#I too mostly survive on ramen

[retrotrait]

Ep 9

That night

[Variety show playing in background]

Katie: Oh, my goodness my baby! Were you a good boy today? yes you were

Lizzie: Ahem, You're awfully late

Katie: I know, I'm sorry time really got away from me! Ramen Lizzie, really?

Lizzie: What? It's the only thing in the pantry...that and rice

Katie: Okay well let me get changed and then we can watch House of the Dragon?

Lizzie: Hurry!

Lizzie: I guess you're not too good for ramen huh?

Katie: Never claimed to be. How was school?

Lizzie: umm fine, I guess, lots of homework already

Katie: yeah? make any new friends?

Lizzie: It's the first day mom! but y-yeah, this girl Lin asked for my number, she was cool

Katie: Invite her over! I'll make my famous mac & cheese

Lizzie: What? no! I just met her, it's way too soon to ask her over

Katie: Ok silly, I'll hold off on the mac & cheese. Any cute boys?

[flashback to Caleb]

Lizzie: No

[phone dings]

[beginning of text]

Lin: He Liz! It's Lin :) Wanted to know if you wanted to hang out this Friday? There's a party near the bog, figured you'd be down?

Lizzie: [Internally screaming] what do I wear?

Lin: [sends gif] I'M COMING OVER FRIDAY!

[End of text]

Lizzie: Mom, I think we're gonna need that mac & cheese after all

[xvysarene]

ℙ𝕦𝕫𝕫𝕝𝕖 ℙ𝕚𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕤

Pairing: LADS Men (All 5) x Fem!Reader Words: ~2.2k || 400-500 per LI Genre: Fluff, fluff, and fluff, Pre-relationship Summary: A chance encounter and an unexpected chemistry: two strangers finding a spark when they least expect it (AKA meet-cute with our favourite boys)

[ᝰ.ᐟ MASTERLIST]

⊱ 𝕏𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕣

The soft “Oh!” and a light touch of fingers are enough to snap Xavier’s focus back. He’s been on a shift that stretches far from the usual working hours, what's with the metaflux disturbance near Linkon, a task that has left his body operating on autopilot.

All he craves now is a simple meal.

Lost in a fog of fatigue, he registers, just a second too late, another hand already reaching for the last pack of his favourite beef hotpot ramen.

“You look like you need it more than I do,” a soft voice murmurs next to him. Xavier turns slightly, catching your gentle smile as you gesture for him to take it.

He shakes his head, soft strands of hair falling into his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Guess I’m just too tired.”

“All the more reason you should have it,” you insist, as your gaze flickers to the Deepspace Hunter uniform he’s wearing. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for keeping Linkon safe.”

He shakes his head again, handing you the ramen. “I can survive without it for one night. Sorry for almost snatching it out of your hands.”

But you’re not backing down either. “I’m serious, take it.” Dodging his attempt to place the pack in your hands.

And before either of you realise it, a lighthearted back-and-forth of who deserves it more begins.

“You were fighting wanderers!”

“And you were here first!”

Laughter spills out through the aisles of the mostly empty 24-hour minimarket at this time of the night.

Until it’s interrupted by a soft cough.

The both of you turn to see one of the staff appearing between you, holding a whole box filled with… beef hotpot ramen.

“I have more than enough for both of you here.” The staff’s lips twitch, barely containing his laughter.

Exchanging sheepish looks, Xavier accepts the whole box with a soft thank you, before the staff leaves you both again.

When your eyes meet, you burst into laughter. “That’s so embarrassing.”

He chuckles. “I’m Xavier, by the way,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you uh… want to enjoy this together?” He cocks his head toward the small dining area, holding up the two packs of ramen he now has in his hands.

Offering him your name in return, you walk beside him before coming to a halt, remembering something. “Please tell me you also eat this with a boiled egg. It’s the only way to do it right.”

His eyes sparkled, making the Cerulean clearer than ever, as he watches you heading towards one of the aisles.

“Absolutely. It's a crime to eat it without one.”

You grin back, already scanning the shelves for the perfect eggs.

⊱ ℝ𝕒𝕗𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕝

You’ve been standing in front of the painting for a while now, long enough for him to wonder what’s keeping you there.

It’s the way you tilt your head slightly, combined with the soft furrow of your brow, that captures his attention.

Rafayel approaches, curious, until he’s close enough to ask, “What do you think of it?”

He expects you to turn toward him, maybe offer a polite response, but you don’t. Your eyes are fixed on the painting.

For a second, he wonders if you’ve heard him at all.

“I… have no idea,” you chuckle softly. It’s sincere, honest, and free of the usual pretense people have when they don’t ‘get’ art. “I can appreciate a nice piece, but I wouldn’t call myself knowledgeable.”

Your gaze then shifts to the window, watching the trees outside swaying in the gust of wind as the raindrops patter against the wide glass windows.

“I pass by Flux Art every day on my way to work but never came in until now. Seems like a good way to kill some time when it’s pouring outside.”

A beat of silence passes as your eyes trace back to the abstract shapes that don’t seem to offer any easy answers.

“Looking at it now, it almost seems like a battle between chaos and serenity. Just like how silent it is here while there is a storm outside.”

He nods, though you can’t see him doing so as your back remains turned. “There’s no right or wrong answer. Each person interprets art differently and that’s the beauty of it.”

You hum in agreement. “Well, what about you? What do you think of it?”

Then, you finally turn to him.

With a small smile, Rafayel watches closely as a flicker of recognition and realisation flashes when your eyes meet.

Your mouth opens, then closes, head tilting downward as you drop your gaze. “You’re the artist,” you murmur, cheeks flushing slightly.

“Rafayel.” He extends his hand, and he swears he feels a spark of static when your warm palm meets his as you share your name in return. “It’s always interesting to hear how others interpret my work.”

“Oh my God, I feel like I made a fool of myself.” You try to cover your flustered face when you draw your hand back.

“Hey, none of that,” he reassures. “Your honesty is more meaningful than any rehearsed compliment.”

There’s a softness in his gaze and a playful smile that puts you at ease.

“If you’re interested in knowing what I thought while painting that,” he continues, unconsciously leaning in a bit closer while nodding towards the abstract piece. “I’d be happy to share.”

Your eyes light up with genuine interest. “I’d love that. There’s no other place I’d rather be now.”

⊱ ℤ𝕒𝕪𝕟𝕖

“Come in,” he calls out.

As you step through the door of his office, Zayne’s eyebrows twitch in surprise. Normally, the faces of those who aren’t his direct patients blur together in his memory, but he instantly recognises you from the emergency room earlier that morning.

Why does he remember? He has no idea.

“How can I help you, Ms…?”

You introduce yourself quickly, before continuing, words coming out a little rushed, “I was the teacher who brought in one of my students earlier. You were incredible with him, and I just wanted to thank you personally. He also made this for you.”

A warm smile spreads across his lips as he looks at the crayon drawing of himself alongside the small boy and you, complete with a simple ‘thank you’ in a vibrant splash of colours.

“I’m glad I could help. It’s always a little more personal when it’s a child.”

You smile softly, and Zayne feels his heart skip a beat—startling even him. It's been a while since he's felt this kind of warmth, a stirring beneath the surface of what Greyson likes to joke as his cool cucumber front.

“I should also thank you. It’s not every day I meet a teacher so dedicated to their students, someone willing to go out of their way after hours just to hand me this.”

The soft light of late afternoon brings out the kindness in your eyes. There's something in the way you’re looking at him that leaves him momentarily stunned.

However, a sharp alarm from his phone breaks the delicate moment. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you say, taking a half-step back, and waving idly towards his desk. “I didn’t mean to take up your time. I’ll let you get back to your work.”

He silences the alarm with a quick swipe of his finger. “It’s just a reminder that my workday is over.”

There’s a brief pause, and his eyes meet yours again. Something about you just draws him in. 

“Taking a half day today,” Zayne explains. Then, with an unexpected boldness that defies his usual personality, he adds, “There’s a café not far from here that serves great coffee and sweets. Maybe you’d like to join me? I think we could both use a little reward after such a long day.”

For a moment, you’re silent, caught off guard by the sudden invitation.

“I mean,” he continues, a little more softly now so as not to spook you further, “if you don’t have any other plans, that is.”

It feels like the weight of the world is taken off his shoulders when he sees you nod, a shy smile and a hint of pink blooming on your cheeks.

“I’m not in a rush.”

⊱ 𝕊𝕪𝕝𝕦𝕤

Of all days, why does he have to run out of wine when Luke and Kieran aren’t around? He is particular about his wine, and the only winery he sources from can’t deliver to N109 Zone.

However, his hopes for a quick transaction vanish when the staff behind the counter checks the pick-up list, gives him a once-over, and the next thing Sylus knows, he’s ushered to a seating area.

Outside. Where the sun is shining too brightly for his liking.

“Mr. Qin?”

The scowl on his face falters as he looks up at the voice calling his name. You appear slightly out of breath, hair disarray as if you’d rushed over just to see him.

“Oh, how my grandparents would have loved to see you! Too bad they’re not here today.”

He watches a couple of staff members appear behind you, pouring him a glass of wine and setting down a charcuterie board filled with a selection of cheeses, cured meats, and mixed nuts.

It’s not too extravagant, but it surprises him, nonetheless.

“What’s all this?” He is utterly confused.

“It’s just something I usually prepare for Luke and Kieran when they pick up deliveries.”

Sylus blinks. Those two never mentioned anything. “You mean they ask for this every time they are here?”

Eyes widening at his assumption, you quickly shake your head, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. “No, no! They never expect this or anything. I just like making them feel welcome since it’s a long trip from the N109 zone.”

“Thank you for this, I appreciate it," he says genuinely. “Don’t think I catch your name, though?”

A sheepish smile graces your lips as you share it with him. “I don’t believe we’ve formally met. My grandparents own the vineyard, and they’ve mentioned you quite a bit—their favourite customer.”

Liking the way he repeats your name when he thanks you once again, his gaze lingers just a moment longer. 

Your cheeks are starting to flush under the intensity of his ruby eyes. “Well, I’ll leave you to it so you can enjoy them. It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Qin—”

“Just Sylus, please.”

Flustered, you shift awkwardly. “I hope you’ll come to visit us again, Sylus.”

But before you can take a step away, he glances down at the spread before him, then back at you. “It’d be a shame to enjoy this all by myself. If you have the time, some company would be nice.”

He rises and pulls back the empty chair across from him, the invitation clear. “I could really use a change of scenery from the twins’ endless shenanigans.”

Maybe doing the pick-up isn’t a bad decision after all, Sylus thinks as he sees you chuckle, the sunlight catching in your hair.

⊱ ℂ𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕓

After spending too much time in the sky, Caleb always finds himself drawn to the library. The silence grounds him, and chatting with the librarian reminds him of the earlier days—when he was just another student at the nearby Aerospace Academy and working part-time as the library assistant.

He’s already planning to return the next day since he has some leave lined up when a loud sigh catches his attention.

Looking between the shelves, Caleb sees you balancing a stack of heavy volumes in your arms.

“Need a hand with that?”

You turn toward him and nearly drop the books, not expecting anyone else after seeing the last visitors trickled by earlier.

“Woah, easy there.” Without waiting for an answer, he steps closer, lifting half of the books from your arms, his fingers brushing yours ever so slightly.

“Oh, you don’t have to—”

“I insist,” he says with a crooked smile. “Wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

You murmur a small “Thanks,” grateful for the help and a bit flustered by his easy confidence.

In awe of how he is so at ease at placing the books on the correct shelves, you ask, “You’re Caleb, right?”

Which earns you a raised brow and surprise flickering across his features.

“I've heard your name around—fighter pilot and all.”

He chuckles. "Ah, so my reputation precedes me. Should I be worried?"

You shake your head quickly. “It’s a good reputation, don’t worry. The librarian tends to mention you a lot.”

As you shelve the final books together, his hand rests briefly on one of them.

“So”—he glances at your tag and call your name, breaking the comfortable silence—“you’re new here? I haven’t seen you around before.”

You hummed. “Just started last month. It has been great, except for all these books left behind.”

“Those academy students always do that. I might even be guilty of doing it too before,” he says with a sheepish grin.

When the librarian rounds the corner, their attentive eyes flicker between the two of you, and with a knowing smile, they gently usher you both to leave as it’s getting dark outside.

“Well, thanks again for the help,” you say, pulling your zipper up to fight the chilly evening air of Skyhaven. “I owe you one.”

Caleb fully faces you, and with the extra height from the steps, you can meet his gaze directly, sparkling under the sunset sky. “What do you say if I take you up on it now? Would you like to grab a drink or have dinner together? Think of it as a belated welcoming party from myself.”

A small smile tugs at your lips. “I’d like that.”

Let’s just say the warmth that spreads through you both has nothing to do with the jackets.

⤷ ᝰ.ᐟ MASTERLIST

[darling-to-death]

I'm feeling self-indulgent, so here's some DOL headcanons about the Lis taking care of you when you're sick.

Kylar -Oh he's on cloud 9. You're so helpless! -You HAVE to stay in bed, so you're easy to find! And watch. :3c -Please just sit back and let him take care of you. <3 -Which he does… to the best of his ability… -But he kinda gets sidetracked and pervy. -Like he'll make you a lovely soup, but there's a special ingredient in there you probably wouldn't want to consume if you knew it was in there. -Or he'll tuck you in for a nice nap, but you have a hazy fever dream of someone straddling you and panting. -Gosh, you woke up so "sweaty" your skin feels sticky… -He lets you cuddle with his stuffed animals to make you feel better. -It's honestly quite sweet. Those toys were a great comfort to him at one point… -After his parents turned, he didn't have anyone to take care of him when he was sick. -So he'd hug his toys to feel some level of comfort. He hopes they do the same for you. -Although he would prefer you cuddle him. -Because he gets way too up close and personal, he catches whatever bug you've gotten. -He expects to be nurtured and attended to just as he did for you.

Whitney -He does not want to get sick. -Fuck you for getting sick and putting him at risk. -Cuz he can't just leave you like this… -I mean, how's he gonna have fun if his favorite slut up and dies on him cuz of some weak-ass common cold? -So he takes care of you. "Begrudgingly." -He wears a mask the entire time. -He refuses to get too close to you. -Honestly, he mostly just drops ramen soup and cold medicine in a bag before leaving you to your own devices. -But he's always popping in to check up on you. -He'll peek his head through the door to see if you're doing any better. -Sometimes he'll gently press his palm against your forehead to check your temperature. -If it's too high, he'll get a worried look on his face. -He'll remind you to take your fucking medicine so you don't boil in your own skin. -He misses you.

Robin -Oh Robin is both horribly underprepared and the most equipped to deal with you being sick. -You've known each other your entire lives. Of course he knows how to take care of you. -But you take care of him… That's the arrangement, right? -The longer you stay in bed, the less time you have to make money for the both of you. -He shudders to think what will be done to you when you're too weak to fight back. -He panics thinking about what will be done to him. -He tries to balance his time between tending to you and tending to his lemonade stand. -He needs to work extra hard to make sure you both have enough money at the end of the week. He knows you have something saved up, but he doesn't know if it's enough. -But the more he works, the more you're alone. And you're so helpless like this. -It's a constant mental struggle trying to prioritize what you need more. -He feels selfish for wanting you to get better, because he knows that desire is partly motivated by his need for you to support him. -He plays video games beside you to try to keep your mind off your illness. -You fall asleep to it as background noise. -He likes watching you sleep. -When you're awake, he can all too often see the anguish on your face. -Sleep is the only place you're free. -He hopes you have good dreams.

Eden -He hates being sick. -Living alone in the woods means there's no one to take care of you when you're sick. -It doesn't matter if you feel like shit, if you don't keep up with your chores it could mean the difference in surviving or not. -…But that's living alone in the woods. -Now he has company. -He'll be a little more lenient with you. -He'll try to cook meals, so you don't get your germs in the food. -He'll let you bathe separately, but he still insists on washing you. -He makes an extra trip into town so he can buy you some medicine. -He'll try to be extra quiet. -He's already not much of a talker, but he'll the sounds around the cabin to a minimum. -He knows congestion can cause sinus headaches, and he doesn't want you to be in any more discomfort than you already are. -He reads silently, but he still wants to sit beside you. -He likes patting your head as you head it in his lap, so he still feels like your little nightly ritual continues even in your illness. -He doesn't wait for you to fully get better before putting you back to work. -Once your fever breaks it's back to keeping him company.

Avery -This is quite an inconvenience for him. -You had to miss your date, because you fell ill, and he looked like a fool waiting for you to show up. -When he sees you around town one day, he pulls over to yell at you. -But you look like SHIT. He can immediately tell you've come down with something. -He's still pissed, but he kinda understands… -He offers to drive you to the doctor. -He stays in the waiting room while you have your appointment. -You're honestly surprised to see him still there when you leave. -He says not to make a big deal out of it. -He can't have his arm candy looking half-dead. -Even if you are sick, looking that ragged is bad for his reputation. -He drives you home, but he doesn't drive you back to the orphanage. -He brings you to some hotel. -He knows the kind of squalor you live in. Being in that filth can't help your recovery time. -He pays for you to have a room for a few days. -Room service brings you your meals. -He calls you every day to make sure you're resting and taking your medicine. -He'll know if you're lying. -When you're better, he expects his kindness to be paid back in droves.

Sydney -He'll make sure to pray for your health from now on when he visits the temple. -He makes sure you're still eating and drinking plenty of fluids! -You can't get better if you don't give your body fuel to fight off the illness. -He likes taking care of you… -Your face is so flushed due to the fever. -Your nose is clogged up due to the mucus, so you have to pant and breathe through your mouth. -He watches your chest rise and fall with labored breaths. -…He tries to ignore that sight. -But you make it rather difficult. -The way you weakly reach out for him, the way you call out his name so soft and weak… -You really need him, don't you? -He's taking care of you because he cares. -Not for any ulterior motive. -Not for any joy on the power he has over you. -He'd never use that power to harm you after all. He's a good boy. -…But the fact he could do something, well, maybe he thinks about the possibilities a little too much. -He's happy when you're feeling better. -He misses seeing you so weak before him.

[punkshort]

Chapter warnings: language, violence, m masturbation, smut

Chapter Eight

Pairing: Joel x F!Reader, pre-outbreak and post outbreak

AU (the only thing I kept was the outbreak, Joel, and Tommy's characters. Joel's backstory is different, and the way he finds Jackson is different. I may include Ellie one day, I just haven't planned that far)

Fic Summary: You worked for Joel and Tommy a few months before the outbreak. The outbreak happens, and you and Joel get stuck traveling the country and keeping each other safe. Neither of you spoke about the feelings you had for one another pre-outbreak, and in a post-apocalyptic world, it seems like survival should be your only focus. But feelings can't be ignored forever.

Fic tags: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Smut, Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use, Age Difference (Reader is 10 years younger than Joel), slow burn, mutual pining, angst, trauma, SA referencing later but I will put a big warning on those chapters

Back in your apartment, the two of you set to work quietly organizing everything spread out on the living room floor that you could think of to pack. The biggest section was food. Luckily you were still used to a dorm room diet, so you had tons of useful items to take on the go. You had focused on the cans with protein like tuna, chicken and beans, then moved on to granola and protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, ramen noodles, cereal, instant rice and easy mac. Joel packed each of you a flashlight with extra batteries, and handfuls of matches and lighters he had found rummaging through your floor. Justin's camping equipment came with a canteen, plate, bowl, and foldable silverware for each, and a small first aid kit, which Joel significantly bolstered after raiding all the bathrooms on the floor.

He told you to only pack one or two extra sets of clothes, that you would have to break into houses or stores along the way if you needed more. He didn't want to waste the space in your packs that could be used for food and medicine.

You both set to work filling your bags with as much stuff as you could. Joel slipped a map into his pack that he had picked up from a kitchen drawer down the hall, and you had snuck in an unopened box of tampons and a folded up picture of your parents in yours when he wasn't looking.

It was around midday when you were all set to go, making sure to eat something left behind in your cupboards one last time.

You closed the door behind you, but you didn't lock it in case someone came along and needed something. Then sadly, you turned and gripped your baseball bat, following Joel down the long hallway, down the stairs and to the lobby.

Before Joel pushed the lobby door open to the outside, he turned to you.

"Which way's the subway?"

You pointed down the street to the right.

"It's about 3 blocks that way, not far. It's mostly all apartment buildings and a few stores on the corners."

Joel nodded, cracking the door open to listen for any sign of trouble. It sounded clear, so he ventured out to confirm before pulling you out behind him.

"We gotta be quick, but not too quick. Don't want to accidentally sneak up on somethin' out here," Joel explained in a hushed tone. "If you hear anythin', stop and don't make a sound. And you tell me if you see anythin' at all, understand?" You walked closely next to him as he was speaking, the whole time looking all around you frantically, your senses in overdrive, and your heart hammering in your chest. All you did was nod, not wanting to risk making too much noise.

The streets were quiet. Joel peeked around the corner and made sure no soldiers or infected were nearby before ushering you across the open street and back behind the safety of a building. One block down.

The two of you trotted down the sidewalk, swiveling your head around every few feet to see if there was anyone behind you. You almost made it to the next corner when Joel swung out his arm to stop you. You held your breath, heart racing as you focused on the noise he heard. It was the slow rumbling of an engine that reminded you of the FEDRA truck you heard patrolling outside your apartment last night. Joel must have figured that out, too, because he grabbed your arm and pulled you over to hide behind a dumpster that was sticking out of a narrow alley. You both crouched down and waited for the truck to pass. Fortunately, it didn't turn down the street you were on, where you would have been exposed.

Once the noise faded, Joel stood up slowly before motioning for you to follow. Again, he poked his head around the corner and took extra time to make sure no one was around before dragging you across the street once more. One more block to go.

You were halfway down the block as you passed a pawn shop, windows smashed in and the place ransacked. You grabbed Joel's arm and his head whipped around in a panic. You shook your head to tell him nothing was wrong and pointed into the pawn shop.

"Weapons?" you mouthed.

He hesitated a moment, trying to decide if you should press on or see if there was something useful in there before ultimately deciding to check it out. If the subway had infected in it, it would be better if there was more than just one knife between you. Joel stepped through the broken glass door carefully, glancing around at the small shop before holding his hand out to guide you through the opening. You both took a quick look around, noticing anything valuable was long gone, and most of the knives were picked over, but you did find a decent sized switchblade for yourself. You tucked it into your jeans pocket, and you carried on down the street towards the subway entrance.

You had a long way to go down the dark tunnel, but so far it had been quiet and uneventful. Your flashlight beams bounced off the brick walls as you walked in silence, trying to stay focused on your surroundings. Your anxiety spiked with every new subway station you passed, reminding you of just how much deeper into the city you were getting. From what the soldiers had said, more densely populated areas were worse off, and so far in your limited experience that had proven to be true.

You were two stations away from the one you stopped at for work when you first saw people. It was just two families, huddled together on the platform. They had seen your flashlights long before you saw them, so trying to sneak by was useless. They seemed like they were just innocent survivors, so Joel kept walking, holding his head up. He made eye contact with two of the men in the group and gave them each a firm nod, hoping to convey you were just passing through and not looking for trouble. They nodded back wordlessly, and you carried on your way.

The next station had more people who had sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, and lanterns. It looked like they were trying to wait it out underground long-term. A few of the men approached the end of the platform to address Joel.

"You soldiers?" one of them asked.

"No, just passin' through, tryin' to stay off the streets, sorry to disturb you all," Joel replied. He paused for a moment, and looked back at the men who were still watching you carefully. "Any of you see any infected down here?"

One of the men shook his head. "Nah, man, that's why we're sitting tight down here. Soldiers must be keeping them busy up top."

Joel nodded. "Thanks... good luck to you."

Finally, you approached your stop for work and found the platform to be filled with people, just like the previous one. They were kind and immediately helped you both up off the tracks. You introduced yourselves and explained you were headed to Joel's apartment not too far from there. One of the women, Josie, warned you the closer you got to the heart of the city, the worse it was.

"We heard, thank you. Once we get up top it won't be a long walk," you said, swiping the back of your hand across your forehead to clear the sweat collecting there. "We've been walking for hours. Joel?" You turned to him, interrupting a conversation he was having with Josie's husband, Peter. "Can we rest here for a bit?" Joel turned back to Peter.

"That ok with you folks?" he asked. Peter and Josie nodded, seemingly the leaders of the small group of strangers huddled on the platform.

The two of you slunk down against the tiled wall, pulling out protein bars and your canteens after sitting down. You shut your eyes for a few minutes, leaning the back of your head against the wall, chewing and grateful to be taking a break.

"You holdin' up alright?" Joel asked softly beside you. You nodded, keeping your eyes closed.

"I'm just tired," you replied, taking another bite of your protein bar without looking.

"It ain't much further, once we get on the street it's another few blocks. We should be able to get there before - "

Joel's sentence was cut short by screaming, and your eyes flew open in surprise as you dropped your protein bar and grabbed your bat while fumbling around in your pocket for the switchblade. Joel was already standing, gripping his bat and trying to locate the source of the scream in the group. One of the men, who looked asleep when you arrived, was snarling and had his teeth clamped down into the shoulder of an older man, blood pouring down his arm and soaking both of their shirts. Peter and another man jumped into action to pull the infected off the poor man screaming in agony, struggling to pin it to the ground.

Joel charged forward before you could stop him, your hands desperately clawing at his t-shirt, but he was already throwing himself into the group to help. You watched in horror as the three men struggled to hold it down, and just as Joel was getting ready to bash its skull in with the baseball bat, it lunged forward, knocking Peter and the other man off to the side and pushing Joel onto his back.

Joel held the infected up by its shoulders as it pinned him down, snapping and growling inches from his face. Joel's jaw was clenched tight, his eyes flashed with rage as he summoned all the strength he could manage and pushed it off him, making it stumble backwards. It was just enough time for Joel to reach to his side for his hunting knife and plunged it into the infected’s skull with a guttural yell.

The infected went limp immediately and fell to the floor. Joel stood over the body, tense, covered in blood, and panting heavily with the knife still clutched in his hand. Peter and the other man rushed to join the rest of the group helping the one who was bit in the shoulder, but you raced straight to Joel, wrapping your arms around him tightly. Surprised, he lifted one arm to place it reassuringly on your back, the other still clutching his knife.

You let him go, tears threatening to spill down your cheeks as you frowned at him angrily. He looked down at you, the adrenaline wearing off, and saw the anguish on your face. He reached his hand out to you, but you slapped it away and instead shoved his chest heatedly, making him stumble just a bit in surprise.

"What the fuck were you thinking?!" you seethed, narrowing your eyes at him and fighting to keep the tears from falling. "You could have gotten killed!"

Joel stared at you, still panting slightly, then put the knife back in its holder. He couldn't gauge your reaction. Were you upset he would be killed because then you would be alone, or upset because of something else? He sighed and reached out to you again. This time, you didn't shove him, but you didn't go to him, either.

Josie approached you, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Thank you, Joel, for saving my husband," she said, clutching his outstretched hand in her own, then turned to you. "Don't be mad at your boyfriend, dear, he just saved us all."

Your mouth fell open, and before you could correct her, she went back to Peter and hugged him tightly. Joel cleared his throat beside you, seemingly pleased with himself.

"You heard her," he winked at you. "Can't stay mad at me." You scowled back at him, and with a more serious tone, he added, "us or them, remember?"

You sighed, relaxing your brow. You knew he was right, but you were still pissed off. You turned on your heel and headed back to your abandoned protein bar, effectively ending the conversation.

Joel joined you and watched as the group deliberated quietly on how to deal with the man who was bit. You had learned he likely only had a few hours before he turned, based on the location of his bite. Ultimately, Peter volunteered, and he quickly and privately put the man out of his misery with a kitchen knife. You winced when you heard the squelch of blood from across the platform, burying your face in your shoulder.

You didn't stay much longer after that. Once Joel had gotten his strength back, you picked up your belongings and gave your farewells. Josie and Peter thanked Joel again, and you headed up to the familiar street corner, dusk fast approaching.

It took you both an hour to walk to Joel's apartment, which normally would have taken ten minutes, but he insisted on going slow and being careful at every turn. When you approached his building, you had to crane your neck all the way back to take in the full height. His building definitely used to have a doorman: it was fancy. You walked into the ornate lobby and turned around in a slow circle, taking in everything from the detailed crown molding to the beautiful, tiled floor that looked more like a piece of art. You almost felt bad for stepping on it. Even the ceiling was vaulted and decorated in tiny, intricate squares with gilded chandeliers hanging from it. Finally, you looked straight ahead and saw an arched window that overlooked a private garden.

"Shit," you whispered, "I almost got an apartment in this building."

Joel turned back to you, surprised, then realized you were being sarcastic when he saw your grin. He smiled to himself and shook his head, leading you down the hallway towards the stairwell door.

"I take it you're not on the second floor?" you asked him quietly as you began to climb the stairs.

"No, little higher than that," he replied. "30th floor."

You stopped dead in your tracks, which made him stop and turn back to you questioningly. He could tell what the problem was when he saw the pained expression on your face without you even having to speak.

"I know, it's gonna take us a while, but we can stop and rest whenever you need to." You sighed and hung your head, continuing your journey up the stairs.

You made it to the halfway point before you had to take a break, sitting on a step, panting and chugging water from your canteen while Joel leaned against the wall across from you, sipping his own water. The sun was going down, so you each dug your flashlights out of your packs before continuing.

"Not much further," Joel panted, turning the corner of another staircase, "then we can rest. No point in diggin' around in the dark, it's been a long day." You nodded, choosing not to speak to conserve your energy, and focused on the flashlight beam ahead of you.

You weren't sure how long it took, but finally you climbed the last step to face the door marked with a big, red "30". That's when you looked up and noticed you were on the top floor. Of course he lives on the top floor.

Joel pushed the door open a crack and peeked down the hall, which was very short and only had two doors and an elevator at the other end. He held the door open for you to walk through, then gently closed it. You frowned, looking back and forth at the two doors, puzzled.

Joel looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight when he saw your confusion, before mumbling, "It's a penthouse," and brushed past you to unlock his door.

You had never seen a penthouse before, but you knew they were for people who were really rich, especially in New York City. He opened the door, locking it behind you. You couldn't really see much other than what your flashlight exposed, but you could tell the room you were standing in was massive. You briefly flicked your light around, taking in some couches, bookcases, a fireplace and some other furniture. You stopped when you noticed the entire wall was top to bottom windows with a balcony attached, and covered your flashlight quickly. Joel kicked off his sneakers, and noticing the dimmer light, turned his flashlight to shine on you questioningly.

"Can't people see in? Like, the lights moving?" you asked. He shook his head.

"Privacy windows," he explained, then turned and headed towards another room. You quickly kicked your own shoes off, skittering after him, sticking close. The place was so huge you were afraid you'd get lost, and the darkness mixed with the eerie silence from lack of power and road noise made the hairs on your arm stand up. As you walked, you shined your flashlight on everything around you, baffled by how far the apartment seemed to stretch. You were so engrossed in your surroundings that you bumped into him when he had stopped walking.

"Oops, sorry," you whispered.

"Why are you whispering? We're safe here," he replied at full volume. You shrugged.

"I don't know, this place is huge, Joel, give me a minute - oh my god, is this your kitchen?!" you exclaimed as your jaw dropped, noticing the kitchen island in front of you that must have seated ten people. On one side. Easily. The island, made of marble or quartz, was white with silver and black specks. You noticed the counter was the same all over the kitchen, even on the built in bar in the corner. The cupboards were a light oak that was soft against your fingertips as you gently trailed them against the wood, wandering around his kitchen in amazement.

Joel watched you as you walked around his kitchen, gently touching the handles of the knives in the block and running your fingers along the countertop. You looked like you had never seen anything like this before, and his chest ached when he wondered what would have happened that night if you agreed to come home with him. You could have seen this place in a whole different light. He could have made you a drink from the bar and played you some music over the sound system. If he was lucky, he could have laid you down on the kitchen island you were so currently fascinated with, your fingers gripping the edges as he slipped his fingers inside your underwear to explore your soaking wet folds, pushing one finger inside you, and then another, slowly teasing you until you begged him for more.

Having you in his place was clouding his mind, he needed to focus. He cleared his throat before heading towards the pantry door. You eagerly followed closely behind and when you realized the pantry was a room as big as your own kitchen, you moaned with envy, causing his eyes to flutter shut momentarily.

"This place is amazing," you told him, sifting through the food on his shelves. You grabbed some peanut butter and crackers, turned and headed back to the kitchen.

"Where's the silverware?" you asked over your shoulder.

"Drawer next to the sink," he replied, and watched as you grabbed a butter knife. He picked up a can of Beefaroni off the shelf and opened the drawer in the kitchen with the can opener after picking a fork out from the silverware drawer you left open in your haste to eat.

He sat across from you at the island, eating his cold Beefaroni out of the can while you slathered crackers with peanut butter and popped them in your mouth. You smirked at his choice of food.

"Chef Boyardee?" you asked curiously, eyebrows raised. "I'm sure your private chef could have made you the real thing from scratch." Joel chuckled.

"Alright, I ain't got a private chef. Besides, this is the real thing. Nothin' beats it."

You smiled, fascinated that a man who lived in such a lavish apartment would have Beefaroni as his guilty pleasure. Feeling full and sleepy, you twisted the top of the peanut butter jar closed, and out of habit ran your tongue along the butter knife to clean it. You didn't even realize how that looked until you heard Joel's breath hitch and he looked down to study the empty can in front of him. Your cheeks felt warm from embarrassment, but luckily, he couldn't see it under the cover of darkness. You cleaned the knife (with a sponge, this time) and Joel's fork, putting them back in the drawer.

"Alright, let's get some shut eye. We should try to get an early start tomorrow, I want to get out of this city as soon as we can," Joel said, grabbing his pack he had set down when you walked in, and headed further down the hallway.

You followed him nervously, looking at the expensive-looking art on the walls and even a few statues on pedestals before reaching his bedroom. He pushed the door open, and your flashlights bounced around the room to illuminate the corners the moonlight hid from view. As expected, his bedroom was spacious with a bathroom and two walk-in closets attached. You noticed one of the closets was void of any clothes, and the other was packed to the brim. You poked your head in his bathroom, sighing enviously when you saw the huge, glass walk-in shower and built in vanity. You turned around to find Joel had dug out a couple lanterns from his closet and placed one on each end table so you could conserve your flashlight batteries. You clicked it off and walked over awkwardly, not sure what the sleeping arrangements should be. Unlike you, he has couches more than big enough to accommodate a grown adult, but the thought of being alone in the living room of this huge apartment made you nervous.

It hadn't even been a question in Joel's mind.

"Hop in and make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back," and he left the bedroom, back down the hallway to double check the locks. You rummaged in your pack for some more comfortable clothes to sleep in, and quickly changed before he returned, nestled under the covers on the most comfortable mattress you had ever been on in your life.

When Joel reentered the bedroom, his thoughts didn't even have time to catch up with how fast he felt the blood rushing to his cock. He squeezed his eyes shut as he blindly walked right to his closet and shut the door so he could change into his pajamas, willing his erection away. He groaned quietly, leaning his head against the wall of the closet, frustrated with how distracted he's been. If he doesn't stop, it could get you or him killed. He would have to do something about it before heading out tomorrow. He was lucky so far, you've had relatively safe places to hole up in, but that was going to end.

When he finally got himself under control, he exited the closet and got into the other side of the bed. You already had your lantern off and you were laying on your side with your eyes closed, exhausted from all the walking and events of the day. His bed was much larger than yours, and he hoped the extra space would help him get his mind out of the gutter. He turned his lantern off, and leaned back into the familiar pillow and sheets, closing his eyes. It was silent for a few minutes before you spoke.

"Joel?" you squeaked.

"Hm?" he replied, keeping his eyes closed.

"This is the nicest apartment I've ever seen, how long have you lived here?"

"About six years or so," he said, shifting a little under the covers. "But I like your place more," he admitted.

"My place?!" you said, outraged. "You could fit my entire apartment into this bedroom, you're crazy."

"Yeah, well, your place felt more..." he trailed off, trying to find the right word. "Like a home. This place feels like a museum."

"I'm sure you could make this place feel just as cozy," you yawned before adding, "this bed, for instance, is the most comfortable thing I've ever laid on." Joel smiled.

"Glad you like it." Sweetheart.

He waited until he was sure you were sleeping deeply enough before he locked himself into his bathroom and pulled his sweatpants down just far enough to free his throbbing cock, stroking it steadily with one hand while the other propped him up against the wall, eyes screwed shut. His thoughts picked up where he left off in the kitchen, his fingers deep in your pussy, but then he would add his thumb to your swollen clit, making your back arch off the cold counter and gasp his name. His thumb would pick up the pace, keeping up with your moans, rubbing tight circles and flexing and thrusting his fingers inside of you until your body finally stilled under him, whimpering his name as you came.

He imagined you gazing up at him hazily, the same way you looked at him last week outside the bar, but now you would reach out and grab the waist of his jeans, pulling him closer and whisper hoarsely to him, "Please, Joel, I need you, I need more..."

He imagined what it would feel like to slide inside you, your cunt soft and warm, so welcoming and taking him inch by inch. He would grasp your hips, his feet firmly on the ground and your legs wrapped tightly around his waist, one of your hands lost in your own hair and the other firmly holding onto his wrist, eyes rolled towards the back of your head, moaning, as he stretched you out. When he would start moving, he would go slow at first and enjoy the way your tits bounced gently along with his movements. He would do his best to take his time, but he imagined you asking him - begging him - to fuck you harder. Of course, he would give you what you wanted. He would slam into you, over and over, groaning as he would feel your cunt squeezing around him, warning him you were close. His thumb would travel down to your clit once again, pressing firmly from side to side until you were screaming his name and he felt your warm release spill over his cock.

"Fuck!" Joel grunted out into the darkness, as he shot thick ropes of cum over his hand and onto the tile floor, completely losing himself and forgetting to grab a tissue.  He stood there a few minutes, catching his breath, his forehead pressed against the bathroom wall. Finally, he pushed himself away and cleaned up his mess carefully, using his flashlight to make sure he didn't miss anything. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He hoped that would help keep him sharp and focused for tomorrow.

He opened the bathroom door quietly, relieved to see you hadn't moved a muscle since he left. You were still sleeping peacefully, facing his side of the bed with your lips slightly parted. He smiled at the sight, setting his flashlight down and about to slide back into bed when he heard a noise coming from down the hall. He froze, listening intently, trying to figure out the source. He glanced down at you once more to confirm you were still asleep and headed quietly out the bedroom door, carefully closing it behind him.

He walked down the hallway, now on high alert, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He walked by a statue, grabbing it and turning it upside down so the square base was upright in his hand. He gripped it tightly as he neared the kitchen, now hearing rustling and seeing a beam of light coming from the pantry. He glanced around the room before peering around the open pantry door, seeing someone crouched on the floor and rifling through his food, but all Joel could focus on was the revolver on the floor next to him, shining in the moonlight. Shooting one more glance over his shoulder, Joel stepped inside, silently placing the statue down on the floor, and then lunged forward, quickly wrapping his arm around the intruder’s neck, and using his other hand to lock his arm in place. Joel yanked them both up to a standing position, putting his foot over the revolver and shoving it under the shelves in the pantry, out of arms reach. The intruder slapped wildly at Joel's arms, then tried clawing at his face, desperate to loosen his grip so he could breathe, but Joel didn't budge, his grip strong and unmoving, his face contorted in a fury and a heat he never felt before. It didn't take long before the man passed out, but Joel held on a few minutes longer to make sure the air didn't revive him.

Once he was satisfied he was dead, Joel laid him gently on the pantry floor, frantically trying to catch his breath. He slowly picked the statue back up, temporarily forgetting about the gun, and then closed his eyes a moment as his breathing began to stabilize. He reopened them, nostrils flared, and jaw clenched. He needed to make sure the man was alone, and you were safe.

He left the pantry, glancing around the room once again before stepping forward. He was about to enter the hallway to head back towards the living room when something hard hit him across the chest, sending him crashing loudly back into the kitchen, dropping the statue. Joel gasped for air in the darkness, scrambling backwards and reaching around blindly to try to find his statue, but the other intruder kicked it away and pinned Joel down with his own baseball bat. The bat was being pressed to his throat, and Joel struggled to push against the man's weight.

"Who else is here with you?" the intruder sneered. Joel was barely able to make out his face in the darkness.

"No one," he gasped and shook his head, pushing back harder now that he was reminded of you sleeping sweetly in his bed, hoping and praying you stayed in there.

"Bullshit," the man spit. "I saw the shoes by the door. Maybe I'll have a little fun with her after I kill - "

Suddenly, the pressure was gone, and Joel coughed, holding his throat. He whipped around frantically, trying to find anything to use as a weapon, when he heard wet thumping over and over. He stood up, desperately trying to make his eyes adjust to the shadows. Remembering the flashlight, he scrambled back in the pantry and snatched it up, casting the beam of light over the scuffle.

You were bent over and brutally caving in the skull of the man who almost killed him.

Over and over, you aimed the corner of the statue at the man's disfigured face, beating him to a bloody pulp, the squishing sound of blood echoing in your ears. Joel calling your name and grabbing you around the waist was the only thing that stopped you. You dropped the statue and looked him in the eye, like a wild animal cornered and ready to strike. He grabbed your face, repeating your name until your eyes focused back on him. The enormity of what you did hit you in an instant: you just killed a man.

Tears welled up in your eyes and your lips trembled as you continued to stare into Joel’s eyes. He shook his head when he saw the emotion on your face.

“No. No, no, no, no. C’mere,” he said, pulling you into his embrace, and it was then you let the tears flow as you sobbed uncontrollably into his chest, gripping his t-shirt in your fist like a lifeline. He snaked his arm up your back, so his hand rested at the crown of your head, and his other arm tightly squeezed you around the ribs. You both slunk to the floor of his kitchen, holding onto each other for dear life, the horror of the world around you finally making its mark on you both.  

Chapter Nine

[starlightshadowsworld]

I feel like for the first several years Fukuzawa had Agency mandated cooking classes. Because let's be real here, none of em knew how to cook.

Kunikida was a college drop out who was probably used to surviving on instant ramen, caffeine and spite. And Katai was right there with him.

Yosano lived on military rations and than hospital food. Dazai just holds up a can of crab and a bottle of sake like behold, a meal. Ranpo is the same except its just sweets and snack food.

Fukuzawa taught himself and was used to cooking for Ranpo and tried to teach the others. Yosano, Katai and Kunikida are the only ones to retain any of it.

Katai survives on leftovers bought by Kunikida mostly. But when he's up for it, he can cook but it'll be something rather easy.

Yosano and Kunikida make a lot on their days off and than just refrigerates it and eats it throughout the week. Kunikida will also bring extra lunch knowing Dazai will steal it.

Ranpo will not cook and Dazai can and will burn water. And so Fukuzawa was prepared to do the same for the younger recruits but learned, he didn't need too.

Granted Kenji had to be taught how to use appliances but he got the hang of it. Sometimes he's forgetful but he has a handy lil egg timer to stop that.

He named it Ihatovo after his village.

Junichiro was already used to cooking for him and Naomi. Naomi can make the best tea you've ever had, everything else is a nope.

Atsushi was taught how to by the Orphanage as part of his chores And it's another skill Kyouka learned in the Port Mafia.

After a long and gruelling case, Fukuzawa will order take away for everyone and they'll all eat their comfort foods together.

[summercreolefanfictioner]

the scent wafts in, her name making him beg on his knees chap 2.2

pairing: dabi / todoroki touya x fem!oc / reader (MODERN AU)

chapeter summary: Touya finally reveals how he met the reason behind his return (MODERN AU)

(In which Touya returns home after rebelling against his family for 7 years. And no, it wasn't about forgiveness. He wanted to fix himself because of a certain someone.)

themes: mentions of prostitution, nsfw, domestic abuse, violence, alcoholism, cigarette smoking, toxic relationships, mental health, co-dependency and other related themes (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)

notes: for this one, pls keep in mind that touya didn't have much scars on his face; mostly are on his body to accomodate the plot; charas might be ooc since this is modern au

It seemed to Touya's therapist that the latter had revealed everything that needed to be said about his past and how he got into addiction. However, Touya wouldn't elaborate on certain details about how he survived living away from his family, and even if he did, he would give short answers. For example, when he asked him where he stayed afterward, he simply answered that he had gone to a friend. And then he asked, "What jobs did you do to survive?" Touya answered with, "I did convenience store work. Also a bit of a warehouse stint, like for a logistics company. I also became a dishwasher for a ramen stall. It wasn't easy money, so I had to go to the red district. I worked in a host bar for 2 years and a few. Quit then joined illegal fight clubbing. Also part-timed for a bar because I wasn't fighting a lot. My last job was being a carpenter for a furniture company."

That was it. No explanations on how he landed those jobs or the specifics of his work. Just plainly answered them like a recorded interview.

Touya was aware his therapist was unhappy with his responses. To be honest, there are parts of his job that he wasn't ready to discuss yet. He had overwhelming feelings about revealing the scars of his childhood and teenage life; he wanted to take a break from feeling a lot. It was causing him nightmares, sleepless nights of when his younger self would sleep beside him in his room and ask him why he did all these things. But at the same time, this younger self would cry, a height of emotions as he begged him to return to his old self again.

I wished it was that easy, though.

"Are you still seeing her?" the therapist asked during their next session. "I remember you mentioning her before all of a sudden. It seemed you were happy when you talked about her. May I know more details about your relationship with her?"

Touya stared blankly, and the therapist feared he would close up in his shell further. Maybe asking him about her was a bit too much. Maybe this woman was a sensitive topic for him. Well, he could try next—

"She's the reason I am here," Touya revealed, thinking about the last image he had seen of her before he left their shared space. "She's a nice, hopeless woman."

The therapist nodded, listing down everything he said about her in his journal. "So, did she ask you to go to therapy?"

Touya shook his head. "She never asked me to do anything." And he sighed exasperatedly at the next words, seemingly reminding himself of the bad things he saw in her when he got to know her. It still annoyed him, to be honest. "That's what makes her hopeless. She never asks for what she wants. It's like she's born to please people."

"Are you two... dating?" the therapist asked, and he knew it was a stupid question but he had to be sure. "I mean you know, because you mentioned having sex with her and everything."

"Yes. We're dating. We're still dating."

The therapist didn't know why but there was a lot of emphasis when Touya said he was still dating this woman. It's like he's telling someone out there to 'back off' since she was his and he was hers. Well, it was true. The night before he left, he begged her not to be someone else's, that she should only be his; and she promised him. She fucking promised him, and she should keep it or else he'll go insane at the thought of her being with someone else.

Great. Now, he's displaying a new emotion. Jealousy. Possessiveness. Kind of an improvement, I guess?

"Are you two writing letters to each other?"

Touya's answer worried him greatly.

"No. I purposely don't write a letter."

"Why?" He wanted to say, 'Shouldn't you write her one just to assure her about your welfare and the status of your relationship?' Then again, it would be out of line since it's not his job to tell Touya what to do in the first place.

"I depended on her a lot; used her a lot when I needed to feel," the whitehead reasoned out, remembering all the things that he did to her and what she had to endure just for him to stay. "I have to be on my own so I can be with her again."

"I understand." The therapist closed his journal. "How did you two get into a relationship?"

"She cheated on her ex with me."

Now, that was unexpected.

"C-Cheated," the therapist had to repeat to clarify what he heard, "like you two are in a relationship while she was dating someone else?"

Touya sighed. He knew telling people about how he dated her would gain this kind of unbelievable reaction. After all, they never started out as the usual 'boy-meets-girl-they-got-to-know-each-other-courtship-dating-happy-ever-after' thing. Although it was bad enough that Touya was not the best guy to date, being with her meant trouble. Sure, she was the nicest person, but at the time, she was involved in a messy dipshit, and the idiot he was, he took a dive in there like it was home sweet home.

"It's not like I seduced her or stole her from her ex," Touya quickly added, feeling slightly uncomfortable at talking about this stage of meeting her. "She had only dated that guy since high school, so she was kind of scared of a life without him in it. Even when she wasn't in love with him anymore, she still kept the relationship going despite him cheating on her since college... well, according to her, at least."

"So you're saying, the relationship had already crumbled even before you came into the picture."

Touya nodded, to which the therapist wanted to sigh secretly in relief. He had other patients lined up for the day, and he was already getting drama from his revelations.

"How did you two meet?"

"At a bar. She was on a date with her ex."

------

Sometime in spring 2 years ago, somewhere in Shizuoka

Touya was sitting by the counter, his back leaning against it as he drank his whiskey with one hand. There was nothing fun about this day; this was his usual routine of drinking his life away like he gained multiple livers. Eat. Sleep. Wake up. Take a shower. Smoke shit. Drink. Smoke some more. Eat when he's hungry. Sleep. Wake up. Take a shower. Smoke shit. Drink. Smoke some more. Eat when he's hungry...

It could go on and on, his life nothing but a spiral filled with misery and stagnancy—

He hears Tomura talking to someone at the counter over the phone, probably about shipments of the booze they'll be needing and all that stuff while Himiko sips on her juice placed in a martini glass. It was just a ruse so she could fit in. There's no way Tomura would allow the bartenders to serve her alcohol.

"What's the game plan tonight, Dabi-kun?" Toga asked, excitement and curiosity in her tone. "Are we gonna have fun somewhere?"

"You just want to empty my wallet and buy your shit stuff," Touya noted angrily, aware of how Himiko would steal his wallet every now and then to buy most of her female things. "Just get your allowance from Twice, not me."

Himiko pouted, leaning her chin on her hands. "How rude! You know Twice is strict when it comes to giving me money."

Touya narrowed his eyes on hers. No, he's not. He spoils you rotten. He's just short in cash now because of you.

He left the conversation hanging, noticing a couple arrive inside the bar, their arms linking against each other. One might think this was your usual couple wanting to have drinks and get laid afterward, but no. Touya knew just by looking at their faces that they weren't in sync. The woman was holding her boyfriend's arm a bit tightly but with unease whenever she glanced at him. She looked like she didn't know this kind of place, trying to pull down her skirt to cover the exposed skin on her legs. On the other hand, the man's eyes wandered elsewhere, not paying attention to how the woman was on the edge by herself, looking forward to having fun on his own.

Great. You got a womanizer and a hopeless romantic. What a drama. We even got front-row seats.

Touya didn't pay attention to them anymore, joining Himiko's conversation with Tomura about the latest things she saw some of her classmates do during their free time and how she wanted to do it with them as well. After a few more minutes, Twice would chime in, informing her that he was saving up a lot of money to take Himiko to the movies ("I heard you tell Dabi you want to watch this movie. I still think it's shit but you like it!" "Aww! Thank you, Twice.")

And then, Twice and Dabi decided to go to the back of the bar and take a smoke.

"Oi, better tell that makeshift daughter of yours not to snatch my wallet every fucking time," Touya scolded him. "Seriously, you should've told her you're saving up instead of her trying to get money elsewhere."

"Sorry, Dabi," Twice replied. "But it's not like you didn't steal her charger either!"

"Screw you. I never steal shit from her."

"Well, you used to steal from others—"

"Oi—"

Then they heard smooching and moaning sounds, kind of like wet clapping along with a string of pants and curses. They stared at each other and it clicked. Someone was having sex at the back. Horny shits. Can't even wait to bed or hump in the car at least before getting it on.

Touya took a good look to see who it was and found it was the same guy he saw earlier, and he was fucking one of the cocktail servers, lost in hazy pleasure and not giving a care if someone took a shot of them or get caught by his woman. Twice also took a peek behind him, and was about to open his mouth to reprimand them when Touya grabbed his collar and dragged him back inside.

"D-Dabi! They're having sex in our usual spot," he pointed out as-a-matter-of-fact-ly, crying internally that he had to wait for a bit before he had his daily dose of nicotine. "I wanna have a smoke now!"

"Let's just go someplace else," Touya said, scanning the area to see the woman sitting by herself, quietly sipping her drink but not too much. And the way she was covering her shoulders a lot with her hands like she was warming her skin as she looked around gave the same aura she had earlier. It's frustrating him, to be honest. This woman could've gone home and worn her favorite clothes instead of trying to fit in this place.

Touya must have been staring at her for too long because Twice had to ask.

"Do you know her?" Twice asked, to which Touya shook his head.

"You remember the guy's face earlier, right?" Touya inquired and Twice nodded. He would never forget that jerk, trampling their spot with his wild shenanigans. "He's that girl's boyfriend."

"W-WHAT?! She looks so pretty!" Twice exclaimed in horror, realizing that the pair was on a date and her boyfriend had the guts to be a jackass and leave her alone while having the time of his life. "I wanna kill that jerk right now." But then... "Oh no, she might cry. She's too pretty for tears."

Before realizing it, Touya was already walking towards her, ignoring Twice' cries for him to stop getting himself in trouble (he adds later on that he would like that too but it's not the right time). As the woman continues to warm herself up, Touya sits in front of her and catches her attention.

"T-That's for—"

"You don't fit in here," he casually stated. No preamble. No greetings. No hi or hello. Just straight up telling her she's not supposed to be in this place like the rude person he is. "You don't look like you should be in here too."

Twice luckily was there and was about to reprimand Touya for his lack of tact, that he should be a lot gentler with ladies, or probably stop him from telling her they saw her boyfriend getting hanky panky with someone else out there. Before he could say anything, the woman chuckled awkwardly, looking around her.

"W-Well... I-I'm aware of that," she agreed. "It's my first time coming in, and I... I don't like wearing this dress either."

Noticing her distress, Twice immediately called Himiko over and asked if he could borrow one of her hoodies for her, but before said girl could go upstairs to get one of her beloved clothes, Touya already took off his black leather jacket and handed it to the woman.

"O-Oh. T-Thanks," she mumbled, taking the jacket and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Touya stood up and motioned for Twice and Himiko to join him. "I know a place where we could smoke," then added, "and another place where you can watch your romance shit for free."

Himiko cheered. "Whoopie doopie! As expected of Dabi-kun!"

Twice nodded. "You're not entirely useless, after all."

Touya looked over to the woman. "You're coming with us."

The woman looked frazzled, waving her hands in negation. "N-No... I-I'm with my boyfriend. H-He just went to the toilet. He'll be back. T-Thank you."

Judging by how silly her alibi was, Touya only chuckled in sarcasm, leaning closer to her face as if to challenge her to prove that alibi. "Are you sure you want to go by that answer?" Because she knew where her boyfriend went, what he was doing exactly, and why she was all alone in this bar feeling out of place like a sore thumb.

"I... I..."

Before she could think, Himiko already handed Touya his car keys and he was already pulling her with them, his hand in hers as they escaped the place.

next chap

masterlist

[starryeyeddreamer21]

Hazbin Hotel cooking head canons

Alastor: I think we can all agree he's the best cook in the hotel. He would've learned from his mom and enjoys cooking for people because of it. The first few times he cooked for them everyone was a little weary because cannibalism but he made it "vegetarian" so don't worry. Also he hates cooking with other people that spot is reserved for his mother only and everyone learns really fast to not go into the kitchen while he's cooking.

Sir Pentious: An amazing baker but not a great cook, like he can cook and it comes out fine but he always feels like something isn't right. Loves baking with Angel and Nifty. He even tries to teach Charlie how to bake. She makes no progress but he continues to teach her until he ends up in heaven.

Charlie: An absolute disaster like holy shit. Not only will she set the kitchen on fire she will also create the most disgusting food combinations and act like they're completely normal. She's doing her best I swear. She would probably try to take cooking classes but that would just end horribly.

Vaggie: Cannot cook. Everything will come out burnt and underdone at the same time. She's convinced she's cursed.

Angel: Second best cook at the hotel. Learned from his Nona. He used to cook with Molly all the time but hasn't for a while. He just didn't have the energy to cook and it always made him miss his sister too much. Eventually he got more comfortable at the hotel and started cooking again. Now he tries to cook dinner for everyone at least once a week. Loves cooking with other people he just doesn't have the patience to teach them.

Nifty: Is actually a good cook is just terrible at plating. Her food won't look good but the taste would be worth it. There might be a crunch in something that probably shouldn't be crunchy but just try not to think about it too much.

Husk: Would live off microwavable dinners if they let him. He can't cook but he'll eat anything anyone makes him. He's even eaten Charlie's disgusting food combinations like it was nothing. Can probably figure out how to make anything in the microwave if you give him the time.

Cherri: Do NOT let this woman in the kitchen. She will blow the entire place up and then do it again the next day for fun. Has probably figured out how to make bombs out of food idk how but she would.

Lucifer: He's not a bad cook he just doesn't usually have the energy or patience to do it. He prefers to make sweet foods so he'd specialize in breakfast and dessert. He can make other food too he just doesn't as much. It's probably better for him to have supervision while he cooks though. He gets distracted or just bored really easily. He'll space out or leave the room entirely to do something else and completely forget he's cooking. Like he'd be boiling potatoes to make mashed potatoes and then leave the room to do something and get distracted until suddenly he smells burning and runs into the kitchen to find that all the waters evaporated and the potatoes are burning to the bottom of the pot and he has to start over (no this has never happened to me why would you say that). Because of this Lucifer and Angel tend to cook together because Angel prefers cooking with company and they both have a sweet tooth.

Vox: Mostly lives on cup ramen and take out. He cooked once but it was dry unseasoned chicken and was never allowed to cook again. I want to say he'd have expensive taste but he's a workaholic so leftover Chinese food for the third time this week it is. I'm serious though this man hasn't slept in four days, is on the brink of hallucinating, and is surviving off caffeine, three day old leftovers that should definitely not be eaten, and pure unfiltered spite.

Valentino: He's actually a really good cook. The thing is he can't decide if he wants people to be in the kitchen with him or not because he'll be standing at the stove and ask Vox to hand him something and then five minutes later he's yelling because Vox is in his way. It's a very stressful experience for everyone except Valentino who finds it calming.

Velvette: She's pretty average honestly. Like she can cook fine but it's nothing exciting. She loves trying new recipes she sees online but always gets pissed when it doesn't go as planned so then she orders takeout. She's really good at decorating though like she can't bake a cake but she'd decorate it beautifully so that actually works well with Valentino who can't use a piping bag for shit.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Laugh Lines

@kakagaievents

Prompt: Free Day

Words: 1027

All eyes were on Kakashi.

It had been this way ever since he agreed to take on the title of Hokage and all of the jobs that came with it. People would flock to him whenever he went out into the village.

Mostly young women, with a few men, sprinkled in for good measure. Regardless of who it was, they all seemed to have one goal.

Flatter Kakashi as much as possible.

“Lord Sixth, your hair looks stunning today.”

“Will you allow me to buy you some lunch? You’re working so hard for the village.”

“I think you need to sit down and rest, Lord sixth. Come, the dango shop has an open seat.”

If Gai were anyone else he might find himself jealous. To see all of these people latching onto the man he called ‘Rival’.

Gai knew better than to allow such feelings to rule him, though. Instead, he sat by Kakashi’s side with a smile on his face, just as he always had. If someone tried to wedge themselves between him and Kakashi they quickly found the task impossible, not just because Gai was able to lock his wheelchair into place and hold ground, but because even if they could get between them Kakashi Would quickly find his way back to his side.

“I appreciate all of the kind offers,” Kakashi held his hands up in front of himself, forcing the crowd to provide him with at least a little space. “But I’m afraid I already have plans. Perhaps next time?”

Next time.

Gai shook his head and chuckled at that. Kakashi always promised his adoring fan’s a ‘next time’ but he never kept to that promise. There was always something more important for him to do.

Hearing the ring of disappointed groans, Gai suddenly thought up an idea.

“Tomorrow!” He announced proudly, grinning when everyone turned their attention to him. “At one o’clock tomorrow afternoon, Lord Sixth will be enjoying lunch at Ichiraku Ramen. It will be the perfect opportunity to sit down and chat with him.”

He could feel Kakashi’s gaze on him, burrowing deep into his soul, but he ignored it for the moment. Regardless of how his eternal rival felt, it was a bad look for the Hokage to continuously turn away his fans. 

“Ichiraku,” One voice rang out, excitement buzzing in their voice. “I need to reserve a seat!”

“Oh, me too!” In the blink of an eye, three people were gone from the crowd. Each of them hurried off to secure themselves a seat near the Hokage for tomorrow’s lunch.

Once those three were gone, the rest quickly followed. Each of them muttered about which seat they would get, and what they would talk about with the Sixth Hokage.

Within a matter of seconds, Gai and Kakashi were alone. Standing in the middle of Konoha’s marketplace, free to move around and breathe without restraint.

Kakashi swiftly used this newfound freedom to step in front of Gai and glare down at him.

“It was a good idea,” he defended himself. “We can go enjoy lunch together now.” 

“We can.” there’s a hint of dejection in his voice, but Kakashi quickly covers it up with a smile. Not the small, cautious smile he gave all of his fans a moment ago either. A full, brilliant smile. The kind that had him scrunching his eyes shut so that the corners squeezed together into three little lines of wrinkles.

Crow's feet.

That’s what Shizune had called them when Gai approached her after seeing them for the first time. She’d misunderstood his question and quickly started giving him suggestions for how Kakashi could hide them, or even just lessen how prominent they were.

That was the last thing Gai wanted, though. He may be the embodiment of youth, but to see Signs of aging on Kakashi’s face was the most beautiful thing in the world. 

When they were young Kakashi had been so certain he would never make it past thirty. Some days Gai was certain he was trying to die before then. To ease the pain that ached in his heart the only way he knew how.

He’d survived, though.

They’d survived together, defying all of the odds so that they were standing here now. Side by side, with wrinkles on their faces.

“Gai?” Kakashi called out to him. “You still with me?”

Shaking away all of his thoughts, he plastered a smile on his face and stretched out a hand towards Kakashi, extending his thumb up into the air. “I’m always here, Rival.” 

Once again Kakashi smiled, and once again Gai got to see those beautiful little signs of aging. Wrinkles that fit so perfectly on Kakashi’s face that he was almost sure they had always been there. 

“Well, let’s get to lunch,” he decided, stepping back and slipping in behind Gai’s chair. “Alright if I push?”

“Of course, Rival,” he relaxed into his seat. “Lead the way.”

Doing as he was told, Kakashi began pushing Gai through the village towards their favourite Sushi restaurant. There would no doubt be some complaints about Gai’s sudden announcement of his lunch plans for tomorrow, but they could wait until the two of them had found a comfortable spot to sit in and ordered their food. 

Until then, Gai would continue thinking about those three little lines that highlight Kakashi’s smile so perfectly.

A sign that he was getting older.

That they were getting older, together. 

When he was younger Gai would scuff at the idea and insist that he would be young forever, and in spirit this was true. No amount of aging would ever drain away his energy or slow him down.

Wrinkles, though. Those were unexpected gifts of aging. Something he’d never had the opportunity to see on his father’s face.

When they were alone again he’d kiss those little lines while Kakashi laughed at him. Thank the world that they were able to reach this point together, and whisper about how beautiful they were. Kakashi would tell him to stop it, but he wouldn’t shove him away. 

They’d spend hours like that if the world allowed, and Gai couldn’t wait.

[achillesmonochrome]

Sada headcanons~

(Executive Dysfunction is kicking my ass so I did this instead.)

A bunch of headcanons about Professor Sada, these headcanons are from "With what we know about canon we could deduce-" to "because I said so." Don't take any of these too seriously.

Her mother was young when she got pregnant, and because she didn't feel ready to be a mother, she decided to give her for adoption. However for legal issues she got delayed being available as a baby, ending up bouncing on the foster system instead.

Her first pokemon was a Larvesta. Everyone thought it was dumb because it takes so long to evolve, and she stuck to her decision even more just to prove everyone wrong.

Her favourite flower are roses, is also her favourite fragrance.

Was rocking a half-shaved hairstyle in her teenage years, and complained a lot to Turo when she was asked to change it once she went into the field.

She constantly got into fights when she was in school; a lot of times she was placed in homes with too many kids fighting for attention, making her get into the habit of fighting other kids, mostly to avoid trying to look weak.

Gym rat, she listens to audio books of readings of her own documents while she is working out; insisting that it helps her to think.

Can't stay awake too late, even if she tries she eventually goes out like a light. Turo used to make fun of her for it. In return, Sada made fun of his 'raccoon eyes' (the man is a night owl and often has insomnia.)

Likes golden jewellery the most.

Loud, very loud. She learned how to module her voice once she became an adult, but even to her last year of school she was told in presentations "Miss Sada, I appreciate the enthusiasm but you don't need to yell."

A Perfectionist, she also gets easily envious of other people that are better than her.

Her favourite type are dragons.

She had the Scarlet book since she was a little girl, and it has been one of the few possessions she has been able to keep.

Neither of them knew it, but Sada is actually Iono's aunt. (Yes, I have an explanation as to how in-universe. I am not writing that little story because feels too long. If you want to know the reason why I made it this way, is because both of them have fangs.)

Socially inept, her passion and beauty normally makes up for it, at least in most social settings. She never had many friends.

Feral Bisexual.

Was best friend's with Juliana's/Florian's mom in middle school (Yes, I know they are suppose to be from Galar, I have an explanation for it. I am just not giving the long version here.)

Can't cook to save her life; she never had anyone teaching her, and when she had the chance to learn on her own lost patience often, or ended up focusing in something else. Survives out of healthy smoothies and some take out. Knows a few tricks to make a mean ramen though.

Likes outdoors; when she has the chance she would study outside under the sun, and preferred sights with nice views (the lighthouse lab is right beside the ocean, the office that is now Clavell's has big windows even if is technically a lab.)

Very loopy when she doesn't sleep, and was always the give away about her inability to stay up too late.

Can speak Spanish.

Likes spicy food.

Multiple times, has taken Turo on her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She will deliberately walk him in front of people if possible just to say "See how ridiculous this is? Go to sleep at a decent hour next time nerd."

(Yes, she is a nerd, yes, she still calls Turo that.)

Can quote the Scarlet book with ease, she has memorized the biographies of the members of that expedition, as well as absorbed every detail about the Area Zero that she could find.

Both her and Turo were squealing in glee at the idea of going to Area Zero. During their first time being down, they quoted to each other their respective books. (Yes I also have an explanation for this, and I will post about it soon.)

Had fantasized about seeing different events from the past (the ancient pokemon times, the expedition to the Area Zero, before her mother gave her up- etc.)

Was young when she got pregnant with Arven, low twenties young I mean.

Speaks to her Larvesta (now Volcarona) like it is a puppy.

Really good dancer.

That's it for now? I may talk about Turo's soon, though I have less than with Sada to be honest.

[ciaossu-imagines]

Could I request Mukuro for prompt 1? All or as many as you like of the 20 items ! Thank you!

Of course you can, my lovely anon! Thank you so much for the request and I hope you’ll enjoy!

What’s their go-to fifteen minute meal?

I do see Mukuro as someone who eats out a lot. If he’s not up to going out, I think he survives on junk food – chips and instant ramen are a lot of what he eats. He likes spicier chips and his go-to instant ramen is Ippudo Tonkotsu Ramen.

How would they describe their perfect vacation?

Eventful. Mukuro does have his moments where he wants a little breathing room but mostly, he’s not one to sit around and do nothing. He wouldn’t take true vacations often, since even when travelling, he has plans and things in the works that he’s keeping himself occupied with.

What’s the most read book on their bookshelf?

It’s a tie between Machiavelli’s The Prince and Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morality.

If they had to describe themselves as a type of shoe, which type would they choose? Why?

I think I would compare Mukuro to a worn-in pair of good leather boots. Strong enough to take a beating, practical and long-lasting, but changeable enough to go with a lot of different things.

What song would they choose as their theme song?

I’m going to cheat here but Mukuro has a leitmotif in the anime that I think really fits him perfectly and at least the first five or six seconds play in my head every time he showed up in the manga.

What’s the oldest item in their refrigerator?

Honestly, nobody cleans out the mini fridge in Kokuyo Land enough…there’s a little piece off a block of cheese that is old enough to have filled the entire Ziploc baggie it’s in with mold.

Do they have an emergency treat (ice cream, cookies, candy, etc.) hidden somewhere in their kitchen for bad days? What is it?

It’s ice cream. Mukuro changes his favourite flavour of ice cream up a lot, but he normally does have a tub hidden in the back of the little freezer. Doesn’t really matter though, because no matter how much stuff he piles in front of it, Ken or Fran ends up eating it on him before Mukuro actually wants it…maybe Chikusa once or twice, though Ken still ends up getting blamed.

What’s their weirdest bedtime ritual?

Mukuro has to brush his teeth. Pretty normal, yeah…except he brushes them one by one, first along the bottom and then along the top, going tooth by individual tooth. He always ‘forgets’ to floss though; the feeling of the waxy string kind of drives him insane, especially since he has sensitive gums.

Who/what is the one thing that can make them smile no matter how terrible their day has been?

Honestly, not to get too sappy but it is Ken and Chikusa, and then eventually Chrome and Fran too. As someone who never really had the luxury of a family or of people he could rely on, those four, while they drive him insane and while he isn’t above using them (though they willing consent to it), are really his own version of a safe, happy, warm place.

Where do they go when they need some time alone?

Mukuro is lucky enough in that, when he needs to retreat, he doesn’t need to go far. If it’s safe for him to do so, he simply retreats into his mind. Given the powers he has, his mind is more of a retreat than most other people’s, obviously.

What’s one conspiracy theory that they secretly agree with?

Mukuro has very little faith in the world, honestly, and he could easily be convinced of most conspiracy theories, with the only one he strongly disbelieves in being the whole flat earth theory.

Who’s the person they most want to tell when they hear a funny joke?

Honestly, it’s usually Chikusa or Chrome. Ken is too easy to make laugh so there’s no satisfaction there. Fran will just insult any joke. Both Chikusa and Chrome, while near impossible to make laugh, do both have senses of humour, and there’s a sense of accomplishment Mukuro feels in making either of them laugh.

What’s the first section of the newspaper (or online news source) that they check each day?

Mukuro subscribes to a lot of different news sites and does check them, keeping an eye on both major world news, on smaller news stories in places where the Mafia has strongholds, and in the tabloids, which tell the truth far more than people would think.

Who would they call to bail them out of jail? Bonus points if you describe why they were arrested!

This one is kind of obvious, as it’s shown in canon that he calls the rest of the Kokuyo Gang, including M.M. when he needs to be broken out of jail. He’s likely arrested on one of the many, many crimes he’s wanted for, let’s be honest. Mukuro isn’t exactly the picture of the ideal, law-abiding citizen.

What’s the one scent that most reminds them of home?

Blood. With the human experimentation being such a big part of his youth, and then the infiltration and slaughter of Lanchia’s family being another big part of his childhood, the smell of blood almost permeates all his memories of ‘home’ for him, though he’s learning to replace that smell with the smell of the damp earth, wet dog, apples, and that fancy smelling body soap that Chikusa likes so much.

What do they consider their greatest achievement?

Though he doesn’t consider his greatest achievement accomplished yet, as I do believe that, even at the end of the story, Mukuro does still have an intent to wipe out the rotted, evil parts of the Mafia world, I do think the fact that he has escaped Vindice prison, TWICE, which is supposed to be inescapable, is something he’s definitely a little proud of.

How much time do they spend on the internet each day?

I do think that, while the internet is a source of information for Mukuro, it’s not his main or only source, and that he really does keep his internet time relatively short, no more than a couple hours a day.

What’s their go-to procrastination activity?

Mukuro doesn’t really procrastinate all that often, actually. He’s pretty motivated and ambitious as a person but when he is putting something off, he normally spends a lot of time with the others, letting them drag him into stuff or deliberately provoking odd situations just to have the excuse to put off whatever it is that he genuinely doesn’t want to do.

If someone were to make a movie of their life, who would they want to play them?

Nobody. Absolutely nobody. Mukuro’s story would never get told because it’s not really one he wants publicly told and he would honestly stop it from getting out or ever even being thought of as a movie.

Is there a number in their phone that they should definitely delete but just can’t seem to erase?

He still has Lanchia’s cell phone number and he updates it every time that the man changes it. He really doesn’t need it…it’s just a ‘to be safe’ feeling that having it gives Mukuro.

[mellyncholly]

tagged by my buddy stark (@lastquincy) to do this one! thank you :)

last song i heard:

"honey i'm home" by destroy boys. this was the only song from destroy boys (current favorite band) that i hadn't heard until a few days ago when bluejay literally made me listen to it and WOWWW. extremely catchy and the lyrics hit hard as fuck for me.

favorite color:

wouldn't you believe it. it's red. shades of red that could be classified as 'blood' or 'wine' are esp my favorites, and i also really like black. i started wearing more colors in 2023 (red, of course) but recently i've been leaning more into dressing punk and wearing mostly black.i love black

my favorite shades. however im a little bit twisted and i REALLY like any shade of red that is purely R and has no Gs or Bs.

this is a fucking angel to me ok.

last watched series:

my last watched "series" in general would technically be the walten files since a new one came out. by god those files really are walten. specifically in terms of TV though right now i'm watching the sopranos and sometimes mr. robot from time to time, both very good i'm enjoying them a lot especially the latter, although i think my last complete TV series was black mirror. some episodes weren't all too great in comparison to others but for the most part i really enjoyed it.

sweet/spicy/savory:

i'm very much a savory person. the taste is always so great but there is also something that feels so fulfilling about eating something savory compared to something that is sweet or spicy. i do enjoy a little sweetness or a little spice in my food sometimes though. writing this and thinking about food made me go boil a pot of water i want ramen so bad.

relationship status:

i'm single (SHGOULDN'T BE!!!!!) but i'm looking to try and meet people soon. i'm still a little unsure of my sexuality (probably bi lesbian?) but i'm almost certain of the person i am and who i wanna be so that's good. expressing myself sexually has become really important to me so even finding a fwb partner would be nice.

last thing i googled:

the last thing i googled was 'is ramen considered savory'. i was googling a lot of questions about what's considered 'savory' because i saw that question about preference between sweet and spicy and savory and immediately forgot what foods are classified as savory. i don't know how food works

current obsession:

oh my god don't even get me started. it's a four-way between signalis, monument mythos, walten files, and undertale right now. however i'd argue that walten files is only growing again right now and monument mythos for me is always a constant because i love it that much, so currently it would probably be signalis or undertale. i replayed undertale for the first time in at least 7 years in the last couple weeks and it was incredible especially because i could finally understand a lot of stuff i didn't understand or pick up on before, i vaguely got it when i was younger but i never picked up on the deeper, subtle characterization of so many of the characters and all of the details. undertale is an absolute masterpiece. another masterpiece i've been obsessed with is signalis. signalis was my first survival horror and it was an incredible, tense, tear-jerking experience. its such a beautiful and horrifying game about women and sapphic love and uuuuUUGGH it's PERFECT. the soundtrack is beautiful, amazingly composed and performed, the graphics are perfect for the vibe it's trying to go for. the characters all have fun designs and the main characters and story are all so intriguing it just keeps me thinking about the metaphorical themes of it all. signalis is a huge inspiration to me and i have so many thoughts about it please check it out.

last thing i read:

the last thing i read was chainsaw man! i LOVE chainsaw man and it's another massive inspiration for me...asa mitaka makes me feel so fuckin happy. autistic high school girl that i relate to so deeply. last time i read it, the story left off at a pretty big point so i should definitely pick it back up again before i start getting far behind again. the story was going somewhere that i thought was extremely interesting so i'm excited to see how it continues.

something i've been looking forward to:

in the long-term, i'm looking forward to a lot of things in the summer! i'm turning 21, going on a road trip to see a concert and visit a friend across the state, going to anthrocon, and maybe doing some stuff for pride! i'll be doing all of this with two of my best friends in the world and i'm really excited, although i am definitely nervous about the road trip since i'll be the one driving but i think it'll be OK since i'll have my friends with me :) i think this summer will be great because of all of the above but this also feels like it's gonna be the first summer where i won't be almost entirely focused on my job and i feel like myself!

i don't have anyone in particular that i want to tag for this but if you want, feel free to make a post like this :)

[trashimoto]

SORRY IAM AT SCHOOL that comic is absolutely stunning thank you for the masterpiece

i would be interested in your hcs and other sdra? stuff u make!!! nikei yomiuri fixation is going on 116 days and i need some content to keep me aalive right now

I bestow upon you my ultimate favorite nikei headcanons

I think he ends up using his little around his neck scoops notebook for lots of different things like of course notes interviews and articles but i imagine he also uses it kind of like as a journal / diary too as well as like planning stuff and also the joe biden negative ebergy manifestation thing (pic below) but with mikado

I think like his biggest interest / thing he could go on and on about BESIDES journalism is soda. he has some moments where he talks about it in the game like when he gets really excited abt the discontinued soda in the vending machines but like i think this guy knows way too much. collects old bottles bit doesnt tell anyone because he thinks its dorky. he loves trying the weirdest flavors he can find and he has a seperate notebook with his comprehensive soda reviews and rankings.

Based on the bit we do know about his food preferences in canon + a little bit of me projecting I do really think he has ARFID. This goes a little bit with the soda thing because like i think he probably doesnt drink anything besides soda and coffee. hajime is BEGGING HIM to please drink some water. I think he survives mostly on like chips and ramen. And of course he doesn’t want to eat whatever mikado makes because its mikado but i do think part of it is also mikado makes very fancy dishes a lot and i think they are Scary Foods. This ine is very like self indulgent LOL

He’s definetly the type to get mad, punch the wall, and then break his hand as a result. I just know he’s done it

This is more of a headcanon for an au nikei i roleplay with some friends but im includijg it because inreally like it. there are multiple other characters who can use magic in said rp and as a result of his experiances with Mikado, nikei is staunchly Anti-Magic. He’s afraid of it + it just makes him SO mad too. Like this extends from like magic powers to psychics to like slieght of hand magicians. Very strong emotional reaction from him everytime and I don’t even blame him honestly

i think he plauys angry birds

He dresses in just as many layers of clothes in the summer and winter. Like he’s always wearing a ridiculous amount of clothes unless he’s like actively swimming. I know he did go swimming in the prolouge BUT i think that if he wenr ro the beach to just relax he wouod be in the full get up vest jacket two scarves and all. But also like hell hes going to the beach just to relax this man doesnt know how to relax

I THINK HE HATES SCARY MOVIES BUT WHENEVER HES DOING A MOVIE NIGHT WITH VOID OR JUST FRIENDS HES LIKE “WELL WE CANT WATCH A SCARY MOVIE BECAUSE IROHA WILL GET SCARED” BECAUSE HE DOESNT WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW (THEY CAN TELL)

Hes definetly bad at math. This guy is a WRITER you just know he was crushing it in lit classes but doing shit in math. I think it just doesnt make sense to him. My dad actually oen time was telling me how he likes math because theres always one objectively right answer and i think as a journalist and a liar nikei would struggke with that aspect. You can’t reallt bullshit your way with persuasive writing through math LMFAO.

Regularly gets in fights in the youtube comments section

Personally I don’t think Nikei has his liscence because I don’t think he’d be a particularly good driver. I think also if he does though he’s almost never allowed to drive when hes going out with other people because he gets the most insane road rage.

He tried to start a book club on the monocruise and it ended up with only three members himself iroha and yoruko. Iroha only wanted to talk about yaoi and the book club was dissolved before the first meeting finished because monocrow ushered yoruko and nikei out of the library for yelling at eachother (they had different interpertations of the books ending)

[the-obiwan-for-me]

Hi!

I love all your work and I am very excited for the end of More Than Blood. Tol'ket is one of my favorites, so I was just wondering what little things about him that you know, but haven't made it into the SSTW'verse? If you want to share. Thank you! :)

Oh, Tol'ket, my man. I do love him. Funny how he has grown so fully into such a rich character when all he was meant to be was a human shaped wall for Obi-Wan to talk at (much like Cody in canon). That was all he was originally meant to be, but he grew a little, and then he had his fist interaction with Bo-Katan and his character development took off from there.

So, here's a few things from the deep Tol'ket lore that have either not been mentioned in the stories, or are only briefly touched upon (and a few out of universe facts):

In my head, he originally looked like a hybrid of Oscar Issac and Jason Momoa. His appearance was actually based on a character I played around with in an original story. But then @duchess-of-mandalore fancast him as Michael Ealy (this guy):

and the image stuck. This is Tol'ket.

If you wonder what he sounds like (apart from a deep voice), he has a slight British accent (what I call a "Sundari" accent). It isn't as pronounced as Satine's or Korkie's (Lily, too, actually, in my head), but it's not as American, like Bo-Katan's (aka, a "Concordian" accent).

I think he mentions all of his siblings somewhere along the line. He is one of six, the third born. He had three brothers and two sisters. And, yes, they all died in the civil war.

Again, it was definitely discussed in universe, but he was raised by his grandfather, who had been a Protector at some point prior to raising his small herd of baby Tol'kets. The baby Tol'kets mother died of illness shortly after the youngest was born, and their father (their grandfather's son) lost it and left (or that was his nature all along and he just needed the catalyst to do it). Ba'buir Tol'ket took his only son's grandkids and gave them a happy home. Their father ultimately ended up on the Death Watch side of the war.

Tol'ket was raised in a farming community. Our man is a farm boy! I have a little headcanon that there are "ag domes" on Mandalore. Essentially domes like Sundari, but they're mostly big raised garden beds instead of cities. His family had a small plot where they raised crops.

Tol'ket's grandfather, a true Mandalorian, heeded to call of his Mand'alor (Adonai Kryze) and went to war. He ultimately believed in the peace Adonai talked about, and was devastated at the death of Adonai's wife. So, he wanted to help. His grandchildren tried in vain to talk him out of it. Instead, they all went, leaving their family farm, and joining up. The youngest was 13. Tol'ket (who is two years older than Satine) was about 18.

Tol'ket spent time with the Kryzes (the whole family) as a small boy, though he doesn't remember meeting either of the girls (he DOES remember Adonai, who was imposing). He went to a ceremony and party honoring his grandfather and his dedication as a Protector, and met the duke there, along with the duke's children (Bo would have been an infant).

Tol'ket's election as prime minister was won handily. While he doubted his ability to sway the people, he didn't understand just how respected he really was. He also had a natural instinct for campaigning, knowing just how to kiss babies and make people want to have a beer with him. But he also had good ideas and, having not been raised as royalty, fighting in and SURVIVING the civil war, and seeing life, first hand, from a variety of places in Mandalorian culture, his understanding of the people he served is very deep and dynamic. He's a GOOD politician. He is in his second term in MTB, and has potential for a third.

Tol'ket loves trying new food. He's eaten some strange things from all over the galaxy. But his favorite will always be space noodles (aka, space ramen). As a Protector, he was on a first name basis with the owner of his favorite noodle shop in Sundari. He tried to go as often as he could, but they also delivered to him a lot, since he's a workaholic. They still deliver to him....now as the prime minister.

His caf addiction is a serious issue.

He tends to be a worrier, though he hides it well.

He likes houseplants. He also pins lots of container gardening ideas to his space Pinterest board. He just doesn't have the time to do that. That being said, he can sometimes be found helping the gardeners in the royal gardens. He also pushes a lot of ag friendly and reclamation projects as prime minister.

He truly had never intended to get married of have children. He was extremely committed to his job as head Protector, and was totally fulfilled with that. Then that certain red head came along and changed everything.

He was one of the first people to respond to the call for people to join the effort to rebuild the Protectors. Obi-Wan admired the man almost from the get go, and hand selected him to be head Protector within the first two years of Satine's reign.

I could probably go on and on and on, but these are a few things we just don't get to talk about much in the story, but I think about A LOT. If you have more questions, I'm always happy to talk about him! (Or Aled, or Greer! Or even Isabet!).

[daemonduality]

I'm not good with cooking. Is there any meals you can cook in a microwave?

Ask Mirielle about Cooking and Food

I survived mostly on cup ramen and microwaved ramen during my stove-less stint. And of course, the occasional egg.

The most traditional microwave food is probably ramen. Just dump it in a bowl, add the packet, and heat it up while covered for 3-4 minutes-ish (boiling) and wait 3 minutes. The good thing is that you could add other ingredients to it like sesame seeds and some onions to add more flavor to it too.

---

Eggs are a little more involved to cook in a microwave, but it's doable. I have provided a video since people might appreciate a more visual show than just my written description.

Scrambled Eggs:

Add cooking spray to a bowl.

Dump the eggs in and stir.

Add some cooked or vegetable toppings (don't expect to cook actual meat with this)

Heat the eggs in a microwave on High for 60 seconds. Stir as needed.

Heat again in 20 second intervals until it reaches the doneness you want.

Over-and-Easy Egg:

Preheat plate for 2 minute on High.

Add cooking spray or butter to plate to coat.

Add the egg on.

POKE A SMALL HOLE IN THE EGG YOLK TO PREVENT EXPLODING.

Cook on High for 45 seconds. And then cook in 15 second intervals until the white sets.

The video described poached eggs which was not something I tried myself, and I'll probably try later on, so use with caution.

---

On the internet, there also interesting recipes for microwave food. Just don't expect to actually cook meat with it.

I'm not a baker myself, but I'm pretty sure one would be appalled by the microwave mug cake, but it seems like it would work from the recipe. That, and it's meant to be low spoons, so it works if you want a baked sweet treat.

[mostlymalena]

August 25th 2024 11:38pm

Our landlord finally fixed our hot water today! Such a relief since it's been over a week since me and Jo took a hot shower in our own house. I spent most of my day yesterday at Lala's which was nice. She always brings me such joy and can make me laugh. We played lots of games and I even took a small nap.

Work has been so good I'm finally catching up on my LP's and ppc campaign build outs. I love my job so much!

My sweet apple and I are enjoying the time I have left. 50 something days which is hard to swallow. It's not like I'll be gone forever just 4 something months. It's nice to have something easy and well, nice. No pressure and very relaxed, mostly.

I have been hanging up pictures and art around the house and I have also started drawing again. Something about life right now is making me feel creative. Tonight I made ramen for the family and Ethan came over and we drew a little and I made brownies. He is my very very best friend.

Saturday I went out with the whole gang and a local girl who I have spoken too maybe ONCE approached me and demanded I tell her why I unfollowed her on instagram and removed her as a follower. I told her what I typed on this very blog" I don't fuck with you". She then proceeded to ask why and it got a little heated. I was steered away but it unfortunately creeped me out a lot. This girl has never had one full conversation with me. She acted like I owed her something. I wasn't sure and still am not sure what her goal was in coming at me like that. Her and my ex were posting each other before I washed away most of my followers in my social media cleansing, so maybe it has something to do with that? I'm not sure.

Why does that matter so much. I feel like she only followed me to report back to others or to find something to bad mouth. It was so fucking WEIRD. She should feel embarrassed.

This week I am having lunch with my old friend Nat who just bought a house in wilmy. I havent seen her in 4 years now so that will be exciting. I am also meeting with a family lawyer to start the prosecution process for the person who made the false CPS report.

Fall has woven its thread into the air. It smells like devotion and the death of a careless summer. Surf might be good this week and my old friend Juliet might come to town soon and we will surf as well.

I am very happy right now. Life seems perfect with my family and friends and my little house and my front porch that is always warm.

Ive become very smitten and a strange but not unwelcome peace has settled over everything. I'm hoping the autumn leaves that fall down cover the memories of summer and bury them. Spring will bring fresh blossoms and the promise of never seeing her around town ever again. It is something I dread but it is something I look forward too more. At this point it feels more like surviving her than getting over her.

I think this Adam from the Bible character has become the apple of both of my eyes. It's just so easy going. I think it helps that I'm leaving so nothing is serious, I still mourn and he just listens.

But things are different for me now. The CPS thing broke something inside me I thought was a solid thing.

I must rest now and write a bit of poetry. I took all the love I had for her and used it to fall in love with my life. I feel real. I feel like everything is okay. I feel right and that is a little scary but I'm so grateful for it all.

[algolstare]

When you're able I don't know if you can advise. I have recently ended up in a DV shelter and am having to go jobhunting etc no time to process the horrors. I have very limited funds and same for help with food, it's very limited. I'm just asking if you can share what you eat and any tips for food as a kind of model to follow. This is the first time I've ever had to live like this tbh. My family won't help me and say I basically deserve the fallout after the breakdown of my relationship because they told me so. Yeah they're right I see that now but 😭

First & foremost I am so so so so so proud of you lovely, you did amazing to survive & get into a shelter.

You deserve the world, your family are wrong, & I'm so sorry you can't rely on them.. I know how painful it can be to move thru the world without a family to depend on, in the way so many take for granted, in the way people assume we all have. I promise you it is possible, & you will find your people along the way

Honestly I'm not sure if I'm the best model when it comes to food, & what is best depends on what you have access to - do they have a stove or microwave for you to use? A fridge? It can be really difficult to follow the best guidelines for nutrition when you're limited, I've mostly been focusing on breads & pastas & carbs carbs carbs because when I eat them I feel more capable of doing it all (& I find it difficult to figure out what to shop for anyhow as I never had autonomy with what I could eat.)

Pick things you can reliably have the implements to cook, things which are shelf-stable, things which are filling & things you feel better after eating, is my best advice. For me that is ramen, pancake mix, kraft mac n cheese, bread.. not the most balanced focus at all but I do eat other things too, these are just the core of it.

Having orange juice whenever I want has been my great pleasure since getting on foodstamps, I remember I was so glad to have gotten it the last time I was at the ER from the harm done to me, now I can celebrate it safely freely & savor it.. also prevents scurvy

But more than food shopping with what you have, look into what food banks & other such resources are in the area - if you're in the US you can look up 211 (you don't have to call if you don't want) & they have tons & tons of info. It's easier to get help with food than with housing, unfortunately & fortunately

Then, again it's US specific advice, but being homeless w/ no income can make you qualified for expedited services w/ foodstamps!! & also for me it waived their requirements to work a certain # of hours per week, being homeless. If you have access to a computer (or I think even a phone is fine?) you can apply online, if you have no computer public libraries often have them, if you have neither there should be a public office of some sort with paper applications but what it'd be called depends on where you are.

Also I recommend looking for specific things at a time so you don't get overwhelmed trying to decide what is best all at once, when searching for aid. Especially with big collections of orgs like 211 & others, it can be just way too much & too many decisions to make in one go. Take it one step at a time.

So to say it in a list as I know I veered off track a bit:

1. With what funds you have to put towards food, focus on foods that are filling, that you can cook & store reliably.

2. Don't get scurvy but don't feel bad either, all foods are good foods & completely value-neutral. Lots of the foods that get maligned by our fatphobic culture are super dense & filling & glorious for when you have limited access. (O potatoes, bread & pasta, how I love you!)

3. Look into food banks & similar orgs if you haven't already, utilize 211 or a similar collection

4. Apply for foodstamps if you haven't already & if you're in the US

5. I'd highly recommend making a mind map on paper or otherwise of your current resources, current needs, & anything you know you need to do but don't have the resources to get done. (Not having the mental resources to expend across the board to all things is *normal* it isn't your fault. Being homeless is exhausting, a constant crisis lessens how much you can do.) Having things out externally in a way you don't have to just try to remember can really help to keep on top of things, it has for me at least. Mine looks a bit like various connected boxes - like "Housing", "Income", "Transportation" & "Baby", with the various potential paths I'm figuring for fulfilling each underneath, & some smaller ones that got thrown by the wayside for a bit like "Health insurance"...

Please know that you are so worthy of better. Even when you struggle, even when others don't acknowledge this, you are worthy of good. It's hard because it's hard, you are doing your best, the coldness of the world is not a reflection of you. Each life has dignity, including yours & mine, no matter what!! I am rooting for you!! Take it one step at a time lovie dove, I am so proud of you. Please come back & let me know how you are doing whenever you wish to, I am wishing for your happiness always.