#WHY IS NONE OF THE COOKING FOOD SAFE

[itsanidiom]

THE PROBLEM WASN'T HOW KRAM WAS HOLDING THE KNIFE, TAI! THE PROBLEM WAS THAT HIS FINGERS ARE STICKING OUT RIGHT NEXT TO THE BLADE WHILE HE'S MAKING A LETTUCE CHIFFONNADE FOR SOME REASON

[doktorpfannkuchen]

🍽 source: Dr. Oetker Schulkochbuch für den Elektroherd (translation: Dr. Oetker school cook book for the electric stove) ➛ publisher: Ceres-Verlag Rudolf-August Oetker KG ➛ 16th Improved Edition 1969 ➛ Printed in Germany

[synthetickitsune]

svt ot13 + when you're sick

Seungcheol ❧ This is why he drives an expensive car. The engine can barely be heard, and so at least Seungcheol doesn’t worry (so much) about the noise disturbing you. He steals a glance at your picture on his phone screen. You look miserable, tired, even as you’re sleeping. He can faintly make out the steady rise and fall of your chest. He takes a turn when the navigation tells him to, and he hopes the info online was correct and the pharmacy is still open. If you weren’t so sick he’d scold you about not being more careful about running out of medicine, but for now he will settle on restocking them for you. He takes another look at you, catching the exact moment you open your eyes and call his name. He reassures you he’s still there, just parking the car. Seungcheol takes the phone with him to the store that’s thankfully indeed open. He ignores your weak cries of embarrassed protest when he asks the person behind the counter how high does a temperature need to be to warrant a visit to the ER.

Jeonghan ❧ Your eyes water behind your closed eyelids and you want it to be just because of the headache, you will say it is because of it. Jeonghan will believe you anyway, even though you doubt he’d laugh right now even if he knew it might actually be because of the tender way he’s stroking your hair, your head held safely to his chest, and his soft voice quietly cooing praises and reassurances to you. You were pushing him away until you couldn’t anymore. He insists he’s always sick anyway, so it doesn’t matter. His arm is starting to get sore, but he won’t stop for as long as the action brings you comfort. In his head he keeps a checklist with no deadline in particular. He needs to make sure you eat, he needs to get some water in you too, he should get you to tell him everything that’s wrong. But that can wait until the painkillers kick in. Jeonghan knows you tried to be strong, and he’s proud - as he told you many times - but he’s prouder that you let him help. He kisses the top of your head and checks in with you. The silence is enough to tell him to keep going. So he does with a small smile.

Joshua ❧ No matter how many times you tell him that your condition isn’t so bad you’d need constant supervision, Joshua has none of it. He will make short trips outside your bedroom if necessary but otherwise he’s staying. You need him, he insists. You’re vulnerable and need his protection. He playfully punches the air that made you sick. Then he protectively squeezes you to his chest when your body is wrecked with chills. And he will take your approval of that as a sign he should continue with the silliness. He pretends to sneeze at you - to scare your germs away, he says. He reminds you that he’s at your beck and call. Ready to make you something to eat, ready to give you the medicine, always willing to provide cuddles and kisses. He will even softly sing to you if you need help falling asleep. Although for now it seems you’re happy enough to sleepily watch him and listen to his soothing voice. It makes Joshua's chest tight, the way you trust him, how lovingly you watch him, how you seem to thrive just because he’s near. Compared to when he spoke to you on the phone… Yeah, he’s not leaving the bedroom until you’re well.

Jun ❧ Jun is stubborn. You can insist, you can threaten him, you can plead with him to leave before he gets sick too but he won’t. He’s going to nurse you back to health just like you’d do for him. He wants to show off how well he can care for you - like cook you delicious meals. Only the nausea makes it hard to enjoy them. Again, though, he is stubborn and he will figure it out. There are other ways he can prove himself to be the best boyfriend. He can tell you’re as disappointed as he is that his cooking isn’t helping, but cheering you up is his other specialty. Never in his life did he expect he’d wake up his partner for food and pills by meowing in their face, but here he is. And if it gets you to move, to smile, to kiss his cheek, he’ll keep doing it. He doesn’t act cute too often for you, which makes these moments rare. It makes him shy, but it brings life back into your eyes. If you’re so tired and incoherent that you can only have full conversation in the cat language with Jun, so be it. His heart might be a little closer to bursting with every soft meow from your lips, but he’s stubborn. He’ll make it until you’re healthy.

Soonyoung ❧ You smile through the pain, fondly. Soonyoung is trying to be quiet but you’re too sensitive right now. He lists off all your symptoms to his mother on the phone and asks what could help. He asks for recipes, tips. You might be hyperaware of every sound, but you do end up falling asleep, his voice a distant lullaby. When you wake up, there’s a bowl of fruit cut into small pieces and small piles of various pills - medicine and vitamins, your boyfriend explains, hugging you tightly. He asks if you feel like eating, and then encourages you to try the fruit anyway. He starts telling you a story, but only continues for every little piece you eat. His joy at his idea working as he imagined makes you smile too. He goes through all of his mother’s suggestions at once. There’s a bag of frozen veggies on your forehead and more, making you look ridiculous. Some of it is working, some of it not. Soonyoung is trying to cook though, so that’s far more concerning. Love only does so much for a meal. When he asks if you think delivery will work as well as a home-cooked meal, you reassure him any healing you do will be thanks to the fruit he cut for you. 

Wonwoo ❧ He closes the blinds and pulls the curtains closed as well. Despite the midday sun’s best attempts, the room is dark. Wonwoo returns your smile, but still checks if there’s anything more he can do. He pushes the hair away from your face and pulls the blanket all the way to your chin. A pointless action, really, when you just sneak your hand out to hold his. He must admit you’re quite cute when the sickness makes you this needy. He expects you to ask him to stay when everything is prepared and he has yet to decide if he’ll agree straight away or tease you first. His own necessities are ready - his phone, book, console, anything he might need to entertain himself while he keeps you company and serves as your personal heater. He puts the medicine, already separated into individual doses, and water on the bedside table. He’ll order food later, having already learned the hard way you feel better with him close instead of trying to burn down the kitchen. You’re already half asleep when Wonwoo brings some snacks, so it makes the choice easy when you reach for him - silently he stays.

Jihoon ❧ It’s not the first time he’s grateful to be used to sleep deprivation, but it might be the first time he doesn’t feel any bitterness towards the fact. This once, Jihoon only feels bitter towards the AC in your office and the frailty of the human body. He can’t make out your face in the complete darkness, but the dark bags under your reddish eyes and the lethargy so unlike you haunt him still. His hand moves with your every raspy breath, following the movement of your chest. His legs have gone numb a long time ago, but he refuses to get up from the floor. If you turn away, then he’ll consider getting on the bed, but for the time being, he needs to stay here. If you wake up and want to hold his hand, he needs to be ready. If you’re too weak and too in pain to wait until the morning for the medicine, he needs to be ready. You stir in your sleep and he isn’t ready for the pained noise you make, your sleep disturbed by discomfort. So Jihoon starts humming a slow, comforting melody. It must be an instinct that your body relaxes immediately.

Minghao ❧ It’s nothing short of a herculean task to keep you in bed, especially when you’re sticky with sweat and feel like you’re boiling alive. The only thing that helps, Minghao discovered, is his voice. So he reads to you. He needs to keep at it at least until the latest dose of pills starts working. You squirm and whimper much less, reassured by his soothing presence. His voice is calm; his whole demeanor is. It’s not like he needs to freak out for you to know he’s worried. First he helps you feel more comfortable by gently cleaning your face with a cold wet towel. Then you gladly snuggle into his side. He holds the book open with one hand and the other he uses to gently massage your sore shoulder. You groan softly whenever he applies more pressure. You insist it helps though, and seeing as you like to lay on your side, he’s glad to help to make it bearable. He’ll continue until the fever subsides and the pain eases with it. He knows you’ll ask him to continue reading to you even then, and maybe he will if you’re good.

Mingyu ❧ His lips are better and more reliable than any thermometer. Mingyu can tell by a forehead kiss alone that you’re a bit feverish, and pouts when you don’t trust him. Like a machine would know your body better than him. When you wake up, it’s morning already. You don’t remember falling asleep, but you’re drenched with cold sweat and near delirious with fever. Your boyfriend diligently helps you sit up and take the medicine he has prepared already - after forcing you to eat a few crackers so the medicine doesn’t upset your stomach. He calls your boss for you after making sure you’re asleep again, having already turned off your alarm. He opens the window and cuddles you under the blanket to make up for the cold air. He knows you won’t like it, so he tries to make up for the necessary evil. He will clean up later when your sleep is deeper - he doesn’t want you to feel like you’re behind on chores. Every bitterness he makes up for with sweetness, anything you crave. His arms are opened for you, his lips always available. Mingyu isn’t afraid of getting sick himself if it means being there for you.

Seokmin ❧ He’s at a loss for words, so he just smiles and nods. You don’t seem to mind, babbling on, sulkily, about why urchins would be cute pets, about the little hats you’d put on them. Seokmin knows better than to argue with you when you’re sick. The last thing he wants to do is to make you upset. He suggests a miniature of his whale hat and he finally gets to see you smile. You squirm in excitement at finally being heard, so he has to remind you to stay still. Your nose is all red and cracked, rubbed raw by the dozens of tissues. He helps you apply lotion on it now that it seems like your nose stopped running. You finally settle when he promises he’ll figure out a way to get all the small hats you came up with, even though you’ll forget about your great plans for your army of urchins once you take a nap. He’ll write it down later, however, to laugh about it with you when you’re feeling well again. The list is ever growing. Naming your future pets misspelled names of his friends. Deep frying ice cream… Maybe he’ll try that one with you as a celebration when you beat the sickness.

Seungkwan ❧ He tsks again and immediately follows up with an apology in a much softer tone when you wince in pain. Seungkwan might have underestimated how sick you were and now he blames himself for it, but then again you sounded fine on the phone. You’re anything but fine, actually, and he drops the spoon back into the bowl in defeat. The silver lining is that all the three meals you can hold down are simple enough for him to prepare. What’s worse is that you’re eating nowhere near enough to get your strength back. He pleads with you for just five more spoons, just that. You look like he’s forcing the food down your throat. Four and the vitamins, then. It’s a tough bargain, but he wins eventually. For every spoon he makes sure to kiss and praise you, slipping the vitamin pills one by one on the top of each bite to be efficient. You seem like you’ll fall right asleep once he lets you lie down. He still isn’t satisfied with you not finishing your meal, but he knows you’re trying. Seungkwan remains sitting on the bed, watching over you until you wake up.

Vernon ❧ Nothing really makes sense but Vernon’s voice. The world must be spinning at a breakneck speed, but you’re well anchored with your head on his lap. He knew it was bad when you asked if he could stay somewhere else, and so he’s glad he came. Just like anything else, getting better is a process made easy if you follow instructions, and he will make sure you do. He keeps track of it for you, because he isn’t even sure if you realize it’s been hours since he came and it’s already dark outside. And you’re not complaining that you don’t understand what he’s saying at all - which he does on purpose to test you. So he asks you a trick question, you’d pick the bear over me right?, and laughs when you happily hum a yes. Maybe he should take some videos of you to laugh at later. You’d appreciate it you too, he thinks. But he really can’t when you look so pathetic, curled to stay as close to him as you can. Vernon is really fine with it even if it’s inconvenient. Even if you don’t really listen to him. It helps him sort out the mess in his head to just keep rambling. If you overhear and remember, that’s also fine. Everything is okay if it’s you.

Chan ❧ It’s not funny when you tell him that the flowers look half-dead just like you. Not funny at all, and he reminds you that you’re just suffering from a bad cold - you’re not dying. You muster your remaining strength to smile and reassure him that indeed, you’ll be fine. He puts the flowers next to your bed. They no longer carry scent so they don’t overwhelm your senses and you know that’s what Chan was going for. Despite your joke, they’re still very beautiful. You thank him for them when he comes back with soup, feeding you spoon after spoon while doing his best to pretend like you’re on a first date, getting to know each other. The fever makes it easier to fall for the illusion, but you know the love is real. Acting like he’s pulling out a box of chocolates, Chan pops the medicine into your hand. He treats tucking you in after you take them like you’re parting in front of your door, settling for a chaste kiss to your forehead. He stays until you fall asleep, as if waiting for you to disappear into the safety of your home.

[rabbitrah]

A continuation on my post about unloved foods, specifically this is my in-depth defense of root beer.

Root Beer isn't inherently gross, it's just one of those weird local flavors that's off-putting to people who didn't grow up with it. We all like different things and also we all tend to like flavors that are similar to what we grew up with. That's okay! But honestly root beer is pretty unique and, in my opinion, delicious.

One of the main complaints against root beer is that it tastes like medicine. Funnily enough, it was originally marketed as medicinal! This is true for most OG sodas actually. Pretty much as soon as carbonated water was invented, people were drinking it to soothe various ailments. A lot of the original soft drinks were actually invented by pharmacists. I just think that root beer is especially cool because the main flavor came from the root bark of sassafras, a common North American shrub. Because it's so widespread and aromatic, all parts of the sassafras plant have been used in food and medicine by many different Native American tribes throughout history and was subsequently picked up and used by European colonists. In the 1960s, some studies indicated that that safrole oil, which is produced by the plant, can cause liver damage. Whether or not this would actually remain true after it had been boiled and added to root beer is unclear, but it was really easy to replicate the flavor, so the sassafras in commercial root beer these days is artificial. Another fun fact about safrole is that it's a precursor in the synthesis of MDMA. None of this information has stopped my childhood habit of eating sassfras leaves right off the shrub whenever I walk past it on a hike. I'm like 85% sure it's safe and also mmmm yummy leafs go crunch.

Another root beer complaint is that it tastes like toothpaste. I think this is probably because another key flavor in most root beer recipes is wintergreen. I'm assuming that the people who think this are the same people who think mint chocolate chip ice cream tastes like toothpaste. I can understand and even respect that some people don't like mint and associate it only with brushing their teeth, but like. Mint is a pretty common flavor. I mean I think it's safe to say that humans have been eating mint flavored stuff for longer than toothpaste has existed... anyway!

Other common flavors in root beer (real or artificial) are caramel, vanilla, black cherry bark, sarsaparilla root, ginger, and many more! There's not one official recipe, and root beer enthusiasts often have strong opinions about different brands. Some root beer is sharper, with more strong aromatic flavors, and others are mild and creamier.

Another thing I think is cool about root beer is that it's foamier than most sodas. This was originally because sassafras is a natural surfactant (and why sassafras is also a common thickening agent in Louisiana Creole cooking.) These days, other plant starches or similar ingredients are added to keep the distinctive foam. Root beer foam > all other soft drink foams. That's why root beer floats kick more ass than like, coke floats.

If you've never had root beer before, imagine if a sweetened herbal tea was turned into a soda, because that's basically what it is. If your first response to that is a cringe, fair enough. That's why lots of people don't like it. If your first response to that is "interesting... I might actually like it, though" then I encourage you to track down a can of root beer today, hard as that might be outside the US and Canada. Next time you see an "ew, root beer tastes like medicine/tooth paste" take, know that there's a reason for that, but also the same could be said for literally any herbal or minty food/drink.

My final take on root beer is that it would be the soda of choice for gnomes. Thank you and good night.

[waldau-archived]

mine — jeon wonwoo | 1,318 words | fluff

inspired by @boorines' post about bf!wonwoo :)

gender neutral reader. warnings: none.

wonwoo doesn’t mind doing grocery runs as a punishment for making you wake up late on weekends, mainly because he doesn’t consider them as a punishment at all. it’s not his fault — work knocks him out like a log, and he loves spending all of his free time with you. he doesn’t leave bed till you’re out, but he doesn’t let go of you till he’s had his fill of holding you in his arms. it’s a win, either way.

he trails behind you on lazy mornings you spend at home, adoring the way you ruffle his bedhead and make it even messier, only because it brings a smile to your face. he loves when you place his glasses on his face so he can see you the way you deserve to be seen. he also loves when you make him sit and watch you move about the kitchen, letting him help every now and then and feeding him bites in between your cooking so he can gauge how it tastes.

it’s safe to say wonwoo’s smitten with you to the point he’d do anything you asked of him, which is why he hasn’t once considered the option of getting groceries home delivered ever since you moved in with him. he just loves being around you, however he can. and if it means walking around your local supermarket dressed in last night’s pajamas, it doesn’t matter, because he’s with you.

wonwoo loves spending precious time arguing about what brand of headphones are the best and debating about the benefits of skimmed milk. every single trip to the store always ends up with both of you buying a slab of this particular chocolate you hooked wonwoo onto a while ago. maybe it’s a good thing your niece is a sugar maniac, because you’re visiting her later this afternoon.

what he doesn’t love, however, is how he’s feeling right now. you’re not even doing anything wrong. you’re just talking to some guy in the frozen foods aisle, a carton of ice cream in your hand and your basket in the other. wonwoo’s itching to take the basket from you for two reasons: one, because he wants you to enjoy shopping while he carries your stuff around, and two, because he can’t think of a better way to break up the conversation between you and whoever this man is.

this man, who’s making you laugh on a saturday morning that should be spent with wonwoo, teaching you the ropes to the latest game he’s found on steam, tickling you till he hears that laugh, and having you rest your head on his shoulder when he’s reading.

not this.

he’s not jealous. of course not. but there’s no way this guy is funny enough to make you laugh the way you currently are. wonwoo knows you’ve laughed at lesser stuff he’s done and said, so he doesn’t really see what this guy possibly has on him.

he looks down at the packet of ramyeon in his hands before walking up to the two of you. he can’t help but grudgingly notice that the guy does look good, and henceforth, is a bit of a threat. wonwoo doesn’t have a grand plan, per se, to get this random stranger to leave you alone, but he begins by clearing his throat.

“your favourite flavour,” he says, dropping the packet unceremoniously into the basket you’re holding.

your conversation stops — which is kind of what he wanted — but now he’s faced with two sets of eyes staring at him.

“um,” he says, fazed by the sudden attention.

“thank you,” you say with a smile. wonwoo feels himself frowning. you didn’t call him baby or any of the usual endearments you do when you’re talking to him. not even his nickname. just thank you, like he’s some friend of yours.

which brings him back to the person at hand.

“did you want something?” you ask.

wow. yes, actually. “no,” he says, backing out slowly. “i’ll just…be there,” he says, pointing in the general vicinity of whatever’s to his left. you raise an eyebrow. he realizes he’s looking at the seafood aisle. ah. shit. “yeah.”

wonwoo could blame his grogginess for the stupid thing he’s just said, but he knows he’s far from groggy and that you can see through him better than you can see through glass. he just resigns himself to buying some of your favourite snacks so you can let him off the hook.

however, he is as curious as a cat and can’t let it slide when you’re done loading your groceries in the backseat.

“so, who was that?” he asks, starting up the car.

“i didn’t know you were okay with seafood,” you say. he doesn’t need to look at you to see you’re trying not to laugh.

“that doesn’t answer my question,” he huffs, looking into the rearview mirror. the lot is empty. he wonders if he can spot the guy around.

“that was chan,” you say simply, rolling down your window.

“chan?”

“mm. old friend from college.”

“how come i’ve never heard of him before?”

“because i haven’t met him in a long time.”

“so that’s why you were all…”

you turn to look at him. “all what?” there’s the beginnings of a grin on your face. a mischievous, i know what you’re thinking grin. he’s been caught, and he doesn’t like it. he refuses to answer.

the rest of the drive home is spent in silence, thankfully.

“oh, no,” you exclaim a bit sadly, when you finish putting away the last of the groceries. “we forgot the chocolate.”

wonwoo can’t hold back any longer. ignoring the surprised noise you let out when he lifts you up, he carries you to the kitchen counter and puts you down, hands on either side of your body trapping you in place.

“i think you’re forgetting something else,” he says, eye to eye with you. he loves the height difference you have, but he also loves it when he gets to see you flustered from this close.

“i’m…what?”

“mine,” he whispers, before he captures your lips in a kiss. your hands immediately find their way into his hair, pulling him closer with a tug.

“you’re mine,” he says again, pulling away to cup your face in his hands. “only i can make you laugh like that.”

you blink up at him. “you want me not to laugh every time someone else cracks a joke?”

wonwoo huffs. “there’s no way he was that funny.”

you let out a little giggle, the one he loves so much. “you’re being silly, baby,” you chide, taking one of his hands off your face and pressing a kiss to it. he’s the one who’s supposed to be doing that to you, but now it’s his heart that’s fluttering. “and besides, chan already knows about us. we reconnected a few weeks back, and he’s been wanting to meet you.”

wonwoo feels silly now. “i didn’t…know.”

“yeah. now imagine if he invites us out for dinner to that seafood place next week.”

wonwoo lets out a groan and leans down to put his forehead to yours. “i’m an idiot.”

“i know that.”

he glares at you. “i thought you loved me.”

“i do! besides, you know my niece is going to kill me if we ever break up, so we’re stuck together. forever. get it? forever?”

wonwoo pulls away to look at you, and he’s sure the lovesick gaze on your face matches the one on his. “i get it,” he says, sealing his promise to you by pressing another kiss to your lips. “and i’m yours, too.”

you smile at him. “want to go get that chocolate before we see her today?”

wonwoo’s already picking up his car keys before you finish your sentence. how could grocery runs ever be a punishment, when he gets to do them with you?

taglist: @bookyeom @wootify @strnsvt @cloudycaramel @thepoopdokyeomtouched @minnieminshi @nonononranghaee @hrts4hanniehae

[illubean]

Hi ! Can I request a famous cook reader with Kurapika,Killua,Gon and Feitan?

HXH W/ a FamousCook!Reader

Characters: Gon Freecs, Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika Kurta, Feitan Portor Type: Headcanons, Gn!Reader

I FIGURED OUT HOW TO MAKE GRADIENT TEXT OH YEAH

Warnings: none

Gon Freecs & Killua Zoldyck

these kids literally beg you to cook for them all the time

they both can eat a LOT; they're growing boys and your food is good so you can't blame them

every time you are available there is a new food request and you would be evil to tell these sweet boys no especially when they ask you so nicely >:(

if Killua actually liked his family he'd hire you to be a personal in home chef

the white haired boy probs likes to brag about you to Leorio (or anyone else who will listen, really)

he just likes the eating part but Gon on the other hand can be a big help

he will go out and find the freshest ingredients for you every time he has a request because he is such a sweetheart

you need fish? he will go catch some for you. you need a very specific herb that only grows on the side of high cliffs? gear up Killua, they're going rock climbing

Kurapika Kurta

he never really cared much about cooking and saw it more as a chore if anything

before meeting you that is

he's not the best cook and knows enough to get by and survive; meaning he doesn't really pay much mind to taste

but when he tries your cooking for the first time; a well renowned PROFESSIONAL; he cannot go back

like no wonder why your famous this shit is DELECTABLE

he may ask you politely to cook for him every blue moon but he usually waits until you offer or show up with something new for him to try

since you both are usually busy with work, most of the time when you use him as a guinea pig for new recipes its in your restaurant's kitchen, way after closing

it's almost like it becomes your guys' weekly date night ^__^

Feitan Portor

another one who only cooks for survival and still barely knows what he's doing..

pls don't let him anywhere near the kitchen he will burn the entire building down

he is only allowed to watch from a safe distance. do not let him near any kitchen appliance.

if he REALLY wants to help though maybe he can chop veggies or something

the guy really knows how to use a knife...

you probably have to cook for him all the time if you care about him getting enough nutrition because this guy probably just survives off of packaged stuff

[redflagshipwriter]

Nest Swap ch 1

Little Tim wakes up in big Tim's apartment.

The idea came from this chain started by @ew-selfish-art and the contribution by @faeriekit

(repost of something that's currently just in a reblog chain)

His first observation was that this wasn't his house.

Tim was new to detecting, but he thought that was a pretty dang salient observation.

He didn't actually remember going to sleep. It didn't feel like he woke up here, either. He just suddenly noticed he was sitting somewhere he'd never been in his whole 9 years of life.

Very weird! Pretty neat, though.

Tim prowled around in his socked feet in total silence, investigating by the little light that came in through mostly shut curtains. He wasn't in his own clothes, which was kind of scary. He had to keep hiking up his sweatpants to keep them on, and he rolled down his socks three times to tighten them up. At least the floors didn't creak at all, even when he stepped on the dark wood panels in between dark red rugs. It made him feel more secure to move around quietly.

He was in an apartment that seemed relatively expensive but new, no antiques or family heirlooms. It was an open plan, with floating stairs and a white sofa. It was also sterile, as if no one really lived in it. It was clean in the same un-lived in way his house was. Someone professionally cleaned this apartment. 

Tim was really, really careful not to make any mess. 

Theory one: he had been kidnapped. It seemed pretty sound. He went to bed at home, and he woke up sitting on a strange sofa. Danger alarms were going off.

He looked around for a house phone to call for help. There was none. Troubling. 

On the other hand, Tim opened the apartment door to the hallway and stuck his head out. He could see sunlight coming in through the huge lobby windows.

…Okay. He was going to consider that a viable escape route. He glanced at the side of the door where there was a pair of shoes. They were big but he could probably use them in a pinch.

So. He could just walk out at any time. He frowned. That wasn't very good kidnapping practice. He would plan a much better restraint system. Like, a rope would be a good place to start, or maybe breaking the little bones in his feet? 

“This is so disappointing,” Tim muttered to himself. “I'm not even being ransomed?” 

Just… Some effort would be nice.

Hmm. He didn't want to believe anyone that incompetent had managed to transport him into Gotham proper from Bristol while he slept. So. Tim formally recategorized his kidnapping theory to a  suspected no. 

It was undeniable that he'd been moved in his sleep, which was pretty classic. But the counter evidence? The new location looked pretty easy to escape, if he was willing to get his socks dirty outside. 

Conclusion: This probably wasn't a conventional kidnapping. What else was there?

Theory two: he hit his head or fell asleep while he was out birdwatching, and some good person took them into their house to keep him safe.

That neatly explained why he was in the actual city. Tim ran his fingers through his hair looking for a bump. He wasn't sure if he found one or not. Maybe his head was just kind of oddly shaped. Troubling. Maybe he should go to the doctor about that. 

It would have been helpful information either way if there had been another human being around to talk to. 

There were signs that someone lived here. Tim poked around in the closet and in the fridge, building a mental profile for the resident.

One person lived here, and they were clearly kind of a loser because they had no photos of friends or family up. The jacket hanging by the door told Tim they were either an average sized woman or a small man. They couldn't cook at all, which was excellent because that meant there was a really great variety of ready to eat food. Tim snacked on string cheese and a can of soda while he flipped through the books on the shelves.  He pulled a couple off to check for secret compartments. Nope. Just books.

“Boring,” Tim said to himself. 

They were all books about things like business and management. It was the type of self-aggrandizing garbage that his parents made fun of: memoirs that you knew damn well that person hadn't written, manifestos on the virtues of hard work from someone born into the financial elite, and how-to's directed at an audience who had no personal shame.

Momentarily, he entertained the fantasy that he had been kidnapped by someone who was going to mold him into the ideal Drake Industries CEO, someone who wouldn't jet off across the world to follow a passion. The suspects were the entire board of directors. 

Kidnapped theory redux: the Board of Directors did it. Evidence?

Tim sat down and made a chart for his thoughts, quantifying how much each person had been inconvenienced by his parents’ absence in the last fiscal year. He concluded that Mr. Morrison might hate his parents enough to do it, but the projected timeline was beyond his scope. Tim didn't think he had it in him to plan that far out.

So, the apartment owner was just a boring person. Tim made a note. Theory two was looking pretty good. The person who lived here kind of sucked at life but they were probably really nice.

Something started beeping. That was interesting. He followed it to the bedroom that he hadn't been brave enough to poke around yet. There was a weird tablet on the bedside table. He picked it up and it unlocked automatically. Wow, the security was so bad. He felt embarrassed on behalf of the absent apartment owner.

The screen showed an email from someone called Tamara Fox. 

“Tim, can you get me the numbers from the acquisition in Peru?”

He blinked at it. Was the person who lived here also named Tim? Surely she wasn't actually asking him. He looked around uncertainly. 

There was still no one else. The blinking display on the alarm clock told him that it was half past noon, and no one else was in the apartment. 

…. poor Tamara probably really needed that information, if she was asking for it in the middle of the workday. Tim sat down on the bed and started putting together context clothes to figure out what Miss Fox was talking about. Her email signature had her title at Wayne industries listed, so that was a pretty big clue. He had access to a team calendar that showed meetings and ongoing projects, which he used to narrow it down. 

When he figured it out, he sent her back an email and sat back in satisfaction. A moment later, he realized that the email account had an attached auto signature. It claimed to be Tim Drake-Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises. 

What.

He stopped breathing and momentarily considered that he had traveled to the future and this was really his apartment, but the name was impossible. There was no way he was going to marry either one of the Waynes. Bruce and Dick were kind of old. Tim wrinkled his nose at the thought. Gross. 

So, no. He wasn't Tim Drake-Wayne. “...It must be an inside joke,” Tim decided. “It seems really unprofessional.”

Tim was a little disappointed that he wasn't the boss of everyone, but at least he wasn't in a troubling marriage with a huge age difference. He had another cheese stick about it and the feeling went away.  Ah, good. Maybe that was how Mom dealt with Drake Industries: she distracted herself until she didn't feel bad about putting it on the back burner. It was a good tactic. He'd need more cheese sticks. He made a mental note to figure out how to replace these ones.

He found a loose blanket on a side chair and tied it around his shoulders, because the apartment was pretty chilly.

The email dinged again. Tim dragged his blanket cape back into the bedroom and stared at the tablet, lost in thought.

He didn't mean to be annoying. He really didn't. He knew people hated it when you got in their stuff. But the thing was: this guy got a lot of emails. And he wasn't here to answer them, which was pretty rude of him, honestly. It seemed like his job needed him a lot. 

Maybe when he got back, he would be mad at Tim for looking at his stuff. 

On the other hand, maybe he would appreciate it. Tim told himself that it would be fine, and he manned that email account until the end of business hours at 5:00 p.m. Then he gave a luxurious stretch and went to find something interesting in the freezer that he could microwave. 

His feelings about the email account had changed, after the hours spent together. It was their mutual email account now. Tim was willing to fight about it. He was emotionally attached to that email. People asked him all sorts of questions there, and he got to answer. It was pretty fun.

The apartment looked a little friendlier in the early evening light. He crossed it again and pushed a chair up against the deep freezer so that he could root around inside.

“Omigod, lasagne!” Tim ripped the package open in his excitement. Today was the best. He liked this place. Maybe he'd get to stay there when the owner came back to look at their shared email account.

While the lasagne heated, he went back to checking for fake books on the shelf. They were all disappointments. He did finally notice that there were pets here. 

“I should feed you,” Tim told the fish, because he was really fixing this guy's life. The fish didn't pay him any attention. The microwave beeped completion, so he went back and got his lasagne. He held it in one hand and ate while he searched for fish food. When he found it, he stuck his fork in the lasagne to free up a hand and shook flakes into the water. 

A secret compartment in the floor opened up.

Tim froze. He took a step back. He looked around the apartment, as if someone was going to materialize.

“…I might as well go see,” he told himself. “They're already gonna be mad that I answered our email.”

Down he went. 

[nina-ya]

Ways That Sanji Wordlessly Says "I Love You"

Luffy Zoro Sanji Law Kid Shanks Pairing: Sanji x reader CW: None WC: 1k

After a long day of adventures, you retreat to the comfort of your room. As you approach your bed, you notice a delicate fragrance filling the air– the unmistakable scent of roses. You look towards your bed and notice a single crimson rose carefully placed on your pillow. 

These gifts placed onto your pillow have become a nightly occurrence. Each night, you return to your quarters to discover a new token of Sanji’s love waiting for you. Sometimes it's flowers, other times it's a hand written letter made for you, written in his beautiful handwriting. These notes are filled with his heart and soul, expressing just how deep the cooks’ affection goes for you.

Other nights you might find a small box filled with handmade chocolates, or even a different box filled with a piece of jewelry– each and every gift is tailored to your tastes, reflecting Sanji’s attention to detail and his desire to make you feel cherished.

Each night, you find these surprises on your pillow, and you are immediately reminded about why you love the blonde. You know Sanji loves you when he brings you gifts every day. 

-

-

-

You find yourself in the kitchen with Sanji. He offered to teach you how to cook some of his favorite dishes, and you simply could not resist the offer. "Alright, my love, pay close attention," he says with a confident smile, his eyes filled with passion for the craft of cooking. Sanji begins by guiding you through smaller things such as chopping vegetables, his hands expertly maneuvering the knife to create perfectly uniform pieces.

As you follow his instructions, Sanji's voice takes on a gentle, encouraging tone. "That's it, my dear. Your hands are as skilled as they are beautiful. Just like that."

Sometime through the lesson, Sanji steps behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist. His chest presses against your back, and he rests his head against yours, a sense of intimacy filling the air.

"Let me show you a little trick," he murmurs, his warm breath caressing your ear. His hands envelop yours, guiding the knife with expert precision. "See, it's all in the wrist. Smooth, precise cuts. Just like the way you've cut through my heart." A light chuckle escapes him as the flirtatious comments spill from his lips.

"You're a natural, my love," he whispers, his lips brushing against your ear. "Cooking is not just about the food, you know? It's about creating something that warms the soul."

As you finish preparing the dish the two of you sit down to savor the fruits of your labor. In these moments cooking with Sanji, surrounded by the aromas of the kitchen and the warmth of his presence, you truly realize how deep his love for cooking goes. You know Sanji loves you when he is eager to share his love for cooking with you.

-

-

-

The Straw Hats found themselves in the middle of a scuffle, to absolutely no one's surprise. The air is thick with tension as the crew faces off against a group of enemies. As the first signs of trouble emerge, Sanji immediately positions himself between you and the approaching threat, a human shield fueled by complete and utter protectiveness. His eyes, typically ablaze with passion, now burn with an intense determination to protect you from harm.

Sanji effortlessly defeats the enemies with powerful flaming kicks, all the while ensuring that you remain unscratched. His movements are both graceful and deadly, a form of combat centered with one singular goal—to keep you safe. 

Even when the fight subsides, and the crew regroups, Sanji's eyes continue to linger on you. His protectiveness extends beyond the fight, showing in subtle yet meaningful gestures—guiding you away from potential hazards, offering a supporting arm, or simply standing by your side.

Ever since you entered his life, your safety is his only concern, and every move he makes, every kick thrown, and every word spoken is a testament to his urge to protect you. You know Sanji loves you when his only focus in battle is to protect you.

-

-

-

A calm night fell over the Sunny's deck. The quiet sounds of the ocean is interrupted only by the soft rustling of the sails. You and Sanji sit side by side, sharing a moment under the star-studded sky. The conversation had evolved from tales of the day to fantasies about the future.

"And imagine," Sanji says, his gaze fixed on the horizon, "finding the All Blue. I would never leave once I find it, honestly." he says with a soft chuckle.

You smile, enjoying his gentle voice and the thoughts of the future.

"But there's one thing I've been thinking about," he continues, his tone taking on a more serious note. "When the time comes, when we decide to tie the knot officially, I'd like to take your last name."

Your eyes widen, surprised by the unexpected revelation. Sanji turns to look at you, his eyes soft and earnest.

"I've always hated my last name because of, well you know, the meaning behind it." He says, reaching for your hand. “I want to start a family that is ours. I will be sure to love and cherish my family in a way that I never was, and, well, I think taking your last name would be a good place to start.” His voice rings with sincerity as he shows you his vulnerable side.

"I think your last name sounds perfect with my name, don't you think?" he says with a soft chuckle, his thumb gently tracing circles on the back of your hand. "I want the world to know that I'm yours and that you're mine."

The Idea of building a life together, growing a family with him, it's exciting. You both long for it. You lean in and press a gentle kiss to Sanji's cheek, acknowledging his words. He reciprocates the kiss, and proceeds to go on, talking throughout the entire night about the future. You know Sanji loves you when he wants to build his future with you.

[holyblonded]

consequences of my actions | golden girl

pairings: paige bueckers x black!oc

summary: paige and kenza have to deal with the repercussions of the night before

warnings: none(?)

notes: italics are spanish or Catalan; sorry for the wait i needed a break after the results of the election (we are cooked!) 😍

THE FEELING ON THE SUN AND THE SOFT HUM OF WHATEVER JULIO IGLESIAS SONG WAS CURRENTLY PLAYING, WOKE PAIGE UP FROM HER PEACEFUL SLUMBER.

Paige could tell she was in Kenza's apartment as the distinct aroma of coco butter and lavender circulated the room. The blonde's feet touched the cold floor and she was greeted by the few month old Cane Corso puppy that she and Kenza rescued from a frat house. Paige picked up Draco and carried him to the living area where Kenza was making breakfast. Setting the dog down to eat, Paige snuck up and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl.

"You always wake up so early," Paige complained as she glimpsed at the clock that read 7:24am. "Even on your off days."

Kenza smiled and she transferred the seasoned scrambled eggs to the plate and moved on to cook the salmon. "You know I need my early morning run."

Paige did know that, as it was a habit the girl picked up from her Mami. Kenza and Diana wake up bright and early at 5am to go for a daily run. Whenever her Diana held basketball camps, the same ones Paige attended, the camp would go on the run and it's safe to say Paige is not a morning person. Paige also knew she kept these runs up in Barcelona when she would send her morning pictures of her running to a cafe to get a drink.

Shaking her head at the thought, Paige kissed Kenza's cheek before going to the record player and changing the vinyl to The Supremes. Kenza laughed when Paige danced her was back to island where Kenza set their food down.

Paige grabbed Kenza's hand and pulled the girl to her before anchoring her free hand on the brunette's waist. The pair danced to Someday We'll Be Together. As Paige looked down at Kenza laughing as they clumsily tripped over their feet many times

The two sat at Kenza's island eating area, the freshly cooked breakfast, and the sunlight that streamed through the blinds and onto their skin. Paige's eyes seemed to unintentionally pierce through Kenza's soul while admiring her.

"Paige, you're gonna piss me all the way off if you keep staring at me,” Kenza said in such a sweet tone, "Wack ass blue eyes."

Paige couldn't help but laugh at the out of pocket comment before standing up and taking their plates to the sink. "I hear you, Kenny but we gotta go to the vet remember."

IMESSAGE

real madrid haters 🦅

pro yapper (jaheem)

gavi lover (leo)

mind witch (erykah)

evil twin (gavi)

lioness

KENZ

DID YOU SEE TSR

evil twin

I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SEND IT

pro yapper

aye kenza you gotta get your

lick back and punch that nigga

evil twin

i’m with jaheem

mind witch

NOT THE CURRENT

CONCERN

lioness

ONG

EVERYONE THINKS

YOU AND PAIGE ARE DATING

.... are you 👀

pro yapper

wait a cotton picking minute

they weren't dating all this time?

lioness

...why are you even the gc 🫥

KENZ RESPOND

pro yapper

y'all know she ain't gonna

respond

she's at the vet rn

check her lo

mind witch

WHY DIDNT YOU SAY

THAT EARLIER

pro yapper

alr y'all gonna piss me off

Kenza sighed as she was on the phone with her manager that was rapidly speaking Catalan. Kenza toyed with a magazine at the vet's office, waiting for Draco.

"Caterina, please calm down. You're in town at the office, right? I'll swing by after the vet appointment and we can get it all sorted out, mkay?" Kenza responded in Catalan and decided not to give the older woman a chance to respond. "Great! Bye, love you." Kenza hung up and threw her head back with a groan, running her hands across her face. She glanced at her phone, seeing the Barcelona group chat blow up, likely teasing the baby of the group about the situation. Kenza looked across the room where Paige stood, seemingly dealing with the same situation with her manager.

"Draco has officially gotten his five month shots," the vet announced to Paige and Kenza. With Paige still on the phone, Kenza got up to grab Draco who was seemingly excited as he got a new toy.

"Draco! Were you a good boy?" Kenza crouched down to pet the overly energetic dog as he basically tried to climb her.

"Just make sure to schedule his next appointment," the vet told Paige, who just got off the phone and was standing behind Kenza and Draco.

The pair thanked the vet and strolled to the Kenza's Porsche Cayenne in the parking garage. Paige opened the door for Kenza before putting Draco in her lap.

"My manager and your manager want to meet together," Paige told the girl as she started the car. Paige always drove when it was just her and Kenza. Mostly because Paige was afraid of the way Kenza drove, but also for safety purposes.

Kenza groaned for what felt like the millionth time that day, "Who even recorded that video? This is dumb."

"You come to America to further your education. Yet somehow, you get into more trouble here than Barcelona!" Caterina scolded Kenza like a toddler who drew on the walls. Caterina has been Kenza's manager since she started at La Masia and started to see Kenza as her first born after a while. That being said, whenever Kenza made poor decisions, she got a lecture not only from Alexia but Caterina too. "Nena, do you need another media training course? Because you might be asking for it at this point!"

Kenza stayed silent ask Paige and her manager walked in, making Caterina take a seat, "After this, you will call Alexia and explain to her."

Kenza's head shot up to look her manager in the eye for the first time since she got there. "Cat, no."

"Paige, Kenza, while the situation that occurred isn't a big deal when you look at it, the media has made it one. But, we have found a way to turn this into positive press." Caterina started, crossing her legs, "Both fanbases seem to like you together and we are going to profit on that. In order to outweigh the negativity of the situation, the two of you are going to fake date."

[bangtaninborderland]

JJK-SEVEN

Summary: you know it isn't healthy, you know you should leave, but you can’t and neither can he.

Genre: hurt/comfort, angst.

A/N: self indulge from my own experiences

BTS MASTERLIST.

JK POV

You get home a little past 6 pm, Jungkook isn’t there, he is always busy though so that’s normal. You set your bags down, slip your shoes off and head straight to change into some comfy clothes. You loved the confidence you felt ready for the day, the way you felt a little braver as you applied a hint of concealer under your eyes, masking the lack of sleep you’d had but your favourite time of the day was the moment you could come home and remove it all.

It doesn’t take you long to dress down and situate yourself on the couch. You eye your phone a few times, debating whether or not to call Jungkook ultimately deciding against it. He would probably be upset if you called in the middle of a schedule especially if he was in a meeting or something. You settled for a simple text:

You: I’m home, will you be here for dinner?

J🩶: No, working late, don’t wait up.

You: Okay, Love you.

Message Read 6:48PM

The message is left unread but that’s okay, Jungkook is a busy person with things to do. You don’t take what you have for granted so instead of mourning the time you don’t have you focus on the time you do have. Which albeit isn’t much, even when he isn’t working he finds better things to do.

You’d never stop him though, he worked hard, and he deserved that time for himself. You couldn’t be a burden.

You settle on ordering takeout for dinner, it was pointless cooking a meal that would never get finished. The leftovers from three days ago are still in the refrigerator, untouched, despite the note you’d left telling your boyfriend that they were there.

The food arrived an hour later, you turned on the TV and tucked in, letting yourself be drawn into the world of another sappy drama but not even that could keep your mind from wandering, from thinking about how everything got so messed up.

You’d started out years ago, two young kids just wanting some affection and care. Jungkook had just left another relationship, being three years older than you it was safe to say you’d had significantly less experience in the dating department but you fell hard and fast. You’d call all the time, things were busy then but never as busy as now, he would often wait up until late at night when everyone else was asleep to call you from the shared Bangtan dorm room, even if it meant he was a little more tired the next day. He would write you sweet messages whenever he had time, a few words that you would cherish and reread anytime you missed him.

Sure there were rough patches, fights, disagreements, the distance was hard whenever he was on tour and even though it hurt you, really hurt you, there was something always holding you in place so you never left, you couldn’t even imagine it, the few times Jungkook had proposed a break-up or a break you’d denied, argued against it, plead your case as though you were on trial because you couldn’t lose him. He was all you had.

You had friends sure but none that you were actually close to, family wasn’t something you found comfort in, and the arguments that came with being around them were something you’d rather not experience so you stayed away, stayed alone. Maybe that’s why it was so easy to adapt to everything Jungkook was, there hadn’t been a single thing you’d done without him in mind.

You’d been his place to let out everything he felt, most of his emotions bottling up until it came out as a wave of evil anger, words that lacked truth still tearing you apart piece by piece. Still, his apologies were sweet, warm, and soft, they gave you comfort. So you smiled and said it was okay, smiled and tried to ignore the list of names and backhanded comments you’d heard.

Besides, the next day everything was okay, everything would always be okay eventually.

You’re still sitting on the couch when Jungkook gets home, he walks straight into the bedroom, ignoring your presence as though you don’t exist but you remind yourself it’s dark, you didn’t have the lights on so he probably didn’t see you.

“Marco?” He called out and you couldn’t help but smile at the silly American game he had taught you a few years ago.

“Polo.” You called back, unable to hide your grin.

As he came closer you smelt the soju on his breath. “I thought you were working late?”

He groaned, slumping against you on the couch. “Yeah, well we finished around 7 so Mingyu asked if I wanted to get drinks.” He shrugged. “Don’t get all mad.”

“I’m not mad Kook.” You were thankful no lights had been turned off, although you could cover up the shake in your voice the sadness in your eyes was significantly harder to rid yourself of. “I just missed you.”

“Fuck I know okay, I know but I don’t need you putting pressure on me too I’m already working hard twenty-four seven, you want me to come home and be the perfect boyfriend to you but where is my time? Where is the time for me? It’s selfish of you to always put your wants first.”

“No I just meant that I missed you I didn’t-“ you sighed, the argument dying on your tongue. “I’m sorry.”

“You always say that. You just ruined a good day…god” he huffed, a hand running through his hair. “I’m going to shower and then I’ll sleep.” With that he was gone, his footsteps retreating.

A coldness settled over you, an unspeakable pain simmering in your chest. He had misunderstood, the words you’d said with honest intentions had been taken out of context and twisted to portray you as a selfish person.

As much as you loved Jungkook he had one flaw, he failed to see what wasn’t directly In front of him. He wouldn’t ever be able to realise or understand the extent to which you’d given up everything of yourself to be with him. The friends you couldn’t have because you felt awful having such an important secret that you couldn’t share with them, the fact Jungkook was…Jungkook meant the relationship you had couldn’t exactly be paraded around, your own paranoia preventing you from having friends in case they found out and shared it with the media. You’d hidden your own dark days whenever something was troubling him, you chose your words carefully to prevent him from worrying too much. You’d always hold off discussing things that had been awkward or uncomfortable until it was suitable for him and by then those feelings and situations were too far gone to bring back up.

It all piled up and then what was once a small ball of insecurity, sadness and longing had grown into a boulder, one that you carried around on your shoulders every day, the weight crushing you slowly.

Still, you didn’t pick a fight, you let it be. Tomorrow would be better, you wouldn’t talk about it, not seriously, you never did.

You waited until you heard the shower switch off, giving him time to fall asleep before joining him in bed.

Maybe it was just habit, something that you’d both done for so long it happened involuntarily but Jungkook reached out for you, tucking your body under his as he whispered a soft “I love you” with a kiss to your head.

The next day things were better, Surprisingly you found him at the stove, singing along to some slow song, probably something Taehyung had sent to him. “Good morning baby.”

You smiled at the term of endearment. “Good morning.”

“Come here.” He called out to you, turning the stove down before opening his arms for you. “I’m sorry about last night.”

Your heart ached at the reminder of his anger the night before, his misunderstanding of your words, his lack of understanding of how you felt. “It’s okay.”

He pushes you back a little, observing your face. “Is it really? Do you forgive me?”

“Always, I’ll always forgive you.” You smiled back and it wasn’t a lie. You would always forgive him, regardless of what he did, or how he hurt you, you would always forgive him because you simply could t live without him.

You both knew it wasn’t healthy, knew it wasn’t okay to act this way, to brush over the misunderstandings you dealt with daily but you couldn’t help it. Facing just how bad things were between you, facing just how poor your communication and trust was meant facing the reality that there was no way to fix it.

The only fix would be to separate and you knew, you knew without a doubt you wouldn’t take that step and neither would he.

So you both held on, ignoring the boulder because you couldn’t let go, even if it was just attachment, you’d let yourself be safe here in the familiarity of everything you shared together for a little longer, even if the boulder was killing you.

You held onto the false reality you’ve created between yourselves, you were sure you always would even if it was insincere because the pain of being the person who took every negative emotion out on was nothing compared to the pain and emptiness you’d feel if he wasn’t there with you, if you no longer had him to hold you and brush your tears away.

“I’m in love with you.” He leaned down to kiss you, tilting your head upwards for easier access.

“I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

[yandere-paramour]

Why is noelle so openly unhinged towards darling? Does it stem from hidden fears? At least the others try to find common ground.

Noelle has DEEP psychological problems stemming from her childhood. Basically, Noelle grew up in a shitty 3 bedroom house with her mother, 4 sisters, and a rotating cast of stepfathers. She shares a father with her older sister, Odette, but is half-siblings with her younger sisters. She has no idea who her father is because he dipped when she was a young toddler.

Noelle's mother is a... complicated woman. To put it simply, she was a serious alcoholic more interested in trying to keep a man than she was raising 5 daughters, which left Odette and Noelle with most of the responsibility. After school, they would both go home to make bottles, give baths, clean the house, cook dinner, and basically raise the other sisters. Mom brought home a paycheck, but it was sparse and usually only enough for rent and a few groceries. Odette and Noelle went without food more than a few times so the younger ones could eat. It was worse when they were younger, but once Odette and Noelle got to their early teens, they started working to supplement the meager income.

In addition to this, Mom was also not too selective with the men she brought home. There was always a new man sleeping in the house one door down, and the bedsprings were always squeaking, making another little sister to take care of. Multiple men were creepy with the many girls, but Noelle always managed to threaten them/scare them off before anything too bad happened, but it seriously scared her; they never slept without the doors locked. Noelle and Odette escaped because they did well in school and got scholarships, but they are both deeply scarred by their childhoods. Their mom is older now (40s), and it's harder and harder to keep a boyfriend, so she mostly drinks, leaving the younger sisters home alone. They're teenagers themselves now, and Odette and Noelle send money home to help out and visit when they can, but they don't interact much with their mother. None of them really do.

Obviously you can see why Noelle is the way she is. She doesn't eat because she's used to skipping meals to feed her younger sisters. She has insomnia/sleeps very lightly because she's used to staying up to study/watch the locked door. She works/cleans/controls constantly because that is all she knows how to do to keep herself sane. Every aspect of her adult life is controlled by her shitty childhood.

This clearly spills over into her relationships too. The reason Noelle takes so much time with stalking gathering information and getting to know her Darling during dates at first is because she doesn't want to make the same mistake her mom continues to make over and over again. She needs to know you, needs to know how you'll react and if you'll be able to love her because any uncertainty scares her. Once she knows she loves you, she can't let you go. She can't let you walk out like everyone else in her life.

She keeps you inside because the inside is safe. She can control the inside, she can keep you safe and pure away from a heartless world that will crumble you up and spit you out, god knows she knows that. She wants to keep you pure and unspoiled by the horrible facts of life, untainted in the way she isn't. Your virtue and loveliness purify her, make her feel like her past doesn't have to haunt her so bad because you are here and you love her so maybe she is worth loving. She loves you so so so so much, she just wants to keep you close and safe because she doesn't want you hurt, she has to protect you.

Since Noelle does so much surveillance with you, she also knows you quite well and tends to pick a Darling that she knows will be receptive to her love and (eventually) love her as much as she loves you. Noelle's Darling tends to be someone who is overwhelmed and exhausted, afraid of the endless painful choices of life, and who wants someone to swoop in and take care of them, treating them like a precious treasured spouse while they sit loved and adored on a soft pedestal. Noelle will absolutely do this for you. She will shower you with gifts and luxury as long as you're a good girl who listens to and obeys her. She knows what's best for you, she loves you more than she loves anything, just let her protect you and everything will be okay.

When she lets you out of the house, even if you're with her and in her sight, she feels like she can't breathe. The world is dangerous and unpredictable and if something random happens and hurts you and she can't prevent it, she'll never forgive herself. She can bring anything you need inside, or she'll ask Ata for a favor and make sure no other people will be at the event to hurt you. She can protect you, she's not a little kid anymore, she's stronger now. Just please please let her protect you.

She doesn't know if she can handle it without you there at home, knowing you are waiting for her with a cuddle and a kind word, making her feel like she's worth something.

[iliketangerines]

I saw the liu kang dragon post but I also saw the ask said electric eel Raiden and I thought that was a good idea..maybe electric eel Raiden with a reader who’s like from a nearby village and they meet and become friends which slowly leads to a relationship and then maybe Raiden asks the reader if she would be comfortable carrying his eggs.

sparks flying

a/n: kept it as fluff because this felt like a fluffy piece

pairing: electric eel!raiden x gn!reader

warnings: none :)

you head into the nearby forests, intent on sitting down and reading a book you had been meaning to catch up on

Madam Bo had finally given you a break, and so you decided to take advantage of the good weather and follow a river into the forest

you walk along the running water, enjoying the sun making dappled shadows along the forest floor, and you hum a small tune to yourself as you walk

the stream widens into a long slow-moving river, and you peer into the murky water deciding to park here and read your book and eat your lunch

you open up your basket and pull out the picnic blanket, laying it down near the water and smoothing out the crinkles before pulling out some food that Madam Bo had graciously cooked for you

you eat slowly, enjoying the sounds of the forest and swatting away the occasional fly, and you close your eyes to listen to the rush of the river

when you open your eyes, you see someone in the river staring at you, only his eyes breaching the surface of the water

you don’t know much about swimming, but you figure that swimming in rivers, no matter how slow-moving, can’t be safe

you shout at the man to get out the water, that it isn’t safe to swim in the rivers

he just cocks his head curiously and then he dips underneath the water, and you rush to the edge, trying to look for the man that had disappeared into the water

suddenly, the river seems a lot more faster than before, and he doesn’t seem to be reappearing

you wonder if he had been swept away by the current, and you look downstream to see if you can see a bobbing body

there is none, and you’re starting to panic, wondering if you just watched someone die in front of you, when a head pops up right in front of you

you squeak and fall backward, scrambling a bit backwards as the man’s head fully pops out of the water to stare at you

he seems unbothered by the water as it splashes at him, and you stare at him as he stares right back at you

neither of you say a word to each other until you finally break the silence saying that you thought that he had died when he disappeared underneath the waves

he gives you a soft smile and apologizes for scaring you, his voice sweet and low, and your heart pounds in your chest

probably still filled with adrenaline from being jump-scared, and you wave off the feeling in your chest as you compose yourself

you tell the man that he should probably get out of the river, it isn’t safe to swim there, but he just tilts his head and says that he’ll be fine, he does this everyday

you cock your eyebrow at him, asking him if he’s from Fengjian, suddenly struck with the thought that you have never seen him before

Fengjian was small, and yet you had never seen him around

he just smiles and says he’s from around here, and you squint your eyes at him, accepting the answer: there were a few villages near Fengjian but still a little far away from this little spot

still, what the man did with his personal business was none of yours, and so you sat back and let out a sigh and went back to eating your lunch

yet, he was still there, head popped up over the water and watching you eat your lunch with fascination, and the words leave your mouth before you can even process them

you ask him if wants to share you lunch with you, that you had packed too much anyway, and the man perks up a little bit, tilting his head to the side a bit before agreeing

really, why did you ask this question, yeah you had packed a little extra but that was for later snacking

okay, so maybe you did have a little crush on him because as he popped his shoulders out of the water, and you got a good look at him, your heart thumped in your chest

broad shoulders, a defined chest, and long hair that cascaded down his back, almost ethereal looking even though he was soaked in water

you hand over a plate of your food, and you watch him prod at the food, almost as in fascination, like he had never had it before

a little curious, you ask what’s his favorite food, and he takes a second to answer, contemplating his words, before saying his favorite was fish

fish, perhaps you’d cook it for him

wait, you’ve just met this man, and you’re cooking for him?

one look at a man, and you’re already down bad

you shake the thoughts from your head and watch him start to eat your food, his eyes widening in wonder at the food, and he eats it enthusiastically

soon, the food is gone from your plate, and he looks up at you, eyes begging you for more

you can’t help but laugh a little at how cute he looks, with those large sparkling eyes and slight pout, and you say that you have a little more

the rest of your afternoon is spent sharing snacks with the strange man, he refuses to come out of the river, only his shoulders and broad chest being seen by you

but he’s a little strange, perhaps a little off-putting with how formal he talks, but it’s almost a little charming in juxtaposition with his adorable he is

soon the sun dips low on the horizon, and you pack your belongings, including the book you said that you would read

he asks if he’ll see you again, and you pause, unsure of when you’ll get another off day from Madam Bo

you say that you will, hopefully soon, but you can’t promise

and then you ask if he’s going home, the water can’t be warm, and he just laughs like he knows some secret and just says he’ll be going home in just a second

you nod slowly and bid him farewell, walking off with a skip in your step

you visit him every week, somehow managing to ask Madam Bo to let you have off every Saturday even though it’s one of the busiest days in the week

every time you bring new foods and snacks, and the man, his name is Raiden you learn, appreciates each and every snack and morsel you bring

the conversation flows so naturally between the two of you, and you learn he travels, has went through a large majority of China and tells you the views he’s seen

you tell him about your mundane life, the entirety of it being spent in Fengjian, and you wonder about Raiden and if he would take you on an adventure with him one day

you wish you could spend longer with him, to doze off in the sun and hold his hand or go through the night market with him, but he never leaves that river

it’s strange, every time you see him, he’s in the river, always swimming, and you wonder why he swims so much

but you suppose he’s training for something, some sort of swimming competition

it’s Saturday again, a few months after you’ve met Raiden, and you head into the forest a little earlier than usual, wanting to set up something nice for you and him

it was a nice spread you had prepared this time, and it had fish in it, hopefully you had cooked it how he liked it

you approach the spot by the river that you usually sit at, hands moving alongside the brush, and you nearly scream at the sight of a large eel covering the bank

it’s larger than any eel you had ever seen, perhaps the biggest one in the world with how its length just kept on stretching and stretching along the length of the bank

you step backward, almost spilling your food as you stumble in the bushes, and the eel twitches in your direction

then the familiar face of Raiden rises, and you pale at how the eel body connects to his torso, how his ribs split apart to look like gills

no wonder he stayed in the water all the time

you both stare at each other for a while, neither of you moving except for the breath in your chests, and finally Raiden breaks the eye contact and dives back into the river

his body follows quickly into the water, and you lunge forward, suddenly not wanting him to leave

you scramble to the edge of the river, placing the basket down with food for the both of you, and you peer down into the murky water

he doesn’t surface, and you sit dejectedly by the edge, berating yourself for not acting earlier

you shouldn’t have looked at him like that, like he was a monster or a freak or or-

he was so kind to you, so warm and gentle and excitable and suddenly the pieces started to fit together on why Raiden acted the way he did

you wait by the edge of the river, waiting for him to pop up again, and eat your lunch slowly, leaving his portion by the side of the river

he never shows, and you leave with a goodbye to the murmuring water

you come back next week and find the food gone, and his head bobbing in the water, looking a little flushed and embarrassed as he sees you

sitting by the water, you’re a bit quiet as he just bobs up and down in the river, looking downcast and much like a sad puppy

he breaks the silence first, saying he’s sorry and that he should’ve been honest with you, that he wasn’t human, and you apologize as well, saying he was a good friend and that you shouldn’t have reacted that way

you’re not sure how to continue the conversation after that, so Raiden raises his body out of the water and lays down on the bank, his eel tail still moving in the water

but now you can see how his torso connects to his tail, and it’s fascinating in a way

your hand reaches out to touch him, and then you flinch back, remembering your manners, and ask him if you can touch him

he blushes and stutters out a yes, and you move your hand towards him slowly, pressing your fingers against his skin gently and feeling how the smooth skin turns into smoother and slimier scales

it’s fascinating, and you keep running your hands back and forth, almost entranced, until a small shock makes you squeak and pull your hand back rapidly

Raiden apologizes, his hands grabbing onto yours as he explains it’s just a natural instinct to shock sometimes, and all you can focus on is his hands holding onto yours

you say it’s okay, and he lets go of your hand hesitantly before asking if he can touch you as well

his hands reach out to your arms, to touch your skin, and you pause for a second, giving your heart a second to calm down before saying he could touch you

he’s slow with his touch as his fingers glide across your skin, up your arm, up your shoulder and up your neck to touch your face

both of his hands cup your face, his thumbs rubbing against your cheeks, and you can’t help but melt into his touch and close your eyes

when you open them again, his face is much closer to you than before, but you don’t flinch away

rather you lean a little closer into him, and you ask if you can kiss him

he gives a small little nod and leans in close, and you close the distance to kiss him

it’s a little inexperienced, but it feels warm and soft and gentle

you press a little deeper into his mouth, and he lets out a squeak and suddenly there’s a small electric spark that makes you yelp and pull back from his touch

he apologizes again, hands coming up to cover his blush, and you laugh a little bit and tell him it’s okay, that it’s pretty cool

he peers at you from behind his fingers, and you give him a little smile

it would be a strange relationship for sure, but you both were sure in for an electrifying time

[smakonca]

Hi, i hope you be fine and having a good day.

I wanted ask You something, i like your Nightmare version and how You make the relationship between him and Killer. And i wanted know how would react with or how would be his relation with the Killer version from @signanothername .

And your art style looks great!. ❤️

Thank you very much!

Before I answer this, I need to describe my version of Nightmare more thoroughly.

I have touched on that subject in this post, but it was mainly about my interpretation of Dreamtale as a whole.

My Nightmare is a manipulator, a devil in sweet disguise. He knows how to persuade people in order to get what he wants. Instead of direct action he relies on strategy and deceit. He also does not have anger issues as his canon version. He controls himself, allowing to show only a glimpse of his true feelings. He won’t show his anger, sadness, envy, despair, happiness, vulnerability to you if he doesn’t trust you.

The fandom I think is missing out on the fact that he is 500 years old. Yes, none of us could say how exactly a long living person like him would act. But I doubt all Nightmare was doing for such a long time of living was sitting in his castle or randomly attacking Aus even after Dream got out of stone.

I am sure the Multiverse is full of creatures who are much more powerful than Dream and can break Nightmare in half. He just had to be careful and had to learn to be more rational.

I also believe he had some sort of character growth during this time. People can turn into complete strangers in just a couple of years. Imagine living for eons. You would change your values, worldview, philosophy, everything multiple times. Nightmare have witnessed and experienced many things. He embraced the power and curse of an endless life.

Of course at the beginning of his new life (that is after the apple incident) he conquered/destroyed worlds, because at that time he didn't know how to cope with the loss of his brother, nor how to control his new powers.

But with years to come, Nightmare started to become more calm, more calculating and provident. He formed a library, began to study numerous Aus, formed alliances, including Ink and Error, in order to keep track of positive and negative worlds.

Why attack positive worlds and destroy the balance in Multiverse if you can take the negative worlds under your wing, find Aus which don't have a particular positive/negative side and destroy them from within? With civil wars or a cruel ruler that actually is loyal to you, for example. After all, how would anyone know Nightmare was the one to pull the strings if he didn't attack the Au directly? Especially it is hard to figure this out if Au has resets and is heavily dependent on the decisions of the player.

Why try to conquer positive worlds if you can nurture the ones that are doomed from the start? Why chase the unattainable goal of becoming the god of Multiverse if you can safely provide yourself with a stockpile of negative energy and thrive on it?

Nightmare is actually pretty much scared of death, so he uses all his knowledge to provide a safe future for himself.

He is visionary, but with that comes his main weakness. He stagnates. He is afraid of sudden changes that break his plans and destroy the usual order. That's why he doesn't bother learning new things if he thinks they are useless to him. You know, like the grumpy old man who complains about the youth and can’t learn how to use a cellphone. He can't cook, for example, because he doesn’t need normal mortal food. And sometimes he is oblivious to normal things. He holds a great knowledge and wisdom, but lacks intuition and ability to adapt.

I would say with years softened a little. You know, how people use to soften with age? That's exactly what happened. Nightmare won't admit it out loud, but he hates loneliness. He always hated it, even we he was little. He hates being left alone with himself. His thoughts, his hatred towards himself and the whole world. Also my version is much more sympathetic because he can understand what the other person is feeling due to his powers. He can relate to other's problems and fears sometimes. Doesn't mean he would help to get rid of them though.

That's why in my version, Nightmare got Killer as his subordinate partly because he felt a bit of sympathy for him. He knows what it feels like to be left alone. Alone after a massacre you've just committed.

I’m sure Multiverse was full of much more useful, more naive, more powerful puppets for him, yet Nightmare chose the one he could actually relate to. Because, let's be honest, Killer is a total menace as a subordinate. His behavior changes with stages and Nightmare can't properly control him, he talks back sometimes, refusing to obey. He asks too many questions and is too smart for a perfect murder machine.

So, yes. My Nightmare has much more personal reasons to take Killer with himself. Their relationship developed with years. At first it was just a game to Nightmare of how he could corrupt Killer. It wasn't simply: "I would beat the shit out of you and call you useless", but more "I will make you trust me and fall for my lies".

But Killer turned out to be a much more complicated person, who Nightmare heavily underestimated. Somehow he managed to see through Nightmare's masks and find his weak sides. And then he went like "I see what you're plan is, I'll play along to betray you later"

But... Both their plans broke when they actually developed a relationship beyond just the boss/his subordinate. Killer being as equally smart as Nightmare, if not smarter, made him realize many things, opened new sights for the world Nightmare got so fed up with. Their worldviews are extremely different, but somehow they managed to find something to bond over. And Nightmare allowed himself to be tamed by that. Even if he knows how dangerous it is to get attached to someone.

They both create a very interesting dynamic, where Nightmare craves respect and validation and Killer being used to receive orders from the player, can't help but please Nightmare's ego. Doesn't stop him from being brutally honest and strong-willed from time to time. Being a person who wears masks all the time, Killer notices Nightmare's disguise almost immediately and wants to crack them open to see what they are hiding.

Sorry, if it sounds like a fairytale, but I am a sucker for happy endings, when despite all the suffering, characters manage to find peace with themselves.

That is Nightmare's relationship with how I view Killer. He wanders somewhere between his canon and fanon version. You know, being a loud annoying ass, but actually hiding the pain inside. He does that mainly to entertain himself or to get any kind of reaction from people around him to escape the loneliness and emptiness in his soul. He may act impulsive, but in the end it's his slyness and adaptivity that win the game in the long run.

I love to explore Nightmare’s and Killer’s relationship in various types of ways but I never like to depict abuse between them. I know, it's how they should behave themselves according to their canon versions, but I just can’t bring myself to draw it. The entire thing just makes me super uncomfortable and I don’t receive pleasure from drawing it (which is my main goal when I doodle, mind you). That doesn't mean their relationship is entirely healthy. Hell, it's far from that. And yet I would rather show their emotional insecurities and cruelty in a different way.

Now to your main question.

@signanothername version of Killer(the closest one to the canon I've seen so far) is extremely interesting and always gets me inspired to create more art. And I eat up every one of her long posts.

In terms of relationship with her Killer, I think my Nightmare would find him extremely intriguing, after all, he loves to outsmart witty people, it feeds his insatiable ego.

My Nightmare values cunning people who can crawl under your bones and find every weakness you possess. It's what he does himself. So he would maybe even respect Anó’s Killer in his own way.

He definitely would try to persuade Killer to form a sort of partnership, tempting him with a sweet offer of finding peace with his emotions. But wouldn't take him as his subordinate even if he agreed, at least not forever. Nightmare doesn't like when someone questions his authority and Killer could be a potential threat to expose his weaknesses and wreck his plans.

That is, if Nightmare already knew what kind of fella Ano’s Killer is. If he didn't and actually managed to persuade Killer, he would have eventually got rid of him because he would be a menace to his status. Or maybe he would have genuinely tried to help, but only if they build up the bridge of trust, which I doubt would even happen in the first place. And besides, as I mentioned earlier, Nightmare values things in terms of how they are useful to him, so I don't think he would see any use in helping Killer if he didn't get something in return. Though their whole dynamic really depends in the perspective and how much time they have spent together.

And also I don't think my Nightmare would try to abduct Killer as he did in canon, as far as I remember. It ruins their relationship for Nightmare from the start, and closes the potential ways for him to manipulate and get Killer to trust him. Trust is an important thing when it comes to subordination and obedience and Nightmare wouldn't destroy it for as long as possible. Or as long as he is entertained enough.

So I don’t think my Nightmare being a cunning brat would treat Killer as a slave or a pet. At least not directly. A silly mortal or a useful tool? Very likely. But beating the shit out of him and then expecting him to negotiate? I doubt that. It won’t make Killer more obedient and in the end will only cut off the branch Nightmare’s sitting on. (Haha get it?)

Even though Nightmare may be oblivious to general relationships between people (for example he still refuses to accept that people can be kind and merciful to you just because they can), still, he understands the very basics. If he didn't, he wouldn't have become a good deceiver and would not have survived for centuries.

P. S. I apologize for any mistakes. This was a long post to write hzhzz.

[lucisfavoritedemon]

Straight to the Heart

Summary: What if Mabel put the Love potion on the wrong fries, leading her and Wendy on a quest to find Love God after the festival, some bonding between Dipper and Stan, and an unexpected love story.

Loosely based on this request from @thebestusernamepossible: Mabel adventure, with anyone, I just like Mabel and think she deserves to star in a mission. Maybe some Stan and Dipper bonding, they are my fave underrated duo.

Warnings: Fluff, unexpected romance, self-conscious thoughts, mild angst.

A/N: This took me a while to figure out what to write about, then I watched the Love God Episode and I couldn’t resist. Also this is the first time I’ve attempted writing something like this. So, I hope you enjoy 🙂

Mabel didn’t mean for it to happen, caught in the moment of trying to set up Robbie and Tambry; she didn’t pay attention to whose fries she sprinkled the love potion over. It wasn’t until the cook bagged up the order and walked over and handed them to none other than Y/n. Mabel ran to try to stop her, but Y/n was insistent that she get back to the shack.

Mabel rushed out and followed her. Mabel only hoped those fries were just for Y/n and she could keep her in her room until the potion wears off. Mabel watched from outside the window hoping and waiting.

“Stan! I’m back with your lunch!” Y/n yelled, setting the bag on the counter.

This was Mabel’s chance, but before she could try to climb through the window, Stan walked in and took the fries out of the bag, and opened them, “Ugh, did you let Mabel touch my food again?” Stan groaned out.

“Of course not, why do you ask?” Y/n walked back in after she had put her stuff away.

“My fries have glitter on them.”

“You want me to take them back?”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Stan stated and ate a fry. 

He looked at Y/n and suddenly felt something new, new and exciting. She suddenly looked so beautiful, more beautiful than he already thought she was. She started working for him many years ago when she moved to Gravity Falls after dropping out of college. He thought she was the perfect business partner, but nothing further developed between them. Stan secretly always had feelings for her, but not to this extent. He didn’t know how long he had been staring, but he soon realized she was giving him a concerned look.

“Everything okay Stan? Do the fries not taste good?” Y/n voice sounded worried and concerned. He wanted to say they were delicious, but her just standing there took every word from his brain from coming out in words.

“Perfect. I go now.” Was all he could get out as he took the rest of his food and bolted to the TV room. He thought he was safe to process what was going on.

Mabel, having watched this whole scene unfold, knew she had to undo what she did. She liked the fact that her Grunkle Stan was finally acting vulnerable, but this isn’t how she wanted him to confess his feelings for Y/n. She took off and went to find Wendy to help her find Love God and get the reversal potion.

~

Meanwhile, as Stan sits at the Game table in the TV room, Dipper walks in hearing his Grunkle talking to himself.

“Stan, you okay?”

“Dipper!” Stan sounded caught off guard, but also relieved, “you gotta help me!”

“Woah Grunkle Stan, what’s going on?”

“Something is happening to me. I was sitting in the kitchen eating the lunch I asked Y/n to get me, and suddenly, I took a bite, and looked at her, and she was standing there looking so beautiful. You’ve been in love with someone unattainable, right? You gotta know how to help me!”

Dipper rolled his eyes at Stan’s last comment, “look Grunkle Stan, maybe you finally realized that you have feelings for Y/N? It can come on suddenly.”

“Look, okay, I have sort of always had a thing for her, but I don’t what about today made her look so different.”

“Maybe your brain is telling you that maybe it’s time for you to tell her how you feel?”

“I-I don’t know. She’s just so…perfect. There is no way someone like her could be into a guy like me.”

“You never know. Why don’t I help you? I can help you come up with a romantic way to ask her on a date.”

“Y-you’d really do that for me kiddo?”

Dipper smiles and nods. Stan smiles back ready for whatever Dipper may have in store.

~

Mabel and Wendy meet at Wendy’s house to try to come up with a plan to find the Love God and reverse the spell.

“Look Mabel, is it really such a bad thing that Stan and Y/n become a thing?” Wendy asked.

“No, but I had a whole plan for that. They both have true feelings about each other. This throws off my whole plan. We have to reverse it. That and Stan was the only one that got the love potion.”

“Okay, so what’s the plan?”

“We have to find Love God, get the reversal and give it to Stan before something bad happens.”

“What could possibly happen?”

“She doesn’t return his feelings, he doesn’t eat, he doesn’t sleep. A lot of things Wendy!” Mabel yelled in panic.

“Woah, woah, it’s okay. We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.” Wendy stated putting her hand on Mabel’s shoulder.

They devised a plan on how to get backstage to find Love God and to get his anti-love potion. Some of it fighting/punching Love God in the face knocking him unconscious, that bit being Wendy’s plan, but mostly sneaking around, and staying hidden to sneak the anti-love potion away from Love God.

~

“Okay Grunkle Stan, since you and Soos already planned on being at the Woodstick Festival, maybe you should ask her to go with you?” Dipper spoke to Stan as he got him changed into a nice new suit and tie.

“I-I don’t know kid. How do you know she is even interested?” Stan questioned.

“Just trust me Grunkle Stan. I’ll be there the whole time to help you if you need it. I promise.”

Stan let out a sigh and nodded, “okay kiddo, I’ll ask her, as long as you promise to step in and help me if my brain starts to do the thing it does where I just say whatever comes to it. Unless it’s a nice thing that is.”

“I promise. Now get out there and ask her on a date.” Dipper smiles and shoves his uncle out of the room to go find Y/n.

“H-hey Y/n…” Stan speaks up once he finds you in the living room watching TV.

She smiles at him, “oh hey Stan, you look nice today.” Her eyes check out his new suit and tie.

“Th-thank you. It’s new. Dipper picked it out for me,” Stan spoke nervously.

“It looks good. Kid did a very nice job. It suits you well.”

“Y/n, y-you know I was wondering if…I don’t know if you had plans tonight, but…um Soos and I are going to the Woodstick Festival…if you wanted to come with.”

She smiles fondly at him, “absolutely. I’d love to. Though, I didn’t think you liked the Woodstick Festival?”

“I don’t. Soos suggested I try to appeal to the young generation, saying I’m chasing away potential customers.”

“That’s a very good point.”

“So, you’re going with me?” Stan sort of smiled.

She smiled and nodded, “absolutely.”

“It’s a date then.” Stan chuckled then stopped once he realized what he said.

“It’s a date.” She smiled back.

~

After a few hours of getting ready for her date with Stan, they head off to the festival. Stan leaves Soos and Dipper to sew up the hot air balloon Stan planned, while he takes Y/n to a spot on the hill to watch the concert. He set up a little picnic for themselves and laid down a blanket. The night was looking perfect.

“I’m really happy you said yes to letting me take you on a date.” Stan stated as they sat down.

“Thank you for asking me to come. I always sort of liked you, Stan Pines. I was starting to wonder if you felt the same way about me.”

“I always have, but I never knew how to ask you. This afternoon though, it was like it was the easiest thing to realise and admit how I felt about you. Easier than anything I have ever done before.” Stan admitted.

Y/n smiles at him happily, “I’m glad it was.”

Stan smiled and pulled her close as they sat and watched the crowd below. Neither really paying attention to the music, but more paying attention to each other and the calm silence that fell between them. It was the easiest thing they had ever done was being here in the moment with one another. It was hard to focus on anything else.

Mabel and Wendy snuck into the festival. They had managed to get backstage and waited for the perfect moment to strike to steal the potion from Love God.

“Sound Check for Love God.” A stage manager came out and yelled at the van that he was in.

Love God came out and had his groupies mess his hair up before they all went backstage for the sound check. Mabel found her chance to hop in the back of the van where Love God left his belt of love potions laying around.

“Let’s see, summer love, puppy love, interspecies love, love of country music, ew. Ah ha! Anti-love, just spray on your victims and watch their heart die on the inside.” Mabel exclaimed in joy.

“Awesome, let's go find Y/n and Stan and spray them!” Wendy smiled from the side.

“Not so fast! So, you’re the person who has been stealing my potions,” Love God appeared out of nowhere, “I warned you kid, but you didn’t listen. Hey where you’d go.” He looked and realized Mabel and Wendy were running away from him.

He chased after them trying to get the potion back from them. They weaved in and out of the crowds. Love God even flew above them to try to catch them off guard, but with no luck. He finally had to do something that may throw one of them off guard, and that was visions of heartbreaks past. This affected Mabel more than Wendy, causing Mabel to give up the potion and it landing back in Love God’s hands.

“I’ll be right back toots, I’m gonna check on Soos and Dipper to see how the balloon is coming.” Stan smiled as he stood up.

Stan walked over to Soos and who were on the other side of the fence and asked how everything was going. He critiqued them on a few things, but the balloon was ready to lift into the air. Unfortunately, as the balloon lifted into the air, two letters ripped from the balloon, making the horrifying Stan balloon say ‘I EAT KIDS’ instead of ‘I HEART KIDS’.

Crowds were running and screaming from the monstrous balloon that now had caught fire. Stan, Soos, and Dipper ran off to follow where it was going. Y/n got up and ran after them, running at their heels. The balloon then settled down right on top of Love God, making him let go of the Anti-Love potion which he had finally let go of.

Once the excitement of the event settled, and the fire was put out, everyone turned and saw Stan and ran screaming and yelling, “he’s gonna eat us!” Y/n giggled at the remarks from everyone. After all the years of running away and secluding the business that could come from the festival, Stan was probably better off than trying to please the younger generation.

“Being loved by the youth is overrated, being feared, no that’s priceless.” Stan stated wrapping an arm around Y/n and patting Soos’s shoulder.

“I couldn’t agree more. You were probably better off steering clear rather than appeasing the youth anyways, but it made a pretty good first date story.” Y/n giggled, teasing him.

“F-first date? M-meaning you want more? With me?” Stan asked her in shock.

“Yeah, I’d love to go on another date with you, many more dates actually.” She smiled.

Stan couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with happiness, he had no idea how it came to be, or what possessed him to even talk to Dipper about it, and get encouraged to ask her on a date, but he was happy he did.

“Y-you know, I wanted to ask you out for a while now, but I know the chaos of everything and running the shack with me, no time was really a good time, plus I never really knew how to tell you till today. I don’t know what you did to my fries, but whatever it was,” he grabbed Y/n by the hands, “I’m glad you did it because I would never have never gained enough courage to ask you out myself.”

Y/n smiles and kisses his cheek, “whatever stars aligned in our favor today Stan, I’m glad they did. You’ve always made me feel so special, but tonight has topped everything.”

Mabel watched their exchange unfold, and looked at the bottle. She couldn’t bring herself to spray them. They were happy and that’s all that mattered. Her Grunkle Stan finally had someone who could make him happy, and she was happy that person was Y/n. She did a lot for her uncle, and couldn’t ask for him to fall in love with anyone else.

“Having second thoughts there bud?” Wendy knelt down and whispered.

“They seem so happy, yeah it didn’t happen in the way I had planned, but maybe Grukle Stan is right, he would have never gotten the courage to ask her alone. Maybe he did need a push in the right direction. I can’t mess with the fate of their love Wendy.”

Wendy nods in response.

Stan turns to Dipper, “hey kiddo, thanks for the help. Without you, I may not have gotten that extra umph I needed to really ask Y/n out. You really helped me kiddo. You’re a true man Dipper.”

Dipper smiled at his uncle's praise, “thanks Grunkle Stan.”

The rest of the night the six of them sat and watched the concert happily as can be. It was the happiest any of them had been in a long time, and they all hoped that it would last a lifetime.

[thezombieprostitute]

The Arrangement - Part 8

Summary: Jake's done a lot of things to keep his sister, and then his niece, safe from his parent's influence and manipulation. If he wants to keep them safe, he has to marry you.

Warnings: Bad parents, Implied abuse. Let me know if I missed any!

Part 7 -- Part 9

Series Masterlist

You and Jake share a look of terror as you hear his father's voice followed by your own father's. You quickly grab the dishes out of Jake's hands and whisper, "you have to go greet them" before running to the kitchen. Jake is hurt that you're ditching him but then realizes how it would look if he was doing the housework. It's in the contract that he has to behave so his greeting them would be part of that.

"Hello Father, Mother, Montgomery, Carol," Jake greets coldly. "We weren't expecting you to visit."

"Of course not," Montgomery replies, chuckling.

"We decided, last night after the two of you had left, to meet up at your place for breakfast," Cordelia explains.

"And none of you thought to let us know? A text? A phone call? Anything?" Jake tries to argue without sounding out of line.

"Why on earth would we do that?" Carol chimes in.

"Well, we are kinda on our honeymoon," Jake sputters. "What if...what if you had walked in on us?"

All four of them laugh before William, placing a firm hand on Jake's shoulder, explains, "it's an arranged marriage, Son. We're not expecting the two of you to get into bed right away. Especially with how awkward the two of you are."

"We were comparing notes on the two of you," Montgomery clarifies. "Neither of you is particularly good with people. It's why we decided to go with one bed in this entire place, to help the two of you out!"

"I see," Jake seethes, his face going red. "Well, we just got done eating breakfast, so I hope you don't mind if I don't eat."

He steps aside and gestures for them to head to the dining area. As they sit down, Jake's parents on one side, your parents on the other, Jake can smell that you're already cooking up something. Again, he wishes you could be the one to deal with them but he can kind of appreciate that you're helping in your way.

"Have a seat, Jacob," William tells him. "We have a lot to discuss with regards to your future."

"I was just going to get everyone drinks first," Jake argues.

He's met with mocking laughter from everyone before Montgomery tells him, "that's your wife's job as hostess! My daughter is quite the cook, though, isn't she? She'll be bringing out drinks and food for everyone. You sit."

"Maybe this will finally teach her the value of having servants to do the menial work so she can actually host," Carol sneers. Jake has to bite back a comment about that.

"Oh it was always for the best that she hid herself away," Montgomery gently chides. "She never had your social skills. Would've embarrassed us to no end if she hadn't picked up a skill or two." Carol rolls her eyes as she nods in agreement.

Unable to take any more bad talk about you, Jake turns to William, "so, my future?"

"Ah yes," William started. "Obviously you have the skills and work history to be the CIO of our family company. However that would reek of nepotism and we don't need that kind of bad press or ill will in our employees. Goodness knows they've been close to unionizing more times than I care to admit! However, with your marriage so recent, we can set you up as CIO in Montgomery's company and people won't realize until it's too late and you've settled yourself in."

Jake nods and turns to Montgomery, "okay, yes. CIO is higher up in the rankings than expected but it is up my alley, skill wise. What's the actual work going to look like?"

"Well, as we've said before, we know that networking isn't your forte so you'll likely end up doing a lot of actual work while the rest of us executives do the talking." Jake nods in agreement. "But you'll still have a corner office and a pretty, little secretary all your own."

"But we will be building up your social skills," Cordelia chimes in. "Carol and I have accepted invitations on your behalf for the two of you to attend some parties, get your faces out there, and all that."

"What kinds of parties?" Jake's voice is strained with effort to keep calm.

"Most of them of charity events that will make you look good for attending," Carol explains. "Little things that no one actually cares about but they're good for your image."

Conversation is momentarily interrupted as you bring plates of food out for everyone. Crepes for everyone, fruit crepes for the mothers and savory ones for the fathers. "I'll be right back with drinks for everyone," you murmur before running back to the kitchen. Jake is grateful for the break from talking as everyone starts eating. He wants to ask if you need help but given the reaction he got earlier it's probably better for him to sit quiet.

As you're setting down the drinks in front of everyone the talking starts up again. You take your spot at the table, opposite of Jake, close to the kitchen.

"And now that you're both here, we can talk about the upkeep on this place." Your mother gestures to all of the decorations, the ones you know she picked out. "These all require a lot of regular cleaning so you're likely going to want to hire a maid service or something."

"I was actually wondering if we could get rid of some of them," Jake broached. Your eyes widened in shock and your mother's smile drops. "It just...it looks really cluttered, to me."

Carol slams her drink onto the table and turns to you. "Did you tell him to say that?! I know you've never liked my decoration choices! How could you be such an ungrateful child! Do you know how much time and money I put into making this place look stylish and perfect?!"

She grabs your arm but lets go when Jake slams a fist on the table.

"SHE has nothing to do with it! I'M asking because I don't like the decorations. Leave her out of this!"

"YOU don't get to tell me how to treat my daughter!"

"She is also my wife and I won't let her be harassed in such an unwarranted manner!"

Your mother turns back to you, "do you see what your doing? Do you see how much you've already poisoned my son-in-law against me?! Why can't you be the good, obedient daughter we worked so hard to raise you to be!"

"She hasn't done anything!"

"Carol, Sweetheart," Montgomery intervenes. "Let the children be. We should expect some growing pains with this new union."

Your mother huffs but turns back to her food. You're fighting the tears that want to fall, fear and embarrassment filling your mind, making it difficult to breathe.

Your father turns to Jake, "I have to say, a display like that would certainly do wonders to legitimize your relationship."

Cordelia adds, "maybe we should set something up at one of the charity events. Plant an actor to harass her or something."

"Yes, that would also tie in with his military history making him seem much stronger, like a real man of action," William considers. "Could be good for getting the trust of investors."

"Oh, and I'll bet we could use it to get the attention of those 'family first' politicians. Or at least their base," Carol chimes in, her previous anger seemingly forgotten.

The parents end up commandeering the conversation for the rest of breakfast. No one even asks you or Jake anything, even though they're discussing your future. You work at silently removing plates and refilling drinks, used to this kind of treatment. Meanwhile Jake keeps looking redder and more frustrated with each passing minute. It really drives home how out of his element he is. He even tried to stop your mother from yelling at you. No one's ever done that before.

As you refill the drinks you make sure to grab Jake a mug of coffee and you give a gentle squeeze of his hand as a silent thank you. He looks up at you and for a moment you're caught off guard at how much he looks like a scared puppy. You can't help but lean in and whisper, "you're going to be okay."

Part 7 -- Part 9

Series Masterlist

Tagging: @alicedopey; @ashdoctor; @delicatebarness; @ellethespaceunicorn;

@jaqui-has-a-conspiracy-theory; @icefrozendeadlyqueen; @lokislady82; @ronearoundblindly

[wannaeatramyeon]

Hello it's the vegetable fic person here and- and- if you want could you write something about lookism guys finding out that their s/o is skipping their meals due to busy schedules or whatever 😭

Literally do not know why my asks revolve around food. I'd like if you include gun and jake but I literally leave it upto you love u

Hey vegetable anon! FINALLY getting round to this! Sorry for the wait!

Lookism x Reader: You, too busy to eat

G/N. No TW. Gun, Jakey, Goo, Sammy

Your boyfriend is concerned.

Skipping the odd meal, forgetting to eat, day dictated by a busy schedule - they get it. Except they have noticed this developing into a bit of an ongoing habit, one that is unwelcome and they wouldn't like to encourage.

They've also taken note of the way your clothes hang a bit looser, your cheeks looking a little sunken, and the dullness in your eyes.

They'll have to take matters into their own hands.

Gun Park

Gun learns a lot of new things, a lot about himself with you.

He never used to care about other people, least of all their diet.

After all, why should he? Even when his duties include being Crystal's bodyguard, what she got up to is none of his concern as long as she was safe.

However, with you, that's a whole other story. Whenever you're feeling sad, down, out of sorts. Gun feels a prickle of unease, affecting him until he finds out how to make you smile again.

And when your smile does come out, directed at him, because of him, he can barely describe it. Something not even the thrill of a fight can touch. Like being bathed in sunlight, directly touched by the sun's caress.

His sentimentality is something new he discovered too.

Gun peers down at the food order in his hand as he strides towards your home. All your favourite dishes from your favourite restaurant.

He's not sure he completely likes his softness with you, but as long as you do, he can't bring himself to mind.

Jake Kim

It starts with pursed lips and worried eyes, Jake's hands roving over your body.

Of course he thinks you're beautiful and as long as you're healthy and happy, it doesn't matter.

The worry is that you're not healthy and happy, that you're not eating out of stress. That whenever Jake has the time to cook for you, you will demolish every crumb in sight.

It's all the other times when he's too busy.

The solution, devised by Jake, is a revolving door of Big Deal members at your front step. At regular intervals with your favourite snacks or breakfast, lunch, dinner whenever your boyfriend can't make it.

.

.

"Morning, Y/N. Boss says hi!" Jason hands over a small container of food.

.

.

"Favourite snacks for boss's favourite," Brad grins at you.

.

.

"Jake says he'll see you tonight," Jerry averts your eyes, cheeks dusting with pink at the implication.

.

.

"Boss says," Lineman grimaces, staring to the heavens and wondering why this is now his life, "he loves you and to eat well. Rest well."

After a pause-

"Jason," Lua chides, barely able to keep the smirk off her face, "What else?"

Lineman flushes crimson, hand clenched white knuckled around your food," If you don't then... he said he'll make sure to...," Seriously. Fuck his life. "-punish you."

Goo Kim

"Say ahh!" Your boyfriend holds the spoonful of rice up to your lips. How on earth he has even made a game of this you don't know.

You keep your eye on him but turn your head away. "Goo."

"C'mon, do it for your Goo Bear."

"..."

"..."

He's not grinning. Not his usual slimey smile, not even his soft lift of the lips for you.

He's also not affecting his faux pout. Where he juts out his bottom lip and pleads with large eyes.

That unfortunately for you, he quickly learned that he will get his way 99% of the time.

Instead all you get are brows furrowed with worry and an expression that's trying to be joyful but doesn't fully mask the apprehension.

It's jarring whenever you get a glimpse of Goo's genuine concern, and touching too. Your boyfriend must really be worried about you to put up this whole charade.

Fine. You give in.

Opening your mouth just wide enough, "Ah-"

Goo breathes a sigh of relief, "There we go!"

Samuel Seo

The alarm on his phone vibrates.

Samuel excuses himself from the meeting, ignoring the disapproval radiating from Eugene. It doesn't matter. Some things are more important.

You pick up only after a couple of rings.

"Hey Sammy," A nickname that he at first hated but absolutely loves now. How could he not when you say it with such affection?

"Y/N," and even saying your name relieves some of his stress of the day, "Did you remember to eat dinner?"

"Yep!"

Samuel hears the smile in your voice. You're never annoyed with his calls, with him asking the same questions. You understand it only comes from a place of concern, a place of love. The way he calls you, like clockwork, despite his hectic schedule makes your heart hurt.

"I made some extra for you too!"

Samuel peers through the boardroom window. The figureheads sitting there, discussing something or another. He used to relish being a part of this, dream about one day ruling over it all.

Yet now, all he can think about is wanting to be with you.

He responds simply and honestly, "I can't wait to see you tonight."