#but it's a bit similar to ones i've used and i've tried this brand before it was fine

[allfearstofallto]

Ok so, I've been having this taught of reader falling into a coma and not remembering anything from what happened before waking up. Which yandere do you think would take advantage and which would feel bad about doing so?

And why is it Diluc?

You were told you told a nasty fall. Right down the stairs at that. You're quite the clutz, one of your maids joked to you, but it's not like you'd remember. Everything about yourself, other than your name was blurry. Your name and something else. Red hair. Long red hair flowing down his back. Other than that, your mind was empty of memories, like you'd been reset with nothing.

"Master Diluc will be here shortly," the maid said with a smile as she used a wet cloth to dab the knot on your forehead. Swollen and painful, you could see the water in her bowl turning red from the dried blood, but she still smiled. Almost as if she enjoyed tending to you, "He's been dying to see you. You've had him worried sick, my lady,"

"Diluc...?" You repeated his name back, it felt foreign on your tongue, yet all too familiar at the same time. You forced yourself to think on that name as you'd done your own and nothing came up. Just empty, hollow, and blank.

She chuckled at your response, "Your husband! My boss. Master Diluc?" She tested these words while staring into your eyes, waiting for any sign of familiarity, but that flicker never lit in your eyes, and you grew more and more confused as she spoke. She watched your face change and in turn, hers did as well. You recognized the expression she was making. A look of worry and fear, that she tried to mask.

"I-i...have a husband?" You asked. The idea sounded crazy even to you. You'd gotten married and completely forgotten the person, forgotten the wedding, forgotten yourself.

Her little bowl was sat to the side and she dusted her hands on her apron. Moving quickly, she gave you a weak, worried smile as she marchd to the door, "I'll go get master Diluc." She said hurriedly, and she was gone. Leaving you in an unfamiliar room, with a strangely comforting ticking of a clock.

It wasn't long before the door opened again and he stepped in. He looked serious, almost scary, but also strangely remorseful. His eyes danced over to your forehead, where the bump was, then back to your face. His lip quivered as he knelt down at your bed side, reaching out to take your hand and being surprised that you allowed it. But his touch was gentle, he traced his thumb up and down the back of your hand, testing words on his tongue before he finally asked, "What do you remember?"

A weak smile formed on your lips. How could you tell him nothing? Or that all you had were bits and pieces of memories and even then, they weren't anything to go by. Yet that little shy smile was more than enough to tell him what you were thinking. He grimaced a bit before taking your hand and squeezing it, his touch was warm, borderline hot against the back of your hand.

"I'm your husband, Diluc Radnvindr and you're my wife. We've been married for two years," he spoke slowly, as if he were explaining this all to a child who wouldn't understand, "We live just a little bit outside of Mondstadt, I own a winery and the surrounding land as well."

At his mention of marriage, you looked down at your hands. Bare. Not even the indent of a ring on your finger.

"We don't have rings?" You questioned curiously, but sure enough, when you looked at his hand, he was wearing his wedding band dutifully. A plain gold band that wrapped around his finger.

Diluc's face tensed when you asked the question. It was an odd expression, not the type to face you expected your husband to make. But he still reached into a table at your side, opening a velvet box and showing you a similar gold band, only this one sparked with jewels and gems. It looked practically brand new. Not even a scratch or fingerprint on it. Almost like it'd never been worn.

"You always told me you weren't too fond of rings," he muttered, but his face looked sorrowful, "I couldn't force you to wear it so you never did."

You looked at that ring and you saw pure beauty. It looked like it was forged with love. You couldn't imagine why you didn't wear it, it was to pretty to not be seen. When you slipped the ring out of the box and onto the finger, Diluc made a face that was a mixture of surprise and horror. You gave him a questioning glance, but only was met with a stiff, but reassuring smile.

Days went by with you being a doting wife to Diluc, but the back of your mind something always felt wrong, like you were doing everything wrong. When you questioned why Diluc always ate his meals in his office, he did sit and eat with you at the table, but the maids looked confused at the sight of him. When you mentioned that it was strange that you and Diluc had supposedly been married so long, but didn't share a room, he allowed you into his bed. But even seemed uncomfortable by your presence.

Your dreams were restless that particular night. You dreamt of memories that you'd forgotten like you were living through them again. It was pouring rain and your heart was pounding. As you ran through the gardens, your feet bare and filthy with mud, all you could think was that you had to get away. But away from what?

Your heart thumping in your ears seemed even louder than the rainfall, your clothes soaked, fear being the only thing that pushed you further. When your wrist was grabbed, you screamed. Screamed harder than you had in your entire life. You expected to see a stranger when you turned, but instead you were met with familiar red hair, and angrier red eyes. Diluc.

He struck you. Hard across your cheek. It was a stinging slap, only calmed by the cold rain water hitting your face. Before you could even get the chance to fight, Diluc was dragging you back the way you came. Towards the manor. Towards your prison. You dug your feet into the mud, but you didn't stand a chance against his superior strength.

When you awoke in a cold sweat, chest heaving and eyes threatening to cry, his arm over your waist felt more like a restraint than a comfort. He slept peacefully right next to you as your mind tried to make sense of your dream, your memory. A pit formed in your stomach, a feeling of fear and worry as you thought about every strange thing about your marriage. About the strange way the maids looked at you. About how Diluc himself seemed almost surprised by what you assumed was typical martial affection. You swallowed hard as faint memories came flooding back. And the sudden realization of the fact that you were being lied to. And the liar, the cause of all of it, was nuzzling his face into you side.

[autobahnmp3]

i had a very successful shopping trip after therapy

[agentstarkid]

YOU'RE THE STAR OF THE SHOW, YOU SHIMMER LIKE GOLD ✦ LN4

✦ pairing: lando norris x karateka!reader ✦ words: 4K ✦ warnings: female!reader, latina!reader, no use of Y/N, no use of physical description, a little bit of flirting. ✦ may's radio: me, actually writing for these men going vroom vroom??? whaaaaa?? shut up! lol I tried to explain the techniques to the best of my abilities as a daughter and sister to Senseis (and a once upon a (very short) time karateka). I hope it is understandable!! if not, let me down slowly!! SO, Boy-o needs a badass girl in his life PERIODT!!! And let's all pretend Monster gives a fuck about Karate. I've had this idea for lichrally months, dude. And I was supposed to do another thing with it, but here we are hehehe. Also, not using any name or description for this girlie was HARD so I think I deserve some of y'all thoughts ad nauseam 👉🏽👈🏽, I reload my activity feed every 3 seconds to see what you guys are thinking btw. N E WAYYYZZ. I love u. I hope u like it. k byee <3

— back to general masterlist

The sun blazed over Monterrey, casting a warm glow on the sprawling city nestled against the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains. The streets buzzed with excitement and anticipation as athletes and fans from around the world gathered for the 12th WUKF World Karate Championships. Banners and posters adorned with the tournament’s emblem fluttered in the breeze, while the iconic Monster Energy logo prominently featured alongside, symbolizing the brand’s unwavering support for the event and its athletes.

Among the throngs of spectators and competitors, one figure stood out, drawing the attention of both fans and the media. Lando Norris, the young and charismatic McLaren Formula 1 driver, had been invited to the championships as a special guest of Monster Energy. Known for his prowess on the track and his engaging personality off it, Lando had a magnetic presence that resonated with fans across different sports. 

The event was a world away from the high-octane world of Formula 1, but Lando was excited for the change of pace and the chance to meet young athletes from around the globe. Recently, Quadrant—a brand founded by him—had been sponsoring young athletes in different sports. It was a new venture for Lando, driven by his passion to support and uplift emerging talents. He had been looking forward to finding more promising athletes to add to Quadrant's growing roster, and the World Championship seemed like the perfect place to discover some of that potential.

As Lando navigated the bustling venue, his thoughts were a mix of excitement and curiosity. Though the world of martial arts was vastly different from the high-speed circuits he was used to, the principles of discipline, focus, and determination were strikingly similar. 

He had to admit to himself that before receiving the invitation, he knew next to nothing about karate. In fact, he’d even had to google the sport just to get a basic understanding. Embarrassingly, he had initially thought Karate and Taekwondo were the same thing. The search results had quickly set him straight, teaching him about the rich history and distinct techniques of this martial art, and giving him a newfound respect for the discipline.

He was eager to meet the athletes, particularly one individual who had captured the world’s attention with her remarkable skills and indomitable spirit.

A 20-something karate athlete from Latin America, had become a sensation in the martial arts community. With two world championships under her belt and many other championship victories, she was not only a formidable competitor but also an inspiring figure for young athletes around the globe. She was specially known for her exceptional skills and strategic prowess in kumite, the sparring discipline of karate. 

Sponsored by Monster Energy, her journey had been one of relentless perseverance and triumph over adversity. Her presence at the championships was not just a testament to her talent but also a symbol of her dedication to the sport she loved. And from what he had seen on videos while he was on his way, Lando also saw potential in her for Quadrant, imagining how she could inspire a whole new generation of athletes under the brand's banner.

The sound of rhythmic, powerful strikes filled the air as athletes from around the world prepared for their matches. Lando was led through the bustling venue to the competition floor, where the large tatami mats were situated. As he walked, he could hear the short—some even lasting longer—, loud shouts of "kiai" echoing through the hall, each one accompanying a sharp, strong technique from the karatekas already competing. The intensity and focus behind each shout sent a thrill through him, underscoring the seriousness and dedication of these athletes.

As he approached, he saw her warming up with stretches, under the watchful stare of one of the coaches of her national team. Lando felt a mix of excitement and slight nervousness. From what he had seen on videos from her past fights, she had a really strong presence, commanding the tatami mat whenever she stepped on it. Her intensity and focus were palpable, and he wasn’t gonna lie and say he didn’t think she was a little bit intimidating. And after spending a short—long—time going through her Instagram, he could also admit he found her beautiful, with her fierce determination adding to her allure.

Once she finished her stretching, he could see her coach pointing his way, making her turn around. He was approaching her with one of the energy drink’s representatives. Noticing them coming closer, she took off her earbuds and looked up with raised eyebrows, her demeanor immediately softening.

Actually…he didn’t know how to explain it…but now that he was in her presence, she didn’t give off intimidating vibes. She still had a commanding presence, don’t get him wrong, but she seemed to be more reserved and shy. He could see her fidgeting with the little device in her hand.

“Lando, I’d like you to meet one of our top sponsored athletes. She’s an incredible talent in kumite,” the representative said. She smiled warmly, a hint of bashfulness in her eyes, as she extended her hand.

“Hi, it’s an honor to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about your incredible achievements,” Lando greeted, shaking her hand.

“Likewise, Lando. It’s great to have you here. I’ve always admired the skill and courage it takes to race at the speeds you do,” she replied, her voice gentle and modest, a stark contrast to the powerful warrior he had seen in videos. “And congrats on your first win back in Miami!”

Lando was pleasantly surprised. “You know about that? Thanks! I didn’t expect to meet a karate champion who’s also an F1 fan,” he said, feeling a bit cocky despite the bashful smile creeping onto his face.

She laughed softly. “I’ve been a fan for years. Watching F1 races is one of my favorite ways to relax on weekends.”

Lando chuckled, his confidence bolstered. “Well, that’s great to hear. Maybe I can give you some tips on racing if you teach me a bit about karate,” he said, winking playfully.

She laughed again, appreciating his playful attitude. “Deal. I’ll teach you how to throw a punch if you show me how to handle those high-speed corners.”

Lando tried to joke, “It’s all about the neck strength, really,” but let out an awkward little laugh as he got a bit flustered. Her reserved demeanor was deceptive; she could hold constant eye contact with a calm intensity that he wasn’t prepared for.

She smiled, her gaze steady and unwavering. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, her eyes never leaving his.

Lando felt a strange mix of admiration and nervousness under her steady gaze. Wanting to know more about her mindset before such a big competition, he asked, “How are you feeling about today?”

She took a deep breath and looked down for a moment, then back up at him, her expression humble yet determined. “If I told you I was completely confident about winning everything, I’d be lying. I have pre-fight jitters, just like anyone else. But I’m going to give it my all. That’s all I can do.”

Lando nodded, impressed by her honesty. “I get that. Even in racing, no matter how prepared you are, there’s always that bit of uncertainty. It’s what makes the victory even sweeter, though, don’t you think?”

She smiled, appreciating his understanding. “Absolutely. The nerves mean you care. They keep you sharp.”

Their conversation flowed easily, the initial awkwardness melting away as they shared insights from their respective sports. Lando admired her resilience and the way she embraced her nerves, turning them into a source of strength.

As the announcements for the upcoming matches began, she glanced towards the tatami, her focus sharpening. “I should get ready. It was really great talking to you, Lando. Thanks for the encouragement.”

“Anytime,” Lando replied, genuinely meaning it. “I’ll be cheering for you.”

She gave him one last smile before heading towards her coach. Lando watched her go, struck by the contrast between her shy off-mat demeanor and the commanding presence she exuded when she was about to compete. He couldn’t help but feel a deep respect for her dedication and the way she handled the pressure—and that was kinda hot to him.

Professionalism, Lando. He scolded himself. She’s an athlete, and you’re here to do your job—or a small part of it. 

As he found a spot to watch the competition, he thought about the unexpected connection they had made. Despite their different paths, their shared commitment to excellence and the way they embraced their nerves set them apart as true champions. Lando knew that whatever the outcome of her matches, she would give it everything she had—just like he did on the track.

He could hear the announcer's voice booming through the venue. “Athletes competing in the Seniors D Female category: 21 to 35 years old and 65 kg and over, please approach the number 3 tatami mat.” He listened intently, waiting for her name to be called. It came in the middle of the list, and he could see the group of female athletes approaching the announcer.

She stayed behind the group, her demeanor calm and composed as she waited to hear her name being called. There was a quiet confidence about her that set her apart from the others. Lando noticed that some of the other girls would steal glances at her, fidgeting with their belts or adjusting their karate-gi in a nervous manner. Her presence seemed to unsettle them, a testament to her reputation and the respect she commanded among her peers.

As the roll call continued, Lando observed the competitors closely. The air was thick with anticipation, and he could sense the mixture of excitement and tension that filled the room. When her name was finally called, she stepped forward with a graceful nod, acknowledging the announcement with a quiet strength.

She joined the others on the mat, and the athletes began their final preparations, mentally psyching themselves up for the upcoming matches. Lando watched her closely, noticing how she seemed to center herself, taking deep, measured breaths and rolling her shoulders and neck to release any remaining tension.

As the roll call concluded, the athletes lined up in front of the referee and judges. Lando watched closely as the referee shouted something in Japanese—a command that he couldn't quite understand. Both parties then performed the ceremonial salute, tilting the upper part of their bodies in a bow. The referee shouted again and gestured towards the flags and the public, prompting another salute. 

After the salutes, the athletes moved to their respective sides of the tatami mat. On the right side, some of them were tying up red belts around their waists and putting on red gloves and knee protections. On the left side, the competitors were doing the same but in blue. She was on the left side, methodically securing her blue belt and adjusting her gloves and knee pads that matched her new karate–gi that had blue stripes on the shoulders.

Lando observed the attention to detail in her preparation. Every movement, every adjustment of her uniform, was part of her mental and physical ritual to enter the competitive mindset. It was a fascinating glimpse into the discipline and dedication required at this level of competition.

After three intense matches—all of them won by her—, the announcer announced the final match. He called for her to stand on the two red tatami mats on the left side of the big blue square tatami. Lando watched as she took her place, her expression hardening with concentration. Just before stepping forward, she gave herself a couple of hard pats to her chest—a ritual, he guessed, to psych herself up for the fight.

Her face was set with determination, eyes focused intently on the task ahead. The referee approached both competitors, methodically checking their mouthguards and ensuring all their equipment was in place.

The formalities concluded, and the competitors performed the ceremonial bows to each other and to the referee. She took a second to walk up to her adversary and offer her hand to shake and a head nod as a greeting. 

That’s a nice, respectful and full of sportsmanship gesture, he thought.

The referee then gestured for them to take their positions and announced the start of the match. Each competitor started to move around each other with their guards up and an intense focus. She moved with a grace and confidence that was mesmerizing, her every step exuding a calm readiness. 

Lando could feel the intensity radiating from both competitors as they engaged in a series of swift, precise movements. Each strike was met with a counter, each block with a follow-up attack. The "kiai" shouts punctuated the air, underscoring the power and focus behind each technique. 

Even though she seemed already tired after her past intense fights leading up to this one, she moved with a fluidity and strength that was both beautiful and formidable. Her opponent was skilled, but she maintained control of the match, her strategic prowess and physical strength shining through. The rhythmic exchange of attacks and defenses was like a well-choreographed dance, each move calculated and deliberate.

He found himself completely engrossed in the match, his heart pounding in time with the athletes' movements. It was only a 3 minute fight but somehow it felt longer. He could see the strain and determination on her face, the way she pushed through every challenge her opponent presented. Her focus was unwavering, her resolve unbreakable.

Suddenly, when her adversary moved forward in a punch, she ducked under—and somehow—managed to lift the other girl with her shoulder and drop her to the ground. In a display of quick and swift precision, she then threw three rapid punches to her opponent on the ground. Immediately, Lando saw every judge in the four corners lift their blue flags high in the air. 

The entire place erupted in excited shouts, the crowd amazed by her impressive movement. On the large screen above, the score shifted dramatically from 3-4 to 3-7 in her favor. Kenneth—the energy drink’s representative standing next to Lando—explained to him that the move she pulled was one that immediately granted you 3 points—the highest score you can get. Lando couldn’t help but cheer loudly, caught up in the exhilaration of the moment.

Her focus was unwavering, her resolve unbreakable. She had turned the tide of the match with a single, decisive move, showcasing her skill and strategic brilliance. As she stepped back, she offered her opponent her hand to help her rise, the referee called a brief pause to reset the match.

The crowd's energy was palpable, and Lando found himself on the edge of his seat, completely engrossed in the action. The match resumed, but it was clear that her opponent was shaken by the sudden shift in momentum. She maintained her advantage, her movements confident and controlled, her strikes precise and powerful.

At one point during the match, she received a hard kick to the ribs, and Lando saw her doubling over in pain. Instinctively, he stood up, feeling a surge of worry for her. The referee immediately called one of the medics, who rushed over to check on her. The medic spent a minute examining her, asking questions to which she only nodded in response. After a few tense minutes, she stood back up, her face hardened with determination, ready to continue.

The referee gave her opponent a penalty for the hard kick before signaling for the match to resume. Once it did, she seemed eerily calm, her demeanor even more focused than before. Her opponent, on the other hand, appeared unsettled, thrown off by both the penalty and the unfavorable score. With only 1 minute and 30 seconds left on the timer, visible on the screen above, the other girl began attacking rashly, desperately trying to close the score gap.

But then, in a fluid, lightning-fast movement, she spun and lifted her right leg towards the back of her opponent's head, delivering a light tap with the heel of her foot to the back of it. The technique resembled a scorpion's strike or a spinning hook kick, in Lando’s opinion. But Kenneth identified it as an "ura mawashi geri." A hard and powerful kicking technique. He explained.

The judges instantly raised their blue flags high, signaling their approval of the impressive technique. The crowd erupted once more as the score on the screen shifted from an already commanding 3-7 to an incredible 3-10. With only one minute left, it was clear she had secured the victory.

Lando's heart raced as he watched her dominate the match. The final whistle blew, the referee raised his hand in her direction indicating her victory, and her teammates as well as the crowd’s cheers reached a deafening crescendo.

As she bowed to the referee and then approached her opponent for a respectful handshake, Lando couldn't help but marvel at her resilience and skill. Despite the setback of the hard kick to the ribs, she had emerged victorious, showcasing the true spirit of a champion.

As she left the mat, Lando could see the emotions overwhelming her. Her coach rushed to embrace her in a tight hug, both of them sharing a moment of pure joy and triumph.

Tears streamed down her face, a mixture of relief, happiness, and pride in her achievement. The weight of all her hard work and dedication had paid off in this victorious moment.

Lando watched from a respectful distance, filled with admiration for her incredible achievement. The crowd erupted in applause, acknowledging her exceptional performance and celebrating her as a true champion.

After a few moments, she composed herself and turned to face the crowd, holding up her hand in a thankful gesture.

As she made her way through the cheering crowd, Lando approached her with a heartfelt congratulations. “That was mental! You were absolutely amazing out there! Congratulations on becoming world champion again," he said, genuinely impressed.

“Thank you so much, Lando,” she replied, her voice still tinged with emotion and sounding a little bit out of breath still. “It means a lot to have your support.”

“You deserve every bit of it,” Lando said warmly. And immediately after, looked at her with concern painted all over his face. He noticed she was still having some trouble breathing and was holding her left arm to her ribs. “Are you feeling alright after that kick you received?” he asked, worry evident in his voice.

She smiled, trying to ease his worries. “Yes, I'm okay. I had the chest guards on under my karate-gi, so it wasn't too bad.” She paused, then added with a light-hearted chuckle, “I did feel the kick, but it's nothing new at this point.”

Lando nodded, relieved but still a little bit concerned. “You've shown incredible strength and determination.” he said, genuinely impressed.

She nodded, gratitude evident in her eyes. “It's been a tough journey, but moments like this make it all worth it.”

Lando smiled, feeling privileged to have witnessed her victory. “Enjoy every moment of it. You've earned it, champ.”

“Thank you, Lando. It feels surreal.”

“You really commanded the mat out there," he said. “It's no wonder everyone looks up to you. You were truly brilliant.”

She nodded, the shy smile returning to her face. “I just try to do my best. It helps to know there are people cheering for me.”

“Well, you've got one more fan in me now,” Lando said with a grin. “I knew you were good, but seeing it in person... you're incredible.”

As the excitement of the victory settled, Lando leaned in slightly and asked, “Hey...uh... I've been thinking. Would you maybe be interested in joining Quadrant?”

She looked at him, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected offer. Her eyes widened slightly, reflecting a mix of surprise and curiosity. After a brief pause, a smile spread across her face, and she eagerly nodded. “Sí! uh…,” she shook her head a few times, like she was trying to shake the language off her head. Cute. “I-I mean yes! I’d be honoured!”

Lando grinned, pleased by her enthusiastic response. “Fantastic! We'll talk more about it soon. I think we could do some amazing things together.”

She smiled warmly, nodding in agreement. “I'm looking forward to it.”

A moment of silence passed before Lando chuckled nervously. “By the way, I should probably explain what Quadrant is all about.”

Before he could continue, she interrupted gently, “Oh, don't worry. I'm actually a fan of the YouTube videos. I know about the brand already.”

Lando's eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You do? That's... really cool!”

She chuckled softly. “Yeah, I've watched a few. You guys have some pretty entertaining content.”

Lando felt a flutter in his stomach at her praise. “Wow, I'm glad to hear that! Means a lot, especially coming from someone as talented as you.”

She blushed slightly at the compliment. “Thank you, Lando. I'm excited about the opportunity to work together.”

Lando grinned, feeling a sense of excitement about the future collaborations. “Likewise. I think we can create something truly special.”

As they parted ways, Lando couldn’t shake the feeling of excitement and anticipation for what the future held. Being able to collaborate with someone he admired both as an athlete and as a person was a privilege he didn’t take lightly.

Before they fully separated, Lando impulsively went in for a hug. She hesitated for a moment, looking slightly embarrassed as she was still sweaty from the intense matches. But Lando reassured her with a warm smile, “Hey, it's not a problem at all. I totally understand. I’m super used to the post-competition sweat.” He chuckled.

Her expression softened, and she returned the hug gratefully. As they embraced, Lando felt a sense of something developing slowly within himself. 

Oh, Bob has a crush! He suddenly heard the teasing voice of Max, his best friend, in his head. 

Shut up, you muppet. He groaned. Lando lingered in the hug for a moment longer than intended, feeling a slight flush of embarrassment himself.

When they finally pulled back, he chuckled nervously. “Sorry about that. Got a bit carried away.”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “No worries, Lando. Thank you again for your support.”

They exchanged a final smile before she had to part ways, both looking forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. Lando watched her walk away, his mind buzzing with ideas and possibilities.

As he watched with bated breath as the ceremony began, the announcer's voice echoed through the arena, calling the winners to the podium. When her name was called, the small crowd standing in front erupted in applause and cheers, celebrating her hard-fought victory. 

She walked confidently to the podium, her coach following closely behind. The gold medal was placed around her neck. Beaming with pride and joy, she was handed her country's flag. Draping it around her shoulders, she stood tall on the podium, her smile radiant and her eyes shining with accomplishment. The audience’s cheers intensified, and Lando found himself clapping enthusiastically along with them.

It was a powerful moment, and Lando felt a deep sense of respect for her journey and massive achievement. 

But it was more than just respect that stirred within him. Watching her bask in her well-deserved glory, Lando felt his heart swell with admiration and something more tender. The way she carried herself, the mixture of strength and humility, her fierce determination on the mat and the shy kindness she showed off it—all of it combined to create a powerful impression.

There was something profoundly inspiring and undeniably attractive about her, and he couldn't help but feel drawn to her even more. She scanned the crowd and her eyes met his. Her face lit up even more, and to his surprise, she smiled and winked at him. The unexpected gesture caught him off guard, and he felt a sudden rush of warmth to his cheeks. Blushing, he quickly looked down, feeling a mix of bashfulness and happiness. However, he gathered his courage and returned the gesture, smiling and giving her a small, appreciative two-finger salute. 

She laughed softly and sent him the gesture back. Lando felt a warmth spread through him, a hopeful anticipation of what their future interactions might hold.

As the ceremony concluded—and after getting photographed a thousand times, and having shaken what felt like a thousand hands—, Lando found himself back in the car on his way to the hotel. Gazing out the window at the bustling city, he couldn't help but feel grateful for having been there, witnessing her triumph and the beginning of what promised to be an exciting partnership.

His mind replayed the moments of the day: her powerful performance on the mat, the way she carried herself with grace and determination, and their brief, meaningful exchanges. The flutter in his stomach returned, and he allowed himself a small smile, knowing that this experience had been special in more ways than one.

Lando knew that this was just the start of something truly special, and he looked forward to the adventures that lay ahead, both on a professional level—and perhaps something a bit more personal.

[live-laugh-lenney]

You should so do a fic where the reader has a podcast (like saving grace) and everyone noticed how comparable she and Arthur seem he. He’s a guest (even though she’s like much more extroverted) would be fun🤞❤️

oh, this would be so cute :'))

if there was one thing yn felt comfortable doing, it was waffling.

she just loved to talk. about anything and everything, from what she had read on twitter to what she had heard about online to a brand new documentary that she had taken an interest in when flicking the channels on the television. delving deep into topics that had endless possibilities, spewing off facts that she'd read about online and putting her own thoughts forward in certain aspects that she found interesting and favourable to whoever she was with.

when she came up with the idea of hosting her very own podcast, in the middle of a housewarming party for one of her friends, she was excited to have a platform where she could let her own thoughts be freed yet she was also terrified it wouldn't take off and that she'd make it to a respectful ten episodes before she gave in and decided it wasn't something that the world needed.

when her first episode came out, she had asked james marriott to be her very first guest. one of her best friends, someone she had known for a while, someone who she felt comfortable around and gave her the space to speak freely without making her feel judged. allowing him to promote his new album as well as allowing them to discuss all kinds of musical knowledge from who their favourite bands were and who he would love to open for on a world tour.

and it took off.

earning herself over half a million views in the passing of one day, a lot of youtube subscribers who were offering their own suggestions on the different guests she could have and the more positivity she saw, the more she read, the more excited she was to continue.

she had herself a sweet studio; big beanbags instead of chairs, with a blanket draped over the back of each one and a decorative pillow that was there for added comfort and matched the colour scheme of the whole room, with shelves nailed to the wall full of relatable objects and images that fit her branding - images of her friends, her podcast name in neon lights and a few faux plants that hung low. it was just a simple setup but it felt homely and that was the vibe she had planned from the very beginning.

"good morning, good afternoon or good evening, depending on when you're checking in. i'm yn and welcome back to the one and only podcast on youtube dot com where we just sit and talk shit for an hour," she grins widely at the camera, cosying back into the beanbag beneath her and crossing her legs, hand holding the microphone to her lips, "today, we're joined the king of 90 day fiancé. it's mister arthur television."

"hello, hi."

he gives the camera a short wave and smiles widely, already having cosied himself down in a similar manner to the way yn was sitting in her beanbag, their shoes (both a sucker for comfort and choosing their air force 1's over any other trainer) kicked off aimlessly onto the rug in the middle of the room and left in a heap, his jacket draped over the back of his seat.

"thank you for having me," he looks in her direction, "this is definitely one of my favourite sets i've ever been on. it feels so homey and wholesome."

"i tried to base it on what my bedroom back home used to look like as a teenager," she giggles softly, looking over her shoulder and flicking on the orb lamp that was placed on a shelf above their heads for a bit of additional lighting to fit the ambience of the room, "i was such a tumblr girl growing up, i think it shows."

"i was gon'a say," he laughs and she rolls her eyes in his direction, "it feels very nice. very comforting. especially with the blankets."

"my nana knitted them for me," yn states, "just for this podcast. she's an avid listener, my number one fan, ."

"really?"

"no. i'm kidding," yn laughs softly and he looks across to her, "i don't think she really gets the whole podcast thing, to be honest. she's only just started to understand the whole youtube thing, bless her. she's a sweet soul and i love her but she's so innocent when it comes to all things technological."

"you should use that story more," arthur insists and adjusts himself in the seat as he felt himself sliding down into a slouch, "it adds more story to the setup. it's cute."

"i'll tell her you said that. she'll love it," yn giggles, 'but, anyway. you, arthur frederick, are one of my most requested guests to appear on my podcast."

arthur's eyes widened and he can feel the heat covering his cheeks as he looks across to her, microphone still held tight to his lips, hoping it hid the shy smile that grew on his lips.

"seriously. i had people practically spamming me on twitter to get you on here," she explains and looks at the camera, "you're a loved man, aren't you?"

"i guess i am," he admits shyly, "people are also asking me and isaac to get you on the bach and arthur podcast. close second to george."

"we'll have to make that happen," yn grins widely, "the viewers would love that crossover. chaos crew and little ol' me."

"i think you'd fit in perfectly," he says, "at least i'll have someone on there that appreciates my facts and interesting tidbits of information. it gets lost amongst them. they're not so intelligent when it comes to you and i."

she snorts and shakes her head, dropping her eyes down to her lap before she looks back up; he wasn't lying, truth be told. she was no stranger to being in a conversation with him, at parties and at events both of them were attending, that involved exchanged fact after fact after fact with each other, hours passing by as they discussed nature topics and the newest piece of information to do with outer space and all the theories coming from online.

with the hour closing in, she didn't want the conversations to end. and she knew, in the back of her mind, that she needed him back on her podcast for another episode because he understood her. and she understood him. and their talks flowed effortlessly with no need for extra encouragement from those around them in the room.

he was an interesting man and she wanted more.

both personally and for her podcast.

--

anyone else getting heart eye vibes from the two of them???

yn was in her element for this episode!!

arthur being on this podcast just made my day. we need more of the two of them!!!

the way there was no silence at all this entire episode. conversations flow between these two.

the two of them are the same person, i swear.

without a doubt, arthur is the male version of yn. that's adorable.

its like the universe copied and pasted their personalities into two people of the opposite genders. that's so cute!!

--

"the podcast episode was a hit thanks to you."

yn surprises him and made him jump as she approached him at the bar, his figure turning from where he was stood with his back to her so he could pull her in for a hug, and she grins up at him before her own arms wrapped around his waist. a sex on the beach cocktail held tight in her hand and she was careful not to spill it down the back of his shirt.

"i was wondering where you were," he says and lets go of her to pick up his beer that had been placed on the bartop, "when you texted me to say you were coming to chris' birthday drinks, i knew i had to come and find you when you arrived."

"looks like i beat you to it," she says and she takes a sip of her drink through the straw, "people loved the two of us together on there."

"yeah?"

she nods quickly.

"i'm pretty sure it was the best episode to date. figures wise," she says and he grins widely, looking over her shoulder and seeing a free table in the corner of the room, using his head to indicate for her to look at where he was looking, "i'm gon'a need you to feature again, for sure."

she turns on her heels and wiggles her way through the crowd, the feeling of his hand resting on the base of her back driving her insane as she set her drink down on the table and hopped up on the stool, watching as he did the same.

"i'm not keeping you from chris, am i?"

"no, he's about to hop on the karaoke with isaac," arthur cackles out loud and looks over his shoulder at where his two friends were arguing over the song book, "i'm too sober for that at the moment so I can't think of anything worse right now."

"you're not one of those party poopers, are you?"

"no," he shakes his head, "i just need to be almost blackout drunk in order to belt out my lungs really, really poorly."

"i think i need to get some shots in you then because i really need to see that tonight." xx

[snek-panini]

Today I've got binderary book #3 to share! It's a lighthouse (burning) by books-and-omens. This is a really excellent canonverse (sort of) historical setting liminal ghost story-esque fic that I read practically in one sitting sometime last summer. It's fantastic, well-characterized, angsty and fluffy and fairly plotty and with some really unique worldbuilding. I honestly can't sing its praises enough; it's one of the only times since taking up this hobby that I've known I wanted to bind something before I actually finished reading it.

Have a look at the rest of the photos under the cut; this one came out really well and I'm in love with it.

For this cover we have lineco book cloth on the spine, a strip of chiyogami paper that I got in one one ChibiJay's random paper packs, and blue-gray sketch paper for the primary gray space. It's a little hard to tell in the photos but the HTV for the titles is in two different colors, silver for "a lighthouse" and pewter for "(burning)". The effect is more pronounced in person and I love it. The pewter came in a multi-pack of cricut foil HTV and I can't seem to find it on its own anywhere, which is a shame because it's beautiful. The sort of streaky effect on the cover was unintentional but I'm kinda liking it? It's a more porous paper for drawing or painting or something, and I tried to wax it for waterproofing, but when I used the heat press to get the title on the wax darkened in the spots where the glue was applied to the cover board. At first I was disappointed, but the fic features a really massive unnatural storm, and it sort of looks like water running down a windowpane, so I'm leaning into that and calling it an aesthetic. The back didn't get this heat treatment, so it doesn't have the pattern.

Top view, showing the bookmark and handmade end bands. The bookmark is a navy blue ribbon cut from the inside of a shirt, and I chose red and white because there are so many picturesque lighthouses that have red and white stripes. It's the only color in the book that's not blue or gray. The endpapers are a navy blue silk moire, and I had better luck with them than I did with the platinum ones on my Persuasion bind even though they are the same brand. Maybe it's practice or maybe navy just hides more sins than platinum.

For the title page I went fairly simple (for me anyway) with just a frame I pulled from rawpixel. It suits the story, though, being set sometime around or before the early 20th century. I also played with text colors on the title page, with some words being grayed out to mimic the effect on the cover. The section break is me getting clever with a feature of my printer. I often use a gray line to denote section breaks, but for whatever reason my printer doesn't like them and often makes them blurry. It is only these lines that come out blurry; larger images don't do this even if they are complex. So for this one, where a major feature of the story is trying to figure out what's real and what's a supernatural occurrence, I made one that was deliberately heavier in the center so it would come out sort of smoky or fuzzy, like it wasn't quite real and couldn't be clearly seen. It doesn't look this fuzzy in the unprinted file but I love the effect and I feel very clever for manipulating the printer like this.

I'm going to show off some interior shots but this bit contains spoilers for the story, so if you don't want to see that then maybe skip the rest of the post.

I wanted to get creative with my title placement since a lot of my binds look very similar inside, and this concept really let me try that out. The plot of the story is that the reason there are so many supernatural phenomena at this lighthouse is that someone in the future ran an experiment to harvest energy and accidentally cracked spacetime with it, and bits of the future and the past and the might-have-been are seeping through the cracks, and the longer the cracks exist the more seeps through them and the worse the ghostly stuff gets. At first it's not clear whether there's anything weird happening at all, and it becomes clearer that something is wrong the further in you get because the cracks are worse. So I had this idea for a vintage lighthouse illustration with an overlay of cracks in glass, that become more defined as the story progresses until something is done and they're sealed up in the end. I am not a visual artist and even this straightforward concept was too much for my skills, so I chose the lighthouse and the crack overlay and my amazing husband did the actual image manipulation. There are five different images, with the cracks invisible in the first and final chapter and most visible in chapter 10 and 11, when the characters are trying hardest to fix the problem. I'm really really proud of how well this turned out.

And that's it! I have several more binderary books to post but they are all still waiting for titles before I do the photos, so I don't know when I'll have them up.

[pandorkful-dolls]

Hack to Smooth out Goopy Paint Strokes

So maybe you're a hackjob faceup painter like me, and you forgot to thin your paints before going to town on a doll's face. You end up with crazy bad lumps, aw dang. Better wipe and start over, right? WRONG!

Let me introduce you to the magic of model paint matt varnish:

before

after (and then i painted over the varnish, but you see what I mean right?? the new layer is SMOOTH. also I did remember to thin my paints with flow improver for this layer XD)

Specifically I used Green Stuff World's Matt Varnish to smooth out the sclera, but every brand of model paint's matt varnish that i've tried so far has given me similar results.

I'm not a chemist so I'm not 100% sure what's going on, whether it's filling in the gaps or melting down the paint a bit or a little of both, but it works a charm.

One more hack before I run off: See that blue shadow in the eye? That's not paint, that's watercolor pencil over white paint. You're welcome.

[niuniente]

Hi Niu, sorry if this is stuff you've already tried or considered before, (and feel free to ignore if its not useful,) but I saw one of your posts about the struggles of trying to get your blood iron levels up when the iron supplements the doctors try to get you to take are way too strong and just make you sick, and I thought I'd send you a message because I've been dealing with very similar health problems for the last 6 years. My iron levels were so bad I couldn't eat any carbs, no fruit, no rice, no bread, no pasta, nothing with any kind of sugar in it at all because it left me in excruciating pain, because I guess iron is also something you need to digest carbs and low blood iron causes inability to digest sugars properly, (but my doctor didn't initially tell me that).

I ended up on a keto diet because protein, fat, and vegetables were the only things I could eat pain and my doctor kept suggesting really iron supplements that only made me sicker.

As a last ditch effort I decided to go back to the iron supplement I used to take as a teenager that I knew I could handle back then, which is a liquid formula meant for pregnant women and children. Its got a lot of herbs in it as well to make it easier to digest for pregnant women and kids. My doctor almost laughed me out of the office for wanting to try something so "weak" that wouldn't do anything. But I figured it couldn't hurt to at least try something.

And because it was a liquid supplement I could pour just a very little bit in the measuring cup and slowly get my body used to taking even a little bit more iron instead of being stuck with a static-dosage pill that was too much. And low and behold I slowly started to be able to handle a little bit more and a little bit more and a little bit more and now after two years of bringing my levels up very, very slowly I can eat a little bit of fruit or some beans again without pain! It took way longer than the doctor wanted it to, but using the gentler liquid iron supplement and being able to start with a very small doseage and raise it so slowly really was the thing that finally helped me start to feel better. That and finding out that taking Vitamin C at the same time you have things with iron in them helps increase the rate that iron can be absorbed by your body, (since I'm allergic to citrus fruits I was vitamin C deficient as well, so now I take a vitamin C supplement at the same time as my iron and it helps both problems).

Anyway, I don't know if there was any useful information there you didn't already know, but if you haven't tried a liquid iron supplement, (because doctor's don't take them seriously,) maybe it might be worth looking into?

The specific brand I take that was the gentlest I could find and works for me is called Floravit, Floravital, or Floradix, (depending on where you are in the world). It's made by a German company called Salus-Haus and I can buy it off the shelf in the grocery store in Canada without a prescription, so maybe its available in Finland as well?

(Fair warning, it is a liquid without many preservatives so you have to store it in the fridge after you open the bottle and it has a horrible taste, but I was so iron deficient and in so much pain that rinsing my mouth out after taking it was well worth the benefits imo).

Anyway, I hope something in here might help you, but if its all stuff you already knew/tried than I really hope you manage to find something that works for you soon. Because man, does chronic iron deficiency suck all the balls ever. Sending you some good thoughts either way!

Thank you for your message and your concern of my health! Having an iron anemia SUCKS ass. I'm currently back to keto diet, too, because my body just reacts the best to it. I've tried all possible diet you can ever imagine except for Atkin's in the past 20 years and keto works for me and keeps me the healthiest. It just requires extra supplements in my case but I'd need to take them anyway.

We have the German same liquid iron brand here but the only supplement I can use is called Sideral. It has iron in a special form and it's very gentle but my body just dislikes iron. Even that I can take only every other day 1 doze with a help of a supplement which aids iron absorption. It's... well, it's like trying to fill a leaking bath tub with a tiny mug in my case but it's better than nothing. I'm currently waiting for more messages from a doctor regarding what can we do about this.

The iron juice was my first option when I heard I need more iron and realized that I couldn't digest the supplement a doctor ordered me to have. I'm sad it didn't work.... I just can't have any iron dissolving in my stomach, that's why Sideral works for now (it's just so damn expensive Q_________Q)

Those who are concerned of iron and keto and such, I've given like 15 vials of blood for bloodtests in the past 2 months and I just went through another series of bloodtests yesterday with 11 vials of blood, - and there's a new bloodtest coming in November with at least 3 vials - so I'm being taken care off and examined seriously.

Good luck for you to beat the anemia and especially its source! I will hear in November if Sideral is working for me. I hope it does. At least I feel a bit better.

[cursedvibes]

Takaba, Higuruma, or Kashimo for the character ask!

Sorry this took a while, but here we go!

Takaba

favourite thing about them

I like that he's generally a good person, but also a bit morbid you could say. He doesn't want to kill or draw blood, but he's entirely fine with someone he likes doing it and doesn't shy away from getting violent if he needs to. Like kicking Hazenoki around or running Kenjaku over with a car or jet-ski is fine as long as there's not too much damage or blood. He was for example also in favour of killing the American soldiers because they could become a danger to them. He's also quick to forgive people for attacking him like in Hazenoki's case and with Kenjaku, where he tried to become friends with them. I love his overactive imagination, which makes his cursed technique so incredibly effective and gave us one of the best fights in the series (amplified by him having someone who played into his fantasies and sense of humour and expanded on it). I also really like his backstory. It's very realistic and something many people can emphasize with, I think. Also I like how he actually had serious problems with getting along with people and could get quite rough with them, it's very different from how we first get to know him. Gives him a more multi-layered personality. I hope he'll manage to improve his comedy carrier once all of this is over. Although I wonder how he will find a new partner and how losing the last good one he had will affect him, since he has already lost so many before.

least favourite thing about them

Don't really have any. I didn't pay much attention to him initially, although his introduction and the haunting look he had there always fascinated me, but I never really disliked him.

favourite line

"Marry me and be my Wi-fi!" (such a unique translation that even Japanese fans picked up on it and love it)

"Until when? Until I've done everything I think is interesting/funny."

"I had more and more friends, but could I ever find a partner?"

"I was trying to protect myself, so I just went with the interpretation that gave me the easy way out. I stopped confronting the idea of being a real comedian. I don't know when it happened, but I stopped taking comedy seriously. Because I didn't want to hurt myself any more."

"I will make you laugh so hard, you puke up your guts! That's my brand of comedy!"

brOTP

Hazenoki. I love how he saw Hazenoki through around his body parts and his attempted murder and was like "friend-shaped!" "we should team up!". He was even upset at seeing his corpse (although he got over that quite fast and certainly didn't blame Kenjaku for it). I wish they would've hung out together a bit more and that we saw more of them in the Culling Game and building some reluctant friendship. Hazenoki just lost a friend as well, Takaba could've given him some much needed company.

OTP

Pinchan! Actually quite similar to how Hazenoki and Takaba started out, except that Kenjaku and Takaba actually hit it off. Just like with Hazenoki, Takaba gets attacked, defends himself and then nags that person into going along with what he wants and building a reluctant bond. That other person just lost a friend and is feeling a bit aimless at the moment and is looking for company. Both of them end up losing their head in the end, leaving Takaba to find it. Except it went much better with Kenjaku, they actually formed a real bond and Kenjaku let themselves get swept along by Takaba, he actually managed to get through to them and found the partner he'd been looking for. Merely, the end is the same. But at least Takaba managed to leave a lasting impression on Kenjaku.

nOTP

Takaba/Megumi

random headcanon

He's quite involved in the queer community and has experience with drag. Contrary to his idol Centerman he doesn't tug, but I'm sure he could if he wanted to and he's no stranger to dresses and makeup.

unpopular opinion

I don't think he's stupid or an airhead who's entirely removed from reality. His backstory and life right up until the Culling Game show that, he just likes to overplay it because he wants people to like him and in experience that worked best when he played the fool. However, he's much more relaxed when he's allowed to take on the role of a straightman and let his true personality shine. Also, I hope he doesn't stick around much with the main group. Most of them don't really see him for who he is, take him seriously and see him more as a distraction who can sometimes be helpful/useful to them. Yuuji and maybe Hana are the exception, but the rest don't really care about him and for the most part just think he's weird and want nothing to do with him. He can find better people than that. Go back to Ken-san for example and start over.

Also he's hot.

song i associate with them

Glass Animals - Toes Particularly for the lyrics: "I’m a man, I’m a twisted fool" "I'm crooked but upright" "And all I ever want is just a little love, I said in purrs under the palms, And all I ever want is breaking me apart, I said to the thing that I once was"

Alphaville - Forever Young Vibe of the whole Baka Survivor arc, but particularly ch 243...

favourite picture of them

Higuruma

favourite thing about them

His bond with Yuuji and all the self-hatred and self-realization that comes with it. Yuuji makes him confront the parts of him he hates and also embrace his best qualities. Might be macabre, but I like them bonding over their guilt and suicidality. Besides that, I like that he isn't a born sorcerer and you can tell by his body and the way he fights. He's still quite athletic for your average lawyer, but he's not that physically strong, makes up a lot of it with cursed energy, he doesn't have as much stamina and relies more on his weapons and domain to avoid long fights. I'm so glad Gege didn't draw him shirtless and inevitably gave him a six pack that way.

least favourite thing about them

Don't really have anything I dislike about him. I wish his death had more of an impact though and stayed a bit longer in everyone's consciousness. I know this is the middle of a high-stakes fight, but if you compare it with Choso's death for example, it was brushed past very quickly.

favourite line

"I'm a man who has abandoned and been abandoned by the law. 'd like to be the one to punish myself in the end. It's just like you say. I think I should play my role to its completion and die in this fight."

"I've become someone who can't even look you in the eye anymore."

"I'd likely end up hating myself even more than I do now, if I were to stay by your side."

"All people are flawed and hideous. But at that time, at least until then, I believed this impurity that's not present in other organisms is something that should be cherished."

brOTP

Yuuji, for the reasons listed in "favourite thing".

OTP

I don't really have one for him. I generally don't really ship him.

nOTP

Again, haven't really seen a ship with him I don't like.

random headcanon

He doesn't eat very healthy, mostly instant food like ramen that's easy to eat while he's working. Or maybe he buys a bento at a street corner, but nothing that would be all that sufficient on it's own. And he tends to eat the same food or buy the same type of bento out of habit and doesn't think much about variety or nutrition.

unpopular opinion

I don't think his relationship with Kusakabe was all that deep. Like they're not a NOTP or anything, but I think people overemphasize Kusakabe's one sentence about risking his life.

song i associate with them

Couldn't really find one that fits.

favourite picture of them

Kashimo

favourite thing about them

They're a very fun, chaotic antagonist and I really like the two fights we got with them. The one with Hakari was super entertaining and had that type of eccentricity we otherwise only got in Baka Survivor and some of Mahito's fights. Love how gorey Kashimo is when fighting. Just ripping chunks out of Hakari, skinning his face, dismembering Panda, the battlefield we see in the past...that was some good fucking gore. Currently, we also get a lot of blood with people losing some body parts, bleeding all over the floor or Yuuji clawing into Sukuna's chest, but it doesn't quite measure up to what Kashimo brought to the table. It's not as viscous, you don't really see bones and intestines. They were also really innovative and surprisingly adaptive to such a modern technique as Hakari's. That battle had some good tactics. In my opinion their fight with Sukuna was also one of the best he had since switching vessels. It wasn't as technically impressive as Hakari's, but it gave us some very interesting lore about the Heian era and I think Kashimo's approach to the whole love topic was the most interesting because it felt more like an actual conversation where both parties listened to each other. They didn't end up agreeing, but the afterlife scene was really nice.

least favourite thing about them

Hm, they're not a very deep character, but I don't really mind that. Works well for them and I think their final fight also wasn't too short. Maybe half a chapter more would've been nice, but I think the pacing was good and I didn't feel like I was missing anything major. Better than unnecessarily dragging out fights...like the one that came right before... So yeah, nothing really to complain.

favourite line

"So if I can get out of this in 4 minutes and 11 seconds, I win. But that's what a small fry would think. Turn up the music and prepare your living funeral!"

brOTP

Hakari and to a degree also Kirara. They should've adopted Kashimo like a feral cat. It only makes sense. Hakari really knows how to bond with genderqueer people. There must be something about him that's like catnip to them. But I can understand it. Him and Kashimo had a lot of fun and fighting someone who is basically indestructible is basically Kashimo's dream scenario right after dying to Sukuna. Wish they would've learned something Hakari and Kirara's mindset, saw that there are actually people they could bond with right under their nose and that their loneliness is entirely self-imposed. They could've really spiced up the fight club. But alas.

OTP

Kenjaku. I like Kenjaku constantly showing up throughout their life and trying to wind them down to sell their soul to them. Like Mephistopheles and Faust. And the choice of their body when we see them together was no coincidence either I assume. Someone who's weak, so Kashimo would have no interest in fighting them, but young and seemingly healthy, showing Kashimo what they've lost and what they could gain back by making a deal with them. Also, they just look hot together.

I like Kashimo/Sukuna too, although more as fuckbuddies, I don't see them becoming anything more than that or either of them having interest in a long-term relationship. Kashimo's more emotionally invested, but I think with all that baggage about loneliness and love they'd have more interest in keeping it purely physical. Probably wouldn't know how to approach anything else.

nOTP

Haven't really seen a ship I don't like.

random headcanon

Kashimo seems to like animals, so I like to imagine them feeding stray cats back in the day and having a bunch of them who'd follow them around or show up at certain times to get treats. Maybe even did the same during the Culling Game. Kashimo asked Panda what he was doing there, when believing he was just a regular animal, so they definitely talk to any random animal they pass on the road.

unpopular opinion

Kashimo isn't a man. In Japanese Kashimo never once gets gendered and the official English translation for once is actually very faithful in that regard, so all the assumptions about Kashimo's gender are really only based on what they looked like in the past.

song i associate with them

Clarence Clarity - One Hand Washes The Other Kashimo and Sukuna. I feel the music also fits with Kashimo's electric powers and unstable mind.

favourite picture of them

[aquarius-cookie-jar]

So about that Cookie Run MLP au

(click to see the clearer pictures.)

I've basically tried to come up with lore and stuff. If you can't read what's on the images, don't worry, I'll expand more on my thoughts here:

(side-note, it's gonna be a long one)

White Lily Cookie

Before I talk about her, here's some random changeling lore I made up. Woodland changelings are the ones who feed on the love of other creatures by draining it from them. Basically the more hostile, fae-esque creatures. Prismatic changelings are those who don't drain love from others, but instead feed on love through mutual sharing with one another. My goal with them is to make them sorta like faeries. Yanno, the baby snatcher ones vs the nice disney-esque ones. They can transform into either one if say, they're able to form a strong bond with someone else or if they lack a strong connection and have no one to share love with.

Btw, this isn't related to mlp canon, it's just something I made up.

So anyway, White Lily was a young woodland changeling who, while she didn't (often) drain love from other people, she was still pretty lonely and ostrisized by her peers (probably due to her lily scent). She transforms into a prismatic changeling after making a strong bond with Pure Vanilla, who declared how he'll always care for her, changeling (either form) or not.

Ngl, I'm not that happy with her woodland form, mainly because it just feels less changeling-like. I based her off Queen Chrysalis, but still, the only reason I have for this, is that, she's like a queen bee. She's just born that way. She just never took the throne like the rest of her friends.

In her younger years, White Lily often transformed into a pony disguise (even after meeting PV and leaving the academy) because she still felt like it was necessary. Girl was bullied in her tweens, leave her be. (Also, by now, she's become a prismatic changeling.) Eventually, she did drop her disguise, and was relieved to know the other 3 didn't hate her. Dark Cacao even commented about how he prefers her true form.

Her soul-jam form is basically her just becoming more queen bee like, (similar to how Queen Chrysalis was bigger and taller compared to the rest of the hive. She's the queen!)

Pure Vanilla Cookie

Not much to say other than he was a unicorn who became an alicorn as the years passed and he gained his soul jam.

I dunno if I wanted his magic to be blue or yellow. I think I prefer yellow, but his soul jam is blue, and I wanted it to sorta match. Hmm.

He also has terrible eyesight, and relies on his staff to see. However, the drawside to this is that what the staff sees, is what he sees. And boy, his staff can be a bit sassy sometimes, rolling its eye and glancing down at him to judge him at times. It was especially so in his younger years. But he's comfortable with or without the staff's sight. I should mention, he does get to decide if he wants to see what his staff sees or not.

Btw, if this take is seen as ablelist in any shape or way, please let me know, and I will correct it if it is. The whole 'staff sees for PV' is a popular headcanon which I just roll with, but if it makes people uncomfortable, I understand and will revise it.

Hollyberry Cookie

Not much to say other than she was an earth pony who gained wings, magic, and super strength.

Compared to the others, she rarely ever uses her magic/wings unless absolutely needed to. It just feels quite off for her, yanno? Though, she does take advantage of her enhanced strength, agility, and stamina.

Out of everyone, she took the longest to figure out how to fly, not because she was scared, but because it felt very off to control these brand new appendages that just appear on your back whenever you use the souljam's magic to the fullest.

Her design is the most straight-forward out of everyone tbh.

Dark Cacao Cookie

He's a kirin, which are basically dragon-like ponies, and I headcanon him to be part dragon, so it works out.

For his Nirik form, I drew inspiration for how berserk Cacao looked, all whispy and spirit-like.

I was debating on whether or not I wanted to give him wings, but in the end, I realized that it would make his design feel too cluttered. So instead, I drew inspiration from east asian dragons, and how they don't need wings to fly. Dark Cacao can summon clouds and gallop across the winds instead, which I think looks really cool.

Kirin's are depicted with this lion's mane, but I didn't feel like it would fit Cacao, mainly because he's got a lot going on at this point (the armor, for one) and idk, I just couldn't fit it, unless I redesign his entire wardrobe, which I don't want to do.

About the White Lily thing I mentioned earlier, I said how Cacao prefers seeing Lily as a changeling, rather than in a disguise, because (at the time) he thought he was the only non-pony creature on the team, and it was reassuring to him that he wasn't the odd one out. Golden Cheese was the last one to officially join the band.

Golden Cheese Cookie

Head of a pony, body of a lion, wings like a hawk's. Yep, she's a sphinx.

I know she looks more cat-like here, but idk, I just really liked it, so I stuck with it.

Out of everyone, she was the one who had the most trouble with magic, mainly because she's kinda the most scatterbrained. But once she got the hang of it, she really liked using it.

Can I just say, she's definitely the most elegant looking one out of the bunch, and I'm glad that I was able to translate it well. (Or at least, I think I was.)

--

That took a lot longer than expected. But hey, this au is just for fun.

[somethingmissingthiswaycomes]

Making this post for a little fun, if @whatcoloristhatcat is up for it. 👋 Over the last two years, my mom has gone from having two cats to twelve after a series of events involving pregnant strays and her children moving in and out of the house.

Today I'd like to share with you all twelve of them! I'm going to do my best to put in accurate alt text that doesn't use specific cat color terms I know so anyone reading through can get to those at the end if @whatcoloristhatcat interacts.

First, Khione the winter king and the sisters Chestnut and Hazel.

These are the ones whose presence was planned. The sisters are about three or four years older than Khione.

NEXT we have the mother Reece's, named for the candy brand, who wandered in pregnant af around the time Khione was neutered. Because of similarities between Khione and one of her kittens, we think that maybe something happened there..? It's technically possible..? But we don't know..?

I've tried to get my mom to train her to be an indoor cat, but she becomes a menace to the other cats when she isn't let outside, so she still gets to roam. Thankfully, all the others are happy indoor kitties.

Next up: The kittens that popped out of Reece's. When I first saw a picture before I was able to meet them and bond with them, I saw there was a light grey one and immediately named her Silver and asked my mom to keep her until I'm able to provide a home for her. 🥺 Her siblings are Bubbles, Tigger, and Three.

(Bit I don't have a picture of: Tigger, the big guy in the third and fourth pic, has a big splotch of white on his belly. You can kiiinda see it in the fourth pic, but not really.)

Finally, I only have the one picture of the second stray and her triplets, but they have grown up quite a bit since then. I haven't been able to meet them but I hear they're all lovely. Here are Peanut and her kittens Pumpkin, Nutmeg, and Chopin.

[heatwa-ves]

please explain your izuleo playlist with as much detail as you want im interestedddd

MIKIIII THANK YOU. okay here's my playlist and im gonna do a song by song breakdown... I'll try and keep it decently brief so this doesn't become one million words but we'll see. my playlist is vaguely chronological so it starts pre-checkmate!

astroboy- suggi

okay so this one is just straight up a leo song. you just have to listen to it it's literally about him "I raised my hands up real high, they called me stupid when I asked why we couldn't fly. am I too far ahead of my friends, or I am late?" hellooooo hello. hi. leo tsukinaga everyone!!!! right down to the moon/space theming

"oh, the rain, you're losing your flame, where'd the burn, the passion go? you run through the pain, you're losing your aim, and you feel like you alone missed the grow" LITERALLY about his breakdown post checkmate. uagh.

cheerleader- ashnikko

an izumi song!!! I don't have to explain anything here you get the vibes

brand new city- mitski

having to preface this by saying I do not listen to mitski this is the only song of hers I listen to and only because it makes me think of izumi so much I feel like throwing up.

"If I gave up on being pretty I wouldn't know how to be alive, I should move to a brand new city and teach myself how to die." yeah. izumi sena.

yoru ni kakeru- yoasobi

well I'm sure you know this song and the story behind it "the seduction of thanatos" I think it works very well about the izuleo dynamic around this time when they're very codependent and leo is so severely depressed and suicidal. they're fucked up 👍

it's all so incredibly loud- glass animals

so this one makes me think of izumi going to see leo in a similar vein to lionheart but probably before that and he sees leo so broken and neither of them can bring themselves to say anything. "I tried, for you and I, for too hard, for too long" makes me think of the ending scene of lionheart and so on

softcore- the neighborhood

"you've been my muse for a long time, you get me through every dark night. I'm always gone, out on the go, I'm on the run and you're home alone"

"every time I kiss you, baby, I can hear the sound of breaking down"

you get it. you see the vision. more depression era stuff.

less of you- keshi

depression era leo... there's so many lines in this song that correlate to them but a fav is "too much time in the limelight, gimme your all on the land line, want it so bad but I won't lie and it just gets worse in the night time."

are you happy? - shy martin

"and I know I thought that pain's part of love, but I think I broke you, though I didn't mean to. but are you happy, looking back at us when you met me? would you go back and tell yourself to leave it, knowing what we know?" UARFGHBHBB izumi.... who killed cock robin ass song.

from now on we are enemies - fall out boy

I've talked about this one EXTENSIVELY before but it really is just a song about leo tsukinaga. what else can I say.

always- keshi

well yk.

bad thoughts- half alive

i love when they hate eachother. they don't actually truly hate eachother but man sometimes it feels like it. everything hurts. "like a time you gave your all but just got hurt, like a crack in the mirror bringing out your worst"

to everyone who wants to die- takayan

read the translation oh my goddddd. leo. leo

sing to me- missio

this is a song I DREAM of making an animatic to its just so deeply fundamentally leo

never ending song- conan gray

okay this one is a bit more specific but I like to think of leo while he's out of school seeing izumi in a magazine or an ad or something.. and that brings with it a whole ton of complicated feelings

"but we've grown too close, now it can't amount to nothing. I can hear your voice in the music on the radio, and it goes on and on and on, like a never-ending song" you get ittttt

bodybag- chloe moriondo

more of the vibes more of the complicated feelings . this one is mostly here bc I love it and was thinking about izlo while listening icl. unrelated but chloe moriondo is cool as hell they have some awesome music videos especially the one for this song

love or the lack thereof - isaac dunbar

the epitome of pre/early ! izlo love. to meeee also I just love love loveeee it as a song

last minute - kitty

"you're the loop of rope I hung up in my stupid closet" "you're all poised and im made of poison" do you get it do you GET it. it's leo about izumi frfrfrrr

"could you wrap your hands all the way around my neck, and tell me where I stand, tell me everything I'm wrecking when I spin. take over my breath, in out in, I am missing you to death"

android girl- deco*27

I love this song and while I love the original im partial to rachies english cover especially the lines

"we restart and fall apart together, what we have will drag on in this way forever"

"make it stop, make it stop there's so much guilt and regret, I don't get how I can forget and start to hope again, we haven't even come to the end, so much for promising together forever, we aren't even friends"

the girl in my memories- jeebanoff

"in place of your fleeing love, only my sad solitude remains, even though that time won't come again, the memories that are gone, are forever" more depression yaaay

achilles come down- gang of youths

SORRY it's just such a compelling look at depression and being suicidal... so many of these songs are about Leo's depression but I swear this part of the playlist is over soon and moves further in the timeline. I really love this song it's just... everything about it... leo is achilles here of course and the voices talking him down and telling him to go through with it are his family/izumi and his own mind/the students from school respectively.

calender girl- stars

"all of the things that I thought were so easy just got harder and harder each day. december is darkest, in june there's the light, but this empty bedroom won't make anything right, while out on the landing a friend I forgot to send home, who waits up for me all through the night- calendar girl who's in love with the world, stay alive"

HEALING!!!!! GROWING AS A PERSON!!!!!! OVERCOMING DEPRESSION!!!! DO YOU GET IT

"I dreamed I was dying, as I so often do, and when I awoke I was sure it was true. I ran to the window, threw my head to the sky, and said "whoever is up there, please don't let me die," but I can't live forever, I can't always be, one day I'll be sand on a beach by a sea"

crush of judgement- knights killers

i don't need to explain this one

move me- half alive

THE izuleo song THE reason I made this playlist. won't you be my song when I cant dance WON'T YOU BE MY SONG WHEN I CANT DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!! LIGHT MY FIRE BURN THE TREES!!!!!!!!! also watch the music video it's gorgeous

the third heart- harumaki gohan

first of all go play genei ap rn it's a short mobile game created by this artist featuring lots of their songs about a reserved girl who loves music and her more extroverted friend who asks her for song recs. it's a very izuleo vibes game and just a beautiful game in general I think you'll love it sm mikiii

second of all.... just. this song. play the game and watch the music video for the full impact frfr 🫶 anyway back to izuleo

back around- half alive

depression never truly leaves but you get better!! it gets better!!! there are bad days but there are so so many good days!!! this whole album is kinda izlo vibes

you get me so high- the neighborhood

"you're my best friend I'll love you forever" 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 makes me think of them... kind of talking about their past .... not very well because they have no emotional maturity but still.

silent oath- knights

for obvious reasons

reunion- harumaki gohan

I imagine this is after the end of ! era .. they've both grown and matured immensely as people.. it'd probably have more impact if I read requiem but um..... I'll get to it... (I've been saying this for a year and a half) to me it's a goodbye to their teenage years and the ups and downs and them moving forward into adulthood and a more stable relationship

don't be so hard on your own beauty- yeule

they help eachother heal 🥹. this one is a bitttt more reliant on some of my takes on izumi that I don't really wanna get into rn but yk. it's here. it's vibey. things were bad and now they are better. there's sunlight streaming though their apartment window. they don't have anywhere else to be this morning. yk.

work of art- downer Inc, kellin quinn

ueeeghhvhb they love eachother.... izumi brings leo inspiration.... these descriptions are getting less and less coherent

I swear ill never leave again - keshi

ueeeeueueueuehhhehhehhehuuueueue

infinitely ordinary- the wrecks

I like the romance of mundanity.. I think they could be happy.. it's very hopeful and a good ending to the playlist

[nerdypanda3126]

The Triumph of Luka Couffaine

This was written for the @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers Round Robin event! @trixxiephantomhive, @mrsmayday @rierse, and I took turns adding onto this story with "bike" and "just accept it" as our prompts. Also, go check out the art by Rierse, they did a fantastic job!!

Summary: Luka brings home a project that Marinette isn't entirely thrilled with, at least until he asks for her help.

Read on Ao3

Luka had a soft spot for outcasts. Marinette had known him for long enough that she'd noticed it was a quirk of his, and she loved it about him, even before they were together. Then when they had started dating, she'd learned to take it in stride when he brought home one-eyed goats and stray deaf dogs and other "projects" that "he couldn't just leave." 

But this had to be pushing it. 

"Luka." She tried not to scold, really she did. "What on earth is that supposed to be?" 

From where he was kneeling in front of what looked like a pile of twisted, rusted, metal junk, Luka grinned up at her from under his blue-tipped bangs. "My new bike. Great, right? And I got it for practically nothing. A few tweaks and she's golden." 

Golden would not have been the word she would've used. Did he not see the parts falling off and the missing pieces, and the rust? She was pretty sure that as far as motorized vehicles went, rust was a very bad thing. But if Luka did notice, he didn't seem to mind as he beamed at his prize.

She glanced at her own Vespa, which she'd kept well-maintained since it'd been given to her four years ago, and then back to the… "bike" Luka had bought. There was some resemblance, now that she was looking for it. There was a place for a seat, although the seat itself was long gone, and that ball of solid rust a little below it looked like it was meant to be an engine, and there were two axles and hubs where the wheels would go… 

"Well," Luka was saying, which brought her attention back to him. He was eyeing the bike more critically now, much like she had been. He wiped at his nose and it left a little smudge of dirt and grease behind that she had to admit was cute on him. It had no right bringing out the blue of his eyes like that. "Okay, so it needs a little more than tweaking. But the bones of this thing are rock solid. And underneath all of this is a Triumph Bonneville." 

"...A what?" 

"It's an old British brand, but super reliable. See the twin cylinders here?" He pointed to two rods on either side of what would be the seat, then grinned up at her again. "A classic Triumph, Marinette, can you imagine? Once I get it all fixed up it'll sing." 

She hummed in what she hoped was a noncommittal way. "How do you know all this stuff?" she asked instead of answering him. He stood and dusted his hands off on his ripped jeans, then dusted the seat of his pants off, too, which, even after all the years they'd known each other, was still just as distracting. Moreso, maybe, because now they were dating and she could look at him now with all the love and appreciation she felt for him. 

Luka shoved his hands in his back pockets as he smiled warmly at her, apparently thinking similar thoughts. "I picked up a few things, tinkering on my old bicycle down at the shop. I've always wanted a vintage motorcycle." 

"I didn't know that," she admitted. He chuckled back. 

"You never asked." 

A flush of heat crept across her cheeks as she realized he was right. "So… you know how to fix this, then?" She stepped forward into his space and put her hands in his back pockets, too, earning her a mischievous raised eyebrow. "Because I have to tell you… right now it's…" She dared a glance at him, then bit her lip as she winced. "It's really ugly." 

He laughed at that and wrapped his arms around her waist instead, holding her close to him. "Yeah, I know how to fix it." He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I hope you've got your tetanus shot," she muttered, only half-meaning for him to hear her. She blushed again when he let out another one of those laughs, bright and open and beautiful, and nodded. 

"Thanks for worrying about me," he said, adding, "I know you always do." 

At the same time, she said, "I always do." They both smiled at the jinx and Luka glanced back at the bike with a thoughtful look on his face. 

"I was hoping…" he started, pulling his gaze back to hers, "that maybe we could work on it… together?" 

Together. Marinette ran the math in her head. This was at least months' worth of work, if not a year or two, and he wanted to do this. With her. She couldn't help the smile that lit up her face as she nodded. "I'd love you—to!" 

She blushed as she realized her slip, and she knew Luka had noticed it because he always noticed everything, but he only smiled back, pleased, and pulled her into a tight hug before continuing to point out the features that his new bike would have. 

She had to admit she was getting excited with him. 

***

The next morning Luka woke up bright and early. His plan was to set up his tools for starting on the bike. 'I just need the solution, a screwdriver, a hammer, and a crowbar,' he thought to himself while waiting for Marinette to arrive. 

She showed up around 20 minutes after their planned time and began profusely apologizing and flailing about. 

"I'm so sorry, Luka. I know I promised I would try to get better at being on time, but I didn't get much sleep last night and—" 

Luka placed a hand on her face and pulled her into a hug as he quietly chuckled.“I love you, Marinette. Can we get started?”

She returned the laughter and nodded. “Yep! Not entirely sure what you want me to do, I can barely ride my Vespa, let alone repair it.”

He stepped to the side and started looking intently at the bike. “Well, today we’re going to take all the rusted parts and soak them in a solution to see what’s just surface rust and what needs to be replaced or welded,” Luka explained in a soft voice, fully understanding and not judging her lack of knowledge. 

“So… do we just put the whole thing in?” she asked almost jokingly, looking at his "bike"  loveable scrap heap.

“Pretty much. Except we have to take it apart because some things like the engine and brake wires need to be unhooked and replaced.” 

Marinette nodded and pulled out five large containers as he pointed to them. Luka carried the gallons of solution and they worked together to slowly pour it in. 

They moved on to the next part of the day, which was getting the outside pieces of the bike loose.

“Thanks for helping Mar—” he said in a strained voice, struggling to loosen a siding panel of the bike while Marinette was standing above him using a crowbar to unwedge it from the top.

“No problem! This is difficult, but it's fun to work with you!”

Luka smiled, and began to lose himself in her beautiful blue eyes that sparkled like the sun—until BANG! The piece came loose and sent Luka to the ground with it. Marinette burst into giggles as she helped him up, and Luka squeaked out a quiet, "Ow—"

Luka knew at that moment that it wasn't going to be the only time an incident would send one of them into giggles. 

A few days later and just a day after the soaking had finished, Marinette jokingly pointed the sandblaster Luka was renting at him. He screamed and jumped to the ground, knowing if she hit the on switch it would hurt. 'The device was made for smoothing down the bike, not him.' She didn't actually turn it on, but Luka was still planning his revenge.

A revenge which came into play a few days later, when they'd finally gotten to the point of washing the metal sides of the bike to put them away and start on the next part of rebuilding the bike.

The couple filled up the soapy buckets and pulled out their sponges. They were old ones that Luka stole from the kitchen, one bright green with a sunglasses print, and the other red and black striped.

"There was a sale on decorative sponges a while back," Luka explained to a giggling Marinette. 

Not too long after the buckets were full and Luka was starting to rinse the bike, he smirked and whipped around, aiming the water stream straight at Marinette, causing her to scream and start laughing. 

"COLD! COLD! Luka, that's cold!"

***

Luka laughed and dropped the sprayer innocently to his side. "Truce?"

Marinette pouted and didn't miss the way his eyes flickered to her mouth. "Truce," she agreed reluctantly.

"Great, now let's sort through the cleaned up pieces and take inventory of what we need. Can you help write things down as I count them off?" he asked with his hands held up in a pleading gesture. 

She knew he struggled to read his own writing at times and smiled. "Of course."

So they set about sorting through what they'd done so far. Some pieces were okay after a soak and quick clean up, which had shocked her. She was sure this was more scrap than salvage, but he had been right, there was a lot about this bike that was still quite solid.

They made a list of pieces that needed more work to be functional, and a list for the pieces that were missing or completely beyond redemption. Both lists were… not short. Luka eyed the final count critically but nodded in approval. "Honestly? This isn't that bad. It might take some time to track down some of these things, or afford some of them, but I have some ideas on that front."

Marinette watched with adoration as he spoke passionately and excitedly about restoration projects and how there were whole groups of people who picked these kinds of old vehicles up to try to make them look good again. He talked about auction sites where vintage or restoration pieces could be gotten fairly cheap through bidding or at special events. 

"I might even be able to get an in with some of the people I used to know from around the shop. So what do you think?" Luka looked at her expectantly, still enthusiastic and joyful.

She gave him a quick kiss. "I think you're amazing being able to see the beauty in this thing. I think this sounds like a lot of fun and I'm learning a lot. I'm so happy you asked me to help."

He beamed at her and suggested she change into dry clothes so they could go pick up some things. She pointed out that it was his fault she even needed to change but he didn't seem the least bit sorry. She rolled her eyes and went inside.

When she came back out in one of his shirts, his gaze lingered and she felt her face heat under his attention. "Well, where to? Do we take your truck or do you want to ride the Vespa?"

He laughed. "We probably need the truck, we don't want to carry that much on the scooter."

They took off for an automotive store and happily sang to the radio together, both passionately belting out the lyrics. Marinette found herself basking in the moment, warm and full of love.

When they arrived, Luka opened the door for her and took her hand to help her out but didn't let go as they walked in together.

Luka led her around the store excitedly, grabbing different things they needed for the next steps in restoring the bike. He asked her opinions or answered her questions where she chimed in.

"We might pick up paint if it's on sale. It'll be one of the last steps in putting the bike together but we can look." He smiled as her eyes lit up at the prospect of something more artistic to look at.

Marinette had been captivated by the different options for color and design. When she had found the metal flakes and pearl options, Luka had been reminded of Rose in the glitter section at the craft store. Marinette ended up grabbing a variety of swatches and samples to play around with colors and effects.

In addition to her samples, they ended up picking up polish, wax, sealant, some more solution, and a few smaller things that would help get the pieces they did have better assembled while they tracked down the bigger parts.

When they got back to his place, they set some of the stuff in the garage for later and went about replacing the few valves, screws, and wires they picked up. Doing that fastened different parts of the bike together or allowed them to make sure everything had a proper seal and connection.

"So this is a 1964, not the peak of the Bonneville bikes but still a really good model. We'll need to make sure we look at the right year when we're searching for parts since they aren't always interchangeable, though some might be." He pulled up some of the sites he was talking about before to show her some of the visual differences and why different models needed slightly different parts. 

Marinette was feeling pretty excited herself by the time the day ended and she said goodbye. While she rode home, she felt the familiar buzz of inspiration and decided she needed to do something with the energy.

The moment she got home and settled, she had her sketchbook in hand. As she sketched a few different stray thoughts, she had another idea. She pulled out her phone and clicked on a contact.

"Hey, Nona. Yeah, I'm great, thank you. Hey, do you know anything about Triumph Bonnevilles?" 

She smiled as her grandmother started off on an excited tangent. Maybe she could help get some more traction for finding the remaining parts, too. She was excited to run the idea by Luka and watch his face light up. If she could do something to make him happy and excited, it would only be fair.

***

Over the next couple months, they managed to fix up almost all of the remaining parts they had, and had even purchased several of the missing pieces. It was coming together nicely and it had been a great bonding project for them.

They were in the garage, Luka tinkering on the bike, Marinette sketching in her design book, when Luka asked, "Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?"

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Yeah, passenger at least. I've ridden with my Nona often enough. Why?"

Luka nodded "Good. I'm just thinking about the first ride on this thing."

"It's… not roadworthy? It's missing the seat and the tires still," she pointed out.

Luka gave her a secretive little smile and hummed noncommittally.

"Did you find them? Luka, is the bike almost done?" Marinette pressed, suddenly very eager to get an answer.

He just flashed that lazy boyish smile and leaned over to give her a quick peck. He could be awfully irritating when he wanted to be.

"Oh come on!" She grabbed his face in her hands and gave him a look but found herself losing her train of thought when he looked at her that softly.

"I might have a lead. We're getting close." He was speaking quietly, staring into her eyes like he was as lost as she was.

They were interrupted by the very loud ringing of her phone and Marinette sighed. She looked at the caller ID. Luka leaned over to see who had disrupted the moment. "Oh, Gina. Go ahead and answer her, tell her thank you for the last tip she gave me, it panned out really well." He waved his hand to shoo her to answer.

"Hey, Nona, what's up?" Marinette asked when she answered.

"Marinette, my fairy, how are you? How is your sweet blue boy?" Gina asked with affection.

"We're great. He said to thank you for the last tip you gave him, I guess whatever it was is going good so far."

"Ah! Marvelous! Benissimo! I knew my dear friend was reliable," Gina exclaimed.

Marinette smiled. "Did you need something? Are you calling for an update or is this a social call?"

***

Luka smiled as he worked, enjoying the sound of his girlfriend's animated voice as she chatted with her Nona. Gina had been an excellent reference for the project. And Marinette had been more enthusiastic than he'd anticipated, he really just wanted to spend time with her, working on something creative together, a project that could be both of theirs. She had design and he had music, but this would be theirs. 

“Really?” Luka looked up as Marinette’s background chatter grew more enthusiastic, “Thank you SO much Nona! That will be perfect! Talk to you later, love you!”

“Good news?” he asked.

“Very, can I take the seat base and padding home today? I need to get precise measurements for the cover.”

“Sure, of course, I’ll help you get them home. Do I get to see the plan?”

Marinette smiled mischievously at him. “Hmmm, not just yet… unless you’re willing to share your news?”

Luka smiled patiently. “I can wait.” The tires Gina had helped him locate were perfect; she had a contact with access to vintage surplus—he had scored a near perfect match that had never been used.

“Hmpf. Of course you can.”

“C’mere.” He grinned at her little pout; they both knew he was far more patient than she was—she could keep a secret, though, even when she wanted to share. He had no doubt that whatever she was planning would be perfect.

Marinette hop-skipped over the parts lined up on the ground until she reached him and he pulled her into his lap. “I think this next bit is gonna need a little luck.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“Where do you plan on getting that?”

“I was kinda hoping you could spare a little.” He bopped her gently on the nose then let his finger trail to her lips. He swallowed hard as she kissed his fingertip.

“I think I could manage a little.” Her eyes danced as she leaned in for a kiss. Best project ever.

***

It was gorgeous. Marinette ran her hand over the material that had arrived in the mail while she was out. Nona had found just the leather she wanted and expressed it over from Italy. It was supple, yet very durable—and the colors were perfect. Deep black, antique white, cerulean blue, and a perfect "Sass" green, ironically called "Serpente Nell’erba" or "Snake in the Grass." She had been determined to keep the retro feel of the bike while giving it a little more personality. She hoped to find a way to showcase the depth of character she saw in Luka in the colors and lines of the bike. Nona had approved of her design and she couldn’t wait to see it in reality. Marinette stopped short as she pulled the last of the leather from the box, there was something more. She grinned at the note, Stay safe my Fairy, and have fun! ~Nona, on top of something black and bulky. It was a riding jacket. Black with hot pink accents, and it fit perfectly. She took a quick selfie and sent a thank you text along with the photo to Nona Gina. 

Marinette glanced at the seat frame in the corner and shrugged off the jacket. The frame had been sanded, cleaned, and painted, though it still needed a clear coat along with everything else, but it was ready enough to get her started. Getting the seat back to her place had been a little tricky; she and Luka had been reduced to gales of laughter as they tried out different configurations to get both of them and the seat and padding on her moped, and had finally found a functional, if awkward, arrangement that required her to drive rather slowly, but they had managed it. Now she had work to do.

***

They were getting close. Luka surveyed all the parts. Once the clear coat went on, it would be a matter of final assembly and fine tuning. Marinette had loved the painting side of things and had gotten really good with the automotive sprayer. The colors she had helped him choose were gorgeous and while the vibrancy was certainly more modern than the browns and tans of the '60s, the overall design looked good on the vintage bike. She had shooed him out of the tent, insisting that she wanted to paint the clear coat on the tank herself. He knew she was planning something, he just didn’t know what. It was the final piece to be clear-coated and he was trying to remember that he was the patient one. He worked at polishing and assembling everything that was ready. Reassembling all the spokes for the wheels was time-consuming and a little tedious. Marinette had gotten it into her head to create a pattern with the spokes, some classic chrome and some a glossy black—it was going to look amazing in motion, but was nearly akin to torture to get them all into the correct pattern. 

The flap of their makeshift spray tent flipped open and Marinette exited with a glowing smile. “It’s amazing how much a difference the clear gloss makes!” she announced excitedly. “Want some help with the spokes?” 

“Sure, Melody, this pattern is making me a little dizzy.” She dropped to the ground next to him and started laying them out in order so he could just grab and install. Huh, he should have thought about laying them out first. “We make a pretty good team.”

“Yeah, we do.” She nudged her shoulder into his arm with a grin and set to work.

They hummed as they worked, enjoying the time together while focusing on the task. And if their hands brushed and lingered as she handed him spokes, well, so much the better. He liked this, one goal between them. Even as they used their individual talents for different aspects of the project, it was thrilling to see it all come together cohesively.

***

Marinette tried to stay calm as she worked on the spokes. Luka was too observant to not know she was up to something, but she was trying her best to remain calm. They still had to assemble all the parts, it wasn’t as if she could keep it a secret till the end or anything, but she did want the glossy finish to dry so he could see the decal as it was meant to be. She had worked hard on the design, and searched all over to find a shop that could print it on the right material for an automotive decal. In the end the work was well worth it. She had gotten the decals to go on smoothly without any bumps or bubbles, despite how nervous she’d been of messing it up at the last minute. The decal featured a green cobra, perfectly matched to the leather on the seat, coiled around a branch of sakura blossoms and rearing as if it was about to strike, fangs bared. The blossoms were pretty, but the snake had just the right vintage flavor to pull the whole thing together. She was pretty sure Luka would love it. She hoped he would at least. 

The wheels were done, the spoke pattern was mesmerizing, and everything that could be put together before the tank went on was ready.

“Can I see what you’ve done now, Marinette?”

“Yes! Of course. Let me just make sure it's dry…”

“It's been hours, I'm sure it's ready.”

“Okay, okay…” Luka grabbed at her hand as she fidgeted nervously.

“I know I’ll love whatever you’ve done, I trust you, can you trust me?”

She stilled. He was right, her nervousness suggested she was worried about his reaction and of course she trusted him to be both honest and appreciative of her work. She relaxed and tugged him towards the tent. “Yeah, come see.”

They flipped the flap open, pinning it back to let in the light and stepped inside. “Oh wow, Marinette, this is incredible!” She bounced, biting her lip as he traced the coiled snake and tapped the blossoms gently. “It needed this, a little piece of us visible. Mari, I love it.” She squealed and threw herself into his arms for a hug, trying not to knock anything to the ground. He caught her in his arms and took a step or two away from the finished tank before spinning her around in a triumphant embrace.

He loved it. She knew he would, but it was good to hear. The hug was nice, too.

***

Marinette stood waiting in front of the bakery. She could feel it, today was the day! Her jacket was stowed in her Vespa and she had wrapped the seat—she had struggled with some of the seams, but was happy with the final result.

“Hey, Marinette, let me take that.” She handed over the awkwardly wrapped bundle—the finished seat—as Luka joined her at the bakery. Maman and Papa fussed over them a bit as they arranged themselves on her moped with the seat. It wasn’t quite so awkward now that it was all one piece, and they were soon off. 

Marinette gushed over the work he’d done after she left the night before and he was beyond thrilled when he unwrapped the seat. He was amazed at the quality of the leather, and the design was elegant and playful. “Marinette, you are a wonder.” She blushed furiously at his praise and pecked his cheek before nudging him to attach the seat to the bike. Once the seat was on, it was down to the last details, and those were quickly accomplished. 

“I learned so much, Luka, I might be able to handle my own repairs on the moped if I ever needed them now,” she said as they attached the last bolt and adjusted the mirrors.

***

Luka was flabbergasted at how quickly it all fell into place. Marinette was rubbing a clean cloth over the chrome to make it shine and it looked amazing. Her grasp of design and color was fully evident once the machine was put together. He might have eventually finished the bike on his own, but there was no way it would have looked nearly this good without the creative eye and dedication of his girlfriend.

He scanned the area for the next step, "Now we just need…" and cocked his head in confusion when he didn’t see any more spare parts. Surely there was more to work on, right? He ran through his mental checklist as he fidgeted with the torque wrench in his hands.

Marinette laughed at his floundering. "It's done Luka, just accept it."

"Yeah, I guess it is." He was surprised to find that he was feeling a little sad about the end of their work together. The plan had been about the journey—more so even than the end result, as perfect as it was.

"Luka.” Marinette slid her hand into his and forced him to look at her. “This is the part where you tell me to hold on tight and we ride into the sunset." 

Well, that sounded pretty good. He glanced around. "It's barely noon."

"Guess it'll have to be a long ride then." She pulled something out of her moped and pulled on a form-fitting leather motorcycle jacket. Damn, she looked good.

Luka smiled, and grabbed her so he could steal a kiss. Well, he tried to steal one, but she wasn’t resisting, so he gleefully took the kiss she offered him instead. Maybe the end of the project wasn’t so bad after all. "Wanna go for a ride?"

“I’d love you—to! I’d love to, and I love you, Luka.” Music to his ears.

He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “I love you, too, Marinette.”

His heart swelled as she climbed up behind him and he reveled in the feel of her holding tightly to him. Time to chase a sunset.

[buckets-of-dirt]

Top 5 best foods (I'd ask for the top 5 mash episodes but i feel like we've already HAD that discussion)

Yes, I think we have already had the mash discussion lol. These are in no particular order because I refuse to pit bad bitches against each other

1. Welsh rarebit

It's a really nice cheese and beer sauce on toast, what's not to love? I had some with a poached egg on top at a pub in Conwy when I visited the UK last year and it might've been the jet lag but it was close to a religious experience

2. Bagel with lox and cream cheese (often referred to as a New Yorker)

I'm a recent convert to this because I was afraid to spend money on smoked salmon and then not like it, (I've had texture problems with raw fish before) but finally a low-stakes opportunity to try it presented itself and I loved it. Capers, red onion, and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice complete the dish

3. Bibimbap

Rice, garlicky beef, mushrooms, sauteed veggies, and bean sprouts, then throw a runny fried egg on top and drizzle on a sauce whose main ingredient is gochujang paste. Except for the amount of time it takes to sautee each type of vegetable individually (my dad does this for presentation) it's one of my new favourite comfort foods and it's pretty easy to make. I like that I get to customize my bowl from what options are available and each person gets to control their own spice level

4. Salt and vinegar chips

Just a basic snack food, true, but the world would be incomplete without it. They're best as kettle chips (as are most chip flavours) and the more vinegar the better. My mouth should feel like it's dissolving and there's a Canadian brand that meets this requirement better than any other I've tried

5. Maple creemee

This is Extremely regional to one part of northern New England, which is why I've included a picture. "But Wally, it's just soft serve!" Wrong. A creemee is very similar to soft serve, and some places will cut corners by using soft serve mix instead, but a proper one uses cream instead of milk and thus has a richer ice cream base. While you can get them in basically any flavour that's used in soft serve (chocolate vanilla twist is extremely popular) maple is the pinnacle of the form. Unlike a lot of maple flavoured things, they use real maple syrup (probably because they only exist in the exact region where serving fake maple syrup is considered a deadly insult) and it's simply divine. In some places you can even get maple sprinkles that are just crushed up bits of maple candy

[alex51324]

A Fun, Easy, and Seasonal Recipe: Tomato Pie

If you live in a similar kind of climate to me (northeastern US), then right now (August) is a fantastic time to make a tomato pie. Here's the one I made for tonight's dinner, with the filling all set up and ready for the top "crust":

The filling is tomatoes (I used a mix of red and yellow), scallions, fresh basil (mixed green and purple) and this time I added a bit of sweet corn. All of this is placed in a premade pie shell. (Feel free to use a homemade one, but the frozen crust is what makes it easy.)

Here it is with the top "crust":

The top "crust" is just shredded cheese mixed with mayonnaise to bind it together.

Here it is all done:

Instructions:

You only want to make this if you have access to really good tomatoes--homegrown or locally-grown ones, that smell nice and tomatoey and have a deep color when you cut into them. I used two big ones, each about the size of a baby's head--you want around three cups, after chopping and draining.

A while before you want to bake your pie, chop up your tomatoes and put them in a colander. (Make sure you have a bowl under the colander.) Sprinkle with salt and give them a stir, then let them sit. Stir every now and then. (You my also want to pour the liquid out of the bowl while you're at it, depending on how your colander sits in your bowl.)

I'd say let them sit at least an hour; more is fine too. You want to get as much excess liquid out as you can; otherwise your pie will be too wet.

Meanwhile, slice up your scallions--I used two, but you can adjust according to how much you like scallions. (Regular onion will also work, if you don't have scallions--just chop it up small.)

If your tomato supplier has fresh basil, it's worth it to get a big handful of that. Wash and dry it, then pick the leaves off the stems. Stack the big leaves and cut them into ribbons with (clean!) scissors. (The fresh basil is really nice in this, but dried will work. You could even go with an Italian seasoning mix, if that's what you have--the tomatoes are the star of the show here; they're the only thing you need to be picky about.)

Sweet corn is optional--today was the first time I've tried it in this dish--but it's good! I used 1 largish ear of corn; just shuck it and cut the kernels off with a knife. (If you have leftover corn-on-the-cob that's already cooked, that would probably be fine, too.)

Once the tomatoes have drained, mix in the corn kernels if you're using them. (I stirred mine in right there in the colander.)

Put the tomatoes (and corn, if you're using it) into the pie crust. I used a store-brand frozen one, the kind that comes in its own foil pan, which makes cleanup very easy.

Sprinkle the scallions (or onions) and basil on top. Shake on a little black pepper, too, if you want.

Now for the top crust! You want about two cups of shredded cheese (the pre-shredded in the bag is fine for this recipe) and 3/4 of a cup of mayonnaise. The cookbook I went off of says 1 cup cheddar, 1 cup mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons of parmesan--but you don't have to stick to that; adjust it to what cheeses you like/have on hand. This time I just used a bag of Aldi brand "Italian Blend," which is mozzarella, parmesan, and Provelone.

Just stir together the cheese and mayo in a bowl until the consistency is even, then spread it on top of your pie filling.

Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 F, and you're done! The pie is fantastic straight out of the oven, but it reheats OK, too.

[slashingdisneypasta]

Technically this isn't Toon Patrol-centric, however since we've explored Poppy's and Shiny's relationship with Lottie in other AU's, I think it's high time we talked about the gals in OG universe (if you want to of course ^^)

Of course, Lottie is your OC, so whether these are canon on her/your end is all up to you. But here are my thoughts if you'd like;

I think how the girls found out about Charlotte depends on their relationship with the weasels by the time she was left on their doorstep. I got three possible scenarios depending on how tight knit they are with the group.

If Shiny and Poppy didn't know the TP at all... Well they wouldn't know about Lottie until after they gained the boys' trust. Simple as that XD

If the weasels were just starting to come around to the gals, then it probably took a week or two for them to tell Poppy and Shiny. Both because they are still getting used to these two women in their lives, and also because Smartass became a father in one night. They all need a bit of time to adjust XD

If the girls are actually dating Psycho and Greasy, then oh hell yeah, they know right away. I can picture Greasy actually going to call Shiny's work place just before going back to bed and telling her that something pretty big happened, and he'll explain more in the morning like the gossiping bitch he is XD. Poppy also gets the same call in the morning- possibly by Smartass asking her about his list in case he's missinv something... though, ngl I've had an imagine in my head that I've wanted to write where Poppy was actually in Psycho's bed the night Lottie was brought into the house, and she's basically there for the entire thing (Waking up with a shriek when Smartass fires out his front door, following Psycho downstairs despite how very concerned she is about seeing a body, seeing a baby on the porch instead, etc). Though I don't want to impede on your fanfiction and world of course ^^

You and I both know that Poppy is offering her services as much as possible. For one, she loves kids! She'd be happy to help out ^^ and two, she uh... She loves her friends and boyfriend. She really does! But uh... She is also aware of the fact that they may not be the best prepared for a baby XD oh, and just like Stu, Smarty's, and Wheezy's mums, Poppy calls just to check up on Lottie. Psycho gets to know how his boss and comrades feel XD she might come off a bit smothering with how much she tries to help, and I wouldn't be surprised if Smartass actually wound up snapping at her at one point, but she dies truly mean well.

Shiny... Well, this isn't like a deal breaker thing between her and Grease. But she is pretty shocked about all this. After she gets her laugh out (*looks at baby Lottie* *looks at each individual weasel before landing on Smartass* "So, who's the mama~?" "Why'd you ask me first!?"). She's gotta hand it to Smartass for not shipping the kid off to a foster house, that's for certain. But it is going to take her some time to used to the fact that there is a b a b y in the house now. She may not even hold Lottie at first because holy shit, that is a tiny, brand-new-to-the-world weasel. In this house. I can kind of see her being hesitant to hold Lottie similar to how Robin was to hold Lilly and Marshall's baby in HIMYM. Though eventually, she got to hold Lottie for the first time... And she didn't give her back for almost two hours XD

As much as Poppy loves Lottie... She also doesn't approve of Psycho just claiming her as his/their own XD she'd be helping Smartass try to reign Psycho in as much as possible.

Of course, since Smartass is the father, he's supposed to be the one taking care of all the paperwork related to the baby (like getting Lottie into school), I can't help but think about them going to Poppy a lot for this stuff since she is the legal friend XD she doesn't like- pretend to be Lottie's real parent at PTA meetings, but Smartass has asked her on what would be the legal course of action to deal with annoying PTA mums before. Just- how to act the part of a civilian father XD

Shiny hanging out with Lottie when she's 'arrested' by the Toon Patrol!! She's gotta stay inside their house for a certain amount of time before she's 'bailed out' and can rejoin society, so why not?? She and the little rugrat will get into loads of trouble with Lottie's plotting mind and Shiny's experience and willingness to cover for her neice. Greasy and Smartass won't know peace XD

If Poppy and Roger are related, oh you know she's the bridge between the weasels and the Rabbits. Next to Lottie and Ritchie, of course XD she's trying to get Greasy to leave Jessica a l o n e ("She is a married woman, Greasy!! The mother of your neices' best friend!!"), and she will tackle-hug Psycho when he's chasing her cousin around at family outings. Meanwhile, Shiny is just kicking back with the kids and enjoying the crazy show, ("Man, you're guys' families are insane, huh? Wanna go get ice cream before people realize you're related to them?")

When Lottie joined the navy, Poppy was absolutely crying proud, we'll-miss-you-so-much tears on the dock. And telling Lottie to take care of herself and take it as easy as she can (despite... You know, going into the navy XD). Shiny was also proud and sentimental, but she didn't cry or fret. She just gave Lottie one final hug and told her to kick ass on that ship ^^ and that when she got home, they all were definitely having a fun girls night to help her relax the military driven mindset she'll develop.

That's all I can think if at the moment unfortunately. But I hope you like these and that I didn't overstep ^^ feel free to ignore of course ^^

You are absolutely not overstepping, I loved waking up to this! :D :D :D

First of all, I love the idea of Poppy being there with Psycho the night Lottie was dropped off!! I would love to hear more about that if you have thoughts!!! 💛💥💕💛💥💕!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Omg- Shiny finally holding Lottie and then not letting her go for hours? XD Ahhh, that is so so so cute!! XDD And MAN- Poppy's and Shiny's responses to Lottie joining the navy are so so sweet and my heart is so so warm !!

!!! I want to add stuff, I hope thats okay!! ^^ Here are some imagines/thoughts I've had with Lottie, Poppy and Shiny.

Imagine one day Rena turns up to see Adult!Lottie, and Smartass isn't around. And Poppy isn't around. And Stupid isn't around. And Wheezy's not around- no one is there, except Shiny. If Poppy had been there then Lottie might have allowed Rena to come closer and talk to her (Though lord knows, Rena would have nothing good to say. Rena's the kinda mother to only come find her daughter if she needs a transplant or something.), but since she's at Shiny's bar with her Lottie feels absolutely no qualms in telling Rena to leave. Lottie's kind but she is her fathers daughter and she's tough as nails and, yes, she has a hateful side- and Rena is on it. And since its Shiny she's with, who she knows will encourage that if thats what she wants (No questions asked), she feels perfectly comfortable showing it. And Shiny doesn't pester her afterwards over whether she's okay or not, either. I just like the idea of Shiny allowing Lottie to be her tough, hard-ass self.

Imagine if Rena came when Lottie was little and Shiny was babysitting her. I need to know what you think Shiny would do/how she would react XD

Imagine Adult!Post-Navy!Lottie telling Poppy how cool she thinks she is and how much respect she has for her!! Cuz like- Lottie truly does think Poppy is an amazing amazing person and she has just as much respect for as she does for Smartass and thats saying something. She thinks much higher of her then any of her uncles, thats for sure. "Poppy you're literally the coolest, don't underestimate yourself." "I'm a quiet seamstress sweetie. I'm not tough like Shiny, or Smartass, or Greasy, or you- " "Hey. You're kinder then any of us and that is infinitely better then anything the rest of us have, trust me. Case closed." Lottie's voice is gentle but not to be argued with. Cuz my goodness, she has so much awe and respect for Poppy!! So so much!! She genuinely thinks Poppy is the coolest person XD Lottie has her priorities straight!

Imagine Teenage!Lottie sneaking out of her house to go on a date and Shiny and Greasy are supposed to be 'babysitting' her while the others are all out. Shiny catches sight of Lottie slipping past them in the dark while Greasy's engrossed in the movie in front of them and Lottie's eyes go wide. She points to the back of Greasy's head and holds a finger up to her mouth. Like stay. quiet. He will rat her out to her dad in a heartbeat. What happens next? XD

And a simple, fun (for us XD Not so much for Poppy 😅) one- Imagine Child!Lottie asking Poppy and Smartass together why she doesn't have a mummy. Imagine Child!Lottie asking Poppy if she's her mother. What does Poppy do when Smartass is just like... 'not it' and looks pointedly down at a newspaper? XD

[philologique]

@galauvant happy new year!! may it bring you many ready-to-eat snacks and ingredients for thai home cooking

here's a little shopping list of some things i recommend getting if you go there:

oishi green tea kyoho grape with nata de coco: the first time i saw people drink this mid-romantic scene in a thai bl it was a bit jarring, but that was only because i hadn't tried it before. it's so lovely; i could write sonnets about it.

golden mountain seasoning sauce: you can get it elsewhere but they sell a liter of it for like $5, which is very worth it if you make garlic noodles or any thai stir fries regularly

dragonfly brand black soy sauce: for pad see ew! (the one with the orange cap. if you don't anticipate using it much, honestly you could probably up the soy sauce/add chinese black soy sauce and add a very small amount of molasses?)

ABC brand sweet soy sauce: a common malay and indonesian condiment. this is way too sweet for me but i had a roommate who put it on everything and felt like i should mention that they sell it!

big bags of glutinous rice for way less than you'd pay anywhere else

BAMBOO CONE STEAMER (หวด). THIS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IF YOU LIKE STICKY RICE. it's like $6 if you have a pot that it will fit in, and still under $20 if you need to buy a pot to go with it. it is impossible to mess up sticky rice using this method. there is literally zero measuring required and it gives the rice such a nice fragrance. i've been able to make mango sticky rice on a whim every time i've seen a good deal on good mangoes the last couple of years and this is why. here is a video on how to make sticky rice with it! and here is a mango sticky rice recipe i use as a template. for 1 cup uncooked sticky rice i use one 8.5oz carton of aroy d coconut milk to ½ cup sugar and 1 tsp salt, then reserve a scant ½ cup of the dissolved coconut milk mixture for the sauce. (cornstarch works as a thickener if you don't have rice flour!)

frozen khanom thien (ขนมเทียน) there's a similar lao dessert called kanom nap, and a burmese dessert called mok phet thot. it's a steamed glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaves and filled with a caramelized shredded coconut/palm sugar filling! here are a handful of videos of people making it!

butterfly pea flowers: not cheap but i think still cheaper than i've seen them elsewhere?? relatedly! there is a thai restaurant on the UES that sells chor muang (ช่อม่วง). I think it was Thep on 75th and 2nd?? They're beautiful, interesting, and a pain to make, and I've never seen them on another restaurant menu.

frozen pandan leaves: not sure where else i would get them in nyc, although pretty much any SE asian grocery store will carry them.

makrut lime leaves: sometimes sold frozen, sometimes in a little ziploc bag in the refrigerated section. *girl scout cookie sales voice* they freeze well!

frozen galangal slices

fun lays flavors

nam prik pao (นำ้พริกเผา): if you don't eat shrimp, there's one vegetarian brand that uses dried shiitake mushroom for the savory element (Chua Hah Seng vegetarian chilli paste - นำ้พริกเผาฉั่วฮะเส็ง มังสวิรัติ)

palm sugar: available elsewhere, but usually more expensive

fresh/frozen coconut milk: worth trying at least once! it's also worth getting one or two shelf-stable cartons of coconut milk if you've only had canned before, but their prices aren't great—i usually get the 6- or 12-packs of 8.5 oz cartons of aroy d on amazon

they sell a little frozen tom yum veggie set with lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaves, which is nice if you're only planning to make it once or twice

sundried bananas (กล้วยตาก): they don't always carry these. sometimes they're vacuum packed; sometimes they have them in a little plastic clamshell container

If you're cooking for a vegetarian or someone with a shellfish allergy and looking at savory items, note that there are two words that get translated as "vegetarian," which are used somewhat interchangeably but strictly speaking mean different things—'je' (เจ) and 'mangsawirat' (มังสวิรัติ). เจ/je doesn't include onions, garlic and certain other vegetables. If you see something labeled as vegetarian curry paste, you'll want to check whether they just mean no shrimp paste, or no shrimp paste/garlic/shallots!! Items labeled as มังสวิรัติ/mangsawirat will not contain meat, shellfish, fish, or fish sauce, but can contain allium.