#Texts from Gourmet World

[senselessviolets]

“dream a little dream of me”

Roman Roy x Fem. Reader

Rating E

Word Count: 2.3k

AO3 Link

WARNINGS:

EXTREMELY dubious consent, somnophilia (reader is in and out of sleep), sleep/drunk sex (both Roman and Reader are drunk but Roman is more active/the one initiating during encounter), smut, alcohol, language, implied Roman eating disorder, erectile dysfunction mention, pervert!Roman, needy Roman, no uses of Y/N

Author's Notes:

A oneshot by @cum-a-calla opened my eyes recently and I realized “Roman + somno” might be my peanut butter & jelly. Like wow. What a concept.  Jokes aside, this fic is dark so PLEASE be wary of the warnings above. <3 

Summary:

Post-S4, Roman and Reader begin to date after working at Waystar Studios together. While they bond and flirt more and more, he continues to keep her at bay. One night, the two get extremely drunk at his apartment and suffice it to say—they both wind up getting what they want.

This was maybe your third or fourth time sleeping over. You honest to god never thought you’d make it this far. For all of his gross jokes and sexual provocations, Roman reviled intimacy.

It’s why when he first started to court you; you were so taken aback. You’d been around; you knew what the mumblings were about his ‘eccentricities’. You were the Director of Creative Affairs at the Waystar Studios L.A headquarters. A position you were remarkably young to have; your famous two-time Oscar-award-winning actress mother and prominent movie producer father having nothing to do with it at all.

Following the Gojo acquisition, Roman withdrew from executive operations, accepting the fact he no longer had a place there. That and he outright refused to be in the same room with Lukas Mattsson.

As such, he returned to the entertainment side of things (this time with no Frank to boss him around) and went back to living in L.A around the clock. Things hadn’t changed much in the three-year hiatus he had from working at Studios. 

Well, except for you. 

It was only in his absence that you got your job. You wondered had he been around during that time, if he would’ve made a stink over your dad pulling the strings and landing you the job. A practice that was completely foreign to him, no doubt. Of course with it being Roman, you knew with full certainty the answer—yes. Because who was he if not the world’s biggest hypocrite/walking contradiction?

You found this to be even more apparent after your first date. Roman made a point of booking the two of you a reservation for the most high-end, gourmet French restaurant in the city. Even though when the waiter came around to your secluded table with the 16 oz beef ribeye he’d ordered, Roman did no more than fidget with the garnish on the plate. 

While on that same date, though he’d surprised you at the beginning of the evening with an ornate bouquet of red roses and white orchids—he didn’t deign to even so much as hold your hand the rest of that night.

Three months later, you and Rome had exchanged a myriad of kisses and flirtatious squeezes around the office. The suggestive texts the two of you exchanged, making tempting offers and filthy propositions. All of that build-up only to result in chaste nights in at his flat, eating takeout and bitching about the latest tentpole flop your studio was in the midst of developing. It could be worse, you thought. To say your needs were being met, though, would be a lie.

Tonight was different. Tonight was heavy. 

The two of you had spent a good portion of the night sprawled out on the wooden floors of his living room, talking about nothing and downing a Japanese whisky neither of you could pronounce. The taste hadn’t left your mouths. You wondered if his would taste the same. 

After deciding to turn in for the night, you gradually make your way toward the master bedroom, stumbling over yourself. He stops you from colliding into the wall several times. You and Roman make the most obnoxious-sounding cackles as the both of you hap-heartedly flop onto his Hastens Superia bed. You let yourself fall deep into the cotton wool mattress, landing somewhere between sleep and a drunken haze.

You feel yourself be pried out of this state as a force slowly turns you so you’re on your back. You can tell by the faint outline of his fluffy hair that it’s him. In this lighting or lack thereof, you don’t really know for sure. You give a weak smile, maybe even whisper a small “hi”. He waits to proceed until the expression has fully faded from your face and the heaviness in your eyelids takes over. His lips made rough with the scratch from his beard, are forcefully pressed onto yours. Once again, you are ripped out of the peaceful purgatory between awareness and slumber you’d just been slipping into. It’s hard to not liven up at the wet sensation of his tongue slipping past your lips. 

Roman hadn’t ever kissed you like this.

Using your chin, he pries your mouth with his index finger so it's more open to him. Briefly, you consider gliding your tongue along his own, to reciprocate the motions, to achieve the taste you yourself so desperately craved. But you didn’t want him to stop. 

To get in his head like he had a tendency to. To sever himself from you yet again.

So you remain still. Pliant. His.

Meanwhile, his one free hand has wandered elsewhere. Roman’s fully straddling you at this point so you can feel a firmness in between his thighs that hadn’t been present before. The hand alternates from palming himself to cupping your bare mound. The chill of his fingers causes you to flinch. You suppose in the arduous journey to get to his bedroom, you must have lost your bottoms. You don’t entirely remember having ever taken them off yourself. 

It would remain a mystery.

The oversized white button-up blouse of yours has opened itself to Roman and his gaze. He moves the opposing sides of the fabric so they’re no longer covering your chest. Roman dives face first, smushing his face against the warm pillowy flesh of your breasts, inhaling deeply. He kneads them with his fingers and takes them into his mouth, sucking more gently than he wishes to. It’s clear Roman wishes not to disturb your ‘slumber’. 

He shows you a devotion other men had hardly shown you when you were fully awake. It was all a jumbled mess in your head. Due to the surrealness of the whole situation but also the liquor as well.

Instead of working his way downwards like most guys naturally would, Roman instead makes his way up to your neck, burrowing his head in the crook near your shoulder. He takes a deeper inhale of the tender flesh there. Eventually his nose prods into your hair which was strewn all over the pillow your head rests on. There were times at the office when you could’ve sworn he took a brief inhale of your hair when sneaking past you. You didn’t say anything. Even after you two had begun ‘dating’, you still didn’t question it.

While Roman halts his movements and lies on top of you, your mind drifts, thinking something to the effect of, ‘if he’s this much of a pervert when I’m asleep at night, what kind of disgusting shit does he get up to in the daytime behind my back’?

You have no time to dwell on the thought because something cold and slender traces your opening. Due to its tensility, you’re able to make out that its his finger that now fumbles around your entrance. There’s no foreplay, no crescendo because in an instant, Roman is inside of you. You can’t help but mumble a whimper at the sudden intrusion. He freezes, keeping the tip of his finger in you. When he sees you don’t stir and go back to sleep, he plunges what feels like his index finger deeper into you. So deep, you fear he’ll run out of space to fill. He stops just before it becomes too uncomfortable. Not that the interaction was all that pleasant. 

Mentally, you were aroused but physically, your body had yet to catch up.

“...not wet,” he says to himself. 

He withdraws his hand quickly, spitting multiple times on his now two fingers, and wedges them both inside of you. The lube of his saliva provides some slick but it’s still making you sore. 

“That better…? Hm…? Yeah…?” he coos, watching your emotionless face, “That what you need..?”

He smirks briefly when he sees your eyes flutter. 

“Oh…you dreamin’, baby? Hm, you dreaming about me?” Roman taunts, in a shrill soft voice, “You better be. You better fuckin’ be.”

You clench reflexively as he says it. Roman drags his lower teeth against the smooth skin of your arm as he continues to pump his fingers into you rapidly. Fast enough that your increasing wetness is audible in the still silence of his bedroom. Roman ceases all of his movements at once, letting out a sharp exhale. Gradually, he removes his fingers from your pussy and a moment passes before you begin to feel something warm and moist being smeared across your lips. You realize it's your own fluids. The notion makes your stomach flip.

Roman proceeds to lick it off your lips. His tongue becomes more and more greedy and taking the opportunity to drag along the sides of your full cheeks. You get the impression this is something he’d thought about doing before, if not entirely because of how slowly he does it. 

He’s fucking savoring it. 

‘This’ll be it. He’ll just continue to fuck around a little more and use it as spank bait later,’ you predict. 

The thought of Roman penetrating you with anything more than his fingers was truly unfathomable. There’d always been the rumor at work about him having ED (though the type of ED varied depending on who you were talking to) and needing the little blue pill to so much as jerk off. You never knew what to make of those claims. You disregarded them. But the stiffness that has been rutting against your hips and waist and thigh for the past half hour had you now wondering; ‘was he gonna go all the way?’.

A few more moments of nothingness pass. Then the metallic sound of a zipper being undone overwhelms your senses—the sonority soon replaced with dread. Even if he did position himself between your legs and bury himself fully inside of your unaroused cunt; ‘what would it really change?’ 

It wouldn’t suddenly make it ‘rape’.

 That ship had sailed several digits ago. 

You were on the pill if he decided to be lazy. You were clean and he had assured you many times he was as well—and you chose to believe him. The answer to your self-questioning was that it would simultaneously change ‘nothing’ and ‘everything’. 

So you brace yourself for his full weight on top of you once more along with the new sensation of being stretched open on his cock.

But it doesn’t come. 

Roman rolls off of you completely, laying adjacent to you on the mattress. There’s the rustling of fabric as he shimmies his slacks down his thighs. Roman’s hand flies to your wrist as he slides his dick into your relaxed grasp. Spitting into his palm and gliding the wet over the head of his cock, he begins to fuck your own fist in earnest. 

The most pitiful, squeaky boyish moans leave his lips and he pants them into your shoulder, hot from the heat of his breath.  

“F-f-fuck…oh f-ff…I…I fuckin’ need this, need this,” Roman whines into your hair, “Oh…oh…ohhh…needed this, need this, fuckin’ need this,”

His hips continue ramming into your hand at the same relentless pace. He’s clearly pent-up. Probably from the months of emotional anguish, familial turmoil, betrayal—with a dollop of grief on top. Small dabs of wetness is felt on your skin. At first, you think he’s drooling from arousal but you later realize those were tears. 

It doesn’t deter from his sheer desperation, his uninhibited need, all on display. 

You had been the one submitting yourself to him but somewhere along the way, the roles seemingly had become inverted. You hold back from biting your own lip. You had made it this far. You couldn’t fuck it up now. Not for him. If he stopped, you felt like you’d die a small death then and there. 

“Oh, please, my sweet. Sweet little thing, please be sweet. Please be good. Please take what you need. What you’ve earned,” you’d chant, if you were even capable of speech, “Please cum. Please cum now.”  

There’s no humanly possible way he could’ve heard your inner dialogue but his hips buck wildly and he unloads into your palm like he did. 

“Thank you, thank you, I needed it, I needed it, baby…oh, I fuckin’...I fuckin’ needed …,” he trails off.

His vibrating body eventually after a long while goes still. You’re able to unravel your hand off of his softening cock. The stickiness between your fingers is still lukewarm. If you had the strength or the agency, you might wipe it off with a Kleenex or onto the sheets or the perv in you may try to sneak a sniff or a lick. But you like him are beyond spent. He stays facing you, laying on his side, now sound asleep with a gentle snore. You remain on your back, shirt ripped open, naked from the lower half, face staring deep, deep into the void of the ceiling. 

It was this empty blackness—this dark—that you slowly felt yourself being compelled to. It’s where your darkest urges liked to dwell. The desires you never felt the courage to voice, even to those you trusted the most. It felt cliche to say you often saw Roman on the other side of this void. You got the impression it’s an island he’d marooned himself on for a long time. Every partner that tried to swim out to him sunk to the bottom of the ocean floor. And there they stayed in the depths of his subconscious. Submerged, sodden, drowned memory of a person that for years would continue to be buried by guilt. By shame. Fear. You refused to succumb to that same fate.

As you let the sleep overtake your tired limbs and melt into oblivion, you swear you see him in that void. Expressionless. He’s numb, like you. He’s scared, like you. He doesn’t know what he wants, much less what he needs. And neither do you. So in the meantime, you silently agree to meet him there in that void. In that black. Again and again. 

As long as you found each other in the end.

{ Feedback is welcome! }

Follow me on twt: @endlessviolets

<3

[chimielie]

“I’m just saying,” you tell your roommate as she shoves her wallet into her purse while you scoop up two of her bags, “spending so much money here for gourmet groceries is...”

You trail off as you realize that she’s more preoccupied with spending an extra second staring at the cashier she’s been pining after (expensively, you might add, because she comes here every week just to stand in his line) than listening to your half-hearted lecture. You glance back at him with her, jolting when you notice someone crossing in front of you from the corner of your eye.

“Move, register's mine for the next hour.” You look involuntarily at the speaker, who taps your friend’s crush (Yahaba, his nametag reads) on the shoulder. It’s a crowded space, so you stare up at the replacement cashier from scarcely six inches away, absorbing his visage like several blows directly to the kidneys.

He’s thicker-set and shorter than Yahaba, hair shaved to his skull and dyed blond with the exception of two dark stripes at his temples. Two tiny metal spheres straddle his left eyebrow, featuring above lashes so long he might as well be wearing eyeliner (actually, he might be) over burning eyes you could spend hours admiring. And—be still your beating heart—the shaved head reveals thick black hoops hung in his ears, glinting merrily under the fluorescents. There are piercings studded into the cartilage above, too, matching his eyebrow jewelry. He turns a little, so you can see the nametag pinned to his tie-dyed shirt; it reads Tarō, in awful scrawled handwriting.

“You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my whole entire life,” you say loudly, not a single thought passing through your brain prior to or during the process of speaking.

He stops talking and stares at you. The sounds of the store, the squeaks of cart wheels and the music over the speakers, are suddenly headache inducing. Your friend slaps you lightly on the arm, a motion that you read immediately as you did not just say that, holy shit.

“Say thank you, Kyō,” Yahaba says jokingly, and she emits a noise too high-pitched to actually be laughter. Your face, meanwhile, is frozen. You think you might actually be deceased. This must be rigor mortis.

“Don't think I’ve ever been called beautiful before,” he says, squinting those gorgeous eyes like he's trying to decipher a dead language.

“I am so sorry,” you say, reaching out to haul your ass and your roommate’s out of here now. Your hand closes around nothing and you look around to find her engrossed in conversation with Yahaba, who is now apparently off the clock despite his replacement coworker wasting time looking at you like someone might look at a dead fish that had been thrown at them. “Um. I am so sorry. I didn’t intend to... harass you at work.”

He grunts in dismissal, flashing you a smirk that reveals fanged canines, and if you’ve had one thought that’s inappropriate in a public setting, you’ve had them all by now. “I have to deal with—” He tilts his head toward the growing line, cussing under his breath and rolling his eyes. “You have a good night, though."

Despite your miserable shame, you take comfort knowing that your friend finally had a real conversation with Yahaba, even getting his number while you suffered under his intense gaze. You can cope with embarrassment if it brings something good into the world.

The silver lining is gilded over when, at two minutes past ten, you get a text from an unknown number.

just closed. u doing anything now?

this is kentarō from the grocery. i got ur number from yahaba who got it from ur friend.

hope thats ok

You smile at your phone, envisioning the wrinkle between his brows as he typed the last message. You're gonna have to start budgeting for fancier groceries.

[a-rabid-snake]

Hi! I am a rabid snake

but you can call me whatever you want, I like nicknames.

Creating the original oc, in my original universe

My tier list

My boosty

Ask my oc - fawn

My original comic book blog!

I am an artist, I know rain world/ warrior cats/ object show (one, bfb, iii, tpot and more). I also started reading the Wings of fire, all of which is just a small part of what I know.

I also forgot to mention that I have headaches and I also have a bit of a bad memory. So don't judge me harshly if something is missing from the drawings, or I'll just forget something.

Age : I'm 16

You can also subscribe to my telegram channel, for the most part the posts are in Russian, but I will try to combine the languages so that you do not suffer with translation

I have my favorite ships:

-> #karmaflower (artificer x saint)

-> # Candycane(hunter x surviv)

-> # cherrypie (hunter x gourmet)

-> # scrambled eggs(gourmet x enot)

-> # fishstick (spearmaster x rivulet)

-> # solar eclipse (night cat /watcher x monk)

-> # green tea (LotM x Nsh x Sos[silver of straws])

-> #fruit salad (artificer x saint But they have children monk and surviv)

But regardless of this, you can ask me to draw your favorite ship, you can ask me for anything, within reason of course

There are still their own characters, but there are too many of them, so it's better to look for them on the blog

-> # rw oc

The information may not be complete or crooked, as the translator is difficult to use, I'm sorry

[The article will be redacted more than once]

And also my comics

-> Blindness (AU comic Frozen)

-> artisaint (comic old)

-> fishstick (comic old)

-> fruit salad (comic)

-> solar eclipse (comic)

-> Escape from the cold (comic AU antro )

-> Beginning (comic AU antro)

[I also like to tame this article, so don't pay attention that there is so much stuff here, past the text..]

Here you will find these slugcat

So here are some pictures from this person

And also a few interesting stamps here

[jerzwriter]

New Discoveries

This fic is part of "MOC (Merida, Olivia, Casey) World," but it focuses on the guys! This is a dual ask from @annoyingmillenialnewbie and also prompts provided by @storyofmychoices. I love writing for these three together! Thanks so much for the inspiration!

Book: Open Heart (Post Series) Characters: Ethan Ramsey, Bryce Lahela, Tobias Carrick Rating: Teen Words: 2,099 Trope: There's just one bed.... Summary: A boy's weekend camping takes a few different turns (literally and figuratively), but they endure and make some new discoveries along the way.

A/N: This is part of the Merida, Olivia, and Casey world. Merida belongs to the lovely @lilyoffandoms, and Olivia belongs to our dear @storyofmychoices. The prompts can be found on this list created by @creativepromptsforwriting. (The prompts are bolded in text.) Participating in @choicesjunechallenge2024 - Beginning.

The mountainous road was perilous, to say the least. Yet, if Tobias was fazed by it, it didn't show. The day was beautiful, with a brilliant blue sky stretching endlessly without a cloud in sight. They were the only travelers on the road, and the rugged terrain was no match for his new Range Rover. All in all, it was perfect.

The SUV jolted hard to the right... then to the left...

“Look out!” Ethan shouted.

Then to the right again.

While Tobias was living his best life, Bryce was left to wonder how much life he had left. He had to be cajoled to go camping in the first place, and now he lost hope of arriving at the cabin alive. Tobias glanced at him in the rearview mirror, smiling sardonically when he noticed his friend’s pale, green complexion.

“You all right there, buddy?” he bellowed.

“Of course he’s not all right!” Ethan replied from the passenger’s seat. “We’re both wondering how many more sharp turns you'll take before this tin can goes toppling over the side of the mountain.”

“For fucks sake, Ramsey,” Tobias chuckled. “Grow some hair on them. We’re absolutely fine.”

“We are not fine,” Bryce insisted. “If I don’t make it, please tell Olivia I love her.”

“OK, maybe you are being a tad too dramatic,” Ethan reconsidered, to Tobias’s delight.

“That’s better!”

Nevertheless, two of the three men couldn’t have been more relieved when they pulled up to the rustic cabin that would serve as their home for the weekend. Tobias stepped out of the car with his usual swagger. Black Ray-Bans in place and an Original Gourmet Lollipop in his mouth, he surveyed the land, filled his lungs with the fresh air, and smiled.

“Welcome home, friends!”

Bryce’s exit was a little different. Stumbling out the back door, he looked peaked, but the fear started to vanish from his eyes when he realized they were on solid earth.

“I would lean over and kiss the ground, but I’m pretty sure I’d throw up,” he announced as Ethan mumbled under his breath.

 “What was that, boss?" Tobias called out. "If you have something to say, you really should tell the whole class.”

“I said I don’t know how you convinced me to do this.”

With his hands in his pockets, Tobias rolled back and forth on his feet with a grin. “First, you love us, no matter how much you try to deny it. Second, Merida would have kicked your ass if you backed out.”

“Not to mention you would have never lived down the ribbing we'd give you if you admitted you couldn’t rough it for one weekend.”

“I can rough it, Bryce!” Ethan replied. “Make no mistake about that... I just don’t know if I can rough it with the two of you.”

Tobias clapped his hand against Ethan's shoulder before removing his backpack from the trunk.

“You’re full of shit,” he said, tossing Ethan his bag.

Bryce shielded his eyes to take a better look at the cabin. He had to admit that the bucolic setting was beautiful, ushering in a sense of tranquility that Boston could never deliver.

“The cabin does look really nice,” he observed.

Ethan shrugged with a wrinkled nose. “Looks smaller than I expected.”

Tobias pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, his face glowing like he had just won the jackpot. “Now, there are five words Ramsey has heard repeatedly throughout his life.”

He and Bryce broke into a fit of laughter while Ethan rambled about their juvenile behavior.

“Relax, old man,” Tobias teased. “It is small, but it’s not like we’ll be inside much anyway. Come on, let’s go set up.”  

Ethan and Tobias lingered on the porch as Bryce stepped inside, but he returned in an instant.

“Uh, Tobias, are you sure this is the right cabin?”

“Well, the keys I gave you just opened the door, didn’t they? Of course, it’s the right cabin.” Noting the look on Bryce’s face, he continued. “What’s the matter, Lahela? Did you see a mouse?”

“Oh,” Bryce chuckled. “I wish.”

Ethan raised a brow at Bryce while Tobias stepped inside.

“Wait for it,” Bryce mouthed just before they heard...

“Oh, for fucks sake!!”

Ethan rushed into the cabin with Bryce trailing behind him, and his eyes went wide.

“Are you kidding me?” Ethan scowled. “One bed? What the hell did you do, Carrick? Rent the honeymoon suite?”

Tobias turned to his friend, lips twisted. “Who’d take anyone on a honeymoon here, Ramsey! Even you’re not that clueless.”

“You’re right, and I’m also not clueless enough to get us a cabin with ONE bed.”

Tobias ran his hand over his head with a sigh. “The listing said one single bed and two bunks!”

“Well,” Bryce simpered. “The listing lied.”

“I told you we should have just brought tents and sleeping bags,” Tobias admonished. “But noooo, you two couldn’t rough it!”

“Says the man with the luxury Range Rover,” Ethan smirked.

Ignoring him, Tobias placed his phone back into his pocket. “There’s no service here, but if you want, we can drive back down the to the main road. We passed a Motel 6; we could just stay there tonight if you like.”

“Yeah, I’m not about to head back down that death trap of a road in this weather!” Bryce stated.

“In this weather? It’s beautiful out,” Tobias said just before a loud thunderclap shook them. “Wait! What?” He gasped. “Where the hell did this come from! It was gorgeous out! There was no rain predicted, and... how?”

“What was that you said about not spending much time inside the cabin anyway?” Ethan mocked.

Tobias threw himself back on the bed. “This isn’t happening.”

“It’s all right,” Bryce said, trying to lighten the mood. “ “It’s just for two nights; we can handle that.”

“Maybe you can,” Ethan deadpanned. “I’m not so sure.”

“Well, unless you want to take my keys and drive yourself down the mountain in this monsoon, it doesn’t look like you’ll have much of a choice.”

~~~~~

The afternoon and evening looked different than they had anticipated. Envigorating hikes were replaced by several rounds of poker. An open campfire under the stars turned into hotdogs and baked beans prepared on the hotplate. It was as if a woodland fairy godmother had appeared and reversed her magic.

“I wonder what the girls are doing now,” Bryce asked forlornly.

Ethan pulled a chunk of fat out of the beans with a grimace. “Eating better than we are, that’s for sure!”

“All right!” Tobias snapped. “Enough of this. Hopefully, the rain will pass tonight, and we will have two days to enjoy the great outdoors. But tonight... let's make the best of it. There could be worse things than the three of us stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with copious amounts of beer.”

“The beer will help,” Bryce agreed.

“As long as you two don’t overdo it,” Ethan said, popping a can open. “If either of you falls into a drunken stupor and pees in the bed tonight, we'll be returning to Boston with a lighter load."

“How are we going to sleep?” Bryce asked the question they had all been pondering. “What’s that, a full-size bed? How are the three of us going to fit on that?”

“It’s a queen-size,” Tobias corrected. “We’ll make do.”

“Do you have your sleeping bag, T?” Bryce asked. “Maybe one of us could sleep on the floor.”

“Negative,” he replied. “Once you two overruled tents, I had no reason to pack it.”

“I could just sleep on the floor anyway.”

“Bryce, you’ll freeze,” Ethan pointed out. “The temperature drops significantly during the night in these parts, and this place isn't exactly insulated."

“Yeah, and those cute little shorts and crop tops you bought won’t do a damn thing to keep you warm,” Tobias chortled.

Bryce let out a sigh. “I told you a beach weekend would have been better, but noooo....”

“Weren’t you the one saying it’s just two nights, we’ll survive?” Ethan yawned. “Look, it’s late, I’m exhausted, and I don’t want to freeze, so why don’t we just get this over with?”

“I’m with you,” a weary Tobias replied.

“All right, question. Who sleeps in the middle?”

Bryce's words stopped the other two men in their tracks.

“Well, I hadn’t thought of that,” Tobias snickered.

“This is going to be the longest night of my life,” Ethan groaned.

“Come on, princess,” Tobias winked. “You could do much worse than sharing a bed with two lookers like Lahela and me.”

“I mean, we’re all bi,” Bryce reminded. “It’s not like we’ve never shared a bed with a man before."

“That doesn’t mean I want to be sharing a bed with these two men,” Ethan said, gesturing furiously between his two friends.

“Look, I’m freaking tired,” Tobias interrupted. “I say we pick straws. Short straw gets the middle.”

“Works for me!” Bryce agreed.

No one waited for Ethan to reply, which was unfortunate since he picked the short straw.

“Motherfucker!” he cursed.

“Look,” Tobias pointed out. “None of us are going to sleep well tonight anyway, so what does it really matter.”

“Fine! You want the middle, then?”

“Nope!” Tobias said, claiming his spot against the wall. “I’m good.”

“Wait! That means I’ll be on the edge!” Bryce realized. “I’m going to end up on the floor!”

“Would you like the short stick?” Ethan offered.

“Mmmhh. Nah,” Bryce replied. “Just try not to push me off the bed."

The three men spent the next few minutes squiggling and shifting, doing their best to find a position that would be remotely comfortable for all, and the jokes kept coming, at least from Tobias and Bryce.

“Remember, Ramsey... if your hands get cold during the night, my butt cheeks are not pillows, all right?”

“Jesus Christ!” Ethan groused, rolling to his other side.

“What?” Bryce replied. “Do you think my butt cheeks are available? We can get you some socks for those hands of yours.”

Bryce and Tobias couldn't stop giggling as Ethan seethed between them.

“Come on, Ethan,” Tobias laughed. “You’re amongst friends, and at least you won’t freeze to death.”

“Sure won’t. You’re like a damn furnace! I felt like I needed to remove my clothes.”

“Oh, so you're getting fresh now?” Tobias teased, but Ethan wasn't remotely amused.

“Good night!!” He huffed.

“Sorry,” Bryce yawned. “But you walked right into that one.”

“GOOD NIGHT!”

And then something miraculous occurred; against all odds, the men managed to fall asleep.

~~~

When the sun rose, Bryce was the first to wake. He was already sitting in a folding chair near the window, eating a container of yogurt, when Ethan and Tobias began to stir.

“Good morning!” He chirped, as buoyant as the birds flying around the sunny sky. “It’s about time you're awake.”

“Why are you already up?” Tobias said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Ethan groaned as he threw his legs over the edge of the bed, attempting to stretch his sore muscles. “And how the hell are you not in pain!”

“The benefits of youth, old men!” Bryce laughed. “I really do need to get some friends my own age.”

“Yeah, screw you!” Tobias said, vaulting out of bed to prove a point, but he couldn't hold back an ouch moments later.

“You were saying?” Ethan mocked.

“Of course, I’m in pain!” Tobias shot back. “I can’t barely feel my arm anymore; you were lying on it all night.”

“Are you aware that you talk in your sleep?” Ethan snickered, completely changing the course of conversation.

"Wait... what?" Tobias turned around, the blood rushing from his face. “What...what did I say?”

“I don’t remember everything,” Ethan smirked. “But I’m pretty confident you proposed to me.”

“Yeah, right!” Tobias laughed nervously.

Bryce mindlessly scraped his yogurt container with his spoon. “Honestly, he’s not joking. You were going on and on about getting married.”

“Do you have something to share?” Ethan grinned.

“Well,” Tobias hesitated. “I guess if the cat’s out of the bag. I'm planning on proposing soon, just not to either of you fuckers.”

“You’re proposing to Casey,” Bryce gasped. “Oh my God, Olivia is going to lose her mind!”

“Yeah,” Ethan ran a hand down his neck. “Merida will probably be all over this, too.”

"If you wouldn't mind keeping this from them for the time being," Tobias pled. "It's not that I don't trust them, but..."

"No need to ask," Ethan smiled, shaking his friend's hand. "Congratulations, buddy. All joking aside, I couldn’t be happier for you.”

“Yeah,” Bryce agreed. “This is great news! When are you planning on doing it?”

“Next week, it’s the anniversary of the day we met. I don’t know if she remembers, but I do, so....”

“Do you think she knows?” Bryce asked.

“Nah,” Tobias smiled. “She doesn’t have a clue.”

“You're sure about that?” Ethan asked, preparing a cup of coffee.

“Pretty sure.... why?”

Ethan handed the steaming cup to Tobias with a wink. “Because, apparently.... you talk in your sleep.”

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.

[oneknightstand-if]

So, uhhh, first ever message on tumblr, here's to hoping this is actually the place to post that stuff?

It's great, As a Game Master (mostly for rpgs on discord) I'm a big fan of the freedom of expression when it comes to characters. I just finished a run I'm pretty happy with, so I figured I should do as asked and share the results below.

(A word of warning, since I can only draw anime-style, this is now an anime.)

As a bonus, here's some design I doodled up for the character, to help myself visualize her.

Additional Data:

Adrian: Crush Merlin: To Befriend Pet: Cat (Roland)(Like the Paladin of Charlemagne) Wears: Frilly blouse and long skirt (She started wearing those to get reactions out of Adrian while avoiding more extreme outfits) Camelot Sequence: Lucid dreamer, talked to Merlin in the past (monty python reference to prove she's from the future), got directed to Arthur, asked Past!Arthur about lucid dreaming, Caught Current!Arthur about Lucid Dreaming (He now knows who she is), then spilled all the beans to Merlin after waking up (He knows who she is). Items: Magic 8-Ball, Cat memento, pouch of pearls, miniature garden (Audrey III!) Gas Station: Followed Merlin, Destroy Cameras, Clean traces, Get matches.

And now, for the wall of texts that nobody asked for but that you're all getting anyway!

Character Design

The design I went with was 'the super sussy character who actually is kinda hiding the least'.

Physically, she's basically hopeless, with her teeny tiny 10% on physical, which puts her firmly into the 'dead weight' category. Considering what's going on in here, it's a bit sus.

Even more sus is the amnesia background, because here's that girl popping out of seemingly nowhere with no memories right around the time the failed Lesser Circle happened, who just so happens to be a potential harbinger? Sus.

Appearance wise, her best features are her eyes (my dice determined they should be violet), but they are downturned (Tareme) ones, that usually express either gentleness, or belong to suspicious people, with a gentle, caring and overall traditionally feminine/motherly behavior (wears frilly outfits, cooks gourmet food, tends to her (mutant) plants). In other words, she's very much an 'ara ara'-type character. (The cuckoo is mostly limited to the confines of her mind).

However, she is an imposter whose special move consists of spilling all the tea (ironic, her favourite drink is Jasmine…), all the time. Had a weird dream (Part 1)? Write a report and drop it on Adrian's lap, almost shoving the marked arm under his nose. Freak encounter in a horse trailer? Write a report and drop it on the club leader's lap. Meet a strange but weirdly helpful stranger? Drop the Weird dream Dossier (part 1) on his lap. Questions about the self medication? Ha! She's got her entire (albeit short) life written in a folder ready for perusal! Had a weird dream (Part 2)? You better bet she's writing it down and dropping it on Merlin and Adrian's laps.

…

This is probably a side-effect of being overworked all the time and getting in the habit of making biology reports for everything, isn't it?

IC Thoughts on characters:

Merlin: Super strong incubus who may or may not be the actual Antichrist, may or may not want to cause the Apocalypse themselves to put humanity out of their misery if the Arthur plan doesn't pan out, and yet may very well be the most trustworthy person in this entire group, if only because waking Arthur up seems to be their number 1 priority. After all, all they needed to do was stand aside and do nothing if they wanted the Lesser Circle to fail, right?

Adrian: 'Friend' for several years, eventually got a crush on him a few months ago, but his ambiguous way of almost-but-not-quite friendzoning her is beginning to wear her down. Slightly suspicious due to his being much too prepared for the crisis at hand for a random bystander, but he had all the opportunities in the world to get rid of/corrupt her in all the years they knew each other, and she herself has this 'tiny' Impostor secret going on so she's trusting him so far.

IC thoughts about the adventure: 4 (Reluctant/panicking, but not forced)

What is there to be said. The end of the world, man-eating monsters, plagues, the end of the world, homicides, abductions, did she forget to mention the end of the world? For a woman with little inclination toward physical fighting and who would rather read a book in a corner, this is very much outside of her field of competence.

With that said, she almost got eaten by the monster under her bed and Merlin healed her when she was at Death's Doors, so she's giving them the benefit of doubt, for now.

Character affinities:

Probably Percival (cuckoo connection), Arthur (dream shenanigans) or Broderick (this entire thing is crazy!) would work best?

Here's to hoping this didn't get too long, I tend to get too verbose when I become enthusiastic about something.

It's impossible to be too verbose, especially compared to me. Also, my imagination runs in 4K surround-sound anime-style, so it was anime all along! Olwen fits in perfectly!

[midnight-mourning]

Do you have designs for the siblings? If so can we see them? (About confused spirit) also hopefully writing it is fun for you :D <-apologies for incorrect grammar.

Hi!!! I actually DO have some designs of the siblings, had to sit and make them as they've just been living in my head lol

So, I kind of keep things kind of vague since you know, it's a reader insert and everybody is different in terms of looks, BUT as mentioned in the fic, Gabe take's after Rick for sure. So he's got his dad's eyes and hair color. I imagine when he gets older his hair will also get a little curlier as well. Otherwise, just your typical baby, which I'm not good with drawing kids so he is 100% based on a ref lmao (and yes, those are Bonnie Bowl pjs Lisa picked out for him)

Lisa on the other hand looks more like Reader/Reader's mom. Therefore, her design has a lot more range for being open to interpretation. She got the curls from Rick/his family tho :) She likes skirts bc she believes them to be 'perfect for battles of all kinds'. She also did NOT lose that tooth by headbutting a kid at recess she would NEVER do such a thing-

As for writing, I love it very much! Confused Spirit is my first published piece of writing in a while, (I hadn't posted anything for a year and a half before that, six months probably since the last time I wrote) so if you're curious that's why I always get so overly excited when people like the fic haha

Thanks for the lovely ask! Sorry it took so long to respond to >_< Again, wanted to sit and draw them properly :)

'sketch' versions of their refs below the cut as well as text since it's hard to see (and I can't spell)

Lisa (8):

menace to society

a favorite among her teachers and peers???

will probably rule the world one day

Gabe:

just a lil guy

loves his siblings :)

his favorite attendant is BLANK

thinks puzzles pieces and other things he should NOT eat are gourmet

[waytooobsessedwithmcyt]

Decided to do the math on the Spiders Georg post, in order to get the average amount of spiders eaten per year of the world up to three, Spiders Georg would have to eat not 10,000, but 100,000,000 spiders a day

Assuming the average spider weighs 0.01 grams, he eats 1,000,000 grams of food a day, converted to kilograms, he is eating 1000kg a day. There are 2267961850 kilograms of spiders. It will take 2267961.85 days for spiders Georg to consume the entire population of spiders. That is about 6213.59 years. We are safe.

Spider's Georg is eating .694 kilograms per minute. The fastest eater in the world eats 7.6 hotdogs a minute. Each hotdog he eats weighs .0056 kg. That is .042 kilograms a minute. Spiders Georg is not human.

Star nosed moles are the fastest eaters, being able to eat ten mouthfuls of earthworms in 1.3 seconds, I was unfortunately incapable to find anything about how many earthworms a mouthful was, so for the sake of this post, I shall assume it is around 10. I have been getting so many mixed messages on how much worms weigh, anywhere from .25g to .45g but the one I saw the most was .39oz or 11 grams. (Do y'all see how un-fucking-helpful these were?) But I guess we'll go with 11 grams (I do not trust that number) so 1100 grams a second, or 1.1 kg a second. That seems way too fucking high, so I'll be trying the lowest number I saw to prove my point. .25 grams comes out to .011 kg a second, or, .65kg a minute.

Spiders Georg is just a very slow eating star nosed mole. However, this is assuming he eats 24/7, giving him the speed of a star nosed mole, it would take him only 15 minutes a day to consume his quota of making the average amount of spiders eaten by humans 3 per year. HOWEVER! Since Georg, a star nosed mole, is affecting the human population spiders eaten average, we must add all star nosed moles to the human population.

But because fuck me THERE ARE NO ESTIMATES OF STAR NOSED MOLE POPULATIONS. There are roughly 25 per hectare. Calculating its entire area (roughly because nobody gives me a straight answer on this shit), 554, 363. Around 2.5 percent of land is taken up by cities, so about 13,859 miles are unusable. So 540,504 square miles are inhabited. 139989893.4 hectares. 3,499,747,335 star nosed moles.

Total population of humans and star nosed moles: 11,499,747,335

Spiders Georg has to eat 40,000,000,000 spiders a year to keep the population eating 3 spiders on average. 109,589,041 a day. 4566210 an hour. 76104 a minute. 1268 a second. 13 grams a second. .013kg per second. Easily accomplishable by Spiders Georg.

It would take a mere 16 minutes of his day to eat enough to make the entire human population have an average of 3 spiders swallowed.

Sites I used and my math so people may fact check me (I feel like I did something incredibly wrong and the star nosed mole numbers should not be coming out like that)

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/08/science/underground-gourmet-mole-sets-a-speed-record.html

https://majorleagueeating.com/eaters/106

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/spiders-gobble-gargantuan-numbers-of-tiny-prey/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/common-earthworm

https://www.newgeography.com/content/001689-how-much-world-covered-cities#:~:text=My%20attention%20was%20recently%20drawn,is%20occupied%20by%20urban%20development.

https://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/starnosed_mole.php#:~:text=The%20range%20is%20from%20southeastern,organic%20muck%20adjacent%20to%20water.

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: New Game Patch (September 26th, 2023)

There’s a new game update for The Sims 4! This one comes in preparation for The Sims 4 Home Chef Hustle Stuff Pack release on Thursday (September 28th).

As it’s been previously announced, the patch brings a new design for the “cook” menu, for easier navigation. It also allows sims to bake cupcakes in any oven (#FreeTheCupcakes).Advertisement

The update also brings a few bug fixes, as promised on the latest Laundry List.

If you have auto updates enabled in Origin’s “Application Settings”, the game will auto-update once you open Origin. If you have auto-updates disabled, you will need to manually update by clicking the game in your library.

To ensure your game is up to date, check the game version found in Documents > EA > The Sims 4 > GameVersion.txt. Your game should now read: PC: 1.101.290.1030 / Mac: 1.101.290.1230 / Console: Version 1.81.2

Let them eat (cup)cakes! Speaking of sweets… this update includes freeing the sweetest treat, cupcakes! Your Sims can now prepare delicious cupcakes by using an oven, in addition to the traditional method of using the Whipped Dream Cupcake Factory. Plus, Toddlers can now experience the joy of eating a delicious cupcake.

We’ve delved deep into cooking, recipes, and ingredients. Expect to see the quality of food that’s prepared better reflect your Sim’s skill level, current mood, and appliance quality. Additionally, recipes across the Cooking, Gourmet Cooking, and Baking skills have been updated to better utilize more of the expected ingredients of the food that’s being prepared. One example of these updates: Players who own both Cottage Living and Get To Work can use the sugar, flour, and egg ingredients from the former with the baking recipes from the latter. The updates don’t stop there. We gave the Cool Kitchen Stuff Pack some love too! I scream, you scream, now Child Sims can scream for Ice Cream! Child Sims can now use the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream Machine.

One last update we’d like to tell you about relates to the Small Appliances in game. We’ve added the ability for many different small appliances to be dragged around within the game world while in Live Mode, as well as being able to place small appliances into your Sim’s inventory to take them with you on your travels. Find the full list of compatible appliances below:

The Wavescatter

The Food Annihilator

The Omniwaver

The Schmapple Micro

Luxe Drink Tray

Sugar Kane Popcorn Popper

Summer Drink Tray

Sweet Tooth Ice Cream Machine

Fountain of Mirth

The Gravy Fountain Mark IV Stand

Vintage Glamour Beverage Fountain

Blazin’ Ladles’ Over The Counter Oven

“No Space” Electric Oven Space Saver

Bug Fixes The Sims 4

Garden plants now should remain as plants instead of sometimes crumbling into piles of dirt. Be strong and live your best life, garden buds!

Visual effects for Sim Traits in Create a Sim have returned from an unplanned summer holiday.

Some text was updated to properly gush about Newborns.

Take a big whiff, we’re growing trash! Trash Fruit will now properly grow from any pile of trash outside, no matter its source.

It was getting a little lonely out there! Sims will once again receive calls and invitations from other Sims and NPCs.

City Living

We all were very hungry working on this update. But not so hungry that vegetarians would eat meat! Your Vegetarian Sims should no longer grab meals that upset their stomachs when using the “Get Leftovers” interaction.

Gelatin Rainbow Cake isn’t Vegetarian?! We’ve updated a lot of recipes that weren’t properly flagged as Vegetarian-Safe – and some that shouldn’t have been flagged in the first place.

Seasons

Bees will no longer become Enraged or Irritated after applying Mite Treatment. They will BEE a little more grateful to their caretaker Sim!

Eco Lifestyle

Photographs taken following today’s patch will no longer turn black when stored in the Storage Box.

Cottage Living

Some vegetables weren’t being recognized as vegetables for recipe ingredients! We’ve fixed this; make as many vegetable based dishes as your heart desires!

Now your Sims can make more informed choices on if they want to suffer the consequences of eating dairy when they are Lactose Intolerant. We’ve done a large update to food for a more accurate Lactose Free experience.

High School Years

Set your boundaries! There should be fewer invitations to become BFF with other Sims.

Growing Together

Photographs taken following today’s patch will no longer turn black when stored in the Basic Keepsake Box and the Truly Ornate Keepsake Box.

Horse Ranch

Ranch Hands now stay hired until you dismiss them.

Riders going from using Horse Barrels or Horse Jumps to doing something on foot no longer sometimes linger on horseback.

Movie Hangout

When using the Sugar Kane Popcorn Popper, Sims will now have visibility into what Cooking skill level they must reach to be able to prepare the various popcorn recipes.

[nofomogirl]

Headcannon of the month: Aziraphale's food preferences

#2: February 2024. I somehow made it but still not promising I'll do it every month!

Firstly, my favourite headcanon by another author that I read in February: "Maggie actually texted her message to Aziraphale but because he doesn’t have a modern phone it arrived through the mail slot" by @beebopboom & enhanced by @doomedlemur

Now, mine.

I found this little thing sitting in my notes since season 1 and I thought this is as good a moment as any to show it to the world.

It's hard not to notice that popular fanon is that Aziraphale has a sweet tooth. I can understand where it's coming from. Every time Aziraphale and Crowley are together at some culinary establishment in the show, Aziraphale enjoys some dessert (check out this AMAZING post). Aziraphale’s canonical enthusiasm for crepes and cocoa is hard to miss. Also, his overall aesthetics makes it oh so easy to associate him with sweetness of any kind, he’s basically a (non)human cupcake.

I don't agree though.

In my head Aziraphale is a proper gourmet. He loves a good sweet dish or drink as much as any other, but that's the whole point - AS MUCH as any other, not more.

Perhaps I'm projecting my own preferences but, well, it is my headcanon.

Plus, Aziraphale canonically takes tea without sugar. So, you know, he knows there are times for sugar and times for the absence thereof.

Anyway, while I believe he's a total foodie and wouldn't be able to give up any dish, ingredient, cooking style, or cuisine for good IF he has a preference I believe it would be seafood.

Why?

The grand majority of all food we see Aziraphale show interest in for his own enjoyment are seafood items.

1. Sushi

The only time we see Aziraphale in a restaurant on his own, when he's very obviously having some quality me time, it's a fancy sushi place. This is where the angel chooses to go to indulge in earthly pleasures.

2. Oysters

Oysters are only talked about and happen off-screen but it's another example of what Aziraphale excitedly explores for his own carnal pleasure. It's clearly a delicacy he's already hooked on, judging by his reaction to Crowley's statement he's never tried it. And while Crowley's in Rome on business Aziraphale's entire reason for coming there is to check out this new restaurant that does remarkable things to oysters.

3. Gravlax in dill sauce

Last but not least, gravlax, a nordic-style cured salmon, makes it into Crowley's List of Top 5 Things Aziraphale Will Lose And Sorely Miss After The World Ends So Maybe He Might Decide To Stop God's Plan To Keep Them.

Sweets honestly don't play such an important role in angel's hedonistic journey.

Bonus: Crepes

Ok, I said the "grand majority" of food Aziraphale actually chooses is seafood, and by that, I meant 75%. There are the three things I listed and the fourth instances are famous crepes.

Just a thought though - we don't know what kind of crepes, ok?

Crepes can have any filling I don't exactly understand why it became a fanon that we're definitely talking about sweet crepes here.

[complete-idiot-inc]

Persona: Phantoms Of The Night

Context: I wrote this back in April before we got Miyazawa's calling card and boss fight, but after a certain point, the Update dropped for his boss, so this whole thing was rendered moot; Wonder's name is "Mitsuki Ichinose" per a name idea I had earlier this year.

“It’s the Swordsman of Flavor, Hiromu Miyazawa!” An obnoxious man in a cutlery themed jacket and with a predominant skunk stripe in his hair said, as he stared into a live camera. 

“As I said before, I’m going to make a grand announcement here at Ashouken, live for you all to witness!” Hiromu said as he gestured to a restaurant behind him. 

“And without further ado, I will enter this alleged “restaurant” and make the big announcement!” Hiromu almost shouted, before a man in a suit walked up to him.

“Miyazawa-sama, I urge you to not enter!” 

“Right after this commercial break!” Hiromu adlibbed, before turning to the suit. 

“What do you mean I can’t enter! Don’t you know who I am!? I’m the Swordsman of Flavor, and I’ll enter any restaurant I so damn please!” Hiromu furiously shouted. 

“But sir—“ 

“But nothing! Camera! Resume broadcast ASAP!” Hiromu shouted again, before he started to return to character. 

“My apologies, loyal viewers, but someone was trying to interrupt our broadcast. And now, without any more delay! The big news!” Hiromu recited, as he charged into Ashouken headlong. 

Only to be met with a restaurant filled with black and red cards, some emblazoned with the words “Retake your Desire” and others with a series of cut-out text.

“What the hell is this!?” Hiromu shouted, as he saw how defaced the restaurant was.

“I was trying to tell you, sir!” The man in the suit said, “Someone broke in and plastered these all over the place.��� 

Hiromu then slowly walked over to one of the cards, and once he got a good look at one, he gasped.

The big liar of Vanity, Gourmet Star Hiromu Miyazawa, is a great sinner who robbed many chefs of their pride and customers of their smiles and purpose in life. 

He is a villain who lines his pockets by deceiving the masses and robbing them of their dreams. 

We, the Phantom Thieves, will not overlook those twisted desires. 

“What nonsense!? Everyone knows I only tell the absolute truth in my reviews,” Hiromu said deliriously before turning to his camera crew with a scowl. “Right!?” 

“Yes, sir, Miyazawa-sama!” his crew fearfully replied as Miyazawa looked into the camera. 

“My humblest apologies, dear audience, but I'm afraid I must once more postpone my announcement for a later time. Keep your eyes peeled for it. I promise it’s huge. Goodbye!” Hiromu said before signaling his crew to cut the feed. 

“What scoundrels, what villainous idiots would try and ruin my reputation like this!? Get the police and my lawyers, NOW!” Miyazawa shouted as he fled Ashouken. 

Suddenly, the area changed, now a pitch-black void, and where Miyazawa stood was replaced with another version of him, one dressed like a Samurai with obscene amounts of make-up on. 

“You phantom thieves dare interrupt my beautiful scene!? Fine then! Prepare yourselves for a climactic showdown!” The other Miyazawa said before returning to the real world. 

Across the street from Miyazawa’s breakdown, a gruff-looking man with blue hair and a Kokatsu academy uniform watched as Miyazawa ran away before the onlooker pulled out his phone and sent a message to a group chat. 

Kanou: Miyazawa saw the cards. Now what?

Arai: Perfect!

Ichinose: Now we need to return to his palace and steal his treasure. 

Kanou: And that will make him confess?

Arai: I mean, it worked on Kiuchi. 

Ichinose: “The lack of a treasure means Miyazawa will feel like he has nothing to hide, as well as feel immense guilt for his wrongdoings” - Ruffle. 

Ichinose: There's going to be a fight, so make sure you're well-rested. 

Kanou: If it will finally bring him to justice, then so be it! 

[liaromancewriter]

What Could Have Been (8/?)

Series Premise: When Ethan breaks his promise, Cassie is forced to accept they’re not inevitable after all.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Angst Words: 1,150

Series Masterlist

A/N: Submission to @choicesmonthlychallenge June prompt "roses". I'm also using @choicesflashfics week 47, prompt 2

Chapter 8: Snow on the Beach. Love is never really over unless you want it to be.

Ethan Ramsey slowly sipped his scotch at Donahue’s and spied on Cassie Valentine with her friends in one of the booths in his line of sight. He pondered the current state of his love life, or lack thereof, a phenomenon entirely of his own making.

After that kiss a couple of weeks ago, things between Cassie and him had been strictly professional. Despite wanting to resolve things, he followed her lead and secretly planned how to break through her serenity.

He knew women preferred romance, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what that meant. He could follow the advice of countless saccharine pop songs and fantastical romantic comedies on how to get the girl.

The problem was he couldn’t see himself as the hero of a grand romantic gesture. It just wasn’t him. Standing outside a girl’s window with a boombox blasting on his shoulder sounded ridiculous to him and, frankly, stalkerish.

Sure, he sent flowers to women he’d been intimate with. His father had raised him right, after all.

His face flushed at the realization that he had never sent Cassie flowers after their first night together. Or their second, for that matter, and any of the ones they spent together before he left for Brazil.

What was it about Cassie that made him forget he was a gentleman?

The other man in her life clearly had no such hangups. Not one to gossip, his ears nevertheless pricked at hearing through the grapevine about the extravagant gift basket delivered to Dr. Valentine.

“Moira was there when it was delivered at reception,” Marlee whispered loudly, her eyes locked on the computer screen at the nurses’ station. “Easily a couple of hundred dollars worth of gourmet snacks, trinkets and bubbly in there.”

“She’s probably used to it,” Sarah commented, and Ethan’s brows knit in confusion.

He had been a resident, and expensive gift baskets were not the norm. Lost in thought, he almost missed the rest of Sarah’s comment but tuned in just in time for his world to spin on its axis. Again.

“….family owns Hudson Hotels. The Valentines are practically American royalty with more money than God.”

“I wonder why she’s slaving away as a resident,” Marlee speculated. “Lord knows she doesn’t need to work.”

Sarah shrugged as if it was a mystery to her. Ethan slunk away, not wanting to be caught listening to gossip. But his mind was reeling from everything he didn’t know about the woman who loved him.

Any chances of winning her back were lost unless he went big, too. But was competing with another man really the way to go? One who looked like he belonged in her world?

He might be rich now, but Ethan knew he wasn’t in the same league as the Valentines and never would be. But he was losing her, he thought with another furtive glance at where she stood, ready to leave with Trinh and Greene.

Whatever misgivings he still had about them, could he live with himself if he let her go without even trying?

Cassie Valentine loved days off. Granted, she only got one every week if she was lucky, so that made a golden weekend all the more special.

She luxuriated in her warm and comfortable bed, her mind floating with do-nothing thoughts. She had woken up early to FaceTime with Nate in Singapore, something they’d fallen into the habit of doing. It started out as texts and graduated to video calls.

He was coming home next week, and she owed him an answer on where they stood.

Nate made her laugh with his witty observations. His sincere compliments reminded her she was a desirable young woman. But being with him meant a long-distance relationship, stolen moments whenever he could spare them, accepting she’d always share his time and attention with his business.

Cassie was honest with herself, and the reality was she enjoyed the romance. It wasn’t the gifts per se but the idea that he often thought of her. The lack was in her that she wished the gesture was from Ethan whenever she flipped open the accompanying card.

And maybe that was the answer.

She once thought being with Ethan was enough. That she didn’t need romance if he wasn’t comfortable with it. But she needed it, always had.

She wanted to be kissed on a moonlit balcony in Miami with the gentle sound of waves lapping against the beach. To walk down the street with her hand clasped in Ethan’s, his thumb stroking her fingers absently. She doubted he was even aware of doing it.

Cassie wanted to flirt with Ethan at Donahue’s and stay past last call for one more drink because it was never enough. She wanted to go home with him to just sleep and wake up to the smell of coffee percolating in his fancy espresso machine.

She wanted that slow fall from soft moments to forever…

“Cassie, come quick,” Sienna called out excitedly from outside her bedroom door, interrupting her thoughts.

Reluctant to leave her bed, Cassie almost didn’t reply. But then she immediately felt guilty and shoved the covers aside. Her roommates were used to the tee shirt and shorts she habitually slept in, so she didn’t bother with a robe.

She marched out of her bedroom to the fragrant scent of red roses perfuming the apartment. Elijah stared wide-eyed at the flowers the delivery man set on the table. Sienna was beaming, her eyes soft as she bubbled in excitement at the romantic gesture.

Cassie signed the electronic receipt and ran back into her bedroom to grab cash for a tip. She led the delivery man out, leaned against the closed door, and took a deep breath.

Nate knew she wasn’t a red roses type of person and that she preferred subtlety in all things. So, who had sent her the lavish bouquets? She hadn’t counted, but from the brief glimpse, she guessed it was close to two dozen, if not more.

She wasn’t going to find the answer in the front hallway. She padded on bare feet back to the living room, where her roommates stared at the flowers with curiosity and interest.

“This is big-league romance, Valentine,” Jackie teased, standing in the kitchen with her coffee mug.

“There’s a card,” Sienna said, clapping her hands. “Thirty-two roses. I counted.”

Cassie grinned at Sienna’s enthusiasm, plucking an envelope clipped to the bouquet closest to her.

“Are they from Nate?” Sienna asked.

But Cassie didn’t reply. Her heart sank as she read the words on the card.

“Just because I let you go doesn’t mean I wanted to.”

It wasn’t signed, but she’d recognize Ethan’s handwriting anywhere. She saw it almost daily when he jotted ideas on the whiteboard or when he’d autographed Landry’s copy of Diagnostic Principles.

She got her earlier wish. Now what?

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @doriopenheart @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @takemyopenheart @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @hopelessromantic1352 @mrs-ramsey @youlookappropriate

[ffxvficrec]

by Kma16202 Welcome to the Crossroads Café, the only place in the multiverse where heroes, villains, and everything in between gather for a much-needed break—and a gourmet meal they didn’t know they were craving. Run by none other than Gordon Ramsay himself, this out-of-time, out-of-space restaurant is a haven (and sometimes a battlefield) for patrons ranging from Jedi Knights to wizards, superspies to hobbits. Whether they’re here to enjoy the food, debate the meaning of heroism, or begrudgingly sit through Ramsay’s no-nonsense scoldings, every visitor leaves with something more than they bargained for…if they can survive the house rules. A slice-of-life series of random encounters, surprising friendships, philosophical debates, and food critiques you never thought you needed—served up in a world where everyone could use a break. No fights. No menus off-limits. Just memorable meals, chaotic company, and a chef who won’t take anyone’s nonsense. Words: 4921, Chapters: 4/?, Language: English Fandoms: Star Wars - All Media Types , Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling , Marvel Cinematic Universe , DC Extended Universe , Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997) , Final Fantasy VIII , Final Fantasy IX , Final Fantasy X , Final Fantasy XV , The Hobbit - All Media Types , The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types , どうぶつの森 | Animal Crossing Series , Half-Life (Video Games) , 9-1-1 (TV) , Grey's Anatomy , Red Dwarf (UK TV) , Alien Series , Austin Powers (Movies) , Deadpool - All Media Types , X-Men - All Media Types , Despicable Me (Movies) , Minions (2015) , Die Hard (Movies) , How to Train Your Dragon (Movies) , The Matrix (Movies) , Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies) , Shrek (Movies) , Transformers - All Media Types , Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV) , BoJack Horseman , Farscape , Stargate - All Media Types , Breaking Bad , Indiana Jones Series , Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse) , Ghostbusters (1984-1989; 2021) , Men in Black (Movies) , Hunger Games Series - All Media Types , Discworld - Terry Pratchett Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Gordon Ramsay Additional Tags: Fandom crossover , Interdimensional Cafe , Gordon Ramsay as Background Character , Hero & Villain Shenanigans , Slice of Life , Humourous Conversations , Unlikely Friendships , Food Critiques , Everyone needs a break , Serious Meets Ridiculous , Gordon Ramsay Deserves His Own Tag , Humour , Multiverse , AI-Generated Text , I mean it when I say this is AI generated , Don't complain about it being AI

[nancypullen]

Oh, Happy Day!

What a week it’s been and it’s just Wednesday.  Last Saturday we celebrated the grandgirl’s birthday (5!) and her big surprise was a trip to Disney World! They whisked her away the very next morning and she has been in princess paradise ever since.  The texts we’ve received with pictures show her living her best life.  It’s so sweet, and a little hilarious.  Oh, I wish I could share photos - you’d love it. Unfortunately, her parents have a strict rule about splashing her all over the internet and I don’t blame them one bit. Suffice it to say that I’m living vicariously through her, and it’s pure joy. So I’m flying high from all of that fun, and this is also the week that our cabinets are being painted!  I don’t even have the words to explain how happy that makes me. The company that we hired has impressed me.  They showed up early Monday morning and got right to work. They sanded and primed, and when they exited at the end of the day they left the kitchen spotless.  Not even a speck of dust from the sanding. The primer cured for a day, so they came back today and applied two coats of paint. That’ll sit for a day and on Friday they’ll bring our doors back (those went to their shop to be sanded, primed, and painted) and hang them and touch up anything that needs it. The cabinets look SO good. I’m excited!  I can’t wait to get this kitchen finished. All it will take to shut me up is granite, a new sink, and a new faucet.   I’m not high maintenance, I swear.  I was promised these changes when we bought the house.  Although I do have some ideas for a bathroom remodel...

 Anywho, I had Mickey take before photos of the kitchen so when it’s all finally complete I can share it here.  Night and day! Because the kitchen has been out of commission, I haven’t done as much cooking.  Last night we had salads. Tonight I picked up dinner from Shore Gourmet. Apparently there is a local delicacy that we hadn’t heard of - Chesapeake Chicken.  Grilled chicken breasts topped with crabmeat and imperial sauce.  Holy cow, delicious!  When I pulled the container out to warm it for dinner I told Mickey, “Hey, look! The longer I heat this the more people it will feed!”

I told him that I should call tomorrow and complain, “I heated it for 50 minutes and all I got was a dry two-person meal.”  Anyway, it was really yummy.  We’re stuffed. We definitely can’t eat that way every night, but in a pinch it was a good choice. Speaking of good choices, when I die I want to comeback as a house cat.  Our girls have it made.  This morning I snapped a picture of Molly and laughed when I noticed the background.  I’ll start at the beginning. Remember the saga of my poor back? I hurt it when I packed up the Mt. Juliet house and I was really struggling with pain down my legs as a result.  Physical therapy is the answer so because I am who I am, I looked up the stretches I’d be told to do at PT an just started doing them. Massive difference!  So now when I wake up I slide a heating pad under my lower back, and do my stretches.  I can pretty much move through my day pain free if I start that way.  When I’m finished, I put the heating pad aside and make the bed. I usually toss it on top of the trunk under the window, and Molly claims it immediately.

There’s my spoiled house cat, and just through the window, waiting patiently under the bird feeder is Stanley, an outdoor cat. He waits for an inattentive or slow bird, Molly waits for the sound of a can opener.  I wonder which one is happier?  On this sunny and warm day, I’d say Stanley.  Last week’s cold weather would have tipped the odds in Molly’s favor.  We don’t know much about Stanley.  I’m not even sure of his gender.  He’s got a tipped ear with a number tattooed inside, so he’s a stray that’s been neutered (or spayed). He’s hefty, so he’s not missing any meals. He also looks healthy - bright eyes and silky fur.  He’s sweet, too.  Mickey is afraid I’ll move him in, but I don’t think Stanley is interested.  I hope I have his gender right, I’d hate to have to change his name at this point. I suppose he could be a  Hazel or a Mavis.  That’s about it from my corner of the world. I’m ready to go upstairs and soak in a bubble bath. A steamy soak, then warm covers and a good book. What a great way to end the day.  I hope that you’re just as cozy and have plenty to be happy about - bet you could list at least three things right now.  You have internet, you can read, and I’m finally wrapping up this post.  See? Easy three. Sending out loads of love tonight. Grab some for yourself. Stay safe, stay well.

Nancy

[atplblog]

Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] 【Secrets of Global Gourmet Series Volume 5】 "Why is Caffeine Loved Worldwide?" is an immersive journey into the global love affair with caffeinated beverages. From the rich aroma of coffee to the delicate traditions of tea, this book explores the history, science, and cultural impact of caffeine. Discover the secrets behind the beverages that power our days and inspire creativity. With insights into the health effects, ethical concerns, and even caffeine's role in religion and art, this book offers a deep dive into a topic that touches every corner of the world. Whether you're a coffee aficionado, a tea enthusiast, or just curious about caffeine, this guide will transform how you see your daily cup.Table of ContentsCaffeine: An Allure Beyond AwakeningThe Genealogy of Caffeinated BeveragesThe Science of CaffeineCaffeine and SocietyLiving with CaffeineConclusion Himukai Kaoru： is a writer, IT engineer, and investor. Born in Hokkaido, Japan, and a graduate of Hokkaido University, Himukai has authored over 50 books, drawing from personal experience and expertise in various fields. ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DHS66NHR Language ‏ : ‎ English File size ‏ : ‎ 4202 KB Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled Print length ‏ : ‎ 92 pages [ad_2]

[aladeanblogs]

🎉 A Fresh Start: Creative Ways to Welcome New Year 2025 with Joy and Gifting Magic 🎁

🌟 Introduction: Embracing 2025 with Excitement

The new year is not just a date on the calendar; it’s a fresh chapter brimming with possibilities, dreams, and opportunities. New Year 2025 is here, offering us the chance to reflect, celebrate, and step into a brighter future. But how can we make it truly memorable? Let’s dive into a world of innovative ideas, heartfelt gifting, and vibrant celebrations to start the year on the right note! 🎇

🕛 Countdown to Creativity: Unique Celebration Ideas

✨ Midnight Stargazing Party

Gather your loved ones under the starry sky to bid farewell to 2024. A telescope, cozy blankets, and a cup of hot cocoa can turn this into a magical night.

Gifting Tip: Present guests with personalized star maps or glow-in-the-dark constellations as keepsakes. 🌌

🎭 Themed Costume Bash

Dress up as your future self or your favorite character! A themed party brings laughter, creativity, and memories to cherish forever.

Gifting Tip: Give out quirky accessories or mini props matching the theme.

🕯️ Gratitude Bonfire

Write down memories or challenges from 2024 and toss them into a bonfire as a symbolic goodbye. Then, pen your aspirations for 2025 and seal them in a jar.

Gifting Tip: Provide decorative jars or gratitude journals to all attendees.

🎁 Gifting Ideas: Spreading Smiles This New Year

Gifts are a universal language of love and appreciation. Here’s a curated list of New Year gifting ideas to suit every personality and preference.

💎 Personalized Keepsakes

Custom name pendants, engraved photo frames, or monogrammed diaries bring a personal touch to your wishes.

🌿 Eco-Friendly Gifts

Potted plants, bamboo utensils, or reusable shopping bags make thoughtful, sustainable presents for environmentally conscious friends. 🌱

📚 Books for the Soul

Inspire and uplift loved ones with books tailored to their interests – from motivational reads to thrilling fiction.

🎨 Creative Kits

Unleash creativity with DIY kits for painting, candle-making, or terrariums. Perfect for fostering hobbies in the new year! 🖌️

🍫 Gourmet Hampers

Assemble baskets filled with artisanal chocolates, exotic teas, and handmade cookies to delight food lovers. 🍪

🌍 Global Festivities: How Cultures Celebrate New Year’s Eve

🧧 China: Lantern Lighting and Red Envelopes

The Chinese New Year is vibrant with fireworks, dragon dances, and the giving of red envelopes for luck. Consider gifting red-themed presents symbolizing prosperity.

🎭 Brazil: Ocean Offerings

Brazilians wear white and make offerings to the sea goddess Yemanjá. A beach-themed gift set can capture this essence.

🎉 Scotland: Hogmanay Traditions

Scots celebrate with torches and hearty feasts. A bottle of premium Scotch whiskey makes a fitting tribute to their traditions.

💡 Unique Resolutions for 2025: Stepping Into a Better You

🌟 Spread Kindness

Dedicate each month to a random act of kindness. Small gestures make big differences.

📵 Digital Detox Days

Schedule tech-free days to reconnect with nature, friends, and family.

🚴‍♂️ Explore New Horizons

Try a new hobby or travel to an unexplored destination every quarter. Life is all about experiences! 🗺️

Add charm to invitation cards 🎀.

Highlight your excitement in texts and social media posts.

Create games like “Guess the Emoji” for your party.

🎆 The Perfect Year-Start Playlists

Music sets the mood. Here are some genres to suit every celebration:

🎶 Party Anthems: Dance to the beats of energetic pop hits.

🧘‍♀️ Soothing Tunes: Begin the year with calm and mindfulness.

🎸 Rock Classics: Relive timeless hits with your friends.

🌟 A Year Full of Love and Laughter

New Year 2025 is more than just a date; it’s a promise of hope, joy, and togetherness. From heartfelt celebrations to thoughtful gifts, let’s make it an unforgettable journey filled with love and positivity. Wishing you all a magical 2025! 🥂

[markthomas]

From Concept to Plate: Building Unique Dining Experiences with an AI Menu Generator

Innovation is as important as the food itself in gastronomy. An AI menu generator is the sous-chef behind creating innovations by breaking and merging technology and creativity for unforgettable dining experiences. Restaurant owners and managers need a secret ingredient to stay at the cutting edge of culinary innovation.

AI in Menu Construction: Unlocking Culinary Inventiveness

An AI menu is no novelty plaything; it is a power of creativity. It catches the pulse of global trends in cuisine and combines them with your kitchen's capabilities to curate menus that tantalize taste buds and leave your restaurant high and dry.

Customized to Taste

Whether it's vegan vittles or gluten-free gourmet, be accommodating to every possible desire. The AI menu discerns offerings according to customer diets and personal tastes, so there is something for everyone at the table in this culinary escapade.

Ingredients for Success: AI in Your Kitchen

Seasonal Suggestions at a Click

Seasonality is the spice of life in the world of fine dining. From using seasonal produce to ensuring the correct timing with local harvests, AI-menu generation can offer dishes that celebrate the freshest possible ingredients, to make a menu delicious as well as eco-friendly.

Waste Not, Want Not

Reducing waste is another significant issue for the food service sector, and AI menus are just the thing to address this. Predicting what's going to be in high demand, the AI menu helps the smart systems adjust the quantity of ingredients purchased, thus reducing leftovers, or how you run your inventory.

A Buffet of Data: How AI Feeds into Menu Development

Analytics on the Fly

A professional AI-driven menu generator puts together more than an aesthetically pleasing list of dishes-it provides a digestible breakdown of what's hot and what's not. Use this to adjust your offerings, ensuring that every dish is a crowd-pleaser.

Pricing Perfection

Get the price right every time. The AI-enabled menu generator analyzes cost data, helping you price dishes in a way that delights both the diner's wallet and your bottom line.

Spice Up Marketing with AI-enriched Menus

Picture-Perfect Menus

An AI-driven menu generator will allow you to create not only the text of your menu but also its look and feel. Responsive design means it is adapted to the platform: whether it's a printed menu, a website feature, or a must-see on the mobile app.

Socially Savvy Specials

Use menu developments generated through AI to go viral on social media. With the clicks of a few buttons, any holiday or event will be able to evoke themed specials in your restaurant, which will talk town and share of the day.

The Human Touch in Tech- Enhanced Dining

Collaboration is key

AI complements, not replaces, the human factor. Chefs and managers can work with AI tools to fine-tune and approve menus to ensure each dish captures the restaurant's soul and the skill of the kitchen.

Training an AI to Your Taste

An AI-driven menu generator is a lot like a good chef: it gets better with experience. Train it with feedback and results; it will hone its suggestions until becoming a personalized culinary consultant in due time.

Built for Flexibility: AI Menus in an Ever-Shifting World

Meeting Consumer Needs on Dietary Restrictions

With health and dietary restrictions making the top of the list for consumer concerns, AI-driven menu generators can quickly and seamlessly adapt to include keto-friendly, paleo, or low-sodium options that make your menus as dynamic as they are delicious.

Positioning for Trends

Stay ahead of the gastronomic game by using AI to spot and respond to emerging food trends. From grain bowls to artisanal ferments, be the first to dish out the next big thing in food.

Conclusion: Your Menu, Redefined by AI

It is time to decorate your restaurant with the magic of an AI menu generator, crafting unique dining experiences that keep customers coming back and profits up. With high-tech accuracy and a dash of culinary artistry, your restaurant will be at the head of the parade, promising a culinary journey in each mouthful with menus.

Don't just settle for the status quo. Raise your menu above the ordinary and breathe life into something new and unbelievable. Aiming to turn your concept into a plate that rings with every diner? Schedule your demo session with eatOS now and turn your culinary dreams into reality that people just can't resist. Bon appétit to innovation!