected back at you.

They couldn’t have possibly thought that’d be a good idea in a facility like this.

There were basically two of everything. Two toothbrushes, two tubes of toothpaste, two mouthwash bottles, two beds, two bedside tables, and two closets. The room could be mirrored if it weren’t for the single desk in the corner.

You pull your suitcase towards the closet and shove all your clothes into it, taking out black sweatpants and a random band t-shirt to change into.

You’re looking for a place to put your suitcase when you notice a shelf high up in your closet.

❅❅❅

“We’re here.”

Clint announces he parks the car in front of the building. If not for the big sign with ‘Mt. Massive Psychiatric Facility’ written in bold, she would’ve thought it was a 5 star hotel. She unbuckles her seatbelt and exits the car, moving towards the trunk with the archer, Natasha following after them. “God, what is in here?” Clint grunts as he takes out Wanda’s suitcase. She rolls her eyes, taking the suitcase and holding it above her head, “Maybe you’re just weak.” She jokes. Clint’s eyes widen. Natasha laughs, opting not to mention the red mist surrounding the witch’s hands.

Wanda places the bag back down, walking towards the entrance. “Are you sure this isn’t the Four Seasons?” Wanda asks. Clint shakes his head, “We weren’t going to send you to any random facility. This was very expensive!”

Guilt pierces Wanda. Noticing, Natasha chimes in, “Tony paid for it. Probably didn’t even make a dent in his wallet.”

Clint winces, realizing what he did. The Widow shakes her head at him.

The archer cared, he really did. He just didn’t know how to deal with these kinds of things. He wishes he could be of more help. If he could, Clint would take away all of Wanda’s pain for himself. He couldn’t though, so he insisted on driving them to the facility. It was the least he could do. Wanda was like a daughter to him, though he’d never admit it.

As they walk into the facility, Wanda notices a pack of cigarettes on the couch. She quickly moves to take a seat, taking the pack and shoving it in her pocket. Clint and Natasha go to the receptionist to check her in.

“A nurse will be with you shortly.” Natasha smiles at the receptionist's statement, dragging Clint with her to the couch. They sit on either side of Wanda.

The witch sighs, placing her head on Clint’s lap. He looks down at her, “You’ll be alright kiddo. They’ll fix you right up.” Clint ruffles Wanda’s hair. Natasha places her hand on Wanda’s knee, giving her a look. The widow wasn’t very good with words, but Wanda understood.

“Hello!” Wanda jumps at the sudden greeting, “I’m Nurse Janet, but you can call me Jan.” She wouldn’t be doing that.

They all stand, letting the nurse direct them to Wanda’s room. The weight of the situation hits the witch as they walk down the hallway. She’s going to be here for 9 weeks, at least. No work to distract her. No alcohol to numb the pain. Nothing.

The sound of a crash from Wanda’s room catches their attention.

“Fuck!” You fall backwards off the desk chair, banging your head on the carpeted floor. Groaning, you curl up, grabbing your head.

They all stare in shock, not expecting to be greeted with a random girl on the floor of the room. Clint rushes towards you before you put your arm out, stopping him from getting closer. “I’m fine. It’s all good.” You ignore the pounding in your head as you get up. You offer a big smile while you take in the group in front of you, “Hello!”

Wanda’s eyes widened in recognition, but you didn’t seem to know who she was. Your accent catches her off guard. She offers a tight-lipped smile, scooting slightly to hide behind Natasha. Clint chuckles, putting out his hand for you to shake.

Nurse Janet approaches you, moving to inspect you for any injuries before you back up. ��I’m good!” You try to convince her. She backs off.

“Okay,” She squints her eyes, “Anyways, this is Wanda, your roommate!” She points behind her. You move to shake Natasha’s hand before she chuckles and moves to the side, revealing the witch.

You put your hand down, sensing her discomfort. Wanda glances up at the band aid on your head, giving you a questioning look. “Oh. I tripped over my cat.” You laugh, the lie coming out easily. You don’t even have a cat.

Not believing you, Wanda tries to dig around in your mind for the truth. A sudden piercing headache makes itself known. You sit down on the corner of the bed, holding your head in your hands. The nurse rushes forward, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

The witch stops, causing you to sigh in relief. “I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.”

“I think we should check you out for a concussion.” The nurse mumbles as she leans down, pulling a flashlight out of her back pocket and shining it into your eyes.

You push it away, nodding your head and getting up, letting her lead you out of the room.

Wanda watches you walk away, feeling slightly guilty. Nobody’s ever reacted that badly to her poking around. Natasha punches her shoulder lightly, “You’re gonna have to put those powers to rest while you’re here.” She sighs. The witch rolls her eyes, trudging to the bed and laying down with her legs dangling off the edge. Clint unpacks her bag, placing everything in the unoccupied side of the closet, as well as putting your bag onto the shelf you were trying to reach.

“I can’t share a room with her.” Wanda says as Natasha approaches her.

“Come on. Give her a break.” Clint grunts as he lifts Wanda’s suitcase onto the bed.

Natasha crosses her arms, “She’s a sweet girl. She probably just wants to make the best of her stay here.”

Wanda sits up on her elbows, “She was the girl who thought I was skinny, back at the hospital.”

“Maybe she’s anorexic.” Clint tries.

Wanda groans, “Or she’s a bitch.”

The witch would rather share a room with a suicidal hermit than an extroverted anorexic. You seemed nice enough, but that was only 5 minutes of the rest of your stay together. She imagines how annoyed she’d get watching you poke around at your food, or hearing you exercise at the asscrack of dawn. Right now, more than ever, she wishes her attempt worked.

The conversation dies out as Clint finishes up. Wanda stands up, giving each of her friends a hug, before they leave. “We’ll visit as often as we can, alright?” Natasha says, tightening her hold on the witch. Wanda hums, letting Clint give her a kiss on the forehead before he and Natasha exit the room.

Sighing, Wanda takes a seat at the desk. Taking out the pack of cigarettes she found, she inspects the box. She’d never been a smoker, fearing she’d get addicted. It’d just be one more thing she couldn’t control. From her brothers death, to her failed suicide, and now being made to go to a mental facility, it was like any control she had over her life was slipping through her fingers. In all honesty, she had no idea why she took the pack. She’d never shoplifted, stolen from a friend, or even picked a dollar up off the floor. Pietro would’ve scolded her for this.

Pietro.

Wanda shakes her head. Now's not the time.

Putting down the pack, she gets up and walks to the attached bathroom. The brunette places her hands on the edge of the sink, looking into the mirror. She needs to get out of here as soon as possible. She’ll go to whatever groups they have, she’ll take whatever meds they give her, and she’ll follow whatever bullshit rules in place. Wanda watches her face warp in the mirror as she forces a smile.

She’ll get out of here, and she won’t fail again.

❅❅❅

Next Chapter

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A/N : hello, sorry for the late chapter! do u guys still care about this fic. I know im writing for a somewhat niche audience but i dont want to keep u guys waiting too long. i spent a lotttt of time just scrapping paragraphs and rewriting and eughgugh. yknowhatimean. anyways, i just want to say that this is mostly based off my own experiences, so it may not be fullyyyy relatable. thank you for reading and i appreciate any comments/criticisms! love ya

Comment to be added to taglist!!

Tags: @mathxa @nikkinss @charleeeesworld @marvel-posts @fawnedolly @dyingbatbutnobat

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

The debate that's older than I am.

That being; "Eowyn's cooking is awful enough to kill grown men, or is Rohan's cultural food that strange to foreners?"

So, I'm curious what you think a regular meal is like in Edoras for one. I live in Midwestern America, and a staple is plain but calorie rich food to keep you full longer and to deal with the cold better, and sometimes I wonder if Rohan could be the same way. Of course, making outsiders not used to such a "strange" diet.

But it could also go the other way that people in Edoras (especially Eowyn) do not know what a nice meal looks like, and will continue to cook horrors for generations to come.

Do you have any thoughts? :).

Ah, the Éowyn stew scene….one that I would have on my short list to “discuss” with Sir Peter if the opportunity ever came to pass!

I think if you accept that scene as canonical, then the only thing you can reasonably infer from it is that Éowyn never learned how to cook. (And why should she? From the time that she was 7, she was living in the king’s own household with only him, Théodred and Éomer as family. They had staff for cooking, and she probably would have been shooed out of the kitchens even if that was a place she wanted to be!) 

Anyone who wants to go from there to the idea that Rohirrim food is bad overall or that they’re making things that are so culturally distinct and unusual that their food is off-putting to outsiders is certainly welcome to make that their HC, though I don’t personally see it that way. And I think the books back me up — there are *several* scenes with large groups of people from across Middle Earth taking meals in Rohan, and nowhere in any of them is even a single whisper of a hint that there’s anything strange or unpleasant about the Rohirrim food.

Geographically speaking, a lot of Rohan does seem like the American midwest or central plains — lots of open, grassy land, a full four seasons of weather, landlocked but with rivers. They had wild boar and probably deer and rabbits, since those were in the surrounding lands. They raised “herds,” which probably meant horses but could have also been cows. They had lots of farms — Saruman’s troops burned a bunch on their way to Helm’s Deep! — and could have grown all kinds of grains and produce that are appropriate for that climate (Aragorn says parts of Rohan are only 60 leagues south of the Southfarthing, though much further east, so perhaps their growing options wouldn’t have been all that different from the Shire, at least outside of the mountainous areas!). They could have fished in the rivers. 

So they’d have had access to lots of different types of ingredients, none of which are especially unusual either here or in-universe. And I don’t see any reason why the cooks of Rohan would be uniquely inept or incapable of using those ingredients to make things that were good! I happen to agree with your characterization — a lot of Rohan isn’t *fancy* or *cosmopolitan* so they’re not making really elaborate, complicated cuisine with a capital C, but they’d have things that were hearty and filling and would keep you on your feet for long days of physical work. And that doesn’t have to mean lacking in flavor or skill! And then, of course, there are also plenty of royals and nobility in Rohan, and they could have easily had fancier, more sophisticated food since they’d have resources to get the best ingredients and full-time staff to handle just food preparation.

So that’s my thought! It seems like you and I are probably on the same page here, though certainly let me know if you’ve got other ideas and opinions — I am *always* happy to hear them! And thanks for asking!

[sosickoflostpassword]

It's pride month! Let's make a list of One Piece characters I head cannon as in the LGBT+ community!

First up is the Captain himself, Luffy

Don't go getting too hot ladies and gents, this bachelor is off the market.

My opinion is that Luffy is Aro/Ace (not that one).

The reality is that unless you are food, friends, or adventure then you probably won't find yourself meaning much of anything to this delightfully joyous fellow.

In short the man has things to do and none of those things include sex or romance.

Top ships: none

Secondary ships: also none

Next up we got the navigator, Nami

This pretty lady capture hearts wherever she goes!

My opinion is that she is Bisexual.

Man or woman you'll have a chance with her... for a price.

Just be sure to protect her and her treasure because she is not interested in the fighting thing. She's a damn queen and very much inclined to act like one.

Top ships: Zoro x Nami

Secondary ships: Sanji x Nami, Vivi x Nami, Wanda x Nami

Now let move on to the ships cook, Sanji!

The man is complicated but hear me out.

It is my opinion that he is bisexual.

He cooks hard and simps harder but perhaps there's something going on underneath. He certainly has a soft side which he shows to women almost exclusively. (Key word is almost my friends)

He certainly likes women but perhaps he's overcompensating for something.

Top ships: Sanji x Nami (it would have been pudding if she was at all older but I digress)

Secondary ships: Sanji x Violette, Sanji x Ace

Speaking of Ace let's look at the little firecracker.

Boy what a looker, and seems to me he thinks similarly about a lot of people because it is my opinion that Ace is ...

Pansexual.

Whether you're sporting feminine, masculin, or neither energy Ace is the guy who's eating it up.

Just get him talking about his brother and he goes all mushy for you. Perhaps it's the genuine connection and interest in each other's lives and feelings that really get him going.

Top ships: Ace x Yamato

Secondary ships: Ace x Sanji, Ace x Vivi

Now let's talk about the top Ace partner for me.

Yamato/Oden

Bro heard the term "dress for the job you want not the job you have" and ran with it.

It is my opinion that Yamato/Oden is pansexual and transgender.

This can be quite the hot topic considering his reason for his transition and how he present himself but for me it is cut and dry. Guy says he's a dude and that's all that I'm gunna care about because let's be honest he is THE DUDE.

Yamato values his strength and values sincerity. He's fun loving and always looking for excitement in life. He found those values presented in his biggest idol, Oden. So it is my opinion that he did not change to be more like Oden but found courage in being himself because he discovered Oden.

Top ships: Ace x Yamato

Secondary ships: none

Who can talk about Trans icons in OP without including Kiku!

Kiku lives her life unashamedly herself. She makes no fuss or muss about it either.

I have no head cannon regarding her sexuality as I got no vibes during my time watching her on screen of one or another but Kiku is, not just by my opinion but canonically, transgender.

Strong, elegant, and thoughtful her path in life did not take away from any of her responsibilities or ther seriousness in which she takes them. One of the ayakaza 9 samurai sworn ro protect Oden and his family. They certainly didn't have any I'll feelings towards her and her identity so why should anyone else.

Top ships: none at this time

Secondary ships: none

Let's dive more into gender identity actually by bringing forth the goat himself. The man. The myth. The legend.

Bonclay.

He is beauty, he is grace, he is missus steal your face.

It is my opinion that Bonclay is gender non conforming!

He goes by he him pronouns but makes no effort to explain nor justify his presentation or mannerisms. No should he! He's perfect the way he is.

I've seen no romantic vibes from Bon Chan as of now but he's too busy being the real MVP of every arc he appears in to have the time it would seem. And that's fine by me.

Top ships: none

Secondary ships: none

It's getting to be quite long so I will cap this off with the top of the top. THE person to go to in the one piece verse regarding gender and sexual identity.

IVANKOV.

He? She? They? It doesn't matter. It's all the same to Ivankov who strikes me as Gender fluid in its purest form.

Believing a person's gender or appearance shouldn't limit them and that every single person should strive for true happiness within themselves regardless if that looks like how they were born or not!

Ivankov has a unique ability to help with that by injecting hormones into those willing (eh sometimes not) to bring about their truer selves.

Ivankov runs the Queendom! A land seemingly dedicated to challenging gender stereotypes with a beautiful scenic background to cap it off.

You're doing the lords work my friend.

Top ships: none

Secondary ships: none

If someone you head cannon in the LGBT+ community isn't on this list that's fine! I'm sure I didn't get them all and there are some that I probably don't head cannon that way. For example it is my opinion that Zoro, Brooke, Robin, and Franky are straight and cis. Jimbei I want to watch more of first and chopper, as a little child bean, doesn't feel right to me to be head cannoning in these ways.

[rhiezus]

“ you can talk to me about anything. you know that, right? “ // jack x geovany

there is this song jack heard the other day while cooking his meal that said something about not being easy to be someone that you never dream to be and it talked about how you feel small in certain situations compared to other people, he had never been the type of person to dwell on his own sob stories but ever since geovany came into his life he seems to be finally picking his own battles to fight. lunch was great that day, he ate his food sitting on the curb in front of the stairs that lead to the dance studio he taught kids while waiting for his next class, and he thought about how lucky he is to be able to appreciate little things in life. he had always been a simple-minded kind of person, he just never realized how that must have worked through his entire life, shielding him from much stupidity. and whenever he felt crestfallen and off control of his own feelings, he would always repeat the words his mother would use to refer to him that at least he was nothing like john.

great people are hard to come by though and he knows that because he was never really surrounded by many role models, besides his parents and a few teachers and friends here or there, he just had to critic his actions by himself. and by some amazing deal of luck again, he wasn't that easily swayed by any side regarding what was right or wrong. in that sense, he was somewhat like john though just choosing to go with the flow and whatever comes next. day after day and battle after battle, he was just living life to be lived like a task that never ends. there were some good memories along the way, but none enough to make him wish to make life wait so he could live it again. that is until he meet geovany and his ordeal just begin to look a little bit too ordinary. everything he said or did was funny to the others, his words as little as they were to him were like big wisdom and his time suddenly started to look like it was precious. he begins to look forward to taking him out to eat every week, to pay for his meals, and sometimes to even invite him over to cook for them, to listen to him talk about whatever, and to encourage himself to be a real person for probably the first time in his life.

they might have overdone on the soju this time because jack felt his eyes wet in front of his friend, he had to blink a few times in a quick response to hide them and drink up another shot. the worst part of it wasn't what was going inside him or whatever feeling he might have towards his complicated and intriguing life, but the way geovany set the tone of the conversation with such a kind and melodic voice. if it weren't for the genuine look of affection in his eyes and the way his expression was so soft that made jack want to touch his idiotic face, he would be definitely laughing, but he felt raw under those eyes, naked and dizzy. "that's enough booze for both of us." he was telling himself that he was drunk, way too drunk and was begging to see things that weren't exactly there. his heart was beating like a drum set in his chest, it was exciting and all at once way too bewildering. he took the four empty glass bottles in front of them and got up to put them over to the sink, he couldn't believe they were so hammered. geovany just had a way of making him seem like the easiest person to be with, all his guards not lifting one finger up.

still up on his feet, he wanted to pace around his room to regain consciousness, hopefully. "you know most of what i say it's just shit, right?!" he begin trying to joke back on, confusingly trying to settle in the things off his couch to sit. his apartment was the size of a shoebox, there weren't any doors between the rooms except for the bathroom. there wasn't that much space to go with so there wasn't much furniture, the living room consisted of a couch and a coffee table that was mostly where jack would eat since there was no space for a real table. right in front of it was a small tv and then his bed, which was a mattress supported by a few beams of wood. all of his things were hidden inside his wardrobe, which was the only thing that seemed like he actually brought with his money besides his pans and kitchen utensils. he enjoyed cooking as much as he enjoyed his place, it was cozy and he was proud to be a clean person, it wasn't that hard to make it organized since it was so small and he had so little. other people might pity his station or the way he was living, so that's why he lied about his address for geovany before. but much to his surprise, geovany wasn't all fazed or disappointed, in fact, he appeared comfortable there which was conventional since jack loved having him over.

"you should stay, it's pretty late." saying that was enough to make his heart rate become quite a concern, but he didn't give it a thought and moved over to pick up his cigarettes from the table they were drinking and that geovany was still sitting at. "but i should warn you..." he began, putting the cigarette on his lips. "oh, do you mind?" he picked the cigarette again, with wide eyes and a cute little expression of wonder. he never bothered to ask geovany if he smoked, he probably didn't but at the same time, he didn't want him to be uncomfortable in his presence to make him not want to come around again. right now in his life, he couldn't afford the luxury of acting recklessly in front of the person he enjoyed being with the most, he was not about to lose him and he already lost too much. he would gladly stop smoking altogether if it were to keep him there forever, it was a stupíd habit anyway one he did subconsciously for a very long time for a reason that he wasn't even sure he knew. and now that he thought of it, just like smoking had been on autopilot so it had been his life. he didn't want to put that pressure on the thought that it was geovany making him take the wheel, because if he actually did he might not be able to set the brakes.

[imaginespazzi]

Nivi,

I think my prior ask maybe got lost in the shuffle. I know you’ve been super busy so I understand. Hopefully this one makes it through 🤞🏼

Hmmmm so I guess Paige is taking her frustrations out on Angie because she feels like she could potentially be taking her spot on the team after her 1yr deal is up? Poor Angie. Why do I feel like the micro aggressions might not be over with? Curious to see what Azzi’s reaction will be to the news.

I love menace Tessa and Jana. Figured someone else was bound to catch on, those 2 couldn’t hide their heart eyes even if they wanted to. Jana saying “won’t somebody please think about the complications” made me laugh really good. I see what you did there lol.

Stephie and Paige are becoming my new favorite duo, I love their relationship so much. Stephie not wanting Paige to cook is so real. I feel like Paige’s cooking style would just be door dash. I can’t picture that woman cooking anything 😂 I loved the call back of how much Paige hates vegetables and anything healthy calling them “nasty green things”. I think about that episode all the time. It’s always surprising how terrible the diets of elite athletes are. Paige probably would just eat In N Out and Noodles and Company for every meal if she could. Food is just another example of how much of a ying n yang relationship Paige and Azzi have. Princess eats all this really tasty healthy food, and Paige would rather shovel Chick-fil-A down her throat while she runs around 😅

Ohhhhh Stephie inherited the petty gene from Azzi I see 😃 And she’s a master manipulator? Using Clemence was a stroke of evil genius really. I love jealous Azzi! Not Claudia calling out her mom 😂 Stephie using Claudia’s mom to make her point? Oh this kid is too smart for her own good.

Hmmmm so the conversation with Drew in the car, how long has Azzi been feeling doubt? Really curious to finally find out what happened with the break up, because Drew’s reaction to seeing Azzi again and seeing his sister get back with her, just holds a lot of bitterness. More so than what seems reasonable for the info we have received so far. Like obviously he doesn’t understand Azzi’s reasoning for the break up. Did Paige just not share the real reason? Was Azzi’s reason to Paige not fully clear? It doesn’t feel like he believes that Azzi did whatever she could to not hurt his sister and as a byproduct not hurt himself. Just seems like there might be some misunderstanding that’s been festering for years. Obviously he’s hurt that Azzi wasn’t around in his life anymore and that’s definitely part of it. I’m just waiting for the full curtain to be pulled back I guess you could say.

Can’t wait to be a fly on the wall for that super awkward dinner next chapter 😅

__📚

Hi lovie,

I fear it either didn't get through or it got buried under everything, sorry love <3

Yep! Trust her to never deal with her frustrations the right way lol.

They're so darn obvious, that it was only a matter of time before someone picked it up and really Jana needed someone else to commiserate with her.

I absolutely love writing Stephie and Paige so I love that y'all love them too! Paige's cooking style beyond doordash is making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lmao but yeah she definitely drives Azzi a little insane when instead of helping get Stephie to eat her greens, she's out there gagging at them.

Evil genius Stephie fr fr

Azzi I think has always been a bit of an overthinker and especially when it comes to her relationship with Paige and it all sort of reaches a cumulative breaking point eventually. Drew doesn't know a lot about the breakup because it's something Paige never really wanted to talk about. But there's really a lot of things with Azzi that has Drew upset down to the fact that if she'd stayed, Paige would never have to have gone through her heartbreak, even if she wasn't really in love with her, with Olivia either. And ofc he feels like Azzi abandoned him too. But yeah a lot of things to be unpacked.

[thbstvrdthmtlbndndntn]

Sometimes I wonder about the taste of my own cooking and how it’s completely undetectable to me. Especially after cooking for someone else for so long and then cooking for just myself we would notice the culinary ruts we would get stuck in and occasionally rag on each other for it and I was always so defensive about it but then I remember how no matter the dish growing up there was an undefinable but distinct essence to any of my relatives cooking. Like no matter what aunt Sandra or grandma or my mum was making it always tasted like them and I think especially once you become a more confident cook and stop following recipes that becomes the case because you know what you like. Like I know my food will taste similar when I’m cooking for myself because I like things sour and spicy and savoury and i have a limited number of ingredients so I add the same things to get those flavours. I use a lot of rice and apple cider vinegar, lime juice, Cajun seasoning (slap ya mama), cilantro, chili flakes, hot sauce and herbes salees. Even when I’m cooking from a recipe I typically add one or more of those things because that’s what I want out of my food. And I was thinking about this today because I got home from walking all over town and the farmers market and needed an easy dinner — but I also was craving vegetables and had stuff to use up. I was originally going to do canned tomato soup and a grilled cheese but as I look at my fridge it evolves into an abomination I know will be delicious to me and probably brutal to anyone else.

Here’s what I did and why it would up taking 30 minutes instead of 10: sautéed green onions, Chiles, Napa cabbage, and fresh tomato in a pot, added frozen broccoli, a cooked tandoori chicken burger (chopped), a can of tomato soup and two and a half cans of water. Brought to a boil and added a box of the KFC-branded Kraft dinner (Mac and cheese for non-Canadians). Cooked five minutes, then took off the heat and added milk, lots of pepper, some thawed frozen peas, and the flavour pouch. Served with air fried cheese toast on quinoa bread from t&t. It tasted very much like a childhood meal in some ways but also like a classic “me” meal… taking two convent products and making them so complicated it probably would’ve had the same result just to make it from scratch. But I liked it and I was happy with it and I will have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow and those will make me happy as well.

I don’t know why I wanted to write so much tonight but I guess being alone in a new place again just a year after I moved out from my life with the ex that shaped my entire twenties I am having a lot of thoughts about how I build my life and how I become who I am as a person. I was supposed to go see the mountain goats next weekend but my boyfriend’s grandma died and I decided to fly to Newfoundland instead. Sometimes doing the right thing is the easiest thing in the world. Meanwhile I’ll lose my mind over sending a simple non-confrontational email. Things are hard, and they’re good.

[nogenderbee]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ ℂ𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕘𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕣 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ @ravenmoon903 request: can I get a Nene w/ a reader who loves cooking?

also drink water

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ YEAAAAH

I swear I love the gamer x cook dynamic so much hehehe I just hope you'll like it!!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ fluff

✧ Nene is literally a gamer... and you love to cook... can you find me better duo?

✧ she stopped missing her meals ever since she began dating you

✧ she'll pause every game or finish co-op game as quick as possible aka try harding just to enjoy the food you made for her

✧ later she even get's comfortable enough to take the first bite when you're around and her answer is always a compliment

"This is so good~ As always... Thank you so much for.. taking care of me. I mean it~"

✧ she'll usually also offer for you to join her as 2nd player or just so you could watch the game

✧ she'd probably also like to accompany you when you cook to help or maybe even learn a thing or two

✧ if you're the type to let her help, she'd be great assistance! She'll do whatever you tell her as well as she can, even if it's passing ingredients

✧ tho if you don't like any help... she won't mind just sitting there and being your early tester or even cleaning up a bit after you

"Now... what pasta did you need? This one? Here you go."

✧ if your dishes are on higher level than "home cooking", she'll also be very impressed by how fancy you make everything or that you can make so complicated dishes...

✧ she's definitely the type to come with you with random foods from game she played recently and ask you to make them or teach her how to make those

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@bleachtheidiot @akitosheart @bl4cktourmaline @ravenmoon903 - come get your shy gamer~

[redd956]

My fellow ARFID peeps

I am here to tell you not all hope is lost

No, there is no such thing as a full recovery. It doesn't mean you won't see drastic improvement that simply makes life easier.

There are plenty of adults with arfid, who have found life styles, food groups, and new foods that work for them. Arfid is a chronic illness. It's lifelong journey for me and you.

To get better is to stay on top of the game. Try foods to the best of your ability, practice public eating exposure, don't let anyone talk you down, and defend your boundaries.

It does get better. Trust me, you just can't give up. My arfid is 10x better than it was in my early teens. That arfid was 10x better than my early childhood.

In the future I'll probably look back on now, and celebrate my improvement.

My tips and tricks

- Simplify

Trying a "new food" doesn't genuinely have to be a new food. It can be trying a new location, a new style of a food you like, or trying something similar. You'll find it makes expanding your pallette much easier and improvement less daunting.

- Be Shameless

Don't be embarrassed. This is a disorder, often laced with anxiety, sensivities, and or trauma.

So what if people are staring at you for destroying that large basket of fries. Those people are the kinds to stare at amputees and wheelchair users too, so their opinions on your are INVALID

Forget what your boomer grandparents or aggressive mother say. They cannot fathom what you experience.

Be shameless. Go to that same restaurant three days a week. Make "meticulous" orders at fast food restaurants. Cook for others and then not eat your food. No one can judge you, but you. It's your disorder

- Nutrition is more complicated than they taught us

Do you remember learning about the food pyramid in school? Did you know that the food Pyramid was sponsored and funded by coca-cola?

We are in a day and age surrounded by intense misinformation about nutrition. Fad diets everywhere, outdated health classes still being taught, and nutrition being stupidly simplified. This is not helping us.

Nutrition is actually a lot more complex. Going off sugar is a lot more complex. Suddenly intaking or cutting something out of your diet is a lot more complex. Protein intake, vitamin intakes, all of it is a lot more complex.

Don't you dare look at an apple and drop it for it's "sugar count. Quit mixing citrus foods throughout the day, that's why your stomach burns beyond comprehension in the middle of the night. Carbs and calories are actually very important

Nutrition is a balancing act. Moderation is key, but it's a whole set of jingling keys when it comes to your health. Don't fall for outdated nutrition.

Always remember though

Eating > Not Eating

[st-highwind]

I read a little blurb of questions to answer in order to build up an OC's depth, so I'm doing that with Thrush!

How would they describe themself, how would their love interest/friend, and how would you describe them? They would describe themselves as resourceful, observant, and something of a coward, if they're being honest. Friends would describe them as resilient, devoted, and reliable, not to mention kindred and honest. A lover would describe them the same, but perhaps instead with a few words praising their appearance and demeanor.

What's the first thing people see when they look at them? In terms of facial features, it would probably be their nose. Thrush possesses a tall aquiline nose. Other than that, I'd say it would be their asymmetrical hairstyle.

Do they use any nicknames? Only a few and only allowed from certain individuals. Cid, Palom, and Edge call them Birdie. Wood Thrush is used almost mockingly as a stand-in for a full name. Songbird is reserved for Kain exclusively.

Are they right or left handed? Right handed.

What's their favorite animal? The black chocobo, of course! They befriended their black chocobo Dirge as a child when Dirge herself was still a chick. Their closeness is the only reason Dirge hasn't flown back to the Chocobo Village after their many travels.

What activity makes them bored? It's actually quite difficult to bore them, but if there is one thing they can't stand, however, it's weapon maintenance. It's a true chore for them.

Can they swim? Yes, and despite spending much of their childhood in the stream running through Troia, they have lost all fondness for it.

How do they smell? Their Troian upbringing left them with the knowledge of botany and soap-making, and personal cleanliness is important to them. Their go-to bath soap is scented with evergreen needles, tea leaves, and Troian berries.

How do they sound? The voice claim for Thrush is Snufkin from the 2019 Moomin series.

What's their favorite food? They aren't fond of big meals, but rather frequent flavorful snacks. A pouch of cheeses, berries, and cured meats tend to satisfy them well.

What's in their travel bag? A whetstone for their scythe, a second canteen of water, a sleeping sack, needle & thread for repairing torn clothes, a small pouch of salts, herbs, and oils for both cooking and bathing, dried meats & fruits, and a whistle for calling Dirge, their black chocobo.

How do they respond to touch? They're always a bit startled by touch given they went so long without it. They're mildly off-put by physical affection.

What are they most afraid of? Hurting those they love, waters they cannot see the bottom of, and tight spaces.

How many people do they care about? They care about everyone they come across and knows well enough that it has the potential to be their downfall. They care most deeply about those they fight alongside-- Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, Edge, and Kain --but strives to help and protect everyone they can.

How well do they remember their childhood? Worse than they claim they do. Most of Thrush's memories of their childhood are unpleasant, though every so often they'll remember something that makes them smile.

Where will/did/would they die? Well, that's unknown and variable of course. That said, Thrush either falls in battle-- a given --or passes of age related complications or illnesses after a life of adventures and new, fonder memories. (I don't know if I'm cruel enough to want anything else for them...)

I am very much enjoying this kind of development. It's helpful to answer questions you'd never think to answer! If any more arise or you feel there are good character development questions that would be helpful, please let me know!!

[villain-in-love]

Behold! The elves and the ship chart!

Imagine falling in love with a crazy woman that barged into your dungeon and continuously tried to kill you. Press F for Thistle. As well as for Kiera, for that matter, since she also didn’t expect for things to turn out like this.

This relationship is such a mess that nobody (even the pair themselves) can figure out what the hell is going on between them anymore.

Clarifications are, as always, under the cut:

♤ The age gap goes in several directions at once. Technically, Thistle is at least 700+ years older than Kiera, since he was a dungeon lord for a thousand years, while Kiera is only 302 years old. On the other hand, he’s younger in terms of physical and perhaps mental maturity. In my narrative, Thistle stopped aging when he was an equivalent of a human 17-19 years old. In the same way Kiera would be somewhere around 21-23 years old if she was human. (In any case, both are equally emotionally stunted and immature...)

♤ They’ll be together forever because Thistle is the living embodiment of “Bold of you to assume that death will get you out of this relationship”. Also after all the shit they went through (including what they personally put each other through), they became so attached to each other that they will kill you if you try to separate them.

♤ Though they don’t dress up much while in the dungeon, both are naturally pretty, but their deeply unpleasant personalities ruin everything. Therefore not a 100% cute couple.

♤ They were not thrilled about being in love. They more or less calmed down about it by now (mostly Thistle) and took on a new approach, but at first it was nightmarish.

Thistle also used to be especially infuriated by that fact because, like, he’s got a dungeon to run! The Golden Country to protect! He needs to find his brother! Meanwhile Kiera is literally the number one hazard. He already had to think about her a lot lately because of how troublesome she is, but now he completely lost the ability to get her out of his head. He’s so busy, he already knows what he wants, and he simply has no time nor need for this nonsense. The worst part is that Kiera started to slowly replace thoughts about Delgal in his mind, and Thistle is truly horrified by that.

Kiera took it all with a bit calmer “Damn, I need to hurry up in killing him”. She hates experiencing those kinds of feelings, she hates that she wants to be closer to someone again, she doesn’t want to get stuck with him in this dungeon for eternity, how can she possibly fail- She had one job, goddamnit. It’s her own fault for wasting time because of her own curiosity. Giving up because of falling in love with a target is pathetic and nothing like her. Especially when those feelings endanger her freedom.

♤ I don’t think Thistle would eat dry noodles even in the modern AU, but nutritional value is almost the only thing that concerns him about food. Would probably eat something incredibly bland or barely cooked and wouldn’t care as long as it keeps him functioning.

Kiera's relationship with food is a long and complicated story... In any case, she is rather picky and her eating habits are all over the place, but she genuinely finds healthier food options tastier most of the time.

♤ Just because Thistle rarely brings up Kiera and the fact that they’re in a… “relationship” (if you would call it that) doesn’t mean that he doesn’t spend a frustratingly large part of his day thinking about her. He’s just the type to obsess quietly.

And in any case, who is he going to tell about her? Soulless bodies of his family sitting in his dining room? His monsters? Villagers of the Golden Kingdom who are all terrified of him?

At least Kiera mingles with other adventurers from time to time.

♤ What draws them to each other is not only being able to understand each other due to their similarities, but also the fact that both of them are really fucking lonely. That’s the glue here. That’s why they latched onto each other so hard and so quickly. (Kiera might claim that she’s okay with being alone, but she’s still human)

♤ Regarding "What stands in the way". Basically, the problem is that they stubbornly cling onto their old priorities because it’s the only thing they have ever known. Thistle is nothing if he doesn’t serve the Golden Kingdom. Kiera is nothing if not a war machine. I guess they both see themselves as tools that are only allowed to have one purpose.

On another note, at this point Kiera tries to kill Thistle not only “for sport” and because she hates giving up, but also because she’s terrified of attachment. Thistle doesn’t make things easier for her, since he tends to get too attached, as well as controlling, and his idea of expressing love includes putting Kiera in the safe terrarium that he controls, so he could take care of her fo-re-ver.

So what we have is a “control freak vs free spirit” kind of problem. This does get resolved by the end of the manga and they come to a "compromise". Not willingly by themselves, though, but because of the circumstances.

♤ Regarding Thistle and “haven't experienced any genuine human connection in centuries” – yes, he had Delgal, but I think that that after everything Thistle has done, their relationship most likely became way more emotionally distant in the last few centuries, at least on Delgal’s part.

[sailorblossoms-snowbaz]

Unrelated reasons have me thinking about “it was fine, it was sex” again, a line that packs a lot both in context... and even outside of it. 

When we talk about things that (ideally) should be good, just “fine” will be perceived as lukewarm at best, if not just a negatively. Just “fine” is a dismissal. Indifference. It’s indicative of disappointment, even. (I mean, picture cooking dinner for someone and then asking “how was it?” and they go “it was fine, it was food.” You probably wouldn’t want to cook for them again, because it’ll give you the impression that they didn’t really like the damn food. It might even make you wonder what’s wrong with the food, your cooking, or the person who ate it.) We usually regard sex as something that should be “mindblowingly good,” especially in the kind of stories shaping Simon’s perception of how dating and romance ought to be. So good that if someone doesn’t want it, then “something is wrong” with them (Simon’s thoughts in awtwb indicate more than once that he doesn’t get the point of sex for the sake of it).

In context, Simon is one to downplay or to be used to discomfort. He’ll go “it’s fine, whatever, I’ll live” and the dude can’t even move his wings from the pain. But even outside of that, sex is something that can be very vulnerable and complicated. It’s something that, in certain circumstances, can absolutely just feel uncomfortable and weird, even when all parties involved are trying to make it work. Sex is thought of as synonymous with pleasure, but it doesn’t always work like that... Negative or bad orgasms are a thing, associated with going though the motions sex, meaning even an orgasm can feel unpleasurable, uncomfortable, and even hurt (I remember reading a study where someone reported having experienced those with so much frequency they started to feel repulsed by sex). But it doesn’t have to go to that extreme. There’s the notion that men always come fast, but they can absolutely struggle with even keeping an erection and not being able to get off no matter how much they try. 

Arousal non concordance is a thing, meaning that genitals can respond to touch even when you’re not into it at all. The body and the mind aren’t connected here. (Picture absolutely hating the sensation of people tickling you, but you can’t help laughing anyway because you’re ticklish). This is crucial to understand that a body responding to stimulation doesn’t mean someone secretly “wants it,” and perfectly explains how someone like Simon can look back and say “yes, I did it, but I don’t think it proves I was attracted” and then fight the insistence that he was.   

Someone could get wet or get an erection while watching paint dry simply because they’re being touched. Going through the motions sex can have negative consequences on people mentally and emotionally, it can kill relationships, and even make things harder for following ones. All things we normally don’t talk about in the kind of stories – where heterosexual romance is framed as an endgame and synonymous with happiness and success – that Simon would be used to seeing. Add to that traditional expectations that make men active and women passive (it’s “up to the man to perform” while the woman “just has to be pretty” – if we don’t get into the whole “women have to serve” bs) (that men have to always want it and want it early and often) and you get another level of fucked up when Simon finds himself not wanting it and adding it to the list of “I did what I thought she wanted but got it wrong” (his reaction to “does Wellbelove?” [appreciate a job well done] says a lot)

When hearing “sex,” one automatically assumes that desire, pleasure and (positive) orgasm are involved, even we get signs to think otherwise – I mean, I’ve seen people make the very assumptions these book challenge about these characters (some then even giving the author shit over it haha ah). But Simon having had sex doesn’t mean he had to be attracted in some way in order to “be able to do it.” That sex took place doesn’t mean the participants experienced pleasured or that it ended because anyone had any release (going through the motions!). Not wanting it doesn’t always look like being unable to get the mechanics of it done, or “genitals not reacting at all” (again, arousal non concordance is a thing) (this applies to Agatha as well, but I focus on Simon because he’s the one who more often falls victim to assumptions because he’s the boy, and “boys always want it” etc etc).  

Part of it is that it can be something that one wouldn’t (or wouldn’t want to) describe as “bad”  if it doesn’t reach extreme levels of distress or something like that. Even if it’s low-key traumatic and/or experiencing it awakens feelings that makes one not wanting to think or deal with it at all. Embarrassment, shame, confusion, discomfort, etc. It’s complicated. If it happened in a situation where is acceptable or there is even pressure to want it (in a relationship) one might even hesitate more to say or consider it as bad, and be more confused when they’re not into it (especially when one doesn’t want to admit the relationship isn’t working). 

Before being with Baz, Simon lives his adolescence trying to conform to traditional roles and expectations, pushing through while avoiding being alone in his head, reframing and hiding away everything that would tell him “I don’t want this,” “I don’t like this,” “this does absolutely nothing for me.” (”I’m unhappy” and/or maybe even “I’m bored”). He���s absolutely the kind of person who would struggle with even arriving at the questions “what does it mean that I did this thing even though I wasn’t attracted? Or didn't really want it? what does it say about me?”) (”it was just going through the motions” say so much about lack of pleasure/not liking it, even more if you add in how food is the only way Simon can seem to understand pleasure before he’s with Baz, and would contribute to how hard it is to suddenly deal with so much desire when his past experience dealt with no desire at all)

In this vein, I think it’s important that Baz and Simon actually talk and reassure each other about liking it after having sex for the first time, because orgasming by itself doesn’t necessarily mean someone felt good or had a good time. 

[In terms of pressure on Agatha and Simon: to be clear, I think expectations made them pressure themselves. (See Agatha going “I’ll be by his side if that’s where he wants me” but then you pass the mic to Simon and he goes “I was just doing what I thought she wanted.”) It’s “what they’re supposed to do” and so they did it. Maybe not wanting to let the other down, but getting it “all wrong” all the same, because the person they’re with is wrong for them, wrong for the experience, etc]

[starving-shadows]

Vore fic, under readmore. Wiling but flustered prey, implied safe vore

Enjoy my weirdo ocs

Today was the day, the 8th of October, a special day in both the valley and canyon, world octopus day, and the birthday of their leader, dj octavio.

For most, the day was fun, and for once, Rhine agreed. It was his birthday as well, and he was glad someone bigger took the spotlight. He never liked his birthday, too.. disorderly. Too much attention, and later not enough.

Not that any of that mattered, because today is a day of celebration no matter his feelings.

As everyone got ready and dressed, Rhine washed his face, before heading out the door. Tonight was going to be a wild party, but he could get used to that. The dinner buffet was always lovely, no expenses were spared. And in the last few years, salmonids have been invited. He assumed for political reasons, with the ongoing trade deals and all. They were a little strange, and the few of them that noticed him always looked at him oddly. They probably weren't expecting an inkling there. But no matter, the food they brought was always delicious, even if a tad strange at times.

Rhine arrived at the mess hall and took a seat, something felt different but he paid it no mind. A familiar face took the seat next to him. It was Tempo, his old drinking buddy, and his current.. Erm, well.. Rhine actually wasn't quite sure what they were to him now.. His squidnapper? His friend? His partner? No matter, they were Someone he cared deeply about. Someone he liked even more nowadays.

“Hey, dude, happy birthday! I've heard that a certain someone got a surprise for you!” they said with a mischievous smile. Rhine's ears perked up at the mention of a surprise. “Oh? Well, what is it? Or are you not going to tell me what you got for me yet?” Rhine asked, but Tempo just laughed.

“Nah, I got you something, but someone else is gonna give you something more well.. Unconventional, but I know you have been thinking about it. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but really, I have no idea how he even figured out you wanted it, you've been pretty good at hiding those feelings” Tempo rambled, peaking Rhine's curiosity. Something he wanted but has been hiding? He couldn't think of anything like that at all, especially not from some mystery person..

Well, he could think of a few things, but there was no way in hell his commander was going to kiss him. It would just make things awkward and complicated.. And weird, weird too.

Really, Rhine had no idea what Tempo had arranged for him, or, he assumed they had arranged something. Little would he know what would await him. Little would he know who found out about his little secret.

A few hours passed, and Rhine and Tempo were busy chatting with the rest of their table as dishes were shared around. Rhine's platter had some octarian dishes and a side of some sort of strange salmonid stew. There was definitely salmonid in there, but over his years there he has grown more.. Accustomed to their habits of wanting to be eaten, it kinda made sense now. Waste not, want not you know?

He briefly wondered if he would get eaten once he passed.. He kinda hoped so.

Rhine pushed those thoughts aside and grabbed a mouthful of some sweet and savory rice dish, he still couldn't properly pronounce it's name, but the rest of the table seemed to not mind, maybe it was just one of those words?

Tempo placed some crab cakes on their and Rhine's plate. "Hey, buddy. What are you thinking about?” they asked. “you're staring off into the distance again, something bothering you?”

“ Oh. Uh, nah. Was just thinking about the food. It's, uh. Good.” Rhine replied, rubbing his eyes.” Getting a little full, this stew is really good, you should try some, the spices are great, them fishy fellas know how to cook!”

Tempo chuckled and shook their head, “Them fishy fellas? Then what would they be calling you?” Rhine laughed, “I guess you got a point there.” He grabbed and tried the crab cakes, they were soft and flaky, warm and comforting.

“Hmmm” Rhine purred softly as all the flavors mixed on his tongue, ahh- today had been heavenly, nothing but good food and drink. Even if he had to skip some of the drinks, the others were amazing, from hot to cold and smooth and even a slightly spicy drink he'd never heard of before, apparently a traditional octarian drink that had been regaining popularity.

Rhine would spend the next few hours eating and drinking until an announcement was made.

An announcement telling him to come forward to the king's stage. Rhine swallowed his drink nervously and glanced over to Tempo, who was smirking at him, giving him a thumbs up.

He put down his cup and walked forwards, towards Dj octavio. Hearts pounding out of his chest. The announcer continued by joking about their shared birthdays, but Rhine didn't realize what was to happen until the announcer mentioned gifts.

….

He was a gift.

Octavio pulled him closer and dragged his tentacles around Rhine, who was confused and panicking. What was happening? Did he do something wrong? What was happening, wait…

The king was tasting him.. Rhine froze. He was being tasted, right in front of everyone.. His mind was racing as he got dragged closer to octavio's maw. A tongue dragging across his face as the giant octoling took in his taste, savoring him.

Rhine swallowed nervously, sure. He wanted this, but why, and how did Octavio of all people agree to this!? How did he find out, why was he ok with this?

The inklings worrying got cut short as he realized he was getting closer to his king's open maw. His face flushed a deep purple, and he quickly covered his face, terrified of being seen. Lucky for him, he was soon hidden from view, as a long tongue coiled around him, and dragged him inside its owner’s hungry maw. Rhine could barely process what happened before he was dragged down Octavio's gullet.

Landing in his stomach mere moments later. Rhine heard cheering. He has got to be dreaming, there is no way this was happening.

The walls of Octavio's stomach clung to him, kneading him with surprising gentleness. He smelled drinks, but no food. Did.. Did the king take his comfort into mind? Rhines' hearts were racing, and he fell backwards, feeling weak and lightheaded. But amazing and full and.. Happy.

So happy.

Rhine couldn't help it, he felt so content. So Comfortable..

He heard Octavio let out a sigh of satisfaction, and then he felt him place a hand on his stomach, patting his nicely filled stomach, and by extension patting him. Rhine blushed.. How wonderful.

Rhine purred as the pressure around him increased, and he felt something warm trickle down his back, it smelled like.. Tea? Ah, the dinner must be ending.. He was a little sad, he'd be missing part of the festivities, but.. Oh my, by the gods… was this a treat. He was steeped in bliss, uncaring to the fact that everyone just.. Saw that. He sighed contentedly as he heard the octarian king give a speech. It Sounded so different from down here, as his voice echoed around him. Deep and warm, just like Rhine was right now.

Rhine laid down for a while, getting more and more lightheaded. Was he running out of air or?

He decided he didn't care, and flopped on his side, and closed his eyes. Ah– He felt so content. Everything around him was so soft and warm, the walls churned him so gently. Rhine never would have expected Octavio to be such a gentle pred, but he surely didn't mind it one bit. Soon he fell asleep, comfortable and safe

[notsogreatpotoo]

what kind of fruits/foods do your ocs like the most? or, if it's easier, which ones do they hate the most?

interesting ask, ty sard :] Alder and Lee are probably characters of mine whose stories are centered around food the most so Imma answer for them

Alder Scott likes lighter, fresher foods best. Ex: strawberries, peaches, blackberry gin, things with citrus or cilantro or spice, things with a variety of textures. He loves natural sweetness over artificial sweetness, but he doesn’t like stuff that’s bitter or super heavy. His family had to live off tesserae for a long time, and he knows from experience that it’s harder to taste rot in something that’s already bitter, and he associates heavy and bland foods with hard times in his life. His relationship with food is complicated and unhealthy because he feels privileged for having access to it whenever he wants now, but not all of his attempts to share his food go well, and occasionally he relapses into believing he’s starving again or punishes himself for his privilege by dieting.

Lee Edwards is kinda the opposite. Carbs all the way. Pasta, pizza, rice, bread. He likes cooking, but he hasn’t been able to do it very often before the start of the story because he was kinda just going for whatever was cheapest and most available and convenient, but he gets more opportunities to cook in the story. For Lee, food is about comfort and love, and he treats it very much like Brennan Lee Mulligan, where he recognizes food as fuel and refuses to let himself feel bad about fueling his body in a way he enjoys. He is also one of those people who feeds their people any chance they get, so him making stuff for Tim becomes a plot point.

food isn’t usually a big thing in my stories, but I’ve been thinking about it more in my writing since I started taking a more active role in determining what I eat and what I want to eat, so again, my stories are always mirrors of some of me :]