#engraved coconuts

[yandere-wishes]

Qimir x jedi reader tasked with watching him? Bonus for sith / force user mastermind Qimir trying to turn the reader 👀

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I don't know why but something about Qimir makes me think of strawberries.

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You part your lips, slowly, sanguinely letting him push the ripe red fruit between your teeth. Qimir smiles eyes a little too bright in the half-rundown apothecary. You find that the golden flicker in his gaze reminds you of strawberry achenes shining under twin suns.

Odd how he's just like the old-world fruit.

"You know" Qimir's voice holds its regular loosened melody. A lyric lilt between each syllable. "these strawberries are really similar to the force. betcha didn't know the yellow freckles are the real fruit and the red part is just the housing."

You bite, severing the red thing in half. It's sweet and juicy yet oddly firm. You wonder if this is what Qimir's lips taste like. Maybe he'll let you have a bite. "It's kinda like us-..you, you force force users. All individual specks floating around the galaxy. Held together by the force."

The little not-seeds rasp against your throat as you swallow. You want so badly to feel his lips, suck the minimal force radiating off of him devouring it whole and letting his glaring darkness fester inside your stomach.

Maybe red and gold are better than the blue and green you've always known. Maybe the fickle words of a fickle man hold some mirth, worth engraving in your heart.

You watch tentatively as Qimir's teeth sink into the other half. He smiles through the bite and swallow. Oh, how you wish you were that particular strawberry sitting pretty between his lips.

You're a Jedi.

Some immovable force.

So why do you quiver and fawn for such a corrupted man?

He's closer now, snuffing the air from your lungs. You're on the edge of his hooded gaze, frozen as his berry-blemished lips come closer. "A Jedi shouldn't want this.." His lips taste like ancient starfruit, burning with flavors too strong to tame. His tongue parts your teeth slipping inside and feeding off your little moans.

"These pleasures are only for those who embrace the dark.." He finally says, the kiss now a distant memory. You close your eyes, trying to regain a fraction of your breath before bolting through the door.

On the way back to the Jedi temple, you palm the inside of your pocket. Feeling the soft pricks of strawberry. Your heart skips a rotting beat.

Master Sol = pears

Yord = Mango

Darth Teeth = coconut

[nvuy]

an ode to a nightingale — sunday

summary. you were never anything. sunday begs to differ, in his own twisted way.

notes. a thing i did as an experiment and also as a little gift to a special someone (you know who you are) because we both enjoy staring at this guy's face. he's a funky little dude and a massive green flag. 100%.

i redownloaded hsr and i’ve started penacony. i have no idea what’s going on. it’s probably because i’ve been stuck staring at dr ratio’s boob window the whole time. i’m like a toddler watching cocomelon. i cant look away.

warnings. mdni, for safety. implied explicit content, dark themes, manipulation, sunday is a controlling dickhead, you’re an implied streetwalker, yandere themes, insulting, threatening, possessiveness, mentions of kidnapping, gaslighting, obsessiveness, lots of nice stuff like that. please let me know if i've missed anything!

“What do you want from me?”

You looked in the mirror as you spoke, and you saw some pathetic state of a person staring back at you. Behind the edges of the golden vanity was the outline of the filled bathtub with steam wafting from the surface.

And him.

You watched as he sank into the water with a satisfied gleam on his face.

You refused to linger on the scratch marks that left gorgeous red and white lines down his arms, and his chest, and his spine.

It smelled like coconut. Coconut and dusted sugar on creamy pastry. And the clogging smell of mascara.

It smudged down your cheeks, and your lips were ruined and swollen, and your skin was painted in purple bruises and teeth marks.

And you were sore. Every part of your body was aching.

Sunday was leaning against the edge of the tub, staring at you through his lashes. He always preferred his baths boiling, as if he wanted to melt his skin off. Usually, he’d bring a book with him and read it during his off time when given the chance.

He didn’t answer.

“You’ve changed,” he said instead. His voice echoed off of the white tiles in the bathroom.

“I look the same as the night you took me off the streets,” you murmured. “Like a whore.”

Sunday hummed. “Is that how you see yourself?” The wings extending from his ears dipped below the water for a moment. “A ‘whore?’”

You didn’t want to turn to face him.

It was difficult enough to hold his unwavering gaze in the mirror.

“You’re not denying it.”

“Because I think you look damaged.” He was honest this time, and there was bitterness swelling with his tone. He instinctively fluttered his feathers to dry them off.

“By your design.” You were speaking of how he made it his duty to ruin your skin with his teeth.

“What I’ve done to you is nothing. You had already ruined yourself by offering your body to those disgusting animals before I had ever even laid my eyes on you.” He waved his hand as if he meant no harm with his words. “I’ve merely saved you.”

Your jaw clenched.

He fluttered his lashes at you in the mirror and sighed.

What a pretty sight.

“‘Saved me?’” you repeated hoarsely. You tried not to claw at your skin in frustration. You willed yourself not to lunge at him and puncture his eyes from his skull. “Do me a favour and save me from your arrogance next. You’re deluded if you think trapping me in your bedroom is praiseworthy.”

He smiled.

“Think of it this way: a bird is much safer trapped in a cage than free to the winds.” The smell of coconut and sugared powder made your head spin. Of course, he would use the soaps and creams you wore when he first met you. The smell was engraved into his mind like a branding.

Although covered by a robe, you felt vulnerable. His gaze held strong. You weren’t sure if he was even blinking.

Sunday seemed too relaxed. Your freedom was a joke to him; what is freedom if you’re too busy giving your body to strangers? Did you want to go back to that life?

“You want me to get in the tub just so you can humiliate me,” you accused with a dangerous flash of your teeth.

You wanted to sound angry. You wanted to sound furious, but it was only a pitiful whimper of a phrase. You felt pathetically weak.

He was quick to answer, “I did not request your company.” He patted the book with golden edges that sat on a ledge of the bathtub. You didn’t want to ask of its contents. “You came here of your own fruition. You felt lonely.”

“You think you know everything about me.”

“But of course.” Sunday plucked the book from the ledge, careful not to wet the pages as he turned to the page he’d marked. “You are mine, after all.”

His tone was light. Confident.

Your face was burning. “Fuck you.”

Who even were you? Who were you next to him?

Nothing, was the appropriate answer. He insisted otherwise, though he’d never given you a definitive answer of what you were. He’d never explicitly stated you to be a whore, disobedient, disrespectful, too independent for your own good.

Everything you hated to hear about yourself, even if it was all true.

He’d only tut and usher you away with a wave of his hand.

You’re his, as well.

His teeth in your skin, his feathers tickling your neck, his wandering fingers that crept below your navel. He’s stained your skin with his. It’s hard to wash off���even harder when he shares the same soaps as you.

Perhaps he knows this, and that’s why he hopes you share a bath with him.

So you’re reminded that there’s a chain around your ankle.

“You’re a fuckin’ hypocrite, y’know. You think you’re so high and mighty, and yet you’re naked and pining after some street whore. And then you insist that I belong to you, but also beg for me beneath your own sheets.” But that wasn’t true.

As soon as the words left your lips you screwed your eyes shut and you leaned over the vanity.

His smile only grew, and the tip of his tongue touched the sharp edge of his canines.

Your fingers curled around the edge of the marble countertop.

Here he was, vulnerable. Susceptible to a swift slice of a blade to his neck, to being held beneath the surface of the water until he stopped flailing.

And you’re still so afraid of him.

He reads you like the book in his hands.

Sunday cooed. “Just like water, you are destructible, easily poisoned, and ever changing. You are lost, entrapped within four walls, so desperate to escape, but you cannot think for yourself.”

You furrowed your brows.

He turned the page of his book. The water sloshed as his arms moved.

The smell of coconut was hurting your head.

“You speak in tongues because you’re scared of ruining your perfect image,” you said. “You’re just an insecure little boy who's stuck in a daydream.”

That forced his head to turn. He almost snapped his book shut. Instead, his fingers froze on the edges of the crisp paper.

Then, he let out a hearty laugh.

“Allow me to rephrase: your beauty is wicked. It is rotten, vile, and evil.” The sweet scent of sugar was a cruel joke. It juxtaposed everything that spilled from his filthy lips. “Your blood is muddied and ruined. You’ve allowed strangers to see your skin.

“You’re lucky I’ve tolerated your behaviour for this long. If you were anybody else, you would have lost your foul tongue after our first night together.”

The way he said it all made you feel so much smaller than you were.

You finally turned around to face him. The reflection in the mirror made the bathtub seem further away than it actually was.

The tub was in the centre of the room, craved meticulously from a blue crystal. To you, it closely resembled aquamarine. It was big enough to be considered a swimming pool if you removed the golden faucet, but you refrained from insulting his fussy craftsmanship and adding fuel to the fire.

Sunday was particular about everything; sizing, shapes, colours. Everything had to match, everything had to make sense, everything had to be perfect and presentable. Any faults or flaws were dealt with swiftly, whether that be a person or an object. You weren’t sure if you were considered one or the other.

Then came the specifics. A ledge for placing things, voids in the walls for storing soaps, adequate cupboards, flooring, walls, forms, everything.

Aeons forbid you dropped a glass and scratched the precious tiling.

And he was particular about you, though he never clearly stated what he wanted from you.

He wanted you. That was clear from how he would coax you to join him with gentle words and fleeting touches. How he would stain your skin and leave an imprint of your body on his bedsheets.

Anything other than that was muddled, muddied, lost in his own deluded mind.

“What do you want from me?” you asked him again.

Sunday fluttered his lashes at you. “Nothing at all.”

“Have you ever told the truth?”

You had instinctively drawn yourself closer to him. You leaned over the tub, fingers curled around the rim of crystal.

Sunday sighed. He looked sick, like delusion had twisted through his mind like poison ivy crawling along the walls of the gardens outside. “You are afraid of the truth.”

“You’re lying again.” He wasn’t lying, but you refused to make him feel as though he was in control.

That was he fed off.

Your fear, your touch, your taste, your words, every inch of your skin. His. All of it.

“I want everything,” he stated.

You wanted to break the tub and slit his throat with the shards of crystal.

“I want you to give yourself to me. All of yourself.”

How selfish of him.

He still views you as an offering.

You turned away and moved to storm out of the bathroom. You would wait until he was finished. You couldn’t be in the room with him.

The steam was burning your skin, and your scent on him was making your head feel like it was splitting apart.

He grabbed your face and forced you to look back.

You would have described his eyes as beautiful; golden irides with hints of plush velvet and a deep sapphire. But all he did was stare. He’d never look away, and he never wished to.

He saw things you did not.

“I want undying loyalty.” When you squirmed, he held your cheeks harder. “I want hopeless devotion. I want compassion. I want to see the silhouette of you in my bed first thing every morning.”

Your nails were frozen digging into his wrist, still wet and hot from the water.

He seemed as though he wished to say more, though refrained when he let go of your face. He’d abandoned his book now, his gaze remaining locked onto you.

Your cheeks stung from his fingerprints. You feared the patterns would be burned into your flesh.

“I want you to stop,” you whispered.

You knew what he was doing.

“Oh, I will.” This time, when his fingers raised for your face, he simply grazed them along your sore cheek. “Join me.”

You didn’t answer at first. You didn’t even move from your spot, frozen as if he’d drawn ice down your spine.

You breathed out. Your fingers were trembling.

“I’m not stupid,” you said. You were trying to convince yourself it was true.

Sunday only tilted his head. “No, you’re not stupid.”

He was already pulling the string of the bow around your waist. His wings bristled.

“I know what you’re doing,” you insisted, holding onto the fluffy material when he undid the knot holding the robe together. “I know what you’re doing.”

He smiled playfully. His hands pushed away the robe. “What am I doing?”

Your eyes welled with tears.

You don’t know what he’s doing. You are stupid.

You wished you’d never met him. You wished you’d never let soft hands and kind words and those pretty eyes of his draw you into his bed.

You shouldn’t have ever crawled back to him.

You let out a pathetic sob.

“Oh, you sweet thing.”

Sunday tutted pitifully and offered his hand.

Almost instinctively, as if it had been written in your blood since the moment you were born, you took it and leaned into his embrace.

His hair smelled of sugared tea. The feathers of his wings grazed over your face, now soaked with your tears.

He gently drew you into the water, murmuring something bordering on praise. You didn’t even hear what he said.

“I will make you all better.”

The water was hot. His lips on your cheek made you dizzy. The mirror had completely steamed up by now, and your chest pressed flush against his.

You tried to push him off you. You tried. You really did. You’d done this before, many times. Letting him break you down and watching as you lost control of your limbs and clawed at him until he held you.

He was good at that. Predicting. Letting things form the way they always did.

You were so angry. Angry at yourself, at him, at everything. Weakly, you curled your fists and hit his shoulders defeatedly. You heard him laugh.

All you did was betray yourself, surrendering and stilling as his cold hands dipped below the water.

“I will make you whole again.”

[eilishsmuse]

comfortable silence is so overrated

— billie eilish x fem!reader

context. it’s been four months after the whole incident between billie and you. after many mental breakdowns the past months you’ve finally got over it. billie on the other hand could say otherwise. when you see her at a party she pulls you for a chat. but why?

cw. swearing, drinking, confessions, toxicity, billie realizing she fucked up, billie is also a total mess, dumping feelings, lowkey sexual tension

soundtrack. from the dinning table – harry styles

original. i hate that i can’t love you

It’s been a while since the argument with Billie. You two haven’t spoken since. No texts. No calls. Nothing.

For a while, you were completely wrecked ever since the whole situation happened. For a good month you had to do no-contact with everyone you knew. You felt embarrassed and ashamed for what you felt toward Billie. You both agreed on the contract. At least that’s what you kept on telling yourself.

Now 4 months later you were completely over it.

You were sat on a couch at one of your friends backyard house party here in LA. He worked within the music industry and was the main reason you met Billie.

You had a red solo cup in hand. With whatever concoctions your friend mixed for the party.

As your friend group started talking about some gossip within the celebrity slash influencer industry your eyes started drifting around.

People watching.

As your eyes scanned the room they took a quick double take at a certain somebody. Billie.

She’s laughing with a bunch of her friends and they’re all standing around her like she’s the leader of their ‘posse’. You immediately look away and immediately feel uneasy as her face is now engraved in your mind.

You excuse yourself from your friends to go get a drink, swiftly getting off the couch and walking over towards the bar area.

Billie takes a quick inventory of the house party her friend had invited her to. Tons of people she recognizes from the music industry, but also not a lot of people she likes either. Her gaze falls from group to group, finally landing back on her friends.

A few influencers from social media, a couple of producers from her record label...and a familiar face.

Billie’s heart does a backflip as her eyes land on you, noticing how beautiful you looked in that leather skirt with that tight red laced top.

Shit.

Immediately, she has an almost visceral reaction to the sight of you.

Everything about you looks so good, from your hair to your outfit.

Billie wants to go up to you, grab you and lock you in a room, kiss you until you can’t even remember your own name.

But she can’t.

She bites the inside of her cheek, eyes glued on you from across the room.

You order a coconut margarita from the bartender and let out a sigh, closing your eyes for a brief second.

The music was loud in your ears and hard in your chest. And on top of that your heart was already beating out your chest thanks to Billie being here.

You opened your eyes again to your drink being set in front of you. You mutter a small thanks to the bartender and immediately take a sip from the margarita glass.

Billie’s eyes follow you as you order the drink, the sight of you talking to the bartender making her heart jump into her throat.

Jesus, you’re even more beautiful in person than in her memory.

Billie grips the solo cup in her hand tighter, watching as you take a sip from the glass. She tries to swallow, dry throat making it hard.

For a few seconds, Billie considers going over to you.

What would she even say? She can’t tell you that she’s missed you. The contract was clear. No feelings.

Billie has been completely unable to get you out of her mind since the fight. Her heart aches every time she thinks about the way your face looked, so upset and pleading...

Billie bites her lip as you move to walk away from the bar.

Hell, she has to talk to you. At least let you know something.

Before she can talk herself out of it, Billie starts towards you. Her heart is throbbing against her ribcage, nearly threatening to burst through every time she takes a step forward.

Deep breath. Just talk to her. You’re just talking to her.

Billie arrives next to you, standing a few inches away and trying to look relaxed.

“Hey.”

You turn your head to the side to the familiar voice and you’re immediately met with those stupidly, beautiful blue eyes.

You don’t react physically.

But your heart and head are sure as hell pounding inside.

“Hi.”

Billie’s not used to you not having a big reaction to her presence.

When you turn towards her, she’s again hit with how attractive you are, her eyes involuntarily flicking down your body.

Billie quickly brings her eyes back up, meeting yours. She’s a little speechless.

“You look,” she coughs. “You look good.”

What is she even saying?? Billie, get it together for crying out loud.

Your eyebrows raise for a split second but then furrow in part confusion and surprise.

You open your mouth to say ‘you too’ but you don’t wanna give Billie the satisfaction of feeling like she has you wrapped around her finger all over again.

Even though she does look good in her backwards cap and those fucking glasses—

Stop it, Y/N.

Instead you stop the words from leaving your mouth and give her a small smile, “Thanks.”

God, your smile could kill her.

Billie’s heart does a little backflip when you do, the familiarity of it making her chest ache.

She’s missed you. She’s missed you so damn much, but she can’t tell you that.

It’s not just your smile that’s attractive either. That leather skirt you’re wearing drives her absolutely insane, making her want to grab ahold of you and press you up against the nearest wall...

A blush creeps into her cheeks at the thought.

Billie’s heart skips a beat at the small smile, and once again she’s thrown off.

You seem...unbothered to her presence. Usually you’re happy, or at least visibly excited to see her.

Which is exactly what Billie doesn’t want.

She swallows, adjusting her hat. “Yeah, uh, no problem.”

Billie can’t help scanning you over again, her eyes tracing the lines of your body.

Get a hold of yourself, Billie.

You on the other hand, can tell how nervous Billie seemed to be talking to you. From the hat adjustments, the fidgeting of her rings, and the way her eyes would wonder to other parts of you.

The parts she even started talking to you in the first place for.

That’s right.

Billie only really wanted you for one thing. The sex.

A straight face was what you held when you reminded yourself of her not forgotten actions.

There’s a pause in the conversation, and it’s starting to make Billie a little nervous.

You’re not reacting the way she thought you would. Why aren’t you blushing, or staring, or smiling back?

She bites the inside of her cheek, trying to think of something to say. Her eyes flick down to the solo cup in your hands, then back up.

“What, uh, what are you drinking?”

Really, Billie? What are you drinking? Nice one.

“A marg.”

The words leaving your lips dryly and uninterested.

Billie swallows again as she eyes the red cup in your hand. She’s starting to feel like even more of a tool.

Her eyes flick up to yours, and she’s stuck by how composed you seem to be. Like the last few months never even happened.

“Marg?” she asks, repeating you. “Like...margarita?”

You blink at Billie once, a straight face staring at right back at hers.

“What are you doing?” You began, eyebrows furrowed at her poor attempts to make conversation.

“I mean,” You begin to look around the yard and then back at her, “Why are you talking to me?”

Billie blinks at the question, eyes widening. She opens her mouth to answer, but words fail her.

Why was she talking to you?

You’re right. Why is she?

For a few seconds, she’s at a loss. She can’t exactly say “because I miss you” or “because everything reminds me of you”.

She shoves her hands into her pockets, shoulders lifting in a shrug.

“I dunno.”

There’s another brief pause, and Billie’s heart is hammering in her chest as she desperately tries to think of something, anything else to say.

She’s starting to have the feeling that she shouldn’t have even come over, but the pull to you is stronger than her brain right now, and it seems like you’re not going to give her an easy out.

“Look, I...”

Billie pauses again, licking her lips.

“I wanted to talk to you, okay?” She finally says, and her voice comes out a little more gruff than she intended.

Billie’s not used to having to struggle to talk like this. She’s used to having people pay attention to her, listen to her, and do what she says.

But with you it’s different.

You aren’t giving her the usual response, and it’s making her feel even more vulnerable.

A small, sarcastic smile plays on your lips, “And you thought I’d want to as well?”

At this point your margarita left your hand and sat on the bar top, you crossed your arms and looked at Billie with a slight tilt of your head.

Billie’s eyes follow the movement of your margarita being set down, and she can’t really blame you for not wanting to talk to her.

She’d expected you to not want to talk, so why hadn’t she just stayed away?

“I...I just...” Billie’s eyes dart around, her voice getting a little more hushed.

“I just wanted to...I don’t know,” she pauses again, her hand fiddling with the ring on her finger. It’s antsy, anxious, something she hates feeling.

“What?”

Your eyebrows are furrowed and your face has confusion written all over it, “Wanted me to sign another NDA?”

Your voice now low and hushed so only Billie could hear.

Ouch.

Billie winces at your words, even though she more than deserves them.

Her shoulders drop, her eyes going down to the floor for a few seconds. Her stomach clenches, and she swallows.

“No...that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Billie looks up to you, her eyes pleading.

You nod at her slowly and raise your hands in a ‘why’ motion, “So why are we talking?”

You study her body language.

She’s uncomfortable and worried. Clearly.

She’s stuttering over her words, her hands are more clearly messing with the hem of her shirt, her chest is falling and rising with more speed.

Shit.

She looks exactly like you that one day. And now you’re starting to feel like shit.

But you don’t let it show. You shake it off and keep your exterior, a small minuscule change in the way your eyes looked at her.

Billie’s shoulders straighten as she tries to look more confident, but your cool response is really making her crumble inside.

In the last four months, she’s been unable to think of anything except your face, your body, your voice, everything. She’d tortured herself over what she was going to say if she saw you again.

And now here you were in front of her, aloof and impassive.

And it was killing her.

“I...I wanted to talk to you about us.”

You took a steady breath in at her words and looked elsewhere in the party, letting the breath out and looking back over to Billie.

You swallowed and kept eye contact with her for a few seconds, finally opening your mouth.

“There’s no more us Billie.”

Your tone was gentle and quiet. Your face was now replaced with a much softer look and a somewhat saddened expression.

The words hit like a punch to the gut.

Even though Billie knew that was coming, it still hurts to hear you say it out loud.

She swallows again, trying to control the way she’s feeling.

“I...I know that, but I…I just...”

There’s a pause as she wracks her brain for the right thing to say. No, not the right thing to say. The truth.

“I miss you,” she says, her words barely a whisper.

I miss you.

What the fuck?

She’s bullshitting you Y/N.

You blink slowly at her and her words, letting out a shaky breath. A look of anger, betrayal, and sadness all flashing on your face.

All silently.

It was the exact same look you held when you had your argument.

You looked at your drink on the bar-top and took it in your hand, not sharing eye contact with Billie.

Not saying a single word.

The tension was high.

The music was still loud.

The beat in your chest pounded harder.

It was all too much.

So you walked away. You went straight toward the more secluded part of the party where no one was. It was a balcony that overlooked all of Los Angeles.

The bright city lights never looked more interesting. You were really only trying to get rid of Billie’s words out your mind.

Billie watches as you walk away, the emotions clearly written on your face.

Her heart sinks as you reject her words and leave.

She can’t help it.

She follows, weaving quickly through the crowd and around the corners of the house until she finally gets to that balcony.

She takes a few steps forward, closing the space between the two of you. When she can safely assume she’s not going to startle you, Billie speaks up.

“Please don’t run away.”

You look up at the sky with closed eyes and mentally ask the world to give you mercy for this conversation.

Argument really.

You turn around and look Billie straight in the eye.

“I mean what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Your voice confused, angry, and sad. Your face contorted into some sort of mixed emotions.

Billie’s heart flutters in her chest at the sound of your voice again.

This was the reaction she wanted.

No, the reaction she wanted was you kissing her and pulling her flush against your warm body.

But right now this anger was the only thing she could get. Anything was better than indifference.

“What’s wrong with me?”

Billie’s voice is laced with disbelief, coming to stand next to you on the edge of the balcony.

“Yes!”

Helplessness laced in your tone.

“What kind of fucked up shit are you up to? ‘I miss you.’ I mean what the fuck!”

Billie’s chest is rising and falling with her heavy breathing as she stands there, trying to find the words to say that will help you understand, that will get you to listen.

“I’m not up to anything!” She insists. “I just...”

Billie reaches out and lays her hand on your arm, trying to ignore the way her skin tingles when she touches you.

“Please, let me explain.”

You retract your arm from Billie’s grip almost immediately, the contrast of the feeling of her cold rings and warm hand leaving goosebumps on your skin.

“Don’t touch me.”

And at this point your eyes are starting to burn, your teeth are biting at your lips to stop yourself from saying anything wrong.

Her heart drops in her chest as you shove away from her. Billie can tell that you’re getting overwhelmed, and it’s breaking her heart to watch it happen.

She pulls her hand away, clenching her fingers into a fist.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she says quietly, her voice as gentle as she can make it.

Billie’s eyes dart around your face, a mixture of guilt, hurt, and panic written all over her features. Seeing you this upset does something to her— it’s like she can’t breathe.

“Please just listen to me,” she says again, her voice coming out more desperate. Whiny. “Please...”

She takes a step forward, trying to get closer to you again, aching to soothe the agitation in your body.

Billie can’t handle you being this upset. The air is thick, and her chest feels heavy with the need to touch you, to make you feel better.

But she knows if she tries, you’re going to push her away again.

You don’t say anything. You’re silent.

You know if you speak up you’ll regret saying the things that’ll come out your mouth. So you don’t speak.

You let Billie say what she wants to say.

Billie lets out a shaky sigh, and a few hairs that had fallen loose from her cap blow in the cool night air.

“I...”

She bites her bottom lip, trying to keep her hands still and not reach out for you again.

“When I said I missed you...I meant it.”

There’s a hint of frustration in her words.

“Please, look at me.”

So you do.

You look up from the railing of the balcony and to Billie. Your eyes are red and teary-eyed. You’re tired. And it’s written all over your face.

Billie’s eyes widen slightly at the tears now gathering in your eyes.

No.

She didn’t mean to make you cry. That wasn’t what she was trying to accomplish.

Billie’s heart clenches, aching to pull you into her arms and take away any and all pain you’d felt in the four months apart.

“Hey...”

She steps closer to you, gently placing a hand on your cheek to brush away the few tears that have fallen.

And at this point, you’ve completely given up on trying to get away from Billie.

You lean into her touch and let out a sob.

Your heart breaks and your body practically aches with pain and heat. You missed her and you were tired of pretending you didn’t.

“Billie.”

Your voice came out as a whiny cry, like a little kid who mourned the loss of their first pet.

The sound that comes out of you twists at something deep inside Billie’s chest, a wave of helplessness washing over her.

She doesn’t want to make you cry. She wants you to be happy. She wants to make sure you’re as happy as possible, to see you smile that gorgeous smile again—not cry like this.

“Shhh...don’t cry,” Billie murmurs, her other hand coming up to cradle your face.

She’s impossibly gentle, as if you’re something precious to be handled with care.

And you are. That’s exactly what Billie thinks of you. She knows you need to be handled with care.

You are precious...

Billie brushes her thumbs across your cheeks, wiping away the fallen tears. Her brain is running a mile a minute, desperately trying to think of something, anything that will help you feel better.

She hates you hurting like this. Hating the fact that she is the reason you’re hurting.

“Please...just stop crying...you’re breaking my heart...”

“I still—“

Your voice is cracking and whiny. Your burning eyes look up into Billie’s blue ones.

“I still love you.”

Billie’s heart stops in her chest.

She stares down at you, shocked to hear those three words come out of your mouth.

I still love you.

Billie’s eyes rake across your face, looking for any sign of a lie in your words, but all she sees is an exhausted pain and vulnerability.

“Baby...” she whispers.

Billie’s hands still haven’t left their place on your cheeks, her fingers shaking against you as she processes what you just said.

“You...you still love me?”

Her words are quiet and hesitant, like she’s half afraid of what the answer will be.

Billie’s eyes flicker around your face, noting all of the emotions written on your features—a mirror to the ones she’s feeling right now.

Love. Anger. Sadness. Confusion. Despair. Excitement. Exhaustion. Desire.

It’s all there, plain as day on both of your faces.

Just then your hearing was hushed. Your body grew slack and your heartbeat slowed.

You surged forward without any thought whatsoever.

Your lips ended up on Billie’s.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

This is all you’ve ever wanted these past four months no matter how much you denied it. You missed her. You missed her so much. And all you wanted right now was for her to hold you.

Billie is completely caught off guard when you kiss her, letting out a soft gasp against your mouth before finally giving in.

Finally. Finally.

She’s needed this. No, she’s craved this. These past few months have been long, and lonely, and exhausting. But now you’re here and finally, finally she can touch you again.

One of her hands slide from your cheek to the back of your neck, keeping you close as she kisses you back.

Billie’s lips move against yours frantically, pressing hard and desperate. She’s trying to pour everything she’s feeling into this kiss. And she wants to hear, to feel you do the same.

Her chest is burning, her heart is racing, and when she finally pulls back for a breath, her breathing is ragged. Billie looks at you with heavy-lidded eyes, the blue of her irises almost lost in the darkness of her wide pupils.

“I’m sorry,” You breathed out, lip quivering with adrenaline, “I didn’t mean all the fucked up shit I said.”

You gripped at Billie’s shoulder and forearm so tight that there’d probably bruises after you let go.

But Billie doesn’t care if you leave bruises.

In fact, she’d relish in it.

A physical reminder of what this night and this moment meant to both of you.

She lets out a shaky breath, her eyes never leaving your face. “I don’t care, baby. It’s alright. I forgive you. I forgive you. Just...please...let me...”

Billie pauses, biting her lip. She knows what she wants. But she can’t come out and say it. Not right now. Her throat feels like it’s closing up.

She swallows roughly and tries again. “Please...let me make it up to you...and...and prove to you I still...that I still...”

Billie’s words get caught in her throat, and her fingers tighten even more around your body, trying to get her thoughts in order.

“Please just...” her voice drops to a low whisper, “please just...let me...love you...love me back...”

There’s a pleading in her voice, a desperate undertone to her words.

Your grip becomes tighter at her words as you look in her eyes. Your heart was practically beating in your ears and throughout your whole body.

Your head felt dizzy and your breathing picked up again.

The whiny tone Billie voice picked up made your skin tingle. You’ve wanted this for so long.

The yearning.

The begging.

And now you finally had it.

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted from you.”

When you say yes, it’s like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. And a deep-seated, burning feeling settles in the pit of her stomach.

“Then you’ll have it.”

It’s the only response that comes out of Billie’s mouth before she’s kissing you again, her hands pulling you even closer to her body.

Her arms wrap around you and she’s practically clinging to you, like this is the last time she’s ever going to get to touch you.

Billie didn’t take you back to the party after the balcony.

Instead, she took you back to her home.

And you spent the rest of the night wrapped in her sheets and in her arms, whispers of love and forgiveness exchanged between you both as the hours passed.

And in the morning, when you woke up, Billie was already awake holding you in her arms, watching you sleep as she stroked your hair with the gentlest of touches.

And after those long 4 months. She no longer hated the fact that she couldn’t love you the way you were meant to be loved.

‧₊˚✩彡

fer speaks!!!

yay happy ending! i beg of y’all to throw some requests at me 🙏🏼

[charliedawn]

Hi! I was wondering if you could do a Five hargreeves fluff.. Season 4 destroyed me and I've been looking for so five comfort and your one of my favorite writers, if so o would really appreciate it :)

(Five is becoming popular, huh ? Good for him. 😁)

Five never left the Hargreeves estate without telling his siblings or making sure they would know where to find him—but there were some moments where he would disappear without saying a word to his family. He would wordlessly teleport to a bar in the middle of nowhere where customers were but a few and where the jazz music playing in the background soothed his soul. He would then order one specific drink every single time—the coconut on the beach with a vanilla essence. But it wasn’t the reclusive aspect of the bar, the nice music or even the good cocktails that would be making him come back time and time again.

He would wait for the waiter/waitress to come bring him his drink. And then, he would simply watch them in silence for a few minutes. He would observe them as they went along with their life and didn’t glance back at him until they were done with their tasks at hand…

Y/N L/N.

That name was engraved into his brain and refused to leave. That. And the last date written on a diary he had kept safe from the moment he had left the end of the world.

April 1, 2019.

The exact date where everything ended to the very second where your hand had stopped writing, or would stop writing. To the last loop of your handwriting when everything seemed to stop and your very existence vanished.

His breath hitched.

Your eyes had met from across the bar.

He could have sworn for a second that you could read his mind and see exactly what he was thinking about.

All those nights turning page after page of the same diary. The only descent reading material he had managed to find at the end of the world. The testimony of a human who had lived and died in that very same bar. The human he was currently looking at after having known them through paper first.

He could almost see your thoughts, see the turmoil in your eyes. Because he had read it. He had read about the little boy who had become your regular customer one day and who had never spoke a word to you. He had read about you, the major episodes in your existence and the strangest and most embarrassing moments in your life. He could recite every single word of that diary by heart. He had had more than 50 years to look over and memorise that cursed and precious journal.

But, he always came back to the same pages—over and over.

The pages about a little boy and his dark eyes who seemed older than his years—wordlessly staring at you. The customer who you had wondered time and time again if you would ever strike a conversation with ?

Spoiler alert.

You never did…

The boy kept coming back again and again until the very end—regular like clockwork. Five knew of each time you two would meet—and he dreaded that last moment. The moment where he would stop coming, because he knew that the day he would miss one of your meetings, it would be the day he would either die or have given up on saving you. And he dreaded that moment—that moment where nothing would matter anymore.

So, he kept coming back. He kept coming back—hoping that something would finally change. But nothing ever did. And he could feel his fears and his desperation growing. If something—anything could change…then maybe not everything was lost.

After so many days spent torturing his mind and begging for a sign…that sign finally came.

As he was sipping on his drink, he felt someone sitting down next to him. He didn’t look, but then the presence spoke up.

"Hey there. Nice tie."

He looked up and seemed stunned for a few seconds as he saw your smile.

You had…spoken to him.

Nowhere in all the pages he had read in your diary had you ever mentioned speaking to him. To the very end, all you had ever done was recall that weird kid with the sad eyes who would be staring at you, pay and leave. He took a minute to compose himself and your smile faltered slightly. Maybe had you been wrong to approach the kid ? He had just seemed so…lost. He looked like some rich kid from a private school, and yet he would always come back to your bar. Maybe was he looking to talk to someone ? Or maybe had you been wrong and he wanted to be left alone ?

You sighed and were about to stand up when you heard him reply.

"Nice shirt/dress."

You stopped dead in your tracks and turned around. You sat back next to him and smiled before extending your hand towards him.

"Thanks. The name is Y/N by the way."

He smiled back politely and shook your hand.

"Five. Five Hargreeves."

At that moment, there was a little spark that traveled between you two and the name written on the journal in Five’s pocket changed to:

Y/N Hargreeves.

[dakotalun]

More Than Friends Part 2 | Eddie Munson

pairing: Eddie Munson X Fem Reader

summary: PART 2-- You and Eddie have been "friends" for a while, but you can't help but notice something off between the two of you lately.

warnings: oral (f. receiving), praise kink, pet names (good girl, baby, sweetheart, good boy, pretty boy, princess), switch!eddie, fingering

word count: 4.1k

a/n: sorry it took me so long to get to this, shit's been busy.

*******NOT MY GIF, CREDIT TO OWNERS*******

You drive the empty roads until you reach his trailer. You notice that his uncle’s truck isn’t outside like it normally is, guess he’s at work. Eddie parks and hops out before running to your side of the van and opening the door.

“Come,” It’s not a request, it's a command, which you follow obidiently. You take his outstretched hand and let him help you out of the car and towards his home. You grow more and more impatient the longer he takes to open the door. All you want is to kiss him and claim him as your own.

Finally he opens the door and pulls you inside, not even closing the door fully before pushing you against it and capturing your lips in his. The kiss is more heated than last time and it makes your core tighten at the feeling of his tongue with your own.

His body pushes against your own, shoving you further into the solid piece of wood on your back. You can’t even focus on that because this feels too good to stop.

The way his lips move over yours is so captivating and wonderful that you start to lose balance. Luckly Eddie was holding onto your waist to keep you upright. The grip he has on you is strong for him being such a skinny guy, but you prefer it this way. Secretly muscular but doesn’t show it. It’s sexy in a way, it’s what drew you to him sexually in the first place.

Eddie slowly starts to glide his hand under your shirt and glide his fingers across your hot skin, tracing with a feather light touch. He’s going slow, memorizing every dip and curve of your body, engraving it to memory. This is one thing he never wants to forget.

“Bedroom,” It’s all you can utter as your mouth pulls back for a split second to breathe.

“Up,” Eddie bends down slightly to lift you off the ground and carry you into his room. The walk isn’t long but it feels like forever when all you want is for this man to tear your clothes off right now and take you and mark you as his own.

Eddie kicks his door open and closes it the same way, you still being held tightly in his arms. Your head is near his neck, face buried in his hair, which still faintly like his coconut shampoo. You trail your lips down the side of his neck, trying to leave a few bruises in your wake. He clearly isn’t going to let you get that far because just as you start to make progress on one he throws you down on the bed.

You bounce slightly upon impact and adjust yourself to be further towards the headboard. Eddie is standing at the edge of his bed, not moving a muscle, staring. He’s taking in this moment and preparing for all the ones to come. You notice the look in his eyes and decide to give him more to look at.

You grip the hem of your shirt and pull the thin, loose piece of fabric off, tossing it somewhere in the room to be searched for later. Eddie’s eyes nearly pop out his skull at the sight of your red lace bra. You didn’t think this was going to happen, today or anyday soon, but still you felt cute so why not dress it too.

“Shit,” Eddie is at a loss for words. The way your boobs aren slightly peeking out over the top of your bra and the roundness of it, if he could get any harder he would.

“Like what you see?” You whisper seductivley at him.

“Damn right I do,” He crawls over your body, hovering over you and not taking his eyes off your breasts.

You put a finger under his chin and lift it to face you, “Eyes are up here baby,” The nickname just came out, something you would say on any other day, but the way he shutters under your touch is unimaginable. 

“Aw pretty boy like it when I call him baby?” Eddie nods rapidly. The speed that he can go from domineering to submissive is quick and simple, just like you like it.

“Want me to take it off?” Once again he nods, “Words pretty. I need words.”

“Yes. Please, Jesus Christ please,” He nearly moans out the words, too far gone mentally to cope with your teasing.

You reach your free hand behind your back and unhook your bra, letting it drop from your body. Eddie tries to veer his focus there but you keep his face still before he can.

“Not yet. You next,” In record time Eddie has tugged off his shirt and thrown it across the room, “That’s my good boy. You can look now.”

Eddie doesn’t wait a second longer, his eyes are magnetised to your chest. The flesh there is the perfect color and size for any man but Eddie isn’t picky, not with you at least.

“You're perfect, baby. Can I touch you?” “Sure, only since you asked so nicely,” You plant a kiss to his lips before laying fully on your back. 

He takes his calloused hands and roams them up your body, finally being able to envision the curves he traced just minutes earlier. His hand grabs and squeezes your breasts, massaging them which causes you to moan.

“Oh, did I find something that you like?” His voice is slightly condescending.

“Mhmm,” You pull your bottom lip into your mouth to stifle the moans.

“No. No muting those pretty little moans baby, I need to hear you fall apart under me.”

He dips his head down to lick your nipples, taking one in his mouth and nipping it lightly. Just to test the waters. You’ve never had someone tease you like this so this is foreign territory for you, the feeling making your back arch. He massages one while using his mouth on the other before switching.

The things he does to you makes your eyes roll in the back of your bed and stars to appear in your vision. The time and care he takes into making you feel good before himself is more than anyone before.

Once fully satisfied with the bruises he left behind he trails his kisses downt he length of your body.

“Eds, what are you-” He shushes you.

“I gotta take care of my baby. Let me do this, please. I might want this more than you do right now,” His eyes are soft and gentle again, showing the vulnerability that only you get to see.

“Okay,” It’s barely audible but he hears it, and that’s enough for him.

His fingers go to the waistband of your shorts, his eyes never leaving yours, silently asking if everything he’s doing is okay. You don’t complain to anything, you nod along because you too need this release.

Eddie unbluckles your pants and slips them down your legs along with your underwear, leaving soft kisses in the path. Once the shorts are off he looks at you, like really looks at you for the first time tonight. The emotion he feels is inexplicable and he doesn’t want to change that for anything else in the world.

His hand are rubbing your thighs, soothing the anxiety he knows you feel at the moment.

“I need you to relax sweetheart. This is only gonna hurt if you don’t relax,”

“Mhm okay,” You try your best but the throbbing is too intense.

“Hey look at me,” You continue to look at the ceiling, “Look at me,” Your eyes drift to his, “You trust me don’t you?” You nod, “Then let me do this for us okay? I will make you feel so good.”

The mixture of love, lust and trust you feel for the man laying between your legs right now is palpable. His hair is messy from your hands and his lips are swollen from all the kisses. He looks so love drunk that you almost wanna giggle at him.

“Alright. I trust you, always have.”

A smile breaks out on the brunette’s face, his dimples coming out of hiding. “That’s my girl,” He comes up to give you a kiss before returning to his previous pootion between your thighs, “Tell me if you need me to slow down or stop or anything. You say it and I’ll obey.”

Before you can protest or even reply back he starts kissing your inner thigh, the flesh being an easy material to bruise. Slowly the kisses trail higher and higher getting to your core. The anticipation is killing you, you need him on you and now. 

You whine out loud, hoping he will take the hint and use you like he wants but this seems to only spur him on to tease you more. The feeling of his tongure just barely on you, so close yet so far is aganizing. You buck your hips up on impulse, unable to control your body movement anymore.

“Patience baby, patience.”

You groan and flop your head back on the pillow below, knowing that he’s not going to give you what you want anytime soon. But to your surprise he dives in once your head hits the pillow. His tongue laps at the juices dripping out of you and he takes every last drop like a starved man. 

The moans you let are near pornographic, they sound so fake that even you can’t determine if they’re really coming from you or not. Eddie is hearing you and puts more force and effort into his minastrations. Pullling gasps and moans and begs out of you every second.

“There you go baby. Fall apart for me, you’re doing so good,” He praises you and talks you through the entire thing. It calms you but you also wish he would just shut up and continue working. Just as the thought enters your mind Eddie takes one of his fingers and inserts it into you.

“Still with me baby?”

“Mhmm.”

“Alright. I’m gonna add another now. IS that okay?” His voice is soft again, gentle.

“Please,” It’s the only thing on your mind. Eddie takes his finger out just to indert it and another into you a second later. He keeps a steady speed, not overworking you just yet he’ll save that for another day.

The feeling is making you fall apart around him now, moans falling from your lips at a rapid speed. Eddie is listening to not only the moansm but they way your body reacts to his movements, trying to pull this orgasm out of you quickly. He’s rutting against the bed trying to fight off his own. He needs you to come first.

He picks up speed a littel bit, feeling your wall contract around his fingers.

“Cum for me. Come all over my fingers like the good girl I know you are,” You can’t tell if it’s his words or his fingers that make you fall over the edge but you get there and it is earth shattering. Stars fill your vision and your back arches high off the bed. Eddie talks you through it, all the while still pumping his fingers in and out, trying to extend it for as long as possible.

As you start to come down he pulls away from you and stand back up. His pants now have a large cum stain on them but he could care less, as long as it was caused by you. Eddie changes into a new pair of boxers while you lay on his bed, still feeling the after shock of the orgasm.

“Fuck,” You’re out of breath and panting, “Why didn’t we do that sooner?” “Probably because you tried to hide your feelings for me?” Eddie crawls into bed next to you, pulling you close.

“Oh shut!” You hit his chest, “Do you need me to…” You glance down to his now covered bottom half.

“No need, I already did that while I was taking care of you.”

“REally? You came just from eating me out?”

“I could cum just from staring at you princess. Now let's get some sleep, you’ll need your energy for the next round.”

“Next round?”

“I’m not finished with you yet,” Eddie kiss your forehead as you snuggle up close to him, loving the way the two of you mold together.

---

You open your eyes to see the sun pouring into the room, lighting up the bed. You rub your eyes and get used to the bright light. You can feel Eddie’s arms wrapped around your waist and look back at him to see him sleeping soundly, he always looked so peaceful while he slept. You stared at him for a moment longer taking in the moment; the quiet, the calm, then as softly as you could you moved his arm off of you and slid out of the bed.

Almost immediately after you leave the bed he rolls over and starts cuddling the pillow next to him, how cute. You start to look around the room for a shirt to put on but all you can find is your fancy clothes from last night so you go into one of his drawers and pull out a casual t-shirt and slip it over your shoulders. He’s so much bigger than you so the shirt is almost a dress on you, you find the underwear from last night and put those on as well.

You walk towards the door ever so quietly, trying not to make a single noise in case it wakes him up. You get to the door without a sound, and just as you’re about to open the door to leave you hear voices outside the door, they’re quiet, almost a whisper. You put my ear to the door and listen in on them;

“Honey, do you want me to start the coffee for you?” A deep and rugged voice says.

“Yes please, that would be wonderful!” The other voice replies, this one more light and airy.

“Ok it should be done in about 10 minutes, I’ll make some breakfast while we wait.” The voice gets quieter as you hear the footsteps retreat further from the door. You assume the voices are Eddie’s uncle and someone else, you just couldn’t figure out who. One thing you did know about Eddie’s uncle is that on Sunday he would make a big breakfast for the two of them, it was the one day Wayne had off and he wanted to give Eddie a bit of normalcy.

You always loved how they ate together on Sundays, it’s one thing about their family that you’re jealous about. You decide to go back to the dresser and find a pair of pants to put on. Going back over to his dresser and just taking a guess at where he keeps his pants, you grab a pair of his sweats and put them on, tying them tightly around your waist. You look back at the sleeping boy for a moment before walking back to the door and opening it, you hear the gruff voice again,

“Oh that must be Eddie getting up finally!” He sounds happy when he talks about his nephew, almost like a dad talks about his son. He peeks around the corner of the kitchenette to see if he was correct, “Oh! It’s y/n, hiya darlin’. I haven’t seen you around here in awhile. How have you been?” He stops what he’s doing and heads towards you, bringing you into a tight hug,

“Oh hi, yea I’ve been good just really focused on school right now,” He releases you from the embrace, “you know how it is, gotta get prepared for college.” You smile at him as his hands fall into his pockets.

“That’s good, that's good, well I’m just making breakfast right now, I wasn’t expecting another person today but you’re more than welcome to join us if you would like.” He walks back into the kitchen to resume cooking, I follow behind slowly. 

“Uh I wouldn’t want to intrude, I know that Sunday is designated family time,”

“Oh don’t be silly, you are part of the family, of course you’re welcome to stay!” He sends me a big, bright smile. “Ok then I guess I’ll stay but only for breakfast, because I really should head back home before my mom starts to worry about me.”

“Of course, you aren’t allergic to anything right?”

“Nope, nothing food related anyways.” You sit down at the countertop and watch as Wayne flows around the kitchen effortlessly.

“Good, good.” As he puts the eggs onto the counter the bathroom door opens up and a woman comes into the kitchen.

“Oh hi, I wasn’t aware there was anyone else here,” The woman is short, with long blonde hair all the way down her back. Her eyes are bright and bold, reminding you of a princess of some kind.

“Laura, this is Eddie’s friend. You know the one I was telling you about, they’re gonna stay for breakfast.” You give a small smile and wave before properly introducing yourself to her.

“Well it’s great to meet you. Wayne has told me all about you and Eddie, you two seem like the perfect couple.”

Your cheeks flush and your mouth gets dry, “Oh Eddie and I aren’t- We’re just friends.” You say quickly. But inside you wish you were more, maybe last night changed a few things.

“Well why don’t you go try and wake up Eddie, he can be quite a handful to wake up. Breakfast will bne ready in a few” He laughs at his words, you laugh as well knowing it’s harder than he puts it. You open the door to find Eddie still fast asleep while cuddling the pillow. You walk over to him and sit on the bed, softly you brush the hair away from his face and smile at the little baby face he has whenever he sleeps. You lean down and kiss his forehead. “Wake up sleepy head, it’s already 11:00,” You hear him mumble something incoherent, “I’m sorry what was that?” You ask leaning your ear closer to him.

“I don’t wanna,” He buries his face deeper into the pillow.

“Aw, how come? Wayne’s making breakfast…” You know that food always gets his interest, and like always you were right. He opens one eye to look at you but rolls it and goes back to sleep. “come on Eds, get up!” You shake him to try and get him to acknowledge your exhistance. He groans and flips over to his other side so you can’t see his face anymore. Oh wrong choice buddy.

“Okay so that’s how it’s gonna be huh? We’ll see about that,” That causes you to get up onto the bed, sitting on your knees, and start jumping up and down. You could hear his groans protesting your movements, but you didn't stop. The more he grains just prompts you to jump up onto him and end up straddling his waist while you shake him to get up.

“I said get! up! I won’t ask again!” You rest your hands on his shoulders. He opens his eyes and glares at you for a second contemplating whether you would really do something or not. As you look at him you see his eyes darken and I get sort of scared for what’s about to happen next. He grabs your wrists and flips you both over so he’s now on top and your legs automatically wrap themselves around him to not fall.

“I said I didn’t want to get up. Why can’t you just let me sleep? Huh?” His face is inches away from yours, and you look up at him with a straight face.

“If you want to sleep so badly, why don’t you make me stop,” Putting emphasis on the “make me” part of it. And fully knowing what those words do to him, you brace yourself. He moves his hands so that one is holding both of your wrists and the other can gently wrap around your throat. Eddie crashes his lips into yours and forces his tongue into your mouth. You just kiss him back and allow him in. You moan quietly as he moves to kiss your neck, making him smile at the noise. You quickly try to move your hand over your mouth to stifle the noises but he has then pinned down tightly.

“No, no moving. This is what you get for waking me up,” Your breath hitches at his words and you bite down hard on your bottom lips as he continues kissing down your neck. You can feel him leaving behind a bruise but you don’t care right now, all you care about is him, and how he is making you feel. He starts to pull up your shirt but then there’s a knock at the door. “Did you manage to get him up? Breakfast is almost ready,” He quickly gets off of you and walks over to his dresser pulling out a pair of sweats and putting them on. You sit up and try to look decent enough for whoever not to suspect anything.

“Eddie?” The voice calls again to see if we’re both in here. Eddie swings open the door just as the knob turns.

“Yea, we’re up, we’ll be out in a second okay?” His face is flushed slightly and he’s breathing quickly.

“Okay, son but you guys should hurry up before everything gets cold, and put on a shirt please, we have company today.” He looks into the room to see you sitting up on the bed and sends a smile before heading back out, closing the door behind himself. You both let out a breath of relief that he didn’t stay long. Eddie walks over to you and crawls on top again, planting a quick kiss before lying down and wrapping his arms around your waist.

“Holy shit that was close. Why didn’t you warn me that he was up, and someone’s here?” You slap the top of his head.

“I did you jerk! You just chose not to listen to me!” You start to run your fingers through his hair, soothing the spot you just hit and getting out any knots you encounter along the way.

“Mhm sure whatever makes you sleep at night, but I definitely don’t remember that,” He looks up at you and smiles. You give him another quick kiss before trying to get out of bed.

“Haha very funny, come on get a shirt on and let’s go eat,” You try moving off the bed but he tightens his grip around you.

“But I wanna stay like this forever. Can we do that?” His voice is sweet but you don’t buy it for a second.

“Nope we gotta at least try and make it look like we are just friends right now.”

“But why? I’m sure they already think something happened last night, seeing as though you’re here,” He releases his grip on you and gets out of the bed. WHile he searches in his closet for a shirt you walk over to his mirror to look at the damage he made.

“And if they do then that’s on them and their hunches but they don’t know shit, and we will keep it that way. Alright?” He groans and flops back onto the bed.

“Alright, fine,” He then gets off the bed and walks up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing the bruise he just made. You start to pull your hair out of its bun and wrap it around your neck to try and cover it up.

“I like when I can see my marks on you, keep your hair up.”

“No way, did you not hear what I just said? If they notice then they will 100% know we did something last night.” You find a way to cover the marks and start walking towards the door, “So no, they stay covered,” You turn the knob and start to walk out but Eddie pulls you back in and plants a long kiss onto your lips.

“Fine then but you will keep your hair up once you leave here, no exceptions,” You just roll your eyes at him but agree and start to head out of the room again, him following right behind.

“Hey go put a shirt on,” You push him towards the dresser, “Wayne wants you to be decent since you have company today,” You say the least part like he did. He leans his head back exaggeratingly but puts one on before walking back to you.

“Is this decent enough, m’lady?” He makes a large bow towards you.

“I would say yes, kind sir. Now shall we go and enjoy a wonderful meal prepared by your parental figure?” He nods his head and opens the door for the both of you.

[coconutmr]

Personalized Coconuts: The New Trend in Corporate Branding

In today's competitive market, where brands jostle for attention, every touchpoint matters. From lavish events to grand product launches, how can your brand create a memorable impact? The answer, quite unexpectedly, lies in an age-old tropical fruit - the coconut. But not just any coconut. We're talking about personalized branded coconuts that carry a brand's unique message. Curious to know more? Let's dive into the world of customized coconuts for corporate events and branding!

Experiential Corporate Marketing with Personalized Coconuts

Do you recall the days when advertisements were mere print ads or simple billboards? Gone are those days!

Modern brands seek to give their audience an experience, a memory that lasts longer than a fleeting ad. Experiential marketing, as the term suggests, focuses on creating memorable experiences for the audience, ensuring the brand stays on top of their minds.

“Personalized Coconuts offer a never-before-seen Experiential Branding potential to major corporate brands” – Shivam Agarwal, Mr. Coconut CEO.

Customized Coconuts: The New-age Branding Tool

Imagine sipping cool & tender coconut water at a corporate event and spotting a brand's logo or a couple's hashtag engraved right on the shell.

Unique, isn't it? That's what elegantly peeled coconuts bring to the table. It's not just about the refreshing drink inside but the message outside.

The engraved shell serves as a physical reminder of the event, ensuring attendees remember it for years to come.

The Revolutionary Impact of Mr. Coconut in India's Premier Corporate Events

Ever heard the saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do?" Well, in India's elite event scene, the saying goes more like, "If it's a high-profile event, it must have Mr. Coconut!"

Trendsetting by Mr. Coconut at EEMA & EMF 2023

Mr. Coconut didn't just introduce a concept; they transformed the event experience!

Picture this: high-profile galas like EEMA 2023 in bustling Mumbai or EMF 2023 amidst JaipCorporate Marketing with Personalized Coconuts,ur's luxurious Ananta Spa & Resorts.

Amidst the glamour, what caught everyone's eye? It wasn't just the glitz but the distinctive touch of personalized coconuts.

Read More About it

[rafedaddy01]

Coconuts

Series Masterlist

A/n: oh. My. Gosh. I feel like I wrote this horribly. I could not for the life of me get the beginning down. Thank you for all who encouraged me to write a second part. I am thinking of doing a third which will definitely include smut. Lmk if that’s something you guys want

Constructive criticism is always appreciated, likes, comments, reblogs and requests are welcomed ❗️

Rafe turned around to continue with his girl but she was no where to be found. He searched the whole house. The bathroom, the bedroom which he quickly regretted because there were two people having sex right on toppers parents bed. The party died down and eventually he gave up. Fuck! How could he fuck this up already. The next day he lay in bed, thinking about her. Her lips. Her eyes. Oh how close he was to her lips. He could just imagine the taste of her coconut gloss. The way her hair smelled. It was a distinguished smell, engraved in his brain. He could never forget it. It was his new favorite smell. He got the courage to pull himself out of bed, hair ruffled and shirtless he went downstairs, only to be met with the girl he was just thinking about.

“Good morning Rafe” Sarah said as she and her friend indulged over some breakfast. “Hi” he said, his smiling softening when his eyes met hers. “This is y/n, she slept here after toppers party last night.” She was here? In his house. The whole time.

“Uh Rafe ” Rafe acted inconspicuous as he reintroduced himself to her. Sarah gave Rafe a stern look as she spotted the way he looked at her. He noticed his sisters stare and shrugged his shoulders. He grabbed an apple from the bowl and walked out of the kitchen, gatching a glimpse of y/n and winking.

A few hours later

“Rafe” a soft voice spoke on the opposite side of his door. He smirked at the familiar voice. He opened the door to be faced with her. “Long time no see” he grinned as she stood shyly in front of him, maybe there was still some innocence in her. “I just wanted to say, the other night-“

“You mean when you ran?” His tone was condescending but he didn’t mean it like that. Only realizing how rude he was when he saw her face drop in disappointment. “You know, whatever. I wanted to apologize but forget it” she turned around, only to be pulled back my her wrist. “I’m sorry y/n. I didn’t mean for that to be so harsh.” His eyes were soft and full of desperation. It was clear that she had some effect on him. She could make him angry and in the blink of an eye take that anger away. “It’s okay” she looked into his eyes and was lost in the blue of them. They way they sparkled and gleamed. There was also this darkness behind them that entranced her, she wanted to know more about him. To feel him and connect with him.

“Maybe we should reenact that night” she bit her lip as his tongue swiped over his bottom lip, a sly smirk raising the corners of his mouth. “I think we should” his lips landed gently against hers. This tongue swiping over her teeth, asking for permission to enter. Of course she granted. Their tongues clashing and dancing. They both pulled back to catch their breath and smiles plastered on their faces was enough to describe how mind blowing that kiss was. “That was-“ she started. Rafe leaned into her ear. “If you think my tongues that good in your mouth, just wait till it’s in your pussy”

@xcybzaa

Part 3

[hilziger]

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: JEY'𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 (fucktober horror nights ft Jey uso )!

.*•…………………..•⊹•…………………..•*.

WARNINGS: [god-like complex, oral sex (female receiving ) explicit themes, raunchy descriptions]

❝YOU MUST'VE SUMMONED

ME?❞

THE eyes of the woman scanned the lightly stained shelves as she gracefully moved down the home decor aisle of the thrift store, her friend Janet behind her as she puffed in boredom keeping up her pace behind her, " y/n girl we been here for an hour and thirty! don't you think it's time to go?" Janet complained before Y/n stopped in front of a shelf that instantly caught her eye.

She saw a statue carved out of what seemed to be Obsidian stone and wood stone material, it was shaped into a man's physique, wavy mullet covering his head like a crown as she picked the piece of art up examining it closer. "FATU, god of sex and desires" it read engraved at the bottom, usually black art and pieces fitted perfectly within her home, but something about this particular piece drew to her as if it was calling to her.

Her curiosity grew carefully placed the piece into her shopping cart moving to the checkout area, " now we can go with your impatient ass" hearing her friend smack her lips following right behind.

♡

Y/n curiosity lead her to read about the fascinating god, she placed his statue on an empty alter she had in her meditation room, and her fingers flipped through the pages as she read about any offerings that corresponded to him. " woman's underwear, coconut, mangoes" she read to herself she looked back at the alter her eyes fixated on the statue smile as she mindlessly stood up gathering everything she needed to perform her prayer.

After a few chants, prayers, and lit candles she blew the flame out standing up and making her way into her bathroom, "gonna take this shower and take my ass to bed" a soft yawn escaping her lips as she stripped down bare turning on her shower head getting inside closing the glass door behind her.

The soft voice of brandy bounced off her bathroom walls as the hot droplets cascaded down her mocha-colored skin, and the sounds of her exfoliating brush running across her skin could be heard as she was halfway done with her shower routine. A dark red and purple hues of smoke began to release from the statue, it rattled before falling over emptying the rest of the smoke remains before a figure of a man floating appeared in front of the alter.

The male stretched his floating body in the air hearing his limbs crackling one by one, a grunt escaped his lips as he flexed his muscles regaining feeling back in his human legs and arms, " finally my big ass is out" the bass of his voice rumbled the room slightly before his brown orbs landed on the pair of red underwear on his alter. He used his telekinetic abilities to lift the light fabric in the air motioning it over to him as he took a small sniff of it.

His eyes began to glow a light purple an evil smirk plastered on his face as the sounds of small footsteps stepped into the room making the god place his attention behind him. " you must've summoned me mhm?" He tilted his head at the quiet girl before a chuckle left his lips as he made a come here motion with his finger drawing her body closer in front of him.

Her breath hitched as her eyes placed themselves on the divine god, his healthy beautiful black mullet with a touch of red on the ends, gold small hoops in both ears and His beautiful smooth tanned skin varies Samoan tattoos that complimented his arms and legs. "What's your name love?" y/n hesitated before she cleared her throat, " Y/n" her voice wavered coming out small and shaky.

Her lustfully low eyes lastly landed on his smooth plumped lips, she wanted a taste biting her lip at how thick they were as she continued to undress him with her eyes. " it's not nice to stare baby" his voice instantly breaking her out of her trance before she stepped back in embarrassment. " I- what are you doing here!" She clutched her towel that hang around her body hoping it wouldn't fall as the god chuckled transporting himself sitting on her dresser.

"You summoned me, baby, main event Jey pleases any lady at his service" standing up he made his way over to the timid woman, he smiled down at her smaller frame snapping his fingers and dropping her panties back onto her body making her look at him confusingly. "Many know that I like panties as offerings but do you want to know why?" Seductively he asked she started to feel a slight discomfort in her core, a warmness began to consume her making her squirm a bit, " I can allow myself to have control over your wetness" his eyes turned dark as he motioned her body effortlessly on her queen-sized mattress.

She was now on her bed her breasts beautifully sitting on her chest and only in underwear, her pussy began to tingle he could smell it immediately a evil deep chuckle emitted from his throat, " your pussy warm isn't it baby?" He teased making her whine trying to restrain herself from rubbing against something, " please take them off..".

Jey's floating body landed on the ground as his 6'1 frame towered over her, "poor little human in heat, mhm such a shame isn't it?" The sight of her rubbing her soaked slit against her panties to get some kind of fiction intrigued him before he slid her panties off her thighs watching the line of wetness leave evidence, his heart quickened at the sweet aroma she had spreading her thighs apart fascinatingly.

"The first pussy I see and it's a beautiful one" he growled the blood rushing straight to his Phallus as he looked at the flushed women's cheeks burning in cynosure, " d-don't say shit like that" more of her wetness dripped at his words making him smile in satisfaction, " don't act like you don't like hearing it" his finger slowly rubbing her soaked clit in soft slow circles, her mouth hanging open. " ou I'm sensitive! fuck" her body jerked at his touch, Jey tucked his bottom lip between his lips leaning down wrapping his thick lips around her whole wetness, holding her thighs far apart together as he sucked at her glistening folds.

Her nails immediately tangled into his mullet as she arched her body off her sheets bucking her hips against his mouth urgently, " mhm! Jey please!" She whined as she rubbed at her hardened nipples, Jey couldn't get enough of her juices feeling the nectar slowly nourish his body from the lack of nutrients in almost 1,000 years he's been locked in his statue.

He slowed down his feasting feeling himself get full before he pulled away from her heat lastly sloppily kissing her pussy keeping his low seductive eyes on her, her mind in a lustful daze as she bit her lip at the sight, " you look so fine kissing me like that..." her voice airy and small as she whimpered before he pulled away with his beard and mouth drenched leaning up halfway placing his hands on each side of her body.

" you'll get all that you want when you're worthy" he whispered before attaching his lips onto hers engulfing her soft lips, she moaned at her taste against his mouth before his body began to evaporate into smoke moving back into the statue, leaving the woman flushed, horny, and desperate for the gods touch, she frowned kicking at her sheets frustratingly.

TBC.

wanted to always do a Halloween/ fantasy marathon series in October 🌚so introducing fucktober horror nights stay tuned!~bobbi 🫶🏽(side note I wanna start making master lists and tag list but… HOW?!?$)

[wanderingblindly]

WanderingBlindly Fanfic Masterlist:

Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen

Love is Killing Me (Tryna Figure it Out) (13.7k, oneshot)

"Be Mine," Max pours the cocktail, glistening red, into a margarita glass. "I – you? What?" Charles stutters, not reaching to grab the cocktail so carefully placed in front of him – hands frozen on his tensed thighs. "Be Mine, the margarita." He nods towards it, resuming his usual posture: leaned against the back of the bar, arms crossed against his chest. "Non-alcoholic tequila, coconut water, strawberry puree, lime juice, agave syrup." Of course Max hadn't meant it like that. Or, in which Charles is a hopeless romantic with no luck in love, and Max is the replacement bartender at Dirty Blondes.

Excess (3.4k words, oneshot)

“You bite me,” He’s smiling now, like Max’s silence is as good as an oath. “And I’ll bite back. Deal?” Max’s eyes flick to the battleground on Charles’s body. “And this usually works for you?” Without hesitation, Charles brings his blade to his own hand. He slices across his index finger, letting the blood slowly pool, before holding it under Max’s nose like a taunt. “I’m too good to pass up.”

Choking on Greatness (2.9k words, oneshot)

“I don’t think you’re born a winner, no.” Max whispers against his lips, breath like a hint of warmth. “You make yourself into one, or you quit.” Can I?

Beggin' (1.7k words, oneshot)

“You are… gambling?” Charles slurred, tilting his head at Max’s proposal. “Loser gets on his knees.” Max said, looking down at Charles in a way that he hoped screamed ‘and I know it’ll be you’'. Or: Max and Charles make a drunken bet after Abu Dhabi 2021. One year, one realization, and one title later, Max isn’t where he thought he’d be.

I Know Your Name (But Not Who You Are) (7.6k words, oneshot)

If it’s been a decade since Max touched him, he fears it’s been longer since he’s seen him smile — their last weeks stained with downturned lips. Glassy eyes. “Cheers, then. To freedom.” “To finding you again.”

Cheating at Bingo and Other Christmas Traditions (12.4k words, oneshot)

"You know, there’s a very nice, very handsome young man in my neighborhood –” She starts back up, flagging down their waiter for another glass of wine. “Absolutely not,” He cuts her off with a dismissive wave of the hand. “Next topic.” “So you’re too good for him, is that it?” She sounds defensive, but her tone still has a mocking edge to it – emphasized by the quirk of her brows. Hardly holding back a groan, Charles tries to think of a way out of this. She’s like a cat, batting at him until he gives up, rolls over, and plays dead. “That’s not – I’m just busy, and it’s –” Or: Hallmark style fluff featuring an irritated Charles, a well-meaning Max, and the grandma that just wants them to kiss

Second Time's the Charm (7.3k words, oneshot)

“Remember when you said you’d set me up with someone? A few months ago, at George’s wedding?” Charles’s voice is still pinched, as if his throat is trying to suffocate him and put him out of his misery. “Maybe you could do that? If the offer is still standing.” Simultaneously: “How did you know you liked guys?” Max’s tone is flat, as it usually is when he tries to come off as entirely disinterested, but Lando knows his tricks. He shoots upright, looking down at Max with wide eyes before exclaiming, arguably, one of the worst possible responses: “Oh my god, Max, are you fucking gay?” Or: Charles and Max don't know how to date; Alex and Lando try their best to make it happen.

Eighteenth Summer (Do You Wish We'd Fall In Love?) (4.9k words, oneshot)

Max wanted to burn it into his memory, engrave bits and pieces of it into each of his senses. The way the blue sky reflected off of Charles’s massive sunglasses, the smell of the hot asphalt mixing with Charles’s cologne, the nearly hysterical sound of their laughter as their playlist finally shuffled to Mr. Brightside; everything felt so precious. So fleeting. Moments memorialized on the 101 northbound, flying out of their open windows and away from his greedy fingers.

All the Stars We Cannot See (9.8k words, oneshot)

Sitting on his roof, bathed in wintery silence, Max prayed to be rescued. To whom, he wasn’t sure. Maybe the force that branded his wrist, the universal power that decided who to tie him with forever. Perfectly. Something like fate. Max prayed to fate, then. “Am I interrupting something?” The man’s accent was French, his tone unusually assertive for a question of intrusion. “It’s not my roof,” Max shrugged, hopping back onto the ledge.

Rules of Engagement (7.2k words, oneshot)

“Take me with you then!” Max felt his eyes go wide, his jaw literally dropping at the suggestion. “Tell them I’m like. Say I’m your fiancé, mate.” The heat had melted Charles’s brain, Max decided, staring at him blankly. “No.” He deadpanned. “Mate it’s genius! You won’t have to do anything, just stand there. Let me handle it. Them. The women.”

Milk and Love (1.85k words, oneshot)

There’s someone else in his empty apartment, his presence both doubling and fading overnight. It’s next to him on the floor, an identical hand grazing his fingertips as it lays beside him – a perfect mirror. It’s in his kitchen, looking at the food his trainer brought him the night before. It’s in his bed at night, putting no weight on the mattress but forcing unimaginable pressure on his mind, in his eyes. Faster than him, quieter than him, beside him. Inside him. He can’t escape it, he realizes as he lays on the floor. It lives where he lives. 

Middle Child Syndrome (I've Been in Love with You for Ages) (3.6k words, 2/2 chapters)

After all, Charles being a middle child always made a lot of sense to Max. Max’s unwillingness to deny Charles anything always made a little less sense to Max. Standing on the third place podium beneath the Monegasque flag made a lot less sense to Max. The fact that he wasn’t mad about it, a warm sense of acquiescence spurred by Charles’s smile, made it all click. He was in love with Charles Leclerc, and he always had been. Or: A small collection of memories leading up to a realization on the podium of Baku 2023.

[mariacallous]

In Israel, you’ll find a patchwork of different communities. Most Israeli Jews originate from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, but some come from other regions, such as India.

According to the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv, there are about 85,000 Jews of Indian origin in Israel — so Indian Jews make up just 1.2% of Israel’s Jewish population. This small community is divided into four groups: the Bene Israel from Maharashtra, the Cochin Jews from Kerala, the Baghdadi Jews from Kolkata, and the Bnei Menache from Mizoram and Manipur.

Although I grew up in the U.S., my mother’s family is from the Cochin Jewish community in Israel. I wanted to find out more about how this community is preserving our unique Jewish traditions from the South of India.

Many of these traditions are at a risk of dying out. For example, the language of the Cochin Jewish community is called Judeo-Malayalam. Today, this dialect has only a few dozen native speakers left (you can hear it spoken in this video).

According to legend, the first Jews arrived in Cochin during the time of King Solomon. The oldest physical evidence of their presence is a set of engraved copper plates dating from around 379-1000 CE, which were given to community leader Joseph Rabban by the Chera Perumal dynasty ruler of Kerala.

Jewish sailors originally arrived in Kodungallur (Cranganore), an ancient port city known as Shingly by Jews, before shifting to Cochin following a flood in 1341. These Jews became known as the Malabari Jewish community. After the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, a group of Sephardic Jews also came to Cochin, and became known as the Paradesi (Foreign) Jews. The Malabari and Paradesi Jews historically lived separately and maintained their own traditions, although in modern times this division has become less important.

Today, the vast majority of Cochin Jews live in Israel. I spoke with several community members to learn about current projects in Israel to preserve Cochini Jewish culture.

Hadar Nehemya, a jazz musician and performer, runs a food delivery service sharing traditional Cochin Jewish recipes. Hadar learned the art of cooking from her mother, who learned it from her paternal grandmother.

Cooking her dishes from scratch and selling them at markets and for delivery, Hadar’s goal is to introduce Cochini cooking into the mainstream of Israeli culture. “Many Israelis don’t know much about Cochin Jewish culture. Maybe they met a Cochini person in the army,” she said. “But Indian food is popular in Israel, because Israelis love to visit India after they finish their army service.”

Cochin Jewish cuisine is similar to other types of South Indian cuisine, but also has influences from Iberian and Middle Eastern cooking. One example is pastel, pastries with a spicy filling that are similar to empanadas. Other staples include fish and egg curries, chicken stew, black-eyed pea stew, dosa (thin rice pancakes) and dishes cooked with coconut and mango.

Hadar’s favorite dishes to cook are idli and sambar, which are often eaten together. Idli is a type of savory rice cake, while sambar is a spiced lentil stew. Although Hadar says it’s difficult to maintain an Indian food business from an economic perspective, she’s passionate about cooking and enjoys creating homemade dishes with the right balance of spices.

Along with cooking, music is also important in Cochini culture. In most religious Jewish communities, women aren’t permitted to sing in front of men who aren’t their immediate relatives. However, this prohibition was not part of the Cochini tradition.

In the Cochin Jewish community, women have sung in Hebrew and Judeo-Malayalam for centuries. Piyyutim (liturgical poems) were sung in the synagogue or at people’s homes during holidays. Judeo-Malayalam folk songs were sung at weddings and special occasions, and the lyrics of these songs were recorded in notebooks to hand down to future generations. Later, many women also learned Zionist songs in preparation for moving to Israel. I have memories of my own grandmother singing these songs at home.

In recent years, audio recordings have been produced of Cochini songs, including a collection called “Mizmorim” (Psalms) featuring Hadar’s grandmother, Yekara Nehemya. Hadar then created her own version of one of the songs, “Yonati Ziv.”

Today, community leader Tova Aharon-Kastiel has organized a choir which meets once or twice a month at different locations. In the choir, Cochini and non-Cochini women, mostly aged 65-85, sing songs in Hebrew and Judeo-Malayalam. The older generation is eager for the younger generation to get involved, but since most younger Cochin Jews have a mixed background and are assimilated into mainstream Israeli culture, this is sometimes proving a challenge.

Still, many young Cochin Jews are eager to connect with their roots. The community maintains several Facebook groups, including one specifically geared towards the younger generation. The group description reads: “If you are a young Cochini, you surely know (at least partially) the wonderful heritage of our forefathers and mothers…  the sad truth is that this heritage is currently on its way to pass from the world.”

Shlomo Gadot is the CEO of Inuitive, a semiconductor company, and is actively involved with Cochini community projects. His nephew, Ori, runs the Facebook group for the younger generation. Shlomo says events are regularly held at the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv for young Cochinis. “Normally the embassy gives them their office in Tel Aviv, and they invite the young Cochini people to come there and do a trivia contest,” he said. “They do it twice a year, once at Hanukkah and once at Passover.”

According to Shlomo, the embassy also has initiatives to create connections between Indian and Israeli tech companies. “Sometimes they invite people to the ambassador’s house or office to see how they can create connections between Israeli and Indian companies,” he said. “They also have a program to bring young people to India to help them get to know India better.”

Anil Abraham is one of the few Cochin Jews with recent memories of life in India. Born in Jerusalem, his family returned to India when he was 8 years old, and he lived there until age 35 before migrating back to Israel. He says he found growing up Jewish in India difficult, but rewarding. “It was very difficult to move there from Israel and learn Malayalam,” he said. “But it was amazing to be part of the community and enjoy Cochini food prepared from scratch. We used to attend prayers in the Paradesi Synagogue, because right now there are fewer than 20 Jews in Kerala.”

Today, Anil runs tours of Kerala for the Cochin Jewish community and others. “The kids travel with their parents and grandparents to India,” he said. “That’s how our traditions are passed down.”

[andradrawsstuff]

Fourth chapter of my fic ✨

Finally back home so I can continue working on chapter 6

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Bienvenidos a Miami

The sound of splashing water and humans’ laughter could be heard for miles. Crystal cyan waters glistened across the stretch of the coast, with skyscrapers towering directly opposite. Palm trees dotted alongside the road, and a mural of umbrellas painted the pearly-white sand a colourful rainbow. Party in the city where the heat is on. Welcome to Miami.

“Hey, boys!” A familiar voice emerged from around the corner. It was Gloria, holding what appeared to be a cocktail with a tiny umbrella sticking out of the top.

Skipper swung around, flicking his shiny black sunglasses engraved with tiny dolphins on the left rim, bobbing his head and stomping his foot to the beat of Will Smith’s fitting song ‘Miami’. “Hm?”

The penguins were plopped underneath the refreshing shade of a bright red gazebo on the sand, somehow managing to fit half of the locomotive underneath too. It was a miracle they weren’t spotted by the humans, but perhaps them choosing to bunk in a remote area of South Beach was a smart move. They did have to account for the rest of the circus folk and the fact that they were animals though, so they chose to squeeze in a quiet spot between 24th and 26th Street. As for their gargantuan circus tent? Sprawled across a few dozen square metres of greenery. Very discreet.

“What are you guys doing?” Gloria queried. “It’s like, ninety degrees!”

Private jumped in. “We’re fixing the engine! Admittedly, we are melting a little…”

“Aaaand so is the core.” Kowalski butted in. “Ugh, I hate the heat. Its always too clammy, and my inventions keep breaking!”

“You mean more than usual?” Private teased.

Kowalski shot him a disapproving look.

“Pfft, sorry…” He giggled.

The truth is, Private did have a point. Despite Kowalski being one of the smartest birds alive, he sure had a knack for making things that exploded mid-use. He was lucky no such thing happened to the train engine and the core yet. 3 months had passed since its initial installation and trip to California. This was a new record.

“Hey… where’s Rico?” Gloria pondered, noticing his absence.

Skipper pointed towards the cyan sea, sipping from a coconut.

A distant “WOOOOOO!” grew closer, as out of nowhere sprung Rico and Marty straddled on a neon pink surfboard. Marty struggled to control the direction they were being launched in, heading straight for the gazebo. Rico gasped and threw up a pointy rock in front of them, instantly halting the surfboard. The two monochromatic friends were flung into the air, landing on top of the gazebo and bouncing off only to plummet head-first into the sand.

“Well hello to you too.” Gloria sarcastically greeted the duo.

Rico opened his mouth and an avalanche of sand rushed out. “Bleeeergh…”

“Woo!” Marty celebrated. “Now that is something I never thought I’d try!” He raised his hoof in a hi-five position.

Rico burped out the last few grains of sand and slapped his flipper against Marty’s hoof. “Wahoo!”

“Okay boys, you’ve had your fun.” Skipper uttered. “Rico, we need your help.” He chucked over a screwdriver to the adrenaline-pumped penguin. They needed to lock in, or this core that Kowalski impressively hadn’t exploded yet, might just do that.

“Well, we’ll leave you to it, then… I guess.” Added Marty, gesturing to Gloria to join him.

The birds got along surprisingly well with the four ‘hippies’, as Skipper would call them. Over the last year they had the occasion to bond over both mundane and exciting adventured all over the world. The mammals did find the little guys charming and cute, so they grew quite fond of them. Although, they did tend to draw trouble wherever they went. But that was just something that they’d have to live with if they wanted to keep the little guys around.

In what seemed like only a few minutes, the beach was surrounded by darkness, with the crescent moon and neon city lights illuminating the entire coast. But the penguins had little success in fixing the engine, resulting in Kowalski removing the core completely until they managed to cool it down. He placed it in a small sachet that he swung around his shoulders in order to keep it safe. They were headed for the nightlife in the heart of the city. It was Miami after all, what else would they do?

[chloe-spade]

The Island Prince Prologue: Here on my Island

In the deepest part of the world, there resides an Island. But the map never shows its location, only a lucky few can find the island, let alone sail to it. But one day, the island met their first ever human after a horrendous stormy night.

🏝️

"Oh, dear," sighed a peacock named Vil, "that was horrible. That storm almost took away all my feathers."

"Must you complain," yawned Leona, a very tired lion. "You already woke me up to warn me about the storm and now you complain after it's over?"

"Well, you shouldn't be with me if you can't handle my complaining," Vil huffed, shaking his feathers a little, "and you don't look any better. Your mane is messy."

"As if I care, Princess." Leona growled, walking towards the beach. "And my hair is always messy, so it's not a problem."

He wasn't fazed by the broken wooden planks that surrounded the area, and the unusual items that humans used. He wasn't even surprised when Vil went over to find a treasure chest of sorts, full of jewelry that he wore immediately, admiring himself at the ocean's reflection.

What he didn't expect was to hear soft breathing behind a big wooden pole. Leona, against his better judgment, walked over following the sound and to his surprise, a young human who seemed asleep. Peacefully asleep.

"A human?" He questioned, walking towards the human. "…and he's alive. What a miracle."

"Yes, miracle." Vil repeated, without looking up.

"Vil, come over here," Leona demanded.

Vil rolled his eyes and walked towards Leona and he couldn't hide his shock of seeing the human boy.

"Is that.."

"A human? Yes. And he's perfectly alive too." Leona answered.

"What should we do?" Vil pondered. "We can't take care of a human, now could we?"

"Unless we find any other humans," Leona snarled, but he looked back at the sleeping boy, "but we can't leave him to starve and die. We need to help him, even if it means we have to step up."

"You are right," Vil sighed. "My conscious would not allow me! Oh, poor child."

Leona rolled his eyes and carefully put the kid on his back, ignoring the snuggling as he walked away.

🏝️

10 years have passed since then and the young boy has grown into Sil. After his awakening, he had no memories of his past, nor his name, a hint was the chest he was found with, with Sil engraved. That was his name as he grew in his new forest habitat. He was already adjusted as he could speak into the animals quite easily.

He was able to live in his new life. With a new family.

"Epel! Come on! They're waiting for us!" Sil called out.

"Hey! You're bigger than me," Epel, a red panda, pouted, "You're faster than me."

Sil laughed as he slowed down, humming to himself.

🏝️

Here on my island, the sea says hello

Dolphins are waving wherever I go

🏝️

Sil grinned and waved back at the dolphins who jumped happily at his arrival. He was well-loved around the island, as each animal, whether land or sea.

🏝️

There's a song on the breeze

And a home in the trees

Friends I can talk with whenever I please

🏝️

"Come on! Vil's waiting for us!" Sil laughed as he ran into the oasis, watching Rook, a Black-Backed Gull, bother Leona.

🏝️

Here on my island, the playgrounds are great

Slide every slide

And you don't have to wait

There's so much to be seen

From our new trampoline

Finding adventure is our daily routine

🏝️

"I heard about a hidden jewel, deep on this island," Rook spoke, deciding on the adventure.

"Maybe, but I wanna eat first," Epel groaned, rubbing his stomach, "can we do that before we go?"

"Oh, yes, please," yawned Leona, "before I decide to leave you here to find my food."

"Always crude," groaned Vi.

🏝️

Birds and bananas

And comfy cabanas

And shell-covered vases to fill

Coconut glasses

And mint with molasses

And pineapple patties to grill

🏝️

Vil grinned proudly as everyone ate the patties happily, all complimenting the food. After that, everyone was ready for the adventure of the day, Rook leading the way.

🏝️

Here on my island, there's nothing but fun

Vines you can swing from

A nap in the sun

There are mud pies to make

There are branches to shake

Treasures await any road that you take

🏝️

"Ready!!" Cheered Epel, "Me and Sil are going to find that jewel."

"Oh, that's a challange if I heard one," laughed Vil, "Leona and I are verterans at this work. Best to prepare for defeat, Epel."

"Guys, this is not a competition, but I should wait until we win for you to decide," Sil grinned.

🏝️

I'll take the high path

And I'll take the low path

And I'll take the path through the sky

I'll jump the river

And I'll climb the mountain

And I'll stay here, guarding the pie

🏝️

"Told you," Vil laughed as he held the jewel in his feathers, ignoring Epel's pouting. "Added to my beautiful collection of well, beautiful things. Too bad I can't add myself to it."

"Ugh, you are such a showoff," Epel pouted.

"He did warn you," Leona yawned, "we did this for a living. Of course, we know how to find them."

"That was fun though," Sil laughed and picked up Epel, "we did went even deeper than we would've thought. I consider that a win than a dumb jewel, no offense, Vil."

"None taken."

Sil grinned and quickly ran off the cliff and onto the pond below, startling Epel. The others joined, reluctantly and/or happily, diving into the pond along with them, laughing to themselves.

🏝️

Here on our island, the days are a dream

Hanging together, we work as a team

And the magic extends

Through our family of friends

Here on our island, the fun never ends

🏝️

The night slowly formed as the moon and stars arrived. Everyone was ready to sleep to have a great day tomorrow. Sil was already passed out with everyone else, happy. But a shake startled everyone and awakened everyone, almost knocking everyone down.

It was Epel, who was sleep-running. Not a new occurrence, but it was a very bad occurrence, considering the tree branches he landed on shook once he landed. It was a nightmare, Sil concluded as he carefully grabbed the sleeping creature.

"Epel," Sil whispered, "hey, it's a nightmare, you're ok."

Epel flinched as he woke up, panting to himself. He looked up and cuddled against Sil, now sad.

"Oh dear, another nightmare?" questioned Rook.

"Interrupting my beauty sleep," groaned Vil, "..I wish i could be lazy as Leona. That lion didn't even woke up."

Sil sighed and got up. "I'll take him on a walk. It won't be a moment."

Sil got down and started to walk away, petting Epel.

"I'm sorry," muttered Epel, "I hate having these nightmares about them…"

"Oh, don't worry, I understand," Sil smiled, "I still have nightmares about the ocean at times as well. It's a normal thing, Epel. You don't need to be ashamed about then."

"…can you sing that lullaby again?'

"Of course," Sil grinned, letting Epel get on his shoulders.

🏝️

Sun goes down, and we are here together

Fireflies glow like a thousand charms

Stay with me, and you can dream forever

Right here in my arms

🏝️

"Where did you learn that song again?" Epel asked.

"I don't know," Sil shrugged, "I've always just known it…but I hear someone sing it in my dreams often. Maybe that's how."

🏝️

It's magic when you are here beside me

Close your eyes, and let me hold you tight

Everything that I could ever need is

Right here in my arms tonight

🏝️

"Sing me the other part too?" Epel asked sheepishly, "I like it.."

"Okay," Sil laughed, "but you know I don't remember all the words. But always for you."

🏝️

La la la

La la la

Stars begin to climb

La la la

La la la

La la la la la

La la la la la

🏝️

Sil grinned happily as he heard Epel snore on his head.

"Good night, Epel." Sil grinned and walked back to the three and rested Epel in his makeshift nest, petting him.

In the distance, Sil saw something big that swayed side and side on the waters. He just managed to make it, but he didn't know what the mysterious figure was. But he wanted to rest his head and close his eyes, dealing with it in the morning.

But that was a bad idea, as he witnessed a nightmare he had for years ever since his rescue. He found himself sinking in the waters below, finding it hard to breathe as he tried to surface every moment, a ship in the distance, a light being his only source to see. He also heard a voice, calling out to him, but it was muffled, unable for Sil to understand.

It caused him to wake as the daylight hit his face.

"Wha…"

"Another boat?" yawned Leona.

"What?" Sil questioned and got down to Leona to see. "A boat…I saw that last night. I couldn't recognize it, it was so far."

"I wonder why it's here." Vil scoffed.

"Maybe we should look?" Epel gasped, running towards the boat.

"Epel! Wait!" Sil gasped and ran after him.

🏝️

The boat was at the shore, with four people now leaving footprints on the sand. Each person was different and each had an odd reaction to being on the unknown island.

The first one was Prince Ruggie, who was unsurprised. He was a prince of a small island so being on one wasn't much of a surprise, so he knew how to navigate around the island and was marked as the guide in the expedition.

The second was Ruggie's betrothed fiance, Prince Riddle Rosehearts, who was the only one who was unfamiliar with the area. But he was convinced by his mother to go to bond with Ruggie as they were to marry by the end of the month. Riddle wanted to object but couldn't at the hands of his mother being his mother.

The third was Prince Malleus, a young prince who was known for wanting to adventure. It was uncommon when King Lilia, the fourth visitor, invited him. They were close when Malleus was a young dragon and they continue that bond. Malleus was the one who recommended traveling in the first place, as a bonding experience.

But he knew why he did it. King Lilia was the only adult on the expedition and tried to be chipper despite a tragedy in which date was nearby, and was trying to hide his uncomfortability with a smile every time he was asked if he was ok. Malleus knew this and made sure that Lilia was even ready for being on a boat. Lilia managed himself, which helped Malleus calm down.

So these four looked at the island in front and Malleus was the lead, with Lilia following.

🏝️

Nothing beats a brand-new shore

Streaming into view

After weeks of the waves

The thrill of somewhere new

All the riches of the world

Can't compare to these

Golden sand and silver clouds

The fragrant island breeze

🏝️

"And he;s off," Lilia laughed, "Ah, Malleus. Even now you wonder off."

"And I'm worried it was habit of his," Ruggie muttered to himself, watching Lilia following Malleus deep into the woods.

"Should we follow them?" Riddle pondered.

"Yeah, just in case he does get lost. I don't think he can survive this island," Ruggie laughed and walked forward.

🏝️

What will I discover next, it's all a mystery

Different every day

There's so much to do and learn and touch and hear and see

Just a step away

🏝️

Sil looked at them from within the bush, now curious. He walked closer to them to get a better look at the new people, but the animals did not have the same response, now annoyed, worried, and beyond afraid.

🏝️

It has no trunk

It has no tail

It's not a fish

It's not a whale

It has no feathers, I can see

I have to say, it looks like me!

It must be bad

It can't be good

Let's run and hide

I think we should

Just close your eyes, it goes away

This doesn't happen every day!

🏝️

Sil immediately went towards the strangers for a much closer look, even the trees didn't carry him carefully. But he managed to see who and remembered the features.

🏝️

Feeling the excitement grow

Every single stride

Sun above and earth below… whoa!

🏝️

Sil gasped as the humans fell down a massive ditch and he rushed down, knowing what awaiting them below.

At the bottom, Ruggie groaned, looking at the swamp-like area. "Well, I had worse pitfalls in my life. Being covered in dirt and almost in mud is not that bad."

Riddle quickly helped Ruggie up, "My bad, I wasn't looking where I was going,"

"Ah, happens to the best of us, I'm sure," Lilia chuckled, stretching his back, "That's part of the experience of traveling, I'd say."

Malleus looks around, now walking around.

"But I saw something in the trees," Riddle admitted, "like…a someone. Not an animal, per say, but…a person?"

"But this place has been abandoned for years," Malleus spoke up, "no humans have been on this island. If this place wasn't discovered, why is there a human here?"

"I know what I saw, Draconia," Riddle scoffed.

"Hmm, understandable, Riddle,"

A snarl was heard, which made Ruggie's ears twitch at the vibration. His eyes scanned the forest area, and three pairs of eyes glared at them from the darkness, more snarls were heard as their eyes went closer. Ruggie, now with everyone else, watched and backed up from the newly found crocodiles.

"Did we fall into a crocodile pit?" Lilia whispered.

"Oh, what rotten luck," Riddle groaned. "I knew exploring was a bad idea."

"You didn't protest when we entered the boat," Malleus mentioned, "and frankly no one could have planned this, island trips can be unpredictable. Knowing this mysterious island, this was bound to happen."

"I suppose you are right," Riddle took a breath, "sorry about that."

"No worries..but how do we get rid of the crocodiles?"

The one in the middle snapped his jaw, ready to eat the legs in front of them. The rest started snapping, trying to eat anything close to their mouths.

"Excuse me?" Called an unfamiliar voice.

The group watched as an unknown silver-haired boy swung forward onto a rock, looking down at the crocodiles, and crossed his arms.

"Gwendolyn," he lectured the crocodile by Riddle, "is this how we treat guests? Especially ones who entered your home?"

The crocodile, Gwendolyn, growled sadly in response.

"How is he…" Malleus gasped.

"Geo, don't," the stranger lectured again.

A snap made Lilia jump as the crocodile swam away upset.

Ruggie glared at the third one, but he was relentless until the stranger came by and petted the crocodile. This made the crocodile smile and groaned happily.

"Nice to know you still love pets, Georgio,"

Ruggie took a moment to actually look at the stranger. Silver hair that is rare and beautiful purple eyes that were soft towards the cranky crocodile, with a matching smile. He must've been here for years, Ruggie concluded, especially when he didn't have clothes. But it was still early to ask.

The group was stunned as the crocodile backed away and slid back into the murky waters. The stranger smiles and looks over at them, standing up,

"I apologize," he spoke, "they can be hungry when seeing something new. I suppose I did forget to get them some of the mangos I have found."

"No, no," Lilia stammered, "I apperiete that you have saved us from being eaten."

"I only did what I could. I understand how they can be odd to new friends, and don't know how to express themselves."

"That begs the question," Malleus questioned, "who are you?"

🏝️

"Sil? That's your name?" Ruggie asked, looking at the newfound chest they saw in the tree.

"I suppose so," Sil answered with a soft chuckle, "It was the only clue we have about who I am."

"So, you have no memory?" Riddle pondered, "How long have you been here?"

"I haven't been keeping check," Sil sighed, "but for a long time, I'm guessing. Just not knowing about who I am was never something I thought off, but now you guys are here."

"But I feel we are ignoring a big thing about you," Ruggie spoke up, "You…talked to the crocodiles, like it was nothing."

"And you guys don't?"

"I can," Ruggie noted, "cause I am part beast, it's natural, but a mere human like yourself couldn't."

"Hm, that is odd." Malleus hums, "Humans such as you could never have powers like that, unless it's been self-taught."

"Really? I simply woke up with this."

Everyone went silent for a moment, now confused about this mysterious man and his connection to this abandoned island. Lilia took a breath before walking over.

"Well, since you saved us, how about we get acquaintance with your friends?" Lilia asked.

"Yeah, but mind you, they haven't saw a human in years, or they have never seen a human before. So, I apologize if they are a bit defensive."

Sil smiled and walked down the trees to meet up with the group of animals that he called his friends.

"Are you ok?!" Vil immediately questioned, checking Sil for any wounds. "Ugh, you need to stop going off like that. My feathers can't handle all that stress, you know."

"I'm sorry, Vil, but I couldn't let the crocodiles eat them. As far as I'm concerned, they're innocent. And you know how the crocodiles get hungry when we miss their feeding schedules. So," Sil paused, "who forgot?"

"Wasn't it Leona's turn?" Epel pondered and looked at the yawning lion.

"Hmm, was it? I had no idea," Leona yawned, "I was simply taking a nap."

Sil sighed. "We really need to find a way to remind you, Leona."

The others watched in amazement.

"He's…he's having a actual conversation with them," Riddle gasped, "Like…talking to them."

"Yeah, he is," Malleus added, and smiled, "this is such a marvel."

"But what should we do with this?" Lilia asked, "I mean, he's a human who lives among animals, and I do worry for his develpment."

"What's your plan?" Malleus wondered.

"You know what," Ruggie sighed, "Should we take him with us?"

The red panda's ears sprouted up and he rushed over to Ruggie with his angry look, jumping up and down in protest.

"No! No! You can't take him with you, you mean humans!"

"Woah! Epel!" Sil gasped and grabbed him, "It's ok, they're not going to tale me away."

Ruggie's ears twitched, "Hmm, well, I guess that's options over."

"Well," Sil spoke, "I don't mind the suggestions, but I can't leave my friends here. They'll miss me."

"Oh, how true that is," Rook sighed, "We would miss him ever so dearly."

"Then we can take them with us," Lilia recommended, "I mean, the kingdom shouldn't mind it. Especially since I am part of the royal committee, I can convince them."

"Lilia," Malleus sighed, "you always use the committee to get your way."

"Your grandmother always helped me with those votes, and even your young mother, bless her heart." Lilia laughed, "And doesn't the Kingdom of the Sunset Savana have a beautiful scenery for him to stay in?"

"…Yeah, we do. And my grandma' loves new guests."

Sil looks at the animals, "Well, are you guys ok with this? It's a big ask."

"Well, I don't mind," Rook smiles, "I have been all around the world, and teaching you about the sights would be fantastic."

"Well, I'm not leaving you by yourselves!" Vil added, "You guys are reckless and someone as mature as me should come along, and of course, Leona, you have to come too."

"Ugh," groaned Leona, "fine. But I am not doing anything."

"Since when do you do?" Epel muttered before looking up at Sil, "I wanna come too! To protect you, Sil!"

Sil smiles and pets his head, "Thank you, Epel."

"Well, what do you say? Want to come with us?" Lilia offered.

Sil looked back at the ship and nodded. "Yeah, I'm ready."

[barbariankingdom]

Sir Francis Drake returned from his voyage round the world with this coconut. Elizabeth I had it engraved, mounted and given back to him. Today the cup can be viewed at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.

[jasminebutintaiwansojiemin]

July 22nd, 2024 星期一 - NCCU tour, Taipei Zoo, Teahouse in the Mountains

This morning I was so extremely tired so I woke up around 8:45 am and got ready to go to a nearby bakery for breakfast. I sped over there and ended up buying a ham and Swiss croissant and a walnut cinnamon bun thingy. They were pretty tasty and fairly cheap. I then met up with my class and we headed out on a (non-party) bus to visit NCCU, our professor’s alma matter hehe. It was definitely a long drive there but I just ate my pastries on the way. I carried my new water bottle with me all day but quite literally never filled it up 😭

Our first stop at the university was the international dorm, where we were greeted by some of the buildings staff. I lived in the international dorm back when I was a freshman so it was interesting to see what theirs looked like. It was a seven floor building that included both single and double rooms. The size of the single room we toured was at least twice that of the ones at UF. The rooms also had a balcony, its own bedding, and a fairly large mini fridge.

Next we toured the common area which was pretty large BUT lacked a real stove or oven. It was also pretty interesting that there were little cards everywhere with the Chinese name and pinyin of random items such as the fridge and fire extinguisher. The NCCU representative told us that the building is 90% international students and 10% Taiwanese students, which is definitely more than the 60% American students to 40% international students at UF. But I guess having less Taiwanese students gives more space for international students to have housing. The representative also mentioned that a lot of the visiting students are finance majors.

After this, we headed to view the different study spaces around the building before hopping in the bus off to our next tour stop. We ended up at the Dah Hsien Seetoo library, which was donated in 2018 by the former MBA students of NCCU professor Dah Hsien Seetoo. The library was very nice and modern inside, although the temperature was abnormally warm. We toured around the different floors and viewed spaces such as the study rooms and the maker space. Something I found interesting about the study rooms (for undergrads) is that instead of having individual spaces in a room, it was different cubicles you could reserve. For example, one room would have spots ABCDEF, and you would reserve seat D to study. For graduate students, however, there were also designated study spaces that they had the key to for whatever period of time. There is also something like that at UF in Library West, though less modern of course. In the maker space, there were multiple types of 3D printers, an engraver, and a heat press. All machines are free to use and long as you bring your own graphic or AI file to send to the machines.

At the end we visited a famous cafe in the bottom floor of the library. Some students got coffee and deserts but I was more interested in watching the ducks that lived in a little house outside by the nearby pond. There weren’t out when we first got there but later they came out and swam around. I went to the shore of the pond a few times to look at them better and they came onto the bank to play in the bushes. After the coffee shop, we headed out to NCCU’s version of University Blvd, a street with a lot of restaurants and boba shops. Some classmates and I decided on a dumpling shop down the street. I got pork and veggie potstickers, Korean style potstickers, and a pork and veggie wonton noddle soup. After lunch, we walked around for a bit and our professor bought us ice cream (<3) since it was so hot. I also ended up buying a passion fruit tea with coconut jelly.

We then headed to the zoo. It was a very very large zoo, it had a tram to take from one side to the other. We first viewed the kolas and pandas as a group. The kolas were so cute and fully. They looked very sleepy which I resonate with HEAVY. At first we couldn’t see much of the pandas, but after the zookeepers brought out their lunch, they were visible. They were so cute and large and fluffy. They almost looked fake haha. I visited the upstairs gift shop of the panda exhibit and bought a fairly good quality canvas tote bag with a drawn map of Taipei on it. Next, we took the tram to the reptile exhibit. There were more turtles and tortoises in this zoo than I think I’ve ever seen in my life. We explored several other exhibits afterwards— including the penguins, giraffes, elephants, sun bears, zebras, mandarin ducks, and Pygmy hippos. Something interesting about this zoo was the insane amount of food options. I feel like zoos in the U.S. barely have food places, and if they do, it’s super overpriced. At the end, we met with the rest of the class at the main gift shop. I folded last minute a bought a cute turtle keychain and a capybara with a turtle backpack (I might like turtles idk).

Next we took some group pictures outside before heading in the bus up a mountain to go to a famous teahouse. We got to experience the tea ceremony with jasmine tea (hehe) and I ordered some soy sauce braised chicken wings and a bowl of rice as a snack. After eating, I walked around outside and watched my classmates search for a large stick to beat up a spider so they could go down a path to cross a bridge to get closer to the nearby waterfall. There were some crazy mosquitos out there but thankfully our professor lent us mosquito spray when we had first got off the bus. I pet a very talkative orange cat while I was walking around outside (the cats in Taiwan so far tend got be so talkative). Eventually we did the drive home, where I showered, and then met with some of my classmates to get Indian food.

Academic Reflection

Taiwan Zoo was originally just the privately owned zoo of a Japanese man in the northern part of Taipei City. After just a year, the then Japanese government of Taiwan bought the land and turned it into a public park called the Maruyama Zoo (Maruyama is now called Yuanshan). After World War 2, the park was taken over by the ROC Taipei City government. One of the most popular animals was Lin Wang, an Asian elephant that worked during the second Sino-Japanese and relocated with the Kuomintang. He was the most popular animal until the zoo received 2 pandas from Mainland China.

In 1973 they made plans to build a modern zoo and after thirteen years, the original zoo in Yuanshan was closed and a new zoo in the southern part of Taipei was opened on New Year’s Day. The location was moved to accommodate more animals and give more space for the both the recreation and research sides to function. The new Taiwan Zoo is now one of the largest zoos in Asia, and focuses on the conservation and research of animals and insects. Something unique about this zoo is the Formosa animal area, where zoo visitors can see native Taiwanese animals such as Eurasian otters, Pangolins, and sika deer.