#basically every day for breakfast and sometimes for dessert too if i fancy it

[fatguarddog]

You'd think with the amount of blueberries I eat something bizarre and kinky would have happened to me by now

[planetdream]

— VALENTINES DAY WITH TXT !

this post contains: fluff

💌 i haven't written an ot5 txt post in a minute 😭 sorry to keep my moa besties waiting like this !! hope you guys enjoy <3

YEONJUN ... gives you money to get all fancy—buy a new outfit, get your hair (and nails, maybe?) done so that he can take you out later. jokingly tries to get you to wear the matching shirts he bought you on your anniversary last year, and ducks when you throw a shoe at him. basically, yeonjun just wants to romance you and treat you to a nice candle-lit dinner. he's turning up the charm the whole night, too—can't go more than three minutes without winking or saying something extra sweet (and cheesy).

SOOBIN ... and you both agreed on not getting each other gifts this year—but when the day arrives you both have tons of things for each other. everything from candy to teddy bears to matching bracelets. he can't help but spoil you just a little. you'll ask him what he wants to do with the day, and he'll just say that he doesn't care as long as he's with you (obviously). you two decide to change back into pajamas and have a lazy day. have to mention—soobs has this habit of drawing random shapes on your skin, and that's what he does the whole day :(

BEOMGYU ... acts as if he doesn't know what day it is—just to tease you. little do you know, he's scrambling to get everything right and in place. he sets things up in little stations—a game station, one for creating art, one for eating, and so on—think of it as several different dates in one. it's fun and fresh and exciting, and nothing can beat the smile on his face every time he looks at you. gets you a cute teddy bear (another of the several to add to your collection), and when you press on it, you hear his voice—singing your favorite song.

TAEHYUN ... cooks for you this valentine's day. a nice candle-lit dinner with your favorite appetizer, main course, and dessert on the menu. but of course, you can't just sit back, so you decide to help him out—and it's really fun! you guys even have a stereotypical romantic moment where you reach for the same item then look lovingly into each other's eyes before laughing. and the dinner itself is lovely: the meal, the atmosphere, and taehyun himself. it's like everything in the world finally makes sense.

KAI ... originally plans to sleep in with you, catching up on the lack of sleep he's been getting lately. but this year he's actually excited! he orders breakfast from a restaurant that you both frequent and makes a cute little picnic style set up indoors. he might not express many of his feelings deeply besides a few i love you's, but you can tell by the way he talks to you—leaning in close to you, speaking with stars in his eyes. you genuinely mean so much to him, and it overwhelms him sometimes, but he knows you got him just like he's got you.

© PLANETDREAM 2022

[hatterstan-shameblog]

Nobody asked for this but I'm gonna do it anyways...

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Fluff Alphabet: Takeru/Aguni Edition

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A = Attractive what do they find attractive about the other?

Takeru: only reason he let Aguni wear regular clothes and not swimwear is because he saw ARM in that tank top and was like "oh damn okay 😳." So, y'know, that. (And he'll never admit it but he kinda likes how Aguni is a little bit taller than he is....) Also likes that Aguni has a really dry, deadpan sense of humor—he ways finds a way to make Takeru laugh, even when he's not really trying.

Aguni: I think the physical aspect of things wasn't really a make-or-break for him at first—like, yeah, Takeru's a good-looking guy, but that's secondary. He liked how Takeru is such a live-wire, very loud and colorful and seemingly fearless, no matter what kind of trouble they got into. (But also...he likes the hair. That's a thing for him.)

B = Baby do they want a family? why/why not?

Takeru: If they end up with one somehow, then, sure. But, like. He's not going out of his was to make it a thing. (But also, he has his cat, Ziggy, who he calls his baby, so...)

Aguni: Would secretly love to be a dad but is too worried he might mess the kid up or something. Is more than happy to be 'unofficial parent' to the neighborhood kids, though. Handing out ice pops to the kids that show up at the shop, keeping an eye out and telling them to get home before dark, maybe even showing one or two of them how to throw a better curveball...you know. Real Hallmark channel shit. (And yes, for those who were wondering: Ziggy the cat loves him and often curls up on his lap while he watches TV)

C = Cuddle how do they cuddle?

They don't really "cuddle" outside of bed. Just kinda sit next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, no big deal. But in bed, Aguni lies on his back with his arm sorta outstretched while Takeru...well, my man is worm on a string but OFF the string, he just flops all sorts of ways and a lot of them don't look comfortable but he falls asleep in minutes so whatever.

D = Dates what are dates with them like?

I don't think they do "dates"—they've got a long-term thing going on, so they often end up on the couch eating takeout and watching movies. I think they'd go to the movie theater sometimes (and talk shit for the entire film lol) and every once in a while grab dinner somewhere nice...but, usually because they have some cool limited-time-only dessert item that Takeru insists they try. (And Aguni pretends to be upset about having to get dressed up and go out, but is actually rather pleased to have a little romance...and get something to satisfy his sweet tooth.)

E = Everything you are my ____ (e.g my life, my world…)

Aguni: Emergency Medical Contact

Takeru: Co-Signer On The Apartment Lease

F = Feelings when did they know they were falling in love?

Takeru: About a week after Aguni (drunkenly) confessed his crush. Literally spent a whole week like, "Wow, it's a shame I don't love him back. He's so kind and handsome and smart and funny...too bad, I guess..." until one night he sat up straight in bed and said "Hold up." He then immediately called Aguni and began demanding why Aguni didn't tell him he was in love with him this whole time.

Aguni: They had been friends since they were kids, so it's hard to say when his feelings went from "you're my best friend" to something different. But, once he figured it out, he swore never to mention it because that could complicate their friendship.

G = Gentle are they gentle? If so, how?

Takeru: Yes and no. He's got a bad case of "grabby hands" and often yanks Aguni to and fro to look at something or whatever. Just zero respect for the man's personal space. But otherwise...I imagine he's not particularly rough or gentle, just kind of normal. EXCEPT when it comes to the emotional stuff—like, the real heavy things. I think he's very gentle with that, not asking too many questions and just sort of taking care of him where he can.

Aguni: Generally gentle—physically, emotionally, whatever. But I do think that he's confrontational, like when there's an issue, he comes straight out and asks Takeru what's going on. Even corners him, sometimes. He seems like a "no bullshit" guy, and since Takeru is "Mr. 99% Bullshit" he's gotta deal with it as best he can.

H = Hand/Hold how do they like to hold hands?

The only time they "hold hands" is when Takeru is grabbing Aguni's wrist to drag him somewhere (or run away lol) and when Aguni is pulling Takeru's hand back to stop him from touching something...

I = Impression first impression/s

I headcanon that they met very young, like grade school age. After school, in the park, where Takeru was chilling in a tree and Aguni walked by and he was like "Hey, there's a spider up here, wanna see?" and Aguni is like "Not really, I don't like bugs..." Now, Takeru, being "weird bug kid extraordinaire" can't believe his strange little ears and hops down from the tree and starts explaining why bugs are so cool and that Aguni is wrong...and Aguni listens as this funky, tiny firecracker just talks his damn ear off. Aguni liked how excited Takeru got about things, and Takeru liked how Aguni actually listened to him. And they were fast friends after that!

J = Joker are they into pulling pranks?

Takeru fucks around all the time...and doesn't often find out, because Aguni tolerates all his antics. (To a certain point, but still.) Every once in a while, Aguni will tell some harmless little lie just to watch Takeru freak out—he told him once that Lady Gaga was leaving the music scene forever, and Takeru screamed so loud the neighbors filed a noise complaint.

K = Kisses how do they kiss?

I think they most often do quick pecks—at the breakfast table, when they get home from work. You know. Domestic stuff. But when it's not like that...I think 9/10 times it's Takeru initiating, and Aguni reciprocates by wrapping his arms around him in a big hug (because he likes it but also to keep that skinny little weirdo from wiggling so damn much, he's always moving, he can't just be still—)

L = Love who says I love you first?

Neither! I don't think they really say it at all! Why say something that doesn't need to be said? (At least, that's how they see it...)

M = Memory their favorite moment together

Aguni: It's not really a memory, but...just how they have breakfast together some mornings. Sipping coffee, discussing whatever's going on in the world, the general "togetherness" that comes with it is one of his favorite feelings.

Takeru: The time they spent a full 24 hours in a karaoke booth singing 80's hits and knocking back tequila shots and ordering way too much food.

N = Nickel do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?

Takeru: Absolutely buys stuff for Aguni all the time. Mostly random snacks, or little knick-knacks that catch his eye. And also clothes, but...Aguni doesn't always approve.

Aguni: Doesn't buy Takeru stuff BUT leaves vases of flowers he grew on the table for Takeru to find.

O = Orange what color reminds them of their other half

Anything bright and obnoxious reminds Aguni of Takeru—red in particular, which also happens to be Takeru's favorite. And Takeru thinks Aguni has calm and soothing blue-green vibes. Like the ocean, beautiful and serene, but also dark and capable of incredible destruction.

P = Petnames what pet names do they use?

Takeru: All of them. Darling, babe, sweetheart (but he calls everyone those lol). Aguni-specific ones are always over-the-top and ridiculous like "brightest star in all of the heavens..." and he always gets an eye-roll for his efforts.

Aguni: Absolutely does not use pet names. Just says "hey you" or something. Once called Takeru "babe" and Takeru had to stop washing dishes and sit down because he was laughing so hard.

Q = Quaint what is their favorite non-modern thing?

Takeru: I feel like he would collect a ton of vintage stuff—clothes, records, just random little bits and bobs he comes across. But his favorite is definitely his record player—it belonged to his dad, and he keeps it in a place of honor in the hat shop.

Aguni: A set of very old and well-cared-for gardening tools. Takeru got them for him for his birthday, and he legit treasures them.

R = Rainy Day what do they like to do on a rainy day?

Lay on the couch and do literally nothing. Takeru gets the left end, Aguni takes the right, and they binge trash TV shows all day. (And also they make box-mix brownies and eat them straight out of the pan. It's "their thing.")

S = Sad how do they cheer themselves/each other up

Takeru: Aside from all his self-destrictive behaviors (binge-drinking, dangerous situations, etc.) he just really needs a good laugh. And Aguni somehow always manages to make him laugh with an unexpected, deadpan comment. Also, he makes Takeru actually talk through his problems instead of ignoring them...

Aguni: if he's in a bad mood, you just need to let him work through it on his own. He hates being "talked down to" and feels that most attempts at cheering up are cheap, so most people don't attempt. Buf...Takeru is not "most people" and breaks out his most ridiculous jokes to try to get Aguni to crack a smile.

T = Talking what do they love to talk about?

Other people! You know Takeru is the "XOXO Gossip Girl" of the neighborhood, but Aguni...he's like a little old church lady and ADORES hearing all the latest drama.

U = Unencumbered What helps them relax?

Both of them have the same method of relaxation and it's...bubble baths! Aguni does a basic, skin soothing soak and just hangs out in the warm water with a book or maybe just his thoughts to keep him company. But Takeru? He's got some fancy bath soaps, and he takes in a glass of wine and lights a few candles and does a face mask and it's a whole EVENT.

V - Very thoughts about each other

Takeru: Thinks Aguni needs to loosen up and take more risks...but also just loves the guy to pieces.

Aguni: Kinda wishes Takeru would calm tf down sometimes...but also knows that it's just how the guy is and wouldn't dare change him.

W = Wedding when, how, where do they propose?

They're not really the marrying type! They just have a mutual understanding of commitment and that's that.

(But if they did have a wedding... I think it would be a relatively small affair with all their closest friends and family. Like a dinner party, but somewhere extra nice and with lots of good food and alcohol. Intimate and meaningful, with just enough "extra" to satisfy Takeru.)

X = Xylophone What��s their song?

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" because they hid out in a karaoke booth (different from the 24-hour event that Takeru cherishes so much) to es ape the Yakuza and Takeru sang it over and over to pass the time.

Y = You the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

"Breaking" to my "Entering." The "Assault" to my "Battery." (They both hate this sort of thing and try to come up with the worst answers possible lol)

Z = Zebra if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?

They already have the cat, Ziggy, who is their perfect little angel.

[capaimagines]

bts - married life

Pairing: BTS x Reader | Genre: fluff | Warnings: none | WC: 2.0k

kim namjoon 

↬ Absolutely loves coming home to your cooking.

↬ He would have the brightest smile across his face when he comes home after a long day to see you dancing around in the kitchen.

↬ The first thing he would do every day is kiss you hello and tell you how much he missed you.

↬ You would always tease him; “You saw me just this morning!” even though you really missed him too.

↬ The two of you loved cuddles. He would always refuse to go to bed unless he had you wrapped up in his arms like a koala.  He loved the scent of your shampoo, it always relaxed him and helped him fall asleep quicker.

↬ Hearing the sound of his heartbeat and feeling his warmth helped calm you down and you always forced his hand to your head so he can run his fingers through your hair.

↬ There’s an unspoken routine; you cook and clean whilst he does all the rest.  Putting up shelving, moving furniture, taking out the trash, etc. He’d prefer if you didn’t do anything, but he knows you’re too headstrong to listen to him!

↬ You still worked though, because you were adamant that you weren’t going to rely on him even though you’ve been married for a few years now. It’s something he adored and admired about you.

↬ You also really loved making meals for all the members and their partners. Getting together at your home is something you love and Namjoon smiles adoringly when he sees the light in your eyes with the rest of his family. You were made for him.

↬ He just loves and adores you so much, he couldn’t ask for a better person to come home too.

kim seokjin 

↬ He’s the one who cooks for you all the time.

↬ Never lets you in the kitchen unless he’s there to supervise, but he does love cooking with you; it’s something you two do together a lot. More so, you observe whilst he cooks.

↬ You always make dessert and he cooks the main meal. It was always that way before you were ever married.

↬ He loves to spoil you; always comes home with your favorite flowers.  There’s so many now that your home has become its own flower field basically.

↬ ALWAYS and I mean always, kisses you good morning and it’s the best way to start your day.

↬ If you had kids, he’d be the best dad (you couldn’t wait!)

↬ Honestly, Jin would be just like them and you’d feel like you had a house of kids.

↬ He’d teach them to cook, get up early on Saturday’s to watch cartoons with them, take them to school before going to work.

↬ He’d always give you a break when you were tired or when he noticed you were burning out.

↬ Jin would love to run you bubble baths with rose petals, massages (that can sometimes lead to other things), taking you out for your favorite food. He does whatever he can to keep the smile on your face and keep you happy.

↬ Every night, when you’re both going to bed, he’d kiss your ring finger where the ring adorns, reminding himself just how lucky he was to find someone as amazing as you.

kim yoongi 

↬ It’d be a nice, quiet, relaxed life with Yoongi.

↬ The two of you would have your own routines that seem to fit perfectly around each other.

↬ You’d cook him breakfast, always sure to remind him that it’s the most important meal of the day.

↬ You’d also make sure to pack him a lunch box and sneak it in his bag because you knew that he wouldn’t leave the studio or practice to eat a proper meal. You always made sure to slip a few extra for the rest of the boys too.

↬ Most of your nights were spent in his studio while he worked; you either cooking and bringing him food or ordering takeout.

↬ He always stops to eat with you; he thinks the most important thing is eating together and talking about your days at the end of the night; plus, he misses you and feels bad that he works odd hours.

↬ But you’ve never held that against him, your happy that he allows you to watch him over him whilst he works and that he takes your opinions into account when he’s working his magic.

↬ Sleeping is the best with him; you’re both always curled up in each other's arms as he rubs gently circles on your back.

↬ Your marriage may seem boring to the outside eye, but you love the quiet, comfortable life you’ve built with him.

jung hoseok

↬ Prepare yourself for a marriage full of laughter and fun! 

↬ He’s always has the brightest smile on his face, just as bright as the day he saw you walk down the aisle.

↬ He adores coming home and having you jump into his arms or kiss his cheek as a greeting. It’s even better when you’ve found the energy to make you both a nice meal.

↬ He loves taking you out on impromptu activities. Dancing, hikes, arcades, parks, random walks. He loves being around you and spending all the time he can with you.

↬ Fights rarely happen between the two of you, but when they do, he makes it a point for both of you to never go to bed mad at each other; you can be annoyed or upset, but never mad.

↬ Cuddling is his favorite thing to do with you; he constantly has to have his arms around you. When you’re in bed he loves when you’re the little spoon and he can wrap himself around you.

↬ Every night before you sleep he kisses your ring finger that you wear your wedding band on as well as your knuckles. His kiss is a silent promise to always love you and support you, not matter what life decides to throw your way.

↬ Hobi loves to surprise you by coming home early to cook a meal for you and set up a mini at-home spa to help you relax. You always do things for him and while he can’t leave work early often, he loves the look of shock and happiness when he can set this up for you.

↬ Your wedding picture is the first thing anyone sees when they walk through the front door. It’s also his favorite, seeing you adorned in a white gown with your hair all done up. It was the happiest day of his life and now, he gets to live the happiest moments of his life with you by his side.

park jimin

↬ Cuddles, cuddles and more cuddles.

↬ He literally loves to be in your arms or vice versa, have you in his. Always needs to be touching you in some kind of way.

↬ Gets possessive/jealous very easily but tries not to show it. You think it’s cutest thing ever and it makes you feel loved.

↬ Whenever you’re out together, whether it be at the mall, a company party or with the other members, his arm is always wrapped protectively around your waist. He presses small kisses to your temple every now and then; it’s his silent way of telling everyone around you both to back off and that you’re off limits . 

↬ He definitely isn’t the best at cooking, but loves to help you cook in any way he could. That be chopping vegetables together, making sweets. It’s something that you find joy in and he loves spending all his free time with you when he can.

↬ You’re there for him always when his self-confidence gets low. Hyping him up and letting him know just how good of a job he’s doing. He doesn’t say it often, but he loves you even more when you do that for him. He appreciates you being so understanding and attentive to him.

↬ You hear I love you a million times a day from him. When he wakes up, when you’re eating breakfast together, when he leaves for the day. Constantly texts you throughout the day as well reminding you how important you are to him, how beautiful you are and how lucky he is to have you.

↬ But his favorite I love you is when you’re half asleep, between dreamland and the living world and he whispers I love you quietly. Pulling you close and feeling your warmth on him and you nuzzle into him, whispering a quiet, sleepy I love you back.

kim taehyung 

↬ Will spoil the living shit out of you.

↬ Flowers every day, fancy dinners whenever he can spare the time, jewelry, clothes, shopping sprees, vacations, etc.

↬ His biggest joy in life is seeing the surprised look on your face when he gives you another gift and you smile like a kid on Christmas day.

↬ Loves to buy you designer clothes and makes sure to make events that you can wear them too. Loves to match with you.

↬ Also loves to just see you cocooned up in his clothes on the couch, hair a mess and watching TV or reading a book. Domesticated you was his favorite look.

↬ Made sure to have a house with a good rooftop so he can take you up there every night and watch the sun fall behind the horizon and the stars come out. Telling you how every star he ever wished on brought you to him and him to you.

↬ Absentmindedly runs his fingers over his wedding band when he’s at work and bored. It grounds him and always brings a smile to his face knowing that you have a matching one, both of you belonging to one another and that when he went home, it was to you.

↬ Really enjoys taking you out to karaoke and just watching you let loose. Even though you suck at singing and are tone deaf, he still smiles his signature boxy smile and tells you how beautiful your voice is that even a siren would be jealous.

↬ Favorite thing to do is cuddle you at night and just watch you sleep. He’ll never understand how he got so lucky to have you in his life forever.

↬ Always introduces you as his wife even though everyone in the world is aware of it and it sends butterflies to your stomach.

jeon jungkook

↬ Hope you like playing games and being active because this marriage will consist of all of that.

↬ He loves when you sit between his legs and play games with him while he sits behind you, whilst his arms wrap around you.

↬ Loves going on hikes with you and it’s how he proposed at a beautifully scenic view of Seoul on top of a mountain.

↬ Helps you with the cooking and takes over the cleaning, giving you mundane tasks while he really cleans everything else.

↬ Refuses to let you do the laundry. It’s his favorite thing. Though, he’ll make you fold it, he doesn’t like folding.

↬ Constantly has his hands on you and is generally clingy.

↬ He has a high libido so be ready for sex at any moment and expect that he’s gonna go a few rounds before he’s done.

↬ Is the sweetest and cutest and utterly supportive of anything you choose to do.

↬ Forever grateful that you brought into his life and stuck around through everything.

[commander-hanji-zoe]

Valentine’s Day Headcanons

Oh look some Valentine’s Day headcanons that I should have posted a few weeks ago (I still have two Valentine’s Day requests which I’m hoping to finish tomorrow along with my oldest other request. 

This are very, very basic headcanons. Being honest, there wasn’t the same level of thought in these as my usual writing and I didn’t try to do anything flowery with the language. I just saw Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to write some quick thoughts down, hope you enjoy anyway! I decided to include Gelgar & Nile in this. 

Levi 

To Levi Valentine’s Day really is just another day and he doesn’t get the fuss around it.

That being said he’ll still buy his partner a card and something to go with it, usually a nice bottle of wine or some elegant flowers. 

Thinks it’s silly he needs a day to say I love you - though he isn’t a man who says ‘I love you’ very often at all, he’d rather show it with actions. 

If he’s single it doesn’t really bother him, he’s too busy with work to really notice what the day even is. 

Gets annoyed at the younger cadets if they’re over excited and suffers terribly from second-hand embarrassment when he witnesses 

Mike 

Loves Valentine’s Day but more in a private way. He loves seeing others happy, but when it comes to his partner/someone he’s interested in, it’s more of a subtle affair in public. 

Would much rather cook for his partner than go out to dinner, that way they can be as romantic & touchy/feely as possible without others watching.

Is big on Valentine’s underwear and has special outfits of his own - yup Mike is definitely one with a fondness for love heart boxers. 

Will buy the biggest bunch of flowers, that even he finds a bit embarrassing when he sends them to his partner/the person he has a crush on. 

Is into cute gestures he can repeat every year, like puzzles/a treasure hunt his partner will need to solve to find their gift.

Really loves the annual gifts from Hanji and agrees that it shouldn’t just be a day to celebration romantic love or sexual attraction, rather it’s a day to show love and gratitude to friends/family, all those who mean something to him. 

Nanaba

Enjoys it but like Levi, Valentine’s Day isn’t the be all and end all and certainly isn’t a highlight in her calendar.

If she’s dating someone that she of course appreciates the card, flowers etc. And will always do her best to find the perfect card and make her partner something nice like a cake. 

Will go a little easy on the cadets but is quick to put her foot down if they get too silly or carried away - romance isn’t an excuse to not pay attention. 

Might wear something very small to hint at what the day is (like a love heart shaped nose stud). I don’t see Nanaba wearing red, but I think she’d enjoy having small pieces of jewellery set aside for holidays.

Blushes surprisingly easily, whether she’s with someone and they send her flowers or if she gets something from a secret admirer she might privately have a little ‘squeeee’ moments and then take a few deep breaths and it’s back to being calm and collected. 

Hanji 

Will buy little heart shaped chocolates to give to the other vets and makes cards by hand for all of them. 

Hugs everyone they care about, extra hugs for Levi. 

If waking up in bed with the one they love Hanji would be one to make Valentine’s Day breakfast in bed and return wearing nothing but an apron. 

Definitely makes a card and ‘special meal’ for any titans they have in captivity. 

Very much the match-maker and if they know two people like one another, but are being hopeless at showing it - they’re sure to intervene or nudge them in the right direction. 

Puts in a level of effort into their outfit if on a date which other’s wouldn’t necessarily expect from them. Will actually get a little annoyed if anyone comments that ‘finally they’ve had a shower’ and explains rather abruptly that it isn’t that they don’t like showers/wearing nice scents, but work is too busy for such trivial matters! 

Erwin 

Timeless & classic when it comes to Valentine’s Day, he’s into old school romancing and will book a fancy meal out.

Definitely one to wear a smart suit and jacket out on a date, even if it isn’t really cold enough for a jacket he’ll wear one in case his partner gets cold so he has it to hand. 

During the day he doesn’t pay much attention to it, he’s happy if others want to decorate the barracks and have an exchange of cards etc. That doesn’t mean he wants to be involved. 

Is used to receiving numerous cards from secret admirers, after all he is Commander Handsome. He blushes quite easily at these and if teased by the other vets might get a little annoyed, but Erwin is good at playing it cool. 

Moblit 

Secretly he does look forward to Valentine’s Day, it’s not really something he’ll admit out loud, accept to Hanji of course. But dreads it in equal measures.

Is more about the home made gestures than buying lavish gifts for the person he likes. 

Isn’t very good at keeping secrets, so if he sends a card to someone he likes from their ‘secret admirer’ he’ll probably tell them before the day is over.

Does work himself up a bit in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day. He has a tendency to play out scenarios in his head and for some reason they often end up as worst case.

Might style his hair slightly different for the day if there’s someone he likes, it’s a way to get their attention and a talking point. 

Nile 

Pretends he doesn’t care about Valentine’s Day, but if he doesn’t get any cards he will be sad. 

If he gets a card he’ll shrug it off as mushy, he might even pretend to throw it away but secretly he’ll pick it up again later.

Practises pick-up lines in his mirror before approaching someone he likes. 

Is very sweet on a one to one basis and is happy to take his partner/date out for a very romantic meal. Not afraid to show affection in public once he is with someone, it’s quite a spectacular shift. 

Gelgar 

He’ll find a pub/tavern somewhere to drink away his sorrows, probably. 

I see him as being really clumsy when it comes to declarations of love - he definitely falls in love easily and when he falls he falls hard. Expect stuttering and stopping mid declaration to down whatever he’s drinking for a little more courage. The words don’t come out the right way and sometimes don’t make sense, but it’s easy to tell what he’s trying to say.

Sends over the top bouquets of flowers and a bottle of wine to the person he has a crush on, hinting heavily that the wine is to be shared. 

A few modern headcanons

Those who enjoy snapchat/insta filters - Mike, likes to make himself look like a cat or a bunny with love hearts floating around him. Hanji also would enjoy them - Erwin tries to figure it out but ends up turning himself into a slice of pizza or something. 

Who plans the Valentine’s Day ball? Hanji & Moblit make the best team for this particular task. Though it’s a ball at an ice skating rink or roller rink, they like to plan something super fun that everyone can enjoy with friends regardless of relationship status. 

The person who gets to the card shop before it opens to avoid people? Levi 100 times.

Who buys the Valentine’s Day meal - 2 mains, a dessert and bottle of wine from the local chain supermarket? Probably Moblit.

Enjoys a cinema trip to see a chick-flick with their friends instead of worrying about dates. Nanaba

[gumnut-logic]

Barbecue

This story is @godsliltippy​ ‘s fault. It was spawned in an Animal Crossing game, apparently, and she mentioned the concept to me and immediately sparked an idea. I feel what resulted isn’t quite what she had in mind, but I’m not in control here, sorry :D In fact, the whole thing turned into a weird ramble about Tracys really rather than a cohesive story.

I posted the beginning of this a while back when my muse took a hit and refused to write anymore. As it was never planned to be anything but one chapter, I have posted it as a whole now that it is finished. So you might find that you’ve already read the first bit. Sorry. Skip to the origami scene, dinner being served and you’ll find the new stuff.

Thank you to @scribbles97​ for the read through and support :D

I hope you enjoy this mostly Tracy fluff :D

-o-o-o-

It wasn’t often that the Tracys got together as a family. Sure, they lived on an island together, saw each other every day and even worked together. But there was a big difference between sharing a room versus sharing an event.

This time around, it wasn’t a special day or anything in particular, but Gordon had decided that the family needed some down time, had sweet talked Grandma who had the power to make it happen and International Rescue had been shut down for an evening.

John was dragged down from orbit a few days earlier so he could actually walk without his gravity assistance. When he complained, Grandma tore him a new one.

He didn’t comment after that, though Gordon swore he heard Eos laughing at him at one point.

Gordon thought it would be somewhat scary to have an AI laughing at you, but John just rolled his eyes and glared laser beams at his fish brother when he realised he was watching.

Johnny was such a soft target, but his revenge was lethal.

Gordon decided on a hasty retreat.

It was a simple barbecue on the beach down by one of the huts. A chance to laze on the sand, chat and just be family.

Now that Dad was home, their family was almost whole.

There would be no daring, to-the-ends-of-the-solar-system rescue for their mother. It just wasn’t something they could fix, so technically they would never be entirely whole again, but things were what they were and Gordon preferred to think positive.

The alternative sucked.

So, barbecue on the beach. Barbecue usually meant Virgil was cooking, but Two had been called out on a rescue just after lunch and that was following the one before lunch and the one after breakfast.

Scott had gone with Virg earlier and Gordon even earlier, but the second eldest waved him away on the third. It was a simple one. He would be back in time to turn the burgers.

He wasn’t.

It was left to John to fend off both Scott and Grandma, as neither were allowed near the barbecue. And while John was a bit more of a connoisseur than Virgil with his burgers perfected rather than barbecued, he still managed a great steak.

Whereas Scott would burn it.

Alan wasn’t allowed near the food otherwise no one else would get any.

Gordon did the salads. He was one to do things to carrots that no one else would think of. Even Virgil admired his radish roses and the salad dressings he created. Kayo sometimes helped him and today was one of those days.

Scott was usually tasked with furniture set up, but today he was hovering in the comms room keeping an eye on Virgil.

After all, three rescues in one day was a hefty workload.

And Dad? Well, Scott got his worry wart genes from somewhere.

“Is he on his way back?” Gordon strode into the comms room to find his father seated at his desk and Scott hovering like a lost soul, both staring at the holoprojector and a hologram of what was obviously Two’s external camera. Virgil was wearing his exo-suit and hauling several large containers onto his ‘bird.

He looked tired.

Gordon frowned. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine, Gordon. Packing up now.” It was still weird when Dad answered a question like that and not Scott.

Especially when there was a furrow on his eldest brother’s forehead.

Dad noticed Gordon’s gaze and looked over at Scott. “He’s fine, son. You worry too much.” Their father swiped at a secondary hologram on the desk, pushed his chair back and stood up. His cane rattled against the chair as he grabbed it to make his way over to Scott.

Who was still frowning. “Sorry, Dad. Just three in a row. He’s supposed to be home.”

“It’s the nature of the business.”

Scott looked at his father as if to say ‘Really?’

Dad cleared his throat. “Hmm, you have a point.” He straightened. “But we have to trust Virgil when he says he is okay.”

Scott’s grunt was non-committal.

Dad dropped a hand onto Scott’s shoulder. “He’s coming home and he’s staying home.”

Scott continued to stare at the hologram of his brother in the centre of the room. It was obvious Scott obviously wanted to skip all that and just have Virgil safe on the Island.

Scott wasn’t very good at waiting.

“Hey, Scotty, can you help Alan with the table?” At least it would have his brother doing something for a few minutes. By then Virgil would be in the air and on his way home.

“Sure.” But it was distracted and those eyes still hadn’t left the hologram.

As if on cue there was the sound of breaking glass and a number of rather offensive words from the kitchen.

As Scott moved almost as fast as his ‘bird, Gordon bit his lip and secretly applauded Kayo’s back up plan.

It worked. By the time Scott felt secure enough to let Kayo loose in the kitchen by herself again – Gordon swore she play acted the scene, any other time a brother would be dead for questioning her capabilities – Thunderbird Two could be heard on approach and all that was left to do was for Scott to run down to the hangars to check on his brother in person.

It was worth the milk jug and the clean-up.

As expected, Virgil was fine. A little tired, yes, but functional and looking forward to the evening on the beach.

He cleaned himself up, donned his flannel civvies and wandered down to the beach.

There was much discussion between John and the tired engineer about burgers until Gordon rounded up Virgil and set him doing fancy things with paper napkins.

If they ended up with fifty swans, twenty parakeets and forty-odd doves, he didn’t care. It was obvious Virgil was beat, running on a post rescue high and just needed something to do. The fact he was somewhat of an origami addict just worked in Gordon’s favour.

It also helped that Grandma sat with Virgil to keep him company.

Dinner was cooked and served. There was a bounty of food. If Gordon knew one thing it was that the key to a good get together was food and lots of it.

John’s steaks and burgers were divine as always, though lacking the char Virgil usually gave them. Gordon had a second helping, regardless.

Scott was still keeping an eye on Virgil, but their engineer brother seemed fine, stuffing food in his face at his usual muscle building rate.

Gordon kept an eye on Scott, noting that the eldest couldn’t seem to drop his concern.

Gordon toyed with the idea of asking Grandma to stall IR for the next day as well. The eldest two could do with a day off, obviously.

He’d talk to her later.

Dessert was an ice cream concoction with just enough alcohol and fruit in it to tickle the senses, topped with a crisp meringue. Basically, it was enough sugar to fuel a Thunderbird.

Which it did. All five brothers definitely appeared brighter after the meal and it was Scott of all people who suggested they go for a swim.

Gordon could never say no to that.

Private islands had their uses and the beach hut had change rooms and supplies for exactly this reason. Hiking all the way up the hill to the villa was not needed. Even Grandma had her own stash of swimwear down here and it was with some vivacity that the family descended on the hut and shed their clothing.

Except for Gordon who had come fully prepared because he was Gordon and there was a beach involved. So, it was with some amusement that he volunteered to tidy up the table while everyone changed clothes.

Scott stared at him for a full ten seconds obviously wondering if he needed to fetch a medical scanner.

Gordon just poked out his tongue and started collecting plates.

Their father had spent a great deal of time in the water since he had returned. Gordon actually enjoyed that fact. It gave him the opportunity to spend time with a man who had not only been missing for eight years, but prior to that had been mostly too busy to take a swim with his son.

There had been talks. Lots of talks. Even a few fragile moments.

The water gave his dad physical support that was sorely needed. John was known to take to the pool or the ocean for the same reason. Alan not so much. The baby of the family was not a water one. He enjoyed it, but his preferred environment involved rocket fuel and orbital stats.

Ultimately all the Tracys liked a fun dip in their private lagoon. Though, if he was honest, Gordon wondered if his brothers would be so eager to stick their toes in the water if they knew of the visitors the caldera sometimes received. He smirked to himself as Alan emerged from the hut, ran yelling down the slope, and barrelled into the water.

Gordon grinned. They weren’t dumb, but the aquanaut had installed certain sensors in the lagoon for a reason. It was his job to protect his family in the ocean, after all.

Scott wandered down the slope at an easier pace. He was wearing blue board shorts and displaying far more tanned skin than most of them.

John didn’t even bother and left his t-shirt on. Obviously taking no chances even though the sun was almost setting. His arms and legs still glowed and Gordon was hard put not to poke fun.

His astronaut brother must have picked up the vibes because he glared as he stalked past.

Grandma stepped down lightly beside their father, both wearing shirts. Dad had unspoken issues about the condition of his body and Grandma claimed that she couldn’t compete with the GQ covers surrounding her.

As far as he was concerned, Gordon was just happy they were there and having fun.

Because they were.

Grandma helped their dad onto the beach and then took a running jump into the water, her strong stroke chasing the eldest out into the lagoon.

It was Kayo who stopped at the edge with their father. Beaches were notorious for transmitting sound and, as he gathered dishes, Gordon could hear her soft voice even at this distance.

She was speaking Malay ever so quietly.

His father replied in the same.

Surprised Gordon couldn’t help glancing in their direction. She was looking up at his father with an expression of such gentleness, her hand on his arm. Gordon’s heart swelled and he looked away. He knew his sister had always been close with their father, but she was usually far from demonstrative. Tin’s early life had done so much to shape who she was today.

Gordon had a hate for her uncle that reached far beyond his own personal injury.

He finished stacking the picnic crockery and cutlery to the tune of the playful sounds in the bay. A quick wash of his hands in rainwater and he turned to face the lagoon.

His father was floating beside Tin and they were obviously having a private conversation. Scott, Alan, John and Grandma were apparently having a race. Gordon stared at that activity for a full moment, noting stroke strength and style. As always, Grandma was the most efficient, but the two older brothers outpaced her simply on strength and youth. Alan’s heart didn’t seem to be in it at all, but then Allie was secretly a softie when it came to Grandma and was probably losing on purpose.

He shared that with Virgil but for entirely different reasons. Virgil looked after Grandma. Grandma looked after Allie and was really the only maternal parent his little brother knew.

Not that he would ever admit any of it. Virgil was obvious. Alan was still far too teenager to admit to anything.

Gordon frowned. Speaking of Virgil, where the hell was the big softie?

Gordon’s eyes tracked over the water. What the hell? There was no sign of him.

He had come down, hadn’t he?

Gordon spun on the spot, hackles rising, eyes scanning the beach, the trail and the hut.

He thumbed his collar. “Eos, do you have a location on Virgil?”

“Hello, Gordon. Virgil is in Beach Hut Number Seven. His comms have been removed from his body and hence security-disabled. I really wish you and your brothers wouldn’t do that. It is disconcerting.”

Gordon didn’t acknowledge the AI, instead darting up the path to the hut.

As with everything on Tracy Island, the rustic little structure was more than it seemed. Security sensors recognised him as he touched the door and allowed him entrance. He swung it open and entered what equated to a mixture of storage facility and functional outpost. From here, any member of the family could get to the hangars fast via a hidden monorail system underground. It was one of several collection points dotted around the Island for sudden callouts.

But it also doubled as short-term shelter and basically a place to stash stuff. From swimwear to water sports equipment to art materials, the not so little huts held all sorts of things.

But the one thing Gordon was looking for was a heavy lifting brother.

He poked through the change cubicles. “Virgil?” It was quiet except for the sounds of the breeze and the ocean in the distance echoing through the still open door.

And the soft sound of snoring.

Really?

He found the last cubicle locked and had to jimmy the door to get it open.

Each change cubicle contained a bench and that is where his found his big brother.

Virgil had somehow managed to curl up on the far too small ledge and was fast asleep.

Gordon let out a sigh of relief suddenly realising exactly how worried he had actually been at his brother’s sudden absence.

The sigh fast turned into a fond smile as the worry slipped away. Not only was Virgil asleep in an odd spot, but he appeared to have fallen into slumber while undressing. His boots lay discarded to one side and his flannel shirt hung from a hook along with his grey t-shirt. But his jeans were still half on, down around his knees. It was almost as if he had sat down to remove them and tipped sideways on the bench, curling up against the wall half naked.

Gordon’s smile turned into a frown.

It would have been prime humour material involving photographs and eternal ribbing if it wasn’t for one factor.

Bruises.

His brother had a number of them down one side. What the hell?

Gordon stepped closer. None looked serious by themselves, but there were enough to suggest Virgil had taken a fall of some kind earlier in the day. An unreported fall. Gordon bit his lip. Unless…

A clatter of wet feet and Scott was suddenly there beside him, dripping on the floor. “What happened?”

Gordon shrugged. “Looks like he fell asleep while getting undressed.” He eyed his brother. “Did he report a fall?”

Scott took a step closer, staring at the bruises on Virgil’s torso. “Yes, but none of this.” A frustrated breath. “Hell, Virg.”

As if responding to his name, Virgil snorted in his sleep and tried to roll over.

And promptly fell off the bench.

Both Scott and Gordon lunged in to catch him, awkwardly scooping up limbs and important body parts, desperate to stop him from hitting the concrete. The man did not need any more contusions.

All three ended up on the floor. And while Virgil hadn’t acquired any more bruising, Gordon’s knees certainly had and there was a definite elbow to his collar bone that was likely to sprout something a little purple at least.

“Virg, wake up.” Scott’s voice was definitely in commander mode, but still soft with that brotherly worry that seemed to be ingrained in his personality.

Another snort and dopey brown eyes opened. There was little behind them for a full moment as they stared up at Scott who was still holding his brother against his chest.

Virgil blinked as water dripped on him. “Wha-?”

“You fell asleep, bro. In your underwear.”

“Wha’ the hell? Ugh, you’re all wet.” Virgil struggled to sit up. Both Scott and Gordon sat back and let their brother right himself.

Sitting up, Virgil let his back fall against the bench and sighed. He rubbed a hand over his face. “Shit, sorry.”

Gordon could hear the creak of his eldest brother’s frown beside him. “And so you should be. What is this?” Scott pointed at the bruises decorating Virgil’s right side.

The engineer blinked and looked down at himself. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. Why weren’t they reported?”

An arched eyebrow as Virgil looked back up at his brother. “They’re just bruises. It was a busy day.” Those brown eyes latched onto Scott. “I’m okay.”

“You fell asleep while changing your clothes.”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’m a little tired.” But then his eyes turned to Gordon. “I just didn’t want to miss out on the party.”

Gordon’s heart twitched at the honesty in those eyes. “You idiot. We could have done it tomorrow.”

Virgil looked down at his feet. “Probably would have been called out again.”

Gordon huffed. “No, Virgil, because tomorrow is a day off.”

It was Gordon’s turn to be frowned at by Scott, but the aquanaut was having none of it. He held up a hand. “No, Scott, was thinking it would be a good idea earlier and now it is certain. I’m speaking to Grandma.” He pursed his lips. “Or I can skip that step and just convince you here and now while dopey here has his purple decorations on display.”

“Hey!” Virgil got his frown on, but Gordon ignored him, keeping his own determination targeted on Scott.

Defiant blue flared for all of a second before looking down. Scott hated taking International Rescue offline. Gordon understood why and agreed, but there were limits.

Gordon reached out and gripped his big brother’s arm gently. “You need the time off, bro. You’re exhausted as much as dopey here.”

Blue eyes caught his for a moment and Gordon could see the decision being made behind them.

Quiet. “Okay.”

Gordon smiled just a little and squeezed that arm.

“What are you guys doing?” Alan, followed by John poked their heads in the door. “Kayo beat John by a – whoa, Virg, what the hell happened to you?”

Virgil didn’t quite roll his eyes, but he did push himself to his feet. “Work, okay?”

Several sets of eyes landed on Scott expecting a follow up on that statement.

The commander sighed and stood up. “John, can you please notify the GDF that International Rescue will be unavailable for another day at least.”

The space monitor nodded as sharply as usual, despite the fact his hair had obviously been hurriedly scrubbed with a towel and was sticking up in all directions. “FAB.” He slipped out of the room.

Alan was still staring at Virgil.

Another sigh. “Guys, can I finish getting dressed?”

Scott pointed at his brother. “You are going back to the villa to get some shuteye.”

“No, I’d like to go for a swim first and cool down.”

For a moment there, Gordon’s two eldest brothers glared at each other, neither willing to give in.

Virgil’s frown looked to crawl off his face and throttle Scott. “It’s only bruises. A swim, a shower and bed, I promise.”

Scott sighed. “Fine.” His lips twitched a little smugly. “Good luck explaining that lot to Dad and Grandma.” He turned and stalked out of the cubicle, herding Alan with him.

Virgil sagged and sat down with a groan.

He looked so dejected, Gordon felt sorry for him. “Hey, bro. Wear a t-shirt and they will never know.”

His brother grunted and started pulling off his jeans. A sigh. “Thanks, Gords.”

“Not a problem. Gotta look after my wingman after all.” He furnished that statement with a grin.

Virgil arched an eyebrow up at him, but Gordon could see the smile building behind his eyes.

“Go. Get. Let me get dressed.”

“Don’t fall asleep.”

“Get out.”

Gordon cackled and waltzed out of the cubicle.

He didn’t go far. He stopped just outside the beach hut and waited for his brother to finish up. The sun was fast approaching the horizon and everything was a wonderful gold colour.

Down on the beach, Scott was speaking with their father, no doubt reporting the situation. Gordon held back a sigh. Virg was likely in for it despite the t-shirt.

There was more than one way to give a guy a break, for goodness sake.

Dad looked up the hill at Gordon and caught his eyes.

Gordon gave him a mock salute.

If he had to run interference for Virgil, so be it. After all, he meant it when he said he had to look after his ‘wingman’.

Gordon rolled his shoulders and grinned at Scott as his brother looked up frowning.

His wingman needed a break.

So, Gordon would give him one.

-o-o-o-

FIN.

[loveyourselfscenarios]

How BTS Would Celebrate Your Birthday

RM

this man

this m a n

definition of soft boyfriend (1/2)

even though you’re both working, Namjoon promises to meet up with you that evening

( and he sends you cute texts throughout the day, that he’s thinking about you and soft stuff like that ugh )

anyway when you two meet up, he’s wearing the most bf outfit ever and tells you to pick whatever you’d like to do

“It’s my treat, baby, okay?”

you two visit the arcade, bowling alley, laser tag, wherever you want~ <3

he holds your hand the whole night, as much as he can

encourages you at every game, cheering you on in his own adorable dorky way

after you two get home

it’s            soft      soft       soft

            cuddles cuddles cuddles

he just wants to hug and kiss you all night long~

ends up laying beside you, playing with your hair and telling you all the reasons he’s glad you were born

Jin

Jin treats you like royalty from the moment you wake up

breakfast in bed, a massage, and a bouquet of roses

“To start off your special day right~”

this man would spare no expense

everything you want, you get

shopping, traveling, you name it, he’ll make it happen with a snap of his fingers and a flash of his credit card

“Aww, my cutie looks so nice in that outfit...”

“Don’t worry about the total, baby, you’re priceless.”

“Come on~ It’s your birthday! Treat yourself, babe.”

probably hires a private yacht for later on

and toasts your birthday with champagne while the sun sets

but after all the flashy celebrating, he knows just how you prefer to finish off the night, and he’s wayyy ahead of you... 

yup

ordering mass quantities of takeout food and watching trashy movies

he knows it’s your favorite kind of evening~ ( and his too, for that matter )

basically the best birthday ever

Suga

okay so here’s the thing

Yoongi doesn’t like to make a fuss

he gets embarrassed easily;;

if he can get away with it, he’d rather have you find your presents when he isn’t there ( so tsundere tsk... )

so you find little mushy love notes written on post its throughout the day while he’s at the studio and

they’re all these little things like

“I love it when you stretch in the morning and your shirt rides up a little... heh. - Yoongi <3″

“Thank you for taking care of me, sweetheart. Sometimes, I really do need it. - Yoongi <3″

“I could stare into your eyes forever. Thanks for letting me stare sometimes. - Yoongi <3″

just all this soft sappy stuff that he normally is too embarrassed to say

gosh your heart just melts

and then of course you find his real present after following his trail of love notes

a diamond necklace, with your name engraved on the box

needless to say, when he gets home, you tackle him with kisses, and he pretends to be annoyed by them

but his little gummy smile says otherwise <3

J-Hope

Hobi is classy

like hold-the-door-for-you, give-you-his-jacket, buy-you-chocolates kind of classy~

on your birthday, he promises you a good time, and asks you to wear something nice

“Wow~ didn’t know I was meeting an angel tonight.”

after showering you with compliments, he takes you out clubbing and dancing at all the nicest and most elite places

you get free drinks because it’s your birthday and he has the DJ play your favorite songs

you two dance the night away, feeling like you’re the only ones there

afterwards, he brings you to a fancy restaurant

takes off his suit jacket and rolls up his sleeves (ashdjskald-)

tells you to order anything off the menu~

and for dessert, you two split the most decadent cake you’ve ever tasted

he makes you smile all evening honestly, and makes you feel like the most important person in the world

he has you tell him all about your day, your week, what’s been on your mind recently, while he listens with adoration in his eyes

you’re his whole world, and tonight you can really feel that~

of course when you two get home, he can’t keep his hands off you... <3

Jimin

definition of soft boyfriend (2/2)

unfortunately Chim is still on tour when your birthday rolls around :(

but!! he promises to video chat with you as soon as they get off stage

once the call connects he smiles so wide

“Heyyy~ happy birthday, kitten.”

he plays with his hair, irresistibly sexy even after hours of performing

he asks how your day has been and listens to you intently

he admires everything about you as you talk, and wishes he was there to hold you and rub your back and kiss your neck...

“I can’t wait to be home with you.”

he chuckles when you agree, still amazed every day that you’re his

you two talk late into the night until the lights grow dim and his voice gets that hazy whisper to it~ be still my heart <3

he murmurs your name, just to hear it out loud

this boy is  w h i p p e d

next year he promises to spend your special day by your side <3

V

Taehyung loves to surprise you

like all the time

just little things, like buying you ice cream or sending you mushy texts while he’s at work

sometimes he kisses you unexpectedly, just because he loves seeing the cute look on your face

and your birthday is the perfect opportunity to see that face again~

so he goes all out and plans the perfect party, inviting only your closest friends, buying your favorite food

he goes to the best bakery in town to get you a special cake 

after everything is set up, he picks you up and tells you he has a surprise for your birthday

and you’re thinking okay, so like, dinner, a present, what?

what you were not expecting was a surprise party

needless to say you made the cute face and he grinned his adorable boxy grin

"Make a wish, my love.”

his husky voice whispers in your ear as your cake is brought over

you ask him to help you blow out the candles, and once the room grows dark... he steals a kiss~  <3

Jungkook

Jungkook tries to outdo himself for your birthday every year

first he bought you jewelry, then a whole new wardrobe

the boy’s even gotten skywriting for your birthday smh

so this year, you tell him not to worry about impressing you

you tell him that something simple and intimate would be just fine, something personal and homemade would be  more than enough~ 

so of course he goes all out and secretly made a GCF <3

after you two have cake on your birthday, he tells you he has your present ready and leads you into his studio

you’re skeptical, but let him show you

and... it’s footage of you two, goofing around in the park, kissing on the beach, cuddling in bed... it feels like a highlight reel of your relationship

he even used your favorite slow song as the background music

you have to try very hard not to cry

his eyes are on your face the whole time while you take in the gift he made for you

after the credits role, he pauses the video, and looks up at you expectantly

“Too much?”

you shake your head and hug him, telling him that it was just enough <3

BTS Scenarios are open!

[imagine-organization-xiii]

The Organization + favorite meal time (breakfast, brunch, etc.). Bonus if you include what they eat during said meal time. :3

Thank you, anon!  I was so tempted to just make a bunch of separate posts with everything they eat for every meal but idk if anyone would like to see it and it would probably take a while ugh.

Xemnas

Tea time is his favorite time of day even if he doesn’t drink tea.  It’s quiet and peaceful and gives him time to think about what he’s already done that day and what he has left to do before the day ends.

He’ll often have a cup of coffee and a small snack with Luxord if he has the time, but he mostly likes tea time because everyone tends to leave him alone.

Xigbar

Dinner is the best time.  More of a meat and potatoes man than a soup and salad boy.  Doesn’t like fancy food.  Anything basic and filling is the way to go for Xigbar.

A medium rare steak with roasted red potatoes or even some pasta if he’s feeling adventurous? Perfect.  Best served with a light beer to round out a great meal.

Xaldin

Likes a heavy dinner because he says it helps him relax.  Also a meat and potatoes man - anything hearty and filling is perfect for him.

Likes stews, lasagnas, and pastas, usually with a salad on the side to round out the meal with something light.

Vexen

Doesn’t like to eat anything heavy at any meal time.  Usually eats something light like a salad with chicken strips or even a small cup of soup during supper and is good until the next morning.

Skips dinner because eating so soon before bed makes it hard for him to sleep and gives him weird dreams.  Has enough trouble sleeping as it is, so doesn’t want to tempt fate by eating late.

Lexaeus

This man is such a dad friend, I swear.  Stresses to the other members that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Loves breakfast and brunch and makes some really fantastic omelette’s.

He loves to get his daily dose of protein in bacon, sausages, hashbrowns, and pancakes.  Sometimes he’ll take some fried ham, if he happens to be in the mood.  Likes to have his breakfast with coffee and orange juice.

Zexion

Breakfast is his favorite, if only because it’s the most acceptable time to drink four cups of coffee back to back without stopping or being judged.

Usually goes without eating food for breakfast, but will sometimes eat a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon sugar if Lexaeus glares at him long enough.

Saix

Doesn’t eat any full meals;  Saix is an ‘on the go’ snack man.  Has several packages of different types of energy bars in his room and will eat one if the hunger becomes too much.

Will eat pretty much anything for a snack as long as it doesn’t take a long time.  Recently found out about meal prepping and sometimes takes a day out of his week to just make a bunch of meals that he can quickly grab and eat over the following weeks.

Axel

Likes dinner and wants it to be hot and spicy.  Loves spicy Indian curry, spicy burritos and beans, and any type of hot Cajun meals.  Anything that can warm him up from the inside out is perfect for Axel.

Usually glugs down a soda with anything he eats, but he’s been trying to drink more water and juice to make sure he stays healthy.  Really loves cranberry juice because it helps his digestive system function properly with all of the spicy food he eats.

Demyx

Would literally eat cereal for every meal if the other organization members would let him.  LOVES cereals of all kind, especially Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Zexion once caught him replacing the milk in his cereal with Mountain Dew and had to throw an intervention before Demyx went into a sugar coma.

Broadened his horizons and is now a huge fan of chicken nuggets and hot pockets, though he still thinks having anything but cereal for breakfast is sacrilege.

Luxord

You would think that tea time would be his favorite time of day, but no.  Luxord is all about brunch.  Still able to have his cup of tea, but enjoying it with a small plate of French toast and fruit or even a small cinnamon roll.

Likes to eat a heavy breakfast to get himself ready for the day but usually eats light for every other meal.

Marluxia

Would eat an Olive Garden style meal for lunch every day if he could. Soup, salad, and breadsticks? Amazing.  Loves bread of every kind, but his favorite is pumpernickel.

Also a fan of pasta, but it’s too heavy to eat for anything but supper or dinner.  Likes red sauces instead of white sauces - huge fan of spaghetti and baked ziti.

Larxene

Loves lunch time because she can usually have a meal on the go.  She doesn’t really have any food preferences as long as they’re easy to make and quick to eat.

A fan of sandwiches of all kind - give her a club sandwich and a bag of chips with a bottle of water and she’s good to go until dinner.

Roxas

Doesn’t have a favorite meal time, as long there’s dessert somewhere in the meal.  Sea salt ice cream is the perfect dessert to any meal you can possibly create, but he’ll pretty much eat anything as long as it’s sugary and sweet.

Sometimes goes to get a midnight snack in the middle of the night with Xion if he can’t sleep.

Xion

Loves midnight snacking.  Eats light for every meal during the day but is still sometimes always hungry, so tends to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to ease the hunger pangs.

Usually gets something easy to eat at night.  Xion will sometimes take a bowl of Demyx’s cereal and cut up a few bananas to add to it.  Sometimes will have a cup of yogurt with oats or maybe even some fruit.

[songbird567]

Enough to share month 1

You look in the mirror and grab your soft belly. One month in and the pot belly was now a flabby spare tire of a belly that hung over your waste. You cup your own chest and blush as the flab fills your hand and squishes through your fingers as you squeeze them. You sigh and look over your shoulder to see your rear hadn’t been spared either, the plump and pillowy cheeks jutting out. There was no denying it. You got fat and knew exactly how and why.

“Just one more burger” “you can handle eight pizzas right?” “Extra extra large chili fries can’t be the biggest size right?” “Oh let’s stop for a third dessert here!”

Pyrrha’s voice echoed through your mind as the past month was all the evidence you needed for your pudgy form. Other than being stuffed constantly Pyrrha was an amazing girlfriend. Affectionate, supportive, and protective. You felt guilty sometimes seeing as Pyrrha spent a good sum of money not only feeding you, but also getting you a fancy apartment to stay in. Every time you brought it up though she would simply kiss your cheek or stuff your face.

“Good morning~” Pyrrha’s voice sounded before her arms wrapped around you, rubbing your flabby belly. She giggled softly and nuzzled against your plump cheek. “I was thinking we go out for breakfast...oh or are you still embarrassed? Sweetie I know ripping your pants in public might have been...humiliating but I won’t let anyone tease you so please?” Pyrrha asked and hugged you tightly.

——

“It’s a nice day don’t you think?” Pyrrha asked from across the table, the two of you having chosen seating outside. At first you thought that was better since people inside wouldn’t notice you, but outside proved just as embarrassing as now anyone passing by could see you.

It didn’t help that the shirt you were wearing, a gift from Pyrrha, left your lap filling belly completely exposed. Then your shorts were feeling especially tight lately. Pyrrha claims they must have shrunken in the wash, but you feel it was more accurate that you have just been growing.

Pyrrha smiles and squeezed your hand tightly in hers. “So I’ve been thinking. I have to go out of the country for a tournament in a few weeks.” Pyrrha blushed and cleared her throat. “I was thinking you should come too.”

You feel your own cheeks heat up at Pyrrha’s offer. Going on what was basically a paid vacation with her. You wanted to decline but the act seemed impossible as you stared into her beautiful emerald eyes. The smile on her face made you feel weak and unable to resist smiling yourself. You decide to just nod and feel your heart melt as her smile grows wider.

Pyrrha leaned across the table to hug you, her arms squeezing your pudgy form tightly and threatening to pull you across the table to her. “That’s great! I’ll get everything set. I’ll have some people watch the apartment for us while we’re gone. Oh we need to do clothes shopping too. Atlas is so cold and I can’t let you freeze now can I?”

“Woah there did I just miss a proposal?” A feminine voice sounded followed by a chuckle.

“Yang?! N-no nothing that serious!” Pyrrha exclaimed and released you, settling back in her chair. “No we’re just going to the Atlas tournament together is all.”

“Ooh so a vacation together?” Yang asked and leaned over the table. “Sounds fun. Just hope tubby over here can fit on the plane.”

You blush and glance away. You weren’t too surprised to encounter teasing in public but it was still embarrassing. You were about to stand before a plate of burgers was slid in front of you.

“Hey not so fast there. Can’t leave without eating huh blubber butt.” Yang laughed and patted your belly.

“Yang don’t be mean. They’re not tubby...just a little chubby is all.” Pyrrha replied and smiled at you reassuringly.

“You suuuure? I mean look at this!” Yang exclaimed and wobbled your belly, the soft fat jiggling and bouncing on your lap as yang squeezed and pinched it. “Well anyway I’ve got to get back to work. See ya later fatty.” Yang said before returning to the restaurant.

Pyrrha was quick to move to your side and hug you. “Just forget about what she said. You look amazing.” Pyrrha said and rubbed your belly with one hand while holding a burger in the other. “Here let’s finish lunch and then we can go home. I hear there’s a new movie on later.”

You turned away from the burger, not particularly wanting to eat after what yang said. She was right you were fat and eating more wasn’t going to help that in the slightest. However Pyrrha was insistent and moved a hand to under your chin. She moved it to face her before cramming the burger into your mouth.

“See you’ll feel better after lunch. Just let me feed you and it’ll be over in no time.” Pyrrha cooed and stuffed a second burger in your mouth, not giving you time to chew the first.

Your worked on chewing the first two burgers as Pyrrha tried to stuff a third into your mouth, ignoring your groaning as she forced the greasy burger in. With a labored swallow you managed to choke down the burgers just before Pyrrha stuffed the fourth past your lips.

Pyrrha tried to maintain her calm expression but you noticed an excited spark in her eyes. She was panting softly and her cheeks were flushed. “What’s that? Are you feeling full?” Pyrrha asked and pressed her hand into your belly fat. Pyrrha bit her lip as her hand sank into the warm blubber. “Well...ok we can order more when we get home. Let’s get going.” Pyrrha said and heaved you out of your seat.

Across the street a pair of cold blue eyes watched you waddle away with the aid of Pyrrha. “Hmm...”

“What is it weiss?” Winter asked, setting her tea cup down.

“Did you see those two?” Weiss asked and snapped a photo of you on her scroll before showing it to winter.

“That’s Pyrrha Nikos and...a rather large individual.” Winter murmured. “What about them. Don’t tell me you want them?”

“Is that so wrong? Pyrrha Nikos is a national champion. Having her for an advertisement deal could help business, and then the...large one.” Weiss blushed and cleared her throat. “I’ll just say maybe there’s potential. I’d just like to meet them.”

“We could catch up with them.” Winter said and stood up.

“No. There’s no need for that. They’ll be in Atlas in a month’s time. Perhaps when they arrive we can offer them some kindness?” Weiss asked and stood up. “Yes, kindness in full.”

[bevioletskies]

Starmora prompt: either Gamora or Peter finds out that the other never celebrates their birthday and decides to write them a letter as a gift. (This may be a bit OOC, but I love the idea and I think you would write it wonderfully!)

spoiler warning for avengers: infinity war.word count: 2.9k | ao3

The conversation had started off innocently enough; Gamora and Peter were sat by the vantage window of the Benatar, legs loosely tangled together, sharing a bottle of whatever awful booze Rocket claimed to have purchased at a bar on Contraxia (but they were certain he had actually stolen). It was a quiet night between jobs, their cash flow was astonishingly reasonable, and no one had fought or broken anything in about three days. It was nothing short of a miracle.

“Worst hangover ever?” Peter asked, taking a swig and wincing as he did.

“I can’t get hangovers, though I’m not sure that’s something to brag about,” Gamora admitted, tapping a finger against her temple, where the silver of her body modifications was most prominent. “You’ve already seen how much it takes to get me drunk.”

“You make me look like a damn lightweight, honey,” Peter said affectionately. He passed her the bottle with a knowing smirk. “Okay, your turn.”

“Well…” Gamora hummed, pressing the mouth of the bottle against her bottom lip. “Best sex you’ve ever had?”

Peter gaped at her. “Gamora.”

“Is that your answer?” She giggled softly, pausing to drink. “Maybe I am a little tipsy right now. Contraxians love dealing in banned Kathulosian alcohol, far stronger than our usual inventory from the fancy stores on Xandar.”

“Of course my answer is you.” He paused, then smiled winningly. “Do I get any points for that?”

“You’re in dangerous waters, Peter Quill, but we’ll see if I feel more generous later tonight,” Gamora teased. “Next.”

“Your least favorite job we’ve ever done,” Peter suggested, taking the bottle back.

“Going to Knowhere only to get taken and killed by my father is certainly up there,” Gamora said dryly. Peter winced, lifting the bottle for another drink. He was certainly going to need it after recalling the trauma of that very moment. “Best birthday? Whatever that means to you, I guess.”

His arm paused halfway up in the air. “I dunno. Birthdays…they’re not really my thing.”

Gamora quirked her brow. “Indulgent days that involve music, dancing, excessive drinking, and self-congratulatory praise? They sound like they were made for you.”

“I know we’ve had, like, special dinners on my birthdays these past few years, but…it feels weird sometimes.” He slowly drew his legs away from hers, pulling them into his chest as he set the bottle down between them.

“Why?”

“‘Cos the woman who brought me into this world is no longer in it.” Peter smiled ruefully. “It sounds dumb, I know.”

“No, not at all,” Gamora said, immediately leaning forward to rest a reassuring hand across his forearm. “I should have realized. I’m sorry, Peter.”

“Nah, it’s okay. You got a point. Birthdays are about celebratin’, having fun with loved ones. And I’m all about both.” His smile softened to something more affectionate, reaching to cup her face in his hand, gently running a thumb across her cheek. “You know me. I just miss her like crazy sometimes. Thinkin’ about how I used to spend my birthday when it was just me and her, and how I’m never gonna get those times back…makes it harder to capture that feeling again.”

Gamora leaned into his touch, shuffling closer until her elbows rested on top of his knees. “I know we’re no substitute for your mother’s affection. But I hope that someday, your memories of her won’t be nearly as bittersweet. There’s peace in fond remembrance, Peter. I feel the same way about my family, about how I used to spend birthdays in my parents’ company. Just don’t let her absence consume you.”

Exhaling slowly, Peter tilted his head slightly to bring their foreheads together, his stormy gaze meeting her warm, liquid eyes. “Well, easier said than done. But you’re right. Mom would want me to be happy. And I am, most of the time. We all have bad days, right? Some more than others, but I’m not one of ‘em.”

“No, you’re not,” Gamora agreed, smiling encouragingly. “You’re spirited, for lack of a better word. One of the many reasons that I love you.”

Peter laughed softly in awe. “Man, you are feelin’ generous tonight, aren’t you?”

Gamora got to her feet, holding her hand out for Peter to take. “Why don’t I take you to bed and show you exactly how I’m feeling?”______

As the months went by, the lingering hollow in Peter’s chest from that night’s conversation faded away. He still dwelled on the memory every now and then, whenever he was reminded of his mother, but it didn’t pain him nearly as much as it did at the moment. Gamora had good intentions when she’d asked, and for the most part, he knew she was right.

Then came his birthday - his thirty-ninth, to be exact - and the warm pit of dread settled in his stomach all over again. He knew the other Guardians already had presents for him, sitting in a pile by his co-pilot’s seat in the cockpit, and Drax and Mantis were charged with making him his favorite foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but part of him wanted to stay in bed and sulk.

“Happy birthday.” Gamora rolled over in bed to brush a kiss against his cheek. “I have something for you.”

“You didn’t put it with the rest?” Peter grouched, though at Gamora’s hurt expression, he immediately regretted it. “Crap - sorry, Gamora, I’m just…you know. Anyways, what is it?”

She pulled out something small from her bedside table and held it out for him to take - an envelope. A nondescript, plain envelope, only heavy enough to carry one sheet of paper, maybe two. He glanced at her curiously, but she merely smiled and slipped out of bed, ready to start the day like it was any other. “Read it when you’re alone,” she instructed as she got dressed. “I’ll remind the others to go easy on you.”

“Thanks, Gamora.” He stretched his arm out over the length of the mattress to clasp her hand before she could leave. “Love you.”

“Don’t be dramatic. I’ll see you at breakfast in a few minutes, once you finally decide to get out of bed,” Gamora said, shaking her head amusedly. “Love you too.”

Peter went about most of his day in a haze, accepting and opening presents and unusually genuine compliments with a sort of tightness in his smile, ambling about the ship aimlessly in absence of a job or task to do. He wasn’t sure what to do with the envelope, either - of course he wanted to read it, but there was something so unexpected about it, so extraordinarily intimate for Gamora, that he felt like it needed to be treated delicately.

He passed her every now and then throughout the day, always making sure to kiss her forehead and check to see if she needed anything. As always, she was doing her usual duties, sifting through correspondence and poring over their logs for any glaring inaccuracies. Gamora would look at him curiously, silently asking if he had opened it yet, only for him to shake his head and continue on elsewhere.

Finally, after he was pleasantly drowsy from the hearty dinner (and dessert) that Drax and Mantis had carefully prepared for him and a spontaneous dance party initiated by Rocket, of all people, he retreated to their bunk, knowing Gamora was likely having her daily evening chat with her sister elsewhere on the ship. He’d have at least an hour or so before she returned. Feeling oddly nervous, he ran a fingernail along the crease of the envelope and slid the letter out.

It was a single sheet of thick, white letter paper, the kind that they definitely didn’t keep on the ship, adorned with Gamora’s neat, tight cursive. He fixed his gaze upon the first word - his name - allowing the translator implant some time to adjust. Though he and Gamora had been teaching each other the basics of their own languages, they certainly weren’t skilled enough to write a whole letter or carry a conversation yet. Peter settled into the bed, his back against the pillows, and began to read.

“Peter,

You’re probably wondering why I’ve written you a letter, of all things, and where my actual present for you is. After our conversation from a few months ago, I thought this could be my present this year. Besides, I already let you bid far too much on those vintage Terran baseball cards you saw in a silent auction on Drez-Lar a month ago, mostly because I felt bad for accidentally breaking your nose during our Tiran drug bust. Consider that my present if the absence of one bothers you so much.” Peter snorted.

“I know you, Peter. Maybe too well sometimes. You’ve been sad lately. Not depressed, necessarily, just a little absent. I know the events of Thanos’s treachery still haunt you. You still mourn your mother. You can hardly bring yourself to say Yondu’s name. Recovery is not a single stop for you. It’s a long road.”

“It doesn’t have to be lonely, though. I’m here for you, always. I’m guessing you believe it would be selfish of you to complain to me, and that’s why you’ve been so quiet. After all, I was the one that actually died. You also think it’s your fault. You think you were the reason Thanos got me. You think you were the reason Thanos succeeded in completing the Infinity Gauntlet and taking out half the universe. I say, no one else would have done it differently, and I dare them to say otherwise.”

“The point of this letter, though, isn’t going over old grievances of yours, though I hope that someday, they’ll be just a bad memory instead of a recurring nightmare. The point is to tell you some of the things that I have trouble saying out loud sometimes, and may still have trouble putting to paper. You’ve always been so vocal about your affections, especially ever since we started dating, and I could never bring myself to return the favor because it felt so difficult to make them understood. But I’ll give it a try.”

“When we met on Xandar outside the Broker’s shop, I’ll admit, I found you physically attractive, but in the way that people see attractive individuals in passing, only to forget about them entirely a moment later. Then you began to speak, and I started to question how someone like you got a hold of the Orb, of all people. Korath spoke of your encounter with him like you were a particularly dangerous man, and all I saw was someone who probably stumbled into the situation by accident. It was only when I glimpsed your Ravager badge that I realized I had been too quick to judge, and when you very nearly outsmarted me that I understood you were a worthy opponent.”

“In all honesty, I thought very little about you once we were in the Kyln; I had more pressing issues to deal with. I remember you fumbling around, trailing after Rocket and Groot like a lost child, and griping about your Walkman like it was precious - as it turns out, it was. It was only when we talked on Knowhere that I really began to listen. There was an empathy in you, a passion, a kindness, that I found far more captivating than simply going by your looks and your obvious charms. You were willing to share your life story and your music right away, even though we barely knew each other. You sympathized for my plight even though I didn’t think I deserved pity at the time. Attempting to kiss me afterward, though, was a bit much. Boundaries are boundaries, Peter Quill.”

“The rest of what led to us becoming the Guardians feels a bit like a blur. The fight felt so enormous at the time, only to be triumphed by some of the biggest battles of all. You saving my life, though, is something I’ll never forget, even though you ruined the moment. You do that far too often, but I find it more charming than irritating - most of the time, at least. Actually, I think that summarizes you quite nicely, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“And now, here we are, five years later, having survived insurmountable pressure and unforeseeable circumstances. I can tell we’re both exhausted, but I could never tire of you, Peter. You are my family. You are my best friend. It may sound dramatic, but there’s no denying that you’ve changed my life. When I went after the Orb, I was almost certain it would be a suicide mission. In a way, it was - Thanos finally caught up to me four years later, and successfully killed me. But I had no delusions of what my life would be like after escaping his clutches, only a desperate hope that I would somehow survive. With you and the other Guardians, I have done so much more than survive. I found a new purpose, a reason to keep moving forward. I have renewed hope in humanity, and newfound faith in myself. The journey was my own, and the choices I made were of my own volition, but you have been there for me along the entire way, without fail.”

“You might be wondering why I decided to write this letter this year, of all years. It’s partially because of our conversation, but mostly because I found the box in your underwear drawer.” Peter’s breath hitched. “I don’t know why you thought that was a good hiding place, considering you almost never do your own laundry. Stop letting Mantis do your chores for you, Peter, she’s too kind to tell you otherwise. My answer, by the way, no matter when you ask, is yes.”

“If you’ve skipped over the entire letter and arrived at this last part, I wouldn’t blame you. I’m not sure why a simple paragraph or two about why I appreciate you turned into my scattered train of thought (your tendency to ramble on in lieu of meaningful conversation must be rubbing off on me). In short - happy birthday, Peter Quill. I love you. Thank you for everything you’ve done, not just for me, but for everyone. And please, be kind to yourself.”

Peter inhaled noisily, realizing a little too late that he was crying. With shaking hands, he set the letter down and reached for the tissue box. He dabbed hastily at his splotchy face, hoping to hide the evidence, though he was sure his eyes, cheeks, and nose were far too red to hide anything from Gamora. And speaking of her - his heart swelled with joy at every word she had put to paper, every sly tease and endearing sentiment she’d slipped into something he knew he was going to read over and over again until the end of time.

A minute passed before the door creaked open, and Gamora peeked in with a tentative smile. “I see you’ve finally read it.”

He slowly sat up, gesturing for her to join him. “You sure got a way with words for someone who doesn’t like ‘em all that much,” he said with a watery laugh, instantly enveloping her in his arms the moment she sat down. “Thank you, Gamora. So freaking much. This…it’s the best birthday present anyone’s ever gotten me.”

“I hope you’ll take my advice,” Gamora said, tugging gently on his shoulders so they were both lying down. Their heads came to rest on their flat pillows, their bodies along their lumpy mattress. The metal walls creaked precariously around them in their tiny bunk of a bedroom, and despite appearances, it was perfect. “In this life that we’ve chosen for ourselves, I think people have already been so incredibly harsh on us, passed judgment and spewed vitriol. It’s difficult enough without us being cruel to ourselves. I know I spent years resenting who I was and what I had done, and I’m tired of self-loathing and pity. Aren’t you?”

“My ego sure did get knocked down a few pegs since we first started,” Peter admitted, threading his fingers through her hair. “All that crap that people threw at us…sometimes literally…yeah, I guess you could say I’ve been feelin’ pretty bad about myself lately. But this…this was just what I needed to pick myself up.” He folded the letter carefully and tucked it back into the envelope, setting it down on his own bedside table, tucked right underneath the Zune, beside the last letter his mother had ever written him.

“Glad to hear it,” Gamora murmured, resting her forehead against his.

He closed the gap first, kissing her briefly, sweetly. When he pulled away, his signature smirk seemed to have returned, one corner of his mouth quirked upward in mirth. “So…do you want a letter for your birthday?”

Gamora laughed, patting his chest affectionately. “Oh, I’m okay. Besides, your handwriting might be too much for my translator to handle.”

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in closer. “Fair point. And y’know, I don’t think there’s enough paper in the universe for me to write everything down.” His smile grew at remembrance of the little box in his drawer, the one he’d failed to keep hidden from her. “So I guess I’ll use all the time in the world to tell you instead.”

[littledonkeyburrito]

My neopets account is old enough to drive

1. Why are you at home? Because it’s 2am and I’m not working tonight 2. This time last year, were you single? Sort of, leaning towards yes

3. What are you listening to? "Big Tings” by Skindred 4. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? Nope 5. Are you a big fan of thunderstorms? Yeah, that’s one thing I missed when I was living in Spain - tropical thunderstorms

6. Is there anyone you would do anything for? Sure 7. When will your next kiss be? Depends if I end up going on that date tomorrow night and how well it goes. Otherwise idk, sometime in the next month probs. 8. Are you satisfied with what you currently have in life? Yeah. I’d rather be living in a different country but I can deal 9. Do people ever think you’re older/younger than you actually are? People usually think I’m younger, like 16. 10. Have you ever liked someone way older than you? Yeah but he liked me too so it worked out fine 11. How many texts are in your inbox? I don’t text except to the work phone. I prefer messenger/whatsapp. 12. Who last left you a wallpost on Facebook? First thing that came up on my page was Patrick who tagged me on a screenshot of when I said “I don’t know anything about politics but I sure am drunk and have opinions”. That counts. 13. Assuming you have various kinds of electronics (phone, camera, iPod, etc.), are you currently charging any of them? Laptop is currently plugged in.  14. How are you wearing your hair today? Messy. Got out of the bath and towel dried it. Didn’t bother combing or styling because I’m going to bed soon. 15. What are you eating/drinking? Chips and Pepsi 16. What will your outfit be today? Was wearing a stripey shirt and jeans earlier. Now in my jimjams 17. When’s the next time you’ll be traveling somewhere (anywhere) and where will you go? Maybe going out on a date tomorrow night. If not, will be hanging with a friend. Maybe at my place, maybe out at some bars. Also working on Sunday night.

18. Do you ever sit indoors and wear sunglasses or a hat? Sometimes wear sunnies inside at work because I’ll be staring out the window the whole time.

19. Are you putting off doing something right now? If so, what is it? Nope. I do what I want.

20. What’s the most daring thing you have ever done? Idk, probably moving to a foreign country on my own and barely knowing the language.

21. Do you like playing video games? If so, what do you usually play? Currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn on PS4. Whenever my PC is working again I’ll eventually finish playing Dragon Age Inquisition.

22. Are you sitting in front of or by a window? What can you see out there? Blinds are closed but all I’d see is the construction site next door.

23. Do you ever dance to the song playing in your head? Sometimes

24. How long have you had an online presence for? I think my first account was on Neopets. I just logged into that old account (god knows how I still remember the password) and the account was made in 2002. So, 16 years ago. Oh my god my neopets account is old enough to drive

25. If you got a chance to go to space, would you? Depends on the situation but yeah probably!

26. What’s something we do every day but they don’t depict in movies? The cleanup after sex. Okay not really every day but still. They always just roll over and go to sleep. Like, bro you still got a condom on your dick, and you’re just gonna sleep like that??

27. Do you enjoy travelling? Definitely

28. Where’s the most beautiful place you’ve been to so far? There are many beautiful places I’ve been to. Although I think I have to give an honourable mention to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco for being so beautiful that I was actually speechless.

29. What’s something cool about the city/town you live in? River got sharks

30. Is your style feminine, masculine or somewhere in the middle? Masculine side of neutral

31. Do you usually carry a backpack, a shoulder bag or something else? I don’t carry a bag unless I’m at work and then it’s a duffel bag, or I’m travelling then it’s a backpack

32. What smell brings back a memory for you? Woodfires make me think of winter at my grandparents’ house when I was a kid, even though we never had fires there. Also sawdust reminds me of my dad’s workshop

33. When was the last time you went in the car past midnight? Couple of nights ago when I last did a nightshift 34. Who was the last person to message you?  Maggie

35. What did you do today? Played PS4, Maggie came over, went to Dan Murphy’s, watched some Will & Grace, had a bath with a lime coconut bathbomb and now all my skin is lovely and smooth 36. Why did you last laugh really hard? Okay so I bought a pack of tiny squeaky rubber pigs online and I have an ongoing treasure hunt in my apartment with Maggie. We re-hide the ones we find. Anyway, I laughed a lot when she adjusted her position in the beanbag and the piggy under it squeaked 37. Would you be able to name everyone you kissed? Nah, I’ve kissed one or two people I don’t know the name of 38. Where is the last person you kissed? No idea 39. What color shirt are you wearing? Navy blue 40. Did you have a fling this summer but it didn’t really go anywhere? I only had half a summer because I moved back from europe. I slept with an ex a few times. Does that count as a fling? Probably not. 41. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed? About to bang 42. What was the last thing you bought? Bottle of rum and a case of beer 43. Ever kissed anyone with a nipple piercing? I have no idea. Maybe..? 44. What about a lip piercing? I don’t think so 45. Nose piercing? Again, I don’t think so but it’s possible 46. Have you ever kissed someone who had a boyfriend/girlfriend? Lmao yeah made out with both of them  47. Did you like kissing the last person you kissed or the one before that more? The one before 48. Ever made out in a pool? Uhh I don’t think so? 49. When was the last time you went shopping for new clothes? Do you remember what you bought? I bought undies and singlets a couple of days ago. Not as glamorous as you were expecting I’m sure 50. What sort of compliments make you feel the best? An acknowledgement of something I put effort into

51. What would you say to a twenty year old version of yourself? idk she was pretty much already on the right course 52. Name a few things that make you happy? My lil squeaky pigs drinking/hanging out with friends making plans to travel again 53. If you were going camping for a few days (or to a fancy hotel for those that dislike camping), who would you want to bring with you? Friends that would actually enjoy the camping 54. How long have you been living where you are now? Is this somewhere you intend to stay for a while, or is a move in your future? I’ve been in this apartment for 5 months. I’ll renew for a second year so long as they don’t try to bump the rent up too high. After that idk. I want to move overseas again at some point 55. What was the last thing you put away? I put the towel back on the rack 56. When was the last time you were near a large body of water? I was along the river the last shift I had 57. How much time do you spend in your bedroom? Only when I’m sleeping 58. Do you secretly like to go grocery shopping? No, I put it off until I basically have no food

59. Breakfast; yay or nay? I have vegemite on toast before work but if I don’t have a shift I forget to have breakfast 60. What’s the most creepy experience you’ve ever had? Nothing in particular comes to mind 61. Yay, you’re going out on a date! What do you wear? Fuck I hadn’t even thought about that -_- 62. What’s the last movie you saw in theatre? Was it good? It was either Antman or Deadpool 63. On average, how long would you saw your on the computer per week? When my desktop is broken (now) I usually just use my phone. Laptop is pretty slow. 64. Do you like your music loud? No 65. If you had to lose one of your five senses, which would it be? Smell 66. Would you rather have no computer or no cellphone for a week? Computer. 67. What’s you favourite thing to have for dessert? I don’t really eat dessert at home. I just eat whatever I’m in the mood for whenever. I guess sweet stuff I usually go for timtams or a nutella sandwich 68. Do you tend to straighten or curl your hair more? Neither 69. What’s your favourite summer sport? Sitting inside with the AC blasting. 70. Can you dance, or do you just completely fail at it? I cannot dance. 71. Do you get nervous when you’re about to get a haircut? Yes! And I don’t know why 72. Choose one: Hanging out at the beach, or playing some winter sports? SKIING 73. What’s the coolest place that you ever been to? What’d you do there? Oh man I’ve seen some cool shit. The roundhouses in Tulou village in China were rad. Varanasi in India was a weirdly spiritual experience and I am very much not a spiritual person. Ziplining through the jungle in Panama was fun. Sagrada Familia in Barcelona was super cool in the afternoon with the sun coming in through all the yellow/orange windows. And I’m sure I have more to see in the future 74. What’s the earliest time you ever had to wake up? Was it hard for you? I often wake up at crazy times for work so there is no “earliest” because it loops back around to late 75. What radio station do you listen to most? I have 97.3 playing in the car 76. Whenever you take pictures, do they always end up posted on Facebook? The good ones go on instagram

77. You have unlimited money, what do you do with your life? Travel indefinitely. Pay for friends to travel with me. Give away money. Basically just do whatever I want and hope that nobody tries to kill me for my money. 78. What was the last thing you spent under $5 on? Hmm I have no idea. I can’t think of anything recently. According to my bank statement it was the icecreams I bought from Woolies a couple of weeks ago when I was with some friends 79. How many times have you cried in the past week? None, I don’t really cry 80. Have you ever used your cell phone as a light source in the dark? I need it to see if there’s anything in my mailbox. For some reason I always check the post when it’s dark. 81. Is there anything written on the shirt you’re wearing? “Max Rager” it’s the energy drink from iZombie

82. Where were you living in 1997? I think my family and I had just moved to australia 83. How was your first kiss? eh 84. Do you still talk to the person you shared it with? No 85. How long has it been since you showered? I showered this morning and had a bath a couple of hours ago 86. Have you ever dated someone who had kids? Not dated 87. Have you kissed someone 4 or more years older than you? Several 88. How about younger? Not that I’m aware of 89. Were your parents married when you were born? No 90. Are there any candles in the room with you? No, I don’t like candles, they make me anxious 91. Does the last person you kissed have tattoos? No 92. Do you live within 20 miles of where you were born? Nooooo. more like 10,000 miles 93. Has anyone seen you naked in the last week? Nope 94. Where was your current profile picture taken? In a camping ground in southern Spain. I was visiting my dad’s friends

[brightandblossom]

Food for Thought Challenge...

Lately I have been extremely irritated by the negative attitude some media outlets can have towards food. My own difficult relationship with eating has clouded my own attitudes towards food and sometimes I find it all too easy to get caught up in the “food is an enemy” mind-set - which is so harmful, unnecessary and very inaccurate! 

Food is wonderful, special and something that can really add to special moments in our lives...something that has really helped me to remember this is an amazing podcast I have stumbled across called “Desert Island Dishes” with Margie Broadhead. In this podcast, different writers/chefs/bloggers and many others are interviewed and asked about certain “foodie” questions - similar to the desert island discs format! 

I couldn’t help but think...”what a great couple of questions to remind myself of the benefits food can have in my life”

So I’m going to answer those questions now, and hopefully they will be fun and interesting for anyone reading - and inspiring to possibly ask these for yourself to remind us of the joys of food in the recovery process!

 1.) What dish reminds you of your childhood?

This is a hard one! My family (although they do have some kitchen knowledge) aren’t the biggest “cooking” types, but for me I will always remember going for a Friday night trip to this one local Italian restaurant to which we became regulars! I would ALWAYS have a margarita pizza - which to this day still remains the best one I have ever had.

2.) What was the first dish you ever learned to cook?

Scrambled eggs with cheese... in the microwave. I remember my dad showed me when I was around 8 and for a few years that’s what he got for breakfast every birthday or fathers day...or any other day I tried to make the parents a breakfast in bed. 

3.) What is the best dish you have ever eaten

ooooh so many meals have a special place in my heart but I am just  going to say one of the first things that comes to mind...there used to be this coffee shop near where I grew up and they did the best rocky road I think I can remember. It was super squidgy and chocolatey and I remember it was pretty much the only cake I would ever order from there. 

4.) What would be your go-to sandwich?

Ok so maybe this is slightly bending the rules on what makes a sandwich… but baked beans and butter on really good ciabatta style bread. And it has to be saucy enough so that the bread gets a little soft and you have to eat it with a fork. Or avocado toast with fancy tomatoes is also amazing.  

5.) What is your favourite meal to cook?

It totally depends on my mood, but I always enjoy cooking. Lately I have been loving making pasta dishes with new flavours and sauces, but I also enjoy baking things - a walnut banana loaf is one of my specialities which I enjoy making!

6.) What would you make if you were hosting a Dinner Party?

To be honest, cooking for other people is one of my biggest hurdles I want to get better at. I just get so scared they wont enjoy it! When I get friends round for dinner though I usually enjoy making homemade pizzas together. It’s lots of fun rolling out the dough and decorating! And you can have olives and dips on a table for people to help themselves! Dessert I also like to keep “buffet” style. So a big bowl of fesh fruit salad, some ice cream/cream and assorted cakey bite things always goes down well - and don’t forget the after eights!

7.) Final question - So you are about to be sent away to a desert island... what and where will your final meal be?

This is a little specific... but I would love to be at some kind of hot summer resort type place with friends and family... sitting outside in the warm sun and the meal would be a gorgeous farmers buffet type thing. So you could basically just help yourself to all these freshly prepared bbq type foods and it would be just so relaxing and lovely. With a cold glass of wine and lemon meringue pie ice cream to finish!  

I don’t know about you but I am definitely feeling inspired to re-ignite my love of food again, and not let any disordered thoughts get in my way of enjoying life! 

If you want to answer these questions please go ahead! And tag me as I would love to support you and I’m so nosey to hear other peoples answers!

[easyfoodnetwork]

11 Useful Items to Keep Hidden Away in Your Freezer

Frozen mixed berries | CLICKMANIS/Shutterstock

From cooking fat to freezer cake, these are the items that make cooking easier for Eater editors

For active home cooks or even those who generally dread the task, the freezer deserves credit for helping get dinner (or dessert) on the table. It’s a place that offers a wealth of shortcut meals and snacks, from exceptional frozen dumplings to nostalgic treats like tater tots. Frozen ingredients like chicken stock or marinara sauce can get a home cook most of the way to a finished meal. As long as people know the best way to store and defrost their freezer items, whether they’re cuts of meat or bagels, a freezer is undeniably an indispensable tool, during a pandemic and otherwise.

Here’s a roundup of the useful items Eater editors are most likely to keep hidden away in their freezers.

Cooking fat: Meat isn’t an everyday item in our house, so when we do cook with it, my partner and I like to save every last bit. That means saving the fat. Grease is one of those pesky residuals of cooking that’s harder to dispose of. It really shouldn’t go directly down the drain. Some people wait for it to cool in a container and then pour it in the garbage. However, I recommend saving that flavor. When you cook chicken, duck, bacon, or anything else particularly precious and tasty, save the drippings in a glass container and stick it in the freezer. Then use it in place of butter or oil in your cooking to impart more flavor. Duck fat is particularly tasty for cooking fried eggs at breakfast time. —Brenna Houck, Eater Detroit editor

Ice cube tray and ice cubes: The most important items in my freezer are my two ice cube trays and the ice they hold. Since shelter-in-place has coincided with my pregnancy, I’m drinking a lot of non-alcoholic beverages, each of which is greatly improved by being even colder. I make cheater iced almond milk lattes by stirring drip coffee with ice and then adding more ice and almond milk. I cool down cups of herbal tea I discover I’ve left on the counter and enjoy iced tea. I drink so much more tap water when I remember to put ice cubes in it. The trick: Refill your tray with water every time you take cubes from it. Just make it part of your routine and it’s never empty. —Hillary Dixler Canavan, restaurant editor

Frozen fruit: My biggest freezer staple is frozen fruit, mostly because I love a good smoothie. Great for breakfast or anytime you feel like you need a Vitamin C boost, the secret to a thick, filling smoothie is to use a fresh banana and frozen fruit without adding ice. I just buy the bags frozen from my local grocery store (even tropical fruits like pitaya are now pretty easy to find), but this is also a great way to store those final few strawberries before they go bad. Other uses of fruit in your freezer: cocktail ingredients, drink garnishes, a snack (especially frozen mango). —Erin Russell, Eater Austin associate editor

Dino nuggets: Why eat boring chicken nuggets when you can eat chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs? It may be childish, but I will never stop getting a kick out of dino nuggets. It’s an easy lunch on a hectic day; just toss them in the toaster oven. Flip once. I guess you could make a side salad if you’re feeling fancy. But the only required side, as far as I’m concerned, is a dipping sauce — ideally barbecue sauce from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que because (a) it’s good and (b) obviously dino nuggets go best with Dino sauce. —Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Eater Boston editor

Homemade gumbo: Gumbo is one of my favorite meals to make at home, but let’s be real; it’s a project, a cooking task that’s going to clock in at a couple hours before it’s done. Luckily, since there are only two of us at home, making gumbo always means gumbo leftovers, and I don’t think there’s a more satisfying freezer meal for me than a bowl of gumbo that I simply pulled out of the freezer (stored in a quart container) to defrost the night before in the fridge, and reheated for dinner that evening. Gumbo doesn’t really deteriorate significantly in the freezer; all you have to do is throw some rice in the rice cooker, and you have an easy weeknight dinner that totally makes up for all the effort you initially put into making a roux, simmering your ingredients, and just having patience for the gumbo to finish the first time around. —Missy Frederick, cities director

Frozen dinners from mom: Being far away from my family is hard, especially now that I don’t really know when I can safely go back home to New York. Thankfully, I usually have deep-frozen containers of my mother’s home-cooking in my freezer, from my last visit home. Whenever I fly home, my mother usually asks me what foods I want to bring back (my favorites: shrimp and potol, a Bengali pointed gourd; chicken with squash), along with biryani. My mom batch-cooks everything and my dad portions out the food into 16-ounce deli containers, labels each one, and carefully packs everything into a disposable cooler with ice packs, ready to be placed in my overstuffed suitcase. This way, I can hold onto tastes of home even though it’s 1,700+ miles away. —Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor

Banana ice cream: Forget cookies and cream or chocolate chip cookie dough. Banana is the best ice cream flavor, and I make sure to keep a half-gallon in my freezer at all times. Living in Newark, I’m lucky to be within walking distance of the scoop shop that makes it best: Nasto’s. I have three scoops after dinner every night, always with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and it’s pure bliss. I understand that ice cream isn’t the most exciting thing in a freezer compared to frozen dumplings or mochi, but the flavor takes me back to sitting on my late grandmother’s balcony in Ankara, where we would split a bowl of fruit — mostly bananas — together. —Esra Erol, senior social media manager

Freezer cake: I don’t remember what life was like before I discovered Freezer Cake. I don’t care to look back on that era. There’s something special about knowing a slice of banana upside-down cake or a thick slab of banana bread is waiting there, whispering my name gently from the back corner of the freezer. In these not-very-sweet times, being able to eat a slice of cake without ever cracking an egg or dirtying a bowl feels like a victory. All you need to do is let whatever cake you’ve so wisely frozen defrost slowly on the counter. Because sometimes turning on the oven is just too much work. —Elazar Sontag, staff writer

Stock: The one thing I always try to have in my freezer is stock. Usually it’s chicken stock, either made from the carcass of a roast chicken or from a big pile of chicken wings I dumped in my Instant Pot, because so many recipes call for it, whether a little bit to help finish a sauce or several cups to make a soup or stew. Homemade stock tastes noticeably better, and since it’s easy to keep in the freezer, making up a big batch doesn’t risk any going to waste. To freeze stock, I measure it out into plastic baggies in rough one or two cup amounts, using a ladle with a half-cup measure on it, and then lie them flat in the freezer one on top of the other, so when they harden, they’re easy to stack. When I need to defrost, I zap a frozen bag for 30 seconds or a minute in the microwave and break off roughly as much as I need, or drop the whole cup or two into the pot. I have endured the shame of throwing out all sorts of things from my freezer, but I have never, ever wasted stock. —Meghan McCarron, special correspondent

Homemade pesto: My frozen secret weapon is an ice cube tray full of homemade pesto. Pesto sauce, to me, is a special thing. Basil is a precious, flavorful commodity that seems expensive if you don’t have a farmers market nearby, and it doesn’t stay for very long either. Pine nuts are also quite pricey, so when I do make a big batch from scratch, I make sure to make it last. Pesto is so flavorful that you don’t need to use a lot for any single dish. That’s where the ice cube tray comes in. Filling a tray with pesto and freezing it into cubes is a trick I learned long ago when Pinterest was new on the scene and basically church for those interested in recipe ideas and hacks. Popping out one or two cubes of pesto as needed is a great way to make use of the sauce you may have made months ago when basil was in season, without having to defrost an entire Tupperware. It’s such an easy and fast way to add flavor to a quick pasta dish, some beans, a sandwich of any kind, and even to make into a vinaigrette for a salad on the fly. —Terri Ciccone, audience development manager

Salted caramel ice cream: If it’s freezer junk food you seek, I present Lotus Biscoff Salted Caramel Ice Cream, something I started hoarding during the pandemic. I swear it’s the softest ice cream I’ve ever found. The instructions even recommend leaving it out for five minutes to soften before you dig in. There is a straight Biscoff cookie version, but I like the salted caramel mixed in. I buy it at Target, and do a search before I venture out to make sure it’s in stock. —Susan Stapleton, Eater Vegas editor

Honorable mentions: Fresh herbs frozen in ice cube trays, bags of pre-peeled garlic, brownies, Eggo waffles, tortellini, peas, pierogis, homemade marinara sauce, cooked beans, rice cakes for stir fries, cookie dough.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3dAswSL https://ift.tt/3i4YvxC

Frozen mixed berries | CLICKMANIS/Shutterstock

From cooking fat to freezer cake, these are the items that make cooking easier for Eater editors

For active home cooks or even those who generally dread the task, the freezer deserves credit for helping get dinner (or dessert) on the table. It’s a place that offers a wealth of shortcut meals and snacks, from exceptional frozen dumplings to nostalgic treats like tater tots. Frozen ingredients like chicken stock or marinara sauce can get a home cook most of the way to a finished meal. As long as people know the best way to store and defrost their freezer items, whether they’re cuts of meat or bagels, a freezer is undeniably an indispensable tool, during a pandemic and otherwise.

Here’s a roundup of the useful items Eater editors are most likely to keep hidden away in their freezers.

Cooking fat: Meat isn’t an everyday item in our house, so when we do cook with it, my partner and I like to save every last bit. That means saving the fat. Grease is one of those pesky residuals of cooking that’s harder to dispose of. It really shouldn’t go directly down the drain. Some people wait for it to cool in a container and then pour it in the garbage. However, I recommend saving that flavor. When you cook chicken, duck, bacon, or anything else particularly precious and tasty, save the drippings in a glass container and stick it in the freezer. Then use it in place of butter or oil in your cooking to impart more flavor. Duck fat is particularly tasty for cooking fried eggs at breakfast time. —Brenna Houck, Eater Detroit editor

Ice cube tray and ice cubes: The most important items in my freezer are my two ice cube trays and the ice they hold. Since shelter-in-place has coincided with my pregnancy, I’m drinking a lot of non-alcoholic beverages, each of which is greatly improved by being even colder. I make cheater iced almond milk lattes by stirring drip coffee with ice and then adding more ice and almond milk. I cool down cups of herbal tea I discover I’ve left on the counter and enjoy iced tea. I drink so much more tap water when I remember to put ice cubes in it. The trick: Refill your tray with water every time you take cubes from it. Just make it part of your routine and it’s never empty. —Hillary Dixler Canavan, restaurant editor

Frozen fruit: My biggest freezer staple is frozen fruit, mostly because I love a good smoothie. Great for breakfast or anytime you feel like you need a Vitamin C boost, the secret to a thick, filling smoothie is to use a fresh banana and frozen fruit without adding ice. I just buy the bags frozen from my local grocery store (even tropical fruits like pitaya are now pretty easy to find), but this is also a great way to store those final few strawberries before they go bad. Other uses of fruit in your freezer: cocktail ingredients, drink garnishes, a snack (especially frozen mango). —Erin Russell, Eater Austin associate editor

Dino nuggets: Why eat boring chicken nuggets when you can eat chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs? It may be childish, but I will never stop getting a kick out of dino nuggets. It’s an easy lunch on a hectic day; just toss them in the toaster oven. Flip once. I guess you could make a side salad if you’re feeling fancy. But the only required side, as far as I’m concerned, is a dipping sauce — ideally barbecue sauce from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que because (a) it’s good and (b) obviously dino nuggets go best with Dino sauce. —Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Eater Boston editor

Homemade gumbo: Gumbo is one of my favorite meals to make at home, but let’s be real; it’s a project, a cooking task that’s going to clock in at a couple hours before it’s done. Luckily, since there are only two of us at home, making gumbo always means gumbo leftovers, and I don’t think there’s a more satisfying freezer meal for me than a bowl of gumbo that I simply pulled out of the freezer (stored in a quart container) to defrost the night before in the fridge, and reheated for dinner that evening. Gumbo doesn’t really deteriorate significantly in the freezer; all you have to do is throw some rice in the rice cooker, and you have an easy weeknight dinner that totally makes up for all the effort you initially put into making a roux, simmering your ingredients, and just having patience for the gumbo to finish the first time around. —Missy Frederick, cities director

Frozen dinners from mom: Being far away from my family is hard, especially now that I don’t really know when I can safely go back home to New York. Thankfully, I usually have deep-frozen containers of my mother’s home-cooking in my freezer, from my last visit home. Whenever I fly home, my mother usually asks me what foods I want to bring back (my favorites: shrimp and potol, a Bengali pointed gourd; chicken with squash), along with biryani. My mom batch-cooks everything and my dad portions out the food into 16-ounce deli containers, labels each one, and carefully packs everything into a disposable cooler with ice packs, ready to be placed in my overstuffed suitcase. This way, I can hold onto tastes of home even though it’s 1,700+ miles away. —Nadia Chaudhury, Eater Austin editor

Banana ice cream: Forget cookies and cream or chocolate chip cookie dough. Banana is the best ice cream flavor, and I make sure to keep a half-gallon in my freezer at all times. Living in Newark, I’m lucky to be within walking distance of the scoop shop that makes it best: Nasto’s. I have three scoops after dinner every night, always with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and it’s pure bliss. I understand that ice cream isn’t the most exciting thing in a freezer compared to frozen dumplings or mochi, but the flavor takes me back to sitting on my late grandmother’s balcony in Ankara, where we would split a bowl of fruit — mostly bananas — together. —Esra Erol, senior social media manager

Freezer cake: I don’t remember what life was like before I discovered Freezer Cake. I don’t care to look back on that era. There’s something special about knowing a slice of banana upside-down cake or a thick slab of banana bread is waiting there, whispering my name gently from the back corner of the freezer. In these not-very-sweet times, being able to eat a slice of cake without ever cracking an egg or dirtying a bowl feels like a victory. All you need to do is let whatever cake you’ve so wisely frozen defrost slowly on the counter. Because sometimes turning on the oven is just too much work. —Elazar Sontag, staff writer

Stock: The one thing I always try to have in my freezer is stock. Usually it’s chicken stock, either made from the carcass of a roast chicken or from a big pile of chicken wings I dumped in my Instant Pot, because so many recipes call for it, whether a little bit to help finish a sauce or several cups to make a soup or stew. Homemade stock tastes noticeably better, and since it’s easy to keep in the freezer, making up a big batch doesn’t risk any going to waste. To freeze stock, I measure it out into plastic baggies in rough one or two cup amounts, using a ladle with a half-cup measure on it, and then lie them flat in the freezer one on top of the other, so when they harden, they’re easy to stack. When I need to defrost, I zap a frozen bag for 30 seconds or a minute in the microwave and break off roughly as much as I need, or drop the whole cup or two into the pot. I have endured the shame of throwing out all sorts of things from my freezer, but I have never, ever wasted stock. —Meghan McCarron, special correspondent

Homemade pesto: My frozen secret weapon is an ice cube tray full of homemade pesto. Pesto sauce, to me, is a special thing. Basil is a precious, flavorful commodity that seems expensive if you don’t have a farmers market nearby, and it doesn’t stay for very long either. Pine nuts are also quite pricey, so when I do make a big batch from scratch, I make sure to make it last. Pesto is so flavorful that you don’t need to use a lot for any single dish. That’s where the ice cube tray comes in. Filling a tray with pesto and freezing it into cubes is a trick I learned long ago when Pinterest was new on the scene and basically church for those interested in recipe ideas and hacks. Popping out one or two cubes of pesto as needed is a great way to make use of the sauce you may have made months ago when basil was in season, without having to defrost an entire Tupperware. It’s such an easy and fast way to add flavor to a quick pasta dish, some beans, a sandwich of any kind, and even to make into a vinaigrette for a salad on the fly. —Terri Ciccone, audience development manager

Salted caramel ice cream: If it’s freezer junk food you seek, I present Lotus Biscoff Salted Caramel Ice Cream, something I started hoarding during the pandemic. I swear it’s the softest ice cream I’ve ever found. The instructions even recommend leaving it out for five minutes to soften before you dig in. There is a straight Biscoff cookie version, but I like the salted caramel mixed in. I buy it at Target, and do a search before I venture out to make sure it’s in stock. —Susan Stapleton, Eater Vegas editor

Honorable mentions: Fresh herbs frozen in ice cube trays, bags of pre-peeled garlic, brownies, Eggo waffles, tortellini, peas, pierogis, homemade marinara sauce, cooked beans, rice cakes for stir fries, cookie dough.

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[adtwixt]

Adtwixt - News: How to Cook on Vacation

Vacation should never be stressful, but unexpected things do happen. One of the reliably unpredictable aspects is just what your rental house kitchen will be like. If you want to cook on vacation, there are some things you can do to make it as pleasurable as possible, no matter what you encounter upon arrival. For some people, of course, the whole point of vacation is not to do anything, and even those who enjoy more active holidays may choose to have their meals made for them. But some of us love cooking, and look forward to doing it while we’re away. Whether we’re making our favorite dishes or trying out new ones we don’t have time for in our daily lives, cooking on vacation isn’t a chore, but a pleasure—or at least, it should be. Vacation rental kitchens can be very different from our own, though, and not always in a good way. They’re often missing equipment, or stocked with sub-par tools, and they may or may not have basic items like salt and pepper. In order to keep your vacation as enjoyable as possible, here are some tips on cooking in a rental kitchen: Make a meal plan (but stay flexible). Make packing and shopping lists. Research local markets and stores beforehand. Bring staple ingredients and tools along if you can. Head for the bulk bins. Pre-measure ingredients for baking. Take inventory and be inspired by what you find (or don’t find). Adapt to your circumstances. Make a plan to deal with leftovers. Let someone else do it. Make a Meal Plan, but Don’t Marry It If you’re cooking on vacation, step one is to figure out what you’ll make. This can be as simple or as complicated as you like, but either way, try to plan meals where any leftovers can be turned into the next day’s lunch, or even another dinner (if you make fajitas one night, you can mix leftover grilled veggies into another day’s frittata—but that dish won’t depend on the leftovers either). And choose dishes that utilize some of the same ingredients. If you buy a bunch of basil for one night’s pasta, for instance, but it only calls for a tablespoon of the herb, think of another meal that will use the rest of it so you’re not wasting anything. It could be something as easy as a simple herb butter to melt over roasted or grilled salmon, or a slightly more complex pesto or chimichurri sauce (which you could then use on a sandwich the next day). Chowhound’s Grilled Chicken Fajitas Don’t get overly attached to your plan, though, because you never know if you’ll find everything you need at the store—so think of it as more of a rough sketch than a final blueprint. The avocados you want for your first night’s guac may all be rock-hard and there will be nothing you can do but shift your plans, or ditch them completely. Other setbacks can be worked around. If you can’t find that basil, be willing to replace it with another herb (or have a backup meal in mind)—or, if you’re less into planning ahead anyway, let yourself be inspired by whatever you do find; however, it’s still helpful to write down exactly what you need for each dish as you envision it on the fly, so you don’t leave the store without something important. Chowhound’s Guacamole And don’t count on special equipment, either; it’s standard for rental sites to list the major appliances and amenities each house has, but even if they definitely have a grill, that’s not an iron-clad guarantee it’ll be working when you get there. So you can plan to char some steaks, but if that ends up not being a possibility, be ready to broil them instead. Read More: Easy Meals You Can Cook In Any Vacation Rental Kitchen Make a List (or Two): For Packing & Shopping I always make two food-related lists when renting a vacation house: one for the things I’ll pack (more on that a bit below), and one for the things I’ll buy once we get where we’re going. I’m addicted to Google Keep—in part because sharing lists with the other people in the group so they can edit and check items off if we split up the shopping duties is so easy—but good old-fashioned paper works as well, or use your favorite note-taking app. Refillable Leather Pocket Travelers Notebook, $12.95 on Amazon There's no reason your travel journal can't include your shopping lists (it's also great for jotting down new recipes you come up with). Buy Now If you’re not obsessed with lists and this seems like a total drag, well, I can’t really sympathize (I made lists just for fun even as a kid), but I do suggest taking a mere ten minutes to do it anyway, since it really minimizes the chances of kicking yourself down the road…when you realize you left the lemongrass you wanted to use for simple syrup at home, for instance, and there’s none to be found at your destination. Or you discover you forgot to pack your favorite fancy coffee beans, or didn’t bring cumin and the store ends up charging $8 for it. Planning ahead can help mitigate many minor disasters. Chowhound’s Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad with Grilled Steak Scope Out Local Stores and Markets Beforehand Thanks to the internet, you can usually get a good sense of what grocery stores, specialty shops, and farmers markets there are near your destination before you actually get there, which can help you better prepare your meal plan. For instance, there’s an amazing supermarket in Poulsbo, Wa. (what up, Central Market!) that has a great Asian food section I didn’t expect to be there (not to mention a superb prepared foods department)—so now I know I can make authentic pad Thai while vacationing on that part of the Puget Sound if I want to, which wouldn’t always be the case in other small town locations. If there’s a dock where you can buy fresh seafood directly from fishermen, consider stopping there one night for your main ingredient, or visit the Saturday market to stock up on fresh produce and other local gems. Chowhound’s Grilled Paella Take Staple Ingredients & Tools with You This is obviously a lot easier if you’re driving to your destination, but it’s doable on a smaller scale even if you’re flying (particularly if you’re checking a bag). Related Reading: 7 Packing Cubes That Make Travel a Breeze | What Foods Are Allowed Through Airport Security? Think about what you absolutely need—like salt and pepper—and just bring it with you if you’d rather not have to buy it once you arrive, especially if it’s likely to be pricier, as with olive oil and specific spice blends. This also ensures you’ll have the exact brands and types you like (Diamond Crystal kosher salt and your perfect pepper mill, for instance). 8-Pack Reusable Squeeze Bottle Containers, $9.36 on Amazon These are petite (though not TSA-approved) and perect for bringing small amounts of your favorite oils, vinegars, sauces, and condiments along. Buy Now You can decant things into smaller containers if need be—place a pinch of saffron in a snack-size bag, or use one of those seven-day pill organizers to pack a couple teaspoons of multiple spices, because even if the rental kitchen has a full spice rack, the seasonings are likely to be past their prime. Auvon Weekly Pill Organizer, $7.98 on Amazon Perfect portions of all the spices you'll need, and you'll know they're fresh. Buy Now If you regularly consume chia pudding and you doubt there’ll be a store near your rental that stocks the seeds, better bring them with. Chowhound’s Overnight Oats with Summer Fruit Bring along your essential equipment too, if you can. A good, sturdy, sharp knife is something even gourmet kitchens in rental units are often missing. But think about what else you regularly use in your cooking. If you always grate your garlic on a Microplane, or use a citrus press to make fresh orange juice every morning, be sure to take those smaller items too. Vegetable peelers are another little tool that are often dull and disappointing in strange kitchens. 8-Piece Kitchen Utensil Travel Set, $22.99 on Amazon Designed for camping, but just as handy for other forms of travel. Swap in whatever tools you'll want or need for each trip. Buy Now It may seem silly to pack multiple pieces of equipment, but it’ll be better than making do with inferior versions (and better than buying all new ones, although if you want to be generous you can always leave them behind for the next people). If you have the trunk space and you can no longer live without your Instant Pot, then don’t! If you’re hellbent on frozen margaritas and are at all worried there might not be a blender, bring yours! Or, recall the importance of being flexible and try the freeze-in-a-bag method for slushy drinks. Related Reading: 7 Ways to Churn Out Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker Buy from the Bulk Section This is good practice in general, but especially on vacation. If there is a bulk bin section at the store where you end up shopping, buy things like rice, nuts, and even spices from there, since you can measure out only as much as you’ll need during your stay, and it’ll usually be much cheaper than purchasing full-size bags and boxes. Pre-Measure Components if You Want to Bake This is the same idea as bringing small amounts of seasonings, but a bit more elaborate and precise. Since I sometimes like to make blondies, brownies, or bar cookies on the first morning of vacation and I never know if the pantry will be stocked with flour and baking soda, I pre-measure all the dry ingredients for a specific recipe and bring them along in baggies (everything that gets sifted together goes in one, with sugar in a separate bag if it’s supposed to be creamed with butter before the dry mixture is folded in). Related Reading: This One-Bowl Apple Snacking Cake Is a Life-Saver I often bring a disposable aluminum pan to bake them in too, and usually print out the recipe and tape it to the bottom so I don’t forget that. This not only ensures you have everything you need, but makes it super fast to whip up breakfast (hey, it is vacation) or dessert, since most of the tedious prep work is already done. Chowhound’s Crumbly Oat and Apricot Bars If you have the space, ability, and inclination, you can do the same thing for other meals—measure out panko breadcrumbs and cheese for an easy baked chicken dish, for instance, or bring just enough shredded coconut for a batch of tropical shrimp. It cuts down on how much you’ll spend at the store, and how much you’ll have to tote home (or leave behind). Envirogen Reusable Zip-Top Bags, 5 for $16.99 on Amazon These extra-thick, freezer-safe storage bags are a great eco-friendly way to take ingredients with you and bring leftovers home. Buy Now Take Inventory Once You Get There & Be Inspired If you’re not shopping for the bulk of your groceries until after you check into the house—or if you’ve inevitably forgotten something and need to run back to the nearest store within the first day or two—you’ll want to take note of exactly what the kitchen does have and allow it to inform your next moves. Maybe there’s a slow cooker that’ll inspire you to make pulled pork, which you can then stretch into two or three different meals (like sandwiches, tacos, and rice bowls). Or maybe there’s a bottle of really nice champagne vinegar you never would have splurged on yourself, but that screams for a fresh salad to be put together. Or an unexpected bottle of ouzo might urge you to get some cantaloupe to make our Melon Dip cocktail. Chowhound’s Melon Dip It could also be that the coffee filters were never restocked, so you might need to grab some of those too. Use the intel you gather to refine your meal plan and shopping list, and be sure to check for other things like plastic wrap, paper towels, and aluminum foil before you hit the store. Or, Get Creative & Adapt to Your Circumstances If you’ve already gotten all of your ingredients and are settled in but you find something else is wrong, just roll with it. If there’s no gas or charcoal for the grill and you can’t immediately replenish it, turn on the broiler instead. If your rental house is missing a baking pan but has a cast iron skillet, use that to bake in. If there’s only a tiny convenience store near your place and the sole pasta they stock is cheap macaroni, it will still taste (almost) as good as the artisanal rigatoni you may have had your heart set on. Or if the dishwasher’s malfunctioning and you don’t want to hand-wash a bunch of pans on vacay, foil packets work just as well in a beach house or mountain cabin as they do at a campsite in the woods. Chowhound’s Basic Fish Baked in Parchment And if you find the oven broken, you can even make pasta on a charcoal grill! Where there’s a will… Try not to stress, and know that you can laugh about these things later, even if they make you want to cry when they occur. (Or maybe you’re a normal person who doesn’t get that worked up over diverted dinner plans, but those of who do will still survive such setbacks.) Don’t Forget to Plan for the Leftovers You’re Not Supposed to Have Because even if you devise a meal plan that minimizes the potential for leftovers, chances are you’ll still have some edible odds and ends at the close of your trip. To account for this, be sure to bring zip-top baggies of various sizes and/or reusable storage containers with you, as well as bag clips , twist ties, and a cooler so you can pack any perishables home (plus ice packs if you won’t be near a source of bagged ice). Or try to find more creative ways to deal with them if there’s no possibility of refrigeration. On our last trip, rather than force down a bunch of blueberries I couldn’t finish or lose them all to a warm three-hour drive home, I cooked them into a syrup with sugar and lemon juice, then strained that into a bottle of vodka—an impromptu souvenir much nicer than anything I’d had in mind from the get-go. Chowhound’s Strawberry Syrup Let Someone Else Do (Most of) the Work Of course, if all this sounds like way too much work for what’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway, ignore it and order delivery or go out to a local restaurant instead—or even have meal kits delivered to your rental for the week! Related Reading: The Best Meal Kit Delivery Services | Eatwith Food Tours, Cooking Classes, and Dining Experiences Connect You with Local Foodies Everywhere If you’re in a spot that doesn’t support those options, sophisticated (but easy) sandwiches always work, as do various no-cook meals, including the ever-popular and highly grazeable cheese plate, plus a little wine or a fruity vacation cocktail. The important thing is that you enjoy yourself, wherever you are. What’s your favorite vacation cooking tip, trick, hack, or habit? Is there one meal you always make when you go away? Let us know in the comments! #HowTo #FoodNews

Adtwixt - News source https://adtwixt.com/blogs/news/how-to-cook-on-vacation

[shannrussell-blog1]

A 4WD adventure with basic food prep facilities and limited food storage doesn’t mean you need to go without tasty meals. I’m not suggesting you serve up 3-course gourmet dinners every night, but there are plenty of ways that you can enjoy wholesome, tasty food at camp.

My trips usually take me to beautiful but isolated areas, the sort of place where at the very best you may be able to pick up some fruit or vegetables in a can… yuck! So in order to avoid bland gruel in a pot each night, I have come up with a number of tips to help you prepare quick, easy and tasty camp meals.

I attempt to ensure any meal on my meal plan meets at least two of these requirements:

Tasty

Nutritious

Easy to cook

Limited ingredients from the fridge

Quick to prepare

On top of this, the following tips are important for long camping and 4WDing trip?

Storage

Our Land Cruiser has a full drawer system in the rear along with a decent sized tub for food and a smaller tub for snacks. Any storage solution you use (food packaging included) needs to be of decent quality, as things do get bounced around in the back of a 4WD. Sometimes you can’t avoid glass containers, so pad them out with rubber, tea towels or anything that will absorb the shock.

Items that need cooling

A 12V fridge/freezer in the back of your 4WD makes a world of difference. If your budget doesn’t allow for this then an esky with ice will work for up to a week, which can be quite effective if you apply a few tricks of the trade. You can take fresh meat, have cold drinks and take more perishable items along with you. That said, fridge and freezer space becomes a premium, and you have to do everything you can to fit it all in.

Last year, we travelled for 5 weeks in the Kimberley and split our 55-litre Evakool fridge into a half freezer/half fridge. We managed to take 5 weeks worth of meat in the freezer and picked up fresh produce wherever it was available.

Rather than fresh milk we took about 35 litres of long life milk, as one bottle was running out, we would pop another one in the fridge to cool down.

Taste and nutrition

A tasty meal is a great way to finish a day of adventure, and nutritious food prepares your body for the next. The trick is to find meals that combine taste and nutrition with ease of preparation, preferably containing ingredients that require minimal cold storage. We have made everything from sushi to roast meals, chicken pesto pasta, BBQ’s and teriyaki chicken on our adventures.

Easy dish with plenty of colour. Pilbara, Western Australia.

Variety

You won’t be looking forward to a bowl of 2 minute noodles a few days in if that’s all you’ve packed for your trip, not to mention that they are pretty average for your health. Having variety means you’ll look forward to each meal, rather than it just being a means to an end.

Switching up what we eat when is worth considering too. If you don’t plan on leaving the campsite for the day, then it may be easier to prepare a big roast lunch during sunlight hours, and keep dinner simple so there is minimal pack up before departure the next day.

Longevity

Food with a long shelf life is your friend on a long 4WD trip… food with a long shelf life that does not require refrigeration is your best friend! Think UHT milk, tinned tuna, canned lentils & beans and pretty much anything that is dehydrated or preferably freeze dried.

Bread is a staple that makes food preparation pretty easy, there’s not much you can’t slap between a few slices to make a sandwich, but it just doesn’t last, especially in warmer regions. Any bread we take is consumed during the first few days for lunch, if we want more then we make it on the go, bread baked in a camp oven is pretty special.

Wraps are fantastic alternatives. They last for ages, taste good and can be used with a myriad of fillings. Turkish bread and pizza bases last well too.

Ease of cooking

I try and keep meal preparation to under 30 minutes. Food preparation space is likely to be limited in the campsite. If the meal requires more than 2 pots or pans, it’s too complicated!

You’ll find food tastes better when you are camping anyway, leave the 5-course degustation menu for an evening meal when you are at home!

Fresh seafood

If you can catch it, we are in. From delicious blue manna crabs to fish and crayfish, we eat a huge amount of seafood when travelling. This reduces the need to take as much meat, and you get to eat delicious, fresh seafood instead!

What can you do at home?

Preparation of your food at home will save you a massive amount of time and effort while you are on the road.

1. Repackage and marinate

One of the first things we do when preparing for a long 4WD trip is to remove the packaging and divide food up into the portions required for each meal. This also means you don’t have excess rubbish to deal with and you save on fridge space.

If a freezer is not an option, then vacuum sealing your meat makes it last substantially longer in a fridge. Most butchers will do this for free.

Any meat that is going to be marinated can be done at home before you freeze or vacuum seal it. The marinade has longer to be absorbed, and it’s one less messy job for the campsite!

2. Premix any dry ingredients

Where a meal requires a mix of spices or dried vegetables, combine them in a zip lock bag and label it before you leave. It’s so much easier to do this at home than out bush. And it’s easy to grab it from your food tub when it comes time to prepare your meal.

3. Cook in advance

We always cook a few meals prior to departure. Soup or the mince and sauce ready for a spaghetti bolognese are easy to prepare at home and even easier to warm up on the campfire.

Not a bad set up for dinner with family & friends. Holland Track in Western Australia.

Planning your meals

I hate the thought of being locked into cooking something that won’t satisfy my culinary cravings, so it’s important to allow for some flexibility in your meal plan. For a 3 week trip, we plan for 21 days of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Plus a few extra meals and some emergency tinned rations. Each morning we consult our taste buds and make sure the ingredients for the chosen meal will be defrosted and made accessible for that night.

Breakfast

For breakfast, we try to keep it fast and simple, and will usually eat cereal or oats. If we have more time, we will do pancakes, bacon and eggs, fruit and custard or omelettes.

Lunch

Our midday meal is often bread or wraps, with salad, cheese and meat (ham, beef, salami or tuna). Our salad is cucumber, tomato, alfalfa sprouts and mayonnaise. Other options are a cup of noodles or soup, mee goreng, hamburgers or toasties and crackers.

Dinner

For dinner, you have a huge range of options; Soft tacos, roast beef, sushi, fish and chips (get a chip cutter!), stir-fry, nachos, steak, chicken katsu curry, chops and vegetables, hamburgers, satay chicken, a BBQ, spaghetti bolognese or anything else that tickles your fancy. We will have dessert a couple of times a week, which is usually fruit and custard, golden syrup dumplings, damper or scones.

What food do we take?

Here are some of the more common items found in our fridge and camp pantry.

Tinned food: Beetroot, sweet corn, baby corn, pineapple, mixed fruit, tuna, spaghetti, tomatoes, baked beans and corn.

Fresh produce: Cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, snow peas and baby corn.

Snacks: Nuts, dried fruit, muesli bars, BBQ noodles, fruit.

All this food preparation can be daunting at first. But the more you do it the easier it gets, and the more adventurous you become. The smell and taste of a roast lamb or chicken curry cooked over an open fire is incredibly satisfying, especially when you have planned and prepared it yourself. Take the time to get it right and you’ll have a fantastic holiday.

Everyone seems to have their own camping food hack, what’s your secret to easy food preparation in the bush?

The post Meal Planning for Outback 4WD Adventures appeared first on Snowys Blog.

[fosterfunk]

brunch | evster

foster and evie meet up again and continue catching up, this time over brunch

Foster was excited to meet up with Evie again. He was really enjoying her company. It wasn't like he didn't have other people he'd spent time with, or like he wasn't good at spending time by himself, he just really liked being around her. She was nice and fun and he liked that he knew her and didn't know her. It was like getting to meet someone new that you knew you'd like. He got there and got them a table, ordering mimosas as he waited for her.

Evie had had a wonderful time with Foster the other night. It was just nice to be able to fall into something familiar. New York was more or less the same but the only two friends she had here were Lori and Foster. And she hadn't even known she'd bump into him so quickly. He just made things fun with his energy. He made her laugh. That was enough for her. She wandered into the place and looked around before she spotted him. "Hey Foster," she grinned as she walked to him.

Foster kept an eye towards the entrance to make sure he caught Evie when she came in. He noticed her and caught her eye, waving her over. He was so happy to see her again, even though it hadn't been that long since they'd last talked, especially in comparison to the years they had apart. "Hey! How was your night out with Lori?" he asked with a smile.

Evie liked how bright his smile was when he aimed it at her. His happiness was just infectious. "It was so great," she grinned as she sat down. "We went to this fancy French place that Lori made a reservation for and then we pretended to be celebrating our wedding anniversary for special treatment," she laughed. "We had a special tasting menu and free dessert. How was your night? Did you do anything fun?"

Foster laughed a bit when Evie said what they'd done last night. A bit of him couldn't help but think how ironic it was that they'd pretended to be married while he and Fox found a ring for them to become married. Wild, really. "That's a fantastic idea. I should use that," he teased. "I love free stuff," he added, though really, who didn't? "I hung out with Fox. We didn't do much, but it was a fun time."

Evie grinned at him. "Yeah! You should! We had amazing service. It's such a cool perk. You just have to know how to play it right," she shrugged with a smile. "Oh yeah? Well, that's still fun. You don't always have to be doing exciting things to have a good time." She looked at the menu in front of her for a moment. "So, what do you usually get here?" she wondered.

Foster could imagine that. For some reason, staff cared about stuff like that. Maybe they were hoping the emotions of the night would lead to generosity if they played their cards right. He found it kind of funny. "Oh yeah, I can see that. Probably easy enough in this city. You wouldn't run into the same people twice," he said with a laugh. It was ironic, really, because they had definitely done something exciting, but she didn't need to know that. "Very true!" he agreed. "Well, if I order off the menu, I get the platter. But, I prefer the buffet. They have everything you could imagine."

Evie hoped she had a night like that with Lori again. Foster was right thinking it'd be easy in this city. They could get away with whatever they wanted food wise. "It was pretty thrilling too. It was a lot of fun messing around like that," she smiled. She paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Okay, let's do the buffet then! That sounds like a good idea to me. Are their waffles any good?" she wondered.

Foster hadn't done anything like that in a really long time, but it was always fun pulling shit over on people and messing with them. "I'm sure it was. We should do that sometime," he said playfully. He was glad she was on board with the buffet idea. "Yes! I'm glad you agree. Hm, yeah, definitely. I like to watch for when they bring out a fresh new batch and then go snatch up like two or so," he said with a grin.

Evie would definitely be down for that. She had a feeling it'd be ridiculously easy. "We should. Next time we grab food," she suggested with a grin. She laughed the tiniest amount when he appeared so excited. He radiated happiness sometimes. "Mm, sounds perfect. I love brunch," she admitted with a laugh. "All my favorites are available for me in one place," she grinned. "I used go to a lot in college."

Foster thought that sounded like a lot of fun, honestly. They could go on about being high school sweethearts and all of that. It'd be so easy to be believable because they'd done it all before. "Sounds like a plan," he grinned. "I do, too. A genius meal idea, really," he said, laughing himself. "Because that's when you woke up, or because brunch is a thing?" he asked curiously. He never woke up early enough for breakfast in college, honestly.

Evie could already tell they'd have a blast doing that. Then again, it was always fun to be around him and everyone loved free stuff. There was really no downside to it. "Eh, a bit of both. I feel like it was more of a weekend thing, like the morning after a party when we'd wake up hungover and stumble down the road to the brunch place," she laughed. "But we went on the weekdays too when we could."

Foster laughed at that image, having a clear image of that from his own college days. They would've still been friends all through college, he was sure of it. It was a shame she hadn't just come back for college, but nothing could be done about it now. "Yeah, I definitely feel that. We always got brunch on weekends, though not always here. It can be pricey," he said with a laugh. "But I don't think I was ever awake before ten in college."

Evie liked that they'd had a similar experience. It was crazy to think of what could have been had she stayed in New York. "Oh yeah? I feel like brunch is like, such a thing for college kids," she laughed. No one wanted to get up early to make it to breakfast. "I loved sleeping in. I remember accidentally signing up for an 8 AM class and being devastated every time I had to wake up," she laughed.

Foster nodded in agreement. He was sure other people did brunch as much as college kids, but it was such an easy thing for them back in the day. "God, me too. I still love sleeping in when I get the chance," he said with a laugh. "Oh no. That would've resulted in me skipping class more often than not," he laughed. When the waiter brought their drinks, he thanked him, and let him know they'd be going for the buffet. "I hope mimosas were good for you. You can get something else if you'd like, of course."

Evie laughed; she could definitely picture him skipping early classes. "It was such a dumb mistake. I was miserable. I fell asleep in that lecture more often than not," she laughed. "It was too much for me." She looked up when the waiter appeared and smiled. "Oh, I love mimosas, thank you." She picked it up to take a sip. "Mm, it's perfect. Let's go get our food," she grinned as she stood up.

Foster couldn’t help but laugh at that. She didn’t seem the fall asleep in class type, but it happened to everyone. “At least you learned your lesson and then didn’t have to go through that again,” he said with a smile. “I fell asleep in some classes that weren’t even that early, so I feel your pain,” he added. He was glad she liked mimosas. He realized he didn’t know much about what kind of drinks she liked, but he was glad this one was a success. He took a sip of his and nodded. “Oh good. Bloody Marys felt like too bold a choice for me to make for you,” he smiled. “Let’s go!” he said, standing up and walking towards the food with her. “I’m kind of starving, I just realized,” he said with a laugh.

Evie let out a laugh. "Yeah, I definitely learned it the hard way. I really had no discipline. I'd stay up way too late knowing I had to be up so early. It was a rough time," she admitted. She grinned. "Why does that not surprise me much?" She took another sip of the mimosa before they stood to get the food. "That would have been bold. I would have drank it but I'm much happier with a mimosa. I like Bloody Marys more when I'm hungover," she admitted playfully. She took two plates, handing one to him. "Everything looks so good. Wow, the waffles are huge!"

Foster shrugged a little and laughed. “I think that’s just the norm for college,” he said with a grin. “Because you know me too well,” he said with a laugh. He grinned, happy to learn another little tidbit about her. “Now I know if I’m ever with you while you’re hungover to make sure you have a Bloody Mary,” he said. He took the plate from her and thanked her. “They are huge! You could eat them with sweet or savory things, too. What fun. I love buffets.”

Evie was sure he was right. Kids were on their own for the first time, of course they weren't super disciplined. "After all these years," she grinned. She nudged him with her elbow slightly. "You'll be my absolute best friend if you provide hungover me with a Bloody Mary," she smiled. She took a waffle for her plate and considered all of the toppings. "If I end up eating, like, four of these I don't want to hear a word about it," she joked.

Foster smiled warmly and nodded a little. “After all these years,” he confirmed. He liked that a lot of the basics about him were still there enough for her to still know who he was. “The next time you are or suspect you’ll be hungover, let me know and I’ll do what I can,” he said with a playful smile. He laughed, grabbing one himself. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about! I didn’t see anything, and I don’t judge anyway,” he added with a wink.

Evie loved how easily he'd fit back into her life. She regretted not trying harder to keep in touch with him. She'd managed to stay best friends with Lori; why hadn't she done something to ensure the same with Foster? She couldn't change it now. "What, like you'll deliver me a Bloody Mary personally?" she asked with a laugh. She added a mix of toppings to her waffle and grinned at him. "That's the kind of energy I need around me," she grinned.

Foster let out a half laugh, half scoff. “Uh, yeah. What else would I do? Buy you the ingredients in advance?” he asked with a laugh. He smiled a bit, getting some stuff for himself. “Only good energy around here,” he said with a smile. He got a fair amount of food and waited for her. Once she was good, he went back to their table, sitting down. “Hey! Our drinks are here!” he said with a grin. He took a sip, then took a huge bite of bacon.

Evie pushed his arm gently. "Hey! That's a very real possibility," she laughed. "I'll gladly take you hand delivering me a Bloody Mary in the morning, though. What a treat. It'd probably help cure the hangover," she teased. She knew that. He just radiated good energy. It was so refreshing to be around. He made everything feel better. She'd missed that. She finished filling her plate and followed him to the table. She tried the mimosa and hummed. "Okay, this is delicious. This has to be a cuvee champagne," she decided.

Foster made a face and shrugged a shoulder a little. “I feel like having to make your own drink when you’re hungover just is too much work,” he said with a little laugh. “I know I’d just end up drinking vodka from the bottle and then the tomato juice and be like cool,” he said, laughing some more. “I can even hang out and make sure you get water and medicine, too,” he said with a smile. He shoved the other half of bacon in his mouth, frowning a bit when she talked about the champagne. He moved his hand to cover his mouth. “What champagne?” he asked.

Evie figured he had a point there. "Yeah, it is a lot of work. My brain usually can't keep up when I'm hungover enough to need one of those," she admitted. It'd been a while since she'd been that drunk. She laughed. "That isn't the worst idea, I guess," she teased. Her playful smile turned softer at that. "Aw, look at you being my hero," she smiled. She took another sip of the mimosa and then smiled again. "A cuvee. It's a type of champagne. Well, it refers to a specific pressing of the grapes but they're usually sweeter. It's great for events. I took a class on champagnes and wines at a winery," she added, hoping that explained it.

Foster nodded in agreement. He hadn’t been drunk enough to be hungover in a little while, but he knew the feeling well. He was never awake and focused enough to do much when hungover. “It works,” he said with a laugh. “I do what I can,” he said playfully. He nodded a bit as she explained, paying attention to what she said but continuing to eat. He swallowed and washed it down with water, turning to smile at her. “That’s really cool. I don’t know that I could tell a champagne from another on its own, let alone in a mimosa.”

Evie definitely wouldn't mind having him around to look after her when she wasn't at her best. He was just as thoughtful and she'd remembered him. "This is almost too tempting of an offer. I'm seriously considering getting drunk just to have you come over with a Bloody Mary for me," she joked. She cut a bite of her waffle and tried it as he smiled at her. "I've worked a lot of events that required champagne and it's always important to be sure what they pair best with in case someone asks. Plus, you make enough mimosas, you find your favorite champagne to pair with them."

Foster couldn’t help but laugh at that. He wasn’t trying to encourage her to drink or anything, but if she wanted to get drunk he’d be there for her. “If you want to, I’ll drive you home and be there for your care in the morning,” he said with a comforting smile. He nodded a bit, thinking that made sense. He just didn’t know nearly that much about champagne. He honestly didn’t know anything about it, really, other than knowing he liked it. He took a drink of his mimosa, smiling as he set it down. “That makes a lot of sense. It’s also really interesting.”

Evie thought he was really sweet. He'd always been so caring to her. It was refreshing to see that he hadn't changed. So many people did. "Maybe," she laughed. "Or maybe we should stick to other ways of hanging out unless it happens on accident," she decided. She felt like it'd be a bit of work to get drunk. She'd have to get Lori in on it because she wasn't going to just get trashed alone. She took another bite of her waffle and smiled at him. "It's not really all that interesting. I'm no expert by any means."

Foster laughed a little and nodded. “Yeah, it might make more sense to just keep hanging out, and then when you do get drunk, I’ll be there with the Bloody Mary,” he said with a grin. He did think it would be nice for them to maybe all drink together one day, but considering Evie still hadn’t met Fox, maybe that wasn’t bound to happen yet. One day, though. It’d be like old times, but with all four of them and not three. He was excited for the groups to collide. He shrugged a shoulder. “I find it pretty interesting. I really don’t know much about stuff like that.”

Evie smiled at him before taking another sip of her mimosa. "That's a solid plan. And a much better one than just getting drunk for no reason except to have you come by with a cure," she laughed. Maybe it would happen eventually. Maybe it wouldn't. It was a fun thought, though. She thought for a moment and then shrugged. "Well, if you think it is then I guess it is!" she smiled. "I could probably teach you some things but I don't think I'd be a very good teacher," she admitted.

Foster couldn’t help but laugh in agreement. He knew it was pretty silly to get drunk just to have him come by in the morning. But he would be there if she ever really needed him. “Definitely a better plan,” he said with a smile. He thought it was so interesting, and he didn’t understand how she didn’t, other than it was just such a normal part of her life that she didn’t even think of it. “It seems useful to me,” he admitted with a laugh. “You’re welcome to, though I think it’d probably go in one ear and out the other. I’m not great at that sort of thing. That’s probably part of why I think it’s so cool that you know it.”

Evie didn't really know how useful it was except for work purposes or if she wanted to drink alone. It was nice that he was impressed, though. It made her feel good. "I mean," she laughed, "I just hung out at a winery and had people hand me wines and stuff and explain it. I had to go a lot because I'd drink too much and forget what I learned. Or maybe I just used that as an excuse," she admitted with a laugh. "But I'm glad someone finds it cool," she smiled. "Oh, hey, my mom asked about you, by the way. I told her we'd run into each other again," she smiled.

Foster laughed at that. He could imagine that would happen, but he loved her sense of humor about it. She was so much fun. He really liked hanging out with her again. “Excuse or not, I think it makes sense to go more than once! What if you forgot something vital?” he asked playfully. He wanted to go to a wine tasting with her. Or better yet, one with food pairings. Did people do that? He didn’t really know. “Of course,” he said with a smile. He raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh, really? That was so nice of her. What’d she ask?”

Evie grinned widely at him. His laugh was just infectious. There was something about him that had always just made her happy. He still had that effect on her after all these years. Something about that just brought her a sense of warm comfort. "Well, exactly! How do they expect you to retain all the information after feeding you so much wine? Impossible, I say," she laughed. "We should go to a winery. It's super fun," she told him. She nodded with a smile. "Well, she asked if you were getting enough to eat first," she teased him.

Foster laughed and nodded in agreement. “I don’t know if I would even remember all the details without any wine, let alone with it,” he said with a laugh. Plus, what if someone said something a little different on a different day? Who would want to miss out on details like that? He smiled a little, letting out a sort of chuckle. “Funny you mention that, because I was just thinking I wanted to go to one. We should definitely do it,” he agreed. He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I think I’m getting enough to eat, yeah. Sweet of her to ask. How is she doing?” he asked curiously, smiling warmly at her.

Evie shrugged a little. "I mean, you can remember details about other things. It's just like, a study system for a very, very niche skill. I don't think it's really important most people can identify wines. I don't even think I really needed to be able to. I just really liked going to get drunk and calling it research," she admitted with a laugh. She felt her smile brighten when he agreed and she made a mental note to look for the best in the area. They'd make a day out of it. "She's so embarrassing," she laughed. "I used to be mortified when she'd try to, like, force more food on you when you'd be over. She just loved you. Still does, actually. Told me to pinch your cheek but I won't embarrass either of us by doing it," she promised with a laugh. "She's good. She's really happy as usual. Hasn't changed a bit."

Foster thought that was fair, but he was also just, really dumb about some things. “Getting drunk and calling it research sounds great. That should just be a job,” he said with a laugh. He shrugged a little, smiling fondly. “Nah, I don’t think so. She’s just good and caring and has a big heart,” he promised. He’d been a lot skinnier back then. He didn’t know how he made it through high school. “I always needed more food back then. I love her, too,” he promised with a smile. “Thank you,” he said, laughing a bit. “Your mom’s really great. I’m glad she’s still so happy,” he said with a bright smile. He cleared his throat a little and paused for a moment. “I uh, I haven’t seen my parents in five years. I told them I was going to college in California and then disappeared.”

Evie laughed at the idea. "I'm pretty sure that'd be pretty dangerous after a while but I'm sure there's like, alcohol testers for companies. Or wineries," she laughed. She smiled at the way he spoke so fondly of her mother. It brought her back to such a more innocent time. It was going back in time. "She was so happy when you finally let her pack you a lunch too. It like, seriously made her year probably," she laughed. "She is great. Maybe you can see her when she comes to visit me which I'm sure she will eventually. She'd really like that." She sensed a change in him suddenly and felt her smile slip. She reached across the table for his hand without really thinking about it. "I'm sorry, Foster. That must have been really hard even if it was the best choice to make," she said quietly.

Foster hadn’t really thought about alcohol testers being an actual thing. He wanted that job. But not really. It’d be easy for him to develop a drinking problem, and he didn’t really want to go there. “Yeah, I’m sure it could get dangerous,” he laughed and nodded. He smiled fondly, nodding a bit. “I felt so bad doing it. It felt like such a burden. I really appreciate that she did that for me, though. Who would’ve looked at a kid like me, coming from money, and thought, hey, maybe he’s not getting enough food, except for your mom?” he said, shaking his head as he smiled. He nodded. “I’d like that a lot. Is your dad doing well, too?” he asked. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah. It was hard. I was so scared for a while that someone would find me. And I hadn’t really thought about how much I was giving up, you know? Like, during the summer I had nowhere to go. Lori’s family let me stay with them for a while. I’m glad I did it, though,” he said, nodding.

Evie shook her head a little bit. He'd never been a burden. Not to her or to her family. "Foster, seriously, my parents adored you. I mean you were part of our family. We were always more than happy to have you around. It was just natural. You fit in so well. And you were always the picture perfect example of politeness. So charming. I mean, no wonder we loved you," she smiled warmly. "He's doing well. Still working the same job we moved for but he's been promoted. He's practically running the place now and he has more time off," she explained. She squeezed his hand a little bit, trying to be comforting. "I'm so sorry. I wish... I wish I could have been there for you. I should have tried harder to keep in touch." Maybe she could have helped somehow. "I bet they always loved having you around. And you had Fox by then, right? So you weren't alone?" she asked quietly.

Foster smiled fondly, trying not to get choked up. Her family had been his saving grace. “I adored them. My family was never like yours. I loved being surrounded by the warmth of your family. Oh, thank you. I would never have dreamed of not being polite to you and your parents,” he promised. He nodded as she spoke. He was happy to hear that. “That’s excellent. Good for him. That should help him time to come visit you,” he said with a grin. He squeezed her hand back, smiling at her and shaking his head a bit. “We were kids. Keeping in touch is hard for adults in longterm relationships. How could we have been expected to do better?” he said, trying to be reassuring. “Yeah, they did. Cameron especially loved having me around,” he said with a small laugh. “Yeah, but, you know, during the summer he usually went home, at least early on. It was okay, though. I found myself eventually.”

Evie knew they weren't. That's why she was so glad hers could be the one he needed for those two years. She laughed a little bit. "You wouldn't even let me break the rules when you slept on the couch. You were like, the model example of a good guy. You were a part of the family," she said with a smile. She nodded a bit, hopeful that her family could visit soon. She might have needed space from Arizona but she did miss her parents already. "Hopefully! Hopefully not until I'm more, like, established and my place looks better for visitors and all," she laughed. She shrugged a bit. She'd kept in touch with Lori, hadn't she? Why had it been so hard to do the same with Foster? "I don't know, I just. It doesn't sit well with me. I hated leaving you behind and then, I don't know. I just wish I'd been here for you in whatever way you needed me to be," she said honestly. "Not surprised by that one bit," she laughed. "I'm glad you found yourself. You seem to be doing really well for yourself. You look good. Happy, I mean," she corrected. "I'm really glad to see it."

Foster laughed and shrugged a shoulder. “How could I risk making them upset with me? Or not trusting me there? There was always somewhere else for us to fool around,” he teased. “I appreciated that a lot,” he promised. He laughed a little and nodded. “You wouldn’t want them to see it until it’s perfect. I get it.” He let out a soft sigh. He’d been so resentful that they’d left. He understood, but it hurt him that they’d gone. “I don’t know that there was anything you could’ve done on the other side of the country. It was just a shitty situation all around,” he insisted. He smiled and nodded. “I’m doing better. The first few years of college were kind of rough, but I’m better. Thank you,” he said, smiling at her.

Evie rolled her eyes fondly. "I mean, I still think it would have been fine. I think we could have at least made out on the couch more than we did but whatever," she teased back. She nodded, her smile warm again. "I just want them to be proud of me and everything. Like, it's really silly, because realistically I know it doesn't matter to them what my place looks like so much as it's safe but, you know. I'm a New York girl now. I want to be sophisticated and classy and I want them to see it," she laughed. It sounded so silly out loud. She understood that but it still bothered her a bit. "I don't know either," she agreed. "That's good. If you ever want to talk about it or anything, I'm here to listen," she offered.

Foster laughed, shaking his head at her. “I think we made out and more plenty, just not on that couch,” he said with a playful wink. He smiled fondly, but shrugged a shoulder. “I think you’re already sophisticated and elegant and classy and all of that. I think anyone who knows you would see that,” he promised. He nodded. He didn’t really wanna bum either of them out anymore right now, and he was in a good place, so he didn’t think he needed to right now either. “I will,” he said with a smile. “Do you wanna get more? I’m getting a little full, but I feel like I could go for some sort of dessert,” he laughed.

Evie flushed a little bit and rolled her eyes again. "Okay, if you say so," she laughed. He was fun. She'd missed this. She liked that he thought of her that way. It felt special. "Well, thank you. It's always been a weird dream of mine to be all those things. I don't know why," she admitted with a laugh. She let it drop, but she did hope he talked to her about it one day. She'd heard some things from Lori but clearly not everything. "Oh, well, I'm actually full from the waffles," she laughed. "But you can get something else and I'll steal a bite or two."

Foster smirked a bit at the blush on her cheeks and the way she rolled her eyes. They really had the best little young romance. It was so special to him. “Well, I feel like you can consider that a dream that’s come true, then,” he said with a smile. He nodded a bit. “Yeah, the waffles are kind of filling,” he said with a laugh. “Okay, I’ll be right back with a few things,” he said. He went over, grabbing three desserts, figuring she could pick which she wanted to try, or she could try all of them.

Evie just liked being around him so much. She didn't think there were words for it. He was such a good person to have in her life. "Well, thank you. You're a very sophisticated person yourself," she promised. She laughed and nodded a bit, sitting back to wait for him. She finished off the rest of her mimosa and smiled when he came back. "Ooh, these look good!" she said excitedly. "You always had good taste."

Foster laughed a bit at that before he realized she was serious. “Oh, you really think so? I don’t know about that myself, but thank you,” he said with a smile. He liked that she thought so. He grinned at her comment and nodded a little, shrugging a shoulder humbly. “I do have great taste,” he agreed. “I got a mix, so you can have bites of everything if you want, or pick what you’re in the mood for,” he said. He finished off his mimosa, then took a sip of his water.

Evie nodded earnestly. "Yeah! I do think so. I mean, you really grew up and grew into yourself. Then again, maybe I just feel like people here are more polished and I'm just lumping you in with that," she joked. She took her fork as he started talking, nodding a bit as she was already aiming for a bite of one of the desserts. "It's probably a good thing you got a few after all," she admitted with a laugh. "I'm totally stealing more than a bite."

Foster really liked that she thought that he looked sophisticated. He felt the least sophisticated and grown up of his friends. He was still working on himself so much. His proud smile morphed as he started to laugh. “That must be it,” he teased back. He let out a little laugh as she started to eat his dessert before he’d even finished talking about it. He couldn’t blame her. It all looked great. “Yeah! I can tell,” he said with a laugh, picking up his fork to take a bite of one himself.

Evie could tell he really liked the compliment and she was glad. She'd meant it. Even if she'd turned it into a joke at the end. "Who would have thought we'd be here at this age, sharing desserts for brunch? Very classy of us," she told him. She took another bite of the same dessert and grinned at him again. "Your fault really, you offered." She'd never had this much fun at a brunch before.

Foster laughed a bit, not sure if she was serious or not. “I think it’s classy! Plus, sharing is caring,” he said with a grin. He smiled and shrugged a shoulder. “I’m happy to share,” he said honestly. He was having such a good time with her. He thanked the waiter when he brought the receipts. “We pay at the front,” he noted. They’d go pay once they were finished with the desserts. They were almost done, anyway.

Evie grinned at him. "It is classy! We're very proper adults in the city," she insisted. "We have manners and everything. Well, you do, since you grabbed desserts and I just started eating them," she laughed. She thanked the waiter too and took a sip of her water before going back to the food they had left. "Oh, cool. This was a lot of fun, Foster. I'm glad we hung out today," she told him.

Foster shrugged it off. “It’s not big deal, really. I got extra to share with you!” he exclaimed. He nodded in agreement. He had a lot of fun with her. “Yeah, I am, too. I think it’s kind of crazy. It’s been like six, seven years since we hung out regularly, and everything with you feel as normal as it did back then. Hanging out with you just feel right,” he said with a small smile. He didn’t want to be too much or have it seem like he was coming on too strong. But he really did like how normal things felt.

Evie laughed at how he'd said that. "I know. I'm just saying! Can't you just let me call you nice?" she asked with a smile. She completely agreed. They'd so easily fallen back into being friends. It felt so natural. "It's really crazy. It's this weird thing where it kind of feels like no time has passed but then it's also super obvious that we've both grown up so much. I guess some things don't change though," she smiled. "It does feel right, though. And I'm really happy about that."

Foster laughed and put his hands up. “Okay, okay, I’ll let you call me nice,” he said playfully. He nodded in agreement. It did sort of feel like no time had passed at all, even though they were very obviously different. “Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean. The way it’s so easy to hang out makes it feel like nothing has changed, but we’re both different. In a good way,” he said with a smile. “I’m glad that this didn’t change,” he said with a smile. He took one last bite and let out a sigh. “I think I’m stuffed.”

Evie grinned when he relented finally. He was a nice guy. She just wanted him to know it. "We are different. I guess some things can't change too much though. Like chemistry! We were always drawn to each other so it makes sense that the friendship comes so easily now," she said. "I'm really glad it didn't either. It's good to have you back in my life. I missed it," she admitted. She laughed a little bit and finished off one of the desserts before agreeing. "Me too. We should probably get going."

Foster nodded in agreement. They had great chemistry, honestly. “Yes, exactly,” he said with a smile. “Yeah, it’s good to have you back, too. I missed this, and I don’t think I even realized how much I did,” he said honestly. He let out a sigh and then stood up. “Alright, let’s go,” he said with a laugh. He took his receipt and went to pay, then stood to the side while she paid for hers. “We should definitely hang out again soon.”

Evie was glad, in a way, that he'd missed this too. She'd feel silly if he didn't. "I don't think I did either. I mean, it's been so long. I thought I'd forgotten what it was like to hang out with you. Then we ran into each other and it's all been so easy ever since. We're really lucky for that." She grabbed her receipt and followed him to pay for her meal. "We absolutely should. We'll set something up." She wrapped him in a hug. "Thanks for suggesting this. It was a lot of fun."

Foster nodded along. He wouldn’t say he never thought of her, but she didn’t cross his mind regularly. And he supposed if Lori told him she was coming back, he would’ve psyched himself out thinking about what it would be like to see her again. But things just worked out so well. “We are. We’re so lucky,” he said with a smile. “Definitely,” he agreed. He hugged her back, smiling brightly that she’d initiated the hug. “Thanks for coming. I had a good time.”

Evie hugged him tightly for a tiny bit longer than necessary. She was just so happy to be back and to be here with him. He really just had a way of making things feel good. "I did too! It was delicious food and excellent company. It was a perfect way to spend the morning. Late morning," she corrected herself with a laugh. "I'll see you soon?" she hoped. "Maybe next time we'll, like, do an activity before we eat."

Foster hugged her back, holding her tight. It amazed him how normal all of this felt. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it did, and he really liked it. It was a happy surprise. He laughed a bit and nodded. “It was a great start to the day,” he agreed. “The best brunch food I’ve ever found,” he smiled. He nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I hope to see you soon,” he agreed. He laughed a bit at that and nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “That would be fun. We should aim for that.”

Evie had really had a great time. She'd hoped they'd reconnect when she moved back but she'd never anticipated just how easy it would be to hang out with him so much. She loved it. "It really was! I'll probably be a little lazy the rest of the day despite having things to do," she admitted. "It was delicious." She nodded a bit, still smiling brightly. "I'm already looking forward to it. I'll text you later?" she suggested, taking a step backwards so she could head towards her place. "See you soon."

Foster smiled and laughed a little. He was really so happy that they had reconnected so naturally, and so well. Happy didn’t even really cover it. “Yeah, me too,” he said with a nod. He thought there could be worse things. “I am, too. That sounds good to me! I look forward to your text,” he said with a smile. “See you around,” he said with a wave and a smile, heading back to his own place.