#and if she hands me a tiny snack (often a couple pieces of cheese)

[losetheweightandlookthepart]

"You look like you've lost weight"

Oh???? My????? God?????? IT'S NOTICABLE?????? FUCKING FANTASTIC

Now I just have to keep going!

[crawlspacefics]

If it’s okay, i’d like to ask 4,5 and 17. And if you want 21.

Thank you for asking! Now let's see...

4. What piece of media inspired you the most?

Fanart.  There’s an extremely creative fandom out there, and I’m lucky enough to be able to virtually orbit some incredible artists who spark creativity and inspire me to add to the collective in my small way.

5. What fandom(s) did you write for this year?

Sailormoon.  It’s 2023 and it’s still the only fandom I’ve posted anything for.  

17. What were your go-to writing snacks?

Coffee!  Decaf more often than not. When I’m writing at a cafe, I usually go for something cold, like cold brew with sweet cream or something that looks more like a milkshake than a coffee.  If it’s my favorite local place, I’ll throw in an egg and cheese biscuit.  When I’m at home, it’s usually hot with a bit of flavored creamer.  (Of course coffee is a snack…)

21. Share your favorite piece of dialogue

This one is tough and I’m going to cheat a bit in a couple of ways.

Favorite that’s posted, because this was just fun: 

After a deep breath, Pluto put on a social smile and spoke evenly, “Hello.  I’m aware this is going to sound odd coming without any context, but I need you to put that creature down and move away quickly.  Please.”

Kaya huffed.  “Really?”

A small sigh escaped Pluto’s lips.  “This is a complicated matter that I lack the time to explain, but very much need to resolve.  Again, please, I need you to…”

“Okay, look,” interrupted Kaya, taking her finger from the kirkri and ignoring its protesting squeak.  She then held her hand up in a stop gesture.  “I’m not going to judge the cosplay.  We like dressing up sometimes in the mystery club, too, so I get it.  But there is a line, and running around in costume at 10 at night chasing harmless critter to play out your anime battle fantasy kinda crosses it.”

Pluto’s eyebrows rose.  She crossed her arms, letting her staff rest casually against her shoulder as she observed the kirkri grow more agitated because it couldn’t pull back Kaya’s finger.  With a slightly amused half-grin, she returned, “I’m not going to argue with you because, quite frankly, we don’t have time for it.  In about 30 seconds that ‘harmless critter’ is going to start shooting off sparks.  It will then grow to more than twice your height and attempt to steal away all of your life energy, leaving you a gray, empty husk.”

Kaya’s mouth dropped open.  “You… you really need to lay off the Saturday morning cartoons.  Being part of the anime club is all well and good, but you’re a university student, for pete’s sake.  And was that a dig at my height?”  Her indignance showed as she stood a little straighter.  “I may not be an Amazon in heels, but I am by no means sh… huh, what the…”

Favorite that isn’t posted yet (because I love Outers Family Stuff): 

The glass door sliding open brought Setsuna back to her present situation.  Haruka, her hair a bit tousled and the t-shirt covering her blue, turtle-print boyshorts a bit rumpled, dropped down into the chair across from her.  She took a long draw off her coffee before sighing and leveling her gaze at Setsuna.

“I rolled over this morning and came face-to-face with a miniature human calling me ‘Haruka-papa,’” she said flatly.  “When I planned out our date night yesterday, that was not how I was supposed to wake up.”

Setsuna chuckled.  “‘Setsuna-mama’ did throw me off a bit when I first heard it.  But Hotaru seems quite pleased with it given how many times she’s repeated it this morning.”

Haruka huffed, a corner of her mouth turning up and an amused glint in her eyes.  “You have no idea what you’ve actually done, do you?  Whatever this new evil is we’re fighting, it’s nothing compared to Michiru when she’s made up her mind she wants something.”  She laughed, the sound cheerful in the morning breeze.  “She’s never letting either of you go ever again.”

A tiny knock on the glass caused them both to turn around.  Hotaru pressed her hands and face against the glass, as though she were peering at them from a great distance.  Then she giggled and called out loudly so she’d be heard through a door she’d been told not to open on her own, “Haruka-papa!  Michiru-mama says to come get the first pancake!”

With a chuckle, Haruka rose from her seat.  “Glad to see my place hasn’t been completely usurped.”  She opened the door and ruffled the toddler’s hair before the girl ran out to Setsuna.

Climbing into Setsuna’s lap, Hotaru sat facing her.  “May I have tea?” she asked, reaching for the cup in Setsuna’s hands before she had an answer.

Holding the cup a bit more firmly, Setsuna let the girl place her hands over hers and helped her take a sip.  She grinned at the little grimace and the way Hotaru’s lips smacked before she hissed out “hothothot.”

“Maybe we can find you something else in the kitchen,” suggested Setsuna.

Hotaru nodded, then placed her hands on Setsunan’s cheeks.  “Thank you for coming to get me.  I was happy to see you, and I’m going to enjoy my new life.”

Setsuna blinked in surprise.  Then just as quickly as the clarity had appeared, it was gone.  The girl smooshed her mama's cheeks in circles, laughing mightily at the way this made Setsuna’s lips purse.

“You come get pancakes, too, Setsuna-mama,” said Hotaru as Setsuna gently stopped the child’s play.  “Michiru-mama cut up a banana for me.  I bet she’ll do one for you.”

“That would be very nice,” answered Setsuna as she rose.  She lifted Hotaru and settled her on her hip, realizing belatedly she didn’t have enough hands for both teacup and teapot.  At least Haruka had left the door open for her.  She could come back for the teapot when it was time for a refill.  Before taking Hotaru inside, she glanced one more time over the city.  

Just a little longer.

Favorite from a repost (because I love this Minako): 

Artemis squinted against the sudden burst of artificial light that engulfed the room.  When he could see again, Minako was quickly rooting through a pile on the floor.  She emerged triumphant with a duffle bag and proceeded to immediately begin filling it with clothes.

“Mina, what are you doing?” asked Artemis, sure he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“I’m packing,” answered Minako as she continued to fill her bag.  “I suggest you do the same thing, if there’s anything you want to bring with you.  I don’t know if we’ll be coming back.”

“Where do you think we’re going?”

“To Rei’s.  Don’t ask silly questions.”

Artemis sighed.  He understood her wanting to do this, but had to at least try and talk some logic into her impulsiveness.  “Running away isn’t going to solve things, Mina,” he said gently.

Minako paused in her frantic packing.  “I know, Artemis,” she said quietly.  “But it can’t make things much worse.  Don’t you understand?  This isn’t my home anymore.  Rei is.  And Fate can’t wash your back if you don’t give It any soap.”

“Mina?”

“Setsuna told me once that nothing happens by accident,” explained Minako.  “Fate set up everything so we would become Senshi when we were supposed to.  And Fate gave me Rei.  I have no doubt that on my 20th birthday, I’ll be able to stand beside her, regardless of what happens between then and now.  That’s Fate.  What happens in the three years between then and now, though, that’s up to me.  If I’m supposed to be somewhere else, then that’s what will happen.  But I refuse to just sit by and let everything happen to me without at least trying to fight for what’s mine.  I’m going home, Artemis.”

[barnesthesarge]

A Bit Rusty

Shy!Bucky X Reader

Summary: Bucky’s new to the team but doesn’t know how to warm up to you.

Warnings: swearing (the usual), angst, fluff!!

If you want to support me and my writing, my ko-fi is in my bio!!!!

The welcome ceremony of Bucky being a new Avenger was short, much to his liking. He was a changed man, a man who’d gone through many phases of life but still had plenty left. He was pleased to be in his current stage, finally feeling like he was righting his wrongs, and doing something meaningful with his time.

He was starting to like being social over the isolation he kept himself in Wakanda, and although he was constantly at Sam’s throat, the two were becoming friends. He was friends with Nat, and the two often cleaned their weapons together, and friends with Wanda who always had Vision around, and Tony even liked to joke with him. The only person Bucky was still wary of, was you.

You were never mean, and you certainly weren’t intimidating like Natasha, you were quite the opposite. Dorky and sweet, incredibly smart and very beautiful. You somehow managed to make Bucky lose his train of thought just by entering a room, of course you didn’t even know. You were absolutely oblivious to his little crush.

So when you entered the kitchen and Bucky stopped telling his embarrassing story about Steve, eyes fell on you. “Morning.” You smiled awkwardly, feeling scrutinized.

“Hi Y/N.” Sam stood up and followed you to the coffee maker.

“What were you guys talking about?” You asked with a tiny giggle as Sam kept trying to steal your coffee mug.

“Oh, Tin-man was just telling me an old war story of our stupid friend Steve.” You swatted his hands away and looked over his shoulder at Bucky, who watched you both with a tiny smirk.

“Tin-man huh? You let him call you that?” You teased Bucky and his smile dropped into a frown.

“I don’t need permission from him to do anything.” Sam took a sip of your coffee and cringed, “Ew, too sweet Y/N.” He sat back down and you leaned against the counter nervously.

“Are you guys doing anything fun today?” You asked and gulped down your coffee, turning around to make another cup.

“Not really, you?” Sam piped up, you saw him shoot a strange look at Bucky out of the corner of your eye.

“I think I might go to the library, it’s nice having these days off where I actually get to enjoy myself.” You chuckled, mixing creamer and sugar into your second cup.

“Hey, Bucky didn’t you say you needed to turn some books in? Why don’t you go with Y/N.” He suggested, you turned to look at Bucky who in turn looked at you with a terrified expression.

Bucky’s jaw went slack for a moment, “Actually I’m not finished with my books.” Sam frowned.

You took it as a hint, “Yeah, I’m gonna go, see you guys later.”

You placed your mug in the sink and rinsed it out, retreating to your room to think about how Bucky definitely hated you.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'*ﾟ▽ﾟ*･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

The next rainy Sunday morning found you excited for the Avenger’s movie marathon. Last month it was Harry Potter, but today was Star Wars. It was a new thing Tony decided to implement, since now there was two old men on the team, and Natasha who never watched movies. Tony was even able to drag Peter to the marathons, who always brought good snacks to share with you.

“FRIDAY, close the curtains.” Tony called out, the blackout curtains slowly went down, “Everyone ready?” He asked, earning many yes’s.

“Wait, I need to go to the bathroom!” Clint whined and exited his blanket tent he built around him and Nat, chasing it to collapse. She grumbled angrily as he sprinted out of the room.

You were comfy between Steve and Sam, Bucky on the other side of Steve. You shared a blanket with Steve and used his shoulder as a pillow. “Oh, while we wait, here’s your candy Y/N!” Peter tossed some chocolate and some skittles to you.

You gasped, “thank you Pete! If I could I’d hug you.” Peter grinned, nodding while Clint stumbled back into the room and rebuilt the fort.

Tony sat down and started The Phantom Menace, sitting beside Peter and stealing some of his candy. You relaxed into Steve and watched the movie, eating some Skittles and slyly giving some to Sam.

You were just getting to the middle of Revenge of the Sith when you started to fall asleep. It wasn’t intentional, because you loved the Star Wars Prequels the most. Steve was just so warm and comfortable you couldn’t help it.

You didn’t even hear him whisper to Bucky: “Hey, can you switch me spots? I’m dying of a heat stroke over here.” Bucky obliged and Steve leaned you onto Sam’s shoulder.

You noticed the difference in a couple minutes and grumbled, switching back to Steve’s side. You figured Steve had changed his position, because suddenly he smelled better and was even comfier than before. You wrapped your hand around his bicep and the other around his forearm and fell right back to sleep.

“Sam.” You heard the urgent plea and opened your sleepy eyes, you looked up at Bucky who looked down at you nervously, Sam pulled you off Bucky and onto his shoulder instead and Bucky left the room.

A sad sigh escaped your lips and you leaned against Sam, Peter left the room so Tony paused the movie. “Quick break time, Y/N wake up.”

You groaned and went into the kitchen for another soda, Bucky was talking to Peter in a hushed voice and Peter nodded at him, mouthing ‘sure of course Mr. Bucky’ and he walked up to you.

“Y/N can I sit next to you?” He asked, “Ned is really into these movies but I’m not, maybe you can teach me more about them!” You looked up and saw Bucky gauging your reaction.

“Of course Pete, lets make some popcorn.”

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'*ﾟ▽ﾟ*･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

You woke up early and decided to make breakfast for everyone, quietly tiptoeing through the hallway into the kitchen. It was seven am, just thirty minutes until everyone was awake.

You lined bacon on tinfoil and set it on a timer in the oven, and then started on French toast that would later have fruit and cream cheese topping. At 7:25 you started the coffee maker and then waited. Like clockwork Natasha and Sam both came into the kitchen, Sam sporting a childish-grin.

“Good morning Y/N.” Sam dove right into making himself a plate, pressing an appreciative kiss to your cheek, while Natasha waited patiently.

“Thank you Y/N.” The redhead bumped her hip onto yours softly and made her plate, taking a quick bite of her bacon before she settled at the table.

The elevator beeped and Steve and Bucky got off, “Ooh, what’s this?” Steve peered over your shoulder, “I’m so glad I just worked out.” He grabbed a plate and handed one to Bucky who stood hesitantly to the side.

“I’m not really hungry.” He mumbled, pouring himself coffee.

Steve shot him a bewildered look, “You we’re just begging me to call it quits because you were starving, don’t be bashful and eat.” He demanded.

You made your own plate and sat down, ignoring the sting. Bucky didn’t bother putting anything besides blueberries on his French toast with two pieces of bacon. He sat as far away from you as he could.

Later, Clint came out and ate greedily, while Sam somehow convinced him to wash everyone’s dishes. You let Clint take yours while Tony strutted in to make more coffee.

“Wait who made French toast?” He asked, Steve replied saying you did and he smiled. “Angel Y/N, what would we do without you.” He patted your head affectionately as he passed by.

“Does this mean I have another dish to clean?” Clint groaned, “Wait! I wasn’t even the last to eat now! Tony is! No fair!” Clint stomped out of the room dramatically.

“Y/N, what’re you doing today?” Steve asked.

“Nothing, I figured I’d make everyone breakfast to say I did something.”

“Would you like to go window shopping around Brooklyn with me and Bucky?” He offered and Bucky stiffened in his heat.

“Oh that sounds lovely, but I don’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense, we’d both love if you went.” You nodded.

“Alright, when do you want to leave?” Steve gave you his signature smile and said in an hour.

You rushed to go change and shower, and once you were done you went to go tell Steve you were ready. His door was a crack open, you raised your fist to knock anyways but stopped when you heard loud voices.

“—Well I don’t want her going!” Bucky growled, “You said this was for me! I can’t believe you would invite her when clearly it’s the last thing I’d want.”

“Buck, come on! You just need a push in the right direction, remember? Those were your words just this morning!” You peaked to see flailing arms and Bucky’s upset expression.

“Yeah well I didn’t mean invite her to witness my episode of seeing what Brooklyn has become over the course of 70 years! You’re an asshole. I don’t even want to go! You guys go.” He grumbled, poking his metal hand into Steve’s chest aggressively.

“So that’s it? You’re just gonna keep brooding? Whatever Bucky, see how far it gets you.” Bucky went to step out of the room and turned back to face Steve.

“I don’t want her around me Steve. I can’t make this clear enough. The only thing she ever does is make me uneasy. Have fun in Brooklyn.” The door opened all the way and Bucky froze, seeing the tears in your eyes and how deflated your posture was.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to list—I’ve tried to make you like me..I’m sorry.” You stepped back before he could see you crying and went straight into your room.

You couldn’t get the horrible image of his shocked face, knowing that you heard his angry tirade about you. You sank against the door and cried for a long time. You hadn’t been disliked in so long, and you hated how sensitive you were.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'*ﾟ▽ﾟ*･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

After a long day and night of refusing to leave your bedroom, even for dinner, you slept in until nine. You wondered just how long you were willing to isolate yourself, when there was a knock on your door.

You walked in front of the door, “Yeah?” You spoke into the intercom.

“Can I come in?” Steve asked, you clenched your jaw and opened the door.

Steve came in and shut the door behind him, sitting down on your bed. You crossed your arms and sat down next to him. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“It’s not like you were the one talking about not wanting to be around me.” You sighed and leaned your head against his shoulder.

“You realize you only got a snippet of that conversation right?” You shrugged. “I didn’t mean to leave my door open in the first place, but Bucky came in yelling so I got distracted. You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

“Yeah it makes a difference whether he says it behind closed doors or somewhere I can hear it right?” You stood up and paced away from the bed.

“That’s not what I mean Y/N.” You looked at Steve, who held a strangely guilty expression. “Look, Bucky..he’s a bit rusty with uh..” Steve licked his lips, “ladies.”

“What on earth are you going on about Steve? Barnes talks to Nat and Wanda just fine! He doesn’t have to like me Steve. I just wish that you would stop making excuses for him. Maybe it’s good I heard what I heard so I can stop trying so hard to be his friend!” You spat.

“Woah woah Y/N. Not trying to make excuses, look he doesn’t see you the same way he sees Natasha or Wanda. He’s friends with them but with you—“

“He doesn’t like me.” You finished for him, “Of course he doesn’t see me the same way.” You moved to stare out your window and bite at your lip upset.

“He actually likes you, like a lot.” Steve stood up and walked to stand beside you, “Bucky always asks about you, he always tries to secretly stare at you. He’s just so bad at admitting he likes the way you try to include him even though you don’t know him. And he doesn’t know how to flirt anymore, because that man died from falling off a train.” You looked at Steve weirdly, who was now watching you with a clouded stare.

“Steve?” You waved a hand in front of his face, squinting at him, “That’s kind of weird you know all that about Bucky.”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I can tell you about how he can’t stop thinking about when you fell asleep on his shoulder during Star Wars. Or how he likes that you read a lot too, he also tries to figure out what you’re reading to try and get to know you, and—“

“Steve what the hell.” You stepped away from him, “You’re overstepping way too much. You’re acting weird.”

“Listen to me Y/N, Bucky said he doesn’t even deserve to be close to you because of all the shit in his past, maybe that’s why—“

“Stop talking.” You growled, “If Bucky wanted me to know he would tell me, this is wrong Steve.”

“I guess you’re right, but see Bucky does want you to know, let me just..” He reached up and pulled off one of Tony’s prototypes for hologram disguises, and you felt energy course into your hands to defend yourself from whoever was using Steve’s face to get in your room to kill you.

Except under the mask was Bucky, with his hair pulled into a bun, an anxious expression on his face. He scratched the back of his neck, “Sorry I just didn’t think you’d let me in if..” he looked into your Y/E/C eyes and froze for a moment until he looked away, “If you saw that it was me.”

You pulled the energy back into your hands and got out of your defensive stance, you turned away and crossed your arms again. “What the fuck.” You mumbled.

“I’m sorry Y/N. I don’t know how to treat a crush anymore and I also don’t know what dating is like now...I just figured maybe—“

“Just shut up.” You turned back to face him and he immediately looked away, “Look at me.” You demanded.

Bucky’s shoulders went rigid, “I’m sorry.” He said again, he tapped his foot anxiously, “I’m not the man who fought alongside Captain America... Definitely not the one who gets the girl anymore.”

“Bucky, you realize that if you just, I don’t know, talked to me then we could’ve become friends, and I’d be more than willing to help you?” Bucky’s eyes dropped to the floor again, “Stop looking away you’re driving me crazy. This is all so sudden! And crazy! Why—“

“Because I didn’t know what else to do!” His eyes clamped shut, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to yell.” He opened his eyes again and stepped closer to you, “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do about this.” He gestured between you two.

“There isn’t a this Bucky.” You shook your head, “I would’ve helped you figure it out too.”

“Would’ve.” You heard the disappointment in his voice and wanted to kick yourself. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Quit it, just—sit down.” Bucky sat on the bed while you paced back and forth in thought, “You’re telling me this entire time you pushed me away and blew me off because you didn’t know how to flirt with me?”

Bucky nodded slowly, “I just can’t believe you didn’t notice. Everyone has been teasing me about it since forever, and that’s why Sam and Steve always try to push us together.”

“Maybe you should’ve listened.” You fidgeted your hands.

“Yeah I know, but I don’t even know how to act around you. You’re something else Y/N. I’ve never met anyone like you, you’re so beautiful and so smart, and sweet to everyone, and I’ve seen you take bullets for the team—I just wanted to...” His eyes fogged up, “I just wanted you to be my girl.” Bucky didn’t even look into your eyes, “But between all the things I’ve done and my inexperience with dames, I know I’d never get far.”

“You haven’t even tried.” Bucky looked up at you sadly.

“Can I try now?” Bucky had a strange-almost pleading sound to his voice.

“Well according to you—and Steve—you have no idea what you’re doing, so how are you gonna try Bucky?” He blushed.

“I’m gonna ask around. And I’m gonna research it online, maybe I’ll go to the library and see if they have dating manuals.” He missed your silent laugh.

“Bucky you’re killing me, did you really just suggest a dating manual?” Bucky looked at you self consciously, “Why don’t you and I just go to the library together, and we can actually talk, and get to know each other.” You suggested and he beamed.

“Yes! Okay, Y/N lets go on a date!” You rolled your eyes, “Okay yeah I went too far on that one, Y/N, lets go hangout at the library.”

“That’s better. Just..don’t ever dress up as Steve again.”

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'*ﾟ▽ﾟ*･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Six months later you and Steve were in the kitchen making cupcakes for everyone, he bumped his hip on yours and smirked, “So you and Bucky have been getting pretty close.”

You huffed, “And? What about it?” You cracked an egg and levitated a stray shell out, tossing it in the garbage, while Steve began mixing it.

“He seems really happy s’all. Are you guys getting serious?” He asked, his curious protectiveness kicking in.

You leaned against his shoulder and smiled to yourself so he wouldn’t see, “Yes.”

Steve dropped his big spoon in the bowl and turned you to face him, “Y/N, please tell me you aren’t going to—“

“Steve quit it, he’s not your baby, or your bitch. I’m not going to hurt him.” He nodded.

“Do you want to marry him?” He questioned innocently.

You blushed, “Why do you want to know? Did he put you to this?”

“No Y/N, I just want to know.” He stammered.

“I don’t think Bucky is ready for marriage.” Steve stirred the batter thoughtfully for a moment.

“Have you asked him?” He looked at you with a tiny smile.

“Why would I ask him that?” You cocked an eyebrow at him, “I think someday we could get married, but for now I just want to live in the present. I love Bucky, but it’s just one day at a time, ya’know?” Steve nodded.

“For what it’s worth, he’s never been stable with a dame, so something tells me he wants to marry you t—“ Steve walked into the kitchen and the Steve mixing the bowl froze.

The Steve that walked into the kitchen stared before getting ready to attack, but the one mixing quickly pulled off his mask and you sighed. “Bucky what the hell?!” Steve growled, smacking him on the arm harshly.

“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t pretend to be Steve anymore.” You whined, “Why are you asking me abou—oh my god.” Steve furrowed his eyebrows and Bucky blushed a dark crimson.

“I’m so confused..” Steve eyed you both carefully, “Is there something you guys want to share?” He started to smirk.

“Steve get out.” You ordered and he sighed and left the room, “Bucky is this your way of asking me—“

“Doll I just wanted to see if you would ever be willing to get married, just wanted to see if I got the right girl on my arm..” The door opened again and Steve grinned like a child.

“Wait, you were borrowing my face to see if Y/N would marry you?! Holy shit! Y/N please tell me—“ Bucky shoved him back out the door and you giggled.

“Bucky I’m lucky to have you, and I love you, but I promise that if you ever decide to dress as Steve to ask me an important question like that again I’ll destroy you.” You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and kissed him slowly.

“So the answer is someday?” Steve had his head popped in the doorway.

“Yeah.” Bucky replied and kissed you again, causing the door to shut quickly with a cheer, and Steve’s footsteps running to Sam’s room. “Next time I might have to be Natasha just so you’re not onto me.”

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'*ﾟ▽ﾟ*･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

A/N: Hehe I hope you guys liked this one, it was super fun to write. Anyways I wanted to end this by saying I’m headed off to college on Sep 20th and after that I’m not sure how often I’ll update, but since writing is like ,, my biggest passion, hopefully as often as possible. That being sad, college is expensive so if you wanna support me, my ko-fi is in my bio (-; all my taglists and requests are open! 💜

[munchix-home-cooking]

RP Log: Munchix and Rayena catch and cook in Limsa Lominsa 

Rayena Corsano gives Munchix a wave. "Hello! Are you ready for some fishing?" she asks, holding up her pole.

Munchix Bogbelly gives Rayena a friendly wave of his hand. “Born ready!” He gets up, makeshift fishing pole in hand. Draped across his body was a satchel loaded up with an assortment of bait and flies...and snacks. Unless he was planning on using that cheesy poof to catch some fish.

Rayena Corsano nodded and gave him a thumbs up with her free hand. "Alright, lets go!"

Rayena Corsano nodded. "This should be a good spot." she smiled and pulled a paper back from her leather bag. "I've only fished a few times in my life."

Munchix Bogbelly followed Rayena to the docks with a skip and a hum. “Looks as good as any! There’s water and...uh..that’s all fish need, right?” He gave her a puzzled look. “Don’t worry, it’s simple. Reel and cast, easy as that.”

Rayena Corsano loaded some bait from her paper bag onto her hook before casting the line outward.

Random! Rayena Corsano rolls a 512.

Munchix Bogbelly tapped a switch on his pole, and the whole thing extended by itself. The way everything was barely held together with tape and springs, it was obvious the pole was some kind of...goblin invention. He also cast out, with the cheese poof on as bait.

Munchix Bogbelly: “So how’ve you been?”

Rayena Corsano: "I've been doing well, been working on me business, what about yourself?" she smiled, though she seemed to just be letting her line hang there, very slowly reeling it in.

Munchix Bogbelly - The moment the poof hit the water, it dissolved into a squishy mess. Munchix paid that no mind. “Good to hear! It’s just been the usual for me. Workin’ at the culinarian’s guild and doing odd jobs to save up for my next foray into the wild.”

Rayena Corsano tilted her head at the poof just forming into a squishy mess, curious if it was going to do anything else, her own bait was just shrimp. "What do 'ya think 'ya want to do for 'ya next foray? Ishgard?" she smiled.

Munchix Bogbelly shoots her a grin as he begins to slowly reel in his line. “Hardest part is deciding! So many rumors of delectable ‘foods’ I could pursue, so little time...” He sighs to himself. “Ishgard would be nice, if it weren’t so gobsdamned cold. Could stop by and visit some friends, perhaps.”

Random! You roll a 781.

Munchix Bogbelly feels something nibble at the waterlogged cheese poof. Curious.

Rayena Corsano is still looking at the cheese poof. Curious, she's forgotten about her own line but, not much seem interested in it. "You could always go to the Dravanian Forelands, that place isn't as cold, be careful with the beast tribes there, the vath I believe are friendly and the gnath are not."

Munchix Bogbelly tilted his head. “Don’t often go that far north. Heard all kinds of talltales, and well. There are also lots of Dragons? Though they’re...what’s the word. ‘Cool’ now, eh? Maybe it’s time.” He shrugged his shoulders, and in that brief moment his cheese poof bait went under. Ploonk!

Munchix Bogbelly instinctively pulled up, and felt something tug against the line. He reeled in and fished up his catch - a tiny Merlthor Goby, looking none too pleased. “Oh! How small! I wonder if it tastes any good..”

Rayena Corsano beamed. "Well, if 'ya want a travel partner, I can come with 'ya. And 'ya I've heard the dragons there are nice." she then tilted her head as he reeled in a fish and she grinned. "Only a few of those and we can make a meal."

Munchix Bogbelly ‘s eyes lit up. “Really? Once I get things more ironed out, I’ll let you know! There is...quite a bit to figure out first though.” A sheepish smile crossed over his features.

Munchix Bogbelly plucked another cheese poof out of his satchel, and ate it. Monch. But the next one he took out was affixed onto his hook and he cast out once more. “Better get cracking then! Otherwise we’ll be splitting a single fish for foodtimes.”

Rayena Corsano raised a brow as he ate his own bait, she was curious what it was now. Regardless, she smiled. "If worse comes to worse, we can pick up fish at the market. I know one of the fishermen." she beamed. "What is your bait anyway? It seems to be edible?"

Munchix Bogbelly: “Oh! This here, is bait...for fish and folk alike. I call ‘em cheepoofs. It’s a bit of puffed corn covered in powdered cheese. Wanna try?” He reached into his pack, grabbed a handful more, and offered them to her.

Rayena Corsano quickly reeled in her line and placed her fishing pole on the ground before accepting the cheepoofs. She took a sniff of one before placing it in her mouth, her ears perking soon after as she munched. "Wow, that is really tasty, 'ya made these?" she asked, eating another.

Munchix Bogbelly nodded proudly. “Well, I had this weird dream. I was in another world, see...in a place full to the brim with snacks just like cheepoofs. So I simply tried to make what I saw. Came out tasty enough!”

Munchix Bogbelly: “But for every successful experiment, there are countless others that don’t fare so well. Like when I tried to make a butter sausage...” He shivered to himself.

Rayena Corsano ate the cheepoofs until they were gone before looking at her hands and licking off the powdered cheese from her fingers before waving her hands to dry them. "What is a butter sausage? A sausage filled with butter?" she asked.

Munchix Bogbelly: “Spot on! Not my most...creative moment.” Oh gobs, the butter. Was so hot. What a trashfire of a dish.

Munchix Bogbelly took a moment to reel in a piece of kelp. If dried, it could make a salty snack. Or perhaps he could wrap a fish in it, and steam the two together? He happily put the kelp in a bucket and cast again.

Rayena Corsano: "You know the butter in a sausage idea is good in theory but, I bet it would taste even better with melted cheese in the middle." she said before placing a hand on her stomach. "Ooo, now I am really hungry." she giggled.

Munchix Bogbelly nodded excitedly. “I like the way you think. That sounds decadent! Cheese makes everything better...”

Munchix Bogbelly pulled in a couple more times. More small fish. More kelp. A couple of boots. Was that...an old sock? No matter what he caught, it all went into the same bucket.

Rayena Corsano: "Cheese sure does make everything better! If you ever experiment with cherries, let me know and I will try." she grinned.

Munchix Bogbelly brought his catch close up to his face - a little, squirming finger shrimp. “Certainly! Though I’m not sure how well food’ll keep if I send it through the mail.”

Rayena Corsano places a goby and anchovy into the bucket as well as a piece of kelp.

Rayena Corsano: "Well, where do you experiment? Here?"

Rayena Corsano plops another anchovy into the bucket.

Munchix Bogbelly: "Wherever. So right now it's here, but if I'm out and about - AH." He reeled in another finger shrimp. "If I'm out and about, it's wherever I happen to be."

Rayena Corsano: "Well, if you experiment here with cherries, I'll come by to taste, I live in the Mists." she grinned.

Munchix Bogbelly looked at the bucket, which was full of an assortment of fresh seafood. "How 'bout we go over there now, and cook something with all this? Oh, but. Not with this." He reached into the bucket and took out the boot.

Rayena Corsano has placed more kelp, another goby and anchovy into the bucket. "Aye, yeah, we should have enough now." she grinned.

Munchix Bogbelly picked up the bucket with both hands. "You lead, I follow."

Rayena Corsano: "I can honestly say I've never been in here before except to watch the cooks when I was a kit but, I've been to the Bismark lots of times." she nodded.

Munchix Bogbelly dumped their catch into a nearby sink, and began to scrub all of the ingredients clean. “This place is like a second home to me. Countless hours spent, choppin’ food and prepping all kinds of stuff.”

Munchix Bogbelly: “Hm, we could grill the fish...or stew it? What’s your order, miss?” He looked up for a moment and gave her a wide grin.

Rayena Corsano: "Grill." she nodded. "Grilled fish is the best." she grinned.

Munchix Bogbelly grabbed a knife and began to clean the fish. Guts and bones were quickly removed and scrapped to the side. He handed over the prepared fish to Rayena. “Here, why don’t you skewer these? Cover it with plenty of salt and then we can just grill them over an open fire. A bit of lemon and...” Munchix stopped himself. He was ranting again!

Rayena Corsano nodded, taking the fish and putting it on a skewer, adding some salt and a little lemon juice. "Anything else?" she smiled.

Munchix Bogbelly thought to himself, then nodded. “Y’know, for this I think simple is best. That way we don’t mask the flavor of the fish.”

Rayena Corsano nodded and placed the fish aside to be cooked before doing the same for the next one once it's prepped. "Should we add any rice or pasta or vegetables to our dish?"

Munchix Bogbelly: “A bit of rice should go nicely. I can handle that!” He filled a container with two cups of grain and washed it until the liquid ran clear. Before closing the lid on the pot, he added a ripe tomato and a pinch of seasoning. “Just a trick I picked up. Really quick, really easy, and quite flavorful!”

Munchix Bogbelly - With Rayena manning the grill and Munchix cooking the rice, in time the two would have a simple (but hearty!) meal to enjoy together. Nothing beats fresh fish

[raybansandcoffee]

A New Life in New York: Once Upon a Time in New York City (Huey Lewis & The News) - Part Two

If you missed part one you can find it here. 

I hope you enjoy part two! Part three is completed and will be up later today. 

Harry

“How did the doctor go?” my Mum asked as I walked into the living room carrying Harper and the bag from the pharmacy with her prescription, some juice, and a few other things Dr. Vicki had suggested.

“Dr. Vicki gave her some medication to take which I need to get to her right now.” Mum stood up from her normal spot in her favorite chair in our living room and took Harper from my arms.

“Let me take care of her for a minute, you get her medication ready.” I went into the kitchen and opened the bag. I read quickly through the instructions on the medication. Keep in the refrigerator. Fill to line on the spoon thing. Make sure she takes it all. Give it to her with juice and maybe some crackers. I poured a glass of juice and grabbed the goldfish crackers that Janie had given me in the waiting room. I then filled the spoon and went to where Mum was now sitting at the island holding Harper. “Alright, Harper, love, I need you to drink this for me. Dr. Vicki gave you the bubblegum flavor, just like you like.” She frowned at me. “No frowning, sweetheart. You need to take this to get better. Okay?”

“Okay,” she relented. She took the medication and continued to pout at me. I handed her the cup of juice and she took a drink of it.

“Have some of the fishy crackers too, sweetheart.”

“Where did you get fishy crackers? Didn’t we run out Saturday?” Mum asked.

“We did. Harper and I made friends in the waiting room with the Mum and little boy sitting next to us. She had some extra snacks that she gave us because she made it in the room before we did. She didn’t want Harp to get hungry.”

“Well, that was sweet. Her little boy sick with the same thing?”

“Yeah, it must be going around. The entire waiting room was full. She had been waiting for nearly an hour. We somehow lucked out and only had to wait 35 minutes to get in. They called Harp’s prescription in so that by the time we made it to the pharmacy it was waiting for us. I need to make her some real lunch though.”

“Are you going to go to your studio today?” I owned a recording studio not far from our apartment. When Harper was born I’d transitioned into writing and producing more so I could be home with her while she was really young. Someday she’d become a road warrior but for now, we were enjoying just blending in with the crowd in New York and spending time with my Mum.

“No, I called and canceled this morning for my afternoon session.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Mum said. “I can watch Harper.”

“It’s fine. It was with Ed. When I told him his goddaughter was sick he asked what he could do to help. I think he’s coming over for dinner tonight instead. Promised Harp he’d sing her to sleep tonight when we were on FaceTime this morning.”

“Uncle Teddy!” Harper screamed. She loved her godfather.

“That’s sweet of him,” Mum said.

“Yeah, he just got in town Saturday and I think he said he’s here for two weeks. We just rescheduled for tomorrow.”

“So you made a friend in the waiting room?” Mum was always curious about me meeting women. She sometimes pushed me to try and date. Whether it was telling me someday Harper was going to need a mother or that I was too young to settle for life alone she was always being a bit nosy about my love life.

“Well I accidentally elbowed her and then we started talking. Her son looked a couple of years older than Harper.”

“Anything interesting that you talked about?”

“She taught me a game. Mummy or Nanny. You try to observe the people in the waiting room to guess whether they are the child’s mum or nanny. She was good at it.”

“Were there actually lots of nannies in the waiting room at the doctor?”

“Yeah, there always are.”

“That seems strange.”

“Lots of working parents in the world who can’t always be there to take care of their kids. Remember Mum, I tried that for a while.”

“I know,” she replied.

I had tried it for a while. When Harper was six months old I thought it would be okay for me to jump back into writing and recording the way I’d always done. I bought the studio in New York, hired a nanny and went about my life. But then I realized that I hated leaving her during the day. And the nursery I’d set up in the studio, while convenient, wasn’t working with the nanny. Especially when the nanny spent more time trying to convince me that I should fall in love with her or flirting with the artists I worked with. I spent way too much time on the phone crying to my Mum and my friends who are parents about how missing out on things sucked.

So when Harper was nine months old Mum readied the house to be a country home, packed herself up and moved to New York to help me care for Harper. I slowed down on what I was trying to do for a while, realizing that being there for the first time Harper crawled was more important than being in the studio working on a song that might sell a few copies. I was selective about who I worked with and made sure it was people who understood that being a father was more important than being a producer and writer. Most people respected that and even loved when I’d bring Harper to the studio. The nursery in the studio got good use and Mum often made sure that artists were fed and that Harper took her nap.

“I am so grateful that I don’t have to do that anymore. Thank you for being here with us Mum.”

“I wouldn’t want to miss out on all of these little things for you and Harper.”

“But what about when Gem becomes a Mum?”

“Well, then I’ll become an International Nana and fly back to London on occasion. But she has a partner to do that with when she decides to. You decided to do this on your own.”

“And everyone thought I was crazy.”

“I didn’t. I knew you could do it. And you are an amazing father.”

“I’m trying.”

“You’re doing great. So tell me about the woman from the waiting room. What was her name?”

“Janie and her little boy’s name was Finnigan, she called him Finn. He was a cute kid.”

“And Janie?”

“Yes, she was pretty Mum. But that wasn’t my focus this morning. It was Harper.” I was standing over the stove making some macaroni and cheese for her knowing that she’d happily eat some noodles and crawl into bed for a while. “But Janie seemed funny, very quick-witted. And clearly was Super Mom this morning because she had a ton of stuff shoved in her bag and I made it out the house without even an extra diaper.”

“You were in a hurry and she was being a handful this morning.”

“She was. You’d think with as little as she slept that she would’ve been tired and not running laps around the kitchen.”

“Kids are strange beings.”

“You’re telling me.” I dished Harper’s macaroni into a bowl and put it in front of her. Mum and put her into the chair we had for her at the island so that she could help her eat.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed my laptop so I could sit next to Harper and go through my email and catch up on my reading. There were several writers I followed on a variety of blogs and news websites. One, in particular, was someone I always found myself reading and laughing at in the middle of the night when Harper was little and would wake up for middle of the night feedings. I’d discovered her through an article that had been picked up by The Huffington Post and quickly became an avid reader. She was a single mother with a daughter who was a week older than Harper and a son who was a couple years older. She was funny and honest and talked about everything from being puked on while riding the subway to what it was like doing everything on your own. It was something that made me feel like I wasn’t crazy and also wasn’t ruining Harper’s life because she’d been fed formula and still sucked her thumb at nearly two. Her latest piece was about her oldest having been sick over the weekend.

January 5, 2020: Down With the Sickness

Seriously? I didn’t realize it was possible for a human so tiny to vomit so much. He may be four years old but it felt like I was back in college holding my roommate up while they were vomiting after one too many jello shots at a party. My poor little guy came down with whatever is infecting all of Lower Manhattan.

It all started Friday afternoon.

We’d gone to a playdate Friday morning. A group another Mom friend suggested I join. It’s for single parents and she thought that I might meet a cute single dad but she would swear that it wasn’t because of that. Why do all of my friends think they need to try and covertly set me up on dates? We will get back to that later.

So we are at the playdate in some indoor play area in a luxury apartment building and I hear it. The cough. It starts with the little girl who is the daughter of the host. Then a little boy sneezes. And it grows. A girl, the twin boys, slowly but surely every kid in the room is coughing and sneezing until the first girl coughs so hard she pukes…on my kid. I had to drag him home while trying not to gag at the smell of vomit on his shirt and then throw him in the bathtub while trying to wash the kool-aid dyed vomit out of his shirt. It just happened to be the day he was wearing his absolute favorite shirt, which was white.

Remind me again why I allowed my four-year-old son to develop an attachment to a white shirt? I clearly wasn’t thinking while that happened.

So I get F settled into bed and go into the kitchen to get him water. I begged and pleaded for my sister to take my daughter to our parents’ place in Brooklyn for the weekend but she was headed away for the weekend. A last-minute trip to Miami with her boyfriend because she has the winter blues. Sure hope you’re enjoying yourself Nellie and all of the sun doesn’t go to your head.

So as she runs out the door I call my Mom begging and pleading with her to come pick up G for the weekend so that she doesn’t get sick. Thankfully she agreed and said she’d head our way. So I had to hurry and pack G for a weekend at Grammy and Pop-pop’s. As soon as Mom walked in the door she knew it was going to be a long weekend for me. She promised to keep G through Monday afternoon so I could get F to the pediatrician.

So I’ve got an appointment for tomorrow. I’ve got F on the couch with blankets all over, a garbage can next to him and every flavor of Pedialyte in the house courtesy of my Mom who stopped and picked up some essentials on her way.

As soon as F is better I am literally disinfection this ENTIRE apartment. There will not be a single germ alive when I’m done.

Then I’m going to drink some vodka, that kills germs, right?

Single Mom in the City is written by Jane Grey Finnigan. Jane is a New York native who was raised by two award-winning journalists and claims to have known she wanted to cover politics by the age of five. She has a Bachelor of Arts from New York University in both Journalism and Politics where she graduated a full year early which she would caution anyone from doing. ‘Don’t grow up, it’s a trap’ is what she tells her kids every day when they tell her they can’t wait to be adults. After graduating from NYU she hit the campaign trail covering President Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012 for Huffington Post. As a 21-year-old press pool reporter, she was able to provide a unique perspective on life following the campaign. She continues to cover politics and women’s issues for the Huffington Post. The passion that drove her writing began to change in 2016 when she welcomed her son and even more in 2018 when her daughter was born. ‘I miss the campaign trail but following a trail of Cheerios around my apartment is way more fun…I think.’ Single Mom in the City is Jane’s way of channeling her life as a single mother of two into her writing. She currently lives in Tribeca with her two children and her younger sister, Nellie, who is a contributor at Refinery 29. She promises to try not to get too political on here but ‘you can take the girl out of the press pool but you can't take the press pool out of the girl…no that sounds wrong, okay I just love writing about politics so it might happen.’

You can follow Jane on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to stay connected with her and her kids are up to.

I glanced at the headshot that appeared with the bio at the end of the article and realized it was Janie, the girl I played Mummy or Nanny with in the waiting room this morning. How did I not put that together when we were sitting there? I mean, I probably wouldn’t have said anything to her about it even if I’d known or maybe I would have. It was probably best that I didn’t know. The last thing she needed was someone gushing about her writing to her in the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office while her son was sick, especially knowing just how sick he was.

I’d had that happen before. I was trying to take Harper shopping and she was dead set against it. She was kicking and screaming and refused to sit in a stroller. Which of course was the time that a group of college-aged girls stopped to ask for selfies and hugs. I try to do my best to be kind to people when I run into them but Harper was making it nearly impossible. I’d gotten a text from my PR rep later that day that the photo had gone viral. Me trying my best to smile in a picture with fans while holding my 18-month-old who was kicking and screaming. A few websites had picked it up in their ‘celebrities they are just like us’ section. Needless to say, it didn’t win me any father of the year titles but it made fans understand a little bit more when I declined selfies if I was alone with Harp. Most of them just wanted to gush and say how cute she was and were good about not photographing her.

I clicked the link that took me to Janie’s Twitter account. I knew she was extremely active on there and it made me even more disappointed in myself that I hadn’t recognized her because I followed her social media accounts pretty religiously. One of the few that still kept me on the platforms myself on a regular basis.

@janesays: Morning trip to the pediatrician. F is now in bed resting. And by resting I mean he has taken his iPad to bed and is watching cartoons. I would today like to thank the internet and @apple for keeping me somewhat sane so I can clean up this apartment.

Here was the big question: Did I reply to her or stay quiet? She was just another parent in the waiting room.

@harrystyles: @janesays I hope it works here too. Oh and thanks for teaching me the game in the waiting room this morning. #dearharperpleasesleep

@janesays: @harrystyles HEY! You’re my waiting room friend with the super cute daughter! Did you make it out alive? Good luck with the napping. Disney appears to have a marathon of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on right now. Today’s mystery mousekatool is disinfecting wipes and vodka.

@harrystyles: @janesays I think I have both of those mousekatools laying around. We barely made it out alive. Luckily our wait time was only 35 minutes.

@janesays: @harrystyles JEALOUS! I will never get that hour of my life back. Although at least I had a willing companion to play the game with me today. Thanks for that.

She was super quick responses. I opted to send my reply as a DM. Not sure I want a bunch of people asking what game I played in the waiting room at the pediatrician this morning.

DM with @janesays: How is Finn feeling? A little better. He happily took the bubble gum flavored crap Dr. Vicki gave and climbed in bed. I honestly think he’s sleeping now. How is Harp? Just got done eating lunch and about to go down for a nap. She wasn’t so happy to take the bubble gum flavored crap but didn’t put up too much of a fight. So how did you find me on Twitter? I mean I obviously knew who you were in the waiting room this morning but wasn’t going to be like “HEY MY ALMOST TWO-YEAR-OLD DANCES TO YOUR MUSIC.” I mean I would’ve then had to admit I’m the one who played your music for my almost-two-year-old. So turns out that dad life has led me to be an expert in Mommy Blogs… Aha! You’re a reader! I am. I honestly try not to read them all but yours has always resonated with me. I was tired of reading blog after blog of women bitching that their husbands didn’t help with midnight feedings. I’m a single dad. I do it all. I mean most of it. My Mum lives with Harper and me now but she didn’t at first. Your blog has never made me feel bad for being the sucker who couldn’t let her cry it out or feed her formula. Single parenting is not easy. I’m lucky that Nellie lives with me so I can still attempt to have the career I had before kids. Well, somewhat of the career I had before kids. Evidently, Nellie isn’t interested in me ditching my kids with her to go out on the campaign trail again. Probably not a good idea. Okay, time to get Harp down for a nap. Good luck and godspeed. Thanks, I’m gonna need it for sure. She’s been wound up all day. I’ve got a few hours of quiet before Grey gets home and then I’m sure I’ll have a wound up on sugar almost 2-year-old and a really angry conversation with my mother. She feeds these kids sugar like it’s her job. My Mum would tell me that it is her job. So would mine.

I put the phone down and picked up Harper to carry her into her bedroom. She was agreeable when it came to putting on her pajamas and after two books and a song was passed out cold. I went back into the living room and saw Mum putting her jacket on.

“Where are you headed?” I asked.

“I need to do some grocery shopping for us. We have run out of some of Harper’s stuff and with her being sick she needs some better stuff than what is left. Plus we will need to have a decent dinner planned since Uncle Teddy will be here.”

“Okay. I’m going to work on getting some laundry done and cleaning this place. Thank you for doing the shopping.” She knew it was a task I hated. Somehow I always ran into someone who wanted my picture when I was standing next to fruit or in the wine aisle. Grocery shopping was a task I happily allowed her to do.

“No worries dear. You might want to take a nap. You’re looking a bit ill yourself.”

“Just tired.”

“Well, I'll be back in a bit.” She was out the door before I had the first load of laundry in the washer. I grabbed another cup of coffee and sat down on the couch. I yawned and my whole body forced itself into a stretch. Maybe Mum was right and I did need a nap.

PART TWO! It’s crazy how easy these three parts came to me. Writing has not come this easy in months. It makes me want to do nothing but write...which I can’t do. I have an apartment to pack up and move AND a pretty big meeting to get prepped for tomorrow. 

So what did you think of part two? How did Harry NOT catch that Janie was the Single Mom Blog he reads daily? Can you imagine what a picture of Harry and a temper tantrum throwing toddler looks like? I can and in my mind it’s HILARIOUS. I love having Anne around to help Harry with Harper and I think that will provide some really cute stories to go along later. 

Part three will be from Janie’s perspective and give us a chance to learn more about her and her two kids, Finn and Greyson, as well as learn about her sister, Nellie, and why she’s a single mother. I will post that either later today or first thing tomorrow, depends on how my day goes but it will likely be later today because I’m SO excited to have it out in the world. I’m also going to develop a post to give you a bit of information about Janie (and a faceclaim!) so that should come later today as well. 

I hope you enjoyed part two. Any feedback is highly appreciated as I start this storyline out. 

xx AM.

[goodlawdmaude]

Madrid, Spain

Day 1 (3/24)

After landing in Madrid, navigating our way to our AirBnB, and napping for two hours, Jarod and I were woken up around 1:30pm by a knock at the door. Our host had told us that a man named Ous would come to clean the apartment at 2pm. What she didn’t mention was that Ous--while incredibly nice--did not speak any English. In a mixture of Spanish and charades, we managed to agree that we would leave the apartment for an hour so that he could clean. 

In a daze, we piled on our layers (it’s cold in Madrid in March!!) and headed out. We walked through the Barrio (neighborhood) of La Lavapies and into La Latina, walking until we came to La Real Basílica de San Francisco el Grande. We sat in a plaza on the South side of the church, admiring the structure’s large, yellow dome and resting our very weary bones. From there, we wandered North past El Palacio Real de Madrid, through La Plaza de Oriente, and finally back through the center of Madrid to our apartment. 

Even though my body was dull with exhaustion, taxed heavily by the previous day/night, I was awestruck by the beautiful city streets and extravagant monuments. Everything was picturesque. There were balconies on every building with ferns growing in ornate pots and flower beds snuggled up against decorative railings. At crosswalks and through cafe windows, I saw people smoking cigarettes and sipping espressos; talking quickly, excitedly, rhythmically with wide eyes and exaggerated hand gestures. We were in a new place, and I was stoked to explore it!! 

By now, it was around 4:30pm, and we were hungry. We set off in search of a restaurant nearby and found two whose kitchens were closed. This was our first inconvenient encounter with ~siesta~. Even hungrier now, we found a market and bought tortellini and vegetables to cook back at the apartment. That night, we were in bed by 8:30. 

Day 2 (3/25)

Our first real (still surreal) morning in Madrid, we woke up at a reasonably early hour after an unreasonably excessive amount of sleep. We made eggs at home, then went to a nearby cafe recommended by our host, Maria. Again, it felt like there was culture everywhere. The people around us were dressed neatly in scarves and hats and boots (still freezing!), ordering pastries and warm drinks, dipping the former into the latter and eating them slowly and gracefully. Here, we each got two coffees and drank them quietly, soaking up the environment around us. I admit I was (I still am) a bit self conscious; I didn’t want to speak too much or too loudly in my ugly American accent and identify myself as an obnoxious outsider. 

At this cafe, we started to suspect that coffee in Spain is different than coffee in the US. In Spain, a coffee is served small in a cute little teacup on a saucer with a packet of sugar on the side. You can order a couple different variants--cafe solo (shot of espresso), cafe americano (still small), or cafe con leche (larger, but half milk)--but there is no order that will get you a giant mug of good old fashioned black coffee. (”Cafe negro” will get you the prompt: “Cafe Americano?” to which you will nod, confused and disappointed when you get a tiny teacup of slightly diluted espresso.) I digress. 

From the cafe, we headed to El Museo Del Prado, where we spent hours admiring--or more often puzzling over --thousands of paintings. My favorite was a small piece, entitled “The Painter’s Children,” which portrayed two young girls lounging on a futon, one wrapped in a pretty Japanese blanket, the other sprawled on a cushion. Jarod’s was a huge portrait of a Roman (??) leader dead in a bathtub--a suicide referenced as honorable in The Godfather. 

When we thought we might die of hunger, we tore ourselves from the Prado despite only seeing (maybe) half of the art on display. We wandered up the street and into a tapas restaurant. This was when we truly started embracing Spanish culture with a mid-day glass of wine and four sequential plates of tapas rich with meats, cheeses, and oil. This was also when I learned that a “Russian salad” does not contain lettuce, but lots of potatoes and mayonnaise. 

We went back to our apartment, took naps (Jarod) and studied the city (Lizzy). Still feeling full and generally out of sorts, we headed to the Santa Ana square//Barrio de Las Letras (the literary district, where the paving stones of the main street are engraved with some of the best known lines from 16th and 17th century Spanish literature). We got mixed drinks and a plate of tortillas and hummus at a hipster joint full of trendy young people, then proceeded to a lively gin bar called Carbones 13, where we each had a gin and tonic--the first that I have ever truly liked. 

We stopped at home briefly before rushing out to catch an authentic live flamenco performance at a bar on our corner, El Candela. We put our names down to reserve seats, then had half an hour to kill before the performance started. We spent that time in a lively, divey Bodega (wine bar) down the block. Our drinks were cheap (5€ for two) and came with a plate of potato chips. 

The performance itself was fabulous. There were only 4 people on stage and only one who danced. It was the first flamenco I’ve ever seen live, and I was struck by the drama of the production. The dancer’s heels banged loudly on the hollow stage floor, the tassels of her outfit swung wildly as she moved, and her face and hands were full of intense emotion. The crowd shouted “ole!” and the end of each piece--and sometimes during--to show their appreciation and admiration. (I didn’t know that was a real thing, but I loved it.)

After, we went home and stayed up a while longer, confused as to what time zone we were in. Suddenly, it seemed quite late--3 or 4am--but we were not exactly to be counted on to know the time. Little did we know, day lights savings had occurred that night; a phenomenon which would further confuse us in the morning. 

Day 3 (3/26)

We woke up around 10am, with 1pm lunch reservations at one of the oldest restaurants in the world quickly approaching. Jarod was a little hungover as we embarked towards Botín for our lunch date. He ordered shrimp, which came with the legs and heads still attached. Decapitating them was a task that hungover Jarod liked even less than spry Jarod would have. I ordered cod, which was smothered in a soup of delicious tomato sauce and was impractically humongous (I am notorious for clearing my plate and could only eat half). We drank half a pitcher of sangria--which may have been ambitious given the night before, but when on vacation...--and finished the meal up with a DIVINE chocolate mousse cake. The meal was tasty, but pricey (80€) and the restaurant itself was lovely, but packed with tourists (ourselves among them). It didn't turn out to be quite the cultural endeavor I had imagined, although we did see (what I imagine to be) some very traditional Spanish dishes, such as "baby squid, cooked in his own ink." Harsh.

After lunch, we went in search of Madrid's famous flea market: El Rastro. I had the driving interest in El Rastro, but had done a poor job of researching the actual location (I knew it was in La Latina from 10am-3pm... And not much else). In our search for the market, we stumbled upon a giant amphitheater type hole in the ground, covered in weeds and graffiti and tattooed young people. There were two guys playing live music, the speaker too weak to allow us to hear them from the entrance ramp on which we stood. It was a little silly, but I felt alive being there, like I was seeing an authentic, grimy part of modern life in Madrid.

With Jarod's guidance, we finally found El Rastro as it was closing down. We walked through the stalls of leathers, rugs, fans, and clothing, admiring everything but avoiding wanting anything (I could hardly order coffee for myself let alone haggle with a street vendor). At the end of the road, we found ourselves at an old tobacco factory, La Tabacaleria, that had long ago shut down and repurposed as an art gallery. Atlas Obscura had called this out as one of the hidden gems worth seeing in Madrid, and there was no entry fee, so we headed in.

The art exhibit was eerie--one piece was a TV hung from the rafters and entwined in a chain, broadcasting silent black and white footage--fitting for the cold and dark hallways of La Tabacaleria. There were lots of other videos in Spanish (which we didn't watch), but also some cool images of Mayan ruins (which interested me more).

When we finally got back home, we siesta'd--as is the Spanish way--and woke up some time later, ready to get our first real exercise in. We went to the Parque Del Buen Retiro, and ran around its perimeter, then walked through the interior, stopping to admire the Palacio De Velazquez, Palacio De Crystal, and a man-made lake--full of couples in paddle boats--that flanks the Monumento a Alfonso XII.

Our stomachs were still very confused so we elected to make dinner at home that evening, stopping by the market for rice, chicken, and vegetables. 

Day 4 (3/27)

By day 4, you would think we would have at least somewhat adjusted to Spanish time. And in a way we had: we were waking up late, taking naps in the afternoon, and staying up later. So on day 4, we slept in. When we finally tore ourselves from the cozy den of bed, it was around 11am. We still needed coffee, so we headed out towards La Plaza Mayor and stepped into a coffee shop along the way. 

From the Plaza, we headed out to revisit the west side of Madrid: the Royal Palace we had seen on day 1 in a daze, the old theater (Teatro Real) we had missed entirely, and the Egyptian temple (Templo De Debod) we hadn't known about. After walking for several hours, we were famished. We came home, pooled some leftovers to snack on, then exercised in our living room and cleaned up in preparation for our impending departure.

We headed out for our final dinner. We planned to go to Museo Chicote: an old restaurant and “Madrid landmark” frequented by famous people (Ernest Hemingway among them). However, it was closed (as are a lot of shops and restaurants on Monday in Madrid, apparently). We backtracked to the literary district and chose a restaurant called "La Vinoteca." Obviously. There, we feasted on shared plates of cheesy croquettes, flavorful meatballs, and crostini topped with mozzarella and tomato. On the way home, we stopped at a nearby Bodega, which was dark but inviting and buzzing with activity. And with that, our time in Madrid had come to an end. We packed and prepared for our jarringly early 530am wake-up the next day, after which we would take the metro to the airport and fly to Porto, Portugal.