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flameohotwife · 3 years ago

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Okay, #41 for the fluff prompt!! (I feel so powerful, hahaha!)

41. "Darling, I love you and all but please step out of the kitchen."

This turned... long! And sad-ish in parts, so I'm sorry! Maybe more hurt/comfort? But there is still fluff. I hope you enjoy!

Rated T. 2.2k words.

“Aang? Have you seen the dumpling pan?” Katara was crouched down, head and shoulders deep in the cupboard, looking for the right pan to crisp the dumplings she was planning on making for dinner. Her husband was flitting about, albeit slower than he once could, on the other side of the kitchen with what she assumed were fruit pie ingredients for dessert. The original Team Avatar were travelling to Air Temple Island from all over the world in a few hours to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the war ending, and their 50th anniversary together. They always tried to get together the week they’d met in Ba Sing Se at the Jasmine Dragon to remember what they’d lost, and to see how far they’d come. Though Aang and Katara hadn’t gotten married until several years after the war, they always counted that day on the balcony as their anniversary, as the only thing that had truly changed with their marriage was the world’s recognition of their relationship and its permanence. They were devoted and dedicated from the very beginning. Perhaps even before that.

“Oh, I’ve got it over here, Sweetie,” Aang called back to her. She jumped up, almost bashing her head on the top of the cupboard before wriggling properly out to stand and face him. Even in his old age he still maintained a certain twinkle in his eye when he was up to something, and Katara’s hands flew to her hips when she saw it.

“What are you doing with my dumpling pan?” she asked, warily.

“I thought I’d cook tonight,” Aang replied, though his hand rubbed the tattoo on the back of his neck tellingly. “I wanted to add some Air Nomad dishes to the menu. Sokka will be bringing some Water Tribe food already, Toph and Suki will have Earth Kingdom, and Zuko and Mai will bring Fire Nation… I just thought I’d add something of my own in.”

Katara’s throat caught for a moment, as it always did when she remembered. His loss always felt bigger on anniversaries, though his grief was an ever-present emotion. It rose and fell like the tides, but was always there, under the surface. Most people saw his smiling face and kind, loving spirit and forgot that there were only two airbenders in the world and why. That Aang had actually known and loved so many of the ones Sozin had murdered. He masked his pain well, but took that mask off around Katara from time to time, when he needed to.

“Sweetie,” she began, stepping forward to grasp his wrinkled hands. “Oh Aang, I was going to make Air Nomad food, too. I would never leave you out like that.” Her tone wasn’t defensive, only calm and reassuring, as she rubbed gentle circles on the blue arrows that adorned the backs of his hands with her thumbs. She wanted to remind him with her touch that his grief didn’t have to be his alone to bear. That she would remember his people with him. Just as she had taught their children old Air Nomad fairytales when they were small, and celebrated their holidays with him, and learned to cook their food. Katara was Water Tribe through and through, but her soul was bound to an Air Nomad. Moreover, she was bound to Aang, and she always felt his loss. Even when he hid it well.

Aang melted into her, then. A hug that was so deeply meaningful it was reminiscent of the one they’d shared on Iroh’s balcony, but with all the weight of his pain crushing down on them along with that promise of love and acceptance. It was as though through this hug she was able to share that weight with him, so she held him tighter. Half a century after learning about the deaths of his people, sometimes the wound still felt fresh, and Katara was always the healing balm to whatever ailed him, even when she knew she could never heal it completely.

Katara stroked his back lovingly with one arm as he clung to her. She waited for his breathing to even out, for his muscles to relax. Waited for a sign that she had taken enough of his grief that he could function again. Finally, he moved his head to kiss her sweetly. It was wet, and salty, but his movements were lighter again. She moved her hands to his face, wiping his tears as she pulled him closer, and he deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms fully around her waist and pressing against her.

“Thank you,” he whispered. He knew his grief was never hers to bear, and yet she did so willingly and with so much love. He could never thank her enough for the way she cared for him when he hit his lowest points. He wasn’t sure he could have made it without her. Sometimes the weight on his shoulders was so heavy he felt like he would sink without her unending love and support buoying him up, keeping him afloat.

“You’re not alone, Sweetie. Never.” Katara continued to caress his face as she looked into his sparkling, sad eyes.”Do you want me to help? I can make the dumplings and the butter tea. I never quite mastered the tofu but I could try if you want…”

Aang silenced her with another kiss. “You’re wonderful,” he said, pressing his lips to hers again. “The best wife, partner, and friend in existence.” Yet another kiss. “I think I’ve got it from here. Why don’t you take a break before everyone gets here?”

Katara laughed, not quite knowing what to do with herself. She reluctantly removed her hands from her husband and settled on making herself some tea and sitting at the kitchen table to observe him. Even though he was aging, Katara still enjoyed watching him when she had a moment, whether it was bending practice, or working hard on something, or even something as simple as cooking. She still appreciated the lithe way his body moved, the smooth, airy motions he made, the way his tongue stuck out when he was concentrating…

She sat back in her chair, grinning over her teacup as she watched him chop vegetables and boil water and roll dough. Sometimes observing him do the most trivial things—like cooking dinner for friends, or braiding their daughter’s hair when she was small, or working in the garden—reminded her how lucky she was to have him in her life. He was the Avatar after all. He could have maids and cooks and servants and never lift a domestic finger in his life, but that was never in Aang’s nature. And he could have chosen anyone as his companion, but he had always and only ever chosen her. Over and over. It was somehow both humbling and assuring all at once.

After some time, she rose from her seat, walking behind him to wrap her arms around him, reveling in his warmth. She couldn’t see the smile on Aang’s face, but she knew it was there when he pressed one arm over her interlocking ones, squeezing lightly with his hand.

She leaned up to press a light kiss to the back of his neck.

“You’re awfully distracting, you know,” Aang chided. He turned in her arms to peck her on the nose. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to watch you cook. I forgot how much I enjoy it.” She gave him a very pointed look and he laughed heartily.

“Well, by all means, enjoy the show,” he said, wiggling his hips for her benefit as he extricated himself from her grip to keep working. Katara giggled. She was about to return to her seat when she noticed the clutter Aang was leaving in the kitchen as he worked, and decided to help him by tackling some of that so he could focus on the food.

When Katara cooked, she was very methodical. Every ingredient, pot, pan, and chopstick had its place, and was immediately returned to that place when she had finished with it. She knew if she didn’t keep up with the mess as she worked, it would pile up to the point that she would feel overwhelmed at the end, so she tidied continually. Aang, on the other hand, was much more impulsive in his cooking. He would think of an ingredient to add mid-stir, and leave the remnants on the counter, never quite sure if he might want to add more later. He would wait to clean up all the messes at once.

There was a time in their marriage where this had driven Katara crazy. The kids were still very young at the time, and the extra mess on top of the cacophony of kid-sounds and clutter and Momo swooping around the house would become too much, so she would constantly buzz around him, taking things and washing and putting them away before he was even finished with them. He would turn around for more of an ingredient and find it wrapped up in the icebox. More than once, he had had to take Katara by the shoulders, kiss her gently, and exclaim, “Darling, I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen.”

Now, much like in other parts of their relationship, she had learned which parts of the mess to let be, and which ones she could handle that would actually help him. She sat up with him at night while he transcribed ancient Air Nomad texts and histories; her presence a comfort as he worked through it all and felt the loss more keenly. Tenzin joined him now, of course, when he was home, but Aang still felt more able to work through his grief when she stayed too. When they were younger, she had sewn Air Nomad clothes for Aang and for the acolytes, and eventually taught the acolytes to make them herself not because Aang couldn’t sew or teach them, but because it was one of the things that they both could do. Something that she could take off of his already over-heaped plate.

They balanced each other. He was her rock on full-moon nights or when she missed her parents or when her emotional storm was raging. He was her center of calm when she was worried about the kids or about the world. But today, Aang needed her. So she washed the used dishes for him to use again if needed, and cleared the wrappings for him, being sure to leave the ingredients on the counter. She made sure to give him gentle touches as they worked; a hand to the small of his back as she passed him, a bump of the hip as they worked side by side. Loving smiles and stolen kisses as the afternoon sun fell lower in the sky.

Eventually their friends would arrive and they would be able to laugh and joke and remember together. There would be group hugs and arm-punches and happy sounds and smells would fill their home as they reminisced. Through all of it, Aang would sneak looks across the table at Katara, with a special smile reserved for her. Fifty years! They’d made it fifty years together, in no small part because of everything they had learned through their struggles as they grew together. Because of the weights and grief they shared with one another instead of bearing them alone.

“I may be old, Twinkletoes, but I can still feel your heartbeat when you look at Sugarqueen like that,” Toph jabbed as Aang snuck another glance at his wife. “How can you two be together for fifty years and still act as disgusting as when we were teenagers? I’m not going to have to pull you out of a linen closet at the official event tomorrow, am I? Because we are all too old for that.”

Knowing that she still sent his heart a-flutter the way he did to her warmed Katara’s old bones from head to toe, and she sent a look of her own towards her husband. Aang’s face reddened.

“Oh, no,” groaned Sokka. “Oogies! I’m out.” He rose from the table, pulling Suki along with him. “Dinner was great guys, and I’d like to keep it in my stomach, thanks. So, we’ll see you all in the morning when the kids get here?”

“Sounds good,” replied Zuko as he and Mai rose to join them. “We should probably turn in anyway. It’s getting late.” Aang and Katara stood as well to accompany their guests to the door before everyone went their separate ways.

“Thanks for a wonderful evening as always, guys,” Suki added as she hugged them both goodbye. “Try not to wear yourselves out too much tonight, hmm? It’s not as easy to recover as it used to be and we have a busy day tomorrow.”

Katara feigned shock at her sister-in-law’s tease but Aang only blushed further as Sokka faked retching and promptly exited with their friends. Aang was always so open about his emotions and intentions when it came to Katara, whether or not he intended to be. She simply smirked back up at him and took him by the hand, waving to everyone one last time before pulling him back to their bedroom. And, maybe they were a little extra tired the next day, but it was worth it. Loving each other through the many ups and downs of a lifetime together would always be worth it. Even when Toph berated them for it outside a linen closet door.

#kataang #kataang fanfiction #kataangtag #fluff prompts #katara #aang #atla #sweeties #slightly hurt/comfort #sorry!#adcurtis #asks

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forgotten-envies · 4 years ago

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For prompts-- lan wangji teaches wwx how to do something new! ❤️❤️ Thank you for the food 😊

Oof. I’m sorry this took so long. Still, it’s done! Soft and sweet! Thank you for the prompt and I hope you like it!

Oh and I Think This Is the Best Day of My Life

It’s late, probably, when Wei Wuxian stumbles toward the kitchens. It’s hard to tell when the sky is dark and he’s just waking up after a nice nap (he’d call it sleep, but he reserves that term for the peaceful rest he gets when Lan Zhan’s in bed with him.) Anyway, the Lans aren’t out and as far as he knows, he’s never woken up naturally before chenshi.

He can see some light in the building brushing the stones outside its windows a homely orange. He hopes this means there’s someone in there and not that a fire’s been made for overnight baking. Fires, unlike people, don’t respond to his natural charisma and furthermore can't fold dumplings. He’s really craving dumplings.

His stomach growls and he nearly growls back. It’s gotten far too comfortable as Lan Zhan’s husband. There was really no need to be woken from sleep just to eat.

He reaches the door, but can’t smell anything baking. Hopefully there’s a person, then, a generous Lan willing to feed the spouse of their Chief Cultivator. Wei Wuxian’s face molds easily into a pout and he slides open the door.

On the other side, Lan Zhan tilts his eyes up from the cabbage he’s chopping for a brief moment to meet Wei Wuxian’s surprised gaze. He’d expected him to be stuck in a late meeting or finishing letters where his husband could be sure he wouldn’t disturb Wei Wuxian’s sleep. Honestly, he’d prefer that Lan Zhan stay near him, even if he’d be kept up, but he appreciates the consideration.

Instead, Lan Zhan is standing in the kitchen still wearing the Chief Cultivator getup, sans outermost robe, but it’s trailing sleeves are tied back and his face is relaxed in a way it never is while performing his duties. Deft, calloused hands gather a bundle of onions and begin dicing them.

Wei Wuxian pulls the door closed behind him and drifts over, confused. Had Lan Zhan been so focused that he missed dinner? It must be. They hadn’t been able to see each other today, as occasionally happened, and Wei Wuxian hadn’t been there to use his Lan Zhan charming skills to get him to put off his duties long enough to eat.

"Is this a late dinner, Lan er-gege?" He can't help the teasing tone. He's impressed that Lan Zhan's awake at whichever hour it is.

Lan Zhan only gives him a pointed look.

"What? You should've eaten earlier. Just 'cause I'm not there to nag doesn't mean the Chief Cultivator should fast. You need food in you!"

Lan Zhan's gaze slips briefly to the side and then back down at the dark, reddish liquid he's mixing, likely a dipping sauce or glaze. It's the Lan Zhan equivalent of an eyeroll. Wei Wuxian just laughs and leans forward, picking up another finished bowl of liquid and swirling it around.

"So what'cha making? I came in here for a snack but the aunties already left, so I'll have to bother you instead."

"A snack?" His husband's voice is low and unimpressed, but teasing.

"Sure! I woke up and this weak stomach won't leave me alone, so I came to beg for some dumplings. What? Are you worried I'll eat out my welcome in midnight snacks?"

"Was your dinner not sufficient?"

He waves a hand dismissively. "Oh no, it was great! Though not your cooking, of course. I much prefer the chili oil and spices you add to whatever it is they teach Lans to make. Only you can fulfill my needs so well!" Honestly, Wei Wuxian can't remember having dinner, or really much of the last day at all if he tries to think about it, but it's not like that's entirely uncommon. And he usually remembers to eat! So he must've at some point. The disciples know to deliver his meals to the jingshi.

"So when will it be done? And what are you making? I hope you know I'll steal some, Lan Zhan. What's yours is mine!"

"If you are impatient, you may have that." He points to further down the table where a tray of food sits. It's disappointingly gray in tone; he'd much rather wait for whatever it is Lan Zhan's making.

"What's this? Your dinner? You really should have eaten it when it was still warm. Most of those people don't deserve your time, anyway!" Wei Ying is toeing the line, close to hating his husband's position. Sure, it's fulfilling and impactful, but Lan Zhan's really worse off for it and those chirping Sect Leaders monopolize his time which means that Wei Ying can't.

"It is not."

"Ah? Not what? It's definitely cold by now!" He pokes it to prove his point.

"It is not mine."

"What, did someone else refuse to eat, too? You Lans may not act human, but you are! Food is important! Though really, how could the Chief Cultivator lower himself so? Let the poor disciple get his own food!"

Wei Wuxian hears a conspicuous huff. A tiny smile sits on Lan Zhan's face, the crooked one that means he's laughing at someone and Wei Wuxian is the only other person in the room.

"It is yours."

That... makes a lot of sense. "It is?"

"You were asleep on the floor when I came in at xushi. The food was uneaten."

Well. That explains why he couldn't remember most of today. "You moved me to the bed? Aww that's so sweet! Oh! And your cooking! You stayed up to feed me?”

"Mn. Wei Ying needs to eat." Lan Zhan is tossing a bowl of chopped-up greens now. They are covered in a promising orange, though.

Wei Wuxian laughs, a little sheepishly. "I guess I do."

"Do you know why you were unconscious?"

"Uhh... no? I don't really remember anything past breakfast." He'd planned to spend yesterday in his little workshop close to the jingshi (separate so their house wouldn't be destroyed by a stray talisman) but he didn't know why he would've..."Wait! I-" He clears his throat. "I do. Remember that transportation talisman I made? For Jin Ling? Well, I think I tested it, and apparently the amount of energy it uses isn't much different from the traditional version, despite the shorter distance. It worked though! I got to the jingshi!"

The talisman was a joke, meant to transport the user only a short distance away. It would be a perfect escape from a wall, though. Jin Ling might refuse to speak with him for a week after he gifts it, but in his opinion it's worth it to give Jin Ling's friends material to tease him with.

"Mn. Your spiritual energy is not sufficient to use them." He's pouring oil on his creation, now.

"Well I know that now!" He wasn't planning to use it again. At least not before making a few tweaks. He couldn't endanger his nephew, after all! "Soooo... what'cha making?"

"Dumplings."

"What, really?! Oh, when will they be done?"

"I am almost ready to fold them."

"That really doesn't answer my question. Will it be soon? And how soon is soon? I don't want to fall asleep right here!"

"If you cannot wait, you may help." Lan Zhan says, holding out a thin circle of dough.

He's about to protest. After all, the juniors all say he can't cook without making a victim of the intended recipient, but if he is the one it's for... he rinses his hands off in a nearby water basin and takes the dough. He's never had a problem eating his own cooking.

Lan Zhan motions him over to his side of the table and picks up another circle. There's a dozen of them, perfectly shaped and ready to be made into dumplings. Wei Wuxian had seen Shijie and the servants make these many times. Even though it's been a lifetime since then, he still gets the basic theory.

He spoons a generous helping of the filling into the middle of the dough and brings the edges to the center, so it looks like a lumpy ball with a strange flowery part at the top. He grins and looks up at Lan Zhan.

His husband looks horrified.

Still, he moves slowly and carefully takes the overflowing ball of goodness, gently prying it open. "What, no! Put it in the steamer, Lan Zhan!"

There's a heavy sigh that speaks of the many hours of headache Lan Zhan has lived through today. "Wei Ying, no." He separates the ball back into a circle and removes some of the filling. "Do it like this. Only use a little." When there's what Lan Zhan has deemed to be a perfectly sized pat of filling, he brings two opposite points on the rim of the circle together and folds the ends so that they nearly, but not quite, touch this middle point. "Do not make it like a ball. It should lay on its side." Then he presses the lined up edges together so that they're sealed. At this point, he takes Wei Wuxian's limp, empty fingers and runs them along the edge. "If they are not sealed, the filling will come out." He hands the completed dumpling to Wei Wuxian. "Now you may put this in the steamer."

Wei Wuxian is thankful he remembers to brush oil on the bottom of the steamer before putting Lan Zhan’s dumpling in it. He’s trying to prove he’s not a hopeless cook, after all.

When he turns back, Lan Zhan hands him a slip of dough and picks up his own. Wei Wuxian gets the message and goes to stand beside him. His husband is a great teacher, but typically he’s instructing disciples in the best method to banish spirits or giving lectures on boring topics like the Lan ancestors. Here, though, he’s simply teaching Wei Wuxian how to fold dumplings. The domesticity of it brings a smile to his face

Together, they add the filling and fold the dough, Lan Zhan adjusting his technique with warm hands around Wei Wuxian’s own. In this way they work for several minutes, each revelling in the peace and intimacy of being here together, working together. He thinks of Lotus Pier’s kitchens, a nighthunt’s campfire, and the warmth of an oven, a little cabin rising behind it. He thinks the feeling would stay the same, no matter where they might be.

“Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan.” Contentment fills him, and suddenly he’s tired, eyes heavy in this comfortable atmosphere.

“Mn.”

Wei Wuxian adds filling to the last bit of dough and leans into his husband’s side as he folds it, resting his head on a broad shoulder. The dumpling doesn’t look like Lan Zhan’s, still a bit uneven, but he lays it in the steamer and laughs a little at the difference between his and Lan Zhan’s.

“Lan Zhan’s are perfect.” His voice is happy, blissful.

His husband puts an arm around his waist and puts on the steamer’s lid. “Wei Ying’s are unique.”

That startles a laugh from Wei Wuxian and he nudges Lan Zhan’s side, urging him to get the dumplings cooking and soothe his rumbling stomach. He settles by the table, chin resting on one hand. The fire, newly started by his husband, warms him.

Note: Chenshi is the shichen or two-hour block after maoshi, the Lan wake-up time. Chenshi goes from 7:00-8:59 am. Xushi goes from 7:00-8:59 pm. This is using the traditional system instead of the Song Dynasty system, which starts on even hours.

Title from “Little Amens” by David Hodges.

#prompt fill #anon #the untamed #mdzs #wangxian #my fic #oneshot #fluff

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necrofuturism · 5 years ago

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i always like thinking of traditional foods in fiction so here’s some various theories about atla cuisine

earth kingdom food involves a lot of preparation directly on stones, especially slabs of salt. crushing, pulverizing, and grinding processes are largely featured, and the inclusion of various flavorful pastes as fillings is very popular. a lot of things that aren’t considered ‘edible’ by non-earth standards are eaten since they are heavily processed. this includes lots of tough plants, animal cartilage, and some tough, muscly invertebrates which can be tenderized by earth methods.

fire nation food is performative, with many markets of raw stuff on sticks waiting to be seared and sizzled live right in front of you. popular food establishments akin to korean bbq lay out myriads of raw ingredients for you to cook yourself if you can bend or you can request a tableside chef to do it for you. desserts often feature caramelized sugar elements and spun sugar is a popular festival food. fire flakes are desiccated hot pepper pieces prepared with different seasonings.

water tribe food is focused on fats and proteins to aid in protection from the cold. fish and seal meat is eaten raw or often dried or preserved in ice near-indefinitely and thawed out when needed. different types of fermentation are used to preserve foods like seaweeds that would be compromised by freezing, which results in a surprising amount of funky, potent flavorings that can be added to dishes or enjoyed on their own.

air nomad food is made in large quantities for sharing. vegetable soups, dumplings, etc are made to be shared with fellow monks and visitors alike. pastries are a surprising specialty of the air nomads, since their techniques can aerate dough like no others! sweet and savory steamed buns with all sorts of fillings are popular travel food as they can be packed tightly in airtight containers and prepared along the way by enveloping them in a whirl of hot air.

#avatag

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galahadwilder · 5 years ago

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We Break Things Down Just to Build Them Back Up Again

Chapter 5: Proud

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AO3

As soon as he says it, Adrien knows he’s crossed a line. It's pretty obvious that she never intended for him to know; for as long as they’ve been friends—and she is one of his closest friends, oddness of their relationship notwithstanding—she’s never given any hint that she might have feelings for him. It was a secret, a secret spilled in anger and frustration, a secret that was never supposed to be shared.

They could have pretended it never happened, and everything would’ve gone back to normal. She could’ve pretended she never said it and he could’ve pretended he never heard it and they could keep being friends, keep being—

By bringing it into the open, he’s changed things. They can’t go back. He’s pushed what they have from stable ground into the river, unable to see if there’s a waterfall coming, or sharp rocks, or... He doesn’t want to lose her. He wishes there was a way to rewind time, to undo just thirty seconds, to never have brought this up at all and to keep things the way they were.

Marinette screams.

He doesn’t even think before he’s holding her, brushing at her hair, whispering apologies. He worries that he’s done the wrong thing again, that she’s going to push him away, but instead her head drops sideways into his chest, the side of her skull pressing against his sternum.

”Are you okay?” he whispers, not quite trusting his voice.

She nods, keeping her hands over her eyes.

The back door to the bakery bursts open, and the massive bulk of Marinette’s father charges out, all fists and concern, making Adrien flinch at the memory of vines and huge man-wolf. “Pumpkin?” he cries, his eyes zeroing in on her huddled in Adrien’s arms like a killer robot analyzing murder targets.

Adrien’s joints all lock at once, and he’s unable to prevent a whimper from escaping his teeth.

Immediately, Marinette just... melts. Her legs slip out from her elbows, her feet smacking against the cobblestone patio as her palm caresses Adrien’s cheek, her fingertips scratching at his sideburn in a way that leaves him undone. Her eyes lock on his, blue fire blazing within, and he feels his heart calm the way he does when he sees the same look in his Lady’s eyes. She’s got this.

”I’m okay, Papa!” she calls back without looking away from Adrien. “Just... made an idiot of myself in front of Adrien again?”

Adrien marvels at how Tom’s posture instantly relaxes, how he goes from “fight” to “jolly” in less than the time it takes Marinette to finish her sentence. “Oh!” her father says. “That’s—I’m glad.” He glances back at the bakery. “Sorry, I ran out on some customers...” He chuckles sheepishly. “We’re kind of having a rush today.”

Adrien’s jaw drops. He... he ran out on customers because he heard Marinette scream? And he’s not angry because it was a false alarm? There’s no punishment? No lecture? No...

No wonder Marinette could tell he’s afraid of his father, if this is what her relationship is like with hers.

Marinette twists her head, her pigtail batting Adrien in the face (which quite frankly offends his inner cat. You smack Kitty? You smack Kitty in the face? Jail! Jail for Princess!). “A rush?” she says. “Do you and Maman need help in the bakery?”

”I think we’re okay, Pumpkin,” M. Dupain says with a fond smile.

”Please?” she says, squirming a bit in Adrien’s arms. “I need something to do with my hands.”

He halts just before the door. “Well, if you insist,” he says, before heading back inside.

”Made an idiot of yourself in front of me... again?” Adrien says, gently helping Marinette to her feet. “Is that—does that happen a lot?”

Marinette bites her lip as she turns toward the bakery. “...Pretty much every day,” she mumbles, pulling him along after her by his wrist.

He stumbles after her, unsure what to make of what she’s just said—but suddenly the way she acts around him is thrown into a very new light.

”Come on,” she says with a smile. “Want to learn how to bake?”

His arms quickly get tired and sore from folding the heavy dough, and Marinette steps in to take over. She points him towards a pan of sweet dough that’s already spent the morning degassing, tells him that they’ve got an order of Chats Noir—“like Swiss Mice, but cat-shaped and covered in chocolate”—shows him how to make the basic shape, and leaves him to it.

Aside from her very gentle instructions, Marinette is quiet while they make the dough. Adrien doesn’t mind. It’s so different from the instruction he’s used to getting from his father, or the photographer, or his fencing coach that he just lets himself go, riding the calm of her voice like an inner tube on an ocean tide. It reminds him a bit of working with Ladybug, following that familiar voice as she takes him through an unfamiliar task, not with force or frustration but kindness and faith. Of course, Marinette isn’t Ladybug and the babbling crowd isn’t an Akuma bearing down on them; with no adrenaline screaming through his skull, he lets the indistinct voices and the repetition of the shaping of cat ears drown out his thoughts.

It’s a bit cramped behind the shelves with four people, but Adrien finds his claustrophobia isn’t so bad when he’s distracted by the smell of yeast and sugar and honey and cinnamon.

Then the first batch of cat rolls is in the oven and the crowd has died down a bit, and Marinette finally answers his question. “Yes,” she says, not taking her eyes off the thick dough she’s pounding out against the table with her palms. She's quiet enough that none of the customers can hear her—this conversation is just for him. “I do have a crush on you.”

Do, not did, he notices. Also, she won’t look at him—she addressed her sentence to the unmade bread, not to him, though if that’s what it takes for her to not stutter he’s not going to complain.

”It’s pretty debilitating,” she says, still staring at the paste beneath her palms. “And I’ve done some... pretty stupid things because of it.”

”I’m... sure they weren’t that bad,” he says as he moves to the mixing bowl and begins whisking the egg whites for the Cat’s Tongues.

”I’ve caused Akuma because of it,” she says, then her hands stop and she sighs. “Please don’t ask which ones.”

Adrien swallows. “I’m sorry,” he says. For someone with as big a heart as Marinette has, to have to deal with the guilt of causing an Akuma... He doesn’t know what else to say other than that.

She shakes her head. “My fault,” she murmurs. “My—my responsibility.” The wet slapping of the dough grows sharper.

Marinette's parents glance back at her, concerned, ready to jump in—as if this is a discussion they’ve had a hundred times—but Adrien gets there first, poking Marinette in the side. “Hey,” he says. “You’re allowed to make mistakes. Akuma are only one person’s fault, and...” He smiles. “That’s not you.” Then he raises an eyebrow. “Unless you’re secretly Hawkmoth.”

She laughs. “No, no I am not,” she says, her cheeks pinking. She looks at him and sighs. “See, this is why I have so much trouble getting over you,” she mumbles. “How am I supposed to move on when you keep being so sweet?”

Adrien’s stomach bottoms out. Sweet. People have liked him for his looks, or his fame, or his celebrity, but... sweet? Nobody’s ever called him that before except Ladybug, and... she doesn’t feel that way about him. (Kagami’s talked about his “soft heart,” but she always seems to have a little disdain in her voice when she says it. Though he’s fairly certain that disdain comes from her mother, not from her.)

Adrien opens his mouth to apologize, to tell her that he’s flattered but there’s someone else, and then... then her father brushes past, jogging the mixing bowl in Adrien's hands, and he remembers vines and wolfman and what happened the last time he turned her down, and he hesitates.

I need to, his brain says. It’s not fair to her.

He’ll hurt me again, his nerves reply.

Do we really want to say no anyway? his heart adds, quietly, unheard by the rest of him. It’s Marinette.

But in that crucial moment of indecision, Marinette continues. “The thing is,” she continues, “I don’t think it’s fair to either of us to get into a relationship while you're still learning about boundaries.” She turns, taking a bench scraper and tearing the dough apart, using the scraper to round it into uncooked rolls. “It's not that I don't still have feelings for you.” She sighs, hangs her head. “I just—I think being your friend is more important. For both of us.”

Adrien's not sure whether to be crushed or elated. On the one hand, she's just given him the perfect out—the perfect reason to say no, to turn her down. On the other... on the other. There's another hand. Why is there another hand? Why is he so disappointed?

He opens his mouth to say something—he's not sure what—but he's saved from finding out what his brain was going to spew next when M. Dupain suddenly turns around. “I think the cats are about ready, don’t you?” he says with forced mirth.

”Uh, I don’t...?” Adrien begins, at the same time as Marinette interjects “Papa, it’s only been—!” but her father bustles in between them and throws open the oven.

The cats are definitely not ready. Baked bread doesn't bubble like that.

"Oh, my," Tom says. He glances at Adrien. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

Adrien blinks, then shrugs. "No?"

Tom turns, waves his wife over. "Sabine, dumpling," he says. "Come take a look at Adrien's handiwork."

The cash register rings as she punches in the numbers for a customer. "In a minute, dear," she says.

Adrien bites his lip. "Did I do okay?"

Tom beams at him. "Adrien, son, you did beautifully," he says, reaching up to ruffle his hair, which sends a jolt of warm through Adrien's face. "Especially for your first time." He swings the oven closed and returns to stocking the shelves. "Proud of you!"

Proud of you.

The mixing bowl is halfway to the ground before he even realizes it's slipped out of his hands.

Proud of you.

He can't hear any of the rest of the shop—the pressure in his ears is squeezing in on his eardrums like q-tips.

Proud of you.

Marinette is turning to look at him, and he realizes his peripheral vision is just gone, like a buzzing at the edges of his vision.

Proud of you.

The bowl crashes into the ground, everyone in the shop jumps, and Adrien's crying. He's—he needs to stop, he's crying in front of people, he can't be, he, he—he can't breathe, he can't—

Marinette's mother's head barely comes up to his sternum; she is somehow, impossibly, even shorter than her daughter. He's trying not to melt into her arms.

"How long has it been since someone told you they were proud of you?" she murmurs, stroking his back.

He tries to speak, but only sobs instead. He can't remember.

He can't remember the last time someone told him they were proud of him.

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adhd-wifi · 5 years ago

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MDZS Modern AU Fic Tips (Festivals)

So I asked a while back if anyone was interested in some fic tips for writing Chinese modern AUs, and y’all seemed enthusiastic. But…when I tried putting it all in a single post it got…really…really long…

So I split them into a bunch of posts (Yes I copy-pasted this intro on all of them because I’m lazy)! Here are the links:

Names & Stuff

Modern Chinese Cultural Stuff

Superstitions & Beliefs

Festivals (You are here)

Living in China

Anyways, these are based on my experiences living in Singapore and China, and I hope these posts are helpful. On to it.

Content Warning: Magpie Bashing

Festivals (Warning: LONG. Good Luck.)

Note: I do not have personal experience with all of these. For those I have celebrated, I’ll indicate with a (*). Also I’ll only be talking about how we celebrate them (typically), because diving into the history and meanings of it all would take like 8 years (not literally but you know). Fee free to look them up, and ask your nearest Chinese human for any extra details. If they know it. You might want to look up what the lunar calendar is too. It’s basically the moon cycle calendar, but I am too bad at memorizing how it works so I just google the dates every single year.

Also, I’m restricting this post to ONLY Chinese & Singaporean versions of celebrations. Many other regional ethnic groups celebrate the same or similar festivals, but I don’t know enough about their versions of the festivities. Another thing is that my family is from Dalian & Harbin in the NorthEast, so there is more Northern bias in my post so I might have some info that is inaccurate to festivities in the South. I did try to search for some South-specific traditions, since Yunmeng/Hubei is in South China, but I’m not entirely sure how accurate those details are.

Chinese New Year (*) - Late Jan to Early Feb (15 days after CNY day)

Before CNY, often on the eve of the actual date, we decorate our homes with red (don’t you dare skip out on decking your home with RED) decorations such as lanterns, red and orange flowers, those vertical paper banners with auspicious calligraphy on them (what are they called in English???) and whatever these things are

As kids, my sister and I would make those loop paper chains out of red and yellow paper a lot. We never knew what to do with them when the festivities were over

Spring cleaning is extremely important, we usually do it (extensively) from about a month before the festivities (and get yelled at a lot by our Chinese mothers & grandmothers especially) up to CNY Eve

Please don’t do any cleaning, particularly sweeping or throwing the trash out, on the day itself. You’re throwing the new year luck away.

Other preparations include: buying new clothes, often with at least one red thing, visiting friends during the month prior so you don’t have to do so on the day itself and giving them little gifts and red packets, & burning new year offerings for ancestors

You will probably see lion dances on the streets and during new year parades a lot, sometimes accompanied by dragon dances, though the former is much more common. They also tend to give private performances at a discount during the CNY period, though lion dances aren’t restricted to only perform on CNY and in fact perform for special events in general, not just cultural festivities

On the night of CNY Eve, we have reunion dinners, in which we gather our entire extended family (when possible) and have a really loud, really energetic dinner party while watching the CNY Spring Gala on TV together. Or just eating if we don’t have access to a TV.

Include fish on the menu. At least one major fish main dish, not a side dish. It’s from a lucky saying: 年年有余 - nián nián yǒu yú, meaning something along the lines of “To have more prosperity this year”. The Chinese word for fish (鱼 - yú) sounds the same as 余, therefore we have fish every year. Yes it’s a pun, as many Chinese superstitions and beliefs are

Other menu items you could include: homemade dumplings (a FUCKton of them), uncut noodles, chicken or duck, pork, Chinese radish/carrot cake (side note: why the FUCK do Western articles ALWAYS translate this to “turnip cake” it’s made out of fucking RADISH or CARROT I swear to HELL), Chinese yam cakes, good alcohol and traditional sweets like tang yuan (this is basically the original version of mochi, filled with black or normal sesame filling and served in a clear, sweet soup)

There’s also one Cantonese dish known as (撈起 - Lo Hei) which is basically a salad of shredded carrot, radish, cucumber with strips of sashimi-style fish strips like salmon. You serve it to the table, pour crushed peanuts, fried dough crisps, and sweet sauce all over it, and your entire table reaches in with chopsticks and mixes everything together. It’s more common in Singapore and Malaysia than it actually is in Hong Kong and China, but I’ve had it in China before in the springtime. I fucking hate it.

By the way, a fun game to play is the coin dumpling game. Basically, when you make the dumplings, put clean coins into some of them, and whoever eats the dumpling with the coins inside are considered super lucky for the year. I wasn’t ever allowed to make them though, my 20 years of dumpling-folding have failed me I still suck at it so everyone knows which ones are mine.

Usually, relatives living overseas would go to China for the New Year if they can, and they would take turns hosting the dinner each year. You would traditionally only have a reunion dinner in a family home, mostly because everything outside is closed

During the celebrations, lighting firecrackers and sparklers is part of the fun. Keep a close eye on the kids.

Wearing traditional clothing isn’t necessary, but encouraged

At midnight, the younger, unmarried family members will present their married elders with gifts (usually two oranges per person or a small handmade craft) while wishing them well for the year, and in turn the elders will return the wishes and gift the youngsters red packets with money.

The celebration period lasts for 15 days, but people typically go back to work a day or two after the actual CNY date

Personal note: I have only actually celebrated CNY once in China, back when I was tiny, so most of this is based on Singaporean experiences, what I know my in-China relatives, who live in Dalian, do, and what I’ve double checked online. But CNY is huge in China and many places celebrate it differently, so don’t get too worried about following this to the dot.

The Lantern Festival - Early to Mid Feb

In Singapore it’s actually illegal to celebrate the Lantern Festival traditionally on a large scale because of the potential fire hazards & pollution, so it’s somewhat merged with the Mid-Autumn festival here and thus I don’t know as much about this one in a “proper” Chinese context (I had to go to school in Singapore this time of year)

But anyways

The Lantern Festival comes immediately after CNY, on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It’s seen as a day of freedom for all, so everyone takes to the streets, lighting up the night with candles and lanterns

Lantern-walks are common, in which everyone holds a lantern - there are many kinds to choose from - and just walk up and down the streets together

These lantern-walks often take place alongside the official festival parades

The dragon dances mentioned earlier are more likely to appear during the lantern festival than CNY, and the lion dances of course come as well

It gets crowded a lot. Hold onto your kids.

Lantern riddles are fun games, in which they string up lanterns with papers hanging from them. Upon these papers are the riddles, and if you got them right you could win prizes. Or at least bragging rights amongst your family and friend groups

If you’re in a river town, you’ll likely have a chance to see water lanterns, which are also common during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They’re paper lanterns, sometimes made in lotus form, carrying wishes of prosperity. This can come in two forms, an official river lantern parade where they make HUGE lanterns for show, or smaller lanterns that just flow along. Sounds perfect for a Yunmeng Jiang family celebration, don’t you think?

Another one is the sky lanterns, which CQL watchers will recognize. People will gather together, usually on a hill, and release lanterns into the skies. Some will make them themselves, but most people will just buy pre-made ones. Like in CQL, you make a wish upon these lanterns, then sit down and eat tang yuan together.

They apparently eat a lot of tang yuan on this festival

A lot of romantic meet-ups happen on this festival (and the Mid-Autumn Festival) (y’all know what to do with this information)

This is considered the last chance of family time following on from CNY before you all return to your normal lives

The QingMing Festival (*) - Early Apr

AKA the Tomb-Sweeping Festival

To put it very basically, this is when we go to our deceased loved one’s graves and clean said graves

We go to the cemetery in the early morning, wipe down the gravestones, clear them of debris like leaves and such, then we make offerings of food. A lot of the times, we would basically lay out a feast before the grave(s), lighting incense and also decorating the graves with flowers and such

Please do not ever eat anything in those offerings. It’s not for the living. Therefore, please feel free to stab your chopsticks upright into that bowl of rice.

You can burn offerings like paper too, usually in a burning urn (??? is it an urn?), but in my experience we weren’t allowed to do that at my grandma’s grave since it was a crowded cemetery so I don’t know how it works exactly

In my personal experiences, we usually stayed in the cemetery for about an hour, praying to the deceased and sort of chatting with them, hoping they’re doing well in the afterlife and updating them on our lives

After that’s done, we go have a picnic somewhere down the mountain and fly kites while getting bullied by asshole magpies

They keep stealing my food because apparently even they know you shouldn’t eat the food left out for the dead

One stole my necklace once ;-;

Anyways the food offerings left out are typically cleared the next morning (latest) by us or you pay the cemetery caretakers to dispose of it, but the latter is looked down upon for good reason

It’s really just best to clean it up yourselves when you can. For everyone’s sake.

The Dragon Boat Festival (*) - Late Jun to Early Jul

You could probably make a sports anime about this festival, because the main even at the Dragon Boat Festival is the dragon boat racing (shocking)

Okay all joking aside, during this festival, which is a summer event, dragon boat racers compete with one another in long, narrow wooden canoes with a Chinese dragon head carved out in the front and painted scales on the side, often really brightly coloured

They row to the beat of loud drums, with a drummer sitting at the head of each boat, facing their boat’s rowers, beating the drum as their team rows

People watching the races can do so from the shore, where they’ll be eating glutinous rice with meat/nuts/beans wrapped in large, woven bamboo leaves into a triangle shape, called 粽子 - zòng zi. (The Malaysians & Indonesians have this too, but they use banana leaves instead)

In some places, you have viewers in viewing boats too, with the race course marked off with buoys. I fell into the water once from one of these. Luckily they make you all wear life-vests.

Also a limited occurrence but rarer, some places will have sort of official “cheerleading” boats, in which a bunch of colourfully dressed people will shout and cheer for the racers as a whole, often waving flags the same colours as their clothes. They’re often standing, but in the same kind of dragon boats. You have to be affiliated with the local dragon boat community / heritage board to be allowed to be one of these “cheerleaders” though

When the official races aren’t happening though, visitors are often taken around the river. You can technically do this at any time, but the Chinese believe that the time of the Dragon Boat Festival is the best time for traversing the great rivers

Other things people do during this festival include drinking realgar wine, making perfume packets for children, and hanging mosquito-repellent herbs on doors and windows, but I’ve never seen this in practice and couldn’t find much else on these

To be honest, this particular festival is seen as a thing of lingering cultural heritage or just something of a traditional ceremonial practice, but is overall kinda dying as a full-fledged festival, with only the racing surviving the passage of time (In fact, this has become more of a leisure event than a festival in Singapore in recent years)

The QiXi Festival - Mid to Late Aug???

Not gonna lie I didn’t know this one existed until I looked it up

I knew the legend surrounding it (The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl - Please look it up it’s a beautiful story even though it’s not realistic because the magpies aren’t assholes) but didn’t know it was an actual holiday at all

Basically it’s kind of the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day, but it takes place in like August

Traditionally, girls took this time to show off their skills in the “feminine arts” such as weaving, sewing, fruit carving (???), tea-making (?????) and poetry (?????????). I’m confused.

They also ate special pastries and children gave flower garlands to the sacred ox statues

Apparently it’s mostly only celebrated in more traditional/rural areas now because most modern Chinese people just celebrate the Western Valentine’s Day

The legend gets to stay though

The Hungry Ghost Festival (*) - Late Jul to Early Aug (Start) / Late Aug to Early Sept (End)

This one is not a festive festival at all. You shouldn’t be enjoying this festival as a living person. But this is probably the best festival for any fics set in the modern world revolving around dead spirits being active out of everything on this list

This festival lasts the entire 7th month of the lunar calendar, so the Chinese will literally just call it the “Seventh Month (七月 - qī yuè)” or the “Ghost Month (鬼月 - guǐ yuè)”

I’ve never even heard anyone refer to it by its full name in Chinese, which is apparently 中元节 - zhōng yuán jié or 盂兰盆节 - yú lán pén jié according to Wikipedia

Basically, the Gates of Hell the Afterlife have opened for the month to get the spirits of the deceased ease their suffering for a bit. So, the festival is actually NOT celebrated by the living, instead, it’s “celebrated” by the ghosts of the deceased

Living human practices during this festival include making various food offerings (the main point of the festival) for the spirits, usually much more seriously and/or extravagantly than typical offerings, burning offerings such as paper money, paper houses, paper cars, etc in large quantities because this is the best time for the spirits to receive them, putting on special “performances for the dead” in which performers will dance and sing to a room of empty chairs, and having special family prayer sessions in which we “speak” to the deceased directly (Luckily, they don’t usually answer us)

Nowadays, only the first two of those practices are really still practiced as seriously as they used to be, for individual families at least

Again, if you see food being left out on the side of the street, especially if there’s incense or something next to it, please don’t eat it or even touch it. Don’t be the ignorant guy in a horror movie

People who can see/hear/sense spirits and environmentalists hate this festival, because ghosts can be terrifying even when harmless, and all the burning contributes to climate change

I happen to be both of those. I am also sensitive to smoke. So...

Ironically I don’t actually hate this festival THAT much but...

Personal note: I’ve never been to China during the seventh month, and because they make it a point to not really talk about it, I only know the Singaporean experiences. Telling ghost stories is both encouraged and shunned during this month here. Malaysian-Chinese ghost stories are fucking horrifying. Give me more.

Mid-Autumn Festival (*) - Late Sept to Early Oct

My personal favourite festival on this list. I don’t like crowded places, but I make exceptions for this one when I can. I would call this the most fun and enjoyable festival out of all of them.

When speaking Chinese, most of the time we’d just shorten it to 秋节 - qiū jié from the full name of 中秋节 - zhōng qiū jié

When speaking English (in Singapore, but you can use these in English fics and people tend to understand it fine), we also call it the Mooncake Festival, the Autumn Moon Festival, or the Harvest Moon Festival (this one is quite an old name though)

In modern times, this is celebrated very similarly to the famous Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival) in Japan, in which a huge festival site is fully decorated in colourful lanterns and filled with countless stalls of food, games, and festival products such as more lanterns, traditional dress rentals if you’re lucky, wooden toys, cloth products, “festival” tea & wine, and many more

You are encouraged to wear cheongsam/qipao to the festivities, but honestly most people don’t anymore, but they dress their kids in cultural clothing a lot (in Singapore you’ll also see kiddies running around in other traditional dress, such as yukata, summer hanbok, festive baju kurung, etc.)

In some places, special dragon or lion dances will be performing

Expect to find a FUCKTON of fresh fruit stalls, including pumpkins, melons, pomelos, persimmons, pomegranates, maybe starfruits, dragonfruits & guavas, and probably a heck lot of longans if you’re somewhere in South China. Also expect every individual large fruit to be decorated with red ribbons and colourful wrapping paper

Also out of every five stalls, at least one will be a mooncake stall

Mooncakes come in multiple varieties! The most common are the white lotus bean paste ones, the ones with salted egg yolks (single yolk and double yolk), snowskin ones which as much softer and sweeter, red bean paste cakes, etc.

They make some super cute shapes too!

There are even more savoury options with minced pork filling or prawn/fish filling (not a fan of the fish ones), but they’re made with a flakier pastry than the sweet ones (Note: sometimes we don’t call these mooncakes, but it depends)

Basically the sweet ones use a pastry that’s more like a typical sweet tart shell while the savoury ones use something that’s more like a non-sweetened croissant

Traditionally, people would make the mooncakes together at home, and offer them to the moon goddess during moon worship, but nowadays most people just buy them and eat them

This festival also shares a lot of the same customs as CNY & the Lantern Festival, such as:

Having another reunion dinner. Duck is a very common dish, along with seasonal crops. Lotus dishes are also popular around this time, depending on where you are.

Lanterns everywhere. Water and sky lanterns are also common. You’ll also see people playing with firecrackers and sparklers.

In much more rural areas, you might get to experience the Burning Pagoda tradition, in which they set up a seven-tier tower made up of wood and straw and burn it while dancing around it. This practice is similar to the Bon Odori even in Japan.

Fun fact: This is also basically the Lantern Festival of Singapore, because the actual Lantern Festival isn’t celebrated here

Bonus: I made a post about the most famous myth of this festival that relates to MDZS.

The ChongYang Festival - Mid to Late Oct

Also known as the Double Ninth Festival (in English) and the Senior Festival (slang)

This is basically the festival of paying respects to our elders, both living and dead

There are...going to be a fuckton of chrysanthemums everywhere. Chrysanthemum flowers decorating the place, chrysanthemum cakes (I don’t recommend googling it if you have severe trypophobia, some of the more traditional cakes have a lot of seeds and stuff on top which may be upsetting, but I would say it’s at least better than a hollow lotus pod), chrysanthemum wine, all of that

Common activities include going on easy hikes or mountain walks with the living elders, and maybe visiting the graves of those who have passed and paying respects

It’s dying in modern times, but still seen as at least a day of relaxing with your elderly family and friends

The DongZhi Festival - Late Dec (just before Christmas mostly)

The Winter Solstice Festival

Nothing much is done, we really mostly just have a special dinner together, eating dumplings, noodle soup, mutton, and hotpot. Alcohol is often present at such dinners, and you would toast to the solstice

You’d also pray and stuff like most of these festivals, but I think that’s a given by now lol

Modern Chinese people will often get together during this time and merge it with their Christmas dinners

Aside from that, we really just celebrate Christmas, though now you can add a line of cultural significance to those modern AU Christmas fics :3

Bonus Info: There is also a Summer Solstice festival called the Xia Zhi Festival that’s essentially the same as this, except you eat a lot of noodles and go swimming, but it’s not really significant anymore in modern times, the DongZhi festival only really surviving because of Christmas, so I didn’t include it in the list

Alright, that one took like 84 years. I’m tired LMAO.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #cql #chen qing ling #the untamed #chinese things #chinese fic tips #fic tips #modern au #my posts

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m42-fr · 5 years ago

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Some FR Food Headcanons

Inspired by a thread on FR, I may or may not have accidentally written up a massive column of text on the various foods of Sorneith. I’m gonna copy-paste it here! Also gonna reblog with some headcanons from other users on that thread, so I can keep track of the ones that I really liked.

Lightning: In a more modern world, I'm absolutely certain somebody's invented the equivalent of Soylent (the meal replacement, not people). A quick, efficient meal that you can live your entire life off of, liquid and flavorless. Most people try to get some real food in whenever possible, but a particular strand of dragons absolutely swear by the stuff and spend their entire lives subsisting on it. Lightning cuisine also has a wide array of shelled creatures, including crustaceans, beetles, and armadillos. Many traditional dishes use the hollowed-out shells of these animals as bowls, while others utilize the bowl as an edible element. Dragon jaws are strong, and many texture-based eaters love the feeling of the shell cracking between their teeth.

Fire: Firstly, as a spice lover, I 100% support the notion of Fire having super spicy food. Secondly, it should be worth noting that I personally headcanon a large chunk of Fire's territory being covered in humid tropical rainforests, nourished by the rich volcanic runoff and the moist sea winds blowing in from both sides. Climates are basically as far from realistic as you can get in this game, so really, anything goes. With that in mind, I personally headcanon a lot of Fire's cuisine to be like Indian food, especially the advent of curry and the usage of an insane amount of spices. Having such fertile farmlands lends itself well to the growth of all sorts of exotic spices, and even if you don't personally share my headcanons, it's easy to say that since it borders Wind, it could ship in spices from there. Also, Fire residents absolutely boil their coffee like this. No exceptions. Which brings me to Wind. If Fire is India, then Wind is China and/or Japan. Seriously, having that sort of aesthetic already, it's very easy to say that their food might be like that as well! I think they 100% have rice, and they might have a wide variety of spices as well - if Fire grows their own spices, then the two Flights likely trade their spices very often with one another. The Wind flight is artistic, creative, and adventurous, and their food is no exception. Wind has one of the greatest amounts of imported food, and it's well-known that they have some of the best and most well-traveled chefs. Wind, having a border on two large oceans, also likes to make sushi, seaweed wraps, and other seafood-based items. There's an interesting cuisine difference between the coasts and the mainland - the coasts tend to rely less on spices and more on meats and rice, while the inland likes to pack their food with spice, and loves to utilize doughy recipes like dumplings and noodles. Arcane food is very sugary. Faes have a special sweet tooth and a hankering for honey in particular. Arcane food is also very showy - the more colorful, the better! Many professionally-made dishes will even utilize inedible elements, such as crystal chunks and gold flakes, to really make a dessert pop. Arcane is also the home of food-based magic. Instead of potions, crafters will cover cupcakes in frosting runes, and mix magically-infused powder into their dough. While lacking the long-term storage potential of a bottled elixir, there's no arguing that magical confectioneries are significantly tastier. Their most popular use is in the realm of light pick-me-ups and mild painkillers. Why take a pill for your headache when you can just eat a magic cookie instead? Shadow food focuses heavily on texture over appearance. In the dark, the way food looks doesn't matter much - it's how it feels in the mouth that counts. Unsurprisingly, many of its dishes utilize mushrooms as a primary ingredient, and slow-roasting is a popular way to bring a dish to perfection. Shadow also absolutely loves puddings, and one of its most famous dishes is a dark, sludgy, tarlike stuff laced with dark chocolate and mint. Very filling, and so sugary that getting all of it down without making yourself sick is a challenge. Earth food is plain, but hearty. Tubers are the most common type of food; potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions, and other ground-growing plants are common. There are few traditional meat dishes, as meat is exceedingly rare. Earth food lacks many spices, but has an abundance of one critical substance: salt. The territory is home to massive salt flats that can be mined for their salt, and this alone makes up the backbone of its trading economy. Earth flighters love their salt - there's essentially no dish in their repertoire that doesn't use it to some capacity. Plague cuisine tends to favor strong, meaty flavors. They like their meat juicy, bleeding, and fresh. Given the land's propensity towards hunting parties and scavenger behavior, dishes tend to be local. Cooking is quite widespread, though. Most notably: stews. Plague dragons almost invariably boil their water before they drink it to rid it of potential diseases, and eventually somebody got the bright idea to drop some bits of food in the water as it heated. Plague is adaptive and will use whatever foods they find in their stews, so again, recipes are local, but a wide variety of meats are the most common. Bordering Wind, Plague also imports a very high amount of spices. Their region lacks the widespread farming arrays that would enable it to make spices on a large scale, and many from the flight love the extra kick spices give to their food. Ice food is hearty, with a solid serving of both meats and vegetables, sourced locally. Their distance from the rest of the world means that their food has remained the most traditional and locally-sourced of Flight cuisine, virtually unchanged for hundreds - if not thousands - of years. Most dishes use some sort of meat, typically deer, caribou, or rabbit. With a large population of Tundras, they also grow all manner of vegetables. Many in the Ice flight like to make use of all parts of a carcass, not just the meat. Tools, including utensils, are carved from bones. Hides are used as clothing and shelter. Organs may also be eaten - most of Ice's more 'out there' dishes involve some sort of strange organ, like a deer stomach that's been cleaned out and filled with a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Nature food is also filled with both meat and plants, though has a much higher percentage of fruit-based dishes. Many foods utilize some sort of complimentary fruit, either as a side or as additional flavoring to the primary ingredient. As most inhabitants are the voraciously meat-consuming Wildclaws, their dishes tend to have a high amount of meat, and are cooked and flavored accordingly. Nature dragons like to slow-roast their food, cooking it until the meat's tender enough to rip apart with a fork and practically falls apart in your mouth. I like to think that Nature also is a big fan of sour and savory flavors - many of their dishes utilize things like lemons, limes, and pineapples. Light food isn't the tastiest, but it sure is the flashiest. Of the Flights, Light food is the showiest, and its bakers are exceptionally skilled in the art of making their dishes look the best. Light dragons have a propensity for large-scale feasts and celebrations. They bake insanely huge, mastercrafted cakes, and host banquets filled with exotic dishes from all around the world. Original Light cuisine is heavy on grains and dairy, creating all manner of beautifully knotted breads and succulent cheeses and butters. It also imports the most amount of ingredients and recipes; while it's hard to find a non-Light ethnic dish in Light that's as good as the originals back home, it's typically nothing to shake a stick at. Finally, we have Water. Water - what a shocker - really really likes seafood. As many spices and foods can't be transported properly underwater, they're quite uncommon, found only along the coastline and in the homes of those with the resources to magically ensure that their imports don't get ruined on the way down. They like fresh, raw fish, and probably also create something very much like sushi. They can't roast anything underwater, so they boil it all instead. Cuisine on the few over-land parts of the territory is heavily influenced by its neighbors, Lightning, Light, and Fire, and is just as varied.

#flight rising #my headcanons #the flights #my lore #mmm this is giving me some good lore ideas now...#think I'm starting to fall in love with Fire flight #I NEED MY GIANT SPICY TROPICAL RAINFOREST VOLCANO LAND DAMMIT

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xathia-89 · 5 years ago

Text

Long Lost Sibling - Ieyasu

“You’ll think it’s not been long at all since you’ve seen me,” Ieyasu grinned at his teary little sister, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “And you’ll go back to complaining that I won’t let you do anything.”

The little girl smiled and hugged him tightly. “Stay safe,” she quietly told him.

“Only if you do,” he chuckled, patting her head.

I woke up with a start to my alarm blaring across the room as I hit it hard. I was having the same dream over and over again recently as I went to get my teeth brushed and my hair under a beanie swiftly. I spent most of my life dealing with fluffy hair, it was the best way to deal with it was a beanie hat shoved on the head, and then I’d cover everything with the industrial hair net anyway as I heard my parents yelling at some of the staff that had already started in the bakery. I was adopted from a young age by a couple who couldn’t have their own, I was supposedly found by them near the shop without anything but a name and a necklace that I now wore as a bracelet. I nearly tripped down the stairs in an effort to get going on with the bread for the day before I could start work on my sweet pastries and the cake masterpieces that attracted the attention for our signature dishes.

“Natsuki!” My dad yelled after the morning rush was done with, and called me into the office. I frowned since he rarely did anything like that with anyone except to reprimand them, but swiftly went into the small room, and closed the door as he gestured. “I need you to take some time to do some research for me,” he patiently explained. “We’re expanding the bakery again, and I’d like you to manage the new shop,” he offered, looking at me hopefully. “I want you to scout out Kyoto for me and pick it all yourself. Manage it completely, and I will give you the financial backing of an already established store,” he smiled.

I practically bounced back out of the office. It didn’t help my focus as I had to make a leaving cake to order that afternoon, luckily it was just the finishing touches that I was always allowed to put my noise-cancelling headphones on for since they would require the most focus. Something I needed calming classical music for, and not the manufacturing sounds of a working bakery.

The old style of sweet buns were my latest project. The older generation lapped them up, and we couldn’t make them fast enough for them, but it wasn’t appealing to the younger crowd that would come in as I leant on the counter waiting for the collection to arrive. I was thinking about the trends in order, and how it was usually fairly predictable based on the customer’s appearance what they’d be after.

A businessman in a suit would want a coffee to go naturally, and occasionally take a sweet treat to keep him going. A mother with her kids would go for the cakes, while the coffee morning meetings would order a variety of the sweet buns and the fancy coffee settings on the machine. Teenagers would go for what they thought made them look older and ‘sophisticated’, especially when they weren’t on their own. Young adults would want the freshly baked bread, and never even glance at the displays. While the older generations would admire everything while coming in for their daily orders and would be the easiest to twist into adding onto their orders. And if they didn’t fit into those categories, then they wanted a cake doing for a special occasion as the office manager came in for her order. She gave me a snotty look since it matched her exact specifications and had to hand over the entire amount.

We all took a moment to have a breather as we closed the shop. Most of the staff had already finished by mid-afternoon, so when we did close up at three, it was usually those of us who lived over the shop. The equipment was cleaned over on a daily basis as the pace dropped to something much more relaxed, and we put the music on to dance about while doing the definite boring parts of our job.

I had my own box room above the shop, it was the only way to get your own space, anything bigger than my room was a shared one. There were about five of us currently, not including my parents, who lived there and another two spare rooms for up to four more. I sat on my bed, thinking over what I’d been told earlier in the day as I took off my beanie and stared at my appearance in the mirror. I kept having the reoccurring dreams where I was having the same conversation about seeing my brother again, and I’d never seen the boy before in my life. Everything felt like I was going to get answers in Kyoto, and I had no idea why.

I was five hundred years in the past, and I’d just been made a Princess of the Oda for saving Nobunaga from the fire. It had been a few days since I’d been appointed, and I was told I was free to spend my time doing as I liked. I kept going to the kitchens, but I found out I wasn’t much use there since cooking wasn’t really something I was proven at. I ended up leaving the castle behind after a lot of frustration between the staff and me and wandered up to a small bakery.

“You should try one of these!” The owner beamed, thrusting a roll at me.

I was hesitant in taking a bite, and I could see why he wasn’t selling a lot. I ended up persuading him to take me on and that he wasn’t going to open tomorrow, because I’d prove my worth to him in the early morning.

“You’ve been adding the ingredients in the wrong order, it’s upsetting the whole process,” I told the man, showing him how I worked. He wasn’t impressed with my attitude, but my persistence and ability to be blunt got me quite far in many things. “You need to treat it like you would a child. You wouldn’t give them hard foods before giving them liquids and expect them to know how to eat properly,” I stated.

It was a few hours of bickering between us before my first batch was done.

His expression told me everything.

Nobunaga hadn’t got a care in the world as to where I went or what I got up to. Hideyoshi however, was frequently ready to scold me for lowering myself to work in such an awful place, until I told him to come by one morning and see what I’d managed to do with it. He was suitably impressed and conceded that I’d actually done the baker a favour, and then told me not to eat too many of my sweet buns because it wouldn’t do my teeth any favours. I began to get some regulars attending, and then one man turned up with a slightly mouthy merchant I recognised from the market.

“Yuki, isn’t it?” I smiled, “Come for your usual?” I asked.

“No, my boss wanted to see what all the fuss was,” he grumbled, looking away as I offered the man a sweet bun.

His boss looked like he’d fallen in love with my baking. I’d seen the expression a few times over, as Yuki realised I’d already fed his boss something sweet and was already torn between who to tell off first before I gave him a savoury dough that he favoured to stop him talking.

It wasn’t long before Yuki disappeared back to the market, and his boss approached once I was alone. He was a charmer, I could tell that much by the way he carried himself, and that he was stupidly good looking was a hand to his cause I imagined.

“So where did this angel fall from the sky?” He opened, offering me a charming smile.

“I was just in the area,” I shrugged, determined to be vague. “Do you have a name or do I just call you Yuki’s boss?” I asked.

“Shingen,” he replied with a dazzling grin.

“Natsuki,” I returned. “Though I think Yuki has just taken to yelling Suki at me when I sneak him in some extra buns when he looks rough,” I shrugged.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that kind of hat on your head before,” he gestured to my beanie, which was still hiding my fluffy hair under it.

“It was a present, probably from far away. It keeps my hair out of my face when I’m baking, so does the job,” I answered. “Now, can I interest you in some things, or are you just going to keep blocking the shop?” I bristled at him, indicating to the line starting to form.

Shingen was starting to become a regular. He would frequently be alone rather than with Yuki, and he was refusing to cease on the charm. I wasn’t sure if I was just wearing down to the charm, or starting to warm up to the man as I found myself looking forward to the next round of teasing between us both. He would always order the red bean paste sweet buns, and then found a new way of teasing me even more.

“A date?” I repeated back to the man as I was frozen in handing over the buns. All of the immediate vicinity was now listening on with avid fascination.

“Yes,” Shingen humoured. “Nothing overly fancy, but I’d like to get to know you more without a display of baked treats between us,” he chuckled.

“She’s off shortly,” the baker cheerfully announced, and I flushed bright red. “You’ve never had any interest in anyone else,” he muttered and gave me an overly dramatic wink. “She’s just going to get changed,” he beamed as I was then promptly ushered to the back.

I was glaring at the baker who was cheerfully waving me off, along with all of the regulars we’d accumulated on a quick basis. I was confident that he’d keep the demands for the sweet buns satisfied at least as I was ushered away in the kimonos that I wore as Princess rather than the baker. I was feeling a little flustered since the beanie looked so out of place, but I daren’t remove it. My longer locks of hair were weighed down to stop the fluffy mushroom look that seemed to be in my genes regardless of the products used from the modern era, and I only seemed to have water to help me in my fling back to the past. A lot of the townspeople did a double take to me walking in the streets while the bakery was still open, and with a rather charming man.

Shingen was a perfect gentleman much to my surprise. We got to a tea house, and he ordered tea and dumplings for us both. I’d been told that these dumplings were rivals to my sweet buns, so I had been curious for a while but not able to stop my passions in baking to come and taste them. Shingen gave me a wink, and I found myself suddenly blushing hard and looking away from the man in an attempt to cool down.

“I’m still curious about the hat,” he humoured to me.

“It stays on,” I sulk self-consciously, pulling down on the beanie. I knew it was getting close to needing to be washed, but I wasn’t prepared to go through the teasing from the likes of Masamune and Mitsuhide that would inevitably occur.

“It looks cute when you contemplate murdering someone because you’ve taken it off,” he chuckled, offering me a dumpling.

“Shouldn’t you be with Yuki anyway?” I paused, trying to deflect the conversation away from me.

“He’s elsewhere currently, I specifically came to see you,” Shingen gave me a charming smile. The man was relentless I had to admit as I finally bit into the sweet treat. “Good, aren’t they?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, hating to admit that someone else had the ability to bake well. “You seem to have a bit of a fixation on me,” I commented, desperate to turn the conversation around.

“A gorgeous woman like yourself who clearly isn’t married, I’m surprised there aren’t more men queuing up for dates,” he was like this with most women I could glean.

“I’m sure there’s plenty who don’t come with all my baggage,” I shrugged, reaching for the tea. “Or are much easier to get on dates at the very least,” I smiled, referring to his luck that my boss had practically pushed me over the counter to go on a date with the man.

“Mm, but they aren’t you, and your baking skills have me intrigued,” Shingen charmed.

“I’ve always baked. My dad would want a hand to keep demands supplied, and I’d comply,” I answered simply. “Then I started working on the sweet buns and the likes, and we found out that it worked brilliantly to get more customers in and give us a better life.”

“How did you end up here then?” Shingen was pushing to know more about me as I raised an eyebrow.

“How did you end up a merchant?” I smiled, taking a sip of my drink.

Shingen looked stumped and then shrugged his shoulders casually. “I wanted to get out and see what was happening, so I decided to travel, but I needed a way of funding myself, so I turned to it.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’d be happy to stay in any one place then,” I added thoughtfully, my gaze drifting out over the open doors which showed the bustling marketplace.

“I think I’m getting ready to settle down,” he chuckled. “Depends on finding the right woman I suppose as well,” I felt myself blushing hard as Shingen purposely gave me a charming look.

“I’ve got to get home, we’ve got something tonight I need to get ready for,” I bristled, determined to get out of the situation. Shingen kissed my hand as I passed, making me turn the shade of a tomato as I rushed up to the castle.

Hideyoshi turned the corner and looked surprised to see me. “Natsuki,” he was ready to scold me. “I’ve been looking for you after the baker said that you weren’t there,” he had his big brother tone and look on.

“Sorry, I ended up at the teahouse,” for some reason I felt like I should be hiding who I was with as Hideyoshi levelled with me.

“We’re leaving in a few days, we’re going to war,” he frowned. “And Lord Nobunaga has decreed that you are to accompany us.”

“What? That makes no sense,” I frowned.

“I did argue that, but Lord Nobunaga has made the decision you are coming with us,” Toyotomi sighed. “We need you to prepare the ingredients for keeping morale up,” he muttered.

“I can make a sweet dough that gets baked on fires,” I waved my hand without a thought. “All the soldiers will love it.”

“I’ll leave you to arrange it with Masamune,” the vassal frowned.

It was never in my plans to be on the battlefield, tight and secure in Nobunaga’s arms as the Tiger of Kai and Dragon of Echigo were reportedly out and fighting. I wasn’t expecting for Masamune to come and steal me in time to avoid an attack from a familiar face, as I realised that the warlord currently attacking us, was the same one who insisted that his boss didn’t need to eat too many of my rolls. Yuki wasn’t looking at me, he was busy fighting with Nobunaga as Date laughed and his sword swung in front of me to protect me.

I wasn’t sure who looked more shocked, me or Shingen, to see each other on the battlefield. And Date was sharp enough to use that moment to tear away and drop me off at the camp.

“Go and find Ieyasu, and don’t leave his protection,” he ordered, before bolting back off. I didn’t need telling again as I fled into the camp.

The fluffy blonde was currently monitoring things from the main tent with Mitsunari, much to the former’s disgust. They both looked surprised to see me.

“I was dropped off at the outskirts and told to stay with you,” I shrugged.

“Are they out there?” Ieyasu immediately pressed.

“Who?” I frowned.

“Shingen and Kenshin,” he snorted, as though there wasn’t anyone else he could possibly be talking about.

“I saw Shingen and Yukimura,” I replied, having made the connection that ‘Yuki’ was the vassal of Shingen and actually Yukimura Sanada. “So I’d make the assumption that Kenshin is likely to be fighting.”

It was a long wait, I took to making up some batches of the dough for sweet roll and baking them by a makeshift ‘oven’. It kept me in the centre of the view and gave me a defence as I could always just grab a flaming stick if something snuck up on me.

I was the most popular person in camp as I went around with the warm rolls, and as soon as one soldier had torn into one and found it was sweet dough, I was in danger of being mobbed for the food as Masamune then took to helping me dish it out.

“Kitten,” Date waited until we’d been left alone. “Why did Shingen recognise you?” His voice was neutral, no accusation in it.

“He’s been coming to the bakery I’ve been working at recently, he likes the sweet buns I do,” I shrugged. “I had no idea who he actually was,” I sighed. “It sounds like I’m lying.”

“Nobunaga is probably going to have something to say about it,” he agreed.

“So he was scouting Azuchi?” Nobunaga was frowning.

“Probably. He was more interested in my baking recipes, to be honest,” I explained. “He’d be there most days.”

“The point is, he knows that she’s not just any ordinary person,” Hideyoshi argued. “He’s going to come for her, she’s not trained in any kind of weaponry, and he knows where she works.”

“Ieyasu,” Oda’s voice grabbed the attention of the distant blonde. “You will look after Natsuki in your manor. You are not permitted to leave those grounds until we have established that you aren’t in danger of being kidnapped.”

I had to understand where the order was coming from and nodded silently. I even rode on the back of Ieyasu’s horse to Azuchi. We barely exchanged a few sentences the entire time. I hadn’t got a lot to converse with the man, and he was of a similar disposition off the top of it. I wasn’t one for sitting around and doing nothing as Ieyasu said to do as I please, and I introduced myself to the staff. They rarely had any issues, but I was more than happy to help with doing the cleaning and laundry since I would be nothing more than a hindrance to the cooking staff. Then I spied all the spices and peppers one afternoon and asked the cook.

Turns out that they’d had to buy enough in to cater for us both as we both liked our foods spicy. Something very strange in this era as I thanked the man and got on my way to the laundry area.

“Natsuki,” I was surprised to see Ieyasu glaring at me, and that he was staring at the medallion on my bracelet. “Where did you get that?” He was hostile and snatched my wrist to his jade eyes for a closer inspection. I could feel myself tremble in his grip, and then he was shaking with fear.

“It was the only identifying thing I had on me when I was found. It was originally a necklace,” I was feeling very defensive as I was attempting to wrestle my arm back.

“This is my family’s symbol,” he hotly accused. “And to be blunt, it’s the same item I gave my sister before she disappeared,” he glared.

I remembered that gaze. My dreams were making sense, as Ieyasu’s grip was relaxing at the same time. I was searching his eyes for the answers, tears welling up swiftly.

“I told you that you’d go back to complaining that I wouldn’t let you do anything,” he muttered. I was sobbing loudly, and wrapped myself up tightly in a hug with Ieyasu, attracting the attention of most of the staff in the meantime.

We were awkwardly sat and waiting for the staff to leave as dinner was presented. Ieyasu was surprised to see that I liked my food as spicy as he did, but then gave strict instructions we were to be left alone.

“I never arrived at the grounds I was meant to obviously,” I started nervously, “I ended up five hundred years in the future. There’s something called a ‘wormhole’ it basically transports you through time it seems, and it’s happened to me twice sheerly by chance, and I don’t understand it either,” I lamely explained, poking at the noodles. “I grew up in a bakery. I was happy and swamped,” I smiled.

“It makes things a little easier for me to process,” Ieyasu sighed. “You grew up without the terrors of this place,” he gave me a wary smile. “What’s with the hat?”

I pulled it off and revealed a very similar style of fluffy hair to the male. He smirked as I pulled it back and glared at him.

“You should be more sympathetic,” I grumbled, “You have the same problem,” I argued, and stabbed a piece of meat with my chopsticks.

“Yes, but apparently I don’t need to cover it up,” he smirked.

It wasn’t long before Hideyoshi had arrived in response to the urgent message that Ieyasu had sent. He was looking flustered, as my brother had decided that hiding my hat would give the game away as to what had been discovered and needed discussing.

The vassal was wide-eyed and looking between us like he couldn’t understand who he was looking at.

“So the Natsuki that disappeared years ago is the same one who just happened to turn up at Honno-Ji and save Lord Nobunaga?” He repeated back at us slowly.

“Well, I only gave one of those medallions out,” Ieyasu snorted, showing Hideyoshi the bracelet on my wrist. “And she has been hiding her hair under that hat,” he pointed out.

“That hat saved me from your ridicule,” I sulked, glaring at my brother as I was feeling so relieved that my dreams that had been haunting me for years were a reality. It was the only snatches of memory I had.

A messenger arrived to take me to Nobunaga in private. Something that we had all expected.

Then I was bundled into a box and swiftly carted off through the forests by the sounds of things. I tried pounding on the sides, but nothing was said in response as I yelled until I was hoarse, and I couldn’t find anything to open any gaps. I kept kicking it in frustration to let them know I hadn’t given up.

“I thought I said to be nice to her,” a voice sighed after what felt like a lifetime of hearing nothing, and the hatch was opened from the side to tip me out.

I landed ungracefully and glared at the kidnappers. Then I realised that the voice had sounded familiar because it was.

Shingen offered his hand with a smile. “Apologies, I told them to transport you in comfort, but apparently that went unheeded,” he glared at the men. They didn’t care, as the warlord gave me a glance over. “Come, I’ll get you some a bath and some fresh clothing, and then a feast tonight,” he smiled, keeping hold of my hand as I hesitantly took his offer to get off the floor. His hand was warm and soothing, encasing mine as I was embarrassed to admit I didn’t feel threatened by the man who was technically the enemy.

A lot of the people passing by us looked on with interest, but nothing hostile as they greeted the man amiably. There wasn’t a rush to get to the castle, as I spied Yuki waiting impatiently at the gates.

“He’ll have a lecture ready about limiting the amount of baking you’re allowed to do for me,” Shingen humoured, pausing to kiss the back of my hands and making my cheeks burn bright red.

“Really Lord Shingen,” Yukimura frowned. “I didn’t think you’d go to this length for some sweet buns,” he scolded freely.

“Oh, it wasn’t just the sweet buns,” he chuckled, leading me inside where a room had already been prepared for me on Shingen’s orders it seemed. The staff who passed us would warmly greet us. The reasoning was starting to fly over my head until my hat was snatched from my head by a passing Kenshin. And then my hair instantly fluffed up in the style that resembled my brother’s and made the warlords pause. “I thought Ieyasu’s sister had vanished years ago,” he murmured.

“It’s a long story,” I smiled awkwardly. “We only just found out ourselves,” I admitted.

“Let’s get the lady bathed and ready to talk to us over food,” Shingen said, leaving my hat in Uesugi’s hands.

I was introduced to Sasuke, one of Kenshin’s prized ninjas, who I recognised as being the man I’d met just before falling through the wormhole in the future. He tapped on his nose, as though to say it needed to be our secret. There was definitely an interest in my hair, as the maids were discussing ways of getting it to weigh itself down to stop it being so fluffy. I was feeling embarrassed being at such a centre of attention, but Shingen was looking only at me; it seemed during the feast. Being a princess was a new thing for me, and since I had been given free rein of my time, then I had focused on doing what brought me some comfort and then helping someone to build their business and livelihood for survival.

The aides were watching with me avid interest, especially since I heard the mutterings about either using me as a hostage or bargaining for an alliance. It was hard to understand about how women were viewed with such limited potential in this era, and I was beginning to retreat inside myself when the vast majority of the hall was dismissed after they had all eaten. There was intrigue, but no one dared to question either Shingen or Kenshin’s orders on the matter.

It was merely myself, Yukimura, Sasuke, Kenshin and Shingen now present. Sasuke ensured that the hall was free of anyone looking to eavesdrop and had even left presents for anyone attempting to listen in for leverage.

With the help of the ninja, I explained about the wormholes and that I had somehow ended up going through one when I disappeared as a child. I had ended up five hundred years in the future, and then found a second one that returned me. It sounded too far fetched to believe as I told them, and then I remembered to show the medallion on my bracelet of the Tokugawa clan. I bit my lip as Shingen merely smiled at me and patted me on the head.

“Sounds like you’ve had a rough few weeks,” he admired.

“I only just found out that I wasn’t dreaming that I had a brother, but it was a memory from just before I disappeared. And then I get kidnapped and end up in enemy territory,” I pointed out. “I would like to go to my room and get some rest,” I said, looking pointedly at Shingen.

He chuckled and offered me an arm as we stood up. He never uttered a word, and only kissed my knuckles as he wished me good night outside my room. I dropped onto my futon as I began to wonder just what sort of mess I had gotten myself into.

I was allowed free reign of the castle and was graced with escorted visits into Echigo. Shingen was always trying to get to know me more, as I was trying to resist what felt like was becoming inevitable. I know that word had been sent to my brother specifically that I was safe, but I was being held at Echigo under Shingen’s care. I wasn’t sure when it had become natural for us to hold hands whenever we went out together, or that we just talked freely between ourselves.

His thumb was stroking my bottom lip as the sun began to set. I was trapped by the enchanting gaze he was giving me, and I felt like I was going to drown in his eyes. We were so close, and I couldn’t remember being in his arms with his feeling before. It was natural gravitation, and I couldn’t get enough of his passion through his kisses. My arms were locked around his neck before we had to part for breath, and I slowly dropped them as my insecurity set in. I wasn’t going to pretend that I’d never heard all of the rumours about all of the beautiful women that Shingen attracted, whereas given how I had grown up largely without the romantic experience.

“Don’t give me that look,” Takeda murmured softly, and then stole another kiss. “It makes it impossible to resist you when you look so vulnerable that I feel I should keep you in my arms.”

I flushed red at the implications of his words, and Shingen chuckled. “We should probably get back before Yuki starts yelling at us again for missing dinner,” I smiled, trying to reassure myself that Shingen wasn’t just trying to play me to mess with Ieyasu.

Shingen didn’t care who saw us together, that much was obvious. He was always holding my hand, and more recently, he had frequently been kissing the back of my hand. He surprised me on the way back, sweeping me up in his arms and giving me a passionate kiss because I looked too tempting to resist from doing so. I was a fetching shade of red by the time we did make it back to Kasugayama where the vassal was waiting impatiently. He was tempted to chastise us, but then something caught him off guard in his lord’s expression, and his eyebrows disappeared into his messy brown locks.

It was a few days later when a message was received that negotiations were requested to take place on neutral grounds, halfway between Echigo and Azuchi. With the strictest addition that I had to be present. Shingen looked amused as he visited my room to let me know, and then requested I accompany him into Echigo.

The townspeople were all in high spirits and were definitely warm in their greetings to me. Nothing had been mentioned as far as I could tell that I was an opposing warlord’s sister, as I had the impression that it would drastically change everything I experienced.

“You look worried,” Shingen brought me out of my thoughts.

“I was just thinking how things would change if they knew who my brother was,” I admitted, dipping my head in embarrassment.

“If anything changes, I will address it,” he soothed, pulling me into his side to reassure me. “We set out tomorrow, and it will get boring,” he laughed, “So I wanted to see you smile,” he charmed, tilting my chin up with his finger, as I failed to resist the suggestion. “Come, we should go and find somewhere quiet to make some sweet buns,” Shingen decided with a grin that set my heart fluttering as we slipped off back to the castle.

Ieyasu couldn’t hide his relief, as I broke the ranks and ran up to him and hugged him tightly. He was reluctant to let me go and was still trying to process that not only was I his sister that he’d found after twenty years, but he was likely going to lose me from under his guard. Shingen chuckled and called my name as a polite request to start the talks.

I gave Ieyasu one last squeeze and slipped back into Takeda’s side. I was sat as a princess on the political explanation for my attendance, as Nobunaga inclined his head in greeting and Hideyoshi was nearly as relieved to see me as my brother from his expression.

“I agreed to the talks, what are the demands?” Shingen was trying to keep his cool being opposite his enemy while ultimately discussing someone he apparently cared for deeply.

“That Natsuki be safely returned to her brother,” Oda stated with a casual shrug.

“And what if she makes the decision to stay here?” He asked, taking his gaze to my brother.

“If you are about to ask what you think,” Ieyasu was gritting his teeth. “Then I will only accept if you can prove that you won’t even think of looking at any other woman,” he glared.

“He hasn’t since Natsuki arrived,” Kenshin snorted, clearly bored that there wasn’t going to be much of a chance of war.

“I would promise it, but it’s a given,” Takeda replied, purposely looking me in the eyes as he lifted my hand to his lips.

“Fine,” Ieyasu glared. “But you refuse me entry at any visit to see Natsuki, and I will wage war,” he warned. “And you will write to me constantly,” he sulked as he directed the last command at me.

“I was hoping for war,” Kenshin shrugged and promptly left the tent, as Shingen wouldn’t let go of my hand, while a blush was threatening to make me blow up with how heated I was feeling.

“Will you two get a room,” Yukimura snapped at us, reminding me and Shingen that we weren’t alone like we usually were. His lord chuckled and put the slightest of distance between us as my brother rolled his eyes overdramatically.

“I need to show my future wife what life will be like here,” Takeda charmed as an excuse, while the meeting was brought to an end.

It only took a few days for word to get around Echigo that Shingen and I were to be shortly wed. The whole place was buzzing with excitement, and one of the maids had even made a concoction that would slicked my hair down from its usual fluff to an actual style without just making it greasy. I had only just moved into Shingen’s room and dropped onto our futon the night before in exhaustion as I’d been running about trying to tie up loose ends. Ieyasu had arrived a few hours beforehand, and would definitely cause a ripple on their appearance tomorrow, but I trusted Shingen’s word as I drifted off.

“Natsuki,” someone was shaking me awake. The maids were already tipping Takeda out of the room as dawn was just breaking. It was going to be a long day of celebration, as Yukimura could be heard leading his lord away.

It started with a bath, and then I was tightened into a beautiful white kimono that had been designed especially for me and this part of the ceremony at least. The concoction was applied to my hair, it was going to be a debut for it as the maid was excited to see how it worked under the stress of the day. She was just as meticulous in the application of my makeup, the presentation of the bride was going to blow everyone’s mind at this rate.

Shingen was stumped and had to be nudged to accept the san san ku as Ieyasu and Yukimura took place as part of our families and sipped at it. We were left alone for a moment, and I was surprised at the amount of passion that had been bundled up into the formal appearance he was keeping. The kiss seared my lips off and took all my breath away before Yuki called for us both to come out for the sake. I was blushing heavily as we came out, and then had to disappear up to our room to change into my uchikake. It was heavily coloured in tones of red with the flowers that could be found in Kai dominating it, the colours of Takeda as I wore a white and red kimono underneath.

The main hall was bustling with Shingen’s and Ieyasu’s aides. There was a slight tension, but it was to be expected given the nature of their loyalties. But I whispered that the sake was to be liberally distributed and it soon eased the atmosphere into a fitting celebration.

“Natsuki,” Shingen nudged me, as I turned from talking to Sasuke, and found that my empty cup was being filled again, and he smiled at me.

“Your smile is lethal,” I quietly told the man, sipping at my cup.

“Only for you,” he charmed, picking up my hand and kissing it. “I was feeling lonely,” he teased.

“You just wanted my attention,” I corrected him.

“I dare say I can ask, given that you are now my wife,” his breath was hot on my ear, and the sake was definitely going to my head after all the stress of the day was quickly vacating. “Our room will be far away from everyone,” he teased, leaving it purposely hanging in the air as Ieyasu was glaring at the man.

“Shingen,” I gasped, feeling myself begin to pool.

We hurried left everyone, telling the staff to keep plying them all with sake to keep everything settled, otherwise leaving Yukimura, Ieyasu and Kenshin in charge.

I was still trying to get my head around my life as I was bundled up in my husband’s arms in our futon. I had been born in this time period, to be transported five hundred years in the future and grew up there, only to come back. I was happy, and I didn’t want to go back. I had grown up in safety, and relearning how the Sengoku era worked was a task in itself, but I was happy and where I belonged. A smile etched into my face as I drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and loved.

#Ieyasu Tokugawa #shingen takeda #ikesen #ikemen sengoku #Ikémen Sengoku #yukimura sanada

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sasorikigai · 5 years ago

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Cooking with Scorpion!

This is inspired by chat I have had with @grimsouled. Aka my favorite gramma who I like to consistently pester lmao.

As Hanzo struggles with insomnia and nightmares/night terrors, cooking is a form of meditation that takes his mind off of things and works marvel, because not only it benefits him in order to calm his mind and find peace, but it also benefits the Shirai Ryu and sometimes the Lin Kuei, because he would most always make extra and share it among the clan members. He does not like to see any food go into waste.

While the Shirai Ryu Grounds sink beneath silent tranquility of the night.... In the kitchen, there could be seen rhythmic eruption of fire, along with frustrated grunts marching the whooshing of smoke and charring remnants of burnt dough. He can be often seen kneading dough, in order to either make coal-fired pizza (his favorite ingredients being vegetables grown from the garden, such as onions, bell peppers, garlic, mushrooms, artichokes, eggplants, etc. with occasional meat), or dumplings (jiaozi, the chinese dumplings with pork, chicken with mixed vegetables. Hanzo prefers steamed over fried), or thin fresh noodles for either ramen or soba noodles.

He would be like one of those entranced zealot, frantic, yet calm at the same time and in absolute focus and autopilot. He knows what he’s doing for the most part, but it takes him a while to control his pyromancy to not scorch and burn the underside of the pizza or over boil the water, etc.

By this time, Shirai Ryu are used to Hanzo’s ‘antics,’ as long as he stays in his private quarters. There are some times that Hanzo shows up slightly dishevelled, with clear frustration etched on his face with dusted flour covering the inky waterfall of his hair in his morning training. They would figure out the menu for their breakfast by observing their Grandmaster’s features.

#✗ obsessive cathartic (headcanon)#✗ the ineffable testimony of spawned hellfire (scorpion)#✗ you are an equal amongst deceivers (iii)#(sounds like krack but it's kanon)

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mnoonthego · 2 years ago

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Day 3 con’t- Sign Language & Smiles

As promised here is a bit more about yesterday.

We took quite a drive from Nairobi to the Rift Valley to get to Joshua’s village. He had to come and collect us from one of Kenya’s soda lakes (I had never heard of a soda lake before- they are shallow alkaline lakes that have a ton of green algae and therefore tons of “lesser” flamingos (who names something that!??). The alkaline comes from past volcanic activity and the tons of bird poop (which is apparently why the lake is pink along the shore) and escort us as the roads don’t really seem like roads but merely tracks through hard packed sand/dirt in most parts of it but the tracks diverge around trees and termite mounds that all look the same so you need to know your way. I have to say although the roads leave a lot to the imagination, seeing giraffes wander around, and huge herds of zebras in the wild is pretty amazing and spotting troops of baboons just doing their thing as you drive along seems a little unreal. Oh and the massive termite mounds taller than me look unlike anything I imagined! The landscape itself is spectacular. At times if feels like you are driving across the surface of Mars, other times the ground will be covered with a pale green due to the recent rains, it may be covered in volcanic rock and at other times it feels like a forest- all in a days drive from Nairobi.

As you drove along you frequently would think, who could possibly live in a place like this as it was so sparse and then, surpise, there would be another pack of goats and a small village. We visited Joshua’s Mom in the thriving, “large” village that consisted of a number of small corrigated tin buildings. Many also seemed to be made of former containers- the big containers that you see on ships.

When we arrived in the village we were greeted by a bunch of smiling kids and a ton of goats. It was great to see our kids interact with their kids although it was mostly through sign language and smiles as we don’t speak Swahili and they didn’t speak English. Joshua was busy translating for all.

Joshua asked two of his kids- Nempress, age 12 and Anuk, age 8 to show Oriana and Tamsyn how to milk a goat. They sure made it look easy which it evidently is not based on Oriana and Tamsyn’s lack of skill. We sat down with Joshua and had a lovely coffee in the of a tree. As I typically don’t have coffee I had to heavily dilute it with goat’s milk. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was quite tasty. I wonder if Fresh Cup would bring some in for me!!?

Poor Tamsyn was feeling the heat, and when they took us up to show us the sheep they had slaughtered for us roasting on the fire, the poor kid started to dry heave. I’m not sure if it was the very evident body on the fire, jaw and all, or the pile of entrails, skin etc. left beside the cook that put her over the edge. Ever the gracious host, Joshua pulled out his “machete” (I didn’t think to ask what they called this huge knife) and cut a piece off for us to try. I think it is the first time I have ever heard Tamsyn say she wasn’t hungry.

The girls were invited into the house to help with the cooking of the lunch and of course out of curiosity Mark and I had to follow. This is the Chief’s house but I’m not sure if it differs from others. I don’t really even know how to explain it but it is a round mud hut with a thatch roof, a fire in the middle and two rooms with dividers so that two of the beds were a bit separate from the “kitchen” and the room with a fire. It was so dark as there are no windows and I don’t know where they kept their things. They presented us with some beautiful beaded jewelry so they obviously have some where for their things!?

Once the sheep was cooked we had a meal of sheep and ugali. Ugali kind of looks like a dumpling and is made with maize flour and boiling water and forms a dough like consistency. You dip it in your sheep “stew” (tomatoes and onions) for a very typical meal. Mango was also brought to the table to share.

After lunch, we headed down to the river to cool off. This village is extremely lucky to have a permanent source of water for irrigation, washing, laundry etc. Many of the surrounding areas are desperate for any water due to the “long rains” not coming this year. (we saw a giraffe carcass where in desperation it tried to climb a tree looking for food with an unfortunate outcome of falling out.) Although we didn’t have our swim suits, we all were happy for the opportunity to cool down. Oriana and Anuk had a water fight with tons of smiles and no clear winner as they were both soaked!

After our walk to the river, we sat down and Joyce (pretty sure that isn’t the name her mother gave her at birth) through Joshua’s translation, invited us to join the Lion’s tribe and provided us with Masai names. Mark’s name, Olomunyak, means lucky man; Mine, Nasaru, means willing and supporting heart; Nosim is the name given to Oriana and means one who makes you happy all the time; Tamsyn’s, Nasha, means the one who brings rain (rain is a matter of survival here!).

They then invited us to sing and dance together and although I pride myself on having good rhythm, they just laughed at my efforts.

After the dance party it was time to head back to Nairobi as driving in the dark must be a nightmare! No real roads in this part of the rift valley, the “highway” wasn’t even paved in many parts and then once you arrive in Nairobi the traffic is crazy as there are 4 lanes of traffic where there are only 2 designated lanes and no traffic lights or street lights.

Although a long drive, it will be a day not to be forgotten!

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tastyindianrecipesgoogle · 4 years ago

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Two non vegetarian recipes with elegant sweet

Mongolian Lamb Balls Recipe Super Suvai Tamil

An absolutely delicious lamb recipes super suvai tamil that you can serve both as a starter as well as a main course dish. Deep fried lamb balls are simmered well with the chilly garlic sauce, served hot garnished with mint leaves.

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How to Make Mongolian Lamb Balls recipes super suvai tamil

1.Add mince lamb, egg , couscous, scallion, parsley, olive oil, five spices and cinnamon powder into a bowl.

2.Mix well and make into balls.

3.Keep the balls into fridge before deep fry.

4.For sauce - add chilly garlic into stock and thick with cornstarch.

5.Add fried meat balls into sauce and simmer until tender.

6.Garnish with mint leaves and serve. Try these recipes super suvai tamil

Key Ingredients: Lamb (minced), Couscous, Scallion, Garlic, Egg, Parsley, Olive oil, Mint, Ao nori herb, Salt, Five spice, Cinnamon powder

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Keema Kaleji Recipe Super Suvai Tamil

Keema Kaleji is one of the rich curry recipes super suvai tamil prepared with two basic ingredients, keema which is minced meat and Kaleji which is the liver part of the meat. A great dinner party dish that your guests would love to indulge in!

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How to Make Keema Kaleji recipes super suvai tamil

1.For masala paste grind ginger, garlic, black pepper, cumin seed, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, with water in a grinder, add coriander powder, red chili powder with little water to make smooth paste.

2.In a bowl mix minced mutton, liver, curd salt, half of chopped onion, and masala. Mix well and keep for marinating.

3.Mean while heat the cooking oil in a cooker, on medium heat.

4.Add the caraway seeds and bay leaf fry and. adds the rest of chopped onions now. Fry till they turn golden colour.

5.Add marinated Keema fry for 1 minute then add chopped tomatoes.

6.Cover the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes (around 1 whistle) then remove from fire.

7.When it cool open the lid and fry till oil separates and continue to brown the minced meat, stirring often to prevent burning.

8.This should take about 5-7 minutes.

9.Garnish with desi ghee and chopped coriander leaves and serve with hot chapattis or paratha. Try these recipes super suvai tamil

Key Ingredients: Minced mutton (lamb), Lamb liver (cut into small pieces), Onion, Garlic, Ginger, Cumin seeds, Coriander powder, Black pepper, Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon, Shahi jeera, Red chilli powder, Salt, Tomatoes, Curd, Bay leaf, Coriander leaves, Desi ghee, Cooking oil

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Badam Aur Gulkand Ki Kulfi Recipe Super Suvai Tamil

A perfect festive recipe! Kulfi is one Indian dessert that you cannot say no to, it is chilling, refreshing, sweet and all things yummy. This kulfi recipe here is a special amalgamation of almonds, gulkand or rose petals along with saffron, mawa and sugar. It is an easy recipes super suvai tamil to prepare at home for the next festive feast!

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How to Make Badam Aur Gulkand Ki Kulfi Super Suvai Tamil recipes super suvai tamil

1.Blanch and peel the almonds and make a paste of 90 % of the almonds.

2.Clean and soak rose petals in water and cook them in sugar till thick.

3.Dissolve the saffron in a small bowl of warm milk to extract its flavour.

4.Now, boil the milk and reduce to 40%, add grated mawa, almond paste, sugar and saffron extract cook till mawa is dissolved.

5.Pour the mixture in kulfi cones, add cooked rose petal, sliced almond and freeze it.Serve with falooda and rabri. Try these recipes super suvai tamil

Key Ingredients: almonds whole, gulab ki patti, full fat milk, mawa (unsweetened), sugar, Few strands of saffron

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Thandai Rasmalai Recipe Super Suvai Tamil

An Indian dessert that you just can't resist! Rasmalai is a delectable Bengali dessert, freshly made with chenna balls soaked in malai. Here is a different yet mouth-watering recipe of rasmalai assembled with the delectable sweet syrup of Thandai, which is a must during the Holi season. A tricky yet easy dessert recipes super suvai tamil that you can try at home during the festive season of Holi.

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How to Make Thandai Rasmalai recipes super suvai tamil

1.Soak almonds, pistachio, watermelon seeds for at least 3-4 hours, drain the water and grind all these together in a grinder.

2.Roast cardamom, saunf, peppercorns and then blend them to a fine powder with a grinder. In pan boil milk, add saffron and sugar to it.

3.Keep it aside for some time till it cools down to room temperature and then refrigerate it, now add all the grounded nuts and powder of spices to it.

4.Add rose petals and rose water to enhance its fragrance, now the Thandai is ready.

Prepare Rasmalai Rasgullas:

1.Dilute vinegar with 2-3 cups of water.

2.Add this diluted vinegar to milk and bring the milk to boil until the creamy part of the milk turns into solid (chhenna).

3.Now add 2-3 cup water and ice cubes to this chhenna to cool it down. Then strain this chhenna to remove the traces of vinegar.

4.To remove excess water, put this drained Chhenna into a cheese cloth and hang for 2-3 hours. Now put this dried Chhenna into a container and knead it well.

5.Now, it’s time to prepare a dough with this chhenna and ground flour, just add the flour to the dried chhenna and knead it well.

6.Prepare small dumpling balls with this dough, now we need sugar syrup to sweeten these balls.

7.To prepare syrup, add 2 cups sugar to 5 cups of water, boil it well and then add dumpling balls to it

8.Now cook these balls in the syrup while boiling it for 5-10 minutes. Rasgullas are ready. Try these recipes super suvai tamil

Prepare Thandai Rasmalai:

1.Your thandai and rasmalai are ready, now all you need is to assemble these two ingredients together.

2.Just squeeze rasgullas to remove excess syrup from them.

3.In the last step, you just need to put these squeezed rasgullas into the rasmalai.

Key Ingredients: milk, water, sugar, saunf, cardamom powder, almond, pistachio, watermelon seed (skinned), poppy seeds, rose water, peppercorn whole, dried or fresh rose petals, milk, refined flour, grain sugar, white vinegar (to curdle the milk), water

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superrecipesonline · 4 years ago