#I’ve been preparing for soup season all year

[windvexer]

You are all invited over for chicken noodle soup

[soongyeopsal]

hi bambi this is zeta <3

is it okay to write smth about wonwoo taking care of his gf bcs their holiday plans were thrown out of the window due to her catching a cold? just overall fluff and comfort :((

okay that's all bye ilysm💖

▸ Pairing: Wonwoo x F!reader

▸ Rating / Genre / AU: 13+ / fluff / established relationship

If you are a minor AND/OR if your account has no age in the bio, you will be blocked upon interacting (liking/reblogging) with this post.

▸ Warnings: none

▸ Word Count: 605

▸ A/N: Zeta darling I'm SO sorry I couldn't get this done before the end of the year. You were sick and then so was I 😭 Just pretend this was published like 2 weeks ago pls. @shuadotcom - beta for life, etc etc ♥️

Wonwoo stops in your bedroom doorway, bowl in hand, to survey you. Or rather, to survey the lump in the center of the bed that’s covered by your duvet. “Sweetheart, lunch.” He sighs when the only response is the quiet noise of the television. “Come on, you have to eat something.”

Something between a muffled groan and growl fills the room and then the lump moves. The top of your head slowly peeks out from under the duvet and rests on the pillow at the top of the bed. Wonwoo smiles to himself as he watches your exposed eyebrows furrow before you drag the fabric back up to envelop yourself once more. 

You hear Wonwoo sigh, then the gentle clink of earthenware being set on your nightstand before long fingers reach into your comforter and peel it back to reveal your face. Your hair is disheveled and you’re a bit pale, but the pout that’s settled onto your features as you return his bemused stare makes his heart flip.

“Wonwoo,” you finally rasp after being exposed, “I’m dying.”

He sits gingerly on the bed next to you, planting a kiss on your forehead before replying. “You’re not dying, sweetheart. But you will if you don’t eat.”

The press of his warm lips on your forehead is soothing, but does little to assuage your disappointment about all the plans you’ve had to cancel this week. “What’s the point in eating if I can’t have the seasonal stuff I’ve been waiting all year for?” 

“What do you mean? Chicken noodle soup is seasonal.” 

“Is not,” you whine, ignoring the way he smirks down at you playfully. A little teasing and faux ignorance have always been his way of making you giggle even when you don’t want to. And now you actually do want to, but the pang of missed opportunity is still at the forefront of your mind. “We were supposed to go look at Christmas lights and go caroling and ice skating and make gingerbread houses and just… There’s so much stuff I wanted to do, but I’m stuck here.”

Wonwoo pushes his glasses up his nose and sniffles, hurt. “‘Stuck’? You hate being with me that much?”

You sigh, sitting up to look at him better. Behind the warmth in his eyes is a hint of worry. Even though you know Wonwoo’s joking, you feel a pang of guilt for making him concerned in the first place. Suddenly not-seasonal soup is more appealing. “You know that’s not it, babe. There’s just…so much that we’re missing, you know? There’s so much that I wanted to do.”

Wonwoo doesn’t miss the way you tilt your head toward the nightstand, attempting to take more whiffs of the lunch he’s prepared for you through your stuffy nose. He moves to fluff the pillows behind your back before taking the spoon in his hand to feed you. Raised eyebrows above his lenses is all it takes for your weak glower to transform into an open, waiting mouth. Even on your worst days, he’s always there to comfort you. When you accept a few spoonfuls, Wonwoo is satisfied enough to answer. “We can do plenty of stuff here, you know. Movies, hot chocolate…some more soup, maybe.”

“That’s nice in theory, but you’ll get sick too.”

“Well–” he says thoughtfully, stirring your lunch again before taking some for himself, “– now it’s guaranteed. We can be sick together. So, how about that movie date?”

For the first time in days, your smile reaches your eyes as you return the warmth that Wonwoo continues to show you again and again. “It’s a date, then.”

[likeawildthing]

As a recovering GirlBoss, I’m officially breaking up with my post-Christmas planning routine:

26- all Christmas decorations down

27- take stock of current year

28- values assessment

29- SMART goals for upcoming year with 6-8 life categories, fully planned by quarter

30-31 fully form this in my bullet journal while watching The life changing Magic of Tidying Up

Jan 1: Bring. It. On. Whole house, health, and work reset.

Sound exhausting? It was!

I don’t look on this era of my life (2016-2022) with cringe. Quite the opposite! That girl radically transformed her life from a broke, traumatized, single mom, community college dropout to a financially stable, creative, happy, MBA graduate with her dream job.

I am so grateful for her drive, determination, and passion. I am so proud of her.

And also? I’m so relieved I can no longer relate.

As someone whose core values are consistently curiosity and growth, I’m willing to adapt and change over time, shedding practices that no longer serve me in favor of those that do.

In 2022, at my post-graduation dinner, I signed a napkin promising my friends I would slow down. And I did, immediately scaling back my volunteerism and commitments in favor of radical rest and the pursuit of creative endeavors.

That winter, I made a paper chain to count down towards the winter Solstice in an effort to thwart the post-time change blues. When it worked, I adopted warmth, coziness, and light into my winter routine. Candles. Electric blankets. A soup a week. I also adapted my speed, just as we have done for most of our time on this earth. It also worked!

Since then, naturally, I’ve slowly been attuning my life to the seasons.

Spring — renewal, garden, waking up. Summer — enjoying time outdoors, being active and social.

Fall — abundance and gratitude, preparation for the holidays.

Winter is now a time of peace, joy, and reflection. I close my curtains at four, intentionally, and turn on my lamps, hit Netflix fireplace, and hang with a craft on my lap and good music in the background.

But I was still clinging to that last vestige of my GirlBoss era—my post-holiday planning session.

On the 26th, I couldn’t bring myself to take down the tree. She’s gorgeous and I love her! She’s staying up until January 6th this year. With the new job, I can’t take the entire week off. That’s ok! I still started my planning process.

No buy 2025.

Nervous system regulation.

A holistic health plan.

Glow up 2025!

Bucket list travel items.

To read, watch, and listen liste.

WIP creative projects.

Home to do list.

Dopamine list

Dot grid notebook ordered.

Action steps! Quarterly plans! Stationary!

And this morning, with my bullet journal still unfinished, I tried to reconcile stacks of paper with notes, dozens of screen shots, and multiple notes apps.

I felt frazzled, overwhelmed, and defeated. Why couldn’t I pick a path forward? Why couldn’t I even start a January page. Planning is my jam! As an ADHDer, it’s practically my calling.

So I had to ask myself…why am I doing this? If this is something I truly want to do, that aligns with my values, then it shouldn’t be this hard.

My time of renewal has transitioned to spring; so shouldn’t that be my time of planning for the new year? Isn’t it a little crazy to have fifteen major life goals this year? 2024 just wrapped up, so shouldn’t I take time to reflect on it, take stock, and truly understand what I want to take into my next year? Shouldn’t I take time to recover from the holidays? Would the world end if I stay slow and steady and take this slow season to fill my metaphorical well?

No, it will not.

So that’s what I’m doing.

My January calendar is noted with intentional social engagements and creative time. I put my goals away and instead loaded a bunch of reflective journal prompts to work through in the next month. Or two. Or three!

It feels vulnerable and wrong, not walking into the New Year with a Plan. But the bigger part of me thinks my lowercase plan—to rest, reflect, and connect with my friends and family, is going to work just fine.

So my hope for you is that you are at peace with where you’re at. And if you aren’t at peace, that you take the time to understand why, and that you’re willing to adjust course.

If you need a GirlBoss era, l will cheer you on, every step of the way! If you have a few goals, I hope you stick with them!

But if you, like me, want to stay slow, recover, and savor the season?

Come and sit.

How would you like your tea?

Ref pics (the napkin, my tree):

[mallowsweetmiri]

I don’t know if you want to write this or just say what you think Molly and Author Weasley’s reactions would be. I’m fine with either one 😂 sorry in advance this is long af

But this popped into my mind and I’ve been thinking about it. Fred Weasley x a muggle reader. Not just a muggle reader but an American reader from the south, I bit of a country girl, polite, shy at first, and well mannered but also can be stubborn, mischievous, outdoorsy, and rough and tumble. Maybe she went over there for a collage exchange program, met Fred by chance and quickly finished her degree and got a job over there. Anyway they’ve been dating for about a year now and he wants to introduce her to the family but she’s nervous and doesn’t want it to be a big deal so they pick a night for her to just go with him to his parents house for dinner. When they come up with this plan Fred says “you know I have so many siblings, unless someone says something they may not even notice you. Especially with your dyed red hair.” It’s the beginning of fall so she just had seasonally dyed her hair Rich copper red with platinum blonde money pieces framing her face. So with Fred making that comment it turns into a bet between them on whether or not they’ve have to say something for her to be noticed. Fred’s muggle s/o cooks and brings some side dishes and desserts (enough for everyone) that’s she’s made knowing she’d be unexpected and didn’t want Molly to feel pressured into preparing extra food last minute. Plus she got some small gifts for everyone, Fred’s siblings and parents. Fred drove the Flying Ford Anglia to her place they loaded everything up and get to the house and go in discreetly. Fred quietly introduces her to his siblings one by one (George already knows her ofc) and tells them to keep quiet until he introduces her to the parents. As Fred and Ginny are talking Molly needs help in the kitchen so Fred’s s/o just goes in there and nonchalantly asks what she needs and offers to take the plate of rolls to the table so Molly had more kitchen space. Molly is distracted so she doesn’t think anything of it until s/o is walking away so Molly looks not recognizing the voice but sees the red hair and shrugs before the soup threatens to boil over ending that questioning train of thought.

A little while later Arthur gets home and goes into the kitchen to greet Molly and see if she needs anything when s/o comes back because her and Fred couldn’t find space on the table for the fruit salad and chocolate cake she brought. Fred stops in the doorway smirking and s/o stifling a giggle walks up behind Molly and Arthur and waits for a break in the conversation before she speaks up “Excuse me, but Fred brought his girlfriend home and she looks kinda sketchy. I heard she’s not only a muggle but an American muggle at that! Plus she’s been causing all sorts of trouble since she got here. First she’s brings food and now there’s no space on the table for anything then she clutters up the sofa with gifts. I think y’all might just have to throw her out, it’s your call though.” Fred’s s/o says but as she’s talking her smile turns nervous and she crosses her arms, hunching slightly, now feeling sheepish-

Okay miss writer!! Lmao I love this, I think that the Weasleys really wouldn’t care if one of their kids was dating a muggle, and being American wouldn’t phase them either! If anything, Arthur would be hammering her with questions. Molly would maybe be suspicious of an American girl, but in this scenario I bet she would feel bad for not immediately greeting her and wouldn’t think twice about welcoming her into the home!

[jessicaloons]

Chapter 20.1:

Ask me what I learned from all those years…

Masterlist - Previous - Next (Part 2)

Charles POV:

"I’m scared for her, JK. I mean I could see over the past weeks that this whole shit started taking its toll on her… but today? I’ve never seen her like this… I never saw her being this lost, this devastated… this broken." I said quietly and handed him a bottle of water.

"Right now the only thing you can do is to be there for her. Support her. Show her that she’s not alone. And please stop her from reading all of this bullshit!" he sighed.

"Is she sleeping now?" Andrea asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, I just made sure that she’s all dry and put her in some warm clothes and she was gone already…" I mumbled and he patted my shoulder.

"What do we know about this guy who wrote that article? I’ve seen his blog plop up all over the internet in the last months? It’s almost like he’s on a personal vendetta against Lizzie?" JK asked, checking the blog who published the article on my iPad.

"It’s this Spanish dude, he asked some really disgusting questions in the beginning of the season… he said he met Lizzie once during her season in the WSeries and she was apparently rude to him…" I said, taking the iPad JK handed me and read through the article.

"Lizzie? Our Lizzie rude? He must’ve deserved it, otherwise it can’t be true, Lizzie is never rude!" Andrea said and I nodded.

"I know, right?" I replied as my phone rang and I picked it up "Oh wait, that’s Juergen… hi Juergen, how are you?"

"Charles, where’s Lizzie? She doesn’t answer her phone? I need to talk to her." something in his voice made me cautious.

"Umm… she’s asleep, she had a pretty bad day. What happened? Is everyone okay?" I asked, preparing for the worst as JK and Andrea both looked up.

"Umm… Charles she needs to come home… it’s Hans… he died last night." Juergen said quietly and I gasped.

"Oh god, no…" I whispered.

"If you don’t want to tell her, then I can call later when she’s awake and tell her…" he said but I shook my head.

"No, it’s okay. I’ll tell her. We will fly home tomorrow." I replied.

"Okay… thank you, Charles. Take care of her. We love you guys!" Juergen said.

"We love you too, see you tomorrow." I hung up and leaned back into the sofa, closing my eyes.

"What happened?" Andrea asked and I groaned a little, sitting back up.

"It’s Hans, Lizzie’s mentor, he died last night…" I answered and JK sighed.

"Poor girl…" Andrea whispered and JK nodded agreeing.

"I have to tell her…" I groaned.

"I’m sorry." JK said and I played with a loose thread on the sleeve of my sweater.

"This could be her final straw… after everything that’s been going on these past days? Now this?" I burried my face in my hands and leaned back.

"You’ll be by her side. You’ll be there for her! That’s all you can do now. And it will be enough." JK assured me.

"You two were always there for each other! Always by your sides. You’ll get her through this!" Andrea added.

"I have to." I sighed.

When Andrea and JK left I wanted to prepare a soup for Lizzie, she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and when she’ll wake up I wanted her to have something to eat, without having to cook. I wasn’t the best when it came to cooking, which was the reason why Lizzie always cooked for us, but now it was my turn to take care of her, so I did what I had to do, in order to prepare a warm meal for Lizzie.

"Charles, how are my two little love birds doing?" Maman asked and I had to smile a little.

"We’re… okay. Lizzie had a rough day, with everything that was being said and written about her these past few weeks, but especially last weekend… yeah she’s a bit down…" I sighed a little and sat down at the kitchen counter.

"Oh no, my poor girl. How is she holding up?" she sounded worried.

"We were outside and then were surprised by the rain, when we got home I just dried her up and put her in some warm clothes and now she’s sleeping for the last 2 hours. I want to cook her something…" I began but got interrupted.

"Charles, that’s a sweet thought, but you don’t want to put her through even more today, right?" Maman chuckled a little.

"That’s why I’m calling you! I want to make her a soup. Just something warm that gives her a little energy… I have to break some sad news to her…" I mumbled.

"What happened?" Maman whispered.

"Her mentor, Hans, he died last night." I said and I heard her gasp.

"Oh god! That poor little thing! She has to go through so much! You’re a good boyfriend… a soup… umm- if Lizzie did the groceries I know you must have a lot of veggies in the fridge?" Maman asked and I got up and opened the fridge.

"Carrots, broccoli, bell paper? Oh and there must be a pumpkin and some sweet potatoes somewhere. Okay. What do I do?" I asked and waited for instructions.

"Carrots, pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Do you have onions?" she asked and I looked around.

"Yeah. There are onions as well." I said and grabbed some from a net "Is it difficult? Do you think I can do that? Cook a soup?"

"It’s easy, Charles, you can’t do anything wrong here!" Maman sounded confident and began to give me instructions on how to prepare the soup. We went through everything step by step and by the time the veggies roasted in the oven and the veggie stock was simmering on the stove I was convinced that I did something wrong.

"Are you sure that’s it? Just throw it all in the blender until it has the right consistency? That sounds awfully easy… I don’t think that it works like this!" I laughed.

"Believe me Charles, it is not that difficult, you just make it difficult! You can do this! Just don’t let it all burn and you’ll be good!" Maman laughed now as well "It’s going to be fine. Just don’t put too much seasoning in, just a little bit, then wait for a while before you taste it and then you can still decide if it needs more flavour!"

"Okay… thank you, Maman! I’ll tell you how it tastes later on!" I thanked her.

"Take care of Lizzie, Charles. I love you." and with that she hung up and I stood in front of the stove, watching the veggie stock simmer away. I set a timer and sat at the counter, scrolling through Instagram and Twitter. I knew that Lizzie was getting a lot of hate online, but I didn’t know how bad it really was. People were downright tearing her apart. There were whole accounts that were against her, posting straight up lies. Disgusting things were said. Not just about Lizzie, also about her alleged relationship with every other driver on the grid, but worst of all they were saying horrible things about our family. With every new Tweet, post or comment I read I felt my blood boiling up to the point where I had to put my phone down. My hands shaking with pure rage. I cracked my knuckles. Trying to calm down. I had to stop Lizzie from reading this bullshit. I flinched when the timer went off and stood up, opening the oven. The veggies looked nicely roasted, I turned off the oven and checked the veggie stock. Then I did exactly what Mum told me, scraped the veggies off the baking tray into the blender, poured in some of the veggie stock and put the lid on. Before I started the blender I closed the door, not wanting to wake up Lizzie. I started the blender and watched how it all turned into a thick mash, then poured more of the stock in until the soup had the perfect consistency. I poured the soup back in the pot, letting it simmer and took out a spoon to taste it and for some reason it tasted good. Maybe a little more seasoning and it would be perfect. I almost couldn’t believe it. I turned off the stove and cleaned the kitchen. A loud thunder made me flinch and I was almost sure that Lizzie would be awake now. Slowly I opened the bedroom door and looked inside. It looked like she was still sleeping so I turned around.

"I’m awake…" she whispered and I walked back in "I was listening to the thunder." Lizzie loved thunderstorms, so I walked to the window and opened the curtains, to reveal the dark and cloudy sky. Lightnings chasing each other.

"How do you feel?" I asked her and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I would feel better if you’d cuddle with me…" she smiled a little and I happily obliged, climbing right behind her, her warm back pressed against me "Mhhh much better!"

"I made you a soup… you haven’t eaten anything since breakfast!" I kissed her shoulder.

"You made a soup?" she sounded a little cautious.

"Yes, with a little help. I tasted it. It’s good." I laughed and Lizzie snuggled deeper into me.

"Thank you." she turned her head a little and kissed my nose "I would love to try your soup!"

"Alright, then come on, pretty girl." I sat up, climbed over her and pulled her out of the bed "You have to taste it first and maybe it needs more seasoning? But I thought I’m not doing too much, before I ruin it."

"I’m sure it’ll be fine!" she smiled at me as we walked into the kitchen and I was a little nervous when she stirred the soup and then tasted it "That’s really good! Maybe a little more pepper? Some chili flakes? But I’m doing that in my bowl, I like it more spicy than you."

"Alright, grab something to drink and pick a movie or something, I’ll heat up the soup and bring it to you!" I said and Lizzie gave me a little kiss before she left with our drinks. I followed her shortly after with two bowls of soup.

"Here you go." I handed her the bowl and she smiled at me.

"Thank you, mon cœur!" she ate her first spoon full and her smile got even wider "I have to say, that’s a really good soup! Maybe from now on you can cook every now and then?"

"Well, if my mum is okay with me calling her and giving me step by step instructions, then sure!" I laughed.

"I could do that! I could teach you how to cook! Like seriously! I mean not that I didn’t try it over the years…" she tilted her head a little and I thought about it.

"Yeah, maybe during summer break? When we have all the time in the world!" I agreed and Lizzie nodded. We fell into a comfortable silence, eating our soup and watching tv. As I sat down our empty bowls, I took a deep breath. I had to tell her about Hans now. I dreaded it, my palms were getting sweaty.

"Mon amour? Can we… umm- can we talk?" I looked at her and she sighed a little.

"I was wondering when you would wanted to talk about it. But Charles, I’m okay… or… I will be…" she smiled but I shook my head, gently taking her hands in mine.

"That’s not it, I mean yeah, I do want to talk about what happened earlier but… umm something happened… your Dad called earlier…" I began and swallowed hard, looking at her, her face now laced with worry "Mon amour, I’m so sorry, but Hans died last night…" Lizzie flinched and squeezed my hands, almost crushing them.

"He’s gone?" her voice barely a whisper.

"Yes…" I cupped her cheek, tears streaming down her face "I’m so, so sorry, Lizzie…" I pulled her into me, hugging her tight as she let out a heartbreaking sob, body shaking violently "I booked us a flight tomorrow morning. We’re going home." I whispered and kissed her head "I’m so sorry, mon amour."

"I couldn’t say goodbye! I thought I would be able to see him one last time…" her voice was hoarse from crying.

"I know, but he knew that you were thinking of him! Always!" I tried to soothe her pain, calm her down. I had lost every sense of time when her crying stopped and her breathing evened out, she fell asleep. I lifted her up carefully and carried her into our bedroom, where I gently laid her down, pulled the blanket over her and kissed her forehead. I began to pack our suitcases, not knowing if I would come back before Silverstone, I packed for the race weekend as well. Then I stored away the rest of the soup, texting mum to come and pick it up the next day. When I came back to the bedroom Lizzie was awake, looking at me.

"Do you really think he knew that I thought a lot about him? Whenever I was gone?" she whispered and I nodded.

"Of course! He knew how much he meant to you!" I answered and Lizzie smiled a little.

"That’s good. Can you come to bed? I don’t want to be alone…" she looked at me with pleading eyes and I nodded, pulling off my hoodie, before snuggling in next to her. She immediately scooted closer "Thank you." she whispered as she settled her head on my chest.

"Everything for you, mon amour."

I stood in front of my bed, the black dress and blazer making it all to real. I sighed and took off the bathrobe. The dress felt cold, stiff, scratchy against my skin. I walked over to the mirror, grabbed my brush and quickly brushed my hair back, tied it together to a loose bun at the back of my neck. Then I slipped into the black heels and stared at my reflection. I didn’t know how long I stood there or when the tears started falling, but when the door slowly opened and Charles walked in I flinched.

"Mon armour? We’re ready…" he said quietly and I looked at his reflection. His black suit and tie made him look older, serious. He walked up to me, hugged me from behind and rested his head on my shoulder, he gently kissed my cheek and I closed my eyes "I’m here for you… we all are." he whispered in my ear and I could feel his warm breath fanning over my skin, tickling me. I swallowed hard and nodded.

"I can’t believe that he’s gone…" I began but my voice broke.

"I know. But you know that he will always be with you. No matter what. He was so proud of you!" he said and turned me around, engulfing me into a tight hug "Now let’s go… they’re waiting for us." I nodded and Charles let go of me, grabbing my blazer and helping me into it. I grabbed a pair of sunglasses and Charles held out his hand for me to take. I smiled at him, thankful to having him by my side.

Charles held my hand throughout the whole funeral service, the burial and later on as we sat together in the little separate room of Hans’ favourite restaurant.

"Lizzie? Hi, umm can we talk for a moment?" Jens, Hans son, asked me and I nodded, getting up.

"I’ll be back in a moment." I said to Charles and he nodded, kissing my cheek. I followed Jens and he stopped outside the restaurant.

"Thank you, for your speech at the service… I know that Hans would’ve loved it!" he began and I smiled a little "Ha- dad and I, we never got along that well… when he and my mother divorced, I was 12, she moved away with me, so dad and I didn’t see each other often after that… I came back for two weeks each summer, sometimes over Christmas, but that was it… we never had anything in common. I was never interested in karting, motorsports in general. Neither are my kids…"

"He still loved you, he talked about you and your kids quiet often." I said and he smiled.

"Yeah? That’s nice to hear. We had a big fight a couple of years ago when my mum passed away. I said some ugly things. We never spoke much afterwards…" he sighed a little and I squeezed his shoulder "But when we talked, he always talked about you. He was so proud of you! You meant so much to him!"

"He was an amazing mentor, everything I achieved was because of him…" I had to swallow hard, to not cry again.

"It’s not official yet, because the testament is obviously still sealed. But he told me a couple of weeks ago, the karting track and the academy, it’s yours. He wanted you to become the new owner. Well you and your dad, as far as I know…" he explained and I was taken aback "You don’t have to keep it. You can sell it, it should be worth something, together with the business accounts, that’ll be a good amount of money." I shook my head.

"No, if he really wanted me to have it, I won’t sell it!" I said immediately.

"I’m happy that you think so, I mean I never really cared for the track, but it was his life, his legacy… it should stay like this!" he smiled and I nodded.

"It will stay like this!" I promised him, although still shocked.

"Lizzie? Where here." Charles said and I blinked "Come on sleepy head. Let’s go." he offered me his hand and helped me out of the van, a bunch of photographers and fans screaming for us, mostly Charles, but here and there my name was yelled "We can just go in. No one would say something…"

"No, it’s fine." I slipped down my sunglasses and put on a fake smile, walking past the security guys to the barriers they put around the entrance of the hotel "Hi guys!" I signed caps, shirts, flags, miniatures of my car, just about everything and posed for an undefined amount of selfies.

"You’ll win this weekend! I just know it!" a young girl said while two guys next to her snorted "I don’t care what everyone else is saying! You’ll be the winner!" I smiled at her and signed her cap "And these are for you! I made them myself!" she handed me 2 bracelets and I put them on immediately.

"Thank you so much! I will try my best to win!" I said and she beamed at me.

"Miss Doetterer, it’s getting too much. Too many people. We have to leave." one of the security guards said and I nodded, I turned to the crowd and waved one last time before I followed him inside, Charles behind me.

"Thank you." Charles said to the security guard and put his arm around me, his hand resting on my waist, as he lead us to the next elevator where dad was waiting for us, entering it with us.

"Here’s your room key. 7th floor. I’m on the 5th. I see you guys later for dinner, alright?" he said and left when the doors opened at the 5th floor.

"Yeah, we’ll see you later!" Charles nodded and we rode up to the 7th floor "Come on, cara mia. That’s our floor." he squeezed my waist a little and I looked up, then I grabbed by backpack from the suitcase and put it on "Here, take the room key, I’ll take the suitcases. Let’s go." I walked up to our room and opened it for us, holding the door for Charles. Inside I opened up my suitcase and grabbed a leggings, a hoodie and my toiletry bag.

"Okay we seriously need to talk about how many of my hoodies you’ve stolen!" Charles chuckled and looked on the bed, where indeed another one of his hoodies laid.

"I can’t even tell? A lot? They’re just so comfy! And they smell like you!" I pouted a little and he pinched my side.

"When you wash them, they don’t smell like me anymore!" he said and I laughed sheepishly "Or at least I would think so? Oh my god, am I that smelly that the scent stays on even after washing?"

"What? No! Of course not!" I said and Charles looked relieved.

"Good! But still… stop stealing my hoodies!" he grabbed me around my waist and lifted me up.

"No! Why do I have a boyfriend if not for stealing his hoodies and t-shirts?" I laughed and Charles let us fall onto the bed.

"That’s the only reason?" he asked while tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Hmm… let me think…" I pretended to think and he started tickling me.

"Oh come on!" he laughed and I tried to wriggle away from him "Nope pretty girl, your not getting away…" he pulled me closer into him, keeping his tickle attack going on.

"Okay, okay! Stop! I surrender!" I said out of breath and Charles stopped "There are plenty of other reasons! Not just wearing your clothes!"

"Name just one…" Charles looked at me and I thought for a second.

"Knowing that there is someone I can always come home to, who is there for me no matter what, someone who would do everything for me, without expecting anything in return… someone who just loves me the way I am… that’s a damn good reason…" I said and the words haven’t even left my mouth as Charle gently grabbed my chin and pulled me close, crushing his lips onto mine, kissing me with abandon. A searing fire rushed through my veins and I puffed out a breath when Charles pulled back and looked at me.

"Damn good reason indeed…" he whispered and kissed the tip of my nose before he sat up "Now come on. Let’s have dinner with the others and then call it a day. Tomorrow will be a long day!" he got up and pulled me up as well.

"I’m dreading tomorrow… they will ask me about Hans…" I sighed a little, eyes teary.

"I know… but when it’s getting too much, leave. You don’t owe them anything! And if you need me, call me, I try to be there for you as much as possible…" he gently wiped away the single stray tear that slipped down my cheek.

"Another damn good reason: having someone to wipe away my tears and always comforts me…" I smiled.

"Always…"

"Hi Lizzie, first of all, sincere condolences from our whole team, it must be hard coming here after such a tough week. How are you?" Natalie Pinkham asked and smiled sympathetically at me.

"Thank you guys, I really appreciate it! I mean it’s not easy… obviously. Hans is- was the one who discovered… well, me, he was the one who brought me into karting. Thanks to him I’m here today, so yeah, I’m okay… it’s all a bit overwhelming, but if Hans taught me one thing, then it is resilience and strength…" I answered and she nodded.

"We heard that you have a special helmet for this weekend? Can you tell us a little bit about it?" she asked next and I smiled.

"Yeah, I was a little scared that it might not be realisable, it was on such short notice because, I mean death is unfortunately unforeseeable, but the guys delivered and I’m more than happy with how the helmet turned out. It’s basically a replica of my very first helmet Hans gifted me when I was starting in his academy. The same colours, the same design. I added some of my favourite pictures of him along, to have him here by my side in Silverstone, which was after the Nurburgring his favourite racetrack. He drove in the 80s as a development driver for an F1 team here and loved the track." I explained, thinking about how Hans always raved about how much he loved Silverstone.

"Speaking of the track, what is possible for Audi this weekend? You brought an upgrade as we heard?"

"If the upgrade works out the way we hope it will? A lot is possible, we have to see in practice how the car will adjust to the track and how far the upgrade will be able to bring us, but I’m optimistic."

"I’m sure you’ll be doing amazing and make Hans proud this weekend!" Natalie said and I nodded.

"I will do my very best!" I said my goodbyes and Julie patted my arm.

"Come on, where done for today. That’s enough." she smiled at me and I was more than thankful to be done with the interviews.

"Tough day?" Charles asked as he walked into our hotel room and saw me splayed out on the bed.

"Hmm." I mumbled, not moving. Being asked at least a dozen times about Hans today really drained me.

"I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for you more. We had at least 5 sponsoring events alongside the media day. I couldn’t quiet catch a break…" Charles sighed when he sat down next to me "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No… it was okay… I mean it was exhausting being asked over and over again how I’m feeling and about Hans in general. But it’s part of the game, no?" I said, still not moving. The tension in my neck and shoulders getting worse.

"I saw it. They asked me as well, but more about you…" Charles leaned down to look at my face "You look drained. Have you eaten something?"

"Yeah, I had a little something with Dad and JK earlier. I just came back after and fell straight to bed." I groaned and slowly turned on my back, rolling my shoulder blades, face scrunching up a little.

"Are you okay?" Charles gently grabbed my chin and made me look at him "You seem a little tense?"

"I am tense, but that’s okay, nothing bad!" I answered and Charles nodded a little.

"Okay? Did you shower yet?" he asked and I shrugged my shoulders a little "And that means?"

"I hopped under the shower at the track, just a quick one." I said and Charles pecked my lips and got up.

"We should take a long, hot shower now… what do you say?" he smiled and I nodded slowly.

"Yeah, sounds good, I just need 5 minutes…" I had to suppress a yawn and Charles chuckled a little.

"Take your time, I’ll heat up the bathroom a little, make sure your towel is warm and toasty… I’ll get you when I’m done!" one last kiss on my forehead and he disappeared into the bathroom and I yawned.

"Come on, pretty girl. The bathroom is ready!" Charles gentle voice coaxed me out of my slumber and I slowly sat up.

"I dozed off a little…" I mumbled, checking the time.

"Yeah but just for 15 minutes or so… up with you." he pulled me up but my knees buckled a little, still groggy from dozing off "Ok, come here." Charles lifted me up and on instinct I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck "Let’s go." he carried me inside the bathroom, setting me down on the vanity. I leaned against his warm body, sighing a little "Arms up." he whispered and I obliged, then he pulled my shirt over my head, next followed my sweat pants, socks and underwear. Goosebumps spread over my skin and I began to shiver a little "Almost done!" Charles shrugged out of his clothes and then lifted me up again, carrying me to the bathtub, filled with steaming water.

"You don’t like to bathe?" I asked but Charles just chuckled a little, carefully stepping into the tub, letting me down.

"I’m not the biggest fan, no, but I figured a hot bath and a nice shoulder massage would be good for you… so come on." he sat down, motioning for me to sit in between his legs and I followed suit. I snuggled into his chest, the hot water engulfing me and I felt my body relaxing.

"Mhhh that feels good." I whispered and Charles began to massage my shoulders and neck and I let out a little moan, the tension already loosening.

"Just relax, cara mia. I got you…" Charles kissed the side of my head and continued his ministrations, making me relax further into him.

"Careful, or I get used to this and expect it every night from you!" I giggled a little and as Charles chuckled I felt the vibrations of his body in my back.

"I wouldn’t mind." he simply said, kissing my shoulder "I absolutely wouldn’t mind."

After an extraordinary good FP1 I hid away with Charles for a little, trying to calm down.

"Oh my god! Look at that! Cara mia, you were flying!" Charles said as he watched the replay of my last lap in FP1 on his phone.

"The car feels amazing. The new rear wing? It stabilises the car so freaking much! It’s like I’m driving a new car!" I was more than happy. The car felt amazing. So far it looked like the upgrade worked.

"Valtteri gets it now as well?" Charles asked and I nodded.

"I have a good feeling for this weekend. I don’t like to say that, you know me, but I really have a good feeling…" I almost whispered it and he smiled putting his arm around my shoulders.

"It’s good to feel confident! You can do this! That was an amazing FP1 and if you continue like this? Cara mia, you’ll be on pole and win this weekend! I can feel it…" Charles kissed my temple.

"Oh yeah? You can feel it?" I chuckled and he nodded.

"Yup. I can feel it. Believe me!" he said and pushed himself off of the box we were sitting on behind the hospitalities "You’ll do amazing! I know it!" he leaned in and captured my lips with his and a tingling sensation ran through my body. I felt his hands gently cupping my face as he deepened the kiss, his lips moving against mine with determination, as if he wanted to put some emphasis behind his words. I got lost in his touch as someone cleared his throat and we flinched, pulling apart.

"I’m sorry. Umm- Charles, we need you in the garage…" Laurent Mekies looked at us with big eyes and I blushed.

"Yeah. I’m coming in a couple of minutes!" Charles said and Mekies nodded, then turned around and walked away "Can you please breathe?" he looked at me and I let out the breath I didn’t knew I was holding in "Hey! Lizzie! Look at me! It’s okay. I’ll talk to him!" he cupped my cheeks again and made me look at him "It’s okay! Please, cara mia, don’t worry!"

"Okay… it’s okay…" I whispered and Charles kissed my forehead "Go. Before he comes back!" I laughed a little and he hugged me tight.

"I don’t care. I’ll say goodbye to my gorgeous girl as long as I want to!" he chuckled and I pushed him off of me "Hey! Not nice!" he pinched my side a little.

"Go! Now!" I laughed and he sighed dramatically.

"Okay, okay! I leave!" he gave me one last little peck on the lips and sprinted away. I sighed and jumped off of the box, but as I wanted to walk back into my team‘s hospitality I saw him. Salva Diaz. Making his way to me. Murderous look on his face. I turned around abruptly and walked as fast as I could towards the paddock, where I bumped into Seb, who was on his way back to Aston Martin.

"Hey Lizzie! Amazing FP1!" he said and I turned around searching frantically for Diaz "Are you okay?" he followed my look and held my arm.

"I thought I saw someone…" I swallowed and looked back at Seb.

"Someone? Who? You looked panicked?" he asked and I shook my head.

"No! No, it’s all good!" I tried to appease him but he only cocked his eyebrows.

"Okay… but it’s good that I see you. I wanted to let you know, that the FIA and Co. are banning that Spanish reporter for the next 10 races. That article he wrote? He had no proof, couldn’t name his source, it was all a lie anyways, but yeah. He won’t be in the paddock for a while. I mean I haven’t seen him around a lot lately, but still." Seb smiled at me and I felt relieved, although I knew that his posts would be horrible in the next weeks "Don’t worry, he’s blacklisted now. One more step over the line and he’s out forever. They will monitor his blog now. I don’t think that he would risk that just to keep going his vendetta against you… he wouldn’t be this stupid."

"Yeah, surely not… when did they tell him about his ban? Like is he here? Did he receive an email?" I asked but Seb shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, I don’t know. They just told me that… probably an email? A call from a press officer? Doesn’t matter, he’s gone for the next months!" he nudged my shoulder and I forced a smile.

"Yeah! Amazing…" I said and Seb said his goodbyes and left. I turned back to the little alley between the hospitalities but no sign of Diaz. Maybe I was going crazy? He wasn’t here. He was banned. I wouldn’t have to face him for at least 10 races.

"Lizzie? We’re looking everywhere for you! Come on! FP2 starts in 45min!" Matt put his arm around my shoulder and guided me back to our garage, I turned around one last time, no Diaz, all in my head.

"Sorry, I was completely lost in my thoughts!" I muttered and Matt laughed.

"It’s okay, little one!" he said and I groaned "Stop being all grumpy! Let’s go!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever…" I laughed as we entered our garage, where I prepared for FP2.

"Ready? Then let’s go!" Pete gave me the thumbs up and I drove out of the garage.

"Lizzie, give us some feedback about the set-up changes." Pete radioed.

"Copy. Who’s in front?" I replied.

"Russell. Albon. Hamilton."

"Out lap?”

"Yes. Yes. No."

"Alright."

I started my flying lap, literally flying, I breezed past Russell first, 2 turns later past Albon. The new set up felt good. It gave me more straight line speed and as I crossed the finish line and looked up at the results I cheered a little, seeing myself in P1.

"Fantastic lap, Lizzie! We box now."

"Copy."

I drove into the pits, where my crew was awaiting me, rolling me back into our garage. They sat up my screens and Matt handed me my bottle, right as I watched Charles claiming P1, pushing me back on P2.

"Damn, he’s flying!" I said and Matt looked at the screen chuckling, then bending down.

"You could threat him with no sex if he’s too fast…" he laughed and I hit his arm.

"Shut it, you idiot!" I had to laugh as well.

"I’m just saying!" he shrugged his shoulders and I rolled my eyes.

"Let’s wait for the results after FP3, if I’m worried he’s snatching that pole away, I’ll reconsider it!" I said and Matt gave me the thumbs up, laughing.

"Ready?" he asked and I took one last look on my laps, where I had to improve.

"Ready!" I nodded and drove back on track.

"Come on cara mia! Your dad is waiting!" Charles said and I groaned a little.

"I need 2 minutes! That’s all!" I said and straightened my hair as good as possible "Why do we even have to go out for dinner? We could’ve just went to the bistro here in the hotel."

"Your dad wanted to have a nice dinner!" he answered and I walked out of the bathroom "You look gorgeous!"

"Oh shush!" I rolled my eyes "It’s nothing special… I didn’t really pack any fancy clothes!" I looked down at the casual and comfy black dress that I was wearing, paired with my Converse "I didn’t even bring nice shoes with me…" I grabbed my bag and Charles smiled at me.

"I don’t know how often I have to tell you, you look always perfect to me. And I really like your outfit. So come on. We don’t want to let Pops wait for too long, he stretched out his hand and I grabbed it. We left our room and met up with dad in the lobby. In the car to the restaurant dad looked at me every now and then and I cocked an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked him and he looked up.

"What?" he replied and I sighed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I don’t know? I don’t look at you?" be looked out of the window and I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever…" I mumbled and Charles chuckled a little.

"Why are you this grumpy?" Dad asked and I looked at him.

"I’m not grumpy! I’m hungry and tired and you drag me now to a fancy restaurant instead of just eating at the hotel. In my bed. With sweatpants on." I groaned and he laughed.

"Are you maybe grumpy because a certain someone was faster than you with his last lap." he wiggled his eyebrows and I kicked his shin "Ouch! I’m just joking! Gosh, you’re horrible when you’re hungry!"

"I second that!" Charles said and I shot him a glare "But it’s adorable! You’re horribly adorable when hungry!"

"Save it…" I said and looked out of the window again.

"Now she’s mad at me because of you!" Charles chuckled and Dad laughed.

"Your girlfriend. Your problem." he said simply as the car stopped "And now let’s go!" he got out, followed by Charles and then me "Oh and just so you know, that’s not a fancy restaurant, it’s actually a burger place." he winked at Charles who smiled, guiding me towards the doors, his hand on the small of my back. Dad opened up the door and held it for us, we walked through and before I could even take the place in two little humans already hugged me tight around my waist.

"SURPRISE!" a whole bunch of people shouted and I looked down, Liam and Benji smiling up at me.

"What the…" I said and looked up again. Family and friends gathered together. Mum, Sissy, Marcus, Pascale, Lorenzo, Arthur, Daniel, Shima, Joris, JK and Andrea smiling at me. Plus the little ones, still hugging me.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked leaning down, kissing first Benji, then Liam on the cheek. Liam letting go of me to jump at Charles who immediately picked him up.

"Hey Bubba." he said and tickled Liams sides.

"Hey Charlie." he said and smiled happily.

"Hi Benji." Charles scooped him up as well and walked with them to the table, greeting everyone.

"We thought you could use some extra support this weekend…" Dad whispered to me and threw his arm around my shoulders, guiding me to my support group.

"I don’t even know what to say." I said as Mum already pulled me into her arms "Thank you guys so much for coming." I hugged everyone and we sat down. "You guys have no idea how happy I am that you’re here!"

"Happy, that you came here now?" Charles chuckled and I nodded.

"Yep. Very." I said and we sat down.

"Can we see your car tomorrow, Charlie?" Benji asked and Liam made big eyes.

"Yeah sure! You can all come to my garage!" Charles said.

"Hold your horses! I thought you’re here for me!" I said, fake pouting.

"We are! But we like Ferrari…" Liam said a little apprehensive but I just laughed.

"It’s okay, Bubba! Really!" I pinched his site a little and he leaned into Charles.

"Can you both win together?" he asked then and Charles chuckled a little.

"Unfortunately not, Bubba. Would be cool tho." he answered and Liam sighed.

"What a shame…" he said and we all laughed "But you could do a 1-2 right? One of you wins and the other one come second?"

"That we can do!" I said and Liam and Benji cheered.

"So can you do that please?" Benji asked.

"Yes please!" Liam added and Charlee looked at me.

"You heard them, cara mia! We have to do it!" he said and I smiled.

"Yeah, I guess we have to now."

I watched how Charles sat first Benji and then Liam into his car, showing them something on his steering wheel.

"He’s damn good with kids." Julie said as she stood next to me and I smiled.

"He was always amazing with kids, but especially with Liam." I said as we watched how Charles lifted Liam out of the car, hugging him and laughing together, while Benji sat on the halo and laughed with them.

"He’s a little whirlwind, I mean they both are, but Liam a little more." Julie said and I nodded.

"Yeah Liam is a little… a little special." I replied as Benji ran out of Charles garage, straight to us, Charles and Liam behind.

"Did you see that, Lizzie? We sat in the Ferrari! In Charles’ Ferrari!" Benji almost screamed excitedly.

"Yeah! How cool was that!" I said as Charles stood next to me, with Liam still in his arms "Did you have fun Bubba?"

"It was so cool! It’s Ferrari! Your car is cool too, Lizzie! But it’s Ferrari! Ferrari!" he said and I laughed.

"It’s okay Bubba!" I chuckled and kissed his cheek "But now you gotta go back to your parents. We have to prepare for quali."

"Alright kiddos, I see you later!" Charles set Liam down and leaned in but I looked at him in shock "Oh- fuck… umm- sorry, Lizzie. I don’t know why I- sorry!"

"It’s okay, nothing happened!" I chuckled and kissed his cheek, then he ruffled Benjis hair and left us.

"Come on kiddos!" I said and took their hands, leading them back into our garage, where my brother waited already.

"So, how was Charles car?" he asked and both kids started to talk enthusiastically.

"Okay, you got them, I get ready!" I said and waved them goodbye for now.

"Ready, Lizzie?" Matt asked as I climbed in the car.

"Yep! I have a very good feeling about quali! I only have to watch out for Charles, he’s flying!" I said and sat down.

"You can do it!" Pete chimed in and I nodded.

"I try my best." I closed my visor and drove out of the pits.

I warmed my tires and accelerated as I crossed the finish line and my first flying lap was solid.

"That’s P3 for now. Charles, Sainz, Hamilton, Russell behind on their fast laps."

"Alright."

I made it into Q2 on P4. I checked the data and looked to the right, where Liam and Benji cheered for me. I gave them the thumbs up before I drove out of the garage again.

"Alright Lizzie, for now you’re safe! Do another outlaw and then push, push, push!"

"Let’s go."

P2.

"Charles is flying! He sets fastest lap after lap!" I said and checked my own lap times.

"You can do it!" Pete said and I nodded.

"Try my best!"

I prepared my tires and pushed hard.

"And that’s P1 for now. Fastest sectors 2 and 3. Charles just set the fastest time in sector 1."

"Do I have time for another lap?"

"If you’re fast."

"Alright."

"Charles also fastest in sector 2."

"Copy."

"Yellow flag. Yellow flag."

"Nooo!" why now? But then I saw the red flag "FUCK!"

"That’s it Lizzie. They won’t resume the session. You’re on pole! THAT’S P1!"

"What? WHAT? But Charles?"

"The yellow flag came when he was in the last turn! He’s in P2! You’ve done it! Woooohoooo!" Pete screamed and I had to laugh.

"FUCKING HELL! Pole? Oh my god!" I couldn’t believe it. My first ever pole position in F1.

I jumped out of the car, straight into Charles arms.

"Congrats! Amazing lap!" he said and I shook my head.

"I’m so sorry! That would’ve been your pole if it wasn’t for that yellow flag or rather red flag…" I said but Charles shook his head.

"Stop it! You did amazing! You deserve it." he said and hugged me tight before he released me and gently tapped his helmet against mine, as if he wanted to lean his forehead against mine "Like I said! I have a feeling that you’ll win this weekend!"

"Oh stop it! The race is a different story!" I chuckled and he just laughed.

"You’ll see!" he said and I walked up to my team, who gave me a loud and warm welcome. Everyone cheering and congratulating me.

"Fantastic job! Your first pole!" Pete hugged me and Felix pushed him off to hug me himself.

"Amazing, Lizzie! Tomorrow you’ll show the world how much you deserve this seat!" he said and I rolled my eyes.

"Jeez! No pressure, right?" I laughed a little.

"Little pressure never killed nobody. Just saying." he chuckled and patted my shoulder.

"I guess so." I replied.

"But why did you get a penalty for that?" Benji asked as Charles poured in some water into his cup.

"Because I didn’t slow down fast enough when the yellow flag was waved. That’s a sign to slow down because there is some danger on the track. It’s a warning sign. And I didn’t do it fast enough." Charles sighed a little.

"Oh, that’s not good." Benji said quietly and Charles chuckled a little.

"Nope, it’s not. But it’s like this." he said and leaned back, watching how Liam fought with his spaghetti "I’ll do now something, you have to promise me you’ll never tell any Italian person, okay?" he said and took Liams plate, cutting the spaghetti "That’s a sin for them. So this will be our secret, okay?" Liam nodded smiling as Charles shoved his plate back into place and Liam began to eat.

"I’m really sorry, Charles." I said, poking my salad, not really hungry.

"What for? It was my fault, I was like in a tunnel and just saw it too late. My mistake." he shrugged his shoulders "Don’t worry about it."

"But you look sad…" Liam said and Charles smiled at him.

"Just a little, but now that I’m spending some time with my two favourite little lads? I feel already way better!" Charles said and Liam smiled.

"Okay, then we cheer you up now!" he said and Benji nodded.

"Yup yup!" Benji chirped and Charles ruffled both boys’ hair.

"Thank you! You’re the best!" he smiled at them and then he looked at me "I’m fine!" he mouthed to me and I nodded.

"Okay. Let’s finish and then we’ll go to the Minigolf course!" I said and held up my hand, the waiter walked up to us and smiled nervously "Hi, can we get the bill please?"

"Yeah! Sure!" he said and walked away, to return a moment later with our bill. I handed him my credit card "Can I… umm can I maybe take a selfie with you guys? I’m a huge fan! Of both of you! Amazing lap today Lizzie! And I’m really sorry for the penalty! That sucks!" he looked at us and I nodded.

"Sure!" Charles and I got up from our seats and stood on each site of our waiter.

"Thank you so much! Good luck tomorrow! I really hope that one of you wins! But both of you on the podium would be amazing!" he smiled and I laughed.

"We’ll do our best!" I said and Charles nodded along.

Liam and Benji looked at us with big eyes.

"Isn’t it weird that people always want to take pictures with you?" Benji asked and Charles chuckled a little.

"You get used to it! And now let’s go!" he said and we left the little bistro, to play a round of Minigolf with the kiddos.

Part 2 ➡️

(This chapter turned out to be too long for Tumblr so I had to split it 🤷🏻‍♀️🙈)

————————————————————————

Little Note:

Chapter 20.2 - one of my absolute favourite chapters! A lot is happening! A lot sad and bad things! Lizzie on pole!

Please leave a comment/ like/ reblog/ message and tell me how you liked it! I'm dying to hear your thoughts!

If you want to be added to the taglist, drop a comment!

Last but not least, English is not my first language and although I tried my best: please excuse any mistakes I made!

Taglist:

@silkenthusiasts @eugene-emt-roe @sunny44 @itsjustkhaos @glitterquadricorn @aundercover @kakorrhaphiphobia @alittlebitofbooksandmagic @ru-kru @glitterf1 @janeholt3 @maeve-wileyy @18754389 @queensassybitchsworld @chiliwhore

All the images I'm using are from Google, Pinterest and Instagram (or self made).

[jewwyfeesh]

Tea Garden

Writer: 日日日 (Akira)

Character(s): Tenshouin Eichi, Sakuma Ritsu, Shino Hajime

Translated by: jewwyfeesh

Disclaimer: I translated this story from the CN version of the game, which means that it has been double translated (JP > CN > EN).

Ritsu: Ah~… Don’t just stand here yapping away, hurry up and go~ Your monologues always drag on for waaaay too long.

Season: Summer Location: Yumenosaki Academy Garden Terrace

Hajime: Hey everyone~ ♪

Sorry for being late, I got held up due to my part-time job on campus…

Though, thanks to Transfer Student-senpai’s assistance, we were able to wrap it up quickly ♪

Ritsu: Hello~… Uuuu… The weather’s really toooo good, I’m getting such a wonderful headache from how good it is…

Hajime: Ah, there should be some umbrellas over there. I’ll go grab one ♪

I’ll brew some tea on the way, too~ Ritsu-senpai, is there anything in particular you’d like to have?

Ritsu: Ah~ …Since Anzu’s here, I’ll pass on the drinks. Whenever I get thirsty, I’ll just have a sip of her blood.

Hajime: Eh, you can’t drink blood.

It’s not hygenic~ How about having some black tea instead ♪

Ritsu: Mmmh~ I’d feel like going to the toilet if I drink tea. But I’m trying not to move around too much…

Ahh~ I’m too lazy to move today. It’s sunny every day.

Hajime: Ehehe. Is this not a ‘good thing’? If it’s sunny, our laundry will dry faster, so I think it’s pretty nice ♪ 

Eichi: Hajime-kun, Anzu-chan, how about the both of you take a seat first? I’ll prepare the tea and snacks.

Hajime: Ah, there’s no need! I can’t let the Student Council President do such odd jobs!

Eichi: Kindly refrain from addressing me with an excessively formal [1] title like ‘Student Council President’.

Please do away with the formalities; let me steep the tea. After all, is this not part of Tea Club’s activities ♪

Ritsu: Ecchan, the snacks I’ve made are in the kitchen fridge. If everyone’s okay with it, we can have them with tea~?

Eichi: Hehe, even though calling me ‘Student Council President’ is too ceremonial and could even be considerred flattery, calling me ‘Ecchan’ is also a little too… familiar[2].

Then again, Ritsu-kun had to repeat a year. He was meant to be in the same year as I, so I suppose it doesn’t really matter.

Though… trying to find the perfect balance between ‘authority’ and ‘approachability’ is extremely difficult. Anzu-chan, you agree, don’t you?

I’ll head over to the kitchen now. I’ll be back promptly, so please feel free to take a break.

Aha, ‘serving’ others is actually rather fun… ♪

I can drop the heavy title of the student council president and just be myself… times like these are really hard to come by. Tea Club’s activities are a great way for me to relax ♪

Ritsu: Ah~… Don’t just stand here yapping away, hurry up and go~ Your monologues always drag on for waaaay too long.

Eichi: Hehe, my sincere apologies. Without further ado, I shall now take my leave. Farewell ♪

Ritsu: Byebye~ …Ha~kun, Anzu, there are chairs over there that you can use~ It’s kinda stressful to see you standing around you know?

Hajime: Achoo, please excuse me. Ahh, finally… the feeling of being alive. Inhale… exhale… I feel really relaxed~ ♪

Ritsu: Ha~kun, you’re not allowed to take out that fragrant thing when you’re next to me~ The second I smell it, I immediately feel like falling asleep…?

Hajime: Ahaha. Lavender does have a sleep-inducing effect~ My bad ♪

Though… Ritsu-senpai, you’re always sleeping… I heard that if you sleep too much, your braincells will die~

Ritsu: Ahhh, no wonder I’ve been so forgetful lately. So this was the reason… Eh, it doesn’t matter, sleeping is pretty comfy. If I sleep during the day, I’ll be awake at night, and vice versa.

Hajime: Is that so~ You’re such a night owl.

Flipping your sleep schedule is really unhealthy… I think it’s still best if you don’t consume so much coffee…

Eichi: If I may interrupt — upon evaluation of your lifestyle and habits, Ritsu-kun, I’ve prepared some kudzu root soup[3] for you, as it seems to me that your body isn’t in the best of conditions these days.

Ritsu: But I’ve always been like this though.. Ahhh… this flavour is… really… too special, I don’t like it~

Fizzy fruit juice would’ve been fine.

I’m gonna eat some of the snacks I made to clease my palate. Om nom nom ♪ 

Eichi: The designs of Ritsu-kun’s desserts are rather avant-garde…

To be honest, one would find that they are actually really delicious after eating them, but I would have to muster a lot of courage to even take the first bite. I don’t think this is particularly cordial?

For Hajime-kun, I’ve brewed some vanilla tea – that’s alright with you, yes? Anzu-chan and I will be having Oriental Beauty Tea, I hope it’s to your tastes… ♪

Hajime: Ahh… it’s some high-end tea leaves again… One cup like this is practically equivalent to my entire income from working part-time in school~

Eichi: Fufu. Only food of the highest quality should be consumed.

The food of today maketh the body of tomorrow. This is but an investment for the future.

I have to pay extra attention to my diet due to my sickly body… so I am rather envious of people like you who can eat just about anything you fancy.

Ritsu: Ah~ …If you wanna live forever, I can turn you into a vampire~?

Eichi: Even though I am interested in the vampiric lifestyle, I still wish to continue being an idol. Come on, everyone, please make yourself at home and have a drink.

Today, there are more people than usual – the atmosphere is a lot livelier and fun, so I’m really happy.

You too, Anzu-chan. You’re welcome to join us Tea Club anytime ♪

Ritsu: Yeppu, I agree with Ecchan on this. Even though I tend to hate noisy environments, but when tea is drunk with everyone around, one would feel even happier.

Let’s host a Mad Tea Party in your dreams too… ♪

Translator's notes: [1] The original CN term used is "见外", which means to "treat someone as an outsider", or "to treat someone with formal courtesy as accorded to a host or guest".

[2] The original CN term used is "熟络", which means "familiar / close". Generally speaking Asian countries places a lot of importance on treating your seniors with respect, and using an informal nickname to your superior isn't the most respectful thing LOL; however, you can call people of the same age as you or younger than you by informal means. Ritsu is in year 2 and Eichi in year 3, which means that on paper Eichi is his senior and should be addressed as such (ie. -senpai). So that's why Ecchan made that remark -- which implies something like "don't address me like that, we're not that close / we're not in the same year". But afterwards he lets it pass because Ritsu did get held back LMFAO so in theory Ritsu would've also been in year 3. Read Black Tea - A Spoonful of Sweet Poison 5 to find out more about the origin's of "Ecchan"~

[3] Kudzu root soup... Kudzu "is an herb used in Chinese medicine to treat alcoholism, heart disease, menopausal symptoms, diabetes, fever, the common cold, and neck or eye pain. It is sometimes used in combination with other herbs, [and suggested to have] anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties." (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre - Information about Kudzu).

[boxturtle4eva]

A (salty) Defense of Rise!Leo’s Leadership Skills

Disclaimer: English isn’t my first language - this is my opinion - I love the turtles and their family dynamic, and think the movie is rad aka I’m not here to hate

Lately, I’ve noticed the majority of the fan base dunking on Leo’s leadership skills, and even the writers of the movie portray him as someone who is severely lacking in this regard. But is this really justified?

Is Leo a bad leader?

Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

As early as season 1 Leo is shown to be - despite his flamboyant demeanor - a much more cautious turtle than his brothers when it comes to the safety of his family.

While Donnie suggests taking down the ‘Spine Breaking Bandit’ or the ‘Long Island Mangler’ for their first mission in ‘Origami Tsunami’ it's Leo who vetoes the idea and redirects his brother’s attention to something much more suited to their current level of expertise aka ‘Paper Thieves’. In ‘Bug Busters’ he almost immediately realizes that Big Mama is a threat. And in ‘Mutant Menace’ he voices his concerns about them leaving the lair during the anti-mutant panic.

Note that Leo only interferes in his brother's fun when he thinks that they are in real danger and gets annoyed when they won't listen to him directly - which I imagine is the reason he rather likes to manipulate or use figures with more authority to push his plans instead of direct communication. It seems more effective (he is great at it anyway), and less damaging to his ego when he gets shut down.

I believe he has been backseat-driving those bozos for years.

Furthermore, Leo is smart, adaptable, perceptive, and a brilliant strategist (and he knows it!).

He also has a very good idea of what his brothers are capable of and is unafraid to use their skills to his advantage. This is evident when he advocates for Mikey to go on his first solo mission to receive Hot Soup - The Game. But most noticeable in ‘Many Unhappy Returns’. There, he predicts not only the villain's (Big Mama, Shredder) actions but also his family's and their ability to handle the situation, while putting together a great scheme to stop feral!Shredder. Leo has the ability to look at the angles and easily sees the bigger picture.

When Leo said ‘You guys got this!’ he meant it 100%. He is shown to trust his family and is not afraid to rely on them. This might be due to his identity issues hinted at in 'Portal Jacked!'. He may feel insecure about his own self, but he knows his brothers in and out and how awesome each one of them is. Yet not in a starry-eyed unrealistic way. Leo is well aware of their weaknesses and limitations.

In ‘Many Unhappy Returns’ Raph questions if Leo is serious, and guess what, he was, cause they won thanks to Leo's plan. Here we also see glimpses of Leo as the Mad Dogz official leader with Raph affirming that he trusts him.

In the movie, Raph also asks Leo: ‘What’s it gonna take for you to be serious, Leo?’ And the answer is obvious - his family being in danger. Nothing more, nothing less. Leo gets serious as soon as Casey explains what happened in his timeline and why they need to retrieve the key and stop the end of the world (around minute 20).

I always found it particularly mean-spirited for Raph to assume Leo isn't serious given the knowledge that this is how Leo copes with high-stress situations (see 'Mystic Mayhem') and his otherwise competitive nature (see 'Air Turtle'). Leo would never lose on purpose. Raph copes by snapping and Leo by joking and that is a recipe for disaster. And while it's understandable in the Shredder situation I feel it isn't really justified in the movie.

Unlike Donnie or Raph who are over-preparers, Leo has also no issues to go with the flow, which leads to a seemingly more laid-back attitude and clashes with Raph's tendency to be a mother hen. But he kinda does not need that much time in the first place...

In the end, I think Leo has all it takes to be a great leader from the get-go. Of course, he is far from perfect. There is something deeply wrong with our poor boy's communication skills, and between his general laziness, his unfortunate coping mechanism, cocky cool-guy persona, competitiveness, and general deceptiveness it is hard for the team to tell what's going on and get a good read on him or his intentions. But hey, Leo is like what, 16 years old? And the good thing is, he has his bros who've known him for his entire life and know how to take him. They all got his back. (Or not?)

So what changed? What’s up with Leo’s leadership skills in the movie? Nothing! Leo’s character is exactly the same. He is as sharp as ever. It is Raph who changed.

Cause here comes the kicker, the thing the authors of the movie so eloquently sweep under the rug, the question nobody seems to ask:

Is Raph a good second-in-command?

Stay tuned for part 2!

Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

But seriously just think about it. In my mind, Leo never truly stood a chance.

[masterwords]

I hope this isn’t too many that I’ve sent, but the thought of domestic Hotchgan is too good to pass up.

I was thinking about the fics you’ve written where Derek knows all of Hotch’s little intricacies- what he’ll eat, or wear, or what little looks or a couple words really mean. Could you maybe do one about the reverse - how Hotch knows every little thing about Derek? Things that maybe nobody else knows?

You are an amazing beautiful butterfly - thank you!

Hey, so you sent this in APRIL and I wrote this little thing here...and I just can't edit it to make it any better. But I also hate seeing all of these things hanging out that I have written little blurbs for. So, imagine this is higher quality? The image is sweet. The words are...sub-par. I'll probably throw this on AO3 later but for right now I'm just leaving it here. Thank you for always being so sweet and encouraging and I hope things have been GREAT for you recently. <3 I'm so sorry this took me forever and it isn't better than this. You can never ever ever send too many, I would welcome every thought every time. Even if my words are sparse my heart LOVES them. And if you ever just want to talk about hotchgan...I'll do that too. Because I could do that forever.

Summary: Derek has a bad day at work. Hotch knows exactly how to help. (This sits comfortably inside the Chicago Times series.)

Words: 1.4k

**

“I’m gonna be late tonight,” Derek groans into the phone. Aaron is sitting at his desk nursing his third or fourth coffee of the day, he can’t remember now how many he’s finished. He just sort of heads back into the kitchen periodically to top it off. He’s in his pajamas and wrapped in a blanket, not exactly sick but not feeling well nonetheless. It’s an office day so he didn’t bother to go in – it’s just as easy to grade papers and prepare lesson plans from home. He’s got his heating pad and a little too much access to the coffee pot.

Hank is playing quietly in his favorite corner, a little piece of real estate Aaron decided would belong to the toddler so he could keep any toys he wanted within reach on days he was home. These days he likes to flip through pages of books and scribble on papers, mimicking what he sees Aaron do all day. He even has a pair of sunglasses he’s popped the lenses out of so they look just like his daddy’s and a sippy cup beside him that he refills with water each time Aaron wanders to the coffee pot.

“Why?” Aaron asks, flicking his pen over his fingers. “What happened?”

Derek groans again miserably. “Nothing. I just forgot it was a damn fire drill day and they decided to do it during last period of all times. It’s gonna be a shit show. Half the kids take forever getting out of the classroom because they grab all their shit so they don’t have to come back...the other half just disappear.”

Aaron hums and offers him sincere condolences, promising to keep dinner warm for him. It’s a short conversation, just a courtesy. Derek never leaves him hanging. There are little texts afterward, snippy comments, frustrated tirades, all of which add up to a picture in Aaron’s mind of Derek coming home and being on edge. A fight feels like it’s brewing beneath the surface and he’s wise enough to plan ahead for just such a thing. Sometimes it’s what Derek needs, sometimes he’ll bait him on purpose so he can let off that steam, and other times he’ll play the quiet game. He thinks that’s the ticket for tonight. He decides to scrap his plans for spaghetti, a carb-heavy meal Derek isn’t particularly fond of especially when he was in the midst of a sports season, in favor of a big pot of chicken soup and rolls. The kids loved the rolls, and if Derek was going to indulge himself in carbs this time of year he’s going to do it on Aaron’s home baking. There would be no complaints, and he could hold a portion for Derek sans noodles and really make him happy.

As the day wears on, he notices that Derek’s texts had gone further and further between until finally it was silence. He usually keeps the flow going all day, Aaron is used to something between each of his classes at the very least. Something lewd that would make him blush, usually, or a funny thing a student did or said. He looked forward to them and missed them when they didn’t happen. It makes him nervous. That’s always a bad sign.

By the time Derek returns home, even later than he’d anticipated, he is so far in the dumps that it’s manifesting in every move he makes. His shoulders are slumped, he doesn’t immediately lift Hank into his arms as soon as they’re empty, he looks exhausted and more than that, defeated. When he does finally grab Hank he snuggles into his neck just a little too long and Aaron can see how desperately he’s holding on. “Hey Jack,” Aaron calls to his son down the hallway. “Why don’t you walk Hank down to grandma’s for dessert, huh? She’s got pecan pie and I think your cousins are over.”

Jack grabs his jacket, already knowing this was the plan but trying to make it look spontaneous. Derek frowns but Aaron just smiles and nods. “We’ll head over after you’ve had dinner. How can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat?” A Pink Floyd classic, usually enough with the terrible accent to elicit a smile and what he got was half-ass at best. He’d just pulled out a terrible quote with a truly awful accent and Derek barely cracked a smile. Jack bids them farewell with an excited Hank clinging to his side. That they only live two blocks from Fran is a blessing neither of them take for granted.

“I’m not really hungry,” Derek says quietly. Aaron wraps him up in a hug and holds him for a moment, breathing him in, swaying a little where they stand.

“You need to eat. I made you soup, it’s light. No noodles.”

That brings out a small smile. Bigger than before but still small. “Thanks.”

Derek eats without speaking. Aaron knows better than to try and get him to talk when he isn’t ready, he wouldn’t hold back but he might not have worked through all of it. He is impulsive and explosive when his feelings get too big, and when those two things combine with a bad day it almost always erupts into something that isn’t good for anyone. Instead, Aaron busies himself with some cleaning in the kitchen, keeping the noise to a minimum. Derek likes it quiet when he’s on edge.

“Aaron,” he says finally, pushing his bowl away and patting his stomach. “Anyone ever tell you that you make the best chicken soup in the world?”

“Don’t say that too loud, your mom might hear…” But Aaron smiles anyway and is warmed by the compliment. Cooking for Derek is one of his greatest joys in life. That he could be home early enough every day to cook for his family is a blessing he never envisioned. This entire life seems like a dream.

“Don’t care. She always makes me eat the slimy noodles. Yours is full of carrots and celery.”

“The kids love the noodles.”

Derek nods and leans back in his chair, running his hands over his sweat slicked head. It’s unseasonably hot and he’s exhausted. “Don’t think I’m ready to see my mom yet…”

“I actually had something else in mind,” Aaron says, entering the living room and walking with purpose. Derek watches him carefully as he approaches their vintage record player, a relic from his own childhood that he’d had restored, and opened the top. He already had a record in place.

“What are you doing?” Derek asks but he can’t help the smile. He knows when an evening has been planned. Aaron is anything but subtle, try as he might. But Derek can’t help thinking it’s sweet and playing along as if he’s a lot smoother than he is about spontaneity.

“Come here,” Aaron says, turning around as the music starts.

Made for me...you were made for me…

Derek takes Aaron’s outstretched hand and finds himself drawn into a lilting embrace, a sway, a hug. Aaron kisses him gently, smiling bright and then kissing him again. Before he knows what’s happening they’re dancing around their living room, hips swaying, Aaron leading and humming along with Sam Cooke as they move. Each step, each shift and sway erases more and more of the day from his coiled muscles. Derek loves to dance.

You’ve been mine ever since I met you, and I’ll never never never never leave you…

They dance in silence, losing themselves in the simplicity of their bodies. The way they fit together like puzzle pieces. Derek with his hands bunched in Aaron’s cashmere sweater, probably his favorite item of clothing Aaron owns. Part of the plan, he knows. Aaron is wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants with a cashmere sweater, an odd combination entirely for his benefit. He can feel the tears in his eyes. His day was bad but he doesn’t think he deserves all of this. Still, Aaron kisses him on the lips and then the jaw and down onto his neck and he simply moves in time with him and enjoys every single second.

...I know, I know you were made for me...

“Let’s go get the kids,” Aaron whispers against his pulse, teeth grazing the tender skin, hot breath spreading a flush of goosebumps down to his collarbone. “I have one more thing that I think will help you shake the day but we’ve got to get those kids in bed first...”

[sfarticles]

Fall into flavor with versatile squash Farmers markets will be the place to be for this popular harvest

 A popular fall harvest is squash, a vegetable belonging to the gourd family (photo: Emily Ryan)

As published in......

It seems like yesterday when I picked up the vibrant, flower-filled, railing boxes from our local greenhouse.  Last week, I noticed that those boxes on the deck railings have thinned out, and sadly, the colors are dissipating. I was reminded, as the temperature at night drops, plant life slows down, and very soon, nature’s artistry takes over blanketing the landscape with vibrant colors.

Fall arrives next week. Along with the arrival of autumn, are the farmers markets displaying myriad crops of the seasonal harvest.  A popular fall harvest is squash, a vegetable belonging to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae).

I’ve been stalling purchasing those mini pumpkins (a type of squash) that are displayed on my fireplace mantle. The beginning of August was too soon to think about fall. Many of the stores I visited at the end of July and beginning of August welcomed me at the entrance with displays of all sorts of fall décor. Why do we rush the seasons away…. Well, maybe we do want that with winter!

People love squash because the flavor connects them to holidays, special occasions, and family gatherings. Perhaps this is why some people were flocking, or will soon be, to the farmers’ stands to purchase their pumpkins, squash, gourds, and other seasonal fare.

The mild flavor offers a blank canvas to create sweet or savory dishes, whether it be soups and salads, appetizers, casseroles and, most importantly, at least for me, dessert. This time of year, winter squash takes over from summer squash. One big difference between summer and winter squash is the winter variety’s thicker skin and denser, sweeter flesh. And, unlike summer squash, they can be stored for a longer period, thus they are available all winter. Popular varieties are butternut, hubbard, acorn, spaghetti, and of course, pumpkin. The type of preparation is varied; mashed, pureed, and often used as pie and pastry fillings.

One of my favorite single subject cookbook authors is Julia Rutland, who wrote “Squash: 50 Tried & True Recipes” (2019, Adventure Publications, $16.95).

Rutland’s recipes will become instant family favorites, especially for autumn. The book’s full-color photography adds to the enjoyment of cooking. Her pointers on buying and cooking squash, along with practical tips for cutting tough-skinned winter varieties, along with creative recipes, make the book a must for squash lovers. Additionally, if you grow squash in your garden, and it produces more than you can eat, you’ll find simple and delicious ways to preserve your crop.

I think I will give-in this weekend and buy those mini-pumpkins and some squash. Perhaps the calendar is reminding me to let some squash-themed dishes and adornments contribute to the overall festive atmosphere of the upcoming season. And…my mouth has been watering since reading the recipes from Rutland’s book.

For the recipes for Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Streusel Muffins and Butternut Squash-and-Quinoa Salad, visit https://bit.ly/3kF6RwL.

Photo: Julia Rutland 

Pumpkin-and-Pepita Parker House Rolls

7 tablespoons butter, divided

½ cup pumpkin or butternut squash puree

1 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk

2 large eggs, divided

¼ cup sugar

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 envelope (2 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

Pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)

Flaky sea salt

Note: Allow the cream, egg and butter to reach room temperature before mixing together because cold ingredients will slow down the rising process.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter. In the bowl of a stand-up electric mixer, beat 4 tablespoons melted butter, pumpkin puree, cream, 1 egg, sugar, flour, yeast and salt, mixing until a dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface (or in mixing bowl with a dough hook) about 5 minutes or until smooth. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat surface. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in bulk.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Brush a 9-inch-by-9-inch baking dish lightly with some of the melted butter. Set aside.

Punch dough down and divide into 18 pieces on a floured surface. Roll into balls, and place in prepared baking dish. Brush tops with remaining melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until puffed (but not doubled in size).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk remaining egg and brush over tops of rolls. Sprinkle with desired amount of pepitas and sea salt. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 1 ½ dozen.

Pumpkin Hummus

The headnote says, “There are lots of hummus flavors in stores and you can easily make this unique fresh version anytime with ingredients kept in the pantry. The pumpkin flavor is a fun riff you can serve at Halloween parties and through the rest of the fall holidays.”

Pumpkin Hummus – Healthy and delicious and easy to prepare.

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup tahini

1 garlic clove, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or ground cayenne pepper

Pita chips

Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds

Combine pumpkin, beans, lemon zest and juice, tahini, garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon into a serving bowl; garnish, if desired. Serve with pita chips. Makes 3 cups.

Butternut-Rosemary Risotto

The headnote says, “Risotto is a creamy rice dish made specifically with a medium-grain Italian rice called Arborio. Arborio contains a good bit of starch that, when cooked slowly with small amounts of broth, creates a silky, saucy texture. Make sure the squash pieces are cut to the same size for even cooking.”

4 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½  cups Arborio rice

2 cups peeled and cubed butternut or other hard winter squash

½  cup white wine

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, warm

½  cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

½  teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until tender.

Add Arborio rice and squash; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until wine evaporates.

Add 1 cup broth to risotto mixture and cook, stirring constantly or very frequently, until liquid is absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, 1 cup at a time, until liquid is absorbed after each addition.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Turkey-and-Winter Squash Pot Pie

The headnote says, “Put this recipe on your to-do list after Thanksgiving because it’s great for leftover turkey (and the rest of that package of celery!). I tend to use shortcuts like refrigerated piecrusts after a big food-filled holiday, but you can substitute your favorite homemade double-crust pastry.”

4 tablespoons butter

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 ½ cups cubed butternut squash or other winter squash

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken or turkey broth

1 cup half-and-half

3 cups chopped or shredded cooked turkey

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add squash. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until vegetables are almost tender.

Stir in flour, poultry seasoning and salt. Cook for 1 minute.

Add broth and half-and-half, stirring until well blended. Bring to a simmer; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in turkey.

Place one piecrust in bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling, and cover with remaining crust. Fold over edges and crimp to seal. Make several slits in top. Brush with egg. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.

Recipes and photos courtesy of ......

Stephen Fries, is Professor Emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 15 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Stephen@stephenfries.com

[thorntonkrell-blog-blog]

"We been down here in North Carolina for ’bout six years now, and it’s startin’ to show up in how we talk. Our vowels stretch out a little more, our sentences wind around with a touch more ease. The clipped, brisk edges we brought down from Rochester are softenin’. Even the way I think feels different—the words I hold onto, the ones I let linger a little longer. It’s like the land itself is reshaping me. Read this and maybay y'all see what I'm tawkin' about."

Once upon a time, in the cluttered mind of Ice Rivers, the interplay of precision and creativity gave rise to two vivid personas: Demy and Alaric. Born of the same imagination, they shared a sharpness of mind and quick wit, but their ways of seeing the world couldn’t have been more different.

Demy, older by a mere five minutes, carried the rhythm of Carolina in her approach to life. She saw cooking as a conversation, an art form that thrived on intuition and feeling. ‘You gotta listen to what the dish tells ya,’ she’d say, her words lilting with a calm ease. Her kitchen was a place of movement and flow—flavors added with instinct, not measurement. If something felt off, she’d adjust without hesitation. ‘It’s all about trustin’ yourself,’ she’d explain, her voice steady and sure.

Alaric, meanwhile, moved through life with the focus of someone who grew up measuring success in inches of snow and minutes of sunlight. His voice carried the clipped cadence of Rochester winters, efficient and deliberate. He loved the logic of recipes, the promise that if you followed each step, the outcome would be certain. ‘Why overcomplicate things?’ he’d ask, not unkindly but with a steady pragmatism. For him, cooking was about precision, about honoring the method that brought results.

One evening, the twins decided to host a dinner. Demy’s mind danced with ideas—a soup that balanced sweetness and spice, tang and depth. ‘I’ll know it when I taste it,’ she thought, pulling out saffron, garlic, and cumin without hesitation. Her movements were intuitive, her confidence rooted in years of listening to her instincts. Meanwhile, Alaric prepared a dish as thoughtfully as he might assemble a puzzle, each piece fitting just so. He checked his measurements twice, calibrated the oven temperature exactly, and set his timer with the precision of an engineer.

Their friends arrived—Haylen, Mark Crayon, Julia, Ovid, Bobbie Roberts, and Merle Seton with his wife. The kitchen became a space where the twins’ differences were on full display. Demy’s counter was lively, the air scented with the sharpness of lime and the warmth of cinnamon. Alaric’s workspace, by contrast, was clean and orderly, his focus undisturbed.

When the meal was served, their approaches came together at the table. Demy’s soup, rich with layers of flavor, surprised and delighted with every bite. Alaric’s roasted chicken was flawless—tender, perfectly seasoned, and dependable. Both dishes reflected their creators’ personalities, and both were deeply appreciated.

After dinner, the twins sat together, their conversation reflecting the same duality.

‘Your soup,’ Alaric began, his tone measured but warm, ‘was impressive. You just know what to add, like it’s second nature.’

Demy smiled, leaning back. ‘I guess I’ve just learned to trust the process. Sometimes it ain’t about followin’ the rules—it’s about findin’ what fits in the moment.’

Alaric nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. ‘But there’s value in the rules too. If the plan is solid, why change it?’

‘Maybe it’s not about changin’ or stickin’,’ Demy replied thoughtfully. ‘Maybe it’s about knowin’ when to do one or the other.’

Their words lingered in Ice Rivers’ mind long after the dinner ended. The twins weren’t just characters—they were reflections of himself. For years, he’d clung to the structure and certainty of Rochester, unwilling to let go of its steady rhythm. But Carolina was teaching him something new: that there’s a kind of creativity in letting go, in trusting the flow of a story or a life.

As he stared down at the page—the very one you, the reader, hold in your hands—Ice smiled. His pen hovered, caught between the methodical precision of Alaric and the instinctive creativity of Demy. Then, slowly, it began to move, guided by the balance he had finally come to understand.

‘To trust and intention,’ Ice murmured to himself. And with that, he wrote—not just a story, but a reflection of the harmony he’d found within."

[andersonpress]

Quarantine Recipes for When You Wake Up at 4AM on FriMonWednesday

Originally written: April 26, 2020

What day is it bitch? #Socialdistancing has revealed how flimsy the concept of time truly is. I mean even saying the word routine out loud nowadays just feels violent. 

To add insult to injury, everybody and their fucking mom are out here making banana bread and focaccia?? Now don’t get me wrong - heal as necessary and also pass me a plate. But I truly don’t know where yall are getting this energy from! While we have had more ‘time’ to discover new hobbies, I’ve been using it to recover from whatever the fuck time clock the world has BEEN on. 

Before stay-at-home orders started rolling out I was already cooking quick, easy, cheap, and yummy meals - I’m in graduate school LMAO. The hecticness of my life has always made me sacrifice my diet. In “NY Resolutions ” I explained how I often went for fast food, frozen meals, instant noodles because I really didn’t give a flying fuck what I was eating - I did not think I was worth wellness. I went over that hill, learned more about ecofeminism, went vegan, went vegetarian, went pescatarian, back vegan, back to meat...you get the picture (My stomach is literally calling me a dumb bitch all the time). To be honest, my wallet is funny honey. I can’t always afford (monetarily and with time) to cook meals with the most expensive ingredients. So as a way to combat this issue I decided to stick with the same couple of recipes for a few months; then I’ll find some more and cook those - and the cycle repeats. 

These recipes are ones that I have been rotating in and out for the past year. They take less than 30 minutes from preparation to plate, they taste bomb, and last for about two days! Go ahead and try these, let me see what you make! Tag me in your recipes on Instagram @taywaits - I would love to see how y'all put your own twist on these delicious recipes. 

Recipes

Quick, Easy, and No Egg Brownies

Ingredients

1 box of Brownie Mix 

3 Eggs

¾ cup of Oil

¾ cup of Butter (Melted)

Add Walnuts, Potato Chips, or Pretzels for a Salty Crunch

Baking Pan

Directions

Preheat oven according to your pan and what the Brownie Mix recommends

Combine wet ingredients into bowl 

Add dry ingredients 

Empty mix into pan

Bake at predetermined temperature 

Enjoy! (Add some ice cream and cherries on top! You deserve it!)

Baked Chicken with Veggies, Rice 

Ingredients

However many servings of chicken 

1 packet of onion soup mix

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 bag of frozen vegetables

90 second Jasmine Rice 

1 teaspoon of butter

Garlic Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Pepper, Salt, Lemon Pepper (any other seasonings you want)

Baking Pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place raw chicken into a bowl and season thoroughly

Place chicken into baking pan  

Put onion soup seasoning into bowl and mix with 1 cup of water 

Add frozen vegetables next to chicken in pan 

Empty mix into pan making sure to cover vegetables and chicken

Bake at predetermined temperature for 20-25 minutes

5 minutes before chicken finishes heat up rice in microwave with butter and salt 

Fluff rice, pull out chicken and veggies from the oven

Serve and Enjoy!

Chickpea Entree with Rice and Naan 

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas/garbanzos

1 premade Butter Chicken or Tikka Masala sauce

1 tablespoon of olive oil

¼ of an onion

1 clove of garlic

1 Jalapeño

90 second Jasmine Rice or Leftover Rice 

1 teaspoon of butter

Garlic Toaster Naan

Garlic Salt, Cajun Seasoning, Pepper, Salt, Lemon Pepper, Turmeric, Red Pepper Flakes (any other seasonings you want)

1 Medium Sized Pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Chop all vegetables up

Put oil in pan and wait for the oil to get warm

Put chopped veggies into oil and cook until transparent/soft

Add garbanzos/chickpeas and stir

Add sauce to pan and rice 

Place naan into oven 

Stir together for 5 minutes

Turn off pot, take out naan from oven 

Add butter to naan

Serve and Enjoy! Add turmeric and red chili flakes to chickpea entree. 

I hope these recipes bring you some joy in these strange times. Make sure to take it easy on yourself!

[shadowtechteller]

Peek behind the pixelated curtain…

with 'Inside the Narrative: Your Monthly Muse and News.' Unravel a skein of cryptic codes and get hooked on the freshest plots brewing in the digital cauldron of intrigue. Your monthly dispatch awaits, brimming with titillating teasers, insider insights, and a treasure map to the next big thrill. Subscribe now and decode the mystery!"

Dearest Readers and Fellow Adventurers,

Have you ever found yourself lost in the pages of a novel, so enraptured by the world unfurling before your very eyes that the concept of time becomes mere background noise? That's always been the dream – to craft tales that cling to your thoughts, daring you to place the book down. A few years back, I took the plunge into these narrative waters and, oh, the things I've discovered about spinning a yarn!

Let me bring you into the fold of my journey, one laden with learning curves and enlightening missteps. Storytelling, I've come to realize, is much like hosting an elaborate dinner party. You hope to serve up characters so rich and savory that you – dear guests of this literary feast – can savor each layer of their depth and complexity. And, just like any skilled host avoids over-spicing the soup, I've learned it's prudent to sidestep the hot peppers of politics and religion – curious companions at any table.

As for the language of my tales, "nice" is the seasoning of choice, coupled with characters who, while often marred, possess an inner steel. They're the types who, despite the storm within, can navigate through internal tempests with a kind of grace that borders on balletic.

In my daylight hours, I don the cap of The Architect or Tech Leader – titles that sit quite comfortably alongside novelist, if I do say so myself. It's all about blueprinting, whether it's weaving code into the digital tapestry or threading a plot through the loom of imagination. And from time to time, The Architect of my pages might waltz into the scene, a trickster with a toolbox full of surprises.

The “Code of” series courses through the veins of my novels, a DNA helix that binds the essence of intrigue with the enigma of humanity's reach. Picture a world where every scientific mystery is a Rubik's Cube, coding the keys to secrets that sway in the balance. My narratives tap-dance on the fine line where the next eureka moment could either illuminate civilization or cast it into untold chaos.

Oh, the precipice of human decision-making! My characters shimmy along this ridge, grappling with the bioethical conundrums that could give even Socrates a run for his money. They stand in the reflection of the looking glass, pondering if the shadow lacing their every step belongs to a friend or a foe—or perhaps, a fragment of their own soul.

Now, don’t think for a moment that my tales are all storms and furrows. Shades of gray paint the landscape, with each character navigating a chessboard where every pawn and knight may hide a secret smile or a dagger. It's a dance, darling readers—a waltz with tech, a tango with mystery, and occasionally, a cha-cha with the unexpected.

The battlefield is vast—not just of wits and wills but of innovation itself. The charge of my stories? To illuminate the enduring conflict between light and dark, the inherent nobility that wages war against base desires cloaked in the guise of progress. It's about wielding the spark of creation without igniting the fuse of destruction.

Prepare for a literary feast as I present Code of Retaliation, Code of Shadows, Code of Change, Code of Convergence, and Code of Genesis. These digital delicacies will grace my website and the virtual shelves of Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with the promise of paperback and hardcover editions to adorn your physical libraries. And soon the Code of Ascendency will be released. My commitment is to release two to three new novels each year.

But wait, there’s more! Aspiring to be a beacon in the tech-literary community, I pledge to launch blog posts brimming with tech talks, mystery musings, and art that's nothing short of ‘wall-worthy’. Find these musings cascading across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, where they'll weave through the social tapestry to inspire, delight, and sometimes confound.

Together, we'll delve into dystopian depths, scale utopian heights, and sometimes, just sip tea in the garden of curious contemplations. Stay tuned, for our adventure is but a page turn away.

Until next time,

Doug Bachelor

P.S. For all you night owls and daydreamers, consider this your invitation to join me under the story tree. There’s plenty of room, and the tales? Endless.

[dkniade]

Offering to Cook Food and Seeing Your Reaction

ITTO, ALBEDO, ZHONGLI, KAEYA

(Not intended to be reader inserts but you can think of them that way.)

.

Experiment Notes

To get a feel for how Itto talks in English dub and try an informal speaking style

To properly appreciate food and incorporate a character’s setting to their dish

To convey key character traits in a short mundane scenario within a small word count

To imply what the other interlocutor said by the character’s reaction and change in topic in the next lines

Content Notes: Albedo’s part shows him being people-pleasing and having difficulty accepting compliments. Zhongli’s part briefly touches on grief and implied character deaths.

ITTO: Cooking Food

You hungry, buddy? Snacks are great but with that sorta growl— Hah! You’re gonna need something more. Well, you’re in luck~ Arataki “Number One Gourmet” Itto knows a whole menu’s worth of dishes by heart. Fried, sauced, pan-seared, you name it!

ITTO: Dish-Tasting

Tastes good, yeah? Heh, when you’ve got a gang to feed, y’learn to whip up bites that’d keep ya full. ‘Course, they come back askin’ for seconds! I know, I know, don’t be shy~ Get in line. I’ll whip up ten more batches! Hahahaha!

-----

Man, your tummy’s growling—

--

I know it tastes amazing.

‘Course it’s good! That’s all these years of cookin’ for the gang! That’s right!

.

ITTO

good at cooking snack food for the gang (think 小摊 or 夜宵 sorta food)

Easy to make stuff that are oily and deep fried, going all ham in sauce 

huge ego, lighthearted, cares for Arataki gang

It’s quite surface ‘cause that’s what I got from his Voiceline profile

ALBEDO: Cooking Food

You’re hungry? I suppose I’ve carelessly let time slip by indeed… Very well, I’ll prepare some Sunshine Sprat. I imagine you’ll need a larger serving than me with your constant travels. Still, I hope it satisfies your hunger.

ALBEDO: Dish-Tasting

How is it? It may seem simple, but this dish requires slow cooking over low-heat for the butter to melt into the fish completely. I removed the bones and applied seasoning, but it may still be a bit bland for you. …Ah, it’s delicious? Yes, the ingredients are fresh from lakes at the bottom of the mountain. …My cooking skill? The combination of ingredients to create reactions is not unlike alchemy, after all. In any case, is the serving size okay? I don’t have a big appetite, so— …I— Traveler… Erm, excuse my reaction to… Thank you. I’m happy to hear that…

----

You’re hungry, you say? 

If I may ask, do you prefer Mondstadtian snacks or a full dish? …

----

Though seemingly simple, this dish requires

I made sure to remove the bones as they might be unpleasant for you,

…Ah, really? I’m glad it satisfies your hunger, then.

…Ah, it’s delicious? Yes, the combination of ingredients to create reactions is not unlike alchemy.

Because of my skill? It’s nothing.

If you need more— It was the perfect size?

.

ALBEDO

Good at making Sunshine Sprats and knows some Mondstadt snacks Klee likes

Quality and elegance over size in cooking

Takes great care in cooking and making sure the one eating is satisfied 

(wait, he’s asking a lot of questions, this feels a little extreme, ah but it’s taking care of his friend, so he wants to know despite his lack of experience)

Too worried about others’ reactions and living up to their standards 

Explains compliments away by linking cooking to alchemy, but eventually takes compliment for himself 

This last part was hard to word

ZHONGLI: Cooking Food

The art of cuisine takes patience and skill, so the preparation cannot be rushed. This soup requires a certain technique and seasoning, but its ingredients are minimal so it will only take six hours to prepare… Although, I’ve been advised to prepare it beforehand so you do not suffer from hunger for so long. Please wait for an hour for the last few ingredients to be fully cooked…

ZHONGLI: Dish-Tasting

At times like this, I look back on memories I’ve shared with my companions. Years pass, yet still I wish to taste wine while sailing away from the harbour… Would you like some? …No, that’s all that I ask for. Being able to share mundane moments with you is what makes them memorable. Even osmanthus flowers are more beautiful in your presence.

----

First, one ought to source the fresh bamboo shoots

When preparing dishes, one must have patience 

I’d like you to wait a little longer.

----

The simple act of sharing a 

Years pass, yet still wine tastes the same…

.

ZHONGLI

Good at making Slow-Cooked Bamboo Shoot Soup

High quality ingredients, dish has a refined taste that’s complex but not very strong 

extra patient, doesn’t mind that something takes 6+ hours to prepare, explains origin of every ingredient 

Reminisces on times past and sharing mundane memories with friends 

It explores the meaning of the line in the Chinese some more. Here’s a Twitter thread that analyzes the line from the context of the original Chinese poem and also in Zhongli’s setting

Man the bit about sailing across the harbour and drinking wine only makes more sense in Chinese…  It’s so bittersweet…

KAEYA: Cooking Food

Oh? Well, you’re in luck. I happen to know a few dishes that pair nicely with wine. …What? You don’t drink? Such a shame that I can’t share this joy with you! Still, I assure you these will be delectable even with apple cider.

KAEYA: Dish-Tasting

What? Surprised that I know how to make ham samples with olives and cooked fish? Hehe, don’t you know Cider Lake provides many ingredients for bar dishes? Of course I can make them anytime I want, but it’s more fun seeing you enjoy them~ Eating with good buddies tops even the best of wine, wouldn’t you say?

-----

Well, I’d say we deserve a break after all this work today. 

Such a shame that you can’t enjoy the full experience with me!

Well, I assure you these ones will satisfy you even with apple cider.

KAEYA

good at cooking 下酒菜 (like fried vegetables and fish) 

(German ham samples, olives, and cooked fish) 

Always knows the best alcohol to pair with the dish

Teases, lazy about work, but confident in his cooking skills while praising the taste of wine

Puts emphasis on praising the Traveler’s presence

Drops a line about how it always tastes better with friends around 

The line between explicitly complimenting the Traveler and implying his loneliness is so damn thin

I am flattered writing this 

.

.

.

[baeddel]

i logged back in to shill my gf’s thing (listen to it!). love and miss you all, but god life is better without tumblr. how are you doing? how about i tell you what i’ve been doing?

first of all, i’ve been reading a lot more. with no timeline to scroll, i had to find something lazy to do in bed. i never really read a lot for pleasure before. i generally read in a very goal oriented way, to find support for an argument or to reference something. lazy, idle reading is a bit new to me. i’ve been reading Slayers, the light novels, which are really good. really funny, especially when it gets going, which made me think about comic writing. i read a bit of a ‘sex farce’ play from 1897—a ‘sex farce’ combines pornography and comedy in a live performance—La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler.

according to wiki the most celebrated author of sex farces was a French playwright known as Georges Feydeau. who, after his first play was unsuccessful, took a year to himself to study the comic masters “Eugène Labiche, Alfred Hennequin and Meilhac.” who? maybe my French mutuals know them, i certainly had never heard of them. but of course, now i must study them. although i guess i’m studying my own comic maîtres, starting with Hajime Kanzaka.

why study them? well, i’ve been writing a lot more too. well, not writing more—writing much less than if i was ranting to you every day on here. but writing more fiction. you see, i’ve changed priorities a little bit. a lot of writers ‘reward’ themselves with other activites if they’ve done their writing, for example by saying, if i write 2k words today then i can use social media, so they can motivate themselves and get rid of distractions. whereas i generally did the opposite, treating fiction as a reward for completing my studies. as a result, progress on my fiction was slow, but i didn’t really mind because it was a side thing anyway. but now i’m not getting into arguments everyday i realized i’d like to finish more of my writing, and take on bigger fiction projects. so i’ve been doing the opposite, taking my fiction writing goals seriously and reading non-fiction in my spare time. as a result, i’ve started struggling a lot to hit my fiction writing goals, but i’ve read and even finished a bunch of academic books, at a pace i could never muster previously. oh Fortuna . . . i am reminded of Baudrillard’s quip that “[f]or a healthy distribution of energies, the best thing is to commit one’s cowardice in the service of a good cause and one’s courage to the service of the bad ones.” anyway, progress has still not been terrible. i’ve been tracking it in a spreadsheet. this month i wrote 11k words, at a pace of about 900 words per hour, and mustering about 1-2.5 hours of writing on days i do write. the problem is that there are many days i don’t. so i’m working on writing more consistently. if i can manage one writing session per day, then i’d be writing 27k-67k words per month. imagine that? gosh . . . it would be hard to do that, but after all when i started studying i could only suffer 2 pages per day, and now i average about sixty, perhaps more now, every day. so who knows?

i’ve taken a break from learning Old English. i just needed a break. and i’m going to reformulate my approach, focusing less on anki and more on translating. but i am itching to get back to it by now. especially because my fiction writing is tied quite intimately to my Old English studies. Old English and its corpus is a deep well, and without it writing my stories is like sucking on a dry spout.

i’ve been spending a lot of time with my girlfriends, which makes me happy. and, finally, i’ve been cooking a lot! i get spurts every so often, so i don’t expect it to last forever. but i’ve been enjoying it immensely. mostly pumpkin soup, i especially lovingly prepare the stock. it’s pumpkin season right now, so you should make a batch before they all go away.

and the best part? i don’t give a fuck what anyone on tumblr is arguing about today. you can have it. take care, fuckers!

[slashersgostabbystabstab]

Halloween Oreos (Michael Myers x Reader)

Original Ask: How about some snack time with Micheal uwu sharing Halloween oreos with his s/o or someone me whose getting close to him. Perhaps they buy him some huehue

_____________

Haddonfield had become a rather quiet place following the Halloween murders, the following years becoming somewhat grim.

Halloween was no longer the same, or at least it was something that made the residents of Haddonfield tense up. Even after thirteen years, people were sometimes too afraid to speak the Boogeyman’s name. At least, people finally came out of their homes, as if the plague was already over with. After thirteen years, one could have said that the Boogeyman was no more.

October had finally come around, and this year Haddonfield was gifted with a veil of fresh white snow on just the third day of the month.

You grunted as you fixed the plastic bags in your hands, the mittens you wore making it somewhat difficult to properly hold them.Today was the day to go out for groceries, a task you only did every now and then due to your current living condition.

“Need help there?” you heard a voice behind you, prompting you to turn and see the cashier that had rung you up in the grocery store.

“Oh! Ah,” you gave a nervous chuckle as you once again fixed the plastic bags. “I-I can bear, thank you though.”

“I really don’t mind lending a hand, especially in this weather.”

“It’s alright.” you insisted, especially after a chill ran down your back, your eyes glancing around as an uneasy feeling came over you. “Thank you, I really appreciate it. I just need to get going right now. Somebody’s waiting for me.”

“Ah, I see.” he nodded, taking a step back as you sighed in relief. “I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Thank you, have a nice day.” you nodded as well, not bothering to watch him leave as you knew the consequences of such things.

As you headed to your car, you took notice of a news crew that had stationed itself across the road, right at a sidewalk that led to another array of stores. The crew was specifically focused on a hardware store that had its glass windows broken, even the farthest eye could see the bloody handprints that were splattered on the walls inside as well as other blood prints.

You shivered at the thought of what had gone down inside, instead focusing on the trunk of your car before loading everything inside. Not paying much attention to the camera crew, or at least not wanting to do so, you hopped into your car to drive out of town. But not before taking a good look at your surroundings, on edge about the eyes that were possibly watching your every move.

_____________

Home was a rather lengthy ride, no more than an hour’s time thankfully, but the searching for it was what made up for that isolation you required. Considering the situation you lived in, your partially preferred living arrangements lie in the woods outside of town, where things were calm and quiet.

Hopping out of your car, you felt as the snow began to fall once again. This meant that in the morning, the veil would be much thicker and there was no going out, especially as your small home was situated in a deep part of the woods.

Hearing your boots with every step, you unloaded the groceries which would definitely be taking more than one go. You made your way towards the cabin in front of you, coming to stop after walking onto the porch as your eyes caught crimson.

Right on the wood were boot prints, every single one as red as the blood from the hardware store.

Your eyes followed the trail that led to the door itself, and you took notice of it being ajar.

Dropping the bags onto the porch, you placed a hand on the door to cautiously take a step inside. The creak of the door was enough to have you jump back the slightest bit, especially as your eyes continued to examine the trail of blood that led into the kitchen.

Now, you knew not to act like a girl in a horror movie but…

“Hello?” you called out into the emptiness of your home, holding your keys close to either fight with them or immediately flee to the car. “Is that you-”

Soon enough your scream pierced the air as you jumped off the ground, this due to feeling a rough hand clasp onto your shoulder from behind.

Once you had turned around, you groaned at the sight of an older man that stared down at you with dead eyes.

“Michael!” you yelled at him, then fixing your jacket which had slightly crumpled up at the shoulder where you had been grabbed. “I thought you were someone else.”

The man before you in no way flinched, not even bothering to blink as he continued to watch your every move.

“You leave in the middle of the night without a word and leave me alone all day.” you mentioned before passing by him, knowing that he turned his entire body to always be facing you. “Well now that you’re done with scaring the hell out of me, I’m done with the groceries. Won’t need to go out until January I think. I hope so, since it’s starting to get pretty cold out.”

Michael Myers, the Shape or Boogeyman of Haddonfield, stood right at your door with not a care in the world. If anything, your door to your house, was his door to his house. It had been this way for quite awhile now.

A few years actually.

It was surprising that he was not wearing his mask, his blue and clouded eye completely fixated on your figure as you grabbed the bags right at the entrance.

Once you had grabbed the bags at the door and then the remaining ones in the car, you shut and locked the door before being followed by Michael into the kitchen.

After he had spared you years back, Michael had come to act like a cat. Always with his nose on the lookout for what it is you would be feeding him. Hilariously, that was just how Michael reluctantly came into your life.

“I haven’t prepared anything since I’ve been out most of the day.” you admitted, ever so quietly laughing at the soft groan that rumble in Michael’s throat. “I did find some sweet goodies at the market though. Especially at WalMart.”

Michael didn’t always understand the things you talked about, but he was always listening. Always watching. Learning.

“They have these new cookies for the season. The orange looks kind of funny, but I’m pretty sure they taste the same as the originals.” you mentioned as you set the groceries on the counter, looking through the bags as you began to put everything in its place. “I also got you some stuff to shave off that scruff.”

Michael’s eyes darted down in an attempt to look at his chin, instead seeing you hand placed under it as you softly rubbed your thumb on it.

“Though I have to admit that it’s starting to grow on me.” you smiled before making your way back to the groceries. “Just like the greys in your hair.”

It really had been a few years since you had met Michael, a relationship forming after a pretty good while. He was in his mid-twenties, practically a middle-aged man now who hadn’t been found by the authorities this entire time thanks to you.

As you began to prepare a hot beverage for yourself, and Michael who you knew would ignore it but drink it behind your back, you knew that Michael was watching you intently. His eyes were glued on your hands that grabbed a pumpkin you had purchased. Somehow, he had not even realized the large vegetable as you brought it in.

“Found a recipe you might like, especially for the cold.” you spoke before grabbing a kitchen knife, one that piqued Michale’s interest but was not enough to have him snatching it away due to its size. “Especially with all the pumpkins that are out now.”

To his dissatisfaction, you set the knife down besides the pumpkin on the counter before facing him.

“But before I make that, I’m gonna go change. These clothes are starting to make me feel stuffy.” you removed your jacket as you walked around the counter and out the kitchen, for once not being followed by Michael who was now focused on the knife you had left behind.

Knowing that you would be too focused on finding one of his shirts to wear, he approached the counter to take hold of the knife, bringing it to his face to admire how it shone under the kitchen light. He first held it pointing upwards, but changed it so that he was instead gripping it with the blade pointing down. His head craned to the vegetable beside him, and instinct got the best of him.

“I see you got started with the pumpkin.” he heard your voice, turning around after having jabbed the knife down into the pumpkin which had more than a simple wound.

Michael grabbed the knife once again to pull it out, his entire body facing you once again as he tilted his head at your figure.

Your eyes fell to the knife that contained a bit of pumpkin residue, even a seed or two managed to slip out due to Michael’s brute strength. Now your eyes were on his blank features, and you couldn’t help but give him a smirk.

_____________

It wasn’t often that you lit the fireplace as to avoid any attention from outsiders, especially authorities who had honestly given up on the search for Michael despite his former psychiatrist’s demands, but you believed that tonight was just the night for a warm fire.

Despite the cold weather, you only wore one of Michael’s shirts with socks, perhaps a little something on your bottom. You figured that there wasn’t an entire need for covering yourself when Michael was your human blanket, and one that refused to come off you.

With all of the day’s work done, you sat on the couch, or more like Michael’s lap as he sat on the couch. Your legs were crossed as your torso was constricted by Michael’s strong arms, his chin casually laying on top of your head as you ate the last of your pumpkin soup.

Both pairs of eyes stared up ahead, almost next to the fireplace where your TV screen was placed. You were both watching the moving pictures, or at least Michael resumed that when you made comments about the movie.

“That’s so cheesy, no girl would scream and faint on the spot if she saw a monster.” you ever so slightly shook your head, Michael’s chin too heavy to actually complete the motion. “At least, nowadays. However, that looked like that one scene from the latest Child’s Play movie where the guy has a heart attack.”

It was an old monster movie kind of night, your mood demanding it and Michael no doubt being curious. Frankenstein actually seemed to catch his attention.

The man’s eyes glanced down at you as he saw your arms stretch out with your empty bowl, attempting to put it on the coffee table in front of the couch. This of course was quite impossible with Michael holding you back, his grip on you only becoming tighter as you were managing to barely escape his grasp.

“Michael!” you groaned, pulling your head forwards until his arms made a ring around your hips after you were able to snake the top part of your body out.

As you reached out to set the bowl down, you felt Michael bury his face right into your back before rubbing himself all over and taking in your scent simultaneously.

“I just want to put the damn bowl down.” you wheezed, eventually releasing a sigh of relief when your glass bowl safely landed on the table. But it made you also pleased to have grabbed the plate you had prepared along with the bowls of soup, making sure it or its contents didn’t slip out of your hands as you adjusted your body to the former position.

Michael gave a grunt as he placed his chin on your head again, this time making sure that you had no way of escaping him.

“You wanna try one, Michael?” you lifted the plate just a bit, having Michael peer down at the plate that contained black little circles that smelled weirdly to him. “They’re the newest Oreos. The cookies I mentioned earlier.”

You placed the plate on your lap, wishing that that was enough to hold them up while you took one of the cookies and offered it up to Michael.

“I don’t have any milk right now because you’re not gonna let me get any, so take it like this.

Michael squinted at the cookie, the orange filling enough to have him blinking at least once. In this state of his, you were able to break free and spin your body in place so that your legs were no longer crossed but instead on either side of Michaels’ waist. The plate of cookies was safely put on the empty space of the couch so that nothing could fall.

Having a mind of their own, Michael’s hands wrapped themselves around you as he once again stared at the cookie.

“It’s just a cookie Michael.” you giggled, lowering it before taking a bite out of it yourself.

Michael’s eyes landed on your lips, watching the way they moved as you chewed the cookie piece. Tiny black crumbs adorned your lips, every now and then shifting the more you chewed.

You watched him as well, finding it how funny his curiosity was. So, you popped in the remainder of your cookie before eating it as well, now feeling one of Michael’s arms leave your waist.

Instead, his fingers brushed against the warmth of your skin as his nails carefully scraped your cheeks. The tips of his fingers now coming close to your lips, his index finger actually on your bottom lip before it pulled it down and open.

“Michael,” you breathed out, knowing that Michael was merely observing the crumbs left on your lips.

Blinking up at Michael, you saw as he brought his face down to yours. His lips now dangerously close to yours as he continued to play with your bottom lip, making your breath hitch as he neared more and more.

Soon enough you closed your eyes when Michael closed the gasp, but not with his lips but his tongue.

Your eyes shot open as you felt his tongue lick the corner of your lip, continuing onto your lips themselves. You placed your hands on his shoulders, gripping onto them as you felt his own twist around the shirt you wore.

Your lips had already been parted from the shock of Michael’s actions, that good enough for Michael to slip in his tongue to get a taste of your mouth.

He didn’t care about your nails digging into his shoulders but in fact enjoyed it, pressing your chest against his as his tongue continued to explore your cavern, tasting every bit he could. But before you could follow along with his treatment, Michael retreated himself and looked down at you with half-lidded eyes that matched yours. Well, his didn’t have as much emotion as yours for he was difficult to faze of course.

“Michael?” you sighed at him, thoughts clouded with what just happened. You were then snapped out of it when Michael let go of you with one hand, reaching to the side where the plate of cookies was.

He had grabbed another one, bringing up in between your faces and leaving it there for just a moment. Soon after, he brought it to your lips, scraping it against them before slowly slipping it in so that you could take a bite.

As you chewed the cookie, Michael took the other piece into his mouth, leaving the two of you with crumbs on each of your lips.

His tongue slid out once again, licking the crumbs off of his lips before you got the memo.

The flush on your cheeks was more than enough to warm you up on this chilly October night.

[alj4890]

I have an ask? What if Liam got Riley pregnant when they first met in New York? Would he still have to go through the social season? Would she have to raise a baby on her own would Liam find a way to help?

Ooooohhhh. Interesting. That would be quite the conundrum for them, wouldn't it? Especially since the social season starts the very next day after he visited her bar. Hmmm. Let's see what I can do with that time frame. I'm going on the assumption that the social season lasts at least three months with all the parties and traveling they do. Which will help out with the pregnancy part 😉 I think she would still go and take part in the social season since she wouldn’t know she was pregnant yet, but it would definitely alter how things end in book 1.

Masterlist

@gkittylove99 @darley1101 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg @twinkleallnight @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305

Aftereffects

Three months earlier...

"Well?" Riley tilted her head to study Liam's profile. "What do you think?"

He cleared his throat. Lips parted, yet no words were formed. Liam had so many emotions hitting him all at once that a mere stranger had made his one wish come true.

His eyes went from the Statue of Liberty to the woman responsible for him being able to see it.

"I'm speechless." He lowered his head, lips curving in a shy smile. "I've never been so moved in my life than I am in this moment with you."

She smiled and turned her attention toward the iconic monument. "She's really something, isn't she?"

He turned toward Riley. His eyes traveled down her beautiful face softly lit by the dull light coming from the ferry they were on and the sliver of moonlight from above.

"Yes," he moved closer to her. "She really is."

Riley looked up at him. Her heart raced at the tender longing she saw in his eyes. He seemed so lonely. So in need of encouragement. So in need of affection.

Before he could step away, she snagged his lips in a tender kiss.

He froze for two seconds before crushing her to him. He allowed all the feelings he kept to himself pour out as a fuel to draw moans from her. The desperation he had been feeling since his brother abdicated didn't seem to exist around this woman.

His kisses traveled down her neck.

"Liam." She sighed when he returned to her mouth.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as he pressed her back against the railing.

"I don't want this night to end." He murmured.

It took a physical effort to stop.

"Neither do I." She cupped his cheek. "I know you leave tomorrow."

He nodded, already feeling the heavy yoke that was about to be thrust upon his shoulders.

"It's not quite tomorrow though." She kissed along his jaw as she whispered. "We can still enjoy the rest of tonight."

"Riley, I--you know I must choose--I couldn't do that and simply leave you to search for a bride." He felt guilty just thinking about it.

He would be the worst sort of cad possible if he were to spend the night in her arms.

He shouldn't have pursued her. The moment she had turned around and greeted him in the bar, he had thought of nothing else except getting to know more about her.

"I want you." She whispered. "If tonight is all we have, then let's make the most of it."

"You have no idea how much I want you." He kissed her once more, completely unable to resist her.

******************

Two and a half months later...

Maxwell winced when he heard the noises coming from Riley's bathroom. Bracing himself, he timidly knocked upon the door.

"You okay in there, blossom?"

"What--" she heaved into the toilet, "do you think?"

"Maxwell!" Bertrand snapped. "What is the hold up. She should have been downstairs fifteen minutes ago."

His eyes widened at the sounds of vomiting.

"Is she ill?" He whispered.

Maxwell shrugged.

"She seemed fine last night." Bertrand thought over the past few days.

"She has been more tired than usual." Maxwell narrowed his eyes in concern. "And this isn't the first time I've heard her throwing up."

Bertrand's stern demeanor turned to worry. "You don't think she's..."

"Think she's what?" Maxwell asked.

"We have been pressuring her to wear the right clothes. I hope we haven't caused her to think she needs to lose weight." Bertrand explained.

Maxwell's eyes widened. He would never be able to forgive himself if he had made Riley think less of her natural beauty.

"Riley!" He anxiously knocked again when they heard nothing but silence. "Can we come in?"

"Sure." Her weak response was followed by her unlocking the door.

The brothers walked inside and saw her sitting in the floor.

Maxwell wet a rag and crouched beside her. He gently cleaned the sweat off her brow, his worry was now off the charts at the half hearted smile she gave him.

"Thanks." She lifted her eyes to Bertrand. "I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to be outside for the--"

"Don't concern yourself with that." He tempered his usual gruff tone. "We must take care of you first."

Tears filled her eyes at how kind he was being. He wasn't berating her or telling her that House Beaumont needed her to win Liam. She wondered where this Bertrand had been hiding. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as the brothers discussed ways to help her feel better.

He ordered Maxwell to pick her up and carry her to her bed.

As she settled back against her pillows, he called down to the kitchen and ordered a tray of soup, crackers, and tea to be brought up.

By the time he was finished, she was crying in full force.

"Riley!" Maxwell sat down on her bed and tried to hug her. "Please tell us what's wrong."

Bertrand reached for her hand. "You do know how lovely you are, right?"

Her eyes widened at that odd question.

"We think you shouldn't change at all." Maxwell added.

"Indeed. Many of the dresses in the boutique are," Bertrand's frown firmed as he tried to think of a way to keep her from thinking her body was at fault, "they aren't properly made. One can never go by sizes there."

"And you're size is perfect. Liam can't keep his eyes off you." Maxwell added. "In fact, you could probably add on some weight and be even more beautiful."

"Indeed." Bertrand latched on to that. "Size does not matter. It is what is on the inside that counts."

Riley lifted her head. "What are you talking about?"

"You're," Maxwell mimed vomiting.

"You must stop." Bertrand added. "You do not need to lose weight."

"I'm not doing it on purpose." She shook her head.

It touched her heart though that they wouldn't want her developing an eating disorder.

"I don't know what's caused this." She explained. "The weirdest smells and motions seem to set it off. Like yesterday, the smell of tomatoes had me running for a bathroom and I've always loved tomatoes."

"Could it possibly be your nerves?" Bertrand sat down at the foot of the bed. "The social season can take a toll on even the most seasoned noble."

"I don't think so." Riley mumbled. "It's like my energy has suddenly been depleted. Of course that could be because of the vomiting."

"So what caused it to start?" Maxwell asked.

"How long has it been going on?" Bertrand added.

"I don't know what set it off. It's been going on for a couple of weeks, but it is getting worse."

"Hmm." Bertrand and Maxwell shared a glance.

"Riley, I hope you don't think badly of me for asking," Bertrand struggled to inquire into something so personal. "But, have you, er...did you..."

She lifted her eyebrows in silent question.

"Before you joined us, were you involved with anyone?" He closed his eyes in embarrassment.

"Involved?"

"Any previous boyfriends or hookups before Liam?" Maxwell clarified.

"Oh!" Her cheeks heated with color. "No. I actually haven't been in a relationship for almost a year now." She lowered her eyes. "I had a bad relationship with a guy and decided to focus on myself once I got out of it."

Bertrand relaxed some. "A wise decision."

"So no one night stands?" Maxwell prodded.

"I've never been that type of..." Her eyes widened. She had been that type for one incredible night.

It was the driving force in making her decision to come to Cordonia in the first place.

"Oh no." She breathed. "The night I met you," her eyes held Maxwell's shocked gaze, "Liam and I sneaked away and..."

Bertrand shot up off the bed. "Wait here."

*****************

"We must be certain." Bertrand stressed. "The bloodwork must confirm what the test showed." His frown was fierce as he stood before the physician. "Discretion is a must in this situation."

"I'll have the results by this evening." The doctor replied. "And only I will run the lab work for Ms. Brooks."

"Here's my number." Riley scribbled it out quickly. "If I don't answer, please send a text and voicemail."

Once he was gone, she sagged back on the bed.

"What do we do now?" Maxwell asked.

"We have a ball to prepare for." Bertrand held up a silk dress. "We missed today's events, but we must make an appearance tonight. Everyone will begin to talk if we don't."

Riley nodded. Her mind though was whirling with the knowledge that she was pregnant.

How will Liam react? Will he be upset? Will he hate me for allowing it to happen? Will he think I'm trying to trap him?

How do I tell him?

Taking the dress, she forced herself to get ready.

***************

"Have you seen Riley any today?"

Drake shook his head. "No. Why?"

"That's strange." Liam folded his arms.

He wondered if something was wrong. He hated that he couldn't spend every single moment with her. What if she had reached the end of her patience with this suitor situation?

He shook his head when Drake offered him a drink.

"You've got it bad." Drake teased.

"Got what?"

"Love."

"I do?"

"Are you saying you aren't in love with Brooks?" Drake smirked. "I've seen you with her. Ever since she showed up at the masquerade ball, you haven't looked at any of the other ladies trying to win you."

Liam couldn't help but smile over that. It was true. His night with Riley in New York had been the most magical of his life. Each moment he had spent with her since then all but reaffirmed that she was the only one for him.

He was thrilled at how the people of Cordonia had fallen for her. The press had only positive things to say about The American that had come to win his hand.

He could picture her smile when she approached him at the masquerade ball.

"I think we both know we have something special. One night together will never be enough for me." Riley whispered as he kissed her hand.

"I agree." He held her hand a moment longer than was deemed appropriate. "It isn't enough." His bright blue eyes shined against the silver demi mask. "Are you certain I'm worth going through these next few months? What if--"

"We end up with our happily ever after?" She finished for him.

He knew he had completely lost his heart in that moment. Our happily ever after. Her optimism that they could have that helped him through every step of this social season. She was the prize he knew he could claim once he passed the final hurdle to be king.

He spent his time in dull conversations daydreaming about their future. How beautiful she would be as a bride. How comforting she would be as they dealt with his father's illness and troubles of their small nation.

Then he dreamed of the family they would have. He hoped they had many children, each with her infectious smile and kindness.

He hoped she would say yes when he asked her to marry him. Even if they never had all these other dreams of the future, he would at least have her and her love.

Then all of this would be well worth it.

He did worry about his father's reaction to the time he spent in her company. Whenever Liam attempted to discuss his feelings about Riley, Constantine would point out another lady of the court. He wouldn't allow his son to go ahead and make a decision.

"You better head downstairs." Drake finished off his drink. "Can't have a ball around here without the prince."

****************

"Any word yet?" Bertrand whispered.

Riley shook her head.

He softly cursed, causing her to burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry." She giggled when he shushed her. "But I would have bet a lot of money that you would never say that word."

He rolled his eyes. "Be that as it may, you should go mingle."

****************

"Lady Riley?" Liam gently tapped her shoulder. "May I have this dance?"

She turned around with a start. "I'd love to."

He took her hand and placed it within the bend of his arm. "You look beautiful tonight."

She gently squeezed his arm. "Thank you." Her eyes lifted to his. "And you're as handsome as always."

"I don't know about that." He winked at her. "But as long as you think so, then I'm content."

He took her in his arms as a waltz began.

"Let's not spin as much as we normally do." She pleaded when he twirled her.

His brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" She said quickly. "Just, um, a little motion sickness from time to time."

"I see." He kept his gaze upon her face. "I missed you today."

"You did?"

"I always do whenever you're not around." He admitted with a sheepish grin.

"That's so--" she felt the vibration of her phone.

She stopped dancing, causing Liam to nearly trip

"Riley, is something--"

"Excuse me, I have to--that is--this is from--" she ducked out a nearby door before all her revelations came tumbling out.

***************

She plopped down on the edge of a small couch and read the message from the doctor.

Hitting the link, she read the results of her bloodwork.

Her breaths came in and out in short gasps.

I'm really pregnant.

"Riley?"

All the color drained from her face as she looked up at Liam.

He shut the door to the ballroom and knelt before her.

"What is it?" He took her icy hand in his. "Is something wrong?"

She licked her dry lips and tried to tell him.

"Yes. No. I'm not sure."

He pressed a kiss to her hand. "Whatever it is, I will do all that I can to help you."

She blinked back tears. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." He laced his fingers with hers.

"Do you," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "do you love me?"

"I do." He admitted. "I had planned on telling you during the Coronation Ball."

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed. "I need you to be completely honest with me right now."

"I am." He lowered his gaze to their clasped hands. His thumb brushed against her skin. "I know I'm not supposed to say anything until then, but you are the one I will pick to marry," he looked up at her, "if you want to."

She bit down on her bottom lip. "Do you want children?"

"Yes, and not just for the continuation of the Rhys holding the crown." His smile gentled. "I want a family with you, selfishly for myself. I want all the holiday memories spent with them, watching them see the world with wonder, and seeing our traits passed on, especially yours." He chuckled. "Heaven help me if we have a daughter like you. I will be completely wrapped around her little finger."

Riley couldn't believe she was hearing all she needed to from him.

He really is Prince Charming. My Prince Charming.

"Do you remember the night we met?" She asked.

"How could I forget?"

She grimaced at the worry that still gnawed at her mind.

"My love," Liam sat down beside her. "Please tell me what troubles you."

"I had not been with anyone in a long time." She began. "I mean, no one for months when we spent the night together."

Liam merely listened, wondering where she was going with this.

"I didn't think in the heat of the moment. I should have. It was irresponsible, but I was so swept off my feet..." She took a deep breath. "And I found out today that I'm pregnant."

His fingers tightened around hers.

"I'm sorry. I know with the--"

"Pregnant?" Liam interrupted her. "You're certain?"

"The doctor just sent me the results of my blood work. That with the test I took and the physical exam confirms it." Her eyes widened when he suddenly stood up and took her into his arms.

The kiss he gave her weakened her knees. His arms held her as if she was the most delicate piece of porcelain.

"Marry me." He said between kisses.

"That kinda was the whole point of me coming here." She teased, once she saw how happy he was.

He smiled against her lips. "Is that a yes?"

"It is."

He stepped back and took hold of her hand. With quick strides he had them back in the ballroom.

Waving the conductor to stop the music, he held his hand up. "May I have your attention please!"

The court stilled as all eyes turned toward him.

Ignoring the hushed questions coming from his father, he settled his arm around Riley's waist.

"Lady Riley has made me the happiest man this evening. She has accepted my proposal of marriage and has told me that within a few months or so," he turned his adoring gaze upon her, "we will have an heir to the throne."

Constantine staggered back at this announcement. He had no idea the couple had become that close.

Regina called for champagne to be brought to all the guests as she embraced the young couple.

Liam held his glass up. He decided to force his parent to officially accept Riley in front of the entire court. He suspected that if he had not announced the fact they were expecting, that Constantine would find a way to break their engagement. He didn't know why he felt such unease with his father when it concerned Riley, but he wasn't going to leave anything to chance when it concerned her.

"Father? Would you like to give the toast?"

Constantine cleared his throat. Seeing no way around it, he stepped forward and lifted his glass. He hoped for Liam's sake that this woman would not be detrimental to his rule.

"To my son and the lady he has chosen. May they have all the happiness that I have found with my own queen and may their new family continue to serve Cordonia with grace and honor." He turned toward them. "To Liam and Riley!"