#I've done my time in various fast food places

[willowrunes]

Listen I work for a debt collection company and you wouldn't believe the amount of bullshit junk fees some of our clients charge these people. We have a few particular plumbing and HVAC services who I'm 99% sure are telling customers one thing and billing them a different amount. So when these customers don't pay, they get charged all kinds of stupid admin fees, late fees, and an additional 30% of the total after all of that because that's our commission. These clients don't want to lose a single cent and would rather make the debtors pay the fee they should be paying us for hiring our services. It's a fucking rip-off, I can't stand seeing it. If I could afford to leave this job, I would.

[orteil42]

some undifferentiated thoughts about my Starfield playthrough as i have them. i am a game developer with a strong interest in procedural generation and i've enjoyed a bunch of other bethesda games so this might get pretty mean sorry

(this is a long one)

starfield dialogue is already exhausting me "oh you must've been living under a moon rock ;)" get it! because they're in space! this would've been too corny for the Jetsons

there's a kind of cheap dusting of space theme over everything. the food isn't salmon but alien salmon. it's not seaweed but alien seaweed. cooking alien stir-fry. come on

cannot get over how clumsily the theming is handled. books, board games, weapon names revolve heavily around space. these people have been living on alien planets for hundreds of years yet have this unending sense of novelty about it. the game takes itself completely seriously but feels like it's attempting to parody itself

people's EYEBALLS are CLIPPING THROUGH THEIR EYELIDS

a woman is speaking to me in french. her accent is about as believable as her haircut

these are some of the worst reflection maps i've ever seen

next to nothing is interactive. you can sit in chairs and sleep in beds and that is about it. can't even drink from people's toilets. disgraceful

game helpfully crashes 5 seconds after i decide i should get some sleep. very handy!

my character has not said a single thing since i started playing. not one peep. this is an unmitigated improvement over Fallout 4 i'm so glad honestly

the more i poke around the big city the more the NPC quips feel like something out of gen-1 pokemon. can't get enough of this coffee :) this city is where it's at :) spacesuits are comfy and easy to wear

very strange sense of altered reality from the quest dialogue too. has anyone at bethesda met a person before? i move on to some mission that has me scanning wildlife on a faraway planet hoping this will, somehow, feel less alien than human conversation

just as with No Man's Sky, every planet is uniformly dotted with equidistantly-placed points of interest that you slowly make your way to (no vehicles besides your jetpack) which always turn out to be some cave or building identical to those you've cleared before

unlike with No Man's Sky, the seamless exploration is faked and the biodiversity is nil. you do get an impressive amount of raw loading screens however

the prefab bases and power stations found everywhere on planets seem to have very sparse, very specific slots for spawning consumables, which results in encountering some giant industrial installation in the middle of nowhere with, i don't know, a loaf of whole-grain sandwich bread just casually sitting next to it all proper. there is no breathable atmosphere here. who is eating this

planetary traversal is a CHORE. i am saying this as someone who loved Death Stranding

heinous "hold to confirm" buttons sprinkled in various flow-breaking places throughout the interface

enemy AI is abominable. nobody is pathing their way to get my ass. "must've been the wind" taken to the next level. an infant playing peekaboo has more object permanence

hoisting yourself up on ledges when jumping is…nice

companions randomly nowhere to be found. persists through multiple fast-travels and loading screens until, just as randomly, they pop back up

storage space is now limited! unlike in Fallout 4 and virtually every other bethesda game, your containers now hold a finite item capacity. god forbid we let the player have fun

baffling inventory UI. i imagine there's a mod out there that completely overhauls it the way SkyUI did for Skyrim. this should not be needed! how are your UIs getting worse a decade later!

scanning the precious few species inhabiting some dusty planet; one of them is this arching red root i've already seen several times before. my job done in this biome, i travel (read: teleport with a loading screen) to the polar region to find some other species. the first one i catalogue is the exact same red root again but this time it's named "boreas root" todd howard is a genius

some alien horror comes at me full fangs out. i hop on a pebble. obscenely, i am safe

procedural terrain generation beyond dull, impossibly unimaginative. these people have not had one critical thought on what makes a procedural world interesting. beginning to feel validated in my belief that only i should be trusted with proc gen. along with perhaps tarn adams

jokes aside this is making me feel genuinely insane. there have been excellent procedural generation techniques that produce compelling explorable maps for decades now. bethesda absolutely has the budget and know-how to do miles better than this yet somehow they just…do not? the same way Pokemon has decided to just no longer bother with their mainline games despite being the highest-grossing media franchise in history? hello? what is for real going on

some of the most cynical breadcrumbing i've seen in years. approaching some random cave and this person in space gear, who in the vast immensity of the infinite cosmos just happens to be snapping pictures right here, tells me more-or-less verbatim "if you like this place, you should see this other place" [other random cave has been added to your map.]

i do not like how good this makes No Man's Sky's gameplay look. it depresses me how much i have to hand it to No Man's Sky for at least not fucking up this bad. please stop making me wish i was playing No Man's Sky instead this is grotesque

i think i've exhausted my interest and patience for this game at the moment. i'll get back to the main story at some point and try some other systems ie. crafting and base-building to see if there's any engagement to be found but so far, my god. my god

[veebs-hates-video-games]

Ok I should probably do the Harvestella thing before I get too far distant from it and forget everything. 13 Sentinels has consumed my brain over the past week, so let's do this before I lose what's left of Harvestella.

I know it got kind of mediocre reviews and a bunch of people were underwhelmed by it, but I actually thought it was pretty great. From what I've seen it failed to find the right audience, probably because the very little promotion it got made it look like a farming sim with kind of a Final Fantasy-style story tacked on, and people who expected that from it were disappointed. When it did manage to find the people who were into what it actually is (85% JRPG with like 15% farming sim layered on top) a lot of them loved it though.

It's kind of a weird game, because the farming stuff is simplified somewhat from games where that's the primary focus, and some of the RPG stuff is also not done quite as well or as in depth as in a pure RPG (mainly the combat), but if the combination works for you like it does for me it really does have a lot going for it.

I'm someone who loves the idea of farming games but can never really get into them and stick with them long term, whether it's Harvest Moon or Rune Factory or Stardew Valley or whatever else. I had the best luck with SDV, but after about 10 hours I just couldn't get myself to keep going, and most other stuff in the genre I don't even last that long. It's streamlined enough in this and has enough other stuff to balance it out that I actually enjoyed that part of the game this time though, so that was nice for a change.

The big surprise was the story and characters and world though. I played the demo almost a year ago and could tell that it was going to have Typical Final Fantasy-style Nonsense (affectionate) (not to be confused with most recent actual mainline Final Fantasy games, which for me keep turning out to be Typical Final Fantasy-style Nonsense (derogatory)), but I didn't expect it would do that stuff as well as it ultimately did.

The initial premise of the game is pretty straightforward, but the world turns out to be a lot more interesting than it seems at first as more gets revealed about it throughout the game, and there are a bunch of interesting characters who get their own storylines and develop pretty well through them too. It gets increasingly serious sci-fi story in the latter half of the game, but earlier on there are lots of fun and simple bits that establish various characters and the world and why you should care about it in the first place.

Interestingly in those earlier parts, and kind of in side quests in general, there's a lot more focus on the kinds of stuff you'd expect to see in Games for Girls™ that you don't usually see quite as much of in big RPGs. There are a whole bunch of side quests and storylines focusing on people's interpersonal relationships and families, and multiple things get resolved through getting people to actually communicate or listening to children and taking them seriously as people. I think that's kinda great and that more games should include stuff like that more.

Exploring for more materials and ingredients or to do story or side quest missions is fun and satisfying enough. I normally hate stamina systems and being time limited, but if you eat literally any food at all you get free stamina regen for a while so that's not a problem, and there are like eight billion fast travel checkpoints and various shortcuts that you can unlock all over the world, so it doesn't feel like you have to constantly redo stuff after running out of time. You just go home at the end of the day and can pick up right where you left off usually (after tending to your farm stuff in the morning, of course).

The weakest part of the game is probably the combat though. It's...fine? I guess? It's both too simple and too complex at the same time. Like there's not a lot of incentive to do anything but spam basic attacks against trash mobs, and in boss fights there's not much reason to do any more than that other than use your skills when they're off cooldown. But there are like 37 different damage types that your different attacks can deal, and different enemies are weak against different flavors, and against bosses you can get a "break" that causes them to take more damage if you use the right kind(s) against them enough.

There's potential there for something interesting, but it's terrible at telling you what type of damage you're doing or what kind you should be doing, there are way too many different kinds with no meaningful difference between them other than visual effects, and I'm not going to memorize what every stupid attack in the game does when I can't even see the little symbols on the break gauge that represent different types or remember what each one means anyway.

Also you don't get a block or a dodge (certain jobs do sort of get a dash ability, but it's not great), so a lot of the time against a lot of kinds of enemies your options are basically limited to just take damage and deal with it, which I'm gonna be honest is stupid and not fun. Yes it does incentivize you to cook food/throw stuff in the juicer and use those things to heal yourself, but it's just annoying going into the menu to use them, and it's not particularly satisfying cheesing boss fights by drinking 14 glasses of juice instead of like...actually using the combat mechanics the game provides you?

If you can get past that most other stuff is pretty enjoyable though. I liked the art style more than most of Squenix's big main games these days like what I've seen of FF16, and there's some unreasonably great music in it. Like they did not have to go this hard in 5/8 or whatever in the farming game about farming, but I'm glad they did because it's kind of amazing. Thank you Go Shiina for your excellent work.

So yeah, definitely not a game for everyone if you're not into the kinda weird combination of things it tries to do and (mostly) succeeds at, but if it is your kind of thing it's a surprisingly fun world and collection of characters and unexpectedly well done story. Like I liked the storytelling more than in probably 90% of Final Fantasy games I've played (which I know isn't saying that much because I perpetually complain about them, but still).

It's a game about running your own farm but also hope and the absence of it and what it means to be human, and I thought that was pretty neat.

[nanalikessurveys]

Is there a gang problem in your area? Not that I know of. I don't think so.

Do you make your Starbucks order more complicated if it isn’t busy? We don't have Starbucks where I live but generally I'm kind of ashamed of making my drink/food orders too complicated because I don't want to come across too demanding lmao, so I just order what's on the menu.

Do you consider airports to be emotional places? No I don't associate airports with the word "emotional", but I think airports are so stressful. Like in some places the security check is way too fast-paced and the officers/guards/etc. seem so grumpy, like they start yelling at you if you move too slowly for their liking and I don't like the overall vibe of that.

Where do you need to be? Nowhere but here.

Would you date an already attached person? Does this mean a person who already has a partner? Like a polyamorous relationship? No, I wouldn't want that.

When you marry, will you wear white? I haven't thought about my future wedding at all. I don't know if I'll ever get married.

What vaccine that you’ve received hurt the most? None of them have hurt me.

Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? Yes.

What will it take to make or break this day for you? I don't know what that means :(

Would you give up a dream for someone you loved? It's hard to say when I'm not in a situation like that. Right now I wouldn't want to give up a dream for anyone but you never know what choices you'll make when you're actually in that situation.

Could you date someone who’s only been your friend for a long time? Yes. I guess there would be that fear of losing the friendship if your relationship doesn't workout in the end, though.

Do you prefer to date various people or do you pretty much fall into monogamous relationships quickly? Monogamous relationship.

Are you afraid to ask people out on dates? Yess lol.

Do you think it’s better to look for love or let it find you? I think it's better to let it find you.

Have you ever found yourself worrying about commitment? Yes.

Would you get involved with someone if they had a child already? I'd rather have a relationship with someone who doesn't have kids. I'm not ready to become a stepmom just now lol.

Have you ever learned an important lesson as a result of a break up? Yep.

Have you ever gotten back in touch with an old flame after a time of more than three months of no communication? Nope.

Do you or would you ever wear fake eyelashes? I used to wear them pretty often when I was a bit younger and was more into makeup. I like to keep my makeup more natural these days.

Do you think that smaller breeds of dogs are cuter than big ones? I think all dogs are cute but yeah, I think smaller breeds are a bit more cuter. (almost) everything small is cuter.

When was the last time you slept in a tent? I've never done that.

What brand of make-up do you prefer to use? I don't have any favorite brands but most of the makeup I have and use now are by Mac or Clinique.

Do you have any siblings and if so, what’re they like? I have an older sister. She's very artistic (she works as an artist), funny, smart and very kind. We are similar in a lot of things but we also have a lot of differences. We've always been very close.

What was the last television show that you sat and watched multiple episodes of? Sense8 from Netflix.

Is there anything significant happening this month? I'll start school this week again.

When was the last time you plucked your eyebrows? It's been months now. My eyebrows are very blonde and light so you can't really see any stray hairs unless you stand very close to me lol.

Do you have any chronic pain? I don't.

When was the last time you had a Poptart? I had one I think last year. They're not really a thing here and they are only sold in those American food sections in some bigger supermarkets.

Do you like hot chocolate? Yes and I used to be obsessed with drinking it.

Who is your best guy friend? I only have one friend and she is a woman.

What’s your favorite Michael Jackson song? We Are The World which he sung with bunch of other artists.

Where did you buy your favorite pair of jeans from? I only have one pair of jeans and they are black skinny jeans from a local department store.

When was the last time you got your hair done professionally? Last year. I had some highlights done.

Do you like TGI Fridays? I don't know what that is.

Have you ever gotten your legs waxed? I waxed them myself.

Have you ever read anything by Edgar Allen Poe? I haven't.

When was the last time it rained where you live? Yesterday it was raining the whole day,

Do you like horses? I do'nt have anything agaisnt them.

What is your opinion on air pollution? That it's a bad thing?

What are your grandfathers’ names? Not telling youuu.

Have you ever seen a snake in real life? Nope.

Do you know anyone that has been held hostage before? Noo not that I know of :(

[lotsofplanetshaveadeathstar]

Changes...

It's been a minute, and, in a bit of a plot twist, I'm not here bc it's been a Rough Day™ (I haven't had one of those in a bit, knocking on all the wood that I didn't just jinx that). Instead, I'm here to muse about *changes*, but not in the normal sense, I guess?

So I do A LOT of things by myself. Straight facts, no bias. There's really no other option when you're single and most of your friends are living elsewhere and/or in relationships and/or also do shift work that makes their schedules weird and somewhat unpredictable and may also be somewhat age incompatible for hanging out. That's not the issue here. I actually encourage everyone to do things on their own bc it's such a great way for you to learn about yourself and grow and be comfortable with yourself. I can remember the first time I went out to eat by myself (bc the place didn't have online ordering or to-go options), and it was weird for a little bit, but it went away pretty fast and I got real comfortable doing a lot more things on my own - movies, theme parks, etc. There are so many benefits to doing these things on your own, although you could argue that they could mostly be boiled down to various flavors of freedom, but still. I'm usually okay with this situation bc I enjoy the freedom to make whatever choices I want and do things exactly how I want to do them.

The other night, I was doing a solo night at HHN with the goal of hitting each house twice (I ALMOST made it too, but there were more people than normal bc of Hurricane Milton and I decided to eat at the Leaky Cauldron instead of from a food booth, so I missed it by one run, but it was Insidious, so I'm not that upset), a plan which really only works if you're by yourself bc that's a looooong night (I did over 10 miles) and a metric buttload of standing in lines (I got through so many episodes of my podcast, it was great), and I also don't really do things like bathroom breaks, so... All this to say that this particular event is something that works for how I usually do things by myself (when we go in a week with my sister for her one trip, this is absolutely not how I will be approaching the night, just for clarity), and I definitely got some sense of satisfaction for keeping going until the end of the night and basically hitting my goal (again, Insidious and I are not besties).

However...

I was in line for... I wanna say Triplets of Terror? I'd gotten my one allowed drink of the night (Soured Sunshine, an absolute gem of a bourbon drink that I wanna try making with orange liqueur instead of orange Fanta), which I usually try to get before getting in line for Insidious bc that house is so much more manageable with a slight buzz than straight sober, but I had deviated from my projected lineup earlier in the night when Insidious was posted lower than the three other houses I hadn't done yet and I knew I should jump on it then which left me literally no time to go all the way across the park to get my drink and come back.

So I'm standing in this line by myself, sipping my drink, and idk what it was exactly but the drink hit differently than the other times I've had it, and I started getting Emotional™.

I have friends who are coming down for a visit this weekend into early next week with their baby for their first trip down here since before the baby was born, and we're planning to meet up at some point during their stay. I really cherish these guys, and I'm genuinely excited to see them and meet their baby, like I want to try to get a haircut before they get here (I would've had one already if not for Milton messing everything up) and I want to make sure I'm dressed well bc of that one meme of the guy who dressed in a suit to meet his baby niece in the hospital bc "first impressions matter", and all of a sudden, I'm tearing up in line, and I'm thinking "if anybody notices me rn they're gonna think I'm scared of going in this house by myself", which is both untrue and also would never happen bc everyone around me was part of a group.

Immediately after this, I get hit with this massive wave of feelings that boil down to "I want to be with someone", in every way that statement can be interpreted.

All around me are groups of people playing the Official Pastime of HHN Lines, Heads Up, they're talking, laughing, standing around on their phones but still obviously in a group. This part doesn't needle me as much, as I've done HHN several times this year and in the past with other people, and it's got its ups and downs for sure. But the group in front of me was made up of three couples, and it was like a switch flipped between my brain and my heart and all of a sudden, I was filled with a deep well of longing for something I've yet to have - a person.

At that moment, all I wanted was someone to be there with me, to hold my hand, to lean on, to talk to about absolutely nothing, to kiss me.

I've had what could be termed as a long-ass dry spell, and I'll be very honest that it's 95% self-inflicted. I very rarely find myself wanting to kiss someone else, and if I do, it's more a passing thought that sort of wafts into my head and dissipates nearly as quickly. But then, in that line...

I should add that the last time I had these kinds of urges, it was after several tequila lemons at my friends' wedding (I'm not to be trusted in New York with substances of any kind around guys who show the slightest interest in me...). So maybe it was connected to the fact that I'd been texting with my friend before all this went down. But still, I was standing in line and thinking that if a guy, for whatever insane reason, decided to talk to me and made any kind of hint, that I'd be echoing Chappell Roan (in a PG-13 max kind of way).

Obviously, and probably thankfully, this did not happen. A man did talk to me in a line later, but it was several hours after these feelings had left and he felt a little too old for anything but a short chat on if I had done Major Sweets before (yes), if it was scary (no), and what the best houses were (I panicked and said either Major Sweets or Slaughter Sinema 2, but for me it's honestly anything that's not Insidious, AQP, or Monsters (sry bby, you're just not that great this year)).

I've had times before where I want to be with someone, but they're usually fairly short-lived. I'm not in a place where I feel like I can start any kind of meaningful romantic relationship, and I'll admit that most of the reasons are me-problems - I'm not where I thought I'd be, I still work an hourly job at a theme park, I'm an older second-degree seeking student, I live at home still (mostly no ragrets on that one though, no rent is so sweet). But having entered a new decade of age this year, I think my usual attitude and thought processes are entering a new era of their own. I know that I'm not old, but I'm not super young anymore either. Time is moving forward, and things won't stay put just because I may not feel or think I'm ready for them yet.

While under that tipsy feeling, I decided to text my friend and tell her basically exactly what was happening (the bare bones of it, that I was so excited to see them and meet the baby that it was making me almost cry, not the other stuff), and I don't regret that for a second, because her response was heartwarming and it's giving me a lot to look forward to later this week.

I'm hoping that sometime soon I'll be standing in a line for a house with someone who wants to be there with me as much as I want to be there with them, and that maybe they'll hold my hand (if it's not too hot and humid) in line and walk behind me through the house and maybe hold my shoulders until we're out the other side and talk and laugh and whatever else may happen. It's very much not likely to happen, but the power of dreams isn't just that they give you something to hope for, it's that they have the staying power to keep you hoping, and hopefully moving, to make them real.

And if it takes more than a couple years for this to happen, that's okay. If it doesn't happen, for any and whatever reason, that's okay too. Even if it's hard to understand emotionally sometimes, I really do know that we're all on our own paths and mine is taking me where I need to go. It's just taking the scenic, very curvy and non-direct way possible, but that just gives me more time to enjoy the view.

[umbralsound-xiv]

New Habits.

A quick trip to the market saw us gather ingredients for the first meal we would cook together in our new home. ...I had settled on the idea of a vegetable curry. Easy to cook, filling, and good for leftovers. It would be so nice, to cook together...

The door to the house is opened with an almost gentle, tender nudge, as Eir slips the beloved key into his pocket, and shoulders his way in with an armful of groceries. Even then, he stops for a moment to beam at the surroundings, before settling the paper bag on the counter. "…I still cannot believe it is ours. It is perfect, Sayuri. Did you choose the decorations?"

The door is pushed shut once Sayuri too had passed the threshold, steps following him to remain near. "I did." She beams. "..I did ask Bexy for a bit of help to set things up as well, I.. can't say I'm overly experienced in decorating. Most rooms I've had have been done before I moved into them, aside from the room I had before I moved into yours."

"I cannot say i have so much skill in it either. Our room at the company house was simply asked to be… Thavnairian style. But here… It is like a lovely blend of all things we love." Eir begins to sort the groceries; vegetables are set aside in a pile, and a hefty bag of rice pulled from the bottom of the paper bag. "There are hints of Thavnair and the East. And it is here, in Eorzea, where we both met." Looking to her, he smiles warmly over his shoulder. "…I look forward to making many memories here, with you."

"I'm glad you like it." Sayuri shuffles closer to Eir, leaning herself over to coil her arms around his waist to hold onto him, without keeping him from his task. She peers up at him, beaming a warm smile of her own his way in return. "As do I. And I'm glad the very first one is your Namesday."

Turning his head, he settles a kiss to her forehead, furnished with a warm smile. "My Namesday." Eir hums, enjoyment in his tone. "…I wager something lighter would be better to cook together, and nothing too complicated. A vegetable curry? I can take care of the rice and seasonings. Everything else i leave in your capable hands, hm?"

A soft hum of approval leaves her, her head leaning forwards enough for her lips to press against his shoulder before she withdrew and stepped over to the cabinets, pulling forth various items needed for the cooking from the contents of its drawers. "And.. What is.. everything else?"

"Peeling, chopping, dicing. Cooking everything that is not rice." Eir encourages. Popotoes, peppers and onions are set aside on the counter, taking one of the pots to set on the stove. "Vegetables are easy enough to cook. Even overcooked, they are delicious."

Her head sinks into a double nod, carefully plucking a knife and the chopping board to place them a little further away. "Well.. Should be hard even for me to mess up, then." She snickers.

"You will not mess up." Eir murmurs encouragingly, gently rolling the vegetables in her direction and settling a kiss atop her head. "You made a lovely home. Making a base for a curry should be a breeze, hm?" Eir pours a heap of rice into another pan, adding water as he begins to wash it.

Sayuri's ears wiggle at the kiss, head canting ever so slightly. "You'd think so, but I will also remind you that I've mostly had others make my food for me. I did it a few times, but those were far in between each other." While she speaks, she reaches for the peppers - placing them upon the cutting board before, surprisingly carefully, she sinks the knife into it.

"But you are just as willing to learn. Willingness is half the battle, and you are a fast learner besides. Just chop everything into small pieces and put into the pan, and the heat and spices will do the rest of the work." Rice washed, a measure of water is added before it's set on the stove to simmer. "And you are not so inexperienced i need to tell you how to peel a popoto, or to take off the skins of onions or de-seed peppers, hm?"

".. So I've been told. More than once." Sayuri flashes a small smile. ".. No, I should have that covered.." She pauses, chopping off the top of the pepper and spinning it to do the same to the bottom. ".. Should." She casts a glance Eir's way, only to smile before her attention returns to her task.

"You do." Eir has an almost singsong tone in his words, skipping over to the other side of the kitchen; delivering another kiss to the top of her head in transit, as he begins to pluck out various spices. "When you put your mind to something, it is rare you fail. I know that much."

Whoever said stubbornness was purely a negative trait? Sayuri is stubborn, but i am glad for all the things it has allowed her to overcome. Cookery lessons included.

Eyes lidding faintly from the affection given, she temporarily pauses the process of deseeding and chopping the vegetable in favour of looking at Eir more fully, head canting. "I'm just stubborn."

"You are." Eir grins, confirming. Various seasonings and spices are added in vague amounts to a bowl, adding a little more of this and that as he watched, only noticing after a moment she was looking over to him. "…That is not a bad thing. I am quite fond of your stubbornness."

She beams a smile his way, chuckling quietly. "Well, I'm glad. You're definitely among those who get to see it the most." She hums, resuming the chopping.

"Well, i am your husband. I wager i get to see much more of you than most." Eir remarks, walking back to the stove. Quickly he turns his head back to her. "--Your personality, i mean." He half trips over a foot before the bowl of seasonings make it back to the countertop, and Eir pulls out a small pan of his own. "…You know what i meant."

...I mean, i wager in all ways i see her more than most, but... ...She knew what i intended. I had only the most innocent of things in my thoughts, honest!

A brow is lofted in return, a soft laugh following it shortly afterwards. ".. In both ways, yes." She grins, briefly peering over her shoulder to Eir. Having finished chopping the peppers, she opts to pick a popoto next, carefully cutting in under the surface of it to begin the peeling process. "Literally, and personality wise."

Eir gives a small huff of humour. He busied himself with a small punnet of tomatoes, dicing them into messy chunks and settling them in a pan to simmer. "Well, i had not immediately meant it like that, but i will not argue. Both are lovely aspects besides."

"I sure hope you won't argue. It'd make me sad." Her tone takes a more childish front, lips pulling into the tiniest pout as she peers over to Eir. It is a front she doesn't hold for long, as she soon cracks a grin and laughs. "You're my husband. You have to find me lovely."

"I will not argue. I might bicker, though." Eir sticks his tongue out for only a moment, wandering back over the kitchen to wash his hands of the tomato juice. "I found you lovely long before i married you. We briefly touched on that earlier, hm?"

"Acceptable." Her grin increases at the sight, head tilting. "So we did. But you didn't know me that well when you did. Or my vast collection of blemishes."

"No, i did not. Your scars have never bothered me, hm? Not for you having them. A little upset for how some made their way there, but not for seeing them. Though i did not know you well at first, getting to know you has been nothing short of lovely." The rice simmers away, the tomatoes stirred as Eir tips in the mixture of spices. "How are the vegetables coming along?"

I do not mind her scars, something i have told her time and again, but i suppose it never hurts for her to hear it. I have never really minded any sort of blemish, only... I can see, now. After our time in the compound. Why she does.

"I think they have bothered me more than you." She gave a faint smile, shaking her head. The popoto long since peeled and met its cruel fate upon the chopping board, too - making Sayuri reach for the onion next. "Almost done." She hums, as she peels the skin off the onion before setting it down on the board to begin chopping it.

"One sun, perhaps they will not upset you so much." Eir slips behind her, settling a gentle arm around her waist as to not distract her too much, admiring her work. "It looks good, so far. I did not want to make anything too… Heavy."

".. Perhaps, although I have my doubts." She automatically leans back into him as his arm coils around her waist, indulging in his embrace without halting her task. "Something too heavy might've been a touch too daunting for me to try to increase the size of my meals, but.. This will be light enough to make some progress, I think." She smiles.

"…That you are willing to try means much to me." Eir pulls himself closer to her, lips at her shoulder. "Even if you do not manage to, i will still be happy, yes?" He smiles against her, giving a pleased little hum. "…It is nice, to cook together."

Sayuri's head flops to the side to gently nudge against his. "Honestly, if I manage to..? It.. will feel like a small victory." Her ears tilt back just a touch, yet a small smile remains on her lips. "It is." She hums.

Eir turns his head to kiss her cheek. "Even if not this sun, you will manage it. Another piece of yourself you reclaim from him, and i will be there to see every battle won." Eir doesn't move from her, reaching for a spoon to slowly stir the sauce.

Her ears wiggle at the kiss, her smile increasing in size. "I won't be able to reclaim everything he took from me, but anything that I can.. I will do my best to try." She finishes up her chopping, setting down the knife and turning her head to return a kiss of her own upon his own cheek. "And to have you with me every step of the way means a lot to me."

Eir smiles warmly, pressing his lips to her own after she moves from his cheek. "I have no doubt. My lovely, stubborn wife." He beams, picking up the chopping board of vegetables, to shuffle them into a pan to slowly simmer away. "…Now we just wait a little for things cook a little. Not too long."

A soft laugh leaves her, eyes lidding softly while she gazes at him. "It seems I get many words associated with myself." She chuckles.

"Mmh." Eir hums, edging her a little from the cooker to embrace her properly. "Is that what you would like to spend the intervening minutes doing? Listening to me call you all the things i think of you?" He presses a kiss to the edge of her jaw. "My Moon, my wife, my love. Lovely, stubborn and sweet all at once." He pulls back, just an ilm. "I could go on."

I could, and would had she let me. We spent the intervening moments like this, between the simmering of curry and rice. Bliss. Peace.

Eir examines them with the pressure of the spoon. "…About done. A few minutes in the sauce, and they will be tender enough." He reaches to take the pan of sauce, slowly stirring it into the vegetables. "Could you get the plates and utensils?" A pause, then. "I… Am not actually sure where the utensils are…"

Sayuri's head sinks into a double nod, allowing Eir to take over. She reaches up to the cabinet above, collecting two plates which are carefully placed down on the counter. A drawer is then pulled out of the cabinet below, a pair of utensils being fished out too before Sayuri bumps herself against the drawer to close it using her hip. ".. It'll take some time to get used to, but soon enough you will know it like the back of your hand." She beams.

"I am sure enough for that." Eir beams, stirring the vegetables through the sauce, before replacing the pot on the stove. The pot of rice is then picked up, the little excess water drained away, the rice fluffed with a spoon, which is once again offered to her. "…Perhaps it is better to fill your own plate. You know what you can handle, hm?"

".. Shouldn't be too hard." She half-mumbles, accepting the spoon. A plate is grabbed and rice is soon shovelled up onto it in her normal amount, which she mutely measures up in her mind.. and adds another spoonful of it before she moves on to the curry itself and similarly measures up her test amount - the spoon is then extended Eir's way.

Eir quickly fills his plate after her, taking equal parts rice and curry; enough to feed himself, and more than enough for leftovers. A kiss is planted on Sayuri's cheek, as he makes for the table to sit. "…To our first meal. On our first sun inside our home."

She had taken much more than normal. Usually, it is enough that we share from the same plate and utensils, for how little she tends to eat. I did not wish for her to overface herself, but to think she might achieve a full meal... I know how much it means to her. And in turn, how much it means to me.

Sayuri's ears wiggle in response to the kiss upon her cheek, a smile beaming his way before she moves to seat herself at the table with him. "And to you, and your Namesday." She smiles innocently.

"I suppose…" Eir murmurs, cracking a wry smirk as though he didn't enjoy the attention. Taking a forkful of curry, it's quick to move past his lips… And bring a pleased sigh from them. "…It is good. A lovely namesday meal, cooked by my wife."

"Cooked by both of us, don't give me all the credit." She snickers, scooping up some curry of her own to bring to her lips.

"Both of us, then. But it tastes nice because -you- made it." Another forkful, "…And also the spices. What do you think?"

Her ears wiggle, a soft, drawn-out hum of approval leaving her. "It's nice." She murmurs, scooping up another portion.

Eir hums in reply to her own, glancing around the room again. "…I can make breakfast for the both of us, and not even change out of my pyjamas. Lounge on the sofa at all hours. Not that i could not in the company house, but i wager i might raise an eyebrow or two. I can do much more, here…"

"We can do whatever we want here, without anyone looking." She beams. ".. Our only guests will have to be invited." She adds with half a grumble, before immediately smiling again.

Eir lofts a slow, singular brow between bites of his meal. To the point it runs away from his fork, and he has to scoop it up again to get it to his mouth. He offers no word to her comment, but his expression says just about everything. "Invited, and… Perhaps knock, for their own sake…"

".. Absolutely knock for their own sake." She huffs. ".. Both for their own sanity and safety."

Eir snickers a laugh between bites of his food, nodding. "…For their own sanity and safety." He agrees, head tilted. "Save for Bexy, does anyone else know where we live, now?"

"… No. Not yet. I'd tell Vex, but the chances of her finding her way here on her own is.." Sayuri's lips draw into a thin line. ".. Small."

"…I see…" Eir takes another few bites, mulling over. "…Well, suppose you could show her over, some time. I would like to cook for her, too. I wonder if she would like Thavnairian food…?" Eir drops a glance to Sayuri's plate. That she was eating anything at all brings a small smile to his lips.

I can think of a few others i would like to visit. Mahi'a and Vex. Bexy too. Sayuri's parents, of course. It will be nice to have guests, i think. I enjoy cooking for people. I wonder if... ...Hm.

"So far, I haven't heard about a single thing that girl dislikes." Sayuri smiles, shaking her head faintly. ".. In a way, I.. am glad that she turned out the opposite of me in terms of eating habits."

"Nothing? Nothing at all?" Eir lofts a brow, having devoured the majority of his meal. "…Suppose. There will be things she finds more difficult than you, i wager. Just as you have found difficulty in things that she has not. But you are working on it, all the same."

"Not that I have heard, but I can always ask her next time." She smiles, one ear tilting back. Even Sayuri's plate is beginning to look empty, the extra portion having been dug into aswell, good cat. ".. To be honest, Vex seems to be dealing with it all.. suspiciously well. Other than the time after she killed the Xaela, and she felt like she had no purpose, but that's the only thing I can personally recall."

"Suspiciously well describes that better than i would like it to sound…" Eir's brows knit in concern, scooping up the last grains of rice and vegetables, before settling his fork on the plate. "…She is still in good company, at least. If she feels the difficulty of the situation, she will have no shortage of hands to help her."

Sayuri nods lightly, scraping together the last bits of her rice and curry. "I just hope she speaks up if so. It's.. not always easy to admit." She scoops it up and stuffs it into her mouth, officially finishing a larger meal than her usual.

"She has friends. If she struggles… I can think of no one better to talk to her than you." Eir witnesses, as Sayuri takes the final forkful of her meal, and clears her plate. He stares, not saying anything more, abruptly leaving his chair to move to her side, arms wrapped around her.

Her lips curl into a soft smile at his comment, gaze settling upon him. Her head tilts curiously as he stands, following him as he moves up to her. His embrace is met with her own, as she drapes her arms around his waist. "Hello to you too." She smiles.

"You… You ate everything on your plate. Without me trying to persuade you, or reason with you. Just like that." He squeezes her a little tighter, head pushed against her own. "…I am… Proud of you. A battle won."

She pushes her head back against his, ears wiggling sharply. ".. So I did." She murmurs.

"You did…" Eir gives another squeeze, lingering for some long few moments, finally releasing her. The smile does not leave his face, slowly taking the plates from the table to the sink. "…Well, suppose a less fun part of having our own home is that we need clean it. But that we have dirty dishes at all is a blessing, that we have eaten from them."

Her smile remains as he withdraws, she stands as he wanders to the sink, following to remain at his side. ".. We're not messy, so it shouldn't be too hard to keep the house clean."

"It should not be. Though i do not enjoy doing dishes… There is some… Satisfaction, to keeping things clean and tidy. Looking after something dear to me. A little like you." He turns, to plant a kiss to her cheek.

A beautiful home, and a lovely wife. In this lovely moment of peace, having finished a meal we both cooked together... I could think of nothing more i could ever want... With her, i had everything i wanted, and more.

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #187

Do you typically eat breakfast or skip it? I basically always eat it.

What was the last thing you took a picture of? An orb weaver spider at my sister's house. I hope she's still there, but I'm kinda doubtful since her web was attached to the kids' playset, and their dad is the kind of ignorant redneck that kills any harmless spider or snake he sees.

Do you have a collection of anything? Yes, primarily meerkat-oriented stuff.

How did you discover your favorite band? Ozzy, I discovered really through my mom; I grew up sometimes hearing him and eventually gravitated towards his music on my own. I first heard Rammstein in a Guitar Hero game.

What was the last big decision you made? uh... I don't know.

When was the last time you performed in front of a group of people? Not since I was a teenager (or maybe a very very young adult) in dance.

Did you ever used to make cookies, cakes or pie with your grandma? The only thing my maternal grandma (the only one I really knew) ever made me was pissed off lmao, no.

Do you burn incense? I like to, but I rarely do it.

Do you smoke weed? I don't, I'm not interested in smoking anything. It's also illegal in NC because this state is horribly behind with like... everything.

Have you actually been through a devastating natural disaster before? Yes; I was a baby when it happened, but Hurricane Floyd was no joke. It ruined certain areas around here, like there are certainly places where the weather damage was never truly fixed and houses withered. I've endured many hurricanes since, but none - I think - that were on Floyd's level.

What fast food place, in your opinion, has the best french fries? Bojangle's. I also like McDonald's a lot, but I think everyone loves McD's fries, lol.

Do you believe one day aliens might take over Planet Earth? Personally, no. The hell do I know though, I won't bet my life on that. Sometimes I feel like the world would be better off if aliens did say fuck y'all, lol.

Do you like soda pop? If so, which is your favorite and least favorite? Soda is my dietary weakness, easy fuckin' peasy. My favorite is Mountain Dew, specifically the Voltage kind, which is blue raspberry. I also enjoy strawberry Sunkist A LOT, but it's not something I have almost ever. I'd say my least favorite is root beer probably, it's not a flavor I really enjoy.

Does it bother you when people burp around you or do you do it too? I really don't give a shit, I wish basic bodily functions that are entirely normal weren't treated as if they're gross because I think it's had a very negative effect on health and caring for various things.

Ever had a friend named Alex or John? Alex, yes. We were very close online friends then she just like... fell off the face of the earth. I miss her a lot.

What kind of stuff do you like on your hot dogs? I'm pretty basic, just ketchup and mustard. Bits of finely diced onions is fine, too, but I don't go out of my way for it, and I definitely won't want a lot.

Where did you kiss the last person you kissed? In my bed before he went home.

Do you think it’s right for straight guys to get their tongue pierced? ...................... bitch what???????????? of course it's fine??????????????????????

Have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced? I've had my right nostril pierced twice in my life, and I want to get it redone again. I just always had issues keeping studs in.

Would you ever donate blood? I've done it twice now and absolutely plan to keep going whenever Girt goes to one. It was very fulfilling, plus it was a fun thing to do together.

Describe the main problem with your last relationship? We were/are both very mentally ill individuals and instead of helping each other stay upright, I feel like we dragged one another down.

Do you have any pictures of celebs saved to your computer? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Do you find hands attractive? I can find men's hands particularly attractive. It doesn't happen much with women; like I love elegant-looking hands aesthetically, but I'm not like, attracted to them. Hands aren't a major thing for me, though.

Do you think it is silly to give names to vehicles, or other inanimate objects? I don't care. I don't do it, but I don't care about it.

Is there a hair color/style you really like but don’t think you could pull off? I LOVE bald women, like oh my god y'all are so fucking hot but I could never do it.

Out of all the Disney/Pixar animal “sidekicks”, which one is your favorite? Dory.

If your mom was a teacher, would you want to be in her class? lol my mom HAS been a substitute (or assistant? idr) in an elementary class for me before. My mom was a fabulous teacher and I'd ALWAYS want her at the head of my class.

As a kid, did you love playing on Neopets? I sure did, I consider it the start of my Internet addiction.

Would you ever get a pet turtle? Why or why not? No, they're just not my kind of pet. I love 'em, but don't want to have any.

What shop/store/brand would you model for, if given the choice? Hot Topic, I guess. I don't really wanna model for anyone, I'm way too self-conscious, even if I wasn't fat.

If I search your room will I find birth control? No.

Have you ever been told you were a good writer? Since I was a very literal child. It's one of the extremely few skills I'm actually confident in.

What is the most outrageous thing you’ve done for God? Been a complete fucking asshole who thought she was doing good.

The last piece of roadkill you saw, what kind of animal was it? Uhhhh I think a raccoon?

Has anyone ever cheated on their boyfriend/girlfriend with you? Yes.

List 5 things that have happened in the last 7 days. (They can be anything at all, anything that’s happened involving you, or your family, friends, partner) 1.) I had an antidepressant med's dosage increased, 2.) Girt got jumpscared to shit by a massive spider in the mail lol, 3.) I went shopping with my mom in a store for the first time in a VERY long time and I was very pleased with how my legs did, 4.) I finished a Wings of Fire book, and 5.) I fed Venus.

Random fact about the person you love/like? Tying into the last question, Girt's super super cute when he comes over on a night Venus gets fed (twice a month); he's wary around snakes and has never even touched her, but he gets hype about "rat day" and likes watching her eat.

How many pets do you want? And of what? A lot, mostly reptiles and various tarantula species. This is very dependent on where I live though as well as how easily I can provide for those I have. I refuse to hoard animals I can't give proper, healthy lives to.

Have you ever asked someone out? Yes, more than once.

Is the last person you kissed a virgin? No.

Who makes you the happiest? Girt.

What are your views on spontaneous human combustion? This shit is a super creepy concept, and I am so not a scientist that can give you a proper stance here. I FEEL like there's been at least one confirmed case of this killing somebody, but I might be wrong, and honestly I hope I am. The idea of this being possible is absolutely terrifying.

What was the last zoo/aquarium you went to? Some aquarium by the beach, idr its name.

What does the last message in your Facebook inbox concern? Girt's sister Ashley sent me some pictures of car decal she got because she knew it was a topic I cared about.

How did you meet the person you fell hardest for? Technically Facebook; he reached out to me after apparently seeing me in the school hallway and having an "I need to know her" fairytale moment, asking a friend who I was or something. Nowadays it's like... thanks for the trauma bro lmao

What was your favourite thing about the person you fell hardest for? He was very unique, and completely unashamed of who he was. He was so comfortable being him, which I couldn't and still can't relate to but wish I did.

Are you a strong swimmer? I mean, I'm fine at it. I prefer to just doggy paddle, lol.

What was your worst fear as a child? Have you overcome that fear? Tornadoes, and no, not really. I'm less hysterical in situations where one might occur, but I am still very much terrified of tornadoes.

What kind of music do you listen to the most? I'd say industrial metal/rock, probably.

Have you ever tried veggie burgers? Yes, I had a vegetarian phase. I had okay ones, but they weren't spectacular or anything. Nothing like an actual burger.

Would you rather have another job? I'd like to have *A* job... One I can actually do and not have to keep going into a bathroom to have a panic attack and cry.

Did you ever live in a house with more than one story? No.

Do you own any clothes you wouldn’t wear in front of your mother? No. My mother's the one who BUYS any clothes I put on my body, so... lol

Do you have your national flag hanging up anywhere outside your house? ew no

Do you look older or younger than you actually are? Younger. In about the past year-ish, I've been mistaken for a teenager twice.

What was the last show that you watched a full episode of? It was a Naked and Afraid-type show with Mom.

Do you have any significantly older siblings? Yes, both my parents have kids from relationships before theirs together.

Which parent do you feel the most affection for? My mom.

Do you know anyone who hates/dislikes chocolate? My maternal grandma only liked chocolate in the form of Reese's, and my nephew Ryder is weird with chocolate, too. Sometimes he likes it, sometimes he doesn't, but I know he definitely prefers vanilla.

Have you ever hated yourself? oh boy have I

Did your parents ever ground you? Mom did, my dad didn't do much in terms of raising us kids and deciding things about us.

Do you like your smile? No.

Were you/are you popular in high school? I wasn't.

Who is your female celeb crush? (If applicable) Rhea Ripley could break my back and I'd nut ok

Who is your male celeb crush? (If applicable) Richard Kruspe could also break my back and I'd be cool abt it

Do you have a favorite Marvel character? Deadpool, probs.

Favorite DC character? Harley Quinn.

Do you read comic books? I don't.

Name a few historical figures you find interesting. Why? I find Sarah Winchester, designer of the Winchester Mystery House, to be EXTREMELY fascinating. She was the widow of the creator of the Winchester rifle and never stopped expanding upon her mansion in an attempt to supposedly confuse and flee the spirits killed by her husband's firearm design. She was very involved in spiritual practices and she just really intrigues me, all the while I feel deeply for such a haunted, miserable person.

What is your favorite historical film and why? The Boy in the Striped Pajamas because the feeling it leaves you goes so far beyond words. The Holocaust in general just SOUNDS so fake in how evil it was, and while the movie may tell the tale of made-up kids, the general gist was so real. It's a movie that has left me feeling so cold each time I've seen it.

[checkxmaster]

"Yeah... good point." One had said Alice was a security operative, along with Spence. That was really just a fancy term for human shield, Chad supposed. They were there to be a line of defense before people even got into the Hive, and that's all they meant to Umbrella. "I guess we were all just tools to them. A means to an end, instead of human beings," he said darkly.

Chad smiled sadly at her when she called him a hero once more. "I really don't agree, but... it's really nice of you to say. I mean that. It's... It means a lot, coming from you." When J.D. was brought up, Chad's gaze fell again. "Maybe it wasn't my fault that he died, but... Alice, you can't argue that it should've been me. If I hadn't lost my composure, freaked out, and not been able to think straight enough to remember the stupid elevator code, I would've opened it, and it would've been me instead of J.D. who died. And... who knows... maybe Rain would've been okay too. She sure as hell wasn't going to jump into that elevator to save me the way she did for J.D., so... if it had been me... she wouldn't've gotten those last couple bites... and her infection wouldn't have spread as fast."

That Chad blamed himself for a lot of what happened inside the Hive was an understatement. He'd had so much time to mull over every minute of that night in his mind, again and again, finding a seemingly endless number of ways in which he failed, fell short, screwed up, wasn't good enough, wasn't fast enough, wasn't strong enough... and people had suffered and died because of that. "I just wish I could go back and do it all again. I would've done everything differently. Everything." Of course it wasn't fair for him to lay that kind of guilt on himself, but with no way to redeem himself in his eyes, it would always be there, gnawing away at him.

He nodded, his hands finding his waist as he looked out at the various people of the convoy, going about their business. "Yeah, it's not bad being with this group. Before I joined up with them, I'd just been living out of my van and hoarding supplies, parts, and tech everywhere I went. So when I met them, I was able to supply them with a lot of extra food, tools, I could fix things for them, I could set up motion detectors so they didn't need to sleep in shifts anymore... They seemed to really be grateful for it and, to be honest, it keeps me busy and feels pretty good to be helping people," he said with a smile.

Hearing that Umbrella forced Alice to kill a child through some kind of mental manipulation, though... that was difficult for Chad to hear. "Oh my god," he said with a sympathetic gravity to his tone. "I'm so sorry, Alice. Fucking bastards..." He shook his head angrily. If someone made him do something terrible like that, he knew he'd be in a very dark place, so his heart went out to Alice, truly. Living with that kind of guilt must be completely devastating. "Well, I'm no surgeon, but I'm sure I can find whatever it is. I've got metal detectors, but if that doesn't work, I can always try seeing if I can tap into its signal myself. Not that I... I hope you know I wouldn't ever do anything to you. But if I can pinpoint its location by detecting the wireless signal it gives off, I can narrow down where on your body it might be and try to remove it."

"Here, let's... If you come into my van, I can hop on one of my computers and see if I can detect its signal. If Umbrella's been controlling you remotely, there must be communication going on between them and your device, but also from your device back to them. Giving away your location and things like that. I should be able to intercept that communication..." he said, the tech side of his brain already jumping at the chance to do something interesting and different, but also to help Alice sever the puppeteer's strings Umbrella attached to her.

(For the wandering verse?)

“It’s good to see you again. What made you decide to join up with this lot?” (Alice; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Chad was ecstatic to see Alice again. He thought everyone else in the Hive had died. After waking up on the train tracks to an empty Hive, open doors, and dead Umbrella scientists strewn about at its entrance, he'd assumed the worst, and the worst was what he got. It was astounding how quickly the world went to hell in a handbasket. The only thing that kept Chad going was helping people. I made him feel useful, and like he was somehow making up for his part in letting this all happen in he first place, at least in some small way.

He smiled as he set up the motion sensors for the night. "They were people who needed help. So... I'm helping them," he said simply, with a light shrug. "You shoulda seen the paranoia and the lack of sleep they were all suffering from before I ran into them and implemented this motion detection perimeter. Now..." He patted one of the cameras mounted on a pole and stuck into the sand. "...they know if something comes close, they'll hear an alarm go off. Everybody's getting better sleep, and that can make all the difference."

It was the little things that mattered in this post-apocalyptic hell now, since no one was guaranteed to survive even one more day. "Besides... I feel like... I kindof owe it people. It's my fault he virus even got out in the first place..." That made his smile retreat, but soon it was back, albeit while taking on a more pensive quality than before. "It's good to see you too, Alice. I'm glad someone else survived who... knows how this all began." He wasn't sure why that mattered to him, except that it was somehow comforting to be around someone else who knew what he'd been through and how hard he'd tried to stop the virus from escaping the Hive, even if it was all in vain.

[themothgardenn]

Hey I found you via your yandere herb thing and I loved it! I was wondering if I could ask if you could do a herb x a reader who doesn't know how to take care of themselves very well and/or possibly cant because they are too busy with their job...like they do have a job but they only know how to make stuff like instant ramen or warming up frozen food in microwave but other than that...that's it..it can be hcs or a fic, either one is fine with me! And wanted to give you a choice of what ya wanted to do with this request! Hope you have fun with it! ^-^

Yandere! Herb x Overworked Reader 

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Warnings : Kidnapping, drugging, general yandere behavior 

Characters : Herb Cookie and Y/N Cookie (the person reading) 

Description : Herb helps you get out of your unhealthy lifestyle in a very...drastic way.. 

1270 words 

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      You sat there at your cluttered desk on your laptop, writing out a document for your work. Empty ramen cups, bowls, and other dishes and various papers cluttered the desk that you never bothered to clean.  You worked on the document tirelessly, desperately trying to get it done so you could get some much-needed rest until the door suddenly opened.  

      A tall, slender, cookie with leafy green hair stood in the now opened doorway. “Hey Y/N! I thought I’d stop by and bring you some tea and cake” He chirped. Herb held a tray that a held a slice of your favorite cake, next to it was a cup of green tea. You didn’t respond or even acknowledge his presence. He walked over to your nightstand and gently moved some papers to the side so he could make room for the tray. He then walked over to you and put his hands on your shoulders, easily getting your attention by doing so.  

     You looked up at him and said “Oh hey Herb, when did you get here? Also why are you here? Did you need something?” Herb smiled back at your gaze and said “I was just wondering if you’d like to come over later to have a small tea break with me. It would only be for a short while so you could get back to your work as fast as possible” You looked away from him and thought for a moment before looking up at him again and replying with “I guess I could use a bit of a break…what time do you want me to be there?” “Does about an hour from now sound fine?” He asked, still smiling at you. “Mhm that’s fine though it alright if we hang out here for a bit before then? I’ve kinda missed your company...” You replied.  

      He picked you up out of your chair and gave you a tight hug “Of course! I’d love to! But only for a couple of minutes I need a bit of time to prep the tea for you” he was still smiling at you almost lovingly. Herb then gently set you down on your bed and then sat next to you. “What did you wanna do?” He looked at you, curious. “Well, I don’t really know..I didn’t really think too far into it..” You said shyly rubbing the back of your neck.  

Herb thought for a minute before his face lit up in excitement “I have an idea! Maybe I could help you pick out an outfit for when you come over! If you don’t mind of course” “Hm? Of course, I don’t mind though I’m only hanging out there for a little bit. I don’t see why I’d need a whole outfit just for a short visit” You replied trying your best to not sound rude. “Why not? Besides I think it’ll be fun!” 

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After a short while Herb finally chose a simple but cute outfit for you. A white shirt with a cream-colored cardigan, black tights (or jeans whichever you prefer), and your usual pair of shoes. “What do you think? I personally think you look adorable Y/N!” He chirped, being unusually close to you. “I think you did an amazing job Herb! Thank you!” You said as you smiled up at him. “Good! Now I've gotta go and prepare the tea at my place! I’ll see you in a bit” He said and gave you a tight hug. You swear you could hear him muttering something about “mine”, but you quickly brushed it off. You were probably just hearing things... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

You walked up to Herb’s door, he only lived a block away, so it made it easy to visit him. You were about to knock on the door before Herb suddenly opened the door and excitedly invited you in. How did he already know you were at the door? You immediately shook off the thought, not wanting to think too much about it. “I’m so happy you came! Please sit on the couch and make yourself comfy! I’ll be out shortly with the tea” He said before heading into the kitchen to fetch the tea. You sat on the couch and set your bag under the coffee table.  

You waited for what felt like forever before he finally came out of the kitchen with two cups full of what seemed to hold your favorite tea. “I’m back with the tea! This is your favorite kind right?” He asked handing you a cup of tea with fancy rose designs on it. “I’m pretty sure this is my favorite kind of tea. Thank you Herb” He sat next to you as you took a sip before realizing ‘I don’t think I’ve ever told him what my favorite kind of tea was...’ you thought, though again you shook off the thought. You just wanted to enjoy the amazing tea Herb made just for you. He didn’t take a sip of his tea instead he stared intently at you as you quietly drank your tea. “How is it?” He asked. You smiled at him and said in content “It’s amazing Herb! Thank you again for the tea” He smiled back at you and replied “Good! I’m so glad you enjoy the tea a made just for you”  

You two sat there and chatted a bit about various things, taking sips of your tea here and there until you started to get tired? Sure you did a lot of work today but you made sure you got at least some sleep. Surely you couldn’t be that tired? Right? You soon started to drift off to sleep. You swear you heard a faint “I’ll see you soon my rose ♡” before falling asleep 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

You woke up in an unfamiliar room. You looked around and noticed only a few things were in the room. The bed you woke up in, a dresser, a small nightstand, and a couple of boxes that were taped up. You tried to move your arms but realized that they were restrained to the bed post. Surprisingly your legs were free. You tried freeing your arms but to no avail, you sighed and started tearing up a bit. ‘Why would someone do this? What are they gonna do to me? Who even did this?’ Your thoughts were interrupted by the door unlocking and opening. A tall, slender, cookie with leafy green hair stood in the doorway. “Hello Y/N! I know you must be really confused but don’t worry I’m not here to hurt you or anything like that I promise. I actually did this to do the opposite!”

He walked over to the bed and sat on it looking at you lovingly “I did this because I couldn’t stand seeing you not taking care over yourself over some job that doesn’t even seem to appreciate you!” You didn’t reply and only looked at him sadly. He sighed and said “You know Y/N I love you so much. I love you more than as a friend!” He held your face “Sometimes I love you so much it hurts! So...Y/N could you maybe consider being mine forever?” He gave you a kiss on the forehead before getting up and heading towards the door. He said “I hope you’ll think about it but in the meantime, I’ll get you something to eat, fresh from my garden!”

Herb then closed the door and locked it, leaving you alone in your windowless room. I guess this is gonna be your life from now on, no point in trying to escape such a loving boyfriend ♡

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so sorry it took me so long to write this! Hopefully you like it anon! I hope whoever is reading this has a nice day ♡

[spanishskulduggery]

What's the difference between almuerzo and comida?

So I'm going to assume you mean la comida being used as "lunch", rather than the basic meaning of it being "food" or "a meal"

Your question isn't easily answered because it's culturally dependent, specifically whether you live in a country that has a siesta culture or not

The timing of the meal could be entirely different from what you're thinking based on the country itself.

But, as "lunch"... el almuerzo is typically understood to be "lunch" for the US, and la comida as "lunch" is usually more understood as "lunch" for Spain or countries with siesta culture.

-

The more in-depth answer is culturally dependent

In countries and places that have a hotter climate and/or places where it's more rural, you typically have what is known as "siesta culture"

That means that the day starts very early because it's usually understood that you wake up and do a lot of chores to take care of animals or crops

The first meal of the day, regardless, is usually el desayuno which is "breakfast"... literally des- is "un-" or implies negation, and el ayuno is "a fast" or "fasting" and the verb is ayunar "to fast" which you'd see in religious contexts most. Thus, el desayuno is "to break a fast" literally... because you weren't eating in your sleep, so it's considered a kind of fasting

Past that, it all becomes a little complicated

This is still siesta culture, so your breakfast is a lighter meal designed to give you a bit of energy for you to get your chores done. Then you come back for almuerzo

An almuerzo is often translated as "brunch" for countries like Spain, but it's again very light and quick usually, usually bread or a sandwich just enough to keep you going and this is mid-morning

THEN usually you would have a siesta, which is sometimes a "nap" or just a break. It's often done in the afternoon when the sun would be at the highest point, when it's the worst to be outside doing work

Depending on what country you're in, the actual practice of the siesta might be different. Some big cities or big companies don't follow the traditional sense, some do. Certain businesses might be closed during the siesta

After the siesta, somewhere like 2 or 3 in the afternoon, THEN you have la comida which is understood as "lunch"... and la comida is the biggest most important meal of the day. You might even have kids coming home from school to eat comida then go back to school. It can be multiple courses including dessert.

After that, sometimes you have la merienda. If you're in a country with a lot of British culture you might see la merienda translated as "tea time" or "high tea". In the US, it's very often "a snack". But it's often a light meal of pastry or fruit, and it comes in at around 5-6 in the evening.

And then finally you have la cena which is "dinner", which, in Spain is traditionally very late evening like 9-11 at night. And because la comida is the big meal, la cena is often various tapas and finger food

-

Now, in the US, the meal schedule is very bland and more centered around a factory worker schedule.

We have "breakfast" [el desayuno] somewhere between 7-8 in the morning since most school and work starts between 8-9 in the morning. Breakfast is sometimes big, or small, or skipped. We say it's the most important meal of the day, but I've seen all kinds of "breakfasts" from cereal, fruit, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast etc, to people eating literally whatever they have leftover like leftovers from dinner the night before... and I know plenty of people who just have coffee or tea for breakfast and nothing else

Then around noon we have "lunch" [el almuerzo], and in school your lunches depend on whatever they have available or whatever you packed. My lunch was traditionally some kind of sandwich.

Dinner [la cena] for me is somewhere between 5-7 in the evening, with 5 being a bit early and anything after 8 in the evening being a late dinner. And again, no real set style of food or specific dishes are traditional. It depends on your family.

Outside of that, some people have "brunch" [usually el almuerzo] on weekends which is probably the closest to el almuerzo or even la comida for other countries with siesta culture - sometimes with alcohol, sometimes not. And honestly it could be sweet [breakfast foods in the US tend to be on the sweeter side], or it could be more savory [some breakfast and virtually all lunch is savory]

And literally any kind of snack is la merienda. It could be a bag of potato chips or junk food, or some fruit, or honestly just eating anything outside of one of the "three square meals". In my office job we would usually have candy or pretzels around as merienda during the day even if it wasn't the best choice as far as health, but just something to eat before or after lunch

-

...So, like I said, depends on where you are. Countries with siesta culture tend to be eating smaller meals throughout the day, while the US for example has the big 3

Like, to the extent in the US we say "three square meals a day", or there's also this expression for people in prison getting "three hots and a cot"... meaning "three prepared meals, and a small bed to sleep on"

I couldn't tell you which countries follow siesta culture completely because it depends on how big or how rural the city is, and also the countries that are hotter or closer to the equator tend towards siesta culture as a way to avoid the sun when it's the hottest

More industrialized or more "Westernized" cities and businesses might ignore siesta culture, or that's what was said in my textbooks... but granted that was years ago, and the books weren't exactly new. So I can't say for sure.

But I do know that a lot of big cities in Spain have some semblance of siesta culture even if it's just meal schedules or restaurants not really having a lot of people for dinner until late evening

-

I'd be interested to see/hear what people from other countries have to say about their experiences and whether they follow siesta culture or not.

I know for Americans studying or working abroad in Spain, eating/working schedules and dining practices tend to be big elements of culture shock.

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Punica granatum: Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader

synopsis: a short snippet of a story you all know and love.

wc: 1.6k

tw: none

masterlist

"Are you hungry?"

"No." You cast an angry glance at the monster who is holding you captive. "Leave me alone."

"Perhaps you're thirsty?"

"No." A protective covering of shrubs shields you away from the stench of oakmoss and belladonna emitting from the entity across from you. "Go away." His green eyes shift from your hunched-over figure to the stone-cold floor in front of him.

"I..." His words falter, but you look away from him, focusing on some point in the distance. The hulking god across from you stands suddenly, storming off in the face of your resistance as you call out,

"I'd rather die than live here with you."

But that wasn't all true. Death is so final, so permanent. And you could never bring yourself to do the unthinkable and commit yourself to such an act. However, you did not want your captor to feel any reassurance from your presence.

Discomfort.

You want him to avoid looking at you, avoid talking to you, avoid you completely. Maybe then he would let you go back home to your goddess mother and your life as a humble farmer to the eternal beings of this world.

Maybe then he'd see you were of no value to him among the various others he could have stolen that day.

But Toji Fushiguro is a patient god, you learn, and your hunger strike withers in the face of his persistence.

"You must be hungry," he murmurs, leaning over the couch you're perched on and looking at you curiously. "I have fruit if you want it. And it's fresh."

Fresh fruit. Your stomach grumbles furiously at the offering, but you mask your hunger with a look of disinterest.

"No, thank you." You place your book in front of your face again, the words blurring together as Toji moves around to sit next to you, his black sweatshirt pulled taut over his chest.

"Not even some juice, huh?" You don't reply, still pretending to read the book, when he finally sighs. "Well, I'm going to go to a meeting. I'll be back shortly but in the meantime, my... friend... will be watching over you. In case you try to escape." Again, you offer him no response, and Toji leaves you alone on the couch; the invisible "friend" no doubt just the cameras placed around the property.

You've scoped them out and know where you can hide should you need a place to do something secretive. Three blind spots. That's all you had to do what you had wanted to do for some time now.

You walk into the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of water before looking over the offerings in the fruit bowl. Bananas, oranges, apples... a pomegranate.

Perfect.

You pluck the ripe fruit from the bowl with ease and retrieve a metal spoon from a drawer. All the knifes had been replaced with notes like "thought you could use one of those, huh" and "not in my house". Little shithead.

You open the fruit and scrape the seeds from inside while you stand between the pantry and the laundry room, right in the blind spot of two cameras. You devour the fruit in record timing, then dispose of it as quickly as you can before downing the cup of water you poured earlier, placing it in the sink, and in full view of a camera.

"I knew you were hungry."

The voice behind you makes your skin crawl, and you turn to face Toji again, eyes wide.

"How did you--"

"Does it matter?" he wonders, taking his hands out of his sweatpants pockets and rubbing them together briefly. "Between the fruit and the books, you're easy to predict. You haven't considered I've planted everything here for you so you'll be more inclined to--"

"You tricked me."

"And?" Your stomach lurches, and you grip the sink edge behind you, vision blurring.

"What the hell have you done to me?" Toji gives you a toothy grin, approaching you slowly and placing both hands on either side of your body. His head dips, the scar on his lips separating as he speaks gently, deliberately.

"You consumed my property. You ate one of the many fruits I grow in the fields of my domain, little goddess. You're mine... at least until I say you're not." Your knees buckle slightly, but you still manage to keep yourself upright, clutching the sink for all it's worth. "Six sections of the pomegranate. Six months out of the year. That's what you owe me."

"Fucking asshole--"

"Careful, y/n," Toji touches your chin, but you snap your teeth at him with the little strength you have left. "It's a shame you didn't eat the orange. But I bet you wish you would've eaten the banana instead..."

His voice fades to black as you slump forward, your body giving out and no longer supporting you.

_____________________________________________________________

You awake in your bed, like most mornings, staring out at the barren landscape of your new home.

"There's no life here," you whisper to no one, eyes blinking slowly. "There's nothing here."

Toji takes his respite in his own room, choosing to remain away from you, especially because you cry. You cry every single day. And when you're not crying, you're laying somewhere, sniffling into your sleeves as you dig deeper into the despair and sorrow of your predicament.

The first time you cried, he didn't know what to do. Toji started with trying to get you to eat something - which was rebuffed with a nasty retort - and ended up watching you sob into your hands, unsure of what he could do to make it better.

"You could let me go," you huffed, but he recoiled, frowning at you as if you had just requested the world stop spinning.

"You ate the fruit," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and squinting his emerald eyes. "I'm sorry, but them's the rules."

"You're not sorry."

"No, I'm actually not."

And from that day on, you vowed to see less and less of him until finally, you remained in your room, huddled under the comforter and staring out of the window from dawn until dusk. You don't know how many days had passed like this, but it doesn't matter.

There would be a time when you would be allowed to go home.

You don't want to be here.

Or so you think.

_____________________________________________________________

The first day you're coaxed out of bed is entirely by accident.

A barking noise draws you out of your trance, and you almost fall out of bed at the sound of something other than another person in the house.

You throw open the door and rush toward the yipping, finding Toji sitting in the living room on all fours and staring down at the little white dog. The tiny thing is staring back at him with wide blue eyes, wholly focused.

"Speak."

The dog barks twice, then a treat is produced from Toji's hand and deposited in front of the canine. When Toji sees you staring from around the corner, brows furrowed, he offers you a look of recognition. The white dog walks up to Toji and licks his face, then sits and waits patiently.

"Throw hands," Toji commands the dog, and it backs up on its back legs, raising its front paws before jumping toward Toji. "I taught it a few tricks." You approach the two carefully, the dog facing you with a wide smile and a wagging tail.

"Hey, little buddy..." you whisper, picking it up carefully.

"His name is Six Eyes."

You and Six Eyes become fast friends, running around the house and terrorizing Toji on occasion. But the best days are spent with Six Eyes in your room, both of you laying out on the bed with a book or something to take your mind off of the punishment you must endure.

Toji rarely bothers you, and you the same. Unless, of course, Six Eyes needs to pee and he can't take him out due to "work", or you need Toji to get his dog food.

But in taking care of the little dog - who is much smarter than he would have anyone believe - you find a softness in Toji you hadn't seen before. Countless times, you find him and Six Eyes napping on the couch or playing "soccer" (which is just fetch with a tennis ball), or sitting together and watching some science fiction show. Your hatred of him doesn't quite wane, but you allow yourself to see him in a different light. One that isn't so bad.

_____________________________________________________________

"Tomorrow," Toji announces while you're sitting with Six Eyes and watching a telenovela. "You're going home tomorrow."

"Wait, really?" He notices the lift in your tone, the way you straighten up and your eyes regain the hint of the familiar glow they had before he stripped it away from you. In his heart, there is deep envy, a deep desire to know what it's like to be thought of as desirable. But he ignores that part of himself, stuffing it down as you hold Six Eyes in your arms and watch him carefully.

"Yeah," he answers, tossing the pieces of junk mail into the trash in the kitchen. "For six months."

"Can I take him with me?" You hold up the dog and the animal stares at him with that stupid "head empty, stomach full" look. Toji clicks his tongue against his teeth and turns away, shrugging.

"Whatever." You respond by placing a few kisses on the dog's head, returning back to the telenovela with a cheerfulness you can't quite contain. And Toji notices it, growing ever so distant with each hour that passes, until he's fully retreated into his room and sulking while reading the volume you had first picked up when you arrived, trying to find a deeper meaning within the words he had never read before.

[spidxysense]

Back to You | 14

Summary: He broke your heart, but you’d always love him. Two souls that not even the universe could tear apart, even if you wanted it to at times.

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader x Timothee Chalamet

A/N: Yay I updated! I hope you guys like this one, I was stuck for a bit there but once I sat down and got to typing, I really finished it in one sitting. I was just planning on updating it bit by bit lol. Let me know what you guys think, Love you!!!!!!

Word count: 2,591

Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

In a few short months of your movie premier with Timothee, you were finally able to release your double-release album, and the response was massive, to say the least. You'd been getting calls from different show hosts' upcoming awarding ceremonies. Still, you couldn't for life in you accept, all except for the Oscars, which your manager told you was a must since you'd be attending in the first place anyway and that performing at the Oscars was a big deal given that you also starred in films and shows.

You turned in bed, facing Timothee's sleeping face. He had been in town for a week now, back on a break from filming in Hungary. Then he'd be back to film in England in a couple of weeks. After your talk on your premiere night, it was to an agreement that whatever you had going on was just two people exploring and experiencing things with someone they had strong feelings for. There wasn't a need for a media circus to cover anything about you two except your movie.

You move his arm, placed it over your waist, and sit up slowly in bed, making sure not to stir Timothee. The jetlag must be shit. You stretched your arms in front of you, glancing at the clock that read 2:07 AM. You get up, grabbing Timothee's white shirt from the floor, and, putting it on, walking over to the bathroom. You looked at yourself in the mirror, touching some of the reddening parts of your neck courtesy of Timothee, and then you notice the toothbrushes… there were two. From this single thing alone, it had you catching everything about the bathroom, how there were two towels, one black, and one violet, which just so happened to be your favorite color.

You walked over to the nightstand beside the bed, putting on your skinny jeans, turning on the lamp, and noticing his wallet. Inside was a picture of you. Opening the closet doors, the ones hung up were various suits, jackets, and even dresses you've worn to events. Why didn't he just send these back? Why would he let you keep your stuff in his house?

You drag your feet downstairs, noticing small details you'd been blind to before, like the large dog bed positioned by the door despite Timothee telling you he could only ever get himself to take care of a tiny dog. You noticed the colored mugs and bowls, a deep dull navy blue color, the same as the ones in your house. Suddenly, everything feels as if it's moving too fast. You both agreed there was no relationship, and there was attraction, but why does his home feel like it's become yours as well?

You sit down, taking a few deep breaths before deciding to stand up and grab your cardigan from the coathanger, opening the front door and closing it behind you as you waited for a taxi to bring you to the more active part of the city at night.

You just couldn't deal with a relationship right now. You couldn't let your heart get broken again, so you have to find ways to distract yourself.

The car stops in front of you, driving off into the night and dropping you off by a club that Troye agreed to meet you at.

You and Timothee had an attraction, but you both agreed there was no label; ergo, there was no intimate relationship even though you both have done everything together. No boyfriend means you were free to do whatever you wanted without worrying about him. But if you were honest with yourself, this was more of you suggesting something you already knew Timothee wasn't too keen on agreeing with but would just because he thought that having something with you was better than absolutely nothing. You saw Troye waiting out by the back entrance for you when he spotted you and called you over. Almost like clockwork, every time you snuck out away from Timothee, everything in you screamed to turn back, to clear your head, and for the first time, you listened.

You motioned for Troye to go ahead and sent him a text that you'd probably just head home because you weren't feeling well. He gave you a knowing look before looking like he finally approved of your actions and sent you a quick and short 'Good." text, and headed inside.

You walked around for a while after that. Soon it was already just about 5 in the morning, and even though you wouldn't let yourself come to any conclusion as to what you even wanted out of this almost relationship with Timothee, you still found yourself back at his front door.

You took out the keys in your pocket, slowly opening the door only to find Timothee sat on the couch, his knees up to his chest as he stared off into space, either deep in thought or trying to keep himself awake… maybe even both.

When he saw you enter, a soft smile formed on his face, and for some reason, that made you smile too.

"Hey, you." He spoke softly.

You sat down quietly next to him, instantly he set his feet on the ground and reached over to embrace you in a hug, the familiar scent of Timothee that never left you that evening even more evident… It felt and smelled familiar, and right now, while your mind was a mess, familiarity was what you needed.

Timothee lifted his head, worried, "Hey, are you alright?"

You sighed, "I don't want to hurt you."

He murmured quietly into your neck as he peppered kisses, "You could never."

You pulled away, feeling guilt in your bones, "Aren't you even a little bit frustrated that we've been like this for months? That even in private, we can't even say that we're in a relationship?"

You gave you a reassuring look, "We both wanted this Y/N."

You sat up, "Except we didn't… You didn't." You corrected yourself, "You're bringing your mother to the fucking Oscars next month because I told you we couldn't be seen together at carpets for Pete's sake."

You stood up, starting to pace back and forth, "We have to coordinate outfits for the sake of not matching, and we never go out because I can't be seen with you in fear that we're going to get found out. I'm a terrible fucking person, and I don't understand how you're so okay with this."

Timothee was grinning, sleep still in his eyes, "I'm okay with it because I love you, Y/N."

You froze in your spot, "You what?"

He nodded and got up, walking over to you. The blue light of the early morning peaking through the curtain made this moment feel and look ethereal, "I said I love you, Y/N. I've known that I loved you from the moment I met you." He kissed the top of your head as he embraced you.

You shook your head, "No, no, no, you don't. I'll even list more shit I've done to you just so you understand how and why you don't love me."

Timothee chuckled, "And yet despite all this... all that's registering in my head is the fact that you've been thinking of me and only me this whole time. You've been worried about how you're hurting me because you don't want to."

And that's when you realized that Timothee was right. This whole time you've been thinking of Timothee and how much you wanted to protect him from you, but he never wanted to be protected from you because he knew that you could never hurt him. You rested your forehead against his.

"I-I need to go. I need to think."

He smiled sadly, "I'll be here when you're ready. I'll always be here Y/N until you don't want me to be here anymore."

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

You sat in your house, since leaving Timothee's earlier, you had been sat there lost in thought as you argued with yourself. It was true, the last thing you wanted was to hurt Timothee, but you were confused because it's like you couldn't understand your feelings. After all, a particular person still held a large part of it in his hands.

Timothee was there for you. Late night at the recording studio, whether through being there physically or even calling you or skyping you, he was always there. He was there with you when you bought all your albums from Target, and he was also the one who insisted you find another target that hasn't sold out your CDs so he could buy all of them too. Timothee was there with you when you had interviews that you almost felt like you could puke from nervousness backstage as he watched you talk about another celebrity you were getting linked to, and he was there with you to giggle about how stupid talk shows were. Timothee was always there. Whether it was dancing, kissing, or even fighting in the rain, he was always with you. He always wanted you around. Even when you rode the subway to get to a press conference of his or a promo for his upcoming movie, he always wanted you with him. He'd run with you in the rain, and he'd kiss away the sadness when you didn't want to speak with him. He was there with you when you get the sudden urge to buy all the popsicles from the nearest whole foods, and he was there with you when you got sick with the flu, which he also got from you. You'd spend afternoons walking around a far-off hill as you two put flowers in your hair despite knowing that you two probably had your busy schedules. Nothing mattered when you were with Timothee. Nothing mattered except each other. A part of you felt hurt that these memories you had kept of you and Tom were slowly being replaced by everything Timothee, but a large part of you also knew that the person you have now had no doubt that you couldn't ignore your feelings. You couldn't have to take Timothee out of your life.

Making up your mind, you got up, got dressed, and left for where you were sure you would find Tom.

He was in the middle of filming a new movie, but the second he saw you, he immediately asked to stop filming, a familiar, loving face plastered on as he walked over to you before being stopped by the director. They looked to be having a bit of a disagreement before he pointed you out, and the director looked at you in realization, patting him on the back and allowing him to jog over to you.

"Hey." You paused, your hand grasping your arm, and Tom took notice right away.

His eyebrows furrowed, "Hey, what's wrong?" He pulls you to sit by the curb as you two sat side by side, "You only do that when you're having a hard time saying something."

You gave him a look, "Well… I came here to ask you if it was alright if I try things out with Timothee."

He looked taken aback, "Oh, well, honestly, I thought you came by to sort things out between us…." He took notice of the way you looked down in guilt, "I don't think you could do anything with another guy that wouldn't upset me… but I don't really get that prerogative anymore, Y/N." He sighed, wrapping an arm around you to comfort you, "The fact is, you're trying to grow into who you've always wanted to be, and I'm trying to do that too for the sake of us and what we could be. If that means that you need or want to date someone again, I'll fully support you, but the most important thing is, does he make you happy?"

You sighed, looking out onto the filming lot, and nodded slowly, not noticing the slight upset look on Tom's face, "I catch myself sometimes smiling to myself when I think of him… But it's like I can't do anything because I don't want to let go of what we had."

Tom took a gulp, deciding that what was important right now was you, more than what he wanted, "What we had and what we were isn't important anymore Y/N. I'm working towards what we could become. What we had was co-dependency and a constant need to be in each other's presence to prove that what we had was perfect. I want us to find each other again in the future and know that no matter how far apart we are, if hopefully, we get together again, there is nobody in this world we'll love more… and that's what I'm encouraging you to do. I want to grow with you and grow for each other, and if that means you dating other people to understand yourself more, then I support you."

You looked at Tom for a second before hugging him and pecking him on the cheek, "I really needed that, Tom. Thank you."

He hugged you tighter, "Anytime. I'll always be here for you, Y/N."

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

You gripped your seat in the car in pure nerves. You were on your way to the Oscars with your assistant constantly telling you about your performance and what not to mess up and things to remember, especially about reporters who wanted an interview with you. To say you were all nerves today was an understatement. You hadn't spoken to Timothee ever since you told him you needed time to think, so today would be the first time you would ever come face to face with him. You thought long and hard about everything between the two of you. Still, you think you're finally ready to actually put some time and effort into this… and if that meant doing things that would significantly make Timothee happy, then you'd do it.

Your assistant watched a live feed from the Oscars as she gave you updates on how Armie was on the carpet. Saoirse was on the carpet, talking about how she hoped to make a movie with you and various other stars. You were a few minutes away from the carpet when she spoke up again.

"Timothee has just arrived." then she looked at her phone and back at you, doing a double-take as you gave her a sheepish smile, all she could do was smile approvingly at you before going back to giving you live updates.

A few minutes later, and your heart didn't feel like it was going to slow down anytime soon as your assistant gave you a pep talk, "Y/N. You are gonna rock that carpet, you'll turn heads, and most importantly, you're gonna be the talk of the night. There is nothing that could go wrong tonight. Just take deep breaths and don't trip."

Luckily you were still coherent enough to understand what she said as you took deep breaths to calm your nerves.

"Alright, three… two… one." The door flew open as one of the large men in suits grabbed your hand and helped you out. Your dress was not providing you much flexibility to move, and for almost 15 seconds, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion as everyone was quiet. You found Timothee busy with an interview as the crowd looked from you to him, the topic on everyone's minds for the past few months. As if this were the only proof they needed, they held their cameras in their hands as they snapped pictures of you and a commotion started as they started asking for Timothee.

You think you gave them a quick, charming grin as you told them he was in an interview before walking towards the interviewer and Timothee. She was the first to notice while Timothee talked about how his mom stood him up as his Oscars date, something you arranged a week earlier and something Timothee's mom was more than happy to comply to.

The interviewer looks ecstatic as the only one and the first one on this carpet to get whatever the scoop was here, as she wasted no time when you slowly approached them, "Timothee! You said you were stood up, but you never told us that your backup would be late!"

Timothee shot her a confused look before he felt your arm slowly snake around his arm, "Sorry I'm late." You quickly whispered to him.

His face looked shocked. Almost as if a reflex, he almost pulled away from you before getting a good look at what you were wearing. His jaw looked like it would drop to the floor as he looked utterly awestruck.

The interviewer giggled nervously, already knowing her interview time was slowly coming to an end without any payoff to the two of you, "Timothee, you look to be speechless at Y/N's dress tonight." She looked at you hopefully, "Could everyone here assume this is date night?"

You smiled shyly at the lady before giving her a tiny curt nod, "I know it's a bit cliche to match outfits, but when I saw that Timothee was going to wear a harness, I just couldn't let him take all the attention for tonight, so I apologize, but I've kept this secret from him too just to make sure he doesn't do anything to take the spotlight, that's why he looks like he's just had a heart attack." you giggled.

He gave a quick, playful tilted look to you before blinking multiple times, "In my defense, I didn't even know that this was a harness... They told me this was a bib."

"Bib or not, you two look like the sexiest couple on the carpet, and I just so happen to be the luckiest interviewer tonight." The interviewer looked ecstatic as can be as she jumps up, more energetic to interview the two of you, "And well, Y/N, one look at you, and it's hard to believe anyone would still have the ability to speak. You look gorgeous." She winked at the camera, "But I can't help but notice you just confirmed this is date night… Is it safe to assume what everyone has been wondering for the past few months? That you two are dating?"

Somehow, Timothee finally snaps out of it and looks at you, a questioning look before you leaned over and spoke into the mic, "Yeah. We're together. We have been for a while now." You smiled sheepishly as you saw Timothee's face glow as he wrapped his arm around your waist, "I apologize for keeping quiet for so long, but we think it's the right time to go public now that we've decided to take things to a more serious level."

The interviewer waves a hand in the air, "As long as you two let us in on the secret, there's no problem there." She faced the camera, "You heard it here first, folks. Hollywood's newest and hottest up and coming power couple. From both Y/N and Timothee themselves, now going public with their relationship."

As you two walked away from the interviewer for more pictures, Timothee embraced you, uncaring of the cameras flashing in your faces, "Are you serious?"

You nodded slowly, "I'm ready to be with you completely, Timothee. I'm sorry I took so long."

He shook his head like a puppy, "As long as you're here with me now, Y/N, I don't care."

He pulled away at the sound of your name and his in the same sentence as the photographers asked for your attention. He quickly kisses you on the cheek as you shut your eyes and grinned, cameras going off and commotion started up at you two, the young hot couple everyone had wanted more details on.

Timothee clutched your waist tightly, almost like he was afraid that if he let go, this would all go back to how everything was before.

Before entering the venue, he pulled you to the side, "Are you sure about this? I don't want you to force yourself."

You shook your head, guiding his head to yours, "I think I'm in love with you too, Timothee. I'm all in with you." And then you kissed him.

[boxofbadaddiction]

Nothing's More Important Than Quidditch

Fred Weasley x Reader

Warnings: Some Swearing. Highly Suggestive. Someone gets hurt.

This story is inspired from a request of my F.R.I.E.N.D.S Themed Prompt List.

Using Prompts two and three: "OH...MY...GOOOOD!"/"MY EYES! MY EEYEES!"

Fred and George Weasley were men of simple tastes. They liked pranks, food and Quidditch. Though if you were to ask Fred he would argue that there were nothing more important than Quidditch.

He'd never missed a game. Never missed a practice, and had been able to afford it he'd never miss a Cup. So that being said, you can imagine how shocked his team were when he told them he wasn't feeling well enough to train tonight.

"You're dying aren't you?"

"What? No, Lee. I'm not dying!"

"Then I'm sorry I mustn't have heard right when, the Fredrick Gideon Weasley, just said he wasn't well enough to play Quidditch?"

"Piss off."

It was Sunday lunch in the Great Hall and Angelina had the whole Gryffindor team huddled together. She was discussing her newest game strategies when Fred spoke abruptly, all eyes bulging at his words. Expressions a mixture of confusion and concern. Fred never. Missed. A. Game.

"Hey!" [Y/N] had arrived and happily sat her self amongst her close group of friends. "What's with the faces?" Her brows furrowed as she filled a Goblet with her favourite drink.

"Fred says he's not training Tonight." Angelina answered, still gawking at the Redhead in question.

[Y/N] choked on her drink. "He's what!?" She coughed, hand on her chest in shock.

"It's not a big deal!" Fred groaned. "I've just got one cracker of a headache. Need to sleep it off and I'll be right as rain." He forced a smile, though to the group it appeared more as a painful grimace.

"Well, I do hope you feel better." [Y/N] leant over the table, placing her hand atop of his to offer some comfort with a reassuring smile. "What about the rest of you?" She straightened herself, taking a pastry from the bowl infront of them as she did so.

"We're still training" George replied, "Not all of us roll over because of a wittle headache" he pouted at his brother, trying to stir him up. Fred retaliated, through the light laughter of his friends, by throwing a bread roll at his brother.

"Coming to watch, [Y/N]?" George spoke, still laughing as he brushed crumbs from his clothes.

"Afraid I can't, tonight."

"What!?" Lee groaned, "come on! I'm going!"

"Yes, well as tempting as it may be to spend more time by your side Lee", she leant into him with doey eyes batting her eyelashes flirtatiously, hands cupping his bicep. Returning to her previous position she continued, "I have so much Homework to do it's not funny. I'll find myself joining the next Headless Hunt if I don't hand Snape his Most Potent Poisons Assessment tomorrow."

"Barrell of fun you two are, today" George rolled his eyes.

"Right, well the rest of you. We've got training to do!" Angelina stood, gesturing for the Quidditch team to follow. Somewhat begrudgingly, with various disapproving moans escaping their lips, they made for the Pitch.

"Positive you'll be okay, Freddie?" George lagged behind in a final ditch effort to convince his brother to join them. "You could always just watch from the stands."

"I'm positive, Georgie. I'm just not right at the moment."

"Do you want me to stay? I will if that's what you'd prefer..."

"Who are you? Mum now?" Fred joked "Get out of here you sap!" He waved his arm as if trying to shoo him from the hall.

"Don't worry, George. I'll look after him" [Y/N] assured.

"Such a faithful little bestie you are." He said while ruffling her hair. "Alright then, see you two in a couple hours" he waved to them as he ran to catch up with his team.

"Come on you. Let's get you to bed." [Y/N] spoke to Fred and they made their way to the common room.

---

So much for a couple hours. Mere forty minutes later saw the same team arriving back through the Fat Lady.

"How was I supposed to know she was right behind me!?" George complained loudly, followed closely into the room by the light giggles of Lee and Harry. No such laughter, however, could be heard from the mouth of the Gryffindor Captain.

"A concussion George! You gave Katie a concussion!" She was near shouting at the boy.

"I SAID I WAS SORRY! I didn't see her!" He threw his arms up in defence. "Pomfrey says she'll be right in a few days, what's the fuss?"

"The fuss, George, is that we just lost a whole night's training! You're just lucky our next game isn't for another fortnight, Weasley. I have to take Katie some things for her stay in the Hospital Wing, YOU! had better think fast about how to make this up to her." With a final menacing point of her finger Angelina stormed off towards the dormitory she shared with Katie.

"Should we check on Fred?" Lee spoke to break the guilty silence.

"Yeah, hey - don't forget to tell him how his Golden Boy brother sent our best chaser to the infirmary!" Harry goaded making his way over to Hermione and Ron by the fire.

"Little prat" George grumbled as he and Lee made their way to the dormitory. Lee was laughing hard at his friends remark."He doesn't watch it he won't be 'The Boy who lived' for much longer. Might pick up where You-Know-Who left off." George went on as he leant his back against the door, pushing it open as his hand twisted the door knob. Lee's laughter only increased.

"I'd like to see you- OH...MY...GOOOOD!!" laughter and smiles faded instantly as his eyes fell on the tangled mess of sheets and the bodies of his two close friends in place of where Fred should have been resting.

The sudden exclamations catching the attention of [Y/N] and Fred, their eyes shooting directly across the, should have been empty, bedroom.

"SHIT!" Fred yelled as he pulled off of [Y/N] and covered her with his blanket. "YOU WEREN'T MEANT TO BE BACK FOR A COUPLE HOURS!"

"MY EYES! MY EEYYEES!!" George screamed dramatically. Turning away from the scene he covered his face by his hands, desperately trying to lose the imagine of his brothers and best friends mostly naked bodies.

"It's not what you think!" [Y/N] began, throwing Fred's jumper on over her head which could very well have been a dress on her. She stood, tugging at the material willing it to stay in place before fixing her hair.

"It doesn't look like you were napping!" Lee snapped sarcastically, "nor does it look much like a POTIONS ASSIGNMENT!"

"[Y/N]" George began, not turning to face the two - rather speaking to the ceiling as his back faced them. "I know you said you'd look after my brother but MERLIN I should have laid out some guidelines, that is not how you handle a headache."

Fred had put on a pair of trousers and a singlet and quickly made his way to stand infront of the two boys, arms out pleadingly, "I know you're both a little shocked right now and this is going to take some time to process but for the love of GODRICK!" He clenched his teeth and spoke in a low growl, "would you keep your voices down before the entire bloody common room hears yo-"

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Ron had burst through the door. "Oh God" Fred groaned throwing his head back walking away from the door.

"We heard shouting, is everything okay?" Hermione asked frantic, as Harry followed her in.

"Yes, Hermione everything's fine -" [Y/N] went to explain.

"NO!" Lee interrupted "NO! THEY'RE DOING IT!" He screamed pointing his finger accusingly at the two red-faced teens. Harrys eyes were wide with shock.

"It's not what you all think! Please just listen to me..." Fred begged as [Y/N] stood beside him. Looking to one another defeatedly.

Everyone, aside from George, turned to face them. Awaiting the explanation as to why these two had been...doing what they were.

"Uhmmm..." seeing the group stare before him suddenly ran Freds mind blank. "This isn't the first time this has happened. Actually it happens a lot." Not the best opener. The group grimaced, looking very uncomfortable at their friends confession. [Y/N] dropped her head into her hand. "What I mean is" he tried to recover, "this isn't a one time deal. We're not just fooling around, we're..." the words caught in his throat.

What were they? A couple? Was he wrong and they were just friends with benefits? What was this?

They looked at one another, Fred's eyes searching [Y/N]'s face for the answer. She smiled, grabbing his hand gently.

"We're together" she spoke. Eyes not leaving Fred.

"That's great and all. But this is still traumatising." Lee deadpanned as he gestured between the couple and Fred's bed.

George cleared his throat, "umm, yeah. I'm really happy for you two."

"That'd be more convincing, had you actually said it to us rather than the wall." [Y/N] laughed. Fred threw his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his chest. Georges head turned slightly, eyeing the two in his peripheral before shutting his eyes tightly. Trying to muster the courage. "Yeah, sorry bout that just...it may be difficult to look at you the same for a while. I saw a lot more than I'd had like to." Everyone laughed at the comment. The light atmosphere helping him to relax a bit he turned to face them. Even if his eyes fixed to anything but them.

"Wait a minute." Harrys laughter had stopped completely. "Did you two plan this whole thing?"

"I guarantee we never planned on getting caught" Fred replied.

Rolling his eyes Harry continued "ditching practice I mean."

Lee and George both looked at each other before slowly turning to glare at the couple.

"Well. Yeah" [Y/N] answered.

A slow clap started to sound throughout the room as Lee and George mockingly applauded the two. "Well done. Truly you two that was quite the convincing performance." George smirked. "Honestly, [Y/N], that spit take really sold the whole thing. Couldn't have done better myself." Lee nodded as she playfully curtsied with her hand on the seam of Fred's jumper.

"WELL!" Lee clapped once loudly, rubbing his hands together. "This calls for a celebration. Shall we?" He bowed to the door, ushering everyone from the room.

"Ummm Lee. Mind if I put some pants on first?"

"If you-OH! right. Yeah. Meet you two down there!" He was the last to leave, closing the door with a quick wink.

Fred and [Y/N] looked shyly back to one another before breaking into fits of side splitting laughter. Fred wrapping his arms around her waist as they calmed down.

"So...we're together, huh?" He grinned resting their foreheads against one another.

"Only if that's what you want." [Y/N] placed her hands on his chest, eyes nervously searching his.

"That's all I've ever wanted" he moved a hand to the back of her neck, pulling her lips into his. Kissing her like he never had before.

Fred and George Weasley were simple men. They liked pranks, food and Quidditch. Though if you were to ask Fred, he would argue there were nothing more important than Quidditch. Well...maybe one thing.

[adrianasunderworld]

🧡Dragon!RaihanxReader🧡

Drakes Keep

The townspeople live in fear of the dragon in the forest and have decided to make you the sacrifice to save them all. But perhaps the dragon isnt something to fear after all.

      This was how it ends. You thought to yourself as night descended. The only sound was the occasional breeze rustling the branches or the distant howl of a dog. You tried once again in vain to wriggle from the rope that kept you tied to the tree. Letting the back of your head hit the trunk with a thump, you bit your lip and finally allowed yourself to cry. This really was the end. 

       A dragons supper, that was your fate. The creature that called the abandoned castle home had returned, and the fear of what it could do had sent the townspeople into hysterics. Turning to the old ways once more to keep it appeased. Unfortunately for you, that had meant you were the one tossed to the beast. The old stories spoke of fair maidens and kings sons bravely sacrificing themselves for the better of others. But of course no one wanted to send their beloved children to death. But you? Orphaned and thieving,___? No one opposed that. And now you stood, hands bound to a tree as close to the Drakes Keep as they dared to bring you, waiting for death.��

     Night had finally fallen. The sound of crickets and the skittish steps of a rabbit your only company. Then as suddenly as it started, the forest was quiet and still as a grave. Even the breeze that blew the branches seemed to stop. Then the snap was heard. Then another. The crunch of leaves as if something heavy was being dragged across the ground. Then you saw it, a pair of teal blue eyes peeking out from between the trees. Tears continued to stream down your face as you locked gazes with the creature that would end. 

     "Just make it quick," you managed to choke out, throat raw from your sobbing. Not even sure if the beast could even understand you. "Please, be fast, that's all I ask."

     The dragon finally moved. It slowly stepped out of the darkness and you could see it in it's full view. It's dark midnight scales almost blended into the night, in stark contrast to the golden scales that went up its stomach and throat. It tilted its triangular head curiously as it examined its food. Your eyes snapped shut as it got closer and closer, until you felt the hot breath of your face. The wet sound of its jaws opening was heard, and you could not help but scream.

      Then the ropes went slack.

      "Relax." said a deep voice. "I wont do anything." 

     Opening your eyes, the dragon looked down at you, spitting out a piece of rope. "I...I… I dont understand." You shuddered out, wiping you tear stained face. "You arent going to eat me?"

     The dragon rolled its eyes. "Honestly, what's with these villagers and thinking I want to eat people? Of course not." 

     You removed the last bits of rope around your wrist, glancing at the dragon all the while. It wasn't going to kill you. What did it want? "So…" you began cautiously. "What now? 

       "What do you mean what now?"

       "If I'm not a meal, then what was the point of sacrifices? What is it that you want from the village."

       "Nothing." The dragon replied as if it should have been plain as day. "I never wanted any sacrifices ever. I untie them and let them go. I don't want anything from your village." 

       "But… but…" you stammered. "The missing livestock. And all those old stories about a dragon that burned the town centuries ago!"

      "My grandpa," the dragon replied. "Dont remember much about him, other than he was an old grouch. But that was a couple decades before I was even bored. as for livestock, sorry to say I was hungry. Large game have been scarce. Not my first choice, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Now," the dragon leaned down and sniffed at you, its warm breath blowing at your hair. "Who are you?"

       "-_" you stammered. 

      "And why, ___… did they decide to pick you to feed it the beast?"

      You looked down, fiddling with the hem of your shirt. "No one wanted me." You answered honestly. "They were glad to have me gone."

        The dragon sniffed once more, like a hunting hound committing a scent to memory. There was the sound of thunder out in the distance. "Well, you're free of them now." Was his only reply. "Theres another town just south of here." He pointed a claw to his left. "I can only guess you wouldn't want to go back from where you came."

     You looked back between the direction the men who had tied up went,then the dragon, then to the direction he pointed. "So...so you'll let me go? Just like that?" 

     "Just like that." He assured.

It seemed too easy. The dragon letting you go and free to start a new life far far away.  The sound of thunder drew a little closer, and with it the wind returned to rustle the trees. You shivered. They had taken your cloak when you were arrested, and obviously did not bother to give it back when you had been left to die.

     The dragon seemed to take note of this, and tilted his head curiously. "What's the matter?"

      "Cold." You admitted. "Since I can leave, do you happen to know where I could sleep for the night?"

      The dragon eyed you once more and sniffed again as if looking for something of offense. When it seemed he did not find it, the dragon turned and nodded his head towards the direction he had come. "Follow me."

      "You know my name," you said as you followed the creature further into the forest. "What's yours?"

     "Raihan." He replied. "The Great Raihan."

    "Who calls you that?" You asked,trying hard not to snort.

    "Plenty of people." He said, twigs and leaves crunching under heavy feet. "I'll have you know, I have met many a knight and king that called me a great dragon."

     "What kings? Anyone I might have heard of?"

    "All sorts," he assured. "King Lance of Kanto. Queen Cynthia of Sinnoh. And most recently, your king Leon here in Galar."

     "So tell me then, great dragon Raihan, why are you out here in the back water forests outside of my nowhere village?"

    "Just as birds migrate, so do dragons." He explained. "We go from place to place, seeking spots of comfort to rest. Making a new home for ourselves or going to old ones."

    "I take it this is an old home then?"

   "Very old." He finally stopped and gestured to an ancient stone structure. With its half crumbled towers and vine covered parapets. "Very old indeed."

   "I've only ever heard of this place." You said in awe as you walked up the stone steps of the ancient castle. "My grandmother used to tell me about the dragons lair. She and all the other elders called it The Drakes Keep."

     "That's what you humans call it, yes." Raihan replied, pushing his large scaly body against the giant oak doors to open them. "But the true name of this place is Hammerlocke. Hammerlocke Castle."

     Walking into the grand entrance, Hammerlocke caslte was oddly well kept for not having a human inhabitant for centuries. Aside from the few cracks in the stone from age, the floor was clean of dirt and debris. There was even decorative tapestries that still adorned the walls. 

     Raihan pushed against the doors once more to shut them firmly, keeping the cold out. Then you realized something.

     "Um… not to sound rude or anything. But this doesn't look like a living space, and the doorways look far too small for you." 

     "Good observation. Sadly, castle life isn't very accommodating to this form."

     "Form?"

     Instead of elaborating, Raihan showed you what he had meant. In a flash of light you saw the large creature shrink down and take the form of a very tall and very handsome young man. He stretched out and let out a sigh. "Yes form." He grinned at your shocked expression. "There are many things about dragons you don't know."  

      It turned out dragons were very hospitable. Raihan had kept the fire in the sitting room going with ease, making warmer than you had ever known. He had a sorts of finery stashed away, including good coats and blankets of the softest materials. He had explained it was in a dragons to hoard things of great interest or value. Despite that he may not have a need fancy furs to keep him warm or nice bottles of wine, they were still soft to lay on and tasty to drink, and so he kept them. 

      "I'm still surprised dragons can take human form." You commented, swaddled up nicely in the furs Raihan had loaned you, stomach full of the food he had gathered the other day.

      "Oh yes, we are creatures of magic. Dragons,unicorns, the various breeds of fae." He took a sip from the golden goblet he poured the wine into. Unlike you he seemed to not be feeling the effects of it. "We were created by magic, neither human nor animal. So we are free to choose whichever form we please."

       "Do you appear human often?" 

       He shrugged. "I'd say it's fairly even. There is a time and a place for my true form, and I do enjoy visiting cities and what not, and that only really can be done like this." He gestured to his human form. 

       "I was always told dragons would sit in caves on piles of gold. Seeking princesses and young knights to drag away. Never that they like to be tourists."

       "Everyone is different." He said. "Truth be told, all those stories are rather old fashioned. Me? I like humans. Well...some of you." He flashed you a grin, seeming to imply you were one of the likeable ones. "I suppose I've always been a rather curious one. When I was a hatchling, I would sneak off to town and play with local children."

        "Now that does not surprise me," you said playfully while returning his grin. "You strike me as the sort who was a little scamp when they were young."

      "Oh trust me, you are not far off." He chuckled. "My parents could do nothing to keep me away. Everywhere we went, I sought out people, and when I was grown I went all over. I learned to read in many of your human tongues. Learned histories of every land I could. Befriended as many as I could."

      "That sounds amazing," you said wistfully. The life he described sounded like it could have only existed in a novel. You had never been able to venture out past the borders of the village. "I envy you, Raihan. I've never known such freedom." 

      "Well now you can." He replied. "All those townspeople think you won't return. You can start somewhere else."

      Looking down at your own golden cup, your reflection stared back in the red wine. Never go back...that certainly was not the problem. They would not miss you, and you would not miss them. But what kind of life could you have out there? "I doubt wherever I go will be much better."

      "And why is that?"

      "...Once a thieving urchin, always a thieving urchin." You said with all the resentment in you. That brand had followed you over half your life, and odds are it would follow you to the grave.

       "I take it that's why they tied you up to be sacrificed." Looking up, Raihans face portrayed no emotion. Part of you wondered if now he was disgusted knowing he let a thief in here, or maybe he pitied you. Honestly you weren't sure which would feel worse.

        You nodded. "When I was ten, my parents died. My grandmother long gone years before. My father's shop had caught fire, you see. And suddenly I was an orphan. No money, no home, no family. No one wanted to help. I had nothing, and so to the townspeople I was nothing.I did the only thing I could do: I stole to keep myself alive. I was arrested now and then, but I always got out. But the more I did it, the better I was at not getting caught. Well, until recently. And I think you know how that went." 

         "I wish I could say this is the first I've heard something like this, but it does seem like a sad reality to humans."  Raihans face then turned to concern as he reached out to put a hand in your shoulder. It wasn't until the tears were welling in your eyes a moment later did you realize it was because you were on the verge of crying. The events of today finally sinking in. Then he added. "But that doesn't mean you cant move on from it. Trust me, I've lived long enough to know what I'm talking about. Some of the best people I've known have lead similar beginnings to yours. I know it must feel awful now, but it'll get better. I promise."

      "You can't promise anything." You said, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. "What am I going to do in this new town? All I know is how to steal. I'll just end up back where I was."

      "I mean, you could add some flare." He said jokingly. "I'd say you'd make a handsome jewel thief that steals hearts along the way." 

      You couldn't help but snort. "That is absolutely ridiculous." 

      "It's merely a suggestion." He grinned. "All I'm saying is why not have some fun with your self fulfilling prophecy?" 

      You paused for a moment. "...What was it like? When you first left to travel?"

     "A bit frightful." He admitted. "But exciting. Often times lonely."

     "Lonely?"

     Raihan nodded. "Yes, dragons, though we live long, are few and far between. Besides my family, it would be a few years before I saw another of my kind. Those stories you talked about of maidens in towers, I can assure you the reason was never malicious. Those drakes did it more for companionship than anything else."

      "You make it sound like you speak from experience."

      "Well…"

      "Raihan, you didn't!"

      "Oh I assure you ___," he smirked like an absolute cad and winked. "All princesses under my protection were there willingly.  And treated very well, if I do say so myself." Your face flushed at what he was implying, and Raihan bursted out laughing.

      After a moment you began to laugh as well. It had been so long since you could sit like this and be friendly with anyone. Raihan was so good natured, it felt like it would be a challenge not to like him. "Are you going to stay in this castle long?" You asked. Wondering if it would be forward to ask if you could visit him from time to time after parting ways.

      "For a few weeks," he said, taking a long drink from his goblet. "Then off to Wyndon."

      "Wyndon? As in the capital city Wyndon?"

       "The one and only. Off to visit a friend for the spring."

      Part of you felt a bit disappointed for him to be leaving so soon. "I hope you enjoy it, " you said,meaning it. "I admit, I'll miss your company."

     "Then dont miss me."

     "What?"

     "Come with me, I could use a travel companion."

     "What would I possibly do in Wyndon?" Even as you said it, your mind raced with the possibilities. You had only heard in passing of the great city where King Leon held court. Of its beautiful building and the wealth of opportunities to be found there.

      "What couldn't you do?" He replied. "The better question is what do you have to lose? Be my travel buddy, ___. See lands beyond this forest. Hear languages you've never heard. Rub elbows with royalty. If you don't like it I can drop you off in that village south of here, how does that sound? Unless of course you're considering being a heartbreaking jewel thief. In which case I wholeheartedly endorse your decision."

        You thought it over and over. Be a dragons companion. Go to the capital and regions beyond. Or go to some other backwater town and possibly live in the mud once more. It wasn't a very hard decision. "I'll take you up on that offer."

       Raihan smiled, a small fang poking at his bottom lip. He tapped his golden cup against yours. "Cheers. We ride in two weeks time."

[rscenvs3000f21]

lessons learned while planting trees

For the past 2 summers I’ve packed my life into a hockey bag, boarded a bus and drove to some remote part of Northern Ontario where I spent 3 months planting trees. Treeplanting is one of the most interesting jobs I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve never done something so painful, draining and defeating but somehow so fun, empowering and beautiful at the same time.

For 3 months I lived in a tent, at various camps a couple kilometers down random logging roads. We travelled all around Northern Ontario, setting up and taking down camp every couple of weeks. There was never cell service, the shower was essentially a hose and a piece of plywood, and my diet consisted of mainly peanut butter sandwiches, oranges and far too many cookies. I got to live and work with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met who are now some of my closest friends. The planting environment builds close relationships FAST, whether it’s by somebody helping you through a breakdown or just trying to entertain yourselves when there’s literally nothing to do. And after three months of living in the woods together, everybody goes a little crazy.

As a tree planter you get paid based on how many trees you plant (anywhere from 10-14 cents/tree in Ontario), which means you are in control of how much money you make. Each day no matter the weather- be it blisteringly hot, freezing cold, raining or even snowing, you’re planting trees. From 8 am – 6 pm your entire life is “plant a tree, take 2 steps, plant another tree, take 2 steps, step over a fallen branch, plant another tree” all while carrying 40 pounds on your back.

One of the most interesting parts of treeplanting is how it changed my relationship with nature. To me, nature has always been a thing of beauty and abundance, it’s always been a place where I feel calm and at peace. But while planting I realized that nature can also be cruel, harsh and unrelenting. In the same ways nature built me up and filled me with joy in my past, some days it knocked me on my knees and took away all my strength. On days when the heat was so bad I’d throw up, or days when my rain coat soaked through and the wind chilled my bones, and especially when I stepped on a wasp nest and had to run for my life. Some days felt like going to war with the Earth. For the first time in my life I hated nature, and I felt like it hated me too.

Planting pushed me to both my physical and mental limits. I felt a level of tired I didn’t know was possible, I got blisters in places I didn’t know I could, and I learned to live with permanent pain and soreness. If I wasn’t planting as many trees as I hoped, I’d get so down on myself. And spending 10 hours straight with only my thoughts to keep me company was a lot harder than I imagined (thankfully I had my headphones in 99% of the time, as long as Taylor Swift is playing nothing is THAT bad right?).

But for every rain day, there was a day filled with sunshine and blue skies. For every mosquito swarm there was a heron, or a moose, or a baby fox. As much as this job wrecked me, it built me up to become a better human than I was before I was a tree planter. I learned I am so much stronger than I thought, I persevered through even the hardest times, and I was also able to provide support and guidance for my friends.

Although this is the hardest job I've ever had I wouldn't change it for the world! I get to live in the beautiful boreal forest surrounded by cool people for the whole summer! Even at the end of the hardest days you get on the bus, go back to camp and wash the day away by jumping in the lake, eating as much home cooked food as you can and hanging out with your friends. I am so grateful for all of the lessons I learned planting trees, and I cant wait to make even more memories next summer!

[epicwriting]

Delivery Takeaways

A bit over a year ago, I started making a living off of delivering food through various delivery platforms. Although the work itself is quite simple and straightforward, I learned a couple of interesting things that I like to share with you.

Traffic troubles

I'll start with what I learned from being on the road. Many days a week I ride my e-bike through the city. One of the things I've noticed is that there are many people, especially among pedestrians, in whom I recognise a hostile attitude towards me, or a frightened one.

Some pedestrians seem to be annoyed by my presence in busy streets while the elderly ones sometimes show an overly anxious response when I'm only passing by slowly.

Of course it has to do with the general reputation that we have as riders. Even though I really try to be of least hindrance to other traffic participants as I can, this surely doesn't count for many other riders on scooters and e-bikes. Judging from the way some of them drive, they seem to have a dead-wish or would like to kill somebody by chance. But of course they don't. Most of them are just around 16 years of age and haven't developed a true sense of danger yet. They simply don't realise yet how dangerous and annoying it is what they do.

I've played with the idea of becoming such a fast rider myself too. But I came to the conclusion that, if I were to have an accident which could be blamed on me and my recklessness, it would completely defeat the purpose of doing what I do. Of course I work for money, but not at all cost. I want to feel like I'm contributing something positive to society/my city. If I would put others and myself in danger in order to make more money, that would take away the idea that I'm contributing. What's a few people happy with food worth if you injure somebody in the process?

For this reason I drive safely. The way others decide to behave in traffic is not my choice and therefore I don't care. Even if they're a danger to my health. What other people decide to think of me and the way they respond is not up to me either. If it's negative then it's most likely because of some prejudice they have about riders and not because of what I do.

Working is more fun if you don't have to

You have to know how a delivery platform works; you can go online whenever you want and deliver orders. When you want to stop you just go offline again. This thing in itself is great in my opinion and causes much less stress for many people than the traditional 'having to show up on time' principle. In fact I think that, despite the technology facilitating this is very advanced, this is actually the way work used to be organised earlier in our history.

In a world in which people didn't have clocks to keep the time and household calendars were a rarity, most work was probably organised by just showing up. But I'm drifting off here. What I want to point out is that our souls are not constant, but rather in motion. At least mine is. Some days I feel like working, some I don't. Sometimes I want to start early, sometimes late. It is a great good to me to be able to decide for myself when I do work according to what I feel like at that moment. This freedom is what decides part of my inner peace.

Perhaps this is not something everyone would agree with. Some people like the compulsory times set by an employer. They like to wake up early in the morning anyway and couldn't be with themselves alone for a minute. But for many people this is not the case. For me and many people it's the compulsory element of 'having to show up' that gives them a feeling of not being free. This often results in a certain resentment towards the job in general, while it's not the job itself that people dislike but rather the restriction of freedom that it gives them. I know that it's something that shouldn't matter but to me it does.

I probably work more than I have ever done before and, at times of the day on which I wouldn't want to work on before, while at the same time experiencing little stress from it. And this is because I can work but don't have to. I even feel the freedom to dedicate some of my time to write a column. I think there are many people like me who would at least be more productive at work if they were completely free to decide when to work. Organising this would not be possible in every type of business, I'm aware of that, but many people would be served by it. The technology to make this possible is being developed rapidly...

By the way, I don't think all work can be organised in such a flexible way. Therefore I do have respect for those who are fine with a working schedule and don't feel resentment towards their job because of it.

Not everyone is your friend

Apart from working with the app and taking part in traffic I've also gotten to know many people through my job. Something that I've learned is that if you value your time, you don't really want to get to know too many people too well. What do I mean by that?

Well... Being acquainted with many people is fine to me, but searching a friendship in every person I have a chat with is not what I aspire to do. But this was different or at least not clear to me when I started delivering. Back when I started, there was a somewhat established community of riders in my city that knew each other.

When I first came into this I didn't know anyone and they didn't know me. This isn't a bad thing and I guess normal if you start working somewhere new. But this was something I wasn't very experienced with and I guess I did not know yet how to keep some healthy distance from people you don't know very well. Not that something traumatic happened, but it stirred me up quite a bit for a while with a lot of emotions that were unnecessary to say the least.

I talked with many people and shared rather personal unnecessary things with people I didn't know well at all. I guess I believed that part of my happiness depended on the what my colleagues thought of me and, I thought talking to many different people and finding common ground was the way to make them like me. How insecure and foolish I was!

I guess the talking in itself wasn't really a bad thing, but the motivation behind it and the amount was. I guess for me my desire to talk originated partly from insecurity, but it changed.

Nowadays when I talk to somebody I don't know well, I try to approach them with kindness and respect, but I also try to observe them well. I try to observe whether I can see the symptoms of an illness, not of the body but of the soul. And usually I find one or more, sometimes directly, sometimes after letting it sink in for a few days. Not that I place myself above them; I after all suffer from illnesses of the soul too, just like anyone to some degree. But it gives a certain confidence when being around people to understand their soul a bit; to understand what they want and fear.

I still talk to colleagues and others when I'm working. But now it comes from a place of curiosity rather than insecurity about myself. One final thing I want to add is that I find people that approach me with in a more neutral, not overly enthusiastic way to be more stable and trustworthy people than the ones that approach me and try to intentionally make a good impression. It are often the ones that you know the least at first that stick with you the longest.