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eivorsjawline · 4 years ago

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This story takes place in modern times, starring you. By a simple mistake, you venture into a land unknown and a time before your own. Though frightened, a certain tall husky blonde comforts you through the storm raging inside your body. Once you feel more grounded, the bed you seem to be sharing with her becomes more comfortable and you drift off.

Chapter 1: Wolf-Kissed

Readers POV

I remember when i first peered into Norse mythology and the immediate connection i felt with it. Part of me felt like I was lost in time. I couldn’t survive a day the way people once did yet the thought always intrigued me. It intrigued me so much I even had a bracelet engraved with my favorite Norse goddess, “Freyja” made for me. It was made of leather, just covering my wrist and the material the engrave was on made of Jade.

It was all for fun when i thought out the plans to travel here so far away from home. I had seen many things and been to many places, but there was nothing quite like Stonehenge.

Something attracted me to the stones and the closer I stepped to them, a feeling of deep desire surged through my body, as if I just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. Finally, I passed through the stones and looked as they hovered over me.

Suddenly, time stopped. Everything felt different but everything looked the same. The last thing I remember is passing out and the world as i knew it went blank.

The only world i've known, and the world i'm not sure if i'll ever get to see again.

Hardly able to open my eyes, I was greeted by a sudden warmth. Fur linings on an unfamiliar bed, and the subtle crackling sound of a fire pit nearby; a warm light fogging over my cloudy eyes as I slowly began to open them.

“You’re finally awake.” A husky woman’s voice said and my eyes were suddenly wide open.

To my surprise I saw a broad woman with a blonde medium length braid hovering over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed, dressed in a fur shoulder drape with long layers underneath. She looked as if she were ready for war. I could make out a large scar across her left check. Sitting down in a chair next to my bed some distance away, her piercing blue eyes looked at me almost as if concerned.

I sat up quickly in bed, pulling the bedding to my shoulders.

“Where am I? Who are you?” I asked with hesitance, intimidated by the change of scenery and the large woman sitting in front of me.

“I should be asking who you are! I found you just outside of my camp passed out and dressed in strange clothing.”

A sudden rush of color came across my face. I remembered the modern gray shirt and blue jeans I was wearing when I made the transition. Did I really travel back in time? Could this all be just a dream? Then, I realized the clothes I once wore were replaced by a long sleeved tan tunic.

“Then... how am i wearing this?” I said.

The woman chuckled at me.

“When I found you, you were filthy from getting soaked in the rain. I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable but, it would feel wrong if i just left you like that.”

Eivors POV:

Who is this woman? She speaks in a strange dialect, nothing like the saxons and must come from a strange land. The only thing that sticks out to me is the engraving on her bracelet. The same engraving Valka prophesied to me before. If she comes from far away, why would she have one of our goddesses names on her bracelet? The bracelet is the main reason I helped her in the first place.

“A far away stranger will come to you with a symbol of love, for you are bound by souls only separated by time.”

I remember when Valka asked me to stop by because she had something important she wanted to talk to me about. I tried to never think about love too much, and to especially never dwell on it. What could have been or what couldn't. I had my fair share of love misfortunes. With a lifestyle like mine, there's no time to focus on things like that. Right?

Poor thing, she looks terrified. There is something about her that's so different from anyone I have ever met. Finding her in such a vulnerable state isn't the only thing that intrigues me about this mysterious girl. It's not everyday you can lay your eyes on someone so attractive. Even her skin shines differently than anyone I have ever laid eyes on.

My mind wanders back to when i was changing her clothes, having to untie and undo odd buttons. The way her skin had formed goosebumps and the hairs on her arms stood up from the cold, having to refrain myself from looking too hard at certain places on her body.

When I brought her in, Randvi didn't understand exactly why I would help a complete stranger. Although she questioned it and very clearly didn't agree with me, at the end of the day it's my decision to make as Jarl. I know Randvi still struggles with her feelings for me and is just cautious with who I bring into the settlement.

“Thank you… thank you for helping me and bringing me in. Im so confused and i'm not too sure where i am.” The strange girl says to me, looking like she wants to cry but is trying to stay strong.

Snapping back to reality, the realization hits me that she truly has no idea where she is or what happened to her.

“What's your name? Where are you from? You must remember something from before.” I pry at her.

Readers POV

“My name is [y/n], I could never forget that. I can't remember where I came from or how I ended up here but maybe, with some time I can figure it out.”

I was lying through my teeth. But, I knew I couldn't just tell her the truth. No one would believe me if I told them. If this was gonna be my home for a while, I needed to at least give the impression that I was sane.

Her eyes kept lingering on my bracelet. Then, I realized where I was and how far back I had gone. Everything was beginning to make sense. I didn't know how to explain it, but i had to come up with something quick.

“I see you keep looking at my bracelet… it was given to me. It's a gift.” I said, shifting my eyes to the other side of the room.

“Fair enough,” the blonde peered at me up and down.

“I think you need more rest. Something will come to you when you wake up. You have some explaining to do, it seems.”

She stood up and blew out a few candles surrounding the bed. Her feet shuffled across the wood floor to the other side of me. Letting out a big yawn, she sat on the bed beside me facing the wall and tossed some of her armor and weaponry on the ground. Finally, she turned around to explain herself.

“There were no extra beds so, I hope temporarily sharing my bed won't be too bad. I can arrange a room for you eventually. This all happened at the very last minute.”

I could tell she wasn't trying to make me uncomfortable. As bad as the situation was, it could have been a lot worse if she had not found me. I could tell she knew that as well.

“I never got your name…” I said wearily.

She stretched her legs out on the bed and turned to face towards me, head resting on her hand and the other pulling the fur covers over herself.

“My name is Eivor, of the Raven Clan.” She said with another yawn.

I watched as she rested her head on the feather pillows, not wasting any time to fall asleep. I listened as her breaths became longer and slower. For such an intimidating woman she looked so peaceful when sleeping.

My mind began to race, why would she help me? Could I ever be accepted here? Knowing I had a sleepless night ahead of me, I turned over and tried to doze off anyway. I had never felt so alone and lost before. A tear escaped my eye and I quickly threw my hand over my mouth to cover any noise, not wanting to disturb Eivor. Just when I thought I could get away with it i heard the covers shuffling beside me.

A hand grazed my shoulder, leading me to turn around and see Eivor looking at me with a worrisome face.

“I know you're scared, but you’ll figure out what happened. Perhaps I can even help you and we can figure it out together. As long as i'm here you won't have to go through this alone. I hope that can bring you some comfort. Go ahead cry it out but please, try to get some rest afterwards,” she told me in a whisper.

Something in her words lifted a weight from my shoulders.

Then, i totally fucking lost it.

Sitting up in bed I cupped my face with my hands letting all my tears flow freely. I felt a warm embrace coming from the side of me. It was Eivor enveloping my sides. Her hands were slightly rough and I could feel all of the scars on the palms of her hands. She grasped gently onto my arms and I could make out a faint scent of vanilla and alcohol. I laid my head on her chest and the warmth coming off her body seemed to calm me down.

It was nice to feel someone there with me, knowing they were real and in the flesh. My tears began to dry after a while of crying. Eivor didn't seem annoyed with me keeping her up, even if she was clearly exhausted.

“I feel better now.” I managed to speak some words once I caught my breath.

“There you go, everythings gonna be okay. Until you can find your way back home… maybe this can be your home for a little while.” Eivor said to me.

“Thank you. I'll try to get some sleep now. I'm sorry for-“ Before I could say another word, Eivor stopped me.

“Don't apologize for that.” She still had a hold on me.

We laid down together and she never let go of me, keeping one hand on the side of me.

“Goodnight, [y/n]”

“Goodnight…” I mumbled back at her.

My eyes began to grow heavy and I started to finally doze off.

#assasins creed #ac valhalla #fan fiction #time travel #female eivor #fem eivor #eivor #eivor x reader #gaming

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local-dragonfly · 3 years ago

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get well soon!

questions if you still want em (pick and choose!):

whats your favorite piece of art? are there specific kinds of aesthetics / styles you like?

learn any cool things lately? ....i had an example of my own to give here but i had a real "net zero information" moment since it turned out quantum entangled tardigrade wasn't real :(

if you like flavored things, what's your favorite kind?

any current favorite songs?

i’m ALWAYS wanting questions i adore em tysm aahhh!!

- oooohh art pieces. gonna answer w styles first because it’s easier- i rlly love shit that has cool usage of color, and i’m getting rlly into textile art rn. for example, @julykings does some rlly amazing work w fabric + like. mixing in different mediums. from a sensory aspect i love art that looks like it would have tons of different sensations and i also rlly like seeing how. big art pieces tie together. i don’t know the official names for what i like tho. i also rlly like knowing the meaning/intent behind art pieces which brings me to some of my favorites! adam benedict has a beautiful piece on showering and sleep that i adore. ever since i learned abt portrait of ross in la by felix gonzales-torres i have not been able to stop thinking abt it. god i know i’m forgetting something. i saw this beautiful textile piece in september but i can’t find it online ANYWHERE which is destroying me. you can also likely go scouring thru my envelope posts tag for more art that i like.

- damn :(. uh i learned that strawberry squids rlly exist!! and i lesrned that in the late 1800s women thought bloomers were a big waste of fabric so they essentially invented leg warmers which LOOKED like bloomers from an outsiders perspective but only covered the calf and saved fabric. which is rad.

- oooh. for savory stuff like potato chips i am a salt and vinegar fan. however i will do anything for raspberry and chocolate which i think is a very underrated food combination. oh and oranges!!! i adore oranges! im trying to get way more into appreciating food for what it is and how it tastes, so i’m also gonna sprinkle in lemon and water as nice tastes. i have a love hate relationship w vanilla exttact because it smells tasty but it isn’t and i forget that every single time.

- music!!!!! rn i’m relying heavily on like. music that is very familiar ot me so i’ve just been cycling thru fall out boy, against me!, dazey and the scouts. songs in particular: paralytic states by against me!, don’t kiss me im in training by dump him, just all of maggot but in particular sweet cis teen by dazey and the scouts, screwed by janelle monáe, and what’s your name by depeche mode. that’s kind of it im trying to listen to new alnums but can’t focus on them. so we’re just sticking with this.

#thank u for these questions i adored them!!!#asks but space themed

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takingcourage · 4 years ago

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A Bushel and a Peck

Pairing: Jaime x MC

Word Count: 1,850

Summary: After receiving payment for a job, Jaime and Arden get a little more than they’ve bargained for.

Note: Thanks, as always, to @krishu213 for her request of “The smell of nutmeg and cloves around every corner” for Jaime and Arden. The prompts you choose are always so much fun! : )

Fiddling with the drawstring on her jacket, Arden raised her eyes toward the seasonal menu. It was all for show -- she’d known exactly what she was getting before she’d set foot in the shop -- but Friday afternoons always left her a little antsy and eager for home. As the woman in front of her stepped aside to wait for her drink, Arden exchanged smiles with the barista behind the counter.

“The usual?”

“Please. Thanks, Stephanie.”

“Extra shot today?”

Arden’s lips pursed with momentary indecision. “Sure -- why not?”

“It’ll be out shortly.”

After completing her transaction at the register, Arden migrated toward the other end of the counter. A subtle vibration came from the front pocket of her bag, and she quickly withdrew her phone.

Any plans for the weekend?

She smiled instinctively at Jaime’s text. Did you have something in mind? My schedule is surprisingly flexible.

Good to know.

Her brow was still crinkled at the cryptic text when she went forward to retrieve her drink, and things only grew stranger as she made her way back out of the shop and into her vehicle. If she’d been in a more present state of mind, she would have noticed the hints of nutmeg and vanilla that wafted up from the tiny hole in the lid when she took her first blissful sip. As it was, her thoughts were too trained on the mysterious message from her husband.

Care to share?

I’ve got a project in mind for tomorrow.

She swallowed a bit too much with her next sip. Had she been a less-experienced drinker, it might have burned on the way down, but she’d been immune to the heat for years. When her phone remained still, she settled back against the seat, slotted the keys into the ignition, and made her way toward home.

Jaime was waiting for her in the kitchen, his hand slicing the air as he beckoned her in to join him. “You know those repairs I was doing for Mrs. Ellis this week?”

Arden nodded and kicked her shoes into the corner of the dining room.

“She couldn’t stand not being able to pay me for them, so she found another method of compensation.”

That method became abundantly clear as Arden tiptoed onto the tile. From wall to stove, their counter was covered with heaping paper bags. “She gave you a kitchenful of apples?”

“Two bushels,” he confirmed.

She crossed to the nearest bag, hooking the side with an inquisitive finger. “Does she think we’re feeding the whole city? What on earth are we going to do with two bushels of apples?”

“I misspoke earlier -- it’s not actually quite that many. I did manage to give a couple dozen away...”

“We’re two people, Jaime!” she interjected, turning away from the counter to face him. “I don’t think it’s possible for us to eat this many apples if we tried.”

Jaime rubbed the furrow from her brow with a gentle thumb, then braced a hand on each shoulder. “That’s why I thought we could make a challenge out of it: we’ll see how many things we can make with them in a weekend. Apple butter alone will get us through at least a quarter of them, and we can make applesauce and pie filling too.”

At the glimpse of his earnest brown eyes, the hilarity of the situation somehow caught up to her in a breathless laugh. “Jaime, this is ridiculous. We can find people to give them to --”

“Or,” he countered, pausing for a moment in apology for cutting her off. “Or we can make them into something special before we give them away. But I need you with me on this. I don’t know if I can get through them all on my own.”

It was a hollow statement; Jaime was eminently capable of getting through anything he set his mind to, but she wasn’t going to leave him to drown in apples on his own.

“We need a game plan,” she replied, words already a little distant as she circled the room in search of a pad of paper. Finding an unopened envelope on the table, she began making a list. “If you find the recipes you want, I’ll write down the ingredients we need. We can make a quick run to the grocery store, then pick something up for dinner.”

Chinese.

Arden chuckled at the silent interjection. “...then pick up Chinese for dinner. Are you trying to appease me for putting up with you?”

“Nope.” This time, his words were audible. “I’m just taking care of my wife.”

By the end of the evening, they’d accounted for every single apple. Double checking the recipes over cartons of takeout, the two of them shared more than a handful of giggles over the sheer absurdity of the situation.

“What have we gotten ourselves into?”

-----

By noon on Saturday, they'd enlisted her father’s help with peeling and slicing -- a process that would have been much faster if the Harry hadn't insisted on tossing pieces of discarded peel to the floor for Opie instead of into the bag for composting. Between the dog's valiant attempts to catch them and Jinx's determination to steal them from under his nose, the whole scene became very distracting.

Even so, there was no denying that his presence made the process go faster. Their last batch of applesauce was finished by 3:00, followed by apple butter some hours later. When the time came to break for dinner, they'd lined their counter with several jars to give away.

"Just pies left to go," Jaime noted, consulting their list from the night before as Arden and Harry cleared dishes from the dining table.

"I think that’s my cue to head on home. I don’t know the first thing about pies, except that I love eating them.”

Arden resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she loaded their plates into the dishwasher.

“We’ll bring one over tomorrow,” Jaime promised.

Offering a half-hearted farewell over her shoulder, Arden’s eyes glazed as they fell back onto the final bag on the table. The pads of her fingers felt swollen from the repetitive motion of the knife, and she’d started to worry that no amount of handwashing would ever remove the sense of stickiness from her wrinkled palms. Even after the brief time away, there was a phantom tremor between her thumb and pointer finger.

“I can finish these up tomorrow.” Jaime sank into the chair across from her, his own hand strong and steady as he reached for her leg under the kitchen table. “I really appreciate all of your help today. I'm glad we did this.”

Eyes darting upward, she caught the smile she’d heard in his voice. His warm eyes sparked golden when she met his gaze. “I might swear off apples for the foreseeable future, but this has been fun.” With renewed vigor, she glanced back to the bag beside her. “And I’m not leaving you to do these on your own. We said we’d finish these tonight, and that’s what I intend to do.”

He squeezed her knee, chuckling beneath his breath.

“Stop!” she urged with an insistent whisper. At his raised brow, she clarified. “You’re thinking about calling me stubborn again -- I know you are.”

Jaime rose and motioned for Arden to vacate her chair as well. “We can finish tonight, but I want to switch out. I’ll take care of the peeling and slicing. You can measure out the dry ingredients.”

“Deal.”

Tucking her hair behind both ears, she set to work gathering ingredients and whatever clean utensils she could find. Most of their small stash of measuring cups and spoons had been used for previous recipes, and improvising was easier than washing what was dirty.

“Are you using the 1/3 cup?”

Flicking the remaining crystals into the mixing bowl, she flashed the tin cup for his inspection.

“To measure 16 cups of sugar?”

Flushing more from embarrassment than indignance, she scooted the 1/8 measuring teaspoon out of his sightline. He didn’t need to know her plan for the spices. “Don’t make me lose count!”

I could if I wanted to.

His thoughts cut in, and she very nearly lost track of the scooping despite herself. Offering what she hoped was a stern expression, she retrieved her phone and found a playlist of pop music that had fallen from the top 40 charts a decade before. As she finished preparing the ingredients, she couldn’t help giggling at the memories attached to many of them: trips to the pool in the summertime, dances at prom, basement jam sessions with their very short-lived band phase...

Jaime brought the bowl of apple slices to the counter, nudging her out of the way so that he could access the dry ingredients and the stovetop. She kept him company as he cooked and cooled, legs dangling from her seat beside the oven.

Though the raw materials were much different from his usual medium, there was the same undeniable magic in watching him bring them all together. Under Jaime’s care, what started as a few basic ingredients no longer felt ordinary or simple. True to his intentions, the unexpected gift had become something special.

Finally, the last bag had been sealed and the counters had been wiped down. With one concluding look around the room, Arden cranked the dial on the dishwasher and breathed a sigh of relief. Weariness grew with each step, culminating in a sense of fatigue that prompted her to collapse onto the mattress as soon as she’d made it to their upstairs bedroom.

“What a day.” Jaime stretched out beside her, sounding much more energetic than she felt.

Drowning a yawn, Arden tried to recover by taking a deep breath. Her nose shriveled as she realized her mistake. “Everything in our house smells like apples,” she moaned, tossing an arm over her face to try to block the scent. “I smell like apples.”

He burrowed closer on the bed. “You smell like autumn. I’m getting notes of nutmeg and cinnamon...maybe a hint of clove. I’ll be dreaming of applesauce and pies all night.” Jaime kissed her ear playfully, then pulled away with a soft laugh.

“Ughhh.” Showering would mean postponing bedtime, but she was starting to think that the delay would be worthwhile.

“You have a bit of peel in your hair. Here.” He brushed aside a few strands to locate the tiny sliver.

Prying open her eyes, she turned to face him. “And you’ve got cornstarch...or something... on your ear.” Arden swiped at it with a thumb, relieved when the substance came away easily.

He caught her elbow as she dropped her hand, his thumb etching gentle circles into her skin. “We make quite a pair, don’t we?”

Arden’s eyes flashed with amusement; she knew he’d intended sentimentality, but the setup was too much to resist. “I have to say, that’s not quite the fruit I was thinking of,” she countered, already bracing herself for the well-earned complaint she knew was coming.

With a well-deserved groan, Jaime leaned over to capture her lips in a sleepy kiss.

#playchoices #playchoices fanfiction #wishful thinking #jaime lewis #jaime x mc

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dreamlover31 · 4 years ago

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Love Will Find a Way: Chapter 33

Alexa laid sideways on the couch, she slept peacefully as light snores emanated from her nose, the armrest helped prop up the throw pillow against the side of her head. Her mind fell into a deep state of tranquility, to the point where she was oblivious to the sound of a key turning the lock to the front door, which coincided with the heavy footsteps that made their way towards the living room.

A soft smile creased across his mouth, while his eyes vividly captured her sleeping form, he became in awe of how much beauty can eradiate from such a glorious canvas that was her face, especially when it was free of any sorrow or dread, slowly, he kneeled and with a curled finger, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

The slight movement caused Alexa to stir a little, when she failed to wake up, he leaned over and placed a small kiss on her forehead; the warmth of his lips caused a small muffled moan and in that moment, Alexa’s eyes fluttered open.

When her vision came into clear view, those dark brown eyes of hers lit up at the sight of Rafael kneeling beside her with what appeared to be a bouquet of white lilies, the same ones he gave to her at the shelter the day they went in for the ultrasound; where they heard their daughter’s heartbeat for the first time. She stretched her arms outward, followed by a yawn; after Alexa rubbed the little remnants of sleep from her eyes, the focus shifted to Rafael.

“Sleep well?”

“Yeah…you come bearing gifts”

“Indeed, I did”

Alexa giggled then repositioned herself to a sitting stance, she shuffled to the right side of the couch to where Rafael could join her, as soon as he sat down, he handed Alexa the bouquet of flowers.

“Thank you, what’s the occasion?” Alexa delicately fiddled with the petals of one of the lilies while Rafael took a moment to bask in her infinite beauty, thoughts plagued him as to how he could have landed such an enigmatic, mesmerizing and above all, kind hearted woman. In just a few short days, they would welcome a precious little angel, one that would be just as beautiful and enchanting as her mother, but also, would have her father’s wit and to a less extent his stubbornness.

“I was thinking, since this maybe our last night together…I thought I would take you out for a night on the town”

At that very instant, Alexa’s face lit up, a widening but cheerful smile spread across her face, her heart skipped a beat at the prospect of a romantic evening.

“Really?!”

“I wouldn’t lie to you”

“Oh Rafi,” Alexa placed the small floral arrangement on the coffee table and embraced him in a grand gesture of affection, he returned this act with a hug that was equally warm and loving. His hands rubbed soothingly along her back, then slowly, his arms released her from his grip to which Alexa cradled his face then pressed her lips onto his, their foreheads linked against one another’s with their eyes closed. After a moment of silence, Alexa asked:

“So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“I have reservations at that new Italian place that opened up, I booked a very special table for us. Afterwards, we’ll take a nice stroll through Central Park and for the rest evening, we’ll spend it at home in bed”

“Mmmm, I love the sound of that…I’ll have to find some special way to thank you,” Alexa hovered her fingertip over Rafael’s lip then slid it across as he hummed in response.

“Easy tiger,” Rafael teased

Alexa giggled, when she asked what time their reservation was, he answered that it was at 7:00, which gave them at least two hours to ready themselves.

Hues of purple and orange cascaded through the windows of the brownstone to signal to Rafael and Alexa that the time was almost upon them to venture out to their destination, Rafael stood in front of the mirror that hung over the dresser in the bedroom, he was dressed up in a purple button down shirt, black slacks, black dress shoes and sporting a matching blazer.

Suddenly, he felt a familiar presence behind him, the scent of honeysuckle and vanilla enveloped his nasal passages, he let out a hum at the pleasant aroma; soft, skinny fingers stroked the back of his shoulder blades then planted themselves on top of them.

The reflection in the mirror caught the sight of Alexa, decked out in an ivory colored, spaghetti strapped dress that fit her fully pregnant exterior with pearl earrings and necklace; hair wrapped up in a neat bun with makeup done up to enhance her natural beauty. She positioned herself to the left side of his body as her chin rested on top of his shoulder, then her hand coiled around his upper arm, with a sly grin she said seductively:

“Damn counsellor, if it weren’t for this belly, I’d throw you down on the bed…tear off all your clothes and give you the ride of your life”

Rafael slightly blushed at the provocativeness of her words, “Alexa, you do know our child can hear every word you say”

She chuckled, at the corner of her eye, she peeked at the gold chain that poked out of the opened collar of his shirt, the scent of his cologne did little to ease her arousal; with her free hand, she palmed it against his chest then glided upwards, and when they were within reach, her fingertips toyed with the piece of jewelry draped around his neck. Soft, tender kisses covered his jawline and neck, meanwhile, Rafael was willing his body to stave off the erection that threatened to show itself through his pants.

“You keep this up, we’re going to be late,” Rafael warned

Alexa whined, “Fine”

Before they made their way down to the car, Alexa grabbed the silk shawl laid out on the edge of the bed and wrapped it around her, with Rafael’s help, they carefully walked down the staircase inside the brownstone, as well as, the concrete one outside.

Once the couple entered the vehicle, Rafael started the engine, put it in gear and drove out of the parking space towards downtown Manhattan, the front of the restaurant came into view within 30 minutes of their departure. Rafael pulled up to the valet booth, where he exited the car and gave a young man who wore a red vest, black slacks and shoes that mirrored his own the keys, as soon as he headed into the driver’s seat, Rafael quickly opened the passenger door and eased Alexa out.

Hand in hand, they stepped through the double-sided doors just as their SUV drove off, once inside, the hostess welcomed them, then proceeded to lead them through the various tables of the establishment until they came upon another set of double paned doors, the hostess latched on to the brass knobs; with a twist of her wrists, she pushed the doors open.

Alexa gasped in amazement at the layout of area before them, a small table with a white sheet draped over; two chairs on either side, in the background was a lush garden filled with rose bushes and neatly cut grass and as a centerpiece, a fountain sculpted as the water carrier that resembled the zodiac sign Aquarius.

Right above them, there was a canopy of fairy lights that glittered like the stars at night, with his hand on the small of her back, Rafael guided Alexa towards her chair, in a gentlemanly manner; he pulled it out then she seated herself.

Rafael thanked the hostess, who at the same time, informed them that a waiter would be with them shortly, during their time alone; Rafael held Alexa’s hand as his thumb rubbed circles around her knuckles, their expressions spoke volumes more than anything.

Dark brown met green, unspoken words of adoration and passion telepathically linked between them, eventually, all the chatter from the patrons of the restaurant faded from consciousness.

Alexa, you are the best thing that has ever happen to me, it gives me such joy to know that I will be spending the rest of my life with you at my side…together we will raise our child and give her all the love and support that we can, we will share numerous adventures, the likes of which we can share with our grandchildren…I hope you know that no matter what we’ve gone through, that I will always love you from the bottom of my heart.

Rafael, before I met you, I built a wall around my heart, but the moment you came into my life…it came down. You gave me back something that I thought I lost, my ability to love…I am honored to become your wife and the mother of your child, I will dedicate my life to making you happy…through good times and bad, I will always be right beside you…my heart beats in tune with yours now and forever, I love you Rafi.

Suddenly, their internal dialogue was interrupted by the appearance of their waiter, he apologized for the intrusion and asked if they needed a little more time, both relayed to him that they were ready to order drinks. He pulled a small notepad and pen from his pocket and jotted down Rafael’s order of scotch and Alexa’s sparkling water, with a nod, the waiter took his leave.

Within a span of 10 minutes, he returned with their drink orders, with those in hand, Rafael and Alexa moved on to the second phase that was their choice of meals; while he had a medium rare steak, Alexa ordered shrimp scampi.

Another 10 minutes passed before their dishes arrived, under the fairy lights with the water from the fountain serving as the soundtrack to their romantic rendezvous, they relished in the deliciousness of the fully prepared portions, once their stomachs signaled to them that were tapped out, Rafael searched for their waiter then informed him that they were ready to pay the bill.

After he received both the payment and subsequent hefty tip, Rafael and Alexa left the restaurant and met the valet guy out front, he returned the keys while Rafael slipped him a Benjamin, Rafael re-entered the SUV and reignited the engine, then drove into the flow of traffic. Ultimately, the vehicle pulled up along the curb outside one of the entrances to Central Park, as soon as they departed from the SUV, their hands interlaced before their entry.

During their walk down the path, Alexa’s heart swelled over the evening’s festivities, it became apparent to her that she would build more memories like this with Rafael, even with their child just days away from coming into the world, the grip on his hand tightened as she continued to think about their future together; Rafael looked over to her and with a small smile asked:

“You ok?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking…”

“About what?”

“Us, how lucky I am to have you in my life, and how even after we have Nadia…we’ll still have time for each other”

“Granted we can get my mother to babysit”

“Are you kidding? She’ll be begging for any chance to spend time with her”

The two of them shared a laugh, but in that instant, Alexa covered her mouth to try to still a yawn that was coming on. Rafael looked at her with concern and suggested that they make their way back to the car, Alexa agreed and so they retraced their steps back to the front entrance, once the vehicle was in their per view, they moved towards it.

Unbeknownst to them, a black Escalade was creeping up behind them, apart from the windshield, all the windows were tinted black; suddenly, one of the passenger side windows on the left side of the vehicle rolled down. An arm extended outward, with a 9mm glock in hand; finger steady on the trigger, in a matter of seconds, the Escalade was within range of Rafael and Alexa. In that moment, a voice shouted out from the vehicle:

“ADA Barba”

Rafael turned to where the voice originated from and his eyes widened when he saw the barrel of the gun, in that split second, he dived in front of Alexa before she heard:

Bang Bang Bang

Everything started to get fuzzy, soon Rafael was going in and out of consciousness, his body collapsed on the ground, the sounds of tires screeching, in addition to the screaming that didn’t even sound human was drowned out.

It wasn’t long before the darkness overtook Rafael, meanwhile, Alexa could only watch in horror as blood began to seep through his shirt; onlookers from across the street ran towards the distressed couple, she pleaded with them to help Rafael. One of them pulled out their cell phone and called for an ambulance while he put pressure on Rafael’s wound and spouting off words of encouragement until help arrived, streams of tears rolled down Alexa’s cheeks as she screamed at him to wake up.

“Oh god, no Rafi…I can’t lose you!”

“Hey buddy, come on, stay with me”

The minutes ticked by as they waited for the ambulance to arrive, but Rafael was still unresponsive, Alexa grew more and more hysterical, at one point she tried to lean down at his side, but was stopped by a female onlooker, Alexa could only watch helplessly as her fiancé’s life hanged in the balance, as she struggled with the stranger, Alexa screamed:

“Rafi, wake up…please!”

A sharp pain pierced her stomach, she winced and placed her hand on top of her mid-section, then her attention was drawn downward to the ground, where a small puddle formed between her legs; an expression of shock glazed over her face at the realization that her water broke, and that her baby…their baby was coming, and at the worst possible time.

Tagging: @madpanda75 @laceybellerain @southern-magnolia @tropes-and-tales @teamsladsandgents @karens-imagined-world @beccabarba @glimmerglittergirl @itsjustmyfantasyroom @madamsnape921 @thatesqcrush

#rafael barba #raul esparza #love will find a way

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therainroguefanfiction · 4 years ago

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⁂ My Pet (Keigo Atobe)

Genre: Crack, Romance ☁

Word Count: 1,441 ☁

Pairing: Reader x Atobe ☁

World: Prince of Tennis ☁

Author’s Note: This was originally a drabble mini-series, but I’ve combined them into one fic. This was also written many moons ago so it’s cringe as fuck :D

━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━

“Get. Away. From. Me.” you ordered through clenched teeth.

The reason for your annoyance flicked his hair as a cocky grin spread across his face. His deep purple eyes were shining with pride. “Ore-sama knows you love him, Y/N-hime.”

You were fighting the strong urge to hit him square in the jaw.

Atobe had been agitating you more and more lately, and you just couldn’t understand why. He didn’t seem to understand that you were half an inch away from murdering him and dumping his body in the river.

“I’m home!” you called, slamming the door and letting your school bag fall to the floor.

“Ah! Y/N!” Your older brother appeared in the kitchen doorway, holding a thick white envelope in his hands, “Yuuta stopped by earlier. This is for you.”

“Thank you!” you grabbed the thick object and bolted up the stairs.

The package contained something very interesting. You weren’t prepared for what was inside.

A gasp escaped your lips as you stared at the pictures held tightly in your hands. The pictures Yuuta had gotten ahold of happened to be embarrassing snapshots of the king himself, ranging from mild – he sleeps with a pink bunny rabbit – to medium – young Keigo in a pink tutu and red cheeks – all the way to extreme – so graphic, they cannot be mentioned.

“I’ve struck gold!” you smirked, your evil mind beginning to run wild with how you could utilize this information.

Keigo Atobe was in for a world of hurt.

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The next morning, Atobe found himself on your doorstep, prepared to start the day off by annoying you to no end, as he usually did. He was caught off guard when you opened the door, a sadistic smirk playing on your lips and a mischievous glint in your eyes.

“Get in here, monkey king!” you demanded, grabbing his tie and pulling him into the house. The door slammed shut behind you and Atobe got the feeling that his fate had just been sealed.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Atobe questioned, tapping his foot impatiently.

“I’ve had enough of your annoying ass, Atobe!” you declared, pulling a few of the pictures from your back pocket and showing them to the shocked king.

He fought hard to stop the blush that attempted to crawl up his skin, “W-Where did you get those?!”

You smirked, satisfied with his reaction, “I have my sources. I imagine you don’t want these public?”

He swallowed hard, clenching his fists and shaking his head, “What do you want?”

Your smirk rivaled that of the Cheshire cat’s.

Atobe’s dark eyes followed your movements as you pulled a collar out of your bag. Stepping closer, you fastened it around his neck.

“You are now my dog.” A click followed as you hooked the matching leash onto the metal hoop.

Atobe clenched his fists until they turned snow white. No matter what it took, he was determined to get out of this situation and burn those damned pictures to ash. And then he would get his revenge.

Atobe Keigo was no one’s dog.

━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━

“Sit,” you commanded as you took a seat in the cafe, the leash held securely in your hand.

With a glare that would impress medusa, Atobe reluctantly sat down on the cold tile beside your chair, legs folded and arms crossed.

You grinned, patting his head before placing your order with the waitress, “An expresso, please. And bring a bowl of milk for my pet, too.”

Barely able to contain her laughter, the waitress scurried off.

Oh, if only looks could kill, Atobe’s master would be six feet under right now.

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“Ahh. This is the life.” you sighed in content as you lounged on the white leather sofa in the living room. Your hands were intertwined behind your head while your feet were resting up on the coffee table.

Keigo walked into the room, carrying a bowl of vanilla ice cream and a bottle of chocolate syrup. He handed it to you before taking a seat on the floor in front of you, his back against the couch. His dark eyes were narrowed in a glare towards the TV while a scowl took over his face.

Since when was the pet also the servant?

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Bzzzz

Atobe smirked at the sound as he pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket.

1 New Message Received.

He clicked ‘read‘ and the contents of the message made his smirk grow.

‘Master Atobe. We have successfully retrieved the boy’s copies of the pictures.’

Keigo’s butlers had not failed him. They had managed to get Yuuta’s copy of the pictures, and now he just needed your copies before he could rebel against his master.

━━━━━━༻🌧️༺━━━━━━

You yawned, stretching as you slowly peeled your eyes open. The bright red letters on the clock told you it was five in the morning.

Bzzzz

You glanced at Atobe who lay sleeping soundly on the floor beside your bed before your eyes moved to the vibrating cell phone beside him. Your curiosity got the better of you and you grabbed it, flipping it open.

1 New Message Received.

You clicked ‘read‘, your eyes scanning the words.

‘Master Atobe, we have found the negatives.’

Your eyes widened as you scrolled through the messages. Keigo had the originals, and now he had the negatives. You jumped out of bed, opening the bottom drawer of your dresser where you kept your copies. They were gone.

If he has all the pictures, why hasn’t he left yet?

That question prevented you from going back to sleep that night.

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You sat at the kitchen table, head in the palm of your hand. Your older brother was standing at the stove making breakfast.

“Why so down?” he glanced over his shoulder at you, raising a brow at your sulking form.

Letting out a deep sigh, you explained all about the message he had received. He already knew about you blackmailing Keigo and, while he didn’t approve, there wasn’t much he could do. “He has to be after something else. But what?”

“Negatives, maybe?” he suggested.

“Yuuta had the originals and the negatives, and he’s taken them. My copies are also gone.”

Little did you and your brother know, Atobe had woken up and was hiding around the corner, listening to the conversation.

The corners of his mouth pulled down into a deep frown.

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“Keigo.”

“Yes, Y/N-hime?” Keigo glanced up at you from his position on the floor.

“I know you have all of the pictures. So why are you still here? What are you after?” You demanded, arms folded across your chest.

His expression remained blank, “What makes you so sure Ore-sama is after something?”

“You wouldn’t still be my dog if you didn’t want something!”

“You’re wrong, as always.”

“What?” you blinked in both confusion and annoyance as Keigo stood up to hover over you, his face close to your own.

What was the weird feeling boiling in the pit of your stomach? You had been close to this boy a million times in the past, but you had never felt so off your game before. It was disconcerting.

“You want the truth?” he whispered, twirling a strand of your hair around his finger, “Ore-sama stayed because he… he’s in love you.”

“What?”

“Ore-sama has always been infatuated with you, and this little pet experience made Ore-sama fall even deeper in love with you, Y/N-hime.”

He left no room for response, quickly capturing your lips with his own. Keigo let every ounce of love flow through the kiss, which you gladly accepted. A smile lit up your face as he pulled away.

You finally realized what that strange feeling was. The feeling that boiled in the pit of your stomach whenever you were around Keigo Atobe. It wasn’t hatred as you had previously tried to make yourself believe, it was love. You never realized that you had actually fallen head over heels for Hyotei’s king, but it wasn’t something you would soon be forgetting.

“Keigo?”

“Yes, Y/N-hime?”

“I’m really glad I made you my pet.” you smiled up at the man who held you tightly in his arms.

His deep chuckle made your heart skip a beat.

When you first made Keigo Atobe your pet, it was with the intention of getting back at him for all the torture – in the form of being an annoying twat – he had inflicted upon you. You never could have known that it would turn out the way it did but, you were not complaining. You were quite happy with the way things had turned out.

“I’ll tell you one thing. You were the best pet I’ve ever had, Keigo♥~!”

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📜 Read more by checking out my masterlist 📜

If you enjoy my writing, please considering tipping me on Kofi or Cashapp. Every little bit helps and means a lot, thank you so much ^~^)/ If you can’t afford to do so, that’s okay, too, thanks for reading!

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rmg91 · 5 years ago

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The Woes and Antics of Living Together-18

AAAAHHHH!!!!! I've gotten to another chapter I've been dying to write!!! And while the part I was most excited for didn't come out quite like I wanted (Curse me for never writing things down when they happen five months ago) I still like the way that it happened. I'll admit, I'm a little bit mean to Poppy in this chapter but Branch helps make it better.

Enjoy!

Also Friendship Goals-When you and a friend have similar-ish ideas without talking to each other XD

Previous Chapter/Next Chapter; AO3;FF.net

@writerofberk-I feel bad for what I’ve done to Poppy but I also much enjoy the fluff I wrote to make up for it XD

~*~*~*~*~*~

The sky was cloudy but bright with a light breeze as Poppy happily walked back to the apartment, Planning Clipboard in hand. A bag a of fresh, blank invitations hung from her wrist, ready to be customized for the upcoming event. Creek's surprise birthday party was coming along and she couldn't be more excited. Of course, everyone knew Poppy always threw her friends' parties, ever since she was young, but the how, when and where was how the surprise came in and boy did she love to throw surprise parties. They were her jam after all! And she had to make sure this one would be perfect for Creek. She was finally going to tell him how much she really felt about him and ask him to be her boyfriend. There was never any rule that said she couldn't be the one to ask and she was tired of waiting.

Poppy flipped through her list of party essentials as she hummed a love song, check-marking things off as she went. Suki had told her the music was set, a mix of songs to dance to and more mellow ones to set the atmosphere. Alongside some of Creek's favorite instrumental scores from movies. Decorations were all gathered, the usual collection of balloons, streamers, tablecloths and fairy lights, with some more unique additives to fit their theme. They had small Buddha statues to set around, lotus flower cutouts to hang up, scented and non-scented candles, a few incense burners and some pretty gem stones to sprinkle around. Next was the menu, which thankfully they had found a happy medium for, tasty but healthy snacks. They'd have various dips, hummus, guacamole and a Greek yogurt one Poppy found a recipe for, with a host of vegetables and baked chips. Dried fruit and nuts to nibble, fresh fruit parfaits, homemade fruit punch and some of Biggie's infamous deviled eggs. They'd also have a few more traditional party snacks and, of course, the six dozen carrot cupcakes Poppy was going to bake. She also had plans to make Creek a full sized cake too.

Last but not least, was the venue and Poppy couldn't be more excited for it. The university had the perfect outdoor area, trees and flowers surrounding an open area that could host tables and decent sized dance area. There was even a covered area, a pretty wooden pergola, built close enough where they could set out the food! Poppy had checked with the school and had luckily been able to rent the place for the night and she just couldn't wait! It would look so pretty all lit up with twinkling lights and candles. It was going to be magical.

Poppy nodded to herself, seeing just about everything checked off, the only things were whatever last minute details that always popped up and of course her present for Creek. She had thought about going along with the Pack's idea of just her being his present but she wanted to gift him something as well. Trouble was, she couldn't decide. She had seen a really pretty incense burner at the shop they got all the stones from but she also knew he had a tiny collection of them, so she felt like she could find something different. There was also the necklace she saw with the small charm of a mandala but Creek really wasn't big on wearing jewelry besides the friendship bracelet she had made him. She could just always find him a new pair of flip-flops, at least that's what Branch had said when she had been brainstorming out loud. Then it hit her! The perfect gift idea! She could make up a basket of all his favorite bath products! Creek always loved to talk about the benefits of good hygiene and Poppy knew long, hot baths were the only guilty pleasure he really allowed himself. It was perfect!

The pinkette made a note about her idea, listing what she'd need to get alongside a reminded to look up some DIY bath-bombs. She'd always wanted to try making some and that just seemed like it would help make her gift just a little more special. Giggling, she danced a happy jig, her excitement and inspiration overflowing before heading inside her building, an invite decorating storm was about to take place!

~*~*~*~*~*~

Branch was not amused to come home to what could only described as an explosion of paper and glitter. Scraps of construction paper littered the floor around the coffee table, with said surface overflowing with Poppy's collections of craft supplies. Small buckets of shaped scissors, stamps, stamp ink and shaped hole punches were stacked across the far side, various ones Poppy had already used laying loose. Her extensive sticker collection was spread out around her, the folders she kept them leaning beside her on the couch, with a few empty sheets on the floor. There were various types of glue sitting in places and the table sparkled with the tell-tale sign of glitter having been spilled out of its container. A pile of invitations sat completed on the farthest corner, ready to be given out by a smiling Poppy, who was just finishing up another colorful piece of art.

“Welcome home~!” The pinkette sang, grinning up at him happily as he came inside.

Branch had to try very hard not to look away as she flashed that beautiful, happy smile at him. After her little drunk incident, it had been even harder to look at her without blushing but he had promised her he'd try not to act weird around her after that. But it could be so damn hard, she was just too gorgeous when she was in a good mood and it almost, almost, made him want to spill his guts about his affection for her. Add in he could now recall her saying she wanted him well...the last few weeks hadn't been that easy for Branch when he was alone with her. Especially since Poppy had spent a good portion of them planning out a party for Creek.

“Hey.” He finally said back, turning to go find something in the kitchen. What he really didn't know but he couldn't take the risk of just staring at Poppy, “I see you've made a mess of our living room.”

“Oh shush!” Poppy giggled before throwing her arms out wide and shouting, “Art knows no bounds! And invitations won't make themselves!”

Branch rolled his eyes before mumbling, “Could always just get pre-made ones...” Even though he knew she would never, Poppy adored making custom invitations and, if Branch was being honest with himself, he liked seeing her creations. Even if he didn't show it.

Poppy gasped dramatically, having heard him, “Nonsense! I would never!” She giggled before perking up and flipping through her finished pile, “Speaking of...” She pulled one out and scurried over to Branch before thrusting out a colorful, sparkling envelope at him.

“Poppy...” He warned, of course she would try to invite him to the party she was throwing for Creek.

“Please?” She begged, eyes wide and she held out the invitation, “I know, I know. You 'don't do parties' but I promise it's not gonna be a loud, crazy, super amazing one. It's gonna be a little more calm, no flashing lights but still a lot of fun one. Pleeease? You'd have fun~”

Branch doubted that. There was no way he was gonna watch her, and everyone else, fawn over Creek. “No.”

Poppy predictably pouted before she gently shoved the small packet of paper into his hands, “Just think about it, okay? There's time to change your mind.”

Branch wasn't going to but she didn't need to know that. He just took the envelope without fuss and made to go to his room, saying something about having some homework to finish. In reality he was going to add the newest invitation to his collection after opening it. He just hoped she passed on the glitter bomb this time.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The day of the party arrived a few days later and Poppy could barely contain her excitement. She had spent all of the previous afternoon baking and frosting cupcakes, so now she had four dozen carrot cake cupcakes, alongside another two dozen of vanilla. The vanilla ones she had decided to bake at the last minute for some variety and so she could use sprinkles. Sprinkles made everything better. She had also baked up a vanilla bean cake just for Creek and now that it was cool, she just had to work her frosting magic on it but first she was heading to the university. She wanted to get a head start on the decorating before handing off the duty to Guy and Biggie.

Poppy took a look around the courtyard they would be occupying when she got there, grin wide as she pictured how wonderful it would look when they were done. Gathering all the supplies she would need, she stacked all of the streamers, paper hangings, lights, lanterns and all the other bits on a table, organized for easy handling. Then taking a roll of light purple crepe paper, the pinkette looked around for a good starting point, deciding to start with twisting it around the pergola's posts. Once finished with the purple streamers, Poppy grabbed a roll of a pretty aqua green to wrap around the alternating posts and from there started to hang long, twisted rows across the beams. By the time Guy and Biggie showed up, with Suki and her DJ equipment in tow, she had a good base of things started.

Her friends quickly jumped in to help her, so Poppy took a quick moment to film them while they worked before placing her camera back on it's mini tripod. They worked together efficiently after years of doing this and soon they had more streamers stretching overhead with lights intermingling. Suki had her DJ table set up under an awning where it would close enough to hear but out of the way so no one would trip on any wires and Poppy was standing on a chair hanging paper decorations when Smidge rolled in with Cooper. They had the coolers and bags of food with them, so Poppy directed them to store it all inside the small kitchen of the building the pergola was connected to. Said building was part of the Home Economics division and had a few kitchens, one of which they were allowed to use. Once everything was looking like Poppy had envisioned, she left the Pack to complete setting up the tables and such while she headed home to decorate Creek's cake and grab his gift.

Coming home, she wasted no time gathering up the ingredients for buttercream frosting, calling a greeting to Branch who was reading, and threw them all in her stand mixer. Carefully, she pulled the cake out of the oven, where she stored it for safe keeping, and divided it in two. Once satisfied with her frosting, she split it in half and dyed one lavender and the other mint. She then spent the next hour and a half making the cake look how she wanted it. It would have been quicker but she'd wanted to make sure that her crumb coat was fully set in the fridge before continuing, that particular cake recipe was always crumbier than others. She had just piped some frosting flowers around the edge and was piping 'Happy Birthday Creek' on top when she decided to ask Branch again if he wanted to come along.

“Are you suuure you don't wanna come?” She said, focused on her cursive, “It's gonna be fun~”

“Yes, I'm sure.” He grumped at her from his seat in her chair, eyes not leaving his book, “I told you the weather report said it was going to rain today and I am not getting stuck out there in it.” The other reason, of course, was because he didn't want to see Poppy hanging off of Creek and listen to whatever crap the 'guru' always spewed.

Poppy rolled her eyes, setting her piping bag down to gesture outside the window, “It's not gonna rain, Branch! It's sunny and clear,” True it had been a little breezy but that was nothing, “The weather report has been wrong before.”

Branch scoffed, “Still not going and don't blame me when you get rained out.”

Poppy was just about to reply when Satin and Chenille came through the door, “Poppy!”

“We came to get you and save you another trip,” Satin exclaimed, “Are you ready?”

“Just about!” She quickly added a few finishing touches to the cake before sliding it into a box and grabbing Creek's gift basket, “See you later, Branch!”

“You're gonna get rained on!” Was his parting reply.

~*~*~*~*~*~

After arriving back at the venue, Poppy slipped the cake into the fridge for safe keeping until it was time to serve it before placing her gift with the other few. She then took in all of what the Snack Pack had done while she was gone with a grin. Tables were set up, the white tablecloths fluttering in the breeze, with candles and small flower centerpieces adding charm and whimsy. Some of the incense had already been lit so there was a faint aroma of lavender and vanilla in the air and the lights had just been turned on. Poppy was ecstatic with the way everything looked, especially with the setting sun starting to cast a pinkish glow over everything. Taking her phone out, she quickly snapped a photo to post later before turning to her friends.

“This look amazing, you guys!” She clapped before pulling them into a group hug, “I think Creek's really gonna like it!”

“Oh for sure,” Guy agreed, smirking playfully, “You planned it after all~”

“Stop,” Poppy giggled, “You all helped.”

“But you did the majority of it,” Satin said, wrapping her arm around one of Poppy, “But we'll admit, it needs one more thing...”

Chenille wrapped her arm around Poppy's other, “You to look amazingly stunning~! Come with us!”

Poppy laughed as she was dragged away to the nearest bathroom for a patent Couture twin style up.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Almost an hour later, Poppy twirled in front of the bathroom mirror, once again impressed and proud of the fashion sisters. They had sewn a brand new dress for her that was a dark aquamarine in color and in the halter top style she loved. It had a sweetheart neckline and the straps wrapped around her neck, leaving her back bare for her tattoo to show. The waistline was cinched slightly under her bodice with a small decorative bow off to the side and it was knee length with a sheer overlay of sparkly organza. Her hair had been pulled up into a higher ponytail with the ends curled so they bounced when she moved alongside the tendrils that framed her face. Her make-up matched with glittery eye-shadow in the same color, light pink blush and strawberry pink lipstick. A matching headband with one silk flower and silver, strappy heels completed the look.

“Girls...” Poppy awed as she spun again, loving the way the dress spun around, “This is beautiful! Thank you so much~”

“You're welcome!” The chirped in unison.

“Now there's absolutely no way Creek won't ask you out tonight.” Giggled Chenille.

“Yes! And we'll all make sure he gets a chance to!” Satin added.

Poppy giggled with a nod, “Right!” She then spun the face them with a clap, “Now let's get out there! Guests should be arriving soon and after that the birthday boy himself! You guys made sure to tell him to meet us here for something right?” It was a safe bet Creek already knew there was a party happening, Poppy was never subtle about that sort of thing but she still hoped it would be a surprise anyway.

“Guy texted him at lunch saying he needed to see him for some school thing.”

“Great!” Poppy clapped, smile wide, “Then let's get out there!” This was gonna be awesome!

When they rejoined the rest of the Pack, Suki had started up the tunes as a few people had already started to show up. Poppy greeted them happily, trading hugs and thanks for coming. She got lots of compliments for how pretty she looked and was even pulled in to some selfies with Guy, since they were both looking gorgeously fabulous. As more and more people began to arrive, Poppy could barely contain herself as she eagerly awaited Creek's arrival, excited for when he'd come to see what they'd put together for him.

The sky was turning progressively darker as time went on, dark clouds moving in and blocking out the few visible stars and the slowly rising moon. Poppy couldn't help but bite her lip as she looked up from lighting a few candles. She hoped they would just blow away soon and that Branch wasn't right about the weather taking a turn for the worst. Her friends tried to assure her it would be alright, if it started to drizzle they could just take the party into the hallway of the Home Ecs building. She had nodded but a tiny knot of worry was starting to form in her stomach, especially when there still wasn't any sign of Creek.

She was trying not to let it show how much she was starting to fret, it wasn't like Creek to miss something without saying anything, when she felt the first rain drop hit her nose. She glanced up at the clouds as more drops began falling, the peppering of rain hitting the sidewalk echoing around her. She and the Pack quickly directed guests indoors before the rain got too bad, snacks and gifts being grabbed to save them from the water. Poppy hoped it would just a quick little storm, nothing bad enough to delay the party too long but as the rain began to fall harder and faster, soaking all their hard work, the pinkette couldn't help but be disappointed. It also didn't help that there still hadn't been any word from Creek.

Poppy looked down at her phone, hoping to see some missed notification or something indicating Creek had reached out but all that greeted her was her lock screen's picture. She tried not to frown, tried to interact with everyone but as time went on and people started to leave before the storm got any worse, she couldn't help it. It was so unlike him to not say anything, even if he didn't know they were throwing a party for him, he knew they wanted to see him so for none of them to have a message from him...Poppy didn't know what to think. Suki had suggested calling him but before Poppy could try, Guy mentioned he already tried that with the call going straight to voicemail.

Poppy sighed, thoughts and feelings a turbulent mess, “Let's just...call it a night then...” She didn't want to, she hated canceling parties but there was nothing else to be done with the weather the way it was and with the guest of honor missing.

“Pops...” Suki exhaled, reaching out to place a hand on her friends shoulder. She knew how much Poppy had been looking forward to this.

Poppy forced a smile at her orange haired friend, trying not to let it show just how upset she was, “It's okay, Suks'. It's getting pretty bad out there anyway.”

Suki nodded slowly before pulling the pinkette into a hug. Poppy sighed softly and hugged her back, soon enough being engulfed by the rest of the Snack Pack. When they disengaged, Biggie and Guy helped Suki gather her equipment, Cooper went to look for something to store and carry the small pile of gifts, and Smidge went to break the news to the few remaining guests. Poppy peeked outside from the door, looking out into the storm and knowing that they'd have to come back in the morning to clean up when Satin and Chenille approached.

“What do you say to a sleepover tonight?” The younger twin offered, smiling hopefully at her.

“Yeah, yeah! We can give each other Mani-Pedi's, facials, watch trashy romance movies~” Chenille' chimed, hoping the allure of some girl time would help perk Poppy up.

“Ah...” Poppy stalled, not wanting to hurt their feelings but not feeling up to all that, “Thanks you guys but...I think I'd just like to go home...”

The twins shared a concerned look before nodding at Poppy, “Alright...”

“At least let us drive you home?”

Poppy quickly shook her head, “No, I won't let you guys do that. You live almost on the other side of town from where I do and I won't have you out in that for longer than you have to be. I'll just take the bus.”

“But Poppy-” Chenille started.

“Guys, really, it's okay.” Poppy really didn't want to try and explain that she...just didn't want to be around anyone right now. She kind of just wanted to cry really but she didn't want that happen in front of her friends, she was sure it wouldn't help them feel any better about this situation either, so she'd rather have it happen when she was by herself.

The twins frowned and huffed slightly but relented, not liking letting Poppy be by herself tonight. That was when Milton approached, an umbrella in hand, and smiling softly, offered to escort Poppy to the bus stop. She accepted and after another group hug, and promises she'd meet them tomorrow to clean up what was left outside, Poppy and Milton left to reach the bus stop before the next bus arrived.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Poppy waited for the bus for possibly a little longer than she had to after she waved goodbye to Milton. She had been thankful he hadn't tried to talk her into going home with him and Smidge and had just shared a sympathetic smile before leaving her. She shivered under the awning as she sat there, thinking maybe she should've changed but unable to fix that now. The pinkette stared down at the ground as she waited, frowning at the cement as she hugged herself for warmth. She couldn't accurately describe just how she was feeling at the moment, disappointed that the party had gotten rained out and that all their decorating was now ruined; sad, upset, hurt that the person this was all for hadn't shown up or even called! It was so unlike him too... And the more Poppy thought about it, the more she felt the prickling of tears in her eyes, but she wouldn't cry...not yet at least.

When the bus finally pulled up, she scrambled up the steps and, after disposing of some change, took one of the many empty seats. Poppy leaned her head on the cool glass and listlessly watched the scenery go by, wondering if there had been anything she could've done to change the night's outcome. Of course she knew she couldn't have controlled the weather but maybe she could've been the one to tell Creek to come or maybe even tell him they were throwing a party for him. That would've ruined the surprise sure but...maybe he would've shown up. Sighing, she really didn't know, she closed her eyes tightly to prevent tears from falling as the urge to swelled. She really didn't want to cry here on a public bus, she'd rather wait until she was surrounded by her many stuffed animals and could muffle herself in her pillow.

It was weird to see the streets of town so empty, she thought once the urge passed, the storm having forced everyone home or inside. Poppy watched the rain run in thick sheets down from the sky, the wind blowing it at an angle and sparing nothing from getting drenched. She sighed, wishing for nothing else that she was at home and curled under a warm blanket. Well...she also wished Creek had texted or called or something because it was so unlike him not to and she couldn't figure out why. She knew he wouldn't allow his phone to run out of power or be turned off, it also wasn't like him to misplace it and he would never, ever, just not show up. He always made sure to let someone know if he couldn't make it or if something was wrong. Poppy had worried briefly if maybe he was hurt or had gotten sick but that was silly as he was always safe and was as healthy as can be. There was no way he couldn't have gotten sick, he was fine when she had talked to him that morning.

Sighing once more, the young woman just couldn't come up with a reason as to why he hadn't shown up. Looking out at the dark streets, Poppy noticed a few familiar shops and realized she was close to home, a few more blocks and she could go curl up in her room. However as she was picturing herself cuddling the stuffing out of Fuzzbert 2, the bus started to slow down, with no bus stop in sight. Looking toward the driver, Poppy saw him struggling with the controls before the bus came to a complete stop. The driver tried to turn the bus back on by turning the key a few times but nothing happened.

Sighing, he turned to face Poppy and the two other patrons, “Sorry, folks. Looks like we've run into a little engine trouble. We'll be stuck here until help comes.” He then turned back around to make a phone-call for help.

Poppy leaned back against her seat, frowning, before thinking about what she could do. She really didn't want to sit here... Glancing outside, she knew the thought in her head probably wasn't the best idea but she really just wanted to be home right now. Plus a little rain never hurt anyone. Getting up, she went to the front of the bus and asked if she could be let out here. The bus driver gave her a skeptical look, tried to tell her it would better if she just waited on the bus but she assured him she didn't live that much farther from where they were. Shrugging, he said alright and opened the door for her. Poppy said her thanks before rushing out and under a convenient shop awning.

Bracing herself, she continued to race under awnings and overhangs of shops until she was around the corner and out of sight of the bus. She then took a moment to lean against the side of the building she was by and stare out into the rain. Okay, so yes, this was a bad idea, to walk the rest of the way home in the pouring rain but she was already wet now. Closing her eyes, she let out a little whimper, finally breaking and letting her tears fall. Stepping out into the rain, Poppy let it wash over her, flattening her hair against her skull and ruining her make-up. She really didn't care all that much though, but she did hope the twins would forgive her for soaking the dress they'd made. The dress they had made for her to impress Creek, Creek the person they had been trying to throw a birthday party for, the person that hadn't shown up...Poppy let out another whimper as she thought about everything again, but just wound up more confused and hurt than she had been already. This night had been a disaster.

Finally reaching home, she went inside to the elevator and shivered as she rode it to her floor. She hoped Branch was occupied in his room or maybe even asleep because she really didn't want to listen to him lecture her. Digging out her keys with wet, shaking fingers, she unlocked the door and let herself in.

However the universe wasn't on Poppy's side at that moment as Branch was standing in the kitchen. He looked at her as she came in with wide eyes at her drenched state, hair and dress clinging to her, the flower on her headband dropping and creating a puddle from where she stood. She watched him open his mouth to say something but she held up her hand to stop him, “Please, Branch...just...don't.” She sniffed and hugged herself, head dipping low, “You were right, okay? It rained, enough said, I don't need you to lecture me...”

Branch blinked at her, shocked not only at her coming home so early and admitting she was wrong but also at her body language screaming that something else was the matter. Wanting to ask what was wrong but not wanting to upset her more, he ran a hand through his hair, he was out of his element here, before growling, “Just...stay there.”

He hurried to the linen closet and pulled out two of Poppy's biggest and fluffiest towels before coming back and finding Poppy had only moved to drip on the kitchen floor. Ignoring the way her dress clung to her curves, he wrapped one around her shoulders and after she took hold of it, draped the other over her head. He began to rub the towel over her hair, frowning when she didn't make a noise of complaint. Branch had figured she would be disappointed when the party was ruined by the storm but the way she was acting...something else had to have happened. This wasn't the usual Poppy he dealt with.

When she sniffed quietly under the towel, he couldn't help but ask, “...What happened?”

She was silent for a long moment, and he wasn't going to fault her if she didn't want to answer, when she softly murmured, “...Creek never showed up...”

Branch stilled, unable to comprehend what he just heard but also completely able to believe it. That absolute bastard! Poppy hadn't been subtle with her planning, never was when it came to something for her friends, he had to have known, but for him to not show up?! That was low, even for him. Wanting to go find the jerk and rip him a new one with the sudden, overwhelming urge of protectiveness, Branch's attention was brought back to Poppy as she sniffed again. Taking a deep breath, he'd contemplate what he wanted to do to Creep later, right now Poppy needed to be taken care of.

Carefully tilting her head up so their eyes met, he spoke softly, “Hey, listen to me, okay? Go take a warm shower, nothing too hot or you might shock your body. Then blow-dry your hair, okay? You shouldn't go to bed with wet hair and I am not dealing with you if you get sick.”

Poppy blinked, taken slightly aback from Branch's soft tone but nodded anyway, “Okay.” She then carefully stepped back and shuffled around him to head to the bathroom.

Branch watched her go, concern written clearly across his face before sighing roughly and running his hand through his hair again, there had to be something he could do to cheer her up, right?

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Poppy emerged from the bathroom almost an hour later, wrapped in her comfiest pajamas and feeling...well not better, she was still pretty upset but the overwhelming urge to just cry had left, she was met with the sound of whip-cream being sprayed and the delicious aroma of hot chocolate. Wandering back down the hall, she found Branch by the counter, spraying a large dollop of whip-cream into his mug, one of hers sat next it with a smaller dollop flouting on top. Branch glanced up at her and almost dropped the can before smiling awkwardly.

“Uh, hey,” He greeted, rubbing the back of his neck, “I-um..made some hot chocolate.” He carefully held the mug out to her, “We were out of marshmallows though, so I hope you don't mind the whip-cream... I, um, also plugged your phone in and texted everyone you were home.”

Flashing a very small smile, Poppy took the mug gratefully, “That's fine... Thank you.”

“Ah...no problem..” Branch mumbled, feeling just a little uncomfortable doing this, he wasn't use to doing things like this, “I-uh...” He cleared his throat and tried again, “I also queued up a movie if you...felt like watching something...”

Poppy looked over at the TV and sure enough there was Tangled, one of her favorites, all ready to be played. She felt another small smile grow across her face before she took a sip of her drink and glanced at Branch, “I think I do actually. Thank you...” She paused before asking, “Do you...wanna watch with me?”

“Ah, well...” Branch grimaced, hating to disappoint her more, “I actually have to finish studying and writing a paper,” He gestured toward the table that was covered in his text books, “But I'll be out here...”

Poppy nodded and shrugged, “Okay.” She then shuffled over to the couch and, finding Fuzzbert 2 already there waiting for her, snuggled in to watch.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Poppy watched the credits roll, a soft, content smile on her face as she leaned on Branch's shoulder. He had come over and watched the last few minutes with her which had made her glad. She twisted her head to look up at him, arm wrapping around his in a show of thanks and affection as she thanked him. While she still didn't feel better, she was starting to feel less sad.

“Not a problem,” He answered her, not bothering to remove his arm as he watched the credits. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye before asking, “Want to watch anything else?”

Poppy thought for a moment before nodding, “Yeah, I think I do.”

Branch moved then, getting up the switch movies, “Any requests?”

“Hercules, please.”

The blue haired man nodded and loaded in the movie, joining the pinkette back on the couch before pressing play. She snuggled back into his shoulder, arm wrapping around his again and happily waited as the movie started, all while the storm raged on.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Poppy awoke later on, she knew it was later in the night; or early in the morning; and the storm was still going hard, rain and wind rattling the window. The TV was the only light source, casting a dull glow around the living room, the start screen for the movie still showing. She blinked blearily for a moment before realizing she was warm and that her pillow was moving. Glancing upwards, she found Branch sleeping soundly and that she was cuddled into his chest. Smiling, she shifted slightly before crossing her arms and resting her head on them, watching her roommate sleep.

He was the absolute sweetest, even if he didn't want to admit it, having done all he did for her when she came home wet and upset. Grabbing towels quickly for her and drying her off, making her hot chocolate, watching her favorite movies with her until they fell asleep in the couch, it was everything she hadn't known she'd wanted to be done. Sighing softly, feeling content and safe in his arms, Poppy was happy to fall back asleep but not before carefully leaning up and softly kissed his cheek and whispering, “Thank you.”

She then happily snuggled back down, sighing blissfully as Branch unconsciously hugged her tighter to him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Morning came and with it's dull, gray light filtering into the apartment, woke the two on the couch. Poppy's eyes fluttered open before she yawned, noticing the storm had passed and was now just a steady pitter-padder of rain. She rubbed at her eyes as Branch shifted beneath her and let out a large yawn himself. He groaned slightly, not bothering to open his eyes and tried to sink farther down into the cushions.

“We've got to stop falling asleep on the couch...” He mumbled, uncaring that his arms were still wrapped around Poppy's waist.

The pinkette giggled sleepily, gazing up at him, “Want some coffee?” After Branch hummed his affirmation, she shifted to get up, placing her hands beside his head as she hovered above him.

Branch opened his eyes then to look up at her with a drowsy expression, “Hey...You feel better?”

“Yeah...” She answered quietly.

He smiled then, something small and sleepy, before unconsciously raising a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, “Good...Like seeing you happy...Suits you.”

Another soft giggle and Poppy gently nuzzled her cheek into his hand where it rested, “It suits you too.”

Branch snorted before letting his hand fall away and his head lull backwards, grunting, “Coffee.”

Poppy giggled once again and got up, letting her hands trail through his hair as she walked away to start the coffee machine. Humming the tune to 'I See The Light' softly, she filled it with some of their shared favorite brand before turning back to see if he had sat up, only to find he had instead fallen back asleep. Watching the steady rise and fall of his torso, Poppy decided to let him sleep a little longer, it was the least she could do after all he'd done for her. She would always be thankful for that and for having such a caring best friend.

~*~*~*~*~*~

GUYS! YOUR FEELINGS A SHOWING!

And, Poppy, gurl, you still don't see it yet? Okay, I did that on purpose but still XD Anyway! See told you Branch helped make it better! And Creek's a real creep not even texting to say he's not showing up but that was all planned and we're getting really close to the climax of this fic! I can't tell you how excited I am for that!!! I've been waiting to write these next few parts since January!!!

So I hope you all enjoyed and look forward to the next chapter!!

#Dreamworks Trolls #Branch #Poppy #Broppy #Fanfiction #Human AU #Modern AU #Roommate AU #dreamworkstrolls #Snack Pack

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ama-accountability · 2 years ago

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Glazed Doughnuts

Yield

18 to 24 doughnuts

Prep Time

0:45

Deep Fry Time

10 to 15 minutes

Rest Time

10 minutes

Rise Time

1 hour

Ingredients

Dough

3 to 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 (4-1/2 tsp.) envelopes Fleischmann's® RapidRise® Instant Yeast

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter OR margarine

1 egg

To deep fry, corn oil

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and nutmeg in a large mixer bowl. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm (120° to 130°F). Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with 2-1/2-inch or 3-inch doughnut cutter. Knead together trimmings; re-roll and cut. Place doughnuts on greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Cover; let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Heat at least 2 inches of oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy pan to 375°F. Fry 3 to 5 doughnuts at a time, for 2 minutes or until browned, turning once. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil. Use tongs to dip doughnuts into Powdered Sugar Glaze while warm. Cool on wire racks. To make Powdered Sugar Glaze: Combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth.

#glazed donuts #recipe #donut

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cafebrunelli · 3 years ago

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Panna Cotta at its best! Read it & Dine-in.

A conventional, simple, and heavenly Italian custard. Struggled with tracking down a decent and simple recipe on the web, so I made up my own recipe. It tastes very much like the panna cotta served at Italian eateries. Present with warm hot fudge sauce and new raspberries on top. This saves well for a few days in the cooler.

Café Brunelli Rundle Street dining at its best. Easy parking with U Park next door, enjoy the city atmosphere without the hassle. Come in and let our dedicated staff look after you. Café brunelli is open daily from 7am just in time for your morning coffee fix served by our skilled baristas. Let us look after you for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you ever decide to try Italian food in Adelaide then come to Cafe Brunelli. Spaccata pizza ~ ground beef, cheese, ham, salami and bacon aka the meat lover edition. At Cafe Brunelli you get generous amounts of each type of meat added to the pizza. Aside from that, thin crust that has a nice golden colour and crunch to it. Yummy!

Where convenience meets dining. Westlakes Brunelli is located within the Westfield Shopping Centre with an enclosed play area adjoining our outdoor seated area. Ample parking is a short walk away. Come in and enjoy our wide range of authentic Italian food while your children are thoroughly entertained!

Coming back to the recipe of Panna Cotta:

Ingredients:

⅓ cup skim milk

1 (.25 ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin

2 ½ cups heavy cream

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Step 1: Pour milk into a small bowl, and stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.

Step 2: In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into six individual ramekin dishes.

Step 3: Cool the ramekins uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before serving.

#Westlakes Brunelli #Café Brunelli Rundle Street

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keto · 6 years ago

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Keto Japanese Custard Pudding with Coconut Cream Sauce Full step by step pictures @ https://lowcarbingasian.com/keto-japanese-custard-pudding-with-coconut-cream-sauce/Cook Time / Carb InfoPrepping Time 5MCook Time 10MCooling Time 4HTotal Time 4H15MNet Carb/Serv ~3gServings 3-4IngredientsCustard Pudding1 Envelope Gelatin (1 tbsp)3 tbsp Water4 Large Egg Yolks1/3 Cup Swerve1 Cup Half and Half1 Cup Heavy Cream2 tsp Vanilla ExtractCoconut Cream Sauce1 tbsp Coconut Oil2 tbsp Heavy Cream2 tsp SwerveDirections1) Gather all the ingredients.2) In a small bowl, add 1 envelope of gelatin with 3 tbsp water. Mix to combine3) Microwave for gelatin mixture for 30 seconds. Set aside.4) Separate egg yolks from egg whites and place yolk in a large mixing bowl. Store egg whites away and or make Asian Keto Protein Miso with it.5) Add 1/3 cup of Swerve into the mixing bowl with the egg yolks and whisk together until pale yellow.6) Heat 1 cup of half and half in the microwave for 1 minute7) While whisking, pour the warmed half and half very slowly into the egg yolk mixture. What you are doing here is tempering the egg yolk mixture. Doing so without whisking and/or pouring the half and half too fast can result in the egg cooking which will ruin the dessert.8) Pour egg yolk mixture into a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes or until mixture coats a spoon. Remove from heat.9) Next, pour in the heavy cream, vanilla and gelatin into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk until fully combined.10) Pour mixture into ramekins and refrigerate for approximately 4 hours or until firm.11) While waiting for the custard pudding to cool, you can make the optional coconut cream sauce. In a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine coconut oil, heavy cream and Swerve.12) Stir frequently until light boil and remove from heat. Set aside.

#keto #ketogenic #ketosis #healthy #lchf #low-carb #lowcarb #ketodiet #weightloss

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zombiiesque · 3 years ago

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Nocturne Alchemy Valentine Mini-Reviews

Originally published 3/8/2019

Hey, y'all. I know it's cutting it close to when this collection goes down, so I want to make sure these reviews go up today. They've extended the deadline until Monday, so if something sounds appealing to you, there's still a little time!

I recently did a little swap for Candied Egyptian Musk, and my swap mate kindly sent along a few decants from the current update for me to try out as well. And as an extra, I've got my bottle of Vanilla Wedding Cake that I haven't yet reviewed. I got my swap on Monday, and they definitely needed a little rest, so I wanted to give them enough time to recover to be able to properly review them.

So let's jump right to the full bottle, from the Candied line. I was really interested in these, they honestly all sounded very appealing, but I was most interested in the two musks, Candied Crimson, and Candied Egyptian Musk. And I was having a difficult time narrowing it down, so this little swap took the indecision away for me! Big thanks to Hannah! When I first got them, I am just like everyone else, I cannot resist for the life of me opening them straight away and sniffing. Okay, let me be totally honest, even swiping a bit on for quick testing. I could smell in the bottle that Candied Egyptian Musk was gorgeous, really appealing, but when I went to test it, it was pretty travel shocked. Here's a perfect example of why we shouldn't toss these into the nope pile the day you get them, because on my skin, it turned pretty powdery, and I couldn't get a handle on it - smelled nothing like the bottle. Luckily, I've learned not to give up on these out of hand, because even on day two it was powdery. I set it aside, and tried to be patient. Wednesday night though I put on my sweater that I wear when it's chilly, and caught a whiff of something pretty glorious on the cuff of my sleeve. I realized it was Candied Egyptian Musk, and I was SO glad to get an idea of what it would properly smell like with rest! Eeee! (SO. MANY. EXCLAMATION. POINTS. Sorry, y'all. I'll try to restrain myself.) Ahahaha, moving on. Here's the Candied base notes: Victorian-style Sugar-Candied perfumes infused with Lime Zest, aged Orange slices, Raspberry Essence, Pear Essence, Sugar Accord, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract, Pink Sugar, Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Bean. Using Absolute versions from the Studio Limited Originals. Candied Egyptian Musk: Candied Accord with Egyptian Musk Absolute. So in the bottle, I get a big waft of citrus - yum! I love their citrus notes. Very realistic. A little sugary note floats along with it, and at the base, their Egyptian Musk. Wet on my skin, the fruits are accented by a touch of vanilla and sugar, I'm definitely getting sugar rimmed fruit, with a little creaminess. The Egyptian Musk comes out to play a few minutes in. I love the Studio Limited scent, it's a soft, beautiful, clean, tranquil musk that floats fairly close to the skin, but obvious enough that I get a lot of compliments from people when I'm wearing it. Here, it's really beautifully paired with the candied fruit. I am loving where this is heading! Once this is fully settled into my skin, this isn't a strong scent. It lasts a long time for me, I definitely get a full day's wear from it, but it stays about as close to the skin as the SL does - which is soft, for sure, but it leaves a sort of trailing scent, not as personal of a skin scent as for instance Bastet Amber. The fruits are pretty melded with the sugar and vanillas, I don't get a clear reading on what the fruits are now, but they're a lovely, obviously juicy mix of fruit, sweetened with sugar and "cream". I wasn't sure how these would all play together with the accenting notes, but the Candied accord is a lovely accent to Egyptian Musk, neither overwhelms the other. Instead, they give you a really beautiful, different tone to a familiar scent. I can see this being something I reach for quite a bit in the warmer half of the year.

Candied Crimson: Victorian-style Sugar-Candied perfumes infused with Lime Zest, aged Orange slices, Raspberry Essence, Pear Essence, Sugar Accord, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract, Pink Sugar, Bourbon Vanille Absolute, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Bean. Using Absolute versions from the Studio Limited Originals. Candied Accord with Crimson Egyptian Musk Absolute. I probably love Crimson as much as I love Egyptian Musk. It's somewhat stronger than its sister, but not as forward as Kashmir, their other red musk. Crimson is a red musk, and the oil is tinted a pale, almost watery red. I finally picked up a bottle last January after realizing I absolutely loved it in blends, and I would probably really enjoy having the single accord on hand - and I do. Musks are something NA does very well, and this one is no exception. If you're looking for something a little less sexy and forward, say, than Kashmir, possibly more appropriate for day wear, I would recommend it. Again, this is lovely paired with the Candied accord! I get a burst of citrus when I open the vial, and Crimson following quickly behind. As with Candied Egyptian Musk, Candied Crimson opens on the skin with the fruits - I should mention that you get a real meld of fruits on the skin, not just the citrus. It's almost like a fruit bowl, if that makes sense, with a little sugar and cream. The Crimson pairs really well right away with this. If you've ever tried Green Tea Crismson, it's a little like that, if you added Sugarcube - but obviously more fruity/creamy, with no tea. Crimson adds a bright, smooth, clean, almost softly purring musk with the candied fruit. With long drydown, the two aspects complement each other, neither one overpowering the other. This lasted a good full day on me as well.

These two are both so good, I kind of wish I'd been able to try all of them!

Teak & Sandalwood: Indonesian Teak Absolute, Santalum Absolute, Australian Sandalwood, Spices of Pink Pepper and Nutmeg, Ember Vanilla Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar. Okay, this was the other sample that came along with my swap. I absolutely love the Bastet's Ice Cream accord, but these are a little different from previous incarnations - they're wood, spices, and cream. I was really curious what these would be like. I tried this on my skin, and found it to read pretty masculine. I love pepper, as well as teak and sandalwood, and I can usually pull off scents that run in the middle. I know it's just my skin, but on me, though, I tried it and it read pretty strongly towards the other way, so I decided to try this on my fiance, Jody. And oh, wow - it's absolutely mesmerizing. At first, it's a little sweet on him, which made him nervous. I'm not sure if y'all have read some of my early entries, but Jody is pretty firmly in the "I hate vanilla" camp, which is really, really rare. He does love the more resinous ones, like Ember Vanilla or OP Pakhet, though, so I made him wait a bit before darting to wash his wrists. Hah! It settled very quickly on him, and it's dead on intoxicating. The teak and sandalwood blend so beautifully with the peppers and ice cream accord, the strong wood balances with the sweetness to just envelope the senses. It's really sexy. I mean, I drool now every time he's put it on - we had errands to run both yesterday and today and I could smell him all day long. It kept my attention. The pepper adds a great little kick in the background, too.

Vanilla Wedding Cake: Vanilla White Cake accord, Sweet Almond Elixir, Sugar Cream, Bastet’s Ice Cream Absolute and Crystalline Absolute. I usually don't go for more foodie scents, but Bastet has really started to draw me in, just as she's done with florals. This is no exception! And it pairs well with so, so many scents. I got this last year, so mine's had plenty of time to age. This one is pretty straight forward for me, but oh, is it good. The white cake is just...yummy. Smells just like a rich, moist white cake, not too dense, not too dry. I don't get a lot of the almond on my skin, and there's a lovely, white, slightly buttery frosting. Creamy. The almond is an accent, and it's perfect here. It's actually kind of uncanny how well this is created as a perfume, it's absolutely perfectly balanced, and I can describe it as I would actually eating a slice of wedding cake. I get a long wear time from this - it will go on for a good ten hours. It's not as powerful as my well-beloved resins, but I would give this a medium throw. I wanted to see how a little more almond would smell, so I paired this with Speckle Bunny, and I am here to tell you it was a pretty amazing layering combination. I've also done it with Egyptian Peach Blossom, Coconut Milk, Pteranodon (because I have to try layering that with everything, goodness) and even Camarasaurus, which I have to say is so, so gorgeous. Honestly, I don't think, if you wanted to try it with other scents, there's much it wouldn't go with - I did it with a coffee scent, and with White Tea Vanilla - it's just extremely versatile.

I just remembered I have a partial of Bastet's Ice Cream: Tibetan Crystalline. Santalum Absolute, Crystalline Absolute, Nag Champa Accord (Halmardi Resin, Incense, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Plumeria essence), Vanilla Crystalline Cream, Butter accord, Caramel Accord, French Vanilla Bean Absolute, Vanilla Milk accord, Vanilla Orchid, Japanese Vanille Incense accord, Crystalline Absolute and Vanilla Sugar *different NG accord for this blend than the Studio Limited Original. I don't have enough room on my skin right now to give this a proper testing and evaluation for a full review, but very quickly, this is definitely different than the SL Tibetan Crystalline. It's gorgeous, and really eye-rolling good. The creaminess of the ice cream accord is just so smooth with the nag champa! I haven't done a side by side yet, but I might even love this more than the SL. Intoxicating. I will try to come back to this tomorrow morning, if I have time, to do a more solid side by side and full description.

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