#after seeing what her signature dish may be

[draco-glacialis]

*The Squad's cooking skills*

Sandrone: *master chef*

La Signora: *knows a few recipes*

Tsaritsa: *can follow instructions on a box*

Columbina: *made toast once*

Arlecchino: *banned from the kitchen*

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Farmer's Daughter 4

Warnings: non/dubcon, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Walter Marshall

Summary: You notice a peculiar change in a family friend. (short!reader, sorry size kink is out)

Part of the Backwoods AU

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

Your father’s nurse, Heather, doesn’t arrive until after noon. Your mother spends much of the morning waiting on her, wondering if something happened. The woman with the steely hair explains that she had to drive from several towns over. It doesn’t matter, you’re just happy to have her there.

Your dad remains despondent. Your mother frets and hovers as Heather’s voice carries through the old farmhouse. She enunciates and projects as she speaks to the husk sitting in the recliner. Your mother paces and as you peek in on the nurse trying to guide your father in a simple exercise, your heart knots and nearly breaks.

You fell outside, proclaiming to your mother that you’ll check the hen house for eggs. She doesn’t argue even though you already did so that day. You tramp out onto the porch and clatter down the stairs. Things change so quickly.

In the distance, you watch the tractor drawing a straight line across the fields. You shield your eyes from the sun and squint. Timothy steers the smaller of the machines closer by. It should be your father out there. He doesn’t belong inside, he’s no type of man to be so still.

You sigh and muster your courage. You go back inside and find your mother standing at the door of the front room. She watches Heather and your dad. He mimics her clumsily as she shows him what to do. He’s shaky and gives up with a harrumph. He’s never been the one to surrender.

“It’ll be okay,” your mother whispers.

“Ma,” you rub her back, “we should start dinner. The day’s half gone.”

She sniffs and nods, “you’re right, honey.”

You walk silently to the kitchen and start on the evening meal. Her special sweet and sour meatballs. The sauce is a family recipe and she serves the signature dish on white rice. The work will keep you both distracted.

🌾

Your mother helps your father to the table as you go out to get your brother and Walter. You find Timothy with a cigarette between his lips. You scowl.

“Don’t let ma see,” you warn him.

“Sorry, I… it’s stressful.”

“Yeah, I know,” you utter dully. “Just don’t smoke by the door.”

You leave him, searching around in confusion. Where’s Walter? Did he leave already? He swore he’d stay for dinner and it’s all your mother talked about as you cooked. You know she’s avoiding mentioning what’s on all your minds.

You walk along the front of the house and turn the corner, nearly colliding with Walter as he comes around. You cry out and laugh at yourself as you touch your chest. He doesn’t flinch.

“Sorry–” You begin.

“My fault,” he insists, “was just making sure the tractor’s read for tomorrow.”

“Oh? Tomorrow?”

“Still lots to be done,” he says casually.

“Right,” you agree, “er, dinner’s ready.”

“You cooked?” He wonders.

“I helped,” you say as you turn and walk ahead of him.

“I saw you. With the chickens,” he follows at half a step. He’s like your very own shadow.

“You did?”

“Tractor stalled,” he supplies. “I think I figured it out though.”

“Oh, that’s good,” you reply awkwardly. You’re not used to him speaking so much. Not to you. “I made dessert tho–”

As you crane to speak over your shoulder, simultaneously lifting a foot to climb the porch steps, your toe hits the wood. You cry out and throw up your hands, bracing for impact. You don’t hit the rigid zigzag, instead caught around the waist as you hover just above them. His strength is effortless as he has you bound up in his thick arm.

Again, Walter saves you from catastrophe. He pulls you back and rights you, brushing against you as he unhooks his arm. He clears his throat and runs his hand down the front of his shirt.

“You alright?” He asks.

“Yeah, I…” you giggle and shake your head, “I’m so… all over the place right now. I’m sorry–”

“As long as you’re fine, no need to apologise,” he assures you.

“Ha, yeah,” you rub the back of your neck and look pointedly at the steps. You take each deliberately, “just needa watch where I’m going.”

He hums and trails after you. As you get to the door, he reaches around you to pull back the screen before you can. You thank him and go inside, stopping to slip off your flats as he unties his boots. The savoury scent of dinner draws you in.

You wait for him and lead him to the dining room. Your mother welcomes him in as she sits close to your father and feeds him. Timothy’s eyes flick back and forth between your parents and his plate fearfully.

“Pat,” Walter approaches the table with you, “Maddie,” he greets firmly, pulling out a chair. Before you can do the same, he gestures you into the seat before him.

“Oh, thanks…” you accept and sit down at your father’s other shoulder and Walter lowers himself into the next chair. You catch your mother’s gaze as she peeks over at you.

“Thank you for having me.”

“It’s our pleasure,” your mother insists, “really. You are helping us so much, dear. I can’t–” her voice crackles, “I can’t tell you how much it means.”

“Ma,” Timothy utters, embarrassment lining his tone.

“It’s the decent thing,” Walter says plainly.

“Would you like some meatballs?” You offer, “rice?”

“Please,” Walter nods and sits back as he watches you scoop a healthy serving of both onto his plate, “thank you.”

You recline and spoon out your own dinner. A lot less than his. You’re not very hungry. Your mom’s plate is barren as she focuses on your dad. Or you assume she does until you once more meet her eye. Her eyes drift over to Walter and back again.

“Very good,” Walter says after a bite.

“Oh, well, my daughter did all the hard work,” your mother preens.

Your furrow your brow at her lie. You are ever her helper. She told you what to fetch and to set the timer but she has to measure it all so precisely.

“Mmm, well, she was taught well, I’m sure,” Walter comments and shovels more into his mouth.

“I didn’t do that much,” you scoff as you slice into one of the large meatballs.

“Oh, of course you did, honey,” your mother chimes. “She’s a great cook, Walter, don’t let her fool you.”

You don’t argue. It isn’t the time and besides, it’s harmless. Just another distraction. She’s redirecting the attention so she doesn’t have to acknowledge the reality sitting right beside her. A few white lies are nothing compared to that.

[hibischush]

made with love

description; Reina's family teases her about her crush on Mistria's newest resident.

notes; This was a prompt by one of the lovely persons on FoM's discord! I'm on there under the username 'schramollie.' Go on over there and join the early access hype!! Also this may be a little OOC for everyone here now since there are so much more dialogue for everyone, so it may take me a while to get a grasp of the characters🌺💗

word count; 754

warnings; n/a

“Reinaaaa, why won’t you share any of those desserts with us?” Maple pouted, dramatically sliding down past the countertop and out of view, to try (and fail) to sway the young chef’s mind. Luc stood on standby, always there as an advisor to his sister’s ‘diplomatic discussions', which often included begging for sweets. 

Reina rolled her eyes, slowly working the tender fruit into her scone batter, cautious to avoid staining the entire dough a washed-out pink.

“I’ve already told you, Maple, this isn’t for you. Were you the one that grew these strawberries?”

Luc watched as Maple flopped on the ground with a groan, and readjusted his glasses, huffing.

"Reina, how come you never share the food you make with the farmer's crops? I kind of got it the first few times, but now it's just unfair."

Right before Reina opened her mouth to return a quick quip to her little brother's whining, her mother walked by in a rush to the soup pot.

"Dears, let Reina figure out her feelings for that cute farmer. You know what Reina puts in every treat she makes: " Josephine paused to let her two youngest complete her saying with her, which they eventually did: "lots of love!"

Maple jolted upright with the realization, while Luc just grinned devilishly.

Reina could feel warmth rush to her head.

“That’s why you make them so much food! You want to show them that you looooove them. You have a crush on the farmer!” Maple squealed, jumping up and down. 

“Ma!” 

Josephine ladeled some soup into a to-go cup and shushed her eldest as she left the inn. "Oh, hush, darling, don’t act like I don’t see the way you look at them.” She chuckled, slamming the doors behind her. 

The moment of silence after everyone digested what happened was deafening. Reina internally kicked herself. She couldn’t stop her feelings when it came to the farmer. Not only were they kind and hardworking, they were generous. Especially to Reina. 

Reina could have sworn that her heart exploded with excitement when they stopped by the inn to hand her freshly picked produce. She was so delighted, in fact, scanning over all the items in the wicker basket and brainstorming dishes to include them in, that she nearly missed the angelic way the farmer gently laughed at her, setting the crops on the table. 

“Reina, you really are cute when you get excited about food. I think I might just have to keep bringing you ingredients from now on.”

She still hasn’t been able to move on from that memory without her heart skipping a beat (and her cheeks flushing when thinking about the way their toned muscles flexed beautifully in the early morning sun). 

Reina groaned, fighting the urge to hide her face in front of her two siblings, and instead poured the dough onto the flour-dusted counter to cut the scones into their signature triangular shape. She was determined to finish this before dying of embarrassment. 

“Reina, we’ll help you,” Luc said innocently, sidling up to his sister.

She narrowed her eyes and muttered with annoyance, “You are not going to help me bake these scones.”

“No, not with that. We’ll help you make the farmer like you back!”

She didn’t know that she could blush any deeper than she did before, but the gods were testing her limits today. Maple squealed again and ran around to join them. 

“Yeah! We’ll help you! And I’m sure Dell will help us too.”

Reina almost threw the prepared sheet pan into the hot oven while pulling out the first batch. She needed to get out of this kitchen and away from her impish siblings. “Guys, that’s not how relationships work.”

"Sure, they do! That’s how the nobility manages marriages in the capital! We’ll do all the arranging for you!”

She set the pan of fragrant scones down on the counter, defeated. She knew she shouldn’t have read that book about Noble Society & Customs to her little sister before bedtime.

“This is something that I should do myself, not leave to you two,” she sighed.

“Leave what to who?” a familiar voice called out, lugging a large basket of goods into the building. To Reina’s horror, it was the farmer. They smiled sheepishly at her. Her heart fluttered. 

Slowly turning to Maple and Luc, she whispered:

“Four scones. And you two don’t say anything about this conversation to anyone and go to your rooms.”

Maple and Luc shared glances before grinning.

“Deal.” They whispered.

Now that the EA is here, y'all will be gettin' more canon fics for sure. Also go play the game. It is everything anyone has ever wanted and its just in its EA form!

[nathancone]

Interview: Ellen Evans, co-owner of Earth Burger

For a decade now, San Antonio-based Earth Burger has been pioneering plant-based food at their flagship burger stand, located near Loop 410 and Blanco in the Park North shopping center. The key to their success? It’s freaking delicious, from the crispy fries to the signature Earth Burger, which has a flavor profile that pleased even my meat-and-potatoes father! Earlier this summer I took a few minutes after our meal to chat with Ellen Evans, “Director of Community Love” at Earth Burger. She also happens to be one of the two founders of the company, along with her husband Paul, and chef Mike Behrend, who also creates the delicious dishes at  Green Vegetarian Cuisine. Our interview below has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Read on to learn more about how going plant-based for even a day a week can be beneficial to both you, and the planet!

Nathan Cone: When you started this, what were you hoping for?

Ellen Evans: We really wanted a place where we could stop and get the kids something to eat quickly, because between the time we'd opened Green to Earth Burger, we had started families. So our children are the main reason we opened Earth Burger.

Has that been borne out by the clientele that comes in, [has it been families]?

The clientele really amazes me, because really it's all demographics, from young to young kids to grandparents, seniors, all ethnicities, everyone seems to have embraced Earth Burger, not just one demographic.

What kind of feedback do you get?

The people who are trying us are the… I would say that they're the cuisine curious, you know? They want to try it for the first time. Maybe they just want to eliminate meat one day out of the week. Obviously, we do have a captured audience with the plant-based and vegetarian community in town, but for those who try us for the first time, they're just amazed at just the flavors and the creativity that we've created at Earth Burger and we've really been a model to the rest of the nation when it comes to fast food, plant-based.

I saw at one point that there was a there were franchise options…

Yes, most definitely. All markets right now are available for franchising. Though, some states have tighter franchising rules, so it's a little bit harder to get in there. But right now, the Texas market is wide open.

There are a lot of documentaries and articles about different segments of the population that are embracing plant-based diets. And they may not be thinking of it in terms of, like, “I'm eating plant-based” but there was, like, an article at NPR a couple of years ago about the Latino audience, and their favorable response to plant based [food]. There was that documentary “The Invisible Vegan” a few years ago about the Black community in New York. It's interesting that that's out there.

Whenever a new documentary comes out, whether it's “The Game Changers,” it's “Forks Over Knives,” et cetera, that always creates a new ground swell of new customer base who want to try and change their diet and just try and eat a little bit more healthfully… I do not claim that our food is healthy, but it is a “better for you” option than your next fast food restaurant around the corner, and it does take up less of a footprint on the planet when it comes to emissions and whatnot.

And how about flavors that you're looking at in terms of… what are you developing?

You know, our flavor profile is really where it's at. That's where we stand out. There's other places around the state that opened up plant-based burger stands and whatnot. But really, we've put so much thought and care into our home curated sauces and how we prepare our burgers that we stand out as as really a winner. And you can just look at our reviews and see that. Our goal has always been to provide really tasty, flavorful food that has always just been plant-based.

Anything that we didn't talk about that you think you want to mention?

We would not have made it for 10 years without our customer base and without the support of San Antonio. So I would just like to thank everyone, even if you've only tried Earth Burger once, just thank you for putting your faith in us and your support in us, for us to represent you.

[2baddiesfanfics]

From Liyue With Love

Pairing: Beidou x Ningguang

Tags: Birthday, Valentine's Day, Birthday Sex, Presents, Scissoring, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering

Summary:

Beidou has always been more partial to Valentine's Day than the other event that happens to fall on the same date. Ningguang wants to change that. In the end, they discover they've both got the best gifts either of them could hope for.

Read on Ao3

The chain of the gold necklace shimmered as Beidou held it up to the light of the mid-day Liyue sun. She’d stopped at Mingxing Jewelry to pick up the Valentine’s Day gift she had special ordered for the Tianquan who held her heart. Over the years she had imported many ores and gems one could only find from the furthest reaches of Sumeru to the deepest seas of Fontaine just for Xingxi’s store.

“Is it to your liking, captain? I admit, I took a few liberties with the instructions you left me,” Xingxi stated hesitantly.

Beidou ran her thumb across the small heart-shaped pendant, the cold stones chilling her skin. The two halves glistened in their respective signature colors - amethyst for her electro, citrine for Ningguang’s geo.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “Thanks, Xingxi! Knew I could count on you.”

The shopkeeper smiled gently. “I’m so happy to hear it.”

Beidou plopped a sizable sack of mora on the counter but was taken aback when Xingxi pushed it toward her.

“Captain, I appreciate that you think so highly of my handiwork, but I fear this is far too much. Half of that is more than enough. Consider it a birthday discount,” she replied with a wink.

She blinked, unsure of how to respond. If she didn’t have Ningguang in her life, today would be like any other. Commemorating Valentine’s Day was fun for many reasons. Beidou relished any chance she could get to show the Tianquan what she meant to her. The other yearly occurrence that happened to be on the same day…she had never seen a reason to celebrate.

Beidou swallowed back the dark emotions that threatened to burst forth. “Gee… thanks, Xingxi. Wait a second…how did you know it was my-“

The shopkeeper let out a chuckle. “Captain…how could I not? It’s all Lady Ningguang has been talking about for days.”

With a blush spreading across her face, Beidou nodded her head in gratitude and started the lengthy trek to the Jade Chamber.

“Captain Beidou! It’s so nice to see you here,” Baishi said suspiciously loud. She had greeted her right before the doors to Ningguang’s office, which Beidou found unusual.

“Uh, yeah, you too, Baishi. Is the Tianquan in?”

The secretary looked nervously over her shoulder. “Um…she’s a little-“ A loud crash came from the other side of the door, and Beidou looked ready to rush in.

“Ning? Are you okay in there?”

A swirl of platinum blonde hair appeared in the doorway. “Yes, captain, everything is quite alright. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some…business to wrap up. It’ll only be a few minutes.”

Beidou cocked an eyebrow. “You sure you’re good?”

Ningguang stared daggers at her. “Do you mean to insinuate I don’t know what I’m doing, captain?”

She held up her hands in defense. “Not at all. Continue,” she said with a smug smirk.

After passing the time chatting with Baishi, Beidou was relieved to hear Ningguang’s voice echo through the double doors once more.

“You may enter now. Baishi, please let Baiwen and Baixiao know you are all free to go home for the evening.” After a quick “goodnight,” the woman left to find her coworkers.

Beidou swiftly entered the room and was caught completely off guard by the sight before her. Ningguang had donned a dark blue strapless dress that sparkled like moonlight on the ocean’s surface.

A quiet “wow” was the most she could manage. Her attention was quickly directed to the table behind her, however. It had been set for dinner, complete with a tall glass of Beidou’s favorite lager imported from Inazuma. The scent of flash-fried filet, her favorite dish, wafted through the room, making her stomach growl.

“Baobei…did you…did you cook all this?”

Ningguang glided over to her side. “I may have asked Chef Mao’s girl to walk me through some things, but yes,” she answered as she took Beidou’s hand in hers. “Happy birthday, my love.”

Beidou felt the room spin around her. The weight of such careful planning hit her in full force.

“What’s wrong? Is it not to your liking?”

She hadn’t realized tears had started to drip down her cheeks.

“No! Archons…no. I love it. It’s just…I’m not used to this. I’ve always associated my birthday with wishing I hadn’t been born.”

Ningguang’s grip on her hand tightened. “How could you say that, Beidou?”

The captain wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I mean…Valentine’s Day is much more important, don’t ya think? I’d rather celebrate love than a curse like me.”

A look of intense sorrow came over Ningguang. She leaned her forehead on Beidou’s, forcing her to make eye contact. “You are not a curse, dear heart. Those villagers were ignoramuses who believed in mumbo-jumbo bullshit. Please. Let’s celebrate you tonight, hmm? I can think of no one more deserving,” she said as she took her by the hand and led her to the table.

“Well, one thing’s for sure. I’m not about to let this go to waste. Thank you so much, baobei.”

Ningguang smiled at the return of her signature sense of humor. The women sat down and thoroughly enjoyed every last bite as they chatted about their respective weeks.

“Whew. I couldn’t eat another bite! My compliments to the chef. You sure you don’t want to join my crew and cook for all of us?”

Slightly buzzed on her own glass or three of wine, Ningguang let out a hearty laugh. “Oh please. It was one dish! But I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Chugging the rest of her beer, Beidou let out a satisfied sigh. “Shame there’s no dessert, though. Could really go for something sweet after this.” She shifted her hooded gaze to lock eyes with the Tianquan. Ningguang had been with her long enough to recognize this was a different kind of hunger.

“Who said I didn’t have something prepared for your sweet tooth?” She replied seductively as she got up to get closer to her. “Did you honestly think this was all I got you?” Ningguang hiked her dress up as she positioned herself to straddle her lover’s lap. Beidou’s eyes drifted to the garter straps peeking out from under the fabric and had to control herself from ripping them off with her teeth.

“You mean there’s a feast after the feast?” She asked, lips already wandering across her chest and up her neck.

“Hmmm…it’s prepared. You just have to devour it,” Ningguang half-moaned.

“Then don’t mind if I do,” Beidou said as she grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her effortlessly. Their mouths locked as the Tianquan wrapped her arms around her neck for support. The captain knew the way to the private sleeping quarters of Ningguang’s office like the back of her hand and carefully navigated around the stacks of scrolls that always seemed to inevitably accumulate.

Once she made it to the bed, she set her down and crawled on top of her, continuing to show her gratitude by attending to every inch of her body. Her dress was far too beautiful to remove, so she worked around whatever skin was left uncovered.

She was delectable in so many ways, and Beidou couldn’t help but repay her kindness in the only way she knew would come close. As she situated herself between her thighs, she shifted the fabric of her dress up to her hips to provide her with enough access.

Ningguang could only let out contented sighs and groans as the captain took her time savoring and teasing her. Beidou kissed her inner thigh, causing her to spread herself wider in anticipation. Whether this was a gift for Beidou or Ningguang, neither of them cared. They were lost in each other. Finally, the captain moved the crotch of the Tianquan’s panties to the side and tasted the unique but familiar flavor of her arousal.

“Archons…Beidou, your tongue feels so good…”

“Louder for me, baby. Let me hear how good I make you feel,” she commanded before swiveling it inside of her. The buck of Ningguang’s hips drove her deeper and caused her to moan. She held them down as she continued the practiced movements she knew would make her come undone. Desperate for connection, the Tianquan covered Beidou’s hands with her own.

“Fuck…Beidou…yessssss…” Between the captain’s muffled grunts and her own mewls of pleasure, Ningguang came with a shudder.

Beidou plopped onto her side next to where Ningguang lay on the bed dizzy on alcohol and her orgasm. The Tianquan rolled to face her and softly stroked the captain’s face with her well-manicured fingers.

“Well, that was just lovely. But I do believe I need to exchange a gift of my own. For without you being born today, I would not have a love worth celebrating. The archons gave me my heart on the most romantic day of the year.” Ningguang leaned in and kissed her with a passion unmatched.

The Tianquan tasted the salty tang of Beidou’s tears. To this day the captain still wasn’t used to this poetic tenderness. Sure, she and Ningguang had been together for a while, but she wasn’t usually this romantic. Beidou placed her hands on her waist and pulled her closer.

Their tongues clashed as hands roamed, divesting one another of any remaining clothing until their body heat was the only thing keeping them warm. Ningguang grabbed Beidou’s leg and placed it on her hip as she moved her hand between the two of them to her drenched core.

“What you lack in words your body certainly makes up for,” she teased as she ran her thumb across Beidou’s clit. The captain jolted in response to the stimulation.

“Ning…” She quietly breathed into her ear sending goosebumps down the Tianquan’s spine.

Collecting her arousal, she easily inserted two fingers into her. Moving them in and out, she slowly stroked her thumb across her sensitive bud in time with her movements. She continued her ministrations as she kissed down Beidou’s neck and across her chest. The captain’s flushed face and high-pitched moaning of her name alerted her she was close. Ningguang sped up her thrusts and crashed her mouth against her lover’s as she spasmed around her.

The two women held each other tightly reveling in the happiness and love they shared.

“Oh! Before I forget…” Beidou quickly hopped off the bed to fish around in the pocket of the bag she had brought with her. Producing a small wooden box, she placed it in Ningguang’s outstretched hand. “Happy Valentine’s Day, baobei. A treasure for my treasure.”

Ningguang rolled her eyes endearingly at the terrible pun. Turning her gaze back toward what she now held in her palm, she pried it open and gasped when she saw the contents.

“B-Beidou…this…this is gorgeous!” She gasped. Instinctively she turned around and pulled her hair back so the captain could do the honors. The necklace was surprisingly light considering the weight of the emotion it held. “I love it and will cherish it forever,” she exclaimed as she took her face in her hands. “Just like you.”

Beidou beamed at her girlfriend’s excitement. “I’m glad. I only brought Xingxi the materials. She was the one who worked her magic.”

Ningguang whipped around to her side table and immediately pulled out her own gift. Beidou couldn’t help but giggle at the ornate packaging that was so very…Ningguang.

“Now, you’ll have to let me know if this isn’t to your tastes. It’s nowhere near as ornate as what you’ve gifted me, but I hope you’ll still enjoy it,” she warned as Beidou began to carefully pull the paper away. Soon, it was revealed to be a beautiful photo album. Pictures of memorable moments decorated each page.

Beidou standing by the Alcor, newly purchased with help from Ningguang. Their first lantern rite together. The time Beidou took Ningguang on a trip to Inazuma to meet the sly fox of a light novel publisher she knew she’d want to do business with. A snapshot of the both of them deep in thought pondering over a chessboard. The rest of the photos started to blur through eyes glistening once again with unshed tears.

“I had that lovely little photographer from The Steambird help me restore some of the old photographs I had lying around. I figured it might help if you had something to look at when you were away on longer voyages.”

“Ning…I don’t have words. This is…this is incredible. And perfect. Just like you.”

The Tianquan smiled mischievously. “And…you haven’t gotten to the end yet. Go ahead and turn a few more pages,” she teased. Beidou did as she was told and was greeted by insanely risqué shots of Ningguang in barely-there lingerie…as well as some with her in nothing at all. She snapped the album shut quickly, her face turning red.

“Holy shit. I’m going to need to go another round after that.”

Beidou crawled on her hands and knees toward Ningguang, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer. She wrapped her legs around Beidou’s waist, their mouths clashing once again.

Their cores aligned, they were both reduced to a moaning mess as their bodies shook with need for one another.

“Baobei,” Beidou groaned between kisses, “You’re the…best gift…I could ever hope to…receive.”

The Tianquan wrapped her arms around her, yanking her closer for added pressure. Beidou moved her hips in time with Ningguang’s, their now over-stimulated buds sliding against one another ferociously.

The sound of ragged breathing, sighs of pleasure, and the gentle rattle of a necklace chain swirled in a symphony throughout the room. The captain slid a hand between them, adding additional sensation to Ningguang’s clit.

“Come with me, love,” Beidou whispered as she held her tightly. The two women once again found release, their movements slowing as their orgasms came to a dull throb.

Ningguang clasped the pendant she now wore around her neck. “Beidou, you’ll have to tell me - what does it feel like to be the richest woman in Teyvat?”

Beidou propped herself up on her elbow as she cocked a curious eyebrow at the woman she loved. “Why, Lady Tianquan…whatever do you mean?”

“Mora is easy to come by. But you own something truly priceless - my heart.”

“Now that,” Beidou said as she placed a kiss on her forehead, “is the best birthday gift I will ever receive.”

[unitchiefs-blackbirdphoenix]

CME 17x01 Spoilers/Thoughts

(Yes I know I’m late on posting it but I did watch it on the premiere time 😭 and did a rewatch)

Also for those who haven’t seen the premiere, trigger warnings for suicide (at around 33:00-35:00), enucleation (surgical procedure on eyes). and mention/aftermath of tongue-cutting.

Guy (identified as Don Bertoli) comes into police station with his dead wife in his arms. This was from the trailer and he got on his knees, in trauma and shock.

Oh my god, it's enucleation ughhhhh!! I can't do that. I can't do anything with eyes

Emily going to meeting with the officers alone. Oh god I can already tell this is her pushing herself into work bc of Bailey’s death in 16x10 :(

Penelope’s birthday!! 🥳🧁📖 (there’s a reason I used these 3 emojis specifically 🤭) the whole team minus Emily is there.

Omg what just happened??

“Queef lessons” is something I never thought I would hear from this show omg

OHH Luke just… that was his turn, the queef lessons

Ok I actually have no idea what they’re playing, but it’s “To whom it may concern…”

Rossi: “the department of old man woodies and will no longer participate with dat ass”

JJ looks so comfy in her sweater 🥰 I love her so much

Rossi having hallucinations of Voit

The 3 emojis I just used earlier were in Tyler’s text to Garcia, and ugh the awkward exchange with Luke. He did not need to know about the book thing Penelope!

Not Garcia overthinking the text 😭

Omg omg Jara moment!!

JJ sitting on the counter and drying the dishes, my girl :)

Jennifer Jareau has finally surpassed the TV-14 swearing 🥳🥳 “You know, I always thought that the time we got to be this age, all the bullshit would go away.”

And she says it so naturally too! (Just waiting on her saying fuck later haha) I feel more content now that we have JJ cussing multiple times this season 🥰 my girl deserves it

JJ calling Tara “hot” 👀 Jennifer Jareau I know what you are

JJ being supportive 🏳️‍🌈 ally (or is she one of them? 👀)

Will just got called into work and JJ honestly does not seem…. happy? Almost resigned and the way the camera lingers on her after saying that and pouring wine into her glass. (I love willifer but this is concerning me)

JJ immediately changing the subject omg girl. “You heard from Emily? Thought she'd be here tonight.” We just jumped from talking about your husband to talking about your work wife lol

Tara saying that Emily is going through it since Bailey died, then JJ being all sad and sighs before going “wish we could convince her of that.” JJ was so worried for Emily. (Jemily moment in s17 better involve this)

“Definitely not a book” oh Luke

Emily working solo for the night and she texted Tara to meet her

Tara and Emily smoking on the rooftop!! I’m not a huge smoking cigarettes fan but this…. I love it. Emily stress smokes [canon]

Lauren Reynolds callback!!

“In another life, I worked a joint task force on international terrorism” oh Emily 😭. She still considers that part of her as the old (dead) Emily Prentiss.

Gold star bullets reminds Emily of the playing cards troops left on dead terrorists as part of their signature

Tara worrying that Emily might be seeing something she wants to see and protecting the team bc of it

Emily feeling bad she missed Garcia’s party and offering to get her something, oh I love them

The file… DOJ chain of custody - it’s Rebecca that requested!!

Yep!

Well , well, well, Voit. We meet again.

Oh no Rebecca

JJ, Luke and Rossi being the first to be angry about Voit being in the FBI building. That’s pretty valid tbh bc Voit did almost blow up Luke and JJ, and trapped Rossi in a shipping container.

Director of the FBI is…. Agent Phil Coulson of the Agents of SHIELD!

Fuck you Voit. And fuck you, too, Director.

Gold Star is possibly a codenamed person, and they’re leaving secret messages or calling cards. And possibly government trained?

JJ being upset and she isn't hiding it.

Luke and JJ flinching and covering themselves when Rossi threw a mug at the wall :(

Gold Star as possible national security threat??

Tara and Rebecca, oh no.

Oh shit, oh no, Rebecca. I love you girl but you shouldn't have said that.

Rossi hallucinating again

Emily coming in to check on him (like 16x01)

Oh shit. "When was the last time you slept?" "When was the last time you went to mandated trauma therapy?" Damn they're really calling each other out.

JJ and Luke team up! Besties!!!

"If someone pulls a gun on my family, I'd comply" JJ-

Rossi and Emily interviewing Don Bertoli who's still in shock and not speaking.

Ok, there's flashes of enucleation done on his wife and Bertoli ends up killing himself over the guilt.

Emily trying not to cry after witnessing it. She thinks she got another person dead 😭

Not Luke suggesting they bring in Tyler omg. JJ and Tara are also like "nope."

Hahaha Rossi saying Tyler somewhat saved him by going rogue

Garcia's daily affirmations is so cute tho! "My cats are my boyfriends" and "baby girl forever" are my personal faves.

Luke really calling Tyler out, I love him for it

Rebecca givina Tara information on what Voit said to her. I know you two miss each other.

Tyler barging into the room and Penelope saying the same thought we all had "you just interrupted JJ!"

Luke agreed with Penelope and the funniest part is JJ not giving an absolute fuck about it 😂

Tara doing the same and Tyler looking at Penelope like "you didn't call her out"

Rewatching this scene later: "bang-and-burn operations" is part of CIA, which JJ would know something about probably, and her face looked she showed some recognition at Tyler saying that. Rossi says it's possibly sabotage or assassination.

Ok, there is some tongue-cutting involved on the next victim. Nothing super graphic is shown during it, but the aftermath of it is shown with the tongue.

Emily mentally beating herself up again for another dead victim :(

Oh fuck you, Director Coulson. "But he tried to kill me [Rossi]" "but he didn't"

I can't believe this is the person that bumped Emily off the list of candidates for FBI Director.

The team's going to interrogate Voit one by one.

Ohhhh I recognize those shoes..... my girl, my girl, my girl 😩😩

Jennifer fucking Jareau!

JJ saying "let's get started" is giving her 6x18 return with the same walk and the "let's get to work" line. Love the parallels!!

[lunarsilkscreen]

Food Wars! - Transforming Furikake Rice

Why did Erina fail Sohma outright, and Why did her Grandfather overturn that ruling?

The show portrays this as simply being "so unfathomably delicious, there was no choice.

...And Erina is just a stuck-up lying b*".

The characters in the show are being portrayed as being chefs with cooking experience equivalent to their character's age. So we must understand that each one has the ability to differentiate exactly how a dish was prepared, and what ingredients were used.

So why did Nakiri fail Yukihira on the spot?

First; we must remember that she went into the test as an agent to fail every potential transfer student with absolutely no way of changing her mind. Second; we must understand that she was so used to tasting some of the best dishes the world has to offer, that her standards may have been too high to proctor this test. That's not her fault; it's a product of her upbringing. And her parents didn't exactly work to help teach her that, just sort of figuring she would learn it herself. (Which she eventually does.)

Third, she literally spent the duration of the test before Yukihira showed up eating dishes that she described as Tasting "like being hit in the head with a jukebox." And "like bathing with a Westland Gorilla". Remember she had been doing this all day, and the students just now arriving also know that their entire career may be over if somebody with her clout cancels them.

And up comes this random a* chef with no clout, the first person to not recognize her in as long as she can remember. And what she feels is pity; she's worried for *him* because she's probably ruined many chef's careers and family owned diners and businesses.

She's probably seen it happen. What she doesn't want; is to keep doing that. But her she is; forced to protect her image and Tohtski Academy's image. And she has no choice but to ruin this man's whole career.

Poor guy.

And after all that, he prepared a rudimentary dish of Scrambled Eggs over Rice. He could've taken all the time in the world, and prepared *any* dish he wanted. *PLUS* IT'S NOT EVEN MORNING. WHO MAKES BREAKFAST THIS LATE IN THE DAY!?

To her; he wasn't even taking the entrance exam seriously. This demeanor told her what she needed to know; if he can't muster up enough enthusiasm to take *this* seriously, why would he take an education at Tohtski seriously?

And then she tasted his dish after being stuck in that negative mindset, and the dish Yukihira assaulted her senses exactly like the aforementioned dishes. But with that "Yukihira Signature Flair".

There wasn't even time for her to take in the smells of the food being prepared; he was so fast at preparing this dish, she didn't even see the amount of work he had put into it.

It takes gelatin 2-4 hours to set. This a*h* prepared a flavorful bone broth and turned it into jello in less than 30 minutes? As far as she knew; he pulled some random shit out of his back pocket.

In her mind; this was a defense mechanism. There's literally*NO WAY* that she knew of to prepare such a flavorful dish in such a short period of time. ESPECIALLY NOT A UMAMI SAVORY GELATO FROM SCRATCH.

He must've cheated. There's no other way. It was good, but this kid's demeanor, the time spent, everything didn't quite add up in a way that, even her experience could understand.

Remember; she literally knows thousands of dishes and preparation methods she had been training since she was born. AND THIS F* DID SOMETHING SO FAR OFF-META SHE COULDNT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

He did cheat; by the way. But in a legal way. This is why Erina's Grandfather was watching the test take place. Just for something, anything that she could have overlooked.

Her grading and analysis were spot on by ANY STANDARD SHE OR THE ACADEMY KNEW OF.

But her Grandfather was watching Soma from behind, and watched exactly what he did and how he prepared everything. And seeing that, he tasted the dish and understood two things;

Why Erina failed him, AND why Soma deserved entry into Tohtski Academy.

The dish literally defied logic.

[jokertrap-ran]

[Gakuen K] Munakata Reisi Route: Reason for Maturity Translation

*Translator’s note : MC’s name shall remain as my normal (水嶋ラン) *Gakuen K Masterlist / Gakuen K Mobile Masterlist *Spoiler FREE : Translations under cut ! Reblogs appreciated~

Fushimi: Captain, here is the sports festival’s program schedule and the layout of where all the officials are to be stationed.

Munakata: Thank you. Hmm, I see…

Munakata: Akiyama-kun, may I have the equipment list?

Akiyama: Here you go.

Munakata: Thank you.

Akiyama: Here’s a copy of it for you too.

Ran: T-Thank you.

Ran: (I never knew that holding a sports festival took so much preparation… Then again, to be fair, I was just a participant in my last school and not part of the board.)

Munakata: This should be enough tables and chairs for the number of setups we have.

Munakata: We are lacking in wireless megaphones, however. Please add 5 more to the list.

Akiyama: Understood.

Munakata: Also, it appears that the first-aid tents have not been included in this list.

Akiyama: Apologies. I’ll add them in immediately.

Munakata: Fushimi-kun, the Student Council members are slated to have their breaks at this hour.

Munakata: Please check with the vice president of the Student Council and see if we can shift the plans around.

Fushimi: Got it.

Munakata: Domyoji-kun, the BGM selection. Kamo-kun, please check the medical team’s shifts.

Munakata: And…

Ran: (Munakata-senpai’s really amazing to be dishing out orders every this way and that all at once…)

Ran: (And he even keeps tabs on the Student Council…)

Munakata: Let’s leave the audio tests to the day before the event after we review the layout and progress of everything again.

Akiyama: Captain. I’ve added the missing information.

Munakata: Thank you. There should be no problems with it now. Please bring it to Awashima-sensei for her signature of approval.

Akiyama: Roger.

Ran: What should I help out with, senpai?

Munakata: Please go with Akiyama-kun and check the list again.

Ran: Alright.

Munakata: I shall go check in with the headmaster to confirm the day’s schedule.

Munakata: Everyone, please gather back here once you’re done with your assigned task.

Akiyama: Shall we head off?

Ran: Yeah!

»» ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♔◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ««

Seri: Thank you for your hard work. The Captain’s really something to have organized everything to such detail.

Seri: Looks like everything will go smoothly without a hitch.

Seri: I’ll be leaving it in your hands, so please keep up the good work. Could you relay this to the Captain as well?

Akiyama: Understood. I will make sure to pass it on.

Ran: (Wow, Munakata-senpai’s really trusted by even the teachers, huh.)

»» ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♔◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ««

Akiyama: How are the club activities going for you?

▷Choice: It's fun

Ran: I thought the Blue Club was a rather serious club at first, but I feel like my impression of it has changed after I joined. Ran: The stuff we do may be tough, but everyone’s really nice, so it’s overall a very fulfilling experience. Akiyama: Hehe. That’s good to hear. I suppose the Blue Club is a good fit for you then. Ran: Really? Akiyama: Yes. That’s what I think since we also have people who quit almost as soon as they join. Ran: I see… I think it’s rather sad that they decided to quit that quickly. Akiyama: You already sound like one of us with that mindset.

▷Choice: I still have some worries about it...

Ran: There are actually some things that I still worry about even now. Akiyama: Really? Ran: I’m still not used to the things the Club does, so there are still times when I worry that I’m dragging the others down with my incompetence. Akiyama: I see… but the more you do it, the more you’ll get used to it, and you’ll pick it up soon enough. Akiyama: I think the most important thing in the end is whether you enjoy being part of the Blue Club. Ran: Akiyama-senpai… Thank you. I really enjoy being here! Akiyama: That’s good.

Akiyama: Are you getting used to school life here yet?

Ran: Yup! It’s been fun here since I got to make lots of friends!

Ran: But…

Akiyama: But? You can come to me if you’re facing any problems.

Ran: About my abilities… I’ve yet to get any news on that front.

Akiyama: Don’t worry about that. Should anything happen, the Blue Club will protect you.

Akiyama: We’ve received orders from the Captain to do everything we can to stop you if your Ability happens to go berserk.

Ran: Wait, really? That’s the first time I’m hearing of this.

Akiyama: Yes. The Captain is the type of person to think things through. And I’m sure he’s placing especial attention on you, considering everything.

Ran: (He was…?)

Ran: He’s a really amazing person, isn’t he? He’s even watching out for me despite being busy with both his presidential roles at the Student Council and the Blue Club.

Ran: And he doesn’t look or feel like a high-schooler at all with how calm and collected he always carries himself…

Akiyama: Of course. He did spend two years studying abroad.

Ran: Huh? He studied abroad!? And for two whole years too…

Akiyama: I do not know what he was studying overseas, but I’m sure the experience has contributed much to his daily life.

Ran: That’s amazing… Now I understand why he’s so mature.

Ran: (He wasn’t just older than his cohort, but an actual adult)

»» ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♔◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ««

Akiyama: Oh, it looks like the Captain has returned as well. Let’s hurry and make our way back.

Ran: Yeah.

»» ━━━━━━━ ∘◦♔◦∘ ━━━━━━━ ««

Next Scene: Cavalry Battle Horse

[sweetandglovelyart]

I like your OCs quite a bit. So here's a few questions for you. Go crazy.

🤝🗣️⭐️🛒🏠Gem 🤝🍱🍎🗡️🪄 Cintia

🤝🤫🥺🎮🏠Trixie

*The 🤝 emoji is mostly for elaboration, i'm aware they all have connections to canon characters. I'd like to hear more.

They might be too many, so pick and choose which ones you feel like answering!

Thank you very much for the ask! Don’t worry about sending too many, I’ll answer all of them!

For Gem:

🤝: Does your OC have any important connections to any canon characters?

Gem is Daroach’s ex-girlfriend/first love, and she was also good friends with Spinni and Storo. She viewed Doc as a father figure since he was always very kind and fatherly to her and her own father wasn’t a very good dad. Gem hasn’t seen any of the Squeaks since she and Daroach split up, but they may all be reuniting very soon… 👀

🗣️: If you could cast a voice actor to voice your OC who would you choose?

I would pick Sarah Stiles to voice her. I made a little OC voice headcanon video a while back where I used some clips of Sarah Stiles voicing Spinel from Steven Universe for Gem’s section, Gem’s homeworld is based off of New York City so I see her as having a little bit of a New York/Brooklyn accent like Spinel, and Gem performs as a singer when she’s not doing mob activities so I felt like it would make sense to pick a voice actress for her who’s also a singer.

⭐️: If your OC got their own spinoff game what would it be about and what would the gameplay be like?

Since Gem is a mobster, I could see it being a mafia-themed mystery visual novel type of thing.

🛒: If your OC owned a shop, what would they sell?

It’s not exactly a shop, but Gem does own a restaurant/club that’s a front for her mob activities. She performs there as a singer and sells really delicious Italian food lmao

🏠: Where does your OC live?

Gem lives on a planet called Muridia, which is the Squeaks’ homeworld in my AU. It’s based very heavily off of New York City. The name Muridia comes from Muridae/Murids, the family that mice and rats are members of. Since they’re all little mouse people I thought this would be a fitting name for their homeworld.

For Cintia:

🤝: Does your OC have any important connections to any canon characters?

Cindee is Meta Knight and Dedede’s daughter, and Kirby views her sort of like his little sister. After they saw Taranza and Susie with Clover, Meta Knight and Dedede decided that they wanted to have a child together as well, so they visited the aliens that cloned Clover and asked them to clone a child for them, and that’s how they got Cindee.

🍱: If your OC had a dish themed around them at the Kirby Cafe, what would it be?

I could see it being some sort of chocolate dessert or a fancy little drink. The dessert or drink could also maybe have a moon motif since Cindee’s signature symbol is a crescent moon. For a drink, maybe it could be something like a blueberry soda or blue butterfly pea flower bubble tea and it could have a crescent moon or bat wings as a garnish.

🍎: What are some foods that your OC enjoys eating?

I could see her really enjoying chocolatey desserts/enjoying sweets in general like Meta Knight.

🗡️: What is your OC’s weapon of choice?

Meta Knight is training her to use a sword and Dedede is training her to use a hammer. I could see her using both in combat, maybe she’d have a sword in one hand and a hammer in the other when fighting and she’d find a way to combine attacks using both weapons.

🪄: Does your OC use magic? If they do, how did they gain their magical abilities?

I actually haven’t thought about whether or not she can use magic. I forget if Dedede and Meta Knight are able to use any magical attacks, I’ll have to look into that/remind myself of what they can do and then get back to you. It would make sense for Cindee to inherit a little bit of magic if her parents can use it.

For Trixie:

🤝: Does your OC have any important connections to any canon characters?

Trixie is Susie’s mother and is Max’s ex-wife. After Susie disappeared Trixie and Max eventually divorced since they were dealing with their grief in different ways/were arguing more and finding it hard to support each other in their grief, and they eventually cut contact with each other after the divorce. When Susie eventually returned and reunited with her dad, she got the impression that her mother had died while she was gone, so she isn’t aware that her mother is still alive and Trixie isn’t aware that Susie is still alive. Not yet, at least… 👀

🤫: Does your OC have any secrets?

I wouldn’t say that they’re secrets, but there are a few things that have happened to Trixie/things that have gone on in her life following Susie’s disappearance that Susie isn’t yet aware of. I’d elaborate on this, but if I do it’ll spoil some of what I have planned for my AU.

🥺: What is your OC’s biggest regret?

Trixie’s biggest regret is not going in to work with Max and Susie on the day that Susie disappeared. Normally they would all go as a family and Susie would do her own thing while her parents were working, but on the day Susie disappeared Trixie was feeling sick and decided to stay home so Max and Susie went by themselves. Trixie regrets not being able to spend those last few moments with her daughter before her disappearance, and she wonders if she could have done something to prevent it from happening if she had been there.

🎮: What Kirby game or what point in the Kirby series timeline would your OC first appear?

She first appears after Star Allies but before Kirby Fighters 2. I can’t really elaborate on how Susie and the other characters encounter her because it’s a bit of a spoiler for what I have planned, but Trixie and Susie reunite at this point in the timeline.

🏠: Where does your OC live?

Trixie lives on her and Susie’s homeworld, M’Jael. I’ll elaborate on this some more when I get to the Susie redemption arc comic that I’m planning to start posting next year, because I plan to show their homeworld in it, but M’Jael is a planet that I’m basing heavily off of the USA. Speaking as an American myself, I figured that it would make sense for Trixie, Max, and Susie to be from a world that’s essentially the USA lmao, it would explain the capitalism and the colonizing of other people’s planets. M’Jael has several colony planets that some members of Susie’s species live on, but Trixie, Max, and Susie are from M’Jael itself and not one of its colonies. The name M’Jael is an anagram of Majel. I named the planet after the actress Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, she played several important characters in Star Trek and voiced most of the ship computers in various Star Trek shows, so I thought it’d be a nice homage to name a planet of alien-robot people after an actress who’s played an alien and a robot lmao, I’m a big Star Trek fan and I see a lot of parallels between Star Trek and Kirby, so I like slipping little Star Trek references into my Kirby stuff. It’s pretty easy to reference Star Trek in anything having to do with Susie because of Star Trek being set in the future/having a lot of futuristic technology.

[beneathtreemomo]

I'm really proud of how this scene in particular is turning out in my trolls fic so have half of the wip before I explode please:

----

One of the twins—Mallen? Fern?—barreled past Dustin and Bruce; Bruce yelped, calling after them to be more careful. Dustin, on the other hand, looked ready to bolt with his fur sticking up straight and arms locked onto each other, hugging himself as his tail curled around his legs, away from any paths the children might take.

Laughing, Bruce turned to Dustin--probably apologizing for his kids’ recklessness-- and Floyd watched with a scowl as Dustin shot himself back into an easy-going posture, the picture of unbothered, before Bruce had finished turning around.

Floyd sunk further into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

The silence between him and Mayday was only broken as Bruce hefted up a stack of plates taller than his body. Dustin visibly panicked, his hands floundering in the air, unsure of where to put them to help keep the plates from wobbling, and a soft chuckle drifted from where Mayday sat.

Floyd didn't see what was so funny. It felt like a lie, watching Dustin worry over his brother. He didn't deserve to be there, chatting with Bruce like they were friends.

Bruce, none-the-wiser to the fact Dustin was only playing a part, looked surprised at whatever Dustin was saying, then smiled and nodded before Dustin carefully took half the stack from his arms into his own. They walked together towards the cabinets the plates belonged in, Bruce chatting away with Dustin only a few steps behind, his smile slowly slipping.

Irritation flared to life in Floyd's chest at the sight, hot and sharp. "He doesn't even look like he enjoys being here!" He growled, motioning to the source of his ire.

"No," Mayday agreed with an idle hum, watching Dustin trail after Bruce and try to avoid crashing into three of Bruce's kids at the same time. Dustin’s eyes were wide and panicked, lips parted slightly as he froze between telling the kids to be careful and minding his own business.  "But he was worried about you enough to come anyway."

That one confirmation was like they’d dunked him in a bucket of cold water. The anger sizzled away as quick as it had come, replaced with a bitterness that burned acrid on his tongue.

He turned their words over in his head, half his focus on watching Dustin help Bruce with cleaning up. It felt like there was something else that wasn't being said, even past Dustin's clear distaste of anything having to do with Bruce's family.

It was interesting to see how he loosened up whenever the kids were further away, only to tense once more when they came within rushing distance. It was… odd, too.

A little concerning, actually, should he be honest.

He’d been wondering this for a few days now, as he sat and watched Dustin interact with everyone on the island, but now that Mayday had all but confirmed Dustin didn’t want to be on Vacay, it was even more obvious.

Dustin was acting like a skittish animal, afraid of getting cornered.

Something twisted sharp in Floyd’s chest; his heart felt like lead, stuck as a ball in his throat. He refused to name the reason behind the feeling, rubbing at his chest like it would make the ache go away.

Unable to look at Dustin any longer, he turned his attention to the troll beside him—and felt his heart stop.

Her eyes were locked onto Dustin, her signature smirk gone in place of worry deep enough it made Floyd's hands tremble.

Why are you looking at him like that?

“May…” Floyd startled himself as the name slipped from his lips, telling himself to shut up, shut up, shut up--, but needing to know. “Did…”

The words died out in his throat the moment Mayday looked at him. He looked away.

“Nevermind.”

This time, the silence that fell between them made Floyd’s skin itch.

Back over in the kitchen, Bruce stood alone by the cabinets, looking confused as Dustin all but fled now that the dishes had all been put away.

Coward, Floyd thought. He tried to convince himself it was Dustin he was talking about.

[nadekofannumber1]

For the cafe collabs for nademono I always imagined a 5 piece but after thinking I realize a 4 piece with a sauce would also make sense

You see if you get 4 different fried things and a sauce it adds differentiations to the concept of them being written and drawn as dipping in sauce is like dipping a pen in ink + you can even write a nadeko signature at the bottom as a concept.

However the reverse could also work, one type of fried dish with 4 sauces on the side as a representation of nadeko putting on different forms of nadeko to become a different facet of self.

There’s a lot of ways to go about it tbh, I could also see them doing yakisoba bc that’s just Nadeko’s actual favorite food. They haven’t been doing noodles for Nadeko collab dishes just for the hair bit.

Granted they could always go for the 5 dessert plan or a thing with 4 distinct toppings/things on a greater object that is nadeko.

I don’t see society as ready for the 5 layer nadeko dish/drink. I think tart flavors better represent nadeko for sweet things bc of the clash of sweet and not and the tartness of a dish can be raised relative to arc, I think a nadeko drink should be a “pick me up” but not super refreshing. Refreshingness in my mind is a sliding scale relative to character vibes or coping mechanisms or openings. But that’s not the same as how caffeinated or how sweet a drink is. And the type of refreshing also depends on the vibes. Does one think of sodachi as more affogato or dalgona? Or is she more of a fruit based drink with egg foam or cheese foam (that may or may not be caffeinated)? That’s up to personal interpretation. I think Nadeko for desserts leans for fruitier tastes bc of fruit and flower symbolism but I wouldn’t say that Nadeko has a tea vibe or a chocolate vibe, Nadeko is more in line with fruit like flavors I wouldn’t say red bean or taro quite suits her but I’d new willing to see arguments. (I think Nadeko would be the type to like red bean as a flavor but be irritated by the bean skins so the experience becomes net neutral) For things like nutty flavors I could see it working mildly but I feel like it sort of runs back around to fruity flavors though the sweet soy sauce flavor you can have on some dango could work it’s an acquired taste and doesn’t fit the type of old fashioned I think Nadeko goes by for (even if she might like it). Nadeko has historically had generally peach to strawberry flavoring in Nadeko drinks, which make sense as peach is pink to orange, and can range from sweet and floral to acidic. And the non humble strawberry plays a big symbolic role in the adaptation of nadeko Medusa. Though that’s a false strawberry but strawberries are fakes in a sense anyway bc the “seeds” are the fruit and the red part is a swollen fruit ovary. Plus false strawberries don’t taste like a lot and when someone sees the word strawberry they lock in and expect that flavor. Character color also often factors into it but I’m getting nadeko out of pink character hell you will become purple. Nadeko blueberry shake with lines of chocolate white chocolate strawberry and raspberry sauce in it would make sense tho for a drink representing the arc of nademono. Nadeko changes so much that you gotta keep inventing new drinks which is why developing a flavor system is very important to consider if you want flavor continuity between these things. I think arc by arc drinks summarizes monogatari characters better because it accounts for change. Granted, coming up with individual flavors is fine too.

The moral of the story is I should probably post my monogatari flavor in theory drink chart based on ops but with side content beliefs. And then refine it with the people of this site’s beliefs in what is ideal as a flavor profile for a character even if they dislike the flavor (I consider flavors I don’t like too and not everyone is gonna be a flavor you want.)

[orchideae]

!!!!!!!!! I don't want to turn my camera so people don't see Qiaoying Village (but these two are directly looking down to the village from atop a hill next to it) if they haven't seen it yet. Now, I know through Yelan's signature dish, that Yanshang has a delivery route directly to this village. Like I knew this, but seeing people here has me absolutely buzzing. Also, also, also, also, also. I'M BUZZING. BUZZING!! I'd put all of this under a read more, but I need it for the actual little spoiler tied to a HC (non-canon-based) at the bottom, so excuse my mania.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA IT'S CRUMBS OF MY GIRL. But also!!! This makes me so happy, it's not just a casino at night, it truly is a proper teahouse during the daytime. Aaaaaaa, I'm not a 'I'm right!!!' kind of person, but it's just... it's just nice to be like 'Okay, I'm on the right track' It's like a little confirmation that she clicks, and makes sense to me, you know? God, but also, I'm so proud. She's so multi-layered and multi-faceted and this is kicking so much more motivation into my heart even if I didn't need any more (and just need my brain to calm down after months of severe stress so I can focus), but god, she's just such a good one. I love her immensely, for so many reasons. But just, this whole thing isn't even ambition, because WE LITERALLY KNOW that she isn't ambitious per se (since she refused the position of Tianshu, even if part of the reason why is also because she doesn't want to be tied down to Liyue Harbor), she simply wants Liyue and its people to be safe (like so many who live in it, I LOVE THIS REGION WITH SUCH A BIG PART OF MY HEART, guys), it's also why she patrols the Chasm. Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Also, a little liberty of a HC that isn't tied to canon, and I wouldn't suggest peeking under the read more unless you don't care about very minor spoilers (it doesn't touch on the main SQ at all, it's tied to 'The Roaming Abode', ultimately tied to a house at a tiny distance from the village itself). So if you haven't played that specific WQ yet, don't peek! But, 1005 headcanon that Yelan has 'purchased' property here, and let me talk about it under the read more.

The Roaming Abode is a WQ that starts with a little girl who tells you that her grandfather has gone missing, or rather that he's gone to get 'blessed waters' from Mt. Xianluan for this 'divine plant' that he claimed he kept in his yard that needed that kind of water. Throughout this shorter quest, you learn that this man died (and you're left to question who the little girl is, or whether she's a little girl at all), and left behind a home in Qiaoying Village. This is what's said about both the man and his home by Uncle Luo:

Uncle Luo: He was an outsider, and we discovered that he was a bit... touched in the head the moment he arrived. He claimed that he'd picked divine herbs, but the pharmacy couldn't recognize them — much less buy them from him. Uncle Luo: But he had no other skills, and couldn't make the Mora needed to feed himself, so he had to knock on doors to ask for help. We took pity on him, and decided to feed him. His house was also built using Mora the villagers pooled together.

And then continues:

Uncle Luo: No one expected something that terrible to happen to him afterward, but once it did, everyone thought that this must've been him repaying us by protecting the village! Uncle Luo: Everyone thanked him, and thus people have been reliably caring for his own home. We're almost there, by the way.

This is the house, and the view from it. Now, I think most of us know that when a house isn't lived in, it'll inevitably fall into disrepair, no matter how much people may try to take care of its exterior and even cleaning inside if possible. A house needs to know the kind of maintenance that you can only truly give it when it's lived in. So, it's a little headcanon that as Yelan actually has a good tie to Qiaoying Village, and especially as she ages (and in my main verse, develops a tie to Fontaine), that she comes to negotiate and purchase this. Not out of greed whatsoever, but because she comes to thoroughly enjoy its environment (and if you know of her lines in the teapot, Yelan greatly enjoys tea drinking and the social aspect of it through which she learns about people), and also because it's a shame to let things get neglected to a point where they may perish at some point (I mean remember, most of Liyue consists of ruins). It's not a base of operation like Yanshang is, but it is simply a home, along with the one she has some distance away from Liyue Harbor, or she may simply replace one with the other.

Also, important to note: on top of all the above, this also works in the favor of the village in general, as now the cost of its maintenance will no longer have to keep coming from the villagers who take care of it (just like the mora to build it came from them), it will come from Yelan, which can be done through the likely decently substantial profits of Yanshang.

And to note: no, she doesn't 'take it over' as she did with Yanshang Teahouse, she literally purchases it, which also feeds money into the local community. Which is something that, based on the references above in terms of her character, Yanshang's new reputation, her loyalties, her foci— I'm confident in saying wholly fits her character.

[ranas-twisted-wonderland]

~TWST OC INTRODUCTION~

Twisted From: The jellyfish in Finding Nemo

Grade/School: Sophomore, Royal Sword Academy

Name: Rémy Karppi

Height: 162cm

Birthday: July 1 (Cancer)

Age: 17

Dominant Hand: Right

Homeland: Coral Sea

Club: Mathletes

Best Subject: Protection

Hobbies: Reading

Pet Peeves: Being called “Squishy”

Favorite Food: Noodle Dishes

Least Favorite Food: Mayonnaise

Talent: Fast at algebraic equations

~~~~~~~ Captain of RSA’s mathletes team. A little socially unaware, but she makes up for it with her scholastic prowess. Many people see her as soft or stupid, but what lies underneath is a passionate, stubborn girl who is unafraid to bite.

~~~~~~~

~Rémy’s Signature Spell~

Stinging Nettle: Her tentacles are covered in stingers that will release venom upon contact. A light sting will produce raised red lines and a burning sensation that will last roughly an hour. A severe sting will cause paralysis and an intense burning feeling for roughly 15 minutes. Both may cause blisters or itching. The only difference in her signature spell between mer and human form is that instead of her tentacles, her hands and forearms produce the venom.

~~~~~~~

~PERSONALITY AND BACKSTORY~

Rémy grew up being generally shunned by her peers (Excluding Azul), only really having positive interactions with people when they needed something from her. Because of this, she has a hard time trusting new people. HOWEVER, she is incredibly protective of the people she DOES trust, and probably puts a little too much faith in them. She met Azul when she saw him crying one day and comforted him, explaining how she knew how he felt, and they both mutually decided “yeah no this is my friend now.” In middle school, a bit after Azul and the Tweels became friends, Floyd essentially just saw a squishy dumb lil jelly girl and decided that they were friends from then on.

~~~~~~~

Fin.

[hikarikamei]

Chapter 1 - The Last Meal

I let out a sigh and looked out into the city from inside of my parent’s apartment, preparing myself to accept the endowment my parents bestowed to me as their first born. Within P0LAR1S, the biggest company Goetia LTD has advertised that if families with children volunteer to help join the fight with the ongoing demon infection happening around the city, they would take care of all living expenses. After so many years, the volunteering has now become a “blessing” for the first born to join and help their family from future financial troubles. All at the low cost of their life being owned by Goetia.

Letting out a yawn as I stretched, I went to get myself ready. I was told that we had no specific uniform as long as the clothes we wore made us comfortable enough to fight in. Once my family told me that, I knew exactly what I would want to do. Slipping on my long sleeve black bodysuit, I pulled my joggers that were able to tear away from different parts of the bottoms with one side black one side blue. I customized my look with my signature color, grabbing my bright neon blue jacket and wrapped it around my waist, clicking black and white belts into place to hang on my left. “Can’t forget this” I think to myself as I grab my blue short sleeve I slip over my right shoulder and buckle around the left side of my chest. I then walk out to the living room to place my platform shoes near the couch, unbuckled for easier access.

As the clock arms weigh down on me with every second passing, I focus on the sounds of the stove and the sizzle of bacon my mother is cooking. It may as well be my last meal with what happens to recruits, cadets, and the likes when joining Goetia LTD. My parents were ecstatic when I, the first child, had told them I would be volunteering for Goetia’s Demon Protection program. I didn’t pack much as they didn’t want us to bring too many “distractions” when we got to the property.

“My shining Hikari, today is your big day! I’m sure you can see just how proud we are about this important decision.”

Mother’s words were genuine and yet, I felt miles away too far to grasp onto reality just yet. “Yeah, that’s nice.” I replied through my teeth, attempting a smile.

My brother Hiroto, who’s tall stature hunched down to clean the dishes chimed in, “It’s really nice knowing that Hika is pretty much going to die so that our lives are free from struggle.”

“Hiro! That is uncalled for! Apologize to your sister. She volunteered to keep not only the city safe, but her home.” My mother scolded Hiroto, while Hina, the youngest of siblings, had been quietly setting the table throughout the conversation. She didn’t really speak up on conversations that brought up Goetia and their ways of protecting the city. I rolled my eyes and tried to drown out the bickering between my brother and mother, grabbing a few of the silverware sets from my sister.

“You know, I am really happy that I can keep you and our family safe.” I whispered to Hina, tucking her royal blue hair behind her ear. She turned to me and smiled so brightly, her name could rename the very orb in the sky she was named after. “I’ll be trying my hardest to be the best of the best! Not just to show off either. I’ll have to stay alive so I can see you at your graduation.” I exchanged laughter with my sister as she pushed my shoulder. Our playful banter relaxed the mood as we took our seats at the dining table. We were almost a complete family, but that was the least of my concern.

I started to dig into my protein filled breakfast, a great first meal to start the day and yet I tried to drag it out as long as possible. “So, am I dragging myself to Goetia LTD alone?” The thought rolled off my tongue before I processed it. “Oh– I mean… Am I going to be accompanied by one of you or perhaps the best case scenario… have all of you join me before I leave?” I spoke through my food, swallowing the awkwardness with each bite.

“I wish I could, but your father…” Mother had looked down at her eggs, putting her fork down. “Let’s wish you well here after breakfast, alright?”

Looking over to my siblings who both sat silently, they finished their breakfast with ease. Then, Hiroto stood up to start getting more dishes off of the dining table to keep himself busy. “Is it that no one can or no one wants to?” I said after finishing the last of my meal right before it was grabbed. “I understand that it might be eating at you that I have to ‘volunteer’ so that you all are safe from harm, but I am not going to fail.” I huffed and stood up from the table, punching my brother’s arm which made him stumble a bit with the plates. “I’ve been training up until this moment that there is no way I won’t pass their recruitment test with flying colors.”

“But what if–” My mother stammered before I walked over to her chair and bent down to my knees.

“Nothing is going to happen to me that won’t make me a stronger person. I want you, father, Hiroto, and Hina to live in peace and to know that I am the one fighting for that. Okay?” Suddenly I was pulled into one of the tightest hugs I’ve felt, and then another body had been on me, and another. It was silent for a moment, only the soft hiccups of my family could be heard. I felt like I was being embraced by the light during a summer’s day. Oh, how I wish I could stay within the warmth of the hug.

We let go of one another when we heard three knocks on our apartment door. “That must be him.” Hiroto turned to our mother before she nodded, permitting him to unlock and open the door.

“Must be who?” I asked, not expecting other visitors today. As the door opened, I stood up and went to my brother to see who this mysterious person was, but then my eyes caught a glimpse of something sharp heading straight to my brother’s neck.

I flung myself to tackle Hiroto down, narrowly missing the knife this stranger had drawn. Just as quickly the man came straight for me. Pushing myself off my brother I jumped to the side away from the stranger’s knife, before taking a hold of his arm and trying to do a wrist lock. He was quick, slipping out of my grip before flying his leg straight into the right side of my hip. I stumbled back a bit and growled. There is no way I’m letting some guy come into our home and ruin the one chance I have to keep my family safe.

I ran toward the man and just as he flew his knife at me, I lifted my leg up before flinging my heel straight down on the hilt. Now squatting, I grabbed the weapon and slid over to the stranger with the knife now pointing straight to his crotch. “How about you tell me why the hell you’re barging in here if you care about keeping all of your parts.”

That’s when I noticed, he also had another knife, the tip pointed straight at my right eye. He kept his eyes on me, branding a black face mask to cover any emotion that his eyes would not show. It seemed that he had no intention of killing me, yet I could tell that if he truly wanted to cut me out of this world he would have done so the moment my brother opened the door.

“Hello, Kamei family. My name is Luz, on behalf of Goetia LTD I am here to retrieve Ms. Hikari Kamei for her enlistment.”

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! My babe, YL, and I caught up over la mian (handpulled noodles) - she tried pumpkin soup la mian and I had pork rib soup dao xiao mian (knife cut noodles). The meat was so tender it fell off the bone and there were plenty of veggies; we also ordered extra veggies to share too. After that, I introduced her to Luckin Coffee and she fell in love with their signature coconut latte. We chatted for hours about current affairs and the stress inflation continues to cause to households.

Grace and Douglas also shared stories about people having difficulty affording nutritious meals. Douglas saw a security guard hurrying to the nearby temple for free curry vegetables and rice for his lunch. At our staff canteen, I saw people ordering a huge amount of rice and just 1 dish - either protein or veggies - and that would be lunch. Thus, we - including YL - are so against the Gaza conflict spreading in West Asia. There's a high possibility of everything being even more expensive than it already is!

In the past, Chinese restaurants would mark up menu prices during Chinese New Year. This year, several have either chosen not to do that or are offering discounts to woo diners. Many families are choosing to have reunion dinners at home. Market stalls reported a drop in business as customers choose cheaper ingredients and buy less. Some friends are making pineapple tarts, kueh bunkit (coconut cookies) and other titbits instead of purchasing them.

It may sound gloomy; in a way, it is. But life has to go on and festivals must be celebrated, even if the celebrations are less lavish. For some, it's a struggle to put nutritious meals on the table. It's normal to feel the pinch nowadays, but if we remember the less fortunate, it's easier to feel blessed for what we have. Family and I will be having our reunion dinner at a restaurant, which has been our practice for many years.

This Chinese New Year I feel humbled and also very blessed for what I have after seeing the immense suffering of the Palestinians. Over 27,000 civilians have died and over 66,000 wounded, compared to 1,200 Israeli deaths. The cruel punishment the Palestinians continue to endure is difficult to watch and read about. Even as I enjoy delicious meals and embrace my Chinese roots fiercely during the best time of the year, I'll continue praying for an end to the suffering. 下次见!

[ravagedarkness]

Spider-Man: Home Rebuilt, Chapter 49: Preparation

The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of the front door unlocking. I opened my eyes and sat up. I turned my body and placed my feet on the floor. I watched the door, getting ready in case I needed to spring forth into action to deal with an intruder. Fortunately, I was awake enough to remember that there were only two other people with the key to this place – my landlord and MJ. And, fortunately, it was the latter that was in view when the door opened. She was dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a black long-sleeved button-up shirt under a black jacket, both of which matched her nigh-signature pair of Chuck Taylors. Curiously, she had a plastic bag in her hand.

“Good morning, Loser,” MJ greeted as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

“Good morning, Em,” I greeted back as she locked the door. I stretched my arms out and cracked my back, groaning as I did so. I looked over at the clock, seeing that it was six in the morning. “You’re here extra early.”

“I figured the earlier I get here, the more time we can spend together before I have to head to work.” She tilted her head. “Did I wake you?”

I nodded. “You did. But I’m not complaining.” I looked at the bag and nodded towards it. “What’s in the bag?”

“I got a couple of boxes of tea.” She smiled. “I figured you could use some at your apartment. Also, I may want something to sip on whenever I stop by.” Her smile became a bit wider. I chuckled as I shook my head.

After I took some time to shower, brush my teeth, and the like, MJ and I went about making breakfast. MJ made chicken & veggie omelets and brewed some matcha tea. Meanwhile, I made wheat cakes while also plucking out a couple of cups of vanilla Greek yogurt. Once we were done cooking, we ate and drank at my bed. By the time we were done eating, it was about seven o’clock. After taking some time to clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes, we lay on my bed and just talked about different things, from school, to books that MJ read (specifically, Dune by Frank Herbert and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky), and, eventually, Ravencroft.

“So, of all places to choose, you guys decided to go with the sanatorium that is said to be cursed,” MJ mused.

“Yeah, Craig wasn’t thrilled,” I replied as I looked up at the ceiling. I shook my head before I looked over at her. “I’m not thrilled either, to be honest. But, the place works to our advantage, so, there’s that.”

“Are you worried?”

I nodded. “A little bit, but not too worried. I… I know I won’t be taking on Scorpion alone, which is a good thing because I’m like zero, one, and one against him so far. At the same time, though, I don’t put anything past Hammer.”

At that, MJ put on an expression of mock shock. “You expect Hammer to do something ridiculously beyond the pale? NOOOOOOO! He’s always been so ethical!” We both laughed together after that. Our laughter died down as we both stared up at the ceiling. We remained silent for some moments. Then MJ spoke again. “…You know, dating a superhero sucks at times.”

“Why you say that?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“Because, like…” She paused for a moment. “…I know you’re super strong. I know you’re super agile. I know you have that Spider Tingle.” At that point, I had to fight off the urge to tell her not to call my extra sense that. So, I stayed silent as she continued. “I know you can take a lot of punishment. And I know you can sleep off injuries that would put normal people in the hospital or worse. But none of that does anything to keep me from worrying.” From the corner of my eye, I saw her turn her head towards. I turned my head and looked her straight in the eye. “Even before I knew you were Spider-Man, I always remembered that superheroes aren’t invincible. But, since I’ve been dating you, there’s this fear that you’ll come across a villain you won’t be able to take on by yourself – someone who is stronger, faster, more agile… And I’m afraid that one day you’ll…” She trailed off before she frowned. “Am I being too worried?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think you are. Thanos was more powerful than me – like, a lot more powerful than me. And Scorpion has me trumped in every way. So, I understand.”

She nodded before she looked up at the ceiling. “…Are you ever afraid?”

At that, I scoffed. “I’m almost always afraid. It’s part of the reason I joke around a lot when I’m doing Spider-Man stuff. I joke around so I could be slightly less worried about how intense a situation is.”

“And that always work for you?”

“I say about 80 percent of the time.”

“…Maybe you need better material.”

I smiled as I looked up at the ceiling. “Maybe I do.” We went quiet for a bit again. I looked over at MJ and smiled. “Hey.” She turned her head and looked at me. “I um… I appreciate the fact that you worry about me. I think, sometimes, people don’t understand that I’m no Superman.”

“Peter, I’d worry about you even if you were Superman,” MJ said in earnest. “You have to understand, I never really had that much luck when it comes to getting close to people. So, the people I do get close to… I tend to care a lot about them, and that includes me worrying about them a lot. So, I’m warning you now, there are going to be times when I’ll be super-annoying with how much I worry about you.”

“Just as long as you don’t mind the times when I’m extra clingy,” I replied only semi-jokingly.

MJ smiled at me and nodded. “Deal.” She brought her face closer to mine and placed a soft kiss on my lips. I kissed her back before I rolled over and lay my head on her shoulder. She snaked her left arm around my shoulders and started to play with my hair. I smiled as I enjoyed the moment.

Eventually, MJ left, having to go to work. We shared a goodbye kiss before she did. I closed the door behind her before I placed my forehead against it. I took in a breath before I released it.

“I have a long day ahead of me,” I said to myself. I brought my fist up and lightly tapped the side of it against the door two times before I turned away from it.

Around 11 o’clock, I got a text from Craig, telling me to get ready by noon and pack some toiletries and a few change of clothes, including my very first Spider-Man suit. So, I packed a couple suitcases. Well, three suitcases, really – I had a custom carrying case for my Black Dahlia Armor. I wore my quick change outfit just in case something happened. I was ready to go at around five minutes before noon. That was when my phone went off. I walked over to it and picked it up before I read the screen. I smiled before I answered the call and put the phone to my ear.

“Hello,” I greeted.

“We’re here, Peter,” Craig replied from the other end of the line. “We’re rolling in my Toyota Highlander.”

“I’ll be down in a minute.”

After figuring out the best way to carry my luggage, I made my way down to the lobby and exited. As Craig said, his black SUV was outside. Craig was standing outside of the vehicle, leaning up against the passenger side of the SUV, dressed in what I assume was his quick change outfit. He smiled as I approached.

“Ready to take the trip back to Silent Hill?” he deadpanned.

“Not even a little bit,” I replied sincerely.

He chuckled before he walked towards the back of the SUV. I followed him and waited for him to open the hatch. Once he did, I looked inside. As expected, there were bags and suitcases in there. Unsurprisingly, Kitty was sitting in the front passenger seat. However, what was really surprising was the fact that, sitting in the second row of seats, looking back at me, was…

“Ned?!” I uttered out. Ned waved in greeting. Suddenly, I felt anger bubble up in my chest. “Dude, what are you doing here?! You didn’t–?!”

“We asked him to come along,” Craig cut in reassuringly. “We figured we could use another tech person to work with you and Kitty.”

“Yeah, and who better than your Guy In The Chair, right?” Ned added with a smile.

“He’ll only be with us for today,” Kitty said from the front seat. “After we’re done, we’ll have him escorted home.”

I took in a deep breath and released it as I nodded. “Okay,” I spoke up. “Ned, I apologize. But please be careful when we get there. It’s not exactly the safest place.” At this point, I started placing my suitcases inside.

“So I heard,” Ned replied with a nod. “I looked up the place when Scott called me. Like, there’s this secret millionaire by the name of Harold Howard who has like a 200 million dollar open bounty for the place to explored, and nobody is taking that challenge.”

“And for good reason,” Craig added.

A minute later, we were on the road to Westchester. At Craig’s behest, we briefly went through a Popeyes drive-thru and got food on Craig’s dime. As we drove to Westchester, eating our food along the way, I couldn’t help but ask about what we were going to do.

“So what’s the plan?” I asked.

“Well, we’ll have a better idea about what we’re going to do once we see what Carmilla and Joanna brought for us to use,” Kitty began after she swallowed a piece of one of her chicken tenders she was chewing on. “But, basically, we’ll be setting up traps that we can trigger. We’ll be setting things up in different buildings across the property, main building included. Assuming Hammer sends an army after us – and I’m almost dead sure he will – the more we thin them out, the quicker we’ll face Scorpion.”

“And the quicker we can leave that place,” Craig added.

Kitty smirked. “I don’t know. It looks like it could be a great place to use as the new base for The X-Men in the future.”

“Yeah, I know I’m not an X-Man, but… no, just no!” Ned commented, prompting all of us to chuckle.

“Besides, I don’t want to move to Westchester,” Craig added. “Nothing against the county – it’s just not for me.”

We arrived about an hour later. Unlike Craig’s Scion, the Highlander was able to fare much better on the beaten path. He didn’t have to have to slow down too much. Add in the fact that we didn’t have to worry about moving an abandoned vehicle out of the way, and we made it to the gate a lot quicker than last time. Said gate was open, and there were three vehicles inside – a black Hummer EV, an oversized vehicle that looked like it can hold a whole office, and a silver van that, I would later learn, was a Mitsubishi Delica. Scott, Joanna, and Carmilla were standing outside the aforementioned vehicles as Craig pulled up to them.

After Craig put the SUV in park and turned it off, he stepped out of the vehicle along with Kitty, Ned, and I. Ned carried a large backpack out with him.

“You guys made it,” Scott commented.

“Yeah, we did,” I replied. “I’m ready to get this over with it.”

“You and I both,” Carmilla said as she looked back at the sanatorium. “You guys were right – this place is creepy.”

“I told you,” Craig pointed.

“Well, tomorrow’s the big day,” Scott stated as he looked around at all of us. “We’re going to do everything we can to prepare. To make things more manageable, we’re going to split up into three teams, with each team focused on tasks at hand. Peter, you’ll be working with Ned and Craig to set up a surveillance system. We’re putting up cameras where traps will be laid, as well as other points of interest. As such, you’ll be working closely with Joanna and Kitty, who will go about setting up the traps. That’ll leave me and Carmilla to check the weapons we have. For the sake of sticking straight to our M.O., anyone who wants to use a gun will strictly use non-lethal ammunition. After we’re done with everything, we’ll convene to fortify the headmaster’s office. Is everyone clear?” We all said our confirmations. “Good. Let’s get to work.”

We split off at this point, with Craig and Carmilla sharing a brief kiss right before we did so. While Scott and Carmilla hopped into the Delica and drove up into the main building, Kitty beckoned us to follow her. We walked up to the oversized vehicle. After pulling out a remote from her pocket and pressing one of the buttons, the back of it opened up, with the hatch opening downward and serving as a ramp. We all walked in, with Joanna having to duck head to keep it from hitting the ceiling.

“See, this is bullshit,” she grumbled, prompting Craig chuckled. “Oh, shut up, Craig!”

I looked around the place, seeing that it was a small workshop. There was a desk with a chair. There was a Stark Fabricator. There was a cabinet that had, what I assume, tools and other materials. And there was a Keurig machine.

“Pepper let us hold this for a while,” Kitty explained. “It’s a mobile workshop.”

“I’m surprised she’s not helping directly on this,” Craig commented as he walked over to one of the chairs. He grabbed it before he dragged it along as he walked towards Joanna. He offered the chair up to her. Joanna looked at him before giving him a brief smile and a grateful nod. She took a seat, looking relieved that she didn’t have to keep her head ducked.

Kitty tilted her head briefly. “As much as I’d like Rescue to make an appearance, I think her having be a part of this will bring her some rather undue stress.”

“So, what do we do?” Ned asked as he walked over to the desk and laid his backpack on it before he went about taking out his laptop.

“We’ll need to create cameras,” Kitty stated. “Preferably cameras that are able to be hidden easily. They’ll need to have to a lot of range. Oh, and make sure they’re EMP resistant. Beyond that, if you can create mock versions of our superhero costumes, that’d be great. ”

“Got it,” I said as I walked over to the fabricator. As I worked, Kitty continued to take charge.

“Hey, Joanna, what type of weapons did you bring? Besides guns, I mean.”

“I got a lot of explosives,” Joanna answered simply. “I got grenades, mines, C4, pipe bombs…”

“Do you have any flashbangs?”

“Quite a bit, actually.”

“Good, we can use those. I got a lot of tripwire we can work with.” Kitty turned towards Ned. “Ned, please try and pull up the most recent blueprints and maps of this place.” She then regarded Craig. “And Craig, work with Ned to find the best place to set up these traps and to place the camera.”

“Got it,” Craig and Ned said in unison.

“Good.” Kitty clasped her hands together. “…I’m going to make coffee. Y’all want a cup?”

We all worked diligently. As I worked on creating the cameras, Craig and Ned worked on finding the best potential spots on the map, with Joanna and Kitty using those spots to talk about the best potential explosives they could use. I decided to get a little creative with the designs of the cameras. Instead of a normal design, I decided to make them into spider-like units that could be controlled so they could be moved. They weren’t large – they were the size of the palm of my hand, legs included. I made sure they were a very, VERY dark blue that was just short of black. Internally, the spiders contained the components of a wireless camera, along with a range expander that would allow it to transfer live footage to Edith when I’m in the main building. Once I had the design down pat, I set the fabricator to construct them. In the end, there was about a hundred in all made.

From there, we drove the mobile work shop to the main building and grabbed as many mannequins as we could before we drove from building to building. In each building we reached, we set up traps in and cameras inside of them. It was a long tedious process, but we got the work done. After we got our last building done, we cruised towards the main building.

“I hope Scott brought my Taser X12 shotgun,” Craig stated as he looked outside of the window.

“I thought you’d want the AA-12,” Kitty remarked.

Craig shrugged. “I prefer the Mossberg 500, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong, I like the AA-12, but the Mossberg is more practical.”

“I understand. It’s why I usually prefer normal pistols like an FN Five-seveN or an M1911, if I do use a gun. But, you know me – I prefer ninja tools above everything.”

“Do you guys ever stop and ask yourselves if you’re verging into Child Soldier territory?” Joanna asked.

At that, Craig scoffed. “Joanna, that ship sailed a long time ago, came back to the harbor, and sailed again,” he replied. He looked over at her and frowned. “It’s one of the things I had to come to terms with.”

“And that doesn’t worry you?”

“It sometimes does,” Kitty replied in earnest. “But, when you’re a mutant, normally your choices are to fight, hide, or die.”

Once we arrived at the main building, Joanna put the SUV in park. We all stepped out of the SUV and walked inside to the building’s lobby. Scott and Carmilla were there, sitting at a long table that held many a firearm and magazine, along with cartons of ammunition.

Scott looked up at us and nodded as we approached them. “How’d it go?”

“It went well,” Ned spoke up. “We just need to set up a place where we can stash a Wi-Fi hotspot, and we’ll be good to go.”

Scott smiled slightly. “Good. Why don’t you and Peter handle that? Once you guys return, we’ll pause for dinner and we’ll let Happy know you’re ready to go.”

I tilted my head. “Happy is nearby?” I questioned.

“He’s in Mount Vernon as we speak. I called him earlier this morning, so he decided to spend the day there for leisure.”

I raised my eyebrows briefly. “Well that’s convenient.” I turned to Ned. “Shall we?”

Ned and I made our way to the second floor. Once there, we went to one of the cells. As Ned kneeled down on the ground and pulled out a Wi-Fi modem out of his backpack, I reached into my jacket’s pocket and pulled out my Edith glasses. I put them on just as Ned spoke.

“So, tomorrow it’ll be over, huh?” he stated.

“Yeah, until the next time or the next one,” I replied. I took a look around the cell. A part of me wondered what kind of things that the patients of this sanatorium went through. I read up on this place a little bit. Some of what I read was rumors and hearsay that has persisted for decades. Some of what I read was newspaper articles. None of what I read about this place painted a pretty picture.

Ned made a noncommittal noise. I looked over at him to see him smile a bit. “I can’t wait to see the look on Jonah’s face when you and the rest of the X-Men beat down Scorpion.”

I scoffed. “I can. That whole workplace might call out sick when it happens.”

At that, Ned laughed. “He’ll probably yell about Spider-Man being a menace or something for five hours straight.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Accurate.” After Ned set up the modem, he pulled out a large box like device that looked like it was the size of a cat. “Dude, what is that?”

“Oh this?” He looked over his shoulder and smiled. “It’s a power station I made from scratch over the semester. I wanted to see if I could make one from the ground up because I was bored one day. And, I did. I tested Lola’s TV on it. I was able to watch every Star Wars movie on it and play several hours of Smash Brothers before it needed to be charged.” He placed the power bank next to the router before he plugged in the latter into the former. “I never thought I’d get to use it outside of the house. But, then you told us you were Spider-Man and I’d figure I’d be using it sooner than later.”

“I wish it wasn’t like this, though,” I commented with a frown.

“It is what it is, dude,” Ned replied. He turned on the modem before he stood up. I was about to talk to Edith when I saw Ned turn around and give me a look. He was quiet for a moment. He then spoke again. “Hey, Peter… I know this seems like an odd time to ask this but… If you could change things back to the way they were before… would you?”

I didn’t answer at first. I looked off to the side in thought for some moments. After giving his question some thought, I looked back at him and shook my head.

“Had this been a few weeks ago, I’d yes in a heartbeat,” I admitted. “But nowadays, I don’t think I would. Don’t get me wrong, it still kind of sucks that Aunt May is no longer around, and that’ll always suck. But, I’m not alone anymore. I’ve been in therapy. My dreams are no longer dead. And I’ve been having days where I think to myself ‘You know, today doesn’t suck’.” I paused for a moment. My eyes became unfocused as I thought about what I just said. I then nodded slowly as I smiled. “…I’m not sure if I’m happy, but I know I’m a lot closer being happy than I was weeks ago. And you all have a lot to do with that.”

Ned smiled as he nodded. “That’s good, man. You look a lot happier.” His smiled faded a bit. “…The reason I ask is… I want to ask you a favor.”

I tilted my head. “What kind of favor?”

He sighed. “It’s just… I remember you telling me that I used one of Doctor Strange’s… sling rings? Is that what they’re called?” I nodded in confirmation. “Right. So, I remember you telling me that. And… I kind of want to meet him and… maybe learn a thing or two from him. So, I was wondering if, when this is all over, we could make time to go see him. But, I wanted to make sure you’re cool with it. I know Doctor Strange was the one who performed The Spell, and I don’t know if you’re at the point where you want to revisit that and… well, you know.” I looked at Ned for a good few moments. To be honest, I don’t think I was ready to meet Doctor Strange yet. I was afraid of how’d he react if I told him everything. But I knew that meeting had to happen sooner or later. After taking in a deep breath, I nodded. Ned laughed heartily as he did a fist pump. “Awesome! I can’t wait!” He then tilted his head. “You think I’ll get my own cape that’ll allow me to fly.”

I went quiet for a moment. I then shook my head as I chuckled. “Something tells me that’s a Doctor Strange exclusive.”

“Maybe I’ll get something cooler like a large purple bat to ride on,” Ned suggested. He then shook his head. “That’s for another time. Want to check the cameras?”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “Hey Edith.”

“Hey Peter,” she greeted. “I hope all is well.”

“It is. Um, so… the X-Men and Ned set up a whole bunch of cameras across the area. Do you think you can access them via this hotspot Ned set up?”

“I’ll do my best. Connecting to the Wi-Fi now… Wi-Fi network accessed. Connecting to the cameras now…” Several video feeds started to populate my vision. “I see we’re at The Ravencroft Institute. Shall I categorize the cameras by both building and number?”

“Please do,” I urged.

Immediately, I saw the feeds being grouped into five columns. “The cameras are now grouped. I hope this is to your liking.”

“It really is, Edith. Thank you very much.”

“Anytime, Pete.”

I paused for a moment. “You just called me Pete,” I pointed out.

“I did,” she confirmed. “It’s to my understanding that people often come up with nicknames for those who they’re close to.”

I smiled. “…They do. If I come up with a good one for you, I’ll let you know.”

“That would be nice.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll be installing more cameras later on. I’ll let you know.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

After we got done, Ned and I made our way back to the first floor. Once there, we were greeted by the others sitting in a circle on the floor, eating out of pouches with plastic spoons. Ned and I walked over and sat in the space they left open for us. Craig was to Ned’s Left. I was to his right, and to the left of Joanna. Carmilla sat between Craig and Kitty and Scott sat to Joanna’s right. Joanna paused her eating to pass Ned and I each an opened pouch along with a spoon.

“MREs,” she explained. “Beef goulash, to be exact. It’s not exactly fancy stuff, but it’ll keep you full.”

“Thanks,” I said before I started eating. She was right. It wasn’t fancy, but I didn’t mind it. We all ate in silence for a bit. Then Craig spoke up.

“You know, Pete, I thought you were a mutant the first time we met,” Craig revealed as he looked at me.

“Really?” I said with a smirk.

“I actually thought something similar,” Ned added. “I figured he was some kind of superhuman.”

“Was it when he said ‘something is wrong’ right before those gunmen rushed in?” Craig asked.

Ned nodded. “Yup.”

“I figured.” Craig looked back at me. “What is that, anyway?”

“It’s like…” I trailed off a bit. “Whenever there’s danger nearby, I get this tingle up my spine and this buzzing in my head. The bigger the danger, the more intense these feelings are. The thing is… I won’t know what that danger is until I can detect it with my actual senses.”

“So, you have a Spider Tingle?” Carmilla teased. I rolled my eyes. She chuckled. “But seriously, what do you call it?”

“…I don’t know. I never got around to calling it anything. All I know is that it’s like an extra sense. Like a…”

“Spider-Sense?” Kitty offered.

I turned my head slowly towards her and stared at for three seconds straight. I then looked at the floor as my face flushed in slight embarrassment. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Kitty chuckled shortly. “If it makes you feel any better, Craig and I went through a lot codenames before we settled on the ones we have.”

“And all of them were rather questionable,” Scott commented with a smirk.

“Oh shut up,” Craig grumbled halfheartedly, prompting Scott to laugh.

“What were your previous names?” Ned asked.

Kitty sighed as she shook her head. “Okay,” she began. “I went by Sprite, Ariel, Lady Shadra, Florence Prydengale, Petal, and Daughter of Demon.”

“As for me, I also had quite a bit of previous codenames,” Craig spoke up. “I went by Kid Slick, Kineceleran, Sideways, Clean Up - Aisle 5, Caution… I thought I had a good name in Skids, but turns out there is another friction-manipulating hero out there with that name. She sent a letter to the X-Mansion kindly asking me to change my name. So, I went with Friction for a bit before Kitty suggested Frictor. We found out weeks later that there’s a character on this obscure cartoon The Ripping Friends that had that exact name. But, at that point, the name stuck, so I continued to roll with it.”

At that, Joanna scoffed. She then smirked at Scott. “You’re right, Slim,” she said in agreement. “Those names are questionable.”

“Oh shut up!” Craig and Kitty responded, causing the rest of us to laugh.

A bit after we finished up, Hogan arrived. I walked with Ned to the gate.

“Look after MJ for me, will you?” I asked as we walked.

“I will,” Ned assured.

“And, if possible, get Pepper’s number from Happy. In case anything happens to me and the others, I want you guys to be able to contact her.”

“I’ll do that.”

“And in case anything happens…”

Ned stopped in his tracks and glared at me. “Peter. Don’t do that. Everything will be okay. Okay?”

“I know.” I nodded. “But… as I was saying… just in case I don’t get a chance to say this… I love you, man.”

“I love you, too Peter. But like I said, everything will be okay.” He held his hand out towards me as he smiled. I smiled back at him before I brought my hand out. We both did our signature handshake before we walked the rest of the way.

After I escorted Ned, I made my way back to the building. From there, we finished setting up. I placed the rest of the cameras across all of the floors. During this, Kitty and Joanna placed the rest of the traps on the first, second, and third floor while Cyclops and Carmilla worked to fortify the top floor and stash the weapons there. After that, we were done. Much to my surprise, and a lot to Craig’s chagrin, we weren’t going home. We were spending the night there. So, we went to the second floor. Picking out the two cleanest padded rooms we could find, we split up into two groups – one room for the guys, and one room for the girls. After that, Scott distributed duffle bags with a camping bed roll, a pillow, and a comforter.

“I’m kicking Hammer in the nuts for this,” Craig grumbled as he unrolled his bed roll.

“It could be worse,” Scott pointed out.

Craig turned and glared at him. “What could be worse than sleeping in Arkham Asylum?”

Scott looked over at him. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

Craig stared at him for some seconds. He then shook his head. “No, sir.”

Scott nodded before he pulled his pillow out. “Wise decision. Some things are better left unknown. Now rest up. We’re going to need all the sleep we can get before we set things into motion tomorrow morning. Understood?”

“Yes, Scott,” I replied.

“I hear you,” Craig added.

“Good. You two have a goodnight.”

“We’ll try,” Craig deadpanned.

“You too, Scott,” I replied.

I got my bed prepared. Once I did, I moved under the cover as I lay down. I stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds. I then took a deep breath before I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow was going to be nuts.