#Milly is the one eating a cookie

[margarineonbread]

Girls night

[pinestripe37]

Had a birthday celebration today for my twin serama hens Millie and Fifi! :D

I've been blessed to have these girls for almost three years now, and it feels.. longer but shorter somehow? :')

[cameronspecial]

The More The Merrier

Pairing: Dad!Drew Starkey x Reader

Warnings: N/A

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 0.8K

Summary: Christmas for Y/N and Drew is a little different for the pair since the kids were born, but that's okay.

Masterlist

Before kids, Drew and Y/N used to be able to sleep in until noon on Christmas Day. They would roll out of bed, have a light late lunch while exchanging gifts in front of the tree and then head to whoever was hosting’s house on his side of the family. Christmas Eve was reserved to celebrate with her side of the family. But since the kids came along, Christmas Day was a whole fiasco. When Millie comes barreling into the room to jump on their bed, her parents have barely gotten three hours of sleep. Between getting the presents from Santa out and taking care of Tristan, sleep didn’t get to find Y/N and Drew. “It’s Christmas! You have to wake up,” she yells, bouncing on the bed like a bouncy ball. Y/N tries to escape her child’s screams and pretends to still be asleep. Drew, a victim of insomnia, accepts the defeat and rights himself to a sitting position. Maybe he can save Y/N from the same fate. “Come on, Sweetie. How about we go eat some breakfast before we open presents? Let Mommy sleep a little more,” he suggests, noticing that it is seven in the morning. However, it doesn’t work because Tristan’s cries have Y/N instinctual getting up. She heads to the nursery, “It’s fine. Go to the living room and I’ll bring Trist.”

Drew and Millie make their way to the living room and a few minutes later, Y/N arrives with Tristan in her arms. “Can we open presents now, please?” Millie begs, scrambling off her father’s lap to the tree. Y/N shakes her head and puts Tristan on the ground beside his sister, “Millie, you know we take pictures before we open the gifts.” The excited girl lets out a huff, settling beside her brother for the picture. The kids suffer through a few pictures before they are finally allowed to open their presents. 

Drew’s eyes are focused on his children until a weight appears on his shoulders. He looks down to see his wife fast asleep on him. He smiles at her and wraps his arm around her shoulder to bring her to his side. This catches Millie’s attention, so she runs over to her parents. “Is Mommy sleeping?” she whispers. Drew nods and holds his finger up to his lip. The answer seems to satisfy his daughter. She runs off to presumably go play with her new toys. Instead, she picks up her new Doc McStuffns blanket and returns to throw it onto her mother. She again leaves and then rushes to her parents to bring back one of the Christmas cookies they decorated last night. “Mommy likes cookies. It will give her energy when she wakes up,” Millie explains to her father. Drew feels as though he just drank a hot chocolate because a warmth stirs in his stomach. They are raising such a thoughtful and smart daughter. 

Feeling the cookie being placed on the blanket, Y/N’s eyes widen to see what it is. She notices the time on her phone and brews up a storm of swear words. They are going to be late to Brooke’s house. She hurries her family to get ready and they head to the family gathering. 

——

The tired couple placed the sleepy children in their own beds before going to their shared bedroom. They meet each other with a soft smile. “You know what we forgot to do this morning?” Y/N mumbles to her husband, leaving the room for a second to get something. She comes back with two gifts in her hands, “We forgot to open our gifts from each other.” Since they got married, Y/N and Drew agreed that they would make each other handmade gifts for Christmas. Birthday gifts can be bought, but Christmas presents have to be made. He gives her a grin, they both get changed and then sit on their bed beside each other. “You go first,” he encourages, placing his gift on her lap. Her hands carefully unwrap the small box to find a pair of dangling earrings. They both have turquoise beads, but one has an M charm and the other has a T one. “These are beautiful, Drew. Thank you,” she praises, pulling him in for a hug. “Here, open yours now.” 

His is a medium-sized rectangle. Like his children, Drew takes no time in ripping the paper open. Underneath, he finds a scrapbook. There are dozens of pictures of his family and him. Each page is occupied by a small blurb about the picture taken. “Sweetheart, this is amazing. Thank you. I can take this with me when I’m away for work,” he informs, kissing her temple. She bobs her head, “That’s the idea.” Silence fills the room for a few seconds before Drew speaks up. 

“Our Christmases are kinda different now with the kids.”

“Yeah. But in a better way. Which is weird to say because we got so little sleep last night.” 

He chuckles with his lips pressed to her cheek, “I agree. I think it’s because the more the merrier.” 

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @nonbullshit-toleratingkindagirl

[rhiandoesfandom]

Helluva Boss Incorrect Quotes Post Ghostfuckers:

Blitz: I don't know if I can feel joy anymore

Millie: wanna fuck about it?

Blitz: you mean talk?

Millie: no

Blitz: sorry it's just...I think of you way too platonically for that

Millie: oh thank Satan me too.

-----------

Moxxie: BANKRUPTCY BANKRUPTCY BANKRUPTCY!!

Loona: yeah! Great acting. Now do a flip 👍

-----------

Blitz: I never believed in ghosts until I came face to face with one.

Millie:.....

Blitz: get it-came 😁

Millie:.......😒

Blitz: There are things in this world that we will never understand, UNDERSTAND.

Millie: *lays in front of Ronaldo* kill me

-----------

Loona: I'm not burning 200 owls for you

Blitz: I could fire you! I'd never. But I could! *Runs away crying*

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

Blitz: I'm Bethany Ghostfucker idiot

Ronaldo: sure you're not like-i dunno some church girl? Bethany is...very churchy name. But you lead Ghostfuckers? Really?

Blitz: I- yes! Do you not see the vibrator spectrometer in my hand!

Ronaldo: Is that what that is? I thought it was your holy wand

Blitz: 🤨

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

Millie: Blitz come back to reality, ghosts aren't real!

Blitz: Then go in the basement Millie.

Millie:.....

Blitz: Go on. Get down there.

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

Blitz: YEAH FUCK HOTELS!!!

*Across hell*

Charlie: *pauses in the middle of eating a sugar cookie* I feel a disturbance

Vaggie: What?

Charlie: Oh....nothing....

[lifea16]

I am running out of notes to name these lol. More Incorrect quotes if you couldn't tell

Stolas, holding out a cookie for Blitz: Look! This ones a heart, that’s how I feel about you! Blitz: *Ugly crying* Stolas, holding out another cookie for Stella: This ones like Michigan, that’s how I feel about you! Stella, throwing their hands in the air: What does that mean?! --- Blitz: I have one foot in the grave but in a kind of fun flirty way, the way one might slip on a fishnet stocking. --- Moxxie: But seriously, what is the real plan here that has to do with not fucking around? Blitz: There is no plan that does not involve fucking around. But we will make sure all of our fucking around will be applied in a constructive direction. --- Millie: Do you feel any better? Moxxie: I feel much better now that you here with me. Blitz walks in Moxxie: I feel half better. --- Loona: Welcome to Fucking Applebees, do you want apples or bees? IMP client: Bees? Loona: THEY HAVE SELECTED THE BEES! IMP client: Wait- Blitz approaches, shaking a jar of bees menacingly --- Moxxie: I never understood why people cared so much about their dumb friends until I got a dumb friend myself. Moxxie: Picks up Blitz Moxxie: I’ve only befriended Blitz for a day and a half, but if anything happened to him I would kill everyone in this room and then my self. --- Blitz: You are now one day closer to eating your next plate of nachos. Millie: That's the most hopeful thing I've ever heard. Moxxie: But what if I die tomorrow and never eat any nachos? Blitz: Then tomorrow is nacho lucky day. --- Stolas: Blitz is playing hard to get. Stolas: Little does he know, I'm a master at playing hard to get rid of. --- Loona: So are you gonna explain how the hell you crashed the van? Blitz: Well we were driving and there was a deer in the road, so I said "Stolas, deer!" Loona: …And what did Stolas do? Blitz: …He said "Yes, Honey?"

[maladyinpink]

Morning Sickness -

Hell/uva Boss -

Alrighty y'all, thank you to everyone in the community that's responded and shared with such sweet and welcoming feedback. 🥺💕

Excited to share with you, the sister fic to TIATO (The Imp and The Owl), and the first part of the sick!Millie and caretaker!Moxxie fic, written for @sweetlysniffly for this post. Thank you for the inspo!

Morning Sickness: Takes place directly after Sins/Mas and just before TIATO. At the holiday party, Mill/ie does her best to stay strong and push through after seeing that life-changing test. Under the pressure and having been out in the freezing temperatures, she catches a nasty cold. Moxx/ie, knowing something is wrong, handles the situation carefully and dotes on his wife.

CW: Snz, Illness, Emotional pain/comfort, themes of deep anxiety, brief mentions of vomit (the character is pregnant), mentions of child maltreatment. I swear it gets fluffy guys, BUT these characters canonically are going through the ringer. Everyone's walls are coming down...Oh...And MORE puns 😈💗 enjoy!

"OH, look at that, you just landed on my tower...again! Pay up, bitches!"

The group had been playing Mammonopoly for the past few hours and a collective but good-natured groan released around the table as Blitzø's piece landed on Loona's space for…the umpteenth time. She drunkenly laughed and raked in the pastel-colored bills that everyone shoved forward and took another shot.

"Might I say, it doesn't seem fair that all of the players have to pay when only one person lands on a property?" Stolas, sitting up on the couch, had leaned to whisper over Blitzø's shoulder. After the pair had made their way back inside from the balcony, he'd politely refused the offer of playing, but quietly sat and watched…and was utterly confused by the…so-called rules.

"Yeah, you're right! Jesus! Wonder what fucker marketed this shit?" Blitzø whispered back sarcastically and tapped the game box.

"Ah, point taken." Stolas grimaced.

"Your turn, Mils!"

"Hm?"

Millie seemed to be lost when Blitzø tossed the dice in her line of sight on the coffee table. She leaned forward to pick them up, and knew she'd made an instant mistake. Her stomach lurched and chills ran up her shoulders. Immediately reminded of IMP's mission to Antarctica, she wondered how the room had managed to get so cold? Millie gulped and forced what she hoped was a determined smirk. She took the dice, about to roll, but the room starting to kaleidoscope around her easily changed her mind.

"Here, Mox, roll for me…I think I'm gonna sit the rest of this one out." Millie said, her voice sounding tight and rushed as she handed the dice to her husband.

"Are you sure? Honey, you love Mammonopoly!"

Moxxie looked at her, bewildered. Millie pasted on a paper-thin smile and nodded, handing over her player token and dropping the dice on the board.

"Not as much as you, baby!" Millie blurted out, in a rush to leave, "Just gotta run to the lil' imp's room, real quick, 'scuse me!"

The room tilted as she made her way to the bathroom, her hand pressed against her stomach. The party carried on outside, but once inside, she leaned over the sink, feeling the bile rise up her aching throat. Millie's eyes clenched as she tossed her Sinsmas cookies. This was the third time today.

Several hours ago, when the party had begun, after a second upchucking and seeing that terrifying plus, she'd hoped a call to her sister would help her figure out what to do next. Sallie Mae, though she sounded scared as well, had responded with unconditional support, told her to breathe and asked if she was absolutely sure.

"Sure as fuckin' peanut butter an' pickled onions on toast, Sal." She'd laughed bitterly through her tears, not wanting to look at the positive test that had dropped on the floor.

That'd been what their own mother had craved when she was around 5 weeks pregnant with their younger brothers. And what she'd been eating in front of Moxxie's moderately disturbed mug just the other morning. Back at the ranch, the expecting hell-hogs tended to get moody around 5-7 weeks when breeding a litter. And emotions had been a bit volatile recently, to say the least. Both girls cried, said teary I love you's and agreed she was at least a month along, before the call ended.

Now with more answers and support, she still felt so lost, drowning in uncertainty. And...somehow freezing in a fucking fur-lined sweater dress. She took a deep breath and blinked at the fearful imp she couldn't recognize in the mirror. And shivering, nose starting to run, felt an itch stem in the bridge of her nose.

"Hihnk'XHT…Hee'XHT'ieww!…shit." Millie barely stifled the sneezes toward the floor and swore under her breath. Great, another setback to add on to their steaming shit-pile of worries.

But, she could push past this! It was just a little sniffle. The team couldn't afford any more snafus. So she tried to compose herself and stay calm, wiping her nose and mouth with a kleenex and running her claws through her hair. A few sneezes were the least of her worries. How was she going to handle this recent development?

Why now? The thought pummeled and clanged through Millie's mind like a sledgehammer. She looked again at the mirror and put a hand to her middle. She'd known something was off for a little while, but of course, had kept it to herself and pushed through as always. You couldn't miss work just because of a little tummy ache. So she'd put her mind on her work and chalked up the icky feeling to the constant shitshow of the past month. Everyone was going through a lot, not just her. She couldn't be selfish. She had to be there for her team. She HAD to be strong.

After all, Blitzø had narrowly escaped an execution ruled by Satan himself, thanks to the tremendous sacrifice of a prince of the Ars Goetia. The hearing had aired on screens spanning across all 7 rings and gained the members of IMP a massive influx of recognition and respect. And while a huge increase in clientele and training the new interns were positives, it was still a lot to handle all at once. So many changes had happened in just the span of a month and during the holiday season.

Just that afternoon, they'd decapitated a 35ft ice monster, stood by in the cold as Stolas cried on his knees over losing connection to his daughter. And, now there was this. There was always the risk, but she and Moxxie had always been careful. Why now, did life have such shitty timing? She took a shaky breath…No. They could enjoy this night. She could be strong-

A sudden knock at the door had rattled her out of her thoughts, Millie jerked, knocking her head slightly on the edge of the sink. She winced but steadied herself and called out, "Sorry, I'm alright! Just a sec!"

"Moxxie, I'm fi-"

She opened the door and stepped outside to see, not her husband, but an awkward looking Stolas, who was…twiddling his thumbs as he waited.

"Oh- M-my goodness, I am SO sorry, Big Guy!" Millie nervously smiled, her drawl sweet as punch.

"No No! I apologize, I just had to use the-..." Then he looked up with concern, and seemed to see right through Millie's facade. "Sorry, are you quite alright? Forgive me, but you look…quite flushed."

"Oh, you're too sweet, Stolas, I'm fine," Millie waved him off with a lie, a little too quickly, "Just a lil buzzed, that's all…" Another lie, she hadn't had a drop to drink all night. She had to get the attention off of her somehow, then she realized, "Uh…How are you holdin' up?"

Millie felt awful the moment the question had crawled out of her teeth. Her question wasn't completely insincere, she was truly sympathetic. She knew he shouldn't have to be reliving the day more than he already was, but the fighter couldn't think straight and she'd panicked. Stolas couldn't respond at all, his gaze lingering on the imp in front of him a second longer than usual. Millie felt four red eyes piercing through her, like he could see her thoughts clear as day. But then he blinked, and it was gone. He looked at the floor and seemed to freeze there, spiraling.

Millie nodded, "S'alright, m'sorry...I know you're goin' through some real tough shit...don't have to tell me nothin', alright?" It was a little awkward, but she'd at least tried to give him some warm reassurance.

The owl looked past her and offered a curt nod. He headed into the bathroom and closed the door. Millie let out a rigid exhale she hadn't known she'd been holding in and walked back to the living room. The game had seemed to unofficially run its course and had migrated into fun inebriated conversation. All was well, but as she sat down, she couldn't stop the chills. But…no one seemed to suspect a thing. Right?

"...Millie, you're shivering." Moxxie's voice, quiet as it may have been, almost made her jump. She should have known he'd notice and start to prod at the first sign. Millie huffed. She was fine! Clearly, this was ridiculous.

"Oh, Sweetie, quit your worryin'...m'fine. If anythin', it's a little cold in here."

"Well…I can fix that! Get over here, good lookin'!" Moxxie waggled his eyebrows, nuzzling against his wife's shoulder and pulling her in to snuggle.

"Moxxie!" Millie's sweet little giggles tinkled out like music as Moxxie embraced her…but didn't last long. She shuddered under his touch and nuzzled back, so desperate for warmth, her little buck teeth chattered. And Moxxie, ever the attentive husband, couldn't help but study her with quiet concern. Millie hoped a saccharine smile would get her through, teeth like marshmallows, hiding the forest fire in her head.

"S-somethin' wrong, Sweetie?"

"Well- Yeah...You just feel a little warm?…And you threw up earlier?…And don't take this the wrong way but you look a little…peaky." Moxxie seemed to be quickly putting the pieces together and she had to stop it.

She scoffed, feigning bravado, "Tch, Peaky? Moxx, there's nothin' to worry about, I told ya to quit worryin', I don't-"

"Is your stomach still queasy? Oh crumbs, was it the cookies? Maybe I took 'em out too early! You know salmonella is rarely fatal, but if you were already susceptible- "

"Moxxie!...I am fine! Jus' stop fuckin' ramblin', all this noise, you're makin' m'head hurt." Okay, that came out way harsher than she'd meant it to, and it showed as Moxxie had pulled away, looking confused and a little wounded.

"Sorry Moxx, I-…Shit…did it again, didn't I?…uh oh! - Hnk'TCHi!"

Moxxie's eyebrows flew up and he reached out a gentle hand toward Millie, growing very worried, "Bless you, honey-"

She pulled away and let out a huge sneeze into her wrist over her other shoulder.

"AtSH'SHEW!"

"Bless you…"

Millie couldn't look Moxxie in the eye, she was utterly drained. He leaned over, holding her flushed face in his hand to feel his poor wife's forehead and then her cheeks.. He frowned, a furrow forming between his brows as he took her hand, not needing another sign to know it was time to leave.

"Yep…I thought so…" He kissed her forehead and looked her in the eye, "We're going home, Millie." Millie looked up at him, apologetic. So much for being strong.

"Hey Sir?...We're gonna call it a night." Moxxie called over to get Blitzø's attention out of the loud drunken conversation, his hand firmly around Millie's waist, helping her stand up.

"Already?!" Loona slurred, her eyes waving wildly around the room, holding up a game box for 'Settlers of Satan' in one paw, and somehow, another bottle in the other, "But we were just about to start the next game...with. more. DRINKS!"

Moxxie gave Millie a pointed look, and she finally spoke up, "Nah, we really best be goin'."

"That'sss…bullshit! Dad! Back me up! Y-you know what I think, Dad? These guys…are too fuckin' chickenshit tooo-"

Loona's words were cut off as she sprinted out of the room to the balcony, and the entire party cringed at the sound of her retching and a car alarm going off from the street.

"...Oh my fucking god...I'll hold her hair back, c'mon Russ." Loona's tipsy friend Gigi sighed and headed out to the balcony, pulling along the equally drunk fluff-ball behind her.

"I'm sorry, B, really," Millie called out as Moxxie helped her shrug into her coat, she put on another tight smile as they headed out the front door, "We would'a stuck around, it's just been a really long day."

Blitzø waved her off, "Nah, you're fine, Loona an' her friends're shitfaced...I'm tired as a fat bitch...an' Stolas is…" He trailed off, looking back into the apartment at the bathroom door. "...I'm sure we all wanna crash after this absolute clusterfuck of a day. You kids head home and get some rest, I'll see ya after the New Year.

Millie smiled, a real smile this time, "Merry Sinsmas, Blitzø."

"Merry Sinsmas!…Now! If you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna go-"

They all winced at the sound of Loona vomiting again. "...Handle that."

••••••••••••••••••••

The cab ride home was silent and Millie leaned her head against the cool window, passing building after building decorated with tinsel and rainbow lights. Her eyes welled up with tears and the lights streaked. Moxxie sat beside her and looked over every few moments with an anxious gaze as she sniffled and rubbed her nose on her sweater sleeve.

Finally, once the door to their apartment closed behind them, Millie couldn't hold it in any longer. The tears spilled down her cheeks as she turned to face Moxxie. "M'sorry," she choked out, her voice barely audible.

Moxxie's eyes were full of pure compassion. He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, "…Millie, if you weren't feeling well, you don't have to hide things from me…Why didn't you tell me?"

"I know, Moxx, m'sorry...I just-...I wanted us to have this night." She snorted back what must've been running out of her nose and she knew it was an ugly sound, but she didn't have any energy to care. Her body now feeling like it was roasting on a spit, she sobbed out, "Shit, we've just been dealin' with so much an-"

"I know…Too much. And it's finally getting to you...It's okay...It's okay." Moxxie did his best to calm her cries, holding her and stroking the back of her head.

Moxxie led her into their bedroom. He helped her into bed, her legs feeling like jelly beneath her. He climbed in next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer to his side.

But she pulled away gently. "Moxxie?...I think…I might need a lil' space tonight."

"...Honey?"

Her voice quivered, "It's just... I-I don't want'cha gettin' sick. Whatever I'm gettin'...it's nasty. I don' wanna spread it."

Moxxie was silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly, but still wore a smile. He knew something was wrong, but put his trust in her. He pulled back the covers and tucked her in, making sure she'd be warm enough.

He pecked a chaste kiss to her cheek. "Millie I-...I understand…If you need anything, just tell me...I love you…Merry Sinsmas."

"Merry Sinsmas…I love you too...M- Moxxie?...I'm-"

The room was already empty. He had left as quietly as he could, giving her the space she had asked for. Millie felt a lump form in her throat. She rolled onto her side, her hand brushing and clawing at the spot on the pillow where his head had been. Fuck, she felt like a monster. She'd lied. She'd snapped. And now, she had sent her husband to sleep on the couch? On what was supposed to be a happy night. She growled at the overboil of thoughts in her troubled mind and channeled it into a punch into the headboard. Her eyes filled with tears that spilled over onto Moxxie's pillowcase. The fabric grew damp under her cheek as she wept, her sobs muffled by the pillow.

Could this monster be a mother? She was a Wrathian thug, a brawler. And sure, Blitzø had taught her she could be more than that. But could she do this?...Be this? She'd never imagined this for herself...for them. She and her husband committed murder for a living. It was a job she enjoyed and she'd potentially have to throw it all away. What kind of childhood would the spawn of two hired assassins have?

The thought was laughable…really. So absurd, she couldn't help but let out a little watery snicker. It grew into a chuckle, and before she knew it, she was laughing into the pillow. It was a delirious laugh fueled by a mix of anxiety, probably hormones and the piping hot fever. It all was just too much, she couldn't stop the giggles.

But the laughter eventually devolved into a coughing fit, her chest burning and her eyes watering. She gripped the pillow tightly, trying to muffle the sound, not wanting to wake her poor husband that she'd sent to the couch. He was probably worried sick about her, and she didn't need to add to it. Finally, the coughs subsided, leaving her gasping for breath. And the room had grown quiet again.

Exhaustion had pulled down her eyelids, and she let herself into sleep. Dreams descended quickly, a whirlwind of chaotic images and confusing sounds. A tiny tail, two little stubby black and white horns and… a little scarlet claw reached up for her own. But it was gone before she could grasp it, replaced by an audible chop and the cold steel of an axe.

••••••••••••••••••••

Millie twisted awake out of her feverish nightmare, almost giving her neck whiplash as she'd been curlicued in a ball under the blankets. As she pushed herself up against the pillows, she felt like she was hauling a bag of wet sand, as she was completely stuffed up. Her nose like a drippy clogged drain, she snorted back what felt like a wall of mucus in her sinuses. A few seconds later, a little fit of harsh congested sneezes barreled out.

"…Heeh…Hee'ESH'HEW!…HAtSH'CHEW"

"...Bless you." A voice gently called from the doorway.

"ES'HEW!...yitSCHiEW!"

Once Millie could finally blink the sleepy rime out of her eyes and scrub at her nose, she got a good look at her husband, who was carrying a tray, full of sick day essentials from their medicine cabinet.

"…G'mbordin'." she rasped out a greeting more akin to a frog.

"Good Morning…" Moxxie set the tray down, and felt under her bangs with the back of his hand, "You…are very hot, Sweetie."

"You...are such a flirt…hhh…ESh'HiEww!"

Moxxie chuckled and kissed the side of her temple, "Not like that..."

Millie took one look at the tray, complete with Tissues, Baphometophen, Belli-Buttons Antacids, Deep-Throat brand cough drops, decongestant, expectorant and was a little overwhelmed. She mentally cursed her overly attentive husband. She wasn't sure how medications would affect her body in this state, with this...thing inside her.

She deliriously shook her head at the tray, "Uh-uh- No…I- I don't ndeed all that shit…d'ain't that serious."

"But, Millie-"

"It's jus' a cold..I said no."

Moxxie's face fell at the defensiveness in her tone, but he patiently nodded, understanding. "Okay...Uh, can you at least lemme get you something to eat?...Maybe some tea?"

Millie managed a nod, and looked away, feeling guilty for snapping at him...again, "Tea'd be ndice...Thagk you, baby."

Moxxie nodded with a smile, leaving the tissues, and taking the tray with him. She heard him in the kitchen, the clinking of pots and pans and the hiss of the kettle. She grabbed a tissue and grumpily snorted and rubbed at her nose, feeling like a catapult as she leaned back and had to pitch a heavy sneeze.

"Ack'SHiEW!"

"Bless you, Sweetie!" She heard from the next room.

Sweet Lucifer, she loved that man. He was too good to her. He'd probably make a wonderful father. They'd even talked about it before, but it'd been a hypothetical for the future. Far in the future. Sure, she'd helped her mother around the house with the younger siblings since infancy. Sure, they'd been married almost 2 years. Sure, having a kid at 27 was okay…when you were planning for it. But this had come out of nowhere, it wasn't the same as having your own. She was so scared of the unknown, the changes her body would go through, how this would impact their life, their job, their relationship. That's …if she was even keeping this.

Within another hour of her stewing in her thoughts, the door squeaked open, and Moxxie entered, carrying in the tray again, this time, with a steaming mug and a bowl.

"Here, Sweetie."

"Whassat?" She drowsily pointed to the bowl, once Moxxie set the tray down.

"It's soup!...Well, it's my...Mom's soup."

His Mom? Millie felt her heart swelling, "D'Aww, Honey…You didn't hafta go'n…do that."

Moxxie looked down at the steaming bowl with a sad smile, "It's called Pastina, but this one is special, it's what she used to give me when I was sick, down in Notamafia...I know I don't talk about her often...I never told you that story, huh?"

Millie shook her head with wide yellow orbs and took the warm mug of tea from the tray and sipped. Moxxie never tended to say much about his childhood and she had respected that. After the experience of meeting his father, she understood why it'd never come up in conversation. He hesitated and his expression became a bit sullen as if he were numb.

"It was raining...real hard one night," he began, his yellow eyes froze over with the memory, "...Dad sometimes took me out with him to his office…He'd been teaching me to shoot, how to aim and hold steady?...He'd call it-…'bonding', 'learning the family business'...But he just wanted another pawn......That night, he put a beretta in my hand, cocked and loaded, and told me to shoot at the dartboard… It took a while, but I'd practiced and I eventually…hit a bullseye…I thought he'd be proud...Of course, it didn't take long to find out that wasn't what he really cared about…He just wanted me to shoot."

Moxxie's memories faded to childhood in the greed ring, 6 years old, his horns still barely growing in. Holding the gun and hopefully looking up at Crimson for his approval after trying for hours. Millie knew that the story was about to take a turn for the worse and her eyes started to well up.

"...Dad took me outside, reloaded the barrel and told me… to try to hit another target...and we wouldn't go back inside until I hit it...until it hit them…" Millie's heart shattered for her husband, for the abuse he'd had to suffer.

"...We sat there for hours… soaking and so fucking cold, and all I could do was stare...I couldn't do it, Millie."

She croaked, rubbing away hot tears, "Course not baby, not with your heart…That cocksuckin' psycho…No young'un should be forced into that…used an' made to feel they don't matter...Baby- I am so sorry."

At that, Moxxie smiled back at Millie, as if he was thanking her, and a fond bittersweet look came over him at the flashback of his mother rushing over and pulling the gun out of his hand, dropping it in Crimson's lap. Carrying her son inside out of the rain, she'd given him a bath and tucked him into bed. He shook out of the memory and a little fanged grin started to form.

"Uh-...Anyway...Mom found me…took care of me…It's a miracle that Dad and I didn't catch pneumonia out there…but we both got pretty close...It was the weakest I'd ever seen him! And that piece of shit...begged my Mom, like he was on his fucking deathbed…to make 'Pastina...like my Mudduh used to make'." He said, imitating a sorry sounding Crimson, complete with thick accent.

Then his smile grew wider…and he snorted. He chuckled and shrugged, suddenly surprising Millie who was still in tears.

"It's funny, cause it's usually such a gentle dish...Mom, added her love though. A little bit of cayenne, a pinch of chili flakes...Wrathian spices! 'To keep you warm, Mijo'..." Then, he shook his head, unable to contain himself, "Let's just say, she put a little extra in Dad's, I'll never forget..."

Through her tears, Millie began to chuckle too, as her husband's laughter grew louder and contagious.

"...He crawls out of the bathroom, on his hands and knees, whining 'OHH, my coolie!...Mammina!...Di puttana...Fra Diovolo Pastina!'..." Moxxie took great pleasure in mocking his father in a rare moment of weakness, writhing like a worm. That slimeball had deserved every second of suffering.

Millie wiped the tears away from her eyes and let out a congested little giggle. Moxxie immediately took notice and beamed back. Laughter was the best medicine.

"Aha!...Lit a fire under his ass...Smart woman!-..."

"...You remind me of her, you know?..."

...What?

"Beautiful, intelligent, inventive and funny…and a fighter, so strong even on the hardest days and so much love to give."

Moxxie's speech hung in the air. The tears immediately returned in full force and rolled down Millie's cheeks, in utter shock and silence, until a rough cough pounded its way out of her chest. She took a bite of the soup.

"S'real good, Moxx...Thank you."

Millie continued to eat little bites of the little star pasta, the burn of the liquid running down her throat, clearing her sinuses, but doing little to soothe the emotions brewing within her. She felt his pain, his fear, his love. Real love. She'd never realized it before, but it was possible that was why family was so important to him. What kind of childhood would the spawn of two hired assassins have? If they decided to go through with this, together. A loving one. And if not, she knew, he'd support her.

"Moxxie?..." she started, setting the mug down and turning to face him, her voice shaky.

"What's up, Sweetie?"

Millie's voice cracked, the words she wanted to say lodging themselves in her throat. If he could start opening up more to her, why couldn't she do the same?

"M-Moxxie...I'm so sorry-...An' I just…I wanna tell you…I'm-...

…Y'ESH'HEW!"

Goddamnit. Here came the effects of the spices. Moxxie picked up the box of tissues and held it up with a smile. Millie gratefully took a few tissues, rubbed her watering eyes and released a thick blow.

Okay. She needed to tell him, soon. That was being strong. But for now, she'd focus on letting her walls down a little, letting her sweet husband love and take care of her. She was exausted and needed to overcome this first. When she wasn't feverish, of sound mind and able to pronounce her m's and n's…then she'd tell him.

"...I love you…so much." Moxxie looked at her, his smile wide and full of unconditional love.

"I love you too...and I'm sorry you don't feel well...And, just in case, I think you're going to need these…for the next hour or so."

He edged the tissue box closer to her on the bed, moved the tray and wiggled his way under the blanket. Millie honked another stuffy blow and Moxxie wrinkled his nose and snickered, cuddling into her side. And to his happy relief, she nuzzled back. There was his Millie!

"Wanna watch something?" The sick imp whined as Moxxie got up to open their DVD cabinet across from the bed, but had an answer right away.

"Cleaverhand 6?...It's m'favorite…an' I'm siiick baby." Millie pleaded, eyes swelling to an adorable size, complete with a big pout for good measure.

Moxxie rolled his eyes, "Millie...You just watched that last week...don'tcha think that's a bit much for a sick day?

"So what?...Uh-Ultimate Cleavage, is-…yITch'HIEW!...-b-better than Cleaverhand 2: Electric Boobaloo and only slightly worse than…than!- ACK'ESh'ieew!...Cleaverhand 7: Final Cutlet…Eck'Etss'Hew!"

"Bless you...You're sure?" Moxxie flatly challenged her, they had just had a little tiff about this, just last week. It was a useless argument, as he was too much of a sucker for the big round pleading eyes across from him.

"Hell yes!…C'mon baby," she begged again from behind a tissue, "…We ransacked that abandoned Cockbuster for a reason."

"Well, we also found that limited 1926 edition of Faust? Remember?...Doesn't that sound relaxing?"

"..."

Moxxie sighed, "Cleaverhand 6 it is..."

••••••••••••••••••●●

Millie had begrudgingly spent the next few days in bed, and while she was gradually improving each day, a maddening cabin fever had been setting in. With a little persuasion she'd managed to take some medication to lower the fever and an antacid to settle her stomach. It was disheartening that she'd resisted and even tried to push through, as it was hitting her pretty hard. Moxxie wouldn't say it came as a complete surprise though.

While he was a fan of modern medicine, Moxxie knew his wife would rather handle things the 'Ol' Fashioned Way', 'let nature run its course'. The last time he'd gotten the flu, she'd bundled him like a burrito, she'd made him stew, whispered sweet nothings into his ears and...put potatoes in his socks? It had 'worked for her great Uncle Bocephus', so why not try it?

So she'd been recovering, but she'd also been rather high strung lately, and the isolation and boredom didn't help. There was also…something else going on. Moxxie could feel it, every time he looked at her. Something plaguing her mind. But he couldn't force her, and he trusted that she'd open up in her own time. He longed to know what was going on, or at least ease her troubles, or make her smile.

He'd been grateful the Sinners had been celebrating their New Year's Eve. The passing of another 365 days on Earth. The hellborn didn't exactly celebrate years spent in The Rings the same way, as the concept and passage of time was a bit more complicated in Hell. Nevertheless, it'd been a wonderful distraction from all the misery.

A thrilling display of fireworks across the city, had them both cuddled on the floor in a blanket near the front window to watch. Moxxie had made them both Cocoa, and they'd shared a kiss, wishing all the sinners well. It was beautiful, but seeing his Angel of Death smile, after being stuck in bed all week, put the fireworks to shame.

[distracted-milkshake]

Context I have been watching a lot of Oscar Issac and thinking about Sandra Bullock lately, and I saw a poster for the Electric State.

It’s birdbox + the quiet place + WWZ but with cookie zombies and nobody you care about dies what do you want from me.

It was a nightmare but I wasn’t ever scared. Also the ending is muddy because I was starting to wake up but I know it had a happy ending.

Sandra Bullock as the mom and POV person Oscar Issac as the baker guy Millie Bobby Brown as the med student older sister and John Krasinski as the guy who goes crazy and dies.

Clearest dream l've had in a long time cause I was very close to waking and it follows a movie plot exactly.

Genuinely super sweet and heartwarming for technically a nightmare. Also none of it was funny while it was happening despite the atrocious puns.

Got a false lead, a false romance, AND a death scene fakeout. My brain basically just fixed everything I didn't like about those horror movies.

The story:

One guy, two women, a child and a newborn baby, are holed up in a house trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. The zombies? Attracted to anything to do with sweet or baked goods.

The darker haired woman was six months pregnant when they holed up with a half dozen other people, all of which except two others, a med student and a baker, are now dead, there’re the only ones left. Her six year old is mute after watching her father get killed.

The man is a widower who the day of the outbreak, at breakfast his wife had decided to try for a baby again after more than a year since their honeymoon miscarriage, only for her to be eaten minutes later.

He and the med student deliver the baby but he refuses a romantic relationship with the mom. pulling away after they kiss, saying “I’m sorry, we’ve just been trapped together. I’ll protect your kids but I can’t do this.” Partially for fear of losing her, partially because of guilt over his wife and the family they never had.

The arrival of another survivor a few months after that shakes up their relatively stable lives as it turns out he’s been bitten and finding the baker’s old notebook of recipes goes berserk and tries to eat him. They lock him in a closet and he bangs his head to death.

The med student is traumatized because that’s exactly how her brother went before she came there to that house.

They find an attic space in the house with a high window they can use to get a better perspective of the neighborhood they’re in.

Finding far, far fewer zombies than there have been they pack up, as the now dead survivor having said he’d traveled for days to get here, they head to a gas station at the end of the neighborhood.

The med student carries the kid on her back in the middle and the mother keeps her newborn close to her chest a way back from the two of them leading them.

The kid cries whenever they call check and her mom hides like they discussed.

On the way there, they encounter no zombies. Even after accidentally stepping on an unopened pack of cookies.

They raid what’s left in the gas station and have a feast and decide they need to test to find out how many zombies are in the area and if so kill as many of them as possible.

The first night in the new place the man reveals what happened to his wife, saying “she would’ve been fine if I hadn’t had a batch of cookies on, hadn’t taken my work home.”

There’s a small sturdy brick building with a fortified basement he wants the women and kids to stay in while he hangs fresh baked cookies from the small toaster in the gas station from the pump area rafter and take them out with a shotgun from the roof.

A devout catholic, the man spends most of the day as they gather the things they need to make a batch of cookies praying, repeating twice that God protect women and children, laughing that of everyone he could’ve gotten stuck with, it’s two women and two kids, but he’s okay with that.

Next to no zombies come, for hours and hours, and then suddenly a small horde approaches down the street.

Having gotten down to check the bait, the man hurts his ankle trying to get back up on the roof.

The med student hearing quick gunshots close together kisses the kid on the forehead and goes to help, picking up his gun and after it runs out of bullets brutally crowbarring the dozen or more zombies to death.

The guy asks if he should be afraid of her, to which she replies: “not unless you killed my sweet tooth brother.”

She helps splint the guy’s foot, they go back to the basement, and they live happily ever after enjoying baked goods and the friendship made in the end of the world.

[aurorialwolf]

more redacted ocs!! Aria's roommates edition

I have a redacted oc named Aria Aisling, a dreamwalker! She has 5 roommates, one of whom has been featured in the audios I've voiced of her, and this is her rankings of them! All have been made with picrew, BUT I did have to edit a couple of them slightly to get the appearances right.

Cassie, bear shifter She's the sweetest out of all Aria's roommates, and bakes cookies for all the roommates at least once a month! She's maybeee not the quickest on the uptake as the others, but she makes up for it with her kindness and (literal) strength! She's probably Aria's favourite, not that she'd admit it.

Salvia, vampire of the House of Baz. She's about 52, and was turned when she was 25. She is almost tied with Cassie for Aria's favourite, but is ranked at 2nd just because. She's the best cook in the house, and makes most of the dinners. Kayli is also one of the people who cooks dinner, but she seems to have differing tastes as she does not eat like the others do (Salvia still eats human food but Kayli rarely ever does). Salvia is from Ireland, and emigrated to the US in 2002, at the behest of her (vampire clan's) queen. Note: Aria's listener, "Dreamer", is a volunteer blood source for the Dahlian members of the House of Baz, so Salvia knows them well.

Amelia, sonal energetic She's the loudest out of all of them, but mostly just by accident, since her powers sometimes come through when she's especially excited. She's probably exactly in the middle of Aria's rankings of her roommates.

Millie, stealth She's the quietest of all of them, and keeps to herself. Sometimes, everyone assumes she isn't even home, until they bump into her cloaking in the kitchen. She's about on par with Aria in terms of how reclusive she is. Aria doesn't have particularly strong feelings towards her, but likes Amelia a little more, so she's ranked 4th. One time she helped Aria redye her hair, though, so she could easily rank 3rd as well.

Kayli, serenity daemon She has been coalesced now for 56 years, and is currently doing some extra daemon studies at DAMN. She is the most overbearing in terms of protectiveness when it comes to Aria and the other roommates, but she means well. She is probably Aria's least favourite roommate, simply because she interrupts her dreamscapes too often.

So yeah!! That's all of them :D I'll gladly provide the picrew links if anyone wants them, but keep in mind I had to edit Kayli and Millie, so Kayli's serenity horns and Millie's blue streaks aren't in the picrews! I'm working on Aria's 4th audio right now, so it should be out next weekend at the latest!

[pain-in-the-riri]

Fanfiction Author Interview Game

Thank you for the tag @moonheavens!

More questions under the cut hehehe

How many works do you have on AO3?

10 public ones and 3 hidden ones 🤫

What's your total AO3 word count?

173,835

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes:

It's Automatic - Our Flag Means Death Gentlebeard oneshot that started as a twitter fic where Ed is a construction worker that catcalls Stede on his way to work hehehe it's really cute imo and a really fast read since it's just a handful of tweets!

Boned, Rolled and Tied - Another OFMD fic! Gentlebeard, a collab with @beabonnet and a Gentlebeard retelling of I Married an Axe Murderer, sooo fun to write lmaooo still a wip

Hell Will Wait - Wolfstar fic where Sirius gets out of Azkaban about 5 years and some change after being arrested, 37k get-together fic where Sirius and Remus have to work through all of their conflicting feelings but in the end are always there for each other 🥺 my boys i really love this one

Same Old Fire - Another Wolfstar get-together oneshot that takes place during the first war, when Sirius tracks Remus down at his parent's house after he disappears for several months for a mission directly after swerving on him smh....another fave hehehe. Also my first fic to be podficced!!!

Forget That Guy - Oneshot written for a Conan Gray marauders fic fest (although I loved it so much that I have at least one follow-up planned, maybe two). Sirius gets cheated on at a club and takes it out sexy-style on the hot sad bartender that coincidentally also just got broken up with LOL

Do you respond to comments?

Yes, I do my best! Sometimes I miss one or two in my notifs but when I notice I forgot to respond I'll respond hehe

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Probably Forget That Guy >:)

Although a couple of my OFMD fics have ambiguous endings but I haven't published the ends of those ones yet LOL

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

Most of them have pretty happy endings! But probably Hell Will Wait hehehe

Do you write crossovers?

I never have

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

If I have, it hasn't gotten back to me hahaha. One person wrote that my fic was "meh" in the bookmarks though, fuck that person 🖕you can think it's meh if you want but fic is like when someone brings a cake to a party, you don't tell your friend their homemade cake is meh, you politely avoid eating it if you don't like it and go eat the cookies someone else brought lmfao

Do you write smut?

yes, most of my fics have smut in them LOL

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I hope not 😩

Have you ever had a fic translated?

nah

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yeah, Boned, Rolled and Tied!

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Wolfstar :)))))

also...hamlet and horatio, guildenstern and rozencrantz even though they're the same person, vash and wolfwood 😩, xena and gabrielle!!!!!!!! Gideon and Harrowhark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Harrow and Ianthe!!!!!!!!!! (toxic lesbians come to me)

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Prob that OFMD fic I mentioned earlier, the first one I wrote for the fandom. Not sure if I'll ever go back to it

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm really good at dialogue! And I hope I'm good at characterization hahaha

What are your writing weaknesses?

Endings 😩 which is why I started plotting out endings first!

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I love it! I haven't done it before but it's really fun, especially when I feel extra smart for being able to read it hahaha

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

Vash/Wolfwood!!!!!! Vashwood, one of my first OTPs!!!!!!!! Also Vash/Wolfwood/Meryl/Milly, just that entire fuckin polycule hahahaha I love them soooooo fucking much

What's your favorite fic you've written?

I will always love Hell Will Wait that thing flowed out of me like water in the span of one week. 37k words in one week!!!!! I have never been able to match the pace hahahaha Also huge fan of my most recent oneshot, Carrot or Stick, where Sirius and Remus argue themselves into the sack and then continue arguing in the sack. The arguments are not mean-spirited, and I love writing them bickering!

Tagging: @futurequibblerjournalist @swifty-fox @chlobliviate @quillkiller

[mavisgarygotsober]

I got Millie and I a turkey tenderloin, stuffing, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and $12 cookies for Thursday. Most of it is premade because cooking a holiday meal for one makes me want to go to sleep. Millie is my cat for reference. She won’t actually be eating the meal but it’s better than saying it’s just for me🤷🏼‍♀️ I should be doing schoolwork but I’m too depressed. I’m going to see my dr Wednesday morning because my antidepressants aren’t helping anymore . I’m going to try and nap then maybe I’ll make a snack plate. I got paper plates that have different slots to do my snack trays with. I made my coffee at home this morning. I’ll consider that a win.

[tea-the-not-understanding]

Greetings to the person who found my blog.

Welcome, let me introduce myself first before explaining the rules. My name is Tea, it the name that many people referred to call me and pretty simple name to remember. I am basically 18+ and bisexual, He/Him/They/Them.

This blog is all about me having fun with art, drawing and posting to share with you all. It also one of my passions to entertain others but I have some common rules that you must follows.

I accepts

Art trades ( I do love to do trades but please do not go overboard with it. )

Collabs ( I like to share some ideas and do art collabs, etc etc.. )

Roleplay ( Roleplay is what I love to do but it have to be at least appropriate. no 18+ or NSFW because there's minors, but angst is allowed. )

Suggestions ( You can suggest or give me idea what to draw. But for now, Cookie run fandoms, it can be others but I'll reconsidered about it. )

You can send asks to asks about the characters that I am open in this blog. Please keep it appropriate.

What I do NOT accept

Please for the love of god do not send me feet pics. ( I am too done and exhaust from it already )

Asks or Request me to draw NSFW. (There's minor in this blog, I know it. And if you want, it do not come in for free. )

Request to draw your oc/characters. ( I only do it for friends and mutual. If you really want, then considering commission me for it. )( And also, asking me to be your friend first and tell me to draw your oc will get you banned instanly. )

And finally, common sense thing that you must know. No Proshipper, Incest, Homophobic, Racial, Slurs, other bad shit, etc...

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

Now that you have read the rules. I can introduce you to the character that I am open to answers to.

Most of you might be here to ask about Electric eel cookie but there's more then just Electric eel too. Such as Angst au with Longan and Millie, Capsaicin and Prune juice and my oc's/Characters

update/edit. I'll add characters where you can asks or know what characters I own so you can asks/roleplay with

OC

Clockwork cookie : little shit who control time

Timeless cookie : little shit who control time 2

Vanilla Extract cookie : Someone please put him to sleep for once.

Melted fruitcake cookie : He eat too much sometimes.

Forest fire cookie : your pride is too important apparently.

Ancient death thorn cookie : What the fuck are you?

Chai tea cookie : Stop adopting chickens goddammit.

Skullcap Sapphire Butter cookie : LITTLE SHIT NUMBER 1

Cinnamon dust cookie : a bean that need someone to burn some houses for him sometime.

Flaming dust cookie : LITTLE SHIT NUMBER 2

Vortex tea cookie : Someone put him to sleep too.

Ribbon eel cookie : Wake up, you sleep too much.

Rangoon cookie : Stop asking her for nudes you sick fucks.

Guarana cookie : Kinda a little shit?

Mythical salt cookie : Go to horny jail.

Space dust cookie : Your the moon son? how? The moon is still a virgin-

Luna/Moon cookie : introvert to the core.

Little Moon : Eh? What do you want?

SONA

Shooting star : Idiot number 1

Buh : buh

Toxic : the only tea cup for a head character btw

Icing cookie : BIGGEST LITTLE SHIT

Melatonin cookie : don't make him cry...

Shimp / shimp cookie : every body favorite boi!

Here are some option link that You can open to see on the character to asks.

And to those who want to read the side story of the Angst au capsaicin and prune juice. Here's the link as well or you can just click the angst au tag in my blog and you'll find them too.

Anyways, hope you have fun and enjoy your time in my blog. ^^

[h3lled]

@isforever sent , ❛  eat this, it's a new cookie recipe i've tried.  ❜ - moxxie @ millie

“ ooooooh! ”  wide  set  eyes  and  beaming  smile  breaks  across  her  features.  moxxie  had  never  needed  to  do  more  than  ask  to  get  her  to  try  something  ,  but  his  sinsmas  cookies  had  always  been  one  of  her  favorites.  bringing  back  a  feeling  of  a  nostalgia  she  had  never  been  able  to  pinpoint.  “ what’d  y’  do  differently ,  hon? ”  without  hesitating  ,  the  question  had  been  asked  through  a  series  of  rough  bites.  chomping  down  ,  while  also  making  sure  not  to  pull  a  blitzø  and  swallow  it  whole.  she’d  wanted  to  give  the  first  one  a  real  taste.  “ it’s  still  real  delicious.  they  always  are.  but  this  …  this  tastes  kinda  special! ”

[scolek]

tendiesquest: don & millie's

so, as you know, tendiesquest is my journey to go to all the different fast food places in my area that have chicken tenders. the thing is, some of those fast food places are only in my area. so don't fret that you havent heard of this one. i think there's like ten of them.

i was actually on my way to kfc when i saw this one, because i forgot it was there, but i. when i tell you i hit my turn signal without a second thought.

so, the food: while occasionally you will get a complimentary biscuit or something like at popeyes, i was surprised that this was one of those places. i was at the first window, gave the girl my card, and then she handed the card back with my receipt and a cookie! a chocolate chip cookie. it was okay. nothing to write home about, but it was nice. and what a fun surprise!

i was waiting at the second window for a while, long enough to eat the whole cookie, and while i was there, i keep looking at a billboard. for the ramen place i talked about a couple days ago with all the red flags. is it a taunt or a sign?

the fries. are. fucking amazing. theyre your standard fast food fries, on the thinner side like mcds. but they've got whatever culvers is doing to their fries but theyre doing more of it. it's amazing.

the chicken tenders were near some pickles at some point. its not affecting the taste but i can smell it. as for the taste. its also nothing to write home about. minimally seasoned, but the breading is really nice!

i think its between b and a. im rating the tendies specifically, so the bomb ass fries dont actually get factored in. but actually. hmm. this is really like. i dont want to add pluses and minuses into the tiers, and these are tiers, there is an s. yeah, A. havent knocked it out of the park, but didnt do anything wrong, either. except the faint smell of pickles.

[ourlittleforever]

Love is Stored in the Kitchen

Arvad's love language is food. Pre-relationship fluff.

Rating: G

Words: ~1500

Warnings: none

Also on AO3!

Knock knock. The sound of someone at the door yanked Millie from their thoughts; they’d been so focused on unpacking their bags that they hadn’t even heard anyone approach the door. “Come in!”

They tossed the last of their dresses onto the bed and clambered to their feet, dusting their skirt off as the door opened. Arvad, the ship’s chief of security, was standing awkwardly in the doorway, holding a plate with a towel over the top of it. He nodded politely to them.

“I brought you something.”

“I see that,” Millie teased, carefully stepping over the vast array of their belongings strewn about the floor. They sniffed, catching the scent of chocolate and sugar, and their eyes lit up. “Are those… cookies?”

“Yes.” Arvad handed them the plate, and the warlock gingerly lifted the towel. The cookies were chocolate chip, perfectly golden and delightfully soft. They picked one up and took a bite, a hum of contentment escaping their throat.

“Oh my goodness. These are amazing.” Millie stuffed the rest of the cookie in their mouth without thinking; Arvad was watching with a quietly pleased expression. “You didn’t have to,” they said, covering their mouth as they finished chewing. “But thanks!” They paused, then quickly added, “I’ll try not to eat them all at once. Or so messily. Sorry.”

“I’m glad you enjoy them,” he replied, stepping away from the door. “Welcome aboard.”

—

“Millie, can you come here?”

Millie backpedaled, still amazed Arvad could tell their footsteps apart from everyone else’s. He said they walked heavily; they’d tried to walk lighter, but he always knew it was them. Millie poked their head into the kitchen. “What’s up?”

“Can you taste this for me?”

“Sure. What is it?” Millie sauntered over to the stove, where Arvad was cooking some type of stew. The liquid was a deep, ruddy orange, and they could see bits of beef, potatoes, and carrots floating in the mixture.

“Benalish beef stew.” Arvad dipped a clean spoon into the stew and, cupping his hand under it, held it out to Millie. Without even thinking to take the spoon for themself, Millie leaned forward, savoring the taste of the stew on their tongue. It was hearty, flawlessly seasoned, and reminded them of their home in the Croger mountains. Millie’s eyes fluttered shut at a memory of their grandmother, standing at the stove as they studied, humming an odd tune.

They stepped back, and upon realizing what they’d done, Millie’s face became uncomfortably warm. Arvad was seemingly unfazed, placing the spoon in the sink, but there was a slight stiffness in his movements now. He glanced at Millie over his shoulder. “What did you think?”

“It’s wonderful. As always.” Millie glanced at their feet, trying not to think of how close they were to him, and how he’d given them a taste of the stew, his fingers so close to their face. “Why do you have me taste-test your food? You know it’s going to come out amazing.”

“I was worried about the spices I chose,” Arvad admitted.

“You don’t have to worry. You’re an excellent cook.”

“Thank you,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Millie was acutely aware of how close he was standing to them, the subtle scent of his cologne (“Even a vampire needs to smell nice,” he’d said), the shadow he cast on them as his imposing height blocked the low light in the kitchen. The warlock’s body felt warm in his presence.

The world saw a vampire. Millie saw… Arvad, the gentlest person they’d ever met. Their eyes caught on his soft belly, hanging over his belt slightly, and they quickly glanced away – but they were, admittedly, pleased that he wasn’t all-muscle, all-the-time. “Um. I should get going. I’ll set the table.”

“Alright. I’ll meet you out there in a bit.”

Millie shuffled out of the kitchen, their face beet red, heart thumping, and thoughts racing.

—

“Hey, how come Arvad lets you in the kitchen when he’s cooking?” Raff asked, setting his chin in his hand. He frowned deeply. “He always tells me to get out if I try to come in.”

“Are you casting spells while you’re in there?”

“That was one time!”

“So that’s the reason,” Millie replied, taking a bite of their sandwich. Arvad had prepared Raff and their sandwiches for the day; the warlock and the wizard were sent to retrieve spellcasting supplies while Jhoira, Shanna, Arvad, and Tiana spoke to Benalish officials about the crew’s next move. The youngest members of the Weatherlight had been a bit annoyed at being left behind, but ultimately, Millie didn’t mind. Raff was pleasant company. They were surprised to learn he was seven years their junior, as he was incredibly well-spoken and intelligent.

“That’s not the reason. He doesn’t want Shanna or Jhoira or Tiana in there, either,” Raff huffed. “I think he likes you.”

“Whatever,” Millie said, but they could feel heat creeping up their neck at the thought. Millie noticed that Raff’s sandwich was stacked with lettuce, tomatoes, and some kind of sauce. Their own sandwich was plain, with cheese and turkey.

Some time ago, Arvad had packed them a lunch with a vegetable filled sandwich; Millie had tried to stomach it out of politeness, but they barely got half of it down due to the textures. They’d never told Arvad they didn’t enjoy sandwiches like that.

He remembered.

“What’s so dreamy about turkey and cheese?” Raff asked, snapping Millie out of their thoughts.

“Nothing.” Millie glanced in the basket, where four cookies sat in a neat paper package. Oatmeal �� their favorite. A soft smile tugged at the corners of their lips.

“Thinking about your knight?”

“No…”

“You are!” Raff reached across the table and poked Millie’s arm. “You’re too easy to read! How come you don’t make a move?”

“It wouldn’t be…”

“Wouldn’t be what?”

“I don’t know.” Millie sighed. “I don’t want – well, if things ended up badly… the crew… I wouldn’t want to make things weird.”

“You worry too much.”

“Just trying to be practical.”

Raff reached into the basket to retrieve two cookies, wrinkling his nose. “Oatmeal? Yuck!” He handed them to Millie. “Here, take ‘em. I hate oatmeal.”

Millie blinked, then grinned.

—

“Ow,” Millie pulled their arm out of the blackberry brambles and examined the scratches flaring on their skin. Hot bright red welts danced across the ivory, and they winced. They’d left their witch-hazel back on the ship, of course – Millie had no idea they were allergic to the brambles. They sat back in the grass, considering their options. The warlock looked over at Arvad, then back at their splotchy arms and the angry contusions forming on their skin. Millie didn’t want him to be alone out here.

The things I do for love.

Millie reached into their side bag and found a few strips of cotton gauze, for emergency use. Gingerly, they wrapped their arms in the fabric, then set back into the blackberry bush. Their hands itched and burned, and their arms weren’t any better, but they endured, leaning further into the bush. A cluster of blackberries hovered just in front of their short, stubby fingers, taunting them. Millie canted into the bush, desperately trying to keep their face out of the thorns’ way. “C’mon… almoooooost… Damnit…”

“Millie.”

They yipped and nearly leapt from the grass, Arvad’s hand on their shoulder being the only thing keeping them on the ground. He knelt beside them, taking their hands in his. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were allergic.”

“Me neither,” they murmured with a defeated little chuckle. “Oh well. It’s nothing a good washing and some witch-hazel can’t fix.” They nodded to the bush. “There’s a really good cluster in there, but I can’t reach it. I wanted to get it before we left.”

“I think we have enough. But…” Arvad reached into the brush, squinting in the darkness. There was a snapping sound, and he pulled his hand out, blackberries in hand. “Here. You’re not allergic to the berries themselves, right?”

“Right.” Millie opened their hand, and Arvad dropped the berries into their open palm. “Thank you,” they said, and they popped the berries into their mouth. Juice dribbled down their chin, and Millie giggled despite themself, despite the burning and itching and the sensation of a bug crawling over their leg.

This was good.

Arvad smile – a true, beautiful, wonderful smile, and Millie’s heart ached. “You know,” he said, “I can’t eat real food anymore, but… it’s nice to watch others enjoy it.” His voice held a bittersweet quality as he spoke. “I’ll just live vicariously through you, when it comes to eating.”

“Is that why you’re always trying to fatten me up?” The warlock scowled. “Hey! Don’t snicker! I’ve gained thirty pounds!”

He laughed. Arvad never laughed, but he laughed for Millie. In spite of themself, they laughed, too.

The sun set, and the two walked back to the Weatherlight, itchy little hand in calloused hand.

[smoking-mousetrap]

One Day at a Thyme June Eighth

4: an unexpected encounter Seven of Clubs - Do some mending Seven of Spades - Thunderstorm

Day the Fourteenth of Greenstem A pair of trousers was worn through the knee, so I got out a housekeeping book to remind myself how to sew patches. I worked slowly, drinking a mug of tea with milk and warming spices. Thunder cracked and boomed outside. Rebecca came running in, with the old man, that boy of his, and Nicholas, who looked very affronted by the idea of getting wet. The boy looked out the window at the pouring rain, counting the time between lightning flashes. His father. Or whoever he is to him, sat with Rebecca at the table, and they talked about the latest news from elsewhere on the lane. I sat, and did my mending. Nicholas sat near me, almost like a curious cat. When I finished, I passed him the pair of trousers, and he took them gently and ran his thin fingers up and down, feeling the difference in texture between the original cloth and the patch.

I offered everyone tea and cookies and toast, but the old man wasn’t hungry, Rebecca had eaten at the neighbors’ house with the boy (before they’d all gone out on a walk), and Nicholas, well. I don’t know if he eats at all.

I had a lovely piece of toast with marmalade, and I got to hear all about the projects the neighbors were working on. They’re always doing something interesting. When the rain cleared up, a raven with bluish silver glistening in its wings landed on my windowsill and pecked at the window until the old man waved and the neighbors bustled out to go home.

It was good to see them. I’m glad they’re all doing well. They deserve a rest after all they’ve been through.

3: an unexpected encounter Six of Clubs - Take a walk Two of Spades - County Fair Ace of Diamonds - Skeleton key

Day the Sixteenth of Greenstem Rebecca and I walked through the woods, over the creek, and down some paths I could’ve sworn wound a different way a month ago, all to get to the summer opening of the county fair. We narrowly avoided getting splashed walking by the bumper boats. We went on one ride. We did not go on any more after that. In a little knicknack stand, we were persuaded to part with a good few jade coins for a skeleton key that, I am told, can open any lock. Upon further inspection, all the locks on the table were made to fit the key. I’m sure the key will open something, sooner or later. Afterwards, we walked back home. Up the paths that had the decency to stay the same this time, over the creek, and back through the woods. We opened the door with the skeleton key, on a whim. It worked!

I hung the key from a piece of driftwood over the mirror in the front hall, and we agreed that the next time one of us went on a Noble Adventure, we would remember to take it. I suggested that we offer it to Millie. We came home with candy and fried food, and had a little meal of it at the kitchen table.

The fair is open for a week or two, so we’ll definitely come back before it’s over.

[alphareleasemedia]

Daily Drabbles for 11/21/24 - 11/25/24

11/21/24 Milly helped herself to another cookie. There were baked goods of all kinds on the table, from pies, to cakes, to pastries, yet Milly couldn't stop herself from coming back to the chocolate chip cookies over and over again. In her defense they were the best chocolate chip cookies she had ever had. Milly had never been much for cakes, she always found them too dry. And she wasn't the biggest fan of fruit, there were only a few she could tolerate, and even less she liked baked into various kinds of desserts. Chocolate chip cookies were simply the best.

11/22/24 Nate held very still. There was an excited dog doing zoomies around his feet and he was holding a plate full of food in one hand and a drink in another. One wrong move and it would all come crashing down. Which would only make the dog even more excited. Durango had gotten it in his head that whenever someone was eating chicken some of it would go to him. Nate had never done anything to encourage this belief, but Aubrey couldn't help herself. As soon as Durango got excited she just had to give him a piece of chicken.

11/23/24 Oscar drummed his fingers on the table as he stared out the window at the passing scenery. He'd gotten tired of the loud chatter back in the compartment and had moved to the dining car to be by himself, but now he was just bored. There were a few other people in the dining car, but thankfully they were keeping quiet, only talking in hushed tones. The sun had finally climbed above the horizon, but the lights in the train were still on. Oscar's face reflected back at him as he stared out the window, his expression dull and vacant.

11/24/24 Pipa swiveled her straw around in her cup to pick up the last bits of her chocolate milkshake. Siri had taken the lid off of her strawberry milkshake and had tilted the cup back to dump the rest of her shake in her mouth. Pipa pulled the lid off her own shake to check if she missed anything, but the cup was empty. Pipa sucked on the end of her straw to get the very last drops of her shake. Siri slammed her empty cup on the table and belched loudly. She had a pink milkshake mustache above her lip.

11/25/24 Quinn scooped up a handful of snow and packed it together tightly into a ball. Darren was busily rolling up the base for a snowman and completely oblivious to what Quinn was doing. She quietly stalked forward towards Darren as he got the large ball of snow situated how he wanted it. When she was a few feet from him Quinn stopped and waited, holding her arm at the ready to throw the second that Darren turned around. He took his time, but finally he did stand up straight and spin around. Quinn's snowball hit him square in the face.