#had a lovely goulash today

[albertxylin]

Tacky Camouflage

A beer garden has high tables made of the tops of wine barrels, Tacky like every other surface that has served its tenure in a bar. The smell of stale cigarette smoke floats across the breeze Along with chewed conversation and gargled laughter. Expensive meals are ordered, With serving sizes and flavours that justify the price. Hidden gems are often overlooked because they look dirty or dull Or indistinguishable from an ordinary rock.

[withahappyrefrain]

Summary: The pain medication given to Bob after a training accident has some interesting, albeit endearing, side effects.

As you weave your way through the people, desperate to make it to the front desk, the words kept playing over and over in your mind.

Training accident. Had to eject.

The strong possibility always hung over in your mind, taunting you whenever he went to work. That one day you would receive that dreaded phone call.

And while you didn't get that phone call today the fact you came close was unnerving.

Hurt pretty bad. Needed surgery.

Your throat felt thick, as though you were almost choking on air. It was a surprise you could audibly tell the nurse at the front desk your name.

"He's still in surgery, Mrs. Floyd. You can wait in the lobby and we'll alert you when he's done."

Nodding because of your fear that if you spoke, the tears would spill out, you sat down in the uncomfortable chair.

You tried to people watch, see if you could spot someone you knew, who Bob knew. Tell you what happened.

But did you really want those horrible details?

No. You wanted to know that your husband was okay. That he would recover. That he would be back in your arms, where he belonged.

You could call his mom and sister, let them know what was happening. It could be comforting to hear their voices.

But it would also remind you that your husband was hurt and you didn't know if he was okay.

So instead, your fingers fiddled with his wedding ring that hung on the silver chain around your neck. He always gave it to you when he had missions.

That way you had a piece of him if anything happened.

"Mrs. Floyd?" You looked up to see a nurse standing near you.

"Your husband is all done with his surgery, he's-"

"Is he okay? How did his surgery go? Can I go see him?" The nurse took a step back at your numerous questions.

"His surgery went well. He's currently hopped on a lot of medication to reduce the pain, so he may be out of it. Once the doctor is done, you can go see him."

The next ten minutes were somehow even worse. Knowing Bob was so close, but not able to see him was absolute torture.

You practically ran when the nurse said he was ready for visitors.

The sight of Bob, eyes closed as he laid in the hospital bed, bandages covering his arms, hooked up to an IV bag was heartbreaking. Despite his tall, broad frame, he looked so small in that bed.

Maybe you should sit by the bed and wait for him to wake up. What even are the standard protocols when your husband has to eject from his plane and gets injured in the process?

Your feet had a mind of their own, bringing you to the bed. Then your hands had their own idea, reaching up to card your fingers through his ruffled dark blonde locks.

His shifted towards your touch, those beautiful blue eyes still closed.

"Hey love," you whispered before pressing your lips to his forehead. Seeing the rise of his chest with each breath brought you comfort; he was here, he came back to you, just like he promised.

A confused, drowsy hum left his lips as his eyes slowly opened.

"Robby?" You should take a step break. Should give him space.

But how could you, when those eyes deeper than the ocean looked up at you?

"Robby!" You all but threw yourself at him, burying your head into his neck, the comforting scent of sage filling your nostrils, "I'm so glad you're safe, I was beside myself when they called."

"I-huh?" His voice was drowsy and full of confusion. Makes sense, considering when he was last conscious, he was in a fighter jet, thousands of feet up in the air.

"Doctors say if you keep up your current trajectory, you'll be able to go home tomorrow. Gives me time to get your favorite meal ready."

"Beef Goulash?" Bob mumbled, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Of course! Your mom's recipe." You pressed your lips against one of his red cheeks before capturing his lips with yours. You couldn't help it. Your husband had survived, he was right there. How could you not kiss him?

"Am I in heaven?"

You couldn't help but laugh at Bob's question, shaking your head as you kissed him again.

"No Robby, you're at the Miramar Hospital."

Bob pulled away, confusion written all over his face, "But....you're an angel?"

You shook your head again, but without laughing this time, "Robby. You okay?"

"I.....I was in the air and Phoenix, she kept telling me to eject and I think I did? Then I woke up and you're....you're here and wow. You're stunning."

Your stomach fluttered at his compliment, "Of course I'm here," you grabbed the hand that wasn't hooked up to an IV bag, "What kind of wife would I be if I wasn't?"

Bob's nearly widened, "Wife? Did you say wife?"

Oh boy.

"Yes, I'm your wife. We got the rings and everything." You held up your hand, showing the gold wedding band, which matched the one Bob wore.

"We're married?" His eyes were as wide as saucers, hope and confusion dancing along those oceanic irises.

"We are. Have been for five years now."

"Five years?!" Bob put his hand over his heart, as if he were afraid of it jumping out of his chest, "Wow. I bet those five years have been wonderful."

"They have! And I will tell you all about them, after I get the nurse!"

You began moving to get up when a large hand grabbed yours.

"Wait!" You stopped to look at Bob, "Are you.....are you sure you're my wife? Not that I'm complaining it's just you're so beautiful and lovely and I....I'm....just Bob."

So the pain medication could make him temporarily forget you, but not his insecurities? Go figure.

"No, you are not just Bob. You are the smartest, sweetest, kindest, most amazing man I have ever met. You're a wonderful husband and father, and every day I'm thankful I get to wake up next to you."

A small albeit sweet lopsided smile appeared on Bob's face, before his eyes widened once again, "Wait....did you did you say father?"

You couldn't help but giggle, "Yes. You are the father to three cats, two dogs, a rabbit, and three amazing kids."

"I am? With you?" His body was practically buzzing with excitement. His eyes were shining so brightly as he looked at you in pure amazement.

"You are. In fact, we were working on our fourth kid before all this," You smiled slyly as your fingers reached over his forearms.

"We-oh. Oh. We were-we did-um, I'm just wow I'm just going to lie down, oh look there's a bed."

The nurses rushed in upon hearing the heart rate monitor increase.

One even asked, "What did you do?!"

"Told him he was married with children."

************************************

The next day, the nurses alerted you that after the pain medication had worn off, Bob did remember you as his wife.

According to them, he wouldn't stop talking about you.

"My wife! There she is!" You smiled at hearing Bob's cheerful voice, knowing he was there, safe and sound.

"Hey hot stuff, you ready to go home? Mack has been asking when you'll show the Wizard of Oz," you paused, "You know Mack? Our daughter?"

Bob chuckles while shaking his head, "Yes. I remember all my children, as well as my amazing wife."

"Good, though I was looking forward to you recreating our first date. Was hoping you would kiss me this time."

Bob pulled you into his lap, his hands cupping your face, "Guess I'll just have to kiss you for the rest of my life to make up for it."

His lips pressed against yours briefly before moving to your cheeks, then your forehead, then to your nose.

"I think I can deal with that," you giggled as he continued to pepper your face with light kisses.

"Me too darlin. Me too."

[its-avalon-08]

Hi! I would really like to see an excerpt with Mika Hakkinen. It appears that y/n is a Ferrari driver and Michael Schumacher's partner. And they have a strained relationship with Mika because of the opposing teams. And in one of the races, y/n gets into an accident, which makes Mika realize that in fact, his love for y/n is hidden under the confrontation and tension. And Mika confesses his feelings to her and it turns out that these feelings are mutual.

look at us (mh9)

✦ pairing - mika hakkinen x female!reader

✦ genre - crash, enemies to lovers, confessions, tears, fluff

The Hungarian sun beat down mercilessly on the Budapest paddock, turning the asphalt into a shimmering mirage. Sweat clung to my temples as I adjusted the scarlet cap perched atop my blonde curls, the prancing horse logo a stark contrast to the silver swarm of McLarens buzzing around the opposite end. Today was a particularly tense day; qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, and the championship battle was reaching a fever pitch.

Michael, my teammate at Ferrari, was nowhere to be seen. Probably strategizing with the engineers, his laser focus a stark contrast to my current state of simmering annoyance. The culprit? Mika Hakkinen, the stoic Finn from McLaren who currently held a slender lead in the championship.

He was by the McLaren motorhome, his tall, lean frame clad in their trademark blue. Even from a distance, I could feel the icy aura radiating from him. There was a time, back in the junior categories, when Mika and I had a grudging respect for each other, maybe even a flicker of something more. But that was a lifetime ago, buried under the avalanche of team loyalty and championship aspirations.

A shadow fell across me. I looked up to see Michael, his steely gaze scanning the paddock. His jaw clenched when he spotted Mika. "There he is," he muttered, his voice laced with barely concealed disdain.

"Always a sight for sore eyes," I replied, my tone flippant but laced with a bitterness I couldn't quite hide.

"Don't let him get to you, (Y/N)," Michael said, his hand briefly brushing mine before pulling away. "He's just trying to play mind games."

"Mind games or not," I retorted, "he's leading the championship. We need to focus on closing that gap."

Michael nodded curtly, then strode off towards the Ferrari garage, the tension between us as thick as the Hungarian goulash wafting from a nearby vendor.

A glint of silver caught my eye. Mika was walking towards the McLaren garage, his head down, a frown etched on his face. As he neared, our eyes met. Time seemed to freeze. His expression, usually unreadable, flickered with a hint of something...else? Annoyance? It was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Well, well," he drawled, his voice a low rumble, "the Scuderia sweethearts out for a stroll?"

"Just soaking up the pre-race atmosphere, unlike some who seem perpetually grumpy," I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended.

He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of a smile playing on his lips. "Always the firecracker, aren't you, (Y/N)?"

"And you're always the iceman," I countered, a childish urge to throw my half-eaten energy bar at him warring with the professional need to maintain composure.

He chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Maybe that's what makes this rivalry so interesting, wouldn't you say?"

Our eyes locked again, a spark of something electric crackling between us. Before I could respond, a voice boomed from behind me. "There you are, (Y/N)! Let's go over the telemetry."

It was our race engineer, effectively shattering the charged moment. Mika gave a curt nod and disappeared into the McLaren garage. I turned to follow my engineer, a frustrated sigh escaping my lips.

The battle lines were drawn, the tension between us palpable. As I walked away, I couldn't help but steal a final glance back at the McLaren garage. Mika was nowhere to be seen. But a strange feeling lingered, a premonition that this race, and this season, would be anything but ordinary.

🏁🏁 race day🏁🏁

The race at Monza was notorious for its high speeds and hairpin turns, and today was no exception. The stands were filled with eager fans, and the atmosphere crackled with anticipation as the drivers lined up on the grid.

“And we’re off! A fantastic start from Michael Schumacher, but look at Y/N in the Ferrari, right on his tail!” the commentator’s voice blared over the speakers, capturing the intensity of the moment.

Mika Häkkinen was just behind them in his McLaren, eyes focused, hands steady on the wheel. As the race unfolded, the battle between Ferrari and McLaren grew fiercer with each lap.

“Y/N is really pushing that Ferrari to the limit today!” another commentator noted. “She’s neck and neck with Schumacher and Häkkinen!”

But as they approached the infamous Parabolica turn, disaster struck. In a split second, Y/N’s car clipped the edge of the track, sending her spinning out of control. The Ferrari smashed into the barriers with a sickening crunch of metal.

“Oh no! Y/N’s had a massive crash at Parabolica!” the commentator’s voice was filled with shock and concern. “This doesn’t look good at all.”

Mika’s heart dropped. “What the fuck was that?! Is she okay? What’s the status on Y/N?” he demanded over the radio, his voice tight with worry.

“Stay focused, Mika. We need you to concentrate on the race,” his engineer responded, but Mika couldn’t get Y/N out of his mind.

“I need to know she’s okay for fucks sake,” Mika insisted, his voice betraying more emotion than he intended.

“Mika, stay with us. We’ll update you as soon as we have news.”

As the safety car was deployed and medical teams rushed to the scene, the tension in the air was palpable. Mika’s eyes kept darting to the spot where Y/N’s Ferrari lay crumpled against the barriers.

“Come on, Y/N, you have to be okay,” he muttered to himself, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

The commentators were in a flurry of speculation and updates. “The medical team is with Y/N now. We’re hoping for the best. This is a tough moment for everyone involved.”

Minutes felt like hours as Mika continued to race, his mind split between the track and the worry gnawing at him. Finally, an update crackled through his radio.

“Mika, we have news. Y/N is conscious and being taken to the medical center. She’s banged up but stable.”

A wave of relief washed over Mika, though his concern remained. “Thank you. Please, keep me updated on her condition.”

As the race continued, Mika’s performance was driven by a new sense of urgency. His heart was no longer just in the competition but with Y/N, lying in the medical center.

After crossing the finish line, the race results were a blur to him. He parked his car and hurried through the paddock, ignoring the looks and questions from the media.

“Mika, any comments on today’s race?”

“No time,” he muttered, brushing past them. “I need to see someone.”

He found his way to the medical center, his heart pounding. There she was, lying on a bed, looking pale but awake. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, the tension and rivalry between them dissolved.

“Mika?” Y/N’s voice was weak but carried a hint of surprise.

He rushed to her side, his expression softening with genuine concern. “Y/N, thank fucking god you're okay. I just...” he trailed off, struggling to find the right words.

“You were worried?” she finished for him, a small, teasing smile playing on her lips.

“More than I’ve ever been,” he admitted, taking a step towards her gently. “I know we’ve had our differences, but seeing you like that… ”

Y/N squeezed his hand, her eyes softening. “I guess it took a crash to break through that thick skull of yours, huh?”

Mika chuckled softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. Mika took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Y/N’s. The medical staff quietly stepped back, sensing the gravity of the moment.

“When you first came to Ferrari,” Mika began, his voice shaky but determined, “I saw you as just another rival. Another driver I had to beat. You were Schumacher’s teammate, a part of that scarlet machine I was always chasing. But… you were different.”

Y/N’s eyes searched his, trying to understand the depths of his words.

“I remember the first time I saw you on the track,” Mika continued, his tone softening. “You were fierce, fearless, and so damn good. I was impressed, but I didn’t want to admit it. I couldn’t. You were my competition, and I had to keep you at arm’s length.”

He swallowed hard, the memories flooding back. “But the more I watched you, the harder it became to see you as just a rival. You were more than that. You were… captivating. Every time you overtook me or fought for a position, I felt this strange mix of admiration and frustration. I tried to ignore it, to push it down, but it only grew stronger.”

Mika’s voice grew more intense, his emotions bubbling to the surface. “I hated how you made me feel. Vulnerable. Human. I wasn’t supposed to care about you, but I did. I found myself looking for you in the paddock, wanting to see you smile, even if it wasn’t at me. And when I saw you with Schumacher, laughing, talking, I felt this burning jealousy that I couldn’t understand. Why did it matter to me?”

He ran a hand through his hair, the frustration evident. “I tried to convince myself it was just competition, that I wanted to beat you more than anyone else. But it wasn’t that. It was you. Your strength, your passion, your kindness. I couldn’t stop myself from falling for you, even though I knew it was impossible.”

Mika’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, his voice breaking. “Every time we exchanged those snide comments, every time we clashed, it was my way of dealing with what I couldn’t say. I was afraid. Afraid of what it meant, afraid of losing focus, afraid of you.”

He took a deep breath, his hand trembling as he held hers. “But today, when I saw you crash, everything became clear. All those fears, all those walls I built—they crumbled in an instant. The thought of losing you… it was unbearable. I realized I’d been lying to myself all this time.”

Mika’s grip tightened, his eyes locking onto hers with a fierce intensity. “Y/N, I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you, and I’ve been a fool to hide it. You mean more to me than any race, any victory. You are my heart, my soul, and I can’t bear the thought of living without you.”

Tears streamed down Y/N’s face, her hand reaching up to touch his cheek. “Mika, I…”

He pressed his forehead to hers, his voice a whisper. “Please, Y/N. Tell me it’s not too late. Tell me you feel the same.”

Y/N’s lips trembled as she nodded, her voice choked with emotion. “I do, Mika. I’ve always felt the same way, but I was just as scared. Scared of not being good enough for you. Of not being the one you wanted. But every day I used to search for you. Search for your eyes in the crowd. Mika, I love you too. Maybe we've been too caught up in this rivalry to see what's been right in front of us."

Mika's heart skipped a beat, a smile breaking across his face. "Y/N, I..."

"Shh," she interrupted gently, reaching out to touch his cheek. "Actions speak louder than words, Mika Häkkinen."

Mika let out a shaky breath, his tears mingling with hers as they held each other, the weight of their confessions lifting, leaving only the raw, beautiful truth of their love.

With that, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, a gentle but unmistakable declaration of the feelings they had both kept hidden beneath the surface of their rivalry. In that moment, surrounded by the echoes of the race and the scent of the paddock, Mika knew that their relationship had taken a new and promising turn—a journey from adversaries to partners, both on and off the track.

[gauloiseblue]

Gaz x cook!reader. We all can tell army food is shit but dam can you make a bowl of mush taste like heaven. And it seems your skills have gotten through the belly and to the heart of the 141's pretty boi leaving him head over heels for your adorable form. Dressed in a head scarf, to keep hair out of your face, and an adorable apron brought from home all he wants is that pretty smile directed at him.

A/N: I noticed that cook!reader has become a trend in this fandom nowadays? Not that I'm complaining. Also, *crack my knuckles* it's time to write a jealous boy

The first time he tasted the food at the new base, he thought his tastebud was playing trick on him. Because there's no was a mere rice could taste this good.

But his confusion only lasted for a second, because he saw his friends made the same expression.

"Bloody hell," His captain grunted, "I don't mind gettin' tough missions if I get to eat this food everyday."

"Cheers to that." He chuckled as he scooped a spoonful of rice.

At that time, he didn't know who were the cooks yet, but he's determined to find out.

The kitchen in the military base isn't as strict as restaurant's one, so people can come in and out of the room. He uses that opportunity to pay a 'visit' to where you're stationed.

Judging by your uniform, you're not the head of the chef. But the one who runs around, checking each of the stations is you. He spots a few soldiers who stand at a distance (he soon found out that it's for hygienic reason, to minimize the contamination in the kitchen) while trying to talk with you. Unlike a cold-faced chef who hates distractions, you politely respond to them, while focusing on your job at the same time.

That sparks something in him, as he finds himself wanting to get to know you. But he knows better than disturbing you in your working hour.

Those soldiers might be lucky to get your attention for now, but he's confident that he'll get thrice as much sooner or later.

The kitchen's busy at the time when the soldiers are on the break, but when it's time for training, you and the other chefs would get the time to rest. So he, as a member of the special force, gets the privilege to arrange his schedule.

He starts his training earlier, so by the time he finishes, he'll get the time to visit the kitchen. The chefs like to hang out at the break room, but when he walks in, he finds that you're not there, so he goes to the second location.

In the back of the kitchen, there's a pantry where the food ingredients are stored. He had a feeling that you'd be there, so he went there.

And he's right.

You had just checked the tomatoes when he knocked on the door. The sound makes you jump, as you look at the open door with wide eyes.

"Sorry," He raises his hand to calm you down, "Didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh." You clear your throat, "It's fine. I just… didn't notice you there. Do you need anything?"

"No." He smiles, "I came to say that I loved today's lunch. It's the most delicious food that I've had all week."

You blush upon hearing his words, "You flatter me, thank you."

"So what are you cooking for tonight?"

"I was thinking about making beef goulash, but I noticed that we still have chickpeas, so," You hum as you think, "It's either of the two."

"You're making Moroccan beef stew?" He raises his brow at you, and you nod.

"That's what I'm planning to. I haven't decided yet." You said, "What do you think?"

"You know which one I'd pick." He grinned as he picked the paprika, "You have enough cilantros?"

"Of course." You giggle as you take the veggie from him, "It's settled then."

Since that day, it becomes a habit of him to visit the kitchen and talk to you for an hour or two. You're shy at first, but once you're comfortable with him, you become a lovely chatterbox. You'd talk to him about foods, kitchen operations, and plans for dinner. Breakfast and lunch menus are already handled by the head chef, since they require not much of a job. But the dinner is entirely your responsibility, since it's the most varied meal of the day.

"What do you think is the most important asset for a cook to have?"

"I don't know. Hands?"

You shake your head, "Try again."

"Hmm, let me think." He closes his eyes, while pretending to ponder on, "Brain?"

"Wrong." You laughed.

"What is it then?"

"Tongue." You replied as you pointed at our mouth, "You won't have any idea how good your food is if you can't taste it."

"Is it really?" He chuckled, "Then what about knife skills? Or time management?"

"They're also important to have, but at the end of the day, taste is all that matters." You tilt your head, "Right?"

"Can't argue with that."

One day, he's caught by Price when he's about to leave after training.

"You've been leaving awfully soon these days," He stops at his track as he feels his captain's gaze on him, "Does it have something to do with the cook?"

He sheepishly grins, as he turns to his mentor, "Maybe."

Price studies his face, before letting a long sigh, "You're dismissed. But—" He interjected before he could leave, "You better tell her to make shepherd's pie."

He chuckles at the request, "Not tonight, Cap. Maybe tomorrow."

When he arrives at the kitchen that day, he sees you already in your apron. You're about to put your hair in the head scarf when you notice him standing at the door, with his mouth slightly open.

"Hi." You greeted him as you smoothed out your hair, "I need to do a little bit of prep, so I start earlier."

"Oh… I see."

"You can stay, though." You shot him a smile, as you fixed your headband, "I could use some company."

"Don't mind me then."

He takes the seat near your counter, watching you as you bring up the large pan.

"Need a hand?"

"No." You said with a grin, "I'm pretty strong, you know."

He snorts in amusement when you show him the muscles in your arm, which is clearly less defined than his, or even any private's.

"I know, but I'm sure you could use some help."

"I'm fine." You told him, "Besides, I don't have any spare aprons."

"What a shame." He feigned a frown, so bad that it made you laugh.

"Well," You spoke as you started to chop the onions, "Entertain me then. Tell me about your training."

There's not much to talk about, since his training was meant to be watched, not described. He doesn't tell much, but he mentioned the little chat that he had with the Captain.

"He wants cottage pie?" You raise your brows with curiosity, "I can make that, but we gotta wait until we get the right meat."

He mutters a small response, as he watches you cut the chickens into four pieces. You show such a focused expression, that he can't help but think if you're gonna make that face when you're making the shepherd's pie.

All of the sudden, the little remark that his Captain made isn't as nice as it sounded before.

"Why'd you stop?" You looked at him when you noticed that he's been quiet for a while.

"Nothing." He replied, "I just remembered that I don't like meat pie."

"That's too bad." You frowned, "Don't worry though, cottage pie isn't really a meat pie."

He stares at you, and thinks about his Captain's request. He wouldn't say that he's being generous, but in this case, he was.

"I know, but I like your stew better."

"You're so sweet." He saw your eyes crinkled as you chuckled, "We'll make that Moroccan stew again, yeah? Or do you want something else?"

He felt his chest swell when you asked him the question. You offered to cook for him, you'd cook what he wants.

Perhaps you had asked that question to someone else—someone who has visited your kitchen longer than him—but he didn't care.

For the first time in his life, he doesn't feel like sharing.

[theladyofbloodshed]

Congratulations on your wedding and marriage! hope you and your husband have wonderful days ahead in the future!

Thank you so much! We had a lovely day with just 7 guests, but today we will host a few more in the garden and cook goulash on the fire etc, true Slovak way 🥰 we also have loads of cake left 🐷

[channelinglament]

Eyyy Happy birthday to me <3

Let's pretend that you share birthday with me if it's not your bday today

if you do share it with me, then happy birthday to you too!<33

This is a small birthday special...blurb? Idk

All the gifs were made by @hitechlatte

..............

Raph

Probably was preparing for it for a whole 2 weeks

He got you a gift card, a gift (I think he tried cooking for you but failed and endned up buying you a teddy bear), your fave flowers and of course - Himself.

By that I mean he literally follows you around doing anything with you.

You two probably went to park (or Todd if you like animals/puppies) and lost the track of time. He didn't really let you walk btw

it's your day, whether you celebrate it or not, he's here to make it better <3

It's your special day after all

Leo

I feel like he had a whole plan for the day since first knowing when your bday was.

I think he didn't really sleep

He made Mikey cook, bought you something cool and weird, probably made something himself! Portales you somewhere nowhere, had adventure with you, congratulated you two surviving it, dedicated a whole poem for you and ofcourse- Pizza

He made you a pizza, giant one

Probably made your favorite or just mashed whatever you like to eat together even though it may not go together well

Anything else, like cake - made by Mikey

You too had a crazy day

If you prefer quiet peaceful days, then you two watched shows/played whatever you like to play/ doing your hobby, eating your favorite food, and just enjoyed each other's company.

Basically his gift to you was this amazing memory of this day ☆

Donnie

Same as Leo-

Made you a robot similar to Shelldon, now you have two have 2 kids

Ordered your favorite food

You two played video games! And watched some cool or awful sows to diss on them and laugh at how bad it is.

I also think he asked you what you want and bough you it?

Two words: Lazer tag (?)

You know, like the one where April met Sunita. I think it's called Lazer tag, if not then sorry :")

He wore his purple Hoodia and went playing

You won.

You spent a lot of time together, just chatting and making yourself superior lmao

Best birthday ever lmao (I like winning-)

Mikey

My goodness, he probably is the best when it comes to birthdays-

He cooks all, and I mean ALL your favorite dishes/foods

It doesn't matter that don't go together, you like it? That's all that matters

You can eat ice cream and cake and then pizza and then goulash and etc lmao

You probably visited your favorite places, did your hobbies together (if you're an artist too, you were both doing whatever art you're in for! Or all-)

He probably made you a painting-

I hc that he has a camera memory so he could draw you without you being nearby

That's his gift

One of them-

He probably also made you the "love you like a candy note"

Uhh idk how it's called, but I call it that way-

Basically a journal that compliments you and has a candy attached to you

"You're my only choice, unlike twix" "You don't need snickers to be yourself" "Let's get these bounties done" (yes genshin since it's my birthday and it doesn't matter that I play it rarely)

Probably even sang your fave songs along with you (or himself if you don't like singing)

You two definitely had a slumber party

Fairy Lights, Throw Pillows, Matching Robes, Snacks, Drinks, you name it

You drew on his shell

Fondue: Warm chocolate, fresh strawberries, and soft marshmallows

You can't tell me he won't/can't do that

Sorry if it's a bit ooc

Yet again, happy birthday to me and those who share it with me!

I wish us an amazing day, whether you celebrate it or not. Make a wish, just do it even without the cake

It should work because of the "birthday magic"

Never worked for me, but I like to say it does? It works on any other day for some reason

I am sending you a virtual hug

Here, have some love, 'cuz you're epic ✨️🩵❤🧡💜

[healthierlady]

Jan 17, 25

Breakfast

Buckwheat porridge with oat milk

Lunch

Buckwheat with goulash and yummy tomato sauce

Banana

3 cookies

Dinner

Olives

Deli meat

======================================

Summary: No idea if I ate a lot today or what, but I've been feeling extra full all of today, especially after lunch, so had a light dinner.

Did stretches earlier because the pain levels decreased a bit and that felt really nice. It's amazing how moving your body can really help with that yucky "stuck" feeling I get in my body when I spend most of my time lying down.

Just little joys when me and my body can cooperate a little bit.

So I'd say that overall, today has been pretty decent! A really good food day that was very peaceful, and a decent pain levels day! 💪

Also, totally random, but doing "for you" activities can be really healing after you were unable to do stuff because of challenges with mental or physical health. I watched a funny film today called "Mon Crime" (French, absurd comedy, loosely based on a play), and it was just lovely and made me laugh a bunch. Little joys really matter.

[laurenetuttle]

Rhine River Cruise Day 3 (December 16th, 2024)

Today was a lovely day! Unfortunately, neither Liz nor I slept all that well last night. I slept for a couple of hours, but once the unisom wore off, I was kept waking up. I’m kept going back to sleep and then waking up and I’m pretty sure I was wide awake by 5:30 AM. Liz slept for a total of maybe three hours last night. That wind up actually getting out of bed around eight in the morning and getting ready for the day and having breakfast in the hotel. I I forgot to include in my blog post from yesterday that I straightened my hair with an adapter at the end of it. And the adapter got stuck in the plug in the bathroom. And I ended up having to ask for hotel maintenance to bring their pliers to pull it out of the wall. Super embarrassing. Did not stick the adapter back in the wall after that. After breakfast, we finished packing up all of our stuff and left it outside of our room. The hotel Porter came to pick up our stuff and store it for the day until we were going to leave for Basel. 

There were five of us from the group that signed up for the Mount Titlis tour. A giant bus came to pick the five of us up with our tour guide to drive us about 40 minutes to Engelberg. This means angel city. It was a stunning drive through the Swiss countryside over to the base of the mountain. Landscape is still just so green and it’s green all the way up the mountain until the snow line. It was absolutely fascinating. Once we got to the base in the mountain, we were already passed the snow line. I was a little bit worried about it being very cold at the top of 10,000 feet. So we had brought all of the layers. We hopped out of the bus and we hopped onto our first gondola ride. We rode the gondola about 2/3 of the mountain and then switched into something called a rotair. Which was a spinning gondola. This spun 360° very slowly so that it didn’t matter what side of the gondola you were on you could see views of every direction. We then made it to 10,000 feet and it was an absolutely stunning day. The guide kept saying how lucky we were to visit on a day like that. We could see 4 miles in each direction and there were no clouds. It was absolutely beautiful to be at a very high mountain in the middle of the Swiss Alps. It’s also a ski resort. So we saw lots of skiers and snowboarders. We also saw some paragliders, which was really fascinating. We went outside and took a lot of pictures. It wasn’t nearly as cold as I thought it was going to be. Particularly because we were standing in the sun and there wasn’t much wind. I ended up having to takeoff one of my four layers. We then walked over to the highest suspension bridge in Europe. And we crossed this see-through bottom suspension bridge 150 feet to the other side and then back. It actually wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be. but it did do a lot of swinging back-and-forth when people were walking really fast. We got lots of fun pictures and enjoyed the stunning views. After that, we then headed inside for lunch and had a beautiful view of the Swiss Alps while we were eating. Both Liz and I had goulash for lunch. Unfortunately, I managed to get it on my scarf and my sweatshirt. So the end of my sweatshirt is a little orange. And I tried to wash my sweatshirt in the sink when I got to the boat today. We will see if the stain comes out. After lunch, we walked into a cave drilled into the middle of an ancient glacier. That was pretty neat. They also had some ice sculptures in the cave as well. We then walked to the souvenir shop and then headed back down the mountain. We then took the 40 minute bus ride back through the countryside to Lucerne to pick up the rest of the people from Viking, who were going to be on our boat that did not join us for the tour today. We made sure that our luggage made it onto the bus and took a bathroom break, but then we headed out for Basel. I really enjoyed our time in Lucerne. Switzerland is very beautiful. There are lots of random Christmas trees out in public and random places and almost every business has an advent wreath. Everybody here is very nice. And a lot of people speak English, which was helpful. The Christmas markets are not super grand at least in Lucerne. But it’s still a very beautiful country. I would definitely love to come back.

The bus ride took us about an hour and a half to get from Lucerne to our ship in Basel. We got to the ship at around 5 PM. Because we got here so late we didn’t have time to explore the city or the Christmas markets here at all. But that’s OK cause we’re going to see so many great Christmas markets on this trip. Once we checked in, we got our luggage and unpacked in our room. We then had a safety drill. We also learned about that amenities on board and a port for tomorrow. We then headed into the restaurant for a lovely dinner. We sat with the most interesting couple at dinner. It was an older gentleman in his 60s from Australia and his 28 year-old Australian girlfriend. He owns some sort of billboard advertising business in Australia and is into a lot of different business adventures. It was quite the interesting dinner conversation. And I tried to beat and feta quinoa salad. We also had a spinach, ricotta ravioli. And dessert was a plum cake. Dinner ended up taking about two hours. During dinner the boat also went through the first lock so that was cool to watch. We are now in our room getting ready for bed. Both of us are exhausted after the full day today and not having had much sleep last night. Tomorrow will be another full day. Our excursion tomorrow will be about eight hours. But we’re both very excited.

[lowryinbohemia]

Brasov

Hey guys! I know I’ve been a little radio silent for the past couple days and super sorry about that, but things have been busy and then we had a minor emergency and then I wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t feel up for writing my blog. However, my plan is to remedy that today! I’m gonna break this post up into two posts because a lot happened in the past three days and it’ll be a lot easier if I just did it in two posts.

So we started our full day in Brasov with a city walking tour, where we got to go up to this beautiful vista of one of the old towers, which gave us a huge panoramic view of the entire city. Mom, Pat and I of course, had to get a picture together with the beautiful view since the weather was so perfect. We then went to visit a very old synagogue in the city, where the orthodox Jewish population still attend services. There was also memorial outside the synagogue, dedicated to Jewish members from Brasov who were killed during the Holocaust. The inside of the synagogue was very, very beautiful and we got to see how the building has remained in really excellent condition due to the dedication of the small, vibrant Jewish community and Brasov. After touring the synagogue, we went to tour the Black Church, which is the second largest active place of worship in Europe, outside the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Inside the church, there were numerous fresco‘s, as well as tapestries that came from Istanbul, that are hung all around the church. It was hard not to get a sense of peace, as well as a sense of holiness as you walked around the entire location. For lunch we went to this adorable little café that actually used to be a brothel before it was certain restaurant; hence the name of the restaurant means “sweet hole”.

In the afternoon, Pat, Mom and I all went and did our own thing just hanging out and walking around the city. I went and spent some time, just looking in the shops, and I even went into one little candy stores and got myself a big bag of gummy candies so I could have a little sugar for our adventures coming up.

The next day we packed up our stuff and made an early morning start from Brasov towards Sighișoara. Along the way, we stopped and saw a whole bunch of different citadel in old ruins from the Saxon Empire, and learned about the different ways that the Germanic influences as well as Italian and French influences have played depart in development of Romanian culture. It was a heck of a lot of walking, and Lord knows my legs were tired, but it was a beautiful places to visit.

For lunch, we stopped at the little town of Viscri, which is actually a UNESCO heritage site. We went to this little café, where we had a home-cooked meal, which included some of the most delicious chicken noodle soup. I’ve ever eaten in my life, as well as Romanian goulash, which I’m going to admit I really enjoyed more than Hungarian goulash. But I think the highlight of the whole lunch was definitely the adorable Siamese cat that proceeded to walk around and love on all of us during our lunch. Believe me if I could’ve taken this kitten home with me I 100% would’ve.

We toured the church in Viscri and I made the intrepid trek to the top of the clock tower, which Mom did not make because she is terrified of heights, and I don’t blame her, but boy was my legs tired when I was done with that walk. We learned about how the community was very very close and had its own traditions regarding making decisions on changes to policy, laws, as well as getting together for community and religious events. We also learned how the young people grew up and became members of the community through a series of rituals where they were officially entered as members of the community. The church, though in rough condition, still held some of the original pews used by the parishioners of the small village. On the outside of the church were two memorials, dedicated to those who lost their lives in World War I and World War II that originally came from the village, with their house number to the side.

I will talk about getting to Sighișoara and all the mess that happened in the next post :-)

[peterlorrefanpage]

Wow! What a delicious find. (I mean, I still will always read Lorre interviews with major grains of salt but just seeing his name does it for me but good.) I do believe bits of it, such as the goulash and the salami. As to just wearing the pajama top - eeee! I'd like to believe that. Reminds me of a beautiful line in a Jeanette MacDonald/Maurice Chevalier movie ("Love Me Tonight"), where Jeanette's character is showing a woman friend of hers around their home. Paraphrased: Jeanette: Here are his pajamas *brandishing the pajama jacket* Woman friend: Where is the bottom half? Jeanette: *gives a most meaningful, roguish look at her friend* Friend: Oh! Pardon me. *smiling roguishly in turn* Peter sleeping alone, eh? Maybe after other activities. Maybe. And this: "He is five feet 5 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown prominent eyes, brown hair, and rosy cheeks. A strange villain." If he had to play villains, wouldn't one think the best kind of villain doesn't look like a villain? TSK. Anyway. RESEARCH TIME. I have done maybe 15 minutes of internet digging just now and come up with nothing overt on Sidney Skolsky + Peter Lorre + Hollywood. That was a fun rabbithole. I saw that Sidney wrote a regular newspaper/magazine column, which makes me think that above column was a column and not a book, or at least not yet. The release of "Crime and Punishment" was just a few days before that date. An example of one of those columns - in addition to what you've got above - is this April 29, 1944 piece (not about Peter Lorre). I'm going to leave a comment on there shortly, inquiring about 1935 columns. I did try to search for it but didn't come up with anything. Book Search This is not to say that there _wasn't_ a book at some point (or that the original poster didn't brandish a book cover as proof)!

-I could only find Sidney's "Times Square Tintypes" on Amazon and eBay and the like. which got me all excited until it sunk in that this book was (a) Not Hollywood, and (b) Written in 1930. (This source says written in 1932. Excerpt about Irving Berlin. Regardless, it's too early.) -There is a paperback, "This Was Hollywood Annual" that seems to be from 1955, and another "This Was Hollywood No. 2" also from 1955. He did a Marilyn Monroe-dedicated piece, and articles may have been included in Photoplay. -And there's a 1975 Sidney book titled "Don't Get Me Wrong - I Love Hollywood" which seems more promising to me for having Peter Lorre anecdotes. I hope to flip through it today - borrow it at archive.org! [ETA: No mention of Lorre, either in the index or in the book, though I did go through it super fast during work, heh.] -Otherwise, there could well be something in this crop of digitized newspapers from 1935 + "Peter Lorre".

-Sidney Skolsky papers that we can't get to.

I was going through some past emails and I found this post from my old Yahoo group

On Feb. 6, the "Old Movie Section" blog posted this "tintype" of Peter, written by Sidney Skolsky, taken from a book titled "Tintypes". Peter was working on "Crime and Punishment" at the time:

<<<< 11/27/1935 HCN Tintypes By Sidney Skolsky

Peter Lorre is in his dressing room. It generally takes him an hour to dress for his role in Crime and Punishment. He does this slowly, intentionally. He believes it aids him to portray the character.

He goes on the set and stands in for himself. He is one of the few big actors who do this. He poses under the hot lights while director von Sternberg arranges them and the camera. He does this because von Sternberg, who is particular about lighting a scene and an actor, asks him to do it. It means hard work for him, but he admires von Sternberg.

While on the set he has a favorite drink, a mixture of raspberry syrup and water. He makes everyone sample it. While making a flicker he doesn't eat much. His lunch consists merely of sliced fresh fruit, usually peaches.

He walks about, whether it be in the studio or in a restaurant, much in the same manner as he did in M. People who have seen him in this great flicker are scared when they first see him in person. He knows this and is greatly amused by it.

It was his excellent performance in M which got him a contract with Columbia. Before coming to America, he signed to play in the flicker, The Man Who Knew Too Much, to learn to speak English. He is good at languages and was quite adept at English in six weeks. He spoke better English in the latter reels of The Man Who Knew Too Much than he did in the beginning.

He was born in the village of Rosenberg, Hungary, on June 26, 1904. It was after he completed high school that he ran away from home to become an actor. In one early theatrical job he was given a three- line part. After the rehearsals the lines were taken away from him because he overacted. The director said he would be a standout by merely walking across the stage.

He is five feet 5 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown prominent eyes, brown hair, and rosy cheeks. A strange villain.

He speaks in a low, confidential voice which cannot be heard very far away. At the studio he will visit different offices. He amuses friends by acting and making faces. When telling a story he acts out all the characters.

He is a mild, pleasant person. He has a house at Santa Monica to which he invites his few friends for breakfast or dinner. He prefers to test by himself in his garden here. He seldom barks. He is not a visitor to the Hollywood gay places.

He enjoys watching tennis and football. His favorite sport is wrestling. He attends the bouts regularly. He once waited until after a match to ask Man Mountain Dean for an autograph.

He is married to Cecilie Lvovsky, an actress. They met when they were both appearing in the German play, "The Candidate," and were married when they met again in London. He was making a flicker. They were married during a lunch hour, and Lorre was in the make-up he used in The Man Who Knew Too Much. They haven't any nicknames for each other.

He makes charcoal sketches, landscapes and portraits, and is a good artist for his own amusement. He likes to listen to classical music. He detests bright red fingernail polish on women.

He insists that if he did not have to act, he would not. Acting, he says, is a child's profession for a grown up. "But," he slyly adds, "I love it."

When he isn't working he relishes a big meal. He likes Hungarian goulash and is especially fond of new potatoes in cream. He will talk about food and give a lecture on why a certain salami is better than another type of salami.

He is not at all particular about clothes. He doesn't try or pretend to be fashionable. He always carries plenty of baggage, most of which he never uses. He claims it looks good when you're traveling.

He likes cold showers and actually takes them.

He seldom carries money with him. Often he has run into a shop to buy a package of cigarets [sic], has found himself without a penny, and has had to write out a check for 15 cents. He sleeps alone in a twin bed. He wears pajamas, and on warm nights he wears only the jacket. He always reads himself to sleep.

He has a clause in his contract. Each day before work he is allowed to run into Boris Karloff's dressing room and frighten him.

[queen-of-scissors]

Hello there 💧anon

I don’t know if you celebrate Christmas but if you feel comfortable with it could you write something post imposter au where the reader is forgiving and all and the reader wants to celebrate but is walking on eggshells and is scared to introduce anything new as to not anger the acolytes and lots of comfort

Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate

İ. Must. Finish. This. Before. New year!!!!

Also i don't celebrate Christmas but i think i have a good understanding of the things thats done in it, so ill try my best ^^

İf i wrote something that sounds rude in anyway to any culture i apologise, feel free to correct me in the comments i love learning more about cultures :)

Happy Christmas or New year or Yule or whichever you celebrate :D ☃️❄️

masterlist

WARNİNGS: no specific gender, mentions of alcohol, angst with comfort, the reader is physically hurt in the flashback

___________________________________

Memories of the snow.

________________________________________

The warm weather of Dragonspine slowly caresses your face.

İt wasn't supposed to be warm, but then again, a lot of the thing that you lived through wasn't supposed to happen at all. Maybe it's because it's supposed to be codes, You had to start to get used to that.

İt hurt to walk, but you can't stop yet. İf you don't find something edible soon you might pass out from exhaustion, which could make you an easy target for your... Hunters.

Just as you think about food, you realize a sweet aroma filling the air.

Ever since you got here, you have been unbelievably lucky, maybe whichever god that's up there pitied you, or maybe this is a trap.

Either way, you slowly walk up the path, hoping to find a hilichurl camp and not fatui ones as the nice smell is getting stronger.

You couldn't help but daydream about the food you might eat, it doesn't smell like regular Hilichurl meat, which doesn't even smell at all. Maybe it's 'goulash'? The food for Dragonspine that helps you to survive longer in the harsh wind. Though you don't really need it in this condition.

Maybe it's not red meat, it smells less strong for it, is it 'sweet Madame'? You always wanted to eat some ever since you fell here. You tried to recreate it but all you could do was eat chicken that tasted like grass.

As the smell is getting closer, you slowly begin to wake up.

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

"Your highness? Are you still resting?"

You opened your eyes, and your golden abode greets you once again.

The nightmare, no, the flashback felt so real. You could still feel the hunger in your stomach and the warmth of the food you were about to eat in the dream.

... Also the Sharp pain piercing through your right shoulder before you could even get your first bite.

"I apologize for disturbing you," the voice from the back of the door spoke up. "However we need to start your Schedule immediately, it is a busy day today"

Their voice was apologetic, kind even, but it still made your blood run cold by how assertive it felt over you.

"I'm up. İ will be out soon" you got up from the bed immediately as the voice started telling you what needs to be done today.

Your clothes were so uncomfortably comfortable. it was light and it wraps your body perfectly, which was the same exact reason why it felt like it got stuck on your skin. Which is why you didn't feel bad that you had to take them out.

You threw your clothes on your work table and your eyes got stuck on the calendar on it.

...oh it was New year already?

İt might not be in your own world, since time works differently between them. You wonder if it's snowing there? Perhaps it just started, or maybe the snow is thick enough to have a snowball fight.

You missed Earth. You really did. Even the times when it felt suffocating to live in sometimes. Even the times you were forced to have family dinners on occasion, well, those weren't that bad. You usually sat somewhere playing genshin when your family members scolded you for being on your phone.

Back then, you would kill for meeting your characters under the mistletoe.

... But now, maybe it's better not to meet them at all.

İts not that you are angry at them, you even forgive them after all that! They didn't know who you were after all, but you still feel like you are walking on a landmine every time you talk to them.

What if you say something or ask something that you are not supposed to, what then? They say that they have no reason to hurt you, but you learned that all of your current power is depending on your people the moment you set foot here.

You are nothing without your followers.

Your thoughts get cut off by the door opening once you finish getting dressed.

You are greeted by Tartaglia, who was smiling at you warmly, however, it looked so fake to you. You could almost picture him practicing in front of the mirror just so it looks friendly and approachable to you. You still appreciated the thought.

"Good morning, your Grace! Please excuse my sudden visit, I just needed to speak with you for a moment."

"...Of course," you decide to avert your eyes to the furniture, suddenly the numbers on the calendar seemed so interesting than whatever repent prayer he has for you.

He gets to his one knee, "oh, the all-loving and forgiving god of all gods, we are but merely weaklings under your strength, perhaps I ask too much, however... Err..." He stops and then continues.

"However i-"

"That..." You cut in a soft voice, you averted your eyes once you realized what you've done. "sorry I didn't mean to stop you I just..." you looked at him again "this doesn't sound like you at all."

You let go of the breath you didn't realize you were holding when Ajax laughs "Hahaha, is it that obvious that I practiced?"

His friendly voice eases your tension a bit. He continues with a more relaxed tone.

"İ didn't want to anger you more than I already have, and what I'm about to ask for might sound a bit selfish, so I asked Mr. Zhongli on how can I speak properly, without disrespecting you in any way." İt was his turn to avert his eyes now.

"...Why?"

Ajax looks back at you, confused "What do you mean, your Grace?"

"I already said I forgive all, what makes you think İ'm still angry?"

"...Well" Ajax gets up from where he was and attempts to fix his posture before continuing, "Forgive me if it's rude in any way, your holiness, however..."

"Your smile seems fake."

You freeze.

When he sees your expression, he turns back to Tartaglia again. The only-business part of himself. The cold one.

"İ know what we've done is unforgivable. You are truly the most kind to not even want us to witness your wrath. but please, no need to fake it to make us feel better."

They think that you are still mad, while you are just afraid.

You want to tell them. You want to explain and talk about it, but you can't even bring yourself to open your mouth.

Why are you still afraid? War is already over. They need to know that too!

So be it. İf you can't bring yourself to talk about that. Maybe you can prove to them you are not mad by showing them.

"...let's talk about that later. What did you need from me?"

He looks at you "ok then, uh... its almost time for the festival in Shneznaya, we do that at every start of the year to celebrate- uhh, you might already know,

İ won't be personally attending, of course! Someone needs to protect you~" he winks "But, my siblings are a bit hard to convince. They want to spend time with me and well..."

"Do you want to go?"

Tartaglia laughs again "I won't lie and say that I don't miss my homeland. But that's not why I'm here."

He smiles a bit, you swore you could see his eyes light up a little, but it's gone as soon as you saw it, it might just be the sun playing tricks on you.

"My siblings want to spend the holiday with me. İ know it's selfish of me to ask to bring children to such a holy place-"

"You can bring them."

He turns his head towards you as soon as you let those words get past your lips, "Realy?"

You think about it. They are just children, they can't really harm you. Plus it might be even nice hearing about the holidays.

"Yeah! İt would be nice to have children at the dinner table. İt might even help release tension caused by my presence." You thought out loud.

He catches up on that.

"You would be pretty anxious too if you were at a table with your god~" he teased.

You smiled, and Ajax could suddenly feel his numb heart all over again.

"Maybe you are right, thank you. Ajax"

Ajax didn't answer. You called for him but he looks at you like how a reindeer would look at the car flash.

"OH SHİ- AJAX BREATH!!!!"

________________________________________

You were wrong.

Now that you feel less scared of the things around you, you can finally see that your acolytes feel somewhat worse.

Your grand dinner table was decorated with the customs of the Shneznayan festival. İt was a beautiful combination of white, red, green, and Gold. İt was almost the same as Christmas in your own world, the only difference was instead of the big decorated tree, there was a statue of you.

That, and your acolytes looking at their plate in shame, as if seeing even a piece of your hair is sacrilege.

Even with their close proximity, Archons were still the least close to you in terms of emotions. Their usual chattiness from in-game voice lines was long gone, you were sure you could even make Zhongli eat seafood in this state of his mind.

The gods were, of course, sitting closest to you. Usually, no one else joins you on your meals but on occasion, some people are invited over just because of formalities. Even then, your guests sit at another table, which is far away from you but in a place where you can still see their faces.

Not in this situation though. You especially requested that they dine with you at the same table. Making Tartaglia the Target of the glares tonight.

This heavy atmosphere makes you feel like you made a mistake. Maybe you shouldn't talk about it and treat it as a normal dinner, hearing about your world might make them feel worse, and if it gets worse-

"Your highness!!! Look what I drew!"

You look at Teucer. He is holding a drawing he made of you.

You feel everyone holding their breath as you gently take the drawing from his hands. Will you think of it as blasphemy?

İn the drawing, you hold his hand and someone else's hand while all three of you fly through, what seems to be, Shneznaya's City... İn the arms of a ruin guard.

"This is so nice Teucer! Thank you so much!"

Teucer lets out an excited gasp, "You know my name?!"

"Of course! İ know a lot of things" you smiled warmly and looked at his other siblings "I also know about Tonia and Anthon!"

As the kids look at each other all excitedly, the room suddenly seems a little bit lighter.

"Yes, the Creator knows everything indeed!" Ajax tells them. "They also know when you don't eat your greens and that makes them sad you know~"

"You guys don't eat your vegetables?" You play along "but I created them for you"

Tonia stutters "b-but... They don't taste good!"

Anthon joins in "But you ALSO created fish! So we can eat those!"

You laugh, they are pretty smart, huh!

"Well, I have nothing to say to that! Please eat as much as you like from whatever you like today!"

The children go back to their meals as the table falls silent once more,

Until you hear a mouse squeak in the crowd.

"Your highness did you just laugh?!" Venti partially screams, with that voice, you understand that the mouse was him all along.

"Barbatos, have some manners!" Zhongli suddenly speaks "Did you forget where you might be, or shall I remind you?"

"your laugh sounds so refreshing, your Grace! Like pure water in the middle of a desert!" Sais Nahida, clearly happy for you!

"AHEM, might I remind you all that this sudden outburst can scare them?" Tsaritsa states politely.

"But we never heard them laugh! I think this deserves a celebration!" Venti says while getting up "İM GETTİNG THE VİNE!!!"

"Stop! There are children here!" Childe gets up to stop him.

"İ- uhm, it's really not that big of a deal?" You say softly.

"Please don't mind those idiots, your grace." Tsaritsa shoots a glare across the table. "They simply can't control their emotions, however, I must say, even though it is rare for me to actually agree with that drunkard, I also believe that this calls for a celebration."

Nahida continues before you could say anything "I also agree! İt's been a while since we heard your laugh again. A celebration for the bird, that has found its voice once again!"

"Speaking of the Celebration, is anything particular about this festival that made you want to open up to us again?" Falcuar asked.

"Oh yeah! Why is this cooolldd festival but not a better one? Like the wind-"

Venti was silenced by two very angry gods, and forced to sit down on his chair again.

"Well? Tell us!" The god of Pyro beamed.

And at that moment, after months and months of convincing, you finally felt safe enough to show emotions. Which made you feel all of them at the same time and...

"YOUR HOLİNESS-"

"İt's ok," Nahida smiled gently "please let it all out, you don't need to stop yourself from feeling anymore."

"I swear if you make a reference to pooping about it I will-"

"Hehehe, as you wish!"

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

You finally let go of -most- of your fears and told them more about the traditions in your world.

They finally understand your point of view. They approach you gently now.

Nahida suggested babyproof your abode so you don't feel any accidental physical pain that reminds you of those times. İt's up to you to accept or not.

The bubbly types try not to do sudden things that May scare you (Yoimiya even tries to find a way to make soundless fireworks (failed))

And most of all, people don't beg for forgiveness every time they see you now!

However, you couldn't stop them from celebrating this day as the day of your smile. They give presents to each other as a way to bring a smile to their, and your, face. They also stole some of the traditions in your world just so it makes you feel more at home.

They hope that you will smile and be happy the next year as well :)

❄️🎉Happy New year, creator!!!🎉❄️

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 217

Later in the day post, but still posting on Tuesday thanks to @baelpenrose.

Props for this chapter go to @charlylimph-blog, @mustachebatschaos, and @werewolf2578, for the characters. @baelpenrose again for beta writing.

New and/or noticeable followers: @cassarson, @lil-dabbler, @adasaiden, @loverofnightmare,@freakfagot, @peachymis, and the always staunch @janeshadow (yes, I’m planning to update the master list!) and @generalperfectionbread.

Please send some general positivity to Brock, whose tag on here I don’t remember: his household has the flu, minimum. @baelpenrose and assorted others are being impacted directly by the earthquake in California today... any generators you can donate and updates you can provide are a huge benefit.  I know that emergencies like that don’t seem like they matter on the opposite coast, but they do. There are several writing peeps over here in need of reassurance that our Cali folks are alive, warm, and fed.

Also: to anyone reading this: I would still like to know how to set up my xkit bulk tabs for tumblr posts in Firefox. Please. If you know, it me up in DMs with the first sentence “I can solve your tag issue”.  I will be FERVENTLY listening, I assure you.

By the time we made it back to my quarters, I had helped Teeth plan a surprise dinner of their favorite foods from home, solemnly swearing not to tell anyone. Most of the ‘planning’ was just confirming that if Teeth could eat it without issue, anyone on the Ark likely could as well. The excitement made them bounce in place for a few seconds, a behavior I recognized as coming from Charly.

After all, it certainly couldn’t have come from Nixe. Queens, I had learned, most certainly did not bounce.

The door was open again as we approached, the scrubbers having done their job admirably.  People still cleared space for Teeth, but this time out of consideration for the exoskeleton’s lack of maneuverability.  Parvati had clearly told my partners what was up, because they each held a plate piled with different dishes for Teeth to try.

“It is supposed to be clear?” Teeth asked skeptically, picking up a spring roll.

Conor nodded enthusiastically. “This one is vegetarian, and the texture is crunchy and chewy. Take a bite, then try it with the dipping sauce, too.”

Following instructions, they were very fascinated by the first bite but enraptured after adding some of the spicy dipping sauce. Soon, they were licking their fingers and mournfully looking for another one.

All three of us laughed. “That’s a pretty typical reaction,” Maverick smiled, holding out a soup dumpling. “This has pork and broth in it.”

Soon, broth was dribbling down Teeth’s chin after popping the entire thing in their mouth.  One dish at a time, they worked their way through the enormous heaps of food in the way only a teenager could - enthusiastically and taking no prisoners.

Maverick and Conor’s eyes grew wide when Teeth took one polite bite of a devilled egg and declined any more of it.  I just shrugged at them. “They’re a love it or leave it kind of thing.  Even I can’t stand the sight of them sometimes.”

“There is mustard.” Teeth wrinkled their nose and flicked a wrist.

“That, too,” I agreed. They had very clearly stated, early on, that mustard tasted like ‘it could not commit to be sour or spicy and failed at both’.

Curry was a hit, goulash a curiosity.  Cucumber sandwiches were as big a hit as any other sandwich Teeth encountered.  Various spins on chips and dips were tested and either approved or rejected - always politely.

Eventually, Teeth was settled leaning against a wall with one of the fourteen different foods that came on a stick, flicking their fingers and glancing around. “I smell Miss Hannah’s corn muffins, but I did not see any.”

Conor scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I think they ran out…”

For the first time in knowing them, I genuinely thought Teeth was going to cry.  I started to panic, completely unprepared.

A voice rang out from across the room, saving… someone. Me, Teeth, possibly Conor, I wasn’t sure. “UNDER THE GREEN BOWL!”

Following Hannah’s direction, Maverick sprinted into the kitchen and frantically looked around.  Supporting a tray of mini meat pies was an opaque green bowl, flipped upside down.  And sure enough, underneath the makeshift platform was a huge corn muffin.  He looked so relieved to find it that I don’t even know if it occurred to him that this one was twice the size of the rest.

“A lot of us set aside extra for Teeth.” This time, Hannah’s voice was soft and came from just over my shoulder. “You know, just in case.”

With as much reverence as I had ever seen them have for food, Teeth accepted the treat and accompanying knob of butter from Mav. “I do not understand. Is this custom?”

“Is it - “ Conor sputtered. “Yes! New people, old people, injured or sick people, kids - “ He gave a soft oof when Hannah politely jammed her elbow into his diaphragm as hard as she could. “And teenagers!” he protested, scowling at his attacker. “You set aside food to make sure they get a bit of everything, especially if they like it.”

“Derek’s bao were delivered to him earlier,” Maverick confided in a conspiratorial tone. “And Conor took Sam’s to him at work.  Neither one is good with crowds, but we all love them too much to let them miss out.” He glanced at Hannah hesitantly.

She stared back serenely, blinking a couple times before breaking the silence. “Alice works with Derek, you know. I sent two more extra large muffins with her this morning. And yes, Derek’s had blueberries in it.”

Wait. “You made a blueberry corn muffin and only made one?” I asked, heartbroken.

Her face scrunched up as she studied me like I was the dumbest woman alive. “I have a whole basket for work tomorrow. I just didn’t want you letting other people have them, so I didn’t bring them.”

“That is a fucking duh?” Teeth asked, their sincere tone causing Conor to turn nearly purple before he started coughing to hide his laughter.

I raised both eyebrows and nodded in surprise. “Yeah.  That, um… That would be a fucking duh. Yeah.”

Hannah covered her face with both hands and groaned. “Am I going to have to testify when one of their parents kills you for teaching them to swear?”

Before any of the adults could respond, Teeth cut us off. “I am allowed to swear so long as I do it properly.  I was advised that Sophia, Tyche, Professor Farro, and Councilor Kalloe are role models to emulate in that regard.”

Conor was now howling and had to retreat to the bedroom, leaving Maverick to explain what just happened to our concerned friends and family while I just gaped.

“This might be the best prank Charly has ever pulled,” Hannah whispered in awe. “Talk about the long game.”

Teeth, utterly confused by Conor’s laughter and retreat, finally turned and realized I was stunned by the news. They nodded. “Oh, yes. Both Charly and Nixe have referred to you as my ‘Sweary Godmother’.”

I couldn’t. I just couldn’t anymore. I dropped to the floor with a soft thud, burying my scalding red face in my hands.

“Is she crying?” I heard Teeth asked, concerned.

I shook my head and heard Alistair’s voice from somewhere above me. “I think she is laughing, actually.”

I flicked a thumbs up with one hand, trying to contain the tears, saliva, and snot with the other.

“There is no sound.” Poor kid was so confused.

“She does that,” he advised.  A cloth met my hand, and I grabbed desperately at it. “When she is laughing entirely too hard.  It’s quite messy: her entire face leaks when this happens.”

Asshole. He was right, but still… asshole.

“Is she dying again?” That was clearly Arthur, starring in his role as Best Friend/Asshole Supreme.

My traitorous inner narration was not helping the laughing situation.

“Again!?”

“You’re scaring the teenage diplomat,” Maverick scolded.  Mechanical whirring and vanishing exoskeletal feet told me that he was giving Teeth a hug - to my knowledge, he was the only one on the ship they permitted to do that.

“Does that make Tyche the Sweary Gothmother?” Hannah wondered aloud. “Ooo! And Xio would be the Scary Godmother!”

“Councilor Kalloe is less terrifying than Mother or Mere,” Teeth corrected, their muffled voice confirming the hug. “She is Sweary Spice.”

Oh gods above, below, and made up, I was going to choke to death on snot.

A large hand thumped between the shoulderblades when I started coughing, nearly knocking me over. “Soph, I swear if you die of laughter I’m getting Charly. She’ll be pissed she missed it.”

I held up my thumb again to indicate I could breathe, taking advantage of the fact once the thumps on my back stopped. After two deep breaths, I pointed to where Arthur’s voice had last come from.

“This makes you the Sweary Godfather,” I managed before resuming my silent shaking at my own joke.

Teeth nailed my coffin shut with their comment. “Fucking duh.”

<<Prev       Masterlist     Next>>

[dragon-kazansky]

Recipe for love | Helmut Zemo

Chef Zemo AU! 👨‍🍳

Gender neutral reader

Dedicated to @rumblelibrary

[Previous chapter] - [Next chapter]

Part 12

Natasha stands outside of your door. She had knocked several times, but there was no response. It didn't look like you were home, but she had been desperate to see you.

You hadn't explained what had happened, or where you were. It was obvious something had happened, but no one seemed to have an idea other than you and Zemo.

If she stayed any longer, she was going to be late. Natasha leaves for work, promising to herself to come back again later.

She enters the restaurant. Everything is quiet. Zemo is in his office. From across the kitchen, Thor looks up at Nat. She walks over to him.

"What's up with everyone?"

"Zemo has been... quiet today."

"Did something happen? And where is Y/N? Why aren't they coming to work?"

Thor takes a deep breath.

"He fired them."

"He WHAT?" She stares at her tall friend. Thor holds a hand up to tell her to keep her voice down.

"He fired Y/N yesterday. He made the announcement earlier that they would not be returning. He made it out to be a warning for the test if us."

"Did he... did he say anything else?"

Thor glances around to make sure Zemo hadn't come out of his office yet.

"He's expecting the Michelin critics to arrive at some point. He needs us all to be on our best behaviour, and be at our best for when that time comes. He's actually rather... anxious about it."

Natasha glances up at the office door.

There was a moment, back on that night you all were here to make goulash, where she thought Zemo might be kind of into you. Why else would he invite you a cooking lesson if he supposedly hated you?

But he fired you. Would he really do that if he was interested in you? Maybe she was wrong about all of it.

Natasha just nods and goes to her work station.

Zemo exists the office and sees Natasha. She catches his eye. They stare at each other. He approaches her slowly.

"I'm sure you have been aware about your friend."

"Forgive me, chef, but was that necessary?"

He sighs softly.

"Probably not."

Nat was caught off guard a little. Did the Helmut Zemo admit he was wrong?

"Are you going to do something about it?" She asks, wanting to know what was going on inside that head of his. Zemo seemed different and she wanted to know why.

"Have you spoken to Y/N?"

"No. They haven't been answering me at all."

"I see... I am concerned they are going to do something that could ruin my career. I was hoping they have spoken to you."

Natasha shakes her head.

"Sorry, chef."

He nods subtly and turns away. He doesn't get very far before Pietro comes running into the kitchen. Everyone looks up to see him looking rather distressed.

"Zemo, sir... they're here."

"Who?"

"The Michelin critics, they're here."

Zemo's expression seems to fall as he goes a little pale in the face. He swallows thickly as his mind races. Quickly, he turns to face his staff.

"Get to it, we cannot mess this up!"

"Yes, chef!" A chorus rings out as everyone is quick to prep at their stations.

Zemo turns to Pietro.

"You take their order, understand?" He asks.

Pietro nods and sorts himself out before going back out there. Nothing could go wrong today, so everyone had to be at their best.

Zemo takes a deep breath and waits for the order to come in.

Pietro returns.

He hands over the ticket.

This is all he needs to know that this was actually happening. The order is just how he suspected it would be. He nods at Pietro, who leaves the kitchen, and Zemo calls out the order.

Everyone gets right on it.

Zemo looks at your... his station. Right, he has to make the desserts.

Now, Zemo can bake, but his cooking excels far more in skill. He can make what they asked for... but even he knows it's not going to be quote like your baking. Your desserts were something else entirely.

In fact, he would go as far as to say he fell in love with your baking when he first tried that cake. That's how he knew he had to have you.

Then he fired you...

He's a fool! He is such a god damn fool!

He should have watched his temper. He should have calmed down. He shouldn't have yelled at you like he did.

He liked you.

He liked you and he ruined it all.

You just had to be... you, didn't you?

He checks the meals before they go out. Perfect. He confirms with his staff it was done the way it needed to be. That, too, is perfection.

He sends them out.

He continues baking. The desserts are nearly done when Pietro returns. The young man smiles as he nods at Zemo.

Zemo nods back.

It's not over yet.

Zemo dishes up the desserts. A slice of today's cake and the tiramisu. He checks them as he plates them. He's happy.

He hands them to Pietro himself.

Silence fills the kitchen as they wait. Zemo takes another deep breath. Natasha looks at him from where she was chopping up vegetables.

He looks sad.

She can see it in his body language, his eyes, the way he sighs. Did he... miss you?

Pietro returns. The cake barely eaten. Pietro sets the plate down and looks at Zemo. Zemo furrows his brow.

"Why?" Is all he has to ask.

"Salty."

"Salty?"

"Yes, it's salty."

"Fork!" Zemo holds out his hand.

Loki appears beside him with a clean fork. He hands it over and stands there, watching along with everyone else as Zemo takes a bit of the cake and tastes it.

He spits it out instantly.

"Salt?"

Zemo turns sharply to your work station. No. Did you...? Would you...?

"Bring me the sugar."

Natasha abandons her station to grab the sugar dish from your station. She hurries over to Zemo and holds it out to him. He dips the tip of his little finger onto the top and put it in his mouth. He spits quickly.

"Salt... This is salt!"

Natasha looks down at the dish. The granules were fine, much like the sugar you usually use. Did you do this? Had you been here at some point to do this?

How did you know the critics would be here today? How did you know he would use this dish for them?

Whatever this was, you had been clever about it.

"Did you know?" Zemo asks Natasha.

She shakes her head, "no."

He believes her.

"Where does Y/N live?"

Natasha gives him your address.

Zemo turns to Pietro.

"See them out."

Pietro nods and leaves the kitchen. Natasha watches as Zemo put down the dish and slowly walks over to your work station. Everyone is watching.

He yells. He screams. He curses.

Everything on the station is knocked to the floor as he smiles it clean. He bangs a gist down onto it as he throws the flour off to the side. He tosses the mixing bowl in another direction.

You have done it again. You have pissed him off, and this time possibly ruined his reputation.

It wasn't perfect.

You messed it up for him.

Zemo, once he has let his anger out a little bit, storms put of the kitchen through the back door.

Natasha knew where he was going.

Nat: What did you do?

You: What did he say?

Nat: No, what did you do? How did you know the Michelin critics would be here today? Did you go to them?

You: No. I took a risk. What did he say?

Nat: Nothing. He threw a tantrum and then left.

You: Left?

Nat: He asked for your address.

You stare at your phone.

"Shit."

You drop your phone and scramble to grab some shoes. You grabbed a jacket and headed for the door.

You stopped right as you reached it.

Frantic knocking was coming from the other side.

"I know you're in there. OPEN UP! You have messed with me for the final time!" His angry voice carries through the door.

"Shit."

@lieutenantn @rumblelibrary @bigtiddythanos @timmvrphy @vverliebt @thatoneartgalsstuff @apparrio @mischief-siriusly-managed @hb8301 @zemosimp05 @madhatter2727 @aarielsea @genderfluid-demon-alex @thesuitkovian @handmaiden-of-mischief @malkaviangirl @charistory @killeromanoff @latenightartist-author @belle82devart @alindeluce @anteroom-of-death @mssennimatilda @unbeatablecurlgirl @bruhidaniel @nonamec0s @fablesrose @lemairepstuff @marchingicenotes7 @scuttle-buttle @fictionlandslanddreams @awhorewithissues @secretly-a-weeb @thehuiabird

[unlevshed-archive]

❛ Uh, well.. I would say it's Goulash. ❜ He chuckled, nodding his head while gently squeezing her hips. After all the time that have been together, he couldn't help but fell for her again over and over again. They had been through so much, being on the run from the government together, made him realize how much she meant to him and to retire for good was a hard decision but they earned it.

Steve didn't hesitated to plant another kiss on her neck when she gave him more access and slightly grinned against her lips. ❛ You're the perfect height, love. And that didn't stopped me before.. ❜ He trailed off, remembering those rather steamy moments but didn't chose to say it out loud since James was present. ❛ Well..I'm not opposed to the idea to have more children, ma'am. ❜ Pulling away from her, he left Natasha at that before turning around to give his attention to his son and kissed his forehead. ❛ Hey, little guy. Have you been good today? ❜

As soon as his arms were around her, she relaxed back against him. She was safe in his arms and she adored this feeling. She heard James giggle in the background and she chuckled at Steve's words. "And what would you say is my specialty?" she questioned with a smile. "I learned to cook from all over when I was on missions so I don't think I have a specialty. But now I'm curious..."

She let out a soft sigh of happiness when he kissed her cheek and tilted her head slightly when he moved to her neck. "I know I'm short and I don't need you hurting your back bending down this far. There are better and more fun ways to do that," she teased, turning her head and giving him a kiss.

[artificialqueens]

Heaven needs to take its time (Jankie) - Mar

A/N: Day 6 of May Trope Mayhem! Love a good 5+1. Also I went way over the suggested word count but in my defense I did write in a hurry, I just have a lot to say sjsjsj. Have some Jankie through the years <3 @duckprintspress

Summary: 5 times Jackie drove Jan to the ER, and one time Jan returned the favor.

Tags: may trope mayhem, rpdr fanfiction, jankie, jackie cox, jan sport, lesbian au, drabble, 5+1, mar, tw injuries

  1.

“He seemed friendly.” Jan pouted and sank into the plastic chair.

“He was barking his head off. Even the owner was backing away.”

“I thought I could calm him.”

“He seemed very calm once he had your arm as a chew toy.”

“Don’t be mean to me, I’m injured!”

Jackie rested her arm on Jan’s shoulders to bring her closer, minding the bandaged arm.

“Does it hurt?”

“A little? I think the Tramadol kicked in, now I mostly feel tingles. The paramedic was so nice, wasn’t she nice?”

Jackie bit her cheek.

“She was charmed, for sure. Smiled the whole ride here.”

“Oh I don't know about that. She would’ve asked me on a date. Because that’s what you do when you like someone, right, Jacks? Ask them on a date?”

Jan stared at Jackie and had the pleasure of seeing her eyes widen in realization. She opened her mouth to speak and—

“Miss Sports, for a dog bite?” the doctor hollered.

“That’s me!” Jan jumped up. “You’ll wait for me here?”

“Yeah. Yes, definitely,” said Jackie, still processing.

“Perfect.” Jan smiled, left a quick kiss on Jackie’s cheek, and skipped into the doctor’s office.

2.

“As far as first dates go, at least this was memorable.”

“Yes, for everyone at the skate rink. You just had to show off your tricks, didn’t you?” Jackie scolded fondly as she redid Jan’s braids, which the doctor had undone to examine the back of her head.

“I was trying to impress you.”

“Oh, I was very impressed. You were willing to get a concussion just to break the ice.” Jackie smiled at Jan’s unimpressed look.

“Har, har. Stupid Denali and her stupid rink discounts. I should’ve taken you to the museum like I wanted to.”

“Next time,” Jackie said as she held Jan’s gloved hands, still cold and damp from the ice.

“There will be a next time?” Jan beamed.

Jackie rolled her eyes.

“Don't act like you have any doubts.”

“Well, I did take you on a pretty stellar date. Don’t know how you’ll top that, Cox.”

“I’ll take you rappelling, maybe break a few bones.”

Jan smiled and then huffed.

“God, how long have we been here? I want to go home and nap.”

“No, you don’t. You may have a concussion, we’ll have to stay up all night just to be safe.”

Jan poked her tongue through her teeth.

“All night, huh? How, oh how will we spend all that time?”

“Chugging coffee and staying very still. No more extreme sports for you for a while.”

“You’re no fun.”

“You’ll find that I’m actually a lot of fun,” said Jackie, staring intently at Jan, who bit her lip. “Another night.”

“Ugh, fine. Tease.”

  3.

“You think they’ll remember me? We haven’t been here for a while.”

“I’m so proud of you, almost a full year without coming to the ER. We should celebrate.”

“Oh, we could go to that little place near the blue thing, remember?”

“Incredibly, yes. Do you want to go tomorrow night?”

“Or today, I’m craving the goulash they have.”

“Let’s see what the doctor says first, okay? I don’t think you should walk for a while.”

They looked at the semi-solid cast on Jan’s sprained ankle, hanging from a hook at the foot of her bed.

“Alright, let’s go tomorrow. It gives me enough time to find an outfit that matches the walker boot. Should I get it in black?”

4.

“Baby, stop moving, please.”

“It hurts,” Jan hissed. She had tried several different positions on the hospital bed but none of them made her broken arm feel better.

“I know, love.” Jackie kissed her forehead and stroked her side. “Want me to call the nurse?”

“He was mean, I’ll just wait for the doctor. She can’t be much longer, right? We’ve been here for like, a year.”

“It’s been two hours,” Jackie laughed. “How will you deal with a cast for three months, my impatient girl?”

“This is so unfair,” Jan whined. “How come you never get injured? Do I have all of our bad luck?”

“I would hardly call ‘climbing the roof to fix a leak and falling down with barely a broken arm’ bad luck. You have your own guardian angel, babe.”

“I’m looking right at her,” said Jan, staring dreamily at Jackie.

Jackie shook her head and smiled behind her hair.

“You get so cheesy at the ER. The medical environment really does it for you, huh?”

“You’re the one who almost cried filling out the admission form.”

“I was justified! It was my first time writing your name as ‘Jan Cox’. A very fitting first time, for this marriage, I’d say.”

“True. We’ve spent so many milestones right here. Think they’ll name a room after us?”

“I think on your tenth visit, they put up a plaque.”

“If I time it correctly, we may spend our first anniversary here.”

“Please, do not. I’m locking away all your power tools the second we get home.”

“You’re bossier as a wife. I kind of like it.”

“Alright, keep it in your pants. With that cast, there won’t be much of anything going on for a while.”

“You’re not thinking creatively! I have three whole months to learn how to use my left hand.”

“Ah, I knew I married you for a reason.”

“Wow, offended. Never mind, you can wait the three months.”

  5.

“Contractions are still seven minutes apart. She’s a week early, but she felt a really strong sharp pain in her abdomen, so we came here directly. Our doctor’s not picking up.”

“Okay, we’ll get you in a room and check baby’s vitals,” the triage nurse said, typing on her computer at light speed. “You said you’re with doctor Pareek, right?”

“Right.”

 “We’ll see if we can get a hold of her and send you to the maternity wing after this. Are you good for walking, mama? Do you need a wheelchair?” the nurse addressed Jan, who was leaning on the check-in counter and taking deep breaths.

“I can walk,” Jan said, gamely following a different nurse down the hall. Dragging their giant overnight bag, Jackie followed past the crowds of patients and the hurried staff.

“How are you feeling, baby?” she asked Jan, as the nurses fluttered around checking everything and tried to call the doctor.

“Nervous. Excited. Scared. Did we bring the birth plan?”

“We brought everything,” Jackie soothed as she pulled out the paper sheets with their meticulous plan, which would go out the window if the doctors found something was off.

Jan gripped it with tense hands and stared at it, though they had memorized it months ago. She looked close to crumpling it, but instead left it on the little table next to her bed and laid back.

She didn't speak or move for a long moment, to the point where it worried Jackie. She wasn’t used to her wife being still.

“Honey?”

“I’m good, I’m just sad about the plan. I really wanted things to go our way for this.”

“Oh,” Jackie smiled and cooed, kissing Jan’s forehead. “We still don’t have a definitive no, my girl. We may still get our doctor and do things like we planned.” Jan looked unconvinced. “And even if we don’t, Jan, God…” 

Jackie didn’t know how to put it into words. How for the past nine months, her entire world had revolved around the health and comfort of the two most important people on Earth, with little room for anything else. So close to the finish line, everything else seemed so trivial.

“As long as I have you two healthy and in one piece, well… there’s not much else I could ask for.”

Jan relaxed at the words, angling up so Jackie would kiss her, birth plan forgotten.

“We’re gonna meet her today,” she whispered with her eyes closed, their foreheads touching.

“Yeah.”

Jackie’s hand found its way to Jan’s belly, like it had every day of the past nine months of impatience and vitamins, sonograms and clothes shopping. The longest nine months of their lives, over in the blink of an eye.

“We’re gonna see you today, baby.”

+1

Jackie barged in the ER with their daughter in her arms, Jan in tow. They ran to the receptionist and didn’t even give her time to welcome them.

“I need my daughter seen, she has a fever.”

“Is she a patient at the hospital?”

“Yes, last name is C-O-X.”

The receptionist typed in the name.

“Diana, right?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, I’m gonna need one of you to complete the check-in and the other can go with Diana.” The receptionist flagged down a passing nurse. “Three month old with a fever,” she informed the nurse.

“How high?”

“A hundred and four before we came in,” said Jan.

“Alright, come with me.”

The nurse turned but Jackie looked at Jan in question.

“Go,” Jan said. “I’ll join you in a bit, okay? I’ll be right there.”

“Okay.”

With that, Jackie followed the nurse. Jan watched them until they disappeared into a room.

“Here’s the form you need to fill out,” the receptionist said, her voice soft. Jan nodded, biting back tears now that she was out of Jackie’s sight. “First time in the ER?”

“With Diana, yes. We’d been here a bunch before her.”

“Oh, wait, are you Jan Cox? I have, like, six entries under your name.”

“That’s me,” Jan laughed, almost sobbing now.

“Oh, then that baby’s gonna be just fine. Her mom is made of steel.”

The receptionist’s smile was so kind that Jan wanted to jump over the desk and hug her. Instead, she smiled back.

“Thank you.”

The form filled out and handed over, she followed the receptionist’s directions and found her family in a small room with other parents and cribs. Diana was swaddled inside one, fussy from being sick and away from her moms. Jackie was perched over her, incapable of looking away. Jan laid both hands on Jackie’s shoulders, slowly working the tense muscles.

“They want us to stay for a while, to see if the fever goes down,” Jackie explained. “They gave her some Motrin. She hated every second.”

“Bubble gum flavor’s a scam.”

The conversations of the other families and beeping of machines kept them company as they waited in silence, watching their child.

“Jan?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for being so calm.”

Jackie looked up for a second, finding her wife’s eyes.

“I couldn’t drive or even walk, I just… panicked. Don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been home.”

“You would have taken a deep breath and brought your daughter to the ER.” Jan leaned over to loosely wrap her arms around Jackie’s neck and kiss her temple. “You’re allowed to have a moment, Jacks. And when you do, I’ll be there to take over, just like you do for me. Every time.”

Jackie relaxed into the chair. She brought Jan to sit on her lap and held her waist.

“Besides,” Jan said. “You’ve given me so many rides here, I’m just glad I could return the favor.”

Jackie smiled into Jan’s arm.

“Let’s hope you never have to do it again.”

They went back to watching Diana. Her breathing had evened out and she was falling asleep. Jan curved the need to reach out and touch her by taking Jackie’s hand instead.

“Let’s hope.”

[super-unpredictable98]

I See Paradise | Anita B. Au

Chapter 2: No Ring, No Deal

Warning: Strong language, mild sexual content, themes related to WW2 (talk of holocaust and antisemitism), mention of death and violence.

(I See Paradise Masterlist)

"Where are you going, Eli?" Monika asked. "Anita should be arriving any second."

"I know, I'm going to get Eden, she has been very worried about Anita," Eli looked in the mirror once more. "She's coming over for dinner."

"When were you going to tell me?"

"Sorry, Monika, I forgot... I told Aaron, he said it was okay."

Eden had been thinking very hard about what to make for the occasion, her parents taught her to never show up to someone's house empty-handed. She thought about making some Goulash soup, a dish every Hungarian mom knows how to prepare, but in jail the girl was probably starving, she needed something more filling...

"Hmmm, something smells good," Eli smiled when he walked into the empty restaurant.

"Varenikes, with lots of caramelized onions," Eden showed him the tray covered with a glass lid.

"Oh, Edenle, you're an angel... Can't wait to try it," he attempted to reach for the tray, but his hand was quickly smacked away.

"Not until Anita gets home, huh?"

"Not even one for your boyfriend?"

"You are not my boyfriend," she laughed. "You never asked me."

"So the man you've been kissing in secret isn't your boyfriend?"

"Why don't you say it louder? Maybe the old lady on the other side of town didn't hear you... You haven't told anyone have you?"

"No, of course not, now let's go, I'm so hungry."

Eden and Eli arrived almost at the same time as Aaron, uncle Jacob, and Anita. Everyone was happy to see the girl was safe and sound:

"I have been so anxious, I'm glad you're okay," Eden gave her a hug. "I brought you varenikes, you must be hungry, right?"

Anita was taken aback by Eden's reaction, that was the reaction she expected from her aunt Monika, but she was always met with coldness and indifference. The girl's heart was filled with joy, someone to give her the affection she has been craving so deeply.

"I'm starving, aunt Eden, thank you."

"Aunt Eden?" Monika sneered. "I am your aunt, Anita, not her."

"Oh, come on, it's cute," Eli took off his coat and hat as he came in. "Yankele isn't anybody's uncle either, but we all treat him like family. Besides, you don't let Anita call you aunt anyway, why do you care?"

"We barely know this girl!"

"I've known little Edenla ever since she was born," Jacob kissed the top of her head.

"Well Daisy, I love varenikes, thank you so much for bringing them," Aaron tried to break the uncomfortable silence. "Can I set this on the table?

"Please," Eden handed him the tray.

"Who put this here?" uncle Jacob pointed at the tiny Christmas tree next to the door.

"I did," Monika said.

"Whatever for?"

"Things as they are today, I thought..."

"What?"

"Monika is right, yankele, the neighbors are a bit odd, we should be careful," Eli looked around at the other doors adorned with Christmas garlands.

"So now we're supposed to hide that we're Jewish?" Eden raised her eyebrows.

"Of course not, Edenle, it's just-"

"Whatever you thought you thought wrong," uncle Jacob scolded. "Get rid of it, Eli. I hope you got a mezuzah somewhere."

Monika and Aaron shared an uncomfortable look, they didn't even think about getting a mezuzah for the new house.

"Of course we do," Anita ran inside to retrieve hers from her bag.

"Put it here, so everyone can see it," Jacob pointed at the doorframe.

"Of course, we'll get right on it," Aaron nodded.

As everyone walked back into the house, Eden noticed something wasn't right, she felt a little uncomfortable pointing it out, but part of her was really curious:

"Do you not light up Shabbat candles?"

"We do, but I- forgot," Monika fumbled with the rest of the dishes. "Taking care of a baby, worrying about Anita, cooking dinner... One woman can only do so much."

"You should do it right away," uncle Jacob advised.

"Eden, would you do the honors?" Aaron handed her the matches and the candles.

"You have to be joking," Monika shook her head.

"It will be my pleasure," the young woman smiled, reaching for her scarf to cover her head.

Aaron, Jacob, and Eli exchanged a look, this girl was the dream daughter-in-law of every Jewish mother. All the men watched closely as she placed the candles in their places and lit them up one by one. She gently swiped her hands over the flames three times and closed her eyes with a sigh before starting her prayer.

"...l'hadlik ner shel Shabbat," she murmured. "Amen."

"Amen," everyone followed in unison.

Needless to say, Monika was hating all the attention this girl was getting. She especially hated how Eli seemed to treat her better than he ever treated anyone, aside from his fiancé. She doubted he wanted anything to do with her besides sex, but he was acting a little too well. What was so special about her anyway?

"Wow!" Eli finally spoke after taking the first bite of Eden's dish. "Edenle, this is delicious!"

"It's really good, just like my mom's," Anita grinned widely.

"A little salty for my taste, but it's not bad," Monika muttered under her breath.

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"It was lovely having you, Daisy," Aaron hugged Eden tightly. "You should come by more often."

"I would love that," Anita cheered while holding Roby in her arms.

"I'll walk you home, dove, let me get my coat," Eli flashed her a charming grin.

As he turned to grab his hat, coat, and scarf, uncle Jacob placed his hand firmly on the man's shoulder.

"Remember what I said, boy... Eden isn't a girlfriend, she is a wife. So don't do anything your father would be ashamed of, huh?"

"Of course, yankele, I would never do anything to hurt her."

The young couple locked arms as they left the building. Eden's eyes looked even brighter under the moonlight, she was really the most beautiful thing Eli had ever seen. He didn't understand the way she made him feel, like maybe love is real and he deserves it.

He knew he was a sleaze, he knew how despicable he could get, so why was she still around? Why did she even look in his direction when he so clearly didn't deserve it?

"Here we are..." Eden stopped by the entrance. "Thank you for walking me."

"You won't invite me in?"

"Eli, what type of lady do you take me for?" she laughed.

"The type that might want a goodnight kiss? And maybe to lay next to me and just rest your head on my bare chest while I hold you?"

"One kiss," Eden blushed imagining how it would be like laying by his side, resting her head on his toned chest, with his strong arms around her, and his gentle breathing on her skin.

Eli pinned her against the wall, his body gently pressed against hers, his hand buried in her auburn hair, and his lips captured hers.

Hearing her soft moan as they finally collided, just made him want her more, she parted her lips for him, she wanted him too.

"Are you sure you want only one kiss?" he drawled, pulling away to catch his breath. "I could give you more, I know you want it, dove."

"What makes you think that?" she panted, hoping he was just chancing it, hoping he couldn't actually tell she wanted more.

"I can feel it, your body wants mine. Here," his hand firmly grabbed her thigh, hooking her leg around his waist. "Doesn't it feel good? I can feel your heartbeat, down there, that only happens when women want more."

"Hmmm..." Eden threw her head back. How did he even know all of this?

"Yeah, you like that, don't you?" Eli smirked, kissing her neck and the exposed portion of her chest. "I make you feel good, right?"

"What if someone sees us?" she breathed.

"No one can see us, it's dark. I can make you feel so much better, don't you want me? Don't you want me to make love to you?"

"It doesn't matter. No ring, no deal. I won't do anything else until I'm married."

"Married?" he laughed as if the very notion was silly to him.

"Yes, I'm completely pure, Eli, and I will continue to be until the day I marry."

"Very well," he backed off, already thinking of all the things he would do once he dissuaded her from this stupid decision. "I admire that, Edenle."

"Thank you," she tried to collect herself, but was interrupted when Eli once again leaned over her, one leg between hers.

"Dream about me, darling," he whispered before kissing the tender spot between her ear and her jaw.

As he left and Eden opened the door, she could barely conceal the sound of her heart pounding. A weird feeling washed over her, something she had never experienced before... Not even when she was engaged before the war.

"Eli has to marry me," she murmured to herself. "I need a plan."

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Eden came to the conclusion that there was only one way to make Eli propose to her: she had to give him a taste, the slightest taste, just enough to drive him insane.

Thankfully, that day was pretty warm so she put on her most revealing outfit: a red dress with a very pronounced cleavage, that showed the few curves she had.

"I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart. In my heart I have but one desire..."

She pretended to mindlessly sing as he walked into the restaurant. It was Saturday, so it was closed, but he wasn't just any client, he knew she'd be there preparing the kitchen for the week.

"And that one is you, no other will do," he joined her.

"Oh, hi," she turned around. "Didn't know you'd come today."

"Wow, you look really beautiful," Eli mused, mesmerized by her form. "All that just to stay in? Were you expecting another visitor?"

"Oh, this old thing?" she chuckled. "No, I just finished organizing things for Monday."

"Listen, I know it's Shabbat, but would you like to go watch a movie? They will be showing The Great Dictator today."

"I would love to," Eden exclaimed. "Why don't you invite Anita to come with us? I bet she would like it, she needs to have some fun."

"I was thinking we could... Spend some time alone, you know? Just the two of us."

"The poor little thing needs to get out of the house, something tells me Monika isn't the best company in the world, she's quite sour if you ask me."

Don't give him the chance to fluster you again, she thought. He will definitely try, in the dark, when no one's watching... With Anita there he wouldn't have the nerve, would he?

Eli ended up agreeing and inviting Anita. The three of them headed to the movies, and just as a precaution, Eden chose three seats on the first row.

The movie was really funny, Eli definitely wasn't as bold as the night before, but he wasn't as intimidated by Anita's presence as she expected. He would place his hand on Eden's thigh, caressing softly, then wrap his arm around her, bringing her closer, planting kisses on her cheek.

"Was there really a Jewish barber mistaken with Hitler?" Anita quivered as they left.

"No, it's just pretend, none of it is real," Eden held her hand reassuringly. "That was Chaplin, you know? The actor."

"Chaplin?"

"Yeah, he makes all sorts of funny movies, my favorite one is called Modern Times, it came out a few years before the war, you were probably too little at the time..."

"Where did you spend the war, aunt Eden?"

"Let's not talk about that, ey?" Eli tapped the girl's shoulder. "Edenle probably doesn't want to remember it."

"No, it's okay," she nodded. "I was able to hide in a cellar. My best friend ever since I was a little girl, she let me stay with her, but my parents couldn't escape, I haven't heard from them since. I just hope they were able to run, but I don't think that's very likely, my father wasn't in very good shape to begin with."

"My parents couldn't escape either," Anita looked down at her shoes. "But Monika never lets me talk about it."

"I imagine it must hurt for her to remember, right? To think of her brother in that situation."

"Yes, I think so."

"Do you like writing, Anita?"

"I love writing!" the girl's eyes lit up. "And drawing too!"

"When you want to talk to Monika about what happened and she doesn't want to hear it, why don't you write it down? Paper will never refuse to listen, and will never judge you, you can tell it all your secrets."

"You are good with words, aren't you?" Eli nudged Eden's arm.

"Am I?" she teased.

"You are, just like you are good with food, and good at dancing, and good at kissing..."

"Eli! Keep quiet!" she shushed him, as he laughed at her reaction. "Anita might hear you!"

"Sorry, sorry, dove..."

Anita was way too excited about all the ideas she wanted to write down to listen, as soon as she got home, she gave Eden a hug and sprinted to her room to start a diary, leaving the couple alone in the living room.

"Thank you for coming today, it was lovely," Eli took off his hat and coat.

"Thank you for inviting me," Eden sat down on the couch and crossed her legs, letting the dress show more of her skin, immediately grabbing his gaze.

"Edenle..." he said in a voice that made it sound almost like a warning.

"Yes?" she gave him an innocent look while playing with her necklace, drawing his attention to her chest.

"I know what you're trying to do."

"Really? What do you mean?"

"You're teasing me, trying to make me crazy."

"I would never do such a thing," she murmured.

"I know what you want, darling, you want me to propose."

"Very funny, I don't even know if I would accept your proposal in the first place."

"So I shouldn't buy a ring then?"

"No!" she nearly jumped. "You should!"

"See? You want me to propose..." he leaned back with both arms behind his head.

"Well, if you like me as you say, you should propose."

"I don't want to be married, dove."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't, I want to live," he mocked.

"I guarantee that being my husband wouldn't stop you from breathing, you can still live."

"Showing a little skin won't make me change my mind, even if the skin is as beautiful as yours. I can always find a girl who doesn't wanna wait and make love to her instead."

"Yes, you could, but there's only one problem..." Eden placed her hand gently on his neck. "None of them would be me, and I'm the one you want."

"You evil little thing," Eli's wanting lips were seeking hers, but she pulled back. "What? Now I don't even get a kiss?"

"Why would I kiss you if I know you have no intention of marrying me?"

"Because you like kissing me, I know you do. And the only reason why you want to marry so fast is because you can't resist me, you want me to fuck you."

That was too much, without thinking twice, Eden slapped him across the face. How dare he say something like that about her?

"You bastard! That's all you want, isn't it? You don't see me as a person, you don't really like me, you just want to have your way with me and leave!"

She was about to give him another slap, but this time he held her wrist firmly with a grunt. His cheek turning red as anger burned in his eyes.

"What's gotten into you?" he growled. "You seemed pretty pleased yesterday when I was fondling you!"

"Shut your mouth! Whatever happened to you? Why did you become such a horrible creature?"

"You really wanna know?" Eli shouted "I was engaged before the war started, the nazis set fire to my fiancé's house and killed her! We were kids, we were just 18, but I loved her! This world is rotten, nothing really matters, love doesn't matter!"

"I'm so sorry, I didn't..."

"Happy now? You live in a fantasy, Eden! If you want to enjoy yourself, do it, life is too short to wait for marriage, or love, or anything. I will gladly fuck you, as many times as you want, but I will not marry you!"

"I want to give myself to a man who I know I will spend the rest of my life with."

"Then I am sorry, dove, but that isn't me."

"Understood," she grabbed her coat and headed to the door with her heart broken in a million pieces. "Goodbye, Eli."

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