#National Culinary Team

[magics-neptunes-things]

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Hi guys!

This new chapter is a little bit more angsty but also very sweet 😇

Please enjoy!

TW : Injury, nightmares, mention of bad past, angst.

PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4 I PART 5 | PART 7

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You didn’t give Alessia all the reasons for your nightmares, not because you don’t trust her, but because you don’t want to put her in front of the darkness of some people. When you see her the next morning for breakfast, Leah singing in the shower, it was without daring to look at her that you spoke.

"Less?"

"Mhm?"

Lost in her thoughts until now, the blonde looked up at you. You are leaning against the island of your kitchen while Alessia is seated at the table. You are never very in talking much in the morning, both needing time to wake up.

"You know, for last night…"

"You don’t have to explain anything to me" Alessia kindly assured you with a smile. "It’s okay"

"I know" you answered with a slight smile back. "It’s just that sometimes my dreams are a little too realistic. Things have happened in my past, but… well, you know."

It’s a very awkward explanation, but the blonde didn’t seem to want to hold it against you.

"And thank you, for staying and being there for me" you mutter shyly.

"You would have done the same for me"

The calm, safe tone that Alessia used made you look up at her. She’s not wrong, obviously.

"Yeah. I know you already have your share of best friends, but I’m happy with the place you’re taking in my life. You’re more like a sister to me than a simple friend"

Alessia’s chair rattles on the floor when she gets up, something that would have made you moan in everyday life. But since it’s to offer you one of her biggest teddy bear hugs, you don’t take the time to scold her, choosing to hug her back.

"I love you too" she whispers affectionately, rubbing your back.

Even if it’s not exactly what you told her, you understand the message and you hug her back even harder. That’s when Leah showed up in the kitchen, ready for today’s game.

"Molesting my girlfriend again, Russo?"

********

You and Leah are in the restaurant face to face when you talk about the subject that has been bothering you for a few days. It’s not a huge stress, but you’re wondering how to approach it, fearing a negative response from Leah.

The evening is going well, you have already come twice to this restaurant and each time you liked it very much. The choices are not multiple, but there is enough to satisfy your cravings for culinary discoveries and the list of foods rather restraint tolerated by Leah. The blonde is breathtaking in her outfit, once again, and you are happy to see that she made this clothing effort just for you.

It’s at dessert that you finally broach the subject, swinging nervously on your chair.

"Besides, I was wondering… do you have any plans while I’m away?"

You are called to training camps for the national team, Norway having to pass the play-offs to qualify for the next competition. With England already being on, Leah is kind of on vacation next week.

"No, not really. Probably spending time with my family, seeing Alex… that kind of things. Why?"

Leah looks at you curiously over her ice cream and you play mechanically with your spoon and a piece of cake.

"Would you like to come with me?"

"In Norway?"

You nod at her, without daring to look at her. The only time you offered it to Alina, she laughed and asked what the hell she would do there. You may not have chosen the best time since it was in summer and most people prefer to fly somewhere warm, but still.

"I thought I could show you some places I like and grew up in. And my parents have really wanted to meet you, since I’ve been talking to them about you. You can say no, if you don’t want to. There is no pressure and I will understand."

Leah’s hand gently settles on yours, making you look up at it immediately and stop your rambling.

"I'll come with pleasure Honey."

The simple answer makes you feel so relieved that you feel like your anxiety is deflating like a balloon.

"Yeah?"

"Of course"

"Awesome"

You can’t mask your smile, which makes Leah laugh softly. Her hand gets loose from yours when she starts eating her ice cream again, but you don’t take it personally. You have neither confirmed nor denied the rumors of relationship between you, preferring to live your story day by day. Plus, who are you against a mint chocolate chips ice cream?

Leah asks you what kind of clothes she needs to take and you laugh when she pouts when she learns the temperature differences between London, Oslo and your hometown. You have already spoken to her several times about your parents and she doesn’t seem otherwise stressed at the idea of meeting them. She’s right, you know your parents are going to love her very much. You’ve been working on it for a long time now anyway.

"Oh and there will surely be Mapi with Ingrid too" you inform Leah with a little amused smile.

"Excuse me?"

********

A few days later, you are on the plane to Norway, with some of your compatriots but especially Leah. You have another flight of a few hours to reach Tromsø, where you lived and grew up until you were stupid enough to want to run away with your first girlfriend to a bigger city. Having met her on the Internet, you have no memories with her in this city, which pleased Leah rather well. It’s not exactly the same for Oslo, but we’ll talk about it later.

Your parents, delighted to have their only child for a few days, have both picked you up at the airport. If Leah hasn’t been stressed in the last few days, she seems to have skyrocketed in the last half hour and the blonde didn’t stop talking for a single second. It made you laugh, but remembering how stressed you were when you officially met Leah’s relatives, you patiently answered each of her questions.

"It’s going to be ok Babe" you smile when you see her playing nervously with the tag of her suitcase while waiting to pass the security.

Since you are behind her, you step forward to put a kiss just behind her ear and you smile as you feel her letting her go against you. In recent days, it was rather her role to reassure you, the blonde fearing that your nightmares came back constantly. That hasn’t been the case, but Leah’s increased attention to you hasn’t been unpleasant. Especially because it means you get even more hugs and kisses than usual.

You have one of the biggest hug from both of your parents at the same time, before detaching from them to turn to Leah and make the introductions. As you might have guessed, the first contact is more than successful. Your parents speak English very well, which is lucky. Leah speaks a few words of Norwegian that you taught her, but she might not be able to have an ongoing conversation in that language.

On the way home, your parents ask you about the trip and your level of fatigue. If you slept during the first flight, the second not. They also inquire about what you are planning to show Leah over the next few days, also informing you that they are planning a dinner with some of your family members. Your cousin will come to see you play in Oslo too, this will allow Leah to meet her before finding herself with her in the stands of the football stadium. Your parents will be there too.

Dinner goes well (you made sure to give your mother the list of things Leah eats) and the kindness of your parents seem to help Leah relax quickly. You show her the house of your childhood, finding your bedroom that you had at the time.

It's a fairly simple room whose only large window overlooks your garden. Your double bed is glued against the back wall in the middle of the wall with your collection of stuffed animals. Your black carpet on which you have spilled paint hundreds of times above is at the feet of it, giving in your opinion an artistic touch to the latter. There are old trophies you won with your football teams on a shelf, a desk full of memories and useless things in its drawers and dozens of photos hanging on the wall.

"Is that you?" laughs Leah as she approaches the photos on one of your bedroom walls, picturing you behind your first birthday cake.

"No, that's the neighbor" you answer with a grin.

Leah laughs again and you let her discover your room quietly, taking the opportunity to join the bathroom adjoining your room to change and refresh a little. You see Leah entering the bathroom too from the mirror, which allows you not to jump when she sticks to you to put kisses on your cheek.

"How are you feeling?" you ask the pretty blonde.

"Good. Your parents are adorable, but it’s not surprising when you see their daughter" Leah says maliciously.

You roll your eyes and close the water tape, then turn in her arms to put your arms around her neck. That’s all Leah needed to put her head on your neck and put some kisses in it.

"What about you?" she asks between two of her kisses.

"I’m glad you’re here" you smile.

********

The next two days were spent in Leah discovering your hometown, your favorite places and different members of your family. As you would expect, Leah are doing perfectly well in the setting, getting along wonderfully with everyone. Despite the difficulty of the language sometimes, but you gladly play the interpreters between the two different worlds. Only the cold seems to be a bit of a problem for Leah, but you are in the very north of Norway, even further north than if you were in Iceland.

One day before the day set by the Norwegian federation, you fly back to Oslo. You managed to get a room for Leah in the same hotel where your team is staying and you’re counting on your family to keep Leah busy during practice. You don’t know yet whether you’ll be able to slip into her room at night, but you’ll see. For the moment you share the hotel room with Leah and it suits you very well like that.

While waiting for the gathering, you show Oslo to Leah and you have an appointment for lunch with Ingrid and Mapi. The idea that the two blondes meet makes you laugh a lot and you know that it’s the same thing for Ingrid.

"Does she speak English?" asks Leah as you join the restaurant where you are supposed to meet.

"She understands it very well but answers Ingrid in Spanish. But I'm talking English with her, even if she speaks great Norwegian. Anyway, I never had any problems communicating with her."

Leah drops a little grunt as a simple answer and you roll your eyes. You managed to get from Leah that this tension would have been born since the elimination of Spain during the Euro, which is in your opinion a little futile.

"You’d better pass over. Ona and Lucy don’t seem to have this problem" you noted with amusement.

"Don’t count on me to coo with Maria Leon" grumbled at Leah.

"I don’t ask that much" you laughed before changing the subject.

You are the first arrivals and you inform Ingrid of your presence once seated at the table. Leah asks you some more questions about the city, which you answer with pleasure, happy to see your girlfriend take so much interest in your native country.

A few minutes later Ingrid and Mapi arrive, and you get up to greet them, imitated by Leah.

(The words in italics are in Norwegian but for the good of all I have not translated them)

"It’s good to see you" Ingrid smiles, hugging you before looking at you. "You look good."

"It’s fresh Norwegian air" you joke, before resuming in English. "Ingrid, this is Leah. Leah, this is Ingrid."

You let your best friend greet Leah, knowing your girlfriend is in good hands when you hear Ingrid greet Leah in a joyful tone. You turn towards Mapi, to whom you also give a hug. You then turn to Leah to redo the presentations, between Mapi and her this time. The exchange is a little more tense than with Ingrid and you roll your eyes when you see them shaking hands, but it’s already that.

The conversations finally go very well, even if Ingrid and you are very often the ones who link things. Leah’s hand settled right at the beginning of the meal naturally on your knee and you didn’t hesitate to interlace your fingers.

After the meal, you decide to take advantage of the mild weather (the term makes Mapi snorts) to go for a walk a little more. You know you’ll see Ingrid again in the next few days, but if your respective girlfriends can get along well and discover commonalities, why not.

"Hot chocolate?" offers Ingrid when you walk past a hot drink stand to take away.

"I’m coming to help you" you tell Ingrid, dropping Leah’s hand to follow her to the booth.

"I like her" immediately announces Ingrid in line to get your drinks. "You did well about listen to yourself"

You smile softly, your chaotic beginnings being far behind you now. Well, only a few months but a lot has already happened between you and you feel so good with the blonde that you have the impression that all this is far behind you.

"She’s great, really" you answer always smiling.

"And you look so happy" Ingrid adds without leaving your face with her eyes.

"I am" you confirm sincerely.

You have no trouble supporting Ingrid’s inquisitive gaze, which nods with her smile. You don’t have to add anything to convince her, but she will tell you a little later that she already was just by hearing you on the phone.

"Look at them" you laugh softly pointing at your two blondes.

Ingrid follows your gaze on Leah and Mapi, both talking from the tip of their lips at eachother as if they were afraid of being seen by someone. The scene seems to amuse Ingrid as much as you since she also laughs before it’s your turn to order.

Your return is greeted with a big smile on both sides and if Leah isn't begged to recover her hot chocoalt, she also doesn’t hesitate to put her arm around your waist. There are fewer people on the streets of Oslo than in London, but if Leah is spotted in the stands of your next match, people will probably quickly draw the right conclusions.

It’s finally in the late afternoon that you say goodbye to the couple who must join Ingrid’s family for dinner. You propose to Leah to show her the citadel, the nightfall offering you magnificent colors. Leah graciously accepts when you ask her to take pictures together before you return to the hotel.

It’s on the way back that your eyes are hung by a shop front that you know rather well. Your glance is noticed very quickly by Leah, who slows down a little. She understands very quickly.

"Do you mind if we say hello?" you ask Leah.

She seems to hesitate a little and you gently tighten her fingers in yours, trying to make her understand that you will respect her answer regardless of her nature.

"I guess" she finally answers, shrugging her shoulders.

You drag her to the tattoo shop, the doorbell ringing when you open it. It hasn’t changed much since the last time you came, except that other drawings were added to the wall. Leah quickly spots your signed football shirt on the wall.

"Y/N"

Leah’s eyes follow the sound of the voice to fall on a young woman of your age, whom she hadn’t seen. The girl gets up from the desk behind which she was half hiding, resting the pencil she had in her hand to come to you. Well, right up to you because she’s hugging you for a warm embrace. What annoys Leah a little, she was often talked about Spanish and their tactile side but she was never warned that in Norway we also went without stopping touching her girlfriend.

"I didn’t expect to see you! How are you?"

"I’m fine" you answer with a smile, casually getting out of her arms to introduce Leah.

You slide an arm in the hollow of her back to advance her to your height, resuming in English.

"Nora, this is Leah. My girlfriend."

If the blonde couldn’t help but feel a touch of jealousy, she can only smile when seeing the smile and the pride with which you designate her. Finally the ball is put back in the center quickly, she thinks, before extending her hand to the tattooist to greet her.

"I don’t speak good English" Nora apologizes to Leah.

After your blonde assured her that it was fine like this, Nora’s attention turns to you and you exchange your latest news. You didn’t lie to Leah, you didn’t have any recent contacts, the jersey she hung on her living room wall was from the last international game you played before moving to Manchester. Leah quickly notices this by paying more attention to the frame. She also realizes that a photo of you and your tattoo are displayed just below, under your jersey.

What she doesn’t appreciate is the affectionate tone with which Nora seems to talk to you. Leah therefore takes care not to let go of your hand for a single second during your exchange.

"Does she know about us?" asks curiously Nora after a few minutes.

As if she had understood that you were talking about her, Leah looks away from the photos of tattoos displayed on the wall to report her attention on you two. You smile at her before you answer Nora.

"Yes. I don’t think there’s much she doesn’t know about me" you answer honestly and shrug your shoulders.

You are interrupted by another couple of clients entering the establishment and Nora apologizes for taking care of them, letting you drag Leah a little back from the entrance.

"If you tell me that it’s on her tattoo table that you did your disgusting business, I’ll burn the store" whispers Leah from the corner of her lips.

You laugh softly as you hear her, glancing at her in astonishment. You did notice Leah’s touch of jealousy at first, but there was nothing special about the rest of your conversation.

"This isn't where we did our disgusting business, likeyou say" you smile and roll your eyes. "You can calm your inflammatory tendencies. Plus, I have done way more disgusting things with you, Williamson."

"Not if she keeps looking at you like she does" the blonde grumbled, ignoring the second part of your sentence.

"Don’t be jealous" you say while tiptoeing to put a kiss on her cheek.

"You slept with her"

"It was a long time ago. I find the best one since"

"Hm."

You roll your eyes one more time and you cross her eyes without letting go of your smile. Leah ends up not being able to hold her smile and you deposit a new kiss, on the corner of her lips this time.

********

A few hours later, in your hotel room, you find yourself awake very early in the morning. Which is surprising since usually Leah almost have to push you out of bed. When you look at the time on your phone, you realize it’s barely 5:00 in the morning. And no matter how hard you try to go back to sleep, you can’t. Your mind flies over the different places in Oslo that you visited with Leah.

And the part that you’ve carefully avoided, afraid of running into Helena. You don’t know if she still lives here, you don’t know what happened to her either. But you could still find the house in which she lives (lived?) very easily. Without giving yourself too much time to think, you end up getting out of bed by taking all the precautions to not wake Leah. You dress quickly and before looking for what drives you to do this, you find yourself in the streets of Oslo in the direction of Helena’s house.

As you expected, you quickly find the way to this place that you hate more than anything. The lights are on upstairs and you take care not to being visible from where you are. With the day beginning to rise, you can observe the garden and see that it is still poorly maintained. The walls are even more decrepit than before and when a silhouette passes in front of the window without curtains you suddenly freeze.

It’s her.

But, unlike the last times you saw her, you didn’t feel the terror that inhabited you in her presence. Which is intriguing and difficult for you to understand. Then, finally, you realize that you don’t care. You can’t say that you don’t feel any negative emotions when you think about her, but you don’t care what she’s become.

On the other hand, thinking about the panic that Leah could feel if she wakes up without seeing you by her side makes you retrace your steps.

Leah is still asleep when you find your hotel room, but she quickly starts moving as soon as you get rid of your shoes and coat. You get back on the bed and put a hand in her hair, only now realizing your body temperature difference.

"Your hands are freezing" Leah complains, shivering, trying to stick against you probably to regain a little warmth.

"I'm sorry" you mumble while laying a kiss on the top of her head.

It only takes a few seconds for Leah to realize that you are no longer wearing your pajamas, stepping back to better observe you. Her eyebrows are frowned when she looks at your clothes and her eyes are uncertain when she rises on yours.

"Where did you go?"

"I went to Helena’s"

You didn’t hesitate a second to tell her the truth, but you flinch when you see Leah's face drops.

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing. It’s okay Babe"

But Leah doesn’t seem convinced and even seems to have trouble understanding what pushed you to go there. And honestly, you wouldn’t be able to explain why either. Actually, you recognize a little of panic in her eyes and in her voice when she talks again.

"Did you talk to her?"

"No" you answer by shaking your head, taking her hand in yours to play with her fingers. "I didn’t see her either, just out the window. Nothing changed there, it’s still creepy and poorly maintained."

"Why didn’t you ask me to come with you? If something had happened to you, I wouldn’t have even known where to get you Y/N, you’re completely unconscious"

"Leah stop, I’m fine"

Leah looks at you with a skeptical air before suddenly drawing you against her by mumbling things far too quickly and too low for you to understand something. But you let her do it, pressing your face on her chest and letting your hands slide on her arms.

"Never do that again. Never leave without telling me where you're going."

"Promise" you sigh softly, lulled by the beating of her heart and her arms around you.

"No sleeping now" Leah grumble while tickling your ribs.

"Leah" you moan, wriggling on her to avoid her fingers.

"I’m serious Y/N. If anything happened to you…"

You quickly understand that under her grumpy air, there is also a great deal of concern. So you hurry up to look at her. It will be necessary to quickly clarify your ideas to try to make her understand what you have done.

"Nothing will happen to me, Babe. I think I just needed to see this place again to realize where I am now. To realize how far I’ve come since. And to realize how lucky I am, too."

"It has nothing to do with luck. You’ve worked a lot to get where you are" Leah says, finally relaxing a bit.

"I wasn’t just talking about football" you point out with a smirk. "But the beautiful blonde in my bed, too."

Leah laughs while hearing you and you take advantage of her change of mood to deposit several kisses on her face, in the hollow of her neck and about every square centimeter of her skin that you can reach.

********

The match being important, the training camps were rather harsh and severe. You get up early in the morning to have breakfast with the team before going to train until lunch. A short walk through Oslo follows to relax before resuming training for the afternoon. In the late afternoon you have either physical strengthening or other activities such as swimming pool or other things that are supposed to increase your chances of winning.

Needless to say, when you return to your room at night, you are exhausted. Luckily Leah continues to discover Norway with your parents or cousin, or all three, which doesn’t make you feel too guilty for bringing her here without being able to take full care of her. The team is staying in the same hotel, three floors below Leah’s room. You managed to sneak into Leah’s room several times during the stay, regaining the comfort and benefits of her arms.

The massages and baths she offers you are much more pleasant than the care provided by the team caregivers, we will not lie.

The day of the game comes quickly and you learn that you will be part of the eleven players of the beginning of the game. You play against Italy, a team that you don’t know too well but that has shown its qualities many times. You are not extremely confident, but as you have nothing to lose it’s with some form of conviction that you join the field.

The stadium is pretty full and when you listen to the Italian national anthem, you look for Leah in the family area. You can’t help but smile when you see her, even if you quickly realize that she put on a Norway team jersey over her jacket. When she realizes that you are looking at her, she turns around before pointing to the back of the jersey. If you can’t read the name from where you are, you have no problem recognizing the number. And it’s yours.

"If that’s not dedication" mumbles Guro next to you with an amused smile.

You give her a quick look in turn, before greeting the Italian players who parade in front of you. You spotted Mapi a few rows above Leah and your family in the bleachers, all also dressed in a Norwegian jersey.

As you might have guessed, the game is physical and tactfully hard. Italy play in a rather rough way, each time flirting with the limit of the yellow card. So you find yourself quite often on the ground and it starts hitting on your nerves from the middle of the first half. You swear in Norwegian when the referee whistles after another tackle against you, accepting Ingrid’s hand to help you get up.

"Don’t let them get in your head, that’s exactly what they want. Stay focus." Ingrid tells you before joining the players standing close to the goal to try and get the free kick to the bottom of the net.

In Arsenal, it’s Katie who shoots the free kicks, but in the Norway team, it’s you who does it. You have been watching her a lot over the last few months, her kick and the precision she shows have always given you a lot of admiration. Even when you played her in Manchester City. Trying to remember the advices she gave you over time, you exhale before you step out of the ball to hit it.

You have the impression that it flies in slow motion, before finding the head of Vilde Bøe Risa and finishing at the bottom of the nets. The shouts of the crowd suddenly resound and you quickly join the rest of your teammates to celebrate the goal. You smile when you feel a few of them tapping on the head to congratulate yourself, returning to your place to allow the match to resume. When you look towards Leah, you can only smile when she raises her thumb in your direction.

It’s only with a small advantage on the counter that you find the changing rooms, but as your coach says, it’s better than nothing. You take advantage of the warmth of the changing rooms to warm up a little, accompanied by a hot tea. When you find the ground fifteen minutes later, the cold is still present but it seems to you less unpleasant.

Italy manages to equalize at the sixtieth minute, but thanks to a good pass from Ingrid you manage to allow Norway to regain the advantage about ten minutes later. The tension is palpable as the minutes pass the contacts become even more brutal than before.

And what was to happen happened.

It’s in the eighty-eighth minutes that you are again launched towards the goal.

You know that if you manage to score, it will definitely qualify your team. So you try to ignore your painful muscles and the different bruises that will definitely mark your body in a few hours to move away at full speed towards the opposing goalkeeper.

You only have one opponent to eliminate to get there, but she seems determined not to let you pass. The tackle you undergo is far from clean, your leg gripped in pincers between her two, emiting a sinister crack when you fall back on the ground.

The pain is immediate and so intense that you cannot hold back a real cry of pain. With your face leaning against the grass, you try to grab your leg to try to reduce the pain but you release it quickly when you understand your mistake. You’re in such pain that you can’t figure out exactly where you’re hurt.

Above you, an argument quickly broke out between several of your teammates and the player responsible for the tackle. The medical team is quickly at your side and you can’t help but push their hands when they start examining your leg.

"Don’t touch me" you beg by turning on your back.

Mixed up in the argument, Ingrid ends up shifting her attention to you by hearing the talking you have with the doctors. When she kneels beside you, one of the doctors quickly asks her to hold your hands to let them work. Ingrid obeys, letting you grab her hands as hard as you can.

Your best friend looks up at the family stands in front of you. She can therefore see that Leah has left her seat and moved as close to the field as possible, seeking to see as best as possible what is happening. Her face is twisted by worry, but what surprises Ingrid above all is to see that Mapi joined her and put a hand probably supposed to be comforting on Leah’s shoulder.

At their side, your parents and your cousin don’t seem to be particularly comfortable either.

Her eyes then rest on you when you are given morphine, before transferring to a stretcher. You leave the field under applause, but the pain and fear of the reality of your injury don’t allow you to appreciate them. Stretcher movements give you intense pain and you have to bite your hands so you don’t scream again. It’s a real relief when morphine finally takes effect some minutes after.

On the field, the end of the game is quickly whistled after the incident. When Ingrid joins her family and yours, she hugs Mapi while being having to answer hundred questions from your parents.

"Is it her ACL?" is the only question Leah asks.

"I don’t know" sighs Ingrid shaking her head, always in Mapi's arms. "She was... She wasn't able to say where exactly her pain was. I can try to get you into the locker room and infirmary if she hasn’t already left for the hospital. But maybe not everyone."

"Go ahead, Leah" your mother replies almost immediately, tapping on the blonde’s shoulder.

Leah hesitates for a split second, not wanting to interfere with the needs and desires of her in-laws. But one look at your father is enough to convince her and she skillfully jumps over the fence.

Ingrid trains her more or less discreetly towards the tunnel to reach the inside of the stadium, exchanging only a few words with your national coach in Norwegian. Obviously Leah doesn't understand a word of it, she only has in mind to be able to find you and know what you have.

Only a few dozen minutes have passed since the shock and your injury, but it seems to you that it's rather long hours. Despite the morphine, you continue to feel spikes of pain. You have never felt such intense pain and you find yourself having to focus on the painting of the ceiling to not lose consciousness.

After three knocks against the door, it opens slowly, letting your best friend and girlfriend pass.

"Leah" you manage to croak and she rushes towards you.

One of her hand squeezes your hand and the other gently caresses your hair while her eyes search for yours.

"What did they say?" Leah asks

"Nothing" you admit pitifully "They were waiting for morphine to take effect, it was hurting to much until now"

Speaking of which, you see two doctors come back inside the room and Ingrid slips away without having laid a kiss on your forehead. And after getting Leah’s promise to keep her informed.

Some new swearing in Norwegian escapes from your lips when they start auscultating you, Leah mentally promises herself to ask you about it in a few days. But right now she’s too busy sympathizing with your pain and looking for a way to turn you away from what’s happening.

"Did we win at least?"

"Yeah. 2-1. You were amazing by the way, we’re gonna have to fight to keep you at Arsenal if you keep playing that well."

You roll your eyes but you are quickly brought to the heart of the matter by the main doctor. He speaks Norwegian, so you have to translate it to Leah.

"What did he say?"

"He thinks it’s a fracture. They’ll transfer me to the hospital."

"At least it’s not your ACL" Leah sighs of relief.

You grimace before addressing the doctor again, asking if it's possible that someone could bring the things you left in the locker room.

Ingrid brings them to you, already changed and showered when she appears. Your parents, your cousin and Mapi follow her. All these people are not allowed to follow you to the hospital, but you reassure them as much as possible. You promise once again to keep them informed and you kiss them before going to the ambulance. Quickly realizing that it's impossible to put your foot on the ground or even hop while holding on to Leah, you are pushed on a bed to the vehicle.

Arriving at the hospital, you enjoy being able to wash yourself, with the precious help of Leah. You sigh with despair when you have to put on one of these hospital gowns, but this gives you the right to have access to a room and it's always more pleasant than the ambient noise of the reception of the emergency.

You leave Leah for a few moments to go for the scanner and she's eating the vanilla pudding of your meal tray when you come back.

"You hate vanilla" she exclaims for an excuse with an innocent face when you look at her with an half amused-half severe smile.

It also turns out that this is the only food that the blonde likes on what is offered on this set. You eat without much conviction under the insistence of Leah, the blonde certifying that she promised your mother to take care of you and that it begins by ensuring that you eat properly.

You both doze off when the doctors come back with your test results, you on your bed and Leah in a chair next to you. The blonde stubbornly refused to lie next to you despite your insistence, being too afraid to hurt you.

Leah’s frustration is at its height when you are given information in your native language, not understanding any of the words spoken. There is no similarity between these two languages and she wonders how you learned to speak English so well under these conditions.

"So?" she asks barely a second after the doctor has finished talking.

"Tibial tray fracture" you mumble

"Do you need surgery?"

You shake your head negatively, a little stunned by all this. You are interrupted by the doctor who tells you a few more words before leaving the room, shaking your hand then Leah's.

********

The night at the hospital was complicated for you, apart from the pain that kept you awake for many hours, you had to be taken away so that they put a cast that you will have to keep for a few weeks, before changing it for a splint. The only time you got your smile back was when you could choose the color of your blast.

"Red" you answered without hesitation.

"Red?" Leah asked when she saw the nurses preparing the mixture.

"If I have to stay stuck in the bleachers for a few weeks, I might as well match the colors of Arsenal"

You shrugged, trying to hide your sadness from this idea. Leah went through a lot more difficult than that and you don’t want to impose your moods on her. But she seems to have perfected her ability to read your thoughts since she immediately raised your face gently for you to look at her.

"Oh no, not that. You have the right to be sad, you have the right to be angry and you have the right to blame the whole world. But you don’t have the right to shut yourself up and not talk about how you feel. You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather confide to Less or someone else, but don’t shut yourself. Please."

Throat knotted, you couldn’t say anything, so you just nodded. That was enough for Leah who laid a tender kiss on your cheek.

"And you can count on me to be there every step of the way"

"I know" you smiled softly

With you and Leah not leaving until two days later, you mostly stayed in your hotel room after leaving the hospital. You have been busy for a long time with the various calls and messages you have received from many of your relatives. Instead of calling you once a week, your mother called you every day. And of course you got calls from Ingrid, Leila, Laia, Alessia (who in the meantime changed her name in your phone by Sis ✨), Katie and finally almost all of Arsenal.

"Nice free kick" told you Katie when she called you via FaceTime "I will have competition to take it at Arsenal, it’s good."

When you flew back to London and you’ve never been happier living in an elevator building. All that remains is to hope that it doesn’t break down for the next six weeks, when you can apparently start walking again without having the leg immobilized.

Leah will keep her promise to not to leave you alone for the slightest minute as she will establish a whole program with the club’s doctors so that your rehabilitation and the strengthening exercises you have to do will be planned at exactly the same times as the workouts of the others. When you’re not at Arsenal facilities, you are at home with her.

And on game days, you watch them play. The next match is against Aston Villa and you regret a little not participating in the game alongside Leah. Being able to beat the team in which your two exes evolve is a little too interesting idea for you, but it will wait next time. Meanwhile, you just follow Leah with your eyes, carefully studying Jordan’s behavior towards her.

Arsenal wins hands down and even if you are disappointed not to play with your team, you are very proud of your teammates. At the end of the match, you follow Lia who was replaced towards the end of the match on the field with your crutches, struggling a little because of the slippery ground. But you quickly reach the height of Alessia that you take in your arms to congratulate her on the goal she scored.

You’re having a hard time finding Leah in the crowd of players and you can’t help but get a little nervous about Jordan getting her before you. It’s however Katie who turns you away from this idea when she suddenly arrives behind you to lift you and begin to carry you like a bride.

"Let go of me, you maniac" you laugh when you see her starting a lap without letting you go.

"Why? Show everyone your cast!"

During one of the lunch breaks, her and Leah worked hard to reproduce the Arsenal logo on your cast and they are both very proud of their work. Your cast also has the names of all your teammates, a cat drawning made by Viv supposed to represent Raven, flowers made by Alessia and an Australian flag made by Kyra.

You roll your eyes, your arms around Katie's neck to stabilize you.

"Uh, the other way please" you mumble realizing that Lia is now exchanging a few words with Alina, right in the direction that Katie is going.

"Oops."

The Irish changes direction, only so that you find yourself facing Leah who looks at you both with fun.

"Can you give me back my girlfriend now please?"

"Dunno. I like her" Katie tease Leah as she tighten you up against her.

"I’m here too, by the way"

You see Caitlin waving her arm with a big smile a few meters from you, making the three of you laugh. When Katie finally puts you down, Leah beckons you to climb on her back, making you frown.

"People are gonna think this is weird, no?"

"Leah was in the stands of your last game with a jersey named after you. What would be weird is that they haven’t figured it out yet" Manu, who joined you, says.

"She’s right" Leah shrugged. "And at worst, we don’t care?"

Since the blonde doesn’t seem to see the slightest inconvenience, you don’t make yourself pray any longer. Leaning on her shoulders, you jump on her back, Leah passing her arms under your thighs so she can carry you properly. You greet the crowd from time to time when you hear your name, talking about everything and nothing with Leah and your teammates.

"So, we don't care right?" You ask Leah after a few minutes.

"Yes, why?"

You’re not answering her question. Instead, you lean over her and kiss her cheek, then the corner of her lips when she turns her head towards you. She grins and you grin back at her.

"Hard launch" Caitlin sings, her arm around Katie's waist.

"Yeah, you're the one to talk" Leah laughs while looking at them.

You didn’t see Jordan after the game and when you ask Alessia a little after, she will tell you that she actually went back to the locker room almost right after the whistle. It probably means to you that seeing you with Leah is difficult for her, probably confirming your theory. But the photos you see on social media a little later, while you are peacefully lying in Leah’s arms in your bed, could alone confirm that the blonde has indeed moved on.

The way she looks at you on those pictures gives you butterflies in your stomach and a wave of affection for her. Leah will only have two seconds to understand what happens to her when you drop your phone on the mattress to go up for her lips and kiss her passionately. She’s yours.

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

Being Karasuno’s Manager

🧁🍩Miss Manager loves to Bake 🍪 🍰

Karasuno featuring Seijoh x female! manager (she/her pronouns)

Warnings: pure fluff

AN: This is probably the cutest anon request ever 🥹

Let me just say this

Kageyama might be “king of the court” but YN is “Queen of Karasuno” 👸

Honestly these boys absolutely worship you

Literally, they act as if they don’t have three managers

They literally will lay down in a puddle of mud while you step on them

Will do the above 👆 for any of their three managers

But you, you my love are super special to our boys

Why you ask?

Well it’s because you provide them with nutrients to survive 😌

That’s right, your love of baking and the fine art of culinary creations only helps you out with our beloved crows

You’ve learned to cater to all their needs

Filling recipes with top tier ingredients for success

Things like fruits, nuts, and even sneaking some veggies in there

Like zucchini bread or carrot cake

Listen, even if it’s in a desert, it still counts as a fruit or veggie

I don’t want to hear “tHe SuGaR cAnCeLs It OuT”

Because like these boys need the sugar to run and jump all over the place ok 🤚🏻

You bake almost daily as a form of stress release and therapy

Please you need it with the team you manage 🙄

And you always bring in the treats for the boys!

And they ALWAYS eat them up

“These are fantastic Yn what are they called?” Hinata asks

“They are Fudgy Pumpkin Brownie bites! It’s a new recipe!” You exclaim as Kageyama and Noya go in for thirds

“You fit a whole pumpkin in here Yn?!?” Hinata : D

You 👉🏻😐

“I think she means that there is pumpkin in the recipe not one per bite,” Ennoshita explains

I never claimed they were smart Yn

Anyways, you are always there to help our precious boys fill their bellies

You are in charge of snacks for games and practice, often finding joy in everything you do

So when the prelims for the road to spring nationals start, you are busy whipping up some goodies

You bake the entire weekend before, preparing for every possible scenario

Protein muffins for in between matches

Chocolate chip cookies for after they win matches

You even prepare some of your famous Strawberry shortcake cookies just incase the boys happen to lose

Not that we think they will, don’t get me wrong but it’s always nice to be prepared

Anyways, the prelims start and Karasuno dominates

Like, did we really thinking they wouldn’t 💅

Anyways, tensions run high as the boys go into their match with Seijoh

You remember the first time they fought against Seijoh and how the loss crushed them

But fueled up on your high-protein muffins, these boys are ready to kick butt!

And kick butt they do!

They beat Seijoh and prepare to meet Shiratorizawa in the finals

After the game, you notice how upset Seijoh is after their loss

You knew this was the third years last tournament and seeing them cry hurt

You thought about if it was your boys

And with that, there was only one thing left to do

So you pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a little note and stuck it in the box of cookies

As your team was preparing to leave, you grabbed your box of Strawberry Shortcake cookies and ran over to Seijoh

Karasuno rn 👉🏻👀

“Excuse me?” You said as the entire Seijoh team turned around and looked at you

“You guys played an excellent game and you deserve these,” you said handing Seijoh your expertly wrapped cookies

Oikawa accepted, saying nothing

Please you left him speechless

Too bad Kunimi’s too sad to even record this moment 😭

You smile and wave as you run back to your team

Meanwhile, back the gym the Seijoh boys are extremely sad

“Hey what did that manager from Karasuno give you Oikawa?” Kindaichi asked as Oikawa reached for the box

He reached for it, opening it as the note slipped out

Iwa picked the note up and began reading it

It read “Thank you for playing your hardest! You deserve these. Xoxo YN, Karasuno’s Manager”

“It’s cookies,” Oikawa said as he began to pass them around and Iwa showed Oiks the note

Oikawa rn 👉🏻😐🥺😭

Please the entire Seijoh team is eating your cookies and crying Yn 😩

The next few days go by

You are in the gym taking notes when a teacher comes to get you

“Excuse me?”

“Yes,” Takeda asks

“Umm there is a team of boys at the front gate here to see Yn,” the teacher says

Karasuno 👉🏻 a team…. OF BOYS 😐😑

Tanaka and Noya 👉🏻 FOR YN?!?? 😡🤬

“Oh my ok!” You say, getting up and walking towards the gates of Karasuno

Tanaka, Noya, Kags and Hinata are ready to go

It takes the entire rest of the team to hold them back 🙄

“WHAT IF THEY KIDNAP YN??” Noya shouts

“They literally showed up at the front of school in broad daylight, like that’s gonna happen,” Suga say, rolling his eyes

“Someone has never watched dateline before,” Tanaka adds

Of course, you ignore them and head for the gates

As you approach, you see the white track suits

You 👉🏻😐😳

“Umm hi,” you say as the boys of Seijoh all look at you

“Team!” Oikawa shouts and they all scream

“THANK YOU FOR THE COOKIES YN!” while bowing

You rn 👉🏻😐😳🥹

“You are so welcome! Thank you for coming!” You say smiling and going to hug them

You hug Iwa first and boy is he stiff 😅

It’s safe to say the entire Seijoh team is now in love with you Yn 🥰

Bonus

“Omg is Oikawa crying?” Kageyama says, shoving Hinata out of the way as they watch around the corner.

“Hey watch it butthole!” Hinata shouts as he pushed Kageyama out of the way.

“I’d cry too if YN hugged me,” Noya added as Tanaka nodded.

“You guys are about to have something to cry about if you don’t get your butts back to the gym RIGHT NOW!” Daichi shouted, looming over them as the boys all turned and ran back to the gym.

[kkami-writes]

waiting for us ― the boys

bang chan: senior and music production major. he's about to graduate after this last semester (hopefully) so he's been looking into job opportunities which only stresses him out more. 1/3 of 3RACHA. his soulmark is on the back of his left arm.

lee minho: also a senior but still needs at least a year before he can graduate. dance major with no specific focus, but he enjoys hip-hop and freestyle. misses his cats dearly but understands that more than half of his soulmates are allergic. his soulmark is on his back, going down his spine.

seo changbin: junior and also a music production major. 2/3 of 3RACHA and local gym rat. continues to try to get his soulmates to the gym but more often then not it's usually just him and chan. his soulmark is on the back of his right leg.

hwang hyunjin: sophmore. an art major with a focus on painting (watercolor or oil). he enjoys sketching his soulmates and has plenty of yn, imaging what you look like knowing that his drawings could never compare when he finally meets you. likes dancing with minho hyung sometimes in the dance studio. his soulmark is on the back of his neck

han jisung: sophmore and 3/3 of 3RACHA. he's also a music production major with a focus on writing lyrics. keeps around a small notebook that's filled to the brim with lyrics and poems to jot down when random bursts of inspiration comes. his soulmark is the smallest, on his index finger

lee felix: also known as yongbok, he's a culinary student with a focus on baking in his sophmore year. the absolute sunshine of the group, but will cut a bitch if he catches you talking shit about any of his soulmates. felix is genderfluid, he/they pronouns and isn't shy about wearing crop-tops or skirts. he's not shy about hiding his soulmark and proudly displaying that he has 8 soulmates. his mark is on his left forearm.

kim seungmin: a sophmore on the seoul uni baseball team, their star pitcher and he's hoping to make it to nationals before he graduates. while he has a scholarship for sports he's also majoring in photography, just a small hobby he enjoys. his soulmark is on his right forearm.

yang jeongin: freshman, on his second semester as an education major. he hopes to become a teacher one day, specifically for younger kids. him, along with felix + hyunjin are the fashion icons of their small group and secretly hopes yn will enjoy dressing up with them. his soulmark is on his torso, across the right side of his ribs.

[didishawn]

Vogue (Pedri x Model! Reader)

Warnings: basically you showing off your home to Vogue, a bit of Spanish here and there

Masterlist

You do the simulation of opening the door as if the cameraman has caught you by surprise, ample smile on your face as you greet the future viewers.

"Hello Vogue, I am y/n s/n and today I am giving you all an inside look into my home"

The video starts in the living room, modern furniture, a bit impersonal at first if you will, the true essence lays in the small details.

"So, this might be disappointing for some, to hear out furniture doesn't have a deep meaning behind, but it is the truth. When my boyfriend and I were looking to fill up the house, we honestly just wanted everything to fulfill their duties, a coach to be a coach and a desk to be a desk. The only real thought we put into it were the color coordinations really, but not even that as you will see in some parts"

The camera follows you as you direct yourself to the chimney, watching it with a special glint in your eye "The one thing I really wanted the house to have was this, all my life I have dreamed of the typical scene, you know? The cuddling in front of the fire with your loved one and a good book"

The camera zooms in to the decorations on top of the chimney. Photos of you and Pedri, his family, your own, your friends, the lens of the camera stops in a photo of Pedri and you, waiting for you to explain yourself about it "This was back in Qatar for the World Cup when he had a free day from training and we just went around the city. Unfortunately, this was the only photo decent enough to set up here, but we have probably hundreds of that day" the photo shows the two of you on a date back in the day, bright smiles and the sun setting on the background.

The camera then follows you into the kitchen, much more colorful than the living room and not matching at all. There are plant decorations all over the roof, and cooking robots that not even you are sure what they are for.

"For the kitchen I must confess we did have some help from Pinterest, and by that I mean there is probably another kitchen somewhere in the world that looks exactly like this"

You walk to the counter "Of course we have lots of Canarian bananas, I wonder why, and then, I am more of a sweets as a snack type of girl, I know, not the healthiest but I promise I don't abuse them either" you open one of the closets and show them all your snacks "and here we have every kid's dream, you all better believe that our house is ready for whenever one of our friends needs someone on babysitter duties"

"Now, I must confess neither Pedri or I are the best cooks, we won't burn the kitchen down but someone might get sick after eating. And while Pedri has lunch on the club, I most of the time eat out too because of work. But we are pretty lucky that Fer, Pedri's brother, is quite the culinary and comes lots of times to eat with us and cooks us something too"

"We have heard Pedri's mother is a pretty good chef" the cameraman says and you nod.

"Yes, she totally is, I have asked her to teach me a thing or two, but a few lessons in and I think she has learned that I am a total disaster, but don't worry Rosy, I promise I will get better and won't kill your son with my food"

You leave the kitchen and they follow you through a long hallway decorated with pictures of you in the front pages of the most famous magazines in one side "This decoration was Pedri's idea, I hate it but he doesn't let me take them down" on the other there are photos of Pedri with both the Barça shirt and the National Team's, as well as some shirts of other players -Messi, Mbappe, Agüero... - and his own all signed "And my revenge were this pictures"

You walk them into your office "This is where I lock myself up to work if I ever need it" the room is filled up with books, some photos with friends and fashion magazines "as a model you always have to keep up with fashion trends, or even study to create your own" you point to the projector hanging from the roof and the screen "I also study old catwalks to see what I can improve"

You walk them closer to you bookshelf, and show off your precious collection "As some of you may know, I am a huge bookworm, most of my freetime I am buried into the pages of one"

"Any recommendations?"

You think for a moment "Well, it depends, for younger ages my absolute favorite is the Percy Jackson saga, probably my favourite too as you never grow too old to read them" you point to the books, in the center of them all for everyone to see "Now, for older ages I do like very much Daisy Jones and the Six, The Song of Achilles or maybe The Secret History. They are all typical really, but a good way for new readers to start or if you simply want someone to comment books with, its easy to find people who have read these"

You now direct them to see the photos "Now, this is for sure one of my favorites areas of the house, there are photos with friends..." photos with Gavi, Ansu, Ferran and then also with your own friends "Pedri..." photos of you two kissing, one with his parents and another with his brother "my family..." a big family photo, then single ones with each member "and now onto the big part, celebrities..." photos with Messi, Neymar, Bella Hadid, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa - anyone you can name, really.

"Which is your favorite one?"

You think for a moment, then answer "I really like this one with Pedri and Messi when Pedri won the Golden Boy, it was a good night, I almost cried when Messi said my name"

You leave your office and next is the gym "Mostly Pedri uses it really, I am more of a run around the city type of girl, but yeah, we have everythung he needs to stay in his top form"

Next are the guest rooms "Mostly Pedri's family uses them really"

"Does your family not come around?"

"Oh they do, just not as much as his. His family adore each other so much, my own knows we better not spend that much time together or we will probably end up killing each other"

You direct them through a door and lead them into your dressing room, the thing is full with yours and Pedri's clothes, mostly yours though.

"My favorite part here is definitely this one" you say and lead them to a zone full of sweatshirts that are definitely not yours "I must confess I am a steal-your-clothes type of girlfriend"

You show them your shoes, pointing to your favorite pair, the same with other types of clothing's before showing off the famous mirror you take selfies in that everyone is in love with and leave the room.

The bathroom comes next, big enough for two people to be inside at the same time "There is a side for Pedri and one for me" you say in front of the two sinks "He says things are not proportionate, though" and it is true, as you open you own closet the thing is full of everything you own, on his there are a couple of things that are his, the basics, and on the lower part he too keeps some of your stuff "I don't see what he says, everything is good in my opinion"

As you leave the bathroom, you hear the door open on the background, and are quick on your feet to greet your boyfriend, the crew almost struggling to keep up with you and film the kiss you two share.

"Perdón, se me olvidaba hoy tenías esto, me puedo ir si quieres" (sorry, I forgot this was today, I can go if you want me to)

You turn to look at the crew, they all sake their heads "Noo, quédate, igual solo me queda por mostrar el patio" (noo, stay, only the backyard is the one thing left)

"¿Mostraste la habitación?" (you showed the bedroom?)

You shake your head "Claro que no, no se van a morir por no ver una cama" (of course not, it's not like they will die if they don't see a bed)

"No lo sé, algunos de tus fans son muy intensos" (I don't know, some of your fans are pretty intense)

"Hablo él que tiene a las niñas de 12 años peleándose por él en tiktok" (says the one who has the twelve-year-olds fighting for him on tiktok)

You are followed by your boyfriend and crew outside to see the big pool, the goal, the basket full of balls, a barbecue and the seats you use to tan.

"I must confess it's Pedri who spends most of the time here, I mostly only come out during the summer to keep myself tan"

"¿Les estás diciendo que no usas nuestra piscina?" (are you telling them how you don't use our pool?)

"Más o menos, ¿por qué no presentas tú nuestro gran jardín?" (more or less, why don't you present our great garden?)

"Seguro lo haré mejor que tú" he clears his throat and puts on the same face he does on Barça videos "Espera, ¿tengo que hacerlo en inglés?" (I most definitely will do it better than you do. Wait, do I have to do it in English?)

The crew shakes his head "We will make sure to translate it later"

"Menos mal. Bueno, acá tenemos una gran piscina que la señorita no usa más que para postureo, se habrá metido cuatro veces contadas" (thanks god. Well, here we have a great pool that the young lady only uses for photos, she will have been in it about four times)

"¡No le digas eso!" (don't tell them that!)

"Silencio, que estoy en mi entrevista con Vogue. Bueno, también tenemos esta portería, así para practicar un poco, aunque la portera s/n no es muy buena que digamos" (silent, I am in my Vogue interview. Well, here we have a goal to practice a bit, even though goalkeeper s/n is not very good)

You roll your eyes and he sticks his tongue out at you.

"Las tumbonas para que la señorita se ponga morena y una barbacoa que ninguno tocamos porque nos la cargamos" (the chairs so the lady can tan and a barbecue that neither of us touch because we would break it)

"Well guys, that is all our house, we hope you liked the video, thanks so much to Vogue for coming all the way to Barcelona. ¿Quieres decir algo?" (you want to say something?)

"Ehhh, give a like? Subscribirse y... ya está, ¿no?" (subscribe and... that's it, right?)

"Yeah, that's it, lots of kisses and I will be seeing you next time"

The camera takes one last shot of you two mustering out your best smiles and the video is over.

[wandabear]

WISH YOU WERE HERE - WANDA MAXIMOFF X FEMALE READER

ㅤㅤ

Summary: 17 years ago, a New Jersey high school girls’ soccer team travels to Seattle for a national tournament. While flying over Canada, their plane crashes deep in the wilderness, and the surviving team members are left stranded for nineteen months.

Jules is portrayed by Adelaide Kane. Here.

chapter warnings: smut, angst, death, violence, blood, mentions of abuse. Please, as I said before, this is going to be harder on this and the next chapters. And this one is... doomcoming. I'm responsible for letting you know that, but if you don't like that, you can choose not to read it. ㅤㅤ

I must clarify again, all of them are 18 years old or more. Lots of characters will not survive, that's it. That doesn't mean I hate them or I don't like them.

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CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN FINALE

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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤCHAPTER SIX: DOOMCOMING

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BEFORE

ㅤㅤ

Despite the fact that the deer hunt had brought good vibes to the girls and full bellies for about three days, the days that followed became more difficult.

They thought that perhaps luck would still be on their side, but the arrival of autumn and soon winter made it more and more difficult. Some animals migrated to warmer places, leaving them without hope.

ㅤㅤ

“Here you go.”

ㅤㅤ

With a look of desolation, they all looked at their plates, completely fed up and disgusted. It wasn't smiles and fun anymore after weeks of being lost.

Y/N thought that the disgusting stew her mother used to cook right now seemed like an exquisite culinary masterpiece.

ㅤㅤ

“it's all we got, we're saving some deer meat left for tomorrow.” Wanda explained as she sat down with her friends.

ㅤㅤ

They all began to eat 'what they had managed to get' and although it didn't seem to make them happy, at least it kept them alive for one more day.

ㅤㅤ

“Okay, I can't do this anymore.” Carol complained exhausted, setting the plate aside. The blonde caught everyone's attention when she got up to go get something in the corner where she was sleeping and approached them, leaving a huge glass jar with a purple liquid.

ㅤㅤ

“What is that?” Y/N frowned.

ㅤㅤ

“It was some berries I was trying to save, but…” Carol sighed and opened the jar.  “I think it might've turned into booze? I don't know about the rest of you, but I could use a drink.”

ㅤㅤ

They all watched intently, completely interested in the idea of forgetting everything for a while.

ㅤㅤ

Natasha raised an eyebrow.  “Do we think it's safe?”

ㅤㅤ

“Do we care?” Jules shrugged, smiling kindly at Carol who just nodded, grateful to have her support. Things between Nat and the brunette hadn't been quite the same, and everyone was starting to notice it.

ㅤㅤ

“I have a few more.”

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“If we have booze, let's have a party.” Jennifer exclaimed and some of them giggled, even though things weren't too bad, they couldn't afford to lose their spirits.

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“'Cause we've got so much to celebrate.” Sharon rolled her eyes.

ㅤㅤ

“Do we need a reason?” Y/N got up from her seat and looked out the window. Some clouds in the distance said that the most difficult time would soon begin. In summer, that place was spectacular, but winter? It was a subarctic place, definitely if they didn't find them soon, the girls would start to suffer more or even die. “If they don't find us and we don't forage for food to get us through the winter, we'll be dead. I say we party now.”

ㅤㅤ

“There's a full moon tomorrow night.” Wanda added maybe a bit excited, which was very cute.  “And it's almost Homecoming.”

ㅤㅤ

“We packed dresses, right?” Jules said interested in the idea of drinking and forgetting about that damn place for a while.  “For the awards dinner?”

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“There we go.” Y/N put her hands on her hips, willing to make this moment something different and not let her spirits die. “We have dresses, we have booze. We can decorate.”

ㅤㅤ

“Have a sort of... moon homecoming.” Wanda smiled, looking at Y/N. The connection between her gazes stole her breath.

ㅤㅤ

“More like a doom homecoming.” Pietro scoffed but Wanda quickly nudged him.

ㅤㅤ

Jules chuckles softly. “A Doomcoming.”

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Some of them chuckled, but they all seemed to agree.  Even Sharon agreed saying: “Now that's a party idea.”

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“All right. Doomcoming.” Natasha patted her leg and got up, although she wasn't entirely sure, drinking a little and losing your mind for a while wasn't bad at all.  “Tomorrow night, we'll drink rotten berries and celebrate our impending death.”

ㅤㅤ

They all cheered and whistled, ready to relax for a night at least. Not knowing that in the attic, a man was growling just listening to them.

Grant Ward looked at himself in the mirror, those dark circles and his weeks messy beard made him look more careless.

ㅤㅤ

He didn't even care, what he did care about was seeing that part of his leg was missing. Chopped. Feeling like there was no future, and his future as a real coach was gone when he lost his leg. Seemed to be drifting further and further from reality.

They were all doing their best to make the night the best. Some were in charge of decorating around the cabin, using pieces of cloth, colored stones and flowers, as well as huge dry leaves.

Others used some candles, wild animal bones, and also made torches to make the evening special.

In a few hours, they would be having the fun they deserved.

ㅤㅤ

“Сука!” The girl muttered between teeth, after winning the battle with her suitcase that seemed to be stuck. Natasha smiled when she finally opened the damn thing, looking through her stuff. All the girls were outside so she took advantage of using the kitchen to be alone.

ㅤㅤ

Nat exhaled in relief when she saw that fabric, was starting to think she lost it. Her dress, the one Melina bought for the awards ceremony; the redhead finally smiled wistfully.

ㅤㅤ

“Hey. What are you doing?”

ㅤㅤ

Jules's voice made her close the suitcase quickly, looking up.

ㅤㅤ

“Just trying to open this.” Natasha sighed, perhaps a little more exasperated than she expected to show. “What's going on?”

ㅤㅤ

“I- umh, they are all doing this kind of pairing tonight and…” Jules licked her lips nervously, walking up to face her.  “Will you go with me to the party?”

ㅤㅤ

But she didn't get an answer, Natasha just sighed deeply.

ㅤㅤ

Why the hell had she thought that maybe there was hope of having something with Nat? Nat never gave her a sign, she just used her to have sex and nothing else, that was the deal between them. But Jules didn't give up, expecting Natasha to realize her feelings. It was useless, that would never happen.

ㅤㅤ

Jules just shook her head, smiling sadly.  “Oh, it's okay. I get it.”

ㅤㅤ

“You know I don't do that.” Nat raised an eyebrow, then looked down at her suitcase, unable to keep her gaze on it and not feel guilty. “That's not what we had and you know it.”

ㅤㅤ

“I know. It was really dumb.” The raven haired girl exhaled and then turned to leave the kitchen, trying to hide her teary eyes.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤ

While in the back of the cabin, hiding from the other girls, Wanda giggled as she felt how Y/N kissed her neck slowly, hands settled on her hips but never crossed the limits.

The tender and sweet kisses began to gain a passion that increased more and more.

ㅤㅤ

“You ever think about what we'd be doing if we hadn't crashed?” Wanda asked once they separated, making sure no one saw them.

Not because either of them felt embarrassed, not at all, but they wanted to keep something unique together. Something nice between just them.

ㅤㅤ

“Like, we'd be going to so many parties?” Y/N joked and adjusted her shirt. Maybe if she thought about what would have happened, they would both be in some nice hotel celebrating or even being just 'friends', without daring to get close.

ㅤㅤ

“Yeah, I-I guess.” Wanda smiled and shrugged, thinking about 'what could have happened' could become painful if you let yourself go. “I don't really think about it.”

ㅤㅤ

“Well, all I think about is you.” Y/N responded completely in love, leaning in to kiss her lips once more.

ㅤㅤ

“What if this is it, Y/N?” The brunette wrapped her arms around Y/N’s  neck, lost in those eyes that she liked so much.  “Everything we did, uh, everything we didn't do.”

ㅤㅤ

Y/N didn't know what she meant, just decided to listen to her girl's concerns.

ㅤㅤ

“I'm not gonna die a virgin.” Wanda sighed deeply, ready to make that decision, Y/N just widened her eyes.

ㅤㅤ

“What?” Y/N babbled, of course she understood correctly but that was quite surprising.

ㅤㅤ

“I wanna be with you.” Wanda's cheeks blushed, looking even more adorable. “I wanna be yours. Please.”

ㅤㅤ

It was an important decision, but the truth was that they were completely crazy about each other. Y/N would be lying if she said that she hadn't dreamed and fantasized about it many times, especially when the kisses became more and more passionate and needy.

��ㅤ

“Are you sure?” She caressed her girlfriend's cheek gently, and Wanda could only imagine being touched that way under her clothes.

ㅤㅤ

“I’m so sure.” Wanda bit her bottom lip and then smiled excitedly.  “Tonight?”

ㅤㅤ

Smiling as well, Y/N nodded.  “Tonight.”

ㅤㅤ

It was a date.

ㅤㅤ

“So…” The raven-haired girl began as they both finished decorating an arch with some branches, flowers and strips of cloth. “I have seen that you disappear from time to time. Strangely, Wanda is not here either.”

ㅤㅤ

Jules smiled mischievously.

ㅤㅤ

Y/N looked at her sister a bit nervous but then she just shrugged. “Yeah? Weird…”

ㅤㅤ

“I’m not stupid, Y/N, but the team haven't noticed yet.” Jules murmured as they finished the arch, making it perfect for everyone to go through. “Are you happy?”

ㅤㅤ

Y/N hesitated to answer but then she understood that she was one of the most important person in her life. How not to tell Jules the truth? “Very happy.”

ㅤㅤ

They both smiled, keeping that secret.

ㅤㅤ

“That's all I want.” Jules leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. “I want you to be happy, sweetie. And this place is... I don't know how long we'll be alive, so enjoy.”

ㅤㅤ

“I love you.”

ㅤㅤ

“Love you too, Y/N/N.”

ㅤㅤ

They sat down for a moment to rest and talk about Wanda and her, but after a few minutes, they noticed that Carol was coming towards them. ㅤㅤ

“Hey.” Carol approached slowly, almost as if she was afraid or something. She had something in her hands that quickly hid, looking at Jules. “Can I ask you something? I mean, can we talk?”

ㅤㅤ

They both eyed her curiously, Jules nodded. “Shoot.”

ㅤㅤ

“Alone.” Carol said so fast and looked at Y/N out of the corner of her eye, who narrowed her eyes without understanding what was happening there.  “Please?”

ㅤㅤ

“Okay, weird, got it. I will go to wash myself in the river and for my clothes.” Y/N got up from her seat and looked at them somewhat confused before leaving. ㅤㅤ

“What is it? Are you okay? Is about the berries?” Jules finally asked, not understanding what was so important or secret that Carol wanted to say.

They were friends, teammates, but they had never been close. Carol was a somewhat crazy, funny, kinda grumpy sometimes, but she was a good teammate.

ㅤㅤ

“Yeah, I guess, in the mood for a burger.” She joked and they shared a laugh. “How are you?”

ㅤㅤ

Jules had an endless number of responses and none of them were too positive, but she just decided to fake a smile.  “I’m okay.”

ㅤㅤ

“I've noticed you've been a bit down lately.” The blonde pursed her lips and came over to help light the torches.

ㅤㅤ

“This place doesn't make me feel very good, but it's all we've got.” Jules swallowed.  “I'm starting to appreciate it.”

ㅤㅤ

“You're not doing your makeup and looking for what to wear like the girls over there.”

ㅤㅤ

Watching her out of the corner of her eye, Carol noticed that the brunette lowered her gaze, something happened. Of course. “I was thinking… you know…”

ㅤㅤ

Jules looked at her, she'd never seen Carol so nervous.

ㅤㅤ

“Some of the girls are going in couples or- or pairing to this ‘doomcoming’ and- I want to…” The blonde seemed to have trouble saying it, but even so she took courage and said it: "Would you go with me?”

ㅤㅤ

Danvers was asking her. Carol fucking Danvers, wild one, love for leather jackets, Top Gun and bad reputation.

ㅤㅤ

“I thought you would go with Valkyrie.” Jules frowned, but she wasn't going to deny that she was quite flattered.

ㅤㅤ

“Yeah, she's my friend but… I kinda… kinda like you too.” Carol handed her a pair of yellow daisies, a tiny bouquet. “…So?”

ㅤㅤ

Perhaps one of the cutest gestures Jules had ever received and never expected to come from fucking Carol Danvers.

What to say? ‘No, I'm waiting for Natasha to reconsider and come over.’ But the truth is that Nat wasn’t going to do it, the russian would never accept anything more and Jules' feelings would never be reciprocated.

ㅤㅤ

“I would be happy to go to the doomcoming with you.” Jules smiled tenderly and nodded, taking that flower. It was a pretty yellow daisy, the kind that grew near the lake.

She smiled, not out of courtesy this time, especially when Carol beamed and nodded quickly, excited.

ㅤㅤ

“Yeah? Awesome! I’ve to go, I left the booze alone and I should go back...” The blonde turned to go get dressed and get ready, but not before saying: “I told you someone was going to invite you, remember? Before the pep rally.”

ㅤㅤ

And she was right.

Wanda sighed and looked at herself in the mirror once more, couldn't even remember the last time she was so nervous.

Dates with Vision no longer that exciting tension, and although this time it was just a simple reunion in the middle of the forest, it made her heart pound fast.

ㅤㅤ

Natasha went into the attic and noticed how Wanda was struggling to close the zipper of her dress, so she came closer. “Come here, I’ll help you.”

ㅤㅤ

“Thank you.” Wanda smiled kindly and turned around.

ㅤㅤ

“hey, you look beautiful.” Nat told her with a kind smile and then reaffirmed it when Wanda turned to see her.

ㅤㅤ

“Would you help me braid it? My hair, I mean.” Wanda sighed and watched as her hair had fluffed up a bit due to the lack of hygiene items.

ㅤㅤ

Natasha agreed and they both went to the window so they could enjoy the sunlight, or the few minutes that were left of it.

They were chatting for a while until Wanda noticed that one of backpacks was open. She frowned, no one touched her stuff. Especially the bag where the girl collected the mushrooms and stuff she found in the forest, many could be toxic.

ㅤㅤ

“Hey, do you know if anyone searched my stuff? The bag where I keep the mushrooms is open.” She looked at Nat with some concern. “The ones we shouldn't eat.”

ㅤㅤ

“I have no idea, I just know that Carol was making the booze but I didn't see any mushrooms.” Nat frowned, finishing combing Wanda's hair. “Maybe some girl was looking for makeup?”

ㅤㅤ

Not very convinced about that but really hoping that it would be so, Wanda just nodded.  “Yeah, maybe.”

ㅤㅤ

Each of the girls met at the arch and ‘crossed it’ together. Between friends or couples, no one was ever alone. Even Pietro was encouraged to ask Monica, who accepted gladly. Yelena and Kate went together, the archer wearing a black suit -that Pietro gave her because her dress was torn- while Yelena a pretty blue dress.

ㅤㅤ

Y/N looked at herself once more in the old broken mirror and then left the cabin to walk towards the arch. She was wearing a beautiful black dress, they all had pretty flower crowns, her hair was loose.

But Y/N’s smile grew even more when she saw Wanda shyly approaching her. The brunette was wearing a beautiful dark scarlet dress, her hair was braided to the side, surely Natasha helped her. Y/N knew that she should say goodbye to her heart forever now.

ㅤㅤ

“Woah, you look…” Y/N searched for the exact word with which to define her but it was impossible, she was much more than all that. Feeling captivated just by seeing her, that beauty left her breathless.  “You look amazing. Beautiful.”

ㅤㅤ

“Thank you.” The blush made her look even prettier if that was possible. Wanda held out her arm.  “Shall we…?”

ㅤㅤ

“Let’s do this, gorgeous.” Y/N took her arm and they both crossed through that arch, listening to how their friends cheered those they were coming. They all laughed happily, imagining that it was a nice event at school.

ㅤㅤ

But once Wanda and Y/N walked through the arch hand in hand, they all cheered and smiled happily as they joined the round around the campfire.

ㅤㅤ

“Are they…?” Kate asked, smirking.

ㅤㅤ

“Duh.” Pietro responded, watching them happy.

ㅤㅤ

Being under everyone's gaze, they both turned to look at each other. And leaving any fear behind, Wanda took Y/N's face and kissed her. So bravely, her heart had no room for fear.

The cheering and happy laughs from everyone warmed their hearts, not realizing that an evil gaze was watching them from the attic.

ㅤㅤ

The last ones were Carol, who was wearing a black suit and her blond hair loose, making a perfect contrast. Next to her, Jules was wearing a dress of the same color, with some touches of lace.

ㅤㅤ

They all seemed happy too, except Natasha, who from her look seemed quite surprised and hurt to see them. The only one to notice this was Y/N.

ㅤㅤ

“Let the Doomcoming begin!” Jennifer yelled hitting a pot, starting that party. They all cheered and raised their glasses before trying some of that drink.

ㅤㅤ

“Oh, now we just need a DJ to pump up the volume.” Jules made a face as she tasted the drink, which while it wasn't the best, at least it was something.

ㅤㅤ

At that moment, Y/N took out her portable player from her pocket and held it up high, saving everyone's spirits. “Here's your savior, losers! Worship me!”

ㅤㅤ

“But dude, your battery will die tonight.” Kate pouted.

ㅤㅤ

“I know. I've been saving it for a special occasion.” Y/N just shrugged and approached Yelena, together they tried to fix it so the echo would make it louder.  

ㅤㅤ

They all squealed again and jumped with excitement when ‘Genie in a bottle’ one of the songs of the time, began to play.  They dance through the choreography completely, remembering for once that they were just teenagers. For one night, they all danced, laughed and drank, leaving behind all the bad things and enjoying themselves. Not knowing how hard tomorrow would be.

ㅤㅤ

Everything was going well until the player started to fail, until it ran out of battery in the middle of the party. They all began to boo and silence embraced them again.

ㅤㅤ

Y/N took  the device and the battery was definitely dead.  “Thanks my friend. You've come a long way... Yep, it's dead.”

ㅤㅤ

“That’s sad… We missed the slow dance.” Jules scrunched her nose.

ㅤㅤ

“There used to be a graying tower alone on the sea.” Kate began to sing, making the others laugh, but little by little they all joined in singing that slow song.

ㅤㅤ

Carol didn’t hesitate to take Jules hand and begin to dance slowly, without realizing that the russian seemed to annihilate her with just her gaze.

ㅤㅤ

“May I have this dance?” Y/N held out her hand to Wanda, playing  a bit to make her laugh, and of course, she succeeded.

ㅤㅤ

They both danced slowly while their friends sang. Wanda closed her eyes, trying to imagine that she was at the school homecoming, surrounded by everyone, finally with the person she truly wanted.

ㅤㅤ

“So… is this what a high school dance feels like?” Y/N murmured with a small smile, noticing how Wanda looked up to see her.

ㅤㅤ

The sokovian bit her bottom lip.  “I guess so.”

ㅤㅤ

“You look beautiful, Wands.”  Y/N leaned in to peck her lips and then moved away when the girls stopped singing because they were busy drinking.

ㅤㅤ

Wanda smiled as she took Y/N’s hand, moving away from everyone a bit. “Aren't you going to drink?”

ㅤㅤ

“Nah, I don't wanna drink too much… my mother is an alcoholic.” Y/N shrugged, trying not to lose her mind as Wanda fixed her shirt collar. “You?”

ㅤㅤ

“I think one sip was enough.” Wanda scrunched her nose. “I don't want to despise that ‘expensive’ berry liqueur.”

ㅤㅤ

“Hey… You want to get out of here?” The taller girl leaned in to whisper in her ear.  “I have something for us where you know.”

ㅤㅤ

That whisper made Wanda feel a chill down her spine, her body tensed exquisitely. They both knew exactly what that meant.

ㅤㅤ

“Oh, my God, yes.” Green eyes that sparkled with desire.

ㅤㅤ

Y/N smiled mischievously, leading her by the hand away from the party.

ㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤ

And the party went on for quite a while, until things started to get weird.

Natasha, who was standing in a corner watching that everything was okay, noticed that many of them began to laugh excessively and stumble. While the drink seemed strong, Nat found the girls' behavior quite strange.

ㅤㅤㅤ

The redhead approached to see the jar and noticed that they had almost drunk it all, but what surprised her the most was seeing some pieces of something strange at the bottom.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Natasha thanked that she didn't tried that thing.

ㅤㅤㅤ

About to reach in to remove it, Natasha stopped when she heard Jules voice, laughing out loud and sensually dancing to Carol, not caring too much who saw her. Back to the jar, Nat confirmed that they were mushrooms. The ones that Wanda was looking for in the afternoon.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Hey. We have problems.” Natasha quickly approached to them, trying to get the attention of both but neither seemed interested. The brunette seemed interested in watching her hands in the air and moving, Carol was interested in her.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Oh, god. Look at these...” Jules muttered gawkingly, grinning when she finally discovered the stars, Natasha frowned quite worried.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Jules, listen. We need to find Y/N and Wanda, I think someone poisoned all of us… With shrooms.” Nat looked around to see who was missing, besides her friends. Neither Pietro nor Ward were there.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“You mean, like, shrooms-shrooms?” Jules chuckled and rolled her eyes, not even seeming to care too much about what she was saying. “Oh, god, this feels so good.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

All her senses were clouded when Carol placed her hand on her lower waist, pulling the girl closer. Jules seemed to enjoy it which annoyed Natasha enough to get in the way.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Can you listen to me for a fucking moment?”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You look like a tree. Like a really hot tree.” Carol  buried her face in the brunette's neck, making her moan.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Hey, enough, let her go.” Natasha finally pushed Carol away, making her stumble and fall to the ground. But Carol couldn't even get up, she just stayed babbling nonsense, lying on the ground in the craziest astral journey of all.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Fuck, this doesn't make sense.” Natasha just walked towards the cabin to look for the others.

“Guys, doesn't Natasha look like a tree right now?” Carol asked and they all started laughing.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“She kind of does, looks like fire too.” Jennifer babbled and moved closer to the torch, reaching out her hand to feel the heat but not burn herself. They all found something to loose themselves or just dropped on the floor.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Shut up. You all shut up.” Slowly Jules began to come to her senses even while completely drugged. She stopped, holding on to one of the trees. “Someone drugged us.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I feel weird. I don't like this.” Kate blinked rapidly, looking down at her hands. Her hands were no longer hands, they were hawk claws.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Shh. Do you feel that?” Jules swallowed, trying to hear through all the screaming. She narrowed her eyes, something was speaking to her, an almost imperceptible whisper.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I think I do, like... energy coming up from the ground.” Yelena lay back on the ground, sinking her hands into the earth.

Jules whispered: “Something is coming… It says we won't be hungry much longer.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Yelena laughed out loud.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“She needs help… Can't you hear it?” The brunette covered her ears, trying to concentrate but they just kept going in that madness. Without further ado, she walked to the cabin to take the axe.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Hand in hand, Y/N and Wanda arrived at their special place, smirking. Y/N borrowed some candles, of course they surely wouldn't notice the lack of these with the party going.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Y/N, this is… ” Wanda couldn't even finish.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N lit some old candles, they had some blankets on the grass and the most romantic atmosphere that both of them could imagine in such a situation. In the distance you could see some fireflies hanging around, making the moment even more special.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I found these yesterday, had to hide them well.”  Y/N pointed to a small bowl with some berries, not many but enough to share. She'd had a hard time hiding them among her stuff without Jules or Nat noticing.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“You’re the cutest.” Wanda smiled widely, the way Y/N made her feel was so unique and so pure. She never thought someone could show her so much affection like that, even having so little.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I just… I want to make you feel good.” The girl sighed deeply, feeling so nervous. She cleared her throat before going on.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I’m in love with you… Ever since I met you, I haven't stopped thinking about you. When you came from your country, you sat at the back of the classroom. You didn't talk much.” Y/N took Wanda’s hand, inviting her to sit next to her.  “You had those adorable braces, and your glasses… which I love how you look with them.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Wanda just blushed, adjusting her glasses.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I love everything about you.” Y/N finished this little love speech before sealing it with a soft kiss.

ㅤㅤㅤ That promise became real, that night was special. Slowly, both of them took off their clothes carefully. Though desire was there and the need made their skins burn, patience was an exquisite addition to this moment.

The first time Wanda made love, leaving all fear and prejudice behind.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N made sure that every touch made her feel safe, just as she also made sure that Wanda felt at ease by giving her pleasure.

Holding her, Y/N helped Wanda move her hips quickly looking for the third orgasm. Her fingers completely saoked from the humidity of that tight sex, asking for more. The way her hand cradled Wanda's breasts perfectly, or how their lips met before coming together.

The way Wanda's lips ran over Y/N's belly, kissing and biting the area to make sure it was hers. It didn't matter if it wasn't Y/N’s first time, she knew that this was the most important one. ㅤㅤㅤ

She didn't know how to do it, the sokovian had never even seen those pornographic TV channels or magazines like the cabin ones, but Y/N taught her every place she had to touch until Wanda knew her completely.

Her tongue ran through Y/N’s sex and she knew perfectly well that she just had to let herself go, devouring her girlfriend completely.

ㅤㅤㅤ

No one had ever told Wanda that this was a trap, giving pleasure to Y/N also caused her exquisite pleasure.

The first time together, one of the most perfect of all.

They both put on their clothes slowly, smiling completely in love. Both decided to stay a while longer, lying down, catching their breath, they both watched the stars feeling like a small part of that vast universe.

ㅤㅤㅤ “I love you, detka.” Wanda was encouraged to confess, she couldn't understand how all that excitement and happiness only seemed to increase more and more. Now she understands what everyone means when they talk about sex.

ㅤㅤㅤ

With a big leap, Y/N’s heart was ready to give itself completely once more.  “I love you, Wands.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Both remained embraced for a moment until the sound of the leaves breaking made Y/N alert and quickly get up.

Maybe a wild animal? A wolf? Maybe a deer, the good thing is that maybe the fire could help. But the footsteps didn’t seem to be from some wild animal, the steps were slow and clumsy.

ㅤㅤㅤ

��Wait here.” Y/N whispered, Wanda tried to stop her but the girl just told her to be quiet.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N took a step forward, grabbing one of the gas lamps but a grunt and a 'fuck!' made her relax.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Coach Ward?” Y/N frowned, coming out of their place to look for the man. Perhaps he got lost, the man had been quite lonely lately.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Y/N, you have to help me… something is over here.” The man begged. Y/N searched through the trees but the only thing she found was a strong blow to the back of her neck, making her fall.

ㅤㅤㅤ

The man they thought it could be trusted, approached against Y/N and began to hit her over and over again. On her face, on her ribs, on her back.

Ward held back her anger for so long, finally releasing it in the most cruel and hateful way.

ㅤㅤㅤ

He had always been a rather cold and unhappy man, especially with his job as a mediocre high school coach. Ward never believed that there could be anything worse than that, until the plane went down.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Losing his job, his life and his leg caused him to lose his mind as well. Poisoning all the girls with the mushrooms to make them completely helpless was the first step. With each blow, Ward felt his anger rise. The only way to feel powerful was to make others worse off than he was.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Wanda screamed horrified, running to help Y/N but only received a blow from that man's cane, making her fall to the ground too.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“You're the one who chopped my leg, right?” Ward yelled furious and moved toward her, he took the girl and dragged her, staying on top of her. “You fucking cunt!”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“HELP!” Wanda yelled with all her might, hoping that one of her friends would hear.

ㅤㅤㅤ Y/N was unconscious next to her, her face began to swell due to the strong blows.

Taking advantage of his strength and knowing that he could subdue the girl, Ward prevented Wanda from escaping or moving her hands.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I'm going to kill each one of you. I'm sick of all of you!” He growled through his teeth, squeezing Wanda's neck with his dirty hand. “Stop jerking around like a fish! I'll do something you'll like.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“NO!” Wanda's eyes widened, terror chilling her blood.  “HELP!”

ㅤㅤㅤ

But nobody responded. She kicked the man on his injured leg, making Ward to grunt in pain.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“HELP ME!” Wanda screamed once more before Ward punched her face and pulled out a hunting knife, slashing her thigh.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Staggering desperately, clinging to every tree she found, the brunette felt the screams grow louder. Everything around Jules was spinning non-stop, the effect of the mushrooms and the alcohol began to hit hard.

Dragging the ax to her side, she walked over to where the voices were growing. More and more, they whispered that she must do it.

ㅤㅤㅤ

She frowned seeing how a weird monster tried to attack Wanda, desperate, about to do something horrible. As soon as Jules saw that scene, she approached and without thinking, without hesitation, raised the ax and hit the man's back with strength, making him cry out in pain.

Drops of blood spattered on the girl’s pale face; Jules stepped back, watching as Ward dropped Wanda and scrambled to the ground like a trampled insect.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Julia stepped forward, still carrying the axe.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“D-Don’t-” he begged, raising his hand.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“SHE SAID ‘NO’!” Jules raised the ax again and hit him once more, two, three times, taking his life. But suddenly that man stopped, opening his eyes wide, finally finding death. Droplets of blood began to escape from his dry lips, falling to the ground. Moistening the earth.

ㅤㅤㅤ

A strange breeze moved their hair when that happened, as if something woke up in that place. And it did, something ancient and ancestral  awakened.

ㅤㅤㅤ

The blood had been spilled.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Wanda screamed in horror and pushed him away from her, Ward's corpse lying next to her.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“What did I do?” Jules murmured, remaining in that trance. Still holding the bloody axe, clinging to it.  “What did I do? What did I do?”

ㅤㅤㅤ

The girl repeated again and again.

Wanda got up and ran to Y/N, kneeling by her side, trying to wake her up. Her heart broke to see that Y/N her face and right eye swollen.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Detka, please wake up. Please, my love, wake up.” Wanda caressed her cheek, The Sokovian woman put her ear to Y/N's chest to check if she was still alive, and sighed to confirm it. Her heart kept beating.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Little by little, Y/N opened er good eye. Looked around her and understood the horror scene in front of them.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Are you okay?”  Y/N asked to her girlfriend, was barely able to speak because of the pain.

ㅤㅤㅤ

At that moment Natasha came running desperately, the fear on her face was shown  when she saw her friends on the ground and a bloody shocked Jules in front of Ward. Mumbling nonsense.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Jules, hey, do you hear me?” The redhead cupped Jules's face, trying to snap her out of her trance. She reached for the axe, stroking Jules hand gently to take the axe.   “Let it go. Easy.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I heard that she needed me, I heard-” Jules kept saying, the tears began to fall down her face without stopping.  “I swear. I swear, believe me. Something told me to come here and help her!”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Nat turned to see Wanda, who was helping Y/N get up.  “Are you okay?”

ㅤㅤㅤ

The sokovian nodded slowly, worried about her girlfriend's condition. “He was going to… he wanted to-…" Wanda swallowed, feeling a tiny blood trickle down her leg from her body. She turned her gaze away to not see Ward's body. “She’s right, she defended me.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“It’s okay. Don’t look at him, look at me.” Natasha murmured. "We have to get them to the cabin, now." ㅤㅤㅤ

Wanda helped Y/N to stay on her feet.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Her eyes are still dilated.” Natasha murmured, looking into Jules's eyes, then looked at her friends. “Let's go. We don't know if he attacked anyone else. Then we'll see what to tell them.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

How would they explain all this to the other girls? Oh, this was going to cause chaos.

ㅤㅤㅤ

ㅤㅤㅤNOW

ㅤㅤㅤ

How strange is. So strange to finally wake up without being the victim of nightmares.

Y/N sighed and opened her eyes, feeling Wanda's soft caresses on her belly. They were both lying on that bed after having spent a wonderful and passionate night.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Morning.” Y/N murmured in fear of breaking the moment, that it would break completely and everything would go back to 'normal', that cold place she already knew.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Morning.” Wanda answered with a soft voice, without stopping those caresses, which made Y/N sigh in relaxation.

They were both like that for a while, enjoying the pleasant silence that the morning offered.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N's fingers gently caressed Wanda’s thigh, feeling that scar. A memory of that night, so beautiful and at the same time so harsh.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Do you still remember everything that happened there or does it start to fade between memories?” Y/N whispered while her fingertips traced her belly.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“Sometimes I wonder if what we experienced was real or there are parts where my head makes it up.” Wanda sighed feeling the caresses.  “The scar reminds me that it was true.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N kept her gaze on her thigh, somewhat thoughtful. “I’m sorry.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“It wasn’t your fault.” The brunette looked up to see her, noticing the guilt in Y/N's eyes. She placed a soft kiss on her jaw, despite the fact that she made all that guilt worse for a long time due to anger, Wanda didn’t want to see her that way. Not anymore.  “None of it was your fault.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N said nothing, just kept caressing the bare skin of her beloved, running through it like that first time.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“What you did was to help us survive, Jules saved us that night and you saved us the following months… Hey, look at me.” The sokovian took her face to fix her gaze on Y/N’s eyes.  “Those of us who did it, it was thanks to you.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N swallowed, wishing she felt the same way about herself. “Do you think I did it right?”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“You did what we had to in order to survive.” Wanda assured her. And likewise, because despite the fact that she tried to go through life thinking that all that was behind her, guilt often used to drown her.

But life gave her the little ones, and she had to be strong.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“I love you.” Y/N whispered lost in those beautiful green eyes.

ㅤㅤㅤ

Wanda just smiled with a certain tenderness and kissed those lips.

The brunette sat on Y/N's hips, enjoying seeing the nakedness of the woman below her. Wanda's fingertips rubbed her belly slowly.

ㅤㅤㅤ

“So…” She bit her lower lip, happy to see that the taunt worked.  It had been a long time since Wanda's sex life was as active as it is now. Feeling like a seductive woman, would do anything to please Y/N. “Pancakes or morning quickie?”

ㅤㅤㅤ

Y/N smirked, caressing her hips.  “You know I can't resist you.”

ㅤㅤㅤ

“It's good because I really need to feel you.” Wanda said with a mischievous smile, leaning down to kiss her lips slowly, deeply and passionately.

ㅤㅤㅤ 🐝🐝🐝 Things will get ugly for the baby Yellowjackets... and maybe the grown ups too. ㅤㅤㅤ

the cutest and lovely people tags ✨ @kaiidth-wandika @yourfavunsub @pawiie @fanboy7794 @sunsol-22 @scarlettbitchx @arcturusseer @imnotasuperhero @chtte @lesbians-in-outer-space @starry-night17 @cristin-rjd @kenlymar @chtte @marvelogic @druggedduck @aliherreraaa @widowwaddles @gingiesworld

[sserajeans]

you are in love | 25. burnt toast, sunday (half-written)

by the time the doorbell rang, y/n knew it was too late. she could only pray that hanni thought about using a coat or an umbrella.

and of course, she was wrong.

there hanni stood on y/n's porch, drenched head to toe with food in an eco bag sealed with a zipper.

"STAY RIGHT THERE." y/n's eyes widened at the sight of her best friend awkwardly standing in place, her loose t-shirt and basketball shorts (something y/n accidentally left at her house one summer and never got back) stuck on her frame from the sudden rain that decided to fall within the few minutes it took to walk from hanni's house to y/n's.

y/n came back from her room upstairs within seconds and gave hanni a towel. the latter wrapped it around her shoulders before y/n took out a second, much smaller towel.

"what's that one f-" hanni was cut off by y/n ruffling her hair with the smaller towel, messing up every inch of her hair, from her bangs to the tips. "hey! what the hell!"

"stop moving! you need to dry your hair first so you don't get sick." after about two minutes of drying her hair, y/n stepped back and gave her best friend two thumbs up. "okay... now you get changed."

hanni glared at the lee before taking the clothes and leaving her slippers outside the front door. she entered the house, dashing straight for the first floor bathroom by the stairs.

after completely drying up, she put on the sweatpants and hoodie that were both clearly too big for her, and as she was about to leave, she noticed the print on the back of the hoodie through the mirror.

"LEE Y.N. 08"

she looked down to properly read the print in front of the hoodie, wondering why y/n's name was marked on the back.

"SEOUL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL VARSITY"

it was y/n's hoodie from being on the school's basketball team for one year before quitting to focus on swimming.

"hey, are you sure i can wear this?" hanni asked as she stepped out of the bathroom, not forgetting to turn off the lights, so and so. she knew how much y/n treasured her team merch.

"hm? oh yeah! i trust you, and laundry is slow this week."

hanni shrugged and sat on the other end of the couch, opposite to where y/n was.

"why did you stop by anyways?"

"you can't cook even when you're healthy. i figured the case would be worse when you're sick."

"i'm not even sick i'm re-" a cough both interrupted and disproved y/n's claims.

the shorter gave her a smirk that silently sent the message of "i told you so." before standing up and walking into the kitchen of the house she was very much familiar with at that point.

y/n sighed in defeat, following behind her best friend who already began preparing a basic breakfast with the food from her bag.

"do you need help with anything?"

"you can toast the bread on the pan with a little butter."

hanni would later regret that decision. conversing through different topics such as hyein, school gossip, and of course, the date.

"hey when did you last flip the bread?"

"fuck."

y/n quickly grabbed a spatula, lifting and flipping the bread slice, but alas, the surface of the slice was covered black.

"how do you even screw up toast..."

"i... don't know, sorry."

hanni sat y/n down by the counter and took over the cooking process completely. there was a comfortable silence over the next few minutes; y/n took a few candid photos of chef hanni (who asked to have them sent later) before the former played music and started dancing around.

hanni's eyes curved to crescents the way they do when she smiles, laughing at the sight. while distracted, she had slightly overcooked the eggs, but not that someone with the culinary skills of y/n would notice.

"any plans today?"

"you're not gonna eat, pham?"

"i ate before i came." that was a lie. she texted and came over as soon as she woke up. her stomach grumbled in disagreement, to which the two laughed at.

"liar." y/n stood up and grabbed a plate with utensils where she placed a little more than half of the food hanni cooked, then serving it to her.

"shut up. what're you doing today?"

"arcade and cinema with wonyoung, gyuvin, and leehan. why what's up?"

"oh, there was this movie that just came out, i think you mentioned it 2 weeks ago? thought we could watch it soon."

"with the others or?..." hanni shrugged in response, eating a good portion of the food while folding her wet clothes in the bag. "well regardless i'll make sure not to watch it with them today. is next weekend good?"

"we'll see how the workload for school goes but it's a plan for now, yeah."

"right right..."

the two spent a couple more minutes digging in the food, hanni attempting to clean the dishes before y/n successfully stopped her.

"fine fine... i'll get going, but you eat up okay? your coach will probably be up your ass about training soon."

"how did you know? he sent me messages yesterday. absolutely insane that guy."

"he does the same exact speech every season, y/n. and if i remember correctly, you cried the first time..."

"can you forget about that?"

"yeah yeah whatever, anyways i'll be off now for real. you have fun today! and i'll return the clothes tomorrow don't worry!"

hanni left the house with the eco bag of wet clothes, intentionally leaving the extra ingredients at y/n's.

"you can... keep it?" y/n subconsciously muttered to herself, her gaze fixed at the door hanni left through.

"keep what?"

"nothing... morning hyein, you want breakfast?"

"when did you cook?"

"i can't finish this all and hanni just came over..."

"unnie~"

"don't give me that look."

masterlist. next.

taglist: @yyeonmis @lostamoeba @jisooftme @yoontoonwhs @awkwardtoafault @kvnii @lcv3lies @limbforalimb @spritin @kaypanaq @i06kkura @manooffline @kimsgayness @justme-idle @jenaissantex @mightymyo @sewiouslyz @txtbrainrot @li0ilthecxnt @captivq @paranoxic @sofakingwoso @daniellobers @pandafuriosa60 @haerinkisser @staryujinnie @wowowowcake @lesleepyyy @haechansbbg @rosiehrs @jiwoneiric

[shewhoworshipscarlin]

Alexis Nikole Nelson

Alexis Nikole Nelson is a queer actor, writer, producer, social media marketing manager, and forager. Born on March 27, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, Nelson sang in the children’s choir at her father’s Baptist church at just three years old. At five years old, she began playing classical piano and throughout her junior high and high school years she sang in her school choirs.

Nelson graduated with an honors diploma in 2010 from Walnut Hills Highschool, a college preparatory school for grades 7-12, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. While attending Walnut Hills, she was involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities including the Senior Choir, and Women’s Ensemble. She was also captain of the varsity bowling team and played on the tennis team. Nelson was in the Culinary Club, Junior Classical League, and President of the Cappies chapter. She was also a National Merit Semifinalist at Walnut Hills Highschool.

Nelson studied environmental science and theater at Ohio State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater in 2005. During her time at Ohio State University, she was involved in many extracurricular activities including the Acapella Alliance, OSY Quidditch League, OSU Ukulele Club, and Hall Council. Nelson was also a member of an American National Theatre Honor Society for participants in college theatre, called Alpha Psi Omega.

In 2016, Nelson worked part time as an English teacher for EF Education First Teachers, an education management firm based in Shanghai, China. She taught online English classes to students ranging from elementary to advanced, around the world.

In April 2020, Nelson rose to internet stardom when she gained over 600,00 followers and earned 10.3 million likes on her personal TikTok account, where she shares her extensive foraging knowledge. The first video she ever posted about foraging garnered 40,000 views overnight. She also showcases her knowledge of cooking with wild plants on her TikTok account. Nelson mixes her environmental science education with her theatre skills, producing humorous and educational videos that both entertain and educate her followers on how to reduce their environmental impact. Nelson is a vegan and her TikTok videos showcase foraged plant-based meals.

She attributes her love for the outdoors to her parents and two sets of grandparents who fostered her interest in exploring the outdoors at a very young age. She began learning about growing plants outdoors at five years old while gardening with her mother on weekends. In her early childhood, Nelson also attended a Montessori school that was environmentally oriented, which she credits for allowing her to explore her love for foraging and nature more deeply.

Nelson continues to foster a love for music, particularly singing and ukulele playing, and incorporates those interests into her TikTok videos from time to time.

[inamindfarfaraway]

A Series of Unfortunate Events crossover AU with The Incredibles where the Baudelaires are a family of supers. Bertrand and Beatrice used to be a superhero team, albeit with murky pasts. Syndrome, their former biggest fan, lures them to Nomanisan Island and kills them with the Omnidroid, then has it declared a tragic accident. Their three children are now orphans. Hiding their powers is more important than ever. People who know tend to be less sympathetic and more suspicious and the National Super Agency is inclined to put the quietness of their lives above the quality of them. Good thing that their totally legitimate relative Buddy Pine is around to foster them right away! He’s a brilliant inventor with a billion-dollar company! He even loves superheroes and offers to train the kids in his advanced facility! What could possibly go wrong?

Fourteen-year-old Violet can generate and control electricity. However, she’s inexperienced at doing so in visible, direct ways. Manipulating currents through materials and inside machines or even her own nervous system (stimulating her muscles to keep herself awake, focused or move with more energy, for example) is easier for her. She gets more comfortable producing raw electricity over time, especially when she needs to protect her siblings. She could control other people’s nervous systems, but doesn’t want to. All technology fascinates her. To complement her intuitive mastery of electronics, she has great skill in mechanical engineering and the resourcefulness to invent equipment out of whatever is available. Being a living battery only enhances what she can create. Since extended use of her power raises her hair with static electricity, she wears her hair securely braided and tied with a ribbon.

Twelve-year-old Klaus has extrasensory perception which, based on his highly verbal thought process as an avid bookworm, is attuned to words. He can hear people’s thoughts, but needs to concentrate to search for information below the surface, filter through the vast swathes of irrelevant information and interpret the nonverbal thoughts and emotions mixed in. So it’s often like reading an extremely dense book full of words you don’t know and unlabelled pictures. But he can figure many of those unknowns out through his keen reasoning. He can also mentally sense the presence of physical text nearby, read it even if he can’t see it and scan a space for specific words, for example to find a certain book in a library. Between this and his photographic memory, he’s a fantastic researcher. His eyes glow faintly white the harder he pushes his powers. His glasses help to disguise that on top of correcting his vision, refracting the light, so the quirk will only expose him if they’re lost or broken.

One-year-old Sunny has an invulnerable digestive system that can process anything with no ill effects. Glass, poison, fire. Her teeth are superhumanly durable and sharp. But while nothing along the tube from her jaw to her rear end will bleed, burn or break, the rest of her will, therefore she still needs to be careful how she ingests hazardous things. And just because she can eat and drink everything, doesn’t mean she likes every taste and texture. She actually has a refined palette and prodigious culinary talents.

[dawnsleif]

"i'm yours". "sorry (i love you)" — atsumu miya x reader (2.4k words)

"what if i told you i like you?".

"i like you too".

the man of your dreams

atsumu miya smells like trouble, but did that stop you from falling for him? absolutely not, you have always loved getting into messes you cannot figure out how to run away from. rationality is scolding the impulsive side of you, but people only live one life, so what is the fun if one does not enjoy it at its fullest? the thrill of trouble, or, to be precise, of falling in love with a troublemaker, gets you going.

“focus!”, the sound of a ball falling, every single step on the court — you have missed this familiar feeling, and a certain blond-haired man from the team. you wonder if he has missed you too, but opt to shrug the thought off and not entertain it anymore.  

like a mantra, everyday you keep chanting to the bold spark of hope inside of you how he will never be yours, how you should be focusing on your responsibilities instead of daydreaming. it is pointless to think about him if your affection is not reciprocated, right?

him, the man of everyone’s dreams (by that, of course, you are included). alright, that might be an exaggeration, though it might as well be the truth. you see him surrounded by eager fans every time a match ends, but can you blame them? not at all, he is charming and his bright smile makes your legs weak. 

will you let him know about this massive crush? perhaps someday, but not right now.

“how are my favorite boys doing?”, your voice is a refreshing echo that saves them from the captain’s anger. a choir of welcoming cheers erupting from the team, including meian himself (although reluctant to admit the truth, he knows you are the only one who can keep the whole of msby black jackals in order), bring a smile to your face. 

you notice exhaustion and frustration lingering on their features, hidden behind grins, and your heart clenches, realizing that they have been overworking again. of course they would, last time’s defeat was devastating, yet you were not there to comfort them. 

you are determined now. as of today, your priority is to assist the team and hope they win the upcoming nationals. it will just be a plus if atsumu, by any chance, falls for you along the way.

the one holding his heart

little do you know, your beloved is also planning his moves — and not precisely the ones he should be preparing for his matches. 

two hopeless, clueless, lovebirds. what an oblivious pair you are! 

close friends and family have noticed long ago how much adoration the both of you hold back every time you are in presence of each other. but of course, two idiots in love will not see that. neither of you realize how you beam with a different kind of happiness, how you seem caught up in a bubble of love that excludes everyone else; it’s just atsumu and y/n in their world. 

“tsumu, are you seriously trying to woo your girl with my cooking?”, the younger twin deadpans, questioning yet another one of his brother’s pretty questionable decisions. 

“she likes food, onigiri miya’s special”, atsumu is quick to defend himself and his dubious choices. will he ever win your heart with osamu’s cooking? will you ever fall in love with him? well, one thing is for sure, you seem to have fallen in love with the other miya’s culinary abilities. it seems that samu will have to play cupid for awhile.

“i would’ve said she has a good taste, but she likes ya, so i’m not sure of that anymore”, osamu is quick to shut his mouth, turning to check his sibling’s reaction.

“say what? are ya doubting her taste because she likes me?”, the blond’s outraged face is priceless (so is his unawareness).

“yeah, i said that. congratulations, ya aren’t deaf yet”.

“wait”, something akin to realization flashes through his eyes, “she likes me?!”.

“yes, i said that too”.

“no, samu! are ya hearing yourself? she likes me?! like, y/n likes me? y/n? my manager? the girl who has my heart?”, atsumu stares directly into samu’s eyes, formulating frantic asks, like a distressed kid waiting for consolation.

“heavens, shut up!”, the gray-haired grunts, exasperated, before giving in and proclaiming his next words with solemnity, “y/n, your manager, likes you”.

sorry, i love you

“fuck off, miya”, you shove him off, forcing your mind to forget the way his lips felt against yours (as if they were meant to kiss —  such shameless thought tints your ears red).

“miya, seriously?”, anyone would think atsumu miya is indignant, but no, you recognize the hurt in his pupils, “y/n, it’s tsumu for you!”.

“sorry”.

“what?”.

“i said sorry”.

“and i’m asking you why”.

you stand there in a pathetic attempt to word your emotions.  how does he know? were you that obvious? you were always afraid he wouldn’t know how much he meant to you, but you were also scared of him knowing about your crush. 

this was supposed to be a chill night out with the boys. curse whoever talked too much. you are pretty sure the blond would have never known by himself. you weren’t that obvious. yes, curse them (somewhere in the city, osamu cannot stop sneezing). 

the inquiry in atsumu’s eyes is edging you to spill everything, to swear your undying love for him, to tell him how difficult it is to suppress your feelings. but you don’t.

“it’s not the right time, tsumu”, you are pleading him to let you go.

“when?”.

“after the nationals”.

“deal”, he grins, and you know there’s no bad blood between you two.

“let’s go back, shall we?”, things will eventually fall back to their place — this thought encourages you to forget everything and just enjoy the night.

meian and kiyoomi’s knowing gazes find yours when you head back, atsumu trailing closely behind. a stern look from you signals you are not in the mood to talk about it. they get the idea, and don’t pry.

token idiot 1

“you did what?”, whatever deity help atsumu miya, because osamu miya is positively sure of how much he wants to smack his stupid twin right now.

“told her i like her, and that i know she likes me too”, he repeats, cautious, not knowing which part of what he said caused the younger’s distress, “i might have kissed her too”.

“atsumu miya!”.

“oi! shut up! don’t be so loud!”.

“god, what i’m gonna do with ya?”.

token idiot 2

“tsumu said he wasn’t asking me to be his, but he is mine”.

“and you rejected him?”, your friend (hopefully brother-in-law if things go well in the future) looks like he’s about to beat some sense into you, but you would do that too if you were him.

“i lowkey did? the nationals are more important than this”, you reply matter-of-factly, sipping on your morning coffee.

“god, what i’m gonna do with ya two?”, it’s infuriating the way you playfully smile at him, as if atsumu and you weren’t the main cause of his headache. someone save osamu miya, why would he decide to play cupid?

cupid is typing… “i give up”

nothing changed; you still handled your manager duties with diligence while he still gave his best every time he stepped into court. others would deem the failed confession a shame, but that’s because they don’t know you two. you are working harder than ever to ease the boys’ worries, you trust they will do just alright. they are your favorite boys after all. atsumu, for his part, is putting his whole soul into training, determined to prove the world msby black jackals is capable of it (and truth to be told, determined to confess his adoration for you once again. after the nationals, you promised).

“hey, are you free tonight?”, it would be a lie if osamu said he was surprised by your short message. he already knew you would want to talk about it; last time’s meeting wasn’t enough.

“come around by 8pm”, you make a mental note of his reply.

onigiri miya’s bell rings a few minutes before closing time; the owner does not have to turn around to know it is you. your favorite drink is placed on the counter in a heartbeat, and you barely manage to say  “thank you” before he takes the empty seat beside yours.

“tell me, what is going on in that pretty little head of yours?”, he tries to light up your mood with some friendly teasing.

“remember when i said my priority was to be with them until they won nationals? it still is, i think. but, i don’t know. i’ve been thinking a lot since that night, and… if i had accepted, wouldn’t it have been the best? for him and for me. i don’t know, samu. i like him so much it’s stupid. out of so many people, never thought i would fall in love with your brother”, you are a babbling mess, and osamu wonders if he had accidentally poured alcohol for you.

“look, y/n, atsumu is an airhead sometimes (you are too — he bites his tongue before these words escape), but he confessed his feelings openly. you must mean a lot to him, so don’t you worry”.

“but… what if he hates me?”.

“we are not talking about the same tsumu, are we? atsumu miya could never hate y/n”, his affirmation brings a smile to your face.

“atsumu miya could never hate y/n, atsumu miya could never hate y/n”, you repeat his words, giggling. 

osamu is now convinced he has given you alcohol; this is going to be a long night.

“he could never. plus, didn’t you guys promise each other you would talk things out after nationals?”.

“right, we did that”, you seem lost in thought.

when you wake up the next morning, tucked nicely in your bed, hangover sinks into you; your body feels sore, and your mind is fuzzy. you remember rambling to samu (bless him for being such a supportive friend) about how you are not sure what your priorities are now, you remember how you giggled like a schoolgirl when he told you atsumu could never hate you, you remember… ugh, you don’t remember anything after that.

you reach for your phone with the intention of texting osamu to show him some appreciation for bearing with you, but a confused frown appears on your face upon reading his most recent message.

“i give up — cupid osamu”.

cupid is not cupid-ing anymore

“what are you giving up?”, to say you are worried is an understatement; you are terrified you had wronged him in any way in your drunk state.

“you two. i wasn’t made to be a cupid”, his dramatic sigh comforts you, at least now you know you didn’t do anything fool enough to anger him. osamu is giving up because seeing lovesick tsumu and y/n is not doing any good to him; you guys consume his energy.

“does tsumu know?”.

“no, do you want to break the news?”, he questions, with no hint of seriousness in his voice.

“you should”, you are entertained by his antics, but don’t forget to thank him for last night’s meeting, “oh, right. i should thank you for everything”.

“no need for that, y/n. you are my future sister-in-law after all”, his smirk is irritating, and it reminds you why you fell in love with the blond instead of loving this twin. one of osamu’s hobby was (and still is) to tease you, so in the long run you developed feelings for the miya who always was on your side. atsumu miya had (and still has) smart remarks when it came (when it comes) to defend you.

osamu miya does break the news some days later, when tsumu texts him to plan his second attempt at a love confession: “cupid is not cupid-ing anymore”.

msby shenanigans

atsumu is left with no other option than to reach out to the team. the blond is met with two bored men and some confused faces in the locker room after he had asked them to stay after practice (you’re out running errands today, they can’t be caught); meian and kiyoomi seem to know more than he has ever told them, yet then again, they have always been more perceptive than him.

“tell us, how can we help?”, the captain’s unmistakable voice urges tsumu to talk.

“i like y/n”.

“that’s not news”, kiyoomi says among confused murmurs.

“omiomi, i’m not that obvious!”, the dark-haired raises an eyebrow, not bothering to tell him how noticeable his crush has been since day one.

“so?”, meian encourages the blond miya to give further explanation.

“i want to confess (again — he saves this part for himself) after nationals”.

“are we here to listen to your confession?”.

“oi, captain! smart!”, atsumu beams, and they have no heart (and no reason) to deny his request.

meian shakes his head before throwing a sympathetic look to the team, as if he were wishing them luck. msby black jackals are not used to so much sappiness, but they truly wish the best for atsumu and their manager.

can i speak to the manager?

to everyone’s (everyone but you and the team) surprise, msby wins the nationals. such a win is followed by more reporters than usual; you have no chance to act like the proud mama you are before your boys are surrounded by screams and flashes. 

“asides from training, is there any secret to your win?”, a reporter asks.

“of course. we had a common goal”, meian replies calmly.

“revenge, perhaps?”.

“taking back the first place you guys covet?”.

“is someone retiring?”.

they are all looking for dirt, hoping someone accidentally spills their next sensational headline. atsumu miya is done with this stupid interview, he lets out an enigmatic “you’ll see” before excusing the team to go back to their lockers.

“can i speak to the manager?”, he catches a glimpse of you around the corner.

“you may now”, your cheery voice makes him happier than today’s win (that’s how he knows you mean the world to him).

“what if i told you i like you?”, there’s a tint of nervousness in his hopeful voice. screw the speech he has prepared with the boys; he feels this is the right thing to say at this moment.

“i would tell you i like you too, atsumu miya”.

when your lips meet his again, everything falls back to its place.

note! second attempt at a hq fic, and it's tsumu again, hope he's not too out of character in this one sOb. he strikes to me as a dense lover, slow to catch up on your signals, but he definitely makes up for it after he notices.

[downtoearthmarkets]

Make room for mushrooms this week as National Mushroom Day is observed every year on October 15th! Fall is the perfect time to celebrate the fascinating world of fruiting fungi, as the damper, cooler conditions usher in prime time for a host of these deliciously tasty morsels.

Mushrooms can provide a wonderful substitute for meat and seafood in many recipes, including your Thanksgiving and holiday spreads. We carry fresh mushrooms in all our farmers market locations, where you can find them being sold by our dedicated mushroom vendors and at some of our diversified farmstalls.

We recently chatted with Ted Hall from Mushrooms.NYC to learn more about their grow spaces in the southern Catskills and the range of edible mushrooms they produce year-round.

How did Mushrooms.NYC get started?

I have a background in climate policy studies with Columbia University Earth Institute, while my wife Anne was a chef. We are passionate about food security and access, regenerative farming and nutrition health and education. In 2017, we were expecting our second child and had started an urban farm in Far Rockaway. We found out about a mushroom farm in New York City that was looking for soil and needed help turning around its operations to stay afloat.

Anne expressed interest in taking over the reins of this farm and working with restaurants to supply them with locally grown, gourmet fresh mushrooms, while I managed the on-the-ground aspects. We took a leap of faith and, along with another friend, we were able to turn around the operation from losing money to becoming economically viable. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension's Urban Agriculture and Small Farms program we were the first and only mushroom farm in all five boroughs as of 2019!

Unfortunately, we had to demolish our New York City grow space during the lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic. We moved our operations to Ellenville, NY where we currently employ a team of nine people. Mushrooms.NYC is part of a Baha'i "Storehouse Cooperative” so we continue to share our profits and vital resources with everyone in Manhattan who we’ve worked with before.

What type of mushrooms do you cultivate year-round?

We have one small, highly controlled indoor grow space and another larger space that’s less regulated like a ventilated greenhouse using natural sunlight and heat to keep things from freezing in the winter.

Both areas are set up to be as passive as possible and use the least amount of energy while working with the existing weather patterns. These spaces allow us to consistently produce mushrooms year-round using a hands-on approach that is a lot less automated and energy intensive than other mushroom growing operations. Winter is always a bit trickier though as we have to use heat when conditions get really cold.

We organically cultivate many kinds of mushrooms that are packed with essential vitamins, compounds and minerals that support healthy individuals. All our mushrooms provide Vitamin B-12 when they are slow-cooked:

Shiitake: Shiitake mushrooms feature all nine amino acids which make them a full and complete protein and a great substitute for animal-derived protein.

Oyster (Blue/Silver, Brown, Gold, Pink, White): These common culinary mushrooms are prized for their delicate texture and mild, savory flavor. Oyster mushrooms also provide a full protein.

King Oyster/Trumpet

Lion’s Mane: These beautiful mushrooms look like waterfalls or icicles. When blanched in salted water, lion's mane mushrooms take on the flavor and texture of succulent shellfish such as crab or lobster, so make a great plant-based substitution.

White Coral: A relative of lion’s mane that’s more textured. It’s harder to cultivate so we don’t always have it.

Pioppino: An Italian species that’s also known as Black Poplar Mushroom or Velvet Pioppini. These mushrooms are very flavorful, almost like a taller, slender shiitake. Their flavor spreads on everything to just cover a dish.

Black Pearl: A species that lies somewhere in-between a King Oyster/Trumpet or a Blue Oyster.

Hen of the Woods: This species also provides a full protein but it’s very tricky to cultivate. But we just had our first successful cultivation using spores sourced from growers in Pennsylvania!

For our indoor cultivation, we use a growing medium made up of milled hard woods and certified organic grain that is the by-product of other operations. We were using propane to pasteurize our medium, but, in our ongoing quest to become more sustainable, we have switched to electric-generated steam. We would ideally like to convert the process to using solar or biogas, or even methane if we can do it in a well-ventilated area.

We also have outdoor cultivated growth in a forested area just under an acre in size that mimics a natural environment, which means we must watch for pest activity. These mushrooms are grown in substrate that’s free of contamination from other spores, so we know exactly what species we’re harvesting. The mushrooms are watered entirely by natural precipitation and are loaded with Vitamin D thanks to their exposure to natural sunlight.

We grow Gold and Silver Oyster, Lion’s Mane, Pioppino, Shiitake and sometime White Coral in this outdoor space. We can even produce a small amount of blue oyster and shiitake outside towards the end of winter as long as there is a little bit of snow melting during the daytime. These winter mushrooms are insanely tasty!

However, late spring and late summer-early fall are the sweet spots for mushroom growing, both indoors and outdoors. There is a big explosion of forage during these periods and our operations line up much better with the climate at that point.

What types of mushrooms do you forage for?

We’ve always foraged for wild mushrooms, but up until recently we were just doing it recreationally. Two years ago, we were able to obtain a license to forage nationally, which is not easy to come by as most folks only have a state foraging license.

Foraging has become more challenging these days as there are now commercial entities that are over-harvesting wild mushrooms and shipping them in from the west coast. There’s a lot of pressure to over-harvest mushrooms for profit. Some recreational foragers are also harvesting so much that it’s destroying the ecological integrity of the mushrooms' ecosystems.

Mushrooms.NYC is committed to harvesting our wild forage in a way that’s sustainable and sensitive to the ecosystem surrounding our farm. We are a mission-driven cooperative so are not trying to sell as many mushrooms as possible. The way we forage is a lot more labor intensive and less extractive, so the quality of our harvest is higher and relatively more expensive.

In addition to the pressures of over-harvesting, wild mushrooms are also sensitive to climate change. Mushrooms need snow as part of their lifecycle. Because of temperature change here in the Catskills, the winter-round snowpack is receding and has retreated to higher and higher elevations. A lot of well-known patches that had been there for generations are not producing edible mushrooms anymore. We are seeing a lot of erosion in our intact forests which is an indication that their mycological foundations are starting to give out. This means we are having to venture higher up each year to find our wild mushrooms.

We haven’t had much luck with Morels. We were able to find a small number last year, but it wasn’t enough to bring to the farmers market. However, we do collect and sell several types of locally foraged wild mushrooms including:

Black Trumpet

Chaga

Chanterelles

Chicken of the Woods

Coral

Hen of the Woods

Honey

Lobster

Reishi

Turkey Tail (we forage for several medicinal varieties)

Regional varieties like Bolete that are super tasty!

Thank you, Ted, for sharing these fascinating and fun fungi insights. In addition to their variety of fresh, gourmet mushrooms, and as part of their mission to spread access to fresh, nutritious food, Mushrooms.NYC also sells ready to fruit “grow blocks”. These kits are as easy as growing basil and will fruit for a couple of years so you can grow your very own culinary mushrooms at home.

[svthana]

Seventeen's Hana

Stage Name: Hana

Birth Name: Yang Hwayoung

English Name: Hana Yang

Position: Lead Dancer, Lead Vocalist

Birthday: December 17th, 1997

Zodiac: Sagittarius

Height: 173 cm (5'6")

Blood Type: B

MBTI: ENTJ (2019 - Taken by herself) / ISFP (2022 - Taken by the members)

Representative Emoji: ❄️

Nationality: Korean-Canadian

Sub-Unit: Performance Team

Face Claim: Miyeon ((G)-Idle)

Dance Claim: Jihyo (Twice)

Vocal Claim: Miyeon ((G)-Idle)

Fun Facts about Hana

- Born in Goyang, Ilsan, moved to Toronto, Canada when she was 4

- Former YG trainee

- Joined Pledis in 2013

- Nicknames: Winter Princess given by fans, Dul (Korean word for 2) given by '97 line, Hwayoungie given by Jeonghan

- Her dream besides being an idol is to be an artist

- She loves drawing and painting

- She's gone viral multiple times for buying Seventeen albums and posting her photocard pulls online

- She admires EXO's Baekhyun and Sehun

- Enjoys cooking and has told fans she takes culinary classes occassionally

Hana's masterlist.

[sorenphelps]

marauders x atla/lok AU -- remastered.

I’ve been rewatching atla with my bf recently, which really put me in the mood to revisit this old idea. So I present you a brand new fanart of Peter, Remus, Sirius, James, Lily and Snape (from left to right) designed as atla/lok characters. Also, have an additional sketchdump with some scenarios and whatnot.

Some further unreasonably detailed ideas:

James is an earthbender/metalbender, the only son of famous metalbending acupuncturists. He is also the pro-bending team captain of the Zaofu Saber-tooth Moose Lions. His teammates are Kingsley (firebender) and Xenofilius Lovegood (water/swampbender). He has a very obvious crush on Lily, non-stop trying to impress her with little gifts and dangerous stunts. He is a clever and resourceful prankster. His metalbending master was McGonagall, who is deep down a little disappointed that James became a pro-bender instead of a detective. She watches all of his matches anyways.

Lily is a non-bender from Republic City, who is a chi-blocker and a herbalist. Her childhood friend is Snape who also shared an interest in herbs and poisonous plants. Lily started learning chi-blocking because Snape became way too invested in bloodbending. She is secretly a pro-bending fan and is very fascinated by James’ seemingly failed attempts at flirting. She is estranged with her sister as Petunia hates benders. Lily developed a friendship with Sirius over both of them sharing a complicated relationship with their siblings. She bonded with Remus over their interest in healing.

Sirius is a powerful firebender who owns a motorbike. He met James while trying to fix a stubborn loose screw and they’ve been inseparable ever since, pulling off various shenanigans. He has an unlimited number of parking and speeding tickets. Because of this, he's been sentenced multiple times by Police Chief McGonagall to perform community service in Republic City’s Power Plant generating lightning. His family originates from the richest Fire Nation colony governors, who managed to maintain their noble status and money, but also their traditionalism. They enrolled Sirius to the Fire Nation Army so he could become a high-ranking officer as expected, but he eventually deserted to find real adventures. He still wears his military uniform jacket as a memento.

Remus is a waterbender who has a strong connection to the wolf spirit of the Forgetful Valley. As a little kid he was bitten by a venomous animal possessed by a dark spirit and became very sick. He could be eventually healed by the water of the lake the wolf spirit drank from that season. Hence during full moon his waterbending abilities are charged with the wolf spirit’s energy, forming the shape of the wolf’s head during attacks. He needs to drink from the Forgetful Valley lake waters during lunar eclipses unless he becomes sick again. He works at an animal clinic as a healer. He is dating Sirius, but they are both very awkward about their undeniable feelings.

Regulus is a firebender working as a double agent for Republic City’s Police and Triads. He is involved in various triad business, gathering information and handling pro-bending bets. He is quiet and introverted as opposed to his brother Sirius whose powerful bending abilities and fearless personality gained him quite a reputation. They are not in speaking terms with each other, even though they often get in trouble together when Sirius eventually interferes with his little brother’s operations not knowing he is a double agent.

Peter is a seemingly weak earthbender from Ba Sing Se who cares more about culinary delights than anything else. However, he is deeply involved with Triad business, handling bets, spying and other illegal activities. During a turf war his hand was injured, so he wears a Dai Li rock glove to cover it. As he looks rather harmless, prefers to hide his bending abilities and leaves a general cowardly impression of himself, no one really suspects that he is in fact a spy and a smart player.

Snape is a waterbender prodigy, who also knows much about poisons. He is still obsessed with Lily, even though she has ended their friendship when he demonstrated his self-taught bloodbending abilities on her sister. He spent years researching bending forms and developed his own techniques hoping to win Lily’s trust back. As a result, he is able to bloodbend without a full moon which is his preferred style despite knowing all other sub-forms of waterbending. His talent sparked the interest of Voldemort.

Voldemort is an energy bender who, alongside his mother, was attacked by an enraged snake spirit. His mother died, however he survived due to his awakening energy bending powers, somehow sealing the snake spirit into himself thus enslaving it as his servant. In exchange, his face developed snake-like features. He could turn spirits into dark spirits and seal their power into himself. He planned to find the next Avatar (Harry) so he could rip Raava out of him, corrupt and seal the spirit into himself. He believed this would make him the most powerful being on the world, as then he would gain the bending powers of the Avatar.

Dumbledore is an airbending master and spiritual guru. He has a pet phoenix spirit. He is the grand master of the White Lotus and the unofficial guardian of the spirit portal of Republic City. His main priority is to protect earth citizens as the new Avatar will be born as one of them. However, his master plan is to reconnect Raava and Vaatu and permanently fuse both of them with the Avatar, as only this could bring true balance.

You can find more atla/lok AU content with old ideas here, here and here. Anyone who is willing to write or somehow contribute to this AU, feel free to tag me. I’m in so deep, I might even draw more.

[anonymeqaupdates]

Hi!

this blog is to keep you guys that follows my stories on AO3 updated and also share things that won’t necessarily make it in the final product! Feel free to ask me anything.

Avatar AU Master Post:

Asks :

Bending style for each of the cast

Team Avatar

Sun & moon

Lilia as uncle Iroh

Jamil and Kalim

Silver concepts 1

Cray Cray Jamil

The Staff

Jamil won't be okay in this

Cabbage merchant reveal

Silver and his family

Lilia facing discrimination

Poor lettuces

Enemy of the nation

Tearful reunion

Escape

Going Rogue

MalleYuu

Ruggie

No bad ends

Silbek got complicated

Lilia is the Bruce Wayne of TWST

Blue Spirit

Teachers

Oops I made a mistake!

The staff part 2

Culinary improvement

Jamil and Diasomnia family

Kalim's personality

Katara Aang friendship, but completely platonic this time!

Stirring the pot.

Trust issues

Struggles

Near disaster

Kalim's personal demons

The last Airbender

Chuki Kingscholar is ruining everything once again!

Runaway

Get in the water.

Kalim and Ruggie

The cave of lovers

Team up?

Betrayal

Fake names

Care packages

Omashu

Ruggie 2

Skills

Daddy issues

Pop music club

What happened to Jet was uncalled for

The previous avatar and the air nomad genocide

A fifth nation

Not so heartwarming reunions

Ember play

His heart in your hands aftermath + Kyoshi warriors

Riddle and the Ember play

Not so Great Seven

The BBEG

The whims of the author

Races in the AU

Firebending teacher

Ursula

Firebending dance

Story post :

The day the Avatar and the Prince Consort of the Fire Nation Disappeared.

Lilia finds Silver + Growing up in the fire Nation

Consequences

Goal acquired

Give something to gain something

The math isn't adding up

Stupid cabbages

His heart in your hands

[gavinkaysen5555]

On Saturday, June 15th, chef Jamal James Kent passed away unexpectedly.

Jamal was a generational talent. A veteran of some of the top fine dining institutions in New York City, where Jamal earned the respect of his peers for his formal skill in the kitchen. In the days following his death, it has quickly become clear that his greater distinction was that he was a uniquely supportive member of the restaurant community. He was dedicated to mentoring younger cooks and lifting their careers, and sharing resources with people, including those who are overlooked by others. We, his family and friends, are committed to building the legacy that he started.

This fund will support The James Kent Family Legacy Trust, a vehicle created exclusively for Jamal's family–his wife, Kelly, and children, Gavin and Avery–to ensure that they’re financially stable and well cared for.

Jamal James Kent

Chef and Managing Partner, Saga Hospitality Group

A Greenwich Village native, Jamal Kent started his culinary career as a summer apprentice at Bouley when he was fifteen years old. After taking classes at Le Cordon Bleu in London and Paris then graduating from Johnson and Wales, Kent moved back to New York where he spent time in the kitchens of some of New York’s most storied restaurants including Babbo and Jean-Georges. In the spring of 2007, Kent joined the team at Eleven Madison Park as a line cook and was quickly promoted to sous chef. In 2010, Kent placed first in the Bocuse d’Or USA Competition; he then represented the United States at the international finals of the Bocuse D'Or in Lyon, France the following year where he placed 10th in the world. When he returned to New York, Kent was named chef de cuisine of Eleven Madison Park. Under his leadership, EMP received nearly every accolade bestowed on a restaurant including four stars from the New York Times, three Michelin stars, and a coveted spot on the list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Kent was promoted to Executive Chef of the NoMad in the fall of 2013, the same year that it received one Michelin Star.

In late 2017, Kent set out to open a pair of restaurants and a cocktail bar in the landmark Art Deco building at 70 Pine Street in Manhattan’s Financial District. Crown Shy–an ambitious neighborhood restaurant on the ground floor of the building–exceeded expectations, collecting a Michelin star within a year of opening and raves from the New York Times and The Infatuation. Kent and his team followed up their success with Saga on the building’s 63rd floor, and Overstory, one floor up. They were rewarded with two Michelin stars and the #17 spot on the list of the World’s 50 Best Bars, respectively. With the restaurants at 70 Pine as their calling card, Kent and his partners at SC Holdings set their sights on other New York landmarks.

In Fall 2024, Saga Hospitality Group will open a restaurant in the ground floor space at 360 Park Avenue South on the corner of 26th Street. Later in the year, SHG will become the first retail tenant at Refinery at Domino–the former Domino Sugar Factory on the Williamsburg waterfront.

Kent was an active supporter of a number of charities working to eradicate childhood hunger in New York City including No Kid Hungry and Rethink Food, for which he sat on the Chef’s Council. Kent twice co-chaired the annual Chef’s Benefit dinner for Cookies for Kids Cancer, a nationally-recognized organization that provides funding for pediatric cancer research. And he was a mentor for the Mentors BKB foundation, an organization devoted to inspiring culinary excellence in young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of cuisine in America.

[mariacallous]

Crisco is a vegan cooking fat and an icon of the Ashkenazi-Jewish American Dream. 

For over a century, the strange, oily gloop has graced kosher restaurants, holiday cookbooks and hand-scribbled recipe cards in Jewish homes across the nation, becoming a (contested) symbol of Jewish American identity and culinary tradition . 

But how did Judaism get to Crisco as America is to apple pie? The answer lies at the intersection of early 20th-century consumerism and Jewish American culture. 

First, we need to take a look at the origins of Crisco itself. Debuted in 1911 as a product of Cincinnati’s Procter & Gamble Co., it started as a strange solution to a strange problem. Textile production skyrocketed during the Industrial Revolution, leaving America with a surplus of leftover cotton seeds. No one could figure out what to do with them — until chemists learned to extract the oil and combine it with hydrogen, which created a cheap alternative to animal-based fats like lard and tallow. Initially, Procter & Gamble intended to use the new substance to make candles. But they ended up selling it as a food product, instead. 

The public wasn’t totally sold on the idea. Aside from sneaky CEOs cutting costs by substituting it for pricier olive oil, cottonseed oil wasn’t typically used in the food business. It was primarily intended for soap, artificial dyes and explosives. There was even some debate over whether cottonseed oil is really a food (spoiler: it isn’t; Procter & Gamble would later switch to other vegetarian oils). 

Eventually it caught on with the help of some clever, if somewhat dishonest, marketing. But sales still weren’t remarkable among established Americans. Given the product’s versatile non-dairy, non-meat nature, Procter & Gamble’s PR team decided to give a hard sell to the nation’s newly minted community of Eastern European Jewish immigrants. One 1913 newspaper advertisement, printed in English and Yiddish and distributed throughout the United States, made the lofty claim that “The Hebrew Race has been waiting 4,000 years for Crisco.” 

4,000 years! 4,000 years spent wandering through deserts and across the globe, all for… non-dairy shortening? Shockingly, the ploy worked; American Jews went wild for Crisco — and haven’t looked back since. 

There are evident perks: It’s kosher, and pareve, too. That means that, when she has Crisco on hand, the good Jewish housewife doesn’t need to buy both schmaltz — for meat — and butter — for dairy — thus saving money and resources. And, a hundred or so years ago, Crisco was considered (or, at least, marketed as) a healthy alternative to traditional animal-based cooking fats. 

But more important was Crisco’s cultural significance. For new immigrants, the feeling of belonging was vital. There was a constant struggle between old and new, religion and nation, and tradition and assimilation. Here was a practical solution that didn’t require compromise. Kosher enough for the rabbi, stylish enough for the all-American woman and economical to boot, Crisco was a tasty, practical reminder that you could be both Jewish and American — and be so with class and tact. 

Procter & Gamble’s 1933 cookbook, “Crisco Recipes for the Jewish Housewife,” cemented the product’s popularity within the Jewish community. Each recipe was printed in both English and Yiddish. Offerings ranged from traditional favorites, like kugel, to American icons such as southern fried chicken and macaroni salad — all, of course, with a generous helping of Crisco. Despite the economic hardship of the Great Depression, sales continued to soar. Over the course of a century, Crisco grew from its resourceful beginnings to the heart of American Jewish cooking. 

In recent years, though, Crisco has amassed slews of controversy. For one thing, it’s been condemned for ruining the magic of traditional (i.e., schmaltzy) Jewish cooking with its sub-par flavor. Perhaps more shocking is the revelation that Crisco, marketed as an “all-vegetable shortening” doesn’t actually include any vegetables — at all. Even though it’s no longer made from cottonseed oil, Crisco’s modern key ingredients, soybean and palm oil, aren’t derived from vegetables, or even fruits, but from grains. They’re not particularly healthy or environmentally friendly, either. So, while definitely a little more edible, modern Crisco is not exactly a huge improvement on its cottonseed predecessor. 

Why do we continue to use Crisco? I think that, like with many Ashkenazi Jewish cultural rites, the answer can be most accurately summed up by Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof”: TRADITION! So next time you bite into a Crisco-coated latke, or hamantaschen, or maybe even fried chicken, you too can follow in the footsteps of our foremothers and savor the unctuous, oily flavor of Jewish American history. 

[the-whispers-of-death]

I'm not American and don't understand the American school system, so please ignore this if I'm off the mark. 🫧

In the UK, when it comes to High School you have your core subjects like English, Maths, and Science, and then Option choices - some of my options were Psychology and Graphic Design, for example.

Ghost could teach something like Psychology, Geography, Food tech, Business, etc. I headcannon that Ghost is a deceptively good cook.

You've said Nala teaches personal fitness, but maybe Ghost could also be a PE teacher or coach the rugby team? My high school's rugby team (specifically my year's team) dominated and even won the nationals a few times.

Idk if this helps, and also I have no idea what APs are or what subjects are usually taught in US schools.

AP stands for Advanced Placement, it's just college-level classes that are meant to be an introduction into stuff you'll learn in college.

Another anon talked about Ghost being a gym teacher and it could work because I'm going off my old high school's programs of study and there's more than one gym class.

But also, Psychology and Culinary Arts could fit Ghost.