#I did taste test the earl grey too much for this late at night but what can I say. tasty

[measureformeasure]

what’s chronic untreated depression to making another tea syrup for my fridge

[lady-of-all-cards]

Ikemen Revolution: Headcanon - When the Black Army Officers Fall Ill

Fandom: Ikemen Revolution Characters: Ray Blackwell, Sirius Oswald, Luka Clemence, Seth Hyde, Fenrir Godspeed Pairings: N/A  Summary: One day, an officer falls ill with a terrible cold. Will they suffer through their work? Or hide away in their blankets until the sickness passes?

Notes: After two more Tragic Endings, another little happy times post! They’ll be one about the Black Army and one last one about the Neutals, so you have that to look forward to? Another thing however: for those readng the tragic endings, next week there will be only one post for Kyle so I can start the BA on a new week, and to give me a break from constant writing. But I hope you enjoy all the same ^-^

1. The King of Spades - Ray Blackwell

The Black Army was more like a family then the Red Army, so anyone in their ranks who fell ill was supported unconditionally until they were better.

But that didn’t stop the King’s workload...

Knowing this, and knowing his Queen would stack the work with his own, Ray tried to hide his illness, and soldier on through his duties.

However, this meant trying to avoid the ever-perceptive Sirius Oswald and the parental concern he had for the entire army, which was far easier said than done.

When Sirius tried to catch him that morning, Ray darted off, saying he needed to ‘freshen up’ despite being already dressed and ready to go.

Ray at all four of the daily meals opted to fill his plate high and leave before anyone noticed him, eating the delicious homecooked food from the comfort of his own bedroom.

During training. Sirius didn’t confront Ray, but subtly divided his attention between his King, his soldiers and his flowers, slowly and carefully assessing Ray’s condition.

Then, out of the blue, Sirius cancelled the afternoon meeting, claiming he had business to attend to in the Central Quarter, but specifically mentioned Luka being in charge.

He wasn’t seen until the meal that night, and didn’t once mention where he had been or what he had been doing.

And no on probed him about it.

Later that evening, Ray had left his room’s comfort, unaware of the gentle giant that snuck n his room just after he left.

However, he returned to find his desk ridden of the paperwork previously littering it, the bed covers neatly pulled back and the room heated to a comforting temperature.

Ray didn’t need to acknowledge the medicine or note on his desk to know he was bed bound for the next few days...

2. The Queen of Spades - Sirius Oswald

The Queen of Spades was more than fully aware of the limitations of his own body, and for the most part rested when he needed rest, ate when he needed to eat and drank when he needed to drink, and even sought warmth when he needed warmth

For the most part.

See, Sirius was aware of the consequences of a weakened link in the ranks of the army, but that was never his main concern. His concern lay with his king, his subordinates and his dear family on the edge of the Black Territory.

So, although he didn’t dare cook the food, he cleaned up the kitchen in the Jack’s stead.

And he cleaned the officer’s rooms, feeding and tending to their variety of pets.

He cleaned the halls and convening areas until Seth gushed about his fair and beautiful reflection in the floors.

Then he moved onto his darling Chutney and thriving flowerbeds.

It wasn’t that much different from what he usually did on his days off.

However, today he took the afternoon to see his family.

The plan had been made weeks ago when he last went to see them, and he had no inkling as to when he’d get to see them again. He was just about to leave the Headquarters when Luka came bouncing up to him in a shy, chipper mood.

The Jack apologized for the inconvenience, but asked him to grab some documents from his room.

However, when he arrived, he got a shock...

His family surrounded his bed and desk. Flowers and get well soon cards filled every surface, and a steaming bowl of soup was set on his desk.

Turns out, his dear brats were for more perceptive than he originally took them for.

3. The Jack of Spades - Luka Clemence

Headaches, and even migraines, were common for the determined Jack of Spades, and never truly bothered him of hindered his ability to do his job.

But the flu? Nuh-uh.

It was probably the most annoying thing to him, excluding his brother, but God save them if Jonah ever found out he was ill.

Luka would bed his life’s wages on Jonah storming over to the Black Army Headquarters with an arsenal of materialistic presents and medicinal herbs snatched from the Seven of Hearts.

So, he tried to go about his normal, everyday life as he usually did day in, day out.

But today, he was much more weary than he was days prior...

He stumbled more with his words, the taste of some of the foods he served up was off- under seasoned, and the grip on his sword was weak, and he seemed to falter and hesitate during his training.

At supper, Sirius and two other almost had to rush to prepare and cook the food, since non had been prepared and the Jack was mysteriously absent from the kitchen.

Once things had settled and everyone was happily eating, Sirius sought out Luka, and eventually found him in his room.

He was curled up on the floor, still fully dressed, but passed out cold. The covers were crinkled, half-hanging off the bed from where Luka’s body had slipped off.

Sirius got to work tidying the bed and settling Luka into it, removing his jacket and boots before closing the curtains and leaving quietly.

Luka woke the next afternoon to a room messed up from loads pf presents and cards, and his gaze snapped to his calendar when he picked up and read the nearest one, only to have his suspicions confirmed.

‘Happy Birthday, Luka!’

4. The Ten of Spades - Seth Hyde

When the Ten of Spades is ill, there’s only two things that could possible occur: you either don’t hear the end of it, or you never hear it at all.

The first instance was usually reserved for his minor ailments, used to quiet a room, or skip out on trainings or meetings, or even get the day off.

Usually it didn’t work too well. The Queen of Spades let him off only when he wither got too annoying, which was rare for such a patient man, or if Sirius decided that Seth was truly unfit to continue his daily duties.

However, it is the second instance that worries the members of the Black Army...

Seth with normally wake up terribly late, skipping on breakfast, which was rare for anyone when Luka or Sirius was on duty.

When he did finally drag himself from his bed and down to grab some leftover, he had to force his head up with the fist of one hand while the other hand pulled food into his awaiting mouth.

And there was a clear drop in the atmosphere of the Headquarters.

Although Fenrir’s happy, chirpy self, without Seth bring up to bicker with him put a down on his mood, because Ray wouldn’t laugh at their silliness, Sirius wouldn’t shake his head at them disapprovingly, and Luka wouldn’t give them that sweet, gentle yet mischievous smile.

And so he took matters into his own two hands:

He went to Sirius and got an official excusal for Seth, and made Luka whip up a steaming pot of Earl Grey and soup, and set up Seth’s room so that he could finally rest and recover.

Least to say, Seth never let Fenrir live the sappy moment down.

5. The Ace of Spades - Fenrir Godspeed

Being an inconvenience to anyone was something Fenrir hated being, and being ill could be a great inconvenience to so many people he didn’t even try to count, so he tried to hide it with coffee and sugar and warmth to adapt his pale skin and drowsy look.

He also shot off a few practice shots that morning to shock his body into the conscious world.

To say he was awake was an overstatement, but he was dealing with it.

However, in his focus to try and be his normal perky self, he didn’t realise that people began to notice something was off, and began to worry.

Luka noticed that Fenrir ate his food slower, and didn’t eat nearly as much as he usually did.

Seth began to notice that every time he bickered with Fenrir, the Ace would occasionally wince in pain and instinctively raise a palm to his forehead.

During one of their strategy meetings, Ray picked up on Fenrir making small mistakes, stumbling over his words and making bad decisions.

Sirius noticed Fenrir spending his free time outside or washing the dishes from mealtimes to avoid the hustle and bustle  of the rest of the Headquarters.

All the small details worried their witnesses, who came together in secret to share information and decide what to do to help Fenrir get better as soon as possible to get his happy, chirpy self back.

The action plan began with a large ‘get well soon’ card being passes around the army, being signed by everyone with small messages and smiley faces.

Then, Seth gathered medicinal herbs to give to Luka to put in a nice, easy on the stomach soup, which was, of course, taste tested by Seth.

Ray and Sirius worked to split Fenrir’s paperwork, and wrote out an official excusal for him.

And finally, Fenrir went back to his room to feed his dear Shu Shu when he sae the set up, making him smile and finally rest.

Being ill brought more trouble that what it was worth, but it brought out the best in companions.

[chrysaliseuro2019]

Kyparissi Village

Another glorious morning and another leisurely start. We are gradually slipping into the Greek way of life though in a way it's not too hard for us. They like to eat late (so do we) probably because of siestas (though we haven't gone for them yet apart from snoozes on the beach) and, for us at least, as a consequence, a slow start to the day is not a prob. Eating late for the Greeks means 9.30 - 10.00 start time sometimes later. At least in the restaurants we have been visiting. There is none of this Australian - the kitchen closes at 9.30 stuff even in the smallest towns. Suits us. Today we drive to Monemvasia from Porto Kagio this is a fair stint of 130km which on the mountain switchback roads will take us around 3 hours. Scenery picturesque and we headed off around 10.30 arriving in Monemvasia around 1.30. The first thing you see as you approach it is a massive Gibraltar like rock with a causeway connecting it to the mainland. Monemvasia was part of the mainland until 375AD when an earthquake cut it off. It's essentially a very pretty medieval village perched on a rock which is hundreds of metres high. You approach across the causeway which leads up via a fairly steep road to the front gate and no cars past that and boy were we lucky. We got a parking spot probably 150 metres from the gate. The road was possibly a kilometre and a half and people were walking up that distance at least, with no shade. Temperature the usual 35 or so. The town is very engaging with narrow alleyways, medieval houses, churches and fortifications and lots of exposed stone. We had a little explore and then found a great taverna for lunch with view out to sea. A rest was needed after a long drive. Eggplant Imam was our shared dish. Obviously the Ottoman influence still prevails in some dishes and this was just a shared side dish with crusty bread. Yum. I am going to make this at home. Post lunch we continued to explore the streets for a little while. Churches were not open so it was really about the exteriors. We didn't have the energy in the heat to trek up to the castle at the top especially with cautionary tales in Lonely Planet about the steepness of steps. The key decision was would we stay there for the night or press on. Small hotels and rooms for rent were dotted all over the place in town. Given that you could not proceed past the front gate in the car, hauling bags to some of the spots away from the gate would be difficult as it was literally up and down steps and wheeling along rugged stone surfaces. We decided the sea was beckoning and in particular Kyparissi Village which again Liz's contact Teresa had recommended. Some discuss it as the prettiest village in Greece. It was not a hard decision though we definitely missed aspects of Monemvasia which was regrettable but you just can't tick all the boxes. Sometimes there are compromises. We arrived at Kyparissi village after the usual winding journey. About an hour and a half. The small town seemed a little unprepossessing but we drove through and still weren't sure. Then we backtracked a little and found a small cove with a couple of bars and a few houses clustered around it. Liz went into the cafe to ask if they provided accommodation and immediately the very friendly and engaging Nikolas made himself known and said his mum and dad had rooms. It was a no brainer to take one as we started to think this place looks good and also at a very reasonable price. No balcony, those rooms had gone but several large windows looking out across the bay. We immediately went for a swim. Best way to cool down. The little beach was 10 metres away from the pension. Water, fantastic temperature and clear as can be. Back for showers and then we headed to the local bar/cafe to grab a front row seat looking out at the sea. Even better Liz could get a vodka and tonic. A pleasant 45 mins or so and we headed for dinner. A couple of local restaurants 200 metres or so away and we opted for the one with the most people. By the sea, fish has to be good so we opted for Dorada after Liz had gone out the back to inspect what was on offer. This is pretty customary here with the fish kept in drawers on ice and you can pick which one(s) you want. Usually they will provide some guidance though Liz goes through her - are the eyes clear and what does the fish smell like routine. I think she does that to me after I've had a big night out. I usually fail. In fairness only the smell test. We sat there amid the typical hubbub of a local Greek taverna enjoying the ambience and the food. We also discussed that Kyparissi was looking promising and that we should consider staying another day (our second last night that would be before heading to the islands). A lay day without dashing anywhere seemed a great prospect. Especially in this delightful place. Just had to sleep on it and check room availability. Next morning we checked with Nikolas and the room was still available, we were keen and so a second night in Kyparissi. We headed for breakfast at the same restaurant that we had had dinner at the night before. Quite a user friendly breakfast menu for Aussies and poms. I tucked into the eggs, bacon and grilled tomatoes and Liz bacon and grilled toms. They came with some sliced fried potatoes. Too much really but we did our best. The restaurant is owned by a Greek Canadian guy who came back to Greece essentially to run it. No spring chicken either but very jovial. Waddled back to pension with the sun beating down. It was around 11.30. We immediately bumped into Nikolas' mum who offered us a "real Greek coffee". This was very kind though since I don't drink coffee, apart from the odd decaf, I declined much to her disbelief, particularly when I said it might keep me awake - given it was around midday. She offered me what I thought was a fruit drink which I accepted. Liz graciously if a little reluctantly accepted the coffee with a degree of foreboding. Usually you can stand your spoon up in these - half mud/half coffee. It fitted the mold and Liz waded her way through the coffee half leaving the mud section at the bottom. The fruit drink turned out to be candied fruits. Liz got cumquat and mine was orange with Earl Grey tea flavour. Both very rich and syrupy. We were grateful as they tasted nice though this fixed us up (well certainly me) coming so soon after the eggs,bacon and potatoes. One thing Nikolas had mentioned about the beach was that they deliberately did not allow beach chairs/lounges on there to discourage the usual tourist scenario. This worked in one sense as it was certainly not crowded however we wouldn't have minded an umbrella and a couple of lounges though perhaps it was even too hot for us. The next best thing and as it turned out probably the best thing was to sit in some chairs under a tree in front of the pension. We did this the whole day reading, blogging, relaxing, interrupted only by the occasional swim to cool off. Water was entered via a ladder from a little jetty in front of the pension and as ever it was crystal clear. Nikolas' dad came out and gave us a beer and shandy to sort of re-hydrate otherwise we had the place virtually to ourselves. We did meet a fellow Melbournian, John, who was of Greek origin from Kyparissi and was spending 3 months there before returning to Melbourne. He was friendly, lived in Coburg and we had a brief natter about what we were respectively doing on hols. Of course living where he does he knew N. Fitzroy pretty well including our street. Classic Aussie accent too it was great to hear. We had a glorious day. Nowhere to get to or visit, just relaxing time with the setting being a background of hills to set off the sea. I went for a short walk round to the next bay where there was a little church and a couple of impressive motor boats moored. Around 6.30 we went up showered and headed out for pre dinner drinks at the same place as the previous night. We met John's wife Mary and daughter Melina as they headed home (their place is two doors up from our pension). They were here for a shorter period than John as Melina is in year 11 and has to get back to school. Another good catch up with local stories swopped of both Melbourne and Greece. Mary suggested another place for dinner which is apparently the No1 in town. It was around the bay about 2/3 kms so a car job. Interestingly it was close to a hotel that friend Teresa had recommended but which was a bit out of our league. We were keen to see it. Dinner turned out to be very nice. Our choice was stuffed peppers, fried calamari and Greek salad so not really cordon bleu but it was tasty. Rose wine unfortunately no better than elsewhere, though white passable. As we were leaving around 10.00 o'clock, John, Mary and Melina were just arriving and knew everyone pretty well. We headed home and got back in 5 mins. As we drove past our taverna of the previous night it was absolutely chokkers with people all having their usual late dinner. A great day and we were pretty keen on Kyparissi.

[hoodoo12]

Patience head canons

A few things came to me regarding my favorite of @dorklyevil‘s Virtue Ricks: Patience. I combined them with my favorite writing challenge, which is a list of random words you need to use in a sentence. I’m tagging @porkchop-ao3 too because she is stellar at brainstorming.

Be forewarned that these aren’t worth much. Some do have further explanations, and need further exploration. Some are dumb. Some are nothing. But character building is like that . . .

SFW. Patience Rick/reader. Snippets of thoughts, which means not everything is explicitly explained (although if you’re curious, please ask!).

⁂

Veganism “A double cheeseburger, please.”

You did a double-take, which he took in stride.

“You eat meat?”

“Yes. Is that a problem? Are you a vegan?”

“No, no--I thought you were!”

Patience shook his head. “No. I like steak and char sui bao and cedar-grilled salmon. I’m not a vegan. Never have been.”

You filed that away under things that surprised you about him.

Stuttering “Most Ricks,” he explained quietly, “allow their minds to shatter with thought, speeding in a hundred different directions all at the same time. I, however, try to focus and be more deliberate, which is why I rarely stutter or trip over my words. Not that it can’t happen, to be sure, in the heat of a moment . . .”

What does he wear under those robes? You laughed in surprised delight one night, early in your relationship, when you discovered Patience wearing nothing under his yukata. You made a joke about him “being ready for action!” and didn’t think anything more about it because other, more physical things demanded your attention.

It wasn’t until the next time, and the time after that, and again, that you realized he routinely didn’t wear undergarments.

He laughed at your shocked reaction to this revelation.

Scar “Are you ever going to tell me what happened? How you got that scar?”

Patience smiled down at you. “Maybe someday . . .” he teased.

“Come on!” you needled and he laughed, then said,

“You should’ve seen the other guy.”

Your insistent teasing faltered as the meaning of his answer seeped into your comprehension. He sounded like he was joking, what he said was what guys typically said, but you couldn’t help but ask, “You . . . you got it fighting?”

“Finishing a fight,” he corrected.

You tried to wrap your head around this information. This was Patience. He was calm and composed and more likely to wait until the oceans dried up before resorting to physical violence--

He lifted an eyebrow at the expression on your face. “That surprises you.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it does!”

“Just because I strive to live life slowly doesn’t mean that everyone else is kind and gentle with me, or that I am incapable of defending myself. Or . . .”

He paused and his brow furrowed. His hand went to the very scar you were talking about; the one that when it happened must have split open his forehead and left him blinded by the blood that poured from it. More quietly, more ruefully, he added,

“It doesn’t mean I haven’t made mistakes or gone against my nature. Or that I’ve always been as you see me now.”

It was still difficult for you to fit this information into the puzzle of his life. He saw your continued confusion and gave you a smile. “Is it so odd that occasionally we aren’t ourselves? Wrath’s volatile nature has been tempered somewhat, when he is accompanied by Kindness. No one thinks that is a bad thing. My only fault is that my lapse . . . ended like this.”

He briefly touched his scar again. His smile was melancholy, you realized, because what he called his ‘misstep’ would be considered a grievous mistake, while Wrath’s would be lauded.

Tea “I drink all flavors tea. Black, green, oolong, white, pu-erh. I like kombucha as well. There is a delightful milk oolong that I purchase sometimes, and a cream Earl Grey that is a special treat. I will also occasionally imbibe with what they call herbal teas--”

Boring “--which are not technically teas at all! They should more correctly be called tisanes. Only one plant, Camelia sinesis, produces all the aforementioned flavors of tea; what differs and creates the varying flavors is the processing after the tea leaf is harvested. Black is the most heavily oxidized. White teas are the least, and everything else is in between. To get the highly prized bright green color and intense flavor of matcha, the leaves are shaded so their chorophyll is concentrated, and once collected and dried, they are ground to a powder. Gyokuro are those same leaves, unground, and they are delicious to eat, after the tea they’ve made has been consumed.

“Regarding the herbal tisanes, most any plant can be used, but depending on which part of the plant--leaves versus roots, for example--perhaps an infusion would be a better descriptor for the process. I am partial to a chamomile tisane sweetened with lavender honey before I retire for the evening. Herbals don’t have the caffeine like tea does, and yerba mate is an excellent choice if you wish to avoid the stimulant.

“I have several books on the subject and have taken classes with fellow tea aficionados. I also have a wide variety of loose leaf teas; would you like to try them? I can set up a tasting and explain each one, including the process by which it is made, the correct temperature at which the water should be to brew it correctly . . . I could even set up different types of the same tea--green, for example, and we could explore Japanese versus Chinese, single estate versus something more commercially produced.

“And did you know that some teas are better after their second or third brewing? There is a specific oolong that is best brewed five or six times! There is so much to explore regarding teas and tisanes and I could go on for a very long time about it--”

Feet Patience’s feet weren’t ticklish. He rarely wore shoes, and his soles were calloused and less sensitive than someone who did. Even through the streets of the Citadel, he went barefoot.

“I would rather walk,” he replied with a shrug, when you suggested a portal gun would get the two of you to your destination more quickly. “Portalling is convenient, but then we miss out on so much along the way.”

Fog It made you nervous, so you clutched at his hand and tried to match his long strides. He, sensing your unease, slowed his steps for you. He also shook his hand out of your grip and slipped his arm around your waist. You’d have a hard time explaining your fear, walking in this fog--you’d be loathe to admit it was because you had played too many survival horror video games!--but luckily, he simply understood and didn’t question it or mock you.

Believe “Believe me, he would put my vow to the test ,” Patience chuckled quietly, with a nod to the Wrath, who was simultaneously ranting about something and brushing Kindness’s locks. “‘Ness has some special power, I think.”

Tradition “I may prefer to wear a yukata or kimono, and it may be tradition, but I am not wearing a fundoshi!”

Snow “Look at the snow! It’s really coming down out there.”

“It’s up to your knees out there . . .”

“I guess I should start getting home.”

“Baby, it’s cold outside . . .”

“ . . . you do know those aren’t the lyrics to that song, right?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Maybe just a half a drink more?”

You snorted your laughter at him as you nodded your head.

Adorable He had several thousand hair ties. On very rare occasions he wore one with a tiny bell attached to it, which you found ridiculously adorable.

Pattern “Walk with me?” he asked, so you did.

It was a winding path, with sharp cut backs and turns. It looped around and around on itself; if you closed your eyes and let him lead you by holding your hand, you grew dizzy. Sometimes he made an observation, sometimes you did. At one point it felt right to go up on your tiptoes and walk with your arms stretched outward, like you were balancing on a tightrope.

There were no walls on this path. It was marked by bricks in the ground, and at the very center of it was a small bench. Anyone who didn’t know the path was there would have thought you looked like fools traipsing back and forth, instead of just walking to the bench and sitting down.

But labyrinths were made with twists and turns in a very specific pattern, Patience explained as he sat next to you. They lead into a center, and then back out again. They were a mediation tool, and he hoped you liked it.

Sun You’d walked a labyrinth with him, and let the sun warm you gently while he continued to explain, “Mazes are for getting lost. Labyrinths are for finding.”

Red Patience had several, and of course he had some that he preferred over others, but your favorite yukata that he owned was monochromatic in red, with a very subtle dragon and phoenix motif woven into it.

White His robes may have been different colors, but his belt was always white.

Watch “You never wear a watch.”

“And you always do,” he countered.

Walk Your paces were different—yours brisk and businesslike, his deliberate by habit—but eventually walking together felt natural.

Run “—go!  Put your head down and just go!” The deadly serious tone in Patience’s voice scared you more than anything yet tonight, until you looked in his face and saw the same severe, alarming expression there too.  It was a look more at home on Wrath’s face, not Patience’s.  He grabbed your upper arms in a grip that was so tight it pinched and gave you a push.  “Run!  Don’t stop, don’t look back—just run!”

Formal The fact that Patience kept a formal, neatly attended miniature Zen garden in his room did not surprise you.

Short Patience was tall and you were short, but the height difference never seemed to be a concern or a hindrance.

Horizon Habitually he was up before the dawn, and habitually you wanted to sleep late. But occasionally, Patience would gather you up—swaddled in blankets and all—and carry you out to the porch steps so you could watch the sun creep above the horizon together.

War Those who knew him bought him books on feudal Japan and war; those who really knew him bought him books on Japanese art.

Sarcasm He didn’t use it often—he thought it was rude and he should be above it—but when Patience resorted to sarcasm, it was worth it.

Speed “Nope, never tried anything—not pot or speed or coke.”

Coffee You never saw him drink it, although it didn’t surprise you he had the talent for making some of the best French press coffee you’d ever had.

Oil A sharp, astringent odor assaulted your nose. It took a second, but when you untangled your fingers from his and raised your hand to your face, the smell wafted more strongly to you.

Patience saw the disgusted and perplexed expression on your face and he immediately got up and left the room to go to the kitchen. Over the sounds of running of water in the sink and hands being scrubbed he called out an apology.

“I’m sorry, dearest. I neglected to wash my hands of the gun oil.”

You had gotten up to follow him, to wash your hands too, but stopped short at his explanation. Gun oil? Gun oil? You knew what it was, but couldn’t make it stick anywhere with anything; those two words and Patience didn’t match. Your heart was suddenly in your throat, and you were chilled out of the blue by a cold spike of fear.

Hands His fingers were long. He kept his nails neatly trimmed, and his fingertips were very lightly calloused. He had a faded scar at the base of the third finger on his left hand. The mark was very small, running perpendicular to his digit. He never told you what it was from, but your suspicion was it made by a ring that had cut him when it had been pushed too far back on his finger. He didn’t wear a ring now, and you weren’t sure how to ask about it. So you didn’t, but you wondered a lot.

Laugh Patience’s laugh was full and deep, and unlike some men, he wasn’t shy about it.

[oumiyuki]

The Daily Life of Loving a Really Cute but Dense Vampire Ch14

Ch14 - Is Umi-chan a vampire?

Author Notes

May you enjoy~ XD

Nozomi took in a deep breath as her chest bounced slightly from the excited motion. “And today’s target is the Sonoda Family~” Nozomi announced cheerily before she chuckled.

Oh dear, I think Nicocchi is rubbing off on me a little. To think I’m pretending to play detective~

Nozomi scooped out her phone and opened the To Anywhere App, keying in her classmates and today’s target, Sonoda Umi’s address in before following the bright red arrow.

May I get to my destination with little bumps~

Nozomi giggled as she started her walk to the Sonoda household.

Hm…I wonder if Umi-chan will be vampire…

Nozomi placed a thinking hand on the bottom of her chin, her grin grew wider.

I hope Umi-chan is vampire~ That will make our life so much more fun~ Especially since Honoka-chan would most definitely be one too~

Nozomi almost added a skip to her walk at the thought of more vampire friends, but stopped when she almost met red bricks.

“Ah.” Nozomi stopped in time to not walk into a wall.

That was a close one.

Nozomi took a turn to continue her walk. After some time of walking, she reached a large gate that stretched for about three metres. Nozomi sweat dropped a little.

Well, I wasn’t expecting a mansion…

Nozomi chuckled nervously before she brought an almost shaking hand to the doorbell. It did not even take ten seconds for an answer to buzz through.

“Yes?”

“Ah, um.” Nozomi looked around, unsure where to focus and decided to stare at the doorbell. “I’m Toujou Nozomi. Sonoda Umi-chan’s friend. Is she in?”

Another buzz. “Umi isn’t home yet, would you like to come in and wait?”

Nozomi smiled in relief that she was invited in. “I’d like that.” She was going to add that she didn’t mind waiting for Umi to return but the sound of the gates opening on its own got Nozomi’s attention.

Umi-chan’s house is amazing…

The front door opened to reveal a woman in her middle age who had her hair tied up neatly, not a strain loose, and dressed in a purple kimono covered with intricate flower designs. Nozomi closed her dropped jaw as she prepared her friendly smile.

Wow…Such a beautiful woman…Her deep blue hair is exactly like Umi-chan’s…

“Good evening, Ma’am. Are you Umi-chan’s mother?”

“Yes, I am. You are a really polite child. Come on in.” Umi’s mother returned a friendly smile to her visitor.

Nozomi nodded and entered the Sonoda’s mansion.

“This is a…really big estate you have, Ma’am.” Nozomi scanned her surroundings both in awe and in search for clues of vampires.

Umi’s mother chuckled. “Please, you don’t have to be so formal since you’re Umi’s friend.”

Nozomi felt a slight heat grew on her cheeks; it’s rare for her to be corrected, and she did find herself a tad bit overly formal. “Um…obaa-chan?”

Umi’s mother chuckled again. “Sure. Would you like tea?”

Tea, huh? That’s normal for guests I suppose.

“I don’t mind having what you drink.” Nozomi tried to test the drinks the Sonoda Family might have.

“Mm…We have traditional green tea, and earl grey for today’s choices.” Umi’s mother walked off to the kitchen after bringing Nozomi to the guest room.

Not blood? Well, not that I was expecting blood to be offered to guests.

Nozomi kept looking around, but everything seemed normal. Normal ornaments, normal wooden walls and flooring. Normal flowers arranged. Normal calligraphy writings that instructed daily diligence and eternal love.

Nozomi smiled at ‘Eternal Love’ thinking it was sweet if it was from Umi’s mother to her husband or vice versa.

Umi’s mother returned with the tea. “I chose traditional, I hope it’s to your taste buds.”

Nozomi gave a friendly smile as she regarded the steaming hot tea. “I’m not very particular with tea~ Does Umi-chan always return late?”

Umi’s mother thought for a moment. “Umi has a busy schedule between clubs, her responsibilities and…relationship.” Umi’s mother decided to add the last part with a wry smile.

Nozomi’s eyebrow rose. “Relationship…You mean with Honoka-chan?”

It’s interesting how obaa-chan says it~ Does Umi-chan have special feelings for Honoka-chan?

Nozomi giggled in her mind.

Nicocchi has rivals~ Or more like…Honoka-chan sure is popular~ Kotori-chan obviously likes her after all~

Umi’s mother chuckled. “Oh, you know Honoka too?”

“We’re all classmates.” Nozomi answered, a bemused smile playing on her lips.

“I see. Umi doesn’t share with me much about school other than club and the troubles Honoka give her.” Umi’s mother smiles wistfully.

“Ah, Honoka-chan is…a very happening kind of person.” Nozomi replied thoughtfully.

Umi’s mother nodded.

“Um, were you going to have dinner? I wouldn’t want to intrude, so I could visit another day…” Nozomi popped the question to lead to finding out about the Sonoda’s eating habits.

“Ah, we actually already had early dinner. Umi will eat out…” Umi’s mother seems to be studying Nozomi.

They ate already, huh… That’s too bad…

“It’s unfortunate, but perhaps you could visit some other time for dinner together.”

“Oh…Um, it’s okay. It’s not like I came for dinner~” Nozomi politely declined.

If it’s blood, I’m all up for it. But if it turned out to be a full course dinner for humans…I’d rather not.

Nozomi glanced around to take in the size of the house as she thought about how it won’t be surprising if the Sonoda family had personal chefs to whip up a full course meal every day.

Umi’s mother nodded and stood up. “If you like to wait for Umi, I don’t mind.”

“Ah, actually, it’s okay. I still have some other things to get to…like homework.” Nozomi stood up too.

“Alright then.” Umi’s mother led her guest out of the house. “I’ll let Umi know you were looking for her.”

“Thank you. See you, obaa-chan.” Nozomi waved goodbye.

Didn’t get to find out if Umi-chan is vampire today, huh…Everything felt normal inside too… But who knows what else could be inside…

Nozomi thought about how she might have only seen the front of the Sonoda estate considering how big it is.

There might be room just for their prisoners or blood store inside~?

Nozomi entertained some unlikely thoughts as she heads home.

 Nozomi opened the doors to her empty apartment. At least it was supposed to be.

“Nozomi! Where were you?!” Black as night twin-tails tied by two red ribbons ran up to the surprised purplenette.

“Nicocchi?” Nozomi closed her door. “Did you miss me that much?”

“Don’t start it.” Nico gave a quick scan of the taller girl to make sure she was unscathed before looking away. “If you were going to be late you should have left a note saying so.” Nico turned for the living room.

“For who to see?” Nozomi chuckled, somewhat melancholic.

Nico looked over her shoulder and sighed. “For me, you annoying, lonely psychic. So that when I come over and find the apartment empty, I won’t have to assume you got kidnapped or attacked.” Nico crossed her arms and glared sternly at Nozomi who placed her keys down before taking a seat in the living room.

Nozomi smiled. “I’ll do that next time…mum.” A playful grin replaced the touched smile.

Nico rolled her eyes and took a seat too before silence fell between the two.

After some time, “So did you need something from me?” Nozomi asked and waited.

Nico was frowning. She just can’t bring herself to smile or even keep a neutral expression.

Nozomi grinned as she hummed from her sofa.

“…” Nico got off her seat at the dining table and approached the purplenette who was waiting patiently for whatever her dear friend wanted this evening.

“So what can I do for you, Nicocchi?” Nozomi looked up with her grin.

Nico frowned further before letting out a long sigh. “No. zo. mi… …” Nico barely managed to call her friend with the annoying grin.

“Yes~?” Nozomi broke from her grin into a full on, wide smile.

“Ugh! I need your help! There! I said it! Argh!” Nico shouted and groaned while hugging her arms where goosebumps appeared from having to ask the spiritual know-it-all vampire she has for a friend.

Nozomi giggled. “Was it that hard~ Nicocchi~?”

Nico heaved, exhausted from just asking for help. “Yes! Yes, it is! I hate having to get help from you!”

“Aw~ Why’s that~?” Nozomi was very entertained by Nico’s ordeal.

“Because!” Nico stopped, wondering what she can even say. Does she even want to say it; that Nozomi seems to know everything, so it’s like seeking god for help, or that Nozomi is going to be skin-deep annoying if the advice Nico is going to receive worked, or even if it doesn’t, the purplenette will bring it up eternally to tease the poor class idol. ‘Nicocchi can always look for me for help~ Just like that time…~’

“Because?” Nozomi urged.

“Because you’re annoying. Now tell me, do you know if Sonoda is vampire already?” Nico glared, she decided not to go into full detail.

Nozomi’s smile turned slightly sad as she shook her head. “Nope…I went to visit Umi-chan’s house earlier…But I couldn’t get any evidence that they were vampires.”

“You went at dinner time again?” Nico crossed her arms, remembering how her friend visited Hanayo during dinnertime to catch the brunette eating rice with blood.

“Hm~ I did, but apparently they already had early dinner.” Nozomi placed a finger to her chin in thought.

“Huh…Okay. I’m running out of ideas to test whether Sonoda or Honoka is vampire. So…” Nico looked away; the Great Nico-ni asking for help is a very difficult task, more so when it’s asking her friend that’s always jumping on every opportunity to tease her.

“Hm…” Nozomi looked up with a wry smile. “Throwing paper balls won’t work anymore?”

Nico stared Nozomi down with deadpan eyes.

“Mm…If Umi-chan is vampire…Don’t you think she’ll take the hook very easily to confirm if you are vampire?” Nozomi pointed at Nico when she said ‘you’.

“Me..?” Nico frowned, not comprehending what Nozomi is trying to suggest.

Nozomi nodded. “Do something to get Umi-chan’s attention. Make Umi-chan look for you instead~”

Nico decided to take a seat as she held her head in both hands. “So…I should drink blood in front of her, or pretend to attack someone, or-”

“Or throw paper balls at her at vampire speed?” Nozomi smirked at Nico’s irritated look before giggling.

Nico sighed. “Actually, that could work. But it might be a little tame…”

Nozomi had a playful grin. “How about attacking Umi-chan herself?”

Nico’s eyes widened. “Are you crazy? Isn’t that like dangerous? What if Sonoda is-”

“I’m pretty sure the Great Nicocchi can handle something as small as this~ How could the Great Nicocchi lose to Umi-chan? Who may or may not be a vampire~” Nozomi was baiting Nico.

And it worked. Nico stood up. “Well, of course I can take Sonoda! I can take Sonoda, Honoka, Maki and a psycho like you all at one go!” Nico had her hands to her hip as she huffed.

Nozomi giggled. “Targeting Honoka-chan sounds like a good idea too~ That could lead to finding out if Honoka-chan and Umi-chan are vampires at the same time~”

“Hm.” Nico was now considering that option.

“But I’m sure Nicocchi would prefer to attack~ Maki-chan only~” Nozomi winked at the class idol whose eyes widened.

“As if!” Nico scowled before turning to leave.

“Don’t forget your first love Honoka-chan~” Nozomi called as her front door slammed shut.

Nozomi giggled to herself. “Nicocchi entered through the windows but left via the front door~ How law-abiding~” Nozomi stared into the distance. “Thank you, Nicocchi.” Nozomi was genuinely grateful for being blessed with such a caring friend; she’s not sure what she did to deserve someone like Nico for a friend.

 The lighting is dim. It was not possible for anyone to see anything through the one-way windows, but if any outsider eyes could look into the room, they would be able to see two rectangle couches and another rectangle coffee table in the centre.

In this simple room, green eyes contrasted the dimness and a slender hand caressed soft, black fur. Another pair of green eyes opened to illuminate the place while it mewed satisfactorily.

A grin curved up the one who was petting.

“What? All you did was walk her home? I’d thought better of you.” An intoxicatingly sweet voice that was lathered with sarcasm penetrated the serene scene of the cat purring.

Green eyes lowered, coupled with a slight frown. “What else did you think I’d do in that situation?” A cool tone replied, though an edge can be felt, clearly affected by the sarcasm.

A giggle echoed around the room. “Oh, simple~ Stay by the window and watch her strip-”

“Wha-” The slender hand crushed part of the couch she had her hand rested on, thankfully not crushing the black cat’s neck where her other hand rested. The black cat however, felt the animosity and jumped away.

“I meant sleep~” The same giggle followed through.

Only magenta was left shining with amusement as a tired groan sounded from where the couch has broken off.

“I’m not a stalker…”

“Sure, you’re not.” Magenta eyes lost its excitement in the next second as she studied the person on the couch who does not want to put up a fight.

A sigh moved the still air after some time of silence.

“I just don’t get why you’re so interested in her~”

“…”

“If you want her blood~ Just suck it already~”

“…”

“Why waste your time not stalking her~”

Another groan.

“Maybe I should go get a taste-”

“Don’t you dare!”

Eyebrows were raised as curious magenta eyes regarded the person who crushed the other side of the couch.

“She’s my prey.” The cool and venomous voice stated.

“Well.” A shrug. “Do whatever you want~”

“That’s what I’m doing.”

The black cat approached its owner warily, when its senses informs it that it’s safe, it jumped onto the couch and climbed onto its owner’s lap. A hand moved over the soft, black fur once again.

The black cat mewed softly.

“You like her?”

The black cat mewed in reply.

“She smells nice, huh?”

“Now you speak cat?” The mix of uninterested, distaste and sweetness made the owner of the black cat frown.

The black cat mewed again.

“Yeah, she’s always on her toes.”

“Does that cat have a death wish?” Magenta eyes glared at the cat. “Because I can kill it before you know about it.”

“And when I do know about it, you’re dead. So want to try?” The owner of the black cat challenged.

Magenta eyes squinted smaller as she grimaced. “You think you’re stronger-”

“I know I’m stronger.”

“Ugh, won’t Erena come back already? I know it doesn’t take this long to get her thousandth kill.” The girl with the magenta eyes crossed her legs and arms.

“For the month?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s amazing.” A smile can be heard in her words.

“Please. You’re probably on your hundredth already. After your first thousand.” The magenta eyed girl scoffed.

“And how many are you at?” The cat owner asked, knowing her score can’t be beaten.

“I chose to take things slowly this month.”

“Sure. I believe you.” The cat owner returned to sliding her hands over the black cat.

Magenta eyes shot a death glare over but it was ineffective.    

 The door to the dim room opened, and the lights were brightened.

“Hey, you’re killing the atmosphere.”

“Too bad it doesn’t add to my kill count.” A respectable and cool voice replied. “What happened to the five thousand dollars couch?” Dark turquoise widened at the sight of the crushed couch.

“Tsubasa raged when her girl was flirting with another girl-”

Eyebrows were raised by the girl at the door before a protest was heard.

“I did no such thing!” Tsubasa slammed her hands on the already crushed couch which caused it to crumble further.

“Oh~ Maybe it was when her girl flirted with her cat and Tsubasa could not take the moe, so she commanded the cat to scratch her~”

Tsubasa stood and threw the remainder of the couch at the magenta haired girl in a split second.

“I’d prefer lesser furniture casualty.” The couch was caught in mid-air and placed away from anyone else’s reach before the couch could reach the intended target. “Anju.”

Anju frowned and placed the coffee table back down. “Tsubasa started it.”

“I can see who started it. And I told you not to bother Tsubasa and her obsession with her new plaything.”

“But it’s no fun, when Tsubasa is so caught up in stalking her girlfriend~”

“She’s not my girlfriend. And you should find your fun in eating.”

“You mean hunting~”

“Whatever you want to call it.”

“If you don’t reach thousand kills at least, Anju, you know you’re in charge of clearing all the dead bodies right?”

Anju groans. “Erena, why don’t you just leave them outside~? The police or doctors will get to them~”

“You know why we don’t.” Erena curtly replied as she walked towards the door again.

“Where are you heading to?” Tsubasa asked.

Erena eyed the broken couch which Tsubasa followed. “To fetch us another couch.”

“I’ll help.”

Anju frowned at being left out. “You sure you want to leave your cat with me, Tsubasa~?”

“I’m sure you won’t risk your life~” Tsubasa called back. She heard a clicking of a tongue as she walked off, a smug look on her face.

Author Notes

How did you find this chapter? And the newly introduced characters~ XP A-RISE has arrived~ -chuckles- :P

Leave a comment if you like~ *O* I want to hear from you!

[mostly-plants]

Week 4 of eating vegan

Day 22: Bakesale day! Over the course of the weekend I made about 85 earl grey & orange cookies, 45 coconut raspberry macaroons, 32 bagels, 24 chocolate cupcakes and 12 lemon blueberry muffins (all vegan). And thanks to my lovely friends, we raised $330 to support Oxfam’s work in addressing the current food crisis in eastern Africa.

Other than catching up with a few friends and feeling happy that we were able to raise some funds, one of my highlights of the day was eating a fresh bagel with nigella seeds, topped with Tofutti Better than cream cheese, fresh tomato and black pepper. It was delightful! I will definitely be making more of these bagels soon! I used a recipe from YouTuber NikkiVegan and just added 100 grams of sourdough starter to each batch for extra flavour and rise. My favourite bagel toppings are sesame seeds or nigella seeds. So good! After a full weekend of baking we were both pretty exhausted, so ordered some Vietnamese food for dinner from Paper Plate. It was pretty tasty, but a little bit expensive for what it was. Also, although the veggie rice paper rolls we ordered had some really enjoyable and interesting flavours, they came with both ends open instead of the traditional enclosed wrap. This made them much harder to eat, because every time you took a bite, the fillings would slip out the bottom. There’s nothing wrong with being creative, but also... sometimes there’s a reason that the original is the best. For dessert I ate 2 more cupcakes because I was tired and hungry and they were full of sugary chocolatey-coffee goodness. I then experienced #cupcakeregret because 2 cupcakes is 1 too many. You win this time, cupcakes. Lesson learned.

Day 23: I was pretty exhausted after baking all weekend, but I had some toast with Tofutti cream cheese and tomato / peanut butter and raspberry jam for breakfast, and then headed off to work. I had leftover Pho for lunch, plus some fruit and coconut raspberry macaroons for snacks, and then (again) leftover black bean tacos for dinner. I also had 1 (and only 1) cupcake for dessert.

Day 24: I was still exhausted this morning, so slept in a little bit and had black bean tacos for brunch (yes, I am just really feeling the love for Mexican food right now!). Morning tea was coffee (of course), a couple more macaroons and a chocolate brownie. Yes, very indulgent, but dinner will be mostly greens.

I was really tired in the afternoon so a had a little rest and then made a “use up what’s in the fridge” stir-fry for dinner. I had a slightly wilted green cabbage, some broccoli and bok choy, and some firm tofu. I mixed up a few tablespoons of peanut butter with about half the amount of sweet soy sauce and a bit of sriracha to make peanut sauce, and cooked up all the veggies and tofu before mixing in the sauce and some pepper. It turned out pretty well! I’d shredded the cabbage into strips and once cooked they were kind of like noodles.

Day 25: Toast for breakfast again - the classic PB and banana on toast with a tablespoon of chia seeds and maple syrup for extra healthy fats, minerals, and, let’s be honest, the maple syrup was there because it’s delicious. :d

Work was hectic so I ended up having lunch (left-over stir-fry) really late, but then by the time I got home around 7pm I felt like doing some cooking to wind down. I’d wanted to try making some seitan, so I attempted this scallion (aka spring onion) sausage recipe from Mary’s test kitchen. I think I underseasoned the mix a little bit, because although they turned out ok, they tasted a little bland. In fairness, I’d used chives instead of spring onions because I didn’t have any at the time, and it may have been a mistake to substitute the key ingredient named in the recipe title! XD I also managed to cut my finger on the edge of some aluminium foil while rolling the sausages up (so talented, how DOES she do it?) Oh well.. You win this time, seitan, but this isn’t over yet!

I’d soaked some barley the night before, so I chopped up some onion, carrot and celery and cooked it along with some veggie stock and bayleaves, then added the barley. For extra veggie goodness (and to clear the last scraps out of the veggie crisper) I threw in some kale and some asparagus. This turned into a really nice hearty soup, and the sliced seitan sausages made a nice chewy addition scattered atop. 

One of the perks of this month has been learning how to cook new things, and in particular, I’m finally starting to understand kale. Yes, it’s super nutritious and a good source of calcium and other vitamins, but because I had no idea how to cook it before I was like “Why does everyone love this tough, bitter thing??” Soooo apparently you need to remove the stalks (at least the thicker base parts), or if you want to eat the stalks you need to cook them for a really long time because otherwise (as I found out) they are really fibrous and hard to eat. I now know how to cook kale so that it’s actually edible. Thanks, internet!

Day 26: There were heaps of leftovers from all my cook-ups this week so I just foraged from the fridge for the day - I feel like I’ve definitely got the hang of making a few meals ahead and having a few key ingredients that make for easy and relatively healthy snacks. I’m finding that even on the days where I don’t think I’ve been as conscious of trying to balance my meals, I still seem to be getting almost 100% of my RDIs for protein, iron, calcium and other vitamins according to the tracking I’ve done with Cronometer. That said, I’m sure it’s not 100% accurate, because it makes assumptions about things you enter - like thinking my soy milk is fortified with B12 when it isn’t.  Cronometer (or any app for that matter) is not going to be flawless, but it’s definitely a helpful guide in making sure I’m not accidentally very deficient in anything.  Now that I’m more familiar with the kinds of foods that are going to provide the range of nutrients I need on a daily basis, I feel comfortable that I can make good choices and achieve a good balance of nutrition myself, but it’s still handy to be able to check how things are stacking up on occasion.

Day 27: I woke up feeling like pancakes for breakfast, and because I was working from home I had the flexibility to cook this morning. I found this recipe for apple pie pancakes from NikkiVegan and decided to give it a go. I didn’t have the chickpea flour she used in the recipe, so I just went with 1 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup white wheat flour. I also added a little bit of dark brown sugar and maple syrup to the pancake mix, along with a pinch of salt. I reduced the amount of baking powder to about 1 tablespoon, and used less maple syrup with the apple compote (probably about 1/4 cup instead of the 3/4 cups in the original recipe). Since I had added a little bit of sweetness to the pancakes themselves, I didn’t feel like I needed to use so much syrup in the topping. These turned out AMAZING! They were seriously the fluffiest, tastiest pancakes I’ve ever had! Just look at them!!

SO. FLUFFY. This is 3 small pancakes stacked on top of each other, but it literally looks like a slice of cake. I mean technically it is cake, but I have never seen a pancake this fluffy before! The flax eggs worked very well, and added some bonus ALA/Omega 3 goodness. I’m not oil-free so I did add a dash of canola oil to the pan, and cooked the pancakes on medium-low heat so the middle had time to cook through before the outside got overdone. These were really filling, so 3 pancakes turned out to be one too many for me. The good news is they keep great, I just covered the cooked leftover pancakes and put them in the fridge, then heated them for 1 minute in the microwave the next day and they were just as good. FYI our microwave is weird so if you have a normal microwave 30 seconds might even be enough. Or you can probably reheat them in a pan on low-medium heat for 30 seconds to a minute on each side.

Friday night I did some shopping in the city for a birthday present, and then we went to a friend’s farewell drinks. On the way home the boyfriend spotted a pop-up van at QV, so it was DOUGHNUT TIME! They have vegan doughnuts, so we got a Fairy Godmother and a Pump Up The Jam. Both were very yummy, but hooooooooooooooooly heck! So. much. sugar! Starting AND ending the day with cake is probably not a great strategy for health in the long term, but in the short term it was very enjoyable. Just goes to show you can eat healthily or unhealthily as a vegan, so it just comes down to making the choices that make you feel good in the long run.

 Day 28: It was Saturday so we slept in and had leftover pancakes for breakfast, then went to our friend’s birthday party and had fun exploring Brimbank Park. I like their random giant animals and vegetables, and their Auslan and Braille Alphabet signs:

I wanted to do another batch cook for the week this afternoon, so I made a brown lentil shepherd’s pie with a base of onions, carrots, celery, fennel and vegan beef-style stock. I added tomato paste and dried porcini mushrooms for extra flavour, and it turned out really well! It was also a very good way to use the bag of potatoes that had been sitting in our pantry for the last couple of weeks!

 I also made some vegan pizza, using a quick, no cook pizza sauce recipe I originally saw on America’s Test Kitchen. You can find the quick pizza sauce recipe with notes here - it uses a blender or food processor, but you could also just use diced/crushed tomatoes instead, or cut up the whole peeled tomatoes and mash them together with the other ingredients. To top the pizza I caramelised some red onion, scattered on some chopped olives, and made a batch of fresh moxarella using this recipe from Vedged Out. There’s also a full recipe for vegan margherita pizzas at this link, so you’ll find a dough recipe and another (cooked) sauce recipe there too. The pizza was awesome - the moxarella gives you the stretchy gooey texture that makes melted cheese so enjoyable to eat, and it’s also very quick and easy to make if you have a blender. Just look at this cheezy goodness...

 And that’s it for week 4! Even though there’s only a few days to go of my month-long vegan challenge, I’m honestly not holding out for anything, because I really don’t feel like I’ve been missing out at all. I’ve really enjoyed being able to experiment and cook different foods, and overall I’ve felt really good. Although this weekend was pretty junk-foody, overall I’ve definitely been eating more vegetables and wholegrains than I previously was, and my energy levels and digestion have been pretty great. Those are probably the main changes I’ve noticed so far health-wise, but I’ll do a proper wrap up at the end of the month. Bye for now!