#Sparkling Water Market Size
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industryforecastnews · 3 months ago
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Sparkling Water Market Size To Reach USD 76.95 Billion By 2028
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Sparkling Water Market Growth & Trends
The global sparkling water market size is expected to reach USD 76.95 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 12.6% from 2021 to 2028. Over the past few years, the demand for packaged water has significantly grown across the globe owing to the rising demand for healthy drinking water and the declining availability of fresh, clean, and hygienic water.
Some of the biggest bottled water companies such as Nestlé S.A., The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc., and Dr Pepper Snapple Group are promoting healthy water drinking through a number of product launches, including sparkling water. For instance, in March 2020, the Coca-Cola Company launched a new line of the sparkling water under the brand name ‘AHA’ in the U.S. market, which features various flavor infusions to cater to the changing consumer demand.
Sparkling water is often sourced from mineral springs and its effervescence is a result of naturally occurring gases in some cases. Thus, the natural/mineral segment held the largest share of more than 60.0% share in 2020. The flavored caffeinated segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR over the forecast period.
In March 2020, Caribou Coffee announced the launch of its new line of refreshing Caribou BOUsted Caffeinated Beverages. Caribou BOUsted is a delicious line of sparkling and blended caffeinated water and juice in a variety of fruit flavors and is available across the U.S. Lately, companies in the industry have been strengthening their distribution networks to enhance consumer reach.
Request a free sample copy or view report summary: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sparkling-water-market
Various studies suggested that sparkling water is not as harmful as sodas for dental and bone health. Hence, several consumers consider carbonated water as a healthier alternative to soda and sugary carbonated drinks. Furthermore, over the past few years, an increase in the number of commercial advertisements for bottled water has been playing an important role in boosting brand visibility. These advertisements highlight the quality and hydration benefits of the product, and also emphasize taste and convenience.
Key players of bottled water are launching sparkling water to gain maximum market share. For instance, in February 2021, PepsiCo, Inc. introduced five new caffeinated sparkling water flavors, namely mango passion fruit, blood orange grapefruit, triple berry, blueberry pomegranate, and citrus cherry flavors, under its bubbly brand. These launches are increasing product visibility in the market and are anticipated to boost the market growth over the forecast period.
Sparkling Water Market Report Highlights
The flavored natural/mineral and caffeinated sparkling water segment is expected to register a faster growth rate during forecast years as compared to the unflavored segment owing to the increasing launch of fruit-flavored drinks
The online distribution channel is expected to register the fastest growth rate of 13.3% from 2021 to 2028
North America dominated the market by accounting for over 35.0% in 2020 owing to the high product adoption in the region
By product, the natural/mineral segment held the largest share of more than 60.0% in 2020
Regional Insights
North America held the largest share of over 35.0% in 2020. The rising consumer preference for healthy alternatives to soft drinks is the major factor driving the segment. Benefits such as improved intake, better digestion, and enhanced bone and heart health are influencing consumers to drink sparkling water. Moreover, the easy availability of this product across distribution channels is anticipated to boost the growth of this segment.
Europe accounted for a significant share in 2020. In Europe, there is a strong demand for sparkling water in several countries, such as Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands, where the product is often served with meals in restaurants. In Europe, quick-service restaurants are expanding at a notable growth rate. They have been introducing several new beverages and food items inspired by national as well as international cuisines in order to further their footprint in an increasingly competitive environment. This is foreseen to bode well for the regional market in the coming years.
Sparkling Water Market Segmentation
Grand View Research has segmented the global sparkling water market on the basis of product, distribution channel, and region:
Sparkling Water Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)
Natural/Mineral Sparkling Water
Flavored
Unflavored
Caffeinated Sparkling Water
Flavored
Unflavored
Sparkling Water Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)
Hypermarket & Supermarket
Convenience Stores
Online
Others
Sparkling Water Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)
North America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Central & South America
Middle East & Africa
List of Key Players of Sparkling Water Market
Nestlé
PepsiCo, Inc.
National Beverage Corp.
Talking Rain
Keurig Dr Pepper Inc.
The Coca-Cola Company
Danone S.A.
SANPELLEGRINO S.P.A
Clear Cut Phocus
Caribou Coffee Operating Company, Inc.
Hiball
RHODIUS Mineralquellen und Getränke GmbH & Co. KG
AQUA Carpatica
Northwest Coffee
Volay Brands, LLC
WakeWater Beverage Co.
Big Watt Cold Beverage Co.
Browse Full Report: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sparkling-water-market  
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generousheartpeace · 9 months ago
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researchreport11 · 10 months ago
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https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/market-report/global-sparkling-water-market/90299/
Sparkling Water Market – Global Industry Analysis and Forecast (2023–2029)
The Sparkling Water Market size is expected to reach US$ 82.79 Bn by 2029, at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period.
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desublimitate · 2 months ago
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Allure of darkness
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❛ Let's make a deal: if you beg me to fuck you again, you will be mine from now on ❜
Author's note: MDNI. This is the first chapter of a fic you can find on Ao3 here. OC (y/n) is afab and uses she/her, no body type or any characteristics specified so you all can identify with her 🖤 Timeline is canon compliant i guess (?)
Content: yami sukehiro x reader, smut, rough sex, vaginal sex, dom/sub, oral sex, size kink, dirty talk, praise kink
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As surprising it was that you became a Magic Knight, it didn't shock anyone when you joined the Black Bull. Such a wasted talent you were, if only you were born in a noble family, everyone knew you would have been a shiny jewel for the Clover Kingdom, but you, born a peasant didn't have much hopes for your future. If it wasn't for that man.
The priest of your village begged you to visit the church and confess your sin of envy, seeing you getting greener and meaner day by day.
You deserved more than everyone else, that's what your face read.
Born a gifted kid, your talent succeeded any expectations, therefore, when at 14 your grimoire picked you, the world was ready to see you shine.
Speaking in tongues magic.
 What a rare and unique grimoire.
You were just a sprout when that spellbook appeared before your eyes.
Thin as a spring daisy, latched to your childhood dreams, your inner wisdom was always a sign that something bigger was coming your way.
That day, surrounded by all your friends, you played imagining what type of magic would have chosen you.
Water magic would have been so beautiful to wield, spatial magic would have helped you travel around the world, god you were so excited to see your natural talent.
Your mother had food magic, she would replenish mana thanks to her meals while your father's stone magic was celebrated in the whole Clover Kingdom, even nobles would rely on him to build their palaces. It was all coming up to you, wasn't it?
Your mother cried tears of pride, your father clapped his strong hands when you, small and bubbly, got picked by that majestic grimoire.
 Speaking in tongues magic, the wise men of the village were enthusiast for the recognition you would bring. With your talent you were going to be able to decode the most ancient tomes, discovering parts of history still kept secret. Your future seemed set in stone: after years of deep studies, you would have reached the Capital, and joined the Wizard King and served him, opening doors to unknown worlds with your magic.
But then it all went wrong.
Your father fell ill and couldn't continue with his work as before.
The less money he brought home, the less provisions you could afford.
Food at the village market seemed always more expensive, affecting both your parents magic. If your mother couldn't cook, your father's mana couldn't really catch up.
Nor you could pay for healers.
There was only one painful but inevitable solutions.
With a tight heart you gave up your studies at the academy to find a job in town that could provide for your family.
With the weight of your home on your shoulders, you served ale and stews at the village tavern, always with a smile, but crying inside.
You watched them all leave for the Capital, your childhood friends and their not-so-special magic.
You grew colder and crueler, blaming fate or whoever weaved the strings of life for what they did to you.
They were out there, with their common powers, mingling with other commoners, while you were a sparkling diamond forced to stay under the dirt.
Someone like you, able to decode and translate ancient inscriptions had to spend your nights among drunkhards who never knew when to keep their hands at bay.
You deserved more than that, you were born for more than that.
All that talent couldn't have gone to waste.
Always more isolated, your family started to grow worried.
Lost in your thoughts, in private studies you started doing on your own, sneaking books from the local library in your bag, they believed you were going down a dark path.
Who knew what kind of books you were studying, what kind of obscure magic you were uncovering.
Darkness called to you, like a siren with her hypnotic song.
You were going to take your destiny in your hands.
If life wasn't going to give you what you deserved, you were going to take it yourself.
No matter what.
There was a certain allure to darkness you couldn't deny.
The books you were learning to read on your own were so full of wonders and secrets. It didn't matter how exhausted you were, if you came home from at the tavern at the break of dawn, you looked forward to be hiding under your blankets with even a small light to read your stolen tomes.
Of course you would return them, at some point.
Your parents never noticed them, or if they did, they never asked.
There was so much out there, demons caged in the depths of hell, monsters of ancient times. All with magic so undefeatable you couldn't begin to imagine them.
Stories of the first Wizard King, of the Demon he slayed.
There was so much in that world and you deserved to be a part of it.
You deserved to have a piece of power.
That night was particularly ectic at the tavern. You hated those kind of nights, when dozens of failed Magic Knights reunited to drink to forget their missed opportunities. Soldiers retired after injuries, former knights that served their time in prison after the Wizard King found them guilty of taking advantage of their role.
They were just the worst, they started the night already quite high and at the end of your shift even your clothes stenched of beer and sweat.
-Born to be a scholar, forced to clean after drunkhards's vomit- You brushed the floor hard, covering your nose from the disgusting smell.
-What was it, y/n?!- Your boss's voice came loud booming from the kitchen.
-Nothing, nothing!- You groaned with annoyance.
-Get your ass back here, The Table asked for more ale-
''Of course they did'' You made sure to keep that thought for yourself, but not for long -Look, boss, are we sure we want to keep doing this? We are losing customers everytime someone sits at The Table, is it really worth it?!-
Your boss was an old greasy man, short in height but full of rage.
-Since when I asked your opinion on business matters?! When I will need the opinion of a vomit-cleaning maid I will come to you! Now, off you go and you make sure I don't hear your voice for the rest of the evening!-
The unspeakable curses you swallowed burned your throat, but you knew better than crying, at least in that man's presence.
You waited for when you were under your blankets, surrounded by your books, to cry your misfortune.
-Are you still here?!-
-I'm going, I'm going- Your hand slightly shook when lifting the overfilled tray.
If you didn't burned down that place yet it was all because of the little money that kept your family going.
The smell of alcohol filled your nostrils and made you dizzy as soon as you stepped into The Table room.
The Table room was the aisle reserved for bets: the worst kind of men, usually addicted to gambling spent their nights and their fortunes at The Table.
Whether it was cards, chips, dice, at The Table, those men would even bet on their life.
Many times they were left with nothing to offer and tried to sneak you in their games, someone even tried to put your body on the table, as if you were a good they could exchange.
As if you would have given yourself to a loser like them.
 
-Here is the beauty of the house! Are you included in the meal deal, precious!- Someone chanted as soon as you stepped in.
-Ah ah ah, I never heard that- You rolled your eyes and landed the cups on the table.
-Bold of you to even ask for a meal deal, when you are not even paying a shitty dime, sir-
The room boomed with a roar for your comeback.
Insulted in his pride, the man tugged at your apron, forcing you to bend down.
God, he reeked.
-Listen here, precious, shoot another of your smart comebacks at me and I will make you pay for the meal deal, one way or another-
As if he could intimidate you.
You snatched back your apron in place -Sure thing, sir, as if you can afford me-
Now a new sound surprised you.
A laugh you never heard before caught your attention among the others.
Your eyes quickly scanned the table of the loyal vile customers, and immediately your heart skipped a beat.
Wow.
There was a man there, he had never been here before you were certain of it. You knew all those fools by name, and the stranger was definitely a new entrance.
God, what was a man like that doing there?
-She surely has a silver tongue!- The man then pointed a pocket knife to your harasser, with a dark snarl he threatened -I think you will want to think about it twice before speaking like that to the lady, asshole!-
You stood still like a salt statue. No one ever stood up for you, especially not like that, holding the drunks at knifepoint.
That stranger had awakened something dormient in you.
A thirst for life that made your blood boil.
His voice was baritonal, almost coming from the pits of hell, with a charm to it that made it impossible to forget.
Almost magnetic.
His eyes were like those of a hawk.
Foreigner, you were sure, no one had eyes like that in the kingdom of Clover.
Sharp, gleaming.
Wild.
Everything about that foreigner called to parts of you you believed dead for good.
His six pack and pecs were almost tearing the fabric of his white tank top apart.
His biceps as big as your head.
God, he was immense and the more you stared at his rough fingers playing with a cigarette, the more your mind went blank.
The foreigner took a drag on the thin cigarette and your throat ran dry.
The way his lips sucked on the end and breathed out the smoke made your legs quiver.
-Are you going to stand there and stare much longer, my love?-
He didn't even acknowledged you, yet he knew somehow.
Fuck.
With a jump you left -I'm not your love, asshole-
That laugh dug inside you -We will see about that-
Needless to say you couldn't just focus on anything that night.
Your boss noticed it, how you dropped plates, forgot orders, misplaced tables.
-What is it with you tonight?! God you are so useless-
What was with you? You wished you knew.
There was a man at The Table, among the worst ones you knew, that got under your skin with just his voice.
How dared he calling you ''my love'', how dared he made fun of you for staring at him?
There had to be something you could do about your blushing cheeks.
-Hey boss- You tried to not want to go back to The Table room, but you started looking forward for them to order more drinks, so that you could catch a glimpse of him -Do you know who is tha guy? I have never seen him here-
The short man peaked through the door and chuckled -Tsk, is he back for real?-
So he knew him.
Your boss made a happy face, brushing his palms.
That wasn't a good sign.
-That...- He pointed with his thumb -...is one of the biggest losers I've ever seen-
You curled your lips, well, that was disappointing.
So handsome and yet a loser.
He wouldn't sit at The Table after all.
Now, you noticed something that those bunch of drunk pigs would never be able to.
He noted down his points and strategies for game in a language from so far away.
A language you knew well and studied in your books.
But god, was he a loser for real.
Your boss was right, that handsome, muscular foreigner, had already lost his shoes and jacket, after having no more money to bet on.
Everytime you had to serve his table you had to hold your breath, to not get lost in his smell, of cigarettes and oils.
His grey eyes always locked with yours, as if he perceived you coming before you even stepped in.
And you couldn't resist them.
The way he looked at you was...no, you didn't want to think about it.
He was a drunk and a loser.
How could he even lose with such easy cards?
All night long you wanted to try and do something, a test, and finally when everyone was a bit too drunk to notice, you took your chance.
-Midori- The moment you said that word, he lifted his head quickly.
Bingo, you were right.
He must have thought to be completely wasted, he even started hearing his own native language now.
But as surprised as he was, never taking his eyes off you, he picked the green card from his hand and threw it on the table.
To the other players's discontent.
He won.
And for the rest of the night, you played with him, cheating for him under everyone's nose.
He clearly loved gambling but had no idea how to play, so it was you everytime you brought cups of beers to suggest him, in his own language, the colors, the numbers, the cards to pick.
Slowly, the foreigner won back his shoes, his jacket and started gaining the others players's money.
It never happened before, which made The Table room want to witness that unique event.
Why did you want that man to win? Maybe because his satisfied laugh freed all the butterflies in your stomach, maybe because for once you met someone more interesting.
Or mostly, it was because you loved to have his eyes on you.
Always scanning your ass whenever you turned your back, or your breasts whenever you bent on the table.
For the first time since you started working at the tavern you wished your shift never ended.
 But it did, as always.
Your boss gave you your pay for the day, less than the half of what you deserved, but better than nothing.
It was dark and chill outside, you loved to feel the cold wind on your face after a night in the tavern.
The dark of the night shielded you from your troubles and the cold washed you from the dirt.
With your coat under your arm, you slammed the door open to leave for good.
God, you hated that bell on the doorframe.
At first you didn't notice him, hidden in the shadows, but the moment the tail of your eye catched the frame in the corner, you gasped and jumped.
-FUCK!- You almost dropped your belongings from the scare -God, you scared me!-
Yet, he didn't seem impressed.
Leaning on the wall, foot against the stone to enhance the size of his thick thighs through the marroon leather pants, lighting a cigarette.
The man stretched his arm, offering you the packet.
-Want a smoke?-
At loss of words you didn't know how to react.
If it was anyone else you would have ran away, or attacked them, but him you felt you could trust.
You shouldn't have, your conscence was trying to talk to you, you don't talk to strangers who drink and gamble and spend the night staring at your ass.
-No, I don't smoke-
He shrugged -Better for your health, I guess-
-Wha...what are you doing here?-
In the dark he looked intimidating, as if he belonged to the night,
as if he was born from the shadows.
His tanned skin, his dark brown hair, the rougly shaven beard.
Everything about him screamed wilderness.
And it called you.
-What, a man can't enjoy a smoke at night without being harassed now?-
He loved to play.
You rolled your eyes -As if you haven't stared at my tits all night-
The man laughed -God, you do have a silver tongue, don't you? Does that pretty mouth of yours ever get you in trouble?-
-More than you can imagine-
He lifted an eyebrow, intrigued -And do you have a name to accompany your brains?-
You swallowed.
Never give your name to a stranger in a dark alley.
But when you thought, your mouth already gave it off.
-And you, do you have a name to accompany all those muscles?-
The foreigner put down his foot -You don't know who I am?-
Were you supposed to?
-I mean, your reputation preceeds you. You really are bad at cards-
He offered you his hand to shake -Yami Sukehiro-
Sukehiro.
You shook his hand and the size difference made you weak at your knees. His hand seemed to devour yours.
-Yami. It means darkness-
Yami squeezed your hand, and perhaps taking advantage of the grasp, he reduced the distance between the two of you.
Forcing you to lift your head to look at him.
-What does a girl that knows the language of the Land of The Sun does in a tavern, serving beers to gamblers?-
That confirmation almost made you wanna jump around like a kid -So I was right, you really come from the Land of The Sun!-
Yami looked genuinely surprised, but was trying his best to not show it.
Clearly failing.
-It's the first time I meet someone that actually knows my country, leave alone speaks its language. How?-
And it was the first time for you that someone acknowledged your talent. For you it was just natural, but it wasn't.
It was your uniqueness.
-My magic. Speaking in tongues-
Yami took a deep drag, the smoke that came out of his mouth dissolved close in your face, giving you an hint of what his lips might have tasted like.
-Never heard that one-
No one ever asked you, and now you were afraid you would have annoyed him by talking about it.
-Oh, it's...uh, well...the name says it all I mean-
Yami shook his head, leaning on your face, slowly.
So slow you could feel your cheeks starting to burn like bonfires.
-I want you to tell me about it...or did the cat eat your silver tongue?-
The effect he had on you was the closest thing you knew to being drunk.
You felt light, floating from the floor in his presence.
Your mind blank, all your ability to speak gone to hell.
You started muttering.
-Oh, well...uh- You scratched your head. Did you look good? Were you a mess? -My magic allows me to...know languages. All of them, actually! From all countries, even those far from here. And ancient ones, lost ones too! I can speak demon language, or angelic language if that matters. Yours is pretty easy compared to those, you know, and...-
Yami stopped you, pressing a finger on your lips.
You halted and stopped breathing all of a sudden.
-This brings me back to my first question. What does a girl like you do in a tavern like this?- His eyes, darting you, digging into your skin -Why are you not a Magic Knight?-
Ouch, did he have to ask that?
-Did I strike a nerve?- Yami tilted his head in way that reads...concern?
You lowered your gaze, ashamed.
-No, no it's okay. I just..I just can't afford it-
Yami smoked, and let you continue speaking.
-My family is not doing well. My father used to work in the Capital, but then he fell ill and my mother is a healer so we really are not swimming in good waters right now. I wanted to try and become one, I did, I studied in an academy for a while but yeah, my family needs food and money, not books-
Yami hinted a smile, the muscles at the corner of his mouth slightly twitched but he didn't speak for a few seconds.
-Next week the Capital is hosting the yearly exam to recruit Magic Knights. Come-
For a moment, you believed he was truly stupid. Didn't he listen what you just said?
-I can't, Yami, my family won't survive without me! And it would be a stupid waste of time, I have no combat skills or anything like that, I would never be chosen, so...-
-If you got chosen though, your family will be provided everything they need, they pay good money you know-
At this point, you just wanted to leave.
You turned away, but Yami grabbed your arm, pulling you towards him.
Too close.
Too dangerous.
-What the fuck are you doing! Are you deaf or what?!- You kicked him on the knees and that made him laugh loud.
So loud he could have woken the neighbourhood.
-And you say you don't have combat skills?! Listen to me very well, y/n- He had your wrist tight against his chest.
His pectorals were so swollen, you just couldn't help yourself.
-You will be chosen- Yami sounded so confident in himself.
-What?!-
-You have a power that Jul..the Wizard King would never, for anything in the world, want to miss out. The things you could do, knowing the ancient languages and the dark tongues...come with me to the Capital-
You were lost in his eyes, in the inflections of his voice, how it made his chest vibrate.
-Why, do you also want to become a Magic Knight? Will you attend at the exam?-
He smiled, and tucked a strand of your hair back behind your ears with a gentleness that had nothing to do with his brute attire.
-Yeah, I will attend-
What were you? A stupid teenager, thinking of running away in the night with the first handsome man that you met?
Yet, his darkness was so compelling, and his body so inviting.
You noticed how his eyes had dropped on your lips, the movement of his tongue, licking his.
Hungry.
Feral.
-Suddenly so quiet?- Yami pressed you against his chest. You could feel his heart racing -Where did your silver tongue go, uh?-
Where did your self control go, you had no idea.
The proximity to Yami Sukehiro, a stranger from a foreign land, that sparked in you again the wish to pursue your talent, made you feel like an animal.
All about him called to you, even his name.
You loved how it rolled on your tongue.
Sukehiro.
You wanted to whisper it over and over.
And how immense he was compared to you, that really stole all reason in your mind.
Your body was reacting to him, since the first moment you caught a glimpse of him, he woke your instincts.
You were thirsty, and hungry for him, for a man like that you could have really lost control.
-You are still staring, y/n- Yami lifted your chin -My eyes are up here-
Your lips were dry -I could say the same about you, you have been staring all night, Sukehiro-
-Mhm- He hummed -Calling me by my first name, now? Who gave you the permission, my love?-
Your cheeks set ablaze and your legs trembled.
Between your thighs you could feel a wet pond forming, your clit pulsing everytime he spoke.
-I don't need anyone's permission to do anything-
Yami was taking deep breaths, all of his muscles were tense.
But after your last reply, he sighed with a groan and grabbed your face.
-Show me what else that cursed mouth can do-
Yami devoured your lips, invading your mouth with his tongue and moaning when he found yours was ready to return the kiss.
You licked him per instinct, followed the movement of his lips.
God, he tasted like heaven, you almost fell on your knees.
His kiss was wild, needy, brutal.
-You are so good at it...-He panted in between kisses, before penetrating your mouth again with his tongue.
He knew what you liked, how you couldn't tell.
-Bite me- You sighed -My lips, bite me-
Yami still had your face in his hands, as if you could have escaped him.
He bit you and when he did, he opened his eyes, making sure he wasn't hurting you.
You wanted it, nothing could have hurt.
Yami drowned his head on your neck, where your skin was thin and that sent a shiver down your spine, making your toes curl.
-Fuck, Sukehiro-
-Do you like that?- He bit your skin, it stung and burned, and he sucked.
And sealed his mark with a lap of his tongue -Do you like being marked?-
You nodded, in trance.
Having his mark, the mere thought made your pussy wetter than it already was. Just by kissing him, your womb was on fire, now that he was marking you, thin trails of wetness started flowing down your thighs.
Not anyone, but him.
The mark of this stranger appeared out of nowhere, sent by the darkness.
He was in your destiny, that was the only reason you could find for letting go so casually with a stranger.
This stranger though, you wanted him.
-I want you- Your moan made Yami clench his fist.
-Say that again, y/n- His low voice echoed on your neck and you wrapped your arms around his shoulder, grabbing a fistful of his dark hair.
-I want you, Sukehiro-
That must have been the signal.
Because Yami bent down and grabbed your ass in his full hands, gave it a rough squeeze and lifted you.
After locking your thighs around his waist he looked at you straight in the eyes.
A hunter with his prey.
-Good, because I have been wanting to fuck you all night-
Yami Sukehiro was a man of instinct, he knew how to trust his guts and that night for some reason, he sensed that it was his lucky night.
Ever since he stepped into the tavern, ready to lose all his belongings as always, he knew that he wouldn't have left with empty hands.
When he saw you, his primeval awareness locked in. He was an apex predator and you were the perfect mate.
Your snarl, your smart replies, everything about your rudeness was appealing to him. And god knew how he struggled all night to hide the boner in his pants everytime you showed up.
How you milk-smooth skin shone under the candle light, the softness of your breasts made him starve.
The perfect shape of your ass filling your clothes was mesmerizing, how many hands of cards did he lose while lost staring at you walking away, just to catch a glimpse of it.
But there were too many layers of skirts for his liking, thank goodness he found a remedy for that.
When he groped your ass to lift you, his fingers dug into your cheeks, spreading them apart.
Yami kneaded your ass and sneered when you mewled in his mouth.
-Oh yeah? You wanna fuck me?- Repeating his words made you come to terms with the truth: he was gonna fuck you, and the anticipation was almost feverish. You just couldn't wait any longer, each step Yami took on the staircase that led to the rooms upstairs of the tavern made your heart flutter.
Confidently, Yami didn't miss a single step, while still licking and biting your jaw.
-Mhm mhm- He confirmed -I wouldn't have left this village without making you mine first-
Yami noticed how his words affected you: your panties were soaked under a couple underskirts, so soaked that your wetness had reached his white shirt and spread -So wet for me already, and I haven't even touched you yet? You don't seem so bossy now, do you-
It wasn't your fault, but his.
You never met someone like him, someone that made you fall for lust so quickly. For all you knew, he could have been a criminal of the worst grade, but it didn't matter.
Your brain was fogged by desire, all your body ached for him.
Your breasts were squished against his pecs, your nipples hardened and got so sensitive just by friction that electricity jolted through your nerves; your thighs were numb and your core, well, you were trying to mantain a certain decency to not beg him to fill you right away.
Yami kicked the door of the room he rented, the wooden plank slammed against the wall and he didn't really cared about making sure he closed it behind his back, than he threw you on the mattress.
-Sukehiro...-You gasped, stretching your arms for him, needing those muscles back on you, that scent overtaking you.
Yami stood at the end of the bed, kicking his boots in a corner and brought his hands on his white top.
A translucent stain of your wetness made his skin visible through the fabric.
-Look what you have done to my favourite shirt, naughty-
Hungrily, you reached for his pants, with your fingers you tried to undo the strings and bottons that separated you from pleasure.
While you untied the knots, Yami stripped off his shirt, leaving your mouth dry and your eyes glazed.
-You are so hot- The words left your lips like you were hypnotized.
His six pack was so defined, hard at touch and over his bulky pectorals a thin layer of dark hair.
-Take your fucking clothes off- Yami commanded with a sigh, his chest rising with deep breaths.
He wanted it as much as you did.
You didn't let him repeat himself, as soon as your corset came undone and your tits were revealed to him, Yami let out a soft groan.
-Fuck-
His pants disappeared from sight, making you aware of the biggest cock you ever seen.
You had good partners in your history, you never complained but this...there was no way that could fit inside you.
And your pulsing cunt was aching for the challenge.
-Fuck, you are so big- You licked your lips, looking at Yami grabbing his cock in his hands and stroking it.
Shivers spread across your cunt, his full hand could barely circle the girth of that rock-hard cock.
In the moonlight, droplets of precum glistened on the head and leaked all acroos the veiny lenght.
Yami stood proud of his size and his build, he was born to be a dominant, that was clear as day.
It was clear for his presence turned you into a mute goldfish.
Speechless, a mess of pants and purrs, you welcomed Yami Sukehiro, the stranger that entranced you with his darkness, between your legs, where he tore apart your skirts with his bare hands.
-Lemme see you, lemme see how...-Yami lifted your legs, pushing your knees onto your chest, exposing your naked, gleaming, pussy.
He exhaled, a deep deep sigh sent a cool breeze over your soaked sex.
Like a soft rain over a fire.
Yami took his time to admire your naked body, after trying to imagine it all night through your clothes, his fantasy could have never made justice to the perfection you were.
The firm shape of your tits, how they mellowed in his fingers, your perky nipples and the way you squirmed as soon as he tickled them.
Your hips and waist, perfect for his hands to grab, he made sure to give them a good squeeze when he pulled you under him to assert his dominance.
And then, your pussy.
-This is all mine- He growled as he towered over you, bringing your legs on his strong broad shoulders.
Drunk in his gaze, you nodded.
-Yeah? Is your pussy all mine, my love?- He cucked his brows, faking a desperate expression. Probably making an impression of your face, pathetically needing him, all of him.
-Say it, I want your smart mouth to say your pussy belongs to me now-
There was something in the way he commanded you that turned your brain into mush.
Sterness, the magnetic tone of his voice, his dominating size.
-It's yours, Yami. Just please...- You bit your lips.
You begged? You were really begging now? What did this man do to you to reduce you to a cock begging submissive?
A wicked grin appeared on his lips, and Yami pushed himself slowly on you, his weight taking over all your resistance.
-Please...what? What were you trying to say?- The head of his cock nudged at your entrance with a wet sound.
You tilted your head back, fighting with the last ounce of self control you stored, but your clit said otherwise when Yami stroked it with his middle finger.
His cock ready to penetrate you and his hand playing with your bud, if your legs weren't kept tight on his shoulders, you would have kicked them in the air.
Yami made slow circles around your wet and swollen clit, and the stimulation was a trap for your pussy.
Through the growing louder moans, you felt his cock having an easier access inside you.
Your hole loosening.
God, Yami knew what to do with a woman's body.
And the idea of other having fucked that cock before, having his lustful eyes, made you burn with jealousy.
And desire to satisfy him.
Now he didn't stop fiddling with your clith when he bit your collabone and whispered again -Please...what? Say it, show me how dirty can that wicked mouth really be- Yami reached your mouth and chocked your moan with a kiss. His beard was tickling you, everywhere he left bites your skin was on fire -Are you only good at giving smart comebacks? You keep bragging about your tongue, until now I've only tasted desperation in it. Will you really beg me to fuck you, uh? Is that what you were trying to say?-
You were on the verge of tears, thirsty and hungry for Yami like your life depended on him taking your body.
You needed his touch, as rough as he could be.
You needed to disappear under him, to be conquered.
You never wanted anyone as much as you wanted that stranger.
-Sukehiro...please- With a hand you cupped his face and he followed your movement, curling his lips.
-What a good little girl you are, I will offer you a deal-
A deal?
If there was trouble you were way too late to escape now.
-What do you want?- Your voice a sob.
-You. I want you-
-I don't understand-
-If you beg me to fuck you, you will be mine. You will belong to me, your precious little cunt will belong to me-
Whatever it meant, it was what your body was screaming for.
Did he want to buy you? Were you going to be his concubine?
You should have reflected on it, on the consequences, on the conditions, but how could you reflect on anything when a man like Yami Sukehiro was feasting on your tits, filling his mouth with your soft flesh, nibbling and sucking your nipples.
-Fuck me- It finally escaped you -I am yours, Yami-
A hard, deep thrust filled you to the point of choking you.
Yami pounded his way inside you, with a fast thrust that made your pubic bones clash against his, and his balls smack against your ass.
His cock reached so deep inside you that you gasped for air, while he roared.
Your pussy stretched all at once to welcome his size but not enough.
Your muscles wrapped and squeezed his throbbing cock.
Yami didn't take his grey eyes off you, with a smile upon seeing you finally getting what you have asked for.
He didn't move, for as rough as his penetration was, he still realized how big he was for you and waited for your body to adjust to his size.
You grabbed a fistful of his hair.
-You are mine now- He said, low, like a promise from hell.
Yami was inside you, his cock throbbed against your walls, his head already nudging a spot that no one ever found before.
You moaned his name again and he grabbed your wrist, bringing it behind your head.
Then kissed you deeply while entwining his fingers with yours.
That kiss was different, less brutal, less carnal.
He kissed you like he...
No, you couldn't be that stupid. You didn't even know him, you knew nothing about him.
No strings attached whatsoever.
It was just casual sex, the best sex, but just casual.
Nothing else, right?
His kiss, slow, passionate seemed to say otherwise.
But when he moved his cock, you forgot about everything else.
In and out of your pussy, Yami started slowly to pount in you, so slow he made you die in anticipation for the next thrust, but deep and rough enough to make you scream.
-Now that's a sound I like coming from your mouth-
His teeth were once again on your neck, right under your jaw, your chin.
Yami was leaving you a necklace of lovebites.
The contrast between the pleasure of his cock in your cunt and the bites on your skin sent you in a spiral.
Your fingers reached for his shoulders.
-Faster- You moaned into his ear.
And faster he went.
Yami panted and moaned, he wasn't the kind of man that kept his pleasure all for himself, on the contrary he had no restraint when it came to growling for what your pussy did to him.
Each thrust faster than the previous, the smacking sound your pussy was making and the slippery movement of his cock were a sign of how both of your juices were mixing.
His precum mixed with your pleasure and leaked over your butthole and dripped on the sheets, already drenched by sweat.
-You like it like this, sweetheart? Is it fast enough for your needy pussy?- Yami smiled even through his growls and didn't even reacted when your nails scratched his back.
-You are a fucking asshole- You managed to say, his weight and his cock choked air out of you.
-You have no idea- Yami squeezed your tit and kept drilling you.
If he kept pounding that deep, you were sure he was going to break you in half, but your pussy was made for his cock, he was molding it in his shape and you just couldn't have enough of the sound of his voice.
Of knowing that that was you driving him crazy as much as he was doing with you.
-Where the fuck have you been until now?-
He finally arched his back when your nails scratched deeper, that question caught completely unprepared.
You wanted him, you wanted to please him.
-Tell me I'm yours, Yami-
Every word coming out of you almost incomprehensible.
-You are mine, you are fucking mine-
Every word coming out of him accompanied by a thrust.
That's all you needed to know.
You were his to please.
-I wanna ride your cock, Sukehiro-
He barely let you finish the sentence, that his hands were already on your hips, squeezing you and rolling over the bed.
Yami held you firm in place and now that you were sitting on his thick thighs, that you were observing his skin, coated by a shiny layer of sweat, you realized how truly big he was compared to you.
Your whole body would fit on one of his thigh only, his abdomen spread across the mattress, barely enough to contain him.
Yami crossed his swollen biceps under his head and rocked his hips, making you bounce.
-You said you wanted to ride me, are you just words?-
Fuck, what a piece of shit he was.
You wanted him to destroy you.
That arrogant sneer on his face made you grab his cock, wet of both your wetness and his precum, and bring it to your entrance.
It was heavy in your hand that couldn't circle it, and it smelled of heat.
A part of you, the most irrational and drunk of him, almost gave up on the desire to have him inside to taste him instead.
You wanted that massive shaft in your mouth, discover how much of it you would fit before you choked on it.
Discover the taste of that man, see him crumble for your lips.
But Yami had other plans for you: with another sudden and unexpected hump, he filled your cunt.
The meowing gasp you let out made him chuckle.
-Now that's more like that- He watched you lose that last crumb of sanity as you fall on his chest.
His cock drilled up to your stomach, a visible bulge rising on your womb, touching muscles and nerves no one ever touched before.
Looking for stability, grabbing his pecs, you stuck your tongue out in pure bliss.
Yami didn't miss the chance of sucking on your tongue and to make fun of your addiction -You really look cock drunk, sweetheart. Do you like being fucked like this?-
With his cruel fingers, he reached for your clit and as if his cock wasn't enough, he stroked it.
-Uh, you like being fucked like this? Naughty girl, look at your face-
The wetness of your pleasure was being stroked by Yami, spurting all over his hairy pube, his pounding reaching for your womb.
Like a predator breeding his mate.
-Ngh...Suke...hiro-
A new energy was growing inside you, an electricity that spread across your legs and down your spine.
-Yeah? Are you close to cumming?-
Your head nodded, eyes seeing stars.
With each deep pound he smacked in your pussy, his thighs slapped against your ass, a soft wet friction of sweat merged your skins together.
If he kept drilling at that depth and pace, you would pass out.
Your thighs grinded on him, with the intention of grasping every single inch of pleasure.
That take of charge made Yami moan.
Your pussy twitched when his voice reached your ear with a loud growl.
And you grinded again, locking your eyes on his.
-That's a good girl, keep doing that...fuck-
Inside you, that weight throbbed, readjusting your insides
Yami's cock was growing harder.
He tilted his head back, closing his eyes, lost in pure lust of your cunt clenching him.
Your walls sucked him in and out, the air suction with the lewd wet noises was a sign of how both your sexes were addicted to each other.
-Ya..Yami...I'm...-
Yami didn't open his eyes, but still found your hips, grabbing them tight, making it impossible for you to escape his next action.
-Cum on my cock, fuck- He roared, before rocking as fast as he could, fucking the air out of you -Cum on me, ugh-
Your climax blossomed in you like a flaming flower.
The spark ignited in your womb, a liquid light exploded as for a moment, you lost consciousness.
You came like you never came before.
Your legs outstretched and seizured, so did your back, like struck by a thunder.
Your cunt exploded on Yami's cock, tigthening, twitching.
Immediately, he was there to grab you.
As he rose to seize you in his arm, the movement pushed his cock even deeper in you.
-SUKEHIRO- You screamed, your nose invaded by the smell of sex and sweat that emanated from Yami.
His hot breath collided on your neck, while you disappeared into his embrace.
And he kept pumping his cock inside you, making sure of stealing every piece of orgasm out of you.
When his pace slowed and his breath became unsteady, your head spinned.
-Where do you want me to cum, answer quickly before I breed you-
His.
You wanted to be his.
-In my mouth- You hiccupped.
Yami remained in silence for a hot second, he wasn't sure he heard correctly, in the heat of the moment.
Did you say you wanted his load in your mouth? Didn't his ears deceive him?
-Say it again-
-Cum in my mouth, Yami. I want to taste you-
With manly arrogance, he lifted you from his cock, glazed by your juices.
Your pussy leaked your creamy orgasm on his thigh and with a sigh of relief your womb was freed by Yami's cock.
You felt empty now that he wasn't inside you anymore, already addicted to his presence and shape.
You laid on the edge of the mattress, legs spread and sore while he sat on his knees stroking his erection at full speed.
The wet pumping made Yami look aching to cum.
Head down and focused, his brow furrowed, chest going up and down in unsteady breaths.
You could tell he needed to cum just by how swollen his balls were.
-Will you be mine?- He growled under his breath, giving a hard stroke to his glistening head.
-I will be yours- You nodded, ready to take all of him.
Whatever that meant, you wanted it.
You wanted to be his.
You wanted to be ruined by this stranger you couldn't get enough of.
There was a before and a after Yami Sukehiro. You knew, the moment he first kissed you that no one else would have ever compared.
How could anyone compare to that strength, that stamina, that size.
-No one fucks like you do- Your body spoke for you, your brain was long shut down.
That confession erupted from you made Yami shudder.
Without ceasing to jerk off, he grabbed a fistful of your hair and pulled you towards him.
-Take it, open your mouth- He commanded, when your lips met with his hairy pube and the salty smell of his cock -Take it-
You obeyed, the reddened and swollen head of Yami's cock caressed your lips and your tongue, and the contact made him explode.
Yami bent on you, keeping your head firm as he released his load.
With your eyes up on him, you saw him hissing and roaring.
-Fuu..unf...Fuckk- He let go loud, beastly.
Suddenly your mouth was filled with a warm and thick liquid, the amount of Yami's seed was impressive.
How much did he need it, how long was he keeping all that.
And you did it, that was all for you.
Your effect on him and your doing.
His cock throbbed against your lips, shooting strings of sperm to decorate your tongue.
He tasted like salt, like heat, like lust.
Yami kept your head down until you drank him to the last drop.
And sighed, deeply, releasing you and abandoning himself back on the mattress.
Not before grabbing your arm and pulling you on his chest.
He swallowed, slicking his sweaty hair back.
He regained lucidity and caressed your back with the tip of his fingers -You alright?-
You lifted your head and nodded.
-Did you swallow my cum?!- Yami seemed surprised at the idea, as if he wasn't expecting that.
-Well, of course, that's why I wanted you to cum in my mouth-
Now Yami made a sound, resting his arm over his eyes.
Exhausted, relieved and utterly lost in you.
That wicked mouth of yours was going to be his ruin, he knew it.
Squeezing your cheeks he kissed you, savouring his own taste still lingering in your mouth.
A sloppy kiss, that's what you both needed after losing your minds in each other.
-You are a naughty, naughty, girl. Where did you learn how to fuck like that, uh?- He smacked your ass as he made himself cozy, lying on his side -Do your books say how to ride a man?-
You hid a laugh, tracing his hard muscles lines with your fingers -I had my experiences you know.
Yami's eyes darkened suddenly, the playful grin disappeared before he crashed onto your mouth again, forcing you to lay down with his imposing weight.
Slow, with soft petal kisses in between, never taking his eyes off you as he fought the urge to own you again.
-You are mine now-
Would have it ruined the mood if you asked what he meant? You really didn't care, for a part of you knew he was right.
That you would have looked for him in all the men you slept with.
Yami made you his.
-Only mine to kiss...- Yami licked under your jaw -...to touch...- Then he went low on your tits -...to fuck...- On your abdomen -...to ruin- And he stopped right above your clit, on your soft bushy pube.
Biting your lips you were already savouring the experience of Yami licking you, his mouth was so close.
-Jerk- You spat out when he cruelly crawled back to your face, with a playful smile.
He chuckled -Ready to go again, uh? You loved my cock that much?-
You nodded, scratching his light beard -I've never been fucked like this-
Yami gave you a squeeze on your hips and nudged his big nose against yours -You can say it outloud-
Yami Sukehiro snored, not that it surprised you that a brute like him would keep his rudeness even in his sleep, what surprised you was that his snoring woke you.
You forgot to have even fallen asleep.
He was sleeping like a babe, a soldier proud of his won battle, bicep under his head and one hand resting on his abdomen, one knee up to make a tent of the messed up sheets.
When you woke up you were still naked, covered in shivers after the sweat had cooled on your skin.
You must have fallen asleep together, after all you were both sore.
So sore that even rising from the bed pained you.
God, that man really fucked you like no one did, your legs were twitching from cramps.
You looked at him quickly, he was handsome when he slept. His chest rose in deep breaths and on his face was a dreamless serenity.
But you couldn't stay the night, what would have your boss said if he saw you coming down for breakfast with one of his customers, especially in the conditions you were?
What would have your parents said if they didn't see you at home by daylight?
It was all just sex, you reminded yourself.
You didn't know this guy, you didn't know his businesses.
No strings attached, just good, amazing, breath-taking, unforgettable sex.
When you gathered your clothes back they were a mess, completely torn apart, and then your eyes fell on something glittering in the dark.
You looked back, making sure Yami didn't wake from you stepping on the wooden tiles, and peeked inside his pouch.
There was a black shawl, or cape with a sygil embroidered on it.
A black bull.
That must have been the insigna of his gang or whatever. Under it, far more interesting, the leather sachet with the gold he won at The Table.
So much gold, what did he need it for?
He said he was going to the Clover Kingdom Capital, to attend the exam for the Magic Knights.
And asked you to join him.
It was then that a thought came to your mind.
You helped him win that gold, actually, if it wasn't for you he wouldn't have seen a dime, that meant that a big part of that win was also yours, right?
When Yami woke up the next morning he was alone and for a moment he believed that last night was a dream.
The most beautiful dream he ever had.
But your smell was still all over him, your sweet scent filled the room and yet, you were nowhere to be seen.
Not that he expected his breakfast in bed, but it was the first time that someone ran away in the middle of the night after fucking.
Usually it was him.
You were a surprise after the other.
Arrogant and clever, the best fuck he had and also a runaway.
Weren't you just a catch?
His insight was never wrong and led him to his pouch.
With a loud -AH!- Yami laughed seeing all of his gold vanished, and replaced by a small parchment in the leather sachet.
The ink was not completely dry yet, and it read
I'm sorry, I just took my part. I guess I will see you at the Magic Knight exams, don't forget it. You really have the best cock I ever fucked.
See you at the Capital, Yami Sukehiro
You clearly had no idea in what trouble you just put yourself.
Yami crumpled up your letter and put it in his pockets, somehow a way to feel you close and went about his day laughing.
-Oh, you will see my love, I will be there-
161 notes · View notes
gemsofgreece · 3 months ago
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How to follow a Mediterranean Greek diet
The Mediterranean diet naturally expands throughout the coastal countries of South Europe, North Africa and the Middle East but there are some small differences between their cuisines. So here I am writing specifically about the Greek version of the Mediterranean diet, known for its delicious, natural flavours and its significant health benefits.
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Eat daily:
Olive oil: the pillar, the liquid green gold of the Mediterranean Greek diet. Olive oil should be used ideally exclusively for all purposes. It's dressing salads, it's used in cooking and in fact it's traditionally what is used in frying too. Replace all types of oils, butter and margarine with olive oil even when making pastries. The only problem here is that outside of the Mediterranean basin olive oil can be pricey, however that's the foundation the diet is based on. If you are interested in following the traditional Greek diet for taste or health purposes, it is good to really incorporate olive oil in your daily cooking. If it’s not possible to afford buying olive oil all the time (although you could balance it out by not buying other oils and butter), a non-Greek-typical but equivalent alternative could be avocado oil. However, I doubt avocado oil or any other oil can remotely compare to olive oil in health properties, taste or in any other positive quality 🫒
Vinegar: Just like olive oil, vinegar is a very important ingredient and is also used in natural remedies However, it can hurt a sensitive GI tract if consumed in large portions. A little bit of it added to meals frequently is very healthy. Apple cider vinegar is also very loved and used in salads often ���
Vegetables: no portion can be too much (wild greens, garlic, onions, cauliflowers, cucumbers, eggplants, beets, peppers, spinach, artichokes, zucchini, peas, lettuce, the list never ends). Tomatoes and broccoli are recent additions to the Greek diet however they were integrated perfectly to the Greek cuisine. In general, all vegetables can be enjoyed freely with some moderation in the potatoes, especially when fried 🥗
Fruits: grapes, berries, apples, melons, cherries, figs, prunes, sour cherries, peaches, pomegranates are the most historically loved fruits in the Greek diet. Since the middle ages citruses like the orange, the lemon and the mandarin are more and more loved. Greeks nowadays use lemon almost more than vinegar and both have become integral components of the Greek diet. Obviously, tropical fruits like, say, banana, mango, grapefruit are not present in the traditional Greek diet, however all fruits are good fruits and you can enjoy them freely 🍎
Legumes. Eat freely to the tolerance of your body. Legumes can be too heavy for some GI tracts. Legumes are a great source of protein and fibre. Choose brown lentils, white beans, fava beans, chickpeas, giant beans and black eyed peas the most 🫘
Nuts, seeds: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts etc. Eat as much as your body can take, because everybody is different 🥜
Mushrooms: mushroom it up! A great healthy way to have them is grilled with herbs and plain or apple cider vinegar dressing 🍄‍🟫
Whole grains: this is the traditional way to eat grains. Brown bread, oats, whole wheat pasta 🌾
Fish and seafood: find and eat them fresh. Instead of buying them deep frozen from the big markets, find local fish stores if your place is coastal and has them. Eat both large but especially small and medium sized fish. Some fish like salmon and tuna should ideally not be consumed daily due to their high levels of mercury and fats 🐟🎣🍤
Herbs and spices. Feel free to use as much as you want however if you are interested also in the flavours of the Greek diet besides the health benefits, a tip is that Greek dishes do not contain extremely hot spices 🌿
Water: A lot of water daily and, mind you, plain clear mineral water. No flavoured water, definitely not sparkling water and ideally no other liquids in place of the water. I mean, sure you can have liquids but you should ALSO have plain water 💧
Eat a few times per week:
Poultry: Poultry and lean meats entered the Greek cuisine mostly after the Middle Ages however they are nowadays enjoyed as part of the Greek Mediterranean diet because they are tasty and healthier than other types of meat. Chicken has become especially popular in the Greek cuisine. Other birds are the pheasant, the quail, the turkey and more sparsely the duck 🍗
Eggs: eggs are healthy and should be consumed a few times per week but not daily because they can cause a rise in cholesterol levels 🥚
Dairy: Greeks LOVE dairy products, especially the various types of cheese, however they are often irritating to the GI tract and they are linked with rises in the level of inflammation in the body. This is why you should ideally limit them to a few times per week. One exception is the yoghurt, which is fermented and can be perhaps consumed more frequently due to its beneficial properties. Important note: if you want to follow the Greek diet, you should ideally opt for milk and other dairy products from goats and sheep! Cow milk is not traditionally used in the Greek cuisine often and sheep and goat milk are significantly healthier and more nutritious. The only drawback is the stronger smell, however if you can get past that, it is strongly advised to switch to those instead of cow milk. Another note: what is known as “Greek yoghurt” in western countries is not in fact a true Greek yoghurt. What you call Greek yoghurt is to us simply a strained yoghurt, a yoghurt from which the whey has been removed. Sometimes in western markets (and in Greek “modern” dessert yoghurt products) butterfat and powdermilk is added to them and they are mostly made of cow’s milk. Again, a traditional Greek yoghurt is made of sheep, goat milk or a mix of both and is unstrained. It also has a trademark thickened skin on its top (dunno if this is the actual term lol) which is in fact the part of the yoghurt that contains the most nutrients and personally it’s the tastiest part of the yoghurt but apparently it is not for everyone. As an example, a study showed that an unstrained sheep yoghurt has more protein, more omega-3 fatty acids and minerals yet fewer calories and fats than a strained cow yoghurt 🍦🧀
Wine: in small portions, like a small glass up to a few times per week and always in combination with your meal. You don’t drink it to get hammered, you drink it for the health benefits it has in very moderate quantities and for the reasonable mild euphoria it causes before it becomes harmful. The GI tract is linked to the brain and is detrimentally influenced by negative emotions. This is why it is important to try to be in a good mood, relaxed and peaceful when you sit down to eat. A sip of wine now and then can be good for that 🍷
Eat once per week or ideally less:
Red meat like pork or beef. In fact, beef should be the one most avoided not only because it is indeed the rarest of the common meats used in traditional Greek cuisine but also because you can’t separate the fat from the meat as easily as with pork. To follow the Greek style in a healthy way opt for goat, then lamb or pork and make beef your most occasional meat dish 🥩
Processed meats should be eaten rarely. If you are in a mood for it though, opt for Greek style sausages with herbs in or bacon at most. Cured meats like ham are better to be avoided but turkey is the healthiest of them. They are not a part of a traditional Greek cuisine though.
Refined grains can be enjoyed weekly but should not replace whole grains
Pastries. What’s new, pastries are not ideal for health. However, if you are yearning for something sweet, if you want to keep it healthy as much as possible in the “Greek way”, opt for desserts made of healthy ingredients like honey, nuts, olive oil and fruits. Chocolate came to Greece in the 19th century, however it has become an integral part of confectionery since then. Opt ideally for dark chocolate, combined with nuts or fruits such as oranges and prunes. Greeks especially love chocolate combined with nuts.
Soft and sugary drinks. Avoid them overall, especially the processed products in the markets. If you need a sweet drink really bad, you can keep it traditional by making your own sweet lemonade, sour cherry, pomegranate etc drink at home. You could also enjoy small quantities of lemon or mastic liquors which are good for digestion.
BONUS TIPS & PHILOSOPHY:
Try to find mastic if it’s available where you live. The mastic is a resin produced from the mastic tree, a species endemic to the Greek island of Chios and a small part of the opposite coast of Turkey. It has numerous beneficial properties, especially for digestion and gut health, and it combines them with a very pleasant fresh and sweet flavour. You can find it in gums that boost digestion, in drinks, in pastries and even in non-edible products like toothpastes. Learn about it and give it a try, no matter if you are interested in following Greek diet or not.
Greek cuisine does not go berserk on as many ingredients as possible (however Greeks typically add more ingredients than, say, Italians and perhaps fewer than the Middle Easterners). Don’t worry about adding as many foods and nutrients in one single dish. The most important thing in Greek cuisine philosophy is to pick the finest ingredients. Avoid deep frozen or precooked and processed ingredients. Pick whole fruits and vegetables from your local small grocery store. For example, don’t buy a watermelon slice in a zelatin bag from the supermarket. Take the whole freaking watermelon home. You heard me right. It’s heavy, yes, but you would be surprised how much tastier and healthier it is this way. Go to the butcher for meat. Go to the specific cheese shop for cheese. Go to the fisherman for fish and seafood. Go to the pastry shop and get a nice dessert instead of buying candies from the market.
Remember that in moderation you can eat most of the foods you desire, especially if they are not processed foods. There is nothing about the Greek diet that is restrictive in terms of its philosophy - historically the intake of various foods was regulated only based on availability and price. There are no foods you should limit due to any perception of them being “bad” and you should never feel guilty the moment you are actually having the food. Just work slowly and progressively by building gradual appreciation for healthy foods and prize less nutritious foods as occasional taste bud rewards.
As said above, a good mood is crucial when you sit down to eat. In the history of the Greek society this translated into eating with friends and / or family, maybe with the occasional sip of wine, ideally in a pleasant environment and always taking your time with your food. If some of these are less feasible than others, try alternatively to improve the setting in which you eat, to eat in an environment that calms you down. Schedule your meal so that you won’t eat in anxiety or hurry, if this is possible. Think of pleasant memories and feel grateful for your food. Cheers! Or, you know, εις υγείαν!
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captain-hawks · 10 months ago
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Hi 💝 yuta okkotsu + coffee + green
yuuta okkotsu x reader
c: timeskip yuuta, fluff, feels
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It’s not the warm, gentle breeze filtering in through the window that stirs you from sleep—nor is it the insistent chittering of the birds perched in the tree nearby, or the bright morning sunlight that floods across your rumpled sheets.
—it’s the fragrant smell of coffee wafting through the house, your tired eyes flying open the moment the scent hits you.
You don’t drink coffee.
Throwing back the sheets, you stumble out of bed and dash out of the room.
You don’t drink coffee.
The laminate flooring squeaks beneath your bare feet as you skid to a stop in the kitchen, heart clumsily skipping a beat at the sight of the man leaning back against the counter, an ugly, green mug with a chip in it clutched in one hand.
It’s hideous, really—it looks woefully out of place amongst every other cup lined up in your cabinets.
It was presumptuous of whomever made it in the first place, to think someone would want to drink out of something such an unpleasant shade of green.
—that’s exactly what you said when you plucked it up off of the shelf in a flea market stall years ago, laughing so hard at the agreeing frown on Yuuta’s face that it went clattering to the ground. Still not quite past the boundaries of friendship at the time, you’d both been flustered when you bumped heads and brushed hands as you dove to the floor to rescue it before the old woman sitting at the register nearby could notice. 
And naturally, rather than letting you sneak the ugliest mug in the world back on the unfortunate shelf from whence it came, Yuuta insisted on buying it once he realized that you’d chipped it. 
It’s such a goddamn ugly mug.
—and you’ll keep it forever, probably.
He smiles at you conspiratorially over the rim.
You don’t drink coffee, but he does.
“You’re home,” you whisper, biting your lower lip to suppress the size of the grin spreading across your face as you look at Yuuta. “A week early.”
The black strands of hair that frame his face have grown longer in the months that he’s been away, and you step forward, unable to deny yourself the need to card your fingers through the soft locks. Yuuta hums, his posture relaxing under the weight of your familiar touch, the looseness in his shoulders at odds with the dark circles that linger below his lower lashes. 
You’ve missed him so much—so much that it hurts, a splintering ache that’s settled deep in your bones.
“And you’re up early,” he muses, eyes sparkling with mirth as he reaches up and prods at a rogue strand of your sleep-mussed hair.
One of his hands comes to rest along the curve of your hip, the steady, seeping pang in your chest giving way under the warm pressure of his touch fluttering along your nerve endings.
You roll your eyes fondly and lament, “I just couldn’t resist the smell of hot bean water.”
Yuuta’s tongue darts out, passing over his lips, and he huffs, fingertips skating along your collarbone. A shiver dances down your spine as he drags them up the side of your neck, middle finger tracing the curve of your jaw before he finally takes your chin between his thumb and pointer finger. 
“Morning breath,” you grimace, despite the emotions swelling inside of you at the soft promise of his mouth hovering inches away.
“Don’t care,” he murmurs, brushing his thumb over your bottom lip. “Coffee breath?”
“Don’t care,” you echo.
Yuuta laughs, the noise reverberating through the kitchen and dripping like honey down the taut, yearning strings of your heart.
It’s a rich, beautiful sound.
One you’d do anything to hear.
One you’d trade for nothing—save for the quiet that follows when his lips finally find yours.
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njmcvlt · 6 months ago
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first vacation together || suh johnny
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bf!johnny x reader
wc: 1330
cw: slightly suggestive
an: this was originally written with [redacted] member in mind but i skimmed through and made some quick edits, so apologies if i missed something.
Today was finally the day! You gathered all of your bags and made your way out the apartment door after getting a text from your boyfriend Johnny. This would be the first time you see each other in a month. Not only would you two be seeing each other, but you were going on vacation together for the first time.
Johnny had been extremely busy preparing for 127's comeback. It made him sad that he wasn't able to see you much so he decided to plan a week long getaway for the two of you. You offered to help him plan but he denied it so this whole trip would be a surprise to you. You walked out the front door and was greeted by the 6-foot tall man you called your boyfriend.
“My Love!! I've missed you so much,” he said pulling you into a big hug and kissing your forehead. “Hi baby! I missed you too,” you said grinning wide like a child. Once settled in the car you couldn't help but bombard Johnny with questions about where you were going. He giggled at you enthusiasm “You'll find out as soon as we get there.” You both arrived at the train station and boarded the train. You were so excited about the trip you couldn't keep still, bouncing in your seat. Johnny couldn't help but smile at his adorable partner.
4 hours later you arrived at the destination. Stepping off the train you breathed in the salty air of the seaside city of Busan. You were beyond excited, this was your first time outside of Seoul since moving to Korea. What made it even better was that you'd get to experience it with the love of you life. “Soo... what do you think?” Johnny asked nervously. “I love it! You remembered, I've always wanted to come here.” You smiled up at him and grabbed onto his hand. The two of you left the station hand in hand, walking through the city to your hotel.
At the hotel, Johnny opened the door to your room. You gasped at its large size then immediately ran over to the window to admire the view of the city below. Your room was on the top floor of the hotel which made it perfect to look over top of the buildings. It was starting to get darker outside and the lights on the buildings began to sparkle. Walking over to you and placing his arm around your waist, he turns you to face the bed. “Did you see the size of the bed?” he said with a smirk on his face, implying some naughty activities you two would be getting into later. “Johnnyyy”, you said whining and playfully smacking his arm. He let out a little chuckle. “Come on now, let's go before we're late for our dinner reservation.”
Once at the restaurant, the front desk host leads you through the restaurant to your table right on the water. It was perfect, just like a scene in a movie. Johnny was somehow able to reserve the entire patio juts for the two of you. The table was lit by candlelight and all that could be heard was the sound of crashing waves. Johnny held your hand from across the table, admiring your beauty in the candlelight and you both sat in silence, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere. The food was amazing, as expected, and you shared a little cake for dessert. After dinner you two decided to walk around the city a bit and stumbled across a street market. You thought it would be the perfect place to find souvenirs for yourself and friends back in Seoul. Johnny walked past a small jewelry stall and saw a matching ring set that caught his eye. It was perfect, just your style. He thought it would be the perfect gift to remember this trip so he bought it, becoming giddy at the thought of how much you'll love it. You both continued to walk through the market, looking at the trinkets in all of the stalls and trying food sample. After buying a few souvenirs you made your way back to the hotel with arms linked together.
Suddenly Johnny pulls you aside to sit on a nearby bench and gives you a quick kiss on the cheek. He looks a bit nervous after pulling away and you take notice. “What's wrong baby, is everything okay?” He forms a light smile not wanting to worry you any further, “You know I love you so much. I just want to make this trip special. I feel so bad about not being able to spend time with you. My job takes up so much of my time, I don't want you to think I'm ignoring you. I just want this to be perfect.” You gently place your hand on top of his for reassurance. “It's okay baby. I understand that your job is very time consuming but you love what you do. That's one of my favorites things about you, you're so passionate. Just know I will always be there waiting for you and cheering you on,” you said placing a kiss on his cheek. Johnny smiled at your words and started to pull out a small box from his pocket. “I have something for you,” he said placing the ring on your finger. Tears began to form in your eyes at how sweet he was. “Thank you so much. I love it!” you said giving him a quick kiss. “It's starting to get cold, let’s hurry and head back,” he said drawing his jacket over your shoulders. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder and you rested your head on his arm, walking back to the hotel in silence, just enjoying the moment.
Over the next few days you enjoyed all of the attractions Busan had to offer. You guys went to the beach, explored the city, visited local temples, and rode in the sky canals. You were having such a fun time you didn't want it to end. On the last day of your trip Johnny wakes up and stretches his arms above his head and looks down to smile at your sleeping figure next to him. He gently gets out of bed trying not to wake you and steps over to the window to open the curtains. To his surprise it was dark and gloomy outside and rain started to drizzle. Visibly upset he thought “it wasn't supposed to rain at all this week. This was supposed to be their perfect vacation. I hope they're not to upset.” Lost in thought, he was startled by your voice. “Good Morning baby! What's wrong.” “It's raining today. Our plans are ruined.” He said sitting down on the edge of the bed and placing his head in his hands. “Let's just have a lazy day!” you said, “We can just lay in bed, cuddle, watch movies, and order room service.” Happy to see that you weren't upset, he tackles you down on the bed and covers you in kisses. ”Let's do it!” You both crawl back in bed and snuggle into each other. While you pick something to watch on Netflix, Johnny is busy ordering breakfast to be delivered to your room. For the next few hours you two would be comfortable in each others embrace.
”Hey look baby, the rain stopped. Did you want to go out?” You were enjoying the quiet time you were spending with Johnny. It had been so long since the two of you got to relax like this. You didn't want it to end. “Can we just stay like this?” you spoke softly. “Of course we can princess.” He said placing a kiss on your forehead. You wrapped your arms around Johnny’s bare torso and snuggled closer to him.
”Thank you for the vacation baby. I had a really good time. I love you.” you said smiling before slowly drifting off to sleep.
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wonderlanddreamer · 3 months ago
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[1919] The cobbled streets of Birmingham.
The story of how Lydia (and Arthur) convinced Tommy to let her keep a Great Dane who followed her home.
[Part of The Lydia Saga]
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The overcast sky hung low over Birmingham, casting a muted grey hue over the bustling streets of Small Heath. Lydia Shelby was undeterred by the threat of rain. With her inquisitive eyes sparkling with the promise of adventure, and her dark hair neatly braided, she embodied both the innocence of childhood and the daring spirit that ran through her family's veins. Her mischievous grin widened with each step as she navigated the cobblestone alleys, her small boots delighting in the splash and splatter of puddles underfoot.
Despite her tender age, Lydia possessed an insatiable curiosity that often led her far beyond the watchful gaze of her family. Today, she was on a mission, driven by stories of hidden treasures and secret places whispered among the neighbourhood children. The alleys of Small Heath, with their mix of bustling market stalls and shadowy corners, seemed to Lydia a labyrinth of possibilities—each turn promising new discoveries and excitement.
As she made her way deeper into the heart of the district, the familiar sounds of the city faded, replaced by the distant clatter of train tracks and the occasional bark of a stray dog. As Lydia wandered deeper into the maze of alleyways, the sounds of the bustling city gradually gave way to a quieter, almost secretive atmosphere. The air was filled with the faint scent of coal smoke and damp earth, creating an aura of mystery that only fueled her adventurous spirit. Her ears perked up at a peculiar rustling sound emanating from behind a stack of weathered wooden crates, their surfaces worn smooth by years of use.
Curiosity surged through her, and Lydia tiptoed cautiously towards the source of the noise, her small heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Each step felt deliberate and momentous, as if she were stepping into the pages of a grand adventure tale. As she peered around the edge of the crates, her eyes widened in astonishment at the sight before her.
Looming large in the dim light was a Great Dane, its presence both majestic and gentle. Its coat was a striking shade of grey, with speckles of rusty brown adorning its ears and paws, creating a mosaic of colours that seemed almost painted by hand. The dog's eyes, large and soulful, met Lydia's with an expression that exuded both wisdom and warmth, as if it had been waiting for her all along.
"Hello, big fella," Lydia whispered, her voice an enchanting blend of awe and delight. The Great Dane, as if sensing a kindred spirit in the small girl, wagged its tail with an enthusiasm that belied its enormous size. The gentle thud of its tail against the crates echoed softly, a rhythmic accompaniment to Lydia's giggle.
Encouraged by the dog's response, Lydia reached out with a tentative hand, her fingers brushing against its velvety head. The dog obligingly lowered its great head to her level, inviting her touch with a grace that seemed almost regal. "You look like a Rusty," she decided aloud, giggling as the newly christened Rusty bestowed a slobbery kiss upon her cheek.
As Lydia turned to continue her journey through the winding streets, she noticed Rusty trailing a few paces behind her, his long legs moving with a cautious curiosity. With each step she took, Rusty followed, his presence a comforting shadow that lingered just out of reach. The two of them formed an unlikely pair, the little girl leading the way while her newfound companion watched over her.
Gradually, as if testing the waters of friendship, Rusty began to close the gap between them. His lolloping gait grew more confident, matching Lydia's pace until he was walking beside her, his tail swishing back and forth like a metronome. By the time Lydia reached the familiar confines of Watery Lane, Rusty was trotting faithfully at her side.
As Lydia approached the Shelby home, a familiar mix of excitement and apprehension danced in her chest. She adored her brothers, but she knew them well enough to understand that surprises were not always welcome—especially those with four legs and a wagging tail! Tommy, in particular, was a man who valued order and control, traits not easily reconciled with the spontaneous arrival of a massive canine.
Standing on the doorstep, Tommy Shelby cut a formidable figure, the sharp angles of his tailored suit accentuating his commanding presence. A cigarette hung idly from his lips, a thin wisp of smoke curling into the afternoon air. His keen eyes, ever watchful, narrowed as they settled on the unlikely duo approaching. A flicker of concern creased his brow as he took in the sight of the enormous dog padding alongside his little sister.
"Lydia," he called out, his voice carrying a note of both authority and underlying worry. "Who have you got there?"
Lydia, undaunted by her brother's stern demeanour, beamed up at him with her most radiant smile. "This is Rusty, Tommy. He followed me home!"
Tommy exhaled slowly, a plume of smoke escaping his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest. His mind raced with questions and potential complications. "Lydia, you can’t just bring a stray dog home. What if he’s dangerous? What if he belongs to someone else?"
Lydia paused for a moment, her eyes twinkling with mischief and a hint of the Shelby cunning. "Well, Tommy, you’re always saying to find strong allies, right? Look at Rusty! He’s bigger than Danny Whizz-bang and probably scarier too."
A corner of Tommy’s mouth twitched, betraying a suppressed smile. Lydia had a knack for disarming him with her innocence and clever reasoning.
"And besides," Lydia continued, her cheeky grin widening, "if Rusty belonged to someone else, wouldn’t I have seen someone looking for him by now? He’s not exactly easy to lose."
Tommy raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard by her logic and the spark of Shelby wit she exhibited. He glanced at Rusty, who sat obediently beside Lydia, his eloquent eyes watching the exchange with quiet intelligence. "You make a fair point, little one," Tommy conceded, his tone softening, though he maintained his authoritative air. "But he’ll be a lot of responsibility."
Lydia, sensing that she was slowly winning Tommy over, pressed her advantage with the tact and charm of a seasoned negotiator. "You know, Tommy, I bet Rusty’d be great at keeping the house safe. Imagine having a giant dog like him guarding the front door!"
From the window, Arthur Shelby had been observing the scene with amusement. His broad grin was unmistakable as he pushed open the door and sauntered outside, his presence as boisterous and rugged as ever. "Oh, come on, Tommy," Arthur chimed in with a hearty laugh. "Look at the size of him! He’s practically a walking billboard for ‘Don’t Mess with the Shelbys.’ Who wouldn’t think twice seeing him on the doorstep?"
Tommy sighed, casting a sideways glance at Arthur, whose infectious laughter and mischievous twinkle in his eye made it hard to maintain a stern facade. Tommy ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of exasperation that masked his growing fondness for the idea. He shifted his gaze from Arthur’s grinning face to Lydia’s hopeful eyes, her pleading expression charming him more than he wanted to admit.
"Fine," Tommy relented, rolling his eyes but unable to completely stifle a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. "But he’s your responsibility, Lydia. You feed him, you clean up after him, and you make sure he doesn’t chew on my shoes."
Lydia squealed with joy, her face lighting up with pure delight as she threw her arms around Rusty's massive neck. The Great Dane, sensing his acceptance into the fold, wagged his tail with joyful enthusiasm.
Arthur clapped Tommy on the shoulder, his laughter still bubbling over. "See, brother? Even the toughest bookies in Birmingham need a soft spot somewhere."
Tommy shook his head, a rare warmth in his eyes as he watched Lydia with her new companion. "Just keep him out of the betting shop, Arthur. Last thing we need is Rusty collecting debts."
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shuacore · 11 months ago
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[ 00:53 ] skating in central park — bill evans
“holy balls it’s cold as fuck.” 
leave it to jun to keep it romantic. you hold back a snort of laughter, knowing it would only egg your boyfriend on more. he has his hand shoved into his pockets, breath coming out in steamy puffs of air. it’s biting this evening, but jun looks like a drama lead—so cute, all bundled with the tip of his nose red in his long trench coat and white puffy earmuffs—that you don’t even mind.
you sigh knowingly, twisting around to look at him with a smile. “come on! the christmas market is so cute.” 
“why can’t we just get drinks inside?” he whines, and you flit over, pressing a quick kiss to his cold cheek. this silences him for a moment as he regards you with wide eyes, smiling with adoration. your stomach flip flops around. ah, it never gets old.
“let’s just do a quick loop and then i promise we can go and get drinks. at a bar. inside,” you say in earnest, and this seems to persuade jun. you loop your arm through his, tucking yourself neatly into his side. he’s warm, even under all the layers, and you smell the familiar aroma of amber and cinnamon wafting from his skin. 
he groans,”fine,” without any heat, and presses a kiss to the crown of your head. your grin takes over your whole face as you tug him deeper into the throng of people. there are booths lining the walkway packed with sparkling decorations, large painted ornaments and tempting aromas of herbs and spices. your mouth waters as you pass by a booth selling pierogis, and you tug jun behind you as you move closer, pressing a finger against the glass.  
“ooh, let’s get some,” you say, and your excitement is enough to convince jun to hand over eight dollars to the stand, smiling fondly as you feed him bites from your fork. they’re warm and buttery and a perfect snack to combat the bitter chill of the winter air, and with full bellies you continue tooling around the market. you peruse spice stands, cooking stands, art stands, hand knit hats, scarves, and mittens, hand-painted ornaments, and a million other handcrafted things, all the while jun follows faithfully behind. his eyes glint merrily in the Christmas lights swinging in the night air. 
the pathway opens up into a lively center square, and you gasp excitedly, reaching out to grasp jun’s gloved hand tightly in your own.
“look! ice skating!” you say with vigor, skipping over to the barrier and watching the skaters with wide eyes. you turn back to your boyfriend, blushing to see him watching you again with poorly disguised amusement. “we should do it!”
jun’s eyebrows disappear underneath his fringe. “oh…i don’t know…”
you seemed to be spending most of your time convincing your partner to have a good time with you. 
“come onnnn! i’ll pay this time,” you plead, tugging on his elbow like a needy child. normally you’d take no for an answer, but it’s christmas for god’s sake, and you want to go ice skating with your boyfriend. not surprisingly, it doesn’t take much for him to relent—a few ‘please, please, please’s and an extra whispered promise in his ear for some winter activities you could do once you got home—before he’s pulling you by the hand to the booth and smacking a bill on the counter. 
“two pairs of skates! sizes 7 and 11, please.” your smile is blinding as you place a giddy peck to the cheek, and there he goes blushing again, like this is your first date and not your 200th. you like seeing jun all flustered around you; even after four years it still makes your stomach flip.
the worker hands jun his change and two pairs of skates—one of which he hands off to you—and you find a place to put them on. then the two of you are standing at the edge of the rink, hand in hand. you’ve only ever really gone skating on the ponds near your house, and even then it’s only been the two of you or family members during the holidays. and suddenly you’re a little nervous. experienced skaters and hockey players zip by at blinding speeds, and you inhale a sharp breath as the speed of a skater passing by ruffles your scarf. 
sensing your hesitation, jun gives your hand a soft squeeze and pulls you onto the rink. you grip the wall, white-knuckled, as jun leads you around the edge. it’s slow-going at first, as you get your bearings on the ice, but jun seems to pick up the movements naturally. he’s always been more adept at picking up new skill and ice skating seems to be no exception.
“wait, how are you so good at this?” you ask, breathless, as jun skates gracefully backwards, all the while still holding your hand in his. your trepidation is replaced by incredulity as jun releases your hand and swiftly flips around and glides off in easy loops.
“what the hell?!” you curse loudly, earning you a few grumpy glares from parents of young kids, but you’re too preoccupied watching your ice-skating-prodigy boyfriend to notice. the wind whips through his dark hair, pushing it off his forehead as he passes by you, close enough to feel his fingers graze your arm. “when did you learn to do this?!”
your knees are still unsteady on the ice, and you keep your fingers wrapped around the wall as you hobble around, trying to catch up with your boyfriend. 
“wait!” you call out in slight desperation as he skates past you one more time, weaving in and out of couples and kids making their own rounds. you frown, still sedentary, as jun finally skates back to you, skidding to a stop so you feel a light shower of ice sprinkle your face. 
“hey—ouch!” jun whines, rubbing his shoulder where you just punched him. “what?!”
“since when have you been good at skating?!” you ask in disbelief. he shrugs, exclaiming aloud when he dodges another swing. 
“stop!” jun protests, wrapping his hands around your wrists, and then he knits his fingers in your tightly. “just… like this, come on.” he pulls you gently away from the wall amid objections, showing you how to swish your feet in a graceful back-and-forth pattern. you start to gain a little speed. the wall seems miles away now, other skaters are dipping and weaving around you, and you turn back to jun with your arms held aloft, his name already formed on your lips in jubilation—
WHAM!
this time you do curse loud enough for enough people to hear. jun laughs raucously over the sound of other skaters as you lay flat on your back on the ice, your elbows, hips and pride aching. his face appears over yours, hair hanging down, face glowing with mirth. he offers you a hand, and pulls you up slowly as you wince. talk about old bones—you were going to be feeling that for a week. you hold your butt, massaging the muscle as it aches. 
“fuck,” you groan, lightly punching jun again as he laughs. it soothes your dignity just a bit to see him so happy, throwing his whole head back as he wipes the tears from his eyes. 
“here, i’ll help you,” jun promises, holding his arm out to you. this time it goes a little smoother as jun guides you around the rink. you almost make a full second rotation before you stumble again, this time taking your boyfriend down with you in a spectacular display of limbs and more curse words. the two of you laugh, amid a tangle of arms and legs, breathless. the air doesn’t seem so biting anymore. even on the ice, feeling the bruises blossoming on your shins and butt, watching your boyfriend heave himself to his feet, brush off the snow from his long winter trench coat like some kind of rom-com lead has your heart fluttering in your chest. he pulls you to your feet again, and sputters in surprise when you lurch forward to press a kiss to his lips. 
it fills your chest with warmth, and you laugh short-winded against his mouth as jun’s hands rest on the back of your neck. he’s a bit too eager, biting your lip slightly as you pull away before he’s finished. (you are still in public after all.)
“what was that for?” he asks, nose and cheeks red from the cold. you lift your hand to his face, tracing the line of his cheekbone lightly with your thumb. 
“mm, nothing. i just love you,” you say, quietly, unable to stop the smiles from filling your face. 
jun leans in again, lips centimeters form yours when someone yells, “get a room!” and you freeze. jun laughs loudly again, throwing his head back like he always does. you hid your face against his chest as you giggle in embarrassment. his arms are warm around your body.
“do you wanna take a break?” he asks when you resurface. 
you falter. “but we just got them,” you say, feeling a bit guilty. 
“hey, we have them for a whole hour,” he assures you, and presses a kiss to your temple. 
despite your protests, the activities on land are much more your speed. after finding a secluded little bench, jun disappears for a moment, only to return with two steaming mugs of hot apple cider. it’s sweet and a little spicy but it sends a welcome wave of warmth through your body, letting the steam defrost your noses and cheeks from the winter air. jun wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you into his side as you watch the skaters together. 
and you just sit in quiet for a while, every so often commenting on the booths or other market-goers. unbeknownst to you, jun watches you fondly, taking in your slouched posture, your bright eyes as you drink in the christmas festivities. that alone is enough to make his chest want to burst. he tucks you just a bit tighter in to his side, lifting a hand to press a gentle kiss to the back of your gloved knuckles.
his presence is just as warm as the cider cupped in your hands.
--
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a/n: just a fun little wintery jun-fic that's been on my mind. i was also thinking of posting it to skating by vince guaraldi (also a good one if u want the ambiance!!!!) but i liked the mellow tones of bill evans too :3
xx thanks for reading LOVE U!!!
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rotworld · 1 month ago
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20: Instinct
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art by @exorbitantsqueakingnoises
you're the primary caretaker of a lorleian child who was raised in captivity. to help her learn how to survive in the wild, you've had to enlist the help of an adult lorleian with extremely territorial streak.
->original work. explicit; contains dub-con, mentions of child neglect/abuse, graphic descriptions of violence, murder, breeding kink and dirty talk, tentacles, terato, mentions of hard vore/cannibalism.
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It’s a two hour drive from the Marine Life Rescue Center to the particular stretch of beach where Awimi has her rewilding lessons. The journey requires preparation: a custom child’s car seat, upholstered with soft absorbent padding that maintains moisture. A barrel of saltwater solution with an attached spritzing nozzle that dispenses in five-minute intervals. An array of increasingly complex plastic puzzle boxes, central chambers stuffed with shrimp and minnows. The van smells like a fish market but you only notice for the first ten minutes. You take a snaking coastal highway, the windows rolled down to let in the sea breeze, the scent of brine and the squawks of gulls. 
“I’m hungry,” she complains. You can hear the squeal and creak of plastic coming from the backseat, and the sounds of her suckers popping off of things.
“You’re going to eat so many fish in just a little bit,” you assure her.
“Want fish now.” 
“There’s fish in your box.” 
“Want better fish,” she insists. One of her tentacles scoots down the side of your seat, playing with your seatbelt. “Fish that move.” 
“Soon,” you promise. “I bet Ishi’s saving all the best ones for you.” 
She pouts. “He better.”
You glance at the mirror frequently to make sure she hasn’t unbuckled her seatbelt and started sliding around. So far so good. She’s hard at work on one of the puzzle boxes, her enormous eyes and squiggling pupils trained intently on a stubborn sliding mechanism that she keeps prodding and picking at. It’s no wonder she’s so hungry with how big she’s gotten. Her tentacles used to dangle off the edge of the car seat without touching the floor and her hair-like head tendrils were just short, wiggling nubs. 
Malnutrition and time spent in a cramped enclosure have impacted her growth and she’ll probably never be as large as an average adult of her subspecies, but she might get to be your size, at least. You’d worry a lot more if you weren’t certain she won’t be facing the open ocean alone.
“What are you most excited about today?” you ask her.
“The reef!” she says. Bored of the puzzle box, she passes it from her hands to her tentacles. They keep working on it even as her attention wanders to the rolling waves outside. “It’s pretty! And the water is good! And there’s lots of fish, and shells. Ishi is really good at shells. They should be easy to open but they’re not. You have to be really strong. Ishi is the strongest.” 
“He is,” you agree. “But I bet you’ll grow up to be really strong, too. You’re already stronger than me.”
“Really?” She sounds suspicious.
“Yep. You remember that sardine jar I gave you last night?” 
“Tasty,” she says.
“I’m not supposed to give you the whole jar,” you admit. “But I couldn’t get it open.” 
Awimi grins. Her teeth are like rows of spikes. 
There’s always a moment of tense, solemn silence when you pass beneath a rocky cliff with a view of the water. There’s an exit lane snaking up a steep hill to a sprawling, empty parking lot. The words “SEA SAFARI” are no longer mounted atop the decrepit ticket gates but their ghost remains in faded paint stains. You only saw the place once, and only in the midst of it being gutted and drained following a series of ruinous lawsuits. Awimi had crammed herself into the corner of a completely bare and featureless enclosure. She was clearly sick, her tentacles pale pink like raw clam when they should’ve been maroon speckled with white spots. Her chromatophors sparkled a warning when you waded in. She bit your hand when you offered her food and wrapped her tentacles all around your arm, suckers pulling harshly at your skin. 
When you didn’t do anything—didn’t move, didn’t yell, didn’t try to hit her—she blinked her large eyes, banded like colorful marbles, and her suckers loosened. She was so small and weighed so little that you could lift her up and carry her in your arms, her tentacles winding around you like the straps of a harness. The Rescue Center had brought a tank to transport her but she wouldn’t get in. You spent the entire ride back with her clinging to your chest, misting her with a spray bottle while she tried to camouflage herself with the colors of your shirt.
“No more bad place,” Awimi says quietly.
“No more,” you promise her. The property’s already been sold as part of Sea Safari’s liquidation. They’re going to build a new shopping center aimed at summer tourists. “No one is allowed to catch you and put you in a little tank anymore.” 
“What if they try?” she asks.
“Then we’ll stop them. So will Ishi. You know how strong he is.” More accurately, he’d kill them. He’d do it for a lot less. “Almost there,” you say. Awimi flicks her tentacles impatiently. You hear the snap of the puzzle box opening and then the crunch of shrimp. 
Your destination is a shingle beach. Rocky, far from anything and bearing a horrific reputation of drownings and disappearances, it’s a quiet place that’s made for the perfect meeting spot. You park at the top of a steep, dirt hill and strip down to your wetsuit. Awimi is out of the van the moment you open her door, flinging off her seatbelt and oozing out in a flurry of excited movement. She’s a bit floppy on land but she’s perfectly capable of getting where she needs to go. She’s snuck out of her enclosures at the Rescue Center more times than you can count to grab a midnight snack from the freezer down the hall, the only evidence of her brief adventure a trail of puddles on the floor.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!” she says, suckers pulling at your ankle. You check your scuba gear one more time before you follow her down the bumpy slope. “Ishi’s here! Ishi!” 
That’s unusual, you think. Usually he waits at the cove. When you look down the beach where seafoam trickles over the rocks, your stomach clenches in fear and revulsion.
There, at the very edge of the water, you see an enormous creature perched on the rocks. It’s an adult lorleian, the same subspecies as Awimi. His head tendrils are fully grown into gelatinous strands, smoothed back from his face and plastered flat to his back and shoulders like wet locks of hair. The webbing between his fingers is thicker than Awimi’s and not quite as transparent, and his torso is covered in old scars—everything from shark bites and serrated squid tentacle scrapes to knife wounds. He’s much larger than either of you, his lower half a mass of squirming, enormous tentacles, each one long, thick, and wrapped around a man in a waterproof coat who flails like he’s fighting for his life.
“Wait here for just a second,” you tell her.
“Why?” Awimi says. 
“I have to ask Ishi a grown-up question. It won’t take long, I promise.” She pouts until you grab a puzzle box from the van, and then you rush down the beach. You hear awful gurgling sounds the closer you get, muffled screams and groans of pain. The man is almost entirely engulfed in the slithering grasp of unyielding tentacles. He thrashes and wails, limbs trapped, the full weight of a lorleian pinning him face-down in the shallow water rushing over the rocks. 
“Ishyr,” you say, your voice firm. 
The lorleian looks up and a shiver runs down your spine at the predatory coldness in his gaze. Like Awimi, his eyes are large with swirls and speckles of fantastic color. His pupils are long and narrow like a leering glare, constricted in the harshness of surface sunlight. “Yes?” he says, sounding bored. 
“Stop.”
“Mm. No.” He holds your gaze while his tentacles squeeze tighter. One of the man’s arms is wrenched behind his back at an unnatural angle and then yanked out of the socket. You hear him try to scream, shoulders trembling and heaving. “He brought a crab trap. To steal my crabs. Isn’t that illegal?” 
“Yes, but you can’t—”
“Then stop me.” Ishyr hunches over his prey possessively, leering at you. “Go on,” he says. “Try it. Come a little closer.” You don’t think he’d kill you in front of Awimi but you’re not certain. There’s no safe approach. His reach is long enough in every direction to catch you before you’re close enough to do anything. He watches your frown deepen with faint amusement and makes a rumbling sound, a grating purr that sets your teeth on edge. “Mhm. That’s what I thought.” Ishyr doesn’t dislocate the other arm. He wraps a tentacle all the way down, shoulder to wrist, and squeezes. You hear a series of sharp crunches as bones snap and shatter beneath ripping skin, blood darkening the man’s sleeve.
You move in sheer desperation, lunging at Ishyr. You don’t even get within arm’s reach before he has you encircled, two tentacles wrapped around your body with a threatening, bruising grip. He drags you closer until you’re ankle deep in the rising tide, seafoam tickling your ankles. 
“That wasn’t smart,” he says. “You could die. I could strangle you. Snap your neck. Hold you under until you drown. That’s always fun. I could even do this.” His claws seize the man by the hair, dragging his head out of the water so you can see his bulging, terrified eyes and the tentacle threatening to break his jaw. You can see it bulging beneath the skin of his throat as it undulates and slithers deeper but you know he’s keeping it tightly compacted. The same way you might clench your first, Awimi and Ishyr can flex their muscles and alter the thickness of their tentacles. Useful for dragging prey out of tight spaces. “I can reach all kinds of things like this,” Ishyr murmurs. “Things you really don’t want me to reach.” 
“Don’t,” you beg him. “Ishyr—”
He never looks away from your horrified gaze as he unclenches his muscles. The tentacle instantly expands to its full girth and you hear several things crack and pop inside the man’s body. Blood trickles from the ripped skin at the corner of his mouth. His eyes roll back in his head and you desperately hope he’s unconscious. Ishyr lets his head drop back into the slick stones gracelessly and something else crunches unpleasantly. He smirks at you. “Today’s lesson is how to open shells. Isn’t it?” A tentacle wraps around the man’s neck and twists sharply.
Your stomach churns. Ishyr lets you go and you stumble away from him, nearly losing your footing. He calls out to Awimi in Enteroctal Lorleian, a language of melodic trills and chirps that’s almost ear-piercing on the surface without water to muffle it. Awimi slowly scoots down the beach, glancing between the two of you. “Do you have to do that in front of her?” you whisper. 
“Does she look upset to you?” he asks. 
She doesn’t. Nervous, yes, the way she always does when you argue, but her eyes fall to the dead man as Ishyr snags the back of his shirt with a tentacle and starts to drag him into the water. She doesn’t look afraid, or disgusted, or even confused. She looks hungry. That’s the look she gives her puzzle boxes when she can smell fresh fish inside. Her suckers lap at the blood on the rocks. It doesn’t matter that it’s human. It’s flesh, and Ishyr killed it, so it must be meant for eating.
“Can I try?” she asks shyly.
You pointedly ignore the smug look Ishyr gives you. “Yes,” he answers in Lorleian. “But you have to open it yourself. I’ll show you.” 
It’s an uncomfortably long swim to Ishyr’s cove, but only for you. Awimi blossoms once she’s in the water. She unfurls her tentacles in a big, shivering stretch and then she spins and flits around with bubbles jetting behind her. You can’t hear what she says to Ishyr or what he says back. Everything is muffled to your ears, Lorleian sounding like musical warbles and grunts. But she’s smiling, laughing with high-pitched tinkling sounds like dolphin squeals, her tentacles grabbing playfully at his, and Ishyr is so gentle with her. His tentacles make little grasping curls where they touch her skin, rubbing with featherlight gentleness the same way their subspecies strokes their soft, vulnerable eggs. 
In the waving green stalks of a kelp forest, Ishyr suddenly comes to a stop, lower body flared defensively. He passes the corpse to his hands and engulfs Awimi with his tentacles, hiding her completely from view. Another lorleian drifts by—big, thick with muscle, a gray back and shoulders with a white underbelly. You recognize the sharp-tipped fins of a shark knifing through the kelp. It circles you once, then twice, slightly closer. Your heart leaps into your throat when something loops around your ankle and pulls. 
Ishyr drags you over with a tentacle until you’re close enough to grab with his claw, long fingers wrapped all the way around your neck. You struggle when he lowers his mouth to your neck, dagger-like teeth pricking your wetsuit. He makes a low, rumbling sound that you feel more than you hear, a vibration quivering all across your body. The other lorleian circles one more time, staring at you intently, before it sneers and swims away. Ishyr waits for some sign invisible to you before he suddenly lets you go and starts swimming again, his tentacles parting to allow Awimi to swim back out. 
He keeps you close after that, you notice. He looks back to make sure you’re still following several times, gesturing impatiently with a curl of the nearest tentacle. 
The next time you surface is on the sandy beach of the cove. Ishyr and Awimi stop swimming and start snaking along the ground, pulling themselves out of the water. There’s a scattering of large rock formations and tide pools with small, colorful creatures darting around, and the mouth of a sea cave up ahead. Bones litter the shore, sun-bleached and picked clean. Some animal. Some lorleian. Some human. Ishyr drags the corpse with his tentacles, leaving a soggy, blood-speckled trail up the beach. He stops to glance back over at his shoulder. 
“Might want to wait out here,” he says. 
You don’t argue. You can smell dead fish and decay, and you have no desire to see his food stash again. He chirrups at Awimi and she makes a similar sound back, much higher in pitch. You swear he almost smiles. 
You wait in the shadow of the cave’s entrance, watching the tide roll in and wisping clouds drift by. It’s peaceful here. Nothing but the whisper of the ocean and the faraway song of seabirds. You see crabs scurry around and small fish dart back and forth. A pod of dolphins cruise by in the distance, followed by a group of sleek gray lorleians. Coves like these are common spots for lorleians to rear young, whether they’re laying eggs in shallow nooks and burrows or whelping in the sand. It’s odd that Ishyr is the only one here, using it as a place to store his extras, but maybe he wasn’t alone once. 
All those months ago when he first saw you with Awimi in your arms and tears in your eyes, maybe that’s why he showed himself—sliding slowly and carefully up the beach with a pensive expression—instead of just swimming away.
Their voices echo from further in the cave. Ishyr uses a very different tone with Awimi than he does with you, evident even when he speaks Lorleian. The sounds are longer and drawling in sharp contrast to Awimi’s quick trills. Patient, you think. He goes slow and he listens intently. You also hear some truly sickening sounds—the shredding of meat, the crack of sinew, the wet slurp of soft tissues and slippery organs sliding around. 
It’s easy to lose track of time. Eventually, the chatter stops and the wet noises of a body coming apart fade to silence. You risk peeking deeper inside, only to find Ishyr very carefully depositing Awimi in a tide pool. She’s fast asleep, her tentacles curling and uncurling in unconscious motions. They cling to Ishyr’s arm when he sets her down until he plucks them off with his own, the gentle grip of his suckers seeming to soothe her. Ishyr strokes her head-tendrils. 
“Say something when you come in,” he mutters, keeping his voice a low, quiet hiss. “I don’t like surprises, especially here.” 
“Sorry,” you whisper. He glowers at you over his shoulder. “How is she?” 
“Mm. She’s doing well.” That almost sounds like pride in his voice. “Very stubborn. It’s a good thing. She doesn’t give up, even when she’s frustrated. She speaks better. Do you practice with her?” 
You wish you could. You don’t have the right organs to make the noises necessary for Lorleian, but you’ve studied to understand as much as you can. “There are recordings online,” you say. “I play them, and then we both try to figure out what they’re saying.” 
Ishyr sloughs towards you, tentacles squishing wetly against the stone floor. He flicks his hand towards the entrance of the cave and you follow, easily keeping pace beside him. His tentacles keep wandering over and sliding against your legs. You wonder if he even notices he’s doing it. Awimi’s the same way—her limbs all have minds of their own and sometimes grasp or smack things when she’s not paying attention, acting on their own impulses. 
“Do you have young of your own?” Ishyr asks. He doesn’t look directly at you but he watches you carefully out of the corner of his eye. 
“Me? No,” you say, startled by the question. 
“Mm. You could.” One of his tentacles slithers up to your thigh and you almost stumble. “Very easily, you could.” Ishyr snags you by the waist this time. You’d be more frightened if you weren’t so confused. His tentacles aren’t squeezing like they usually do. They’re loose and slippery, suckers plucking at your wetsuit and caressing your body. “Take this off,” he says.
“Wh—huh?” you ask. 
Ishyr cups your chin and makes you look him in the eye. “Take this off,” he repeats with a sharp smile. “Or I will rip it off of you.” 
“Ishyr, what—are you—wait a second!” You pull frantically at his tentacle when one of his suckers tugs threateningly at your sleeve. “What are you doing?” 
Another tentacle winds up your thigh, the tip settling directly between your legs where it starts to stroke and writhe. You completely lose your train of thought at the sensation of his suckers clinging and releasing in short bursts. It feels like a kiss, like a hot, sucking mouth trying to get at your sex through your clothes. “Is it not obvious?” he asks, claws grasping your jaw.
“It’s unexpected,” you insist. “Do you even like me? Like, in any way?” 
He regards you with narrowed eyes, searching your face for deception. “I haven’t been subtle.” 
This is news to you. “You threaten me every time I see you—”
“And yet you live,” he says wryly. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead. More bones on this beach.” A tentacle drapes over your shoulder, the suckers honing in on your nipples and teasing them, pulling gently. The more you squirm, the more you’re surrounded by grasping, groping limbs. You’re surprised when he presses his lips against yours. They’re slick and salty, sharp teeth nibbling at your lower lip. “You’re here,” he murmurs, hot breath warming your mouth. “In my cove. My territory. I’ve invited you here, over and over, and I’ve let you leave alive. Either you’re kin, or someone trusted.” 
He starts tugging at your wetsuit again and you find yourself complying. This doesn’t feel real. The truth is you’ve snuck a few glances at Ishyr in the time you’ve known him and had some thoughts you’re not too proud of about his tentacles. Never in a million years did you imagine he’d be hooking his claws around the zipper of your wetsuit and tugging it down with such hunger in his eyes. 
“I’ve been contending with my instincts,” he admits. “But probably not the ones you’re thinking of. There’s a part of me that wants to bite when I see you doing stretches on the beach. You expose your neck…your belly…weak spots. Very enticing.” His tentacles squeeze those spots he likes so much while he speaks, suckling at your neck and wrapping around your stomach. Your face feels hot. Was he there when you did your warm ups before getting in the water? You don’t remember seeing him. Unless he’d stayed in the water, lurking somewhere just out of sight without saying anything…
Once your zipper’s down far enough, his tentacles are all over you. They’re helping, you think, trying to peel it off, but they’re also touching, fondling, feeling like tongues and fingers and firm hands and something else all together, all at once. Ishyr doesn’t waste any time. You’ve still got one leg in the wetsuit when you feel his suckers toying with your sex. You gasp and the tip of a tentacle fills your mouth. The taste is strange and briney, the texture slightly bumpy. 
“Shhhh,” he whispers. “Awimi is sleeping.” It’s infuriating how calm and collected he is, not even panting as he encloses you in constant pleasure. A tentacle rubs your sex while another toys with your entrance, the rest coiling sensually around your chest and hips and thighs, suckers sliding wetly over your skin like thousands of tongues. “Had you ever seen our young? Before her? I bet you hadn’t. We’re very solitary and the shore is too dangerous for the little ones. For us, when we see a happy, healthy hatchling swimming alongside a beautiful mother…a dedicated father…a lorleian, strong enough to rear young and protect it…” He shivers with a groan. “Mm. I would’ve mated you in the sand the day we met if we were the same species. Given the little one a sibling…or two…or more.”
He’s getting excited the more he talks about it, pulling the tentacle out of your mouth and replacing it with his tongue. The sensation of being covered in him, draped in licking, sucking kisses and caressing hands, pushes you rapidly towards climax. He must be able to tell because you hear him moan into your mouth and then everything gets harder, faster and more intense. The tentacle engulfing your sex feels like it’s pulsating, the suckling sensation making you buck your hips and whimper against Ishyr’s tongue. He wraps around you firmly, urging you to rut against him harder, to ride the wave of ecstasy as long and hard as you can. 
“If I could breed you, I would,” he murmurs, nipping the corner of your mouth. He trails kisses along your jaw to your ear, curling his tongue around the lobe. “You wouldn’t leave here empty. No, you wouldn’t leave at all. You’d be so, so full, it would only be a matter of time. Mm, you’re lucky I can’t. Seeing you with my eggs might ruin me. All I’d be able to think about is breeding you again, and again, and again.”  
He pulls you against his body when you come, your chest pressed to his and your hips pumping frantically in the wet, pleasurable warmth of his tentacles. You’re still catching your breath when you realize he hasn’t stopped babbling, muttering in your ear about breeding and eggs and how unbearably sexy you’d be guarding his little translucent bundles of joy. He stiffens suddenly, tentacles suddenly going rigid before his whole body relaxes and he sags against you.
“Ishyr? Ishyr!” you hiss. He’s too heavy and you both end up on the floor of the cave. He’s not bothered about it, if the way he immediately wraps around you is any indication. “Did…did you…?”
“I had to calm myself,” he mutters, his speech slightly slurred. “Can’t mate you today. We need time. You have to take Awimi back when she’s finished napping.” 
“Time?” you ask, intrigued. “How much time?” 
Ishyr rolls onto his side and brings you with him. You’d call it spooning if he wasn’t somehow on every side of you simultaneously, warm and comfortable. “Mm. The better part of a day, ideally.” 
“A day?” you echo, incredulous. “Do lorleians really mate that long?” 
Ishyr smiles. It’s wide, sharp and threatening, the same way he smiles when he casually threatens to bash your skull open against the rocks for questioning what he’s teaching Awimi. Did he think you’d realize he was kidding somehow? Was that its own strange form of flirtation? “I guess you’ll find out, won’t you?” he purrs, tracing your lips with his claw. 
You meet him halfway when he leans in for another kiss. You guess you will.
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magnolia-among-the-stars · 1 year ago
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delicate (jake seresin pt. 10/12)
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PAIRING: JAKE ‘HANGMAN’ SERESIN x Female Plus Size Bartender!Reader
NICKNAME: Sunshine
Warning: A bit of self-body shaming
It goes without saying but I do not give permission for anyone to use my work or copy it somewhere else.
PLOT: Penny Benjamin’s niece works at The Hard Deck, saving the money she earns to get out of the west coast and put herself through Graduate School. What happens when a pretty boy pilot ends up as her fake boyfriend?
PART ONE / PART TWO / PART THREE / PART FOUR / PART FIVE / PART SIX / PART SEVEN / PART EIGHT / PART NINE / PART TEN / PART ELEVEN / FINAL PART
“You were all I’d ever asked for, you know that right?” your words cut through the air, rage rising in your lungs at him.
“I fucked things up okay?” Jake’s jaw clenched as he closes his eyes and takes a heavy deep breath. “I want to make things up to you. Please,” he reaches forward, clutching your hand in one of his as he pulls your fingertips to his chest. You can feel the heat radiating off his body, warming you up all cozy as you take slow and deep breaths. The rage inside of you from your insecurity and Jake leaving starts to simmer from his closeness and your brain goes dizzy.
“Jake, I don’t know,” you shake your head, watching as he puts your flowers down and grabs your other hand. His hold is gentle, the space between the two of you intimate as he leans into your space. One hand rises above your head, taking your breath away as his sparkling green eyes are holding your gaze with such an intensity.
“Let’s take things slow here, okay?” your breath fans over his face from the closeness of your face. “I want to trust you, but I need time.” Your answer is honest, and it sends a rubble of nerves through your stomach. There’s a bubbling in your chest of an ache to want to be close with him but your mind takes over and your palms flatten out on his shoulders to slowly peel him off you.
There’s a misting in his eyes and his bottom lip quivers a bit, but he nods wholeheartedly and steps away from you. He clears his throat and collects the flowers again, holding them out for you. “These are beautiful,” you whisper, taking his hand in yours as you move into the bright white kitchen. You reach up to grab a vase from a top shelf, your dress rising enough that Jake gets an eyeful of the soft flesh of your supple thighs.
He holds back the groan that wants to escape him, instead finding a pair of scissors to trim the stems while you fill the vase with water. Jake’s hands are cautious as they trim each stem, dropping them onto the countertop in a neat pile before he tosses them into the water and fluffs the bouquet out. You watch him with a dazed glow, fist coming up to rest your chin on as he discards the excess.
“Where did you learn to finesse a bouquet?” you ask, surprised by the tender nature of his flower handling.
“Mom never went a week without fresh flowers from the Farmer’s Market,” Jake’s accent twangs slightly as he took in your heavy gaze. Before you have a chance to reply, someone clears their throat in the doorway. You both turn, jumping at the new person joining the kitchen.
“I’ve been sent in to break up the tension and let you know that the food is ready,” Rooster’s standing with his hands clenched in front of him, his shoulders tense as he tries to look anywhere but the two of you. “Are you…you aren’t going to kill each other, are you?”
His statement makes you giggle as you roll your eyes and cross your arms, feeling self-conscious. “No Rooster,” you say as you turn to look at Jake, smiling slightly. “Not killing each other.” You make your way out through the slider doors, leaving the men behind you as you step out into the warmth of the Californian sun. There’s a beautiful breeze as you settle into the backyard, joining Nat and Gemini at the patio table who slide you a plate.
They take turns telling stories of life on the aircraft carrier, the tight quarters and bunks that they had to share. “God, Javy has the worst gas,” Mickey cracks, his pearly whites gleaming as he lets out a loud laugh. Javy, not even the slightest bit ashamed, began to laugh along with him.
“That is so gross guys,” Gemini scrunches her nose, leaning into Bob as she wipes her hands on a napkin and tosses it onto the table. “I’m so lucky to bunk with the ladies, we atleast try to keep it silent.”
“Silent but deadly,” Nat cracks with a wiggle of her eyebrows and the group erupts in laughter again. You take your final bite of some pasta salad before leaning back against your patio chair. Jake notices your relaxed state, wishing so desperately that he could tug you onto his lap. But instead, he leans over and nods to your plate.
“All done?” his voice is low as he reaches forward, offering to grab your plate.
“Thank you,” you flush, nodding as you hold your plate out for him. He takes it, striding over to the trash to toss it out before heading to the cooler. You watch his movements, slower than usual, gentle in how he lifts the lid. The scabs of his cuts are illuminated from the patio light, turned on for the dimming sunlight and it’s then that you remember his words. I almost died during an exercise and the first person I saw when I was going down was you.
The comment brought a whole wave of fear through you, a terror of something having happened to Jake before the two of you got to talk through everything. Even after Jake’s birthday, you were unsure of what you would hope for in the future state of your relationship, but you surely didn’t want him to die before you figured it out. You zoned out, watching as his arms flexed in pulling two beers from the cooler and closing the lid again.         
Jake’s eyes connect with yours as he turns back to the group, tilting to the side as he notices you staring. You blink once, then twice as he approaches and goes to hand you one of the beers. “Shit, hold on,” he objects, pulling back and tucking his own bottle between his legs. He wipes the bottle he was planning to hand to you, the dripping water from the melting ice onto his shirt before finally handing it to you.
“Thank you.” You turn back to the group, noticing Nat and Penny watching you slowly with a ghost of a smile on their faces. You tuck your chin into your chest, picking at the label of the Blue Moon until enough time passes that you feel like they are no longer looking. Everyone disperses after dinner, a few people finding their way to the cornhole boards while Mav and Penny disappear into the house together like giggling teenagers.
Bob and Gemini sat setting up the small pit fire, perfectly leaning the logs against each other as if they’d been camping together for ages. Perhaps they had. You wondered how they maintained a healthy and quiet relationship, just for them. They seemed so free of insecurities, of hiccups as they curled up together and kissed every now and then between crumbling up some twigs for the starter.
“You doing okay?” Nat’s voice echoes behind you as you turn, hands shaking slightly as you catch her stare at you for the third time that day. “You’ve been quiet since we left you guys in the kitchen earlier this evening.”
You pull some of your hair off your shoulders, taking in her words. “I’m not sure.”
“Did he apologize?”
“Yeah,” you share, a loud giggle bursting through your chest. You take a peak behind her, taking in Jake’s wide smile and the crow’s feet at his temples from beneath his ray bans. He’s chatting aimlessly with Rooster, deep in conversation and ignorant to your stares. “So many apologies that I don’t know what to do now.”
“What do you want to do?” Nat slides down beside you in the grass, leaning back to watch you. She gives nothing away in her gaze, no opinions or judgement. This is what you loved about Nat, her relentless ability to intimidate and love in such a fierce manner.
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” you hold your breath, letting it sit in your throat at the contemplation of what came next for you and Jake. When you finally let it out, your head thumps back against the plastic of the chair. “I don’t have any fucking idea. Before today, I was so furious with him that I couldn’t consider myself ever getting that vulnerable again.”
“And now you’re wondering how after one conversation with the man, you’re falling deep and fast back into wanting to be around him at every moment’s notice?”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience Phoenix,” you joke, deliberating nodding to Aries who is helping clean off the table and bringing out the pitcher of sangria that she’d made with Penny. “I’m pathetic.”
Nat’s hand comes up to clutch your shoulder, squeezing it tightly. She takes in the way your forehead puckers and how you begin to chew on your bottom lip. “You’re not pathetic,” she shakes her head. “You’re falling in love with Bagman and that’s okay.”
“That’s not,”
“It’s totally true,” she crosses her ankles, staring directly at you without blinking. “It’s disgusting because it’s Bagman but he’s not Bagman with you. Other than he’s severe lapse of judgement in leaving that morning, he’s been a shocking delight when it comes to you. To us, he’s always been this cocky SOB but he’s always been Jake to you. This kind, sweet and gentle giant from the South. You’ve had his heart from the moment you came to work at the Hard Deck.”
You don’t even realize tears are streaming down your face until she reaches up to brush her thumb below your lashes. You sniffle as a sweet and radiant smile finding it’s way onto your face.
“And you know that I would not be vouching for the man if I didn’t think he was redeemable.” The statement causes you to belly laugh, snorting at how serious she looks.
“I know,” you glance over at him again, only this time, he’s staring back at you. You twinkle against the glow of the fire and Jake finds himself falling even deeper in love with you. Penny calls for everyone to come grab a slice of cake in celebration of your success. You shovel down the delicious raspberry and chocolate slice of cake she’d bought just for the occasion before returning to circle around the crackling fire.
Curling up in your chair, Mav talks through his wild adventures when he was your age and shares about how he and Penny met for the first time. “You took her for a fly by?” you squeal, leaning up to look at your aunt in disbelief. “You are so bad.” You slap her leg and giggle, the slightest wave of a buzz starting to settle into your bones.
One by one, the group began to dissipate as Penny handed out supplies for smores. As the beer began to simmer in, a lightness washed over you. Your fingers were starting to get slightly sticky from a marshmallow that you’d tried to catch, and midnight crept around when the fire began to smother. “I think it’s time we call it folks,” Mav announces, rising with his arms wrapped around a tipsy Penny.
You nod, sluggishly and rise to your feet to set in. You’d have to leave your car until tomorrow and walk home for the night. You blink slowly with a lazy smile, turning to look at Jake. He looks so fluffy, so cozy in his hoodie and when he glances at you, his gaze softens in confusion. You reach forward without hesitation, sliding your hands over his slender waist and settle your cheek against him as you snuggle close.
He freezes, unsure of what to do. He’d been waiting for the day that he could have you back in his arms but hadn’t expected the day to be today. It takes only seconds before he’s wrapping you up in his embrace, large palms rubbing up and down your back. You sigh contently and close your eyes.
“Can you walk me home?” your voice is mumbled against the plush material of his blue hoodie, but he hears it. You sound so innocent, so vulnerable as you clutch at the hem.
“Anything for you Sunshine.”
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generousheartpeace · 9 months ago
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moodywyrm · 1 year ago
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worrisome - farmer! sevika
@pinknightsinmymind my love I cannot stop thinking about it. This is after Sevika becomes an official farmer and moves in with you, but before y’all are married.
farmer sevika x chubby / plus size reader (although it aint too too prominent)
It happens on a day that you’re off to market. you had less goods to sell, just a few jams and pastries, and – with Sevika having to tend to the crops – y’all decided you should go to market on your own. Well, less decided and more convinced and mollified Sevika before she could drive herself into an early grave worrying about you. 
She’d spent the whole day pulling taking care of the hens, feeding and entertaining the dogs, maintaining your sunflowers, and, of course, worrying over her girlfriend. So the second she hears the truck drive up to the farmhouse and the jingle of your keys as you step out, she’s sprinting from the field over to you, dogs in tow.
When she gets to the driveway, she slows down, trying to act all calm and composed as if you didn’t just see her book it. She walks up to the truck bed and leans her forearm against it, looking at you with a sparkle in her eyes.
“How was the market, darlin’?” She asks, watching you jump down from the truck and pull some empty containers and your tote bag from the backseat.
“Aw it was wonderful, sugar! I wish you could’ve gone, everyone was asking where you were, had to tell ‘em my big strong girl was taking care of the farm,” You tell her, handing her a bag of goods you no doubt traded for at the market. She could already see a few wrapped up pieces of cheese, some bread, and more jams sitting in your bags. The sound of your voice melts her anxiety away, doing a quick scan of your body to make sure you weren’t hurt or nothing. 
“Yeah? Mm, I’m sure they were all glad to see you, sweets,” She murmured, leaning in to kiss you before you shoved another bag into her arms. “Did our stand not sell today? What’s with all the bags?”
“Actually, we sold everything. All of this is from stuff I bought, traded for, or got gifted from people who thought you were out sick. Hope you like soup, because I just got two months worth of bullion from Nina,” You chide, pressing one last kiss to Sevika’s cheek before bounding up the steps into the farmhouse.
She follows you, watching the movement of your body as you walk to the kitchen. The softness of your hips, your thighs, your tummy, all visible in the little overall shorts you wore to market, made something in her chest want to reach out to you, pull you into her and never let go. 
“She really didn’t have to do that, I’m not sick.”
“Yeah, well, I told them that but they just wouldn’t listen. But hey, at least we got some food out of it? And don’t worry, I’m gonna make everyone some pastries as a thank you,” You rattle off as you put all the goods away, flitting around the kitchen as Sevika hands you items from the bags. You fill her in on the rest of your day, from the sweet lil kid who bought a strawberry croissant from you to the definitely gay ‘best friends’ who loved visiting your stall every Saturday. Sevika listened, watching you and letting all the anxiety ease out of her body, but there was still something in her that needed to take care of you, make sure you were okay. 
She waited until y’all had eaten dinner to act on those urges. Somehow, she’d managed to convince you to shower with her, desperate to get her hands on you.
“Hop in baby, I’ll be there in a second,”  She whispered, pressing a kiss to your forehead after she helped you undress, running her rough hands down your soft curves, squeezing at the fat of your hips. You let out a needy hum, whispering out a soft ‘ok’ and climbing into the shower, letting the hot water flow over you. 
Sevika watched you for a second before yanking off her clothes, dirty from the day, sighing at the relief of having them off her body. Her skin felt sticky, dirty, and she needed a shower with her girl to fix that. 
She slipped into the shower behind you, shifting until she was under the shower head and you were facing her tits. She sees you get flustered, smirking when you snap your eyes up to look at her. 
“Hey there,” You whisper, already sounding like her needy girl. Sevika smirks at you, rubbing at your plush hips and kissing you, huffing at the whines you let out against her. When she pulls away, it’s with a string of spit connecting your lips and a hushed whisper.
“Mmm, calm down darlin’, we gotta get clean first.” 
You pout, but agree. As you wash her hair and scrub each other down, Sevika is merciless with her teasing. It’s not mean, no, just incredibly touchy and needy and gentle. Her rough hands cupping your breasts and grazing your nipples to clean them, sliding down your waist and over your thighs, kneading at your ass, your tummy, truly whatever she can get her hands on. By the time you two were done, you were dripping down your thighs. 
Sevika is silent, thinking, as she leads you to the bedroom. With a soft kiss to your knuckles, she guides you onto the plush bed, letting you sit in the middle. When you go to lay down, she holds out a hand and stops you.
“Don’t, I wanna try something different,” She murmurs, grabbing lube from the dresser and setting any toys you might want on the bedside table. You nod, patiently waiting for her to get on the bed. She passes you a soft towel to place beneath you, climbing onto the bed and helping you lay it out. Once it’s all settled, Sevika sits in front of you, looking uncharacteristically nervous. 
“What’s wrong, honey? You know you can tell me anything,” You say, reaching out for her hand. Sevika lets you intertwine your fingers, the point of contact grounding her. She was worried, all day. She knew you would be okay but she worried anyways, and now she felt almost silly for it. Like she needs to apologize. She knows you would never see it like that, but a part of her felt controlling, ugly, for being so worried.
“I’m sorry I was so worked up this mornin’,” She says, making shaky eye contact. 
“Sevika, it’s okay. I know you just want me safe,” You murmur, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand.
When she speaks, her voice is quiet, meek. She’s beating herself up over something inconsequential, but you know it’s because she’s scared. “I do, but I should be better at trusting you to do things on your own.” 
“Mm, yes, but we can work on that. I had fun today, and I knew I had my girl back home waiting for me, what more could I ask for?” You hum, crawling forward and pressing a kiss to Sevika’s lips, caressing her warm cheek. You’re soft with her, but you want to grab her by the shoulders and scream how much you love her, how much you need her and want her and love how she worries over you, but you stay gentle. You press soft kisses to her cheeks, feeling her grow warm, smiling when her free hands slides up to your hip, massaging the fat. 
“Can I apologize, fully? I did mean it when I said I wanna try something,” She mumbles against you, pressing your foreheads together and looking into your eyes. 
“You don’t have to apologize, but how could I ever say no to an offer like that? What is it you wanna try, Vika?”
She takes a deep breath, steadying herself. “I wanna try scissoring. Or, uh, tribbing? Still not sure what it’s actually called.”
“Oh. I’ve, um, I’ve never done that but I’m down to try,” You stutter out, heart racing at the idea. 
Sevika smiles, kissing you again before starting to maneuver you so that you’re both sitting up, one of your thighs over one of hers, and vice versa, cunts almost pressed against each other. She reaches back for the lube, drizzling some over your pussy and inner thighs, doing the same to her own. You’re watching her, hungry, certain that you’re dripping down your thighs all the same. 
You nearly whine when Sevika starts spreading the lube over you, rubbing your inner thighs and your mound before trailing down and toying with your swollen clit. Your head tips back, whining out a soft “Fuck, Vika, please.”
“I know, oh I know sugar, just be patient,” She hums, pressing your clit a little rougher before spreading the lube around her own center. The brush of her calloused fingers against her clit makes her twitch, so unbelievably needy for her girl, but she resists. Once she deems you both sufficiently warmed up, Sevika places one hand on your hip, tugging you forward until your cunts meet. 
And god, the warmth makes her head spin. It’s all so warm and wet, she can feel the slick heat emanating from you. And you’re so soft, the fat of your thighs and your pussy pressing into her, driving her insane. Sevika moans, unable to hear anything but your whimpers and, when she starts moving, the nasty slick noises from between your legs. 
“Fu-fuck, Jesus Christ, honey,” She groans, grinding against you and feeling her clit pushing against your wet pussy. She can just feel your clit, hard and needy, pressing into her. It’s turning her into a fucking mess, the way your grinding into her and whining, soft body jiggling with each thrust. The movement of your chest makes her mouth water, wanting desperately to suck on your nipples.
You’re not much better, already trying to hold back an orgasm. The way Sevika’s hair is grinding against your clit makes you whimper, your needy hole clenching against her. She looks gorgeous, her tits bouncing and her dark nipples looking unbelievably good. You wanna bite them, suck on them and hear her whine for you. The thought only serves to make you grind against her harder. 
“Feels – fuck– feels so fucking good baby,” You huff, one hand reaching out to rub at Sevika’s abs and tits. Sevika grunts, grinding harder and getting frustrated that you weren’t close enough. 
She reaches out, grabbing your ass and pulling you closer, choking out a moan  at the contact. Somehow, it’s even hotter and wetter, the tight slide of your cunts making her head fuzzy. She’s pulling you into her with every grind of her hips, grunting as she does and driving you insane. There’s little you can do but whine and scramble for her, grinding against her and crying. 
You’re basically sitting in her lap, having let her sit up with her legs folded under her to better pull you into her. You’re close enough to kiss her now, close enough to suck on her nipples. You bite one and she whimpers, pulling you into her even harder and tilting your head up with her free hand. She pulls you into a kiss, tears welling up at the feel of your soft pussy grinding against her clit so well. It’s all so intense, you well Sevika completely take over as you feel yourself getting closer. 
She’s giving you deep thrusts, grinding as if she was wearing her strap, making you leak all over her. “Vika, baby, ‘m close – fuck – ‘m so close.” 
Your gasping whines make her shake, pulling you into another kiss and grinding harder and harder until she feels the knot burst, tugging you into a hug and holding your entire body as she quakes. She feels you cum against her, trembling in her hold as she grunts, gasping for air as her orgasm rips through her. 
You feel like you’re on fire, cunt leaking and clenching against Sevika’s pussy, clit throbbing. It’s divine, what Sevika does to you, and this orgasm is proof. 
As you come down, you two are panting, holding each other and placing little kisses wherever you can. Sevika lets you down slowly, laying you against the bed and sidling up next to you, laying on her side and trailing one gentle hand up your tummy. 
“How was that, sugar?” She asks, tone teasing and loving all the same. You giggle, turning onto your side to look at her and press a kiss to her nose.
“We gotta do that more often,” You mumble, pressing kisses to her lips, feeling her hands grip onto your hips and slowly making you straddle her. 
“Mmm, how about we try a different position this time, then?” She murmurs, voice deep and low and needy. You smile, slotting your pussies against each other for round two. 
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monster-teef · 1 year ago
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lil mermaid prey story. enjoy
content: size difference, oral vore, fatal vore, digestion, unwilling prey
Felicity couldn't hear the conversation happening between the two giants above her, but she could tell it wasn’t good news. Trapped inside her water-filled jar, she swam nervously back and forth, tail swishing, as she watched the shopkeeper and customer chatting amicably with each other.
Money exchanged hands. The customer gestured to a jar next to Felicity, which contained a similarly trapped mermaid. The shopkeeper took the jar and handed it over.
Felicity wasn't sure how she'd gotten herself caught or what her purpose was here. Her memories were foggy and chaotic: one moment she'd been swimming happily with her friends, then the next she'd been scooped out of the water and plopped inside a jar, and carted off too… where was she, even? Some kind of market? She could see giants bustling around to different stalls, carrying bags and boxes, excitedly buying things. There was fresh produce, books, art…
And whatever her stall was.
Felicity returned her attention with growing dread back to the customer and their captured mermaid. She had a horrible feeling she knew where this was going.
The customer grinned and unscrewed the lid of the jar. The mermaid inside, a pretty thing with a sparkling teal tail, frantically tried to pull herself up over the rim of the jar, desperate to escape while she had the chance, but couldn't get a grip. And then the giant was lifting the jar to their lips, tilting their head back, and starting to drink.
Shit, Felicity thought, her fears realized.
The other mermaid flailed and splashed in fear as the giant drained the water steadily, but there was nowhere to hide. Out the mouth of the jar she went and into the mouth of the giant. The last Felicity saw of her was her terrified thrashing tail vanishing between the giant's lips - then she was watching a large bulge travel down the giant's throat and disappear behind his collarbones. Vanished to the depths of his stomach, doomed as nothing more than food.
Panic writhed in Felicity's chest. She was to be sold and eaten. This market was full of hungry predators who wanted nothing more than to swallow her up and digest her. Her life was a novelty snack here, and chances were she would soon be sliding down someone's gullet and settling into their groaning stomach. To be digested.
She bashed against the glass of her jar, and bashed against the lid, frantically trying to break out any way she could. What she would do if she did manage to escape, she wasn't sure - it wasn't like a mermaid could get far on dry land like this. But anything had to be better than becoming a tasty morsel in someone's belly.
Despair settled in. One by one, she watched the mermaids around her be sold and devoured. One by one, jars were upended and mermaids sent screaming between hungry lips. Living bulges rippled down eager throats. Giants patted their stomachs in satisfaction. How long would it be until someone bought her? How long before she found her place on the food chain?
/
Miller was hungry. In his rush to get to the market, he'd skipped out on breakfast. Luckily for him, there was no shortage of food stalls to peruse, and one in particular caught his eye immediately. A beaming shopkeeper presented rows and rows of tiny jars, each containing an adorable little mermaid. They swam and swished around anxiously.
Miller's stomach growled and grumbled. They weren't his usual sort of food… in fact, he'd never eaten a mermaid before in his life. Such exotic delicacies were hard to come by. He wondered what they would taste like, what they would feel like, their pretty scales gliding over his tongue, their wriggling tails thrashing as they slipped down his throat.
"Hi there!" the shopkeeper said cheerily, beckoning him over. "Are you interested?"
"Yes, please," Miller said.
"Go ahead and pick whichever you like!"
Miller crouched down in front of the table to get a closer look at the little treats. His gaze trailed over them, taking in each one fully. The pink-tailed one looked delicate and sweet… but that one on the left had an especially long tail, and she'd surely feel magnificent as she went down his throat… Miller bit his lip, indecisive.
"How about this one?" the shopkeeper suggested, and plucked up a jar containing a beautiful golden mermaid with a thick, powerful tail. "I just caught her this morning. She's an especially fiesty one, so she'll struggle very nicely for you."
Miller peered at the tiny creature. She was twisting about in her jar, her tail slamming into the glass walls, trying to break out. She did look fiesty, and absolutely delicious. She was yelling, her voice nothing more than a series of shrill, anxious squeaks.
"Perfect," Miller said. "How much?"
/
Felicity shrieked in terror as the shopkeeper passed her jar to the customer. She caught a glimpse of the giant's face as he took her: his eyes gleaming with hunger, his tongue tracing his lips. He clearly had no ethical qualms about gobbling her down.
"No! Stop!" she yelled. "Don't eat me, please! I'm not food! I'm not food!"
She had a name, a life! She had friends! She had family! She had dreams for the future! How could all that be so easily reduced to nothing? What right did he have to devour her? Why was filling his stomach more important than her existence?
An enormous finger tapped on the glass, and she heard the muffled voice of the giant speaking to her.
"Aw, how cute!" he cooed. "I know just what to do with you, you delicious little thing."
"I'm begging you!" Felicity cried. "I don't want to be eaten!"
The giant just smiled at her. She saw his hand reaching for the lid of the jar, and knew she would only have one chance to escape. As soon as he unscrewed the lid, she'd have to hoist herself over the lip of the jar and out. Would she die if she fell from this height? And if she didn't, would she be able to drag herself to safety? She knew her chances were slim, but she had to try.
The giant's hand closed down around the lid and unscrewed it, and then there was open air above her. Felicity pushed herself upward with all her might, throwing her arms over the lip of the jar in an effort to clamber outwards. She was so, so close -
She heard a rumble of laughter from the giant and then a huge finger pressed down on her head, forcing her back down into the water.
"Cheeky thing," the giant said, amused. "Oh, you will struggle just wonderfully in my stomach, won't you? Putting all that energy to good use."
Then, to Felicity's horror, her jar was being raised, heading towards those colossal lips, heading towards her doom. The giant's lips parted eagerly and the jar became a neat slide right between them; water began to flow out from her jar and into the warm depths of his mouth.
Glp. Glrk. Glck!
Swallow after swallow pulled her ever closer, the water spiralling and vanishing down that constricting gullet. Felicity squeaked in terror and fought to stay in the jar, to no avail. Her tail swished frantically as she slipped past the rim of the bottle and rushed into the giant's mouth. The water carried her swiftly towards his hungry gullet, which was pulsating rapidly as he greedily gulped.
She let out one last terrified shriek as she was sucked straight into the clutches of the giant's contracting throat. She threw her arms out to the side in an attempt to stop herself, but the water simply carried her right on through, down into the dark, sucking recesses of the gullet. The giant didn't hesitate - he gulped her happily down. Felicity cried as his hungry throat sucked her down, down, down, slick fleshy walls funneling her deeper into his digestive system. Water gushed around her as she slithered rapidly down her captor's uncompromising gullet, towards his waiting, deadly stomach. She had been eaten.
/
Outside, Miller continued gulping the water, feeling the sizeable bulge of his little guest pressing down through his chest, towards his craving stomach. He could feel her powerful struggles, the thrashing of her tail as she fought her fate as his breakfast, but she was no match for the muscles of his throat - and the authority of his hunger. The bulge of her delicious body trailing down his throat felt exquisite and his stomach growled in anticipation. He was already quite certain she would be one of the best meals he'd had the pleasure of devouring. That powerful tail would massage the inside of his stomach wonderfully and aid him in digestion.
Miller finished draining the water, and sighed contentedly as he felt the poor mermaid drop down into his belly. Immediately she began to scream and struggle, slamming desperately against the interior of his stomach. Her fists hit his stomach walls, pounding wildly, and her tail thrashed. He could feel the water sloshing around inside his belly, stirred by the mermaid's frantic struggles - she felt incredible. Not only would she be a filling and nutritious start to his day, she would provide him with a fantastic internal massage. His stomach rumbled happily.
/
Deep inside the giant's stomach, Felicity sobbed out in fear. The water around her was hot and already prickling with acid, and the stomach walls were shifting and groaning with deadly, eager purpose. It was pitch black, and all she could hear was the deafening machinations of the body around her: the thudding heartbeat, the rush of breath, the wet squelch of the shifting stomach walls. It all felt so surreal - she had been eaten, and she was trapped helpless and alone in a giant's stomach. No one would come to her rescue. Every giant here at this market thought she was exactly where she belonged, and wouldn't have even batted an eye at the sight of her bulge rolling down this giant's throat and disappearing into his body. They would not think of her terror as the belly churned - she was food, and food belonged inside bellies, churning. Her fellow mermaids were powerless to help her, too, and it was only a matter of time before they too were sliding screaming down someone's greedy gullet.
Despair washed over her. The giant's stomach let out a deep groan, the sound rumbling and awful, a hungry, desperate noise heralding oncoming digestion - the stomach had become aware of the tiny, helpless creature fluttering about inside it, and it was ready to begin performing the one job a stomach was built for. Felicity scrambled to find the entrance, but the walls were slippery and she tumbled back down. The stomach squeezed in and she squeaked in shock as she was bumped around in the unstable dark.
"Help me!" she screamed. "Someone help me! Get me out of his stomach! He's going to digest me!"
GROWL, went the giant's stomach, rather hoping no one would come to her aid. It squeezed in on its panicking meal, ready to churn her up and digest her, turning her life into valuable nourishment.
/
"How was she?" the shopkeeper asked, while passing a bottle that contained a shrieking mermaid to another hungry customer.
"She was delicious," Miller said, rubbing a hand over his tummy. "I've never eaten a mermaid before. She feels fantastic in there."
"Mermaids always put up a wonderful fight," the shopkeeper said. "They lash out with their tails and they can go without air for a long time - they'll struggle hard well into the digestion process, they'll continue giving your belly a nice massage long after other prey would pass out. If you ever get the chance, you should gobble down three or four at a time. They'll be the best full belly of your life."
"Thanks for the tip," Miller said. "I think this little snack will keep me busy enough for now though." As if on cue, his stomach let out a low gurgle, resulting in a new flurry of panicked motion from the poor creature trapped inside it. Miller ran a hand over his belly, pleased. "My stomach is keen to get acquainted with her."
"Digest well!" the shopkeeper said cheerily.
Miller patted his belly and grinned. He always digested well.
/
"No!" Felicity screamed as the giant's stomach churned and squeezed more violently. Acid sloshed around her, biting at her skin, and the stomach began to contract rhythmically. She cried as loud as she could for mercy, but the sound was drowned out by the intense gurgling and groaning around her. What cause would he have to listen to her, anyway? She was a delicious snack, and she was doing the one thing a delicious snack was meant to do: being digested. The giant's stomach walls crowded hungrily in.
/
Miller continued about his day, enjoying the feel of the light, squirming snack in his stomach. He remained pleasantly aware of the powerful thrashing and struggle taking place inside his groaning tummy as his food fought for its life, fought to avoid becoming his breakfast. His stomach gurgled and groaned, and he knew the happy sounds heralded the beginnings of proper digestion. Miller prodded his belly with a playful finger. He relished in her fear, her fighting. Didn't she understand? They were predator and prey - it was his body's right to crush and squeeze and churn hers into nutrients.
/
Glrp. Grmble. Felicity punched and lashed out as acid sloshed and swelled higher and higher, as stomach walls kneaded her like food, as deafening groans and grumbles thundered around her. Glck. Groan…
/
Miller rubbed at his busy stomach, letting out a quiet moan. She was losing her battle, of course - as all live food he gulped down did. Food was no match for a stomach, especially one as powerful as his.
"Too bad," Miller cooed to the doomed meal squirming frantically in his groaning tummy. "My tasty little snack. What a wonderful breakfast you are. Have fun in there."
At some point, she stopped struggling. Miller's stomach groaned and churned hard, massaging her into sustenance, as he wandered through the market.
A while later, he settled down for a bite of lunch and piled more food down on top of her, smiling and rubbing at his stuffed stomach. His stomach churned and squeezed gleefully. The mermaid was sludge, churning through his belly, unrecognisable from any other food.
She had served him very well indeed.
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spiced-koi-friend · 2 months ago
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Tomorrow
Merman!Josuiji Shinri x GN!Reader | TW: none Words: 1085 | Rating: PG
Walking along the river, you start to hear a low humming from somewhere nearby. The soft melody holds your attention, bringing you closer to a bridge a little bit further down the bank. With no one around when you reach the center of the bridge, yet the humming the loudest it has been thus far, you peek down to look underneath. The water is clear, and you can see koi fish happily swimming around beneath the lily pads. A fish food dispenser is attached to one of the posts of the bridge, and you exchange a coin for a small handful. You toss it out and it causes soft ripples in the water as the fish swim eagerly to the surface. 
“Puniko! Look! Go get some, buddy!”
The humming stops, and you hear the man chuckle. Still out of sight, you look around more. Out from under the bridge swims a larger koi, about three times the size as the other ones. He moves sluggishly, somehow looking exhausted despite being a fish. You get another handful of fish food, walking across the bridge to go down to the edge of the water. Wading through the tall grass, you get to the edge of the water as the fish start coming up to you. They seem rather friendly, used to being around humans. The one you assume to be Puniko swims right up to you, letting you pat his head in exchange for a bit of food. Out of the corner of your eye, you see someone hiding amongst the rocks under the bridge. You turn your head to look, but they duck out of sight before you get a good look at them.
“It’s alright, I know you’re over there. I mean you no harm, I just wanted to compliment your singing…” You hear nothing back, but see a pair of eyes peek over the rocks to look at you. They’re an almost electric light blue, sparkling like the waters surrounding you. He chuckles, pulling himself up to rest his head on his arms. His hair is long, slicked back with the weight of the water. He seems to be admiring you, watching how you feed the kois. Most of his body is still hidden, but you can see a blue and orange tattoo covering his left arm. He’s pretty, especially when he smiles at you when he realizes you’re staring.
“I appreciate it. Normally people don’t come out this far, just Puniko, myself, and the rest of the kois.” “You say that like you’re a koi yourself.” “Well…”
He bites his cheek, shrugging before ducking back behind the rocks. You hear a quiet splash, and the kois move around what seems to be a much larger fish. It gets closer, before he resurfaces, throwing his hair back out of his face. A strand still falls back in front, not agreeing with him as he tries to tuck it back. He leans against a rock, bending his tail so you can see his tail, shimmering iridescence over a pattern of white, orange, and black. It’s beautiful, and you can’t help but be in awe of it. His torso is rather muscular, well defined arms most likely from a life of swimming. “Wow…”
He blushes, hiding behind his hand as he tucks his tail back beneath the water. You sit down on the sand, lowering yourself down to his same level. Puniko approaches him, nudging itself under his arm before he pulls it into a hug, laughing to himself.
“Alright, it’s sleepy time. C’mere.” It’s adorable to watch, especially as the sun starts to go down and the sunset begins to turn the sky a mixture of soft pink and brilliant orange. He looks up at the sky as soon as he realizes you’re watching it, before turning his gaze back to you. “Normally people aren’t as… respectful as you are when they find me. That’s why I usually stay pretty far out from the village. I've had a few people try to capture Puniko and me in order to show us off. Luckily I’m pretty strong, otherwise I’m pretty sure we’d be in some sort of fish market or store front aquarium. But you seem alright, Puniko seems to like you. Although Puniko likes anyone who has food.”
His laugh is brighter each time, and you catch a glimpse of some fangs and subtle scales on his cheeks as they catch in the light. He adjusts his grip on Puniko, the sleepy koi fish now thoroughly out of it. 
“Josuiji Shinri, protector of the river and all the koi inside. I’d… like it if you’d come back. You seem nice. Maybe I can show you the koi pond at some point.” Your heart flutters as he offers to show you the pond, and apparently your excitement was visible enough that he smiles at you.
“I’d love to come back. Are you always here at the bridge?” “Not always, but I usually am in the evening. I try to make my rounds through the river, checking in on all the fish. They all have names, Puniko is just the one that sticks with me.” “Maybe tomorrow you can start teaching me everyone’s names. I’d love to know who I’m taking out to dinner.”
Your joke doesn’t come out as intended, leaving both of you blushing into your hands for a couple minutes until the awkward silence becomes a little bit too much. 
“Well, I can assure you I don’t eat fish food.” “I could… bring us some sushi tomorrow? Have a little riverside picnic while you teach me their names?” “Is that a date?” You glance away, not meeting his eye. “It can be…” “Then I look forward to it.” Shinri smiles at you, reaching beneath the water for something. He tears off a blade of grass, threading it through something. In the low evening light you can’t make it out, but as he ties it around your wrist, you see that he’s made you a bracelet from a pearl and long piece of grass. “So you don’t forget us out here. I do hope you come back.”
He waves to you before disappearing beneath the water with Puniko, leaving you to walk back to the village by the light of the lanterns as they start to turn on. You wonder to yourself what kind of sushi a merman would like, and how you managed to secure a date with one.
Guess you’ll find out tomorrow.
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arizonaconservativegal · 1 year ago
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This shit makes me so mad.
$30 million and they're only building 54 units? That's $555,555 a unit!
We're just talking about studio apartments mostly and a handful of one bedrooms.
A New Leaf is described in this article as a nonprofit but it would be more accurate to call them quasi-governmental because they pretty much only work on government funded projects. This one is being paid for with federal covid money.
The average cost to build a whole new freestanding house in the Phoenix area is only $334k. Why does it cost A New Leaf an extra $220k to build just a studio apartment? Where does all the extra money go?
I wish I could tell you it was something as simple as a board member's vacation home in the Caymans but the real answer is a lot more boring and frustrating: government funding means strings attached. Expensive strings.
Anyone who tells you government can or should solve the housing crisis is a fool. This is how they do it every single time. The Phoenix area needs 50k+ new housing units today to meet existing demands and that number grows daily. If the cost is going to be $555k a unit for a government build, we are looking at a total cost of $28.777 billion - about three times the entire annual state budget, and for just one part of the state. It is never going to be possible for government to spend its way into a solution.
It is negligent at best for government officials to pretend they are doing something about this problem while thousands of people are stuck waiting for help that isn't coming. It disgusts me.
You want to fix this? You want to actually help people? Cut the red tape.
Let the private sector build market rate housing and let them cut out the unnecessary costs. Stop tying them up in endless zoning and permitting delays. Eliminate outdated regulations that drive up the cost without providing any benefit. Lower the cost of market rate housing and people on the edge of workforce and market rate will be able to move up into market rate for the same or less than they pay today and get better quality housing.
Same thing with workforce housing. The private sector can handle that profitably for builders and affordably for residents if we stop making it impossible to do so. It's time to modernize building codes so that we aren't requiring builders to do things like build an entire closet to stick the water heater in because they used to explode - a perfectly reasonable regulation at the time but these days you could just use a tankless heater that fits under the sink and does not carry the same risk, so why don't we let builders do that instead? Or for another example, tiny homes would be a great option for people who don't need a lot of space but we can't build them because zoning categories literally do not exist for the concept. You can build a single tiny house on a full size lot but that pretty much defeats the purpose.
Affordable housing might always need some subsidies. Fine. But we have got to stop doing things that mean building affordable housing costs more than luxury units. Give the contracts to actual home builders instead of going through nonprofits who chew up 20% of the money as "overhead" for being middlemen. Simplify the request for proposal process so that it doesn't cost tens of thousands of dollars to apply for the contract - a cost that gets added to the bid and since you won't get every contract you apply for, you add enough to cover several applications. For $555k a unit, I'd expect these apartments to be sparkling with gold and marble but instead these poor people just get scraps with the leftover money once the paperwork is paid for.
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