#I'll leave the spice to the pros

[claudiajcregg]

🥵 Any plans to write steamy or spicy content this year?

👻 Is there a new genre you'd like to write?

🥵 Any plans to write steamy or spicy content this year?

Why was my immediate answer a 'no' 🫣 tbh no one wants my cringy spice. No concrete plans but I imagine there might be a quick scene or two like that in the long fic (there are already a couple suggestive moments). After all, I wasn't planning on writing the expanded au version of one of those one-bed ficlets either, but that happened and it's a thing that exists. At this moment, I don't see myself posting it, or even sending it to my trusty beta, but who knows!

👻 Is there a new genre you'd like to write?

Sure! I don't know what genre I haven't explored yet, but I'd love to take a more serious crack at gen/plotty fics. I don't think I'm made for those, though. (Maybe some angst, too? I have written it, but most of my posted fics have veered more toward hurt/comfort.)

Thank you for your questions, anon! Even if they put me on the spot, lol. More here.

[lou-struck]

A Filthy Pumpkin Drink

Izuku Midoriya x reader

Flufftober Day 1- Seasonal Drinks

WC: 1.3k

~Izuku has an awkward little slip of the tongue when he is ordering you a refill of your seasonal beverage.

~ BOO! Happy First Day of Flufftober (or whenever you choose to read this) you guys!!!

There aren't many things cozier than spending a rainy fall afternoon under the warm string lights of a. The heavenly smells of cinnamon and nutmeg dance through the air, helping numb the minds of those who object to the summer's end. 

Although the leaves of the cutie's well-maintained oak trees have long since changed to brilliant shades of carmine and amber, Izuku's brilliant green eyes still shine like springtime as he sits across from you with a tired smile. Having just gotten off of patrol, your pro-hero boyfriend's usually fluffy hair sits damp against his forehead, darkened from the rainfall as he warms himself in your presence.

As much as you adore him, it's a rarity for you to spend your lunches together. So today is a wonderful surprise. Since he managed to apprehend the villain he was tailing earlier, and got to slip away for an early lunch and meet you at your favorite café so you can try yet another one of the drinks from their locally famous seasonal drink menu. 

Today's drink of choice is a Dirty Pumpkin Pie chai. The sweet, pumpkin pie cold foam goes so well with the spiced chai that you find yourself considering getting another one. The added caffeine may give you enough sparkle to make it through the rest of your beige-colored workday.

"How is your drink, y/n?" your ever-curious boyfriend asks, eyeing your caramel-drizzled cup with interest.

You wipe a bit of cold foam from your lip with a little paper napkin and hold it out to him. "See for yourself, Zuku; it may be the best one yet."

He takes a sip carefully tasting each component of a drink. Can tell from the way his eyes light up that he's a fan. "Oh wow, it's not what I thought it would taste like at all. The tea itself isn't sweet, but when it layers with the foamy stuff, it's really good." 

"I know, right? I would definitely order it again once I try the other drinks on the menu," you smile, taking your cup back from him and enjoying another sip, only to realize that you accidentally brushed your hand against some caramel residue that dripped down the side of your cup.

"I'd like it too," he says, taking a gulp from his own drink, a blended protein shake that doesn't do much for his energy levels but will help his muscles recover from his grueling early morning patrol while he works through a mountain of paperwork. But when he spots another patron walk by your little table with a fresh, toasted sandwich from the display case, his eyes follow them out the door, filled with hungry longing.

"That looks really good," he mumbles quietly. His analytical gaze already dissecting the sandwich's components. You can tell he wants it, but he has always needed a little push to treat himself.

That's where you come in…

"You know, I think I'm going to get a refill to go." You say to the freckled man across from you; you rattle your nearly empty cup for effect. "Sit tight; I'll just head to the bathroom and order you a sandwich before you have to go back to work." 

Izuku, the king of acts of service, simply cannot stand by as you, the love of his life, go and buy himself another coffee when he hasn't gotten the chance to spoil you today. "Uhh, no worries, I'll take care of it." he pouts, pulling his wallet out of the pocket of his Uravity sweatshirt so quickly, you swear he just activated his quirk.

"Are you sure?" you ask, sensing that Izuku isn't going to back down from this. But as you look down at the sticky patch on your hands, you realize that you are far more interested in washing them than fighting a losing battle.

"Of course," he nods determinedly, "What was the name of the drink that you ordered again?"

You shoot him a grin, knowing just how to fluster the man. "I got a dirty Pumpkin Pie Chai."

His eyes widen and he shyly shifts in his seat. "D-do I really have to order it like that?"

You coyly cock your head to the side. "Like what?"

"Say that it's, you know..." he looks around nervously and lowers his voice so only you can hear it. "dirty."

"I mean, that's what it is," you say gently; of course, there are other ways to order a shot of espresso in your drink, but it is so much more fun to lovingly tease him. "But if you are uncomfortable asking for a dirty little drink, I can just order it myself." you tease, watching as his features go from nervous to determined.

"No, I got it," he says, standing abruptly. Without another word, you watch as your sweet boyfriend marches over to the line, ready to order you your drink at the small cost of his dignity.

~

It only took you a minute or so to wash your hands, but you got distracted by the cafe's interesting bathroom wall decor. But when you come back, you see Izuku stepping up to the cash register to order your drink. Sneakily, you creep over to him, just in case he needs help remembering your order. 

"Hey there, what can I get for you?"  the barista with lemon-slice eyes and vine-like hair asks, greeting him with a practiced customer service smile.

"Hi there, may I please get that sandwich?" he asks, extending his scarred hand and pointing to the expertly wrapped katsu sandwich in the display case. 

"Is there anything else you would like?"

"Actually, yes." He says softly. His brows furrow as he glances up at the menu as if he is trying to remember what drink you want. He may not be able to see you from where he is standing, but he can certainly see the ever-growing line behind him. 

You can tell he is feeling the pressure; just as you are about to step in and help him out, he opens his mouth once again. "May I please get one of those… uhh, filthy pumpkin drinks, please?"

"I'm sorry?" the barista's eyes widen in shock and they look at your boyfriend like he has three heads. "Could you repeat that?"

"Oh, that wasn't quite right was it?"  he mumbles, his freckled face turning beet red as he tries to remember what the name of your drink was. 

You hold in your laughter and decide to come to his rescue. You come behind him and grab his arm with a soft smile. "That was a good try, Zuku, but I think I'll take it from here." He visibly relaxes as you give your order to the bewildered barista, who definitely does not get paid enough to have grown men asking for filthy pumpkin drinks.

"Ohh, so that's what you meant," she laughs as your boyfriend swipes his card." I really had no idea what you were talking about."

You put another bill in the tip jar and walk back over to your little table to wait for your order to be brought to you. Izuku sits embarrassedly in his seat and pulls his hood up a bit more to hide himself from the world. 

"I can't believe I did that," he sighs, toying with his empty smoothie cup. "I wanna curl up in a ball and die."

You look at the literal superhero across from you and comfortingly pat his arm. "Oh, don't be like that, Izuku; it really wasn't that bad. I'm sure it happens all the time to other people."

"R-really?" he asks. "Well, if you don't mind, could you not tell anyone? I'd hate to think of how Kacchan and the others would react if they found out about my slip-up today." 

"I promise," you say, leaning in to whisper into the shell of his ear. "Consider it our filthy little secret."

Tagging: @pixelcafe-network @ambiguouslady42

[trashland-llamas]

Mother-Hen

x gender neutral! reader

Reader who has those over the top mother-hen vibes colliding with the grumpy asshole that is Logan Howlett. Who at first avoids Reader like the plague. Growling out how he wants nothing to do with them. To which they don't take any of it to heart, having done this dance a dozen times over.

Seeing it for it was. He didn't want anyone to get close as it meant caring and if he cared about someone, it could then be used against him. And that was simply more unnecessary heartbreak to drown in a bottle of whiskey over. Oh, but it doesn't stop Reader from bulldozing that down.

It all starts when Logan brings a relatively new mutant down to their room instead of the infirmary after a group mission. 'Scared of hospitals and the like. You were the next best thing,' he gruffs out. Seeing the extent of the injuries from how torn up the mutant's clothes are, Reader clears the table, grabbing their first aid kit. Logan laid them down.

Watching from the sidelines as Reader prepares a needle and thread, stitching the mutant's skin together. 'Your turn,' Reader wets a rag to get rid of the dried blood around Logan's already healed wounds. 'I can do that myself.' Too tired to fight against it altogether, Logan takes the rag. 'Thank you, now go. I'll watch over the kiddo.' Their foot now in the door. Letting him leave to the shadows.

The next time they cross paths is late at night when Logan’s abruptly awoken by a nightmare. Deciding to go take a ride on his motorbike when he smells spices in the air. His nose leads him to the kitchen where he sees Reader cooking up a large pot of soup. Their hair tied up into a lump, resting on the nape of their neck. Sleeves rolled up as they chopped vegetables and chicken to go into the broth. The sick season was close upon them.

'Why are you still up, cooking soup?' Logan spoke up after leaning against the wall, his tone accusatory. 'Because of how often everyone forgets to eat. Plus sometimes after missions, it's nice to have something you can just heat up.' Reader answers, watching out of the corner of their eyes as Logan sits down.

'Not to pry, but what's keeping you up?' They had always thought he had a weariness to his bones, outside of the added adamantium. ‘Couldn’t sleep,’ comes his short reply. Not really wanting to talk about it. ‘Touchy subject, got it. Well, you can stay if you like and I can dish you out a bowl when it’s ready. Need someone as a taste tester anyways.’

Logan doesn't respond but ultimately stays, the coziness of the kitchen was better than how he'd feel, standing alone, under the stars. Genuinely desiring company for once; Reader's company.

'Here you go,' pushing a bowl towards him. 'Thanks,' not bothering to blow on the still hot soup. Reader nods, going back to packaging the soup in deli containers. Moving stuff in the fridge around to make room. Logan, after finishing his bowl, takes up the mantle of cleaning the dishes.

Waving away Reader's 'oh, you don't have to do that.' Saying that he wanted to. That and his calloused hands were accustomed to manual labor. It was the least he could do in exchange for some well cooked food, as shown by the grin on his face.

Logan realizes they’ve wormed their way into his heart when he finds them passed out cold on the couch in the common room. Chuffed that at the very least, Reader seemed to have been taking a moment of relaxation for themselves. The battered old tome he had lent to them had fallen to the ground mid-reading.

Their neck at an awkward angle that would definitely hurt in the morning. ‘Really got yourself into a pickle here.’ Taking a minute to argue with himself, running the pros and cons of what he was about to do. Cause yes, he could simply toss a blanket over them and call it a day yet his gut was telling him that wasn’t enough.

‘C’mon, wake up bubs.’ Jostling them by the shoulders, helping them up to a standing position as they’re still half asleep and groggy. ‘Logan?’ Hands guiding them by the shoulders. ‘Yea, it’s me.’

Not realizing in their state that Logan was guiding them towards his room and not theirs. That is until they see all the Americana type decor. ‘What are we doing in your room?’

‘Was closer…the common room’s no place to get sleep with all the busybodies trudging in and out. That and your neck looked like it was killing you.’ Explaining like it was obvious. Sitting on his usual side of the bed, Logan held up the duvet. A silent way of telling Reader to get in.

Too tired to argue with how homy the atmosphere is, they oblige. Climbing over to rest their head on Logan’s chest. His heartbeat easily lulls them back to sleep.

[queers-gambit]

Bloodhounds

prompt: you and your husband have a different kind of foreplay that include disguises, sneaking out of the castle, and sometimes, fucking in an alleyway... Or two.

pairing: Aemond Targaryen x highborn!female!reader no specified House

fandom masterlist: House of the Dragon

word count: 5.7k+

note: also NO physical description of skin, hair, but height IS mentioned inna way and weight IS insinuated because - let's face it - fucking against a wall ain't easy!! this is a STAND ALONE.

warnings: poor excuse for smut, explicit / descriptive language, i guess this is porn with a plot?? (surprise!) there's cursing, Cherry needs to get laid ASAP, stop giving her internet access!! half-edited, author mildly gave up. ✅ spoiler free

"My Lady, how go your studies? Aemond says you're making grand progress," Alicent smiled, leaning back in her high-back chair with a goblet of wine in her always-tight manicured grip.

"Oh," you quickly swallowed the bit of food in your mouth, perfectly trained to take small bites for moments such as these - but also, because it was 'unladylike' to eat with fuller cheeks. With a quick dab of the cloth napkin left on your lap, you nodded at her, "My Lord husband likes to exaggerate. Studies are going well enough, My Queen, but surely, I've much farther to go."

She hummed in contemplation, "From what I've heard, you're planning a trip to Pentos?"

Ah, so this is the reason she wanted you alone.

"I am wrestling with the idea, Lady," you assured softly, "yet, there has been no decision made, nor am I swaying any which way more heavily." You watched her carefully, "You have an opinion on the matter, do you not?"

"How can I not, sweet child," she sighed, setting her goblet down as you did the same to the utensils in hand, "when there is a possibility my son is leaving?"

You couldn't help it, truly. But the laugh was genuine, "My Queen! There is not a world in which I would dare take your son from you. If I decided to venture to Pentos, it will not be with my white-haired husband and his 180-year-old dragon. That warrants attention I do not wish for."

"You are a Targaryen now - "

"I do not look it," you nodded. "I have a no-name face and can still travel undetected. Your son cannot afford the same luxury."

"And yet, I cannot shake this feeling..."

"That feeling you feel is natural for every mother," you nodded, taking a sip of water to clear your mouth and throat of residue. "It is the dread that your children are growing up and will leave, like you were forced to as a girl." Her face was painted in earnest shock. "Do not think so little of me, Your Grace, I've done my fair share of familial research - but also, the maids like to gossip." Alicent chuckled some. "I am truly sorry for your mother, and that you had to leave home to live with your father here... But there will come a time your kids are going to spread their leathery wings and fly. If it's something I've learned in the few, short years of marriage? You cannot hold dragons back. Believe me when I say, I do not want to take your son from you, but should he make his decision, that's only his to make. For now, I am simply weighing pro's and con's. The idea of adventure is a little too tantalizing."

Alicent regarded you for a long moment before slowly nodding, "Then it shall be his decision."

"If you'd like, if I go and end up in Braavos or other, I'll send a barrel of spiced wine."

"Oh, you," she chuckled, waving you off some.

"How fairs the King?"

Alicent paused to smile softly at the woman she married her son to, and for a moment, let her heart beat with pride at such a fine young woman joining her family. Y/N L/N was a woman of great beauty and even greater brains, a woman her son could engage with; a woman she was pleased to see fit in effortlessly. There wasn't a single soul in the entire castle who did not like her - and it came in handy at times.

Y/N was also the only one who ever bothered to ask about Viserys anymore, too. So, Alicent smiled and nodded, "He has his good days and bad."

You nodded slowly. "I remember when my grandfather started to lose his mind... It was gradual, then one day, it was like a switch flipped. For the last few years of his life, he didn't know who I was, but with Mum and Da' out, workin', doin' whatever they needed to, I was with him day in and out... It wasn't easy."

"You've never spoke of your family before," Alicent sat up in intrigue. "Three years being married, six months of courting before that - and you've never spoke of them," Alicent looked at you with a sense of wonder.

"Some family's aren't worth the effort to discuss," you shrugged a bit. "The moment you sent word for the courting season, away I was swept, and my father was adamant on making a match. Can you imagine how happy he was to learn I was courting the Prince?"

"Was he?" Alicent asked softly, giving a knowing look.

"He kept asking if it were true, and asked if his dragon took his eye," you snickered to her. "Kept asking what rumors were true."

"Gods," she chuckled.

"I told him outlandish things," you admitted with a snicker. "He caught on eventually, cursed me to all Seven Hells... Stopped writing, and then word reaches me of his passing. Hm," you shrugged a bit.

"Well, you're better off without, yes?"

"Indeed, I'd say... Look, Your Grace, I have not made any decision about my travels. As of right now, I'm okay reading my books and letting my mind go on adventures - I will tell you when I have made a decision."

"All right..."

"You will be the second to know, after Aemond, of course."

She smiled, "Yes, yes. Of course."

You glanced out the window to the sun's position, finding it nearly completely gone, and turned to your mother-by-law. "Speaking of, I'm sure he's expecting me soon. I'll be going now," you stood slowly, waiting for her to stop you.

"Of course, yes, yes, go on," she smiled. "Thank you for tonight."

"Always my pleasure," you promised with a curtesy, turning after, and exiting the room. "Have a good evening, Ser Cole."

"And you, Princess," he nodded with a soft smile. "Good supper?"

"Oh, you know I have a love-affair with Chef Hayford's cooking," you chuckled, watching him return it with a nod of agreement.

Turning forward, you only had to travel a short way; mostly turning down three different stone corners to reach a more secluded hallway. Aemond preferred solitude, so, when you married, you snagged up the suite in the Western Wing that was newly renovated - but it was "sadly" away from most of the castle's traffic. So, of course it was perfect for the pair of you.

When you slipped in the door, Aemond was standing at the basin of water, shirtless, leaning heavily on the stone and wiping the back of his neck while lost in thoughtful contemplation.

"Aemond?" You questioned softly, shutting the door, and rushing for him. "Are you all right?" When in the light, you saw the discoloration of his skin, whispering, "Oh, my love..."

"It's not so bad," he answered in the same lowered tone.

"Liar."

"No, truly, it's not the worst I've had," Aemond straightened up, looking down at you with a soft smirk. "Hi, poppet."

"Hi," you smiled, letting him lean down some as you rocked to your toes to kiss him in greeting. "How was your day?"

"Cole was brutal in training, but it was good," he nodded, dropping the washcloth after wringing it out. "And yours, my love?"

"Well... Your mother's caught rumor of our plans..."

"What's that mean?"

"She directly asked if I mean to go to Pentos and if I mean to take you with me, as if to take you away from her."

"Gods," his eyes rolled, "swear, the walls have ears in this place."

"Tell me of it," your eyes rolled. "I think she's off the scent for now, but we should be more diligent and a little more careful..."

"Hmm," he considered, nodding after. "Yes, love. Right, then."

"Are you hungry?"

"I could eat."

"How about at Kavvin's?"

"In the city?"

You nodded with a grin, "Feelin' up for a game, love?"

Aemond turned to you fully, hands on your hips and a grin on his lips. "Yeah... Yeah, yeah, I could go for something to eat."

"Start there, then," you whispered.

"You've the time it takes me to clean up and change to get out of here," he smirked, forehead on yours.

You dashed around the room to change into a tunic, trousers, boots, and a thick muted-color cloak. Aemond chuckled to himself as you blew him an air kiss before sneaking through secret passage door... And away you went.

Once out of the Keep's grounds, it was easy enough to lose yourself in the city's streets; but kept to the plan and made for Kavvin's tavern. You slipped in and made quick work of finding the young lad, working on sopping up a puddle of ale, and dashing over to him.

"Princess," he chuckled some, eyeing you up and down. "What's it for you tonight, then?"

"Send him down the Street, I wanna see how far he'll go," you smirked some, squeezing his elbow as you slipped him a Gold Dragon as a tip.

"All right," he shrugged. "Want a drink while you wait?"

"Oh, please, you and I both know that man takes the longest fucking strides in the bloody Realm," you laughed a bit, Kavvin nodding in agreement. "If I want to win, I've gotta go."

"Back door's open," he smirked, pointing you off.

In fact, he had to restrain a laugh when not a full five minutes later, Aemond was stalking into the tavern - eye sweeping the area. He decided that for tonight, he was on your side, and made himself busy with other customers to stave off telling Aemond anything.

However, nobody flagged Kavvin down when they noted the hooded man with one eye stalk up to him.

"My Prince," Kavvin greeted softly, tossing the cloth he was using over his shoulder. "You're out late, aren't you?"

"Hardly," Aemond sighed some.

"Well, you will be," the lad smirked.

"Where's she off to?"

Kavvin shrugged, and Aemond slapped a Gold Dragon to his hand. "Uh, think she made mention of... Well, now that I think on it, 's a bit fuzzy, yeah?"

"Where, Kavvin?" Aemond growled, another coin dropped to his hand.

"Hm, yes," he examined the coin, "think she said something about goin' off down the Street, yes?"

"No, she didn't."

"Swear it, honest," Kavvin nodded. "Said she wanted to see how far you'd go tonight. You do somethin' to piss her off, mate?"

"Not that I'm aware of - though, she might think 'twas I who told the Queen of our plans."

"Well, that makes little sense," Kavvin chuckled, "for even I know, the idea to leave this wretched city was your own..."

"She's an easier scape goat for the courts and help to gossip about," Aemond frowned a bit. "The Street, you said?"

"Street of Silk," Kavvin agreed softly, offering a coin back, "honest, that's where she said she was headin'."

Aemond nodded and turned, leaving the bartender with his hand extended; but it quickly recoiled with a smirk as Aemond took leave. After a chuckle, Kavvin thumbed the coin to flip in the air; catching it in a swipe, then turning as he pocketed his extra coins as a few men grew louder and sloshed ale around - leaving Kavvin in for a long night tending his bar.

The Street of Silk was alive tonight, as it was all other nights. Lowly lit torches hung on the walls lined your way; most wearing hoods and darkened colors to hide themselves. Whores and Mistresses hung out of doorways and windows; hollering, snarling, laughing at any passing customer.

You didn't often dare to venture down this way, but tonight was special; you were in it to win. So, you ducked down a darkened alley and knocked three times, in a specific pattern, at the wooden door.

A moment later, it pulled open.

"What're you doin' here?" Tiyana smirked to you, leaning on the doorway. "My brithday or sum'thin'? Here ta treat me, is it?"

"Not tonight, my sweet," you smirked. "Carry a message for me?"

"To who?"

"My husband."

"Ain't no way," she shrugged. "He don't come down this way, no, ma'am. Ain't nobody seen the One-Eyed Prince 'round these parts since - well..."

"Yeah, yes, yes, I know. But he'll come this way, and I need you to catch his eye. Tell him to go by the markets."

"Oh - I get it," she laughed. "You two playin' that game, innit? Yeah? You two li'l freaks, is it?"

"A bit," you mused softly. "Will you do as I've asked?"

"Gonna come back and entertain me a bit?"

Your head cocked, eyeing her up and down, "Perhaps - though, my husband is often insatiable."

"Say that like I haven't eaten his cum out your cunt before, hey?" She smirked. "All right, yeah, fine, I'll tell 'im if he comes ta see me, yeah?"

"You're my favorite for a reason," you smirked, holding your hand out.

"Lady," Tiyana gasped, weighing the gold in her hand. "Th-This is more than I make inna month, it is! What'chu givin' it ta me for?"

"You've always been loyal and discreet," you eased. "Don't fail me tonight, love."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she grinned. "You're a right Gods-sent Lady, you is. I'll tell yah husband what you want - markets, you said?"

"Yeah, the market stalls," you nodded. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, 'course," she smirked, nodding as you pushed off again into the city's streets.

This time, Aemond was slower to arrive on scene. He stood at the mouth of the rambunctious street, eyeing it with malcontent, but something in his stomach solidified and moved him forward. Bad thoughts and haunting memories swarmed Aemond's guts and mind, but still, he let his feet glide down the natural decline.

His eye surveyed the promiscuous activities around him, finding it would be the perfect place to catch you - but then, someone else was catching his eye.

She leaned in a low-bearing window, tits nearly fully popping out of her shirt; eyes rimmed in coal, and hair pulled off her neck. Her eyes ran over his hood and then noted the lack of an eye, motioning him forward. He didn't want to; there had been many who gestured to him all night, but for some reason, this was different... He glanced around, then moved forward.

"She's been to see you, Tiyana?"

"Not without you, Lord," the whore smirked, sitting herself on the window sill. "She's very loyal, that one."

"Being why you're helping her?"

"I'm helpin' yah both!" She laughed. "I want you both ta get laid, hey? So, listen, right? She went down that way," she pointed, "but said meet her in the markets?"

Aemond paused, lifting his gaze slowly. "Down that way?" He asked, pointing down the alley.

"Mhm - took a left, down there," Tiyana pointed, leaning out of the window a bit. "Can I ask something?"

Aemond sighed, glancing around them to the bustle of the drunken crowd. "Sure, what is it?"

"Why's it you two do this? Hey? Just wonderin' - life so bloody boring, you two need sex games?"

Aemond smirked a bit, "More like... We prefer to keep things interesting. You find new ways to get the blood pumping."

"I know a few ways," she smirked.

"I know," he whispered in agreement. "But you know the agreement - not without my wife."

"Wasn't tryna persuade yah, Princey, just wonderin' why yah's do this," she smirked.

"Keeps things... Fresh."

"Hmm," she nodded.

"Think a hunter and prey, yes?"

Tiyana grinned, "Ah, yes, there it is - yeah. All right, fair enough, my Prince. She went that way, but said markets."

"You're a hidden gem," Aemond smirked some, dropping more coins in her hand.

"And you two are me favorite customers," she winked. "Go on, get goin', she's waitin' on yah out there! Fuck 'er good for me, lad! Hey-hey!" She laughed loudly as Aemond pushed off, heading down the alley he was pointed towards.

Slowly, the sounds of the city fell behind him and Aemond noted the way this path took him closer to the water-ways. With a small smirk, he made a judgement call and ducked down a different alley; peering around to slink in the darkness.

Like a bloodhound on the scent after a weakening deer, the pair of you danced around one another; where one ducked into an alley, the other was tip-toeing away. He grew tired of waiting and decided to look around the market like you had said.

It was there in the maze of market stalls that you saw him, smirking as you quickly exchanged your cloak for a different colored one. From there, you picked up an abandoned basket and slunk around the outskirts of the stalls. You kept an eye on Aemond, moving when he did; keeping distance between you but feeling a little frisky.

So, you took a risk, and casually strolled by him as if intent on picking from the plum cart.

He didn't notice you; your eyes watching from under the hood as his tall figure allowed him to peer over heads. Again, you ducked around the few carts and stalls, just watching him for another moment.

Then, you ventured close to the apples... And again, Aemond was too busy glaring at a man who bumped into his shoulder to notice. You took another risk, and dared asking the vendor a question - voice clear on the air. Still, he did not notice.

After another few minutes of watching him turn in confusion, wondering where you could've gone, Aemond started towards the closest tavern - thinking maybe you were hidden in plain sight.

How right he was, but unknowing.

You crept around, exchanging your cloak again before jogging after your husband. However, when you peaked around the doorway of the tavern, you noticed how the white-haired man you loved and adored had effortlessly melted into the crowd, and now, you were back at a disadvantage.

Learning from past mistakes, you quickly turned and let your legs pump with effort to rush away from the markets.

Around a few corners and down two alleyways, you were arriving at the bay port - but only had a moment to recognize your surroundings before a hand clamped over your mouth as another quickly coiled around your middle to pin your arms.

You gasped into the calloused hand, feeling the strong chest slam into your back before forcing you back a few steps. With gritted teeth, you were slammed into the stone wall of one of the darkened alleyways. However, your eyes settled on your 'attacker' and quickly slitted. "Husband," you identified.

"Wife," Aemond smirked. "You're getting predictable, love."

"How'd you know?"

He shrugged, "I felt your eyes on me in the markets and figured I could blend in at the tavern. From there, I knew you'd follow to keep an eye on me, so, I waited, and when I saw you rush away, I took a shortcut."

"Mhm," you hummed, lifting your chin as he leered over you. "I did learn something tonight."

"What's that, my darling?"

"You blend in rather effortlessly when your hair's covered," you muttered as he slowly stepped closer so you were nearly cowering into the brick behind you. "Might do us well, after all... Should we choose to leave..."

Aemond's one hand rose to hold your jaw as the other planted against the wall to corral you to him. "You say that as if my mind's changed."

"Has it?"

"Not in the slightest," he promised, petting his thumb over your lips to catch the bottom one. "Where you go, I go, and away from this wretched fucking city is where I want us to be."

"You'd leave them?" You asked with a smirk. "Leave your family? For me?"

"For my own family?" He corrected, nodding, "Yes, I would've left yesterday if I knew."

"How fucked everything has become?" You whispered sadly, lifting a hand to pet down his collarbone and rest against his pectoral.

"Something like that," he nodded, lifting a knee to separate your legs. "You'd go with me? When the time comes, you'd go with me?"

With a sigh, you nodded, trying not to grind down on his thigh. "Anywhere, my Prince - anywhere you want, we'll go."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," you all but whimpered as the hand that once caressed your skin then moved to a bruising grip around your neck.

"Hold still," he nodded, "I won, yes?"

"Mhm."

"Then hold still while I claim my prize," he smirked, yanking his dagger from under his cloak and slowly dragging the pointed tip down your stomach. He didn't press hard, instead, dragging it between your skin and the cloth of your trousers. "Good girl," he crooned as he let the dagger's blade slit the seam of your pants.

"Aemond," you glanced up the alley nervously, body nearly trembling from anticipation.

"Shhh," he nodded, leaning in to breath in your scent. One arm wrapped around your waist, the other working to literally cut a slit in your trousers; letting his tongue flatten against your pulse point.

"Aemond," you whimpered, holding onto him tightly.

"Good girl," he purred again, sheathing his dagger and letting his hand drop again to then pet up your dampening slit from outside the cloth of clothing. "Easier, yeah?" He smirked against your ear, breathing deeply as he let his pointer finger push into your heat, praising, "So warm for me. But I need you wetter than this to take you - don't wanna hurt you, pet."

You groaned a little, holding onto him while keeping a leg up his hip. "What if someone sees?" You whispered against his mouth, practically mewling like a bitch in heat.

"Let them," he nodded, "all they'd see is a man, pleasuring his wife." Your breathing subtly changed as his mouth hung over your ear, promising, "Splitting her in two, watching as she takes his cock so fucking well. That's all they'd see, pet."

"Fuck."

"Hmm, fuck you how?" He smirked, letting a second finger join his first. "Want me to bend you over? Fuck you on the floor? Find those barrels back there?"

"Against the wall, want you t'take me against the wall," you nodded, a sheen of sweat slowly forming over your skin. "Wanna feel you in my fuckin' lungs, yeah?"

"Whatever my pretty girl wants, she gets," Aemond growled, slapping your hands off him and readjusting you two. "C'mon, love, earn it - up, jump up, c'mon." When you did, he caught you easily, grunting, "Atta girl. Hang on," he panted then, pressing you against the wall as he adjusted to hold you against the wall while freeing his cock.

"Aemond, please, please," you begged softly, holding his jaw with both hands, "Gods, I need you to fuck me so bad."

"C'mere," he seethed, hoisting you a little higher to adjust his cock at your (cloth-cut) entrance. You both gave guttural moans as he let you sink onto him, grinding your hips into his to better adjust. "Fuckin' grippin' me too tight, love," he growled, hands squeezing your hips as you kept hold of his neck and shoulders.

"Gonna last f'me?"

"Might just have to pump you full, hmm?" He smirked, using his chest to slam into yours and righten your spine. His hand shot up to constrict around your neck, the other used to hold you on his hips; making your legs work overtime to stay atop him.

"Oh, Gods, fuck," you whimpered, hood still over both your heads as Aemond rammed into you.

"Told you - wasn't wet enough," he cursed in your ear.

"Feels fuckin' amazing, please, don't stop," you begged him, hearing his small grunts and growls start up as both hands moved to hold either thigh and keep you spread against the wall. "Oh, my Gods," you sobbed, truly unsure if you were feeling pleasured or not from the feeling of Aemond fucking through you.

"Ah, fuck, fuck," he hissed, hips stuttering as he met his first orgasm.

"Wow... That was record time," you teased quietly when he paused to keep you full to the hilt of his emptying cock.

"I warned yah," he smirked some, readjusting his hold as sweat coated his skin. "My cum just makes you wetter, hey? Yeah, look at that," he hissed, eye cutting down to watch his cock slowly pull back; revealing webs of cum between you and him.

Your hands pawed at his neck, tugging him forward; whining against his mouth, "I need more, please."

He smirked, "Gonna be a good girl and hold it all in until we get back to the Keep?"

You whispered, "What if I can't?"

"I'll just have to fill you again..." His cock twitched, making his throat bob. "Want your belly swollen with our kid, 's 'bout time, isn't it? For the Gods to bless us?"

"Yet you talk of leaving the city - "

"All the more reason," he promised, still holding you spread as he let his hips start up again; rutting into you slowly. "Protect you, protect our kid," he muttered into your neck, "get away from this fucking place - be safe. Be together - oh shit," he moaned.

"Yeah," you grinned, holding him to your neck; clenching your muscles to make him whine, "that's right, emotional intimacy turns you on, doesn't it? Hey?"

"Fuck - yes, yes, it does," he promised, starting to pick up his pace. "Just want you pregnant already, fuck's sake."

"Then fill me," you purred, clenching your teeth when his fully-swollen cock once more stabbed through you. "I wanna make you a Daddy."

"Shit," he breathed, turning his head when he heard noises; but did not stop. Three men and two women stumbled down the alley, drunk, cooing when they saw the couple against the wall.

"Ye-ahhh!" One leered.

"Give it to 'er!" Another hollered.

"Fucking fill me," you followed right after in his ear. "Oh, fuck, yes, please, right there," you hissed as he pinned you harder to the cold stone behind you, the group of five passing with their eyes glued to the pair of you. It was oddly erotic, spurring Aemond on as your mouth hung open in a silent scream.

His balls jackhammered into the wet apex of your cunt as his arms all but braced against you to keep you in place. You were moldable, you were limp, you were taunt with pleasure at the same time; you were a twitching, moaning mess when feeling returned to your limbs as his thumb found your clit.

"Take it, I know my girl can take it," Aemond growled, humping up into you to create friction at that special, gummy spot on your inner walls. "Oh, so fuckin' good, just take it, my precious girl," he praised, hearing the group still stumbling about at the other end of the alley.

"Why don't you fuck me like that?" One of the girls growled in annoyance.

"I can't hold yah like tha', by the Gods," her partner laughed.

Your hand slapped outward against the stone when your husband rubbed your clit in time with his thrusts; letting his mouth open slightly to bite at your shoulder and encourage you to do the same.

You came with a cry, mouth full of his shoulder's flesh; rolling your hips into his with your booted heels pressing into the meat of his arse as waves of pleasure rippled across your beings. Aemond wasn't far behind and when his cock was almost strangled by the clenching of your walls, he came for a second time.

It was enough for you both, panting in effort as your legs were numb. Aemond slowly pulled out of you, hearing you stutter to breath as his cum instantly pumped out to drip onto the pavement beneath you.

"Gods," Aemond breathed in shock, watching the puddle slowly grow.

"Ah!" You yelped when he lowered you, and your legs gave way; his arms darting out to instantly cling onto you as the back of your head thumped into the wall.

"Shit, love, all right?" His hand pressed to the tender spot as you pouted some. The group that watched had since passed, leaving you alone again with split trousers that grew wetter from the ooze of cum. Aemond was trying to catch his breath and support you at the same time, readjusting your clothes for you best he could. "Got it, love?"

"Can't feel my bloody legs," you complained lightly.

"C'mere, I've got you," he promised, arms tight around your waist. "Did good tonight, pet."

"But I lost?"

"'S not about winning or losing, in the end, we both reap benefits, yes?" You nodded. "And as you said, tonight gave you reassurance we could blend in across the Narrow Sea, did it not?"

"It did," you agreed. "But I want to wait until next month, I want to know if it's stuck."

"I'll fuck you everyday until then, yes? Breed you, like I know you want me to," he smirked, one arm holding you up to walk in front of him as the other fingered down the crack of your arse. "Keep walking, don't make a scene," he whispered in your ear, pushing his fingers into your cunt as you lead the way through King's Landing. It wasn't the most comfortable, but Aemond made it doable; pausing in another alleyway to push your chest to the stone wall.

"Aemond," you cursed his name into the wall brushing your cheek.

"Easy," he chuckled, nudging your feet apart. "Take me once more and I'll carry you home."

"Aemond?" You reared back a little when his hardened cock pushed into you again.

"What do you need?"

Your hand raised to pet over his cheek, back bowed to hold yourself up and keep him inside you. "Make me a Mommy, please," you whispered, earning a sharp slap to your arse cheek before his hands seized control of your hips.

"Hold it in this time, then," he teased, starting to thrust into you like a wild horse; bucking his hips into yours to create ripples across your flesh. It seemed as if your frantic motions in the middle of the alley deterred anyone from turning down it, leaving a brief moment of privacy in the sweltering city night.

One of his hands slithered up your front to fondle your breast, tweaking a nipple until you were nearly collapsing into the wall. Aemond had to hold you slightly as you bent lower, almost desperate to take him to the hilt as you fucked back against him - and he took full advantage of your new position.

Aemond kept his feet with your own, hands on your hips; thrusting harder into you as sweat beaded on his skin to roll down his pearly flesh. "Fuck, Gods be fucking good," he cursed, "how's it you're this tight, still? Hey?"

You whimpered wordlessly, gasping when one of Aemond's thumbs came to gently rim around your puckered hole. He didn't often let himself explore your arse, but sometimes, to catch you off guard, he liked testing your limits. After making him venture down the Street of Silk by himself, he figured a little payback was in order.

A stranger started down the alley and actually paused to watch the pair of you, Aemond's spit being spat from his mouth onto your holes; winking in the distant moonlight.

"Take it," Aemond growled when your legs gave way, and sent you both careening into the dirty floor. It only spurred him on further.

"Don't stop," the stranger recommended, loosening his breeches to take his cock out and pump himself to life.

Aemond, fully enraptured with the feel of your cunt, let his hand latch onto the back of your neck to hold you in place as he thrust harder, harder, harder into you. Your hips bruised from the way he pounded you into the cobblestone, growling as he glanced at the stranger.

"Oh, shit," the man nodded, pumping faster. "Yeah - look me in the eyes, mate, that's it."

"The fuck?" You whispered, glancing up to watch.

"Eyes on him, Princess," Aemond demanded, fully hunched over you as he felt his stomach's coil tighten; informing you, "almost there, precious girl, keep bein' a good fuckin' girl - oh, ah fuckin' Hell!"

"Oh, yeah," the stranger nodded. "Can I cum on her, mate?"

"You wanna die?" Aemond snapped.

"Lemme use her mouth," the stranger complained, head tossed back and eyes screwed shut. "Betta yet, lemme a turn!"

Aemond gasped behind you, stalling his hips into the meat of your bum while letting his cock pump you full of his seed. He recovered much quicker than you, kissing your temple as he unsheathed himself from your velvet warmth to stand, tuck himself away, and stride up to the man still masturbating to the sight of your swollen, dripping cunt.

"Woah - hang on - wait, wait, wait!" The man gasped as Aemond stabbed him non-fatally in the ribs.

"Go - before I decide I need your life for even looking at her," he sneered, shoving the man away while yanking his dagger free. A splatter of blood echoed in-between your heaving breaths.

When he turned back, he smirked at the sight of you; fucked-out and unable to find your feet, limp on the dirt-riddled cobblestone. "You didn't have to do that," you told him softly when he neared you to adjust what was left of the tatters of your clothes.

"I did," he smirked. "C'mere, up yah get. Think my wife's earned a hot bath, don't you?"

"Will you join me?" You asked, letting him lift you bridal style. The cloak was long enough that when he picked you up, it covered your cum-soaked hole in his arms.

"I can't resist you, pet," he frowned, "we wouldn't be doin' much cleaning, hey?"

"So?" You smirked, arms tight around his neck. "I want to make you a Daddy, Aemond, best we... Do our due diligence, yes?"

"You make a fair point, Princess," he smirked. "If you can handle it, I'll fuck you the rest of the night, yes?"

"I'm an orgasm behind," you reminded softly as he chose a lesser-used secret entrance into the Red Keep.

"Hm, yes, I seem to owe you one," he smirked in agreement. "Better stay awake, then."

requesting rules and masterlist

HOTD masterlist

[covid-safer-hotties]

also preserved at the archive

By: Jessica Wildfire

You don't need me to tell you how bad it's getting.

I'll tell you anyway, though.

As we drown in endless waves of Covid that generate millions of infections and thousands of deaths per week, our leaders have effectively stripped away every tool we have. They prefer a society that sacrifices themselves for short-term economic and political gains and then becomes ripe clientele for the pharmaceutical industry. They collude with the media to push out a daily barrage of misinformation aimed exclusively at ensuring we continue to work, shop, and vacation, because that's what they care about. Meanwhile, they do absolutely nothing about pandemics on the way as dozens of diseases spread out of control, at levels 10 times worse than normal. As the World Health Organization sounds alarms, telling us "we have arrived in the post-antibiotic era," and that we faced a future pandemic up to 20 times worse than Covid, our leaders focus on vibes. That last part should get our attention. Yes, we are here. We have arrived in the time when superbugs aren't responding to antibiotics. If that weren't bad enough, they're preying on our weakened immune systems.

And bird flu has likely gone human to human.

But it's not hopeless.

Four years ago, we looked to plants to protect us from pathogens because vaccines and treatments weren't coming anytime soon. The minute those vaccines and antivirals came out, most people forgot all about plants. They reverted to their old assumptions that plants were for hippies.

Well, here we are again.

Our vaccines and treatments are failing, and when they work they're often in short supply, or we can't even get access to them. Moms and dads are rolling out the NyQuil in little cutesie Facebook posts, along with all the pills that treat the symptoms but leave the disease itself to roam free all over your body.

We can do better.

As we mask while demanding clean air and better medicine, it's time to revisit those plants and see what they can do.

Do they even work?

Yeah, they do.

A 2024 review of studies in Viruses identified 10 different plant compounds with broad antiviral properties and effectiveness specific to Covid (and in many cases several other viruses). As they write, "plat-derived molecules can tackle viruses by acting on different aspects of their infection process" and "inhibit coronavirus/host protein pathways" by blocking them. The authors initially identified 45 different compounds and then narrowed them to the 10 most effective.

Plants work because they contain terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids that all demonstrate "high anti-viral potential against SARS-CoV-2 particles" as well as other viruses. They do this in a variety of ways that work across variants because they block virus entry while also tamping down replication and essentially "stopping its life cycle."

Sounds good to me...

Let's get into it.

First, ginkgo biloba contains two bioflavonoids called quercetin and rutin that can block Covid's 3CLPro BS PL-pro enzymes, as demonstrated in two different studies that looked at how they bind to parts of the spike protein. According to an article in Nature, 3CLPro plays a central role in virus replication, specifically for Covid. Ginkgo also contains kaempfero that inhibits Covid's envelope protein E, "consequently suppressing virus activity and proliferation." G. Biloba also brings an anti-inflammatory effect that can help with recovery as well.

Second, turmeric and curcumin "can either bind directly to the receptor binding domain of the viral S-proteins or secure ACE2 receptors of the hosted cell." Basically, they stop viral entry into your cells. As the authors write, a curcumin derivative called bi-demethoxycurcumin "displayed the best binding affinity" to spike proteins.

It also works on the original SARS virus.

Third, a common spice called artemesia annua demonstrated antiviral activity in clinical trials. The group who took an artemisia compound called artemisinin-piperaquine "took significantly less time to reach undetectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 than the controls." In fact, artemisinins "are known for their extended-spectrum antiviral activity." An artemisia derivative called artesunate has shown effectiveness against both DNA and RNA viruses including hepatitis and HIV.

Artemesia compounds work similar to ginkgo by latching on to five different parts of the spike protein "which might explain its remarkable binding affinity." In addition to flavonoids like quercetin, researchers have identified di-caffeoylquinic acid as doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. Like curcumin, these flavonoids also bind to ACE2 receptors on your cells and protect them. Medical researchers are working on refining these compounds into artenimol, a single high-potency compound for giving to patients.

Fourth, nigella sativa (black cumin seeds) have shown antiviral activity by disrupting viral RNA transcription. Carvacrol and nigellidine extracted from these seeds "can block ACE2 receptors, thus inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 entry into the host cells."

Fifth, ginger (6-gingerol, 8-gingerol, 10-gingerol) can inhibit parts of the Covid spike protein. Specifically, it's the bioactive compounds geraniol, shogaol, zingiberene, and zingiberenol that do the blocking.

Sixth, garlic (allium sativum) shows antiviral activity. It contains compounds called allicin, ajoene, and garlicin that work against several viruses in the same ways as the other compounds, by targeting spike proteins, disrupting transcription, and protecting your cells' entry channels.

Next:

Cinnamon at 50 ug/ml operates the same way as the other compounds, by blocking host cell entry and viral replication. Rosemary (rosmarinus officinale) shows effectiveness in blocking viral activity, even in a study that compared it to the antivirals remdesivir and favipiravir.

Want an unusual suspect?

It's dandelion.

Dandelion extract has shown to be "effective against influenza virus infection" and in higher concentrations "showed efficacy against spike proteins... and its different mutants" in human lung and kidney cells, while also helping to prevent the cytokine storm that's often so deadly in the acute stage. Here in particular, studies have shown that dandelion extract works regardless of the variant.

Finally, oregano (origanum vulgare) extract demonstrates antiviral activity against many DNA and RNA viruses, including Covid and HIV. As the authors write, extracts "showed remarkable efficacy against equine influenza virus, canine coronavirus, RS, and H1N1. In fact, it can inhibit up to 74 percent of viral activity at certain sites.

Again, carvacrol does the heavy lifting.

I've looked at other supplements and extracts with antiviral properties. They include grapeseed extract, grapefruit seed extract, olive leaf extract, echinacea, St. John's-Wort, and elderberry.

A 2024 study found that oleuropein, found in olive leaf extract, demonstrates high antibacterial activity at 130 mg/ml and high antifungal activity at 65 mg/ml. Another 2022 study found that oleuropein showed significant effectiveness against Covid in hospitalized patients when they were given 250-500 mg every 12 hours for five days. (No real difference between 250 and 500 mg.) The study also reviews previous research that oleuropein has shown effectiveness against other viruses, including HIV and influenza. It works the same way as other flavonoids, lectins, secoiridoids, and polyphenols, by blocking ACE2 receptors.

A 2022 study reviews available research on elderberry (sambucus nigra), confirming antiviral activity against HIV, flu, and coronaviruses. As the researchers write, adults in clinical trials "showed a significant reduction in symptoms, averaging 50 percent." Elderberry has also shown the ability to stimulate the production of immune cells. A 2019 study confirms that elderberry works against flu via "multiple modes of therapeutic action," including the inhibition of replication and host cell entry. An extensive 2021 study looking at prior research found that high-quality elderberry extracts enriched with anthocyanin work especially well.

A 2022 study in Nature found that a mixture of St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum) and Echinacea showed significant antiviral activity against Covid. Specifically capsules with .9 mg of St. John's "can significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load," peaking at 36 hours after the start of treatment.

St. John's Wort works just fine on its own. The authors stress the importance of maintaining its concentration if you add other compounds like echinacea.

That said, a 2022 study in Frontiers in Pharmacology found that echinacea at 4,000 mg for 10 days led to a substantial reduction in viral load and fewer hospitalizations when used to treat Covid patients.

Here's a chart docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cTJ3lXHPUW7AyrZPXQb63IjmhVbahRm_7Y5IMxKcqO8/edit?usp=sharing&ref=okdoomer.io

You can also look up most of these supplements and extracts on Mount Sinai's health library. They'll give you a good breakdown. It's a good idea to talk with a doctor if you're skeptical or not sure about interactions with other drugs, or look at the studies on your own. The studies linked in the sheet provide the most detailed dose information I can find, usually presented in a table. Duration runs around two weeks for an acute illness and 3-4 months for chronic infections like HIV.

Do I think it's sustainable to take high amounts of supplements all year long to ward off all kinds of airborne diseases, for the rest of our lives? Not really. That's why we absolutely need clean indoor air, masks, better vaccines, and better treatments. Until then, at least we have this information.

List of studies raindrop.io/JW_Lists/alternative-treatments-47681852

So there you have it.

If you've been wondering whether this stuff really works, the answer appears to be a loud yes. We need more research on dose amounts, but the studies all point in the direction of taking as much as you can while staying within the safe limits, for the duration of any time you feel at risk of getting sick.

Most of these extracts work against multiple viruses. They also help regulate your immune system and push it toward a less inflammatory response.

That's good to know.

My family has been using some of these supplements for several years, and it might explain why we've managed to steer clear of Long Covid. We still wear N95 masks everywhere. We advocate for clean air and better vaccines, along with better treatments. In the meantime, it looks like we can up our supplement game and that it's actually going to bring some benefit.

This isn't magic.

These plant compounds work the same way as many of the antivirals on the market. Medical researchers have been researching the antiviral properties of plants for decades, and cultures have used them for thousands of years. Given our current outlook, they're worth taking seriously.

Use what you can.

[fitilechka]

🦜✨

ok, i'll get this over with, i've been wanting to do this post for a long time but haven't found the time

hello there, stranger! i'm wicky (or any other nicknames, don't really care tbh)!! ⭐

★ they > he/it pronouns. also, you can check out this page! just, y'know, so you know how to address me better. :D

★ enfp, 2w3, melancholic, chaotic-neutral- wait, do you really need this information?

★ i speak fluent russian and english and i'm additionally studying spanish!! despite my level of english, i can make a lot of mistakes, don't blame me please 🙏

also, i'm a selfshipper and my f/o is magolor. woah, who would've thought XD

and with that i'm kindly asking you NOT to mention any ships with magolor in my blog. here in my comfy corner there's only one canon, accept it or leave <3

time to spice things up, and i mean it's time for dni and thin ice!

❗ DO NOT INTERACT (please, you really shouldn't):

• queerphobes, trans-exclusive radfem, stalkers, pro-contact paraphiles, xenophobes and other creeps like those- • selfshippers with the same f/o. i'm telling you thousands of times, NO. go find other people to interact with, please.

🧊 THIN ICE (you can interact with some conditions):

rephrasing because earlier i told that rudely because of emotions

• marxolor shippers. interacting with posts = okay, interacting with me = only on the condition of not talking about that to me and respecting my selfship. also exactly this ship because it triggers me hard due to unpleasant stuff and people i've met before.

• antis. we have different views. i don't judge yours and you don't judge mine. cool?? cool!!

💜 PLEASE INTERACT (we'll definitely get along well):

• magolor fans (NOT selfshippers);

• selfshippers in general (not with magolor);

• those who have positive attitude towards black humour;

• artists (and creative people in general);

• talkative people!!!

okay, enough restrictions for now! i also wanted to tell about my fandoms and kinns- just in case-

★ active fandoms: kirby (hyperfixation!), undertale (original + yellow, there are VERY few aus i'm interested in), deltarune, ddlc, pressure (roblox).

★ main kinns: alphys, napstablook, flowey (undertale) and magolor (krtdl)

✧ the rest of kinns: noelle holiday, kris (deltarune), pyrope, temmie (undertale), sayori (ddlc)

if you happen to want to talk to me, i'm absolutely always open to it, even if i don't know you, so feel free to dm me:

• telegram: hehe_fitilechek

• discord: magol0r also! putting my arts on your pfp or reposting it on other platforms is ok as long as you provide credit! as long as you're not trying to gain from my art, it's ok :]

uhm, that's all, i guess!! hope you'll enjoy my arts 🍇

[moonfairywritings]

@/welovemonstergirls asked: Scenario request: Candice is on an ice skating date with her s/o and ends up crashing into a snowbank, getting buried with her upper body and legs trapped, leaving only her butt sticking out. She decides to take this opportunity to tease and fluster her s/o as much as possible.

Franchise: Pokémon

Characters: Candice

Genre: One-shot; fluff; light spice; gn reader

Trigger warnings: None

A/n: I'm so happy to see some Sinnoh requests! Modern Pokémon is nice and all, but the older characters deserve some love, too.

You were no stranger to ice skating. When dating Candice, any activity relating to ice and snow was a common occurrence, and after dating her for a few years at this point, you were quite skilled. Able to do twists and turns, to hold Candice's hand above her head and twirl her out, then back in, and races with her would normally end in a tie. Neither of you were pros, but you were long past the era of you crashing on top of her (much to her dismay, not that she would ever admit it) or flying out of the rink and into a snow bank. Well, you were at least. Candice, on the other hand...

Hand in hand, the two of you gracefully glided around the frozen pond. Every so often, you leaned over to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, or plant a kiss on her cheek, which never failed to make her blush and giggle.

"Hey, I've been learning a new move recently." Candice said, suddenly letting go of your hand.

"Oh? What is it?" You asked.

Candice pointed over to a bench by the bank. "Sit! I'll put on a grand show for you!" With a light laugh, you obeyed and sat down, hands folded neatly over your lap, giving her your full attention.

With a pleased smile on her face, Candice skated to the center of the pond, and got into position. She took a deep breath, and using one foot to push herself to gain momentum, she dashed forward. After picking up enough speed, she leapt into the air and quickly spun around, moving so quickly that she looked like nothing but a blur of blue and white. She landed with only a small stumble, and, upon realizing her success, completely turned her attention to you.

"That was amazing!" You praised her while clapping gleefully. But your excitement turned to worry as you saw her unknowingly glide towards the edge of the pond... Where there lay a giant snow bank. "Wait, Candice- Look out!" But it was too late. She was at the point of no return when she snapped her head back to check where she was headed...

...and she was flung directly into the snow, with nothing but her backside sticking out. An unfortunate position indeed.

You rushed over to the snow bank and got to work digging her out. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?" You paused, however, when you heard a muffled giggle.

"Oh, I'm fine~" Candice replied.

You tilted your head to the side, a bit confused at her calm response. You figured she'd be a bit miffed at least, but she seemed perfectly fine, more so than that, she seemed to be enjoying herself. Whatever the case, you resumed digging, and removed enough snow that her waist was now free. The snow was soft, so you figured you could just pull her out at this point.

"I'm gonna pull you out, so try not to move, okay?" You wrapped your arms around her waist, unbeknownst to you, causing her to blush and grin mischievously from ear to ear.

"Y/n, don't be so rough~" she cooed. "Your hands feel so warm after all this cold."

"O-oh, uh, sorry." Why were you feeling so hot all of a sudden? You shook your head to regain your focus, and after you positioned yourself directly behind her - with her ass pressed against your abdomen, no less - you firmly but gently pulled her out, and she fell back against you, making sure your bodies were still flush together.

"You saved me!" Candice teased. "My knight in shining armor~" Candice turned her head to you and kissed you sweetly on the lips.

"Y-yeah, no problem." You said, bashfully. "Are you hurt? That really didn't look comfortable."

Candice giggled. "Of course I'm fine! But what about you?"

"Huh? What about me?" You asked, clearly confused.

"Your face is all red, silly! What, did you enjoy the view that much?"

Your eyes widened like dinner plates and your blush grew even redder. "No! I mean- well, I was just... Just worried, is all." You tried to stammer out an excuse, but Candice wasn't buying it at all. She only playfully rolled her eyes, and, to make your poor little heart beat even faster, she coyly slid your hands down her waist until they were resting on her hips, just mere inches away from her ass.

"Mmm, well, if you say so. But I am pretty tired after all of that." Candice slipped out of your embrace, leaving your arms and hands feeling cold and empty, and turned around towards you to boop your nose. "Let's head home. I could really use some help warming up~"

[ravenzeppeli]

Eternal Star |Prosciutto x Male Reader Fluff|

Comission for @johnnybwanny

      "Happy anniversary," Prosciutto grumbled as he grabbed the cup of coffee that you offered him, his head giving you a little nod as he took a sip. With his other hand, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a thick black box. He held it towards you, dark blue eyes scanning your face carefully. He sat his coffee cup down on the counter, his other hand burying in the deep pocket of his black slacks.

      Happily, you took the box. "Thank you." Your eyes landed on his wrist, noticing that he was wearing the new personally engraved rollex you bought him, the date the two of you married carved onto the back of the watch. Due to your excitement over the gift, you gave it to him a few days early. Ever since, he hadn't taken it off his wrist. Even in the shower, he wore it, and that made you feel good.

      Prosciutto was a good husband, and you loved him deeply, and you knew that he loved you, but he was very reserved. Hardly ever did a laugh escape his lips, never did he talk to you in a sweet voice, and he wasn't as romantic as you'd like. Still, you loved him despite that, deciding to keep your mouth shut about his flaws and accept him for who he was.

      You opened the box, revealing a brand new wedding band. Instantly, your heart began to skip a rapid beat as you stared down at the beautiful band. The band thick and golden, having a powerful shine to it. "Wow.. I love it, Pros," you mused softly, staring down at the ring in awe. "Thank you so much."

      He told you he would replace your wedding band once the two of you reached three years of marriage. You were honestly surprised that he remembered, given that he made that promise four years ago when the two of you went out on your third date, when you were much younger and had no clue that he would be the man that you would soon marry a year later.

     With delicacy, Prosciutto raised his right hand, sliding your old wedding finger off of your ring gently. A small heart was engraved in your finger, the ring having a small metal heart underneath so that when you took off the ring, it was still known that you were a married man. The ring was designed to leave a permanent imprint on your finger, and as he lifted the new ring from the box, you noticed that the little metal heart that your last ring had.

     "There you go, darling," he spoke as he raised your hand, slipping the ring onto your awaiting finger with no hesitation. "That looks very nice on you."

       You leaned forward, placing a kiss on his lips, tasting the lingering taste of cinnamon. "Well, you have great taste," you added, letting your arms wrap around his waist.

      "I wish I could stay, but I have to go to work today," he muttered, thick sadness in his tone. "I should be back tonight."

     You sighed, nodding your head in understandment. His job always took him away from you, but it was also another thing that you've had to learn to accept over the years. At times, he would vanish for weeks at a time, and you would only get phone calls from random burner phones. His job stressed you out so much. Why couldn't he just have a normal job? You'd still love him if he was a plumber or worked in an office.

      He wrapped his arms around your neck, placing a soft kiss on your nose. "I'll come home to you as soon as I can, I'll try my best to hurry."

       "Don't hurry," you replied softly, burying your head in his chest, the smell of spiced vanilla hitting your nostrils. Why would you want him to rush through a potentially unsafe job? His safety was your main concern. "Just please be safe, I don't want you getting hurt."

       A scoff escaped his lips, "I'd never get hurt. You worry too much." He placed a rushed kiss on your lips, slowly unraveling his arms from around you. "Wait up for me. I promise that it'll be worth it." He waved at you with his free hand, walking over to the front door and opening it. With no other words, he stepped out the front door, leaving a lingering excitement in your heart as you wondered what he wanted you to wait up for.

                                 💛💛💛

      As the day turned into night, you found yourself sitting on the wooden steps of your back porch, staring at the freshly cut grass that you cut today to pass the time. It was around 10 at night, the sky pitch black and filled with an array of beautiful stars. The moon was a crescent shape, it being right above your head as you looked up.

      You let out a relaxed sigh, the porch letting out a low creak as you leaned back on the steps. Dinner for Prosciutto was already warm and still waiting for him on the stove. You also decided to wait to eat dinner with him tonight. No matter how late it was, you always waited up for him if you knew that he would be arriving home. You would wait for him all night if need be.

       Thankfully, tonight, you wouldn't be waiting long for him, the sound of the back door pushing open. You rose to your feet instantly, your heart skipping a rapid beat as the soft eyes of your husband met yours.

       Prosciutto had on a tight black t-shirt that hugged around his slim but toned figure, jogging pants around his waist. His blonde hair was damp, resting on his shoulders and free from the four tight braids that kept his shoulder-length hair tied back. "Hey darling," he spoke, his voice softer then usual, a softer tone that you weren't used to but instantly warmed up to. In his right hand, he held a piece of paper, pulling it behind his back as soon as you attempted to examine it. "I've missed you today. You look so handsome. Look at you. I missed that face so much today."

     A wide smile appeared on your lips, you practically cheesing from his praise. "You look handsome as well," you replied, ignoring the heat that was rushing to your face. Even after three years of marriage, he still could make you blush. Your mind still drifted to that paper, wanting to reach out and playfully snatch it from him, but you didn't want to ruin the element of surprise. "How was your day? Did work go well?"

     "My day was well, and work went very well," he told you, nodding his head as he walked past you suddenly, going down the four back porch steps. "Come stand next to me and look up at the sky."

      With no hesitation, you followed him down the steps, a surprised hum escaping your lips as he stepping behind you, his right arm wrapping around your waist as he held up the sheet of paper to your face. His chin rested on your shoulder, right arm locking a little more snug around your waist. "What is it?" You questioned him, eyes setting on the paper.

       "It's something that'll last for all eternity," he spoke, his soft tone leaving, the normal dominance in his voice returning. "It isn't a big deal. Just read the paper and then look up at the sky. I'm ready to have dinner." And there he was, there's the hardened man that you loved. The sweetness was rare, but it was fine by you. He was a good man either way. "Please." Now that was new. He actually said please to you? That was nice.

       "Okay," you replied softly, leaning into him as you read what was on the paper, a look of surprise appearing on your face. "You named a star after me?" You looked down at the black and white close-up picture of a single star circled red, a bunch of stars scattering around it, the paper explaining that a single star was named after you. You looked up at the sky that was filled with millions of stars, not being able to find yours, but knowing that a star was actually named after you meant a lot to you.

    "Yes," he replied, placing a kiss on your cheek as he snatched the paper away from your vision. "I already have a frame for this paper picked out and ready to be framed. Our love is eternal, and now your name will be eternalized in the sky with my last name attached behind."

 

      You quickly turned around, throwing your arms around his neck as you hugged him tightly, peppering his jawline with kisses. "You're such a good husband! Thank you, babe, it's amazing!" This was the best gift that he could have ever given you, a permanent symbol of the love that he had for you. You never knew that he could be so sentimental. You've always just gotten jewelry and money up until now. This was truly the perfect anniversary gift.

     "Yeah yeah," Prosciutto grumbled, his arms locking around your waist, lifting you up off of your feet, carrying you up the stairs "Come on now, I'm ready to eat and celebrate our anniversary a little more."

[mixergiltron]

Yo,ho-ho-ho,and a bottle of rum!

These holiday-themed cocktails will give you some Xmas cheer. Pro tip: leave one of these with the cookies instead of milk and see what Santa leaves you!

Mix #110 Nutty Like a Fruitcake

1.5oz Demerara rum 1/2oz spiced rum 1oz orange juice 1/2oz lemon juice 3/4oz orgeat 1/2oz orange curacao 1/4oz allspice dram 1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and pour into Mai Tai glass.

This is a sweetish drink. You really taste the curacao and it has a spice finish. Very nice.

(update,just found out this was created by bartender Mindy Kucan)

Mix #111 Fall in Paradise

1.5oz Demerara rum 1.5oz apple cider 1.5oz pineapple juice 1/2oz lime juice 1.2oz allspice dram 5 dashes peach bitters*

Shake everything with ice and strain into glass.

*I didn't have peach bitters,so I used Angostura and a dash of peach schnapps.

Another sweet drink with fruit and spice notes. Quite good.

Mix #112 Yule Tai'd

1oz aged light rum 1oz aged gold rum 1/2oz heavy bodied dark rum 1oz lime juice 1/2oz cinnamon syrup 1/2oz Grand Marnier 1/2oz orgeat 2 dashes allspice dram ground nutmeg

Combine everything except dark rum and nutmeg into glass with ice and swizzle. Float dark rum and top with some nutmeg.

Created for a Tiki Tony drink card by Kerri Bacon and Chloe Drane,this is a holiday Mai Tai riff. Very cinnamon forward with a spice finish. I used Hamilton Navy Grog Blend for my float to give it a little more kick. I'll be having one of these with my Xmas dinner.

Happy holidays folks! Oh look,Xmas Elvira gifs!

[spainkitty]

Tranquility and Free Will: After the Shrine of Dumat

tw: death, neither pro nor anti Tranquility, Cullen's PTSD

Lanil's Pieces Masterlist

It was... a much less easy journey back to Skyhold. Harder to joke. Harder to smile. Maddox had shaken Lavellan to the core. It made her remember that conversation with Cullen weeks ago, the lyrium scattered on the ground, templars and mages and Meredith. Seeing Maddox, his Tranquility, his emotionless yet fervent suicide, his faithfulness to a man who had shown him kindness and wanted to destroy the world.

It was... horrifying.

Heartbreaking.

It made her fucking furious.

She sat on the edge of camp a few days out from Skyhold. She could hear Dorian and Cassandra bickering over spices for the stew, Varric humming softly as he cleaned and calibrated Bianca, Cullen whispering to the horses. The usual sounds of each night. She stared up at the stars, watched her breath fog in the air, and told herself not to scream.

To breathe.

Which was made harder when Cullen's whispering ended and his footsteps approached her. He stood next to her shoulder for a long minute. Silent, too. Maybe staring at the stars, too. Maybe trying not to scream, too.

"Sit or leave."

"I didn't want to impose."

"Looming over me isn't imposing?" Lavellan asked dryly.

"Right, I apologize, I'll go--"

"I wasn't angry about Fairbanks. I wasn't even angry about the blasted halla comment, though it was out of line and you should apologize to the halla."

"Apologize... to the halla."

"Yes. There's a ritual for it. You have to find a temple of Ghilan'nain."

"I could... do that."

"And then weave a blanket of spindleweed and fresh spring grass."

"And if it's autumn?"

"You'll have to go to a country that always has spring grass. Or suffer the terrible, crushing disappointment of halla everywhere."

"So, I find a temple, weave some grass and weeds?"

"And then sing to Ghilan'nain a special Elvish prayer while wearing only the grass blanket."

"So I have to be naked."

"Ask Dorian. He knows all about elves singing flowers into bloom while naked."

Cullen huffed and slowly sat down next to her. "You're teasing me, so I guess you're not upset?"

"Of course I'm upset. I'm mad. I've never been so mad in my life." She said it quietly, voice shaking, arms wrapped around her shins. "I'm mad at Samson for dragging Maddox into it. I'm mad at Meredith for... for punishing him like that. I'm mad at you for saying templars serve a purpose. I'm mad at the Circles for existing. I'm mad at the Chantry for what they put mages through, for what they put templars through, for what they allow and keep secret and destroy, with this facade of doing what Andraste wanted. I'm mad at the whole fucking world."

"I... I get that."

"Thank you." She braced her chin on her knees. "More than anything, I'm... I'm sad. He shouldn't have died like that. He deserved so much better than that. But I'm also... I don't pity him. I'm in awe of him. His faith. His determination. His loyalty. He wasn't a puppet, Cullen. He wasn't an empty shell. He shouldn't have died, but I can't pity him. He doesn't deserve that, either."

"In the end, he made a choice of his own free will. I wish it could've ended better. I wish we could've stopped him. But I won't pity him either." Cullen spoke so softly and firmly. Lavellan was filled with rage, with fear, but Cullen. Cullen was hurting for Maddox. It laced through every word, that empathetic pain.

"That could be me."

"What?" The word ripped out of him with so much shock, so much offense. It made her smile.

"Whoever the new Divine is, they could be like all the others. They'll put mages in the Circles. The templars will get their purpose back. They'll remember everything that happened and they're not all you, Cullen. They might not grow out of the resentment or the fear. Mages will die. I could die. I could be made Tranquil. They'll catch me and throw me in. And when they do, will templars be serving their purpose?"

"Lavellan, it's not the same, it'll be different, it'll have to be different--"

"No. It doesn't have to. You've met Vivienne, right? She's a mage that thinks like you do--"

"That is not how I think."

She startled and slowly turned to face him.

"I don't want that to be a templar's purpose. Why do you think I left?" Cullen said. "Everything was about fear. It made me more afraid, more angry, and I had good reason for it. Kirkwall was...  Kirkwall was worse than the Void. But in the end, it was just fear. Fear feeding fear, going in this violent, murderous circle. Mages pushing at limits, templars hurting them for trying, mages becoming blood mages to hurt templars back, templars pouring lyrium down their throats and losing their minds, and mages summoning demons and losing theirs. Everyone trying to hurt everyone else because they were hurting."

"Explains the explosion. It sounds like everything was a bomb waiting to happen."

"I haven't even told you about the Qunari."

"Don't worry, I read Varric's book."

Cullen laughed softly, so softly it shredded into nothing the moment it left his mouth.

"I knew a young woman, a mage, and elf, like you. She was... I thought I'd never met or seen a girl like her. You remind me so much of her that it was hard to separate you in the beginning."

"Su...rano?"

"Surana."

"Ah."

"She passed her Harrowing at 18. I was there, I held a sword ready to cut her down if she failed." Lavellan's fingers clenched into fists. "I'd been to Harrowings before, I never had to, every time it was over was a relief. I never had to use my blade on these people I swore to protect. After hers... she asked... would I have done it? I told her it was my duty, I had to, but I didn't want to. And she laughed and told me it was okay, she knew all along she'd be fine. She was... so bright." He forced the word out, and it sounded like it tore his heart in two.

"Was?" she asked, had to ask, even as she shook and desperately didn't want to know.

"She was supposed to be made Tranquil and I helped her escape."

Lavellan finally moved, finally broke from her curled and defensive position, turned her whole body toward him to stare at his profile.

"What?"

"There were blood mages in the Circle. Everyone was fighting, and dying, and I watched the Tranquils... they were some of the first," Cullen swallowed hard and sweat glistened across his forehead. She should tell him to stop. She didn't have to know. But she wanted to know. "I watched them become abominations at the hands of people that called them colleagues, maybe even called them friends. One of them said, this is uncomfortable. That's it. This is uncomfortable."

"Oh... Mythal..." Lavellan breathed out, filled with horror and disgust.

"The thought of her, that laughing, confident girl, waiting to be become something like that, like them... I let her out. Forced her through a door and used a Templar rune to lock it. She was safe and... and the blood mages tried to use her, my memory and my... my infatuation with her, against me. To break me."

"And so you feared mages."

"I hated them. For a time, I even blamed her. For making me weak. It took me years to realize that of all the sorry bastards they tortured, I was the only one that didn't break. I don't know how much of that was me, and how much was her," Cullen whispered it, stared at his gloved palms, shoulders bowed under the weight despite sharing it.

"It could be both." She hesitantly raised a hand. Let it drop. "But I think it was you." Cullen met her eyes and they sat side by side, everything they've seen and been through and what they could have become lying heavy between them. "People say I'm... indomitable. I have a strong will. But I've got nothing on you. Me? I'm an asshole, I bludgeon my way through problems." Cullen chuckled. "But you? You're kind. After all that, you're so kind. You're... you're the indomitable one."

"I didn't tell you about this for praise, Lavellan."

"Call me Lane, remember?" She knocked her shoulder against his arm. Froze, held her breath; had she pushed too soon?

"Lane."

She released a slow breath of relief. "So why did you tell me? Just... draw it out for me. Pretend I'm stupid."

He laughed at last and she smiled.

"Because I don't want that to be someone's future, forced on them against their will. I want there to be a better way. But I need you to understand why I defend the templars, why they're important. Everyone in Kinloch Hold was at fault, everyone was a monster... even me. But we can't pretend like taking away all protections makes us more free, or absolves legitimate reasons for fear. There will always be abuses of power, and they make people like Uldred and Samson."

"But they also make Maddox."

"Yeah. They also make Maddox."

"It's... not an easy fix," Lavellan scowled. "Which is the understatement of the damn century. Millennium."

"No, it won't be easy," Cullen agreed.

"Do you think I could find it? A fix?"

"You're the one person I believe who can."

"You know... I'm not so angry at you anymore."

"What a relief." His whole body sagged as his sigh gusted from him. "I don't still have to dance naked for the halla, do I?"

"Ass." She bumped his shoulder with her fist, grimacing at the metal she hit. "Double ass. Why are you always wearing armor?!"

He got to his feet, and she moved to follow, taking a brief moment to stretch out her legs. He reached out his hand, and... she glanced up. Carefully, she set her hand in his and let him gently pull to her to feet. He was so damn tall, it hurt a little to crane her neck, but she couldn't look away from his face. From that shy, private smile.

Her hand tightened around his when he tried to pull away. His eyes widened slightly, then something happened to his expression. His eyes grew darker, his smile slipped away, but it wasn't anger. It had her heart thudding.

She remembered, out of nowhere, that moment in Halamshiral. The ground shifting under her feet. It was happening again. When his hand moved to interlace their fingers, their hands hidden by their cloaks and his eyes intent on her face, the ground shifted under her, her knees quaking.

"Do you still confuse me with her?" Lavellan asked, wondering where it came from. Wondering why it mattered.

"No. You are..." He searched for a word and Lavellan shook her head.

"I wasn't asking for praise, either. I just wanted to know I... that I'm just me to you. No one else."

"Lane..."

"I'm sure your conversation is riveting!" Dorian called.

Lavellan and Cullen jerked slightly apart, but not far enough to need to drop their hands. In fact, she couldn't help but hold on tighter. Her heart pounded when his thumb brushed the back of her glove. It felt as intimate as if it had been skin to skin.

"However, this stew is long done and you need to eat it before it overcooks."

"You can't overcook stew," Cassandra said incredulously.

"My dear, you can overcook anything."

"C'mon Shortie, Curly, stop being so serious. We've got a long way to Skyhold yet. Your faces will get stuck like that."

"As opposed to what, looking like yours?" Lavellan asked. Varric scoffed.

"You wish you were as pretty as me."

She grinned up at Cullen. "I think we've got good faces. What do you think?"

"I definitely like yours more than his."

"Good answer."

Just a moment longer, they held on tight. Then, slowly, their hands slipped apart, finger by finger, inch by inch, until they could walk towards the fire without a single bit touching the other. For the rest of the night, she couldn't help staring at his hands.

Wishing she could've held on longer. Wishing that after the maraas-lok, she had managed to get to Cullen's office. Wishing she knew what it was like to wake up next to him with his hand holding hers.

Part I / Part II

[imaginationofomi]

Come Together

Twelve

Nayeli could taste her freedom. The end of the week finally arrived, and her only plans were to bury herself in her bed or couch with a mug of hot spiced cider and her weighted blanket. Rest was necessary because the following weekend was the Harvest Festival. Three days of excellent food, good music, a carnival, and several cook offs.

She was most excited for the burgers and fries, hopes high for a repeat of the black garlic and fontina cheese option. She had to pick up a jar of homemade pickles for sure as well. Just after 3 o'clock, Grace was closing the store when Nayeli walked to the front.

"I'm out of here. Do you need anything before I go?" she asked as Grace swept the floor.

"Details."

"About what?"

"You and EJ, duh. Excuse me. Ezra," Grace smirked.

"I have no details to give."

"You were locked in the office together for over an hour last week and no deets? If you don't trust me, say that."

"We had a private conversation. I'm not giving you details on it because it's not my business to share," Nayeli said, removing her phone and keys from her purse.

"Private conversation, hm?"

"Bye, Grace. Have a good weekend." As she walked around the service counter and through the kitchen to the back door that opened up to the parking lot, her phone began to vibrate, "Were your ears ringing?" she answered Ezra with a smile, stepping out into the cool afternoon air.

"Why, were you talking about me?"

"Maybe." She unlocked her car and got in, locking the doors, stepping on the brake and tapping the start button, "How are you?" she asked when her phone connected to the bluetooth and set it in the cup holder.

"Alone. My parents took Tati for the weekend."

She laughed at his non-answer and backed out of her designated spot, "You outside until further notice?"

"No, but I want to see you," he said, his tone making butterflies erupt in her belly. They hadn't been around each other for a little over a week, busy lives keeping their schedules from matching up. She wanted to see him, too, but she wanted to be comfortable and relaxed while doing so.

"I'm leaving the bakery now, and my couch is calling my name. If you're cool with takeout, you can come over."

"Uuuhhh....yeah, we can do that."

"Did you have something else in mind?" she asked due to his hesitation.

"I made a dinner reservation, but if you're feening for the couch, you must be tired. It's okay. I'll cancel it."

"Oh no! Don't cancel! I can make a cup of coffee or take a quick nap or something. You went through all the trouble. We should go." All of the local hotspots were damn near impossible to get into on Friday, Saturday and Sunday unless someone had a connection. With it getting closer to the Harvest Festival, the uptick in tourism made it even worse.

"Don't worry about it. I'd rather just spend time with you anyway. What do you want to eat?"

She was thankful that they weren't on FaceTime and he couldn't see her blushing, "Hawaiian barbecue. I have been craving short ribs and macaroni salad all week," she said.

"That sounds good. Is there a specific place you want it from?"

"Ono on Mission Avenue is the best out here."

"Mission Avenue? Do you know what the traffic looks like right now? Red. Be happy you fine."

Cackling, she turned a corner and got in her left lane, "Thank youuuuuu, and since you're picking up dinner, I got dessert. Any special requests? We can get fancy and make ice cream."

"Ice cream sandwiches?"

"Oh, you're real fancy. Okay, we can make ice cream sandwiches."

They talked for a while longer, planning out a movie schedule and where they would get brunch after he went to church with her the next morning before she hung up to grab some last minute things they would need from the store.

As soon as she was home, she showered to wash the day off of her, let her hair down to be wild and free, and changed into a big t-shirt and a pair of Nike Pro biker shorts. Making her way into the garden, she picked several lemons off of her tree and took them back to the kitchen.

Some of her vegetables needed a little pruning, all of which she would do before watering the following afternoon. She'd be able to harvest soon, and she couldn't wait to get her homegrown veggies in her kitchen, pesticide and hormone free. Ezra text her that he was a few minutes away while she was pureeing raspberries and straining the seeds for the lemonade, and she let him know that she would leave the door unlocked for him.

However, in just a few minutes, she forgot and freaked out when she heard it creak open.

"Nayeli, it's me!" Ezra's voice calmed her, and she slid her serrated butcher knife back into the holder.

"I'm in the kitchen!" she yelled back, pouring fresh squeezed lemon juice over the raspberry puree giving it a good mix before she added sugar and water to the pitcher. The aroma of her short ribs made her mouth water, and she flipped around just as Ezra set their plastic bag on the counter, "That smells amazing, and I'm starving. How was the drive?"

"Like I said, be happy you fine. Downtown is crowded as fuck."

"Sorry." She really was, but only a little, and she already had a way to make up for it.

"Mhm." He embraced her, running his fingers through her curls and down the side of her neck. The antsy feeling that had been plaguing him all week finally subsided. He thanked God she was free and willing to spend time with him despite being tired. Resting his lips on her hair, he hugged her tighter.

"At least you have fresh raspberry lemonade," she said, rubbing the soft material of his olive zip up and leaning her body into his, "Did you have a good week?"

"Yeah. I met with a real estate agent to look at a couple of spots near the beach."

"You want to move?"

"No, for the store. I can't keep working out of the house. I feel like there's no separation, and I don't like that. Home is home. I don't want to deal with work when I'm at home.

"I can understand that. There are some good commercial properties on Docker." Nayeli started pulling their food out of the bag, undoing the rubber bands wrapped around the napkin covered forks and spoons and rinsing the plastic off.

"That was the last street we looked on. I like the spot on the corner across from the custom furniture place, but it's kinda small."

"Is there room to expand?"

"If I buy out the people next door and break the wall. It's an option. I'm gonna look again next week to see if I can find something better."

"My friend, April, is in commercial real estate. I can ask if she knows of anything good or to put out some feelers for you. Just let me know where you're looking and what you're looking for," she told him.

"Thank you. Time to Netflix and chill?" he asked, scooping her up from the ground after she picked up the containers. She screeched in surprise and tried not to drop their food.

"Do the kids still say that? Either way, there will be no chilling, sir. We are enjoying a meal in the dining room and a movie. Now put me down, please. I still have to pour the lemonade." When her feet were back on the ground, she set the containers on place mats and returned to the kitchen for two glasses of the cold beverage.

"You always eat at the table?" Ezra pulled her chair out for her, pushing it back in once she was seated.

"When other people are present, yes. It's better, in my opinion. TVs and phones are distracting, and you end up spending more time with a device than the person you're with. I can't stand it. I want to have a conversation, not scroll."

"You sound like Brandy. She's always hollering about people being on their phones too much."

"It's true! Some act like it's an extension of their hand. Unplug from the matrix, please. Hands." Nayeli held hers out and grabbed his, bowing her head and praying over their food, "Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Amen. Do you like that movie?"

"What movie?"

"The Matrix."

"I have a love/hate relationship with it. It's my dad's favorite movie. We used to watch it together when I was a kid, but he always had to stop and rewind and tell me things like we hadn't seen the movie together a thousand times. I appreciate the story and the metaphor of Neo being Jesus and saving the world, but I get flashbacks of watching the same part eight times and I'd rather just stay away from it," she explained, biting into one of her short ribs and some white rice.

"Neo is supposed to be Jesus?"

"A representation, yeah. I thought that was obvious with him being referred to as "The One" and him having to save the world and all that, but a lot of people actually haven't made that connection. And some will argue that there are things in the movies that point to him not being the one, but none of those arguments really check out in my opinion. The man died and came back to life, and he was the only one that could destroy the matrix. Jesus tings. I'll give you another one, too. Harry Potter's a representation. A ton of movies are a bit biblical in a sense. The Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan was a representation of Jesus, died on the stone table and came back to life. Man of Steel, Superman was willing to sacrifice himself to save humanity. Hell, Star Wars even did it with Anakin and his birth supposedly being miraculous and sacrificing himself for his son to redeem himself after becoming Darth Vader. The movie Se7en with Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt was based on the seven deadly sins. I mean, they're everywhere, like across all genres."

"You sound like a movie junkie."

"I like to be entertained, but I wouldn't call myself a junkie. Do you have a favorite?" she asked.

"Too many."

"What's at the top of your list?"

"Anything with Adam Sandler or Will Smith."

"Oh my gosh, Adam Sandler has me in stitches no matter what he's in."

"Little Nicky or The Waterboy?"

"Anger Management over both! I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and gaaaaaay." Ezra started to laugh at her, and she followed right behind, a tear coming to her eye when Jack Nicholson's lalala's played in her head, "But if I had to choose, I'd say The Waterboy....mmmmm, no Little Nicky. Well, I guess it depends on the day."

Things were beautiful between them, easy and comfortable. Laughter continued as they ate and conversed, switching the topic from movies to sports and other things. She learned more about his work life, about the businesses he had his hands in and how he got into watch designing. She was as fascinated with him as he was with her, so the questions never stopped. Even after they finished their food and went on to make dessert.

"Can I ask you something personal?" Ezra said as she pulled out the ingredients for what looked like cookies. His cookies. Excitement rattled his bones.

"I'm slightly terrified, but yes."

"Why did you stay a virgin until you were 26? Were you waiting for marriage and gave up?"

"Damn it, Maxine," she groaned and dropped her head, "I wasn't necessarily waiting for marriage, but I was waiting for my husband. I told myself not to let a man enter my body unless I could see myself spending the rest of my life with him. The relationships I had in my teens and early twenties didn't provide me with that."

"So Jalen's the only man you've been with."

"Yes." She was uneasy discussing the topic, even had a slight twinge of shame for not having more experience at her age. She felt like she was behind the rest of the population, though that didn't bother her so much when she thought about the situations people ended up in behind the act, "Is that weird to you?"

"Not weird. Just different. I don't know too many women that can say they've only been with one man."

"We're around," she said.

"Do you still hold the same sentiment? About waiting for your husband?"

"Yes and no. I'm struggling a bit with that to be honest because I feel inexperienced, and although sex itself is self-explanatory, good sex is not. Some people are lucky and it's good with everyone they're with. Others aren't so lucky and you have to find a rhythm with the person you're with. But I don't want to experiment with random men, which puts me back at square one. I can't sleep with someone I'm just dating. I was with Jalen for close to a year before we had sex for the first time." Maybe if she waited longer, she wouldn't have been so stupid for him or he would've left and saved her time.

"You take it seriously."

"I do because it's an exchange of energy. You're sharing a piece of your soul with that person, and if they're not a good person, whether it's for you or in general, now you're carrying that energy around with you. It can be traumatic. I've seen women lose their minds behind a man, and it's not because his dick is that good. They're addicted to the energy that comes from it, and it makes them erratic when they don't have it or they know someone else is getting it along with them. It's toxic and a headache."

"Never thought about it like that."

"Most men don't. They're too concerned with getting a nut." And absolutely nothing else. Not if the woman was comfortable or enjoying herself. Nothing but ejaculation and the next notch on their belt, "Why did you ask?"

"I told you. I want to know everything about you. I can see it in your face that you feel ashamed for not being more experienced, but I don't think you should be at all. The choice you made is admirable," he said, trying and failing to catch her eyes as creamed the sugar and unsalted butter, "If Maxine hadn't said anything, would you have told me on your own?"

"Probably not."

"Why?"

"It's not information I'm breaking down doors to share. I don't think people would believe me anyway. Like you said, you don't know too many women who can say the same thing. I'd rather not be called a liar, but I also don't owe anyone an explanation about my sexual history beyond test results when the time comes."

"Fair enough. It would be kinda hard to believe."

"Are you saying I look like a slut?" she demanded and looked up, halfway glaring at him for his comment.

"No, not at all. You're beautiful and a boss. You look like you got niggas beating down your door trying to come in."

"Oh, plenty have tried. I'm just not interested because most aren't worth a damn. They're a squirrel looking for a nut, and I'm not shaking the tree for just anybody."

He chuckled and got behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and watching her mix the eggs and vanilla with the butter and sugar over her head, "I respect it." 

"Thank you. I can imagine you being a slut, though," she teased.

"Woooooow."

"Am I wrong?"

"Lowkey. I've had my fair share of women, but I don't fuck anything that moves."

"Good to know." Turning her head, Nayeli smiled up at him briefly and went back to mixing the dough, shutting the electric mixer off when it reached the proper consistency. She lifted the top and pulled out the flat beater to swipe off some of the dough and taste it, "Mmmm. Want some?" She held the beater above her shoulder, watching with hazy eyes as his lips wrapped around a part of the metal. The temperature in the room went up several degrees, and she didn't have an easy escape route with him still behind her.

"It's good."

"Right? Could you grab the baking sheet out of that cabinet for me, please?" she asked and pointed to the correct door, fleeing to the drawer that held her aluminum foil and parchment paper when she had the space. He set it on top of the stove, and she went on a hunt for her large cookie scoop and the chopper for the hazelnuts, "Thank you." Once the treats were on the paper and the oven was done preheating, she popped them in and grabbed what she needed to make their ice cream. She could feel that she was being watched the entire time, and when she finally gathered herself enough to look at him, Ezra was smiling at her, "Was it that good?"

There was so much that he wanted to say but couldn't. The more he talked to her, the deeper he fell, "I'm really feeling you, Nayeli."

"Whaaaaaat? I had no idea! This is brand new information!" She pretended to be shocked, grinning when he rolled his eyes and wrapping her arms around him, "I like you, too, Ezra." Way more than she should. 

☼☼☼

Someone was knocking. Had been for the last five minutes. Ezra cracked an eye open. The TV was off, and they were submerged in darkness. The cable box read 11:17 p.m. Nayeli slept soundly on his chest, and while he was confused about how they ended up laid out on the couch, he wasn't going to complain. He rubbed her head, heart thumping faster when she sighed softly. One dream had finally become a reality.

The knocking started again. He thought they would've gotten the hint when no one answered the first time. Who the hell showed up to somebody's house that late with no warning?

"Hey, someone's at the door," he said softly, trying to rouse Nayeli awake.

"Tell them to go away," she mumbled back, half asleep and too comfortable to move. He was still hoping they would without him having to say anything, but knuckles on wood interrupted them for the third time. Exhaling, he carefully slid his body out from underneath Nayeli's and covered her with a blanket, rubbing his eyes as he walked to the front door.

He twisted the deadbolt and then the nob, frowning at the idiot standing on the porch with a pathetic stuffed bear holding a heart that said I'm sorry and and a wack bouquet of flowers from a grocery store. He thought about laughing at the perfect picture of distress in front of him, but defeated eyes quickly turned to fire when they saw him.

"Where's Nayeli?" Jalen asked roughly, trying to look past Ezra into the house.

"She's sleep."

"Wake her up. I need to talk to her."

"I'm not waking her up for bullshit. She had a long week."

"Bullshit? Nigga move. I'll do it." Jalen attempted to bulldoze his way into the house without success. Ezra blocked the door and stood his ground, right fist balled up and prepared to make contact.

"Try it again, and you'll wish you hadn't," he warned. His patience was wearing thin.

"NAYELI!"

Ezra grabbed Jalen's throat and shoved him backward, pulling the door shut, both men unaware that she was awake and making her way to the front of the house.

"Bro, what the fuck is your problem? Whatever you gotta say ain't that damn important."

"Keep your hands off me."

"Get the fuck from in front of her house. If she wanted you here, you wouldn't have had to knock on the door. She's done. You need to leave her alone."

"Or what?"

"Fuck around and find out." Ezra was itching to lay a nigga out. Spars in his gym weren't enough and Jalen was asking to get his ass handed to him. He had no regard for a woman that loved him unconditionally once upon a time, screaming in her house to wake her up like what he wanted mattered after what he did to her. The audacity of him thinking he had a right to Nayeli's time made Ezra's blood boil.

"Jalen, why are you here?" Her soft voice broke their intense stand off. She stepped out onto the porch, wrapping her arms around her midsection to try to keep a little bit of her body heat as she walked up and stopped next to Ezra.

"This is what we do now? You make me wait a year for some pussy, but I haven't been gone a month and you already got this nigga in our bed?"

"Ezra, don't." She grabbed his arm before he could swing and send Jalen to the pavement bloodied with a concussion. She was annoyed, but more than anything, she wanted him to leave. She was over it and over him, "First of all, my bed. You don't live here anymore. Second, we fell asleep watching a movie, and even if I was fucking him, it doesn't have anything to do with you. If kicking you out, blocking you and every number you've tried to contact me from wasn't enough of a hint, we are done. There's no reconciliation in the future, no talking it out, not a goodbye fuck, nothing. Done, so pick up your poor attempt at an apology, get in your car, and go back to LA. You're wasting your time," she said.

"Nayeli, pl-"

"GO, Jalen!"

"No. I'm not going anywhere. I got all night."

"Then enjoy sitting outside in the cold by yourself." Turning on her heel, she walked back into the house. He tried to follow her in, and Ezra shoved him for the second time, hard enough to make him slip.

"Count your blessings and watch how you talk to her. If I catch you alone, it's ugly for you."

With the door between them, Ezra looked for Nayeli and found her pacing in her room.

"Should I call the police?" she asked.

"If he doesn't leave, yeah. Give him a minute." Humiliation would make a man do one of two things; leave or act a fool. If the latter happened, Ezra didn't have an issue performing a citizen's arrest. It'd give him a good excuse to provide Jalen with a right hook.

"I cannot believe this is my life right now."

"That's what happens when a man realizes he lost the best thing that ever happened to him."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"You didn't drag me into anything. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be." And if he ever lost her, he would fight just as hard, if not harder, to get her back. Women like Nayeli were one in a million, so come hell or high water, no one would keep them apart.

[yalocalfanficaddict]

This lil comic inspired me to write a lil thing! (It's kinda late but shhhh)

I added a dash of more angst for a bit of ✨spice.✨ Don't worry! I added in a hefty amount of fluff at the end...I think

Apologies for any mistakes, but I think it's pretty much good.

Toga titters as she watches her knife glint against the hazy sun. "Shiggy? Can I stab them now, pretty please?" She pouts and clasps her hands together in pleading. "Just a drop of their blood, I've never had the chance to—"

"Enough, Toga," Shigaraki snaps, ferociously scratching at his nape. "We need to stick to the plan first. If one of them is still alive by the end of it, then I'll consider if you may."

A whine squeaks out of her as Dabi stalks towards the group. "All the exits are blocked off, and Twice has a double or two of me downstairs in case some pro-hero with a water quirk shows up."

The itching on Shigaraki's neck subdues but does not cease. "Good..." he rasps. "That's good."

"Listen up...fuckers," Katsuki barks, rising to his battle stance. He has just come around to consciousness again, and everything feels smudged and foggy. "You thought you got me, but look who's still standing, bitch!"

The smirk on the trio's faces only widens as their eyes swim with blood lust. "Toga, you can carve this one up as much as you'd like, but leave the red one alone. We don't want to chip your blades now, do we?"

Sparks crackle in Katsuki's palms as new-found adrenaline thumps through his chest. He isn't scared but enraged. "Oi, Crusty! He has a fucking name." Katsuki snarls.

"Oh, yeah?" Shigaraki muses, non-verbally letting his cronies run loose. "And what's that? I never bother to learn the names of those I plan to turn to Nomu."

Outraged by the villain's response, Katsuki charges at him specifically, blasting his way around the sidekicks. "Then never ever fucking forget the names Red Riot and Dynamight!"

"Oh-ho-ho!" Shigaraki chuckles, barely evading Katsuki's blasts. "Struck a nerve, have I? So the brute does have a weak spot behind that malicious and withered heart of his."

Letting the sweat collect in his cupped palms, Katsuki lets out a roar and throws his arms with relentless airborne attacks. "Shut the hell up!"

Once Katsuki lands, Shigaraki and he engage in hand-to-hand combat. Katsuki will throw an explosion at either Dabi or Toga to block them from touching him or the still-unconscious Kirishima whenever he can. He jabs an elbow at Shigaraki's face, only to be a few seconds too slow and captured in Shigaraki's hand. "Shit," he hisses.

"I've gotten better...more controlled," Shigaraki sneers as he forces Katsuki down into a kneel; his elbow is now above his brow. Why his arm isn't already a crumble of ash, Katsuki has no idea. So, he lets the maniac continue his rambles without any verbal objections.

"You see," Shigarki grunts as he struggles to keep his hold on the hero in training. "I can control how fast, how much, and even how precise my quirk is. So, tell me, Bakugou, how would you like to lose your arm and your chances of going pro!"

"Don't you call me that, you stupid ass, fucking extra! Go to hell and die!" Kastuki snapped. With a roar, Katsuki takes his left hand and charges another explosion, sending Shigaraki flying towards the safety guardrails. "Damn," Katsuki breathes, clutching his now free elbow. The bastard began to deteriorate his armband while he wasn't noticing. Thankfully, not too much of his skin has turned to ash.

Words Katsuki never wants to hear amid a fight call out through the dust and soot. "D...Dynamight? What's happening right now," Kirishima slurs, slowly beginning to sit up with a few grunts and gasps, a hand against his head. "Crap, everything's double-vision right now."

He scans the situation to find hand signals exchanged between the three villains. Dabi taps his left thigh twice, Toga taps her right once, and an approving nod from their leader. "Seems that our little fight must be postponed," Shigaraki maniacally grins. "How 'bout we cast off someone to lessen your distractions next time? Yeah?"

It doesn't take Katsuki long to realize that Shigaraki meant to say someone instead of something. "Riot! Get your ass moving!" Katsuki barks as he storms after Shigaraki, who is already outstretching one palm to the floor and the other on the railing behind him.

Kirishima, who is still in a daze, barely has the chance to sit up before everything starts to deteriorate around him. Katsuki has one choice; he must let Shigaraki go and try—no, he will save Kirishima.

"Oh?!" Kirishima yelps as he begins to slip back and off the edge.

"KIRISHIMA! WATCH OUT!" Katsuki screams, using the last of his explosions to chase after him.

Using his right to grab Kirishima, Katsuki uses his left to control their descent, slowing their fall with many jerky movements.

After laying Kirishima down against the concrete, Katsuki hastily searches him for any more injuries. "You idiot!" Katsuki hisses, tears pricking his eyes, swelling teasingly along his waterline. "Be more careful! Or you will end up hurting your-fucking-self!"

Stunned, Kirishima watches Katsuki hang his head, unable to move with the hero-in-training still sitting on him. He has never seen Katsuki so emotional over someone besides his constant rage towards Midoriya. "Bakugou..." he breathes.

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Katsuki snaps, staring at his chard, shaky gloves. His hands pulsate and sting under the worn fabric. "I almost couldn't...how? Fucking hell, Kirishima, you almost died, and it would've been all my fault. Like when All Might lost his quirk in Kamino Ward—"

Rough hands softly grip Katsuki's biceps, silencing him. "Bakugou, what happened to All Might was because of All For One not—"

"But who did they kidnap to get his attention? Me! Not Half-in-Half, not stupid Deku, not anybody else but me."

"Shigaraki was the one that disintegrated where I was sitting, you didn't, and last time I checked, you didn't have two quirks," Kirishima slowly sits up as Katsuki inches onto his thighs, who is growing more aggravated with himself by the second.

Ignoring the joke, Katsuki continues his disgruntled rant. "I threw the bitch at you! Not to mention that I let the other fuckers getaway...God, I'm such a failure," Katsuki grumbles the last part and sharply exhales. "How the hell can I be number one if I can't even save the only person I actually give a shit about!?"

Kirishima blinks a few times as if to process what Katsuki said. "What do you mean by that, Bakugou?" he slowly asks, brows scrunching in befuddlement.

Katsuki slaps his hands over his mouth, and a groan is ripped from his throat. "Fuck."

"Bakugou...do you like me?"

"Like you? You know how I feel about romance, Shitty-Hair." Katsuki would have crossed his arms over his chest if the bulky gauntlets weren't in the way. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"So, why did you start calling me that nickname now of all times?"

"I always call you that!"

"Yeah, but this is the only time you called me that today, rather than that you switched between my surname and hero name."

Katsuki is furious with how he feels his face heat up and tugs his mask lower to cover more of his cheeks. "The shock is finally wearing off."

Kirishima runs his tongue along his lips while he collects his thoughts. Hesitantly, Kirishima takes Katsuki's hands into his own while stuttering his words. "What if I were to say that I gave a shit about you too?"

His eyes widen to the size of saucers. "Hah?" Katsuki stupidly mumbled.

"Did your quirk finally make you go deaf, man? I said I liked you too."

Unsure of what to do now that both of their feelings have been exposed, Katsuki screams at himself. This day cannot get any worse, so he decides to put his shojo knowledge to good use. "Then let me kiss you."

"What?" Kirishima stammers. His face begins to match the color of his eyes and hair.

I'm such an idiot! "If you like me as much as you say you do, let me kiss you."

"Uh..sure," Kirishima mumbles.

Eyes flutter shut as breaths mingle together. Anticipation hangs over the air before being cut loose as lips lock. Despite the bitter taste of sweat and dirt, everything else is sweet. Sweet silence. Sweet feelings. Sweet, sweet, everything makes Katsuki's stomach do summersaults. One kiss becomes two, then three, eventually becoming a game to see who can steal away the last kiss.

"Wait...Mm, Kiri, wait." Katsuki speaks between interrupting kisses. He grabs Kirishima's hand that cradles his face and places a peck along the inner corner of his wrist. "Can I call you by your first name?"

A warm smile stretches across Kirishima's lips. "Only if I can call you by yours."

Katsuki hums in thought, feigning his consideration of such a thing. "Why not? I'll still be calling your Shitty-Hair, though."

Eijirou pecks Katsuki's cheek before slipping out from underneath him. "Deal. Now let's get cleaned up and go update our intern-ship leaders."

Accepting the hand that Eijirou offers, Katsuki rises with a crooked grin. "Last one to Recovery Girl pays for dinner."

"Is that a date?"

"Sure, whatever you say, Eijirou," Katsuki smirks as he charges to the school.

"Ay, cheating's not very manly, Katsuki!" Eijirou chuckles as he dashes after Katsuki.

KiriBaku Month Day 19: Falling

I think we can have a little bit of angst this month, just a sprinkle..! This might be the moment Bakugou realizes he can't live without Kirishima :')

Thank you Fayrn for this idea!!!

Reminder, if you want to suggest your ideas for this KiriBaku Month, you can join my Patreon

[echantedtoon]

Im Blue Ch8 Homebound

The peace and quiet of the shop was always one she found the best ever since she was just a young girl. Nothing but her and nature and the sweet smells of the many spices, herbs, and flowers that would grow around here. Most edible and ready for harvest at a moment's notice. It was crucial for her line of business however as a gardener specializing in her precious plants. The floral and spice smell in the air was a sweet aroma to be sure and one of her favorites. One moment you'll be smelling basil and then the next roses or lavender. Or her personal favorite lemon tea and or lilacs and mint. Things had been genuinely quiet all day. Slow too. All but two customers came in that day alone. A younger woman who seemed to be around the same age as her dear Blueberry and a woman who seemed just a little older than herself. Both interested in purchasing some of her home made tea mixes from her home grown ingrediants. Oh how time seemed to fly by from here. Already it had been a few hours since Blue had left, but she wasn't worried just yet. She knew it took Blue a little longer than most people to get to and from places but it was fine. She could wait. Blissfully sat there humming away at the grinding stone crunching away the mixture of plants into fine powders and leaves for her business. A fewvines softly moving things around her for-

DING!!

That was until the door bell rang. And two pairs of footsteps came on in. To which she stopped and perked up. That could only mean two customers, or Blue returned just as a customer had arrived. 

"Hello?," a young lady's voice that wasn't Blue's called, "Is anyone here?"

"I'll be right with you, Dear," she called back, taking her time getting up from the stool she sat on and made her way to the beaded door seperating the back storage room from the main store. The beads clacking together as the elderly woman pushed the colorul array of beads back and dawning the customer service smile on her face. "Welcome-''

That's as far as she had gotten. And one young lady had to witness an elderly woman's color drain from her already pale face as she stood there with a sorrow frown. Eyes widened at the two standing before her.  Next to her was another woman with a similar shade of longer blue hair that from the angle she looked down hid her face, but that wasn't the worst part of it. The poor girl was shaking lightly with her antenna pressed against her head, covered in dirt smudges, and arms clutching her sides as if she was deathly cold. Obviously having taken the walk of shame all the way back here from something horrible by the looks of her.

For a long moment the woman couldn't stop staring, until a hand shot up to her mouth in a normal shocked reaction. "Oh my god-" There was quick shuffling footsteps as the woman scrambled out from behind the register and over to the woman. the woman wearing the sailor hat beside her stepping back and out of the way to give the horrified worried woman the space she needed as she watched. Which included lifting the face of the butterfly lady to make her stare at her, and again freezing for a long moment seeing the fully exposed charred face staring back at her. "Oh my god. My poor Bluebelle. What happened to you!?"

"There was an incident, Ma'am." the older woman snapped her worried gave to the sailor looking woman behind her who she finally seemed to register for the first time since they walked into the store. She guessed she got the right store after all. With a serious expression, the sailor dressed woman placed a hand on her chest. "Pardon me for the rude surprise, Ma'am. My name is Sirius Shiriusu. I come from from the Pro Hero Agency stationed up at the docks. I was asked to escort the young lady here to be sure nothing further would happen to her."

"Further?! What happened to her?!,'' the older woman demanded glaring at her clearly distressed.

She always hated this part of the job, but remained professional and shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to disclose that private information, but if you want to ask her then it would be her choice whether or not to tell anyone."

"I see." The older woman narrowed her eyes more at Sirius before grabbing the woman to turn her away and towards the couched that were on the opposite side of the building. "Well thank you for bringing my granddaughter home, Young Lady. If you'll please excuse us."

"Of course." She bowed her head. "I should really be getting back anyhow. I'm just happy I could bring her back safely."

Not needed any further she turned and left, the bell above the door signaling her departure. In the meantime the elderly woman gently guided the butterfly lady back towards the couches where she immediately had her sit upon it as she sat right beside her. Immediately her hands went to grab Blue's cheeks and made the bright white eyes look at her as she still frowned in shame.

".....Hello, Granny," she eventually said in a sad tone, "I'm sorry I lost your seaweed."

"Seaweed!? Nevermind that! What happened to you!? It looks like you got into a fight with an alley cat!"

"Well....there was an alleyway," she admitted pulling her head away from her grandmother's hands, "And the person who attacked me was catty."

"ATTACKED!? BLUE WHAT ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH HAPPENED!?," her grandmother demanded scowling at her now.

"EVERYTHING OK!?" Her hands in her usually stressed habit reached up to yank on her antenna which was a pure sign of stress or anxiety for her grandmother. Her face twisting in worry and fear. "There was this evil person. There was hands on my body. There was eyes and cameras on my face!" The thought of millions of people on TV....Seeing her scared and mangled face.... "AH!!" She jumped when someone grabbed her arms shaking her.

"BLUE!! For goodness sakes snap out of it and get a hold on yourself!," she insisted shaking her lightly. "Calm down alright...Take deep breaths."  Although still fairly frazzled, she took in a shaky breath and slowly nodded. The older lady's scowl slowly softening and her hands going to hold her hands as she gave of an exhale of breath. Letting a few moments of silence pass between them before speaking again. "Alright. Now I don't know what happened, and you rambling like a mad man won't tell me anything. I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Ok?"

She didn't really want to. Who would? But instead her white eyes looked down and she nodded. "Ok."

"Now, begin by telling me who that young lady was."

-flashback-

Suki's Tea and Plant Emporium. 

Why did that name sound so familiar to Sirius as she took the poor woman by the hand as she followed the vague instructions she gave? Well in the lady's defense they probably weren't vague if she followed this everyday and knew her way around blind. But she's never heard of a blind person walking around without a cane or a service animal at least. Oh well. It wasn't any of her business anyways. Right now her job was to return this poor woman home after the....'incident' back at the docks. Luckily the Captain knew how to defuse the situation for the poor girl and get her away from the prying eyes of the nosey reporters. Not that she entirely blamed them for doing their jobs either. But such is life. 

"Ok. We're past the second stop sign,'' she slowly looked around her and the sky above them. This was the third street from the docks she passed, not too far from the docks but far enough to where it was a bit of a walk. She hadn't seen any tea or plant emporiums. So she looked back to the woman who stared at the ground with a raised brow. "Pardon me for asking, but are you sure we're going the right way?"

The young lady nodded keeping a decent grip on her shoulder as they walked. "It's past the second stop sign and up the road around the first corner from it. My home is the biggest house on the left side, colored green."

Instead of sighing she nodded and started forward again with her. Crossing the street and back onto the side walk. The neighborhood here must've belonged to people who loved to live near the coast, probably belonging to the many dock workers, sailors, and fishermen who used the oceans close to here as a living. It would make sense to live close to where you work I guess to make it more convienet for you to get to it. The fact she made it there at all by herself was impress-

"GAH!?" A force from behind her suddenly sent her stumbling for a bit as she nearly but thankfully didn't lose balance before quickly righting herself. The woman still clinging to her shoulder as she grunted and looked over her shoulder at her. "What the world was that?! Are you ok?"

She immediatey nodded. "Y-Yeah. S-Sorry. That was my fault!"

"No, no. It's fine." She tried not to glance at the red scar and white eyes to not be rude, of course she might trip over herself. "As long as you're not hurt then it's all good. Did you trip?"

She shook her head. "N-No. There was a sudden shake. I guess it just caught me off by surprise."

Sirius's brow rose further as she hummed. "A shake?" She nodded again. "I didn't feel anything until you bumped into me just now."

"I-..." he hesitated before shaking her head again. "N-Nevermind. I'm sure it was just nothing anyway. I'm sorry for almost making you fall."

"Hey. It's alright. A fall wouldn't be the worst thing that's happened to me anyways,'' she reassured.

From there it was pretty easy to navigate up the street and around the left corner, and she finally understood what she meant. The very last house on the street compared to the others was a bright, bright green with a white picket fence around it with a gate. It honestly looked more like a comfy cottage that belonged to the country side than a neighborhood by the beach like this. Upon coming closer Sirius noticed there was distinct aroma of flowers and herbs, getting stronger the closer they got to the small almost fairytale looking home. Many flowers and plants were in the small front yard to where it was almost over crowded other than a few paths between the patches of different plants and the neat sidewalk leading up to the house from the gate entrance. And just above the gate in an archway hung a small wooden sign with words carved into it. It read: Suki's Tea and Plant Emporium. AH! So this must've been it.

The woman behind her perked up at the familiar smell and a small sign of relief escaped her. "Finally." Was all she said.

Sirius smiled before reaching around to open the gate. It swung open letting them in with a squeak as the two continued forward on the sidewalk walking up to the entrance. Before she grabbed the door to open it. Normally she wouldn't barge into someone's home, but considering there was a 'OPEN' sign in the window of the door and it was already established as a store, it should be alright. With the woman in tow she opened the door, a small bell going off above them, and the two walked in.

[beatriceportinari]

HELL YEAH it tastes good. rapberry lime yogurt chicken

inspired by some raspberry duck magret I had once, recipe under the cut. this was my first time trying this so my thoughts on betterment are at the end + i'm open to suggestions

recipe for one (->one chicken breast)

1 pot of raspberry yogurt

soy sauce, worcester sauce, sambal oelek, fish sauce, paprika (1 big teaspoon of each)

knob of ginger

lime zest and juice

salt and pepper

I taste tested to adjust, ended up needing quite a bit of lime zest for bitterness

cut up the chicken and leave to marinate for abt 1-2 hours

reheating : pan fried it. i messed up a bit here because i left some of the marinade on but this obviously prevented the chicken from grilling. in the future i'll try patting it dry->grilling-> then adding back the marinade. i was afraid adding it at the end would be too overpowering raspberry wise but it's really not. doing the latter half of the cooking process in the marinade would also prevent some dryness

anyway cook until chicken is done, salt+pepper+more lime zest and juice +raspberry jam for garnish. tadaa

Verdict :

Pros : the yogurt obviously makes the chicken really tender, and the spice from the sambal and paprika go really well with the tanginess and sweetness of the lime and raspberry.

Cons : a bit dry like I mentionned, need to refine to cooking process, and also not fuck around with pasta instead of checking my chicken. hoping adding more marinade+jam at the end of the cooking process will help. hoping the jam will also help the coloring ! the pleasant pink turned a sad little beige grey : (

overall really good+ i actually need to go harder on the raspberry, checkmate guys

let me know if you have more advice : )

hello fellow cooks. i have no neutral greek style yoghurt but i do have my dad's various fruit flavoured yoghurts. if i marinate my chicken in one of these will it work similarly. i don't know the bacterias well. thank you

[rockstar-edits]

"Bakugou headcanons" -from Anon!

Since there wasn't really a specification I'll do a little bit of every kind! General ,platonic, and romantic headcanons for him!

General

• He tends to read a bit to calm down from the day- especially since training is hard work and it gives him a rare chance to relax.

• He's a great chef and has great technique but he's a bit heavy handed so he has an insane spice tolerance, if he cooks for anyone else they usually have to have very plain rice or bread or some sort of cleanser with it to soothe their pain.

• When he becomes a pro, he tends to buy his friends and classmates merch to show his support since a lot of the time they don't get a chance to actually hang out much.

• He absolutely reads fanfictions about himself to see how horribly wrong they are with his actual personality vs. his hero persona- and tends to favor ones involving reader, because it's funny to him how he is in a relationship with himself and how it's portrayed.

• He's the Mom friend of any group, usually yelling at someone to quit doing something stupid before they hurt themselves- but he totally laughs when they don't listen and bust their ass.

Platonic

•He definitely makes sure you're ready and prepared, it's kind of become a routine to check that you have your homework done, make sure to get a snack once a day, drink water or have something to drink. He absolutely yells at his friends to take care of themselves.

• He's a surprisingly good listener, and even if he does make a few "well that was fuckin' dumb" "way to go dumbass" comments, he does make sure you're doing alright - even if he will make fun of you a bit for something if it isn't that serious.

• While still in UA, study groups were a constant thing - him and Momo tending to be the main two to host them- if you're in his friend group it is practically mandatory.

• He's usually the one that gets stuck with everyone's bag if they run off to do something so he usually has grocery bags, shopping bags, and purses lined along his arms and sides.

• He's somewhat of a fashionista in the sense that he has a very good sense of style- and if you're not wearing something that matches or works he absolutely stares at you with a "what the fuck" look.

Romantic

• Romantically Bakugou tends to be a bit casual at first, leaving flowers at your dorms door with no note or subtle acts to show he cares- but once you start dating he's much more involved.

• Despite being hard working, he loves to come home and help with dinner or a meal to help out around the house- he can't stand the thought of being a deadbeat husband even if you both know he works hard enough.

• Quality time and acts of service are his love language, if you need something he makes sure to get it done for you, and he loves being able to just lay down and forget about the world for a second when he's with you.

• This man's cuddles are supreme, he absolutely loves to wrap his arm around your back and massage your head when you get the chance to cuddle.

• He does manage to cook with a little bit more to your taste once your together, but he still absolutely eats the hottest food he can possibly make.

[katsukikitten]

I present to you overworked. A comfort one shot I made hella quick for @mindninjax myself and anyone else who needs some bakugou comfort today. Please enjoy and let Bakugou be here for you if no one else can. 😊

Header by me!

Your phone softly vibrates on your desk as your eyes burn from staring at a screen filled with information that is familiar, information that you should know but just cannot retain. 

Or focus. 

So your phone is a happy distraction as you reach for it, only to be slightly annoyed by to a message from your hot headed friend. 

Grumpyasshole: Oi, haven't heard from you in that stupid ass group chat all week. Dunce face and shitty hair wanna know what's pissed in your cheerios 

Tongue in your cheek you debate on replying. You had ignored a slew of messages from your friends, in the group chat and even your dms sat smiling faces trapped in their little bubbles but you had always turned your phone face down. Too caught up in stress to be able to fulfill any social quota but your friends must have been desperate to convince the token grump of the group to message you. Privately at that. 

In a matter of seconds your thumbs slide across the virtual keyboard, knowing you could be honest with Bakugou, that the Pro hero could handle any sort of emotional load with ease. 

You thought it most likely because he did not care in the first place to store the baggage, at least not anywhere for long. 

You: Just feeling really run down from work. I think I'm over my head but probably too prideful to admit. Lol. Please tell everyone I'm sorry, that I'm just busy and I'll be back on my bullshit hopefully by Friday. 

Before you can even set your phone down you see that Bakugou leaves you on read. Your snort softly as you shake your head, tossing your phone aside for work. 

"Typical." You mutter to yourself. Reaching for your iced coffee only to find it empty. You debate if you should take a trip to get more. On one hand the air, despite the rain would do you good, you're sure your deskmate would gladly take a coffee. On the other, everyone in the office would stuff your hands with bills and credit cards begging you'd bring them some of that sweet nectar back. No one would care that you wouldn't haven't a hand for your umbrella and your hair would get totally fucked. 

So you decide to suffer in silence, as you always do. 

Hours slip through your fingers before your eyes glance at the small clock on the bottom right hand side of your computer. Steadily counting the minutes in the small banner. You sigh. Bringing your head down between your arms as your fingers lightly fist your hair at your nape. You felt as if you accomplished nothing, what with how much was left. 

At least your desk was clean and your shirt was cute, a good view for a few spine numbing minutes. You think you smell caramel wafting through the air, a part of you annoyed that your desk mate would venture the rain for her normal caramel latte without offering 

This is how Bakugou finds you when he approaches your desk, a sneer settled on his handsome features. Dirt and sweat clinging to his skin and the dark fabric of his hero suit. He crosses his arms, long gone are the obnoxious grenade gauntlets as his chest puffs. 

People in the office are staring at the blonde, his jagged domino mask making his garnet eyes that much more intense. Tension rises in the air as you're so oblivious, still collecting yourself silently praying that when you look back up the clock would read closer to five. 

"Oi." His voice is a deep rumble, not belonging in the office. No it belonged in the living room of your crazy packed house to one of your many roommates. It belonged at a bar, nagging that it's time to go when you were too drunk to fend off any prying hands, pestering you about your feet as he dragged you home. This voice belonged in the kitchen fussing at Denki for the stupid memes he puts in the group chat when all of you were 'right fucking here'. 

This voice did not belong in the office and so a part of you thinks you're seriously losing your shit before you glance up at the clock. Time moved like a sloth for you since the last you looked only ten minutes had passed. Kronos laughing at your plea of having time continue to move as light speed only to seemingly stop. 

"OI! Is yer head so far up yer ass ya can't fuckin hear me now, Princess?" Wait, who was using that nickname? 

That nickname thrust upon you by that grumpy asshole roommate once he saw how "high maintenance" you were when clearly you just cared about yourself for yourself. He did it as a jest but it made your whole body heat and go rigid every damn time. 

And he took notice in it. 

Delight even. 

And took notice in the way you hadn't been putting in much effort for yourself. Not taking the time for your hair, or your skincare routine that you forced on the whole house. Everyone dewy in their own right. How you look disheveled and bewildered now as you turned to face him. 

Large eyes going doe like, mouth forming in the smallest O that had him shifting his weight from one foot to the other because of his darker, lingering thoughts. 

How would you sound when he was buried…

He cuts the thought off with a pop of his skin, pulling you to your feet from your desk. 

"What are you doing?" Your voice cracks from shock, worry and a bit of venom leaks through but you make no effort to break free. 

"Wrap this shit up. I told yer boss I need your dumb ass for something." 

"Like what? I-" Bakugou cuts you off by leaning in close, eyes dark as he presses his lips to the shell of your ear. 

"You need a fucking day off. So I told your boss to fuck off and that you're coming home with me." His tone absolute. So you save your last bit of work, clock out before Bakugou passes you your jacket. He glares into the glass of your manager's office and you notice him crumble beneath that infamous burning gaze. 

Part of you wonders what Bakugou had really said, wonders if you'd still had a job. 

The two of you stand under the awning of your office building. The rain coming down in sheets, thick enough it almost blurs the cityscape.  Bakugou sighs, tension leaving his body as he tilts his neck. It cracks from the effort. 

"So what...what are we gonna do?" 

"I'm going to take your stupid ass home. Force you to shower while I order take out, then I'm going to set your overworked ass on the couch and we are going to watch that fucking movie you never shut up about. Got it Princess?" He fixes you a glare and is extra careful to drag out your nickname ever so slightly as he leans towards you. Your faces are close together, your heart in your throat as you try to push down these stupid, fleeting feelings you've had for the hot head since the six of you moved into that almost run down house. 

But you never could shake them. 

You senses fill with spiced caramel, easing the tension of your shoulders. 

"G-got it."