#and blanche says “shrimp” and just...turns around

[maxer-blaster]

I don't think Stede was being bitchy in s2e5 when he said he wanted to "learn at the feet of one if the greats" and then chuckled when Izzy said "foot"

I read that chuckle as "Oh God I fucked up. I accidentally said something offensive and I'm so embarrassed."

[bratshaws]

goodness gracious 14. brb x oc

( look at me repeating gifs )

a/n: * tents hands* this chapter is a bit shorter than I usually write because i have.....ideas for the smut scene and I can only focus on writing the chapter that goes to it!!! SO! YEaH! this man made me hornier than before can you blame me?

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: suggestive content (kind of )

chapters:

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!!)

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries

-

It came to Bea’s conclusion that the high pitched noise was nothing else but her niece screaming while running in her direction. Beatrice stared down at Bianca with her eyebrows furrowed, “Bibi? What are you doing here?”

“Daddy brought me here to get a new swimsuit for my swimming class cause I lost the other one down the toilet!!” she says, her attention on the bags each of them are holding, “What’s that?” she asks, trying to peek in without success.

But Beatrice couldn’t hear anything else, all she could hear was the word ‘daddy’ which meant Leonardo was here. If Leo was here, it meant he’d find out about her and Bradley, which honestly she wasn’t planning on doing so soon just so she could keep him safe from her family’s overwhelming - and overprotective - nature, “Oh…shit…” she whispered, her hand clenching Brad’s so hard his knuckles popped.

“Bea? What’s wrong?” she looked terrified, looking ahead of her with her eyes so wide and scared he got genuinely worried. When he turned to look in the same direction she was, he saw a tall man wearing a Mötley Crüe shirt and dark jeans, looking around desperately until his gaze stopped on the little girl at their feet.

The man rushed over, then heaved out breaths,supporting his weight on his knees, “Jesus I’m getting old. Bibi don’t run off like that, please. Your daddy isn’t as young as he used to.” he groans, pressing two fingers to his neck “I think I burst a vein open.”

“Daddy! Daddy look!” Bianca bounced excitedly, pointing at Bradley, “Is Prince Rooster!”

“It’s who now?” his eyes slowly lifted only to see his little sister with a tall mustached guy, holding hands. Leonardo blinked, his eyes meeting Beatrice’s - who were still very wide and scared, her face blanched of all color and her jaw clenched. It takes him a couple seconds to understand the situation, sort of, and let out a quiet “Oh.” he straightened himself, noticing the two of them were the same height and the guy kept looking at him.

Leonardo opened his mouth a few times, then placed his nervous hands on his hips, unsure of what else to do in this situation. “Well,um…this is surprising.” he breathed out an awkward chuckle, “This is very surprising.”

Beatrice just stood there, silent, with Bradley looking between the two with confusion, “Bea?” she inhaled sharply, her gaze returning to normal “What’s the matter?”

She parted her lips, her jaw moving but nothing came out for a few seconds, until she announced with as much bravery as she could muster, “This is my boyfriend.” she said in one single breath, looking into her older brother’s eyes. “Roos…this is m-my older brother,Leo. Bibi’s dad.”

The two men met gazes, staring at each other still digesting the information dropped on both of them. It was Leo who said something first, “Yeah, uh, hi,” he lifted his hand “Nice to meet you, man.” 

Bradley shook his hand “Likewise.” but they held the grip for a while, before they dropped their hands down. Leonardo blinked at the two, still unsure of what type of way he should be acting after finding out how his little sister suddenly got a boyfriend??

But it was Bianca’s delighted gasp that broke the silence, “You are a princess now!!” she jumped with excitement, her little arms up to the sky with joy, completely unaware of the awkward tension between the three adults. Bea furrowed her eyebrows, begging Leonardo with her eyes to keep his mouth shut and that they’d talk later, but her brother was too surprised to do anything.

“...anyway! We were just leaving!” she says when her brother showed no other reaction besides shock, “Nice to see you two, let’s go Brad.” she almost swings his arm out of the socket with how fast she turned around, speed walking away from her brother and niece.

 She didn’t know how far they walked, she hoped very far, but she stopped when Bradley tugged her arm halting her movement, “Bea, Bea, look at me.” he frowns, seeing she’s looking at the beige tiled floor instead, “What’s wrong? You look very pale, do you want to sit down?”

“No…yes…” she sighs, then lets go of his hand to rub her face, “…I don’t know.” she drags her fingers through her hair, interlacing them behind her nape as she clenches her eyes, “God, he knows. He knows.”

“Bea?”

“If he knows then everyone else will know. Then they’ll come at me asking why I didn’t introduce you to them.”

“Bea.”

“T-Then they’ll ask me to introduce you, then they’ll surround you like you are a criminal, asking about your life, past relationships and–”

“Bea!” she stops her rambling when his big hands cup her face, tilting her head up to meet his eyes, “Babe, calm down, you are close to hyperventilating.” she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears, sounding like war drums, but she tried to ease her breathing. Her hands clenched into fists by her sides as she looked at her shoes. He tsked, wrapping his arms around her to press her face to his chest, relieved when she wrapped her arms around his torso.

He ran his hand on the back of her head, combing the brown tresses in hopes to calm her down, pressing a kiss to her temple. When he felt her body relax, he pulled back to look at her face, “There, feeling any better?” she looked up at him with a worried gaze, her lower lip jutted out just enough to show she was upset, but she nodded. “Want to tell me what that was all about?”

She sighed, letting the hot air leave her lips and hit his chest, “I–” she paused trying to think of the right words, “...I planned on introducing you to them, one day…maybe,maybe after a while longer we’ve been together, you know? Like, we just completed a month and honest to God I-I thought it’d be too soon? I mean, I thought that you meeting Ev was enough for right now. I-I’m not ashamed of our relationship, I’m not, but I don’t want you to…to be overwhelmed.” her eyebrows pinch together, “My family…can be very, very overprotective and intense and— I don’t know, I don’t want them hounding down on you like a pack of dogs,I wanted…I wanted to keep it with me for a little longer. I guess I’m scared of them scaring you off.”

Bradley looks down at her as she explains it, her eyes not meeting his. He takes everything in with a neutral façade, the sunglasses also help with hiding his expression from her. He felt his chest expand once she’s done, his own mind trying to wrap itself on what just happened, but his stomach flutters with butterflies over her words of how she ‘wanted to keep it with her a little longer’ like it was a gift she didn’t want to share yet. He purses his lips in hopes he could hold back his smile, “Pretty girl, look at me.” he cups her chin to tilt her head up “You don’t have to worry about them scaring me off.”

“You don’t know them, Roos.” she murmurs, playing with the ends of his shirt, “They’ll just pin you to a corner and question your every move. They’ll question what you do, what you want with me…so on…”

“Well, then I just have to answer it honestly don’t I?” he smiles, rubbing the curve of her chin, “If you want to introduce me to them, I’m game.”

“...are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” 

She looks up at him with a gaze that brims with disbelief, her lips rolling into her mouth as she thinks on it, “Okay.” she says after a while, “Okay, I’ll…I’ll see what can be done.” she lets her forehead drop to the middle of his chest, breathing in his cologne so it’d calm her down, while his lips press to the top of her head comfortingly. She just let her body unwind with his, feeling her shoulders drop, her nerves melting the longer he held her. 

She lifted her head from his chest, sucking in a breath, then held his hand again before leaning down to grab the bag with her bikini. They didn’t feel like staying any longer, especially since she was still on edge from seeing her brother there, so they decided to walk out of the mall and head to her place. Hopefully she’d relax more once they got there.

-

“You were planning on telling me, right?”

Beatrice rubbed the back of her neck, pacing in her backyard with the phone held up to her ear. It took a few minutes once she and Bradley got to her house for Leonardo to call, she tried to ignore it but she knew if she did he wouldn’t stop. So, she left Bradley on the couch with Jojo’s head resting on his lap as he watched the very first season of Golden Girls. “I… yeah, I was.”

“You hesitated right now, why did you hesitate?”

“Leo.” she sighs, closing her eyes, “Don’t do that.”

“You are the one dating and not telling me about it!” he messed with something on his side, “Beatrice, you can’t do that shit.”

“You know very well why I didn’t tell you.” she says, leaning her back against the wall, the sound of Rooster’s soft chuckles coming from the inside made her smile even with her heart in her throat, “If I did, it’d just grow to this snowball of clusterfuck because everyone would want to meet him.”

“Is that so bad?”

“Yes! Yes it is!”

“...you know I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“You would tell mom and dad.”

“I would not!”

“Leo, you are terrible under pressure and holding secrets.” he tries to fight back but she cuts him off, “Remember the time Michael asked you to cover up for him because he was going out with Ellie Wartburn and you couldn’t because mom gave you one look and you broke?”

“I was thirteen! What was I to do???” he tried to defend himself, “You’ve seen mom! You know she knows things! That woman is a witch!” 

“There was also the time for dad’s surprise birthday party, with all his friends from the bank.” she says without missing a beat, “You were supposed to distract him by driving him around, not to bring him home after he told you to because he thought you were acting suspicious.”

Her brother was silent for a few seconds, then his voice came back, “I–well!! It was…it was a one time thing! Years ago! I’m very good under pressure now. Nothing can make me break.” his sister’s unenthusiastic ‘uh uh’ was the only reply he got. “I’m serious! You can ask Cyn if you want more proof!”

Beatrice sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead with the tip of her fingers, “I’m comforted, truly Leonardo. It’s not like Cyn will call out on your bullshit because you still can’t stand the pressure of people - especially dad - asking you things.” she frowns, looking back inside for a brief second, “I like him Leo. I like him a lot. If anyone was to make him feel uncomfortable I’d– I wouldn’t know what to do. He’s– he’s sweet, he’s funny, he’s talented and he respects me. He’s the best guy I’ve ever met.”

Leonardo is silent on the other side, but she hears him sucking in a breath, “Damn, well,” he chuckles, “I’ve never heard you talk about your boyfriends like that. It was just ‘oh he’s nice’ or ‘oh he’s not that bad’. I’ve never seen you using more than one word to describe a guy…so, uh, tell me about him a bit, did you meet him at the Hard Deck?”

“Yeah, the first months I worked there he showed up.”

“Nice, so…he’s navy?” she hums positively, “I don’t know much about the Navy so you have to explain to me what he does.”

“He’s a pilot.” she smiles, crossing her arm under the one holding the phone, hugging her middle “He’s a very good one too. He also plays the piano.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”

“Damn, well, that would be a bonus point with dad for sure.” he laughs and Bea couldn’t help but follow him with her own snickering.

 She never told Bradley that her father played the piano too, nor that he has one at home where he’d sometimes play for them during the times he was off work. She knew her father would’ve loved to become a musician, but coming from a traditional family and having kids and a wife he’d have to take care of, he had to get something more balanced. So he started working as a banker as soon as he was able and music turned into something more akin to a hobby. 

Maybe that would be a point in Brad’s favor. Hopefully. 

She spent a few minutes gushing about Bradley and his qualities to her older brother, who listened without saying much. But on the other side of the phone, Leonardo had a little smile on his face as he heard his little sister talk about this pilot of hers. He couldn’t lie and say he was happy he wasn’t aware of Rooster- or Bradley, she called him both names - because between all of them, he and Bea were the closest since they were the youngest two.

He honestly just wanted the best for his little sister, he wouldn’t prevent her from doing anything or meeting anyone. He didn’t tell her, but he noticed how her boyfriend - weird thinking that now - pushed himself forward a bit when Leonardo got closer, almost shielding Bea. It was absurd to think Leo would do anything to harm her, but Bradley didn’t know who he was and his first thought was to step between the two of them.

Yeah…he was alright in his book.

“I like him,”

Bea’s eyes widened, “You do?”

“I do, yeah. He seems to be a cool guy and if he treats you right, then I’m all for it.”

She felt a sudden weight be lifted off her shoulders, her eyes closing in relief before she placed a hand over her heart, “You have no idea, how good it is to hear that.”

“You also seem a lot happier.” he says, “More than I’ve remembered you being while dating someone”

Beatrice smiles, holding the phone with both hands then looking inside the living room again. This time Bradley is lying down on the couch with Jo sprawled on top of him, his hand petting her auburn fur repeatedly “I am really happy.” he must’ve felt her eyes on him, because he tilted his head towards the glass doors and smiled, sending her a little wink, one that made her smile widen even more before turning around to continue her chat, “Just promise me you won’t tell anyone. You are the first one to know.”

“I won’t, but you know you have to tell everyone soon. You won’t be able to hide this for too long, you know mom is a witch who can read minds and dad is probably a former FBI interrogator and we don’t know.” she laughs, but agrees “Tell you what, give it a week to think about it. Then you know, work on who to talk to first.”

“I will, Leo. I promise.”

“Okay, well! I’ll leave you to it then, have fun with your new boo and you know, don’t give me any nieces or nephews yet–”

“Leonardo!”

“Sorry! Love you,little bitty! Byee!!”

He finished the call before she could curse him out, but she just shook her head with a little smile, opening the glass doors to walk back inside. Bradley lifted his head from the pillow when he heard the ‘sshk’ sound of the door sliding open, “How was the talk?”

“Good. He promised to be quiet until I take care of everything. I have the whole week to think on what I should do.” she says,watching him push his torso up with his arms to give her space to sit down. Once she did, he placed his head on top of her thighs, letting out a sigh of relief as soon as he got comfortable. Beatrice smiled, tucking her legs to her side as she gently caressed in between the strands of his hair.

Bradley hummed happily, pushing his head up against her palm to get even more of her touch, “That’s nice.” he murmurs,his cheek pressing to the plush of her thigh, “The talk I mean, I’m glad it went well.” she chuckled, leaning on her opposite hand so she could continue combing his hair, watching the strands of sandy brown go through her fingers smoothly.

Beatrice could only give him a little smile when he groaned happily, her cheeks reddening just a tidbit at how it sounded anything but innocent. She tried to focus on the show, seeing he had his eyes on it and probably had no idea he sounded like that, but when you have a boyfriend who is just the personification of a Greek God, it’s hard.

She also tried to forget Leo’s plea of not giving him any nieces or nephews, mostly because her brain was a bit woozy with thoughts right now. Thoughts that she didn’t have about someone in years. Honestly she was so used to doing things herself, or using something else to help her, that imagining her and Rooster stepping up their relationship made her feel very warm.

With the hand not combing his hair, she tried to fan herself as subtly as she could, hoping he’d be too invested in watching Dorothy and Sophia play gin rummy to pay attention to her flustered state.  She knew that he wanted her, if the way he reacted to her swimsuit and the kissing in the mall were any hint, but she didn’t know how to…say it to him.

She was still a bit shy when it came to sexual encounters - ew that sounded so clinical, she thought - so voicing it out would be a problem for her. But there was a smidge of confidence inside of her after the pole dancing class, something that made her buy a bikini she’d never normally go for and made her kiss him like a horny teenager. Her thinking was interrupted by a soft snore coming from below her.

She turned her head down, seeing Rooster’s eyes slip shut and he was breathing evenly, one of his hands touching up her knee as a snore, very quiet one , left his nose. Beatrice’s smile softened, watching him sleep on her lap. He must've been so tired, poor thing. She paused her combing of his hair for a few seconds, only to lean down and peck his temple, fighting back a giggle when he murmured something in his slumber state then nuzzled her leg.

Jojo was sleeping on the other end, her own little snoring mixing with his and Beatrice couldn’t help but feel her heart burst with happiness at how…weirdly domestic this whole scene was. But she scoffed softly, how silly, they’ve been together a month she shouldn’t be thinking about domestic stuff right now. It was cute, yes, but her brain had to chill on the thoughts of domesticity because it was too soon. 

So she focused back on watching Golden Girls, her brain still racked with thoughts less than pure, but she tried to push it to the back, covering it up with the image of Bradley sleeping on her lap soundly. His body relaxed and his eyes moved behind his eyelids as he dreamt.

This week will be okay.

She’d be okay.

[butwhyduh]

Getting tall

Summary: Damian finally hits his growth spurts and the fam have opinions. Some damijon, timkon, jaytemis, and dickori mentioned.

Damian was an adorable tiny murder baby when he first showed up at the manor. Like a feral kitten. Short end of normal growth at 10 years old and thin too, Dr Leslie found. Make sure he eats 3 square meals and snacks when he wants and he’ll be just fine. Alfred had made it his mission, as he had done for both Jason and Tim, to put weight on Damian.

The first family member he outgrew was Cass. She reached over to ruffle his hair only to reach up above her head rather than below it. She didn’t mind. 5’4 isn’t very tall. She’d just have to remember that the next time they spar. Height wasn’t an important factor to her.

It was a few months later that Damian hit a massive growth spurt and grew 4 inches. He passed by 5’6 Stephanie.

“Hey little dude. What are they puttin in your food, miracle grow?” She asked when she noted how tall he was and how big his feet had gotten. Damian was a bit like the giant puppies all gangly. Alfred was adjusting the Robin costume monthly after Damian rushed to put it on for patrol one day and every time he raised his arms he felt his stomach show. Clothes were constantly being bought that met his newest height increase. The Kents were very appreciative of the barely worn clothing Jon got as Damian went through another pair.

“I’m perfectly normal in growth,” he said pulling on the hem of his shirt that was growing shorter by the day. Stephanie eyed him but left it. Tim hated the height jokes they would make when everyone started passing him in height. Nowadays Tim just rolled his eyes and deferred all short jokes to Bart who Damian was now taller than. Bart didn’t care at all because he was short but he was also at least top 3 faster people ever so who cares right?

For a very short time, Damian was taller than Jon. He liked that. Jon thought it was pretty funny.

“D, I’m going to be taller. My dad and mom are both taller than yours. I’ll be taller in the end,” Jon said with a grin before Damian pushed him off the roof. Jon giggled and stared at Damian with obvious heart eyes. The kid was definitely smitten.

Tim was half an inch taller. He didn’t acknowledge it in any way. But it wasn’t surprising. His mother was tiny, his father lower end of average, and Tim probably skipped too many meals with working during an important growth phase while he was becoming Robin. 5’8.5 is a perfectly normal height for a man. He had an easier time with stealth.

Bruce watched as his son grew more handsome and taller everyday. He recognized things he hadn’t taken the time to see with Dick or Jason and had missed completely with Tim. Aftershave, cologne, and deodorant budget went up exponentially and Damian was barred from bringing any of his shoes in the house and his Robin uniform had to double washed occasionally. He spent far longer in the bathroom doing his hair and agonizing over any spot on his face.

Bruce even once caught Damian do the lean on the doorframe while talking to someone they like when Jon visited once. He had to give the worst birds and bees talk of all time. Bruce also noted how Damian had Talia’s nose and his lip curled the same way hers did when he smiled. He stretched when walking to the breakfast table the same way Dick did.

Damian didn’t get another true growth spurt for 2 years. There was plenty of jokes that he jumped up to his height and didn’t move again. Jon was once again taller than Damian. Alfred was ready this time with the massive amount of food the 15 year old could put away and panels in his costume for easier adjustments.

Talia smiled proudly at her son as he grew taller than her. He was turning out handsome like his father but kept her feature and in her mind, that was the perfect combo. She never told Damian because she didn’t him to grow arrogant.

Dick didn’t notice it right away. He was so busy with Bludhaven and the Titans that he didn’t notice Damian had gotten a full inch taller than him. He only realized when him and Damian practiced a complex move that required a taller and shorter partner while training. They paired up as they always did and the maneuver completely fell apart. Dick was mentally putting together why it failed when Damian walked over and it clicked. Little D was not so little anymore.

“You’re taller than me,” he said brightly. Damian immediately grinned.

“So now you’re little D,” Damian said back. Dick laughed at that one.

“Don’t let it go to your head. I can throw you around like a tilt-a-whirl,” Dick warned. Of course, that’s exactly what happened the next time they sparred when Damian tried to use his height advantage.

“I can beat Jason so don’t think you can beat me just by being bigger,” Dick said standing over Damian who rolled his eyes.

Dick had no problem with Damian getting taller. It was his own height he had a complicated relationship with. See, Dick grew up as an acrobat. Being tall is a disadvantage. More weight to swing, more body to move. And his father had told him growing up that almost every Grayson man has been 5’8. It’s a legacy as strong as flying above the circus crowd.

And so when at 15, Dick was very distraught with the fact that he hadn’t stopped growing at 5’8. It felt like a part of his history and family legacy had died. He wasn’t one of the 5’8 Grayson men. He never told anyone beside Kori, late at night where she told him she loved him tall or small. She had already far outpaced Dick and was on her way to being 6’4.

Duke and Alfred and Damian were the same height for a short while. Duke would joke that he could just wear the Robin’s costume since they were the same size. Damian would threaten to disembowel him if he touched it and that made Duke laugh even more.

When he grew taller Duke once again joked with Damian calling him a not so jolly green giant and Alfred considered his nutrition attempt a complete success. Damian went from a tiny kid to a tall strong young man.

Damian and Jon were practically the same size for a while. Jon barely bent his neck to rest his chin on Damian’s shoulder as his partner worked on a complex mechanical part. Then Jon hit another growth spurt to end in his final height of 6’2, same as Bruce and his father. Damian enjoyed having a taller boyfriend for a while but would never say anything. High school dances were nice.

Bruce could see Damian getting taller and stronger and was practically grown. Dr Leslie warned Bruce that growth could continue until Damian was in his early 20s and he could end up a quite tall young man or stop tomorrow.

Jason liked being the tallest and biggest in the family. He had an entire inch in height on Bruce and was at least 20 lbs heavier. He was built like tank. When Jason had died at 15, he was terrifyingly thin. Alfred had tried his best but Jason had suffered malnutrition and hunger from practically birth. He was short and thin and Dr Leslie had told Bruce he probably always would be. And so when Jason came back to life a giant 6’3 and over 200 lbs, it was a shock. It took him forever to accept his size as anything more than an amour to create fear in his enemies. The first time he had accidentally scared a woman walking in the street at night, Jason had hated that he was so big. But within his family, it had become a source of pride. He was certainly taller than Dick and Alfred and even Bruce.

So when he visited Cass’s birthday party and Jason stood next to Damian and realized that the kid was taller than him, he was a little shocked. Damian had reached his final height of 6’4.

“When the hell did you get so big?” Jason asked while cake was being served. Dick nosed in the conversation.

“Little D is taller than you now,” he said with a teasing grin at Jason.

“And yet you insist on calling me Little D,” Damian said with an eye roll.

“I call him Big D,” Jon said with a smile. Dick blanched and Jason coughed out an awkward laugh.

“Good for you, bro,” he said patting Damian on the back. Jon blushed at the sudden understanding.

“No! I mean- he’s taller than me. I didn’t mean- uh,” Jon stuttered. Damian grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him away from his brothers who were laughing.

“It’s weird you know,” Jason admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

“The fact that he is dating Jon?”

“No, they’ve been together forever. That he’s taller than me,” Jason said.

“Are you- does it bother you that you aren’t the tallest?” Dick asked with a gleeful smile.

“No,” Jason said abruptly.

“It could be like how I learned my little brother was bigger than me,” Dick teased. “All of a sudden you were just massive. My tiny little brother was this big dude. Good thing I’m comfortable with my masculinity.”

“Your girlfriend is like 6 inches taller than you. If that isn’t emasculating then there’s nothing I could do,” Jason answered.

“Yeah, she’s always been taller than me,” Dick said with a fond smile. “You can’t talk with the Amazon you’ve been hanging with.” He pushed Jason’s shoulder with a grin.

“We’re just friends-I guess,” Jason said uncomfortable. “That’s not the same-“

“Well at least Tim will always be our little brother,” Dick changed the subject but mentally noted Jason’s reaction to the mention of Artemis.

“Yeah, he’ll always be a shrimp,” Jason agreed.

“Honestly fuck you both,” Tim said from across the room. With Kon standing next to him he certainly looked tiny.

“Hey, it’s my birthday and I am the shortest and I can still kick all of your butts,” Cassandra reminded them both and they laughed but neither corrected her because they knew she was right.

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine:

Erik and reader getting involved only to find out that he’s really crazy. “Boy next door” I’m obsessed with you type of crazy.

Cingulomania

(Sing-gyoo-Loh-may-nee-uh)

A strong desire to hold a person in your arms.

Ineffable;

(a.) too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Lacuna

(n.) a blank space, a missing part.

——————

He was perceived as familiar, approachable, and dependable, typically in the context of a romantic relationship. He didn’t try to stand out in a crowd or be the center of attention but he still shined. But then...he was orphic; mysterious and entrancing; beyond ordinary understanding.

Y/N first met Erik at a poetry reading. She came with her friends and he came alone. Although it was their first time meeting, she could have sworn she’s seen him before. Maybe, they crossed paths on the train home, or maybe they lived within the same area. Sitting alone at that table, eyes focused on the person who recites their poetry, Y/N couldn’t help but to stare at him, hoping that he would notice. After a round of snaps from everyone, she looked back over at him, his eyes connecting with hers like a magnet. She gave him a faint smile before turning away.

Y/N didn’t understand the way the simple interaction ignited his soul. He’d been wanting her to do that for a long time. Ever since he first saw her on the train, the smell of blueberries in her hair and cocoa butter on her skin. Erik would position himself behind her every train ride so that he could discreetly smell her or feel her warmth against his. He was obsessed with a woman he didn’t even know personally. So obsessed that he even figured out where she lived. Park Slope, Brooklyn. The outside of her apartment painted a brick red. She lived on the second level providing a spot on view for him to admire her. This was his regular thing after work, standing across the street for hours just watching her.

It was as if his fate was set. He had to approach her now that she finally looked at him with interest. Finally, she was going to be his and only his. He could claim her properly, smell her any chance he got, touch and kiss all over her beautiful frame. What surprised him after the poetry event was that she approached him first. At the bar, she walked up to him, Erik trying his best to act natural.

“You come to these often? I’ve never seen you here before.”

She sounded like heaven itself.

“First time. Figured I’d come and support since there are a lot of talented black people here tonight.”

“Did you come alone?”

You know I did, he thought to himself.

“Yes,” he looked down at her, “didn’t have anybody to go with.”

She had this mesmerizing look in her eyes. The same look he would give her and she didn’t even know the effect she had on him. Y/N drove him crazy.

“I’m Y/N,” she says, reaching out to shake his hand. Erik takes it, feeling nothing but the soft smooth skin of her palm. His eyes trailed from the gold tennis bracelet around her wrist and up her arm where a small tattoo of a famous poetry quote resides. He memorized those words already. That’s how much he’d paid close attention to her.

“Figured I should introduce myself just in case you wanted to come with me to one of these things instead of by yourself.”

“What makes you think I would want to?” He teased.

“I’m not convinced by that at all. I have a feeling you would.”

You don’t know the half of it, girl, he thought.

“Oh, I would...” he leans in towards her face, his lips mere centimeters away from hers. The Cupid’s bow of her upper lip and the way her bottom lip pouts always drove him wild.

“And I’m Erik.” He gave her a lopsided grin.

“Erik...” she spoke in a honeyed tone, “I like the way that rolled off my tongue.”

He didn’t need that thought. It only made him think about fucking her with his name rolling off her tongue in between moans. She was very lucky that he had complete control at the moment over his actions. If he didn’t, he would have ripped off that little black dress and spread her legs over that bar stool she was currently seated on.

“You’ll like it even more if you let me take you home.”

————————

Present Day:

Erik: Y/N? Where are you?

Erik: why aren’t you answering your phone?

Erik: I called you like five times. You know I don’t like it when you ignore me.

She stared at her phone from her desk. This was becoming ridiculous... and scary. He was becoming suffocating to the point of death. She couldn’t even go to work without calling her phone, sending her pictures of his naked body, and nasty texts. Now, he was pissed off because she was busy that she ignored his advances. It wasn’t her fault that her job had a no phone policy put in place now because client emails were being ignored.

Her phone vibrated loudly against the surface of her cubical desk. She sighed with frustration, excusing herself to go to the employee bathroom. She chose the one where only one person could occupy it, locking the door and turning on the sink. Y/N picks up the phone.

“Erik you know I am at work why are you blowing up my phone! I told you I can’t be on my phone at work! You want me to loose my job?”

“Hello to you too, beautiful,” he says with a spiteful tone, “and don’t fucking raise your voice at me! You remember what happened the last time?”

She couldn’t forget. The sex was psychotic. Y/N woke up with scratches and bite marks all over her.

“You are taking things too seriously, Erik. You can’t act like this I have a life too.”

“But you don’t need to work. I can support you. That’s why I need you to move in with me.”

Y/N couldn’t begin to describe how pressed Erik was for her to move in with him. She loved him but right now they had some things to work out before their relationship ended.

“Hello?” He spoke.

“I don’t know about that, Erik.”

“Why? Don’t you love me?”

She couldn’t stand when he did that.

“Of course I do, but..”

“But what?!! There shouldn’t be a but if you love me Y/N. I love you. I love you so much it hurts.”

She looked around the restroom, a nervous feeling circulated her belly.

“Maybe we should talk about this later, okay? I got some work that needs to be finished. Dinner? My place?”

“Nah, lets do it at mine this time around.”

She blanched.

“Erik, we always do it at your place...”

“You don’t want to be there or something?”

He could go from sweet to evil in a matter of seconds. No, she honestly didn’t want to be at his place. If she did, he would beg her to stay or MAKE her stay and then she would never go back home. She couldn’t even breath in her own skin. Y/N couldn’t even remember what she smelled like because everything that surrounded her reminded her of Erik. It was as if he was non verbally telling her that she was his and only his.

“I just have things to do around the house that’s all.”

He went silent, Y/N chewing on her bottom lip.

“...fine. We can do your place.”

She quietly let out a sigh of relief.

“Great, I can cook for you and we can have movie night.”

“Can you wear that little black slip dress you wore when we first met eachother? You know how much I love that on you, Y/N.”

“Erik, you always make me wear that,” she complained.

“So? It’s my favorite. I want you to wear it...no panties...no bra...just the dress.”

A knock came to the bathroom door, startling her.

“E, I gotta go, okay? I’ll see you later.”

“OKay, see you soon babe.” He gave her a round of kiss through the phone before hanging up.

—————

She figured she could make some Cajun shrimp pasta since she had all the ingredients at home. Entering her building, she checked her mail slot, finding it empty. It used to have flowers almost every Wednesday from Erik but he stopped doing that once she explained to him that she didn’t have enough vases to hold all the roses and gardenias. Taking out her key, Y/N opens her door, the vision of Erik standing before her with his hands in his jeans pockets. Before she could even express how she felt about him being at her place before the scheduled time AND unannounced, he scoops her up, twirling her and kissing her with a whole lot of tongue. She leans away from him, trying her best not to appear annoyed with him.

“I thought dinner would be this evening?”

He didn’t even bother responding. He had his face buried in her neck, smelling her with loud sniffs and squeezing her waist tightly. Y/N looked worried, bringing her hands up to cradle his face, making him look at her.

“You smell so...good...”

“...thank you. Erik,”

“I wanted to suprise you.”

She gave him a perplexed look, “how did you get a key?”

Erik bit down on his lower lip, taking his thumb to stroke her cheek, “I got one made for me to use whenever I needed it. Figured since your mines I can come and go as I please, you agree?”

No, she didn’t. Y/N slips out of his hold, walking to her living room to remove her heels. Erik brushes up against her, startling her. She could feel him unzipping her skirt.

“Babe, I just got home,” she whines.

“And I haven’t seen you all day...I need you. I need what’s mines.”

“Right this minute?” She questioned with annoyance, “I’m tired and I expected to take a nap before you got here.”

“You can still take one, and I can watch you sleep.”

All of these signs made her believe he was greatly obsessed with her. Overly needy and a damn psycho when he didn’t get his way.

“We need to talk...” she turns to him.

“About you moving in with me? Yeah, let’s talk about that.”

Erik pulls her down and over his lap. She straddled him but that position wasn’t right for the topic of conversation. How dare he look at her with those brown eyes.

“We should take a break.”

The brown in his eyes fogged with an eerie black. Even though his eyes looked enraged, the stroke of his finger tips on her back was comforting.

“You wanna break up with me?”

“No-no, just take a little time away from eachother. I can see my friends and family,”

“But you have me. I’m enough to be all that for you.”

“Babe, are you hearing yourself?”

“Loud and fucking clear,” he clenched his jaw, “Are you...are you sick of me or something?”

“I just think that we need some time apart. You’re... I just don’t want you to get so overworked because of me.”

It didn’t matter how sweet she sounded. She wanted a break from him for however long that would be. His resolve slipped and the palpable attraction he had to her couldn’t be ignored for days and days.

“You know what breaks lead to, right?”

She sat very still over his lap.

“It means you get used to me not being around, and then you start enjoying that...a little too much.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,”

“Shut up while I’m talking!!!!!”

He scared her with just his tone alone. His face softens, eye brows knitted together with worry while his hands grabbed her hips. Y/N swallows spit, waiting for him to say something.

“You want a break to do what? See other people? You are mines, Y/N. I knew that the very first time I laid eyes on you.”

Erik didn’t know if Y/N had other men trying to talk to her. He had such a close watch on her like he was a damn P.I that he was certain she wasn’t cheating or other men were begging to be with her. Guys would look though, that didn’t bother him too much because he knew the effect his woman could have on people. Women and men. Look at him, he was head over heels and ready to kill for her. There was the guy who lived above her but as far as Erik knew he was gay. Then, there was an ex of hers who didn’t get the memo everytime he texted her phone. In the beginning when that happened, Erik made sure to link Y/N’s texts and email notifications through his phone to keep a secret eye on her. Sure enough, they were having conversations, nothing sexual just too friendly. That was her fucking ex. She wasn’t allowed to talk to her ex. Erik took care of it, she hadn’t heard from him in about two months now.

“Not every break means go and see other people, Erik.” She rolled her eyes at him. Erik grabs her chin hard, making her look at him. She glared down into those now black eyes.

“But when they don’t see you on my arm, then they want something. C’mere, let me show you something to remind you,”

Erik lifts her up, carrying her to her bedroom. Opening the door, he walks in dropping Y/N on the bed.

“This is another reason why I came early. Look up,”

She does, a look of pure shook on her face. Their was a huge black and white photo of them both having sex, framed and all, positioned on her ceiling. The position he had her in...this was the first time they had sex. Erik wanted to use a camera to record the memorabilia and she agreed. Back then, she was all for this affection and admiration from him. Now, it was like she’d been buried alive. Lungs filling up with dirt.

“Something to remember.” He smiles wide, this longing look on his face, “I can remember that night in detail Y/N.”

“Erik, please, stop.”

She couldn’t look at him without seeing that damn photo.

“Weed after sex.” He closed his eyes, most likely remembering the chill moment under his covers while the both of them talked about anything.

“I licked it, so it’s mines. You’re especially gorgeous when I look up from between your legs.”

It was as if he were created to seduce and destroy. This wasn’t some demonic contract where she signed over the rights to her soul.

“That’s enough, just stop it,” she lifts from the bed, ready to run away from this. It was maddening.

“Where are you going?!!!!”

He beat her to the door, slamming it shut. She backs away, fear on her face and eyes watering.

“You’re not leaving me, Y/N. You’re frustrated baby? Let’s work that shit out. Take all that sexual frustration out on me, please...and thank you.”

“It’s not sexual, Erik, it’s literal frustration. I am suffocating!!!!”

“No you’re not.” He wasn’t convinced. It was as if his brain was wired to believe that it wasn’t.

“You are driving me insane!!!” She wanted to throw something at him.

“Why are you talking to me like this?” He looked defeated. He started bringing his hands to his chest, shaking his head while stepping closer. The back of her legs hit the side of the bed.

“I thought you loved me? I thought what we had was special and you...”

He was between her legs now, reaching out to grab her up against him. He brought his face close to hers, his lips pressed into her cheek.

“You give me the craziest urges,” he laughs, but the laugh wasn’t him...

“Urges?” To do what exactly?

“Wanting a break from me is only gonna make me want you more and more.”

This was a never ending loop. She thought about hiding out at her families but she was certain Erik knew where they lived.

“Urges to do WHAT?”

He played with the hem of her skirt.

“Like...kill for you.”

Y/N suddenly thought about her ex. She hadn’t heard a word from him in a while and just yesterday his sister had called her asking about him. Y/N was still close with his family. Her ex used to say that he would die for her and kill for her too but the way Erik said it...he said it like he was used to this type of thing. Like it was a regular thing to just kill someone.

“Erik...what did you do?”

He froze, looking up at her with a glint in his eyes.

“What wouldn’t I do for you?”

@tgigoldie​ @soufcakmistress​ @chefjessypooh​ @chaneajoyyy​ @pananegra​ @theblulife​ @becincere​ @blaqwidow91​ @fish-outta-watah​ @moonlight-night-sky​ @eyeknowmywrites​  @crowngold​ @njadakillthiscookie​ @blktinkerbell​ @luvanxi​ @sheisexcellent1​ @chocolatedippedinhoney​  @brandithecrystalgem​ @dababydababydababydababy​ @soulfulbeauty19​ @btitannaaa​ @sunkissedebony97​ @youngblackndgifted​ @harleycativy​ @rbhp​ @thee-germanpeach​ @thadelightfulone​ @bugngiz​

[lovelyirony]

Ok imma cry. Sum percy and frank stuff cause their relationship is underated or thalia/reyna platonic or romantic. Or maybe simething about sally . Sorry i just love pjo so much, any one of these 3 would be great

Tyson wanted a family reunion. 

This is great, for a wide variety of things. It gets the gang back together, Percy gets to catch up with what he’s been doing in the Forges, and it’ll be nice. 

“Bring Frank,” Tyson says, grinning. “I want to meet our new brother!” 

Percy kind of freezes, because well...Frank is a relative, he guesses? He just never really considered him a brother. 

Neither did Frank. 

“But, um, I’ll come,” he says, cheeks turning a bright red. “I don’t wanna disappoint Ty.” 

Percy nods. 

Tyson, of course, is overjoyed. He’s very happy to have his two siblings with him, engulfing them in a near bone-crushing hug. 

“Hi Tyson,” Frank wheezes out. “Wanna, um, let go a little bit?” 

The grip loosens, and they sag out a breath of relief. 

“Good to see you bro,” Percy teases, smiling. “Haven’t seen you in forever.” 

Frank sits down on a couch next to Annabeth and Leo, listening with rapt attention as Tyson brings out a bag full of inventions. He passes two out to Annabeth, and turns bright red as she genuinely thanks him. 

“He loves Annabeth,” Percy explains. “And who wouldn’t?” 

Annabeth shoves Percy’s shoulder. 

“Nerd. Tyson, thank you very much.” 

“No problem,” Tyson says. “Percy! For you!” 

Percy gets a new shield, updated on performance and reaction time, apparently. Tyson talks about the army down underwater, and Frank is impressed. He had known that Tyson had led the team, and had the very distinct call of Peanut Butter! but had never actually sat down with Tyson. 

He’s a short giant, only about two meters tall. He’s a baby when he’s next to other giants, who are about thirty more feet tall. That’s what Tyson prefers, saying he can “fit into small places.” 

(Frank laughs to himself about this.) 

It’s when Tyson produces a gift for Frank. 

“Welcome,” Tyson says, smiling as wildly as possible. 

Frank lifts the small invention out of the box, which has been wrapped haphazardly in what looks to be a cut-up gossip magazine. 

What’s inside is amazing. It’s a good watch, able to tell time in about four different countries. 

“You can pick the countries,” Tyson says. “Ripper helped me with it!” 

“Nothing so comforting as a guy with that name,” Percy quips, smiling. “It looks awesome. What’s it do?” 

“Tells time,” Tyson says slyly. 

Frank catches on. 

“What else?” 

Tyson smiles, clicking the button on the side. 

What comes out is a particularly sharp-looking sword, paired with a two-pronged spear. 

“Good for fight,” Tyson says. “Also, jumbo shrimp!” 

Frank lets out a belly laugh, bringing Tyson in for a hug. 

“Thanks man, this is...so cool. The best gift I’ve ever received.” 

Tyson smiles big, and Percy smiles back. 

It’s when Tyson goes to tell Ella all about his day and possibly get her a fancy drink is when Percy and Frank are left alone on the patio. 

“Hey, thanks,” Percy says quietly. “And for the record, I’m glad I’m brothers with someone as cool as you.” 

Frank blanches. Percy Jackson, saying he’s cool? That has to be a joke. He’s just...Frank Zhang. 

“Not everyone reacts like that to Tyson,” Percy says lowly. “A lot of people have to learn, have to realize that I’m behind him. You took it in stride. That’s...impressive.” 

Frank nods. 

“I like family,” Frank says simply. “I don’t like being rude to anyone in my family. Especially Tyson.” 

Percy nods. 

It’s a silent moment, but from then on Frank is invited to many more events and IM’s Tyson a lot. 

Percy also tends to hang out with him, and introduces him to his mother, who is a delight to be around. It makes Frank miss his own mother, but he smiles as he hugs her gently. 

It’s nice, having a sort of family. Makes him feel good. 

[mikauzoran]

Marichat/Adrienette: To Waltz Among Shades: Chapter Four

To Waltz Among Shades: Chapter Four: Recalibrating

An hour and a half flew by in a flash as Chat and Marinette studied together.

“See?” Marinette snickered, giving Chat’s bell a flick. “You’re not as hopeless as you made yourself out to be. You’re smart, Chat Noir. You’ve got this. It’s probably just Professor Keller’s teaching style or her accent or something.”

“I’m betting on ‘something’,” he snorted as he finished writing down the mnemonic she’d taught him on one of the pages of loose-leaf she’d given him for taking notes. “and that ‘something’ is the fact that I’ve been a little busy trying to recover from a mental breakdown this past year,” he joked…but then realized that that wasn’t funny.

The spell between them broke as they were both reminded that they weren’t just Minou and Princess anymore. There was Adrien whose family was dead or in jail and Ladybug who had helped them all get there. There was Chat Noir who accidentally caused his father’s death and Marinette who couldn’t do anything as her friend’s life spun wildly out of control.

“Sorry,” he whispered. He wasn’t sure why he whispered. It just felt like the right tone of voice for the fragility of the word, the way he was feeling.

“It’s okay,” Marinette reciprocated down to the volume level. “Me too. I’m sorry too. I—”

“—Marinette!” Sabine called up from the bottom of the stairs. “Dinner!”

The two blinked at one another for a minute, completely thrown by the interruption.

Chat looked away first. His gaze dropped to the notes he’d taken as he stood and began to fold them up. “I should go. Thank you for letting me take up so much of your time.”

Marinette rose to her feet, reaching out to rest a hand on his forearm. “Chat Noir…I…It was no trouble. I enjoyed studying with you. We should…do it again next week?”

He looked up at her in complete bafflement. “What? Really?”

She withdrew her hand, looking down and to the side and blushing madly. “If that’s something you’re comfortable with. I’d be happy to have you.”

“You would?” Chat gaped at her, still caught up in total astonishment. “You’d be comfortable with that?”

She nodded shyly, forcing herself to look him in the eye. “You don’t make me uncomfortable. Not truly. I mean, awkward and frazzled, yes, but…not actually uncomfortable…. Do you feel uncomfortable around me?”

He shook his head. “Just…nervous. A little out of my element, but not uncomfortable.”

“Oh.” Her face lit up in a dazzling smile as her cheeks supplied contrast in a warm, rosy hue. “Good. That’s…I’m really, really glad to hear that.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled giddily, a grin forming on his own lips. “Me too. I thought that that was why you’d been avoiding me. I thought…”

“No!” She shook her head violently, waving her arms too for good measure. “No! Not at all. I was trying to stay out of your way because I thought that I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, Princess,” he assured in a soft, verbal caress.

“Oh,” she whispered, eyes slowly tracing over his facial features, letting herself truly look at him. “…Oh, Minou…”

“Marinette!” Sabine called again.

“Stay for dinner,” Marinette blurted out, catching Chat by the hands. “Have you eaten?”

He froze, trying to recollect.

His stomach let out an audible gurgle, and Chat winced as he remembered.

“Not…today, actually.”

Marinette’s eyes went wide in concern and surprise.

“I had dinner with Nino last night, but today…” He looked away. “Today is Wednesday—fend for myself day—and I was kind of worked up about coming over to talk to you tonight, so I just…didn’t feel like eating.”

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” she inquired gently, trying not to pressure him.

He bit his lip and shrugged. “I mean…kind of? I sometimes have dinner with the Couffaines, and that’s usually okay, but…it might be a little overwhelming. I don’t know what Luka and Nino have shared with you about my current emotional state, but sometimes I burst into tears, so…I don’t want to make you guys uncomfortable if it turns out it’s too much.”

“Chat Noir, it’s fine,” she protested. “My parents and I wouldn’t mind. I don’t want to say we understand because we probably have no clue, but…we won’t be uncomfortable or think less of you for crying. So…Unless you feel uncomfortable crying in front of people.”

He shook his head and looked up to smile at her sadly. “I’ve kind of gotten used to looking ridiculous in front of other people. I’m not really self-conscious as much as I’m afraid of making other people feel uncomfortable and for that discomfort to push them away.”

Marinette nodded, giving his hands a squeeze. “You don’t have to worry about that here. I’ve had to forbid them from bothering you, otherwise they would have been in your face, making a nuisance of themselves from day one,” she snorted. 

That statement struck Chat to the core. He realized that Marinette probably thought she was helping by giving him space and keeping her parents out of his way as he had struggled to pick himself out of the rubble that had been his life when it collapsed on top of him, but…the truth was, he could have used the help and support. Tom and Sabine had always been like surrogate parents to both Adrien and Chat Noir. To lose them and Marinette AND Ladybug all at once while simultaneously trying to make sense of a world that had turned upside-down in a matter of minutes had been crippling. 

“They mean well,” Marinette continued, not noting his heavy silence. “but they’re a little intense. I mean…you remember when my father thought I liked you. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that it’s fine. No one is going to care if you start crying. My parents would be happy to have you if you want to have dinner with us.”

Chat bit his lip. “Do you happen to know what you’re having?”

She nodded, breaking into a smile at the indication of his interest. “The main dish is shrimp stir fry. The side dishes are all meatless. How strong is your stomach feeling today? Do you think you can do shrimp? I seem to remember that being something you actually liked before…uh…” Her face blanched as she trailed off.

“…The accident,” he tentatively supplied, waiting for her to scoff and accuse him of killing his father.

She nodded, eagerly latching onto the expression, relieved that he hadn’t couched it in terms such as “the day you let my father die”.

“Or, if you can’t do seafood right now, Luka and I have been cooking together a lot. We’ve been working on healthy, balanced, vegetarian dishes, and I have plenty of leftovers from our experiments in the fridge: cashew tofu curry, veggie tikka masala…I’ve got dal, kidney bean and sweet potato stew…”

Chat’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open in shock. “Wait…. You…You’ve been cooking for me? I thought it was just Luka.”

Marinette bit her lip and shrugged. “Well…at first it was just Luka and Nino working together to try to keep you fed, but…Luka was getting really stressed about you not eating, so…I started researching and talking with Mylène—you know, she’s studying to be a pediatrician, so she’s taken a lot of courses in nutrition—and I kind of worked to come up with some recipes Luka and I could make together for you, so—oh!”

Marinette gasped as Chat Noir pulled her into a crushing hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered into her hair, voice weak and wavering as he fought back tears. “Thank you for still caring about me.”

Marinette quickly got over her surprise and wrapped her own arms around him. “Oh, Chaton…. Of course…of course…. You’re my partner and my friend. I’ll never stop caring about you…if that’s okay?”

He nodded, too choked up to reply at first. “…Yeah. More than just being okay, I think I really needed to hear that. This whole time I thought—”

A loud knock came at the trapdoor, startling the two apart.

“Marinette? Did you hear me, Honey?” Sabine called again, concern in her voice.

“Sorry, Maman! I had my music on,” Marinette called back. “Down in a minute.”

Then she turned to Chat and lowered her voice. “Would you want to join us?”

Chat swallowed and nodded.

“Hey, Maman?” Marinette raised her voice once more. “I’ve actually got a friend over to study for Business. Can he stay for dinner, pretty please?”

“Of course, Dear,” Sabine chuckled. “Hurry down before it gets cold.”

“Thanks, Maman!” Marinette turned back to Chat. “Ready?”

Chat bit the inside of his cheek. “Do you think it’d be better to go as Chat or Adrien?”

Marinette pursed her lips. “Whichever way you feel more comfortable…but…I’m sure they’d be relieved to see Adrien doing well. It’d be easier to explain if you got overwhelmed too. It’s your decision, though.”

Chat’s brow creased as he weighed the pros and cons. “I kind of feel safer as Chat. It’s kind of like—well, it literally is—armor…but…I guess I don’t need armor here after all.”

Marinette shook her head. “You’re safe, Minou.”

Chat closed his eyes. “Detransformation.”

Marinette sucked in a sharp breath as the transformation dissipated, leaving her long-time crush in baggy cargo pants and a Kitty Section band tee.

She barely noticed as Plagg flew off to find Tikki.

The kwami’s magic had hidden how washed out Adrien’s complexion had become, and the mask covered the reddish-purple smudges under Adrien’s eyes. He looked sick and faded.

Adrien opened his eyes, and the once-shiny peridot pools looked dim.

She could feel her heart cracking in her chest, breaking for the pale shadow of his former self that Adrien had become. She resolved then and there to do more for him now that she knew her actions wouldn’t be entirely unwelcome, now that she knew he wouldn’t spurn her and push her away.

“Hi, Marinette,” Adrien whispered self-consciously.

“Hi, Adrien,” she giggled, a warm smile settling onto her lips and sinking into her voice. “It’s good to see you.”

He let a watery laugh escape as he looked away and raised a hand to rub at the back of his neck. “Glad you think so. I’m still debating whether or not it’s good to be seen. I know I look awful.”

Marinette reached out and gave his arm a companionable brush with two of her knuckles. “You wear ‘awful’ pretty well. It’s like back in the eighties and nineties when it was fashionable to look like a heroin addict.”

Adrien let out a snort of surprised laughter. “Well, I didn’t think I looked quite that bad.”

Marinette covered her face with a hand and groaned, “I didn’t mean to say that you look like a heroin addict.”

Adrien smirked, snickering, “I see that you still suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome, just like back when you had that massive crush on me in collège.”

Marinette smacked him on the arm as she looked away, her shoulders rising to her ears. “Geez. Stupid cat.”

Adrien placatingly put up his hands. “Sorry. Low blow, I know, reminding you of your past bad judgment before you met Luka.”

“That wasn’t bad judgment, Adrien,” Marinette sighed, meeting his gaze.

He shrugged, avoiding her eyes.

“It wasn’t,” she insisted. “…Bad judgment is you wearing a jacket like that in summer.”

Another bout of laughter caught Adrien by surprise.

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and pretended to whine, “Well, I wasn’t planning on detransforming, was I? I was just going to be here for three minutes. The jacket is like a security blanket, so sue me.” He stuck out his tongue.

Marinette rolled her eyes, inspecting the fluffy, cotton jacket with its fake fur lining the hood and collar. “Well, it’s a nice jacket, even if it is too hot to be wearing one that heavy. I picked out one just like it for Luka when he retired his old one.”

Adrien tensed.

Marinette’s brow furrowed as she caught sight of a slight defect on the right sleeve. She seized Adrien’s arm and brought the mended tear in the sleeve closer for inspection. “This is from the time I stole Luka’s jacket and accidentally got it snagged on my sewing machine. This is Luka’s jacket.”

Adrien grimaced. “Is now a bad time to mention that I occasionally steal your boyfriend’s clothes?”

Marinette gave a snort, releasing Adrien’s arm and rolling her eyes as she replied wryly, “And I bet he really gets off on seeing you in them.”

“It’s not like that between us,” Adrien rushed to assure. “He’s not cheating on you. We’re just friends. Close,” Adrien clarified, “but just friends.”

Marinette laughed again, halfway between amused and annoyed. “You are still as oblivious as ever, Beau Gosse…and Luka’s not cheating on me because he has my permission.”

Adrien’s mouth dropped open. He tried to formulate some kind of response to those assertions, but she cut him off with a kind smile and a tug on his arm.

“Come on. Let’s head downstairs so that my parents can fuss over and feed you.”

With a nod, Adrien silently followed, pushing down all the thoughts that were swirling around in his head to consider later when he was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep in the wake of all the discoveries of the past two hours.

“Maman, Papa, look who’s here,” Marinette called as they descended the narrow steps into the living/dining/kitchen area.

Tom’s eyes went wide, and Sabine gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth. Both of them broke out into wide grins.

“Adrien!” Tom reached him first, scooping him up and spinning him around, all while crushing him in a fierce hug. “Good to see you, Son. You’ve been missed around here.”

“Th-Thanks,” Adrien croaked out, partially due to the force behind Tom’s hug but mostly due to emotion. “I’ve…I’ve missed you guys too.”

“Tom, put him down and let the rest of us have a turn,” Sabine scolded impatiently.

“You’re just jealous that I got to him first,” Tom guffawed but set Adrien down gently and released him regardless.

“You better believe I’m jealous,” his wife scoffed, taking an unresisting Adrien by the hand and tugging him over to the couch. “Sit,” she instructed. “You’re too tall.”

Adrien obeyed easily and found himself pulled into Sabine’s arms, his head coming to rest on her shoulder as she pet his hair and held him tight.

“Oh, Sweetheart,” she cooed. “We’ve missed you so much.”

Adrien wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder as he burst into tears. “S-S-Sorry,” he choked.

“No,” Sabine soothed. “None of that, Darling. You go ahead and cry. It’s all right. Isn’t that right, Tom?”

Tom came over to rub a meaty hand up and down Adrien’s back. “You go right ahead and cry, Son,” he urged in the gentle tone he had used when Marinette was little and woke up from a nightmare. “We’ll be here when you’re done.”

At that, the floodgates opened, and Adrien began to cry all the harder. It only lasted a little less than five minutes, though, and Adrien came back to himself and pulled away.

“Thanks,” he whispered, voice thick.

Tom gave him an encouraging pat on the head while Sabine took his face in her hands, wiping away tears with her thumbs.

“Oh, Xiao Mao,” she sighed. “We only wish we could do more for you.”

Adrien smiled bashfully, making eye contact with Tom and then Sabine. “I’ve really appreciated the care packages you’ve sent with Nino and Luka. Just knowing that you were thinking about me, that you cared…that was really big for me, so thank you.”

“Marinette said you needed some space,” Tom broached the subject warily. “and that we couldn’t come storm your apartment. Has that rule changed?”

“Because I’ve been on her for a year now to let you know that we’d be happy to help with whatever you needed—help with laundry or cleaning your apartment or cooking or anything at all really, if you just wanted people to eat meals with,” Sabine paused to cast a meaningful glare at her daughter.

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Maman.”

Adrien couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m…good for the most part. Luka and Nino helped with the practical stuff to keep me alive. Between those two and Chloé, there’s usually someone storming my apartment, so I think I’m covered on those grounds—Not that I don’t seriously appreciate the offer.”

Tom and Sabine both nodded, assuring, “Of course. Of course.”

Adrien bit his lip. “Though…I think I would like to join you for meals sometimes…if that’s okay?”

Sabine squealed in delight, clapping her hands.

Tom gave Adrien a solid thump on the back. “You’re welcome whenever you want, Son. Our door is always open to you.”

Adrien apprehensively turned his gaze on Marinette over in the kitchen. “Is that something you’d be okay with, Marinette?”

Her eyes widened, and she put down the scraps of paper napkin she’d absentmindedly been shredding. “Adrien, I want you here whenever you want to be here. Like, I don’t even have to be home, if you ever want to just stop by. I’m so sorry that me trying to give you space made you think you weren’t welcome here.”

Adrien opened his mouth to respond, but only a stunned, “Oh” came out.

“…Well,” Sabine spoke up after the silence had stretched a bit too long to be comfortable. “At least we’ve got the misunderstanding sorted out now. Adrien is welcome here whenever he likes. Now, let’s hurry up and feed this poor boy. He’s too skinny.”

Before Adrien could really regain his mental footing, he was being marched over to the table by Sabine.

 Dinner was actually a pleasant affair. After his initial emotional moment, Adrien didn’t feel as overwhelmed by the situation. There were certain points that made him feel sad or had him longing for a family like Marinette’s, but it was far more manageable than Adrien had originally anticipated.

After the meal, Adrien and Marinette helped with cleanup so that Tom and Sabine could get to bed at a decent hour to be up to open the bakery the following day. They said their goodbyes, and Adrien received round after round of hugs as Sabine and Tom admonished him to take care of himself and not be a stranger.

“Your phone numbers are still the same?” Adrien verified.

The Dupain-Chengs all nodded.

“I had to change mine after the…” Adrien’s face went ashen. “…uh…death threats, but…”

The Dupain-Chengs collectively gasped.

Adrien waved his hands. “Chloé and Luka and Nino took care of it. It wasn’t… Well… It wasn’t not a big deal, but…” Adrien shook his head. “But I’ll call you guys maybe next week sometime, and maybe we can have dinner together again?”

“Definitely,” Sabine assured.

“Whenever you want,” Tom added.

“And maybe you could come over a little early and we can all cook together,” Marinette suggested hesitantly. “Only if you want, though. No pressure. Luka mentioned that you like to help cook, so…”

Adrien nodded, a thrill of excitement going through him at being included. He’d always enjoyed helping out at the Couffaines’. “That would be fun, actually…. Maybe when I’m having one of my good days. Sometimes being around other people is too much, but…that would be nice.”

“We are always happy to have you,” Sabine insisted, giving Adrien another hug before she and Tom headed down to their bedroom to turn in for the night.

Marinette and Adrien finished cleaning up and then headed back to Marinette’s room so that Adrien could collect Plagg.

Adrien cleared his throat, feeling awkward as he watched Marinette offer Plagg a cheese tart and Tikki a chocolate chip cookie. “I should get going…but thank you for everything tonight. Helping with Business and having me for dinner and everything.”

“Of course! It was really great to see you,” Marinette exclaimed, turning back to face him with a brilliant smile. “Please do call when you feel up to it. I’d like to study with you and have dinner again…maybe be friends again? Hang out?” She hopefully put the suggestion out there.

His eyes widened. “I…uh… Yeah. I would like that…if that’s something you want?”

She nodded, expression earnest. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Adrien didn’t understand. Did she just pity him, or…? Did Marinette really want him back in her life? She didn’t hate him? Had she forgiven him for what had happened? Did she believe that he hadn’t known about his father? Had she really been avoiding him this whole time solely because she didn’t want to remind him of the accident? Was the past year only a misunderstanding after all?

“I…I’ll think about it,” Adrien decided. “I don’t…I’d like that, but…I mean, I’m sure Nino and Luka have told you what a mess I am. Some days I’m fine. Other days I…I can’t function. I’m not able to be around people, and…”

Adrien looked down at his feet. “Things are kind of complicated with you.”

Marinette nodded, biting her lip and forcing herself to accept where he was and what he felt able to do. “Okay.”

He shook his head. “I mean…I really loved you for a long time.” He peeked up at her, and Marinette couldn’t contain a small gasp.

“Both of you,” Adrien clarified. “Even after Marinette started dating Luka and even after Ladybug told me to stop hoping because she had a boyfriend, so…I have a lot of complicated feelings I need to untangle about you. Sorry.”

He looked down at her feet, his cheeks beginning to blaze grenadine. “I want to say yes, but…I don’t know if I’m healthy enough for things to go back to the way they were before—if that’s even what you want. I need…I need to talk to my therapist about all this. I’ve been so busy dealing with-with—you know—this past year that I haven’t really gotten to…dealing with my feelings for Marinette and Ladybug much.”

Marinette hesitantly stepped forward and took one of his hands in both of hers. “It’s okay. Do whatever’s best for you, okay? I’ll…I’ll be here…if and when you’re ready. …The most important thing is for you to be healthy and happy, Adrien.”

He looked her in the eye, studying her expression, trying to read the truth. He found only sincerity in her features. He nodded. “Thanks.”

She squeezed his hand and let go.

He gave her a small, uncertain smile and then called on Plagg to transform him.

“Thanks again, Princess,” Chat chuckled with a wink, feeling much more secure with his mask on. “I can see myself out.”

He turned to head up the ladder, but she caught him by the tail.

“W-Wait!”

Chat let out a startled, “Gck!” and then a groan. “Marinette, you have got to stop doing that.”

“Sorry!” she yelped, letting go of the belt. “Sorry. I just…remembered that you said you came here to ask me a favour. What was it?”

Chat tensed, swallowed, and steeled himself for her rejection. “So…this chain of events is going to sound a little odd, but just go with it. My therapist has been trying to work with me on letting go of some of the emotional baggage from my past, and Luka brought over a keyboard the other week because he thought it would help if I started to play again because I want to, and, I mean, music therapy is a thing, so…I was thinking, music has always helped me work out my feelings in the past, so maybe it would be good if I had a private piano recital where I played some pieces about the things I’m working through,” Adrien spit out in one breath and then pushed onward before she could interrupt. “I know just playing songs isn’t going to fix things, but maybe getting some of that emotion out will finally help me find some peace with my parents and what happened and-and me and all of that, so…I think doing the recital will help me feel better, so I want to do it. For the first time, I really want to do something just for me.”

He stopped and looked at her, still feeling coiled like a spring.

Marinette slowly began to nod. “That’s… Yes. Yes. You should definitely do that if you think it will help. I’m really happy you feel so passionately about this. This is really good, Minou…. What do need my help with?”

He gulped. “The Fox Miraculous.”

Marinette blinked several times, confusion slowly flowing over her face. “The Fox Miraculous?”

Chat winced. “I’d kind of like it to be more than just me playing the piano. If I could use Trixx’s illusionary magic to add a visual component…kind of like those multimedia light shows they do at Disney,” he explained. 

Marinette kept nodding, her mouth forming a little “o” as understanding came into her eyes.

Chat rushed to add, “I know it’s a little over the top, but… And I know my family has a bad track record regarding abuse of Miraculouses, so I’d understand if you don’t trust me.”

“What?” Marinette choked.

“But I swear I won’t do anything bad. I promise I didn’t know anything about what Father and Nathalie were doing, and I would never—”

“—Adrien!” Marinette cut him off, taking him by the shoulders. “Look at me.”

He did, his eyes full of confusion and anxiety, borderline fear.

Her expression, however, spoke of distress and determination with a good dose of compassion. “I know. …I know what kind of person you are, Adrien.”

He blinked, not certain he’d really heard her. “You…do?”

“Yes,” she responded vehemently. “Adrien, yes.” She paused, confusion turning to clarity. “…You didn’t hear the speech I gave the other day, did you?”

He gaped at her, feeling completely off balance. “Speech?”

Marinette shook her head. “Ladybug. The other day at the…the anniversary celebration.”

“O-Oh. No, I…” He forced himself to swallow and take a breath. “I was kind of hiding out with Luka, trying to pretend that I didn’t exist.”

With a wan smile, she gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe, if you feel up to it sometime…look it up. I’m sure it’s on the Ladyblog or YouTube.” Marinette released her hold and went over to the phonograph set on top of her trunk. 

At the press of some buttons, the phonograph opened up to reveal the Miracle Box.

In a series of quick, succinct movements, Marinette retrieved the Fox Miraculous and shut the whole thing down again. She was back by his side in less than thirty seconds, holding out the octagonal box.

“How long do you think you’ll need him?” She tried to make her tone light and friendly, as, obviously, Adrien still had some misgivings about where the two stood in relation to one another.

Chat took the box with shaking hands and carefully tucked it into his left pocket. “A week…maybe two at the longest,” he informed. “I promise I’ll let you know if it will be longer than two weeks. I’m kind of hesitating right now, trying to get up my courage to just do it, but…”

She nodded, placing a reassuring hand on his upper arm. “It’s okay. Take as long as you need. Just give it back when you’re ready…or give it to Nino to return, if that’s easier.”

Chat frowned. “Not Luka?”

Marinette winced. “He doesn’t know about Ladybug.”

The lines on Chat’s forehead deepened. “You told Nino but not the guy you’re in love with?” His tone was more puzzled than accusing, but there was definitely some judgment in his voice.

Marinette shrank, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest. “Nino figured it out when we were fifteen; I didn’t tell him. And Luka doesn’t need to know. He’s safer if no one knows that they could get to Ladybug through him. I know we were never on the same page about identity reveals, but I love him too much to put him at risk.”

“The threat is gone, isn’t it?” Chat asked uncomprehendingly.

Marinette met his gaze once more. “There are still crazy fans and regular bad guys. There are people out there who could get it into their heads to try to use my powers to cause harm, and if someone like that were to try to use Luka against me…”

Chat shuddered, imagining himself in that hypothetical situation. “Okay. I get it. I don’t think it’s fair to have a secret like that from him, but…I can understand your line of reasoning, Milady. …Besides, it’s none of my business.”

Marinette bit her lip. “Not completely. I wouldn’t say it has nothing to do with you, but…thank you for keeping an open mind, Chaton.”

He smiled weakly, giving her arm a companionable pat before turning once more towards the ladder. “Thanks for hearing me out, and thank you for all your help.”

“Of course,” she repeated for what felt like the dozenth time, knowing she’d repeat it as many times as he needed to hear it. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?—But only when you’re feeling up to it. No pressure.”

Her flustered rush finally got a genuine fond smile out of him. “Take care, Meinu. It was good to see you.”

“Likewise,” she hummed happily, warmed by his peaceful expression as he bounded up the ladder and leapt through the skylight, making his way back across town to his apartment.

 Chat hopped down from his window into the great room. Removing the box holding the Fox Miraculous from his pocket and setting it down on the coffee table, he called off his transformation, and Adrien Agreste sank onto the couch face down.

Plagg landed on top of Adrien’s head and gently began to run his paw back and forth over Adrien’s hair, purring softly in an attempt to comfort his kitten.

They stayed like that for nearly twenty minutes, allowing Adrien time to attempt to assimilate the knowledge he’d gained and try to adapt.

“Kid?” Plagg softly broke into the silence. “You should probably call somebody.”

“I don’t want to bother Nino. He’s with Alya,” Adrien mumbled, raising his head a bit so that his words wouldn’t be garbled into the couch cushion.

“All right,” Plagg agreed, flying in to pull Adrien’s phone out of his back pocket. “Let’s call Luka.”

“No,” Adrien groaned, rolling over onto his side and reaching for the phone. “He’s probably with Marinette now that I’m not monopolizing her.”

Plagg gave a snort, setting the phone down on the coffee table and unlocking it, pulling up Adrien’s texts with Luka. “You don’t know that.”

“Do too,” Adrien grumbled.

Plagg rolled his eyes, typing out, “Hey, Orpheus. What are you up to?”

“Plagg,” Adrien hissed.

“Hush,” the kwami chided. “I’m not typing mushy stuff like you do. I’m soliciting information. The use of the nickname lends my message the feel of authenticity.”

Adrien blew out a snort and rolled back over, pillowing his arms and resting his forehead on top. “He’s busy.”

“Oh?” Plagg snickered. “He says that the bar he usually plays at burned down last night, so he has the whole night off.”

Adrien’s ears perked up. He raised his head, blinking in confusion, eyes filled with hope. “Really?—Hey. What are you typing?”

“I’m writing suggestive messages inviting him over so you two can finally work out the sexual tension between you,” Plagg replied matter-of-factly.

“Plagg!” Adrien lunged for the phone.

On the screen, Adrien found only: “Could you come over? I’m having a rough night, and I need you.”

Adrien glared at Plagg.

Plagg shrugged. “I never said that the messages were explicit. I mean, I didn’t specify what you needed him for, but, to my understanding of human courting rituals, ‘needing’ someone could imply ‘need to mate’. …I’m not sure he’s read that meaning into the words, though.”

Adrien’s phone dinged with Luka’s answer: “b there in ten angel”.

“You’re welcome,” Plagg huffed, going off to fetch a wheel of Brie from the fridge. “It’s up to you now to get his pants off.”

“Plagg!” Adrien hissed again, despite knowing his protests were useless.

 True to his word, Luka was at Adrien’s apartment ten minutes later.

“Hey, P5,” he cooed, caressing Adrien’s face as his eyes skimmed over the boy he adored, assessing the damage. “What’s up?”

Adrien grimaced, picking up on the anxiety thinly coating Luka’s voice. “Sorry. I’m fine. Plagg was the one who texted you.”

Luka’s carefully neutral expression shifted into a frown. “He must have had some reason to text me, right? He doesn’t usually interfere unless he feels like he needs to.”

Adrien pulled Luka into a hug so that he could hide his expression. He didn’t feel capable of keeping up a good poker face at the moment.

“I’m fine. Just a little confused and overwhelmed,” Adrien whispered into Luka’s shoulder.

“You should take him into the bedroom so you can snuggle and groom each other,” Plagg suggested helpfully from the kitchen island where he had an assortment of cheeses spread out around him like subjects paying homage to their lord.

“Plagg,” Adrien groaned. “Humans don’t groom one another.”

“Do too,” Plagg snorted. “You forget I’ve been around for thousands of years, Kid. I’ve lived with plenty of humans. I’ve witnessed humans licking each other all over before.”

“Plagg, that’s not grooming,” Adrien hissed, burying his face further into Luka’s shirt.

“Oh?” Plagg played dumb, doing his best not to smirk impishly. “Well, whatever it is, maybe you two should go do that. My previous holders have always been so happy afterwards, and Adrien could definitely use some cheering up and affection.”

“Shh,” Luka comforted, lightly rubbing a hand up and down Adrien’s back. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. It doesn’t bother me.”

Luka looked back into the kitchen at Plagg. “Plagg, why did you think Adrien needed me?”

Plagg shrugged. “Kid, tell him who all you just had dinner with.”

Luka pulled back slightly to look Adrien questioningly in the face.

Adrien shrank, his gaze dropping to the floor. “…Marinette and her parents.”

Luka sucked in a breath. “O-Oh? How-How did that go? Are you okay? What happened?”

Adrien shook his head. “I’m just…feeling a little messed up. It…everything was totally fine. It was…like…” He pressed his lips together, trying to force his thoughts into a cohesive sentence. “Like you were right. Like everything was just a big misunderstanding and nobody hates me, nobody blames me, and…”

He pulled Luka back into his arms, curling his fingers into Luka’s shirt.

“Angel, of course no one hates you,” Luka sighed, nuzzling Adrien’s hair and squeezing him tighter.

“I didn’t believe you,” Adrien choked, tears finally beginning to fall as his whole body trembled. “I…I couldn’t believe you. And even though Marinette doesn’t hate me, she still abandoned me when I really, really needed her, so it’s not like things are okay now.—Or am I being stupid and petty? Should I just get over it? I can’t just…” Adrien shook his head, looking to Luka for guidance. “I’m not okay. I feel better now that I talked to her, but I’m not okay. I can’t force myself to just forgive and forget and be okay. Is that ridiculous?”

“No, Angel,” Luka cooed, giving Adrien another squeeze. “Nothing that you’re feeling is ridiculous. It’s okay to feel whatever you feel,” he assured.

“Sorry.” Adrien rested his head back on Luka’s shoulder. “I…I’m not okay. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, Perfect Fifth,” Luka whispered, making gentle shushing noises and carefully rocking Adrien from side to side. “It’s fine. Hey, let’s go get in bed so we can snuggle and talk about it…or maybe just snuggle and watch Disney movies until you feel better. What do you think? Rapunzel? Frozen? Both?”

“Both,” Adrien mumbled into Luka’s neck. “Tangled first.”

“All right, Angel,” Luka acquiesced, giving Adrien one last squeeze before beginning to guide him to the bedroom. “It’s going to be all right.”

[theolddarkmachine]

Imaginary- Chapter Nine

Midoriya Izuku’s life was turned upside by fate.

Eri’s life was turned upside down by circumstance.

And Bakugou Katsuki is about to learn that even imaginary friends need to grow up.

Also on AO3

A/N: Woah, we’re at like, the pseudo halfway mark! well actual half if you count that theres gonna be 18 chapters + an epilogue lol Anyway, apologies if it seems like nothing really happens in this chapter. I’m buzzing for what’s to come, but alas, gotta make those bridging chapters first 😖

*****************************

Izuku felt weightless as he walked through the front door, casting his gaze quickly around his surroundings in search of Eri and Bakugou. It was a strange feeling, almost like he was floating as he kicked his work boots off at the front door and tugged at the zipper on his vest.

Cool air finds his torso where his shirt sticks to his stomach from the humid summer afternoon as he flaps the edges of the vest. Sighing at the blessed coolness, Izuku steps further into the hall and tilts his head into the kitchen.

Empty of either Bakugou or Eri, it’s filled with the fading twilight of the evening that casts long shadows across the floor.

Turning away from the kitchen, he continues forward as he takes off his hat and sweeps a hand through his slightly damp curls in an attempt to breathe some life into them.

“Hello?” He says, almost timid, as he looks into the entry of the living room only to be met by the quiet hum of the TV that’s still on. A brief passing moment of dread shocks through Izuku at the stillness that fills the home before it’s beat back by a sudden loud exclamation.

“C’mon, shrimp, show some mercy!” Bakugou’s voice carries down the stairs, quickly chased by Eri’s trademark laugh that’s reserved specifically when she’s beating someone ruthlessly at a board game.

A smile, wide a bright, tugs his lips upwards as he takes the stairs two steps at a time, all the while clutching his sweaty hat in his hand. Quietly crossing the space between the staircase and Eri’s wide open door, Izuku leans his shoulder against the doorframe.

Just within the room, Bakugou sits on the floor with his back to the door, legs crossed, elbow pushed into his thigh, and forehead pressed into the palm of his hand in utter defeat. Across from him, Eri’s face is lit with pure glee as she proudly looks down at the Monopoly board between them.

It’s a scene that Izuku is all too familiar with, and something about it traps his greeting in his throat as lightning seems to strike at the center of his chest.

“How is a four year old so good with money?” Bakugou grumbles with the same world weary sigh of someone who has been defeated many, many times.

Eri’s high giggle seems to confirm this as she starts to reset the board without any regard to her opponents pain. Izuku watches as Bakugou turns his head in his hand just enough to fix Eri with a look.

“You sure you aren’t cheating?” The blonde asks, voice full of teasing question. Eri laughs again as she shakes her head quickly, eyes still stuck on the board as she moves dog and battleship back to GO.

“No, it’s just her super power,” Izuku answers, finally pushing his words through the crackling pop at his sternum. His words force a rigid line across Bakugou’s shoulders as Eri’s head snaps up.

“Daddy Izuku!” She cries as she pushes herself up off the ground and runs toward him. Catching her as she launched forward, Izuku pulls her up into his arms and gives her a squeeze that makes her giggle. Bakugou turns over his shoulder to look up at them, eyes slightly wide before he pushes himself up mechanically.

“Were you good for Mr. Bakugou?” He asks, eyes fixated on the blonde as he blanches at the name before fixing Izuku with a glare that makes his heart stutter.

“Me and Kacchan were playing games!” Eri replies happily, as if that’s an answer. It forces a scoff between Bakugou’s teeth.

“If her kicking my ass really counts as playing,” he mutters, rolling his eyes in a way that makes Izuku laugh. The strange, light feeling zipping through his chest rolls lower, finding a home in his stomach as Bakugou offers Eri a small secretive smile.

It captures him then, snatching his breath from his lungs as he traces the exact curve of Bakugou’s mouth. He notes that there’s a small scar at the corner of his bottom lip.

“You get that wreck cleared up?” Bakugou asks, the words shaking Izuku as his vision clears, gaze snapping up to find himself the focus of the blonde’s attention.

Swallowing thickly, he nods.

“Thank you for watching her,” Izuku rasps, throat suddenly dry as Bakugou moves ever so slightly closer. Dragging his stare away from Izuku’s, Bakugou paints him in ruby as he drags his gaze downward, pausing briefly at his mouth before moving down to his chest. A mischievous smirk quirks his mouth into a crooked slant.

“And thank you for your service, Officer Deku,” he says, tone filling with a challenging tease that makes Izuku go lightheaded.

“What?” He hears himself ask, vision helplessly filled with the blonde. Thrusting a finger forward, Bakugou points at the space above Izuku’s heart.

“Your name tag,” is all he says, matter-of-fact.

Looking down slowly, Izuku tracks the back of Bakugou’s hand before following the line of his finger to where it points at the plastic bar proclaiming his name.

“What?” He asks again as he stares at the white characters that stand against the black backdrop.

Bakugou laughs, moving quickly to flick him in the nose. Gasping with surprise, Izuku snaps his head up.

“Made ya look,” Bakugou says, mouth wrapped around a shit eating grin.

Heat collects at the high points of Izuku’s cheekbones as he stares with open wander at the man before him, mouth opening and closing around things he doesn’t know how to say.

“Kacchan!” Eri admonishes, fixing Bakugou with her stern look as she crosses her arms across her chest. His laugh pitches higher as he shakes his head slightly.

“Alright, squirt, I’ll leave your dad alone,” he says, raising his arms high above his head in a stretch. It raises the edge of his shirt just enough to reveal a strip of tan skin and golden hair before he drops his arms back down as Izuku swallows again.

“I should get going anyway.”

Fixing his stare on Izuku once more, he quirks his brow up, the edge of his mouth lifting as if in knowing before he moves closer. Bright, tart panic fills his mouth as he steps aside, just barely too slow as their shoulders brush.

“Goodnight, Deku,” Bakugou chuckles, hitting Izuku with the full brunt of his smile. It’s all sharp edges and challenge, and Izuku wonders silently what it tastes like.

“Night, Kacchan,” he replies, breathless and quiet. So much so that he briefly questions if he’s been heard until he sees the pink shade that paints across Bakugou’s face. Warmth dances through Izuku, tracing his bones and tracking his veins as he watches his mouth twist into a look of surprise. It only lasts for a breath before Bakugou tsks loudly and turns over his shoulder to stomp down the stairs. Seconds later, he hears the sound of the front door as it pulls shut loudly behind him.

Turning his attention from the hall and to Eri, he watches as she opens her mouth, releasing the loud blare of a horn.

Startling awake with his heart pounding wildly in his throat, Izuku stares up at the stripe of golden sunlight that cuts across his ceiling as his mind reels against the sudden change from the memory.

It had been a couple of weeks since that day, and since, Bakugou had wormed his way into their lives almost seamlessly. There when Izuku needed, the three of them had fallen into a routine so well maintained, he almost couldn’t remember how they’d managed before him.

If he were a pious man, Izuku might think Bakugou was sent by some higher power as a bit of a guardian angel.

That being said, he wasn’t, and Bakugou was far from angelic, but the sentiment still stood.

After a minute of introspection set to the tune of his alarm, Izuku finally rolls over, giving it a hearty smack and silencing it. Letting his hand lazily fall from the plastic clock, his eyes widen as he sees the bright numbers before him as they proudly proclaim that it was 9:01am.

It’s the latest he’s slept since entering the academy.

The loud creak of his door swinging open shatters his questioning thoughts as to how his alarm was changed as he turns quickly to face the doorway.

Standing at the entrance, Eri holds a tray as a look of concentration twists across her features.

“Eri?” Izuku says, making a move to get up and help her only to be stopped by her disapproving look.

Settling back against his pillows, he watches as Eri moves ever so slowly, waddling toward his bedside with her eyebrows furrowed.

Izuku watches, noting that her hair is pulled back in a low braid, and she’s wearing her favorite yellow dress.

Finally making it to his nightstand, Eri sets the tray on his nightstand with a smile.

“There!” She says cheerfully, fixing her toothy grin on him as she folds her hands behind her back. Looking at the tray, Izuku sees a small stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, two thick slices of bacon, and a steaming cup of black coffee. The loud gargle of his stomach rocks through the room at the sight.

“This looks amazing, Eri!” Izuku says, watching as her grin grows impossibly wide.  “Did you do this all by yourself?”

“Nope, you always say no cooking without help!” She says proudly.

“I did,” he replies with a nod, reaching toward the coffee mug, curiosity burning through him. “So who helped you out? Grandma?”

Shaking her head, Eri’s eyes brighten as she rocks back on her heels.

“Kacchan helped!” She exclaims loudly before reaching into her dress pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. Izuku can practically see her excitement thrumming through her as she holds it out to him. Taking it carefully, he sips at his coffee. The burn of it on his tongue and down his throat masks the sudden flip in his chest as he reads the childish handwriting.

Daddy Izuku,

Please be ready by 10 for surprises!

Love, Eri

“Surprises, huh?” He asks, mouth tilting with a grin as Eri nods and claps.

“Yep! So be there or be square!” She giggles before turning on her heel and running out of the room, leaving Izuku alone with his breakfast, the note, and his heart in his throat. It beats a steady rhythm as his eye traces over the light bleed of color at the corner of the page. Using his thumb to flip the folded paper open, he turns it over to the back.  

Marker colors the back of the page, turning it bright. Gaze following the bold lines, he takes in the figures that were him and Eri, drawn in a far steadier hand than Eri’s own. Beside them, added in by Eri herself, is a blonde stick figure with pointed hair and Bakugou’s trademark scowl.

Stomach going light, Izuku puts down his coffee and note, careful to make sure the paper avoids any of the food on the tray as he eyes the clock. With just under an hour to finish and get ready, Izuku makes quick work of the meal, barely registering the delicious taste over his wandering thoughts that kept meandering down the stairs.

Finishing up, Izuku pushes himself out of bed and quickly covers the space between his bed and his dresser. Grabbing clothes and moving to the bathroom, Izuku makes quick work of brushing his teeth and shaving.

After pulling on a pair of dark jeans and a light blue henley, Izuku fluffs his hair in a small attempt to tame it.

Finally allowing himself to look in the mirror for a final look over, he’s met by someone who looks like a near stranger. If it wasn’t for the all too familiar twist of his wild green curls, he wouldn’t have believed that the person in the reflection with the too bright eyes was him.

Admonishing himself silently for the pink that stretches across his cheeks and makes his freckles stand starker against his skin, Izuku leaves the bathroom and heads downstairs.

The soft hush of voices greets him about halfway down, causing him to move slower, more quietly, as he makes it to the bottom and turns into the kitchen’s entryway.

Bakugou is knelt in front of Eri, dressed in his usual style of dark fitted shirt, jeans, and black and orange sneakers. It doesn’t quite coordinate with what she’s wearing, but they still look like a matching pair as Eri stares up at him in awe.

Izuku watches, swallowing down his laugh as she nod along with a very serious look on her face.

“Got it, shortstack?” Izuku hears Bakugou say.

“Aye, aye, Kacchan!” Eri replies with a small salute. Bakugou’s mouth twists, almost as if he’s biting at the corner of his mouth to stop his smile from going too wide as he drops a hand on her head.

“Good,” he says, giving her head a small pat as to not disturb her hair. Izuku feels his heart flip unceremoniously in his chest at the gesture. The mid morning sun gilds the kitchen, touching the duo with gold. It seems to catch in Bakugou’s hair, turning it lighter, and making his eyes glow.

Golden and ruby, he looks near indescribable.

His heart stutters again as Bakugou looks up.

“As expected of a nerd, 10am, right on the dot,” he says, pushing upward to stand and fixing him with that wicked smile that seems to cut straight through his chest.

Heat rolls around inside his ribcage, razing his insides as he unsticks his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

“Yeah,” Izuku replies lamely, kicking himself for the way his voice croaks. Clearing it loudly and trying his best to ignore the way Bakugou’s eyebrow twitches upward, he continues, “so, what’s my surprise?”

Smile going sharper, Bakugou turns to Eri, giving her a small nod. Returning the gesture, she steps closer to Izuku, holding her hand out to him.

“C’mon, Daddy Izuku!” She says happily. “We’ll show you!”

*********************************

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 24

"Til Death Do Us Part"

Rated M for smut and heavy themes.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it's best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 24

Jellal's Birthday

"You should've seen her. She literally woke up, puked her guts out, and started crying," Natsu said, staring up at his ceiling.

Gray let out a low whistle. "Must've been a pretty scary dream."

He sat up, turning towards his roommate. A frown rested on his face as he said, "That's the thing. I'm beginning to wonder if that's all it was."

"What do you mean?"

"When I told her none of it was real, she said that it really was. I didn't really think much about it then, but I'm starting to wonder if she had a nightmare about something real."

"Why don't you just ask?"

"You don't think I've tried? Every time I try to bring it up, she just keeps changing the subject. It's obvious she doesn't wanna talk about it."

"Then just leave it alone,"

Natsu furrowed his brows. "Leave it alone? How can I just leave it alone? She was crying."

"Not everything has to be talked about," Gray said with a shrug. "Look, her mom's anniversary is coming up, right? It was probably just a dream about her mom. I've had plenty of those about my family, and I'm sure you've had them too."

Natsu couldn't argue with that logic. "Well why wouldn't she wanna talk to me about that? We talk to each other all the time about that kinda stuff."

"Maybe she's not ready. Either way, I say you just drop it. It's better than to keep reminding her."

"Fine," Natsu said, laying back down on his bed. It'd been four days since that night, and he couldn't get it out of his head. He'd never seen Lucy so shaken up before, it made a shiver run down his own spine.

Gray raised his arms above his head in a stretch before getting out of bed. "C'mon. We gotta go help with the party or else Erza will literally kill us."

Natsu groaned. "She gets even more violent on Jellal's birthday."

"That's because she always tries to make things perfect and fails every time."

"She really does suck at surprises."

As the two headed towards the lounge in the basement, Natsu noticed everyone running around with sweat dotting their faces as they hung decorations on the wall. Erza must've gotten to them. It was no secret among Fairy Tail that if someone messed up Jellal's birthday or even hung a decoration up crookedly, there would be hell to pay with the demonic redhead. Speak of the devil…

"Natsu, Gray. It is good that you two are finally joining us," Erza said, approaching the two. She shoved streamers into their hands. "You idiots can't possibly mess this up. Hang these from the ceilings. Find me when you are done so I can give you your next task."

Natsu knew better than to talk back on Jellal's birthday.

"Aye, sir!" the two exclaimed, saluting the girl. She gave a satisfied nod before moving on to check on everyone else.

Only after the basement was covered in colorful decorations, a beautiful cake sat on the counter courtesy of Mira, and everyone was gathered in the lounge did Erza officially commence the party. Everyone cheered their congratulations for Jellal.

Birthdays were cause for a huge celebration in Fairy Tail, big enough that they shut down the whole place. Many immortals, like Cana, had forgotten their actual birthdays over the vast years and chose not to celebrate. But after joining Fairy Tail, they were able to pick a new birthday for themselves and celebrate it with a group of people who cared and understood.

In Jellal's case, December 1st was not his real birthday. He had long since forgotten, partly due to his longevity and also due to what happened at the research facility. He and Erza were only fresh immortals back then, only recently discovering their secret. Before they could really understand what was happening, they were dragged to a facility against their will and experimented on for decades by mortals trying to find the secret to immortality. After repeated experiments, they lost track of the years and their brains had suffered damage.

They weren't the only immortals to go through something like that. Many of them had been through their own hardships caused by mortals, particularly Mira. Her story always made Natsu sick to his stomach just listening to it.

Only bad things came from mortals finding out about their secret, which was why they held a prejudice against Lucy at first. She was the first mortal who didn't know of immortality to prove to them that there were good ones out there.

Natsu kept a grin glued to his face, but he couldn't help but miss Lucy. After her nightmare, conversation between the two of them had been a bit tense. He wished she was there celebrating with all of them.

"It is time for gifts!" Erza announced while everyone was eating their cake.

"You guys didn't have to get me anything," Jellal said with a smile. He said that every year, knowing that they were going to go out of their way and get him something anyways.

"Nonsense! Here, open mine first!"

Jellal thanked his wife, accepting the gift. A chuckle slipped past his lips as he noticed the sloppy wrapping of the present. While some would suspect that the redhead would be neat and tidy when wrapping gifts, she was actually quite bad at it. And he loved that small fact about her.

Tearing the paper off, he opened the box underneath to find a worn-out journal. Its corners were folded over and its edges were torn, but it still managed to bring a huge grin to the otherwise stoic boy's face.

"Erza! How did you find this?" he asked, flipping open the book and running his fingers over the brittle pages.

"It was actually a lot of work to get," she answered with a small smile. "For one, they kept it in a museum. I've been planning a way to get it out of there for a year now. Then, I had to do it without being caught. Luckily, I did."

"Wait, you broke into a museum?" Cana asked, blanching at the redhead.

She shrugged. "Yeah. All it took was months of observing, a friend on the inside, tiny movements of their cameras every day so that they wouldn't notice, and then breaking in through a back window and taking it during the night."

"Erza, I don't think you know how truly scary you are sometimes."

Erza gave a smug grin. "Oh, I know."

"What is that thing anyways?" Gajeel asked, moving closer to Jellal to see what it was. "And how could you of all people break into a museum to get it? You're always sittin' on that high horse of yours, talkin' about morals and shit. Now look at ya."

"It's not really robbing if it was yours to begin with."

"This journal was mine," Jellal explained. "It was back in our hometown. I was studying and I wrote down some experiments I did in this journal. This was right before we were taken."

Everyone stared at the ground as Erza balled her hands into tight fists. It wasn't a secret that the facility still haunted her to this day.

"Anyways," Jellal said, trying to move quickly from that topic. "After that, I didn't go back to my old home for years, but apparently someone had raided it and took my journal. Apparently, it was interesting that someone from those days had formulated advanced equations, so they kept it preserved in a museum. I was very shocked to find it one day."

"This is the only thing we could find from the old days," Erza added. "Nostalgic, isn't it?"

"It is. I still cannot believe you got it back for me."

"That was pretty risky of you, Erza," Mira said with a chuckle. "But you'd do anything for Jellal! It's so cute!"

The girl's cheeks burned to match her hair. "A-Anyways, next present!"

The group went around, giving Jellal their presents until there weren't any more. After that, they drank and played games, so caught up in the moment that they didn't feel like outsiders stuck in hiding. In that moment, they were just a group of friends- a family- all of them celebrating a birthday like any normal person would.

"Don't drink too much," Levy said, watching as Gajeel downed an entire mug of booze. "Don't forget we're going to celebrate again later with Lu-chan. She can't know that we were already celebrating without her."

Don't worry, Shrimp. I ain't no lightweight."

"Levy does have a point," Gray said. "Maybe we shouldn't have gotten full off of the cake already. Knowing Lucy, she's probably baking one right now for us."

"She sounds so nice!" Mira gushed. "I wish I could meet her! Why do I have to be in a different cycle from you guys?"

"Yeah, yeah," Cana said, slinging an arm around the other girl's shoulders. "You've got me, Laxus, and his squad in your cycle. Can't beat that setup! After all, I take you to the cool parties that people throw!"

"Yes, and you shrug off your studies," Erza scolded.

"Psh. Oh well."

Natsu crossed his arms with a sour look. "Why can't I 'shrug off my studies' if Cana can?"

"Because you're in her cycle," Gray said with a smirk. "She can't have you making her look bad. Though, you bein' an immortal already makes the rest of us look bad."

Before the two could begin to brawl, Makarove climbed up onto one of the tables to give himself some more height. Even then, he still wasn't tall enough to peer down at everyone, but his air of authority made up for his lack of height.

"My children," he started, gazing at each and every one of them. "I am happy to be able to celebrate another one of your birthdays will all of you. Jellal, happy birthday. I wish you nothing but happiness. I know many of you have forgotten your original birthdays, but it is with Fairy Tail that you are given another! It is with Fairy Tail that you are able to celebrate with your peers! It is with Fairy Tail that you can begin anew! So cheers!"

Everyone lifted their glasses high in the air, the building rumbling as everyone cheered.

Lucy sighed as she threw the cake in the oven, dusting her hands off on her apron. She wasn't much of a baker, but as long as she followed the recipe, she was sure it would turn out decent enough.

The girl glanced around her apartment, making sure everything was ready for the party later. Streamers hung from the ceiling, banners were pinned to the wall, and games were set up on the dining table- games that she bought specifically for the occasion. All that was left was the cake, which would need to bake for roughly twenty minutes, cooled, then frosted. That left her nearly an hour to relax.

Making her way over to her desk, Lucy plopped onto the chair with a sigh. Rubbing her eyes, she stifled a groan. She could feel the heavy bags underneath her eyelids.

Ever since her nightmare, the girl had been having trouble sleeping. Even with Natsu there to hold her, she refused to doze off into sleep, terrified that her dreams would be plagued by her inner demons once again.

"Hopefully some concealer will do the trick."

Hoping to distract herself, Lucy worked on her story until the oven began its incessant beeping, informing her that the cake was finished. Taking it out of the oven, she eyed the clock. The others were supposed to arrive in half an hour.

"I probably don't have time to let the cake cool all the way and frost it before they get here."

Or so she thought.

Lucy slumped on the couch with a huff. It was nearing seven, and they were supposed to arrive at six.

"What's taking them so long?"

Finally, she could hear a key being pushed into the lock of her front door before it swung open to reveal Natsu and the others. It wasn't a surprise that they all showed up together since they all lived in the same place.

Lucy eyed them in annoyance. All of them wore wide grins on their faces as they bustled inside. Were they not aware that they were an hour late?

"Hey, Lucy," Gray greeted.

She ignored him. Eyes landing on Jellal, she forced a grin to her face as she said, "Happy birthday, Jellal."

The boy smiled back at her. "Thank you, Lucy. And thank you for letting us come here to celebrate."

"Don't mention it. I'm surprised that Fairy Tail was closed today. It's not a holiday today, is it?"

Erza cleared her throat. "Perhaps they are taking a training day."

"I guess that makes sense," Lucy replied with a shrug. Searching for Natsu, she found him sitting alone on the couch. She moved to sit by him. "Hey, Natsu. Why are you guys so late?"

Natsu smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. Erza thought you said to come over at seven."

She arched a brow. "Erza said that? She's not the type to make a mistake like that."

"Well, I guess she did."

Natsu sighed in relief as Lucy shrugged her shoulders in acceptance. In truth, everyone was so caught up in the moment at Fairy Tail, they lost track of time. But he couldn't tell Lucy that. Not only was she not supposed to know about the others, but it would also probably hurt her feelings if she found out they had a party without her.

Lucy stood up from the couch. "Do you guys want any cake? I made some." Her gaze landed on Erza, finding that the redhead was already devouring a piece.

"Ehh, I'm good," Gray said, crossing his arms behind his head. He and everyone else had already filled up back at Fairy Tail. Any more would just make him sick.

Lucy bit back a frown. Nobody was going to have the cake? Well, besides Erza, of course. But what about everyone else? Did they think she was that incapable of baking? Mumbling to herself, she hastily cut herself a slice and sat at the dining table while everyone else chatted around her. First they were late, then they didn't even take a bite of the cake that she slaved to make for them.

Natsu cocked his head to the side, watching as Lucy shoved cake into her mouth. Her brows were slanted, and she wasn't paying attention to anyone. Figuring that she was still upset about her dream, he chose not to comment on it. Taking Gray's advice, he was going to let her handle it on her own.

Lucy heaved a sigh before taking the last bite of her cake. She shouldn't have been so bitter. The day wasn't about her, it was about celebrating Jellal's birthday. Who knows, maybe they just weren't cake people.

Lucy's eyes lit up as she turned to face her friends.

"Should we open presents now?" she asked, clasping her hands together in excitement.

Everyone shared an uneasy glance. They already opened presents back at Fairy Tail.

"Oh, uhh, we don't get each other presents!" Levy lied. She'd always been quick on her feet in times like these. Only this time, it wasn't working.

Lucy narrowed her eyes skeptically. "You guys don't get each other birthday gifts?"

"Nope! Too much of a hassle with such a big group!"

Lucy turned to Erza. "Even you didn't get your husband a gift?"

The other girl shook her head, following along with Levy's lie. "No. Jellal and I don't believe in gift giving."

Lucy's hands went limp at her sides. What did they take her for, some kind of idiot? "Okay. Does anyone want to play some games?"

That was how the rest of the evening transpired. Everyone played games and cheered while Lucy kept a feigned grin plastered to her face.

Once the party ended, the group helped Lucy clean up before saying their goodbyes and heading out the door. Natsu stayed behind as always.

He watched as Lucy marched over to the couch and plopped onto it with a huff. Taking slow, hesitant steps towards her like she was some sort of ticking time bomb, he lowered himself next to her.

"That was fun, right?" he asked, turning to give her a grin.

Lucy glared at him, turning on the TV without saying a word.

And just like that, Natsu knew her sour mood wasn't just because of her dream. She was mad at him.

Grabbing the remote from her hand, he turned it off before giving her a serious look.

"What's wrong, Lucy? Why're you so upset?" he asked.

The girl crossed her arms and replied in a flat tone of voice, "What do you mean? I'm not upset."

"You obviously are, so just tell me already."

"I'm fine."

"If you were fine, you wouldn't be acting like this. Can we just talk about it?"

Lucy whirled an angry gaze onto him. "You guys celebrated without me, didn't you?"

Natsu swallowed thickly. He should've known that she was going to catch onto them. "Lucy, I can explain."

"I knew it! That's why nobody ate the cake or gave presents! Not to mention you guys reeked with booze!"

"Lucy-!"

"No, no! Don't Lucy me! I know exactly what this is about!" Lucy stood up from the couch and planted her hands on her hips, tears pricking her eyes as she continued, "I'm never going to be good enough for your friends, am I? You all share secrets that I'm not good enough to know, you all lie to my face, and now I know you all celebrate without me! Just admit it, Natsu! I'm not good enough for you guys!"

Natsu shot up, his brows furrowed. "That's not it, Lucy! 'Course you're good enough for us!"

"Then why the hell did you guys celebrate without me? Why couldn't you invite me?"

"I-It was with other people!" Natsu answered with a gulp. The truth was at the tip of his tongue. He longed to tell her the truth for so long, now more than ever. But he just couldn't do that to his friends. "You don't know them, so we figured that you wouldn't wanna be there!"

Lucy rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Yeah, right. It's nice to see that you're breaking our no-lying agreement. You think I don't know when you're lying by now?"

"I'm sorry, Lucy, but-!"

"Save it."

"But Lucy-!"

"I don't want to hear it."

Natsu's brows furrowed in annoyance, watching as Lucy turned her back towards him.

"You're kinda a hypocrite, you know that?" he said, the words fumbling out of his mouth before he could even think them over.

Lucy whirled around, giving him an incredulous look. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "You're a hypocrite."

"How the hell am I a hypocrite?"

"You aren't the only one who can tell when the other's lying. Do you really believe that you haven't told a single lie since that night?"

"I have not!"

"There it is again!"

Lucy's mouth gaped open like a fish out of water. Okay, so she had lied a few times to keep her reincarnation a secret. But those were necessary lies! And it wasn't like she expected him to know she was lying.

"See? You can't even argue because I'm right," Natsu said, shoving his hands into his pockets. His voice was cold as he continued, "You're being a hypocrite. We both lie for whatever reason; the only difference is I don't get on your back for doing it."

Lucy's fists trembled at his cold disposition. "Well then maybe that's a sign."

"A sign of what?"

"That we shouldn't be together," she answered. Her heart dropped to the floor as Natsu gave a pained expression, his eyes wide and his mouth parted. Her throat felt tight as she fought back tears. "You said it yourself. For some reason, we both keep lying to each other. Maybe that means-"

"Yeah, I got it," Natsu said, cutting her off. "If that's what you want, then fine."

"Natsu-"

"Nah. You're good, Lucy. You don't hafta explain yourself." Removing the necklace from his neck, he grabbed Lucy's hand and placed the spare key into her palm. Without saying another word, he marched towards the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Lucy stood still, tears clouding her vision as she stared at the door. Her mind was a blank slate, unable to process what just happened. But when she did, it was like a switch went off in her mind.

Once the first sob wrangled its way out of her, she was no longer able to contain herself. Her hand tightened around the key he left behind, the cold, ragged edges engraving into her skin.

This time, she couldn't even blame reincarnation for what was happening. She could only blame herself.

Natsu slammed the door to his bedroom before marching over to his bed. He plopped onto it, staring up at the ceiling and ignoring Gray's questioning glances.

"Uhh, everything okay?" his roommate asked.

"Shut up," Natsu replied, his voice hoarse. There was no way in hell he was going to talk about what happened with Gray. He had just managed to stop crying on the way home, and if he talked about it, the dam was sure to break again.

Gray wasn't deterred by his remark. "Did something happen with you and Lucy?" Natsu ignored him, giving him the answer he needed. "What happened?"

"None of your business. Now shut up, Gray. I'm serious."

"No, I won't just shut up. What the hell happened between you and Lucy? We were just having a good time."

"Maybe you did, but she didn't."

"Lucy didn't have fun at the party?"

"Nope. Because she knew that we celebrated without her." Natsu sat up, giving the other boy a blank stare. "Know what that means? It means she was asking me why we celebrated without her. And I couldn't even tell her because of this damn secret we have."

Gray frowned, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. He wasn't sure what to say. Hell, there probably wasn't anything he could say that would cheer him up. That was one of the many unavoidable problems of dating a mortal, and even though he loved Lucy like a sister, there was no changing the rules that were there to keep them safe. What Natsu did was the right thing, even if it didn't feel like it.

"I'm sorry, man," Gray said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "But I'm sure Lucy will get over it."

"Nah, she won't. She broke up with me."

"Wait, she what!?"

Natsu shrugged.

Gray heaved a sigh. He hated seeing Natsu like this, and he was sure Lucy was hurting just as much.

"You know, Juvia broke up with me once," Gray said, laying back and staring at the ceiling as well.

Natsu's brows rose as he turned to face his roommate. He hadn't heard that story before, which was strange considering all of them lived together. "She did?"

"Yep. Back when we first got together. I was an idiot back then, and I pushed her away too much. Everyone has their breaking point, and I pushed her to that point. She dumped me."

"How did you guys get back together?"

"As I was sitting here, staring up at the ceiling like this, I realized that I didn't want to lose her. I went back to her and apologized. Luckily, she forgave me and since then, I've been doin' my best to make her happy because I don't wanna see the sad look she gave me that night."

Natsu scoffed. "That's different. That was your fault. This wasn't even my fault this time!"

"I'm not saying it is." He faced the other boy. "Look, your relationship with Lucy isn't easy. She's a mortal and you're an immortal, there's bound to be some fights that happen because of it. But in all the time I've known you- and really think about how long that is- I have never seen you as happy as when you're with Lucy. Even if it wasn't your fault, are you really willing to lose her now?"

Natsu's gaze dropped to the floor. "Well why do I hafta be the one to apologize?"

"Well, it's not like she can just come here and do it. Besides, maybe it's not her fault either."

"What do you mean? If it's not my fault, then-"

"Maybe it's neither of your faults," Gray interrupted with a shrug. "It's not like she ever asked to date an immortal with a shit ton of secrets and baggage. And she doesn't even know about it. Without her knowledge, she's dating someone who makes things harder for her without a choice."

"Just tell me what I should do already!"

"Do you wanna be with Lucy?"

Natsu's hands balled into tight fists, his eyes lighting with resolve. "Yeah, I do."

"Then go be with her, idiot."

Without another word, Natsu dashed out the door.

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as a cold gust of wind washed over her. With a groan, she forced herself into a sitting position. Her head pounded after all of her crying, and the bags under her eyes had only gotten worse. Going to get some medicine, she turned, only to find a dark figure standing at her bedside.

A bloodcurdling scream slipped past her lips before a warm hand slapped over her mouth. With wide eyes, she watched as the hooded figure removed their hood to find pink tufts of hair.

"Shh!" Natsu said. He really hoped her neighbors wouldn't call the cops after that. But then again, if they didn't, maybe her apartment wasn't that safe to live in after all.

Lucy pried his hand off her face, panting. He must not have realized that his hand was large enough to cover her nose as well.

"Natsu!" she shouted, turning on the lights. "What are you doing here? I thought you were a murderer!"

"I want my key back," Natsu replied. His eyes bore into hers, his gaze serious.

Warmth crept up to the girl's cheeks. "W-What?"

"My key. I want it back."

"What do you mean?"

"I know I used to climb through the window all the time, but using the door's a lot easier. So, I want my key back." He held his hand out, shaking it with impatience.

Lucy arched a brow. "But you- we- I mean-"

"Lucy. I want my key back."

The edge of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. She took in his features. His eyes were a bit puffy and pink, his hair a disheveled mess.

"I don't understand," Lucy said, her voice just a whisper.

Natsu sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Jeez, Luce. Do I really hafta spell it out for ya?" Taking a step closer, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. His hands slid into hers, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I don't wanna break up."

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat. "R-Really?"

"'Course, weirdo. And I hope you don't wanna break up either."

"I don't!" Lucy exclaimed. "I overreacted earlier. And you're right, I was being a hypocrite. Telling each other the truth might not always be possible like I thought it was. Maybe… Maybe it's okay if we lie to each other sometimes… Right?"

"I don't mind if you don't," Natsu replied, his lips twitching upwards into a small smile.

"Well, as long as we don't lie about important stuff."

"Duh."

Natsu propped his finger underneath Lucy's chin, lifting her head so that he could press his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. Electricity shot through his body at the light touch, her soft lips moving against his. His arms snaked around Lucy's waist, pulling her flushed against him. His hands tangled in her shirt, clutching onto her as if he would lose her again if he let go.

Breaking apart for air, the two stared into each other's hazy eyes.

"Is it weird that we're doing this?" Lucy asked.

Natsu arched a brow. "Weird that we're kissing?"

"No, I mean being together and agreeing that it's okay to lie. Is it really? Don't get me wrong, I don't want to break up, but isn't that what normal people would do?"

Natsu shrugged. "Well you aren't normal. You're a weirdo. So it makes sense."

"I'm serious, Natsu."

"I don't know, okay? I don't know what other people would do in this situation. All I know is that I wanna be with you for the rest of my life, and I don't care what it takes."

A smile etched itself over Lucy's face. "Yeah, you're right. I don't care either. I just want to be with you."

Natsu grinned. "So? My key?"

"Oh, right!" Lucy grabbed the key from the nightstand, handing it back to him. "I believe this is yours."

"Thanks," Natsu replied, putting the necklace on, back in its rightful place. "Your eyes are super puffy, by the way. I can barely even see your eyes."

"Yours are puffy too, jerk!"

"Not as puffy as yours!" He reached out and poked the swollen skin. "I'm really sorry for makin' you cry, Luce. That's not what I wanna do."

Lucy grabbed his hand and gave him a smile. "Don't worry about it. Let's just call it even and forget about this, okay?"

"Sounds good to me!"

Taking her hand, he led her back to the bed. They cozied up under the covers, tangling their limbs into a ball of comfort. Natsu breathed in Lucy's scent while she traced her finger over his chest. With everything resolved between them, they let their eyes droop closed for some much-needed rest. Their secrets were safe, along with their relationship.

If only they knew that secrets always had a way of getting out.

[squiddybeifong]

DianaZee for “Blood? Oh, its not mine”?

I’ve given up on finding old prompt lists in my drafts but im p sure it was a dialogue prompt maybe?? Anyways I hope you like it darling 💕💕💕

“Blood? Oh, it’s not mine!”

–

Zachary could only perch his hands on his hips as he looked over the once-clean remains of Shadowcrest’s foyer, his nose scrunching at the overwhelming scent of cat food that hung in the air. Skye had the good graces to look remorseful at the sheer amount of shrimp pate that laid on the old floors, but Teekl jumped from Klarion’s arms to rub against his leg. The cat’s loud purring was practically mocking the magician as he bounced around, traipsing through his impromptu food-castle.

Well, less a castle more wannabe-Sphinx imitation, but the idea behind it still stood. 

The Zatara looked far from amused, his head tilting to the side as he felt the far-off force of his cousin’s aura preparing to appear. Zach turned on his heel at Zee’s awful timing, hoping that the pizza rolls were done and that the three of them could hang out in peace, cat food cafeteria be damned. He clicked his tongue and called over his shoulder to the two over the dull thrum of the toaster oven, “Your cat’s mess, your job cleaning it up!”

Klarion rolled his eyes and picked his familiar up before he could get his paws dirty, “Rude.”

Skye let out a soft laugh, tiptoeing past the faux-fence of cat food cans and crouching to get a better peek at whether or not the pate sculpture was stable –the last thing she needed was to take a cat food bath in these new boots. Had he been able to stay the giant, edible version of Teekl would’ve needed a reinforced neck but for now it was no matter. 

The mystic’s voice was a drawl as she stood back up. Skye halfheartedly waved in the direction of the door that Zach disappeared through, “You know he’s always grumpy. Once the Purramid’s down he’ll help out.”

The blonde kept her face ducked at the groan that her pun caused, not able to hold back her snickers. She stepped to the side and hopped back around the cans, nudging Klarion’s elbow with her own, “Now come on, you two! That part looks really unstable–”

Right on cue, with all the flourish of a magician of her standard, Zatanna stepped out of a portal into the foyer. Her brows furrowed as the scent hit her then her eyes widened as her heels slipped in the cat food. A gasp huffed out of her as she kicked the sculpture to just barely maintaine her balance, the precariously balanced pate in the shape of Teekl’s head toppling to the side and falling onto her shoulders.

The squish! was followed by a half second’s pause as Zee blinked down at herself. The two teens took simultaneous steps back. Zatanna spat out a minced piece of shrimp, her nose scrunching –and inadvertently causing some juice to drip down her face– before her cousin’s name rumbled out of her, “ZACHARY!!!”

She shook her shoulders, “Doof, ffo!” 

Sapphire eyes narrowed as she stared down at her outfit; everything white was now stained pink and there were still bits of cat food lodged in her fishnets and inside her buttons. Zatanna shook aside the annoying ordeal that dry cleaning her tux would be and ran a frustrated hand through her drenched curls, the other perching in a fist on her hip as she stared down the two– well, three mystics. 

Teekl let out an indignant “mrouw!” as Klarion pulled him closer to his chest, the witch boy more than wary enough to not test the magician. Skye shifted under the glare, her eyes flicking to where Zach was still moving about the kitchen, although his steps were far more hesitant with his cousin’s aura around.

Bending to pick up the fallen head, an incredulous sound slipped out of the magician as the pate’s nose crumbled away, “What is this?”

Skye rubbed the back of her arm, wincing a bit as she fully considered just how much food they had impulse-bought –damn those bogo sales, “Teekl’s idea.”

Zatanna blinked, her face somehow not nearly as deadpan as her voice, “Of course.”

–

Once Shadowcrest was clean and Zachary and his friends had disappeared somewhere or the other, Zatanna let her shoulders relax. She figured they’d be fine and let out a grumble as she tiredly commanded, “Nepo a latrop kcab ot ym tnemtrapa.” 

Despite sunset being long over, the only light was coming from the bedroom when the mystic appeared just inside her front door. She felt the remnants of Diana’s shower in the air and the idea of taking a long bath plus getting cuddled after brought a smile to the magician’s face. She let out a little groan as she put her hat on the hook and began unbuttoning her soaked jacket, the buttons popping out with an obnoxious squish! and some splatter.  

She heard Diana shift in bed, “Zee?”

“Just got in!”

“Finally,” The Amazon sing-songed out. Diana’s voice was light as she rolled out from under the sheets and strolled towards the door. Zee worked on untying her bowtie, tilting her face towards the bedroom door as Diana drawled, “And here I was worrying I’d have to start withou– HOLY HERA ARE YOU OKAY?!!!”

Immediately the warrior was at her magician’s side, her hands patting at the stains that covered almost every inch of her once-white undershirt. Zatanna’s mouth opened to explain but Diana cut her off, “ZEE!!!”

A pained sound escaped her as she held her lover’s forearms, “THERE’S SO MUCH BLOOD!!!”

“Blood?” Zee looked down at herself, an exasperated laugh escaping as she realized what was wrong. Chuckling a bit, more out of exhaustion than anything, Zatanna murmured, “Oh no, no, no, Love…” 

She slipped off a glove and cupped the warrior’s face, internally blanching at how gruesome the liquid appeared as some inadvertently spread on Diana’s cheek. She could only hope her smile was reassuring enough, “Don’t worry; it’s not mine.”

That confidence obviously had the wrong affect; Wonder Woman let out a wondrously horrified squeak, “You don’t kill!”

Zee shook her head, “It’s not human.” 

Diana’s face scrunched up in half confusion, half alarm and the magician accepted that her brain wasn’t working all too well after those double-length shows with the clean-up encore. Zee lifted her red-soaked hand into the air, “Or even blood.”

A navy blink was her response and Zatanna shrugged, “Cat food.”

Diana slowly nodded, her shoulders relaxing as she continued patting her lover’s arms and sides, glad when she felt no injuries. The Amazon wiped at her girlfriend’s forehead and then pressed a kiss just below her hairline, “Should I even ask why?” 

“Zachary’s friends are weird but they’re teens so it’s okay that they’re making a mess of Dad’s– of my house.”

“You’re kind of a mess too,” Diana lightly teased. She lazily popped open one of the highest button’s on Zee’s undershirt and flicked aside a bit of shrimp from her collar, “And still too gloopy for a bath but I feel like you really need one.”

A hopeful pair of sapphire eyes gazed up at her and the princess pecked Zee’s forehead again, “I’ll start the water.”

Strolling to the bathroom and turning on the faucet, Diana plopped down on the bathtub’s rim as she watched Zee follow her in, peeling off the rest of her drenched clothes as she went.

Diana watched her for a moment, casually ogling as she leaned her weight on her palms. Zatanna met her gaze and winked, her tired smile charming despite the splotches of not-blood that coated most of her. 

Tilting her head at the thought Diana looked down at herself, standing and tossing aside her cat food splattered nightgown. She glanced at the tub –big enough to fit them both– and undressed completely, navy eyes sliding shut as she sat on the porcelain rim again. For a moment she listened to the sound of the magician muttering under her breath, the whirl of clothes flying up out of the hamper to make a load in the washing machine, and the flush of the water pooling in the tub behind her. After the scare of Zee’s appearance, the quiet that befell them was a really nice change of pace to her usual schedule whenever she was outside of San Francisco; so wonderfully domestic. 

Her chest was light at how comfortable they’d gotten in the scant few weeks of living together and Diana let her head drop back as she sighed happily, the sound morphing into an incredulous laugh as the scent of cat food finally hit her. Diana giggled and ran a hand through her hair, wondering just how much of a crime scene the apartment looked. The words slipped out of her, more fond than humorous, “You mystics are insane.”

Zatanna clicked her tongue, unable to hold back her smile as she strolled towards her lover. Stopping right in front of her, Zee smiled as Diana stood to steal a kiss. The magician’s words were teasing in between their lips, “Says the eternally God-fighting demigoddess.”

Snickering, Diana pulled back to boop their noses. She fought off another swell of disbelief at the realization that she had not-blood on her nose and swooped down for another kiss to distract herself. She hummed as she wrapped Zatanna in a hug, a girlish trill escaping as the mage stood on her feet so she didn’t have to hunch. 

Her smile was broad enough to disrupt their kiss and Diana nuzzled their noses together, “Well, not everyone can keep up with such sauciness, my Mistress of Magic–”

Zee cut her off with another kiss. 

[luckyspike]

Prompt: Character A has never baked a cake from scratch but its Character B's birthday and they deserve a cake! Now theres flour everywhere and good god A should have just bought a cake

YO check my weird fantasy characters who are bad at baking.

–

There is chemistry in cooking. A cup of this, a tablespoon of that, two eggs. Get it wrong and it won’t explode (Alice is fairly certain, anyway), but instead of a cake you’ll have a soupy mess that, disappointingly, doesn’t even taste of sugar, because she forgot to put that in.

Cookery and chemistry have never been her strong suits.

Alice drums her flour-caked fingers on the disastrously filthy counter, dark hair streaked with egg, and glares at the cake pan. Improbably, the hideous mess oozes out of the bottom of the pan.

She hears the soft footsteps on the rough boards behind her, and doesn’t bother to look around when she hears the chair squeaking across the floor, the quiet sounds of Basha climbing up to observe her work.

“Awful,” the young girl opines after a few breaths, her arms crossed over her chest. “You know how to cook, right?”

Alice’s eyes narrow at the cake, and she doesn’t look at Basha. “Cooking and baking are different.”

“I hope so.” Basha uses a spoon to prod the goo in the pan, and makes a face. “This is not going to work for a birthday cake for Uncle Cal.”

“It’s the thought that counts.” Alice turns from the cake, and starts wiping at her hair with a damp towel. She hears Basha jump to the floor behind her.

“Not for cakes, I don’t think.” Alice turns back around to see Basha padding from the room, and sighs as the younger girl goes. She gives up on her hair, and tosses the rag onto the counter, signaling a lackluster beginning to her cleaning effort. Lucky, she thinks, that Dail took Cal into town for the morning, and she had an hour or two to clean away her shame. She dumped the pan onto a tray, the utensils too, and started for the door to the pump house to clean up, when a rush of footsteps behind her gave her pause. She turned, eyebrows arched, and blinked in the face of Basha’s grin. “I got it,” the girl said, her hand raised and a book clutched in it. “I knew there was one of these around.”

Alice put her head to one side. “Is that a … cookbook?”

“Yeah.” Basha lowered the book, the better to appraise the cover with a solemn expression. “‘Cookery and Basic Pastries: To Introduce the Beginner’.”

Alice snorted. “Who does that belong to? Surely not Dail.”

“Dunno. Doesn’t matter.” Basha followed Alice as the older woman headed to the pump house to clean, flipping through the pages. “Gotta be a cake recipe in here somewhere.”

“Does it matter? The thought is lovely, Basha, but you actually have to be able to, you know, do something with the directions.”

“You just follow them.” The little girl sat cross-legged in the grass, while Alice rinsed the pan and the utensils, and scrubbed the dried-on baking remains off. “Can’t be that hard.”

“Not hard at all,” Alice deadpanned. “Children could do it.” The page-turning stopped, and Alice turned to see Basha tracing a finger along the page, lips moving quietly as she read. “You could do it, Basha.”

“Only if you help. I can’t keep the stove going.”

Alice snorted. “Shrimp. I can keep the stove going.” She shook the water from a spoon, and slid it back onto the tray. “You sure you won’t get in trouble for skipping out on studying? Dail really wanted you to get through that chapter on evocation.”

Basha looked up, annoyed. “It’s Cal’s birthday.”

Alice paused, and Basha stared her down for a minute, before turning her attention back to the book. Well, Alice supposed, she did have a point. She set the cleaned pan back on the tray, and scooped it up, turning back toward the house. “Alright. I’ll keep the stove going.” Basha jumped up, book held open to a specific page, careful not to lose her place. “And you have to clean up as you go. They can’t know until we bring the cake out.”

“Of course.”

In the end, they did know, if only because Dail’s familiar informed her of the exploits that were leaving the house’s small kitchen powdered with flour and sugar while she and Cal were making their way back from town. She blanched as the bird squawked once or twice and Cal raised an eyebrow. “They didn’t burn the house down, did they?”

“No, not yet.” Dail hurried her pace, just slightly, and gave the bird on her shoulder a look. The robin nodded, somewhat more urgent. “They’re baking a cake.” She heard Cal groan, and he picked up his pace, drawing even with her again.

“I knew we should have left them with Robin,” he grumbled. The bird chirped in response. “They’re gonna burn down my house.”

“Probably not.” Dail considered it. “Odds are against. I think. Also, it’s our house.”

“I lived there first.” He shot her a glare. “If you gave Basha any ideas about this -”

“Cal, I swear to you, I did not. Alice probably found out.” The robin trilled, and Dail gestured to the little bird. “See? Alice. She’s always the one that it starts with.”

Cal groaned. “I liked that house.”

“They’re not going to burn the house down.”

“You say that, but then Alice won’t be able to get the oven hot enough, and she’ll try to talk Basha in to a fire charm, you watch if she doesn’t, and there you have it. Eight year-olds can’t manage a fire charm in an oven, Dail.”

“Hm.” Dail kept pace with him, expression distant, thoughtful. “Well, you know,” she said at length, encouraged by the lack of a giant black plume of smoke rising from the woods surrounding their home, “there would be a bright side.”

“For the last time, I am going to clean out my office once Alice -”

She shook her head. “No. I mean, it’s your birthday.”

“Ah.” He rolled his eyes. “Happy birthday to me! My house has burned down.” He grunted and staggered a little, because Dail threw her arm around him and pulled him close. “What?”

“And you can make a giant wish, and summon up a gust or something to blow it out! Biggest birthday candle ever.” Her eyes sparkled. “Right?”

“Yeah well.” He took a breath, and spun away from her a little, picking up the pace in spite of his exhalation. “It probably won’t come to that.”

“Very likely not.”

“But if it does…” He paused, and glanced back to her, over his shoulder. “Want to know my wish?”

Dail scowled. “It’s bad luck to tell.”

“I’ll wish,” he continued, unfettered, before breaking into a run, mis-matched feet pounding the dust and leaving Dail to hoist the package of purchases under her arm and take off after him, “that my house hadn’t burned down!

[salexectrian-heir]

Loki: Chapter 9

Pairing: Solavellan Rating: E* (not every chapter is E, most are rated T. Chapters containing explicit content will be marked with an asterisk*) Summary: Lavellan rescued a mischievious sphynx kitten outside her work who loves her dearly. But his destructive habits start to get out of hand when he steals her attractive neighbor’s underwear… repeatedly. [Previous Chapter]      [Read on AO3]

“Honestly, I think you should quit your job and be a chef, or one of those stay at home hipster-food bloggers that instagrams all their meals and gets sponsored by food industry monopolies.”

This earned her one of those rare and coveted chuckle-snorts she had grown attached to. She peered at him from over her shoulder where she stood in front of his kitchen sink, cleaning up the dishes of their--once again brilliant--grilled shrimp taco dinner. It had been over two weeks, since they had their first formal dinner together, since they slept together. A make-up of sorts for missing out on celebrating the new year. Naturally, the E.R. was filled with those who had made not so wise choices, blown off parts of their bodies with fireworks they should not have been setting off...and thus Anise was other was preoccupied. Solas had agreed to feed Loki for her while she was called away. So at least that spoiled brat got a new year’s kiss. Her heart fluttered when he met her gaze, lips pulling into a smirk where he sat lounging on his couch.

“There is only one problem,” he said, pouring them each another glass of wine from a fresh bottle. They had already killed one during dinner. “I don’t have an instagram.”

She shifted her weight and placed a hand on her hip. “Then how do you post all your mundane life updates?”

“Facebook?” He shrugged as she let out a mocking hiss of disapproval, “I don’t use it that often. Not much occurs in my life that demands a social media update.”

“Well, you should friend request me anyway so I can post random updates on your wall for you.”

Another tipsy chuckle and a smile that reached his eyes. “I’m sure you would.”

Dropping the towel she had been using to dry the counter, she made her way over to settle on the couch beside him. She swiped her glass from his extended hand and tucked her feet beneath her.

“What you don’t want to be connected?” she teased as he glanced down at his wine. “Are you still friends with an ex that would stalk me or something?”

His whole body went still.

“I was joking,” she playfully shoved him with her foot, and it brought a small smile back on his face.

“Joking as it were, you are...not entirely wrong.”

She stared at him expectantly. “Go on.”

“It’s complicated.”

He made to stand but she caught him by the elbow. He send a sideways glance towards her, a hint of apprehension in his eyes behind the mirth.

“Oh no, you don’t get out of that so easily.”

He sighed and brought his fingers to steeple over his flushed face. “My life revolves around my work."

“I know."

“Literally. My social circle, including my previous romantic relationships…” He straightened, his hands knotting together in his lap. “One more reason I was hesitant to get involved with you. I do not want to subject you, or anyone, to the chaos that is my life. My last relationship was a mistake. One I never should have made.”

“As they often are.”

“But because we work together... “ he exhaled sharply, “that’s not accurate. Because I work for her, I am still in frequent contact. It’s a bit a of a mess.”

She choked on her wine. “ You’ve slept with your boss, too ?”

Surprise rippled over his face at her outburst. “What?”

“Oh we’ll delve into my romantic disaster history in a minute. Please continue, you have a lot to unpack here.” She smiled behind her glass of wine, and nudged him again with her foot. “Go on, I want to hear this story.”

“Oh, no I would love to hear anything you have to say this point,” he turned to face her, tucking one leg beneath him, mirroring her position, “because what I’m about to say next will make everything worse.”

She opened her mouth and closed it again. She decided putting wine in it was the best course of action and so she drained her glass. “Nope, you gotta finish embarrassing yourself first. Then I’ll layout my baggage.”

“I warned you,” his mouth split into a chagrined smile as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I got involved with the Chief Operating Officer.”

Anise gasped and immediately clasped a hand over her mouth, “The C.O.O.? Solas!”

“I was young and stupid and it lasted far longer than it should have. And of course, like all things doomed to fail, it got out. Her husband found out--”

“ Her husband!?”

“The CEO.”

“You’re playing with me right now.”

“No, I am being honest.” The humor left his voice. “It’ not even a subject we should be laughing over… but…” He drug a hand over his face, wiping  away the fragment of a smile from the moment before. “For once I am able to talk about it without hating myself, so that must count for something.”

Anise said aside her empty wine glass and scooted closer to him on the couch.

“Sorry I pried. I didn’t mean to open up things better left--”

“It’s okay. I should talk about these things.” He allowed her to take his hand in her own. “The point was that we are all connected on social media as well. I would like to just keep this new part of my life, my life with you , private. Something I don’t have to share with the world that demands every second of my existence.”

“Is this why you choose to live here, and commute to Arlathan?”

He nodded. “Obviously there were repercussions for our actions. I was demoted. She was suspended from her position. And that caused a lot of unrest in the company. She was admired by many. I was blamed for her downfall. And in a way, I am directly responsible.”

“What were you before a rep?”

“I worked in the labs. It’s where my true talent lies.” He shrugged. “But my clearances have been revoked and I was repurposed, as was she. Apparently we were still valuable enough to the company to be tethered and leashed for the last five years. Or perhaps it is a punishment.”

“Why don’t you just quit?” When he didn’t say anything she felt the need to add, “I’m being serious, Solas. If they’re treating you this badly, and it makes you this unhappy, walk away .”

“Could you walk away from your job after a major mistake knowing you might be able to fix , or make a difference?

Her heart dropped into her stomach. “No. I couldn’t.”

“Yes, the company itself is corrupt but the medicine they create saves lives. I used to be a part of that process.” He squeezed her hand. “I created this mess. My pride won’t just let me walk away from it.”

He may be a stubborn fool, but now he’s my stubborn fool.

“I want you to know that I’ll support you--no matter what you stubbornly choose to do.”

“You may regret that.”

A brief moment of silence enveloped them, each lost in their own thoughts.

“I also, have made some… less than wise decisions. And that is saying it nicely.” His thumb began idly tracing designs on the back of her hand as she spoke, and it gave her courage.

Here goes nothing.

She took a deep breath. “I was engaged, once.”

He sat up a little straighter, giving her his full attention. “You were?”

“Yeah,” with her free hand she tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, “clearly didn’t end well.”

“Otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”

They shared a quiet laugh. “Hah, exactly.”

“Was it to your boss…?”

“Oh creators, no.” she shook her head vehemently. “A man from my clan. Arranged marriage type thing.” He stared at her sympathetically. “We wanted to start a family... but I…. we had a falling out and he cheated, I didn’t handle it well, I decided to go to med school instead, something that would take a long time and basically give me an excuse to never go home and...”

Face reality. Face the loss of a child, of a family. Too much, too painful. Change the subject, this is one for another time.

“The boss story though, that was more recent.” She changed the subject, adjusting her legs so she was sitting cross legged.  “ I got involved with one of the attendings when I was just starting out as an intern. Not my brightest moment. It was messy, and I quickly realized he was entangled with many other people, and not just me. It was a shock but once I figured it out I ended my part in it.”

If he noticed the abrupt topic switch, he made no comment. “Which attending did you sleep with?”

She cocked her head to the side. “Do you think you know him?”

“I might,” he gave a small smile.

“Anders is a remarkable doctor. I swear the entirety of his personal life puts your sleeping with your boss story to shame.”

That made Solas laugh, a real one this time. “I do know him.”

Anise blanched. “Oh, gods.”

Solas’ mouth curved into a teasing smile as one brow arched. “I’m surprised to hear the hospital staff fraternize so… frequently.”

“We’re not supposed to, but when you spend a sixteen hour high stress shift literally inside someone together...well…” she gestured with her free hand. “It happens. It’s a cesspool honestly. Every week I’m trying to figure out who’s sleeping with who so I don’t step on toes or accidentally out a relationship. It’s tiring.”

“I can imagine. No wonder you always look so wiped when you come home, avoiding all those bleeding hearts.” He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Admirable.”

She shoved him with her shoulder, a blush beginning to color her cheeks. “Stop.”

Leaning his elbow on the back of the couch, he propped his head up with his hand. “I just divulged a secret that would have sent any sensible person running from my apartment. And yet, you’re still here.”

“I pretend to have my life together, but it’s a mess.” A soft smile formed on her lips. “And yet you keep inviting me back.”

He gave a small shake of his head before he reached for her face, cupping her jaw in the palm of his hand as he leaned towards her. “As is mine, and yet you keep staying.”

His lips brushed her own.  She unfurled her limbs and slid her arms around his neck, pulling him gently down over her on the couch. He shifted to lay between her legs that wrapped around his hips once he had settled.

Pressing her mouth to his she whispered, “I never claimed to be sensible.” His tongue darted between her lips, coaxing a moan from her. “I don’t plan on starting to be now, either.”

[hkbingo2000]

1) 家電用品Household Appliance

飯鍋Cooking pot/Rice cooker The cooking pot is a crafting station used to make the Bowl of Soup. 壓力鍋Pressure cooker You use a pressure cooker to save lots of time and energy cooking delicious food. 燉鍋Stew pot Stewpot is often used to cook stew meat. 電水壺Electric kettle I don't know how I ever lived without an electric kettle. 電磁爐Induction cooker oven The basic difference between an induction cooker oven and an oven is that they are used for different types of cooking. 烤箱 Oven Place the cake in the oven at 200°C. 抽油煙機 Extractor hood / range hood An extractor hood or range hood is a device containing a mechanical fan that hangs above the stove or cooktop in the kitchen. 消毒碗櫃Disinfect cupboard The utility model relates to a cupboard with damp proofing and disinfecting functions. 冰箱 Refrigerator/ Fridge Don't forget to put the milk back in the fridge. Top

2) 食材處理Process Ingredients 放入冰箱冷凍Chill Chilled foods, for reasons of safety or quality, are designed to be stored at refrigeration temperatures at or below 8ºC. 冷凍 Freeze Freeze dried vegetables are often found in food for backpackers, hunters, the military, etc. 解凍 Defrost Defrost the chicken thoroughly before cooking. 水漂洗 Rinse First apply shampoo to hair and then rinse thoroughly. 削 Shave Shaved ice is a large family of ice-based dessert made of fine shavings of ice or finely crushed ice and sweet condiments or syrups. 剝皮 Peel We should be eating our fruit and vegetable peel instead of throwing it away, experts say. 去鱗 Scale Mahalo cooking expert Eric Crowley shows you how to properly scale a fish. 去核 Core Core an apple and make apple rings with just a knife. 切除不要的部分Trim Trim off the leafy ends of the vegetable before cooking. 填裝Stuff He stuffs dumplings with meat sauce. 倒入Pour Pour the honey into the bowl and mix it thoroughly with the other ingredients. 瀝乾 Drain Drain off any liquid that is left in the rice. 瀝出 Strain Pour the sauce into a sieve or strainer and strain back into your saucepan.

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3) 切片處理 Cutting

切 Chop Chop up the onions and carrots roughly. 切成小塊Cube Cutting cheese into little cubes creates morsels just the right size for snacking or to use in salads and soups. 切丁 Dice Peel and dice the potatoes. 切片 Fillet fillet of beef 切薄片Slice Slice the mushrooms thinly and fry in butter. 切成細絲 Julienne Julienne-cut vegetables is just a fancy way of saying very skinnily-cut vegetables. 切成碎末 Mince Mince two pounds of chicken finely. 切碎 Shred Shred the lettuce and arrange it around the edge of the dish. 磨成絲或粉狀Grate grated cheese 絞Grind Shall I grind a little black pepper over your pizza? Top

4) 醃製處理 Marinate

攪拌 Stir Stir the egg yolks into the mixture. 翻面 Turn over/Flip Fried eggs are usually cooked without turning over. 調味 Season Drain the rice, stir in the salmon and season to taste, so that it has the taste you like. 醃泡 Marinate She marinates pork in vinegar and white wine. 浸泡Soak Leave the beans to soak overnight. 醃漬Pickle Grandmother knew how to pickle cucumbers. 搾Squeeze Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl. 搗碎 Mash Mash the potatoes and then mix in the butter and herbs. 壓碎 Crush Add three cloves of crushed garlic. 弄成醬狀Puree Puree the strawberries in the liquidizer and add the lightly whipped cream. 裹上麵包粉 Bread She breaded the pork chop before frying it. 勾芡Thicken Thicken the sauce with a little flour. 撇去液體表面的漂浮物 Skim Skim the grease from a soup. 篩Sift When the cake is cooked, sift some icing sugar over the top of it. 打到起泡Beat To make an omelette you must first beat the eggs. 發泡Whip Could you whip the cream for me? 使混合Blend Blend the egg yoke and butter. 攪打Fold Fold whipped cream into custard 揉捏Knead Knead the dough until smooth. Top

5) 烹調方式 Cooking Methods

烹調 Cook Let the fish cook for half an hour before you add the wine. 水煮 Boil I've boiled some potatoes for dinner. 川燙 Blanch He blanches a tomato to peel its skin. 熬煮 Braise Once you learn the basics of how to braise meat, you'll be able to make braised beef. 滾煮 Poach Poached eggs can be eaten as they are, on salads or bread or made into eggs Benedict. 炒煮出水分 Sweat When sweating onions or mushrooms, you need to put a lid over the pan in which you are frying them in order to trap the condensation. 炒 Fry A basic recipe for fried rice is load up with meat and vegetables. 煎炒 Pan-fry Pan-frying beef is one of the quickest and easiest ways to prepare meat. 快炒 Stir-fry A quick stir-fry is one of the fastest, easiest, tastiest ways to make a last-minute vegetable side dish to suit any meal. 油炸 Deep-fry Deep frying a turkey may sound like a strange concept, but trust me, it doesn't come out like you'd think. 裹粉油炸 Fritter Banana fritters are good served with melted red current jelly, or toffee sauce. 切碎後再炒 Hash Hash Brown Potatoes are easy and delicious. 嫩煎 Saute Saute the shrimp 5 to 7 minutes, until they turn pink, while turning the shrimp over to cook them on both sides. 煎至金黃色 Brown Transfer to oven and roast chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 35 minutes. 炭火燒烤 Barbecue Their traditional sausages are delicious grilled or barbecued. 火烤 Grill Dad was grilling chicken in the back yard. 煎烤 Roast He roasts a chicken at 300 degrees for an hour. 以武火烤 Broil They broiled a turkey over charcoal. 煙燻 Smoke She had champagne and smoked salmon sandwiches at her birthday party. 燉 Stew This traditional stewed chicken dish begins with a browned, cut up chicken, that is slow cooked in a roux based gravy. 蒸Steam When I go home to visit my Mom, I always ask for this dish, Chinese Steamed Fish. 塗油脂潤滑Grease Grease the tins well before adding the cake mixture. 預熱Preheat Preheat the oven to 180°C. 凝固成形Mold Mold mousse in the fridge Top

6) 最後裝飾 Garnishment 搭配Garnish Garnish the dish with parsley before serving. 裹上糖衣Frost Leave the cake to cool before frosting it. 淋上糖漿Glaze Glazed carrots with honey. 淋醬汁Baste Baste the turkey at regular intervals. 浸泡醬汁Dip Dip the fish in the batter, then drop it into the hot oil. 塗Spread Spread bread with butter 灑Sprinkle Sprinkle a few herbs on the pizza. 加Add Beat the butter and sugar together and slowly add the eggs.

[cyanisbirdmom666]

Dark Skies – Part 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Summary: Space seems fun at first, right? Well it is... until people on your spaceship start getting murdered by monsters.

Notes: Been working on this since morning. Will these chapters keep coming out at this rate? Probably not.

Word Count: 1.7k

Trigger Warnings: A plant attacks Coal. Death and suicide are briefly mentioned.

After the white one came the brown one. Then blue, red, and black. The orange one and pink one came in at the same time, followed by the purple one and the green one. The last ones to come in, were the yellow one and the lime-green one. At last, the crewmates were able to blast off into space. But they weren’t allowed to go into the main part of the ship yet. It wasn’t safe to move around while lifting off. They need to wait for the ship to level off. So, they all sat there in awkward silence.

Sky looked around. No one seemed to be in the mood to talk. To her left was the tall guy in black she had seen earlier, and to her right was a tall, stocky, green guy. She waved to the one in green, “Hi! What’s your name?”

“Viridian. Viridian Frisch.” he responded. He had a soft voice.

“I’m Sky Aguamarina, pleasure to meet you! So... why’d you come to space?”

“I wanted to study how space can affect the brain and mind. Space psychology. Even if I didn’t find out anything significant, going to another planet has always seemed cool to me.” Viridian paused before saying, “Space seems to be safer than being on Earth. We all get along and there’s no ‘evil aliens’ here. It’s pretty nice.

“It is nice and it’s pretty peaceful too. Cold, but peaceful. But I do admit that I miss Earth.”

From across the room, the girl in yellow called out, “Me too! I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I couldn’t help but overhear that you miss Earth. And lemme tell you girl, I miss wearing different clothes and eating normal food. I really thought space would be better than Earth. Don’t get me wrong, the rocks and gemstones here were interesting to study, I had lots to do, but I just can’t wait to go back. The food in Polus is TERRIBLE and I bet the food on the Skeld will be even worse.”

Hearing this, the one in orange perked up, “I don’t think the food inside spaceship will be that bad- I was assigned to be the ship’s chef. I bet I can make some good food in the kitchen. Anyone have any cravings or suggestions?”

“I would kill for some good fish curry...” said the one in red.

“I’ve always wanted to try shrimp gumbo!” Sky added.

“I’m just want fish sticks.” said a boy in blue.

“Fish, shrimp... I have an idea. I could do a special seafood-themed dinner today! You know, to celebrate leaving Polus?” the orange one offered.

“Oh my gosh, that’d be a great crewmate-bonding idea! OH!! We should all say our names. I’m Daisy Flaxen.”

The orange one nodded and said, “I’m Rustavious Oraiste, but you guys can call me Rusty.”

The red one said, “I’m Scarlet Laulanga.”

The one in blue said, “My name’s Azul.”

The one in pink said, “My name is Rosa Palisandro.”

The brown one said, “I’m Bronze Swart.”

The white one said, “I am Ivory Blanche.”

Sky said, “My name is Sky Aguamarina.”

Viridian said, “I’m Viridian Frish.”

The short one in lime-green said, “I’m Chartreuse Kalhk.”

The one in purple said, “I’m Violet Zambarau.”

The tall one in black said, “My name is Coal. Coal Duister.”

Daisy smiled and clapped her hands, “This is great! Now we all know eachother’s names. I’ll save the rest of the questions for our bonding activity! I have a great feeling about this!!” Daisy said excitedly.

Coal Duister

I was not looking forward to the bonding activity. But I was excited for the seafood. Or just food in general. I was starving even though I had eaten a pretty big breakfast this morning. I’ve just been a lot hungrier lately.

Anyway, I was doing my best to avoid the others by hanging out in the Electrical room when something strange happened. We had not gotten our tasks yet, so we were all chilling around the spaceship. Ivory was in Admin, Sky in Medbay, and Rusty was cooking in the kitchen (with an audience). I was just minding my own business in Electrical, when I heard clanging. Lots of clanging... but from below me. Which makes no sense because there’s no second floor. It’s only one floor. I almost shat my pants thinking we were getting attacked by aliens. But then I looked down and saw that it was just another crewmate. Coming out of a vent. Strange way to travel.

“Are you ready?” they asked.

I looked around, feeling a bit nervous. I knew what they meant. I wanted to pretend it was all fake. That it was just a dream. So, I responded with a question, “For what?”

“Coal this is really happening. Stop playing stupid. I know you feel it too. Just accept it. This is just our fate. It’s destiny.”

I had been hoping this situation was just one big nightmare...

I was in Zone 7. The most diverse zone. Known for its number of varied animals, bugs and plants. It was the most beautiful zone. So tranquil. It was near a lava pool, so it was warmer than the other zones in Polus. This is the zone they advertised on newspapers and shows. I study plants, so this space trip seemed like a great opportunity to study the alien botany. I also thought space was safer than being on Earth. I liked taking strolls during the week I was staying in Zone 7. I was just walking around when I felt someone, or something, tug at my back. I turned around expecting to see another crewmate.

But there was no one there.

I resumed walking but felt a sharp pain in my back. As if someone was stabbing me. I crumbled to the ground in agony and yelled for help. But no one was around. I was all alone in Zone 7. No one could help me. I was on the edge of fainting when I felt like I was being dragged. Thank goodness I thought, someone heard me and is dragging me to safety! I was wrong. I was not being dragged to safety. And no one had heard me. But before I could even register where I was being dragged into, I fainted. It felt nice. No pain. As if I were sleeping on a cloud. I thought I was dead. But being dead was nice.

When I woke up I was already in Zone 8. I was very disoriented and confused. How many days had gone by? What happened to me? Who took care of me? I looked around

But there was no one there.

I felt like the thoughts in my head were so loud. I felt like I was about to explode. I had a horrible headache. My back ached. And I was so, so, hungry. Hungrier than I’ve ever been. I got up and felt this... this nagging voice in my head, telling me to feed. So I did. I made myself breakfast. Then I made a second breakfast. Then a third one. And a fourth. At that point I knew something was seriously wrong with me. I stopped eating but the voice kept telling me more... I need more.... but at that point I had decided to not eat anymore. I walked out of the cabin and felt as if my whole body gave up on me. My eyes rolled up into the back of my head. My limbs were tense. I was being stretched thin- well that’s what it felt like. Then it all stopped.

I opened my eyes and the world looked a different color. As if my vision had a warm filter on. I looked down and felt taller. Then I realized those weren’t my legs. I looked at my hands. I had no hands. They looked like dark-pumpkin-vine-arms. I stumbled back and rubbed my eyes.

“What the heck did I drink last night... I’m tripping.”

“You didn’t drink anything.”

I looked around wildly, “Who’s there? What’s going on??”

“I’m not here. I’m in your head.”

I looked around again and started laughing, “Oh wow... space does make you go crazy. Haha why did I come here?”

“NO YOU FOOL. I am the plant that attacked you yesterday. Now listen carefully to everything I’m saying, or else we’re going to die.”

“Wow the voice in my head is suicidal.”

“coal please. We are a parasite. This hunger you’re feeling is normal. We need human flesh to survive.”

“Why didn’t you just kill me?”

“I need a host Coal.”

“You seemed to be fine with a plant host. You should’ve just left me alone. I did nothing wrong; I was just minding my own business, studying stupid plants.”

“We are not stupid. I know when you humans are going to leave Polus. A week. We need food. Earth is the perfect place for human food. It’s full of human flesh."

“This is stupid, how did you survive this long without humans?? We only found Polus about a year ago, how did you survive before MiraSpace found Polus?”

“What do you think happened to all those crewmates who went missing in previous trips? Of course, your organization tried hiding it, but did you not notice that fewer people came back? We have always been here; we were just dormant. The humans woke us up. We are smarter now though. We will not kill you two. Instead of waiting around for our next meal, we will hunt... by using you.”

“Nice, nice.... but I don’t really feel like murdering anyone so... if you could just get out of me and infect an actual serial killer, that’d be great. Thanks.”

“It’s too late. I’m already in your head. Getting rid of me would be very very painful. And deadly. So just accept your fate. Enjoy life. It’s not personal. They don’t know you; you don’t know them. They won’t care. You need to survive. Survival isn’t selfish.

I should have tried to do more. I should have tried to convince Phil (that’s what I named my parasite) to get out. But I gave in. Killing the strangers seemed easier than suffering a painful death.

And I was so, so, hungry.

[zorilleerrant]

these books tho. these fucking books. like

I don’t buy that there would be no internet?? even if it only worked half the time people would still use it. they’d be working on a magic internet, too, especially if the regular one went down. and like. why would anything get erased off of it??? everyone knows ‘if it’s on the internet it’s forever’

how is someone going to be like ‘if more people do the magic the car starts faster’ and be surprised, decades into this thing. it would be common knowledge. even if it weren’t, wouldn’t that be, like, the first thing everyone in the world would try??

why are they constantly eating bacon. that’s like. I mean if it’s pure calorie content then they could be eating anything at all, like much cheaper things to eat pounds of than bacon. and if it’s anything else that’s not actually a useful choice like damn

like where are they getting all this steak and bacon anyway. there’s not that much usable farmland in a city and since shipping is like basically defunct...how??? moreover, where are they getting shrimp? and how would that be an affordable food if they did?

if everyone’s so hard up for food, why would people still be horrified by the idea of rat meat. like for religious reasons sure!! but most people would just be like, welp, that’s the way it goes.

I have not seen a single instance of anyone eating catfish

why aren’t people breeding pigeons again?? easy to maintain flocks, very quick turnaround time, fast and cheap source of protein. not like it would be hard to kidnap some starter pigeons, either

how do they still have macrobrews

how are there still schools. like that implies some level of fairly high up social organization. but if that were true then there would be some kind of mass transit; it’s not like you can’t have horses pull a ton of people, and there would be magic buses and stuff. why would there just be none of that? even if the mc didn’t use it wouldn’t there be like. evidence

why on earth would people get more violent??? like sure if they have to fight monsters all the time more people would be trained to fight or whatever but like. why would they fight each other??? an end to the megacorps would mean more jobs in the hands of the people and more control over that, and deglobalization would mean there were more things to do locally, and tech destruction would mean more of them were needed for those things and so people would be a lot more content

if everyone is poor then theft isn’t a lucrative proposition anymore??? because they wouldn’t have anything worth stealing and even if they did you couldn’t find anyone to buy it. so like theft seems like it would go way down in this society

but like also why would everyone be poor. it would be much harder to hoard wealth in this society and possibly people wouldn’t even mainly use money anymore, so like, doesn’t it make more sense that most people would be able to have living standards? like way more people would need way more help doing way more things, so more people would have bargaining power. I mean yeah monsters would eat their houses from time to time but wouldn’t it make more sense to be like ‘most people have to stay with friends sometimes’ than ‘everyone is poor’

gee, I wonder why the average person has a problem with a group of super powerful isolationists who can tear people in half, but wouldn’t lift a finger to help a ‘regular human’ because they’re like you’re not shapeshifters get bent

how are you maintaining population growth??? like if it’s hard for shapeshifters to get pregnant, and then additionally they lose most of their babies, and then additionally they turn evil as teenagers and you have to kill a quarter of them or whatever, and if they ever get very badly injured or something they also turn evil, why on earth would you be like ‘the only way to change the governmental hierarchy is to kill people in positions of authority above you’ like how do you even have any left

also that seems like a wildly shitty way of running a government just like whoever is best at murders

is there like a global shapeshifter politics?? and if so, how do they communicate it to each other??? and if not how the fuck are visiting shapeshifters supposed to know the protocol or whatever

“a pegasi”

stop saying ‘every culture’ and ‘every religion’ you’re thinking of at best five and most likely more like one. why does everyone do this

why is it just a given that she’s going to take her husband’s name?? I mean she’s the main character shouldn’t he take her name

but like. if magic is mostly molded by what people expect will and won’t happen. then how can you have creatures no one has ever heard of. that doesn’t track. how would they exist then?? but if there’s some underlying ‘real magic’ then also wouldn’t there not be that much that people could influence by just believing in it? or are there only certain kinds of things they can influence. and why isn’t anyone spreading propaganda about magical creatures’ weaknesses that will make them easier to defend against

but why is magic eating the skyscrapers. what does that mean

bullets are like. not that hard to make?? it doesn’t take a lot of technology to make them, especially if you already have the metal to melt down. but like making the metals might be really hard!! but that would impact cars and coffeemakers and fridges a lot more I would think

if there is a group of people with sexual politics radically at odds with the rest of society, who raise their children in a matriarchal and sex positive culture, and most of them are openly just having sex for fun whenever and however and with whoever wants to bone them, why on earth would most or probably even any of them be heterosexual

why would a gay man be considered female is such a society. like for a lesbian to be considered either more or less female in such a society would make sense, but like. why would a gay man anything except ‘that’s nice dear’. how do you decide which one is female

how are background checks. like. if there is no internet, and lines of communication are slow and often down, and there’s no international communication pretty much at all, and also there doesn’t seem to be a lot of paperwork? how would anyone know who anyone is

are there like taxes in this society and if not how is there this massive and seemingly carte blanched military force just around everywhere in the entire fucking country and if so how can the main character who can barely afford food maintaining two entire residences

look leaving aside the entire bit about how jewish magic works in this universe and also the bit where for some reason a bunch of rabbis are like ‘no we won’t give you access to the thing that will stop an ancient plague god because you don’t have the right jewishness’ but why the fuck would all these magical rabbis possibly want to cooperate with a paramilitary dictatorship that grabs the most magically and martially talented kids around the country, trains them to listen only to that organization as the one true authority that can’t be questioned, has no oversight, and is explicitly pro genociding the subhumans. also it calls itself the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid

[easyfoodnetwork]

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Freezer

hutchyb for Getty Images/iStockphoto

There’s a technique — even a flair — to freezing food successfully

My mother is what you might call a culinary cryogenicist. Long before the crew at the Noma Food Lab grew their first flavor spore, my mom was experimenting with the effects of age and temperature on all kinds of foodstuffs: the last two bites of some mac and cheese. Four shrimp. One-third of a pork chop. Three matzo balls. Half a bag of green beans tied shut with a trash bag twist-tie. An old joint. Eight slices of rye bread. Raisins. So. Much. Ham. And that’s just the first shelf of the freezer.

It was a talent she inherited. Her own mother was a master of the freezer arts, best exemplified by the very same “tray of frozen shrimp” offered to us on every grandparent visit for more than two decades; it became a running family joke. As a member of the next generation, however, my family’s faith in the preservation power of cold turned me into a devoted freezer snob. For most of my adult life, my freezer has remained a sacred space reserved for only the most cold-hardy ingredients — ice cream, popsicles, those giant cocktail ice spheres, and maybe the occasional box of toaster waffles or bag of frozen peas. Meat? God no. Fish? Please, back away and leave quietly.

In my mind, freezing things ruined their precious molecular integrity by turning them into rock-hard cubes. Meat is normally prized for its “freshness.” In the fields, crops are carefully covered to prevent freezing, so why put them under such duress in your own home? Having kids a few years ago loosened me up a bit — show me one child-rearing American household a without a frozen bag of dinosaur-shaped chicken blobs lurking somewhere. But overall, for the better part of the last decade, my freezer has remained as sleek and food-free as an after-hours Apple Store.

But when COVID-19 hit I admittedly went into full hoarder mode. My diet, like my fashion, is dictated by my mood (it’s also why I’m a chronic over-packer). With annual memberships to Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and a handful of specialty grocers down the street, I’d become accustomed to getting all the ingredients to sate any craving within an hour of it hitting. Maintaining that level of spontaneity in the time of supermarket lines and impossible delivery queues meant stocking up in ways I’d never fathomed before.

Even with a family of four eating three-plus meals a day, the kind of inventory I was sporting needed to be able to hang out a while. And so, it was with deep reservations that I finally began freezing things — though the real miracle didn’t occur until I began un-freezing them.

First I tried a pork tenderloin, one of three I had purchased at Costco a few weeks earlier. Following the advice of the pros, I took it out of the freezer and put it in my fridge overnight, cooked it as usual, and it was… fine. Good, even. Next I tried salmon — I’ve had terrible experiences with frozen seafood in the past, so my hopes were low for the three rosy-pink portions I defrosted and broiled. But again, the resulting fish was surprisingly moist, fatty, firm, delicious.

After that I started throwing everything in the freezer just to see: ground turkey, chicken thighs. All were fine. Then I moved into pizza dough, shredded cheese, blanched vegetables; then on to chili, tortillas, pancakes, whole loaves of bread, coffee (while dry coffee beans won’t technically “go bad,” their flavor and aroma suffer over time). Pretty much every single thing I froze — and later unfroze — emerged as relatively unharmed and tasty as the day I bought it. (Notable exceptions included skim milk and some poorly wrapped steaks, and it took some serious trial and error with fresh greens.)

Now, as we go into week five… or six? of “safer at home” measures, my freezer has transformed from a sterile ice-storage facility to a clutch partner in culinary crime. Today the once-barren shelves are buckling beneath the weight of dated and labeled baggies and bins with enough perfectly preserved food to more than bridge the gap between bi-weekly produce box deliveries and masked-up grocery runs.

But as it turns out, my mom and grandmother were, in fact, artists — there is a technique, even a flair to freezing food successfully. Wrap something improperly or defrost incorrectly and you might not just risk the integrity of your ingredients, but also your health. So after a month or so of embracing my familial fate and becoming a frozen food convert, here are a few lessons I’ve learned:

The Container Matters

I know, plastic is the enemy, but those fancy glass containers can crack in the freezer. According to the experts, the best way to freeze food is in a vacuum-seal bag that you suction yourself with one of those fancy machines to minimize air (air is your enemy in the great freezer wars). I don’t have one of those — though I’ve been eyeing this one on Amazon — so I use regular old freezer-grade zipper bags and press out as much air as possible before sealing. There’s also a trick where you mimic a vacuum sealer with a drinking straw, slipping it in the corner of the bag and sucking out as much air as you can before pulling the straw out at the last minute, but I felt weird inhaling all those funky meat fumes. My Instagram feed has been full of ads for these pricey silicone bags that I hear work well but I’ve yet to give them a test run.

Either way, you’re going for minimal air exposure and some thickness barrier — a little cushion between your food and the freezer air will help prevent that dreaded freezer burn, a damaging mix of oxidation and dehydration.

Prep Is Key

For meat and fish, you generally want to remove them from their original packaging and re-wrap in individual portions before freezing. Wrapping each cut in an extra layer of plastic before putting them in the zipper bag adds another degree of protection. Timing is key here. Freeze cuts of meat immediately after you get them home, or better yet, buy them pre-frozen. There are entire industries built around freezing fish in a way that sacrifices the least in the way of flavor and texture, so trust the pros — they know what they’re doing.

Vegetables, for the most part, should be quickly blanched before freezing. The drag here is that in the process of blanching, they absorb too much water to get any sort of good roasty char later, but it’s a small price to pay for having quality seasonal produce year-round. Before you blanch, prep the ingredients the way you plan to eat them, meaning separating broccoli and cauliflower into florets, snapping the ends off green beans, and chopping greens. Then boil a big pot of water and dunk the vegetables in for about a minute before plunging immediately into a big bowl of icy water. This will keep them from continuing to cook and turning to mush. The next part is key: Dry everything as best you can. The more water, the thicker the tectonic ice coating you’ll get on every piece. Then put everything into baggies and freeze.

Fruit freezing techniques vary — it all depends what you want to use them for. No amount of freezer skill will recreate the experience of biting into a fresh peach after it’s been frozen. But for smoothies, pie fillings, baking, or juice, most fruit will freeze just fine. Bananas freeze great, peel and all. Berries you’ll want to rinse, dry, then let freeze on a large flat surface like a cookie sheet before transferring to bags. If you want to use citrus just for zest or juice, go ahead and freeze them whole. They say you can freeze citrus in wedges individually, but I found the texture suffers greatly after defrosting, and honestly I can’t imagine what you’d want to use floppy, deflated tangerine wedges for. Juice is no problem — just squeeze, put the juice into an ice cube mold and freeze. You can pop them out later and transfer to a plastic bag for easier storage.

The above ice-cube tray technique works well for all kinds of liquids and purees. I actually bought these cool molds to freeze baby food for my second kid, and I use them now for smaller portions of stocks, lemon juice, pesto, pizza sauce. For larger batches, I pour a couple of cups into a zipper bag, get out as much air as possible, and freeze them flat so I can stack them later.

Breads freeze fantastically, but as a rule pre-sliced is best. I started buying giant loaves of my favorite rye bread from the farmers market and keep them in the freezer full-time, toasting off individual slices as needed; my mom perfected a technique with bagels that involves slicing them as soon as you get them home, wrapping each half separately, and then toasting them direct from the freezer. Pre-cooked tortillas and pita you can just wrap, freeze, and cook off one by one, but my most exciting recent discovery has been in the realm of pre-baked goods. It turns out most doughs recover well after freezing, and I just made a batch of biscuits using this technique that has you freezing the raw, cut biscuits ahead of time and baking them off as needed. It’s opened up a whole new world of frozen pastry projects for me.

I’m sure there’s some technique to freezing cheese but honestly I just put whole hunks and bags of the pre-shredded stuff straight into the freezer. I don’t really freeze milk but the wisdom is that the more fat content, the better it freezes, so half-and-half freezes great, skim milk not so much. Coffee I found out you can freeze and brew straight from frozen, which is excellent considering it is an absolute nonnegotiable in my house.

*If you’re curious about any other ingredient, there are countless guides to freezing food online that will steer you in the right direction.

Don’t Rush the Defrost

(Even Though Sometimes I Do, But It’s Really Risky, Okay?)

The basic rule of thumb for pretty much everything is low and slow. Put whatever you want to defrost in the refrigerator the night before you want to cook it — sometimes longer for big cuts of meat — and let it come to temperature gradually. I do this... most times. But there is a reason your microwave has a “defrost” setting, and it will definitely speed things along if also putting you at risk of prematurely cooking the edges of your chicken breast. I’ve successfully defrosted smaller cuts of fish and shrimp by running the bags under cold water in the sink for a few minutes until soft enough to handle, but this is not officially endorsed by the pros. What you’re definitely not supposed to do is let your ingredients hang out at room temp until they defrost. I have done this too, though it is a surefire recipe for a bacterial infection and this is not the time you want to be running to the ER for dehydration.

The point is, the freezer might be cold and dark, but it is not at all a thing to fear. Utilizing it well has helped me maintain the kind of spur-of-the-moment cooking style that feels normal to me — a valuable thing when pretty much everything else about my life right now does not feel normal. Now all I need is a bigger freezer.

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There’s a technique — even a flair — to freezing food successfully

My mother is what you might call a culinary cryogenicist. Long before the crew at the Noma Food Lab grew their first flavor spore, my mom was experimenting with the effects of age and temperature on all kinds of foodstuffs: the last two bites of some mac and cheese. Four shrimp. One-third of a pork chop. Three matzo balls. Half a bag of green beans tied shut with a trash bag twist-tie. An old joint. Eight slices of rye bread. Raisins. So. Much. Ham. And that’s just the first shelf of the freezer.

It was a talent she inherited. Her own mother was a master of the freezer arts, best exemplified by the very same “tray of frozen shrimp” offered to us on every grandparent visit for more than two decades; it became a running family joke. As a member of the next generation, however, my family’s faith in the preservation power of cold turned me into a devoted freezer snob. For most of my adult life, my freezer has remained a sacred space reserved for only the most cold-hardy ingredients — ice cream, popsicles, those giant cocktail ice spheres, and maybe the occasional box of toaster waffles or bag of frozen peas. Meat? God no. Fish? Please, back away and leave quietly.

In my mind, freezing things ruined their precious molecular integrity by turning them into rock-hard cubes. Meat is normally prized for its “freshness.” In the fields, crops are carefully covered to prevent freezing, so why put them under such duress in your own home? Having kids a few years ago loosened me up a bit — show me one child-rearing American household a without a frozen bag of dinosaur-shaped chicken blobs lurking somewhere. But overall, for the better part of the last decade, my freezer has remained as sleek and food-free as an after-hours Apple Store.

But when COVID-19 hit I admittedly went into full hoarder mode. My diet, like my fashion, is dictated by my mood (it’s also why I’m a chronic over-packer). With annual memberships to Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and a handful of specialty grocers down the street, I’d become accustomed to getting all the ingredients to sate any craving within an hour of it hitting. Maintaining that level of spontaneity in the time of supermarket lines and impossible delivery queues meant stocking up in ways I’d never fathomed before.

Even with a family of four eating three-plus meals a day, the kind of inventory I was sporting needed to be able to hang out a while. And so, it was with deep reservations that I finally began freezing things — though the real miracle didn’t occur until I began un-freezing them.

First I tried a pork tenderloin, one of three I had purchased at Costco a few weeks earlier. Following the advice of the pros, I took it out of the freezer and put it in my fridge overnight, cooked it as usual, and it was… fine. Good, even. Next I tried salmon — I’ve had terrible experiences with frozen seafood in the past, so my hopes were low for the three rosy-pink portions I defrosted and broiled. But again, the resulting fish was surprisingly moist, fatty, firm, delicious.

After that I started throwing everything in the freezer just to see: ground turkey, chicken thighs. All were fine. Then I moved into pizza dough, shredded cheese, blanched vegetables; then on to chili, tortillas, pancakes, whole loaves of bread, coffee (while dry coffee beans won’t technically “go bad,” their flavor and aroma suffer over time). Pretty much every single thing I froze — and later unfroze — emerged as relatively unharmed and tasty as the day I bought it. (Notable exceptions included skim milk and some poorly wrapped steaks, and it took some serious trial and error with fresh greens.)

Now, as we go into week five… or six? of “safer at home” measures, my freezer has transformed from a sterile ice-storage facility to a clutch partner in culinary crime. Today the once-barren shelves are buckling beneath the weight of dated and labeled baggies and bins with enough perfectly preserved food to more than bridge the gap between bi-weekly produce box deliveries and masked-up grocery runs.

But as it turns out, my mom and grandmother were, in fact, artists — there is a technique, even a flair to freezing food successfully. Wrap something improperly or defrost incorrectly and you might not just risk the integrity of your ingredients, but also your health. So after a month or so of embracing my familial fate and becoming a frozen food convert, here are a few lessons I’ve learned:

The Container Matters

I know, plastic is the enemy, but those fancy glass containers can crack in the freezer. According to the experts, the best way to freeze food is in a vacuum-seal bag that you suction yourself with one of those fancy machines to minimize air (air is your enemy in the great freezer wars). I don’t have one of those — though I’ve been eyeing this one on Amazon — so I use regular old freezer-grade zipper bags and press out as much air as possible before sealing. There’s also a trick where you mimic a vacuum sealer with a drinking straw, slipping it in the corner of the bag and sucking out as much air as you can before pulling the straw out at the last minute, but I felt weird inhaling all those funky meat fumes. My Instagram feed has been full of ads for these pricey silicone bags that I hear work well but I’ve yet to give them a test run.

Either way, you’re going for minimal air exposure and some thickness barrier — a little cushion between your food and the freezer air will help prevent that dreaded freezer burn, a damaging mix of oxidation and dehydration.

Prep Is Key

For meat and fish, you generally want to remove them from their original packaging and re-wrap in individual portions before freezing. Wrapping each cut in an extra layer of plastic before putting them in the zipper bag adds another degree of protection. Timing is key here. Freeze cuts of meat immediately after you get them home, or better yet, buy them pre-frozen. There are entire industries built around freezing fish in a way that sacrifices the least in the way of flavor and texture, so trust the pros — they know what they’re doing.

Vegetables, for the most part, should be quickly blanched before freezing. The drag here is that in the process of blanching, they absorb too much water to get any sort of good roasty char later, but it’s a small price to pay for having quality seasonal produce year-round. Before you blanch, prep the ingredients the way you plan to eat them, meaning separating broccoli and cauliflower into florets, snapping the ends off green beans, and chopping greens. Then boil a big pot of water and dunk the vegetables in for about a minute before plunging immediately into a big bowl of icy water. This will keep them from continuing to cook and turning to mush. The next part is key: Dry everything as best you can. The more water, the thicker the tectonic ice coating you’ll get on every piece. Then put everything into baggies and freeze.

Fruit freezing techniques vary — it all depends what you want to use them for. No amount of freezer skill will recreate the experience of biting into a fresh peach after it’s been frozen. But for smoothies, pie fillings, baking, or juice, most fruit will freeze just fine. Bananas freeze great, peel and all. Berries you’ll want to rinse, dry, then let freeze on a large flat surface like a cookie sheet before transferring to bags. If you want to use citrus just for zest or juice, go ahead and freeze them whole. They say you can freeze citrus in wedges individually, but I found the texture suffers greatly after defrosting, and honestly I can’t imagine what you’d want to use floppy, deflated tangerine wedges for. Juice is no problem — just squeeze, put the juice into an ice cube mold and freeze. You can pop them out later and transfer to a plastic bag for easier storage.

The above ice-cube tray technique works well for all kinds of liquids and purees. I actually bought these cool molds to freeze baby food for my second kid, and I use them now for smaller portions of stocks, lemon juice, pesto, pizza sauce. For larger batches, I pour a couple of cups into a zipper bag, get out as much air as possible, and freeze them flat so I can stack them later.

Breads freeze fantastically, but as a rule pre-sliced is best. I started buying giant loaves of my favorite rye bread from the farmers market and keep them in the freezer full-time, toasting off individual slices as needed; my mom perfected a technique with bagels that involves slicing them as soon as you get them home, wrapping each half separately, and then toasting them direct from the freezer. Pre-cooked tortillas and pita you can just wrap, freeze, and cook off one by one, but my most exciting recent discovery has been in the realm of pre-baked goods. It turns out most doughs recover well after freezing, and I just made a batch of biscuits using this technique that has you freezing the raw, cut biscuits ahead of time and baking them off as needed. It’s opened up a whole new world of frozen pastry projects for me.

I’m sure there’s some technique to freezing cheese but honestly I just put whole hunks and bags of the pre-shredded stuff straight into the freezer. I don’t really freeze milk but the wisdom is that the more fat content, the better it freezes, so half-and-half freezes great, skim milk not so much. Coffee I found out you can freeze and brew straight from frozen, which is excellent considering it is an absolute nonnegotiable in my house.

*If you’re curious about any other ingredient, there are countless guides to freezing food online that will steer you in the right direction.

Don’t Rush the Defrost

(Even Though Sometimes I Do, But It’s Really Risky, Okay?)

The basic rule of thumb for pretty much everything is low and slow. Put whatever you want to defrost in the refrigerator the night before you want to cook it — sometimes longer for big cuts of meat — and let it come to temperature gradually. I do this... most times. But there is a reason your microwave has a “defrost” setting, and it will definitely speed things along if also putting you at risk of prematurely cooking the edges of your chicken breast. I’ve successfully defrosted smaller cuts of fish and shrimp by running the bags under cold water in the sink for a few minutes until soft enough to handle, but this is not officially endorsed by the pros. What you’re definitely not supposed to do is let your ingredients hang out at room temp until they defrost. I have done this too, though it is a surefire recipe for a bacterial infection and this is not the time you want to be running to the ER for dehydration.

The point is, the freezer might be cold and dark, but it is not at all a thing to fear. Utilizing it well has helped me maintain the kind of spur-of-the-moment cooking style that feels normal to me — a valuable thing when pretty much everything else about my life right now does not feel normal. Now all I need is a bigger freezer.

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[onionchoppingninja]

Peppery Daggerquill Rice from FFXV

Alright, you lucky ducks, today’s recipe is Hainanese Chicken Rice Peppery Daggerquill Rice!

Anyone who says that this dish is not based on Hainanese Chicken Rice will feel the full force of our country’s famed Poisoned Shrimp Military Strategy. (Which, unfortunately, does not involve poisoning all the shrimp your country owns.) And yes, for those who haven’t figured it out, I am Singaporean, (singaporean anime food appreciation post here) and this is a dish Gordon Ramsey couldn’t beat. (Not my version of course, but that of Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice’s.)

Every stall has different variations of this dish, and you’ll find people arguing about which stall is their favourite. I checked with my friend whose parents run Big Bird Chicken Rice about the cooking process ( it’s more pricey than the regular ones in hawker centres, but they have other dishes that you should check out!) She didn’t divulge their secret family recipe (which only her dad knows), but so that all of you guys know, the basic process has been followed, with a few variations.

Be warned that this is a rather time-consuming affair. And after this, I’ve decided that I’ll just buy it from the masters rather than cooking it myself. Also - remember to wear plastic/rubber gloves when handling the chilli peppers. I maced myself so badly I sat around with my hands in ice water for 4 hours while the Bottomless Pit had to clean up.

Dashboard users, click “Keep Reading” for the recipe! Because this is a rather long post.

Ingredients (feeds ~4)

For rice and chicken

Ginger, 1 root, mashed/cut into smaller pieces with a giant sword

Ginger, 1 thumb, sliced

2-3 chickens’ worth of bones to make stock.

8 shallots

5 tbsp cooking oil

3 litres of boiling water (have more ready to add in if it keeps boiling down)

Salt and WHITE pepper, to taste.

1 good Daggerquill Chicken, skin on.

360ml long-grain jasmine rice, washed.

½ stem lemongrass

6-8 small pandan leaves (screwpine leaves?)

Icy Water (Enough to submerge chicken in)

Sesame oil (really, just get the bottle handy)

For Condiments/Garnish

8-9 fresh chilli padi (birds’ eye chilli?)

1-2 regular sized normal red chilli pepper.

Salt and sugar to taste.

Chicken skin and fats from 1 chicken (unless you have chicken oil lying around)

Coriander/Chinese Parsley - 1 sprig per diner.

Cucumber - 3 slices per diner

Optional:

Ginger, ½ root, minced.

Dark Soya Sauce (must be the viscous type)

Regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp

Method

(Note: You can try to save time by doing things simultaneously etc when something else is cooking but even when I tried to do that it took around 3 hours save meeee)

For Rice and Chicken

1. Let’s set the stock to boil! Blanch the chicken bones with some hot water, then set it to boil with the mashed ginger. (I already had some extra asian-style chicken stock lying around, so my version is ½ new stock and ½ old aged stock.)

2. Meanwhile, slice the shallots. Put them on a paper towel so that the juices soak out of the shallots.

3. Heat the cooking oil in a pan, and throw in the shallots. Make sure all the shallots are covered by the oil, and turn the heat down to low.

4.The moment the shallots turn brown (bottom right picture), turn off the heat and let it sit for a minute. This ensures that the shallots will not burn.

5. Separate the shallots from the shallot oil. Do not throw away either. We will only use the shallot oil, but the fried shallots are good as an additional garnish, or some chicken rice stalls will boil up some xiao bai cai, and top it with oyster sauce to serve with this as a side dish.

6. Put the uncooked rice in your pot, and instead of water, use the chicken stock that you have made to fill it slightly to a height of around the first joint of your index finger. (around 450ml).

7. Next, twist the lemongrass till it breaks, and tie the pandan into a knot, and put them in the pot, along with the sliced ginger and 5tbsp of the shallot oil. (You have to remove them after the rice cooks)

8. Alright, it’s time for the chicken (with skin on)! Season the stock with salt and WHITE pepper and then ease the chicken in. Cook on low heat for 30mins.

9. After the chicken is cooked, dunk it into the ice water for 10 mins. This is a way to ensure the outside skin is still soft, while the latent heat in the chicken cooks the rest of it.

10. Take the chicken out and massage it with sesame oil.

For Condiments

11. Ah, the bane of my life. I thought to remove the seeds before blending the chilli peppers, but maced myself terribly. Wear gloves, or just blend the whole chillies.

12. Add some salt and sugar to taste to the blended chilli peppers.

13. Render the chicken fat until you get some chicken oil. (Basically, just add a little water to the chicken fats in a pan, and cook until the fats and skin get crispy. The rest of the stuff in the pan will be chicken oil.)

14. Heat up the chicken oil until it sizzles, and pour it into the blended chilli peppers and mix well!

(Okay, I know two of the condiments below are not shown in the Peppery Daggerquill Rice picture, but you might want to get this ‘holy trinity’ for the full chicken rice experience!)

15. (Optional) Mix the minced ginger with the regular soy sauce and a splash of sesame oil.

16. (Optional)Get the right type of dark soy sauce. Must be thick! (Here’s an amazon link and why is it 3 times more expensive??)

17. (Optional) You can also take some of the stock to drink with your meal! Chicken rice stalls will also give it to you sometimes

Now for the plating!  I cheated and used just the breast to plate mine so it would look neater, but we attacked the rest of the chicken indiscriminately later. Cut the chicken as neatly as you can, basically. The pros have ways of cutting it, but I’m not one.

18. Pile some rice on a plate, press the cut chicken onto it, put the cucumber slices at the side, and draw a circle with the chilli sauce around it, and top with a sprig of coriander.

19. Enjoy your hard work and decide to never do it again and just go and eat from the masters next time.