#I'll still miss my tomato soup though

[uwudonoodle]

The hot pot restaurant got rid of my favorite tomato broth! ☹️

[matchalovertrait]

The entree round begins! Who will cook the best dish? Who will cook the better soup? Find out... not in the next segment.

Previous / Next (Transcript under the cut)

(1.) [Mia] Somebody here did not fully follow the rules of Diced Junior.

(2.) [Carlo] And that would still be Lewis! A producer pointed out to us that Lewis here did not use the vegetables that were in the flatbread. We didn't even notice since the flatbread was so burnt.

(3.) [Lewis] Oh, I was supposed to use EVERYTHING from each basket ingredient? Anyway, thank you for the opportunity, judges.

(4.) [Mia] Thank you, Lewis. Please audition for Diced once you're older. We'd love to see you compete again.

(5.) [Lewis] Well, I already came to terms with being eliminated before they announced it. Maybe I will try Diced someday.

(6.) [Dulce] Bye, Lewis!!

[Alex] You did good, man.

[Rubiya] We'll miss you.

[Lewis] Bye, everyone. Good luck.

(7.) N/A

(8.) N/A

(9.) [Andrea] Chefs, please report back to your stations. Your baskets for the entree round have been placed.

(10.) [Dulce] Wow, they move fast here.

(11.) [Andrea] Inside your baskets, you'll find jicama, hatch green chiles...

(12.) [Andrea] ...goat chops, and chana masala.

(13.) [Rubiya] I'm pleasantly surprised with these ingredients! They won't be hard to combine. However, the real challenge here will be the time limit while using these complex items.

(14.) [Dulce] Yes! My mom is Mexican, so I am very familiar with jicama and chiles. Also, my mom's friend taught me how to cook some Indian dishes, so I know how to work with masalas. I haven't cooked goat yet, but I should be able to figure it out.

(15.) [Alex] I'm happy with the ingredients, just a lil worried about the chiles. Good thing I've cooked goat lotsa times by now.

(16.) [Andrea] Chefs, the 30-minute timer starts now!

(17.) [Rubiya] I'm making chana masala goat tacos with a green chile salsa and jicama dip.

(18.) [Rubiya] Tacos aren't necessarily easy to make, but with my thirty-minute time limit and these beautiful ingredients, this is the way to go! I'll incorporate the ingredients well. If only I could make the tortillas from scratch, but it is what it is.

(19.) [Dulce] I'm making a tomato soup with goat, jicama, chana masala, and hatch green chiles. I'll add sweet potatoes, onion, kidney beans, and green bell peppers.

(20.) [Dulce] There's a lot of things to dice and chop while also making sure the goat and sweet potatoes are thoroughly cooked, but I want to push myself. Also, the judges seemed to really like how I play with many different ingredients, so I want to do that again.

(21.) [Alex] I'm making an egusi soup with cubed goat meat, hatch green chiles, spiralized jicama, and chana masala. My other ingredients are tomatoes, onions, and spinach.

(22.) [Alex] Well, there aren't any egusi seeds here, so I have to use pumpkin seeds instead. I'll keep the name though, it sounds fancier that way.

(23.) N/A

(24.) [Andrea] Judges, any thoughts and opinions so far?

(25.) [Sofia] We love how confident these young contestants are.

[Mia] However, we also noticed how Alex and Dulce are both making soups. Unfortunately, that will make our judging harsher because we are going to have to compare the two.

(26.) [Carlo] Tsk, tsk. They should have thought more outside the box. Also, Dulce really has to watch the time. Andrea, please check on the contestants.

[Andrea] Will do, Carlo!

[invisiblequeen]

@squea Heard you got a sim that needs a friend. May I present...Elayne Tang?

(ExCUSE ME, miss n0body, I can introduce myself, thank you!)

No. We'll do it together. I'll lay out the basics and you can interject.

(LOL Like you could stop me! HI SQUEA!)

Name: Elayne Tang (they KNOW that already, girl keep up--)

Age: Young Adult (Don't let the 'young' fool you, though. I. Am. GROWN.)

Hometown: Windenburg (where the nightlife is the right life! ha! get it?)

Career: Aerobics Instructor (And it’s still not enough to tire me out!)

Status: Single (to all you hopefuls out there, the way to my heart is on the dance floor. ;))

Skill Stats: (BOOOOO how dare you try to quantify my value-- )

Fitness: 2 (weightlifting is so BORIING, let’s go pop lock and drop it instead!) Charisma: 8 (I mean, with a smile like this, how can I NOT—) Dancing: 5 (DANCE IS LIFE) Research & Debate: 7 (I have a page of bullet points on why the Jubislide is actually the work of spell casters making you think you as a mortal can do that shit—) Cleaning: 4 (I’m not DIRTY!…I’m just…messy. There’s a difference, right??) Comedy: 6 (Not to get cynical, but life is a joke, so why not roast it?) Cooking: 3 (You want a grilled cheese served with creamy tomato soup? I’m your girl. You want a five course entree go to that Ilama restaurant over there. Hmph.)

Aspiration: Trend Setter (Have you SEEN this outift? I AM the trend!) Traits: Clubber, Creative, Dance Machine, Flirty and Brave (Probably why I didn’t flinch when I saw that dude fall from the sky.) Lifestyles: People Person & Energetic (You tell your friends to get with my friends, and we’ll all be friends that dance on weekends!) Clubs: Founder Of The Club, “Two Steppers” (Where all you gotta do is DANCE TILL YOU CAN’T DANCE NO MORE!)

(In conclusion I am literally the best bestie you could ever ask for and CORRRRN, if you're ready to see the world and learn a few moves while doing it, I'd be happy to help you! xoxoxoooooo!)

sigh We hope you consider Elayne Tang as one of Corn's new friends. Thank you and goodnight.

(Now look at my shoes.)

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #54

Last night, after I made the locket, I made pumpkin soup for you. But I cannot give it to you, so instead I gave it to all my friends at the place I like to go to. They were having a soup contest, so it was the perfect excuse. I've never made pumpkin soup before. But I'll walk you through how I made it nonetheless, because I think it turned out really well.

I started out with about 4 cups of my famous (it's not really famous, haha!) bone broth. Do you remember the letter I wrote to you about that, a while back? The broth I make is nutritious and intensely flavorful, so I'm glad that I had saved some of it in the freezer. It really came in handy for this:

To this, I added 4 cans of pureed pumpkin. I wished I could use fresh mashed and roasted pumpkin, but it's out of season:

I know that maybe it looks gross, but I promise you, it's very tasty stuff. It's everything I can do to resist eating it straight from the can with a spoon, hahaha!

I used a whisk to incorporate the pureed pumpkin into the broth. It looked like this by the time I was done:

From there, I incorporated maybe half a pint of heavy cream or thereabouts; it's very ballparked - I poured from the pint "until the whispered voices of my ancestors told me to stop", or so the saying goes:

...There are a lot of random sayings in my world that I think you would find delightful, actually. I really wish you were here; there are so many beautiful and funny and joyful things I want to show you. I'd give just about anything to bring out the sparkle in your eyes, the joyful smile in your face, and the delighted laughter in your voice.

I'm sorry that I couldn't somehow be around to help you when you needed it most. I'm sorry that I can't just snap my fingers and swap our places, so that you can have this beautiful life that I have now; I'm not as deserving of it as you would be if you could be here. I didn't start out kind and good like you did. You started out good and fell down. I started out bitter and managed to claw my way back up, but... only because I had help. I'm not sure I'd have managed on my own. And in your shoes, I'm certain that I'd have cracked under the pressure long before you did.

...Still. Even knowing what horrors are likely coming for you, I'd still gladly trade places so that you don't have to suffer. I'd do it in a heartbeat; I wouldn't even hesitate. The people in my immediate vicinity deserve someone more present, more capable, more wise and empathetic, and a bit less clumsy and glitchy than me anyhow. You'd fit quite nicely in my place, I think.

In any case, heavy cream adds a touch of decadence to things, but you have to be careful how much you use, because if you add too much, it'll mute other flavors:

From here, I just took a whole block of cream cheese and plopped it in there:

I waited for the heat of the rest of the soup to soften it, and then I used the whisk to incorporate it smoothly. Easy peasy.

But it was still missing a certain something. A friend of mine was visiting while I was making this, and so I asked her for her opinion. She suggested that it was missing a kind of caramelized, Maillard-reaction-esque sort of flavor. And she was absolutely correct. So I got to work pureeing some sweet onions:

Onions have a lot of sugar in them, and with just a little butter and heat, it's easy to bring out the nutty, caramelized flavor hidden within them:

From here, I incorporated it into the soup:

...I know it looks burnt, hahaha! But I promise you it isn't; the flavor is a complex mix of sweet and savory with that characteristic allium zing; it's VERY delicious.

Here's how the soup looked after the caramelized onions were whisked in:

My friend and I agreed that it didn't need anything more. Though one of my husbands (the one who does not hate soup) tried it, and was sad that it did not taste like pumpkin pie, hahaha! The flavor of this one is closer to something like tomato bisque, except with pumpkin instead of tomato - more savory than sweet.

The next day (which is today!), I brought it to the place. There were 7 other soups there. I'll show you the pictures.

Here's mine in the lineup. You're supposed to drizzle it with the table cream, and then sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top:

This one was made by our leader. It had a well-balanced flavor and incredible texture:

This one was sweeter than I expected, but it was still very good! The variety of ingredients made for an interesting medley of flavors and textures:

This one was a bit thinner than I expected, but it was still very good! The flavors were spot on for this one!

This combination here is a classic. As you can see, there is a reason it's a classic; it's almost all gone! These flavors work really well together, and the chicken in this one was juicy and tender:

This one. This one managed to be sweet and buttery and savory all at once. I've never had a French onion soup as good as this one. This was my second favorite:

There were even little cheese breads to dunk in there!

Finally, there was this gem of a soup:

I'm sorry, but no description can do this one justice. This was my favorite one, hands down.

So, we all got little cups to put the soup in so we could try them all and select our two favorites. Mine is the top right cup!

Anyway, selecting our favorites is why we get two pennies. We put the pennies into the green cups next to the soups we liked best. I voted for the French onion and the creamy potato bacon soups.

The two soups with the most votes gets a prize. First place was the potato bacon soup. And in second place was the cheesy broccoli soup! Mine came in third place, but if I had just one more vote, I would have tied for second place.

A couple of people came to me and told me that I should have voted for my own soup, and to be sure, I did a fine job of making pumpkin soup for my first attempt, but I liked the other two I voted for better. I'm not sad about how it turned out; I made the soup with the intention of creating joy, not with the intention of competing.

Nonetheless, one of the prizes was a pair of bowls of this type:

The person who won the bowls liked my soup so much that they gave me one of theirs! I was surprised and touched by the gesture!

...Sadly, though, my bowl didn't make it into my front door whole. We got home and I tried to carry too many things back into the house at once (I really ought to know better by now, but it seems I never learn...), and the bowl ended up falling out of my clumsy, dyspraxic hands and shattering on the asphalt of the parking lot:

...I was, for a moment, devastated and stunned. I almost cried; my eyes welled up, but they didn't spill. My husband who was with me helped me pick up the pieces. We brought them into the house.

This thing occurred. And it might seem sad at first glance, but it's not; I promise you: in a few days' time, I will be sipping the soup I made for you from this bowl, and when I do, it will be an even more beautiful bowl than how it looked before it shattered. I won't tell you how; I'm going to leave you in suspense (neener, neener, neener! 🤭). You'll have to read tomorrow's letter to find out.

So keep yourself safe, all right? Make good choices so that you don't disappear. You gotta read tomorrow's letter. And the letter after that. And the letter after that. Okay? Promise me. Because you're loved and needed and wanted in this world. And because you're not hopeless or alone or broken beyond repair.

I'll write again tomorrow. I promise.

Your friend, Lumine

[helianskies]

hello! for the dialogue prompts, turkgrespa + 19 if you don't mind? i thought it was quite fitting because of your restaurant au <3

ah i see,, a person of culture! restaurant au it is ;)

Food

"I made you lunch," Antonio says, setting a plate down on top of a growing stack of papers nestled on the edge of the office desk. "I figured it was about time you ate something."

(Lunch is a humble offering of what remains of Antonio's breakfast—the dregs of fresh tomato and garlic and olive oil slathered onto freshly toasted bread. Antonio's favourite, of course.)

Sadık glances over his shoulder and up at him, and gives a smile to say 'thank you' without the words ever passing his lips. He is deep in work, his brain more numbers than letters, and so Antonio smiles back, and chooses to not disturb him for even a second too long. 

Currently, Sadık is trying to get ahead of bills, ordering, payroll and savings while the restaurant is closed for the day. Herakles, by comparison, has never really had a finance head; they made an agreement before Antonio's time that any thing covered in euros would be entirely in the chef's hands, and, in the meantime, Herakles would manage staff and customer relationships. It is more his forte.

(Though, even then, Antonio has now taken on some of that responsibility.)

As Antonio leaves the office, he bumps into Herakles himself. And Herakles asks him without missing a beat, "Where's my lunch?"

The Spaniard tries not to laugh, amused solely by the other's tone. "You never placed an order," he says.

"Neither did Sadık," Herakles counters.

"He's got a point," Sadık then joins in, before swivelling around on his chair and suggesting to Herakles, "You can always have mine," to which Antonio protests quite sternly.

"That plate does not leave this room," he warns Sadık—or both of them, really, "until you eat what's on it."

The way that Sadık and Herakles glance at each other reveals to him, quite naturally, that they are currently adding this incident to a mental pile of 'reasons why Antonio is also our mother'. He tries not to roll his eyes in response (for fear of it also being used against him). 

"I'll eat it, don't worry," Sadık goes on to assure him, before turning back around and facing his work. "I just need to chase this invoice, first…"

And with that, he shuts himself off. He is in an entirely different plane of existence, and Antonio and Herakles walk out into the short corridor between the dining room and kitchen. They'll check in on him in about an hour.

"So, about lunch."

Antonio glances at Herakles, does a sort of double-take, and then squints at him warily. "What about lunch?"

"Are you having any?" Herakles asks him. "It's nice of you to think of other people, even if I'm not included in that—" Antonio tuts. Strike two! "—but you also need food. No?"

"I do," he duly replies, "and I intend to. You wanna help?"

"You have something in mind?"

"Of course. I call it, 'raiding Sadık's stock and eating whatever needs using'," Antonio tells him, which earns an enthusiastic hum, followed by an eager prompt to lead the way.

To be clear, Sadık is fully aware of this arrangement. Sunday is a day where the three of them will double-check stock after Saturday's close and clean, and make sure anything that will not survive the night is used or removed so they can avoid as much waste as possible. 

Often, there is not much for them to go through (the kitchen team are very thorough on a Saturday) but today, a venture into the walk-in reveals some produce that won't be missed. 

Antonio proposes a soup for ease. Herakles does not object. There is still some bread from breakfast, after all, that they might as well use.

Over the next half an hour or so, they work together to prep the vegetables, make the base, and then begin cooking. For a while, the kitchen operates like a well-oiled machine, even if they are only hobbyist chefs. Then, once the vegetables are cooked, Antonio takes charge of the blending while Herakles sees to warming the plates and cutting the bread; it only takes a few minutes more.

Parsley is chopped, cream is sniffed and set aside for use, and then, once the Spaniard is satisfied and the Greek starts to sneak one too many tastes—et voilà.

They sit together at one of the tables in the restaurant, out of view of the front windows. It feels like a lunch date of sorts, and the atmosphere certainly settles as the pair of them start to eat. Food. Food has such miraculous powers. Antonio values it more than anything.

Though, even he has to admit, Herakles' company over the next few minutes is equally as dear. They talk easily, about food, about comfort food, about childhood food—and just as Antonio goes to ask Herakles why he hasn't considered having more Greek food on the menu, they are joined by a third person.

A plate is set down on the table as Sadık pulls up a chair. Antonio eyes the tostada, neglected, abandoned, untouched.

"I thought I said that this plate wasn't allowed to leave the office until you ate," Antonio reminds Sadık once he is seated, somewhat light-heartedly. "Do you hate tomatoes that much?”

Sadık gives him a wry smile. "You know I don't," he replies. "But I could smell whatever you were cooking—soup, it seems—and I, uh… Well, I wanted to join you two for lunch instead."

Antonio softens. "Do you want some soup, then?" he offers. "Your bread will be all soggy now, anyway."

"No, no… I'll survive."

Yet, "Go and get a bowl," Herakles encourages. "There is plenty there. And it will be better than…" He nods at the plate. "Whatever is left of that."

"Maybe so, but I don't want to waste something that he spent time maki—"

"It took five minutes at most. Really, let me get you a bowl."

"Toni, it's fine—"

"No. Sit," the Spaniard insists, however, rising from his own seat without hesitation. His hands falls on Sadık's shoulder. He smiles, and he says, "I'll get you a bowl, and then you'll feel like you're really having lunch with us, okay?"

He doesn't give Sadık a chance to argue, not that he's sure he would. But Antonio has learned that stubbornness and perseverance can go hand-in-hand, and that sometimes, it is okay for him to put his foot down like this.

After all, Sadık may be one of his employers, but now, he was also one of his People, and that feels far more important.

[ final wordcount, 1090 words; prompts found here! ]

[now-we-say-c0ral]

March 26, 2023

Slept at around 2am, it was supposed to be around 1am but you know, it's BST. British Summertime. Bullshit to be honest. Good thing I wasn't working this morning because I would have woken up unhappy with less of an hour's sleep. Woke up around 5:30am without an Eddie hugging me. Apparently they went to a casino after drinking at the bar. Slept and woke up to him hugging me. I gave him specific instructions to hug me. Not because it's cute because I just want to know that he's home.

Woke up at around 12pm. Won today's Wordle. Steamy cuddling and eating the leftover sinigang. Something about eating the food from yesterday which makes the food extra delicious. Afterwards went to Morrison's and bought some ingredients to make beef caldereta. It's going to be Eddie's baon tomorrow and I think I failed because I used tomato soup instead of tomato sauce because this is the UK, you can't find a lot of Filipino goods here. It still tasted okay but I wasn't satisfied despite him and Romney said that it tasted fine. You are your worst critic afterall. Played Diablo 4 again and I'm loving the Rogue. I think I'll be playing this on launch. I kind of miss the controls on the Switch and it's a far dream for this to be released on the Switch but I wish it would. It'd be very good if it did.

I'll be seeing my new workplace tomorrow and I'm sort of excited.

No thoughts today... mind's always calm when I'm with Eddie. This 'dependence' isn't that good though. I have to stop this fantasy of being okay when he's around and not being okay when he's not.

[svechnikovvv]

can’t take my eyes off you (part 7)

gif by: @robinsteve

pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader

warnings: you guys know the drill by now

word count: 2,314

summary: steve fakes y/m for a week for a family reunion, but little does y/n know, he's had the biggest crush on her for a while.

a/n: this is officially my favorite steve gif. also, this one's short as well. just another filler chapter

saturday. yes. you’ll admit it. you were kind of looking forward to going home, but steve’s family’s grown on you. especially the kids. you don't know if you want to leave anymore. you sit up in bed and see steve sprawled out everywhere. you quietly laugh to yourself. you don't bother with changing your clothes, heading downstairs in your pajamas.

"i'd say morning, but it's twelve in the afternoon" diane says to you as you step into the kitchen. your eyes slightly widen.

"i slept for that long?" she nods

"why did you and steve get home so late?"

"we went to see top gun"

"ooh. i heard tom cruise was in it"

"oh, diane. he was a sight for sore eyes" you both laugh and she gestures to the table.

"well, you missed breakfast, but we still have lunch. since tomorrow's the last day, we kept it simple. so grilled cheese and tomato soup it is for today"

"my mouth is already watering" you grab a plate, and bowl, and make yourself your lunch. this was the one time you didn't make steve his food because you were just too hungry to put your food on pause to make him something to eat. you took a seat at the barstool that you usually sit on and dipped your grilled cheese into the tomato soup, then taking a bite.

"i forgot how good grilled cheese was"

"never underestimate the power of grilled cheese" diane says

"mm. somethng smells good" you look to your right and see steve wallking into the kitchen.

"look. sleeping beauty has finally risen" steve rolls his eyes at your comment and his mom hands him his food. looks like she made it for him. he tells her thank you and takes a seat beside you. he bites into his sandwich and he looks just as satisfied as you.

"so, what do you two have planned today?" steve swallows his food then speaks up.

"i was thinking of staying in today?" he looks at you and you nod

"staying in sounds amazing to me. maybe we can play another game of twister and i can kick your ass again"

"do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"why would i kiss my mom, steve? that's incest" he rolls his eyes

"you know what i mean" you two go silent after that for a bit, just finishing your lunch.

"oh, y/n, wendy and nicole said they wanted to give you a makeover today. they're in the living room waiting" diane tells you and you slightly panick. you let one of your cousins give you a makeover one time, and long story short, you looked like ronald mcdonald with how much she caked your face.

"lucky me" you slowed your pace at eating your lunch, scared for what was to come. once you did finish though, you made your way into the living room, steve by your side. the two girls spotted you instantly and perked up.

"stevie! y/n! perfect!" you and steve look at each other with scared looks and then back at the girls, walking to sit in front of them on the floor.

"stevie, we're giving you a makeover too" nicole says

"what? i came here to watch"

"we want to make you look pretty" wendy says and you nudge steve. you look down at the play makeup that wendy and nicole had laid out.

"okay, nicole, you do stevie and i'll do y/n" wendy orders and nicole nods. wendy stands up so that she can properly put makeup onto your face.

"first i'm gonna do eyeshadow" you nod

"close your eyes" you close them as instructed and you start to feel her work her way across your eyelids. you're just curious as to what color she picked out. she did the same to the other eye and then blowed your eyes.

"that's to get off any extra stuff" you nod

"okay, you can open your eyes again" you open them and see wendy holding blush.

"now i'm going to do your blush" she starts to dab the pink powder across your cheeks and does the same as she did to your eyes. she blows off the extra. she stands back a bit after she does that and looks at you, then nods.

"almost done. just have to do lipstick" she picks up a mini thing of lipstick and takes the cap off of it.

"do this," she puckers her lips and you copy her actions. she applies the lipstick onto your lips. she then put the cap back onto the lipstick and looked at your face, a big smile on it.

"you look like an official princess" she holds up a tiny mirror so you can see yourself and you gotta admit, she didn't do a bad job for a kid.

"i watch mommy do her makeup all the time" she says and you nod, then putting the mirror down and facing her.

"i love it wendy. thank you" she smiles big and nods. you then turn to look at steve and nicole is still going at him. she makes him pucker his lips like wendy did with you and she put on a bold, red lipstick. his eyes meet yours and you're trying your hardest not to laugh. you'll never let him live this down.

once nicole finishes, she hands him the mirror you previously had and steve looks at what nicole did.

"wow nicole. you sure weren't lying when you said you'd make me look pretty" he puts the mirror down, looking at her. he then looks at you.

"wendy, you did an amazing job at doing y/n's makeup" he stands up from his spot on the ground.

"thank you. now, let's go show people" the two little girls grab your hands and pull you into the kitchen. diane was the first to see and the biggest smile makes its way onto her face.

"wow. you two look... just wow" she's trying not to laugh and you just stand there as she takes it all in. cynthia is the next person to see it.

"y/n... you-" she then looks at steve. "oh. and steve" she lets out a laugh at steve and he gives her a bitch face.

"this is the best thing i've seen all day" she walks past the two of you, heading out to the terrace.

"let's go show our mommies" wendy says to nicole and she nods. they drag you to where you assumed their moms were.

"mommy! nicole and me did y/n and stevie's makeup!" laura and jennifer turn around and take in the sight of you and steve.

"wow"

"yeah yeah, i know" steve says and you're laughing. it's so hard for you to take him serious.

"sassy much?" laura asks and steve rolls his eyes

"you did an amazing job, sweetie" jennifer says to nicole and nicole smiles widely.

"i made him look pretty"

"so are you saying i was ugly before?" steve asks her and she nods. he fake gasps and places a hand over his heart.

"words hurt, nicole" she giggles and steve smiles

"this is by far the highlight of my life" laura says and you nod

"oh for sure"

"okay, come on. let's go back inside" wendy grabs your hand and drags you back into the house. steve in tow with nicole.

"when can i take this off?" steve asks nicole

"later" looks like you two have to go all day with your new look. throughout the day, you and steve did various tasks, still having the makeup on. at some point you two changed into different clothes. around 6, you and steve were watching some tv in the living room when wendy and nicole came up to you.

"you guys can take it off now" steve was the first to head to the bathroom and take it off. once he came back out, he was back to looking how he did hours earlier. you were next. you went into the bathroom and turned on the cold water, washing your face. you took the washcloth that you could tell steve used, and wiped your face off, getting rid of all leftover residue.

you headed back into the living room and sat down beside steve.

"who knew looking pretty came with a cost" he said and you chuckled

"you can't deny that you didn't enjoy it" he went silent, thus proving your point.

"see. i'm right"

"you usually are"

"don't kiss ass, harrington" he rolls his eyes. you swear, one day they're going to get stuck in the back of his head with how much he does it.

"i'm definitely telling robin and dustin about this when we get back home" he turns to face you, pointing a finger at you

"you will do nothing of the sort"

"you can't stop me" you grin evily at him and he squints his eyes at you.

"you got five seconds to start running. i'm giving you a headstart" you get up and take off out the door, heading to the vineyard. you can feel your calves burning as you run. you haven't put this much effort into running since highschool. you take many different turns, finding a hiding spot. you crouch down, panting and catching your breath.

"y/n!" you hear steve shout

"come on out, sweetheart!" your heart is thumping against your chest, and you're still trying to catch your breath. once you calm down your breathing, you can hear steve start to get closer. you slowly get up from your crouched position and you book it back to the house. you're running when suddenly you feel a pair of arms wrap themselves around your waist. you're let out loud laughter and steve is laughing with you.

"gotcha" steve whispers in your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

"i would've had it if you didn't have such long ass legs you fucking giant" he chuckles and sets you back down on the ground.

"you're not telling robin and dustin about today"

"how will you know what i do and don't tell them?" you raise a brow at him and you two just stare at each other for a minute.

"i have my ways" he says

"oh yeah?"

"yeah," steve starts to stalk towards you and you back up at the same time. he then grabs you and throws you over his shoulder.

"steve harrington! put me down!" he's laughing

"nope" you sigh in defeat. steve carries you all the way back to the house and diane shoots you a look as steve walks past her and heads up the stairs to your shared bedroom. he then opens the door, closing it with his food. when he's in front of the bed, he throws you down onto it.

"just treat me like a ragdoll, why don't you" he rolls his eyes

"you're dramatic"

"and you're a pain in my ass. so what's new"

"who's the one who paid for your ice cream yesterday?"

"only because you wouldn't let me" he places his hands on his hips and looks at you.

"well you paid for the movie like you wanted, didn't you?" you shrug

"still doesn't change the fact that you're a pain in the ass. just accept it, steven" he goes quiet before he sighs

"fine. you win" you grin victoriously and move on the bed so that you're leaning against the headboard. you turn the tv on and watch some cartoons as you wait for dinner. steve joins you and soon the smell of pizza hits your nose. you could kill for some pizza right now.

you rush down the stairs and head into the kitchen. you grab a plate and put two slices of pepperoni pizza onto it, sitting down at the same barstool from earlier. five minutes later steve is beside you and you munching away on his pizza. after he finishes a slice, he puts the crust on your plate

"i don't like the crust" you gasp

"steve, that's like... the best part of the pizza. but thanks for the free crust" you happily eat his crust and you grab another slice. you had a big appetite today. steve laughed from beside you.

"if i knew you were this hungry, i would've bought you your own separate box"

"you should've" once you were done with your third slice, you head back up to the room. after all that running earlier, you were tired out. you change back into your pajamas from earlier and slip into bed. steve takes a shower and you continue to watch cartoons. like clockwork, you put on scooby-doo. you were very into the episode that was on. so into it that you didn't notice steve get into bed beside you.

"i gotta admit, you rocked that shade of lipstick," you speak, attention still on the tv.

"might have to look into buying some" you both laugh, but still keep your attention on the tv in front of you.

"thank you for bringing me here. i don't regret saying yes. and besides, i think we made an amazing fake-couple" right. fake. steve had to remind himself that everything was fake and that when you two went home tomorrow, it'd be back to how it was before.

"yeah. i guess we do" the conversation died down after that and you two watched the show in a comfortable silence. you eventually fell asleep, but steve couldn't sleep.

fake. it was all fake.

"it's not fake for me" he whispers to himself before he shuts the tv off, lying down and trying to fall asleep. eventually he succumbs to sleep, but he falls asleep with you on his mind. the girl next to him. the girl that he found unattainable. the girl that he would love to grow old with. the prettiest girl in the world.

tags: @btsinurmom @lovelyela @fezcomybeloved @manuosorioh @preciousbabypeter @in-this-minute @k-k0129 @prettysbliss @hcloangcls @simonsbluee @joekeeryswife @scoobiessnacks @sorrenthesonnetwriter @goldenbrokenheart @mess-in-side @chocolatepizzatyrant @frostandflamesfanfic

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a/n: despite the shortness, i hope you all enjoyed it (:

[melanielocke]

The Stars Collide - Chapter 20

I really have to get back to writing this story because now I have no chapters left. I did work really hard at the Witch in the Woods, my Hansel and Gretel retelling, and finished a round of edits today. I'll probably go over it once more and then I'll need some people to beta read it so if anyone's interest, let me know. Next chapter of the Stars Collide will be sometime next week, though I'll have to write it first. AO3 | Chapter list

Alastair felt a little uncomfortable around his sister. He hated that he felt this way, he’d missed her so much over the past six years and was happy she’d come to Fair, but he also hated how she knew what had happened to him.

Cordelia didn’t say anything, likely Thomas had asked her not to, but he could still see the way she looked at him. With worry. With pity. He was older than her, and it had always been his duty to protect her and keep her safe. He’d never wanted her to see how broken he really was, and her trying to protect him felt wrong.

‘I’m really excited to see Lightwood,’ Cordelia said. ‘The biggest forest of the planet. I read that there are lots of small villages and settlements in the woods, nothing like the castle and surrounding cities I’ve seen so far.’

‘There’s lots of farmland too,’ Thomas said. ‘When my sisters and I were little, we used to help pick tomatoes and berries and the like during harvest season. They always needed extra hands for the harvest and my father believed it important for us to help out and get some experience with manual labor. Genie used to eat some of the berries she picked until one time a farmer got really mad at her for it.’

‘I’ve never done anything like that,’ Cordelia said. ‘Is it harvest season right now?’

‘For pumpkins,’ Thomas said. ‘For berries it’s a little late.’

‘Can I sign up to help harvest pumpkins too?’ Cordelia asked. ‘Sounds like fun.’

‘I’m sure you can. I never did, because we used to be in school during pumpkin season, while we had summer break when the berries were harvested.’

‘With some of the larger pumpkins, you can carve them out and put a candle inside,’ Lucie said. ‘They work as charms when I make them and are some of the strongest protective charms I can make. Until the pumpkin expires, that is. Maybe we can decorate the house with those, to keep you safe.’  

Alastair listened to the conversation, but didn’t add anything himself, choosing to focus on one of the books he’d borrowed from Thomas. It was a novel set in an ancient world where a young man fell in love with a demon. It fascinated him, because who could love a demon? Who could love something so dark and rotten? But a little later into the book, he’d discovered the demon wasn’t evil, not really. He was just broken and sad and blamed himself for things that had never been his fault. The main character was the first to see the demon for who he really was, the first to take away some of his burden and help him find a way to heal. The main character reminded him of Thomas, in a way. So open, so kind. He had a reckless streak too, and didn’t always make the smartest decisions, but he was determined to prove his demon was not the evil everyone believed him to be. Alastair hoped the two would find a way to be together. Unfortunately, it was only the first in a series and book 2 wasn’t coming out for a few more months.

‘How much longer is it?’ Alastair asked when he finished the book.

‘Two more hours,’ Thomas said. ‘Lightwood is a six hour flight.’

‘You don’t happen to have another book?’

‘We have lots of books in Lightwood,’ Thomas said. ‘Until then we can play a game though. Cordelia has a supply of board games on the ship. Or we can eat. I brought some leftovers from the freezer we can heat up in here.’

‘I could eat,’ Alastair said. ‘What do you have?’

Alastair had weighed himself that morning, and he’d gained ten pounds since marrying Thomas. He was almost at a healthy weight.

‘Eggplant mash, two portions lentil soup and spiced cauliflower and potato,’ Thomas said.

‘That all sounds delicious,’ Alastair said. ‘Can I have the eggplant mash?’

Eggplant was one of his favorite vegetables, something that was commonly eaten on Turan too. Eggplant mash reminded him of home. They all ate dinner, Cordelia putting the plane in autopilot to come eat too. Cordelia returned to the cockpit after dinner, while Lucie stayed behind and decided they would play a game of Rummikub.

‘You’re far too good at this,’ Lucie complained after Alastair had rearranged half the board to put away his last stone. ‘None of this should be allowed.’

‘I followed all of the rules,’ Alastair said. ‘I won.’

‘Come, Lu, we’ll go for place two and three.’

Alastair sat closer to Thomas, looking at his stones and the board. He had one difficult stone, but there were two he should be able to lose once Lucie finished her turn. He looked over the board, analyzing different ways to move the stones, lose the ones Thomas had in hand and have everything turn out complete.

‘You need to rearrange this,’ Alastair said once Lucie had given up and picked a stone from the pile.

‘You’re not allowed to help!’ Lucie yelled.

Alastair wisely shut up and waited until Thomas figured it out himself. It took some time, during which Lucie took out her laptop and started typing, occasionally asking Thomas if he was done yet.

‘Maybe next game we should put a timer during which you’re supposed to make your move,’ Alastair suggested.

‘If you think this is long, you should play Rummikub with my dad,’ Thomas said. ‘During his move you can make tea, come back, finish it, and he still will be looking if there’s really no way to lose that one stone.’

‘Maybe I’ll try,’ Alastair said. ‘I would like to get to know him better, at least.’

With Henry and Charlotte, his relationship had been cordial, yet distant. He was more of an acquaintance to them than family, though he had recently learned Henry did care for him. He hoped to build a better relationship with his new in laws. He’d been so alone during his time with Charles, and Alastair never wanted to feel like that again.

They tried several other games until in the end Lucie settled on a purely luck based game called Ludo. Alastair had too much insight and memory for most of the other games they’d found on board of the plane. He lost magnificently at Ludo, Lucie kept throwing his pawns of the board, making him start over.

It was close to midnight in Lightwood when they landed the plane on a designated spot near Lightwood estate. There was a four hour time difference, and Alastair didn’t feel like sleeping quite yet. They dragged all their belongings to the Lightwood estate, and Thomas showed Alastair to his room first, and then helped Lucie and Cordelia get their bags into the guest room.

Thomas’ bedroom was nice. It was a little bigger than the bedroom of his quarters at Fair palace, but similar in coloring, nice and cozy. The bed was made and everything looked nice and clean. Alastair changed into his pajamas, then found his way to the bathroom to clean himself and brush his teeth before getting into bed. Thomas joined him not long after, and for a moment Alastair considered getting a little closer to him. He had loved being held by Thomas, and he wished Thomas would hold him here too. But he couldn’t ask that. It would be too much, it would scare Thomas away from him.

When Alastair woke the next morning, Thomas was still asleep and Alastair decided to get dressed quietly and leave the bedroom so Thomas could sleep a little more. He soon realized he didn’t know exactly where he was going and after taking a wrong turn somewhere, he entered a room he thought Thomas had said would like to the library, but he was wrong. This was a study, but it looked unused and rather dusty. He was about to turn around, when he noticed the portrait of a young woman. She had brown hair and green eyes, a piercing gaze, a haughty expression on her face. Alastair could have sworn he’d seen her before and yet that didn’t make any sense because he couldn’t figure out when.

‘Who is- oh, Alastair. You must have lost your way?’

Alastair startled. He turned around to see Thomas’ father standing in the doorway.

‘Didn’t mean to scare you,’ Gideon Lightwood said. ‘It’s just, this used to be my father’s study. No one usually comes here. I heard your footsteps.’

‘Thomas told me where to find the library, but I think I misinterpreted his instructions,’ Alastair said.

Now that he went over them again in his head, they were somewhat ambiguous and Alastair had picked one he thought Thomas had meant. He often found it difficult when people were ambiguous in what they meant.

‘That’s alright, you couldn’t have known. Come, I’ll show you to the library.’

‘Wait. Who is that woman over there?’ Alastair asked. ‘I feel like I’m supposed to remember her.’

‘She’s my sister, Tatiana,’ Gideon said. ‘I haven’t seen her in a long time. She left Fair after both our father and her husband died. Last I heard she fled to the Edom empire. I think it’s unlikely you’d have met her.’

‘I guess so,’ Alastair said. ‘With my memory, I would remember. Perhaps I’ve seen her picture before, or just someone who looks like her.’

Still, it bothered Alastair. Why didn’t he remember her? Why would her face be so familiar? She was from Fair originally, but hadn’t lived here in some time. Would it make sense if she had anything to do with the experiments?

‘How long was it ago, that she fled?’

‘Almost thirty years,’ Gideon said. ‘Her husband died shortly after she’d married him, along with my father.’

Gideon’s tone indicated he didn’t want to talk about this any further and Alastair respected that. He could sense there was something difficult there. Maybe Thomas would know more, but Alastair wouldn’t press him about it either for now.

‘I’m sorry about your father.’

‘Don’t be. He was not a good man,’ Gideon said. ‘The library is this way.’

The library was a cozy room with a sofa and several comfortable looking chairs and a coffee table in the middle. The seating arrangement looked out onto the forest through a wall of windows. On the other wall, there were book cases filling the rooms.

‘I love this set up,’ Alastair said. ‘And the view, it’s lovely.’

‘It is beautiful,’ Gideon agreed. ‘The books on the far side are old, but many are newer. It’s not that much compared to the Herondales, but I’d still consider this a big collection. What kind of books do you like?’

‘Oh, all kinds. I used to read a lot about politics, but nowadays I’m getting more into fiction. Thomas had a lot of books I’m enjoying.’

‘That shelf on the right are Thomas’ books,’ Gideon said. ‘Maybe you’ll find something you like there.’

‘I’ll take a look,’ Alastair said. ‘Thank you. But would it be okay if I ate something first? I don’t know where the kitchen is and I’m a little hungry.’

‘Of course. Come, I’ll show you. Is Tom not up yet?’

‘I figured I’d let him sleep. Usually he makes me breakfast, I don’t always eat breakfast. He’s a very good cook, I gained ten pounds since we got married. I used to be really underweight.’

‘He gets that from his mother,’ Gideon said. ‘I never had much talent in the kitchen, I’m afraid, but Sophie is an amazing cook and she taught Thomas. I’m glad you’re eating better, you look healthier than you did at your wedding.’  

‘Thanks you,’ Alastair said.

He wondered how Thomas felt about that. Would he find Alastair more attractive now that he’d gained some weight? He looked better than he used to and started to feel a little less insecure about his body. Perhaps foolishly, he still hoped Thomas could develop feelings for him.

@alastaircarstairsdefenselawyer @life-through-the-eyes-of @styxdrawings @justanormaldemon @ipromiseiwillwrite @a-dream-dirty-and-bruised @amchara @all-for-the-fanfiction @imsoftforthomastair @ddepressedbookworm @queenlilith43 @wagner-fell @cant-think-of-anything @laylax13s @tessherongraystairs @boredfangirl16 @artist-in-soul @broodyhawthorne @ikissedsmithparker

[serialee]

◈ ACORN HOUSE ◈

◸ Ficscafe Dialogue Prompt Event ◿

◤"would you stop that? You're scaring the children" - 20

genre: sfw - magic au [530 wc]

pairing: magic.yeosang x magic.fem.reader

warning: none

○ 'DREAMLAND MASTERLIST' || 'NAVIGATION' |

"Uhm, what do you think you're doing?" You asked your bestfriend Yeosang. He was presently proud in the kitchen area of your acorn house. It wasn't the biggest but it was your comfort home.

"Fortunately for you, I am gifting you my presence in this humble abode of yours as well as blessing you all with delicious food" he replied. Yeosang didn't take his focus off of cooking and still spoke in proper sentences.

"Would you stop that? You're scaring the children" you said to him. That made him halt and turn a little to look at you. Once in his vision, he stuck his tongue out and made a mocking face to you; how beautiful huh? ....

"Stop being dramatic"

"You burnt the pan, Yeosang!"

"By accident ... it was weak anyway"

Yeosang turned around to face you with the wooden ladle in his right hand, dripping with sauce on to your floor. You gave him an angry look and stomped right in front of him. You snatched the ladle from his hands and flew it into the sink.

"I just cleaned the floor!" you shouted, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Don't worry, I can just clean it again" said Yeosang. He pressed 2 fingers together and shot it at the sky, forming a cloud above the spilled sauce and it absorbs them clean.

"See, all clean" he said and you rolled your eyes. You step past him to take a look at what was brewing. It looked like he was making some sort of tomato soup with croutons. Taking a spoon, you scooped a little bit and lightly blew on it before tasting his cooking.

"You can call the kids now, time to eat" Yeosang was already preparing the table, setting down the bowls and all. He was confident in his cooking, that's for sure.

"For someone who has liquid controlling magic, you sure don't know how to make good soup. What even is this" you grimaced. You knew this couldn't be served because on of your friends has a hard time eating anything with tomatoes.

Yeosang was gobsmacked. He was sure that it tasted delicious, even though it was his first attempt at making soup. Although he didn't need to say that to you. In the friend group, Wooyoung would be cooking the most - you could just imagine the banter between WooSang over Yeosang's cooking.

"In my defense, I only control liquids. I never said I could season properly" he held up both his hand in surrender.

"This is why you're scaring the kids. Move aside, I'll see if we can save this" a tired you who was out the entire day, working, just hoped to have a peaceful night. Chaos never leaves you when he is your friend.

"I'm glad we have this bond of keeping secrets" he said, nodding his head to himself and pacing around, doing nothing now that you've taken control.

"As if I'd miss the opportunity to tell Wooyoung so he can use this against you...never" you tackled him back.

"....I was a fool...."

Time to save the tomato soup or bland-watery tomato soup wannabe was to be served for dinner.

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[girlwithwolftatoo]

Finally got my own copy of TPotD book and to celebrate it I'll do some headcanons for my silly ship (Phil x Edmond).

(This one is based on the prompt of this fic )

Bathing time for/with Phil:

*The only people who know about Phil's way of bathing are George, Peter and more recently Edmond himself. The three men share the same though anyways: that's. not. good.

*Luring Phil into taking a proper bath seems like a lost-from-the-very-start move, but thank heavens Edmond's a patient boy. He just need to calculate and seize every action to get success.

*You heard about skunk's smell don't you? What if Phil bumps onto one of this animals and gets some of it?

*Yes, Edmond used the skunk on Phil on purpose. He's just that good with animals.

*Now that's a smell some mud won't wash away. Edmond, holding his laugh, gets back to home with Phil and, just to soothe his swollen pride, will tell the ranch hands a fake story.

*A good amount of tomato soup is carried to the bathroom and Edmond gives it to Phil who's still a little angry for the incident and won't let the youg man get along with him.

*Anyways the boy will tease the landowner behind the door telling about how he'll look "brand new" after using the bathtub by very first time and that "everyone in the ranch will ask who's that dark, handsome dandy".

*Later, Edmond listens to the water filling the tub and opens the door just slight enough to take a look. Of course a grown man covered in tomato soup is a funny picture but, let's be honest, nobody, not even Edmond, would laugh at Phil. Like, never.

*Besides this reminds him ot that time he caught Phil in his special place by accident.

*"Gotta need help?" asks Edmond once Phil is into the tub. "Do I look like a child or somethin'?" Phil strikes back. "No, you look like a tenderloin, ready for the dinner". Both laugh.

*Since all bath supplies are George's (and a few are Rose's) they just borrow some from the first. Edmond stares at Phil using his bare hands to brush himself and roll his eyes, taking a sponge and rubbing some soap on it.

*"Gimme your arm" "You got to be kidding me" "Won't ask twice, mister Burbank" "How I hate when you call me like that" (yes, Phil gives up and stretches one arm for Edmond to lather)

*You can bet Edmond won't miss the chance to touch Phil a little with the excuse of helping him with the bath. Mostly, he enjoys running his hands through the man's shoulders, biceps, chest and neck.

*And Phil likes it. He's actually a little shy with being watched completely naked, so Edmond being this discrete makes him feel safe and loved.

*Edmond also does the shampoo part. He takes care to scratch the scalp gently and get all curls well soaped. Also this helps him to give Phil a soft massage.

*After rinse, Edmond leans and gives Phil a kiss on the shell of his ear and whispers "good boy" in a playful tone. This obviously caughts Phil offguard and turns his face towards Edmond's.

*The younger man takes his chance and kisses Phil on the tip of his nose before leaving the bathroom so he can get out of the tub.

[katedrakeohd]

This is for you @sirbeepsalot 🌹🥀🌺🌻🌼🌷⚘

I've had a bunch of asks in my inbox forever and need to finally get around to them. I was inspired by @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria and her one shot about Drake meeting Camille at her flower shop. I went in a totally different direction, but hopefully this little story is just as fluffy. 💗

....

Paint me a Picture 🎨🌷🌼

Drake hummed happily to himself as he stepped out of his office. He had just finished a conference call with his fellow council members finalizing the plans for Kate's upcoming baby shower. They had put off the party for the past two months amid fears of the Coronavirus spreading into Cordonia. Kate's due date of March 12th was fast approaching and they had reached the decision to reduce the guest list to under ten people. This suited Drake just fine because he wasn't much of a party person, plus Kate found too much attention and fussing around more tiring than exciting at this point.

Checking his watch, Drake realizes that his call had taken him well into the lunch hour and he was quite hungry. The plush carpet of the stairs muted his footsteps as he descended toward the main hall. He could feel the empty space blanket him in its silence, and he wondered where Kate, Hana and the corgis were.

When he had last seen Kate that morning she had been reorganizing the supplies in the nursery for the fourth time. He had chuckled at her restless nesting and kissed her on the cheek before leaving to make his phone call.

"Go get some fresh air and sunshine, it'll do you good."

Kate sighed, rubbing her aching back. "I guess so. I wonder what Hana's up to this morning."

Drake shrugged, "Send her a text to come get you and take your mind off baby stuff."

"Thanks, I will."

..

As he turned the corner toward the kitchen, Drake could smell toasting bread, and the delicious aroma of chicken soup. His mouth waters and he swallows, breathing deeply as his stomach rumbles. The sound of laughter, clink of plates and drawers opening and closing made him smile. Over the past 8 1/2 months the kitchen staff had become familiar with Kate's unusual cravings at all hours of the day. Early on she had wanted salty snacks, and then halfway through her second trimester her cravings had her wanting sweets, during the last month she had started combining the two in odd ways. It made Drake shake his head in wonder, but he obliged her desires. And if Kate was happy, Drake was happy.

Walking into the kitchen unnoticed, he sees the staff loading up a tray with a platter of sandwiches, and a pitcher of iced tea.

"Good afternoon Ladies," he says, and the laughing chatter amongst the women stops.

"Lovely day indeed, Your Grace." Marie the head cook replies with a smile.

Drake eyes the sandwiches on the platter hungrily. He could imagine sinking his teeth into the golden toasted bread, and hearing the crunch. "Are these for Kate and Hana by any chance?"

"Why yes they are. They're taking lunch in the sunroom. I can add another drinking glass and another plate if you'd like to join them."

Drake nods, "That would be wonderful. How about if I take lunch to them then?"

Claire, the young kitchen helper, protests as she sees Drake reach for the tray. "Oh my goodness, Your Grace, let us do that. You go on ahead and we'll bring lunch to you. "

Drake grabs half of a sandwich, "Well, if you insist. I'll just take this to go then, thanks."

Turning around to leave the kitchen Drake raises the sandwich to his mouth and checks the contents before taking a bite. Lettuce, tomato and a slice of swiss cheese. Not bad, but could use some bacon.

..

In the sunroom the atmosphere is that of a bright summer's day despite the dull late winter landscape outside. Lush greenery, tropical flowers and golden sunshine fill the space and give it a pleasant warmth. Off to one side, chair cushions are clustered together on the tiled floor. At the moment they're serving as lounges for sunbathing, sleeping, corgis; but earlier the cushions had served as a comfy surface for a gentle yoga session for Kate and Hana. Now the two friends were standing at easels and painting, chatting back and forth about what to hang in the nursery.

"So you and Drake still don't know if you're having a boy or a girl right?"

Kate nods, "As much as I want to know now, it's still a mystery. Our doctor knows though."

Hana purses her lips in thought as she dabs some blue on her canvas, "So do you mind if I paint a gender neutral landscape instead of flowers?"

"Not at all. I'm still sticking with flowers though. The ones in here are just too beautiful not to paint. If it doesn't suit the theme of the nursery I'll just hang it somewhere else."

Hana rinses out her brush, setting it aside and selects a different one to line in some happy little trees in a dark brown. "I suppose Drake is hoping that you have a little boy."

"He won't admit it, but of course he does. He's itching to go camping and fishing, to kick a football around, toss a baseball with a son."

With a shrug Kate draws in some green stems on her yellow daffodils, "Of course these are all activities he could do with a daughter as well. I remember tossing around a baseball with my Dad in the backyard."

Opening the door and stepping into the sunroom Drake is met by the wall of heat and fragrant scent of flowers. He immediately feels overdressed as a trickle of sweat runs down his neck. "How do you ladies stand it in here?"

Kate turns away from her painting to look at Drake, "Oh Hi Honey, welcome to summer in March."

Under the shade of her Sun hat, Kate is wearing one of Drake's old denim shirts as a painter's smock, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. There's a green smudge of paint on her cheek. Drake notices that it appears that she's wearing little else other than flip flops.

"Uh, Kate? Are you naked under my shirt?"

Kate giggles, covering her mouth, putting another smudge of green on her face. "No silly. I'm wearing a bikini top and shorts." She glances down at herself, "I can see it looking that way though."

Hana is wearing a short summer dress, and her own Sun hat. "You look a little warm there Drake. I wouldn't mind if you decided to take off your shirt."

Kate snickers as she goes back to her painting, "Yeah Honey, don't be shy."

Drake clears his throat, loosening his top two buttons and rolling up his sleeves. "I think I'll just open a couple of windows instead."

Kate watches Drake crank open a window, appreciating the flex of the muscles in his forearms. The fresh air blows the fabric of his shirt against his chest, making it stick to the sweat on his skin. She realizes that he isn't wearing a tee underneath. Probably why he was reluctant to remove his shirt in Hana's company. Drake notices her watching him and gives her a wink as he walks across to open another window. "So what are you ladies painting today?"

Kate feels the cool breeze brush the hair off the back of her neck and she shivers with delight. "Thanks honey, I didn't realize just how warm it was getting in here."

Drake does a quick bow with flourish of his hand, "Always pleased to be of service, Your Grace."

Hana giggles, "We're painting flowers and landscapes, to answer your previous question."

Drake settles down on the floor with the corgis, resting his elbow on a cushion and rubbing a belly as one dog happily rolls over. "I have the pleasure of informing you ladies that iced tea and sandwiches are also on the way, for our lunch."

Hana wipes her brow, "Anything with Ice in it would be welcome right now. I first experienced cold tea when we were in Texas for Savannah's wedding. I wasn't sure if I'd like it."

Kate sighs, "Mmm, I love lemony iced tea in the summertime. I miss it from being back home."

Drake's stomach growls again, causing one of the corgis to give him a look and then retreat to a spot in the shade, "Sorry Fluffers, didn't mean to disturb you. Don't worry I'm not hungry enough to eat you, close but no."

"I could go for a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs right now," Kate says wistfully as she paints a tomato red poppy onto her canvas bouquet.

Drake groans, folding his arms behind his head as he leans back on the cushions and closes his eyes, "Oh stop, you're just making me more hungry."

Kate bites her lip, "Ooh, or pizza. A nice big slice of ole New York thin crust with extra cheese."

"STOP IT!" Drake barks out a laugh, chuckling as he wipes the sweat off his brow. "I ate half a sandwich on my way here, and it's really tasting like another half right about now."

Kate wipes her hands on a rag, "Ooh, what type of sandwich?"

Drake shrugs, "I dunno, there was cheese and some lettuce in there, maybe tomato?"

Kate kicks off her flip flops and walks across the warm floor tiles to stand over Drake, casting a shadow across him, hands on her hips. "And you didn't think to bring the rest of the sandwiches with you?"

Drake cracks an eye open to look up at his wife, his face scrunching up in amusement at her paint smudged face and raised eyebrows. "Hey, I tried to take the tray with me. But I don't think the girls in the kitchen trusted me to get the sandwiches this far without eating a few."

Kate nudges his leg playfully with her foot. "So true. We've all seen how much you like to eat."

Drake growls playfully, reaching out to grab for her ankle but she steps back out of his reach, "Can't help it if I'm a hungry man, c'mere you. I bet you taste like chicken."

"Nah ah, if I get down on those cushions with you I might never get back up. I'm going to wash up my hands and then take a seat over there at the table. Besides I think cannibalism is frowned upon in Cordonia."

Drake smirks at her and rolls over on his stomach, watching her walk away. "Mmm, golden fried chicken. You know how much I'm a breast and leg man."

Hana bursts out laughing, "Geez guys get a room."

Continue on to the next part

[pbandjesse]

Today was excellent but I am so tired. Like enough that as soon as I just laid down I started panting. I am so excited for sleep. Today was great and it's been a really wonderful vacation but I'm going to need a vacation from the vacation. Thankfully i planned and budgeted well and I'll be at my parents for a few days and then i have most of August off. To refresh and to move to the new apartment. It's going to be very good.

We did not sleep well last night. I was to hot. I miss my fan. And the ac would turn on and off loudly all night and I was judt on edge. I woke up before Jess and got dressed and tried to feel better. She got dressed too and we headed to the surf cafe.

We didn't have to wait to long. Though sitting outside was nice. And I enjoyed people watching. I was very hungry and it was good they give you a free mini muffin when you sit down. Very excellent. And the food was really good. I got scrambled eggs, a piece of french toast, a couple pieces of fruit, and the best hashbrown potatoes. The fried square kind. A great breakfast.

After breakfast we did some window shopping. I got James's parents the horse shoe crab for christmas. I didnt buy anyone anything else and i feel kind of bad about that. I did get me and James and my parents a whole lot of fudge tonight though.

Jess get a pitcher that looks like a corn cob. But mostly we just looked at stuff. We went to the neat thrift store that is also a cat rescue. Jess got a very good sign that says "Guys no shirt no service. Girls no shirt no charge." If she didn't buy it i would have because it was very funny.

We did some more window shopping. And then around 1 we went to varsity for lunch. Because they make amazing tomato soup. And it was so so excellent even if we were very very full after.

We used that fullness to give ourselves energy to go to the beach after that. And that was a lot of fun. We sat under the boardwalk. But mostly we sat in the tide. Enjoying the sand and very small clams. We did that for a long while. Took pictures with the water proof camera. Well see if those come out.

We found a tide pool that had been created by the jetty and got to see tiny crabs. And it was just very pretty. I had a lot of fun.

We played in the water a bit. And went back to sit in the surf. Eventually we went back to our chairs. It looked like a storm was coming in. So we were getting ready to leave about a half hour early. When the guy next to us started freaking out about getting all their stuff out. And started kicking sand at this Indian family. And yelling about how can you do this to a person! He did it enough he fell over, and the family asked if he was okay and he just stormed off. He was so racist he fell?? What a fucking hot head.

We left once that family was gone. And went back to the condo. I got a shower and then we took a very long nap.

Like very long. I woke up at 7pm. Almost 3 hours for that nap. It was pretty good though. The storm had passed, if it even happened at all. And we were tired but ready to have a fun night.

I wore the new sneakers Jess got me. But i didnt have the right socks snd got a blister. But we still had fun. We had pizza. And lemonade. We got surprise boxes. We got candy. Eventually we went and got unlimited writer bands for rides. We did a couple. Got our monies worth. I had a really good time. Even if my feet hurt real bad.

I took my shoes off once we were back on the boardwalk. That helped. We went to try to play a claw machine but i didn't like any of them so i just bought a toy i liked. Its a squishy cat. And once we finished walking the boardwalk we came back here.

Now we are in bed. I got another shower. I dont feel as bad as I did when i started this post. We shared a cup of noodles. I packed all my stuff. And now im just ready to sleep.

I hope you all have a great night. Tomorrow we are gonna do a couple things in the morning and then home. Im excited to see my parents. Its going to be a really nice rest of the week, just like it was a really good weekend. I hope it is for you as well.

Goodnight!

[atomic-thomas]

(Fake ASMR Commission) Discovered By A Human Girl [Borrower Listener]

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

*door sound*

"Alright, let's see... If I'm not mistaken, I should have all the ingredients needed to make that vegetable soup I've been planning all week."

"I have the tomato broth, the herbs, the seasoning &... Well, the most important ingredient of all should be right here."

*cabinet opening sound*

"EMPTY?! Okay, that's it. Now I definitely know for sure that I'm not going crazy. I specifically remember restocking this cabinet with fresh vegetables just yesterday. That's the 2nd time they've gone missing. This can't be a coincidence."

"What's even happening anyway? Do I have rats in my house? I can't just keep wasting money on food that disappears the day after I buy it. Sigh... I should really look into-..."

"What the...? Do my eyes deceive me or did that apple move just now?"

"*GASP!* Oh, Oh My Goodness! Oh My God! What on Earth?! Is that... Is that a tiny person?!"

"Woah, woah, woah! Wait! Hold on! Don't run away. I just wanna talk to you."

"Please don't be scared. You don't need to hide from me. I promise I won't hurt you."

"Can you at least understand what I'm saying? I don't know if you speak English or not."

"..."

"You do. Good. That means we can communicate. Now can you please come out of hiding? I swear on my life that you're not in danger right now."

"..."

"There you are. You're fine, see? Go on, dry your tears. Everything is going to be okay."

"Can you look at me? You seem really shy."

"..."

"Come on, really? If I keep reassuring you, I'm gonna sound like a broken record. The sooner you can make eye contact with me, the sooner we can get to know each other."

"..."

"That's more like it. Just relax, okay?"

"Now then... Tell me about yourself. Who are you?"

"..."

"You're a borrower? Haven't heard of that before. So like, what? Do you... Borrow things or something?"

"..."

"You take things from humans in order to survive. That's... Not really borrowing though. That's just stealing. I assume it's just a household term, right?"

"..."

"You didn't create the term. Okay, that's fair."

"Wait a minute! I just realized that you must be the one whose been raiding my cabinets. That would explain why my food keeps disappearing."

"..."

"Oh no. Please don't fret about it. I'm not mad. If you just tell why you've been doing it, I'm sure I'll understand."

"..."

"You're just trying to feed your family. Well, I'll admit. That's a very good reason. All of sudden, my financial situation doesn't seem so bad."

"Wait, where do you & your family even live anyway?"

"..."

"In the walls of my house. Normally, I'd call that creepy, but in your case, that actually makes sense."

"Pardon my outburst, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this. I just found out that tiny people exist & that an entire family of them have been living in my house. This is so bizarre."

"Actually, if you don't mind me asking... May I pick you up?"

"..."

"It'll be okay. I promise I won't drop you. I'll be extra careful. Now please just hold still."

"Wow, you're so light. I can barely feel your weight. I can't believe this. I actually have a little person in the palm of my hand. You're so delicate, fragile & adorable."

*peck kiss sound*

"Ahahahaha~ Ahhh, I'm sorry, little one. I couldn't help it. You're so cute."

"So... Now that we're acquainted, I bet you'd like to know what happens next, wouldn't you? Well, here's what I have in mind. Now that I'm aware of your existence, I can properly manage both of our needs. You don't need to steal from me anymore. All you have to you do is ask for something & I'll give it to you. Simple as that."

"..."

"Of course I'm willing to do that. I'm not the one living inside dirty walls while scavenging to survive. You poor thing. You were living with a false sense of fear for so long. You kept hiding from me when all you had to do was talk. It would've made things so much easier."

"..."

"Aww, you're welcome. Tell you what. I've been planning this fancy vegetable soup for the whole week & I can totally share it with you & your family when I make it."

"..."

"Your family is afraid of humans. Well, can't say I really blame them. We're basically giants compared to you. But still. I'd love to meet them. There's no reason for you to stay inside those walls & sleep on the cold, hard floor anymore. I can hook you up with the good stuff. Blankets, pillows, towels & most importantly... Security."

"..."

"Yes, of course you'll have easy access to readily available water as well."

"..."

"Oh, don't worry. You couldn't ask for too much even if you tried. You & your family are tiny people. As far as I'm concerned, you'll be effortless to maintain."

"Now run along back to your family & tell them the great news. I await your return. I'm glad we finally met."

_______________________________________________

THE END

[realfakekraid]

Cooking with Kraid.

Are you looking for the kind of person who treats cooking like an art form? Who only uses the freshest of ingredients, makes their own seasonings & sauces, will marinade a hamburger pattie overnight, obsesses over every single little detail as if they're afraid they'll be drawn and quartered if they screw it up? Well, you're looking in the wrong place cause what I am is a lazy, foul mouthed mother fucker who has spent years figuring out how to put as little work as possible into cooking while still getting results that's better than what I can buy out of the grocer's freezer.

Still here? Okay then, let's do this.

Today's recipe: Vegetable Soup w/ Polish Kielbasa.

Okay, we're looking at about a half an hour of work here with three hours, give or take, of keeping an eye on things while simmering.

Okay, we're going to need a few things for this:

Potatoes

An onion

Other vegetables (carrots, corn, okra, peas, whatever you like) (fresh, frozen, canned, it doesn't really matter)

Polish Kielbasa

A couple cans of tomato soup

A tablespoon of salt

Three dixie cups of water (about 6 measured cups, I think)

Maybe some rice or pasta

Okay, so the first thing we're gonna do is put the water in a pot big enough to hold all this stuff and turn it on to boil. While it's heating up we're gonna slice up the Kielbasa into whatever you'd call thick sliced pepperoni. Then we're gonna throw it in the water, whether it's reached boiling point or not. When it does reach boiling point we're gonna set a 10 minute timer. This is important, because if we don't boil the sausage before adding the other stuff, we'll end up with this strong metallic taste that just fucks up everything.

While we're waiting on the boiling, let's go ahead and be peeling & slicing up our onion, potatoes and any other fresh veggies we brought to the table.

Now when the timer goes off, we're gonna add all the fresh veggies to the pot. If we have any frozen ones we're gonna add them too. Then we're gonna be opening up our canned goods while waiting for the pot to come back to a boil.

Now that it's boiling, we're gonna add our canned veggies and the tomato soup and we're gonna stir it all up real good while waiting for it to come back to a boil. It shouldn't take near as long this time, unless we dumped like a dozen cans in there or something.

If we're cooking it on the stove top then we put the lid (or a plate, whatever) on the pot, reduce the heat to low, and set a time for about 3 hours. We'll then need to come back and stir it a little bit every half our or so, otherwise it'll burn along the bottom. And once we get to the last hour, we'll need to stir it every 15~20 minutes.

We can also use a crock pot, which will take longer but doesn't need to be stirred every so often. We just need to get our crock pot out and let it be heating up while we're doing all the work. Then we just dump the stove pot into the crock pot after adding the canned veggies and bring back to a boil. And we need to be extra careful to avoid scalding ourselves when transferring from the stove pot to the crock pot, cause that shit hurts for fucking hours! Finally we set a 4 to 5 hour timer and just kinda fuck off until it's done.

Right now I'm trying it in the Dutch oven, in the oven. I'll update on how that turns out.

Update: it turned out just fine. 300f for about 3 hours.

Notes, Alterations, etc.

The beauty of this recipe is that if there's anything in it that we don't like, we can just leave that shit out. And if there's anything missing that we would like in it, we just add that shit in. Pretty easy to figure out when to throw it in, too. Not a good idea to omit the onion, though. Or the tomato soup, though tomato sauce and a bucket of salt would probably work in its place. No green beans.

A good way to tell if it's done or not is to look for the onions. If we can still see them, then it's not done and we'll need to adjust our timer accordingly.

Okra is good in it - and would've been in it if I could've found some in my freezer - but keep in mind that the more okra we add, the more slimy our soup will be in the end.

We peel our potatoes. This isn't like baking or frying, we do not want those hulls in our soup. We've learned from our past mistakes.

Seriously, no green beans. They're the product of the devil and they should be banished from the Earth like the abomination they are.

I know I said fresh, frozen or canned doesn't matter, but maybe don't use canned potatoes. I haven't tried it, but I can't imagine that working out too well. If you do try it, lemme know how it works out, I promise not to judge you. I will judge the hell out of you if you add green beans, though.

That red, plastic cup you can see in a couple of the photos is what I mean by dixie cup. I think that one's actually a Walmart brand one though, or a dollar general one. Definitely a store brand cup.

[barbie-babes]

DAY 21/22 🎅🎄🎁☃️: Hi love!! sorry I'm combining two dates again 🥺 I've just been so busy with this project recently i forgot to send the messages! I hope you can forgive me~ I'll try to make it up to you with my Christmas present for you my sweet 💞 omg it's expected to last until march?? that's horrible! manifesting you'll get the sunny (I accidentally typed subby because the n and b are so close on the keyboard... everything reminds me of louis) days you deserve ☀️🏖👒🍨⛱ and oh no poor baby!! I'm so sorry you had to go through that allergic reaction :( are you allergic to any other things? I *think* I'm allergic to eggs but the reaction is so mild, I just get slightly sensitive and itchy skin. i still eat them though because they just taste so good 🥚😂  *takes a deep breath* pineapple on pizza is gross! (no offense if you're a supporter 😉) they just don't go together well and the sweet fruity juice of pineapple mixed with the salty cheese and tomato of pizza?? makes me shudder 🤢 I would say I'm a pretty picky eater haha, I'm the type to just order food that I've tried before that a restaurant. what are some foods you don't like? manifesting that you'll get to see Mr man live soon!🕯🕯🕯love you soo much my darling ♥

HELLO MY ANGEL BABY 👼🏻🤍✨ You don't have to apologise,, i understand! I know the end of the year is always a busy period for everyone especially with the holidays season hehe. So I understand! ☺️ SHSKSJKS,, YOURE GONNA GIVE ME A CHRISTMAS PRESENT?!?!! NAURRR PLEASE I'LL CRY 😭😭😭 THATS SO FREAKING SWEET!! 😣💘💕💖💞 sjkskskks screaming. not the subby >_< but he is pretty submissive and breedable isn't he? hehe ;) I'm allergic to tuna as well lmaoo. so i have to be very very careful when I'm eating sushi because one wrong move and I could ended up having an allergic reaction 😭 OoOoHhh,, i can't ever imagine being allergic to eggs!! I love them and yes they are soo good!! Love me some poached eggs, scrambled and half boiled!! Like its just soo good! But thankfully its only mild so you can still eat it! :P i- ,, i'm- ??!!! *HIDES FROM YOU* okay okay don't panic. this is just a small hiccup in our friendship. it's fine. i'm fine. we're fine. SJSKSK IM LIKE A HUGE FAN OF PINEAPPLE ON PIZZA SO .. this is kind of awkward? LMAOO. I don't like matcha drink LMAOO,, ive tried it soo many times but still nope. I don't like bolognese spaghetti and I don't like miso soup. haha I could really go on and on about the foods that I don't like. What about you? What's the food that you tend to avoid most? 👀 hehe KISS MISS MY SECRET SANTA I LOVE YOU SOO MUCH TOO 💐💜💐💖🌷💕💐💖🌷

[eldarwen333]

Thanks for the tag @foodieforthoughts ! Let's see, 5 things that might be interesting about me?

I'm a good singer, though I haven't sung in a while because *waves around at the planet* I probably should practice more, but I rarely do anymore. I prefer 'big voices' like Tina Turner or Ella Fitzgerald (not that I'm that good)

I'm only a perfectionist for myself as a mom/friend/sister. And I didn't realise this until I nearly went through post partum depression 2 years ago. Luckily, I got help in time to prevent it, but I'm still working through the perfectionist part.

I don't like raw tomatoes. I'll eat them warm or in sauces and soup, but not raw. I don't like cherry tomatoes, either, no matter how sweet hubby says they are. They just taste like tomato.

I miss travelling. I used to have a deal with myself that I would fly at least once a year... yeah...

I have a floofy Chihuahua named Shadow. He's my derpy fluffybutt ❤ And no, I have never carried him in a hand bag... he's a dog, not an accessory.

No pressure tag: @nuggsmum @greensleeves888 @sillyrabbit81 @keanureevesisbae @wendimydarling @blakerogue

🥺🌼💕 get to know your mutuals!! when you get this, it means i want to know more about you, so list 5 things about yourself you want your followers to know. they can be as simple as your age or as complex as your deepest fear, as long as it’s something you’re comfortable with sharing. when you’re done, send this to 10 people you want to get to know better 🥺🌼💕

Thank you so much boo. Here are some (weird maybe?) five things about me:

I'm selectively superstitious. Which mean I don't believe in them until something bad happens lol

Not exactly religious but not an atheist either. I believe in the supreme power of the universe.

Family trumps over everything.

I have major trust issues since I've been hurt too many times.

Homebody and I love my own company. 😅

No pressure tags:

@luclittlepond @christhickevans @mariestark @zealoushound @diegos-butt @avengedwritings @cheyentjj @geralt-of-baevia @the-soot-sprite @thelastsock @eldarwen333