#anyway going from baking to cooking is like being able to finally CHILL because it's not that serious with cooking

[mothslimes]

the best cooking skill one can have is knowing how to make it work. too many cooks in my life struggle when you take away just one key ingredient. not me. i can substitute anything with anything. it's the poor in me

[robin-evry]

Hello is it possible to ask for a manananggal Yuu being isekaied to twisted wonderland, I just thought it would be funny for the NRC cast

OMG, I've been wanting to write more folklore from other parts of the world and I was hoping for one. Thanks for requesting, anyway ask and you shall receive.

𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐔𝐔 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐆𝐀𝐋 🌝👻

The manananggal (lit. 'remover') is a mythical creature in the Philippines that is able to separate its upper torso from the lower part of its body. Their fangs and wings give them a vampire-like appearance.

( English is not my first language )

Day 3 : manananngal!yuu

So basically the entrance of the ceremony goes to the same as the game or manga. Crowley allowed the magic less student to stay at the ramshackle dorm. At night something flies through the school... Some students reported that there was a creature with bat-like wings, it looks human but it's missing their lower parts flying around the school at night, these rumors cause the students to be afraid of the point they are not brave enough to go outside at night.

Crowley sent the ghost to patrol the school at night to see what and where the creature came from, and during the night after the dwarf mine incident, the ghost managed to track down what was the creature. The ghost followed the creature to do a ramshackle dorm and turns out the creature was the... new students

The new student was a manananggal, you can call them manananggal!yuu / nickname. They have a problem of sleep walking or sleep flying at night before they get teleported to twisted wonderland and they've been trying to find a solution to this problem, but on the good side the problem is solved and everything goes back to normal.

Also during the first years visit savanaclaw and was challenged to a magift duel. The disk accidentally hit manganggal!yuu in the chest causing them to be knocked off from their bottom half, imagine the heart attacks they gave towards those who saw that, but manananggal!yuu is pretty chill about it. But it did manage to scare the students in savanaclaw, Leona is unable to sleep for a few days.

Manananggal!yuu appearance during the day, is of a regular person plus pointy ears and a large tongue. many students point out about manananggal being very beautiful and some started to have a crush on them, they also detach themselves from their bottom part with their will as letting their wings out of their body.

But during the night, manganggal!yuu has a habit of sleep flying and detached itself from the bottom part of the body. Manananggal yuu have bar-like wings that are incredible to pierce and even spells are unable to pierce through. They also have extremely long nails or claws if you guys like to call them, their wingspan appears to be around 14 to 16 feet (4 to 5 meters) when fully extended. They also can use their wings to blow out the fire that grim was causing.

Sometime manananggal!yuu bottom parts go to auto pilot and move on their own, this caused them to chase their bottom part around the school at night or daylight.

Idia literally had a heart attack when he was watching the security, imagine he saw manananggal bottom part of their body run past the security camera and manananggal literally is chasing after it with their full form out. He literally fell to the ground due to shock.

When meeting manananggal!yuu, malleus thought manananggal!yuu was a gargoyle much to his disappointment they weren't but on the bright he finally got a friend who treats him normally.

Manananggal would love to bake and cook something from their homeland, the first years started to come over ramshackle for dinner because of how delicious their food is.

Btw free flight rides for grim from manananggal!yuu, grim tends to be on their back using them as a flight transportation. They also cover grim or the first years from rain using their wings as an umbrella. Manananggal!yuu once gave trey a jump scare or riddle because they were delivering the Adeuce notebooks that they accidentally left at the ramshackle dorm.

[bearseulgs]

Ni-ki as your boyfriend

gn!reader x ni-ki

genre: fluff ft teensy weensy bit of angst

wc: 688

warnings: kith ^3^, arguing (just a lil mention), pet names, let me know if there's anything else!!

okay first off: mans a total simp

sorry i don't make the rules ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

you'll do a lil dancey dance or recommend smth when listening to the demo of their new song and he'll be like

"yup yup lemme notify the members and manager and producer and choreographer immediately"

u praise him for his charm during one of his parts and he MELTS

you're his life sa vie su vida those are all the languages i know life in sorry

whipped behavior LLLL

ngl i feel like he loves laps. like. idk

like he'll be gaming and you want attention so you just lay your head in his lap and he'll stroke your hair from time to time

or he'll get lunch and come back and there's no seats at the table so as a joke you're like "come here babygirl" while patting your lap and he just

plops down. like he will sit on your lap no hesitation (ma princesse 😔🫶)

Kimmie brought up that he's the type to like matchy matchy things and i 100% agree!!!!

like say he finally finished up his tour and (if you were able to go) he got y'all matching keychains from the city you saw him in

if you couldn't see them he got keychains from one of his favs

or y'all will go to the arcade and get cute matching plushies that you won each other

or making matching earrings with supplies you bought together

i am having so many thoughts

i also think he's the type to film lil tiktok dancey dances with you (AHHH 💞💞)

or if he's got a chill day at work he invites you over for a mini dance party in the practice room

y'all probs have a collaborative playlist of 💖your songs💖 on spotify

he also has a separate playlist of songs that remind him of you

he seems the type to love baking dates but i also would not trust him in the kitchen so let's hope you're a good cook :0

everyone talks about this but rightfully so: nap dates

i want i need pls

good luck being productive within a 2 mile radius of his dorm because he will drag you back to nap with him <3

i am also a firm believer in him lending you his jackets and/or vice versa

doesn't matter if you're taller or shorter, stockier or scrawnier, or same size, jackets will be exchanged

it's just y'all's thing

imagine wearing his green leather jacket to a comeback showcase 😩

taking his phone when he's busy to play on it

he knows you took it because when he gets back his ranking is different (whether for the better or the worse) but he doesn't mind because he loves you <3

laser tag 🫢 like let's say y'all's friends go out for laser tagging one weekend and you do that thing mid game where y'all get all up close and personal and one of y'all kisses the other to distract them then shoots the kissee and walks away AHHH

now that gas prices are going down y'all go on little adventure drives to neat spots around town

what if y'all find a cute lil hidden spot and it becomes like Your Spot 🥺

him having theee most unflattering pic ever of you for your contact then a cute lil name like "my baby 💝" or smth i would cry

anyways now onto the part nobody wants 😔

arguments

i feel like he'd try to avoid serious arguments, of course having some playful bantering, but never taking it too far

but sometimes they're unavoidable

he seems the type to get kinda intense during arguments, and he can be pretty intimidating so i wouldn't blame his partner for getting lowkey scared 😭 but it's not entirely his fault :(

i hope you ain't petty because i don't doubt that he is, so if y'all both are it could be 4ever before things get resolved

but eventually one of y'all is gonna cave because you love each other or whateva 🤢 (jk i love love)

anyways this is getting kinda long so Riki best boy‼️‼️ whoever gets him please treat him well 🥺

a/n: u guys i am so whipped for this boy 💔

©�� bearseulgs 2022

[tsukkisbean]

how they cheer your up | headcanons

genre: fluff

characters: iwaizumi hajime, miya osamu, terushima yūji, kunimi akira x gn!reader

warnings: none!

a/n: hello if you’re seeing this, that means my scheduled post worked, yay!! hopefully this shows up in the tags otherwise i’ll have to reupload it at a later time (sorry in advance if that’s the case hehe). i’m also trying my hand at writing for other characters so hopefully this does their characters justice??

anyways, i hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy and happy! if you requested something from me, sorry i haven’t gotten to it even though i said i would. i’ll try my best to complete them when i get the chance, thank you for being patient with me 💖 all boys after iwaizumi are under the cut!

iwaizumi hajime

best boy iwaizumi would without a doubt use exercise as a way to cheer you up

but don’t get me wrong, he’s not going to force you to run a marathon or anything like that

i imagine him taking you to one of those entertainment/game parks (not really sure what they’re called ahh) where you guys just hang out all day

when you get there, he’ll immediately take you to the batting cage so you can just channel out all your anger into your swings

once your blood is pumping from the adrenaline he’ll take you to the trampoline area where you guys just bounce around and do flips into the foam pit to burn off all your extra energy

you’ll just be chilling, jumping up and down on one of the trampolines, your back turned to iwaizumi when he straight up scoops you up and tosses you in

he’s cackling and dying of laughter and when he finally offers to help you out you grab his hand and pull him in

when he doesn’t resurface you get nervous, where could he be?

from the corner of your eye you see the foam rumbling slightly but you react too slowly and iwaizumi pops out and tackles you in the biggest hug, peppering kisses all over your face and people are staring as you scream your head off trying to pry him off of you

for dinner, you guys indulge in all the greasy food the park has to offer, and by the end you’re stuffed

to help with digestion you suggest a game of mini golf which iwaizumi gladly agrees to

for someone who played volleyball his aim is absolutely horrifying

he argues that the windmill is IMPOSSIBLE to get a good score on and no one can ever get a hole in one

luck must have been on your side because you get a hole in one right after (and so does the small child behind you guys, but you choose not to tell him that)

you end up destroying him (he lowkey hints that he let you win but we know that’s not the case)

when the park closes, instead of taking you straight home, he’ll take you to a nearby park and the two of you just stroll around enjoying the chill of the night and the stars in the sky

miya osamu

he pulls you onto the couch next to him and the two of you look through baking videos on youtube and osamu being osamu cannot decide because he wants to make them all

eventually you guys settle on a cake recipe by cooking tree (a/n: 10/10 would recommend watching them, their videos are super soothing and aesthetic esp if you enjoy cooking asmr!!)

so at 9pm you guys set off to the grocery store to buy the ingredients you guys are missing 

the trip takes much longer than expected because osamu keeps putting in more and more snacks that you guys definitely don’t need

so instead of shopping osamu is trying to grab as many snacks as you can while you trail behind, trying to put them away  because your pantry is already way too full

by the time you get home it’s close to 12 and you’re tired but osamu insists that you guys start now

for the most part all goes well, you guys manage to get the batter to look smooth in the cake pan (definitely some playful flour throwing here and there)

the real problem is assembling the cake. at this point you’re wondering why you guys decided on a 3-layered cake that required cutting

teases you for cutting the first layer slanted and so you pass over the cutting to him but his slicing work is just as bad and you just have to bring up the fact that he owns a restaurant but apparently his knife skills suck

you thought cutting the cake would be a problem?? now you guys have to fill the layers and it’s a complete disaster; there’s whipped cream just everywhere and at this point you guys are half filling the cake half throwing it at each other

cake ends up being iced unevenly but that’s the least of your problems

you guys pour the decorative icing on top and instead of running over the sides only slightly, it drips messily down the cake and onto the counter and now you guys have a blob of a cake

you guys spend the rest of the night cleaning up and pass out on the couch and in the morning you guys enjoy a sweet breakfast together <3

terushima yūji

terushima is a free soul and so he believes expressing yourself through art is one of the best ways to feel better

when he sees that you’re down, he’ll immediately whip out all of his salon products and pull you into the bathroom

he takes you by surprise saying that he wants you to whatever you want to his hair - today his hair is your canvas

at first you’re reluctant, but he insists - as a hair stylist it’s all about experimentation with styles and colours and plus he can easily fix whatever you do considering that it is his job after all

so you guys scroll through pinterest together, trying to find some fun hair ideas that you’d be able to pull off on your own (with some instruction from teru of course)

you finally decide on a style and so together start on getting all the hair dye ready

he explains to you the different types of develops and how important they are in the hair colouring process - there are different volumes and will essentially affect how much your hair colour changes

after all the colours are mixed and ready to go, you gingerly grab a piece of hair, constantly checking your phone to make sure you’re doing it exactly like the photo

meanwhile terushima has the softest smile on his face, watching you through the mirror - he thinks you look absolutely adorable with the way your brows are furrowed and your tongue sticks on slightly as you focus

as you run the colour brush along his hair, he’s constantly encouraging you, telling you what a good job you’re doing and how he’s so excited to the end product

while the dye sits in his hair, you sit in his lap

once it’s time to wash out the hair dye, you bring him to the sink and carefully run your hands through his hair, trying your best to give him the best head massage he’s ever had!!!

after toning and a hair treatment, your masterpiece if finally done!! ofc being the boyfriend he is, he takes a million photos and posts them on social media to show how talented his significant other is - like not only is it your first time dying someone’s hair but you managed to pull off RAINBOW hair!! (a/n: think sehun from exo as a reference hehe) he literally will not shut up about you to his clients tomorrow

kunimi akira

kunimi has a rep for being lazy and just overall a really nonchalant kind of person but he’s sharp, so when you’re feeling down he immediately picks up on it even if he doesn’t confront you about it

however i don’t think he’d be as aggressive as the other three and do something huge rather he tries to make you feel better only in smaller ways and it definitely adds up

like in the morning he’ll make you coffee or tea or whatever you want - orange juice, a bakery bun? he’ll make an excuse saying he wanted something from the convenience store anyways and head down. when he comes back  with three bags of food and drinks he’ll insist that he just grabbed whatever he saw because he was “too lazy to decide” n b d

throughout the day he’ll be a lot more affectionate than usual, hugging you whenever he gets the chance, maybe even a kiss on your forehead

when you tell him you want to go out on your own for a bit  he doesn’t argue - whatever you need to do but when your back is turned he’ll slip you a handwritten note telling you to enjoy your alone time and that he l-word you and it’s even signed off with a teensy teensy heart that you almost don’t notice

when you get back, you’re greeted with the smell of your delicious food mixed with a burning smell and on the kitchen table you see takeout from your favourite restaurants and in the garbage is a black burnt mess - kunimi insists he doesn’t know how it got there even though its quite obvious

you bring the food to the living room and to your surprise there’s a blanket fort set up with pillows spread out all across the floor

when you try to question him, he just shrugs saying that it’s not that hard to throw a blanket over a couple of chairs, even a baby could do it

today he lets you choose the movie even though it’s technically his turn and when you choose a  comedy he doesn’t complain about the obnoxiously loud and hot headed lead character

when the movie is over, he quickly cleans up all the trash, making sure you don’t have time to move from your spot

when he comes back, he flops on top of you, holding you close

then he plays the spotify playlist that he made for you; it’s a whole mix of songs - slow, upbeat, instrumentals - anything he thought might help you feel even the tiniest bit better

and so you guys just lay there not speaking, enjoying each other’s presence until you fall asleep

[rottingflovver]

Random relationship (and just general stuff) headcanons for the ADA squad!!

Atsushi Nakajima 🐯

Soft boi

Smells like strawberries and vanilla

Don't question me on this, he just does

Also probably adores eating strawberries and vanilla, alongside ice cream and anything sweet really, but like, in moderation (it's gotta be a soft food tho)

He also likes fruits and veggies

A healthy boi

His ideal date would be sightseeing, just walking around town with his s/o and admiring the scenery

Would try to be really cheesy and say something like "you're prettier than any location we've been to" but he'd get too embarrassed halfway through so it would just come out as a stammering mess

He's adorable tho, you love him

When sleeping, if you sleep in one bed, he'd legit be like a big cat (no pun intended)

He'd be so warm, and his arms would be wrapped around you in a soft embrace

Prone to having nightmares so please comfort him

Ozamu Dazai 💀

The literal opposite of a soft boi

What I mean by this is that he's a straight up f-boy

Don't @ me, it's official; he's left every woman he's ever been with crying

But don't worry, once he gets attached to you, he'd be all giddy and happy whenever you even exist around him

My dude adores coffee (+ alcohol!)

Doesn't really eat much (please force him to eat more) but he's a sucker for sweets (I feel like he'd be really picky tho, like "no this brand of chocolate is absolute garbage I only eat the finest *insert niche brand literally no one has EVER heard of*"

We love him for it

He'd also really be into salty snacks, anything that has a crunch to it really

Did I mention that he smells like washed out Cologne mixed with his natural scent (+ the most recent way he tried to commit not-living)

His ideal date would be a coffee-date

He knows it's not much but that's where he feels the most relaxed and happy, so he wants you to experience that with him as well

Unlike Atsushi, this boy can FLIRT

Expect a cheesy remark every few seconds

It comes to the point where it's actually kinda annoying

Once you start firing it back at him (it's gotta be something sincere tho) he'd be flustered and kinda flabbergasted

Is also prone to nightmares, but don't expect to see this side of him unless he REALLY really trusts you

Kunikida Doppo 📚

Stoic boi

Idk how to explain this but I feel like the 🗿 emoji really represents him

Also he smells the most normal out of everyone ㅡ literally just some kinda nice perfume and neutral, washed out shampoo (by neutral I mean that you can't really identify what it is, but it's nice)

I feel like he'd be warm

Like not to Atsushi's level, but he'd be a good heat provider if it ever gets windy or rainy

Not to mention how comforting his hugs are, although, extremely awkward (he's so inexperienced with them Lord help him)

Also a sucker for coffee but that's because it's the only thing keeping him sane (and awake, Kunikida go to bed challenge)

He's a really good cook

Like it surprises you how many dishes he actually knows how to make, given how much time his work occupies

He's also more like your dad (or even mom tbh) than your boyfriend, because he's always nagging cuz of some idealistic criteria you failed to meet (ie. "cLeAn YoUr RoOm")

That's why his preference for dates are dates that don't even feel like them

It's literally just everyday activities

Going shopping together? Sure, he's down, gotta get it done anyway and it's nice to have company. You want him to teach you how to make a certain dish? Geez, finally, it's about time you start doing that yourself. You wanna join on a mission? That's a bit too dangerous, but you can meet him afterwards

Like do you get what I'm saying

It's so obvious you two have a thing for each other but he's just so damn dense and yet somehow gets super flustered at the same time

Compliment him on something he's insecure about and he'll be a mess for like 10 whole minutes (by this I mean he genuinely won't be able to utter a word)

Akiko Yosano 🦋

She listens to girl in red

Okay maybe not, but she definitely stans Dreamcatcher

I'll stop you get the point

Her favorite LOONA solo is Heart Attack

(That was the last one I swear)

But fr tho, she looks and acts scary but she's a whole sweetheart

Kind of cold but it's okay you can warm her up (melts if you do that)

Really scared of letting people get too close to her, but if you keep insisting and being nice to her she'll have to accept your love

ALSO fond of coffee (seriously what's with these people) and a mediocre cook (she's trying ok)

Will always be down to try and make something with you, whatever the dish may be

Smells like oranges and roses (not mixed, obvi on different days it's a different vibe)

Also sometimes has a lingering aftertaste of blood due to her job at the ADA and you're kinda just like 😶 about it because?? Do you tell her?? Does she know?? What do you do???

Pain.png

Hint: you should definitely tell her tho

SHE FINALLY HAS A CONSISTENT SHOPPING BUDDY

Although she doesn't force you to carry everything around like she forces everyone else to, because you're special ✨

That would also be your assumption on what her favorite date is, but she can actually be pretty romantic!

Don't expect anything grandeur tho, it's just a fancy dinner date at a restaurant

Poor bb has been planning and saving up for this for months now so please appreciate it

She sleeps like a rock

She's just straight, like a soldier

Oh the irony

But I feel like if you were to hug her she'd instantly melt into your embrace

Is ALSO prone to nightmares (seriously what's with these people) but she doesn't wanna bother you with them

Edogawa Ranpo 👓

Praise him

Please

He has a praise kink

So please praise him

He's surprisingly soft

Maybe it's all the sweets he eats, but he's both soft to hug and soft personality wise

Oh yeah did I mention he emits an aura of candy

Like he walks into the room and you don't even have to look to know that it's him, cuz it'll just smell like sweets all of a sudden

Speaking of, he really adores them

To the point where you'll have to force him to eat something healthy from time to time as well, I mean, seriously, that much sugar CANNOT be good for you

If you give him some homemade baked goods (ei. cupcakes, brownies, cake, ect.) listen he will LITERALLY lose it

You're his angel now

No not even that, you're a GODDESS/GOD to him

(Yes he's that dramatic)

He likes taking you to see detective movies with him where he figures out the killer in the first 3 minutes

Also he gets lost so gosh darn easily; never ever let him out of your sight or he'll just be gone forever

Other than that, he lets you organize and plan the dates, cuz he thinks you could do a way better job at being romantic than he ever could

He's really okay with anything you wanna do ㅡ he's just happy to be with you

(Just don't take him to someplace where he can't eat candy)

Force him to eat spicy food and he's breaking up with you nckdndjc

When sleeping together, he's sprawled out across the mattress

In many ways he's just a big teddy bear, you can climb on top of him and sleep there and he'll just be chill with it

These next few ⬇ are only friendship hcs bc a sis doesn't wanna go to jail

Kenji Miyazawa 🐄

Baby boy, baby

Listen I can't explain it but he smells like grass and that fresh air country smell

Like you just know he does

LOVES getting head-pats

Loves giving them too!!

He's so confused when it comes to city stuff, so he'd much rather chill with you somewhere on a grass field

Expect to play a lot of tag and hide n seek with him!! It'll be extra fun if he drags Kyouka and Atsushi with him as well

Sometimes he'll randomly drop a country fact that seems so obscure to you (think; that one time he mentioned they just throw criminals off a cliff) and you'll just stare at him like; 👁 👄 👁

He loves to eat

Literally anything

"I love cows but I love eating them too"

He mentioned before that he shouldn't eat a lot cuz he has no power when full but you can't just??let him starve??

Give him an apple and water and he'll be fine

Introduce him to arcades and he'll get hooked in a matter of seconds

Kyouka Izumi 🌺

baby girl, baby

Loves to go sightseeing like Atsushi

Kind of stoic in the beginning but as she slowly warms up to you she'll be smiling all the time

Brings out Demon Snow to protect you if a leaf falls a little too threateningly

Cdndjdj no but fr ㅡ she never really had friends that accepted her and wanted to spend time with her so she really doesn't want anything to happen to you

You have to remind her that she's just a kid; she should be allowed to relax and enjoy the moment for a bit

Smells like flowers and death

The death part of it fades away with time

Spends a lot of time with Atsushi!! Meaning you will spend a lot of time with Atsushi as well

If you don't like him I'm sorry but you two just can't be friends

She has no idea what counts as friend activities and what doesn't so expect her to either: a) not propose anything, or b) propose totally obscure stuff

But if something cute catches her attention she'll make an attempt to guide you to it

Like if she thinks you two should eat ice cream she'll stare at a nearby ice cream shop intensely

Sadly missing Junichiro and Fukuzawa cuz I just don't know enough about them 😔 we sad

[phoenix-downer]

White Day Surprise

2026 words. Contains spoilers for Melody of Memory. SoKai. Romance, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Mutual Pining, White Day, Pi Day, Baking, and most importantly, Pie. 

Successor to this story I wrote for Christmas and this story I wrote for Valentine’s Day. 

Sora wanted to do something special for Kairi for White Day. She’d gone out of her way to make Valentine’s Day special, so it was only right he returned the favor. Back home, that meant giving her a gift that was, uh twice? three times? the value of the original. But her letter was priceless, and those chocolates were special too, so he was at a loss as to what to do.

He paced back and forth in this place that looked like the Final World. He couldn’t give her a gift right now. Couldn’t tell her how he felt yet (not with words anyway) because she wanted him to wait till they met again. So what was he supposed to do?

Something that involved taking control of her body was all he had. His face flushed. No, not like that. Putting this whole body-sharing thing into words always made it sound worse than it actually was. He always waited till he had permission and immediately ceded control the moment she asked him to.

He plopped onto the watery ground that somehow didn’t ever get him wet and scoured his brain for ideas. What would he do if this was a normal White Day, if he was fully back in the Realm of Light with his own body at his disposal?

“Take her on a date. Maybe to the Bistro. Or I could cook or bake her something myself using the stuff Little Chef taught me.” He perked up. “That’s it! I’ll make something for her. I’ll just need to write down the ingredients so she can get them and then ask her for control when it’s time to actually make the stuff.”

He made a mental list about what he’d need for the recipe and then patiently waited. Something told him Kairi would be reaching out to him soon.

Sure enough, he eventually heard her voice.

“Sora? Want to take over for a bit?”

He followed her voice, chased it, pursued it till he was in her body. She was in her room on the Land of Departure, lying on her bed, and sunlight was streaming through the window. Must be morning, and she probably just woke up.

Hey, Kairi, he signed. Happy White Day.

“Happy White Day to you too.”

Desk, he gestured.

“You want to write something?”

He nodded.

“Okay. You can take control.”

He gently got her up out of bed and walked her body to the desk. She had a little diary for the two of them to write to each other now, and he opened it and grabbed a pen.

Ingredients List

Butter

Sugar

Whipped Cream

Coconut Chips or Shavings

Coconut Milk

He was about to write another ingredient when she interrupted.

“You want to bake me something for White Day, don’t you? You’re the sweetest.”

He smiled and continued, listing off the rest of the ingredients. When everything looked good, he added, Can you get these for me?

“Of course. We should have most of the stuff around the castle except for the coconut-related things. But I can buy them for you, okay? Or bop back to Destiny Islands real quickly if need be.”

Please do. I know it’s not much, but I wanted to thank you for your Valentine’s gift.

“Leave it to you to figure out a way to make it work. I assume you’ll want to do the baking yourself too, right?”

Yeah. I’d do it in my own body if I could. Make you a five course meal. When I get back, okay? This’ll have to do for now.

“This is more than enough.”

Talk to you soon.

He had to let go of the connection for now because he sensed danger. Curse the stupid monsters in Quadratum who kept pulling him back to their (un)reality. If he missed making Kairi’s gift for her on the appropriate day, these monsters were gonna regret they ever crossed him.

“Riku, where are you?” he grumbled as he fought them off. He knew Riku was somewhere in this reality, they just kept missing each other. It didn’t help that Sora’s heart was jumping all over the place, getting pulled more and more towards Kairi, while his body was stuck here. Glued to this place because abusing the Power of Waking meant it had been banished from the Realm of Light and couldn’t return.

As the last monster disappeared in a puff of smoke, he sighed and wiped his forehead. He was more convinced than ever that his heart’s connection to Kairi was growing stronger by the day. What would it take to get his body out of here too?

“Stupid body,” he said as he scowled at it. “Keeping me trapped here.” He let his Keyblade disappear and slunk towards a private alley. “Kairi won’t want a boyfriend without a body forever.” He sat on a box of crates and cast a barrier around himself to buy some time. “And I don’t wanna be without a body either. I don’t want my options to be body-less in the Realm of Light or trapped here forever.”

Sighing, he closed his eyes, imagining himself back in the Final World-esque place. Thankfully, he was able to will his heart back to Kairi pretty quickly. She was in the castle’s kitchen now, and all of the ingredients he’d asked for were dutifully set out.

Sorry I kept you waiting, he scrawled on the diary she’d left out. Had some monsters show up.

“Monsters? Sora, is it safe for you to be here?”

It is now. Trust me, if my body’s in danger, it lets me know.

“If you’re sure,” she finally said, and he could hear the worry in her voice. “I’ve put you in enough danger before as it is.”

Don’t I get to be the judge of that?

“Sorry, considering your current predicament and how you got there… No. You’re reckless when it comes to your own life if it means keeping me safe.”

Maybe, but I was the one who put myself in danger. Not you. And can you blame me? I wasn’t about to abandon you, with your heart in pieces and at Xehanort’s mercy. You would’ve done the same for me. You did, in fact. You refused to let me die like I was supposed to at the Keyblade Graveyard.

“That was different,” she said tersely. “I didn’t have to die to keep you alive.”

I didn’t either. I’m not dead. My body’s just—

“Cut off from the Realm of Light. How is that all that different from being dead?”

Sora felt like sighing. Kairi… We’re wasting what precious little time we have together fighting. I would gladly fight with you all day if I could, but I’d like to make you the gift I promised.

She hung her head, shoulders slumping. “Sorry, I’m making this about me and my guilt again, and when you’re in such a precarious situation, too.”

It’s okay. Sometimes I think you got the harder end of the bargain, watching me disappear, feeling all alone and abandoned.

“You didn’t abandon me. You came to my aid when I needed you most. And you’re the one who’s cut off from me, from everyone. You have it worse by far.”

Sora was about to write something when Kairi continued. “But today you’re gonna literally walk me through this recipe and we’re gonna have fun, okay? You need this, you need to relax and unwind and have some fun.”

Yeah. And there’s no person I’d rather spend time with than you.

She giggled, and his heart felt warm, hearing her giggle.

“Okay, Master Chef, teach me your ways,” she said, and with that she let him take over. He led her through mixing and chopping and cutting and stirring, and she was ever the attentive student. It had been so long since he’d gotten to bake anything. Since he’d gotten to unwind and have fun like this.

“So we’re making a pie, huh?” she said as he prepared the crust. “Don’t tell me… Coconut cream pie? That’s one of my favorites. And it’s the perfect dessert for White Day. Pi Day, too.”

The pie took a long time to make, but spending that time with Kairi was worth it. He’d spend every moment with her if he could. When at last the pie was chilling in the fridge, she sat at the table so he could write notes to her. His signing was still a work in progress.

Pie should be ready now, he wrote presently.

“Do you want me to eat it while you’re still here? It feels a little rude when you can’t.”

He didn’t like the twinge of melancholy in her voice.

I don’t mind. In fact I kinda want to know what you think.

“Okay,” she said and went to the fridge to grab the pie. It looked amazing with its crispy crust, its creamy filling coated with whipped cream shaped into perfect swirls, and its coconut shavings artfully sprinkled on top. He’d really outdone himself, and he couldn’t wait for her to taste it.

You’ll have to tell me how it is, he scribbled when she was seated at the table once more. She nodded and lifted a forkful of pie to her mouth.

Oh, yum. This pie was creamy and delicious and brought back memories of all the times he’d eaten his mom’s coconut cream pie back home—

Hold on. Hold on. He could taste the pie? How was that even possible?!

“Oh this is amazing,” Kairi cooed as she brought another forkful to her mouth. “Creamy and coconut-y and—”

“Sora?”

Ven was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, his mouth hanging open.

“You can see him?” Kairi squeaked, dropping the fork. “That’s never happened before!”

Sora froze. Ven could see him? How?

“Yeah,” Ven said, taking long strides towards them. “It’s like he’s kind of translucent, and I can still see you through him, but yeah, I can see him.”

Ven? Sora tried to say, but no sound came out.

“Do you think—Is his connection to the Realm of Light getting stronger?” Kairi asked, her voice so full of hope Sora could practically feel her heart soaring.

“Yeah, I think it must be,” Ven said. “Hang on, lemme get Terra and Aqua.” He paused for a moment to squeeze Kairi’s hand, and Sora’s felt a little warmer. “Be back in a second.”

The taste of the pie, the warmth of Ven’s hand… He wasn’t imagining this stuff, was he?

Kairi, diary, he signed, and she let him take control so he could write.

I could taste the pie. I felt Ven’s hand when he squeezed yours.

“That’s great, Sora! I think your body is trying to follow your heart back to the Realm of Light.”

Was it possible? He wanted it to be possible. He wanted to come home.

“Here, let me eat more of that pie, you must be starving.”

Please, he signed.

Kairi lifted the fork to her lips again when he felt a strong tugging on his heart.

“No,” she cried in frustration. “You can’t leave yet!”

Be back soon, he signed sadly. His heart was getting pulled back with a vengeance now, which meant he needed to protect his body. Happy White Day, Kairi.

“Happy White Day, Sora,” she said, and with that, he was back in Quadratum. Oh, great, more monsters had found him, and it was raining now too. He groaned and summoned his Keyblade. He’d much rather be eating coconut cream pie with Kairi in the Land of Departure’s warm and bright castle kitchen.

He was so close to finding a way home. Right on the edge. If he’d just had a little more time, he could’ve done it. Still, he was grateful for the moments he and Kairi had shared today. Making the pie and then tasting it together. He was more determined than ever to make it home to her. If he succeeded, then he and Kairi could spend as much time together as they wanted.

For that, he’d keep on fighting, however long it took.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: This fic is dedicated to the lovely @angel-with-a-pipette​ for coming up with the idea of Sora baking something for Kairi when I was trying to think of a follow-up to the Valentine's fic I wrote. Thank you again for all your help and input!

And Happy White Day and Happy Pi Day to you all! Thank you for reading!

[shigarakis-fifth-hand]

MHA Poly: Mina x Reader x Bakugo x Kirishima; Family Day

@drbumpkin said:

I'm back! I can't stay away honestly. So imagine Mina and reader are in a relationship but their families aren't supportive because they girls. So to get them off their back they ask Bakugo and Kirishima (who are dating) to pretend to be their boyfriends (separately). For some reason they agree and along the way they all fall in love with each other. It was hard to stop kissing your one partner infront of the family, now it's even harder to not kiss all three.

Mina Ashido, your girlfriend and future wife. You two were inseparable, and there was never a dull or boring moment when you two got together. You two were fun, exciting, and more than amazing. Especially Mina. She could party and talk all night long, but honestly, sometimes you wanted a break. Once, you just wanted to be able to sit in bed and spoon, but no. It was always go go go! It obviously wasn’t something to break up over, but you wished you had someone to chill with.

You and Mina had talked about having someone join you and make it a polygamourous relationship, but everyone who was even considerable was either in a relationship or not into girls. 

Plus for now, you were so happy with it just being you and Mina. Except... Family Day was coming up, and you both knew that Mina’s family was the most homophobic family on the planet. “That means I won’t be able to kiss you for a whole day? Do you know how hard that is for me?” Mina complained while pecking your cheek every second, trying to make up for the time you two would lose. “It’s not even a day. They come at 8 am and leave at 8pm. It’s only half a day.” You tried to explain, but Mina kept complaining anyways. You had one clingy girlfriend. 

“Even if they don’t think I have a girlfriend, they still think I’m gay. Maybe you can dress up as a boy for me.” Mina laughed, before seeing two of our friends bursting down the staircase.

“BakuBabe, you can’t be serious!” Kirishima yelled out as his blonde boyfriend stormed down the staircase. “Yes Kirishima! We are going to tell our families we are deathly sick! Now I have to go take a few pics at the hospital so they’ll believe it! Are you coming or not? It’s either this, or we pay two pathetic girls to pretend to be our girlfriends so my mom doesn’t pester me for being single.” Bakugo asked as you and Mina stared at each other, eyes sparkling your eyes. 

“We’ll be the pathetic girls!” You popped off the couch and walked over to Bakugo, smiling cheekily. “And you don’t even have to pay us! Just pretend to be our boyfriends for Mina’s family, and everything will be fine! Then we can both forget that any of it happened, and we’ll be set!” You explained as you put your arm on Bakugo’s shoulder. Surprisingly, he didn’t even push you off this time. Bakugo always was softer with you for some reason. 

“Honestly, sounds great. Pretty girls, and oblivious parents. Sounds great.” Kirishima smiled, pumping his fist into the air as Mina playfully punched him in the side. “I think it’s fine too. Cute guys, and my mom will get off my back about not having a boyfriend. Now I’ll have a hot hero boyfriend for my mom to hug to death!” Mina pinched Kirishima’s cheek, wrapping her arm around his waist and trying to pick him up.

“Heck ya! I can pretend that you’re BakuBabe, except you have boobs, and you look like if an alien and a spice girl had a child.” Kirishima explained as Mina winked, kissing his cheek and flicking him in the face. “Hey! Come on bro, let’s go act all kissy kissy!” Mina grabbed Kirishima’s hand as the two practically skipped to the kitchen. 

“Aren’t you jealous of that? Aren’t you upset?” Bakugo asked you as you giggled, shaking your head. “Mina is as loyal as they come. Plus her and Kirishima were already friendly flirting like that. I think it’s cute. And plus, we can do the same.” You smiled at Bakugo, linking your arm with his and leaning your body weight on his. 

“Yea, whatever.” Bakugo blushed and shook you off his arm and walked away, putting his hands in his pockets and leaving you, alone in the living room. What just happened? You sat on the couch, looking sadly at your girlfriend and best friend laughing loudly at an inside joke. They were close...

Mina mixed something in a bowl that smelled sweet, while Kirishima tried to juggle spoons after Mina refused to let him use knives. When Mina was finally done whisking, she brought the whisk up to Kirishima’s lips and let him lick it off. You noticed how the two looked at each other lustfully, and couldn’t help but feel a weird feeling in your stomach. Why couldn’t Bakugo look at you like that???

Wait, no! Mina was your girlfriend! You were not available to anyone. You loved Mina so much, and you should feel the urge to beat up Kirishima, not kiss his boyfriend... or him to be honest. But Bakugo was too hot to not feel attracted to, and Kirishima was just too sweet to feel any hatred for. Was it weird that you found Mina and Kirishima’s sweet.

It was as if you had no relation with either and were just a fellow student hoping they would hook up eventually. No though, Mina was yours, but Kirishima wasn’t a threat? Right? You propped your legs up on the couch and began to fade away, seeing that it was already nine pm. Yes, you usually stayed up late, but who would you go to? You felt awkward going to hang out with Mina and Kiri, Bakugo had ditched your ass, and nobody else would be out of their room.

Slowly you began drifting off to sleep while scrolling through your phone, finally passing out on the couch. Slowly, your dreams began to fill with images of Bakugo and Kirishima, shirtless of course... Mina’s voice was in the background, of course romantic and making your horny like always. As Bakugo grabbed you by the arm and pulled you to his chest, Kirishima came up behind you and sucked your neck while Bakugo nestled his face into your hair, smelling your perfume.

You woke up in a cold hard sweat abruptly, noticing your heavy breathing and chills running down her spine, as well as the goosebumps. You sat up, looking at the clock to see that it was just past midnight. You grabbed your blanket, and began to get up before feeling someone on you. Moving the blanket in your arms, you looked down to see Mina’s head propped up on your lap. You smiled, running your hand through her hair and playing with her horns before hearing an abrupt male snore behind you.

Looking to the other side of the you, you saw that it wasn’t a pillow you had been sleeping against, but sleeping with your head on Kirishima’s shoulder. You blushed abruptly, before watching him shift in place towards you, smiling softly as he put his hand on your thigh and began to lay on you more. You began smiling, a feeling of excitement rushing through you as his bare skin touched yours.

You laid back aggravatingly, not knowing what to do. How were you supposed to act like you were Bakugo’s girlfriend when you were angry at him for not giving you the attention you so desperately craved from him, had a girlfriend, and also were having feeling for a certain red-head. You and Mina had talked about an open relationship once, but... No! Kirishima was obviously into Mina and Bakugo, Bakugo hated you, Mina loved you and Kirishima, and you just... liked them all. God, you were a terrible person.

You sighed, looking back at the beautiful alien and the cute redhead who were both snuggled up against you. Smiling, you settled back down against Kirishima’s shoulder and closed your eyes. There were many people who would kill to be you at that moment, and you knew that eventually Family Day would be over and you would lose the happy feeling you were feeling now. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

You were awaken by Bakugo shaking you awake, yelling at you. “God, our parents are going to be here in half an hour! Get up Loser!” He screamed angrily as you woke up, realizing you were alone on the couch. “Don’t just sit there, move! You look homeless!” He yelled as you groaned, picking up your blanket and quickly walking to your room. You noticed Mina and Kirishima in the kitchen together, in a suit and dress together with their hair done.

You felt as if you were about to cry, feeling as if Mina and Kirishima were a better couple than you and Mina, the way he was manly and went to the gym like she did while you did swim team and ran track and liked to cook like she did while you liked to grill out and bake. Not to add the way Bakugo obviously despised you due to your move on him last night. God, he hated you and your ugly ass.

As you shut the door to your apartment, you slammed yourself against the door and began crying, hating the feel of your greasy hair and pajamas, you felt like trash. Wrapping your arms around your knees, you chose to ignore the sound of running towards your door. You were surprised to hear quick knocking on your door, and then the sound of your sweet redhead friend. “Y/n! Y/n, please let me in.” 

He begged as you tried to wipe the mascara marks from your cheeks and got up, opening the door slowly to reveal yourself. Immediately as he saw you, he pushed through the crack of the door and held you in a tight hug, holding you close. “Shh, shh. I’m sorry, I swear he doesn’t know what he’s saying.” He petted your hair, and rubbed your back kindly. “It’s not just that, it’s just...” You looked up at his sweet face, feeling the blood rush to your face as you blushed.

“You and Mina are such a good couple compared to her and I, I know you like her. I know you’re dating Bakugo, but I know you told everyone you’re good with polygamourous relationships. I feel like I just... it’d be better if I just left everyone alone and just-” As you were about to continue, Kirishima grabbed your chin and slowly pulled your lips close, finally kissing you softly. He put his hands on your waist and pulled you against him close, you feeling his erection poking through his black pants.

“N-no, we shouldn’t be... We’re both in real relationships, it’s not... It’s not okay Kiri, we can’t just-” He stopped you again by pulling you into another kiss, this time you kissed back. He began French kissing you, and you immediately fell into his warmth. As you two separated, you two began smiling softly before Kirishima stepped back. “I’ll wait for you down-” You grabbed his hand, your body moving against your mind and thoughts.

“Stay in here, it’ll just take a minute.” You whispered, holding his hand and bringing him to your bed to sit. You walked to your closet and grabbed out the white flowy dress, taking it off the hanger and placing it on your desk, beginning to strip off your clothes and change. You didn’t even have to look back at Kirishima, knowing that his eyes were laid on you. While you changed into your dress and put on your black flats to match, you finally met eye contact with Kirishima through your mirror. “Would you mind?” You asked, turning to let him see your zipper to the back of your dress. 

He nodded nervously, sitting up and walking over to you, beginning to zip up your dress but stopping mid-zipper. You closed your eye as he kissed the back of your neck, sucking hard as to leave a mark as chills went up your spine. His lips finally left your body and zipped up your dress, hiding the hickey he had given. He then turned you around by himself, kissing your lips softly multiple times, before running sweet pecks down your face, lips, and collarbone.

You left to go to the bathroom, leaving him with a small smirk as he did the same, staring at you with his eyes wide as if you were the prettiest thing he had ever seen. You did your hair and makeup, making sure to put on the strawberry perfume your mother had got you, and the necklace your sister had given you. That was, until your hand grazed the ring that Mina had given you exactly one year ago as a birthday gift. 

You sighed, a feeling of guilt and remorse in your heart as you put the necklace on. You were a girlfriend to the most beautiful girl in the world, and here you were kissing another boy. You knew it was wrong, but your body ached for it so much. The worst part was that you still loved Mina, but you felt such a feeling for Kiri as well that you couldn’t stop yourself. God, you were such an awful human being.

You walked out, making eye contact with Kirishima as his eyes bugged out. “God, you’re gorgeous.” He whispered, bringing you to a hug as you both wrapped your arms around each other. “I think I’m in love with you.” He murmured as you nodded, feeling him run his hands on your back. “Me too...” You whispered, letting him kiss you multiple times as his hands roamed your body. 

He cupped your breasts, kissed your neck, nipped at your ear, and ran his hands through your h/c hair. “God, I want to spend the entire day with you. Why do we have to do something today?” He joked as you giggled, bringing his forehead to yours. “God, just give me a minute. I won’t be able to touch you for an entire day.” He smashed his lips into yours, bringing his tongue inside of your mouth. Yes you were moving fast, but he was just so addicting and sensual.

“Now, let’s go. Our parents will be here and... you have to go date my girlfriend.” You smiled, fixing his tie and hair as he held the door open for you and let you both out into the hallway. On the elevator ride down, you wiped the lip gloss off of his face as he stared at you, you allowing him to hold your waist. When you walked out, he walked off to join Mina, winking at you as you blushed, beginning to walk around. 

You saw the Ashidos, knowing them from when you and Mina had done “sleepovers” during the Summer, and then the Kirishimas, all of them with black hair. You began to see the Iidas, Asuis, and of course the Todorokis which radiated tension and uncomfortability. Walking into the kitchen, you were met with the lovely sight of the Bakugos. “Katsuki! That is not how you do it! You have to season it before you cook so it mixes in! God, who taught you to cook?!” 

Bakugo’s mother, who was a splitting image of him, began smacking him on the head as he tried to cook chicken on the stove. “Dear, we talked about this!” You turned to see Bakugo’s father, with brown hair and a button up golf shirt and jeans with glasses. At that moment, both of the parents turned to see you, angelic and beautiful in the doorway. “Katsukiiiii! Is this your little girlfriend who Kirishima told us about?!” She asked, running to you as Bakugo turned to look at you. 

He stopped cold, blushing bright red as he looked at you, unable to believe his eyes. “Well, it didn’t take long for you to go from a four to a ten.” He commented as his mother playfully hit him. “Katsuki, you didn’t tell me she was such a looker! God, girl you’re beautiful! You must be Y/n! Call me Mitsuki!” She reached out her hand, grabbing yours to shake it abruptly. “Hi, I’m Masura, Bakugo’s father. It’s so nice to meet you.” He walked over calmly and extended his hand for you to shake, waiting for you to shake his hand unlike his wife. 

The two were so different, yet they made total sense for the child they had raised. Totally crazy and energetic most of the time, but could be chill and calm if he wanted to or needed to. “Oh deary, say something! I’m so looking forward to meeting you! Katsuki, keep the chicken on the low cook and keep an eye on it while your father and I talk to your girlfriend!” She grabbed your arm and rushed you to the dining table, sitting you next to her. 

“Now tell me, how did you and Katsuki meet? Did you ask him out first, or did my son actually grow a pair?! Tell me everything!” Mitsuki asked you, before her husband turned his eyes to his son. “Katsuki, that’s not how you-!” You turned to see Bakugo struggling with the chicken, quickly getting up and walking over to him to help. “Katsuki, you have to stir it so it’ll cook evenly.” You grabbed his hand in your own and began to move the spoon around the pan, moving the chicken, noodles and cheese sauce around. 

Katsuki blushed, but he didn’t pull away as he looked over to see his Mother and Father watching attentively. At least that’s what he told himself when your bare touch sent electricity through his body, as if Denki had shocked him in the pool again during swim practice. As his parents stared at them googly-eyed, his mother reached into the pocket to get her phone. “Oh dear, I left my phone in the car. Let’s leave these two alone for a second and go get it.” Mitsuki smiled at her husband, grabbing his hand and forcing him to leave the building.

“You look good.” Bakugo murmured as you turned to him angrily, turning back and ignoring him. “I said you look good, like really good.” He commented once more, but you chose to ignore him again, not even bothering to turn. Before you could react, he grabbed you by the waist and pushed you against the corner, turning you around to face him. “Why are you ignoring me?” He asked as you rolled your eyes, trying to hold back the tears. 

“You’re so rude at me, I’m doing you a favor here so your family doesn’t think you have a boyfriend!” You yelled at him, ignoring the fact that his leg was slowly making it’s way in between your own. “I’m doing you the same favor with your family!” He yelled back, now getting angry. What he wasn’t expecting was when you burst into tears, beginning to run out of the room before he grabbed your wrist. “Y/n!” He yelled, beginning to pull you to his chest as you cried. At that moment, he realized something...

“And you don’t even have to pay us! Just pretend to be our boyfriends for Mina’s family, and everything will be fine! Then we can both forget that any of it happened, and we’ll be set!” 

You didn’t have a family coming for Family Day.

“You... I’m guessing your family isn’t coming today.” He murmured as you looked up at him, tears streaming from your e/c eyes. “Oh Y/n, I’m so sorry.” He whispered sadly, holding your head close to his heart as you could literally feeling it beating. “It’s okay... I’m used to it.” You explained as he couldn't help but feel like a jerk, even more than usual. “Is there anything I can do? Let me do something, I feel so bad.” Bakugo expressed, surprised when you pushed yourself from him. 

“No... Don’t let me ruin your day with your mom and dad, enjoy time with them. I’m going to go fix up my hair, be right back.” Before Bakugo could argue, you ran out of the kitchen, and out of view. He would have run after you if his parents hadn’t walked into the kitchen the next second. “Aww, where is she? I wanted to take some photos!” Mitsuki exclaimed as she smiled, showing her phone to Bakugo.

“She had to go fix her hair, she’ll be back in a minute.” He groaned, staring at the food in front of him. All he could want is to feel your hand on his, and to feel your warmth on his body. He knew it was wrong to want you with neither of you being single, but the want was to great for him to think of any morals. Little did he know, his boyfriend was experiencing the same dilemma.

You walked into the bathroom, tears about to spill out of your eyes at the thought of your parents. Your mother would be the life of the party with the other moms, and your dad could talk about anything for hours with the dads. Your sister would have came and bonded with Mina, Bakugo, and Kiri. She would have loved them, saying that you could have dated any one of them and it’d be too cute.

Your family was so supportive, yet you had lost them in that one car accident in elementary school. Being forced into foster home after foster home, tragedy seemed to follow wherever you went. Your first foster home turned out to be a crack house, the second with young kids who just wanted the money, and the third was a woman who was too busy to give you the time of day.

The cycle seemed to end only when Aizawa installed the dorms, and you were ever so thankful. You were able to get money from companies you had saved from fires and earthquakes, so financially you were good. But mentally, losing your entire family in one night took a toll on you, and you had vowed to never grow close to anyone who you could lose again.

But then Mina came into your life and changed everything. In a single week you went from not talking at all like Shoto to being the most social girl in the class. You became friend’s with everyone, and thanks to her, you also learned a thing or two about your sexuality. By the time you and her got together, your entire life had changed for the better. Yet, sometimes it still hurt.

As your sobs filled the bathroom, you failed to hear the door open and close behind you. “Y/n?! Oh gosh, what happened?” You looked into the mirror to see Mina running to you, hugging you from behind. “I... I miss them. I really really miss them.” You told him as she nodded, wiping a tear from your cheek. “You poor thing. I know it hurts.”

She gave you a sad smile before hugging you again. “Just think about how proud they would be. You went from a foster kid to a UA student who’s going to make it big and become a pro hero! You’re incredible Y/n. They’re proud of you. I’m proud of you. They love you. I love you. I know it’s hard, but just think about how much they love you. You are making them so happy.”

You smiled at your girlfriend as she kissed your cheek. “So, what are you doing in here? Trying to hide from your parents again?” You asked as Mina giggled, blushing. “You know me too well. The tension between Kirishima and my parents are terrible. Not to mention that Kirishima’s parents left to go see his brother and want to meet up for dinner tonight, so it’s just Kiri and my family.”

You smiled at Mina, loving the way that she could still make you smile whenever she wanted. “Yikes. Want me to come help out? Bakugo and I aren’t... doing the best.” Mina smiled at you, nodding. “Of course!! I was thinking I would have to beg you!” She grabbed your hand and wiped the tears off your cheek before pulling you out into the hall towards her family and Kirishima.

As soon as you got close to them, you watched all of their eyes brighten up. “Hey Kiddo! Long time no see!” Mina’s father, one of the main owners of the country club nearby, gave you a side hug happily. “Oh dear, is it possible that you’ve gotten prettier since the Summer?” Mrs. Ashido exclaimed happily, hugging you tightly. “It’s good to see you’ve recovered.” She smiled.

“Recovered?” Kirishima asked curiously as you turned to him, remembering that he was there. “Oh ya, I rode my motorcycle off the roof of Mina’s house and broke my arm. I missed the pool. It was nothing though, I got over it fast.” The Ashidos and you laughed it off as Kirishima’s eyes widened. You were so cool... “Anyways, what’s been up with you chica?” Mrs. Ashido asked, smiling ear-to-ear as she started a conversation with her second child.

“Oh, nothing much. UA is such an amazing school, it’s wild. The dorms are brand new and I’m neighbors with Mina and my other friend Hagakure so it’s never that loud. 1-A is such a nice class, I’m literally friends with everyone. They’re all just so nice and we all help each other, plus the guys are so cool. Denki charges my phone when we’re on the bus, and Sato makes me cake.”

As Mina’s parents laughed and continued to carry on the conversation, you happened to look over at Mina and Kirishima. They were whispering and giggling with one another, holding hands and sitting very close as they stared into each other’s eyes, smiling widely with blushed faces. Something in your stomach dropped as they both looked over, meeting eye contact with you.

They froze before separating, trying to pretend like nothing had happened. “If you’ll excuse me, I just think I forgot to put out the candles in my room. Be right back.” You excused yourself from the conversation with Mina’s parents, quickly walking into the elevator. “Wait, Y/n!” As you entered the elevator, you turned to see Kiri and Mina running after you.

You pressed the 2nd floor button, letting tears fall onto your face as you watched the two run after you. Lucky for you, the doors closed before they could get to you, letting you cry in peace. You closed your eyes tightly and let the tears fall onto your cheeks, feeling exhausted from the lack of school, emotional, and confused about what you were feeling.

Mina and Kiri were just so perfect together, and they obviously had feelings for one another, yet they both had said they loved you earlier that day. Were you bringing them down, or being played? As the elevator opened and you ran out, you ran into someone. Almost falling before they grabbed you, you looked up to see Bakugo. “I went to your room to check but you weren’t there.”

He helped you back to your feet before seeing the tears streaming down your face. “What’s wrong with you?” He asked, surprised when you ran into his chest, now sobbing. “Today has been the worst day of my life! I haven’t slept all week because I was thinking about my family, and then today has just been the absolute worst!” You confessed as he nodded, petting your head.

You were shocked at his sudden gesture, filled with surprising compassion and sympathy. “I know how you feel. I made a girl who I love cry.” You looked up at Bakugo, eyes wide as you could only guess what he had meant. “I bet that made you feel like a jerk.” You murmured slowly, staring into his red crimson eyes. “Yea, I should have ran after her.”

Slowly, you and Bakugo leaned together, kissing slowly. He cupped your face with his hand, and used the other on the back of your head to intensify the kiss. “God, I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” He whispered as he began to trail he hands to your waist, squeezing every curve of your body. Slowly, he pushed your back into the elevator and pushed you up against the wall.

“Wait, no. I can’t do this.” You pushed him away as he sighed, separating only a bit from your lips. “I’m risking just as much as you.” He exclaimed as you both didn’t realize the elevator door had opened. “No, I can’t do any of this! I’ve kissed you, Mina, and Kirishima in the same day!” As you saw Bakugo’s eyes widen, you turned around to see Kirishima and Mina staring back.

“I’m such an awful person!” You cried out, running past them and into the side hallway towards the side exit. As you grabbed the door and tried to run out, you felt Kirishima wrap his hands around your waist. “No! Let go of me, please!” You begged, pushing against him as he continued to held you close, letting Bakugo and Mina catch up to you both.

“Y/n, please relax. It’s fine, nobody is mad at you.” Kirishima tried to calm you as you finally stopped fighting, dangling from his arms as tears streamed down your face. “I’m mad at myself. What kind of girlfriend am I?’ You asked as your eyelids slowly drooped down. “Baby, how much sleep have you gotten recently?” Mina asked as you looked up at her slowly.

“Two and a half hours...” You whispered as Bakugo’s eyes widened at you. “God, no wonder you’ve been so emotional today. You must feel like you’re dying.” He exclaimed as you nodded, sleep overcoming you without your consent. “Oh god, go get her to her room. I’ll go tell our parents that she’s not doing well. Then we all can meet up for dinner.” Mina explained before leaving towards the main room.

“Let’s go. I’ll carry her.” Bakugo told his boyfriend as Kirishima shook his head. “I wanted to.” Kirishima protested as Bakugo sighed angrily. “Fine, let’s go!” Bakugo groaned, opening the door to the exit and leading Kirishima to Y/n’s room. When they walked in, Kirishima laid her on the bed while Bakugo walked to get her water bottle.

He handed it to Kirishima who put it on the nightstand before laying a blanket on top of her. “She doesn’t have a fever, so I think she’ll be fine.” Kirishima murmured as Katsuki nodded and sighed. “You... kissed her?” Bakugo asked as Kirishima turned to him, nodding guiltily. “I almost kissed Mina, but only Y/n. Did you?” Kirishima asked as Bakugo nodded upsettingly. “I... I’m a terrible boyfriend.” Kirishima murmured.

“No, don’t blame yourself. I did the exact same thing, except not Mina.” Bakugo sat down next to his boyfriend, letting Kiri lean on him. “Please don’t break up with me. I... I really love you Bakugo.” Kirishima looked into his boyfriend’s eyes, kissing him slowly. “I love you too Kirishima. Never ever forget it.” Bakugo kissed his forehead, before putting his arm around Kirishima.

“So... now what? We both love each other, and we both love her.” Kirishima asked, but was met with silence, meaning that Bakugo literally didn’t know. The silence was interrupted when Mina walked back in. “All of our families are meeting for pizza at 8 tonight. How’s she doing?” She asked as they both turned to her, smiling.

“She’s doing well. She’s not sick, just probably tired. She can sleep for three hours and then go to dinner.” Kirishima explained, holding onto your hand tightly as you slept. “So... what now? The three of us drove her to exhaustion and an anxiety attack. I think we owe her an answer, and apology.” Mina explained as the two boys nodded. “What about... all of us in a relationship? I’m okay with it if you guys are.”

Bakugo and Kirishima exchanged glances, surprised by Mina’s proposition. “I... I’d be down to try it.” Bakugo whispered, shocking Kirishima by his confession. “I... Of course.” Kirishima began to smile as Mina sat down and hugged them quickly. “You guys are the sweetest. Now it’s just up to...” All three of them turned to the h/c girl in the bed.

“We can get an answer when she’s up for it. Right now, she just needs to-” Mina stopped as you opened your eyes partially. “Mina? Bakugo? Kiri? What’s happening?” You asked, looking around your room. “Nothing baby, just go to sleep.” Mina began rubbing your back as you shook your head no. “Please.” You tugged on her sleeve, and then on Kirishima’s. 

Slowly you pulled all of them into the queen bed of your dorm, including Bakugo who surprisingly climbed in after Kiri. “What about dinner?” Bakugo asked as you pulled him closer. “We have a few more hours. Don’t worry about it.” Kirishima ruffled his boyfriend’s spiky blonde hair and nestled into the crook of his neck. There, and only there, did you feel like you had a family again. Two boyfriends and an adorable girlfriend.

[residentsocialfailure]

Thoughts on MAG 190

because I have many, and I’m so excited this show is finally back. 

God, hearing that intro again. Gives me chills. I missed this.

Lowri! Helen! For some reason I was thinking they might have only been a part of the trailer, without actually being major characters. I’m so happy I was wrong. Fucking love them. Helen has always been, and always will be, my favorite Rusty Quiller.

“They sometimes go to a side tunnel, for.. private contemplation.” 2 minutes in, and Jonny reveals that wtgfs like to sneak off to go make out. I love it.

First tape recorder appearance. Oh shit. Interesting that they eye doesn’t work super well in the tunnels, yet it still appears. Hmmm.

“First name terms with The Prophets. Bit disrespectful.” Oh, I missed his sass. Jon is so good. 

Hiding out in Leitner’s old haunt. Interesting. I wonder if there are any of his books still lying around, and if the fearpocalypse has affected them at all.

“Celia?” Martin recognizes her? Is she the same girl Lowri played in MAG 100?

Oh, I missed Melanie so much. She’s so good, and her disdain for Jon is wonderful. God, I hope nothing bad happens to her.

Helen is Melanie’s therapist! That’s amazing. I love it.

I don’t know why Georgie trying repeatedly to destroy the never-ending tape recorders is so funny to me, but it is. 

I’m so glad they’re getting to talk. I missed Georgie, and her not really being there for Jon in S4 always made me kind of sad. I mean, it was totally understandable. and she had to do what was best for her too, but still. I’m glad that she’s acknowledging it though, and saying that she wasn’t really being fair to Jon, and didn’t understand what was really going on. I just love all of these people so much. I feel like this exchange is probably really important for Jon too.   

An endless supermarket? That’s super convenient. Just trying to figure out how that would work as a fearscape. Husbands who were sent to the store by their wives and can’t remember what to get? Broke college students who are trying to put together a meal with no money? Feeling judged for your purchases, thinking the employees are watching you and know that you don’t know how to cook. Or something. Or maybe it’s for the retail workers. Feeling like your boss is constantly watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake. Yeah, that makes more sense. Probably some of all of the above.

The Admiral!!! I kind of love/hate that he’s just chilling, going hunting 24/7. Like I’m glad he’s happy. But it’s so sad that he doesn’t recognize Georgie. That must be really difficult. I wonder what specifically he’s hunting. Other cats? Mice? Birds? People who are afraid of cats? 

“The Snoop God’s favorite kid” 

“Now my therapist thinks I’m the chosen one.” All jokes aside (because it did make me laugh) that must be a super weird dynamic, for both of them. Like, hey, you know everything about me, and how completely flawed I am. You helped me get through some very dark periods, and now I’m apparently the savior of your world or something. And thinking your “prophet” is somebody who you saw in such a way, has to be wild. I’m interested to see if they’re going to delve more into this relationship, because it could be really interesting.

I also really, really, love that Martin and Melanie are able to have this time to just talk. They’ve both gone through so much. And yeah, they were never super close in the before-times. But they still understand each other, in a way I think not a lot of people could, who haven’t worked in the Archives. And they’re just hanging out, chatting about their love lives. It’s so wholesome and good.

“I’m the anti-christ’s plus one.”  Oh my goodness Martin. This made me laugh so hard. I feel like that’s going to be A Thing in the fandom.

How weird must that be though, to have people look up to you like that? I can’t blame her at all for lying about the vision. She’s just trying to give them hope, and something bright to look forward to. But it’s also really hard. Because it is a lie, and does put her on a pedestal. It’s a really difficult situation, and there’s not really any good answers on how to handle that. But I can’t imagine the stress that must put on you. Feeling so responsible for these people, who have nothing, and who’s lives you literally saved. And who look up to you like you can solve all your problems, when you have no idea what you’re doing. It must be so hard.

That being said, the cringe I just experienced from “Blind Prophet”. Just. So much no. 

I love hearing Melanie talk about Georgie though. She’s so in love and it’s so sweet. 

Oh no. Daisy. And the pain is back. The whiplash I’m going through in this conversation. And Spiral Helen. I’m glad that Jonny put that in there though. Helen was just such a good, good, character.. In that her whole point was making you think she was on your side. And she did that to the point that a lot of people, including me, actually started to think maybe she was. This was a good reminder that no. She really was evil, she was just also really good at manipulation. It’s easy to forget sometimes, and to think maybe she didn’t deserve to die, and they could’ve saved her. But it wouldn’t have worked out, Jon knew what he was doing.

Cold baked beans. Delicious. I guess they can’t really make a fire in the tunnels. And obviously no electricity. Seems quite unpleasant though.

”Even if her problems were sometimes... odd.” I don’t remember, did we ever get context for how much she actually told her? 

”But you’ve got to have hope in something. Otherwise there’s no point to anything. So, I choose to have hope in them. [...] Times like these, it just helps to believe. I’m not sure it really matters what.” 

Anil!! I love him so much. I do wish we got some Arun/Martin bonding time though. I need them to talk about their favorite poets and discuss interpretations of various poems or something. I don’t know, I’m not really a big poetry person, but they both are, and I think they would get along pretty well, if Martin isn’t too put off by the religious part.

He also did sort of bring up a point I had been thinking about. And definitely not thinking this is in any way foreshadowing of anything, or that this is at all something that will come up. It’s just my own personal thoughts. “Maybe your powers feed on hope. On faith, and trust, and hope.” I feel like everything in the universe has an opposite, to a certain extent. And I feel like it makes sense that the fears would have an opposite as well. That there would be some sort of powers of hope or something. Not even necessarily in a good vs evil sort of way, because I feel like that’s an over simplification, and not at all really realistic.Nothing in real life is that black and white. But the fears came to exist because they were something people believed in. Not in like a faith way. But just in a way that it’s something that people thought and focused on enough to give it power. And I feel like that would work for hopes and dreams too. It only makes sense to me that if fearing something so much gives it power to turn into an actual, god-like, entity. Well, people dream about things just as much as they fear other things. I don’t know. I feel like someone smarter and better with words than I am could explain my thought process better. Just an idea that I had, that, as I said, I do not believe will at all come up, or exists at all in this universe. It’s not even really a headcanon. Just thoughts.

Final Thoughts:

This episode was so good? It was much more light-hearted than I was expecting, but in a really good way. I loved just hearing everybody reconnect, and have actual conversations with their friends. I forgot how much I missed these people, and how good everyone is. 10/10, absolutely loved. I’m exited to see what comes next, if a bit nervous. Obviously this was a good episode to ease back in, but the pain will be coming pretty soon. I am curious, there are apparently seven members of the cult, and we only met three, not including wtgfs, so five. I wonder if we’ll recognize the other two, or if they’re just not that important. Also wondering what the plan is for Jon, as he still doesn’t really know what to do. Is he just going to hang out for a bit? Have a chance to relax, like they did at Salesa’s? Wondering if they’re going to leave of their own volition, and decide it’s time to get a move on, or if something will happen to force them out. It’s clearly more dangerous for the cult now that Jon is there, and, ascaves much as Georgie cares about him, I don’t think she’ll let them stay if she thinks they’re an active danger. Anyways, I’m so, so excited that TMA is back, and I can’t wait to hear what comes next. 

[kaidans-alenko]

Chocolate kisses

Just a little valentines one shot based in the universe of the long fic i’m working on “willow”  

Summery: Valentines day is coming up and Lily has the perfect plan to win Kaidan’s heart: homemade chocolate

AO3 Link

"Aughhh!" Lily yelled, resulting in a very alarmed  Aiden dashing into their kitchen.  

"What? What's wrong?" He asked, concerned.

Lily slammed the pan of what he assumed was chocolate down onto the counter, she had been holed up in their apartment all day and wouldn't tell him why "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to bake." She said, glaring at the pan.

"Bake what?"

Lily tensed up "Nothing, none of your business!"

Aiden picked up her pink recipe book, looking at the page it was opened on "Heart shaped dark chocolate...I didn't know you had a boyfriend." It's not like he was privy to every aspect of her life but they told each other everything and after Nate she had practically ruled out relationships.

Lily blushed, yanking the book from him "I don't."

"Then who are you making it for?"

Lily crossed her arms looking away from him "Maybe it's for you and you ruined the surprise."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you always get me flowers so why can't I give you something?"

"You cook for me every year and besides I hate dark chocolate."

"Well then maybe it's for me!"

"You hate dark chocolate."

"Ugh! Listen, did you just come in to interrogate me?"

"No, I came in because I was worried, you're the one being difficult."

"Fine! I'm making it for someone happy?"

"Who?"

"Why does it matter?"

Aiden shrugged "I'm just curious."

"Well...don't be!" She turned him around, pushing him out of the kitchen. "Now why don’t you focus on your own love life and leave me alone." Lily huffed walking back into the kitchen, leaving Aiden standing in their living room confused.

As much as it aggravated her to admit Aiden was right, she was trying to make chocolate for someone and that someone was her fellow soldier and sentinel, Kaidan Alenko. It was stupid, they weren't dating and she wasn't even sure he liked her so why she was stressing herself like this she didn't know but she was bad with words and everyone liked getting chocolates on valentines day right?

Lily gasped, what if he had a girlfriend? He hadn't mentioned anything but he was also a private person so he probably wouldn't have anyway. Lily fixed her ponytail "Whatever, if he puts all my good work to waste I'll kill him, asshole." She grumbled as she went back to work. 

Kaidan shuddered "You okay LT?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah, just a sudden chill." He told her, a troubled look on his face.

"You know they often say that happens when someone is talking about you, maybe Lily is the reason?" She teased. Ashley knew about Lily and Kaidan's respective crushes on each other, her only problem was she couldn't tell either of them. Lily was her best friend and if she wanted her to keep it a secret she would and Ashley was no gossip but damn if it wasn't hard.

Kaidan rolled his eyes "Please, she doesn't even like me."

Oh if only he knew "Then why did you drag me, her best friend on to the Citadel just to pick out a gift for her huh?" Kaidan was silent "if you truly believed she didn't like you, any old box of chocolate would do, wouldn't it?"

"Just tell me what kind of flowers she likes."

"Aiden already gets her flowers."

Kaidan sighed "Of course…"

"She likes stuffed animals though.” Ashley informed him.

"You're kidding." Her? Miss shoot up a colony just because they don't have the time to throw a couple gas grenades. She collects stuffed animals? 

Ashley shook her head "Swear on my life, she has quite the collection."

"If you say so." If anyone were to know it’d either be Ashley or Aiden and he certainly wasn’t about to ask him how to win his sister’s heart. 

"Come on, I'll even help you pick one out." Ashley grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to shelves filled to the brim with pink, red and white stuffed toys.

"They're cute but they all have 'I love you' written on them." He said as he put one back on the shelf.

"Well are they wrong?" She pried.

"I'm not answering that." Kaidan picked up a white dog with red hearts all over it "aren't hearts a little...forward?"

"Kaidan."

He looked over at her "Yeah?"

"It's Valentine's Day, that's the whole point." Kaidan was definitely the endearingly awkward type and Lily was just awkward. They'd be a match made in heaven if they'd just knock it off and be honest with each other.

"Success!" Lily cried out collapsing to her knees on the kitchen floor, exhaustion finally washing over her. She had been trapped in her kitchen all morning and afternoon trying to get this chocolate to mold correctly and she finally did. "I'm never fucking making chocolate again." She said as she stood up "so he better enjoy it while he can."

Lily hummed happily as she set the heart shaped candy into a small pink box, wrapping a bow around it, trying to push the thought that Kaidan may not feel the same way to the back of her mind "It's fine, I'll just order a heart shaped pizza and cry alone while Aiden has a nice evening with Liara It's okay." She laughed to herself, aware of how crazy she probably sounded. She hoped that didn’t happen but she stopped being an optimist a long time ago.

-------------------------------

Kaidan sat at the table in the mass hall, the stuffed dog he had gotten for Lily laid in front of him, he felt silly as he waited for her to finish getting ready, the rest of the crew was either on dates or at Flux but he had stayed behind to wait for her. Kaidan might have sorta kinda forgot to ask her out on a date so he had to do it last minute when she probably already had one. He was an adult he could handle rejection, it would suck but he’d get over it, he just needed to get it out of the way so he could get over it. Kaidan gently flicked the dog's ear “Hopefully she’ll think you’re cute enough to forget that she hates me.” at least that’s what she liked to tell him, she was aloof one day but flirted with him the next it made no sense, Ashley liked to tease him by saying he didn’t understand women but maybe he just didn’t understand Lily. It’s not that she was all that easy to read.

Lily peaked over at Kaidan from behind the elevator, her hands behind her back holding the pink box containing the chocolate she made for him, he had a present in front of him too, they were the only two left on the ship was it for her? She didn’t want to assume things but she really hoped it was, she had fantasizing all day in between bouts of chocolate related anger. Taking a deep breath and steeling herself she slowly walked over to him “Kaidan?”

He looked up upon hearing his name, breath catching in his throat at the sight of her, he had never seen her in a skirt before and her gorgeous raven black hair was out of its usual tight ponytail and instead tied into a braid laid over her bare shoulders. At the age of thirty-two here he was blushing like a school boy on valentines day because of his CO’s younger sister. When was the last time he was on shore leave? “Lily you...uh...you look beautif-nice! You look very nice…” he said as he stood up to greet her, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. 

Any other time she would’ve teased him but not now, she didn’t feel like it now, it’s not that she wanted a relationship really, she hadn’t for a long time but she didn’t want to have a just sex relationship with him either, ignoring the fact Kaidan wasn’t the type, what she felt for him wasn’t just physical attraction it went deeper and that terrified her. “I uh...I made these for you.” she said, blushing as she handed him the box of candy. 

“You made it?” He asked, surprised as he opened the box.

“Yeah, it’s always a hit or miss with store bought chocolate so I thought i’d give it a try.” she told him as she started tugging on her skirt, the ship suddenly feeling very hot and the more she thought about it the more she realized homemade, heart shaped chocolate may have been too forward.

Kaidan smiled down at her “Thank you Lily, I can’t wait to try them,” he turned around, picking up the dog and holding it out to her “I got you something too, I had heard you liked stuffed animals so…” now it was his turn to blush.

Lily’s face lit up “For me?” she gently took the stuffed down in her hands, looking at it briefly before hugging it to her chest with a smile on her face “I love it, thank you!” Kaidan had never seen her smile, not at him anyway all he got was a smirk at most but not this time, this time she gave him a genuine smile and it was gorgeous. Kaidan didn’t know her history, he didn’t know why she rarely smiled but he wanted to. It’s not like he was big on smiling either but someone like Lily...someone like her deserved to always be happy, to always smile from the bottom of her heart, even if he wasn’t the reason behind it. 

“I know it’s very last minute but if you don’t have a date I would like to take you to dinner.” It had been a long time since he had asked someone on a date, probably before he even enlisted and he hadn’t anticipated doing it again for a long time yet here he was jittery with butterflies in stomach as he asked the woman he had a crush on out on a date. God crush...such a juvenile term for him to use but that was the best way to describe it and for as much as they bickered it was probably a long shot but something deep down told him he’d regret it if he didn’t. 

“I’d love to, I actually didn’t have any plans either.” She was hoping he’d give her some but she wasn’t going to say that out loud. 

Kaidan let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding “Great, that’s uh...great.” he hadn’t planned past this mainly because he hadn’t anticipated her saying yes but before he could trip over his words again Lily took his hand, pulling him along.

“There’s a restaurant I've been wanting to try but I haven’t had anyone to go with.” She said, it was an obvious lie, she could’ve dragged Aiden along but she didn’t because she was holding out hope that she’d be able to go with Kaidan, they weren’t dating, not even a little so to have such hope was silly but she was nothing if not a hopeless romantic, a side of herself she hadn’t seen in a long time. 

“What restaurant?” He asked as he was rather willingly led up the stairs.

“Apollo’s? I don’t remember but it’s named after one of those Greek gods, it’s on the presidium I know that much.”

Kaidan chuckled “I’m sure we’ll find it.”

“I hope so! I’m starving Kaidan, absolutely wasting away as we speak.” she said, her tone over dramatic and dragging her feet as if she was about to pass out on the stairs.

It was rare for her to joke with him like this but he liked it and as much as he was getting his hopes up it had him wanting more nites like this but for now he was going to savor this one. The sound of her giggling, something he didn’t expect to hear from her, the sight of her smile, the one she was only directing at him, the smell of her floral perfume, it was light but so very Lily and most of all, the feeling of his hand in hers. Lily’s hands, like the rest of her, were much smaller than his and they fit together like puzzle pieces. He wasn’t about to be sappy and say they were made for each other, he didn’t know that yet but it sure was a nice thought. 

[skinks]

Please Please talk to me about Maggie Tozier and what she’s like and looks like and what Dilfworth Tozier loves about her and made him put a ring on it and in general how much her two boys love her and how she loves them.

[cracks knuckles] here we go

I was looking through my copy of the book yesterday to answer this ask but then I figured, y’know what? Canon can suck it. I tend to beat myself up over accurate characterisation for Richie and Eddie, but they’re main characters, Maggie and Went are not, so the details are inconsequential. Their ages in the Dilfworth fic mean that they’d have a pretty different life experience from their book versions, what with growing up in the 60s/70s, but imo all that matters is that they love Richie and are good parents. Canon is ours now!!!

- my no.1 headcanon rn is that Maggie sings like an angel, and sings all the time. In the car, in the shower, gardening, housework, cooking. She and Went have a pretty good record collection, but if Went is listening to something and hears Maggie singing to herself in another room of the house he shuts that shit off quick so he can hear her.

- I wrote in ithots that Richie busts out into song at the drop of a hat, right? well, where Richie gets encouragement with his Voices through Went participating, Richie gets his incessant singing from Maggie, because he grew up in a household where that was welcomed.

- Maggie doesn’t even notice she’s doing it until Richie joins in, or she turns around and sees Went gazing at her all dopey, and she gets self-conscious

- until Went is like “I don’t know why. You know I think you’re a songbird” and then grins and calls her Magpie. She says stop. He says, Maggie-pie? She throws a dishcloth at him but secretly loves it because she fell in love with how frank and practical he is most of the time, but also how silly he is only when it comes to her and Richie.

- he only calls her that when they’ve had one too many anyway, otherwise it’s all sweetheart, honey, darling, Mags. Marguerite, in Richie’s stupid French Waiter Voice. “Yes ma’am” for when he’s rearranging her guts. Maggie’s the one to call him “my love” the first time, but she said it kinda exaggerated and jokey, and Maggie just doesn’t joke the way Went and Richie do so Richie noticed the way his dad just cracked tf up and was like wow, Mom must be really, really funny

- so y’know how Richie calls Eddie “my love” in the book, and is generally quite physically affectionate? He picks all that up from his parents, watching their example. Wants to make Eddie laugh like that

- for some reason I always imagine she speaks like, French or Italian fluently. I’m stealing @honeyreynolds hc that her maiden name is Avery for Tex Avery, but maybe her own mother was European. She tries to speak French with Richie as a baby/toddler so that he’ll be bilingual, and she’s so proud/frustrated because he’s clearly smart and has a knack for linguistic imitation, but his attention span is just. Non existent

- still makes lil kid Richie giggle by doing exaggerated Italian and making him guess what she’s saying

- I think she’s pretty elegant and reserved and almost shy on the surface with a rly wry sense of humour, so people tend to think she’s snooty, but she’s just... so concerned with keeping the peace and not saying anything bad about someone. Tries to see the best in people. This can lead to a lot of embarrassment when Went is so upfront and medical-frank about stuff or if Richie’s being a dumbass in public, but really she just envies their typically masculine lack of inhibition

- this is because she’s got this killer wicked streak. Maggie’s got a hidden well of scathing diatribes and Went knows it because

- they met on a plane in 1971 when Maggie was flying back to college for her final semester of senior year, and the man in the seat next to her started having an attack of some kind. The stewardesses appeal desperately for any doctors on board, nobody answers. Anyone at all? We’ll have to land the plane! Maggie’s trying to slowly shift away from this man and his spasms without seeming rude when she hears a deep sigh in the seat behind her and someone saying “I’m ethically bound to admit I have a licence in dentistry,” in a voice like he’s in on some joke nobody else knows.

- this guy unfolds the longest legs she’s ever seen and comes to squat right next to her and her apparently dying seat partner, she notices he’s nice looking and keeps glancing at her, there’s banter. Eventually he shrugs and is like “imo this man has a bad case of wind.” And Maggie just TEARS Went a new one like oh nice diagnosis DOCTOR DENTIST where’s your seatside manner?!?! what kind of name is WENTWORTH anyway! and Went’s like 👀😳😍 and then the dying man lets out a giant fart and Maggie recoils, all her pretty poise and indignation turning to base disgust and Went bursts out laughing and offers her the seat next to him

- turns out his first residency is in the next town from Maggie’s college. She’s only dated preppy meatheads before who only ever tried to flatter her and stopped listening when she talked about her music theory degree or the books she likes. But Went always grins and side-eyes her and cranks the volume whenever Maggie May comes on the hits station, because then she’ll whack him with a book. She’s so SWEET he loves goading her into releasing some more of that plane rage, like one day she’s prowling on the edge of a rant about her TA and trying to be reasonable. Went’s like, do it. You’ll feel better. So she fuckin rants her head off for ten minutes until her hair’s all dark and wild like an Arthurian queen and she looks over at Went reclining all impressed on her dorm bed and he’s like. I have never been more in love in my life. Can you sit on my face and make fun of my name again

- so yeah they’re both like, quietly distinguished and outwardly calm model citizens of Derry but in private Went is the fuckin roastmaster and is Maggie’s outlet for frustration whenever housewife suburbia gets too much

- I always picture her as having dark and quite curled hair, sort of Lauren Bacall eyes, and she’s probably tall too. Like 5’8 to Went’s 6’0 or 6’1 which is why Richie turns out to be 6’2 lmao. A family of giants. Honestly the whole time I was writing the Dilfworth fic I was imagining Mary Elizabeth Winstead, that’s my early-30s Maggie that Went is so excited to come home he’s stocking up on condoms. God I bet she’s got some of those single dark beauty mark freckles on her stomach 🥵 Wears hats with big brims. Sundresses. Secretly likes to pretend she’s on a mysterious trip to Rome as she sits in the park watching Richie catch dragonflies. Maybe when she’s older and Richie’s a teenager she looks kinda like Olivia Williams, bc I’ve had a big milfy thing for her ever since she was the mother in the 2003 Peter Pan.

- most kids in Derry have a crush on either Richie’s mom or dad or both and this is unfortunately quite damaging to his self esteem, even though Maggie INSISTS he’s just so handsome. She hates seeing him so insecure

- she tried pot once in college and hated it. The only times she comes close to getting hammered is on book club wine because it’s the only way she can get through them asserting the female orgasm doesn’t exist, then she comes home mildly tipsy and joins in on Went and Richie’s raucous game of cards

- felt a bit left out when Richie was small, with how well Went was able to go along with the silliness. Went sees this and gets Richie to make up a game where she’s Queen Margaret of the Tozier Court and made Richie a knight. They all spoke in bad Medieval Voices all afternoon, and it becomes one of those super long-running family jokes, and Maggie still feels all happy inside whenever Queen Margaret comes up

- ruthless decision maker!!! She had to be, because Went’s so laidback he’s horizontal and is always like “idc what we do as long as you guys are chill” and Richie can’t concentrate long enough to pick what colour gumball he wants, so she has to be staff sargeant. They go to Disneyland and she’s like C’MON BOYS HUP HUP HUP and Went’s like “oh cripes son we’re being hustled!!” but they love it as much as she loves them doing what she says

- great cook because of her indeterminidely Mediterranean mother.

- she genuinely wants to understand Richie’s strangeness but is also stumped as to what to do to bond with him, since she can only think of things she’d do with a daughter. She WANTS to brush Richie’s curls and bake with him but she thinks he wouldn’t like it, so they stick with singing. Is delighted when Eddie very politely and very intensely asks for her help making Richie a birthday cake. She sees how different they are together, and remembers Richie coming home at 5 years old declaring he was gonna marry Eddie Kaspbrak when he grows up, and she thinks... well, if I must have a son-in-law, I would love this one as much as I love my son.

[beyond-the-mirror]

Red Riding Hood and the Red Devil - Dante x Reader (200 Followers Special)

Just recently I was navigating tumblr when I realized that my current follower account was already above 200 and I was like “… whaaat?”

I want to take this chance to thank you all for your support and the positive reception of my beloved works Nocturnal Encounters and Music of the Night. Your feedback DOES MEAN A LOT to me and I want to encourage you to leave as many comments as you want so I know how to keep improving myself and my writing skills. And also thank you for reading my random, spontaneous headcanons that I know you didn’t ask for but I still provided just ‘cause.

Anyways, I dedicate this story to all of you. It will be divided in three parts and let me warn you now that part two and three will be quite spicy. 👀

WIthout further ado, let’s head into this story! 

Part Two - Part Three

……….

Part One

When your neighbors entered your bistro that morning, you definitely weren’t expecting the news they were about to deliver you.

Your grandmother was shopping at the market, going on her daily routine as always, when she suddenly collapsed in the middle of the crowd. Luckily the doctors managed to give a proper diagnosis, nothing than couldn’t be cured  normally with the proper treatment and a lot of rest. The problem laid on the advanced age of your dear grandma, her weak complexion being a potential catalyst for the illness to worsen shall she not receive extensive care and attention.

She was the only family you had left, your parents died during your teenage years and she had no other children beside your mother. Hiring a personal nurse was out of question, with the medicines already taking much of your modest income. With no other option available, if someone had to step up to this task, it had to be you.

As soon as the apple pie you had baked cooled down a bit, you packed it in your basket along several other home-cooked meals and the elixir bottles the doctors prescribed. With everything properly packed, the only thing left was waiting for the carriage to arrive.

A knock on the door signaled the coachman’s arrival. Before heading out, you quickly put on your favorite cape to protect you from the chilly air outside. You had acquired it years ago as a present from your grandma, a handmade cape colored in the most vibrant and dazzling crimson you had ever seen, only the richest roses gardened with the utmost care could compare to the beautiful garment in any way. You would always wear it during fall and winter, always making sure it never got damaged or torn. Because of it, everyone you knew in the little city you lived lovingly nicknamed you ‘Red Riding Hood’.

Thanking sincerely the short staff that worked by your side, you hugged each one of them before departing, may heaven bless them for their unconditional support during this hard time of yours. As soon as they heard the news, they immediately stepped up without question, offering their total help to keep the bistro running in your place so you could focus completely in your grandmother’s treatment. They were amazing and trustworthy people, your business was indeed in rather good hands.

With one last goodbye, you climbed onto the carriage. The plan was very simple: you would stay at your grandma’s as much as she required, only returning to the city for supplies and her prescribed elixir when needed. She lived not too far away by foot, her house being at the outskirts of the neighboring village, but considering you were carrying a basket full of food and a suitcase, going by carriage was definitely the better choice.

“Everything will be fine.” You assured yourself, grasping the front of your cape as if holding on to that sense of security.

……….

“I’m sorry Miss but we can’t keep going. The road is blocked.”

“Blocked? What happened?”

You were wondering why the carriage stopped so suddenly. As you got out, the answer laid clearly right in front of you.

A rockslide was blocking the ample road ahead and stopping all travelers from going any further. It was such an odd sight, there had been no storms or earthquakes recently for the steep to be weakened to such length. Everyone present was utterly baffled, just what exactly happened here?

“I’m afraid it will take a few weeks to fix the road.” Added the coachman, his tone full of sorrow since this incident was definitely going to affect his job. “There’s nothing we can do to keep going. We must go back.”

No. You were not going back. Your grandma needed you and there’s no way you were going back. “What about the forest? If this passage surrounds it, then by walking straight from here we should eventually make it to the road again, am I correct?”

A worried expression took over the coachman. “You are indeed correct Miss, but please don’t go there. The forest is too dangerous, many people have gone missing and the locals always warn not to enter under any circumstance.”

“You are very kind sir, but my family needs me. You don’t need to come with me.” You handed him the accorded payment for his service. “Thank you for your service, you may go back to your family now.”

The old man gulped “In that case Miss, there’s something you must know if you insist on continuing.” Reaching into his leather bag, he fished out a small compass as well as a map, which he proceeded to unroll. “According to this map, the portion of the forest you need to cross is actually quite short, which means you should be able to get out in no time as long as you walk in a straight line. Please, I beg you to take this compass with you, it has a small charm embedded on the back for protection.”

The look the man was giving made it impossible for you to refuse, not to mention that the compass would definitely come in handy. After he unloaded your stuff and climbed unto his seat, you thanked the kind man once again. “Please take care Miss. I will pray for your safe return.” With those words, he bid you farewell and returned home.

……….

Red Grave Woods was quite an enigmatic and feared forest to everyone who knew about it. It may appear silent and peaceful to those who didn’t know any better, and that misjudgment almost always lead to rather tragic consequences.

You walked in a hurry across the woods, hood over your head and never once looking back. One of your hands tightly clutched the front of your cape, once in a while letting go to briefly check the compass encapsulated within its grasp. You did your best to keep a cool mind, just like the coachman mentioned ‘the portion you need to cross is actually quite short’.

‘Just a little more. Just a little more.’ You repeated mentally over and over. It would be over soon. Sooner than you thought. However, you couldn’t help but feel as if something could happen to you at any time, you knew just how vulnerable you were by going all alone into the woods.

And the pair of glowing red eyes watching over you knew it too.

In just an instant, the temperature drastically dropped, making you stop dead in your tracks. Your heart pounded in your chest so loudly that you thought it was going to explode.

Clutching your cape and the minute compass, you whispered a short prayer to try and calm yourself down. You reminded yourself ‘Don’t turn back. Whatever you do, don’t turn back.’

“You know it’s quite rude to turn your back on someone, don’t you?”

A deep distorted masculine voice had just called you from right behind, leaving a deadly silence taking over the ominous woods. Not even the wind dared howl any longer.

You stood frozen in place, refusing to look back or even acknowledge the mysterious presence behind.

“Not to mention it is straight up an offense to trespass into another’s home without an invitation. Aren’t you quite the naughty girl?”

‘Don’t look back, (Y/N). Under any circumstance, do not look back.’

“Come on little red lady. Let me see your pretty face.” His warm breath tickled the back of your neck, sending chills down your spine. Well, whoever this creature was, you might as well face him. Whatever fate you were about to meet, at least you would do it upfront.

Very slowly did you turn. “Ahhh there she is!”

You kept your eyes closed as you faced him, until you finished gathering enough courage to finally flutter them open. Before you stood a tall anthropomorphic creature, a man covered head to toe in a dark scaly armor with a burst of red energy on the center of his chest, magma rivers traveling along the cracks between the many scales and ridges of his body. He had a set of thick red wings curled down and bellow his arms, resembling a coat of sorts. Four red horns protruded from his head backwards, accompanied by a set of short white spikes on top of his head and another bellow his chin. His blood red eyes were fixated on you, and his lips formed a smirk that revealed two rows of sharp fangs.

This demon towered over you, he could easily toy with you and crush you like an ant whenever and however he wanted, yet he simply stood there staring at your form.

“What do you want?” you inquired the beast, trying your best not to show any weakness or hint of fear.

The demon chuckled at your false bravado. “I should be the one making that question. Didn’t your parents teach you not to play in the scary woods? A big bad wolf could attack and gobble you up in one single bite, or should I say a big bad devil?”

Was he being playful? By his mocking tone you concluded that he was merely toying with you like a cat would a mouse, and oh how that infuriated you so.

“I’m afraid I do not have time to humor a stranger. I have an urgent matter to attend to, so whatever it is that you want with me you will tell me right now.”

“Oooh a feisty one.” Truth be told, he was impressed with your attitude. No wonder you had caught his eye, you were definitely entertaining him. “But sadly that won’t do you much help, oh no.”

The demon circled you, scrutinizing you with his glaring eyes. “And what is that supposed to mean?” You followed him with yours, not trusting him enough with your back towards him.

The creature hummed “This forest consumes, my little red lady. Many, many horrors have made this place their home; shadows who love preying on the innocent, especially on little innocent girls playing in the woods. Oh, how they love those in particular.”

“And let me guess. You are one of those horrors.”

His chest rumbled with laughter “Actually, this is your lucky day little one. For it turns out, I may just be the kindest demon you will ever encounter in this cruel world.” The devil gave a dramatic bow to you, his ruby eyes staring at you before giving you a charming wink.

You huffed at the devil’s strange demeanor. There was nothing trustworthy about him, but it’s not like you could run away easily. The best course of action would be indulging him in this game of his, only then perhaps you’ll find a small chance to survive.

The red devil took notice on the way you kept your basket close to you, and he wondered the reason why. A short breeze blew, and the red devil was no longer in front of you.

“Now I’m curious to know what do you keep in this thing of yours. Whatever it is, it smells delicious!” His voice was now behind you, and in his hands he held… your basket! But how? When did he-?

The demon sniffed as he held your basket to his face. He could make out the rich aroma of fruits, herbs and spices; his mouth watering at the positively delicious food inside.

“Hey! Give that back right now!” You immediately tried snatching it back, only for him to lift it beyond your arms reach thanks to his incredible height. He simply ignored your struggling form and opened the lid, and sure there were several kinds of prepared meals that looked utterly delightful. Herb-crusted pork loin, sweet apple pie, homemade pizza (his favorite human food, and with no olives! ) and… suspicious-looking purple bottles? He picked one of those with a clawed hand to examine it up close.

“Huh. What do you keep in this weird bottles eh? They smell kinda funny.”

Before he could possibly break them, you managed to snag the one he was holding. “Those are elixirs! Now unhand that basket this exact moment!”

“An elixir… What do you need this medicine for?”

He watched the way you frowned, eyes now with a hint of worry. “My grandmother… she’s terribly ill. She’s the only family I have left. I need to take care of her, otherwise she…” No. Now was not the time for tears. Show no weakness in the presence of a demon.

To your surprise, the red devil actually returned your basket, with him now knowing the reason why you were walking so hurriedly before.

“Why are you holding your tears, little one?”

By the time you realized, the mysterious creature was now kneeling before you, one of his claws gently catching a stray tear that managed to escape your eye. Despite being an entity of fire, brimstone and flames, the warmth he emitted wasn’t scorching, on the contrary, it was inviting and comforting.

“Because sitting and crying won’t make a difference, it won’t save my grandma. I must stay strong and keep moving forward.” It was hard, but you managed to keep your composure.

The red devil hummed, his chest rumbling and purring. “Let me offer you a deal then.” He got back on his feet before continuing. “I shall be your guide and guardian in this forest so you can make it to your grandma’s house unscathed and with no unsolicited attacks from the local demons. How’s that?”

You quirked an eyebrow towards him. He was willing to what now? “What? You’re giving me your protection just like that? Surely there’s something you want in return considering how cunning and deceiving your kind is.” He may seem nice, but there was no way he would offer something without expecting an exchange for another, it’s how demons were and always will be.

“And you are absolutely correct about that, little red lady, very insightful indeed. Now now, what could I possibly ask from you? Mmm…” with a finger on his lips, the creature made a show of pondering his request. A snap of his fingers signaled that he had made up his mind. “Got it! Actually it’s something really simple, but very fun.”

He came closer to you, hooking a clawed finger under your chin and tilting your head upwards so you could meet his gaze. “How about…” he leaned down, his breath fanning over your lips. “… a kiss?”

You immediately pulled away, a crimson blush bright on your cheeks and nose tip. How dare he make advances on you? And during the dire situation you were going through?

The demon simply laughed at your reaction, amused by the indignant scowl you were giving him. “C’mon little one, it’s only a tiny peck I’ll be giving you. It could be on your cheek, if you are feeling unsure about it.” Another wink from him. Was this creature for real?

“Ugh! You sly devil.” Such insolence! It seemed that this little game of his would not stop… yet you remembered what you told yourself before, the best course of action is to indulge this demon for better chances at survival. “… Fine. Just go ahead.”

His smirk evolved into a full wolfish grin and once again, he towered over you while you did your best to avoid his eyes. First he leaned down, taking his time to smell your scent. It was sweet, intoxicatingly so, with floral hints then and there. After a few seconds of silence, you felt his lips press against the flushed skin of your cheek. They were surprisingly soft and plump, staying there for what felt like an eternity. When he pulled away, you almost missed his warmth and proximity.

“There. It wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Your blush deepened. No, it definitely wasn’t so bad after all.

“So. If we are about to continue together, I think it’s only fair you give me your name. I want to know who is my traveling companion this nice morning.”

This time it was you who smirked. “Only if you tell me yours first. Since I’m obviously at a disadvantage, if I give you my name now, it would only grant you even more power over me. You go first.”

“Not bad, little red lady. Not bad at all.” Oh you were incredibly smart, the oldest tricks in the demon book would definitely not work with you. He had just met you and he already liked you, his intuition was right when he witnessed you entering the forest with determination in your steps.

“You may call me Dante.” He took one of your hands, lifting it to his lips and placing a soft kiss at your knuckles. “How should I call you, little red riding hood?”

You smiled at him, this time it was a sincere genuine smile “You may call me (Y/N).”

[solastia]

Say You Won’t Let Go | 4

Pairing: Jimin x Namjoon X Seokjin

Word Count: 3K

Notes: Shortish, but I decided to split up what I was working on since the smut I have planned is taking a while and I wanted to get something out to you guys. Anyway, I think it's pretty obvious where I'm taking this lmao. Lemme know what you think and oh yeah, we're still missing someone, huh? ;)

A gloomy cluster of clouds had settled over the small village, reflecting the moods of those who lived there. Jimin stared up at the sky, hoping the rains would hold off for a few days until after this crisis was past. The last thing he needed was the added worry of his mate trying to battle in the middle of a storm. Namjoon could handle himself in a fight just fine, but his beloved was surprisingly clumsy and him slipping to his death was a real possibility. 

They’d decided the best course of action was to set up a camp halfway between the village and where the possible hostile party was spotted. There the warriors would train day and night, as well as keep up a patrol of the surrounding areas so that no one could get past them to the village. Halfway was a two-day journey, so it had been a while since Jimin had gotten to see his mate. Three whole days without him. Two long and lonely nights. 

He sighs morosely and turns back to watch the villagers bustling back and forth as they prepare to evacuate. Everyone had been working day and night since they learned of the looming threat. The caves were now mostly liveable and the animals were sealed away. Those that couldn’t work - such as the elderly and young children - were already in them along with a few guards just in case. Their main concern at the moment was gathering and securing as much of their food supply as possible. Homes could be built quickly if they got destroyed, but the crops that took so long to grow and preserve were much more precious. 

Surprisingly enough, it was Seokjin that was his biggest help at the moment. Jimin supposed that without Namjoon around to be jealous over it was easier for him to make an effort to be kind and include the other omega, and so far it had proven to be a great decision. Seokjin threw himself into the work right alongside everyone else. He carried grain, herded animals, and best of all was amazingly good with numbers and actually liked making lists. He had lists of everything from livestock numbers down to every speck of seed they had. The moment he finished a task, he went right back to Jimin asking what else he could do to help him, as well as making sure that he’d taken time to eat. He was loath to admit it, but Jimin had a feeling this whole ordeal would have been much more difficult without Seokjin around. 

They were now all starting to gravitate towards the big bonfire in the middle of the village as many took the chance to prepare their suppers and fight off the crisp evening airs. Jimin observed quietly as Seokjin and Taehyung giggled together over something the elder omega had said, his ridiculous laugh enough to even make Jimin quirk a small smile in amusement. 

Seokjin was quickly winning the people over with his easygoing and good-humored personality. Even Taehyung, who was firmly on “Jimin’s Side,” couldn’t help being drawn in by the man who had taken to treating him like a younger brother. Seokjin was currently teaching Taehyung how to make the lamb that Jungkook went crazy over, so he’d be able to surprise his mate when the warriors all came back from their camp. 

Thinking of the warriors so far away makes Jimin shiver as he was wracked with more worried thoughts of his mate. He hoped Namjoon was eating and keeping warm. That he hadn’t stabbed himself or anyone else with a dagger yet. That Yoongi was able to talk him down when the burdens of his position got to be too much. 

He shivered again, drawing his fur wrap closer to himself. It was strange how he couldn’t stop shivering despite the fact that his body actually felt too hot. He supposed stress was making him get sick. Wouldn’t that just be perfect timing - to fall ill in the middle of a tribe war. Well, if there was anything he was good at it was making things worse. 

He clenched his teeth as he felt another chill, gripping his fur with a tight squeeze. The heat it added was making it worse, he was sure, but Namjoon’s scent was so strong on this one that he was unwilling to give up the comfort it brought him. 

But it was so hot. 

He missed his mate so much.

Had he already checked their healing supplies? 

He needed Namjoon. 

Head hurts so much. 

Did they stack enough wood for fires? 

“Here, drink this.” 

Jimin startled and looked up at Seokjin smiling down at him gently, holding a mug of something steaming. He took a quick sniff, scenting chamomile, ginger, and honey. 

Not that he needed the heat the drink would add, but as he’d studied with Healer Lily he knew the calming effects of Chamomile and accepted the cup eagerly. He would need extra assistance to get some sleep later. 

“Thank you,” he responded softly before taking a large sip. 

Seokjin settled into the spot next to him on the elaborately carved bench, sighing as he got comfortable. Jimin tried not to breathe in too deeply of the rich caramel scent, trying to focus on the more neutral calming ones from his tea instead. He supposed whatever was making him ill was affecting all of his senses, because he could barely stand anyone’s scent all day. Seokjin’s though...he smelled amazing. Like the sugary sweet sauce that his grandmother used on her baked apples. It was everything he could do not to nestle against the other omega and beg to be scented and cuddled. He didn’t want to freak him out, however. Seokjin wasn’t familiar yet with Jimin’s tendency to be overly touchy. 

Seokjin cracks his neck with a tired sigh, glancing down at Jimin with concern. 

“I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but you’ve been looking a little out of sorts today. Is there anything you need help with?” 

Jimin waves off his concern, sending him a friendly albeit strained smile. 

“No. Might be getting sick is all. I’ll get some herbs from Healer Lily later.” 

Seokjin nods in understanding. “A combination of stress and changing weather can do that. We’ll probably be dealing with lots of people falling ill soon.” 

He reaches out a hand to Jimin’s forehead, frowning at the temperature and light sheen of sweat building there. 

“You do feel really hot like you have a fever,” He observes Jimin thoughtfully, his eyes growing larger with concern. He leans in and sniffs Jimin’s neck. The omega shudders as Seokjin’s hot breath hit his throat, and the thought of baring it to the other wasn’t entirely unpleasant. 

Seokjin’s breathing hitches and he grasps Jimin’s shoulder. “I think you might be nearing your time.” 

Jimin growls, refusing to acknowledge the conclusion that even he himself had secretly come to. 

“That’s two months away. I’m fine. Just a little sick. I’ll go to sleep and it will be fine.” 

“Should I send a message to Namjoon, just in case?” 

Jimin shot up from the bench quickly, suddenly eager to run from Seokjin’s constant questioning. 

“No! He’s busy. We’re busy. Everything is fine.” 

And like a coward he ran away from him, escaping into the Healer’s hut. 

Lily was already in there, still packing away her supplies. She looks up when Jimin enters, her welcoming smile dimming as she takes in his scent. 

“Jimin…” 

“I know. Now is not the time, though. I have people counting on me to save them. Namjoon’s counting on me. I don’t have time for this.” 

“If it was anyone else I’d be able to give you a pouch of herbs and guarantee it would hold things off until you’re ready, but your body has often been a difficult one for me to figure out. I’ll give you the herbs, but I can’t promise they will even work the way they are supposed to.” 

Jimin growls in frustration, running his fingers through his hair. “So what am I supposed to do? Why is this even happening? I’m two months early!” 

“I imagine the stress affected your cycle. It’s very common, dear. I will give you the herbs and we can hope for the best.” She ruffled around in a large sack, pulling out a couple of smaller packages and handing them to him with a shrug. 

“If you want my honest opinion, I think you should just head to the caves and ride it out without them until your mate arrives. We have everything well in hand here and everything is prepared to be stored in the caves. You’ve done all you can, Jimin.” She grasps his shoulder softly to comfort him as he groans, planting his face in his palms. 

“Just stay close to your people, just in case.” 

He sighs in defeat and clutches the bags of herbs close to his chest, murmuring a distracted goodbye to the old healer. He hurries back to his nearly empty dwelling, glad that he’d at least had the foresight (or honestly, Seokjin had) to leave a few dishes behind. 

He sets a kettle of water to boil over the small contraption that Yoongi had made them last year when he’d started tinkering around with their blacksmith - a portable cooking surface that only needed a bit of tinder to get going. Jimin loved it because he didn’t have to deal with the firepit or go to the cooking lodge to make something. He could fire it up right there in his house and have a lovely cup of tea without worry. 

He shoved some twigs and birch bark into the opening and struck his fire-steel a few times in front of it, blowing when a spark finally took. The simple act of starting a fire was familiar and calming enough to get him out of his head for a moment. 

He hummed to himself as he grabbed his kettle and filled it with water he had collected from the cooking lodge earlier. He opens the leather bags and sniffs at the herbs, nodding as he recognizes them. He figures one cup will do for now and pinches about two spoonfuls of herbs into the water. He sets the kettle to boil and sits down at his little table, ignoring the twinge of longing when he spots his furs. He would love nothing more than to just wrap himself up in his nest and have Namjoon make love to him for the next few days. He’d feel safe and loved, nestled in those familiar strong arms. 

Instead, he was here, alone, trying to save their village. 

The wooden door opened as Seokjin shuffled inside, smiling when he spots Jimin. 

Perhaps not completely alone, he guesses. 

“You saw Lily?” 

Jimin nods, waving towards the kettle. “This should stop it. I at least need to make it long enough to get to the caves tomorrow. After that...I guess we’ll see.” 

“Well, if you need anything in the meantime just let me know. I’m here to help,” Seokjin says brightly, but Jimin can see he’s merely trying to cheer him up. He was so nice. 

“Why were you unmated so long?” 

He gasps and covers his mouth, but the damage has been done.

Thankfully, Seokjin just chuckles. “ You know, that’s been everyone else’s first question. I was starting to wonder when you would ask.” 

“I’m sorry, you don’t need to answer.” 

He shrugs and grabs a mug from a shelf, pouring Jimin’s now boiling tea. His eyebrows crinkle as though he’s lost in thought, even as he shuffles around and pulls out the small crock of honey and adds some to the mug. He pushes it towards Jimin with a flat smile. 

“I suppose if anyone around here deserves the full story, it’s you.” 

Jimin takes a sip, watching the other omega curiously. 

“To put it bluntly, I’ve never been attracted to alphas.”

Jimin nearly spits his mouthful of tea, swallowing it with a cough at the last moment instead. 

“What? But you...and he...you have…” he stutters, trying to understand. 

Seokjin nods, “Don’t get me wrong, as far as alphas go, Namjoon is very handsome. My body instinctively recognizes him as Pack Alpha and my bonded mate, allowing me to do...what we do. Perhaps in time, I can see that he could easily become one of my dearest friends and potentially a wonderful father for my pups.” 

“But…” Jimin prompts, leaning over his cup curiously. 

“But, “ Seokjin shrugs, “I just have never been romantically attracted to alphas.” 

“So, that means…”

Seokjin quirks an eyebrow in amusement. “That means I am romantically and sexually attracted to omegas, yes.” 

“Oh,” Jimin took another sip of his tea, staring at the quietly laughing Seokjin in shock. 

“Indeed. Don’t you have intersex couples here?” 

Jimin thought about it, shrugging. 

“If we do, I don’t really know. I’m not saying it bothers me, I just wasn’t expecting it.” 

Seokjin nods, leaning in his chair as he observes Jimin. 

“What about betas?” 

Seokjin shrugs, “Never really met anyone that intrigued me enough to wonder.” 

“Have you ever…” 

“Yes. That’s why I was unmated for such a long time.” 

“Oh, I see.” 

Seokjin sighs and props his chin in his hand, looking at the wall beyond Jimin. 

“His name was Jaehwan. We’ve known each other since we were kids, much like you and Namjoon. Things progressed over the years and I fell in love. I thought that was it. I was going to grow old with him, give up mating and pups. I was fine as long as I had him.” 

“So what happened?” Jimin asked, thoroughly enthralled in the story, his heart already hurting for the man since he knew the ending. 

“A neighboring small pack petitioned Jaehwan’s father, wanting to court him and make him Pack Omega. And Jae...he was thrilled. Said Hakyeon was beautiful and he was so happy that an alpha wanted to make him Pack Omega at his age. He couldn’t stop talking about pups and mates and…” 

Seokjin sniffled and Jimin flew into action, crawling around the table to stroke the omega’s arm in comfort. 

“He didn’t think anything was wrong with the way he was acting. When I finally got enough courage to ask what he was going to do about me he said that we both knew we couldn’t stay together forever because that’s not how omegas work.” 

“I hope he...falls into the ocean and gets eaten by a whale,” Jimin spits. 

Seokjin chuckles softly, wiping his eyes of the couple tears that had escaped. 

“So fierce for someone so small.” 

“Hey!” 

Seokjin truly laughed that time, loud and obnoxious like the ones he always shared with Taehyung. Jimin didn’t know why making him laugh like that made him feel proud. 

“He didn’t fall into the ocean. That was a few years ago now. I hear their pack is doing well and he already has a pup and another on the way. I’m...happy for him. I think I loved him too long to really hate him,” Seokjin sighs.

“Anyway, everyone in my pack knew of my...preferences, so no one pressured me to move on after that. When we heard of this packs need...I don’t know. I wasn’t trying to escape or anything. My father was perfectly fine with me staying there and being who I am. He already has a dozen grandkids from each of my siblings. I just...I heard Jungkook and Yoongi talking about the situation and I could see how their hearts were hurting even having to make such a request. They told everyone how much the two of you were in love and what a sacrifice you were making for your pack. I couldn’t stand by and let someone take advantage of what the two of you had. I really am here just to help. Not to hurt you or Namjoon or this pack.” 

“Thank you,” Jimin finally responded quietly after a few moments. 

Seokjin nods, leaning over to place his hand on his forehead. 

“Still feels hot, but not much worse than it was earlier. How long does the tea take to kick in?” 

“Depends on my body, which usually is the worst. Maybe an hour.” 

“Hm. It’s late anyway, let's go to bed and see how you feel in the morning.” 

Suddenly, the thought of sleeping alone yet again was more than he could bear. 

“Can you…nevermind. It’s stupid. Sorry.” 

Jimin flushed, cursing his pre-heat brain. He scrambled to his furs and crawled inside.

“What do you need, Jimin.” 

The way that Seokjin was hovering over his furs and speaking so forcefully had Jimin shivering with something he didn’t want to acknowledge. 

“I just...when I’m in heat I need...to cuddle. A lot. It’s really annoying and I’m sorry for even asking. It’s probably really awkward.” 

“I’d love to if it’s really alright. I sometimes get extra touchy during my heat too, so I understand.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, scoot over. Just don’t hog the furs, it’s fucking freezing out there.” 

Jimin laughs as Seokjin slides under the furs with him, hearing the ‘perfect’ omega cussing somehow extra funny to him. 

“Aren’t you from some place where it snows all the time?” 

“Doesn’t mean I liked it! Maybe that's the real reason I left. I was sick of having to set my dick out to thaw every spring.” 

Jimin curled up as laughter wracked his entire body until his belly hurt. Finally, Seokjin pat his head and yawned loudly. 

“Night, Jimin.” 

“Goodnight.” 

Jimin smiled to himself as he drifted off, warm and not alone for the first time in days. 

[saeyoungs606]

Quarantine with the Dangerous Fellows

This is one I wrote when the COVID-19 first started, and it’s reposted from Wattpad and AO3. Obviously situations have worsened greatly, and I hope that all of you are being safe and smart. This is just my take on how I thought the boys would comfort you/interact with you during these difficult times. Make sure to keep updated with the latest info on the virus by using verified sources, such as the official CDC website. 

Also, the irony of this because this is a zombie apocalypse game 

~~~~

Eugene

Originally, he was extremely nervous about staying with you during the virus. He didn’t want to catch it nor give it you, and staying in the confined space seemed to be a sure way to pass it between you two.

However, as time passed, he realized that he couldn’t just hide away in the spare room in your apartment for however many weeks you would have to be together. (Plus, you may or may not have bribed him with some of his favorite snacks ;) )

Speaking of food, the two of you would eat all day, every day, leading a month’s supply of food to be eaten in about two weeks. Oops?

Anyone who knows Eugene can tell that he gets bored very easily and must be entertained at all times. Thus being said, your daily activities varied greatly. You binge-watched your favorite shows and anime, played board games, listened to music, played video games, and did anything that would satisfy your boredom.

A small incident where a certain blondie had a nightmare about his family and friends may or may not have resulted in the two of you sharing a bed. 0-0

Luckily, he had somehow thought to have brought his piano with him, so you often were blessed with seeing him perform something for you. He even had time to write a few songs in your dedication, and they absolutely melted your heart.

Awestruck from his performance for you, you immediately forced, ahem, influenced him to teach you how to play piano so that you could write him a song as well.

Eugene would be fairly well off during quarantine. He never liked to leave the house much anyway, unless he was visiting friends--which, by the way, you two video-called nearly every day--so the quarantine life was pretty similar to his normal one. 

Harry

This precious little bean would have absolutely insisted that you stay at his house after he heard that there was a virus outbreak. Plus, he knew that you lived alone and wanted to make sure that you were safe. 

He was not at all worried about the virus, but knew that you would be. Whenever you would begin fretting about things, he would immediately notice and take you into his arms, whispering little reassurances until you were more stable.

The two of you spent most of your time tending to a small, indoor garden that Harry had in his bedroom window. You always smiled when you saw Harry’s ecstatic face as he watched the sunlight glow on the little sprouts. (What an absolute sweetie T-T)

This boy would practice all of the safety precautions recommended by the health departments at! all!! times!!! He didn’t want you getting sick, of course, but he was also a very clean person normally, so it came as second nature to him.

He also had a complete surplus of medical supplies and medicines, so if you ever needed anything of that nature, you were sure to get the proper ailment and several cuddles to go along with it. 

Harry was honestly okay with living alone with you for a while, but he also missed physically going outside. He found himself missing the sun and the stars, so you always left the curtains open and often liked to lay on his living room floor, imagining that the two of you were lying in the soft grass.

Lawrence

When you asked if you could stay with him in self quarantine, this brunet was absolutely d e l i g h t e d . Lawrence adored the thought of being able to take care of you for an extended amount of time, and it would also eliminate the chances of you hanging out with anyone other than him. (Two birds with one stone, am I right?)

You both usually read your favorite books together, with some of his favorite authors being Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

He was very skilled in the cooking area, so you would often find yourself learning new techniques and recipes by watching him. After a while, he noticed your interest in his cuisine and insisted upon physically teaching you how to prepare your favorite dishes.

Lawrence also made a habit of baking sweets for you. When you woke up each morning, he had prepared some new pastry or tart for you to try, and you were sure to have a very delicious dessert after every meal.

Every time the two of you retired for the night or woke up to the sun in your eyes, expect a very, VERY long cuddle session. Being as possessive as he is, Lawrence finds himself wanting to hold and kiss you all the time. He just wants to feel that it’s you right next to him, and to assure himself that he isn’t living in part of his imagination.

One of Lawrence’s biggest fears during this time is that you will decide to leave him. Of course, the quarantine must be over at some point, but he resent the thought of that day arriving. When you leave, you will no longer be under his watchful yet caring eye, and that might mean that you will fall for someone else.

The latter being said, you can expect to have several issues trying to return home when the virus has finally run it’s course. (Y i k e s . Jumin bad ending 2, anyone??)

Zion

Out of everyone in the group, Zion would definitely be the most reluctant to allow you to stay with him. Not because he doesn’t like you, but because he’s... well, Zion. (lol, you get me?)

He would tease you for asking to stay with him constantly, making fun of how you were “afraid of something that wasn’t even living.” (We all know he really wants you to be there, though-)

Actually, scratch that, he would tease you for pretty much everything. You didn’t want to stay in your room because you were lonely? Scaredy-cat. You freaked out because you saw a bug on the bathroom counter? Wimp.

However, Zion knew when to stop with his nonsense. If he ever saw that you just weren’t in the mood, he would definitely ask about it. And if you ever told him that “it’s nothing” or “don’t worry, I’m fine”, he would get pretty angry and insist that you “stop with that lying bullshit”.

When together, the two of you were typically extremely competitive, so you usually played various games with one another. However, you could also find you two having a competition over who can do the most push-ups or laps around the house.

Despite his demeanor, Zion would actually be very worried about the chances of you both getting sick. He only tires to hide it with his “tough-guy” routine, but his nerves are fairly obvious to you.

Ethan

Despite being a man of few words, Ethan quickly agreed to take you in as the virus progressed. He really enjoys being around you and was very happy to spend a few weeks with you.

You both loved to do puzzles together. It was a very calming activity, and you were luckily able to do so since your grandparents had always given you a plethora of puzzles for every holiday known to man. Not that you were complaining, it became a shared hobby of the two of you.

He would also occasionally teach you how to repair certain objects and adored creating little knick-knacks for you out of random things he found throughout the house. For instance, he made a small cat out of a block of wood and some thread, and you thought it was the cutest thing ever. (Isn’t it, though?)

Ethan, being the sleepy fellow he is, also took several long naps through the course of a day. Although you found how long he slept a bit concerning at first, you were quick to join him on his midday slumbers on the couch.

Something he greatly enjoyed was when you talked. When you told him about your day, or about what your favorite things were. He loved getting to know you and hearing your voice, despite his own silence. He would often sit on the couch with your head in his lap, twirling his fingers through your hair as you reminisced about past events.

Honestly, Ethan would not be that concerned about the raging pandemic. He had you right there with him, and that’s all he had to worry about. Plus, he was typically a very chill person, so being distraught over something such as a sickness as not very characteristic of him. 

[yamayamawrites]

Bake Sale - KageHina

Find this on AO3 here or read below!

Summary - Tobio and Shouyo are put in charge of baking cookies and cupcakes for the Karasuno bake sale.

They’re only two minutes in, and Shouyo’s shirt is already wonderfully dusted with flour. There’s some in his hair, too, Tobio thinks, and before he can deliberate whether he wants to reach out and muss up Shouyo’s hair to get it out or swat him upside the head for being a dumbass, his friend is hopping up on the counter, making himself at home there.

“What are you doing,” Tobio says, more as a command, a tell me what you’re doing before I kill you, or something. And Shouyo just giggles and kicks his feet like some sort of schoolgirl, and the entire thing is very cutesy and Tobio feels like this was a very, very bad idea.

“I’m sitting up here! Look, it’s like it was made for short people, Bakageyama!” Shouyo cries, pulls his phone from his pocket and turns on some sort of instrumental playlist of sorts.

“Quit calling me that!” Tobio barks in response, and he reaches to grip Shouyo’s hair at the top of his head and yank, and Shouyo dodges easily. He’s not even looking – how did he do that? And Shouyo laughs more, sets his phone aside on the counter. “The hell is this music?” Tobio asks, glares daggers at the phone even though it’s certainly not the culprit.

“Lo-fi beats to bake and chill to,” Shouyo recites with an index finger in the air. “Don’t tell me you’ve never listened to a ‘lo-fi beats’ station before.”

Tobio bites his tongue. The question resides there, being squished between his teeth – what the hell are ‘lo-fi beats’ – but he’s got the impression that asking that question will result in more idiocy from the boy on the counter, and he really doesn’t want to get into it. Instead, he pulls out his own phone and splays it out on the countertop, where a cookie recipe is loaded up.

They’re participating in this year’s bake sale, for reasons unbeknownst to Tobio. Normally the sports’ bake sale doesn’t extend past the female sports’ teams, from what Yuu mentioned of last year’s event, but Sawamura and Koushi insisted that they participate this year, and Tobio doesn’t quite know why. Still, he’s always been decent at baking – he and his mother bake Christmas cookies every year on his birthday, it’s sort of tradition. His only worry is that Shouyo – who looks like a walking hazard traffic cone with his orange hair – will screw this up for him. For the team.

He reminds himself that these cookies are for the team, and that he cannot eat the cookie dough.

“Oi, why do you look so serious all the sudden?” Shouyo asks from the counter, his words escaping around a smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re also the king of the kitchen? Ooh, that sounds like an American cooking show. King of the—”

“Hinata,” Tobio interrupts, his eyes glazed over that way they get when he’s ultra-focused on the court, “are you going to help me or not?”

“Well the thing is,” Shouyo nervously prattles his fingertips together, “I’m ah, no good at cooking. Or baking. I lit a toaster on fire once.”

“You lit a—how did you light a toaster on fire?”

“I mean, technically it started with a piece of paper towel and so I didn’t light the toaster on fire from the beginning.”

“Why did you put a piece of paper towel in the toaster?!” Tobio shrieks, like it’s some sort of heinous crime. Because, well, it is. His toaster has only ever seen bread and bagels and the occasional pop tart, and toasting a paper towel for breakfast seems, first and foremost, unfulfilling. He doesn’t know the nutrient value of paper towels, but he assumes it can’t be any better than a piece of toast. Second, it seems like it would be tough to digest, considering it’s made to absorb and that would probably…cause problems. (Tobio’s having a hard time working out the details here.)

“To clean it!” Shouyo cries back, exasperated. He swings himself off the counter now and prods a finger into Tobio’s chest. “What, does Gross-Yama never clean his toaster?!”

Tobio’s face pales. Ah, of course. Shouyo didn’t toast the paper towel to eat the paper towel.

“Why did you have it plugged in while you were cleaning it, stupid?!” Tobio barks, hopes that his cheeks aren’t too red from his embarrassment of only now coming to the understanding he did.

Shouyo wrings his hands again, looking anywhere but Tobio. “I mean, I dunno…I just wanted toast but it wasn’t clean so I thought I’d clean it really fast and…is it even important?” He demands this last part, prods Tobio in the chest again, gaining some confidence now realizing they’ve been side-tracked and for once it isn’t Shouyo’s fault.

“I mean,” Tobio defends, pokes a finger right back into Shouyo’s chest, “I want to make sure you’re not planning on lighting my kitchen on fire!”

Shouyo seems to take this as a fair enough excuse, because he huffs and turns his back to Tobio. “Whatever,” he grumbles finally, crosses his arms over his chest and leans over the counter to glare at Tobio’s phone screen. “What do you want me to do, Chef Kageyama?”

“If you’re a fire hazard, you should probably just mix ingredients,” Tobio glares.

“It’s not like I spontaneously combusted!” Shouyo shrieks, and cookies are forgotten as Shouyo once again leans into Tobio’s personal space, his little spindly fingers poking and prodding at Tobio’s chest in a way that is both extremely irritating and incredibly hot, and Tobio has to consciously remind himself that Shouyo has never once shown any romantic interest in him and if his resolve snaps now, while they’re baking cookies of all things, he will never be able to look Shouyo in the eye again. So he decides it best to turn around and ignore Shouyo altogether, crossing the kitchen to the cabinets and digging through for the proper ingredients.

Luckily enough for them, Koushi and Sawamura did all the shopping. The shelves are stocked with baking goods, a few boxed cake mixes for cupcakes later, and decorations. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi have probably already finished their baking, Tobio thinks stubbornly, staring at all the ingredients and reciting the list of tasks they have to complete in his head. They’re expected to make four dozen cookies and four dozen cupcakes, while Kei and Tadashi are in charge of making mochi balls. Tobio would have much rather made mochi balls, he thinks – he likes ice cream best – but they got first draw and Tobio’s still sour about it.

He comes back to the island with heaps of ingredients in his arms, and Shouyo’s standing on his counters to grab every single bowl that resides in the kitchen. “Dumbass,” Tobio barks at him, and the result is Shouyo dropping a silver mixing bowl in surprise and nearly falling off the counter he’s standing on. Instinctively, Tobio circles the island in case Shouyo decides to fall – he doesn’t need to clean up blood in his kitchen when he’s certain it’ll already be messy enough with Shouyo baking beside him.

And he’s not wrong. They’re halfway through the first batch of cookies – sugar cookies, arguably the easiest kind of cookie to make – when Shouyo spills the powdered sugar on the floor.

Tobio seethes, thinks for a moment that steam actually might be coming out of his ears with how comically angry he is. He’d told Shouyo not to sit on the counter, but Shouyo had stuck his tongue out and fuckin’ done it anyway like he owned the place, and while he was dancing to some instrumental garbage that Tobio still hasn’t gotten him to change, he managed to swing his knee up and knock into the large bag of powdered sugar.

“You dunce!” Tobio cries, and Shouyo’s yelping in surprise and jumping off the counter to clean it up, but it’s too late – nearly a quarter of the bag is lost to the kitchen floor. Tobio rubs his temple with the oncoming of a headache, quite likely caused by the pressure he’s applying to his forehead in the first place, but he’s too angry to care. “Sweep it up, idiot! Using a wet rag will only make it stick to the ground!”

The way Shouyo gasps out a “Yes, sir!” makes Tobio almost feel bad for yelling; Shouyo sounds a little scared. Then again, he should sound scared – he should be scared – because Tobio is intimidating and mean and most certainly not soft for his spiker. No way. Not soft for Shouyo.

But Shouyo’s so soft.

Tobio’s helpless, gooey, right-brain supplies this thought right as Shouyo clambers onto his knees with a hand broom to clean up the mound of powdered sugar littering the floor. His cheeks somehow have powdered sugar on them, and some clings to Shouyo’s nose and lips as he sweeps a little too hard and gets powdered sugar on his face. Tobio feels like he’s done it on purpose, because the way he grins sheepishly and upturns his head to face Tobio has his heart melting like glaze off a donut and he really can’t look for too long or he’ll dissolve.

“Sorry, Kageyama,” Shouyo lilts from the ground. “I made a little bit of a mess, huh?”

“Fuck kind of game are you playing?” Tobio grunts back. “You look like a Lolita, stupid.”

Shouyo tilts his head to the side, and the way he sits back on his heels so his thighs splay thick below him is really unfair, especially considering how toned those stupid thighs are and how many times Tobio has unfortunately thought about leaving marks on them aside from the natural bruises and bumps Shouyo gathers from volleyball practice. “Lolita?” he asks, as if he doesn’t know, as if he isn’t acting like one right now, and Tobio’s cheeks erupt bright red in a strange mixture of anger and embarrassment that he’s sure he’s felt before.

“Idiot!” he barks out. “Lolita, you know? Ugh, just clean the rest of it up. I’m going to put the dough in the fridge,” he grumbles as he rolls the sugar cookie dough out into a slab and wraps it in plastic wrap. He tucks it into the refrigerator as Shouyo finishes sweeping.

“I’m really sorry, Tobio,” Shouyo murmurs as he passes behind Tobio on the way to the trash can, and the sound of his first name on Shouyo’s lips makes Tobio’s body recoil enough that he throws out a hand instinctively.

And knocks the dustpan full of powdered sugar all over the goddamn kitchen.

“Hey, what the fuck was that for?” Shouyo whines, having taken a surprising amount of sugar to the face. And he’s coughing, ready to sneeze it looks like, with the amount of powdered sugar on his face.

“Why’d you call me that?!” Tobio yelps back, as if he can in any way construe this to be Shouyo’s fault and not entirely his for his limb’s awkward flailing. But he will sure as hell try to blame this on Shouyo.

“I dunno!” Shouyo cries defensively, and now he does sneeze, in a cutely stupidly adorable way that has Tobio recoiling like he’s just taken psychic damage. He nearly flings another arm out in the opposite direction and knocks over their bowl of half-mixed chocolate chip cookie dough. Luckily, he catches himself this time.

“Just – go clean yourself up,” Tobio grimaces, and his voice drops in decibels until it’s hardly audible over the sound of the stupid music playing in the background. Tobio vows to change it the second Shouyo leaves. “I’ve got extra shirts and stuff in my bedroom. Go change, you look like you were inside a baby powder factory that exploded.”

Shouyo sticks out his tongue, then licks his lips and giggles. He giggles. And Tobio thinks to any and all gods who live above, please save me from this stupid cute boy. I don’t want to be gay anymore if it means having to be attracted to such a dumbass. The gods don’t listen, because as Shouyo skips off down the hall, Tobio’s left watching his thighs as he goes.

His first course of action is to change the music. He knows Shouyo’s phone password – not because Shouyo has told him in case he forgets it, but because it’s his stupid birthday, which is a stupid password, and also his own passcode on his phone. He stops that heinous music and instead turns on a playlist of hits from the last decade, which he also quickly regrets, and decides to settle for no music, instead turning on a volleyball game in the living room that he can see from his spot at the island. He likes this much better, he decides.

Then, even though all of this took a good four minutes and twenty-two seconds (Tobio is keeping track for no reason whatsoever of how long Shouyo spends snooping in his room), Shouyo still hasn’t returned, so Tobio’s next course of action is to get as many cookies on baking sheets as he can before the monster returns. He manages three dozen, and he’s just getting the sugar cookie dough from the refrigerator as Shouyo returns.

And Tobio really shouldn’t have offered up his own clothes.

They hang off him like a blanket. Shouyo’s put on one of Tobio’s old middle school tee shirts, probably with the hope that it will be smaller (and it’s most certainly not). Tobio nearly can’t tell Shouyo’s even wearing pants – he’d worn super short shorts over here, claiming it was because of the heat but Tobio almost feels like he’s being teased. And, to top it off, Shouyo’s pulled his bangs into two high-sitting pigtails.

His jaw must have dropped because when Shouyo walks back into the kitchen the first thing he does is press his palm roughly into Tobio’s chin, sends his bottom jaw back upward into his top one. And what little mental cognition Tobio has left is dedicated to moving his tongue out of the way so he doesn’t bite it when Shouyo does this. He can’t even formulate an angry response – can’t even call Shouyo a dumbass – because his tongue feels swollen and heavy in his mouth and he wonders if he really did bite it and he just can’t feel it because he’s so distracted. “Shut up,” Shouyo huffs. “I know I look stupid but I thought this would help keep the flour out of my hair.”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a dumbass you wouldn’t get flour in your hair in the first place,” Tobio shoots back, and he doesn’t really remember wanting to say that but he just shrugs. Better than accidentally calling Shouyo a Lolita again.

But maybe not, because Shouyo had grabbed a half-cup of flour as Tobio said that, and he decided his next course of action would be to dump it on Tobio’s head.

Tobio blinks, shakes his head a little, and he can tell by Shouyo’s widening eyes that he knows he shouldn’t have done that, because now Tobio’s pissed, now he’s going to beat the shit out of Shouyo and it doesn’t matter how damn attractive those thighs and that face and that ass are, because he’s dead, and Tobio’s not into dead things. (Call that human decency.)

“Shouyo,” he says, voice quiet and dripping with malice. And Shouyo takes a step back, but he’s trapped between the counter and Tobio, and his lip is quivering like he’s either going to laugh or cry, and Tobio can’t tell which will be worse. He grabs hold of one of Shouyo’s stupid little pigtails, but he doesn’t tug yet; instead he watches the way Shouyo’s face contorts in preparation to have his nose broken. “What the fuck did you do that for?”

“Y-y-you said,” Shouyo’s stuttering, and god it’s cute, it’s so cute. “I-I mean! Now y-you’re a dumbass, too!”

“I’m a what?!” Tobio barks.

“Y’know, a dumbass,” Shouyo replies, as if Tobio doesn’t remember what a dumbass is. “Stupid. Himbo.” He waves his arms in vague gestures and that lip quivering is gone but his eyes are still blown wide, still trying to remember the phone number for ‘9-1-1’ probably in case this goes haywire.

Tobio moves his other hand to steady himself on the counter, effectively caging Shouyo in. “Is that what you think?” he seethes, and he can see that lip beginning to quiver again. “I can’t believe you spilled powdered sugar all over the floor and got shit all over your face and lit a goddamn toaster on fire, but I’m the idiot here.”

“To be fair, you knocked a dustpan full of powdered sugar all over the floor,” Shouyo comments feebly, lifts his index finger pointedly.

The hand clamped around his pigtail moves down and grabs the collar of Shouyo’s (his) shirt, and he leans closer to Shouyo, who really doesn’t look scared enough anymore. “I only did that because you called me—”

“What?” Shouyo shoots back, and now he looks more defiant than anything. “Tobio? I called you by your name and so you threw powdered sugar everywhere?”

Tobio scowls at him. “Fuck you, you’d do the same thing,” he glares.

“Actually, I wouldn’t.”

“Would too.”

“Would not.”

“Would too!”

“Would not times ten!”

“Would too times a thousand!”

Shouyo gasps, appalled by jumping from ten to a thousand, and Tobio smirks, victorious. “Shouyo,” he murmurs, low and intimidating like Shouyo did to him, and Tobio sees him shrink, sees him quiver a bit. Whether it’s under his gaze or his hands he can’t tell; both of his hands, now, have migrated to the shirt collar and hold him there. And their faces are close together – almost too close for comfort, but Tobio’s trying to prove a point right now – and Shouyo’s jaw has dropped now. Tobio almost wants to do the same to him, to but a palm to his chin and forced his mouth closed, but then that mouth is on his and he forgets literally everything that’s led up to this moment.

Shouyo tastes like powdered sugar. He tastes too sweet and yet it’s not enough, as if it’s not as sweet as Tobio’s expecting. And his lips move hungrily, like he’s desperately trying to find the same sweetness on Tobio’s lips, but Tobio isn’t a dumbass and hasn’t had his face covered in baking supplies (though he has been sneaking cookie dough when Shouyo isn’t looking). Tobio’s entire body tenses for a millisecond, trying to recall if he’s the one who instigated this but he doesn’t think so because his eyes are opened and Shouyo’s are closed. And so he wraps an arm underneath Shouyo’s legs and places him on the counter, and his fingers knot in Shouyo’s hair, desperate and hot in the warm kitchen, and their lips press against each other’s roughly, like this is all either of them have wanted.

Shouyo moves to pull away from the kiss but Tobio chases his lips, chases the feeling he’s been so desperate to learn since the end of their first game, since the first time he’s seen Shouyo really fly on the court. (He initially worried that maybe he was gay for birds, but he’s just gay for boys who can jump. It’s a relief, really.)

“Tobio,” Shouyo sighs out, and between each syllable is another peck of the lips, another moment where Tobio’s trying to memorize the imprint of Shouyo’s mouth on his own. “Cookies.” Tobio ignores him. Shouyo’s hands meet Tobio’s shoulders and give a weak shove. “Cookies,” he repeats, and that’s when Tobio hears it – the sound of the oven timer going off. He forces his lips away from Shouyo’s with more effort than he assumed it would take, and quickly he’s pulling out sheets of cookies and setting them on the counter to cool. And Shouyo’s waiting expectantly for him on the counter across the room, and this time it’s Tobio who initiates it, and Shouyo’s left following along.

When they finally force themselves away from each other for more than a half second to inhale a sharp suck of breath, they’re panting and red-faced and Shouyo’s hair is tangled and there’s flour dripping down Tobio’s hair to the back of his shirt. He shakes the rest of it out into Shouyo’s lap, and Shouyo squeals and squirms, laughing and trying to push Tobio away from him. “Stop it, stop it!” he’s wheezing, and Tobio’s laughing – he’s laughing at this – and he doesn’t know that he’s ever been happier than this.

“You dumped it on me!” Tobio replies, through laughs and gentle nudges and kisses, oh god Shouyo’s kissing him again and he nearly faints. He forgets all about the cookies, damn the cookies, damn the cupcakes they need to make later because Shouyo’s lips are the only sweet thing he ever wants to taste again, and he’s probably being a melodramatic horny teenager but damn it all if that’s not what he wants. To be a melodramatic horny teenager with a short boyfriend who can also fly and is just as stupid as him.

He sighs past Shouyo’s lips. Of all the people he could have been gay for, it had to be a stupid idiot jumping bean.

The baking process goes decently smoother in the afternoon, considering their rough start in the morning with spilled sugar and cups of flour and the subsequent cookie-dough fight that happened after they finally parted their lips for more than a minute and a half. Tobio surveys the damage – there are still globs of cookie dough sticking to various bits of cabinetry and a piece even managed to get stuck to the corner of the television – and he sighs. But Shouyo’s arms are around his waist, trying to grab the bowl of cake mix from his hands, and Tobio thinks that the efforts to clean will be completely worth it for the opportunity to kiss the boy clinging to him.

Once he finishes mixing, he holds the spoon over his shoulder for Shouyo to lick it, then licks the spoon himself. “Gross,” Shouyo whines. “I just licked that!”

“My tongue was literally in your mouth two minutes ago,” Tobio deadpans back, and Shouyo laughs.

And Tobio doesn’t have to refrain from swallowing that laugh with a kiss.

[etlunainmorte]

❄❄❄

***

*The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie*

 

Prep Time - 15 minutes

Cook Time - 15 minutes

Chill Time - 2 hours

Total Time - 30 minutes

Yield - 24 cookies

Serving Size - 1 cookie

*Ingredients

1/2 cup ( 113g ) unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup ( 66 g ) granulated sugar

1/2 cup ( 104g ) packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon ( 5ml ) vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups ( 186g ) all - purpose flour

1 1/2 cups ( 255g ) chocolate chips ( semi - sweet or milk )

*Instructions

1. Note: This dough requires chilling.

2. Place melted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment ( or a large bowl if using a hand mixer ). Add granulated and brown sugars and mix on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Mix in egg and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined.

3. Mix in baking soda and salt, then slowly mix in flour and mix just until the batter is smooth and comes together. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl during mixing. Slowly mix in chocolate chips.

4. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Spacing doesn’t matter because you will be chilling the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a second cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

6. Remove the chilled cookie dough balls from the refrigerator and space them 2 - inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake ( 2 tablespoon sized cookies ) for 11 - 15 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden and the tops are no longer glossy. Let cool on the cookie sheets at least 10 minutes before removing.

*Recipe Notes

Try using white chocolate chips or a combination of milk, semi - sweet, and white chocolate chips instead of all one flavor. You can even substitute butterscotch or peanut butter chips, or add your favorite nuts. Just keep the amount of add - ins to 1 1/2 cups.

*Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 16mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.6mg

*Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate

***

❄ Three Wishes ❄

***

IV

***

V has been staring at the peanut butter cookie in his hand for the past half hour.

Admittedly, the events that took place earlier during the day in the Red Grave shopping district has been weighing heavily on his mind. 

Yes, the atmosphere ( despite the place being jam - packed with Christmas holiday shoppers ) was perfect, the movie ( although the majority of the scenes were not very tolerable ) was eye - candy, the food ( which was uniquely and refreshingly Japanese for him ) was great, even the little trip to the music shop ( which almost tempted him to buy a new violin of his own ) was calm and peaceful.

All in all, it was almost perfect. Almost.

What really took the perfect moment from him was that Christopher Lancaster guy. Again.

After defeating the evil doctor almost two months ago, V seriously thought that it was the end of that fiend. He truly believed that the evil doctor was rotting away in the fiery pits of the Underworld, his flesh being fed to a multitude of famished Demons. Alas, he was wrong: it turned out that he, like you, was reincarnated, and, apparently, he was your former lover.

The ride on the way back to Swan Lane was the most awkward moment that V has ever experienced. Although Nico's driving was normal for once, V, or Griffon, wasn't able to say anything to lessen the tension in the air. In fact, one could safely say that the demonic bird and the noisy Artisan were both tongue - tied for once. Despite knowing that his familiar ( who was still feeling salty after being left alone in the house ) and the Artisan ( who was feeling extra curious and mischievous to know the status of your relationship with him ) teamed up to spy on your very first date with V, the poet just couldn't bring himself to scold either one of them. He knew it would only make you even more uncomfortable, and the least thing he wanted was for you to feel bad.

The one hour ride from the shopping district to your house ended with you nodding to him and entering your house without even saying a word. So, naturally, V was worried sick about you.

What happened between you and that man that made you feel like that? Did he hurt you? Humiliated you, then left you? Lancaster did have strong opinions about your domestic personality. What did he mean by that, anyway?

Wait a second, V thought as some awful feeling made his stomach turn. Did Lancaster - ?!

"WHOA, V! WHERE WILL YA BRING THAT COOKIE?!" Griffon, who was quietly observing V from his perch for the past half hour as his master stared at the said cookie in his hand, squawked and flapped his wings erratically, positively shocked upon witnessing the poet's weird behavior.

V noticed how his actions must have startled the bird, opened his mouth wide, and finally ate the cookie whole.

Hmm, yum,...

V swallowed and turned to Griffon. "That man must've done something that made her feel that way." He said quietly as if someone's listening or spying on him.

"Well, yeah, of course he did! What do ya expect?" The bird answered. "That man is evil! I should've plucked his eyeballs out but, that crazy bitch stopped me and called me a chicken!"

Griffon's words successfully started the fire, making V's eyes widen in both shock and anger. The man grabbed his metal cane from the sofa and started making his way towards the front door, sweater, loose pants, fluffy slippers, and all. The man would've walked outside without any protection from the harsh cold weather if it weren't for Griffon's intervention.

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! WAIT!" The bird flew towards V at a break - neck speed and yelled at his master's face, desperately trying to prevent the poet from storming outside and killing himself in the process. "WHAT DO YA THINK YE'RE DOIN'?!"

"What I'm doing,... is putting an end to that miserable man's life once and for all."

"I get ya! I get that he may have done somethin' to sweets - HEY, LISTEN TO ME!" Griffon screeched as he tried his best to stop V from going outside by grabbing onto his shirt with his talons, almost ripping the white fabric to shreds.

But, the poet would not be stopped. Despite the demonic bird's efforts, he still made his way towards the door. He grabbed the brass door knob and turned to his familiar one last time before throwing it open. "I swear: if he so much as touch a single strand of her hair, I will send him back to the Underworld where he belongs! I don't care if I die in the process! I want to see him suffer and I don't care if it's the last thing I see before I die!"

"NO, NO, NO, V! YE'RE BEIN' RECKLESS! YE'RE - !"

But, Griffon was too late. V managed to open the door, and,...

The poet and the familiar stared in disbelief at the figure standing before them. Slightly shivering and partly covered with snow was none other than the lovely female that almost drove V to murder.

"(Y/N)?" Both V and Griffon muttered in disbelief. 

How long have you been standing there in the cold?!

Were you,...

Were you listening all this time?!

You smiled at him as you held a small container closer to your chest. "Hi, V! Umm, did I, ahh, come at the wrong time?"

"No! I mean," V stuttered as Griffon quietly retreated to his former position near the shelves. Stepping aside to make way for you, he spoke, " ... please, come in. Make yourself at home."

"Ah! There's no need. I won't stay for too long. I,... just wanna ask for a favor, actually."

"What favor?"

Griffon, who deliberately heard this, sneaked back towards V and positioned himself just behind the door next to the poet to listen to the conversation. Shadow, who seemed to have picked up on the situation, as well, only squinted her eyes as if to let her fellow familiar do his thing.

"You see, uhm," You began quite awkwardly. As used as you were to talking to the opposite gender, you still couldn't shake the unfamiliar feeling you have when talking to V. There seemed to be something in the poet, in the way he looked at you, touched you, and spoke to you, that pulled you in like a moth to the lamp, or the lamb to its shepherd, and you have mixed feelings about this, honestly.

However, it was not the right time to be musing about the mystery that was V. Taking a deep breath and inching closer towards him, you spoke once more. " ... I've heard from Nico that you can play the violin."

"Oh! Why, yes, of course!" V, who caught a whiff of your lovely flowery - scent cologne and going internally crazy about it, confirmed with a huge smile on his face. "How can I help you?"

"Can I invite you to work tomorrow? Do you still have that violin of yours?"

"She's asking him out!" Griffon whispered back to Shadow. After hearing this, she stood from the fluffy carpet and made her way to the demonic bird to also listen in on the conversation.

"I'm afraid that - "

"You can't come?" You whispered, feeling sad and disappointed with his answer. "It's okay, though. I understand. It's all too sudden, after all."

"The shy boy is ruinin' it!" Griffon savagely whispered, making Shadow raise her paw in an effort to push her master forward towards you.

"No! W - what I mean is," V stuttered ( at the same time Shadow’s paw almost made contact with his bottom ), wanting to clear out the confusion. " ... I'm afraid I don't have a violin right now. I would love to go but,..."

You knitted your brows, your mind deep in thought. Then, raising a gloved hand and pointing at the ceiling, you looked back at him with your eyes wide open. "My partner has one! I mean, she left it there, I know! You see, we have a thanksgiving party tomorrow, and we're short on participants. My partner was supposed to play the violin during one of the book reading sessions. But, she said she needed to take a break.”

"Is that so?" His confused face finally clearing up and his tensed shoulders finally relaxing, he smiled and nodded. "I can do that, yes. I will come."

Griffon and Shadow peaked just in time to see you leaping in the air in excitement and grabbing V's sleeve with your free hand as you smiled all too brightly at him.

"Thank you so much! Oh, God! You don't know how relieved I' am to know that you'll come."

"Anything for you, my dear." V answered, once again making your face heat up. "What time shall I pick you up?"

Oh, why does he have that killer, adorable, smug smile?! "Oh, uhm, would seven in the morning be okay? The program won't start until eleven but, we still have to prepare."

"Seven o'clock, it is."

"And here, gran insists I give you this."

V received, yet, another jar of cookies. Classic chocolate - chipped, this time. And it's still so warm and looked so delicious,...

"Could you, please, deliver my gratitude to your sweet gran?" V asked, knowing how much Adelaide missed her own grandfather, who looked exactly like him.

"Will do." You smiled at him. "See you tomorrow, V!" Taking a step back, you waved at him and finally went back home.

"Good night, my dear." V said, also waving at you as he was watching you make your way safely to your house. And when he turned around, he noticed both Shadow and Griffon looking up at him.

"Ohoho, someone's gonna get fat this Christmas!" Griffon mocked as he focused his golden eyes on the jar at V's hands. "Hey, we're invited, right?"

***

❄ @la-vita , @clevermentalitybeliever , @v-vic , and @birdgirl69 . ❄

***

❄❄❄

***

[hollyand-writes]

Quarantine Q&A

I was tagged by the lovely @gremlinquisitor ❤️ Sorry it took me so long to get round to doing this!

Tagging: anyone who feels up to it -- like Erin said in her own post, take care of yourself first, and if you don’t feel like you can talk about this, then please don’t try to force it. ❤️

Are you staying home from work or school?

My husband and I have both been working from home since mid-March. I was already pretty much working from home before that anyway (been doing it for about a decade), so I was used to it and therefore don’t feel my life has changed dramatically. We’re really lucky that our jobs can be done 100% from home -- March and April were really busy months for both of us work-wise, so I think that helped us both cope and feel useful. 

In a weird way, lockdown didn’t/doesn’t upset or stress me out? I think it’s because I had a head start on worrying about the pandemic back in January: I have family in China/HK/SE Asia and I was really, really worried about them for a bit. I follow a few Chinese-language social media accounts of people based in China / East Asia and what was coming out of there was really, really bad -- sometimes worse than what was being reported in Western media -- and people over there were so angry and terrified for months before anyone in the West started worrying about it, I think. 

So, by the time the pandemic hit the UK and lockdown was announced, I think I was just relieved that finally there was something I could “do” about what was going on in the world, if that made sense??? I’d been reading these first-hand anonymous accounts “on the ground” in Chinese for two months by that point, so I felt like I kind of knew what to expect physically and emotionally. (My family and family-friends out there are all fine as far as I know, btw.)

If you’re staying home, who’s with you?

My husband. 9 weeks into lockdown and we’re still very much enjoying having each other around! He misses his colleagues, but he doesn’t miss his commute. We have the odd Zoom party and catch up with his family on FaceTime (it’s weird how it took a pandemic for us to think of video-calling them instead of phoning them), but yeah, he’s been great lockdown company and I love having him home! I don’t want him to go back to work LMAO! 

We work in the same room, but tend to be very good at focusing on our work during the work day, so we don’t really distract each other and give each other space when needed (mentally rather than physically, though; we live in a tiny flat with only like 3 rooms so it’s hard to give each other physical space). We play endless games of Civ6 against the other during breaks from work.

Are you a homebody?

Before 2020? No, not at all. But after lockdown started? I’ve been discovering the delights of just chilling at home with my husband, being busy and in-demand at work, writing, reading books, teaching myself Photoshop (working through an online course LMAO) and playing Civ. 

Also I’ve been really happy about all the money I’m saving from not going out and not buying anything apart from food and books LMAO! 

I’ve not really felt very talkative this year; and after lockdown started, that even extended to many of my real-life friends -- I’ve just felt happy staying at home and not talking to anyone except my husband, for some reason. (As an aside -- sorry to all of you on Tumblr and Discord for not chatting so much -- it’s not personal, it’s just whatever phase I’m going through, both IRL and online!) I’m not depressed or anything, I don’t think -- just happy doing my own thing for a bit.

An event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled.

The one that I was most gutted about was the Euro 2020 football tournament (soccer to you Americans of course) -- I had tickets to go to the final in July. But the organisers said they’ll hold the tournament next year and tickets will be valid, so I don’t feel so bad about it now. 

I miss the gym the most, I think. Everything else has kind of sorted itself out (even cancelled events), but the gym / working-out thing hasn’t. I started doing some home workouts with resistance bands at first, but I’ve fallen out of the habit of that somewhat -- it’s just not the same as having an actual barbell in your hands.

I was also meant to go on holiday to Greece with friends (12 of us) but that’s been cancelled. Funnily enough, when lockdown was announced in the UK I was secretly relieved, because I had a lot of social events lined up and my social life had been so busy up to that point that I was starting to get rather overwhelmed with it all. Turns out I’m an extrovert with a strong introvert streak.

What movies have you watched recently? What shows are you watching?

Hmmmm.... not really so much movies, I think. Aside from Frozen 2 (again). We’re currently working our way more through the 1994 BBC TV series of the classic novel Middlemarch (because I’ve been reading it), but we tend to play Civ, or read, or bake/cook, rather than watch TV.

What music are you listening to?

Gosh, loads, haha! The Frozen 2 soundtrack. Ibiza clubland tunes (to remind me of good times, LOL). Listened to old Eurovision tracks over the weekend (to get me in the spirit, even if Eurovision 2020 was cancelled). Attended virtual concerts that my friends in music bands have been holding. Pretty much everything you can imagine, whenever the mood strikes. Today I was listening to Suede’s Singles.

What are you reading?

Right now I’m reading “Middlemarch” by George Eliot; I’ve been getting through lots of books since February, both fiction and non-fiction.

That said, I’ve not really felt like reading fanfic much -- stopped reading Dragon Age fanfiction in December or January (and completely fell out of the fandom for a while, too) so I’m really behind on every longfic I was following. I’m only just starting to catch up on it all, in May, although I don’t see myself being in fandom/online that much. I’ll get to all your fics eventually! I’m just slow 😄

What are you doing for self-care?

Lots of things, and I think they’re helping because I’ve been coping OK so far (sorry this list is so long!): 

Staying offline -- especially off Tumblr and Discord and Twitter -- more often, which has really helped me get work done (sorry I’ve not been around much, though) and finally getting around to doing all those projects I didn’t have time to do / wasn’t home often enough to do is helping, especially when I can see progress being made 

Weekly therapy sessions -- started these last year when my brother got very seriously ill; the therapy sessions have now moved online via video-call rather than face-to-face and in-person, but I’m still keeping up with them through the pandemic. I haven’t felt like I need it, tbh, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to keep having therapy just in case...

Being grateful for how lucky I am -- I’m still alive and well for now, as are my loved ones, my husband and I are still in jobs / earning money, and things could be a lot worse; for example, at least I’m still able to go for walks in the park: my brother is officially a “vulnerable category” person who has to stay completely indoors and self-isolate for 12 weeks, even though he’s in remission; he can’t even go to the shops to get food

Working -- it’s been really nice sometimes to keep busy. The nature of my work means that unfortunately I can’t completely switch off from the news, so I tend to look at less of the bad and sad news and consume more the “how does the pandemic affect my specific specialism or field” news -- I find that limiting my news consumption is helping

Husband and I go for a walk in the park in the sunshine once a day (it’s been warm and sunny in London ever since lockdown started in March) for like 45 minutes a day. We have a really lovely park and I’ve taken lots of nice nature photos, and have discovered parts of the park and our neighbourhood that we didn’t know before, which has been very exciting 😁

We’ve been cooking and baking a lot more because we’re not commuting, and we’ve got time to cook ourselves nicer / healthier meals, and experimenting with baking puddings and cakes.

Taking multivitamins and fish oil every day, with boosters for Vitamin D3 and magnesium -- I actually think the latter has helped me sleep better and helped with motivation this year, but who knows LOL

FaceTime with husband’s family -- I actually think this lockdown has improved the quality of our relationships there, and they’ve been really happy to chat to us more often than usual

Just... not pushing myself on anything: usually I’m a really chatty and sociable person, but this year I’ve been far less chatty and just not felt so sociable, and just enjoyed being away from people to read and write or whatever. My one and only goal in 2020 is to survive it -- literally, given that there’s a pandemic on, LOL. Anything else is a bonus.