#i also had a really bad rice bowl there once but that might not be the airports fault

[casstelli]

do we think njosten’s an airport expert guys. do we think when he and the foxes go on trips he’s like “oh ew charles de gaulle international airport. i hate this one.” do we think he’s memorized the tsa procedures for like a billion different airports so he can go through faster. do we think he has pre rehearsed answers to all questions asked at customs and all documents necessary prepared

[so-much-for-the-seashells]

Movie Nights Headcanons With BF!Dean

✨ Dean Winchester x fellowhunter!Reader ✨

Minors! Get out of here! Please and thank you!

COOOOONTENT: definitely 18+ (a tiddly bit of spice) but very cute

A/N: reader’s supposed to be cis/fem BUUUT headcanons only mention “girl” a few times? I’m working on my spicy gender neutral skills I’ll get there I swear

Oh also!!! I made my own icons, super proud 😌

And please! Feel free to leave notes! They literally make my day!

Anyway, let’s get this party started!

( ˘ ³˘)♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎ ♥︎

-movie nights at the bunker are few and far between, because, you know, hunting is exhausting

-however, when they do happen, they’re the best thing in the whole wide world

-let me explain

-once you started dating Dean and moved into the bunker, some changes had to be made

-you had gotten a cute sofa for the Dean cave, somewhere for the both of you to sit because all that had been in there before you moved in was two dingy chairs

-at first Dean had protested in the sofa saying that it was “too girly”

-but you know how dads are with the pet that they never wanted??

-that’s Dean and the sofa

-so once you guys get comfy with your favorite snacks and drinks, you snuggled up sitting crisscross in the corner

-he’ll lay with his head in your lap, letting his bow legs rest on the opposite arm rest.

-he really loves laying on your thighs. This can be taken as you want it to.

-they really are his favorite pillows

-they’re just so squishyyy

-anyway

-he loves when you play with his short hair. It’s really comforting to him, and he really enjoys it

-this may or may not come from his love of you pulling it when he’s being a munch

-rom coms are his guilty pleasure. He’s a sucker for Rambo and Top Gun. Also Back To The Future. Ofc he likes his horror movies too. Won’t make you watch anything you are uncomfortable with.

-might try to grumble when you pick, but if you give him some puppy dog eyes he’ll shut up real quick

-he’s sugar sweet when he’s sleepy. No more defenses or cool guy wit, just Dean saying a lot of I love yous and being the fluffiest biggest stuffed animal of a man

-tends to fall asleep in your lap

-if he doesn’t fall asleep he’s always chatting with you about literally whatever shows up in his pretty little head or talking to the movie

-“who fumbles reese witherspoon?” said with full indignation (about legally blonde)

-“I think my man Freddie is blind” (about Lainey in she’s all that)

-it’s super cute, especially if it’s after he’s grumbled about watching the movie he’s commenting about

-now (nsfw ahead)

-the thing is

-sometimes this dude wants to watch a movie, but he also wants a specific kind of snack

-yk, one that’s typically… white and sticky? And no I’m not talking about sticky rice

-so if you’re wearing only one of his shirts and your underwear

-and he’s in a mood

-uhhh let’s just say he really gets the munchies

-his legs’ll fall off of the sofa and magically his ass’ll land on top of them

-and oh em gee suddenly he’ll be eating that pussy like he didn’t just take down a whole bowl of popcorn

-and let me tell you, your hands aren’t ever gonna even bother leaving that hair, cause you’re gonna need to hooooold tight

-other times it’s a little different

-maybe you’re being needy while you both want to watch the movie

-so he’ll sit up, take down his pants just a little bit, move your underwear to the side and just sit you there. Keeping his cock nice and warm until the credits.

-cause you wouldn’t wanna be a bad girl (cue jojo siwa) and move on him!

-but sometimes you just can’t help it…

-so he’ll sigh heavily and pause the tv lethargically with great dramatics

-and then he’ll rail you within an inch of your life, as he does (has to make sure his girl is sated and then some 🖤 🎀)

-and hit play like nothing happened, keeping you sat right where you were

-honestly it’s a great time

-oh, also, blankets

-he loves blankets

-it’s his guilty pleasure, he buys them whenever he has some extra (stolen) cash and isn’t with his brother or Cas

-cause obviously they can’t know about his “girly” habits

-but he has so many. Some of them have flannel prints, there’s one with a bunch of Patrick Swayzes, one for every season, fluffy ones, scratchy ones, hand crocheted ones (major brownie points if you can somehow make him one)

-oh and back to snacks

-listen. You can tell him all about how much of a good idea it would be to eat healthy. Bring up all the stats and one of Sam’s famous guilt trips too.

-but all it takes is a pout with those sparkly, gorgeous, mountain-ass green eyes

-and all of a sudden you’re baking brownies together, just because you actually have a second to do normal couple things

-and anyway, brownie batter kisses?? Worth it.

-oh

-and it’s not just movies, sometimes it’s shows

-and I mention this because sometimes those shows are the wiggles. And you know why they’re the wiggles? Cause you two’ll sometimes sneak just a little bit of fun time grass into the brownies

-and the wiggles is just too much fun to watch when you’re uh… seeing sounds and hearing colors

-oh and also giggly high fun time sometimes ensues (WITH THE WIGGLES TURNED O F F you are NOT that blasphemous) (I hope)

-another one of the shows you get him to watch is Gilmore girls.

-he got hooked for three reasons:

1. he loves Luke (and no we don’t know if he loves him or LOVES him) oh and Kirk. He wants to be best friends with Kirk.

2. he’s a sucker for fall vibes. Including pumpkin spice and Halloween, apple cider and ofc his flannels- so naturally stars hollow visually floats his boat

3. he thinks it’s hilarious that some dude named Dean looks exactly like Sam ( 😏)

-oh and bonus- he’s really just a messy bitch who loves the drama and wants Lorelei to be happy

-ofc you two don’t watch your shows as much, movies take priority, but when you do you binge them. Cause who knows when the next time you’ll have time to see them is

-stupid supernatural warfare

-oh and he will always convince you to make a pie with him (NOT the sexual kind) (…sometimes the sexual kind) (🤤)

-sometimes you’ll host family movie nights, have Sam and Charlie and Cas and whoever else is hanging out around the bunker come

-most of the time a movie doesn’t even get chosen but that’s okay cause it’s still fun

-anyway, Dean is a cutie patootie sweetie sugar pie

-oh, and a munch

-I rest my case

-yeah that’s basically it

If you have any ideas for headcanons, send a request! My box is always open!

Xx

[kcrossvine-art]

Heya folks n friends! Today on our LotR cooking series, we're going to be making something inspired by Mrs. Maggot, wife of Farmer Maggot. Originally we were going to do a cream of mushroom soup, but the idea of adding meat as a cheeky lil joke on their last names was too good to pass up. In my mind meat goes better with thin soups than creamy ones.

And thus Mrs. Maggots Meat 'N Mush Stew was born.

(As always you can find the cooking instructions and full ingredient list under the break-)

MY NAMES CROSS NOW LETS COOK LIKE ANIMALS

SO, “what goes in to Mrs. Maggots Meat 'N Mush Stew?” YOU MIGHT ASKFor the stew portion itself we're going to be using a hearty base, aiming for a layering of flavors. If you feel comfortable making a roux, feel free to do so, but I did not due to energy levels and thus the flour in this recipe is only used for searing the meat before its added to the pot.

Cubed beef

Flour

Peanut oil

Beef stock

Dried porcini mushrooms

Carrots, chopped

Onion, diced

Garlic, crushed

Scallion, chopped

Bay leaf

Salt and pepper

Ground red pepper

Cumin

Zatarins gumbo file

For the other mushrooms, were going to cook them separate and throw them in at the end (but they'll have friends to keep them company!!).

Cremini mushrooms, sliced

Half an onion

Carrots

Garlic

Salt and pepper

Thyme

Olive oil

This took about 4 hours in total. If you have a slow cooker itd probably be easier to use that, but as is isn't too bad either. I mostly worked on commission stuff in the kitchen in-between stirring. "The best food is the one you don't have to make, the second best food is the one you don't have to think while making."

AND, “what does Mrs. Maggots Meat 'N Mush Stew taste like?” YOU MIGHT ASK

HOT HOT HOT

Tastes like walking from the cold into the cramped but cozy bar your friend works at

Meat was so tender and juicy, melts in your mouth. Makes you cry

It wanst actually carmelization but the onions had a hint of tasting caramelized

Mushrooms- a strong umami flavor with a bit of smokeyness

Once you get that Perfect level of gumbo file, it just makes every other element stick out more

Like an energy booster for the ingredients

A spotlight on the bay leaf, and oils, and spices

. If you don't want to use beef, feel free to use vegetable stock instead and replace the cubes with strips of king oyster mushrooms. Exclude the flour but still cook them in the pan. . this isnt officially part of the recipe since im not sure itd be 'on theme', but feel free to start your rice cooker around the 3 hour mark so you can have some hot rice ready for serving as filler.

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

When I was looking through food and food mentions in LotR, Mrs.Maggot just stook out to me. 'Queen amongst farmers wives' is both really sweet and a fuckin killer description. What a legend. I wanted to do something based on her and our two options were either beer, bacon or raw mushrooms. Beer while very appealing is also not something you can whip up in a day, while raw mushrooms have a chance of killing my beloved readers. I don't want to talk about me and bacons sordid past.

And so as praise to this funky farmer women, may you add this stew to your collection of potpie, lasagna, and roast recipes.

Did i mention i started my first grease fire when making this? Yeah. Don't cover any empty greased pan even if your intent is to keep water from splashing into it.

Anyway, this recipe is a solid 10/10 (with 1 being food that makes one physically sick and 10 being food that gives one a lust for life again.) The partner has already made me pledge to cook it again hehehe

🐁 ORIGINAL RESIPPY TEXT BELOW 🐁

Ingredients:

2 lbs cubed beef

A little bit of flour to 'tumble' the meat in, in a bowl

Peanut oil to sear the beef, as needed

3 kilograms beef stock

28g dried porcini mushrooms

4 carrots, chopped

1 white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 scallion branch, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Ground red pepper to taste

Cumin to taste

3 bay leafs

A pinch of Zatarins gumbo file

Ingredients… . . TWO:

1 lb cremini mushrooms

Half of a white onion, diced

1 carrot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt, pepper, and thyme to taste

Olive oil as needed to pan-fry

Method:

Put the porcini mushrooms into a bowl, add enough warm water to cover. Give them roughly 20 minutes, or until softened and the waters turned color.

Cut the carrots, onion, and garlic.

Get a large pot with a lid, pour in your stock (or water and bouillon cubes). Pour in the porcinis and the mushroom water. Turn the burner to medium-high.

Add your bay leaves, carrots, onion, and garlic to the pot. Add extra salt if you'd like.

Tenderize and cut your beef into roughly 1 inch cubes.

In a small bowl, pour a handful of flour along with pepper, cumin, and ground red pepper. Mix until combined.

Lightly toss each cube of beef in the mixture, get a little coverage on each side.

Heat a frying pan to medium heat and add peanut oil. If using an electric stovetop it will take time to heat up.

Add some of your beef cubes to the pan, don't overcrowd it. Flip to check sides are a light brown with dark brown edges, its good for some pink/red to poke through.

Add beef cubes to the pot when done, careful of splashing.

Keep doing this in batches until all beef cubes are added. 

 Once the pot has reached a simmer, turn the heat down a few notches and cover.

Set a timer for 4 hours. Taste test every so often. Aim to stir the pot every 10-15 minutes.

(You can do steps 14-21 immediately or optionally wait a bit)

 Rinse and dry your cremini mushrooms.

Slice them vertically. Cut the carrots, onion, and garlic.

In a frying pan on medium-low heat, add olive oil, carrots, and onion. Keep the vegetables moving! When they start to change texture, add your cremini mushrooms.

Bring the pan up to medium heat. 

Once your mushrooms have cooked off the liquid inside, theyll start turning a deeper brown. Add the garlic. Keep! the! vegetables! Moving!

If the pan gets overcrowded, take some out and set it aside in a bowl. Smaller batches.

This process took roughly 15 minutes, but youll know its done once everything has a nice sear on it and the garlic is brown but not burnt. Add salt, pepper, and thyme to taste.

Set everything aside in a bowl.

Once the 4 hours are up the meat should be cooked all the way through and tender enough to pull apart. Strain the bay leaves out. Cut and add scallions. Add the bowl with cremini mushrooms.

Add a pinch of gumbo file to start, stir and taste test.

[aether-starlight]

Lovely - Xavier

Pairing: Xavier x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of grief and kitchen fires.

Summary:  After you begin spending more time with Xavier, you strike a deal.

Word Count: 1.6 K

Note: This is my first time writing Xavier, I'm still getting a hold on his personality and voice tbh. Hope this is not too oc.

You liked your job. Loved it, even. 

It was also the main reason why you had very little life outside of hunting. 

When Grandma and Caleb had passed, you had felt incredibly bitter about it. Extra hours, missions outside of the city, late nights studying, the list went on.

It all seemed so insignificant compared to the time you could have spent with them, rather than being a hunter.

Now they were gone, and people seemed to avoid you on principle. Whispers about the connection between your profession and the unfortunate fate of your family followed you, so they preferred to stay away. 

Even fellow hunters remained away, with Tara being a blissful exception.

But there were only so many days off you could hang around with Tara without feeling like an imposition, which led you to hang out with the next person who didn’t seem to be phased by your reputation of a bad luck charm: Xavier.

Your hunter partner.

You really couldn’t escape your job even if you tried.

“Maybe I’m not likable,” you had mumbled to yourself, sitting on Xavier’s snug, worn-out couch. 

It was beige, spotless despite its age, only noticeable in the softened texture and armrests colored in a lighter shade from years of limbs brushing against them.

Xavier laughed, and on anyone else, it might have sounded cruel, but in the gentle baritone of his voice, it felt warm, intimate even.

“Who wouldn’t like you? You’re lovely.”

He said it as if commenting on the weather, something obvious and not embarrassing at all to mention. If you were him, your cheeks would have been aflame before even opening your mouth.

Because you had thought about it. 

He was lovely too. 

His tousled hair and bleary eyes so late in the morning made your heartbeat quicken, something fluttering in your stomach, similar to the feeling when an energy fluctuation surged.

Xavier laughed again, this time coming closer to you, dish in hand as he bent down to look into your eyes.

“Oh my, you’re redder than the tomato sauce I made for you.”

“How do you expect me to react when you say such things so easily?” You complained, unable not to smile back as soon as his lips curled, a flash of perfect teeth.

He had a great smile, you thought, contagious.

“It’s the truth. Now, eat up before it gets cold.”

“Bossy,” you teased, already digging into the tousled eggs with spinach and a delicious homemade sauce on top.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he chided gently, setting his plate at a low table in front of the sofa, sitting by your side. “I’m just looking out for your health.”

“And the integrity of your apartment?” You joked.

It wasn’t the first time you ate together. 

After visiting to find out more about your Aether Core, and then running into each other at The Nest, you had started hanging out outside of work. 

It started with borrowed books, truth or dare, a night watching the stars, then occasional movie nights.

Then your relationship experienced a drastic evolution when you accidentally activated the fire alarm of your whole floor because of a bowl of fried rice gone wrong—on fire—, and he offered for you to cook together. 

At first, you were not sure why he had even proposed it in the first place, but then you realized he was another God of destruction in the kitchen. Turned out that two wrongs could make one right, as incidents decreased considerably once it was both of you cooking.

Now it was a sort of ritual for you, to have breakfast together on your days off. 

“What are you thinking about?” Xavier asked, propping his elbow on the table and resting his cheek against his hand. 

Sunlight burst from his window, half hidden by an ocre curtain, just enough to highlight his eyes and the bridge of his nose. Reflections from the relic he used as a teapot littered the walls, yellow against copper.

Everything about his home felt cozy, warm…safe. 

Meanwhile, there were piles of boxes still unopened in your apartment. 

You had recently moved in when the explosion turned your world upside down. You had been supposed to open them with Caleb that weekend.

Now it didn’t seem of much importance. Not if you couldn’t do it with him.

“How do you make your apartment look so…homely?” 

The question was blurted out of you, and you instantly felt stupid for needing to formulate it in the first place.

Xavier’s eyebrows raised, chopsticks halfway to his mouth, caught off guard. 

“Make it look homely?” He pondered, food lowering back onto his plate.

Another thing you liked about Xavier? 

He was deliberate about things, every detail mattered, and he knew there were answers not worth rushing on. 

“I just…buy things I enjoy. Something that makes me feel happy to look at. That reminds me of…” he trailed off, a crease surging between his eyebrows.

You didn’t push. You had known him long enough to realize that once he shut down it was final, and even if he did answer, it was always elusive and hard to believe.

Instead, your focus drifted back to his initial statements.

You supposed it made sense. His apartment felt like sunlight. All warm and light tones, plush surfaces, and rows of books carefully organized upon oak bookshelves. 

Vintage furniture and artifacts were littered in a way that was both organized and stylish. A forest green vinyl player at the corner of the room, a mysterious wooden chest beside it. 

It was lived in.

The curtains of your apartment were always closed, plunging it into darkness, and the only picture you had kept close to your bed, on your nightstand. It was a photograph of you, Grandma, and Caleb smiling by the beach. 

It had been your first family trip, and even now you could remember it vividly, the rough sand beneath your feet and humid air closing around you, even through your shorts and a t-shirt.

You had an expensive holo-projector that you never used and sofas that you had sat in enough times to be able to count with one hand. 

You had considered getting a cat but then had been deterred by the thought that it would probably feel pretty lonely, considering your frequent missions and late-night arrivals.

When you focused back on Xavier, he was already studying you. 

You imagined your face must have been quite the picture. It was something incredibly frustrating about you: everything showed on your face, from happiness to sadness, to anger. It couldn’t be helped.

“I could help you decorate. If you’d like,” he suggested suddenly, looking as if the proposal had been stuck in his throat for a while now. 

You smiled to yourself, hiding your hands between your thighs, feeling terribly seen.

“Really?”

He nodded, lips curled in that gentle smile of his. 

“Yes. It’ll be fun. Just promise me we’ll host more reunions in your apartment once it’s done.”

A surprised laugh rose from your chest.

“At my place? Why?”

He looked to the side, almost bashful.

“I would like to use your holo-projector.”

It took a second for you to correct your sudden staring. He had never struck you as someone who watched holodramas.  

“Okay. Under one condition.”

Xavier leaned forward, a silent inquiry.

“You let me train with you.” You paused, deep in thought. “At least once a week.”

Somehow, Xavier always managed to wriggle his way out of it, and you were not sure why.

It was almost ridiculous, that you were hunting partners and hadn’t trained together once. What was more ridiculous was how you were turning the situation in your favor, considering he was the one offering you aid.

“You offer a tough bargain.” He huffed, resting his shoulders back on his seat with a slight pout to his lips.  “But sure, I’ll agree under a condition of my own.”

This time it was your turn to be surprised. You pulled back in suspicion.

“I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.”

Xavier was relentless. It never failed to astound you how he could switch from lazy to laser-focused in a heartbeat.

“Show me more of what you write.” His eyes seemed to darken, eyebrows lowering. You didn’t know when he had turned his chair so he was facing you from a closer distance.

Your head shook in automatic.

“That would imply that you have read any of it already.”

“I heard your slam poetry. I liked it, it was good.”

“You’re just buttering me up,” you whined. “And it was an accident, I definitely didn’t intend for you to hear it.”

He tilted his head, finding your gaze like a lost puppy. It seemed that he was pulling out the big guns once decisiveness hadn’t worked.

“Please?” He had leaned forward so you were watching him from above, an aggravating strand of blond hair out of place, the tips of his bangs too close to his lashes.

Before you could think any better of it, you brushed them back, fingers grazing his ear as you set it in place. 

The strands were soft and reminded you of a nighttime story someone used to read to you, about a prince and a fox.

He leaned into your touch, lips parted. 

Your fingers dug into the silky strands, easing out a knot.

He didn’t relent, celestine irises trailing after your movement, and your fingers trembled. It may not have seemed like it, but you were the prey in this scenario.

“Fine,” you breathed out, feeling lightheaded. “It’s a deal.”

He smiled, something playful flickering in his gaze. At that moment he was too pretty for his own good.

“Now, it’s your turn to do the dishes.”

You groaned, your daze broken in favor of dread.

[cryptidsurveys]

Monday, December 16th, 2024.

What was the last game you played?: Lol, earlier today, I was putting together some PVC dog cots with Kristen, River, and Liv, and I was like, "It's Squid Game; the last person to finish…" (ominous hand gesture)

Is there anything going to get released soon that you're looking forward to?: I'd have to check with my mom, but if she's interested, then we might go see Mufasa: The Lion King.

Do you have a fan in the room you're in?: No.

How many candles do you own?: Three. Two in my room and one in a pinecone wreath centerpiece on the dining room table. There might be more "in storage," but I'm not going to bother trying to account for those.

What's something you wish you liked but you don't?: Seaweed. Rolled sushi and rice balls look so appetizing, but I just haaate the taste of seaweed.

Do you use a baby voice when talking to animals?: Sometimes I use a baby voice, but I also use a voice that isn't exactly babyish but is still pretty sappy. And sometimes I use my normal voice.

Would you say your parents put too much pressure on you?: No. Of course they had expectations, but they were never overbearing about them. Especially now that I'm older, they very much let me forge my own path in life.

What's for dinner today?: Probably a rice bowl of some sort.

Can you fall asleep easily or do you need something to help you sleep?: I need something to distract from my constantly buzzing thoughts. Last night, I rewatched a video by Natural World Facts called Into The Abyss: Creatures Of The Midwater. He has such a soothing voice. Really appreciate content creators who don't feel the need to YELL. You can't make a subject any more interesting by SCREAMING at me. :')

What do you do when you get bored of sitting in the car a long time while on trips?: There's not much I can do beyond listen to music or audiobooks, chat with whoever is with me, eat, or take a nap. I can't bring a laptop along because of motion sickness.

What game did you play most as a kid?: Games like tag and hide and seek. Pretend - basically made up scenarios / stories, either "LARPing" or using action figures or stuffed animals as characters. As far as video and computer games go, Mario Kart, Star Fox, Yoshi's Story, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Star Craft, and Moraff games (they had options such as Tetris, Mahjong, matching games, puzzles, pinball), etc.

What's the best thing that's happened today?: Nothing sticks out, but it's been a pretty decent day so far.

What about worst thing?: Nothing was all that bad either.

Do you like the scent of gasoline?: Ehhh. Not so much after accidentally getting it on my hands when pumping gas the other day.

What's an odd smell you find pleasing?: Maybe campfire smoke lingering on clothing. It's not necessarily pleasing by itself, but there's a nostalgic quality to it.

How often do you visit Bzoink?: I so wish Bzoink was still a thing. I wonder where all of the previous Bzoinkers migrated to after it closed down. :'(

Which cell phone network do you use?: Verizon.

What's something you've been made fun of for before?: I've never been seriously made fun of for anything. Not to my face, anyway.

What is something you need to work on?: Not allowing my fears and insecurities to get the best of me or make me resentful, envious, etc.

What movie or show has scared you the most?: As a child, Watership Down. I don't know why I kept renting that movie when it terrified me so much. Also, The Ring. Obviously less scary after I realized I wasn't actually going to die in seven days.

Would you rather have cake or ice cream? or ice cream cake?: Right now, probably cake. Love all of the options in general, though.

What is your style in clothing and would you like to change it?: So boring. I would like to change it, but it's going to have to be a process because I'm not going to overhaul my wardrobe all at once.

Do you like the color yellow?: Yeah.

Have you ever been to a drive in movie?: We went a few times when I was younger. Loved it then, but probably wouldn't enjoy it as much now.

When were you last in a body of water? (pools count): Years ago. Probably wading in Comanche Lake while on a backpacking trip.

What dead celebrity would you bring back if possible? why?: None.

Do you listen to gospel music?: Not really…? Not unless certain Christmas carols or classical religious choir music count.

What do you think of Harry Styles?: This was on a recent survey…and I still don't have any thoughts. I barely even know who that is, tbh.

Would you say your personality is naturally outgoing?: I would consider myself something of an ambivert. I'm not a social butterfly - I'm actually pretty shy, at least initially - but I do enjoy being around others. There are times when it's draining, but when the vibe is good, it can be very energizing.

Are you currently talking to anyone?: No.

What are you craving right now?:

What did you last order online?: I haven't ordered it yet, but I'm going to be purchasing an Ed Gorey calendar as a Christmas gift for my mom.

What's the weather like today?: Sunny and 41*F.

Do you know anyone in the military?: No.

Would you rather listen to rock or rap music?: Rock.

Have you told anyone you loved them today?: My dad, my kitties, and some of the kitties at the shelter.

Do you have any songs stuck in your head?: Not right this second.

What were you doing the last time 10am came around?: I think we were just finishing up cleaning in cattery.

What are you planning on doing a few hours from now?: Just my usual nighttime routines.

What's the best gift anyone could give you?: Love. Or something more materialistic - a job at the animal shelter.

Where did you get the top you're wearing?: The shirt is from the animal shelter and the hoodie is from Amazon.

What was the price of gasoline the last time you saw it?: I think it was $2.89.

What's something you have a strong opinion on?: I feel like an abyss of apathy.

Do you like watching scary movies?: Sometimes.

Which is closer.. your birthday or Christmas?: Christmas.

Do you keep your loose change in a piggy bank?: I keep it in a jar under the upstairs bathroom sink.

Are you planning on getting any tattoos or piercings soon?: No.

Do you like your middle name?: I just don't feel connected to it.

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #104

I didn't do nearly as much today as I thought I was gonna. I had this giant huge list in my mind that included a shower, physical therapy, laundry, dishes, a couple phone calls, steaming some salmon, getting a couple things we need for the house delivered from the internet, working on the thingy that I'm not gonna talk about until it's done, and maybe making some rice pudding.

…But all I managed was the shower, physical therapy, one of the two phone calls, and steaming some salmon. Bah.

I suppose 4 of the 10 things (I'm counting the phone calls as two things) isn't bad, considering that on top of still recovering from sleep deprivation, my body is also throwing a hell of a tantrum over the fact that I'm not actively in the process of building a new human. For me, the amount of loss is about twice as much and for twice as long as what's typical, so the end result is that I lose about 4 times the resources than is normal. And then, of course, there is the pain that occurs throughout this process. Fun, fun.

Supposedly, this process is necessary because human zygotes burrow until they find blood. This causes problems, so it's better to have a layer of it so that they don't burrow too far directly into our flesh. But for a variety of compelling reasons, you can't have a random layer of blood that sticks around for too terribly long without it getting weird and causing other problems, so every once in a while, it's gotta get torn down and rebuilt.

The natural result is that I don't have nearly as much energy as I might otherwise, which is a bit of a bummer. That's all right though. It's only temporary. Ultimately, everything is temporary; even my currently-assigned flesh-vessel ain't gonna last forever. It's the way of things. I'm not sad about it.

I got some new teas and they arrived today. One of them is a decaffeinated black tea with vanilla and nutmeg (which I am about to try!), and the other one is a lychee and rose petal tea. I thought of you when I saw these ones (since it is known that you like the scents of vanilla and also roses), and I thought maybe you'd like them, so I thought to give them a try, just in case someday I might be able to tell you all about how awesome it is, or even share a cup of the stuff with you.

…The vanilla and nutmeg tea is wonderful. I put some honey and milk in it. I really wish I could give you a mug of the stuff. But I can't. So I'll send along the pictures I took for you as I brewed it.

This is the box it came in. It's got a cute little owl on it with teacups for eyes, I guess. I really like owls, especially barn owls, so this is some huge points in its favor, right off the bat, haha!

Here's how it looked before adding milk and honey.

And here's how it looked after adding milk and honey. You'll also see a very curious Hunter. But Hunter is mostly curious because I'm still steaming the salmon, and he thinks that me going to the counter means he's gonna get a tiny piece of salmon. Which, to be fair, is normally a very astute observation on his part, but while the salmon does smell heavenly, it is still not ready, and I therefore do not have any to give to him. Against the law, I know, I know; suppose you better pop by and cart me off to "disappointed cat jail", right? But it's better that he wait than get sick from eating undercooked salmon; I don't think the stuff available at the grocery is sushi-grade, hahaha…

The salmon is done, and it turned out beautifully. I made myself a small bowl of it, for… ya know. Quality assurance purposes. Grilling and pan-frying salmon are also wonderful ways of preparing it, but given how it comes out of the steamer all luscious, juicy, and tender enough to be cut with a spoon, this is by far my favorite preparation method.

…And don't worry; now that it's ready, Hunter was able to get a small piece. But ONLY a small piece; this food is not nutritionally complete for him, so it's important that he eats his usual food instead of filling up on this. Don't worry though - his usual food is made for cats, but it's human grade; it could be argued that they eat better than we do!! Hahaha!

…Wish I could talk to you a bit over a mug of tea and a bowl of steamed salmon with buttered rice and veggies. Wouldn't that be neat. Just for a few minutes. A moment's peace and a good meal for just a few minutes. I imagine it would do wonders for your state of mind. But in the meantime, I'll do my best to carry the vast sense of emptiness that stems from the fact that this is impossible. From there, I'll take that sense of emptiness and pour something so beautiful into it that even you could be proud - just like I do with my trees and my silicone molds. Just, with different materials. You'll see.

Please stay safe out there, okay? I'll write to you again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

[semper-fudge]

Cookbook: Buddha Bowls

To start off this weird little blog, I'm gonna give y'all one of my most versatile recipes. It's easy and quick to make on a weeknight, and it's pretty healthy depending on how you cook it. I call it a Buddha Bowl because it's adapted from a recipe I saw once that had the same name, but it's more accurate to call it "the bowl of whatever the hell I want."

What you need:

a protein of choice

leafy greens like kale, cabbage, and/or brussel sprouts

rice

a sauce or dressing of choice

Shrimp is great for this if you like seafood, but otherwise chicken and beef are good. I like to use tempeh for a vegetarian option, but tofu or even chickpeas will work.

I prefer cruciferous greens for this bowl because they add a lot of volume to fill you up, and are very good for you. I have trouble getting enough iron in my diet so kale and spinach are a must for me.

Who doesn't like rice? I tend to use a 5:1 mixture of brown rice and wild rice because I like the texture that wild rice introduces. Any kind of base would work for this, though - you could even sub noodles if you prefer.

What's the difference between a dressing and a sauce? I don't know. They're both just flavor goop. I really like Asian sauces for this dish. You can use plain ol' soy sauce if you want, jazz it up with some sesame oil and rice vinegar, but I usually use Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce. Other good options are teriyaki sauce, tamari, or even chunjang if you have the time to prepare it. If you want a lighter/tangier flavor, you could also use a vinaigrette.

Instructions:

Make rice. Plain white rice is great if you want a lighter flavor, or want it to soak up extra sauce. I like to cook my rice in vegetable broth and a drizzle of olive oil to make a quick dirty rice. I highly recommend getting a dedicated rice cooker if you don't already have one - it takes so much work out of the process.

(Optional) Marinate your protein in your sauce while your rice cooks. This is not necessary, but can elevate the flavor of your dish. It makes a big difference and most proteins only need about 20 minutes to soak up some good flavor.

When your rice is about halfway done, start cooking your protein in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Get it about 75% done before adding anything else to the pan. I use a neutral oil like canola or sunflower for this, but if your protein is fatty you might not need to add extra oil.

Turn heat to medium-low and add your veggies. Usually for me this is shredded kale, cabbage, onions, and mushrooms. You can mix and match to make it as simple or complex as you want. Alter your cook times according to what veggies you add - for example, onions will cook slower than kale, so let the onions get semi-translucent before adding softer veggies that will cook faster.

Once the protein and veg mixture is cooked, turn off the heat and drizzle in your sauce. Stir it in just enough to combine and warm the sauce with the residual heat from the pan. If your sauce starts sizzling and burning, your pan is too hot. We want the flavor of the veggies and sauce to stay nice and fresh, which is why we only add in the sauce at the end rather than cooking them all together.

Place rice in the bowl and spoon the protein and veg mixture on top. There you go!

This is one of the most adaptable and delicious recipes in my personal cookbook, and my family loves it. It's a great recipe for those days when you have a bunch of random ingredients in your fridge that are on the cusp of going bad. You can just throw it all in a pan, slap some sauce in there, and put it over rice. It's also very easy to make vegetarian or vegan. It's not the most original or complicated recipe, but it's really good and requires very little effort, which means I absolutely love it.

[bogisgettingfit]

Day 24: Journal

Had a banana and a greens supplement for breakfast and then headed to the gym.

Did my new Saturday legs routine. The squats were annoying because every time I squatted I could feel a nerve or something in my right leg slip around, making it tingle in an uncomfortable way, I tried changing my form but it didn't really help. My hip thrusts are getting better and I feel like I might be able to go up in weight from 15 lb soon. Did my first Bulgarian split squats with 5 lb per arm to be safe and was glad I did, because those were quite hard, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't squatting down as far as I'm supposed to hh. Also decided to try out the assisted pull up machine and even at ~120 lb assistance (any more and the platform wouldn't move with my weight on it) I was feeling it a few reps in, but it's not an arm day so I wasn't worried about hitting any set/rep goal, just trying the machine out. But that's my first venture into the heavier lifting/ machine half of the gym and I'm proud of myself.

Trying not to develop gym crushes.

Had a protein shake after, and then a wrap, 0 cal drink, and a small portion of fries for my second meal of the day.

None of my roommates are home tonight so I decided to have a one woman party, blasting my favorite music and having a few drinks (the first in quite a few weeks) while I made a rice bowl with eggs and bacon for my last meal of the day. I know the drinking will have some negative repercussions, but I'm allowed to have a drink every once and a while, especially since I'm not too keen on smoking weed anymore (too many negative side effects these days to really justify, plus it's illegal to partake on campus and I don't enjoy breaking rules.)

Learned about fluid retention when one starts working out and now my weight fluctuations make sense, not that I'm happy about it. I have a feeling it will be bad at my weigh-in tomorrow due to the alcohol I've consumed tonight, but again, I'm allowed to have a little fun every once and a while. I'll still probably be upset tomorrow though lol.

Feeling stronger, and I don't know if it's in my head but I swear I look a little smaller. Have an ever so slightly noticeable muscle bump when flexing my biceps. Progress???? perhaps.

See you tomorrow!

[takeeachdayonebookatatime]

Why did you elbow me? 185

Achilles Castle part 87

Lemonade and lies PART 30

Mentions Olivia Benson from law and order SVU.

Tanner: pov I bet that was hard for her Mr Castle says you have no idea she was a control freak at the time, she is not so much a control freak anymore. Having health issues does that to you. Her father was told by her therapist to Film and take pictures of her recovery as much as possible, that way she and her Dr's can see how far she has come down the road.

Castle: pov Some of it she hasn't seen since then it's too hard for her to watch. I still remember it like it was yesterday her dad was nice enough to text me a video labeled Katie's first steps. The therapist says I'm doing really good and don't need to use the wheelchair anymore just the crutches.

Dave: pov Alexis maybe we should make a video montage for the charity day at college. To show what type of damage a bullet can do and what it's like to recover from heart surgery . I just don't know how we would get the footage. Maybe we can ask around to see if people have footage of their recovery so we can use it. Or.

Alexis: pov Dave I know what you are going to say I will call my dad and ask him if there is any footage of Beckett from when she was recovering. I know it's not a pleasant topic or memory for Beckett. Dad should be done with therapy soon.

Kate: pov turns out the car might have been tampered with before the accident, hmm interesting I say goodbye to the mechanic and head back to the hospital to pick up Castle. The traffic wasn't too bad. Once I help Castle into the car we stop to pick up some food. He suggests brown rice bowls since they are my favorite. The line inside isn't that long and the guy knows me pretty well since I come here so much. He even gives me a free strawberry smoothie.

Castle: pov At the precinct Kate is carrying in the bags of food while I use my crutches. In the briefing room she put the food down Ryan and Esposito are explaining what they found in the papers which isn't much. Kate tells them what the mechanic said about the car being tampered with before the accident.

Kate: pov the smoothie tastes so good. I think I ate to much food after lunch the 4 of us keep looking through the papers the boys found they are a bunch of papers that proved that Blair did not cause the accident, Ryan is suddenly shouting that he found the evidence that points us right to our killer now that we know who the killer is I will send the boys to go pick up the killer. .

Esposito: pov the house looks a mess and run down, we are not sure if anyone is home, no one replies to our shouts so me and Esposito break the door down and clear the house room by room. I let Ryan handcuff our suspect who is resisting arrest.

Ryan: pov back at the station Kate says she will handle the interrogation of our killer. I put our suspect in interrogation room 1. Kate walks in the room and tells Tammy we have proof she killed her sister and that the accident that her boyfriend died in was not Blair's fault because the car had been tampered with by you Tammy. We have proof I talked to the mechanic who worked on the car before the accident.

Castle: pov I make my way over to Kate's office on my crutches, I want to do something special tonight for dinner, maybe go out. Kate suddenly starts laughing. I ask her what is so funny she says something Liv said on the phone to her. She had a random meeting at 1pp and some guy spilled his coffee on her. It took a few seconds before she realized it was Elliot who was in a rush because he was in trouble for something that had to do with his anger issues. Liv also has a rape case and the husband confessed to everything in 1 minute because he say's its not rape if you are married. I guess her day isn't going well and I have no comment on the last thing. Kate says Liv was lucky she had her bag in the car from last night and could quickly change her shirt.

Esposito: pov Castle is now in Kate's office talking with her, he brushes her hair out of her face. We solved our case, and it turns out the twin sister Tammy killed Blair because she was hanging with Tammy's boyfriend and in a shocking turn of events Tammy tampered with the car, the night of the accident she caused the accident and car fire wow.

Kate: pov ugh I have so much paperwork and I'm starting to get tired. Castle says, Kate if you don't want to go out to eat or are too tired it's fine, I know you have issues going out to eat and don't do well with very large crowds.

Castle: pov I head to the breakroom to answer my phone. It is Alexis calling, she mentions her and Dave are thinking about adding a video montage since Alexis picked the heart charity and Dave picked the end gun violence one for charity day at their college. They both want to know if there is any footage of Kate during her recovery and can I ask Kate if she would be willing to let them use the footage for the video. I tell them I know there is some footage from what Jim told me and will ask but I don't know what her answer will be. She is a very private person. I ask Kate if she is ready to head home. The ride home didn't take that long. I decided to ask Kate about the footage. To be continued. ……….

[imogen-rhitt]

She giggled, rolling her eyes before giving them another kiss. “Fine, but I’ll remind you of that when you’re complaining about stinky kisses one day.” Dissolving into proper laughter as they started to talk about the encounter they’d caused with Elliot the night before, eyes widening when Theo said he’d wanted her to go back to Jack. “Wait what?! Terrible advice from Elliot - bad bad bad. I’m going to have to have a serious word with him next time I see him about how horrible that advice is. Don’t ever encourage me to go back to that asshole. Not that he’d want me anyway but joke is on him because…well we’re not together anymore.” It was adorable how they were trying to explain their thought process the night before because…well as scared and stressed as Imogen had been when Theo got back home it was super sweet how they’d been trying to convince her they could do this even while drunk off their face. “I know…we were both freaking out. I’m still kinda freaking out, just for the record. I don’t know how long I’ll be freaking out but I think it’s going to be a while.” 

Watching as they clicked through the app she smiled softly at the explanation as well as the pride in their voice. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, no one looked after Imogen like Theo even when she wasn’t pregnant. “You’ve been doing good, I’ve not really been doing anything. Just promise me I don’t have to have rice for breakfast because I think that might actually make it worse.” Pulling a face at the idea of waking up and immediately having to eat a bowl of rice, it was hardly an appealing one. Toast on the other hand she could get on board with. She knew they were right about them needing to keep tabs on things for the sake of the baby but the whole conversation was getting a little overwhelming. She didn’t know how Theo wasn’t still freaked out by everything but they were just so calm it was impressive. Admirable. “Babe….hold on a second please. This is a lot all at once and I want to engage in it and talk to you about it but it’s very overwhelming.” Shit, was this something she was going to have to get used to as well? Getting overwhelmed and feeling like she was going to start crying at the drop of a hat? Jesus, her ever suffering partner was in for a fun ride as well. She immediately felt guilty for that. “I’m still trying to get my head around the fact there is another human inside me which is just fucking weird. Do you not find it weird? Also I wanted to ask you something, about something you said last night as you were falling asleep. Just about if you meant it or whatever.” @theoxkent

When she pulled back from the kiss because of morning breath, Theo kept her close and kissed her again just to say they didn't care, "I rather have a stinky kiss than no kiss." They smiled close to her lips and pecked them again before they added. "God, poor Elliot. I don't even know what the fuck did I say to him or what he said to me. I think he kind of wanted you to go back to fuckface which freaked me out more." A mall chuckle as they shook their head, biting their own bottom lip at how ridiculous that whole night was. "I think I thought... if I could prove to you that I could be a good parent then you'd choose me over fuckface. God, I was really freaking out. We were both freaking out." Another soft chuckle left their lips.

Showing her the different parts of the app like the size of the baby depending on the week, Theo explained further, "We were right about the ginger and mint drinks. It also adds bland food like rise, toast which I also gave you that first morning... we've been doing good." A proud smile across their face as they realized they just knew how to take care of her. "Well, it's important and it's something that we're going to have to pay attention to so we know you and the baby are healthy." They answered calmly to her horrified surprise, still taking it all in stride as if it was all just something they were acquainted with their whole life and not for the last hour. "I've also been researching a few real-estate agencies, hoe do you feel about moving out of downtown. It'll be a bit of drive to work but I think it'll be best for us to move to a different neighbourhood. Something like where Elliot lives." The post it notes behind her had some of the things they were telling her about. And they hadn't even started on the pre-schoold they researched or university founds and pet shelters, unrelated but, well not really.

[jordanprice]

June 10 - Kinkakuji and Daitokuji

Today we visited the Golden Pavilion and Zen temples. The day started out with me realizing that the breakfast was already made, and that by me not showing up, my plate of food was thrown away and wasted. I felt really bad about this, but I couldn’t’ve known.

We then took a bus yo go to Mishima, the Golden Pavilion. Professor Smith and like half the group got on one bus, then Leina and the rest of us had to wait a while for another one. The bus was very jolty and was what felt like a very long ride. Already from being on two busses today, I can tell you that I much prefer Tokyo for public transport. The trains are just much easier and much more available and convenient there than the trains and busses in Kyoto.

When we got this, we went to go see the pavilion, and it was very pretty. I also really liked the pond it was on, and the weather was really nice for it as well. It felt like we were very rushed though, especially given a few students were still way behind.

After that, I asked Leina to join Lauren, Bianca, and I for lunch. She seemed hesitant at first, but I really wanted to include her as I think she’s great. I got her to pick out where she wanted to eat as well, and we ended up going to a ramen place. I got fried chicken, gyoza, and a chicken bun, which were all pretty good (especially the first two). Unfortunately there wasn’t really anything for Lauren there, as she’s vegetarian, but at least we were able to get her a crepe after lunch. I really do hope Leina enjoyed having lunch with us!

We then made our way to the Zen Buddhist temples. They were quite calm and I liked that pretty much everything was original. The rock gardens were kinda cool as well. One thing I didn’t exactly like is that the one felt really price gougey, even going as far as to have some priest guy come out and convince people from our group to but his autograph for like $25 as if he were a celebrity. Also they were selling literal stamps of writing on paper for like $100. I don’t know, I just felt that took away from the message and specialty of the place in a way for me personally.

After that, we went back to the hotel, having to take another bus. Lauren and I then later went to get dinner, and tried out this one vegan place she found. We each got a Korean bbq bowl, and it was surprisingly close to real meat texture wise, but the flavor was still definitely not there. I thought it was okay personally, but Lauren, who hasn’t had real meat in years, thought it was like the best thing ever. I’m really happy she enjoyed it, and I ended up giving her a bunch of mine. I had to not eat it in the end once I realized there were beans and chickpeas in the rice, which I am quite allergic to.

Lauren felt bad that I didn’t really eat, so we looked around to try and find something. Somehow I think we ended up in like a rich part of Kyoto, as the average price of a restaurant in the immediate area was over $100. Also, we got turned away from yet another restaurant that is reservation only, and by two that closed literally as we walked up to them. We ended up waking along the Kamo river, which is honestly so beautiful and peaceful at night. I would absolutely recommend waking there. The restaurant we then ate at was some French place along the river. The view was fantastic and so was the food! I just got a pepperoni pizza, and it was honestly the best pizza I’ve had in years. So good in fact that it convinced Lauren, who had already eaten, to get a pizza as well. A personal pizza, a drink, and a dessert as a combo was only $12. The pizza was so good I might have to go there again for it. They also had some very cute cats and a couple herons were just chilling there.

I really wish the photos could do any of this justice.

Academic Reflection

Today I learned about Mishima, which is the temple of the golden pavilion. This was an ornate temple covered in gold leaf, which stood for centuries. It was a symbol of wealth and power shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. This temple has burned down multiple times throughout history, and was most recently rebuilt in 1955. Seeing the recreation of it today, it was a beautiful temple for sure. However, I feel it would have been much more special to see if the original one were still in tact.

I also learned about zen temples. These temples are less ornate and much simpler and modest. For Zen Buddhism, they don’t feel the need for exuberant buildings and carvings and decor and such. The focus more on meditation and peace and quiet. This was shown today with how quiet the area of the zen temples was, and there was the stark contrast today between that and the golden pavilion. Also, I learned that the term “rock garden” was not originally considered a correct or proper term, but has pretty much become one.

[therapyevents]

so part of this hit a relatable chord.

the cozzy lives is big, but actually i have more availabile spending money now than i did before with my ex and so i kinda relate to the guy. ot because i know the situation,i dont, but i can project myself there and contemplate it in a sympathetic way ig?

so with ex, he was always late paying bills, paying back, paying anything tbh. he's a leech but he doesn't have the awareness to know he is. he just gets shit free bc people give him things bc he cant afford it, but he cant afford it cos he's shit with money lmao

like he would spend, no exaggeration, £100 a WEEK at this burger van near a place he worked once. 400 ish a month. he earnt more than me, i was on about 900pcm and he got about 1.3 or 1.4 at the time. rent was 900ish split in half. somehow, i always had to cover the rent fully, wait for him to pay me which he'd do in like 2 or 3 payments bc he cant afford it. but he can buy 100 per week of burgers smh

when it came to takeout or nice ingredients, i was VERY strict. because it was ultimately my money being spent since he hadn't paid rent and always owed me back. i was always no brands, no unnecessary shit, buy loads of spices and cheap pasta noodles rice etc and make the cheap things elevated with spices and flavour and cooking methods. i didn't want to waste anything on more than 10p noodles bc i knew it wasn't in budget

and therefore HATED takeout because it was a ln expensive chore. tbh i still see it as an expensive chore

takeout is lazy and stressful. it costs loads for substandard food, it smells extreme. it drops crumbs or grease. you STILL have to wash up cos you use a bowl maybe or glasses or cutlery, so it doesn't save that effort. and then you have to perform fridge tetris to fit the containers in for leftovers.... like the thing men don't understand about takeout is it's the same thing as normal dinner for them, cos they just eat it. it's also the same thing as normal dinnef for me, bc i still prepare for it, lay it out, wash up and tidy after. all it does itls cost 500% more than a normal dinner. i then have the guilt of calorie overload, and my stomach hates grease (ive cut out all greasy things, dont use oil if i can avoid it, etc) so the next day im ALWAYS ILL. and my mood is low too, cos i eat veggies and healthy things normally, so i have energy, but takeout is often not healthy so i wake up with no energy. which. like. bad for depression yknow.

so yeh takeout stresses me out massively

HOWEVER

if my othrr half is getting it anyway, with their money, their time, i would appreciate a small thing? like i want less than £5, a kids burger, some nachos, a thing of chips (one thing, not all of those lmao). BC it's just so hard to smell takeout and not have it lol. like i cook for us always. if youre getting takeout, i dont want takeout, but if you're getting it then that's you providing, and so id like something small and token so i can participate without the burden. like you just spent £30 on pizza, sides, and delivery, can i have some £3.50 curly fries to nibble on the side of my healthier dinner.

i never want to initiate or agree to takeout cos it's WORK and it's throwing away money, but if you're decided on getting it can i have a snack at least.

which reads back really selfish haha

idk i just do 99% the cooking and chores, if im being overruled on takeout and have to tidy it away anyway and deal with the bad smell... i want a small payment of 3.50 chips. ig that reads better maybe

so yeh ig it comes down to, looping back tothe post i linked, the feelings. she's more comfy spending more money, he's not. he wants to spend less. but since she spent loads on takeout, she might as well get something small for him. but they dont split the food bill so 🤷 i jus know it would make me sad if the person i loved got takeout and didn't think of me, which happens and it's upsetting even if i dont want anything lmao, i like to be asked and thought of. like. "i got you some chips,if you dont have them I'll eat them, but they're therd anyway". 99p init. or 1.29. idk. cozzy lives. and i feel leftout always bc im always leftout so i react harder to being leftout and the IDEA of being leftout

[obanzi]

hello! so I saw requests were open! can I get the reaction of the hashira boys when their shy s/o suddenly confesses to them? Thank u in advance

yeah mhm !! idk i just got in the mood to write this .

༄ Sudden Confession !

Summary ⤳ Hashira reacting to y/n’s sudden confession !!

TWS / Mentions ⤳ n/a

Featuring ⤳ hashira boys

Author’s Note ⤳ i had some trouble writing Uzui so forgive me :(

❥ Rengoku Kyojuro

You were Rengoku’s Tsugoku , now , it was a regular day of training . Alright so just to get some things clear .. you had a massive crush on rengoku ever since you first saw him !!

Anyways , you couldn’t hold back anymore . All you wanted was the Flame Hashira’s love . While during your break time , you just let loose without thinking twice ..

“Rengoku-san .. I know this is sudden but I like you !!”

Rengoku was caught off guard . BIG TIME — like , wtf ?? How did he not notice this .. he was redder than the devil !! Even so , rengoku answered even with his sweating face .

“I like you too Y/N - san !!”

❥ Iguro Obanai

You and Obanai were out on lunch with just finishing a mission , you both went to your favorite ramen shop !! Obanai loves the tea there while you love the ramen .

You and Obanai’s friendship was something that you both enjoyed every much and would hate for it to go somewhere else .. even if you both wanted to stay friends . The universe had different plans for you two ..

You were currently thinking about your feelings for Obanai while waiting for your ramen to arrive . Meanwhile , Obanai was deciding whether he should get black or green tea ..

Without thinking twice or even waiting for your ramen to arrive . You just spit it out .. “Iguro-San , I think .. I like you .” While covering your face with your hands .

That’s when Obanai went red , just like straight up red . It was so sudden that his mind went blank !! That lunch was a little awkward after .. but don’t worry . I’m sure things will turn out find :D

❥ Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi was your best friend , you two are a chaotic duo . While sanemi thought he never caught feelings , you on the other hand have . I mean , how could you not ? He might look scary to some but you think he looks handsome !! All you wanna do his kiss his scars and tell him how much you love him .

Alright so put that aside for now , you two were doing the Hashira training . You were asked to help with pounding training !! While sanemi was scolding some of the lower rank demon slayers , you were just looking at him . Not in a weird way .. like more in a “ur cute” look .

Once he was finished , he caught you looking . “What the fuck are you looking at ?” , he was honestly a bit confused . And without any thinking .. “You , you look cute .”

Both you froze . You had just figured out what you said and got extremely embarrassed and started covering your face . Meanwhile , Sanemi was .. he didn’t know what to think . Woah you like him ? You think he looks cute ? Is he cute ? What does this mean ? I thought we were just friends ? Yeah , a lot of questions in his head right now .. 

Although once you both sort it out , maybe something will happen . Who knows ? Just gotta throw your hints luv >:)

❥ Muichiro Tokito ( Aged Up )

You were Muichiro’s Tsugoku , as much as he is forgetful he is cute !! Is what you tell yourself most of the time . Even if he could never catch onto your hints , you still love him either way .

One day , you two were taking a break . With him laying down and you still sitting up , both of you were looking up at the clouds ! While you two were looking at the lovely clouds , you couldn’t help but notice mui’s adorable face !! Trying figure out what some clouds look like .

You couldn’t help but squeal out “you’re so cute mui-Kun !!” While holding both of your red cheeks . You honestly didn’t care if he heard or not .. you knew he was going to forget anyways .

... He didn’t . There was a small tint on pink on his cheeks but barely visible ! He actually liked you too although he wasn’t so sure of his whole romance thing so he waited and kept his feelings to himself .

Although with your small confession , he had some hope . At the end of the day .. he will confront you about this <3

❥ Himejima Gyomei

Alright so your friends with Genya !! Genya sees you as a mother to him . So basically you hang around gyomei and genya a lot — after staying around the two for most of your life , you had caught feelings for the big giant !!

After a few lunches with him , this became a normal for the both of you . So it was one of those lunches today — you were talking to gyomei about the lovely flowers you walked by before you got here .

“They were such a lovely pink ! Ah , I wish I could’ve taken them with me .” Is what you said while taking a bite into your rice bowl . After a few minutes of talking , you decided maybe it was time . Yeah , sure it was sudden but .. you loved him a lot and this is what you wanted to do .

“I’m not the best at confessing but .. gyomei-San , I love you a lot !” You said laughing while giving a cheeky smile . And you swear to GOD you saw a small tear out of gyomei’s eyes . You started to panic and ask if he’s okay !!

Gyomei was okay , just surprised . Someone like you .. can love someone like him ..? Although don’t worry .. I’m sure something will work out :)

❥ Uzui Tengen

Uzui already had 3 wives but who said he can’t have 4 ? Sure you and Uzui were still talking but maybe something could go on . Anyways , you had kinda a crush on Uzui . Although you were restraining yourself since he already had 3 wives .

Even so , you get along with his 3 wives a lot !! They all like you , they also knew you had a thing for Uzui . So it was a huge win - win . Maybe something could work out ..

One day , you and the girls were talking about these cute clothes at the market . Once that conversation died down a bit .. the girls asked you something that would completely get you off guard ..

“so y/n-chan .. do you have a crush !!?” Suma would ask you while the two other girls waited for an answer . You couldn’t decide if you should tell them or not .. you had no idea how they were gonna react . What should you do ??

Just as you were about to say something else , Uzui did a sneak attack on all of you — “boo !!” All of you ( expect Makio ) all jumped . “Hey girls !! Watcha talking about ~?”

“Oh nothing !! Just talking about how much i like youuu .....” that’s when you covered your face and got really embarrassed ... have fun luv .

❥ Giyuu Tomioka

Both you and Giyuu were pretty quiet . Although that didn’t stop you for catching feelings for the Water Pillar , he was quite handsome even if most people don’t like him . He’s also a great listener :D

There were many things that you loved about him . Although you kept that to yourself .. at least you tried too . One night , both you and Giyuu were out doing a night guard .

“The moon is nice today , too bad we have to keep watch .” You said looking up at the sky , enjoying the moonlight hitting your face .

You looked back at the small town before you looked at Giyuu and smiled . Oh , how he looked so cute focusing . You couldn’t help but blush and admire him !! Although , accidentally .. you said something that could maybe change a few things .

“Ah you’re so cute Giyuu-San ! I wish I could give you kiss —” .... yeah that might have been obvious . Literally Giyuu coughed and covered his face . I think he likes you too !!

© obanzi , do not copy or steal my work . And please don’t share my work on other media platforms ! Thank you .

[volkswagonblues]

a lil guide to the Fire Nation for the ATLA fic writers out there

(aka. a no means exhaustive primer on east asia by an asian person)

This is a guide for fic writers want to write a canon-era story set in the Fire Nation, or featuring Fire Nation characters. A quick little primer on the tiny details of everyday life that you might not think about, but certainly stuff that would make me, an asian person, wince if I were to encounter it. BRUSHES, not quills. CHOPSTICKS, not forks. 

(note #1: this was partly inspired by a chat with @elilim​) 

(note: #2:  I originally intended it for zukka fic writers before realizing that other writers might find it useful. so apologies for a slight Zuko-bias for that reason)

(note #3: this is all stuff i was thinking about when writing firebender’s guide, in case anyone was wondering)

1. CLOTHING

Okay, I think the most straightforward way to describe what everyone’s wearing most of the time is “tunic”. They’re all just...tunics of different colours and varieties. Later when Zuko’s the Fire Lord he wears robes. The show provides a better visual guide than I could, here are a few notes to keep in mind:

a) Japanese people wear their collars LEFT crossed over RIGHT

I don’t think this would come up in writing as much as it would in art, but it’s considered bad luck to do it the wrong way because that’s only for dead people. Let my boy Zuko demonstrate:

b) There are no buttons

This is picky, but Wikipedia says “Functional buttons with buttonholes for fastening or closing clothes appeared first in Germany in the 13th century.[6] They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe.” I kinda believe it. If you look closely, characters’ clothes are always tied together or wrapped in some way with a belt. If there are fasteners, they’re braided frog closures that go into a little loop, like the qipao-style dresses women wear in Ba Sing Se, or Zuko’s casual prince’s clothes in the topmost image. Anyways, I don’t think Zuko or Azula or the Gaang would technically button or unbutton anything when they’re changing clothes. Clothing is designed to be tied, not buttoned.

[so much more under cut]

c) This isn’t a real rule, but there’s something called koromogae, or the seasonal changing of clothing in Japan.

This is something I learned when I was writing firebender’s guide, and I just liked the fun detail about there being a strict calendar for when to wear something. I liked the idea of someone like Zuko, who actually spent most of his formative years outside of the Fire Nation, coming home and just suffering mutely through the summer heat because upper class etiquette says no changing into cooler clothes until August 15. 

From My Asakusa: 

And this website:

Generally, people change from thick, heavy, dark-coloured clothes for winter to thin, lighter, bright-coloured clothes for spring and summer. In traditional Japanese culture, particularly in formal settings such as tea ceremony, it is important to acknowledge the changes of seasons—in such circumstances, not only the patterns and colours of the kimono that are worn but also the utensils and furniture that are used are required to change. By changing their clothing, people notice and appreciate the change of seasons. [Japan Foundation]

Here are some visual guides from the official creators for clothes: (notice how it’s pretty much always left over right)

2.FOOD AND EATING

a) Traditional cuisine

It seems like the most common foods in canon are Fire Flakes and meat, to the point where poor Aang had to eat lettuce out of the garbage at some point.

HOWEVER, the Fire Nation seems to basically a big subtropical archipelago, so I would guess that seafood and rice are common. If you want to write about characters eating, a. quick google for “traditional japanese cuisine” would help you come up with a menu really quickly.

Wikipedia says:

The traditional cuisine of Japan, washoku (和食), lit. "Japanese eating" (or kappō (ja:割烹)), is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi.

But before we get too serious, at one point the Gaang eats a “smoked sea slug” (Sokka’s Master) 

Oh ATLA, never stop being you.

b) Utensils

One thing to keep in mind is chopstick etiquette. Someone like Zuko or Toph, for instance, would have completely internalized all of these.

Another thing is that there are no glasses. Cups and bowls are made of ceramic or clay. Let the Gaang show you:

And another note: characters won’t eat “bread” in the European sense, ie. a baked lump of dough. Steamed buns, yes. Fried pancakes made from batter, yes. Flatbreads, okay I’ll give it a pass. Rice or noodles should be the most common carbs of choice.

3.ETIQUETTE

“In the homeland, we bow to our elders” - angry schoolmistress in The Headband.

Japan Guide has a list of etiquette rules for visiting Japan, which is interesting but not too necessary to read. In general, based on what The Headband tells us, Fire Nation characters would have been raised with a strong nationalist curriculum that values communal contribution over individualist expression. Even someone like Zuko, who openly rebels against that, probably couldn’t help but be affected by it. In general the Fire Nation seems to have an East Asian-ish set of values. It’s patriarchal, all the positions of authority are filled by men; there seems to be a strong emphasis on patriotism; there’s a sense of diffidence and respect towards one’s elders; and finally, there’s an emphasis on “knowing” one’s place in society and fitting into what’s expected of oneself.

I don’t really know how to describe it, but in China and Japan I sometimes feel like there’s rules for everything, and even people born and raised there acknowledge it could be stifling at times. You could go down a rabbit hole researching points of etiquette (for instance, rules on who has to sit where in group dinners...), but to me the most important thing is acknowledging that Fire Nation has a rigid system of etiquette, and also, they’re an imperialist power who’s pretty prejudiced against foreigners. Poor Aang/Kuzon gets called “mannerless colony slob” just for being slow on the bowing action (!!!)

(in firebender’s guide I had a lot of fun imagining the stupid microaggressions Ambassador Sokka has to face in the Fire Nation, so obviously I’m just biased)

4.WRITING AND DESKS

Characters would probably write on paper, with a calligraphy brush. Not quills or pens -- a brush. Technically, old Japanese and Chinese texts should be written top to bottom, right to left, but the show itself doesn’t do this, so I think you’re fine. 

One fun thing about traditional calligraphy is that you don’t use bottled ink. You have something called an ink stone, and then you grind your ink yourself by rubbing the ink stone in a special little dish with a bit of water. In my (very few) encounters with this stuff in the calligraphy lessons of my youth, the ink stones can be plain or have beautiful designs on the side. It looks something like this: 

ATLA is an East Asian-ish universe, so characters are likely to be kneeling at a table, not sitting. To demonstrate, here’s my boy Sokka doing his famous rainbow at Piandao’s:

and here’s the war chamber meeting when Zuko speaks out against a general’s plans to sacrifice some soldiers:

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS: This is Zuko’s cute little setup when he’s writing his goodbye letter to Mai. In this case he’s writing in a chair and table. It’s possible that some furniture items, like a sitting desk and a bed in a bedframe (not a bedroll or futon) are special royal palace features. Normally in a private setting we see characters sitting on the ground or on a slightly elevated platform with a low table. Maybe Caldera is just different? Or rich people are just different: the Bei Fongs also have a sit-down dining table + chair setup.

(That little rectangular box is his ink dish!!)

5.A NOTE ON GENERAL CULTURE

It’s worth talking about a few general points of East Asian culture. I can’t claim to speak for ALL of Asia, and I don’t think I should. But I do think ATLA fic writers who want to set something in the Fire Nation should take a few moments to at least skim the wiki pages for filial piety and Nihonjinron (literally, "theories/discussions about the Japanese"). There’s a certain...vibe to...asianness... that I’m not sure I can explain without like, a doctorate degree in sociology. 

It’s a bit like gender, I guess. There’s no definitive checklist to what is a woman and what is a man, and we can argue that gender is performative, that it’s a construct, but at the end of the day gender is still (tragically) real in the sense that it still shapes people and affects how we walk and talk and dress and think. Nationality is the same. Obviously, the Fire Nation is a made up place in a made up show, but out of respect to the cultures that inspired it, I do think it’s worth familiarizing yourself with some of these cultures’ codes and values.

Also, ahem, if I can direct you to war crimes in the Japan’s colonial empire. Again, worth remembering that the Fire Nation was an imperalist colonizer too.

I might do a continuation of this post and talk through my more abstract takes about Fire Nation culture - Is Zuko an example of filial piety gone right or filial piety gone wrong? Why I think Zuko’s flashbacks are like, at least part teenage melodrama bullshit (the reason is son preference), how someone like Sokka might be treated once he’s openly Water Tribe in the Fire Nation (probably with racism...), specific aspects of asian homophobia and racism, etc. We’ll see.

This is not a definitive guide. Comments and critique welcome.

If you think there’s a factual mistake, PLEASE hop in my asks and let me know. I also think there’s a huge blind spot in ATLA for South and Southeast Asian representation, so I acknowledge that I can’t speak for all Asians, and there is no such thing as a “pan-asian” identity.

If there’s something else you’re curious about, I’m not a historian or anything, but I like research. Ask me and I’ll try to answer the best I can.

And oh, one last thing, this is how I do research when I wrote firebender’s guide, in case anyone’s interested in learning more (LINK)

[mimi-cee-hq]

Wildfires - Atsumu x f!reader

Summary: You're burned from last year's rumours, now fearing any hint of smoke. Yet you can't help, but fall for the childhood friend who's a balm to your wounds.

Genres, tropes, etc: angst with a satisfying and happy ending, angst to fluff, hurt/ comfort, exs to lovers (but not the usual kind), secret dating, drama and romance, but it's still somehow cute because that's just how I write lol

Warnings: false rumours about cheating and an illicit relationship, so it still technically mentions those things.

Words: 1.9k

Author's Notes: Hi Lia (@chimielie)! I'm your ☀️ anon. 🥰 You suggested exs to lovers and hurt/comfort for this prompt and it still technically is those things, but it's probably not what you expected.

If anyone is new to my blog and doesn't want to read angst, here's a cute fluff Atsumu x reader instead. :)

This fic is for the Heatwave Fic Exchange (@heatwave2021). Thank you for hosting this!

~*~*~

"I hadn't realized you two were still together."

Not even the overworked fan's whirring can drown out the strained silence that follows.

"We're not."

The air is dry and sweat forms on your brow. With the sun beating down, it's the perfect combination for a wildfire.

Atsumu's chin sits on his fist as he avoids your gaze. Lowering your eyes, you stare at the wooden table.

"Did he still care?" you ask yourself.

~*~*~

Plaid skirts sway as two students peek into their new classroom, attempting to be discreet. You hear their whispers from a distance, waiting in front of your own classroom.

"Look! We get Kinjou-sensei this year!" one exclaims.

"Are you serious?" the other asks after letting out a gasp. "I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I might end up staring at his face all day."

"Maybe it'll help you pay attention," her friend snickers.

You clench your jaw as heat rises in your body. They're able to indulge in frivolous remarks, ignorant of how you're left scarred from one fleeting gesture, a tiny piece of kindling that ignited into uncontrollable flames.

Cool hands cover your ears from behind you. Your jaw relaxes and the tension dissipates from your shoulders. You turn around to see Atsumu wearing a scowl on his lips. Sighing as you cross your arms, you ask, "Atsumu, what are you doing?"

"Well if only there was a way to make 'em shut up," he replies with a sharp tone.

You lean away from him and swat his hands back. "You're too close," you tell him.

"Alright!" he says, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'll go!"

As he walks away, he crosses his thumb and index finger behind his back, forming a little heart. You smirk at his hidden gesture to you.

"I love you too, Atsumu," you silently tell him as a smile graces your lips. However, it vanishes like the mist in the sun when yet another person calls after him, someone he doesn't know.

You skirt around the other students, avoiding their path, and rush to your desk. There are too many dry leaves around; a single spark can burst everything into flames.

Why does everyone have to know Atsumu?

~*~*~

"I wish you could've been my partner for the project," you say.

Atsumu pours a glass of water and places it on the table in front of you. "You ended up with that new girl, right?" he mentions and you reply with a nod. "She should be safe to work with."

You're startled once again when you hear the chimes from the front door. A rattan room divider obstructs your view of it, but you hunch down anyway as you finally pick up your spoon.

Atsumu sits across from you, sharing something about his team. His eyes dim when he realizes you haven't been listening.

"This isn't working," he tells you. "I thought this restaurant would be better because people can't see us from here." He runs his fingers in his hair, a sign he's frustrated.

"I– I forgot people can still hear us," you say in a low voice.

Atsumu sighs. "Let's just watch a movie at my house," he says. "Osamu already knows anyway."

"You know we can't," you protest. "Not when Hana and Haku drop by so often. They're going to realize we're together."

"But how are we supposed to have any fun when you're so scared?"

"I–" You lower your gaze, eyes unfocused towards your untouched bowl of rice. "Sorry, Atsumu."

"It's not your fault," he reminds you yet again. This exchange has become all too familiar. "Maybe we should finally tell Hana and Haku what happened to you."

"And have them find out the guy in the rumours is their beloved brother?" You cross your arms over your chest and rub your hand on your sleeve. "I still want to be comfortable around them, Atsumu. Ignorance is bliss right?"

His mouth twists before a groan escapes from it. He slouches in his seat and stares at the food in front of you, which remains the way the waitress left it.

"Let's take the train to Tokyo next time," he mutters. "Nobody'll know us there."

Your eyes grow before looking up at Atsumu. "What?" you slowly enunciate just above a whisper. "Don't you know how expensive that is?"

He presses his lips together before sharing his next suggestion. "I know where 'Samu's secret stash of money is…"

You narrow your eyes at him. "No, we're not stealing from him to go on a date, Atsumu."

"Alright," he says, lowering his eyes and dropping his shoulders.

Seeing his expression, you offer another idea. "How about Osaka?" It's only one city away.

Atsumu's eyes light up, excited at the chance of finally getting to enjoy some time with you. Although your smile doesn't quite reach your eyes, you hope leaving the vicinity of last year's wildfires would be enough, for Atsumu's sake and yours.

~*~*~

Your heart beats faster and your throat becomes dry. You weren't getting enough air.

"You're okay," you tell yourself. "She's not talking about you."

"Seriously! That happened at my old school," your project partner snickers as she recounts her story to you. "They even got the kiss on camera too! I felt so bad for her, but it's her own fault for cheating on him."

You begin to feel dizzy, catching a whiff of smoke from another victim's fire. Her words add fuel to a fire that cannot be stopped. Wildfires burn and burn, and are never satisfied until they run out of kindling.

"Oh! I've been meaning to ask. Are you dating Atsumu? The two of you seem really close!"

Your throat struggles to take control, attempting to keep your stomach down; it doesn't want to burn either.

They'll say you're cheating on Kinjou-sensei.

The tongue is a powerful weapon, causing destruction by those who are both untrained and ignorant as well as the truly malicious.

Your knees buckle as you pant for air, your grip weak on the knob. You need to get out.

Atsumu's figure is before you and you relax as he catches you. You never would have imagined that this guy would be your fleeting oasis.

~*~*~

"Let's break up," you tell Atsumu.

You both knew this was coming, yet a bucket of icy water chilled to the bone regardless of whether or not it was expected. Speaking those words aloud shocked you back into reality.

You hesitated dating each other in the first place, but you couldn't help but caress his strong hands when he admitted his feelings for you. Growing up together in your group of five, he was by your side from snotty noses to acne breakouts.

You didn't expect to fall for the hot-head of your bunch when rumours of you dating Kinjou-sensei spread. Atsumu attempted to extinguish every flame he spotted, witnessing your anguish each time you got burned.

"Maybe we can still do this," you say, contradicting your previous words.

"And what? Have ya pass out again every time someone asks about us?" Atsumu protests. He lowers his eyes as he clutches your hand. "Do ya know how worried I was about ya?"

Your heart flutters for a moment before you remind yourself that you can't keep him, the boy who has been by your side for so long.

"Aghhhhh! This is so stupid!!! Why are we suffering because of this made up crap?! 'Kinjou-sensei' had put a bandaid on me a thousand times more than he did t' ya! But nobody gives a crap about that!"

"I'm sorry Atsumu."

"Why the heck are ya sorry?!" he says, raising his voice.

"I– If I was just strong enough... If I could withstand their stupid words"–your lip trembles–"maybe I wouldn't have to choose between you and having some peace."

There's another silence between the two of you. Your fingers are loosely intertwined together, barely holding the fragile string between the two of you, as if it were a wick that would combust and disappear in a split second.

"Maybe we should just run away," Atsumu mumbles aloud.

"What?"

"Ya know, transfer schools. Or even drop out if we need ta."

"Atsumu! You can't! We can't! You have volleyball! And I... this is the only school that gave me a scholarship."

"Agh! Why is this so frustrating?!"

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, ya idiot! Ya did nothing wrong!" He presses and rubs his forehead with the heel of his palm. "I just… I wish I could do more for ya." His arm drops at his side. "I wish I didn't feel so useless."

Your tears drip down your face. Could they be counted any more? If only you didn't fear getting caught dating Atsumu, terrified that last year's fires would morph into a raging beast. But another wildfire would not only destroy you but also the man you loved. If only your sores healed by now, you could have shown off your boyfriend, disregarding any of the flames.

If only you were fireproof.

But you weren't and now you're forced to loosen your grip on Atsumu, the balm to your wounds, and let him fall out of your hands.

~*~*~

"I hadn't realized you two were still together."

Not even the overworked fan's whirring can drown out the strained silence that follows.

"We're not."

It was three years since you talked to Atsumu, four since rumours first raged through the school. The two of you went through cycles of getting back together and breaking up again every time you learned that fear was still crippling you. Cutting off contact was the less painful option.

Years later, you're at a friend's cottage and Atsumu comes along without knowing you're here as well. Now that high school has come and gone, the smoke has dissipated and the fires have finished their course. You can finally breathe.

But does Atsumu still want you?

To anyone else, Atsumu is bored out of his mind, resting his chin on his fist. Nobody sees his thumb and finger forming a tiny heart.

Your heart flutters and you blink back tears. You attempt to hold back your growing grin, but you have no reason to hide it anymore.

You wrap your arms around him, almost causing him to topple off of his chair, Atsumu letting out a yelp. "What the heck are ya doing?"

You can finally release your feelings for him, openly and freely. The dam opens and waters rush to engulf him before you settle into his embrace.

"I love you too Atsumu," you tell him without a care in the world.

Osamu tells you he changed when you cut off contact. He desired to be a man, not wanting to feel so powerless, and poured himself into things he could do. It paid off.

"Did ya want to go somewhere together? I could even take ya all the way t' Rome if ya want."

The two of you hold each others' hands as the ocean's edge cools your feet. You lean against his shoulder, cherishing the moment that at one point seemed like an inaccessible dream.

You give him a peck on the cheek and smile. "Tokyo seems like a nice place for a date for now."

~*~*~

I hope you enjoyed this fic. :) (And I hope you liked it Lia!!) I guess I can be poetic if I try. lol. I had a whole commentary written out for this fic, but I decided against posting it here and making my author's notes as long as the fic itself. 😂

If you enjoyed this fic, I don't really have any similar pieces of writing at the moment. The only one that's similar is the hurt/comfort Kunimi WIP I've put off writing for so long because I didn't think I could pull off this type of fic. (And also because I think only one person will read it.) The theme in that one is pity/pride because pitiful is Kunimi's most hated word.

Anyway, if you want to see my usual style of writing, I have a cute tooth-rotting fluff Atsumu x reader one-shot. I currently also have an ongoing fake dating chaptered Suna fic, which is probably my best planned fic with the hints and foreshadowing and a nice mix of humour, fluff and shoujo-type angst. :)

I also have a Google form for my taglist if anyone is interested.

[kusagrasskusa]

Can i ask for a request? prompt 23 but it's Kitana reacting to reader getting flirted with, please ❣ (if u don't write for her or FxF just ignore it, no problem)

I'm so fucking sorry for being late!! I was so busy recently and overwhelmed that I had to spend time to myself. But here you are! This takes place before they were a couple. I'm sorry this isn't too good :/

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Kitana's S/O being flirted with

▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀

The first time in years that a trip like this would possible- Jade, Kitana, Y/N, Lui Kang, and Kung Lao all going to China during a New Year's celebration.

They were just patrolling and watching the fireworks and eating little New Year's cakes, and had to have Lui Kang and Kung Lao order all food for them.

As we all know, Kade and Kitana are Edenian. Y/N was [specy] but didn't know Chinese aside from a few words she picked up when working for Shang Tsung.

As the group passed a patch of peonies, Kung Lao pulled one out. Sneaking up behind her, he snuck a flower into Y/N's hair. "Hmm?" She hummed as she spun look up and saw Lao looking down at her. She smiled brightly and giggled, "Laooo-"

Kitana giggled as the rest if the group did. I suppose nothing was funny but the high energy in the air was enough to make it happen. But Kitana felt a little confused as well. Why did Kung Lao do that, she asked herself. The two are very close but he doesn't normally act so romantic with her.

"You would look great with a flower crown on, Y/N," Kitana commented. Y/N thanked her, messing with the flower in her hair.

Let's skip like 10 minutes when they pass a stand that Y/N seems to have a lot of interest in. Kitana smiled sweetly when she noticed that Y/N couldn't stop looking at the food. "I would love to buy you some," Kitana spoke up, earning a sweet gasp from Y/N. And just minutes later, here Y/N was stuffing her face with these sweet rice cakes.

"You know," Y/N spoke as she held another New Year's treat to her mouth. "During this time of year, Shang Tsung would have a private celebration he hoped no one would find out about. Only the chefs and I caught on but never said a word. We knew he was missing home."

While Lui Kang hummed and commented, Kitana felt a shiver travel down her spin. A small frown found its way onto her mouth and a slight pain in her chest erupted. She always forgets by how carefree and lovable Y/N is that she once worked for a terrible man.

"These are so good, and sweet!" Y/N commented as she finished the cake. Kung Lao chuckled, leaning a little closer to her.

"Doubt it can match your sweetness. It might be a little envious." Cliche Earthrealm pickup lines are so strong against this lady. But too bad she doesn't even realize he's flirting smh.

Y/N smiled and thanked him while Kitana frowned underneath her mask. Does she realize what he's doing? A little pit was formed in her stomach as she grew saddened. Kung Lao clearly likes her.

Despite always being secret about her feelings for Y/N, she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. But she told herself that she couldn't be mad because two females together is wrong according to so many. The only thing making her feel comfortable with her orientation is how Raiden told her that no fighter cares who her heart desires, but what her heart desires.

Kitana dwelled on this for a few minutes. Maybe this is what she gets for rejected Lui Kang?

Speaking of Lui Kang, he was able to catch on to Kitana's sadness easily.

The group made their way to a table and sat down right in front of a Yi Mein stand. Yi Mein, or long-life noodles, is an traditional food around this time of year.

"Hmm, have any of you ever tried those?" Lui Kang asked, referring to the food. Kung Lao smirked as Y/N shook her head with a smile on her face.

"No, but I always wanted to try it! It smells so good!" Jade snickered at Y/N behavior while Kitana rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well, I'd love to buy you some," Kung Lao offered to Y/N. A glare from Kitana came towards Kung Lao. Yet, just before she could say anything, Lui Kang spoke.

"Actually, I have a little more money to spare. Y/N, Jade, can you two join me please? I will need help picking up the bowls?"

Jade stood up and followed Lui Kang to the stand. Y/N had this stupid smile on her face as she walked with then. And this leaves Kung Lao and Kitana by themselves.

...

It was painfully silent between the two. Kitana stared sadly at her lap as Kung Lao stared dreamingly at the table. Kitana knew why Lui Kang wanted to leave the two alone. It was pretty obvious.

Then suddenly, the princess just sighed and looked up with desperate eyes.

"I know you love her, Kung Lao. I know you do. But please, I have something to ask of you."

Kung Lao felt his face heat up. "What it is?"

Kitana took a deep breath and just let it out. "Y/N is...very important to me. In fact, she- she's made me feel things I've never felt before and..."

Kitana paused, fumbling with her fingers. This was so out of character for her, and Kung Lao caught on to her anxiety.

"Do you think that you can confess to her later? With your romantic gestures and how special tonight is, it would be the perfect time to tell her how you feel. But I ask that were to please, please tell her much later."

Kung Lao furrowed his eyebrows before his widened a bit. A shiver went down his spine as he registered how soft and pleading the princesses voice and words really were. It was so out of character that it scared him.

"Princess Kitana," Kung Lao spoke softly. "Do you love her as well?"

...

Kitana didn't answer as she felt heat rise to her face and tears wanting to form.

"Hmm. I see. You know, I have a younger cousin who also feels that way. Please, have no worries of judgement. I don't care who you love as long as it's healthy," he confided in her as he pat her shoulder.

A smile on her face formed underneath her mask as she nodded.

"I promise I'll tell her long times later. In the meantime, feel free to engage in activities with her. She may fall in love you as well."

And soon after that, the three came with five bowls in their hands.

The food was amazing and crippling anxiety within Kitana's stomach disappeared as they continued their journey throughout China.

If course, with a few exceptions. Y/N going overboard on buying food that is, and her excitement getting to her as she saw fireworks. And when Y/N grabbed Kitana's hand and pointed at a firework, the princess could have sworn she was gonna pass out.