#i meant to say egg salad not potato salad

[esstrellaa123]

First time writing on here 😣😣 (cw: cussing, mentions of sex, smokes weed) pls tell me if I need to add anything

Ch.1 Georgia 🇬🇪

Gori, Georgia. Dew dripped softly as clouds loom over the hangar. Humidity at an all-time high as Ghost stepped off the plane. The cool, crisp, January air bit through the small stitches of his mask. A plain black balaclava. Breathe in Riley, deep breath out. He tells himself silently, taking in his surroundings as he always did so well.

“Cmon.” Price barks at the team as they make their way into what will inevitably be their base for a few months. “Ever been to Georgia Lt.?” Soap asks, trailing behind the larger man. “Yeah, Johnny. Yeah.” He says almost… sadly? Hardly. More like distastefully. That seemed more like Ghost.

It was a lie, however. He’d never been to Georgia for deployments. Not this one at least anyway, not that he’d ever want to end back up in the United States. Let alone Georgia. The humid, hot summers, southern accents and good food, real food- stop. He tells himself, a subtle shake of his head as if it’ll shake away those feelings. Those memories. He didn’t want to think about it anymore. Those thoughts were locked away for a reason.

His face hardens again as they continue walking to base. It was big, bigger than their base back in the UK. Their base was at most modest, and goddamn it if this one wasn’t nice. Walls were cleaner, floors looked mopped, even the people here seemed less… well, rough- angry.

No warm welcome was made, not that the 141 needed it. They were here to assist, and after that shitshow with Graves, they were on high alert, didn’t want people to be over friendly, setting off alarm bells they ignored with Graves. God his accent reminded him so much of-

“You all there?” Gaz asks, snapping him out of his head. A place he was so often locked up in.

“Yeah sergeant. Separation.” Ghost instructs. Gaz takes a step back with a wary look. But Ghost knew that look. Simon knew that look. It was the mask over pity. He hated being pitied. He said nothing of the look, deciding to walk past Gaz, ignoring him. He just wanted a bed, somewhere to sleep. He’d take the floor if it meant some peace and quiet. ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_

The sweltering heat makes you wipe your forehead. “God damn Georgia heat.” You mutter to yourself, continuing to harvest the eggs from your family’s chickens.

“Maggie! Come on now, I need your help in the kitchen!”, your mother shouts from the screen door. “The chickens ain’t jus’ gonna harvest their own eggs!”, you shout back, picking up the last two. Jogging back, you go to the bathroom, washing your hands to help your mom.

Sure, you were grown but helpin’ your mother ain’t never killed anyone. You were only here for so many days, before having to go back to college. Studying to be a biologist wasn’t an easy task, and if anything, you should be studying right now instead of getting eggs from a bunch of angry chickens.

“When’s daddy comin’ back?” You ask your mother as you start to help make supper, using some of the eggs for a potato salad. A nice brisket to go along with it, mac n cheese, and collard greens. “Oh, honey bunches-” “Mom..” “Sorry sweet pea. Force of habit.”

No one, not even your dad called you ‘honey bunches’. Just your mom. You loved her, but that nickname was so 5 year old you. “You know how his hours are. He should be home by 6.” Your mom finally answers. “Alright.”, you mutter, wanting to see your dad for more than just a few hours while you had some time off.

You mix up your ingredients, some noodles, then cheese, then noodles, and lastly some more cheese. The oven is already preheated as you put your mac n cheese in the oven. Your mom has the collard greens cooking as the sun continues to beat down on everything uncovered. The kitchen’s aroma starts to fill the space, the smell almost heavenly. You concentrate quietly, almost lost in your thoughts before your mom speaks again.

“Huh- what?”, you question, and she repeats. “You bringing that Simon fellow over for supper again?” You don’t respond for a moment. “No ma.”, your voice terse, almost taught as you reply. “Well, why not? He seemed… nice enough.” She responds, looking over at you with a sorry expression. Before you could respond, quell the hurt in your stomach, breathe correctly, the doorbell rang. Saved by the bell, you think to yourself as you disappear into the foyer to open the door. You let out a breath of relief, or... disappointment, you can’t decide before they speak.

“‘ey lightnin’ bug. Didn’t know you’d be here.” Your father greets with a big hug (and smile), your feet lifting you off the ground. Quelling that hole in your stomach, you breathe him in. He smells of oak sap, wood and leather. Rough hands squeeze at your back. “Hey daddy. Momma’s cookin’.” You say once he puts you down. A few of his work friends followed in as well. Oh, that’s why momma was cookin’ so much.

Friendly greetings leave their lips as they enter, a few head pats and ruffles are placed upon your head as if you were still that little girl they adored so much. You reply back warmly as they start to fix their plates.

Supper starts and so do the questions. ‘How’s it like livin’ that college life? Married yet? I got some weeds in my yard; think you could take a look at em? Becoming a boy scout with all that time you’re spendin’ in the woods. The one you dread comes up oh so quickly as you get into the ‘college life,’ dorm living and the like.

“Where’s that big hunk you bring ‘round hm? Thinkin’ I could go shootin’ with ‘im, see what the military taught the boy. Tell ya, I love that boy like my own.” Your father says fondly with a smile to his work buddies. Looking over at you as he eats a forkful of mac n cheese. “Honey-”, your mother tries, remembering your reaction last time he was brought up. “It’s okay ma.”, you say, a hand on hers.

You go quiet and so does the rest of the table. “Well, we kinda broke up.” You answer, not looking at him, eating some more. “I’ll kill ‘im.” Your father states blankly, and you knew he would. “Nah dad. It was… mutual.” You lie. “He’s always off on deployment, and I’ve gotta study. Don’t have time for each other.” Half the truth. They didn't need to know about his plethora of problems, or yours. Your mom looks apologetic but says nothing.

One of your dad’s mates, Kevin, clears his throat. “Best damn brisket I’ve had in a while Mrs. Wright, you’ve gotta give m’ wife the recipe.” Your mom smiles again, “well, since you asked so nicely…” she starts up and the conversation does too, your love life (or lack thereof) now out the picture. ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_

You settle down for bed after a much-needed shower. Thoughts of him flood your head, swirling like sweet nightmares as they always do. Fucking Simon Riley. Well, you used to, but that’s beside the point don’t you know? >:(

You turn over, huffing quietly. Sometimes, you wished you smoked or got high at the very least. …. Welllll…… if your mother is still your mother, you’re pretty sure she grows some green in the back. Thinking of your safety, you go look for someone to show you how to do it right. Abandoning your safety, you go out back alone, looking like a thief in the night as you follow that sickly smell.

You’re not sure how, but you’ve managed to roll up, lit it and took a puff. A minute of coughing later, you take another puff. “Fuck, this shit is strong.” You mutter to yourself, starting to get the hang of it.

You sit and stew in your thoughts, enjoying the shapes and colors your red-rimmed eyes make up. Crying about what a shitty boyfriend he was, then laughing at how dumb you looked. Teary eyed, high as a kite, and sitting on the back porch of your country home as you thought about your ex.

You stopped smoking, pulling yourself together before raiding the kitchen and falling asleep haphazardly on the couch.

Neither of your parents woke you up, figuring you deserved it after all your studying and keeping up with everything you told them about, and everything you didn’t tell them about. Breakfast was a warm welcome. The fresh food was paired together: local bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes. A hot BLT was served, and you devoured it, sharing a laugh with your parents as they looked at you like they raised a wolf.

Ghost wasn’t so lucky as he had to smack away sticky hands belonging to his sergeants. “Fuck off my plate MacTavish.” He growls, smacking the hands away before taking a bite. This is why I eat in my room now.. He thinks to himself annoyed.

Lunch was soon finished, and they headed out for training.

Left, right. Left jab, right jab. Left, left, right. The same mundane thinking was one of the few things that drove him mad as much as it grounded him. “Left Johnny. Keep throwin’ the same punch, ‘m gonna keep blockin’ the same and we’re never gonna get anywhere.” He says to him, throwing another punch as they sparred. Soon Kyle joined, essentially attempting to jump him. ….

“Jumpin’ is fuckin’ dirty, you muppets.” He says as he pins both of them, a knee on Gaz’s back and his hands pinning the other sergeant. He lets up after a moment, critiquing their moves before going again. They do better, but it was Ghost for fucks sake. 1v1’s and then one more jumping session.

A few sips of water here, a few quips and jabs there, heavy heaving as well. The team settled down, lounging on the couch.

“This Georgia weather is alright.” Gaz says his chest bare besides a tight wife-beater, matching with MacTavish. Ghost, the ever-brooding lieutenant, wearing a black one. “Hell, yeah it is.” Soap conforms, wiping a little sweat from his forehead as the fan whirs, letting the cool air flow throughout the room.

Kyle and Soap were essentially cuddled to their lieutenant, resting their head on either shoulder. Ghost was too tired to fight it, leaning back himself, his legs spread wide as he listened to the fan. Fuck. The weather here was nice.

~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_~ ~_—_

[slocumjoe]

could i get your take on what the companions (or just my favorite boy X6's) top 10 fave candies/foods would be in a modern AU?

anon you are in luck, because I am constantly thinking about the diets and eating habits of my blorbos

The numbered list isn't in any particular order, it's just so I don't have to manually count each point

so

What the companions would eat if not in a post apocalypse

Cait; Wouldn't have a taste for fancier cuisine. Eats more...hick-ish. I can say that because I was a hick with this kind of diet, growing up. Has a taste for filling, cheap, low-effort food...think lots of fast food, but "healthier" fast food. Like Chipotle, Panera, etc. Can cook, doesn't often, but will if she has a craving. Savory or tart tastes. She tends to eat lighter than you'd expect.

Blueberry brownie anything, favors dark chocolate in general

Submarine sandwiches, anything with pickles

Key lime pie

Salt and vinegar chips and thinks critics of such chips are cowards

Peach Redbull, any energy drinks though

Storebought hummus and Doritos, has been seen eating hummus with just a spoon though

Blueberry bread pudding. Simple to make, fun to eat, very comforting. Buys her bread already stale from a local bakery, has a guy to hook her up with the old shit

Seafood chowder

Sausages in any capacity. Jerky sticks, breakfast sausage, etc. Loves chorizo.

Honey buns from the gas station

Curie; Health nut, she eats like every influencer claims they eat like. Only, Curie actually eats like that. Lots of fresh foods and whole grains, little red meat. However, Curie makes a point to have foods that other health nuts would condemn, thinks its really important to not label any food as "bad." So, she balances between health nut and normal person. Her taste leans toward bright and/or sweet. Dislikes red meat.

Salmon breakfast wraps

Tropical fruit smoothies, eats so much pineapple

Iced tea, favors raspberry. Never seen without an iced tea of some kind

Halibut tacos, likes red cabbage and a fuck ton of lemon on it. Soft shells all the way

Bananas foster

Whipped brie dip, eats it with anything but loves it on apples, basically dessert

Lemon pepper grilled chicken and rice

So many salads, loves that you can just throw shit in a bowl and call it a recipe. Likes strawberries and almonds

Lemon poppyseed muffins

Shrimp and bitter melon stir fry

Danse; mixed bag. One on hand, small town diner tastes. Simple, cheap, good ol' American food. On the other, he's doomed to be a soldier in every universe he's in, so...maybe he picks up some tastes and dishes from places he's toured. Gets a weird pallate that shoots in all directions and makes you wonder what it's like in that thick skull. One day he's a good American boy with pancakes and steak, the next he's eating cake mix dry and drinking tahini from a flask.

Anything BBQ, but a pulled pork devotee

Hot coffee so heavily creamed and sugars it looks like milk. He likes the twix combo of chocolate, shortbread, and caramel flavors

Prepackaged baked goods a la Hostess, fucks up little Debbie oatmeal cookies

Apple and pecan pie

Menemen—Turkish dish, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, bell peppers, spices to taste, and (controversially) onions. Adds sausage and cheese, eats it with a fork or spoon (its meant to be eaten with bread)

Khachapuri—Georgian cheesy bread with egg. Eats with a knife and fork. (its meant to be eaten with the bread crust)

Smores pop tarts

Beef and potato stew

Rice bowl with fried egg and avocado, bonus points if it has bacon

Straight cookie dough/brownie/cake batter, usually when he's black out drunk and cannot shame himself out of eating raw egg products.

Deacon; Very childhood comfort food. Y'know, things you had as a kid, but probably grew out of a bit? Eats out of gas stations/takeout frequently. Very open flavor pallete, has tried everything he's had the chance to. Likes one-handed food, stuff you can have the other hand free for. Doesn’t really have a 'theme', has broad horizons for his diet. Likes lighter, mild flavors, though. He eats lightly and on the go a lot.

Hot/corn dogs, taste in hot dog toppings varies

Egg salad sandwiches

French fries and vanilla ice cream, classic combo

Mango sticky rice

Cornbread with any accompaniments. Likes honey or chili, thinks if you have a drink with cornbread, you ain't a real cornhead

Penne alla vodka

Cucumber salad. This could mean a salad with cucumbers, that trending Asian recipe where you cut the cumber so its springy, or eating a cucumber like a hotdog.

Fried mushrooms

Usually just drinks water but will have gator/powerade when he's working. Likes purple flavor

Captain crunch cereal, loves all cereal though. Prefers the kibble stuff to the berries. Starts philosophical debates about the morality of Trix commercials vs Lucky Charms commercials

Gage; His favorite foods reflect his upbringing. Coastal swamp cuisine, cheap and made in bulk. Take Danse's pallate and hyperlocalize it, and then lower the budget by a good amount. Things he grew up eating. Would gradually replace his favorites with pricier, 'less embarrassing' dishes, distances himself from his origins. However, takes care to not looked too loaded. Smokey and savory flavors are his thing, likes more spice than people expect.

Doberge cake, which is layered with pudding, often half-chocolate and half-lemon

Red beans and rice, with stewed pork if they could afford it

Blackened fish of any kind, liked it with cilantro-lime rice

Steak with potatoes and/or eggs

Chronic iced tea drinker like Curie, though he prefers the bitter kinds

Scallops

Brussels sprouts defender and will fight for their honor

Peaches

Was introduced to curry during a business meeting/outing. Could drink that shit from a glass, has it with potatoes and porkchops.

Lobster anything. This is one of those 'less embarresing' things, but he genuinely enjoys a good lobster roll. Even if he prefers a freshly-caught lobster bisque. Again, something he had growing up, something he pushes away.

Hancock; Similar to Deacon, but favors fatty, greasy food. No, it's not the drugs, that's just his metabolism. He's a skinny twink, always starving, can never put on weight. Eats as much as Danse, who is a big guy and needs more calories than most. He's really into street food and foreign dishes, won't eat at a restaurant if they speak fluent English or have good customer service. IYKYK. Very comfort food heavy, lots of "this would slap with Netflix at 2 am"

A classic oxtail, mac and cheese, and collard green take out combo

Any and all American-chinese take out, usually gets eggplant tofu with chow mein and cream cheese rangoons

"Walking tacos", those things where you open a small bag of chips and dump White People taco makings in. Probably just tips the whole thing into his mouth

Yakitori, Japanese chicken skewers, popular bar food

Bloody Mary cocktails

Pizza, will fight for the honor of pineapple. Would really be into how Brazil does pizza

Frozen yogurt and ice cream, piles with toppings

Breakfast sandwiches or wraps. Egg, meat, cheese, doesn't matter the time nor specifics.

Jam donuts, loves cherry fillings

Puppy chow/muddy buddies, chex cereal covered in chocolate and powdered sugar. Eats his weight in them if not careful

MacCready; forces himself to learn how to cook for Duncan's sake, but for himself...good God. It's horrible. Eats like garbage. Would never drink water if not to set an example. Take out, frozen food, so much candy and soda. After Duncan, broadens his horizons. Finds he really likes soups. Just throw shit in a pot and it works. Eats on a budget, so that's a life-saver. Doesn't have a preferred flavor pallete, aside from his love of candy.

Meat lover's pizza. Thinks pineapple has no place on pizza

Used to drink Mountain Dew and diet coke, replaced it with iced teas and more organic fruit juices for the sake of his teeth

Chicken soup, either from a can, or homemade. Either way, slaps. If homemade, blends veggies for a hidden veggie stock. For him, Duncan is a lot better at eating veggies, MacCready needs to trick himself.

Sour rainbow ropes

Cookie crisp cereal, thinks whoever came up with it deserved the sloppiest head. Incredible design, no notes

Cheese and sour cream chips

Famous Amos cookies

Eggo waffles

Gnocchi is God to him. Its superior to all noodles and makes your Shit In The Fridge soup 1000 times better.

Rice pudding is cheap, easy, and a surprisingly efficient sweet-tooth satisfier. Makes it with pumpkin spice mix or chocolate.

Nick; Home-cooked meals all the way. Could kill himself with cheese and die happy. Lots of easy meals and snacking so he can keep working, but will treat himself to a nice, hard-earned dinner when he has the time and energy. Likes himself the smokey, the fresh, or the sour. Probably knows all the best sub shops in the city, probably in a turf war with regulars of rival shops. Jewish delicatessens are like church to him.

Lasanga. Most of his freezer space is lasagna. Eats so much of it. He's lactose intolerant. It hurts but it hurts so good

Latkes. Fried potato things, kind of like hashbrowns, except the potato is mashed/ground instead of grated. And yes. Also pastrami. But those little potato bitches...mmmph.

Red velvet muffins with cream cheese frosting.

Fried cheese in any capacity

A prosciutto, arugula, brie, and fig sandwich

Pickled pearl onions

Cobb salad

Black coffee. Temp doesn't matter, because he's going to forget it until its room temp.

Has been known to enter fugue states and consume an absurd amount of Chicago style hot dogs

Scones or just plain bread with butter and jams

Piper; Broke college student trying to make it as a reporter. Her tastebuds are fucked, they salivate not for flavor, or texture, but for those good, good low prices. Piper's diet is almost entirely snackfood or takeout. If she ever cooks, it's for Nat. But when taking care of just herself, Piper eats from a box or bag. When she does cook, it's very simple meals. Loves her carbs and her fruit flavors

Chicken Ramen with canned chicken and frozen broccoli chucked in. Also makes this for Nat

Hot cheetos, eats with chopsticks

Spaghetti and meatballs

Fruit smoothies/smoothie bowls, blends in veggies as well for the nutrition

Coka cola and anything from Fanta, loves fruit sodas

Anything carbs and I mean that. Eats a lot of bread, pasta, cakes, potatoes...they're the sweetheart of anyone on a budget.

Buffalo cauliflower, likes it more than Buffalo chicken

Chewing gum. Fruit flavors only, hates mint gum. Likes mint elsewhere, just not in gum.

Nickle-nips and other "jelly/juice in a wax package" candies. Likes the charm of it, also, free chewing wax

Suckers/lollipops, big on hard candy in general but the stick satisfies her smoking habit.

Preston; A mix of easy depression/bulk meals and dishes from his childhood. Lots of spices, cooks with a lot of straight peppers. Tends to eat his food 'raw', not made into a dish. Again, easy and quick to eat. Also tends to buy pre-prepared stuff for the same reason, buys more fruits and veggies and just eats them straight. Doesn't care about eating healthy, he just lacks energy to cook most days.

I have no choice to explain this as it has no name. Casserole dish, layer of mashed potatoes, layer of shredded or chunked chicken, layer of white breakfast gravy or brown poultry gravy, top with drop biscuits. It's buttery, its savory, it is white as snow. Easy, cheap, one ladlefull is dinner. You'll get a few meals out of it, and it's so filling you have like, five minutes before you're stuffed. I call it gut-glue.

Dirty rice

Eggs scrambled with spinach

Jollof/jambalaya

Veggies and hummus or ranch

Various fruits and berries such as grapes, cherries, blackberries, and oranges

Shakshouka, eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce and eaten with bread

Chicken biscuits, crackers dusted with, like, chicken bouillon? They taste like a chicken Ramen packet sneezed on a ritz

Slurpees/Icees/those syruped gas station ice drinks

Straight peppers, eats bell peppers like apples. Eats pickled jalapeños and scotch bonnets to feel something. Drinks the liquid in pickle jars instead of alcohol, or mixes it with gelatin and makes pickle jello.

X6-88; Pretensious rich asshole who eats like it. He rarely cooks for himself, probably has a personal chef or something. Maybe his work has their own restaurants, like Google. Eats mostly vegetables, but his favorite foods skew from "Dubai Influencer" to "12 year old who earned too much lawn mowing money and was let loose in a convenience store." So much sugar. Willy Wonka's factory is his idea of heaven and until it exists, he's an atheist.

Raw meats. Steak and tuna tartar, sashimi, and sushi

Braised duck with cherries

Nduja, a spicy pork sausage spread, has it with flatbreads

Oysters. Eats them all fancy in public, eats them from a tin with doritos at home

Anything from Hostess, Little Debbie, those brands. Fucking anything. However, would kill a man for any kind of Swiss roll

Chocolate milk

Gummies, very picky with brands, hates the harder kinds like Haribo. Wants his gummies soft as a marshmellow

Cadbury eggs

Milano dark chocolate cookies

Gushers

[missguomeiyun]

Homecooking [July-Aug ed]

As promised, I am combining July & August homecooking into 1 post so this is gonna be a loooooong one :P

Starting off with a new thing I've never tried before! As you know, this summer in Edm was crazy hot! So there's a saying. .. cure the heat with more heat lol this was jjambbong with extra spice from kimchi.

Breakfast hash. I don't make this often but had leftover fries so I used that. I like to recycle foods to create new things with them.

Salmon poke (from Costco) with kimchi & egg on rice.

Curry chicken udon~

Jjajang ddeokbokki in-progress. Doesn't look appealing at all, I know lol but .. mehhh

The final/plated version of the jjajang ddeokbokki.

Thin rice vermicelli with leftover beef stew. (I had already picked out & ate all the potatoes & onions in the stew so only had beef cubes & carrots left)

Soybean paste soup with ramyeon =D

Chilled thick rice noodles. This was an experimental dish. These thick rice noodles aren't meant to be eaten cold bcos once the temperature drops, they are prone to becoming hard (& dry). I seasoned with seaweed & soy sauce, which was very tasty. I would make this again but I would need to over-cook the noodles a bit.

Ddeokbokki <3 (with added onion & sausage)

Fish cake udon~ aahhhhhh YESSSSS

Leftover curry made into a noodle dish (added bokchoy & imitation crab meat).

Kimchi fried rice.

Soybean paste soup from scratch. YUM!

This looks like one of those DIY noodle dishes. Omg remember back in the day that place that allowed you to DIY your noodle dish... geez the name of the restaurant have escaped me -.-"

This contained: udon noodles, tofu, bokchoy, carrot, bean curd & ribs meat lol (the carrot & ribs meat was from leftover soup my mom made)

Looks disgusting but tastes amazing: odeng-tang.

Oyster pancake.

I've tried many kimchi dumplings. This is probably the most spiciest one :O I was lazy & didn't steam, so I microwaved according to the instructions. PLEASE do not do this. The texture of the skin was not good. So dry &.. .just ... not good. 100% recommend steaming!

Diet food: air-fried salmon with avocado & seaweed. hahaha yeah, basically your BASIC roll without the rice :P

Rice vermicelli salad - used fish sauce, lime juice & sugar as sauce.

Tofu pockets but glammed up version haha that's the salmon poke from Costco.

Featured snack of the SUMMER has gotta be this one ^

I don't like earl grey but love grapefruit things. This is an earl grey biscuit with grapefruit jam filling. So good!!! The 2 flavours actually went so well together !

Okay, this is it. Will come back with monthly posts after this one haha

PS: I'm still fangirling Lovely Runner content. I can't move on from the SolJae couple.

[theharrowing]

Hello again, Mommy. I'm the anon who assumed you are picky and I want to apologize if my wording caused offense! I didn't realize that neurodivergent people could have food texture and taste sensitivities like that, and I did not mean to be insensitive! You saying this has actually made so many moments click where friends would mention similar issues with food but I did not know what they meant, so thank you for the education.

Working on something like a texture sensitivity has to be really tough, and I think that's really cool. Can I ask like...what that means? What happens when you eat something you don't like? I hope I'm not crossing any lines! Please feel free to not answer if you are uncomfortable. I can definitely google, but it feels valuable to ask a real person, you know?

And wow, you were a chef!? That's awesome. What food did you make? What made you want to cook? What made you want to stop? What's your favorite food to make at home????? I am so interested in all of this.

hello, my darling anon!!! 💜

first of all: no offense taken!!!!!! i promise!!! i only get offended if someone knows about the sensitivities but brushes it off as me simply being picky. but being called picky in a playful context is ok, and it is not entirely wrong hehe. i'm glad that you brought it up at all, because i was able to open your eyes to something new, and since you seem to have friends who share this experience, now you know a little more about them! 😍🥰 we love to see it.

i'm going to answer your questions in reverse order, and tuck the sensitivity talk under a cut.

i have made so many types of food! i started in a pizzeria, moved to breakfast/brunch, then to bougie small plates and charcuterie boards at the hollywood bowl (a music venue), to bougie sandwiches and deli salads but with a mediterranian and middle eastern twist (my chef at that last spot was Lebanese and Greek, and her food was incredible!!!) oh, and i briefly worked at a pub that did english food. and worked in the bakery of a mom and pop italian spot.

what got me into it was.....well, i was a server first, and i was bored working day shifts, and one day the manager asked if i wanted to learn to prep bell peppers and that was that. i already had decent knife skills from cooking as a hobby and they very quickly promoted me. i was actually a kitchen manager before i was a line cook, so it was a bit overwhelming learning the entire menu all at once, but i took to it really fast and found that i loved it! what made me stop was a mix between my body being exhausted after 10 years, and the pandemic. i have arthritis, and after a while all the bending and lifting and standing was starting to wear on my knees, and it was just a lot. knee pain = back pain = neck pain, etc. etc. etc. ... so, pandemic happened and i decided to return to school.

i have a lot of favorite foods to make at home, to be honest! but my cheesy mashed potatoes with garlic, chives, rosemary, and a lot of butter is a fan favorite. my partner is mexican, so i have been learning a lot of mexican foods (his nana even gave me her tamale recipe last year 🥺) we also like to try japanese and korean dishes, and anything that strikes our fancy!!! much like language learning, you can really get to know a lot about a culture through food, and i cherish learning new recipes and also learning about the history of food in other cultures and countries. 😍🥰💕 that's a huge part of my cooking passion, to be honest!

as for the texture stuff...

simply put, textures i flat out can't stand will make me gag. but it can also set off a reaction where everything makes me gag and feel nauseated, and i have to take a break from eating. i also get something i have seen people describe as "texture exhaustion" or "food exhaustion" where something i was enjoying becomes something i no longer enjoy, and it may set off the gag reaction. cold eggs was the example i used, but sushi is a culprit if there's too much soft/squishy textures. sadly, avocado is a huge culprit, but i am getting better!!! i want to like avocado in its natural form and not just as guacamole lmaoooo.

i hope this helps!!!! thank you for asking so many questions. it's sweet that you are so interested. 🥰🥰🥰💜

[mariposakitten]

May 5/6!

A cold breakfast:

On May 6, Jonathan has a "cold breakfast." My interpretation: hard-boiled egg (I made two but when I woke up this morning there was only one left; nobody is talking), smoked cheddar, spicy smoked sausage, a couple of the pearl onions left over from making robber steak, and bread with butter. (Yes, the butter looks weird; I'm not a morning person and didn't have the patience to let it soften!)

Verdict: not terrible? It wasn't a bad way to start my day, but it wasn't great either. Probably would have liked it more with a different type of sausage and cheese! Still, a solid 5/10; breakfast isn't my favorite meal anyway, so anything that gets calories and protein into the body is a win in my book.

Now for dinner! On May 5, Dracula serves Jonathan a supper of roast chicken, cheese, bread, and Tokaji wine. I meant to make this on the 5th, but my child's school had a family fun night yesterday with free pizza, and well. Free food is the best food. Anyway, a day late but here we go!

Chicken: I always debate whether to spatchcock and/or brine my chicken. On the one hand, it makes it taste better; on the other hand, to me the whole appeal of roast chicken is that it's easy. And I've never had complaints about the flavor, so why complicate it?

I usually roast chicken with a bbq-esque rub (featuring, yes, paprika) and roast potatoes in the same pan, but I saw this post talking about pre- and post-Columbian foods and thought it was a cool concept, so I switched it up. (I still included garlic tho, even though Drac would not have. Accuracy is cool and all but I'm not a martyr.) So instead I hit it with butter and a herbal rub: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper, sage, thyme, dill, parsley, and chives.

I think it came out pretty good!

I was gonna do salad and cheese separately, and then I remembered that my favorite salad has cheese in it! So: a spring greens mix, matchstick carrots (for color), balsamic vinaigrette, feta cheese, bacon bits, dried cranberries, and either sunflower seeds or sliced almonds, whichever is cheaper at the store. The saltiness of the feta and bacon contrast the sweetness of the cranberries and balsamic, and the whole thing pairs well with the rich savoriness of the chicken.

The wine: to my utter surprise and dismay, the local ABC store's selection of regional Hungarian wines is shockingly limited, lol. However, the internet says Tokaji wine has a very similar flavor to riesling, and as it turns out, riesling is my very favorite wine. Cheers!

(The bread is a sourdough baguette from publix!)

The verdict: absolutely delicious. Have been informed by my spouse that he would 100% stay in a vampire's castle if he got fed like this every night. 10/10, no notes.

Okay, so. I was inspired by this post.

I'm probably not going to do every single day (some of them just don't sound appealing, for starters), but since today's dish was chicken paprikash, and I LOVE both making and eating chicken paprikash, I decided why the hell not?

(It's not 100% traditional; I cut up boneless thighs instead of having large bone-in pieces of chicken, and it's over mashed potatoes instead of spaetzle or noodles. But I like it this way, and since I'm the one eating it, it's my opinion that matters, lol.)

Let's see how many I can end up doing!

[senjuushi]

Weirdly specific sad headcanon time! >:D

So for whatever reason last night, I started thinking about what kind of diet the gun boys would have while under military control. And I came up with some fun and painful stuff.

For some context, my mother is a registered dietitian. I checked all of this with her, so I can officially say it's nutritionally sound! I'm aiming for a structure that'll properly sustain a human body in this setting, but is about as cheap, simple, and miserable as it gets.

I'll also note that this is meant to be for fresh, on-base meals, not MREs or food required for those settings.

Info below the cut!

1. Basics

The very basic, most important things to think about here are adequate levels of protein and calories. Two of the cheapest, yet still nutritionally reliable, sources of protein are beans and eggs. For carbohydrates and quick calories, some form of simple grain covers that— most likely rice, since the combination of beans and rice fulfills all of the amino acids necessary for a complete protein. Eggs are complete on their own, so that's a beneficial addition.

What this looks like as a meal is going to be a mixture of plain, cooked beans and rice with whatever amount of whole eggs mixed in during the cooking process. Simple and incredibly dull to eat day after day, but surprisingly nutritious!

2. Nutrients

To cover things like vitamins and minerals, the quickest and easiest way amounts to what's done for cats and dogs with "homemade" food— as in, a scoop of nutrient powder containing the necessary amounts for function, dumped right into the above-mentioned meal. It likely makes the consistency at least a little gritty and gross, but it's a simple and cheap way to ensure bodily function, so it works.

3. Produce

While the necessary nutrients for functioning would be supplied by the first two points, produce is still a good idea. And in the case of not-people, what better way to offer that than by taking advantage of things humans don't want to consume? In this case, we're looking at the world's most awful salad, composed of leftover bits and pieces of whatever produce didn't make the cut for human meals. Nothing toxic or unsafe, of course, but things that are less than desirable.

Things that are a little too ripe, or not quite ripe enough, or perhaps slightly spoiled. Leftover bits from food processing that didn't make it into the soldiers' meals. For example, bananas that have gone brown, potato skins, carrot peels, fruit that's a little too squishy, over-ripe tomatoes, wilted lettuce— just all kinds of things that humans would pass up, this mixture is mockingly referred to as "Compost".

4. Liquids

In the military, the amount of water you drink is monitored for adequate consumption. And thanks to massive amounts of physical activity under harsh conditions, one needs a lot. Hydration is vital, so they're going to be downing plenty of plain old water.

In addition, though, an awful equivalent of a sports drink is given. Approximately the consistency of a thick, vaguely gritty broth, this drink is a mixture of water, more nutrient powder, and added electrolytes, and is meant to provide both additional nutrition and a quick, efficient means of hydration under extreme conditions. In terms of flavor, it's either going to be mostly tasteless, or vaguely resembling a faint, fruity, chemical-y sort of taste.

5. Animal Products

Foods like meat and dairy are rare occurrences. Between price, easy spoilage, and simply being considered too high-quality to waste on weapons, they don't make many appearances in the typical diet. When they do, it's cheap, simple proteins like chicken or white fish, cooked blandly, and even that's considered a special treat.

6. Others

Other foods, like many of the "favorites" we know in canon, are either going to be stolen or offered as special rewards. Belga's liking for cola, for example, would have started either from a hand-me-down from a soldier or something he managed to steal from whatever source. Cheap snacks can be offered as rewards of some form, but this varies for each gun. Some of them (the more important ones) may have been taken to events where they got to try more refined foods— and that's the kind of thing that leaves a lasting impression. Others may be given better meals as rewards for particularly good behavior, often tying into some form of abuse.

MREs and more processed foods are offered under either combat conditions or when someone is deemed undeserving of better meals. Things like 89 and Hachi's instant ramen are likely the result of not wanting to bother with feeding them properly, granted by those who don't want to bother dragging them out of their rooms, or sometimes "earned" for particularly good behavior. Even these basic, unhealthy meals are considered treats, and proper, good-tasting foods are basically unheard of, constituting very special occasions.

[lubdubsworld]

City Lights . ( Namjoon x OC)

Pairing : OC x Kim Namjoon.

Genre : Angst. Romance.

Rating 18 + 

Word Count : 2900

Warnings :  Mature Themes , Explicit Sexual Content . Slow burn. Like slower than a snail.

Summary :

Widowed and destitute, Son Yang Mi leaves the comfort of her small , secluded  fishing village and travels to the intimidating city of Seoul with her young son. She has a plan, one that involves finding a job, getting her son into a good school and building a life for herself.

Now, three years later she has a job , working as a live in house keeper for the Kim family, specifically for the son,  Kim Namjoon, a famous rapper and producer. 

Its a job that puts a roof over her head and she’ll do anything to keep it. 

But fate has other plans.

Chapter 1 ~

Akogare (ah-koh-ga-reh)Often translated directly as a sort of frustrated “yearning”, “desire”, or “longing” .

Seoul in summer was a sight to behold. I blinked back against the bright sunlight, staring out into the stunning skyline of the city as the sun rose over it , and although it was just a little past seven in the morning, the air was warm and invigorating. The mid July sun shone down with no mercy, and there was no trace of the rain that had lashed city just the previous night.

It had been three whole years but the relief that came from breathing fresh air, untainted by the damp musk of fishing trowels and sweaty men, was still unrivalled.

I shook off the feather duster in my hand, moving to carefully clean the wicker woven chairs on the artificial lawn in the balcony. Dusting the entire condo down was a mind numbing exercise in patience, so i tried to get it out of the way, early in the morning when my son was still asleep.

At six years old, Junsu was a bright , happy child. Summer vacation meant days sleeping in and evenings spent frolicking with the other kids in the building and he was content with being alone in our small shared room, reading or playing with his toys while I went about the day’s work.

I glanced at the clock, grimacing.

It was almost eight . And although Mr. Kim wasn’t due back home for another twelve hours, I felt a little jittery and nervous.

Kim Namjoon , renowned rapper, producer, writer , poet and what not. The apartment was his but he was usually on tour, traveling all over the world to promote his book and to perform in sold out stadiums. For an A list celebrity, he was surprisingly humble.

For the past three years, him and his model fiancée  Lee Mina had spent a total of maybe seven months in the condo. They were a sweet couple, or so I’d always thought , a bit formal with each other but clearly in love . Mr. Kim was a kind, soft spoken young man and I’d never heard him raise his voice unless he was in the company of his very dear friends.

Just a little over a week ago , both of them  had left Korea for the States , the tabloids screaming about a luxurious destination wedding in the Caribbean and I had been asked to take a few weeks off . The newly weds wouldn’t be back for quite a while and they would let me know when I had to come back to the condo.

I’d been toying with the idea of visiting my in laws in Gwangyog, maybe even dropping by to see some old friends there but yesterday , Mr. Kim’s mother had given me a call letting me know her son was coming home. 

[ 

The conversation went something like this :

Yang Mi, I hope you haven’t left yet?

No, Ma'am, I haven’t.

Joon-ah is going to be back tomorrow.

Oh, is Ms Lee arriving as well?

No, Just him He’s going to be alone.

Yes, Ma'am.

Please don’t mention anything about Mina or the wedding.

No ma'am of course not.

I’ll drop by later . Cook him something warm and filling. And make sure the house is cleaned well.

Yes, Ma’ am.

]

And that was that.

~~~~~~

It took the better part of the day to finish cleaning and setting up the house . I washed the window slats, changed the sheets, arranged the books that had been left scattered all over his bedroom. The walk-in closet was littered with a bunch of his clothes and I made sure his gym bag was stocked with fresh towels, spare clothes and his favorite head and wrist bands. 

For someone so careful and calculated, he was really quite a messy man. 

i did his laundry, making sure he had ample clothes at least for another two weeks, creasing the handkerchiefs and carefully removing lint from his jackets. 

I also carefully sorted out the feminine clothing from the laundry and from the cupboard, folding them neatly and placing them in the lowest shelf of the closet, where he wouldn’t find them. It wasn’t hard, hiding traces of his fiancee from the condo, because it had never really been her home. other than a few spare pieces of underwear and a couple of t shirts and skirts, there weren’t many articles of clothing belonging to Ms. Lee. 

But I still got rid of the bobby pins and hair ties, the spare lip gloss and mascara.

Junsu spent the entire day in our room, reading and drawing, only venturing out every few hours to grab a snack. I left him with his drawing tab ( a gift from Mr. Kim for his 5th birthday )  and his favorite book, asking the security guard at the end of the hallway to keep an eye on the door, while i went out to buy groceries.

Lots of meat, no sea food, healthy snacks and high protein fiber bars. I stocked up on sauces and bought a fresh batch of eggs, oranges and grapes . Mrs. Kim had sent a large amount of kimchi a few weeks ago and that was still in the pantry.

i stopped for a second, staring around at the almost deserted store. Most of the other housekeepers shopped at the bigger, more exclusive store on the other side of the residential complex. But Mr. Kim had a very selective palette, which meant that I had to be very particular about the brands i bought.

When i came back home at around six, Junsu was on the floor in the living space and i felt my heart jump in panic.

“Baby!! I’ve told you not to come out here when I’m not home!” I protested bleakly and he pouted.

“I need to show you my gift for Mr. Kim!!” He said softly. I smiled moving to put away the groceries and glancing at the clock. It was a little past six. I had to call Yungyu.

“Did you draw him something ? “ I asked curiously, checking to see if the beer shelf was stocked. probably should have done that before going out for the groceries, I thought regretfully.

“Yeah! Look!!” Junsu held his tab out and my heart dropped.

For a six year old, Junsu drew very well. And there was really no mistaking the very obvious wedding scene on the screen.

Oh, Good God.

“ That looks amazing honey.” I said gently. “ But, I heard that Ms Lee isn’t coming over this time..”

Junsu frowned.

“Why?”

“Well, I’m not sure. But remember how we spoke about saying the right things? When something upsets someone, we do not bring it up.” I reminded him gently. My son hesitated but nodded.

“Okay. I’m sorry. “ He said softly.

“No baby, its not your fault. It’s just that we want Mr. Kim to be happy right? We don’t wanna upset him...”

He smiled at that.

“When he’s happy, his dimples come out.” He said with a giggle. I laughed.

“yes they do... So let’s try and get those dimples out as often as we can alright? Why don’t you show him that picture you drew of yeontan the other day? He’ll really like that....”

“Okay...but i need to go color it!” Junsu yelled, already running back into our room. I watched him go before reaching for the phone and dialing, Yungyu, the chauffeur.

“Are you on the way here? ” i said briskly.

“Just starting from home...” Yungyu muttered, “ I’m supposed to be on vacation now! Why is he coming back so soon?” 

“Just hurry up !! We can’t keep him waiting!!” I said sharply, before hanging up. 

I made a quick check of all the rooms, filling up water bottles for his gym routine in the morning and stashing them in the fridge before moving to get dinner started. 

i set the water on boil for the stew, before moving to peel cucumbers for the salad. I chopped the cucumber , along with some fresh cherry tomatoes . I watched the water boil, thinly slicing an onion and adding it to the bowl as well. The dressing was pretty simple,  soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and sesame oil . I sprinkled some sesame seeds on the bowl, used the salad tongs to give the whole thing a nice toss and set it aside. 

I braised the chicken first , peeling and chopping potatoes and carrots to add to the stew . In a few minutes, the rich smell of lightly spiced chicken and garlic and perilla  leaves began filling the kitchen and I turned on the rice cooker as well. 

The door bell rang at six forty and i opened the door to reveal Yungyu. 

I grabbed the keys to the Palisade, handing them over to him.

“Did you hear?” He whispered urgently.

I frowned.

“What?”

“They say Mr. Kim called off the wedding!” He whispered, wide eyed. 

I glared at him.

“Who told you that?” i demanded...

“Seojoon from the gate said-”

“Why don’t you ask Seojoon from the gate to mind his own damn business?” I snapped. 

Yungyu looked suitably chastised. i felt a little bad. Yungyu was still young and curiosity was hardly a sin. 

“His flight lands at eight exactly. Hurry okay?” I said with a smile, ruffling his hair.

He brightened, peering over my shoulder into the house.

“Where’s the little one?” He asked curiously.

“ Painting something for Mr. Kim... Go ahead, hurry up.” I shooed him away, locking the door behind him. I fixed a plate of food for Junsu and sent him to eat, before moving to check on the stew. +

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` 

By the time eight thirty rolled around I had the table set and ready. I washed my face quickly in the small bath attached to our room , making sure I was dressed well. Junsu wasn’t allowed in the main house unless Mr. Kim specifically asked for him and my son usually stayed in. 

Junsu and I stayed in a bedroom , not large by any means but big enough for a queen sized bed, a table and chair for Junsu and small dresser where I kept a comb and a tube of night cream. I stared at my face, licking my lips as I smoothed my hair out. 

I glanced at the bed. 

Junsu was asleep , having dozed off while coloring his picture and I carefully extracted the tab from under his fingers, moving him around to lay on the soft pillows. I tucked him in gently, brushing the hair off his face. 

“In peace , I will lie down to sleep, for You alone will let me rest in safety.” I whispered gently against his forehead, kissing the soft skin. I felt my lips wobble , a debilitating wave of affection flooding me as the sweet scent of my baby, filled my senses.

 I would die for you, I thought fiercely, kissing him again. 

The sound of the front door opening made me jump. 

Swearing, i smoothed the fabric of my skirt, running to the kitchen. 

“Thank you for picking me up Yungyu, I’m sorry you had to cut short on your vacation.” Mr. Kim’s deep voice filled the hallway and I quickly grabbed a glass, filling it with water and placing it on the dinner tray.

“Not a problem, Sir. “ Yungyu’s cheerful voice responded.

“How are you going home?” Mr. Kim asked. 

“I’ll take the bus.”

A pause and then, 

“Here’s some cash. Get a cab.” 

I could hear the relief in Yungyu’s voice as he let out a , “ Thank you sir.” 

I fixed his plate carefully, the bowl of rice, the bowl of chicken stew, and the salad neatly arranged next to the napkin and the chopsticks. I heard him move across the condo, the sound of his suitcases as he wrestled them towards his bedroom and I frowned. Yungyu should’ve have brought those in for him. 

I finished reheating all of the food and carefully carried the dinner tray to the bedroom. 

Mr. Kim’s bedroom was right at the end of the hallway and the door was open. The full length mirror on the opposite wall showed him sitting on the small couch in his room, legs spread and elbows resting on his knees as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

I raised my hand, ready to knock on the wood. 

“Fuck!” He shouted, kicking out at the coffee table with enough force to send the furniture skidding half way across the room. 

I froze in the hallways stunned. 

“You’re such a fucking fool , Namjoon !!” He muttered angrily and I swallowed, turning on my heel and quickly walking back to the kitchen. 

Maybe I ought to wait till he asked for dinner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He didn’t ask for dinner. 

I stayed sitting on the floor of the kitchen, waiting and lightly dozing as I heard him talk to his parents on the phone. I heard him open the liquor cabinet in his room, the sound of ice sloshing against glass, the sound of whiskey being poured carefully and i sighed. 

I had to get to bed. It was already a little past eleven. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometime in the night, I woke up sweating.... 

Wondering what woke me up, I blinked groggily, glancing at Junsu. He was still sound asleep. 

Sighing, I climbed out of the bed, carefully making my way to Mr. Kim’s room, peering in carefully. 

He was asleep on the sofa.

I stared at the way his long legs stretched over the armrest, his lean hips twisted to accommodate his broad shoulders on the couch and I winced. He was definitely going to regret that in the morning. 

I stared at the half empty bottle of whiskey on the table and sighed, moving to take off his shoes carefully. He didn’t stir. 

I grabbed a pillow from the bed, carefully lifting his head and slipping it under. I placed a comforter over his shoulders, pulling it down to cover his legs. 

Force of habit almost made me brush his hair off his forehead but I stopped myself. 

The clock on the wall read three fifty am. God, I was going to feel terrible tomorrow. I carefully tip toed out, shutting the door behind me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I picked the comforter from the floor, carefully folding it and placing it on the bed, before grabbing the empty bottle of whiskey and glass . i could hear the shower running. The curtains were still drawn in and I tugged on the strings to get them to open. Sunlight spilled in through the floor length windows. The bed wasn’t slept in, so I opened the closet to grab a couple of towels, laying them on the bed for him. 

The bathroom door opened and i quickly straightened, wanting to race out of the room but it was too late. Thankfully he was dressed,  a pair of loose sweats and a loose t shirt . He was running a towel through his hair and his face brightened at the sight of me. 

“Yang Mi! You’re here....” He said cheerfully. 

“Good morning sir.” I said softly, offering him a small smile. 

He smiled brightly, hair damp and dimples deep. The white t shirt he had on was almost fully soaked through and he shook his head, sending stray water droplets all over the place, a few landing on my cheeks. 

“I didn’t see you last night...” He said casually, moving to drop the wet towel in the hamper, grabbing one of the fresh ones I’d laid on the bed. 

“I thought you would like your privacy sir, you looked exhausted.” 

He smiled.

“ Thank you for the blanket and the pillow by the way. And the shoes.” 

I bowed quickly.

“I’ll get your breakfast done, sir.” I bowed again before quickly getting out. 

I moved to the kitchen grabbing the oranges I’d got the previous day . Mr. Kim wasn’t fond of traditional korean dishes in the morning. He preferred freshly squeezed juice and toast, sometimes with an omelet perhaps. 

I fixed his breakfast quickly, setting it all in the tray . He was still moving around in the bedroom and I heard him drag his worktable to the windows, which meant he was going to stay in the bedroom. 

Pouring his coffee into a cup, I carefully picked up the breakfast tray , moving to his room slowly. 

I used my foot to knock on the door.

After a pause of a few seconds, 

“Come in Yang Mi!”

I carefully moved to the small table in front of the couch, placing the tray right in front of him. The scent of his body wash, green apple and strawberries, hit me hard. 

“Where’s Junsu?” He asked casually.

“Still asleep sir. It’s Summer so school’s out.” I smiled, grabbing his phone from the table to make space for his tray. 

The phone buzzed just as I was about to place it back down and I blinked.

 Mina calling.......

 I swallowed, not sure what to do, placing the phone down quickly.

“Uh..you have ...” I waved vaguely at the device before bowing again and moving back. 

“close the door on your way out, Yang Mi...” He said gently and I quickly obeyed. 

I moved to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee for myself. I stayed leaning over the counter and even through the locked door, I could hear him . 

“Just don’t call me Mina...i don’t want to talk about this!!!” 

I swallowed, glancing out of the window again. It was a bright, clear morning. 

A second later, the door to his bedroom slammed open and he stormed out. I watched him from my spot in the kitchen, his fists clenched as he rushed out to the front door.

The door shut behind him and I exhaled. 

Once I as done with my coffee, I moved to his room to clear the breakfast tray. His phone was still on the table.

It began ringing again just as I left the room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mrs. Kim.” i said respectfully, bowing . She gave me a short smile.

“Where’s Namjoon? I’ve been calling him for the past hour.” She pushed past me into the house and I bit my lips.

“He went out about an hour ago. He left his phone behind.” I explained.

She stopped, sighing. 

“Fine, I’ll wait for him. “ She moved to sit on the couch, glancing around the room. 

“Should I get you something ma'am?” I asked softly and she smiled.

“Get me a glass of lemonade, Yangmi.” She said brusquely and i nodded, running to the kitchen. 

“Did Mina come over?” She called out as I got the lemons out of the cooler.

“No ma'am.” i replied.

“Did she call?” 

  I remembered the phone ringing, how upset it had made Namjoon, how he had stormed out.

“I don’t know ma'am!” I said softly. 

She nodded.

“Okay. You can leave.” She said quietly. i bowed and went back into the kitchen. 

I peered out of the window as I fixed her a glass , and my eyes fell on a familiar figure, coming back in through the front gate. Even from this distance there was no mistaking the long legs and messy blonde hair. 

I bit my lips, mind racing.

 Mrs Kim and her son had a volatile relationship, to say the least. 

And something told me that Mr. Kim was probably not in the right frame of mind to argue with his mother, now. The man was upset but apparently, neither his mother nor his ex fiancée understood that. instead of giving him space they were hounding him. 

I hesitated for a second  before making a quick decision. 

I grabbed the tray with her lemonade and moved to her quickly.

“Thank you.” She said sharply. “ Turn on the Air Conditioner for me, will you?” 

I fumbled with the remote, grabbing his phone from the table , turning it on before moving to the front door and rushing out. 

I almost ran into him as he came out of the elevator , and i jerked back stumbling a bit to stop myself from crashing into his chest. He let out a , ‘ Whoa, “  his hands reaching out to grip my elbows. 

“Careful. What’s wrong?” He asked gently and I swallowed.

“Your mother’s here.” I said quickly, “ Sir.” 

“Oh, fuck.” He groaned. I swallowed.

“You can leave.” I blurted out. “It’s Tuesday. She has her charity work meeting at ten. Its almost nine. She won’t stay long....” 

His eyes met mine, lips parting in surprise. 

“I really can’t meet her now.” He said apologetically.

I nodded.

“Of course, I understand , sir. Just be back in an hour , she’ll be go-”

The elevator buzzed , the doors nearly closing over my shoulders and I flinched. He swore and stuck his arm out to keep it open. 

I stared at him before holding his phone out.

“Here you go sir. “ 

He chuckled taking it from me and shaking his head.

“i feel like a kid, sneaking away from my mom.” His eyes reached mine, twinkling, “ Who would’ve thought the quiet, timid Yang Mi would be my partner in crime. “ 

I didn’t reply, just smiled. 

And then he hesitated. “ Is Junsu awake?”

I blinked.

“Uh...yes sir,...he’s playing in the park downstairs with the other kids.”

“Great... Would you mind if i take him out for ice cream?”

I stared at him. 

“Oh..uh...of course not. Sure.. I mean.. he’ll love that... Sir. Thank you.. You don’t have to -”

“Consider it thank you for helping me with my mother.” He smiled again and i found myself staring at his dimples again. i swallowed. 

“in that case, he loves butter scotch.” I smiled. 

The dimples appeared and i bit my lips. 

“Thank you Yang Mi.” He said slowly. 

“Yes, Sir.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Note : Finally a hyungline fic !!! ugh... I’ve been wanting to write a Namjoon fic for ages and I really hope you guys will like this one :’( Feedback is much appreciated. 

[jellybeanz00]

Class 1A boys making you breakfast!

(≧◡≦)I just woke up, and I’m about to go down for breakfast but then these thoughts came in and I just had to type it down. 

Characters in this post:

Eijiro Kirishima

Denki Kaminari

Izuku Midoriya

Hanta Sero

Bakugo Katsuki

☆*:.｡. Eijiro Kirishima .｡.:*☆

He believes that breakfast is the most important meal

Therefore would give you a lot of food

The whole meal package

You can’t make him give you less

He’d have the same food except there’d be some protein shake on the side for him 

Would have:

Rice

Sausage

Eggs

Banana

Orange juice

Dessert? He’d give you yogurt. He’s into the healthy types so expect greek yogurt maybe (っ´ω`)ﾉ(╥ω╥)

Would give you a waffle though if you wanted

☆*:.｡. Denki Kaminari .｡.:*☆

Let’s face it, this sparky boy would buy you McDonald’s

Not just any McDonald’s meal though

He’d get you the full breakfast meal

Wakes up early just for this

Most likely surprise you with it

Would have:

Pancakes

Hash Brown

Fries

Coca-Cola 

You’d ask why there was soda this early in the morning but he would shush you and say, “Just drink it come on.”

You both eat in your dorm so Aizawa wouldn’t see and reprimand the both of you for having fast food in the morning. 

Dessert: Ice cream (still doesn’t care it’s breakfast)

You like it though and you both have fun (≧◡≦)

☆*:.｡. Izuku Midoriya .｡.:*☆

Another one who thinks breakfast is the most important meal of the day 

He would make your breakfast himself

And is quite proud of it

Wakes up at exactly 6 am to cook all of the food

Would have:

Rice

Eggs

Apple

Fish

Carrots 

He ends up making for the whole Dekusquad 

You all have breakfast together 

Would offer you more when he sees your plate with less food

“You should eat more Y/N! If we want to be heroes, we gotta stay healthy.”

Dessert: His mom’s homemade fruit salad ╰(▔∀▔)╯ (it’s really sweet and yummy)

☆*:.｡. Hanta Sero .｡.:*☆

He would definitely invite you to a cereal type of breakfast

You both take turns choosing which cereal, but whenever it’s his turn, he’d choose Lucky Charms because it was his favorite

Idk but I see him as the milk-first-before-cereal type

Would have:

Cereal

Milk

Water

Dessert? He’d give you cake out of nowhere

You have no idea where he got it from but 

You’ll both be watching TV while eating breakfast

You’d both play a little game where you see if you can catch the same lucky charm as the other without looking at each other’s bowls. (Usually the reason why breakfast to the both of you seems to last forever)

☆*:.｡. Katsuki Bakugo.｡.:*☆

I firmly believe he would give you food that isn’t meant for breakfast

For the sole purpose to impress you

Everytime he makes you breakfast it would be different

He makes everything himself (you never believed him till you saw him cooking)

How did it all start? When one morning he catches you eating leftovers, “That’s not breakfast dumbass tch,” He’d grumble about how you’re a nuisance while making all this food for you.

Would be any of the following:

Pasta

Sushi

Salad (not the plain salad you’re thinking of, his salad has so much stuff in it is it even a salad) (also makes the sauce himself) (O_O;)

Fish n’ chips (the fries would be made out of sweet potato)

This boy is an absolute god in the kitchen. 

Claims it isn’t because he likes you but because watching you eat what you eat during breakfast makes him sick 

will definitely never catch him smiling when you compliment him on his cooking

[bebepac]

Chubby Bunny

I am participating in @wackydrabbles​​ prompt # 88 picked by @kat-tia801​​

“I meant every word.”  which will appear in bold.

This is also Chapter 13 of Mia’s 🌎 World.  To catch up with what you’re missing, please click: Mia's World Masterlist

This is an adorable little Easter fic I thought up I hope you guys like it.  

Mia, Liam, and Emily and Chris, and Leo belong to Pixelberry, all other characters are my own.  

Original Post Date: 4/3/21 at 5:02PM EST

The Book:  TRR x The Freshman

Pairings:  Mia x Jaiden / Emily x Chris

Warnings: a little sexual innuendo

Word Count: 902  (I know this is short for me) 

Summary:  The couples play Chubby Bunny, and go to Mia’s house for Easter Sunday Dinner.

I added a link to the game Chubby Bunny in case you have never heard of it.  

"Do you have Easter plans Jai?"

"No, both my parents are working."

"Come over Saturday and spend the night.  We can go to my parent's house for dinner on Easter Day. I invited Chris and Emily too."

"That sounds great. Your mom is a great cook, so is your dad."

"Ahem?"

"You too Mia, you make the best cheesy eggs ever. I just don't know how I lived without your cheesy eggs until now."

He peppered her face with kisses.

"Jai stahhhhhhpppp!!!!" Mia giggled as he continued to dot her neck with kisses.

"It's true Mia."

His kiss drifted to her lips.

"I meant every word."

"I really can cook more than cheesy eggs Jaiden Brooks."

"I’m sure you can, I believe you baby."

*^*^*^* First Annual Chubby Bunny Couples Competition*^*^*^*

Jaiden brought out his phone and announcer voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen it's a beautiful sunny day in Chapel Hill, North Carolina  as our couples prepare for a battle to the death as who will be this year's chubby bunny champion of the realm. OOOOOHHHH SNAP!!! The competition looks cutthroat this year!

 The first year of its inception. Who will reign victorious?”

Chris laughed as Mia and Emily made slicing motions across their throats at each other. 

"Are we clear on the prize, loser couple buys winning couple dinner?"

Everyone nodded.

"Couples will go head to head first, the winners will battle it out for bragging rights and the loser doing laundry duty for a month.  Couples have you figured out your prizes?"

Mia winked at Jaiden. "That thing you do with the warm hot fudge." She said with a smirk.

"You liked that huh?"

Mia nodded biting her lip as she twirled her hair looking at him.

“We could do that again.”

"And what do you want Jai?"

"Actually, I want to collect on my Christmas present."

He pulled out the certificate.

"Since we are being festive, with a little something I bought for you, and bunny ears."

Chris leaned over to look at the certificate.

"Oh hell yeah! Jaiden, it's like that? Em you're totally doing that when I win."

“When you win Chris Powell?  I like your nerve.”  

“I really want to win this.”  Jaiden smiled at Mia.

“Let’s do this Jai!”  

The first 4 rounds went pretty well for both then when round 5 hit, Mia could hardly speak.

“Shobby Bonnie.”

“I’m sorry, what was that?”  Chris asked laughing.

Jaiden laughed so hard, he almost choked on the marshmallows in his mouth.

“Ewwww, you just totally spit marshmallow jizz on me Jaiden ewwww!!!!”  Emily screamed.

“Jaiden if you can say it clearer than Mia, you win.”

Jaiden won the round.

He winked at Mia.   Yes.. He thought....

Between Chris and Emily won.  

“Okay Jai, you know I hate laundry, you better win this for us.  I’ll even add something extra to the certificate if you win?”  

“Like what?”

“You’ll see.”  Mia whispered.  

Win it for us.”

Jaiden and  Emily hit round 7 when Emily delivered an ever so elegant....

"Scrubby Bunky."

“Jaiden is the winner!!!!”

“It will be so worth it to bring my laundry over here.  You know me for being the Chubby Bunny Champion of the Realm.”

“Oh my God Jaiden, can you brag a little more?”  Emily laughed at him.  

On the way to Mia’s parents house Jaiden had mentioned her parent’s cooking again to Emily and Chris.  It was bothering her a little bit.  

Jaiden glanced at her.  

“You alright?”  

“I’m fine.”  Mia gave him a weak smile.  

Jaiden gently brushed her leg.

Mia resumed looking out the window.  

Jaiden knew she wasn’t okay.  

When they got to her parent’s house.  Mia was shocked.

“Didn’t know this was the place where everyone was hanging out.  You guys chill out here with Leo,  I’m going to go see what’s up with my parents.”

Mia walked into the kitchen, seeing so much food and her mom and Liam cooking.  She hugged and kissed her mom, and hugged Liam.

“Is there anything I can help with?”

“Yes,  we didn’t think we were going to have this many people over, Liam already chopped the potatoes, if you can make the potato salad, and Pops is bringing back a third ham, and cook that I think we’ll be fine.”  

“Okay, I can do that!”  

Pops came back shortly with the ham.

“Look at my girls cooking up a storm.”  Pops said smiling at Mia and Gloria in the kitchen.   Liam brought in more chicken off the grill. 

“Pops you be your social self and go keep everyone happy,”  Gloria commented smiling. 

After an hour or so Jaiden wandered into the kitchen.

“I was wondering where you were,” he said.

“My mom and Liam needed some help.”  

“What are you making?” he asked.  

“I’m cooking the ham, and I’m making the potato salad.”

“Those are two of my favorite holiday things.”  

“Get out of my kitchen Jaiden Brooks you’re a guest!”  

“Yes Ma’am!!”  He said smiling at Mia as he walked out the door.  

As they were eating later,  Mia smiled.

Jaiden’s plate was full of a lot of holiday things, but Mia noticed he had extra helpings of ham and potato salad.    

“That boy is a sweetheart,”  Gloria whispered to Mia.  

“He really is.”  

*^*^*^*^*^*  Later that evening back on campus *^*^*^*^*^*

“Jai are you ready?”

“Hell yes I am!!!”

Jaiden turned on the music.

Mia stalked out of the bathroom.

Jaiden’s eyes widened.  

She smirked at him and struck a pose.

“Happy Easter to me.”  

Tagging The Comments!

[bellatrixobsessed1]

The Killing Cure (Part 7)

“Alright, first things first, we have to dice some potatoes!” Ethan declares.

She thinks that he is enjoying this; a taste of the domesticy that had been stolen so early from him. She doesn’t understand it at all really--the appeal of cooking. He throws terms and phrases that mean nothing to her, ‘drain the potatoes in a colander!’ ‘whisk the mayo with…!’ ‘then we’ll toss the potatoes and mayo mixture!’ The only thing that she would like to toss is the bowl; she would like to toss it across the room. But she doesn’t wish to startle her napping girls, lest they burst into three separate clouds of frenzied flies. Neither does she want to clean eggs and potato off of her walls.

“The eggs, Alcina!” He instructs, pointing at the eggs that he had previously scrambled. “Pour them into the bowl with the celery, and onions!”  She isn’t sure why they can’t just toss the potatoes in now as well.

The man hums as he tosses sprinkles of celery salt and pickle relish into his own bowl. His enthusiasm is almost enduring. She can’t help but wonder how many times he has done this with his Mia. He glances at her and narrows his eyes, “you haven’t started tossing the eggs and onions!”

She doesn’t want to tell him that she doesn’t know what he means. Instead she says, “my hands are aching.”

He nods, “are they aching too much to whisk the mayo?” More to himself he hums, “the medication should have kicked in by now, maybe we should get you more…”

“I am fine, Winters. Just, show me how to whisk the mayo.”

“Of course!” He declares. “Now usually when Mia and I do this we have some cooking tunes playing but you don’t have a radio.”

“I have a record player…”

“Great, where is it?”

“Bela,” She calls to the closest girl. “Be a dear and start the record player, nothing loud.”

“Great! Whisking is pretty simple” He replies. She doesn’t expect him to reach over and take her by the wrist. She is grateful that he is too preoccupied to catch the slight flush of her cheeks. With a few more trivial instructions, he guides her hand along. “Do you think that you have a feel for it?”

“You could have spoken your instructions.” She says stiffly. “I understand now.”

Unperturbed, he replies. “Good. So finish that and then we can mix all of the ingredients and put it in the...you have a fridge, right? Tell me that you have a fridge!”

She clears her throat, “I do not.”

“Oh no!” He runs his fingers through his hairline. “Dammit! Okay, that’s fine...we’ll just stick it outside and hope that the birds don’t steal it.”

She watches him take the bowls and toss them all into the largest of them. He puts a lid over it and shakes it well. She hates that it is such a good distraction, that it makes her feel significantly better to watch him flounce around her kitchen. She wants to blame it fully on the medication and the supplements kicking in but deep down she knows that she can’t quite do that. There is a warmth in the castle, the castle hasn’t felt comfortable in a very long while. And the smell is rather pleasant, fresh and quite tasty.

She thinks that she would like the feeling to remain; this kinder, more mundane feeling. For once nothing hurts. For once, however brief the moment will be, she doesn’t dwell on her predicament. Just beneath the surface, a part of her wonders what her life would have been like without the cadou. She holds her hand to her torso, to the one scar that never healed.

.oOo.

With less pain and a decent meal, Alcina is significantly less cranky. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Did you like the salad?” Ethan asks.

“It was…” She trailed off. “Not horrid.”

He supposes that, ‘not horrid’ is a start. “I guess I should head out and start the hunt…” He strokes his chin. Truth be told he isn’t particularly thrilled by the prospect, not when a hoard of monstrosities seem to be waiting for him in the shadows. “Want to come?”

“I’m in no condition for a hunt.” Her expression dims. “Do you think I’d be sending a foolish man thing like yourself to do it if I could?” And then her expression goes absolutely dark. He doesn’t quite catch it but he thinks that he hears her murmur something about being useless. He isn’t sure if she is calling him more names of if she is speaking of herself. The quietness of the remark has him inclined to guess the latter.

“I just...could use…” the company. He struggles to come up with something else to say, lest she get the wrong idea. “ I could use someone to keep an eye out. Ya know for lycans and stuff.”

She gives a haughty sniff, and seems to shed a few layers of doubt. “They’d be fools to come by my castle unannounced!”

He has to chuckle; it would seem that she is getting at least some of her vigor and dramatics back. “I can teach you to use a gun.” He offers. Maybe then she’ll stop sulking and pouting. Maybe then he can move on in good conscience. “It’s not that hard, all you have to do is.” He loads the gun and fires a shot. The shatter of glass echos about the room.

She flinches, lip twitching in annoyance. “Not in my castle!”

He clenches his teeth in a cringe. “Yeeeah, I can teach you during the hunt.” He hands her one of his pistols, a smaller one. One that she can get a comfortable grip on. God, he must be as big a fool as she says that he is to give her a gun that she can so easily turn on him. That is, after he teaches her to use it. For now she turns it over in her hand, staring at it as though it will fire itself.

She follows him into the forest, “one perk of being smaller,” he says as they walk. “Is that you’re more inconspicuous. You can sneak up on your prey.” She can so long as she is more graceful than he. So far, he is under the impression that she is. She slips between trees with ease. She doesn’t have to bother ducking under branches nor moving them out of the way, neither does she make as much noise as she treks about.

This would be a wonderful thing, if only it didn’t instill a sort of fear within him. Somehow he still feels as though she will extend her claws and start swiping. Every now and then she slips away from him and his stomach lurches; claws or none, he doesn’t like it when she is not in his line of sight.

She emerges a moment later, “there is a deer over there.” He jolts at the sound of her voice. Christ, she is elusive now.

“H-how, are you so quiet?” He knows the answer but inquires anyhow.

“Just shoot the deer, Winters or show me how to do it.”

“Right, of course. Deer. The animal.” He clarifies. “I’m not calling you dear.”

Lady Dimitrescu inhales and simply points in the direction of the deer. He wanders into the clearing. The deer she has come across is a rather decent size, at least enough to feed the five of them. He lifts his gun and fires his shot. It falls dead in an instant--at least his struggles with the lycans have some pay off. And in more ways than one--he sighs knowing that he will have to drag the deer carcass all the way back to the castle. At least he has built the stamina for it.

He turns around to reach for his knife and jerks. He doesn’t know when Lady Dimitrescu had appeared behind him, it is like she has emerged from thin air. He had very nearly shot her. He lowers his gun with a sigh of relief. “You need to stop doing that?”

“Doing what, Winters?”

“Jumping out at me!”

“I am just walking.”

“You aren’t as heavy anymore…”

The woman’s face colors.

“Th-that’s not how I meant it! I wasn’t trying to imply…” he thinks that his cheeks might be a deeper red. She probably hadn’t even taken it that way until he made a big deal of it. “You’re a beautiful lady.” He blurts, now his entire face is red. “I didn’t mean! I mean, I do, I think that you’re not hideous or heavy…” He wishes that she would just tell him to shut the hell up so he can stop digging himself deeper.

.oOo.

Her face is so hot, she can’t remember the last time that she has felt so awkward and flustered. Frankly she isn’t sure if the scarlet on her face can be attributed to his careless comments on her weight or his remark that she is beautiful...not hideous? She isn’t even sure if she is being complimented.

She ponders it the entire way back to her castle, over dinner, and ponders it still as she dresses herself for bed. She picks up one of several night gowns. She resents that she loves the night gowns that he has chosen for her. The Duke, she reminds herself, probably chose it. He is acquainted with her tastes.

She holds the cloth against her frame. She just isn’t certain that she will love how it looks on her.

She pulls it over her head and smoothes the cloth over her body. It is, woefully, a size too big. She swallows as the sleeve slips down her shoulder. She grits her teeth and wraps her arms around herself, rubbing her own arms.

She doesn’t feel right. She doesn’t feel like herself. She slides down the wall and exhales deeply. Ethan had called her beautiful; she wishes that he hadn’t stumbled. Wishes that he hadn’t taken it back. She needs some sort of reassurance, never mind where it comes from.

Just where did she put her kiseru?

She hears a knock, it is the last sound that she wanted to hear. “You in there? Your daughters want a bedtime story.”

She sighs again and stands up. She unlocks the door without a word. She clears her throat, “thank you, I almost forgot.”

[topsytervy]

Mob Rafe: The Series

Part 1

I still couldn’t think of a title after a month so it’s just going to stay as Mob Rafe: The Series

You can read the prologue here

Word Count: 4,096

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drinking, i think that’s it

~~~~

It was almost 10:30 when you stood in your kitchen, staring into your fridge that was practically empty, trying to figure out what you could make for breakfast. You finally decided on eggs after googling how to tell if they were still good or not and decided that they were fine. After all, JJ had eaten moldy bread before. What’s the difference between that and eating eggs a couple of days past their best by date.

As the eggs cooked in the pan, you grabbed the Aleve and a glass, filling it with water, before walking into the spare bedroom and setting them on the nightstand. You smiled as you watched JJ hug a pillow to his chest, looking rather serene. 

In about half an hour, he’d be complaining though and you’d have to listen to it until he left.

You went back to the eggs, stirring them around as you glanced out your kitchen window. You leaned closer and squinted, trying to make out the faces of the people who were going in and out of the place next door. 

That house had been up for sale since a week after you moved in, the old lady that lived there deciding that it was time to go into a home.

Well, her family decided. She screamed every curse word underneath the sun as her things, and herself, were being moved out.

That was almost a year ago. You tried convincing JJ to buy it but he said ‘I’m not living near a bunch of people who think my business is their business’. You tried to figure out who exactly was moving in but it was hard to tell considering it could’ve been any of the three guys who were exiting and entering the house.

You sighed before turning your attention back to the eggs that were close to done, hearing JJ groan from the guest room. 

“Who the fuck made the sun so bright?” You heard him say, voice muffled.

“Depends on the religion of the person you’re asking!” You hollered back.

“Well, I’m not religious so make it non-religious.” You heard a thump come from the room and you assumed that it was his feet hitting the floor.

“Then the Big Bang.” 

“Like the show?” 

You closed your eyes and pinched the bridge of your nose, taking a deep breath. “You know what? Sure. Like the show.”

JJ emerged, rubbing his face with one of his hands, the glass of water in his other.

“Oh, fucking hell. My head is pounding.” He mumbled, sitting down at the little kitchen table you had.

“I wonder why.” You asked, sarcasm lacing your voice as you plated the eggs. 

You brought the eggs over to JJ and set them down with a fork. JJ shot you a smile as you sat down across from him before he began to eat. “Where’s your food?” He questioned, eyeing the empty place in front of you.

You shrugged. “Not that hungry.”

JJ rolled his eyes. 

“I’m just not hungry in the mornings’ JayBird. You know this.”

“You should eat in the mornings. Even if it’s just a toaster strudel or a pop tart.” 

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes as you stood up and walked over to your almost empty pantry, rummaging around for anything. You managed to find a pop tart hiding away and you opened it, taking a bite from the pastry. “Happy?”

“When’s the last time you went grocery shopping?” 

You shrugged. “I’m planning on doing a little run today.” 

“You didn’t answer my question Y/N.”

You walked over to him and placed both your hands on either side of his face. “Don’t worry about me JJ. I’m not starving. Mom dropped off leftovers and I finished them an hour before you showed up last night. She’s been giving me so many leftovers, I just haven’t had the need to go grocery shopping in a bit. Besides, I finished off the potato salad she gave me two days ago at like 5 a.m. this morning when I went to go pee. So I technically had breakfast.”

“What was last night’s leftovers?”

“Tuna casserole. The week before that was a chicken pot pie. And the week before that was stir fry. And the week before that was-”

“Okay, I get it.” He cut you off.

You smirked as you sat back down in your spot. You were pretty sure that your mom was dropping off food just so she could get some time with you. Between work and classes, you didn’t really have time to go over and visit as much as you should. If you weren’t doing either of those things, you were either catching up on sleep or doing as much of your homework as possible. You were lucky you had a fenced in yard so Blue could run around for a while for those days you didn’t have the energy to take him out for a walk.

This also meant you definitely didn’t have the energy to drive yourself to the store and figure out what you needed for food and then drive back home. 

So, you were living on your mom’s leftovers that she brought over since she seemed to forget that there was one less person in the house so she didn’t have to make as much food.

“You want me to come with you?” JJ asked, scooping more eggs into his mouth.

“You really don’t need to. I think I can do a simple grocery run myself.” You smiled.

“Don”t say I didn’t offer when you’re making more than one trip.” 

You took another bite of your pop tart as you looked down at the floor where Blue and Piper laid, looking at you and JJ for any scraps. JJ was the one to break, giving the two dogs his last bits of breakfast before he leaned back, interlocking his fingers together as he placed them behind his head.

“What do you think the others did last night?” He asked.

You just shrugged, giving him the other pop tart which he reluctantly took after you wouldn’t bring it back to the foil after he shook his head no. JJ felt bad for taking it after just having eggs but if you were so persistent on him having it, he might as well just take the damn thing.

He took a bite and looked out the kitchen window and, through a mouthful of pop-tart, asked, “Who’s moving in?” 

You shrugged once more. “I’ll let you know later today when I find out.”

******

“You guys whine more than anyone I know,” Rafe told Kelce and Topper as they brought the couch through the door.

“Yeah. I wonder why. It can’t be because we woke up with massive hangovers and someone made us get up at 8:30 in the morning.” Kelce grumbled.

“I told you guys that you might want to take it easy on the alcohol considering we’re going to be up early tomorrow and the sun’s going to be shining all day. I also told you we'd ve working until we had everything moved in. It’s your fault that you two didn’t listen.” Rafe stated, looking behind him so he could see where he was going. "And think of this, you won’t have to go to the gym tomorrow."

“You sound like my mom. Shut up.” Topper grunted, looking at the floor.

As far as Rafe was concerned, it was Kelces and Topper’s fault. He did, after all, tell them what was happening and what day he was moving in. And he provided lunch for them and was also providing dinner so why were they whining. He would've been better off recruiting Sarah for this job. She would've complained less.

“I’m losing grip. Down. Down.” Kelce told the two.

They set the couch down on the floor and caught their breath, leaning against the piece of furniture. Rafe checked his watch. 

4:30 pm. 

He sighed as he noticed the hunger in his stomach for the first time since 11 when they ate lunch.

“It was nice of Rose and Ward to give you all their old furniture,” Topper commented, causing Rafe to look at him. 

Rafe scoffed. “They only did that so they could have an excuse to get new furniture.”

“Even if that’s true, at least you didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get furniture.”

Rafe sighed. Topper had a point and he had to admit, he was a bit grateful to his father and stepmother for deciding their furniture was outdated. Even if it was only 2 years old.

“Kelce, wanna grab the water bottles from the truck?” He asked. 

Kelce nodded, heading outside to retrieve the drinks as Rafe readjusted his grip.

"Oh, we're gonna finish this without Kelces’ help," Topper said, catching on after a couple of seconds of Rafe staring at him. 

Topper readjusted his grip, nodding to let Rafe know he was ready. 

"Yes, Top. And then we're gonna order a pizza." Rafe grunted as they lifted the couch once more.  

"You're paying right?"

"Yes, I’m paying. Now angle it more towards the right so it doesn’t hit this corner." 

"You're right or my right?"

"My right."

Topper did as he was told, happy for the free meal that would be provided. Rafe was just happy that this was one of the last things they had to move in.

They placed the couch down underneath the window as Kelce came back in, water bottles in hand. The brunette tossed a water bottle to each of his friends as Rafe grabbed his phone from his pocket. 

"Dominos or Little Caesars?" Rafe asked, looking between his friends.

"Dominos cause I want a sandwich," Kelce stated.

Topper looked at Kelce. "But little Caesars. Besides we had Firehouse Subs for lunch."

"Did I stutter? I want a fucking sandwich to go with my pizza, Topper."

The blonde stared at Kelce before sighing. "Fine. Dominos."

****

You looked into your trunk, trying to figure out if, no not if, how you were going to get everything in one trip when one of your neighbors approached you.

You looked over at her. "Hey, Mrs.Keling. How are you?" You asked, grabbing one of the paper bags.

"Fine Y/N but how are you?" She asked.

Mrs. and Mr. Keling lived across the street and four doors down from you and never really came over and talked to you. It was usually just the usual wave and smile, maybe a hello and a how are you. But that was only if you ran into each other. 

You raised an eyebrow. "Um…fine. Why do you ask?" 

Mrs.Keling glanced at the house next door, the Uhaul still parked there. You followed her glance before commenting. "Wow. They're still not done moving. They've been working since I woke up." 

"Aren't you worried about living next to him?" 

Those words made a chill go down your spine but you ignored it. "Should I be worried?" You set the bag back down in the trunk.

Mrs.Keling sighed. "Do you not know who's next to you?"

You shook your head. You hadn’t caught a glimpse of the mystery neighbor yet. You had noticed, however, many of the neighbors peeking through their windows or standing in their yards as they talked amongst themselves all day.

Mrs.Keling moved in closer and you looked at the middle-aged woman, slightly scared of who she was going to say moved in.

"Rafe Cameron." She whispered before stepping backward.

You felt yourself relax a bit, scared that it was going to be someone horrible.

 Granted Rafe Cameron wasn’t exactly a saint.

His past wasn't the best and his past consisted of terrorizing you and your friends but, from what John B, Pope, Kie, and Sarah had told you and JJ, he's pretty tolerable now. His hotheadedness, which probably was a result of his coke addiction, seemed to have died down immensely and he didn't really pick fights out in public anymore.

This was probably because if he got in trouble with the law for something stupid like speeding, his criminal activity would be uncovered.

Rafe Cameron may have looked like he turned a leaf and became a law-abiding citizen overnight but that’s why you never judge a book by its cover. Because, if anything, he got dirtier. 

People on the Island knew about Rafe’s new family that he got involved with back when he was 20, no thanks to Wheezie and her mouth.

She told one person to leave her friend alone or else her mob brother would take care of him and that’s all it took. However, no one could arrest him for any illegal activity cause, from what they saw, there was none. He was perfectly clean. Not even the scent of weed to cause them to suspect anything. Eventually, Shoupe had decided that everyone was pulling his leg considering Rafe always lets them search the place and no one had ever caught him doing anything that he could be arrested for.

You let it go, deciding that it was a rumor that could die. You were never much for the gossip that took place within the subdivision you lived in, let alone the island.

"Rafe Cameron lives next door now?" You asked, “As in the man who once climbed a tree to help get a child’s kite down?”

Mrs.Keling nodded. "He’s not as good as he seems Y/N and some of us are worried about you. There’s something about him that’s just...off."

You managed to hold back a scoff. Sure, some of them were worried and you knew they were but it was usually the seniors. The others just wanted to fake it to see if they could get some dirt on the others.

You shrugged as you looked into a bag, seeing the pie at the top, remembering that you picked it up for the new neighbor. "I'll be fine. I have a Blue." You reassured her, grabbing the pie.

You walked across the patch of grass separating your house and, what is now apparently, Rafe’s house. You raised a fist and knocked on the door. Looking around, you saw the neighbors staring at you as you stood there. You grinned and waved at everyone before turning back towards the door.

You heard laughter and footsteps before the door opened, revealing Rafe Cameron himself. He stood in the doorway towering over you, giving you a once over.

"I did some grocery shopping today and decided to pick up a welcome pie. It’s probably not that good considering it was in the clearance section but, ya know, as my dad always says "When you have a cheap pie, have a cheap beer with it"." You smiled, extending the pie towards him.

Rafe smiled back, taking the pie from your hands. "Your dads a wise man."

"Indeed, he is." You grinned.

Rafe looked past you and towards the people watching from their yards.

"Do you want to come inside? Have a slice of this pie you bought? It'd be unfair to not share." Rafe offered.

You smiled but shook your head. "Thanks for the offer but I'm going to have to decline. I've got to go get ready for my shift at work and get my groceries inside." You told him, turning to face your neighbors.

You turned back to the man in front of you and leaned in. "Don't mind these guys. They're, sadly, just your stereotypical suburban moms and dads who like to talk shit about others but hate it when others talk shit about them. Except for Bonnie. She's sweet." You said, waving to the old lady across the street who was tending to her roses. "Anyway. See you around, Rafe." You smiled, waving before turning around and heading back to your driveway where Mrs.Keling still stood.

Rafe watched as you exchanged a few more words with Mrs.Keling, no doubt in his mind that it was about him considering the older lady kept glancing his way.

"Well, she's cute." 

Rafe turned around to see Kelce and Topper standing off to the side where they could see outside. Rafe rolled his eyes at his two friends, both of whom wore a smirk, and shoved the pie into Kelces hands.

"You two wait for the pizza." He told them before walking pit the door and to your driveway. He smiled at Mrs. Kelsing who immediately bid you goodbye and scurried off to her home.

You looked at Rafe, a bag in each arm as you waited for him to say something. 

"You brought me a pie. Let me at least help you bring in groceries if you're not gonna have a slice of the pie." 

****

Topper and Kelce watched from the living room window as Rafe grabbed a couple of bags and helped you bring in your groceries.

"Why is he helping her?" 

"Cause that’s what you do when a nice cute girl brings you a pie. You help her with whatever." Kelce answered. 

"And you leave your best friends unattended with the pie? A poor choice really." Topper stated, flipping open the box the dessert was in. 

"A poor choice indeed." Kelce agreed, opening a box labeled kitchen and pulling out a couple of plates and forks.

Kelce served each of them a slice, clinking their forks together before digging in.

****

"Wait. My brother lives next to you now?" Sarah asked as you brought your friends the drinks they ordered.

It was probably 3 hours into your shift when JJ asked if you had met whoever moved in next door. And when you told the group, their jaws hit the floor.

"And he helped you bring in groceries? You sure that’s Rafe?" JJ raised an eyebrow as he immediately brought his bottle of beer to his lips.

You nodded as you tucked the now empty tray under your arm, looking at your watch. 15 minutes left of your shift.

"That’s so weird," Kie stated.

"Is it though? I mean, he has been wanting to have his own place for a while. It doesn’t help that Topper doesn’t pay attention to what name is on the sticky note when it comes to food." Sarah rolled her eyes, remembering all the times she called Rafe for something and heard an argument break out amongst the two boys.

And all she had to say was poor Kelce for having to put up with their bullshit.

"Yeah. I know that feeling." Pope commented, glancing at JJ.

The blonde immediately pointed his finger at Pope. "You don’t write your name on shit. You specifically said that we aren’t going to do the whole this is my food, this is your food." JJ defended himself.

"Uh, no. I never said that. Why would I say that, JJ?" 

"You tell me cause those words came out of your mouth."

"Oh did they? Cause I don’t remember that. In fact, I remember you saying we should put our names on our food so we know what belongs to who but then you broke that rule." Pope glared at his best friend.

"No. I said we should label the to-go boxes from restaurants when we dine in then take our leftovers home so we know what belongs to who."

"Okay. Pipe it down and quit the squawking." You told them, giving both of them a light smack.

"You two fight worse than me and Sarah and you two aren’t even together like that." John B shook his head.

"You don’t know that for sure," JJ smirked, bringing the bottle up once again so he could take a drink.

Pope sighed as the rest of you stood there staring at JJ before you shook your head. "I’m going back to work and in 15 minutes you all better be ready to leave." John B held up the keys to the twinkie and you snatched them from his hand. "And I'm driving."

You had driven to John B’s in your car and parked it there once you heard from Kie that everyone was planning on going out for drinks, opting on being the designated driver. This wasn’t the first time you did this, having them have their night out at the bar you worked at so you could drive them home safely after your shift. It gave them plenty of time to get shit-faced and you were able to make sure no one did something dumb while still being able to work.

It was kind of like Nani and Lilo’s situation of Nani bringing Lilo to work.

The pogues were Lilo and you were Nani.

*****

Rafe took a swig from his beer before setting it down harder than he needed to.

He was currently swearing under his breath as he sat on the floor, attempting to assemble an entertainment center he bought from IKEA as his two best friends sat on the couch, each enjoying another slice of pie as they had a beer themselves.

“I’m telling you, man, you should’ve had them to assemble it for you,” Topper told him.

Rafe rolled his eyes. “I can do it myself thank you very much.”

“You couldn’t do it sober. What makes you think you can do it drunk?” Kelce laughed.

Rafe turned around and sent him a glare. “I will have you know that it’s going to take more than a beer and a half to get me drunk.” He looked down at their plates to see them both halfway done with their pie slices. “Is there going to be any pie left for me?”

“You mean the pie that the cutie pie from next door brought over? There’s a slice left.” Kelce told him.

“And I’m not taking any chances,” Rafe muttered, slamming down the allen wrench and standing up, walking into his kitchen to retrieve that last slice.

He grabbed a fork and the box that the pie rested in, not bothering with a plate, before walking back over to his spot on the floor.

“You know,” Rafe started, using his fork to cut a piece of pie off his slice before letting his fork hover in the air, “you two having been pigging out this whole time, yukking it up and whatnot while I have been doing all this work.” Rafe punctuated his sentence by placing his fork in his mouth.

“Not true. We’ve been providing you moral support.” Topper defended.

“Well if you two aren’t going to provide physical help, then you can walk your asses out the door.”

Topper and Kelce looked at each other before nodding and getting up. “See you later, buddy.”

“Yeah. Oh, btw, Sarah said something about throwing you a little ‘congrats on getting a house’ party at John B’s on Friday since she didn’t want to throw it here and upset your neighbors!”

Rafe opened his mouth to speak but the door shutting cut him off.

"Thanks for helping." He muttered.

He picked up his beer and took another sip, checking his watch as he brought the bottle away from his lips.

12:30 AM.

Rafe sighed as he continued to eat his pie and drink his beer, deciding that once he was finished with his snack he’d head to bed. 

He got up to put his fork in the sink and throw away his garbage when headlights caught his attention.

He looked out the window, confusion on his face. This wasn’t the type of neighborhood where he expected people to go out until midnight. Hell, they didn’t even seem like the people who’d be out until 10.

It made a lot more sense when he saw the car pull into your driveway and you getting out of the car. He watched you walk up to your door and unlock it before walking in, closing the door behind you.

He shook his head before walking away from the window, continuing his way towards the kitchen. He threw everything away and tossed his fork into the sink before shutting off his lights and heading into his bathroom. He brushed his teeth before changing into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, heading into his room, and flopping down onto the mattress that laid on the floor with a groan. He suddenly regretted ordering his new bed frame online and not paying for two-day delivery. 

He let his eyes close, his breathing steady as he worked his way to sleep, letting darkness completely take over in a matter of minutes.

~~~~~

Taglist: @oleariaux @popcrone818 @void-sadie @diverrdown @teenagekook @acvross-the-universe @poguemackin @bibliophilewednesday

[synnefo-nefeli]

Hi, I'm not sure if you haven't had the time or just aren't interested in my previous ask (which is fine! no pressure :)) or whether tumblr ate it. Anyway, Happy (belated where I am) Winter Solstice! Do you have any headcanons about the AA characters' opinions on late December festivals/celebrations?

Welcome Yule!

I’m still getting to that previous question since it was so very good!!

However for this question:

Christmas is Apollo’s favorite holiday. He goes all out. He’s amassed a huge collection of decorations, so much so that it takes up whatever extra storage his apartment has

Fortunately, Klavier goes just as hard as Apollo. They pretty much enable each other’s Christmas/Holiday obsession. Once they move in together, their spacious basement is pretty full of decorations

Decorations begin the day after Thanksgiving and it takes a good few days to get the home decorated before 12/1. Decorations say up through 1/7 for the full Advent season; (Klavier was raised Catholic, Apollo doesn’t need any excuses for extended Christmas)

They do have a small fake Christmas tree they keep year-round in their living room that they decorate through the seasons

Growing up in the home and then later with Clay, Apollo has grown up with a lot of solstice and holiday traditions. In honor of Clay, Apollo makes Clay’s family’s Korean fried chicken (my hc is Clay is half Korean btw)

Growing up, as Klavier was raised Catholic, he sung in the church choir. The Christmas season meant going several evenings and weekends to practice for all the masses he had to sing (as well as serve in the altar).While, he’s a very much lapsed Catholic now, he does like to attend at least one church service just to hear Christmas hymns

Klavier’s favorite Christmas song is “The Carol of the Bells”. Apollo’s “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”

Klavier has preformed “Santa Baby” for Apollo...it’s a very private performance

Christmas is usually hosted by Klavier and Apollo. Phoenix and Miles have claimed Thanksgiving. And honestly, considering that there’s a lot of trauma around December, the Edgeworth-Wrights don’t mind handing off Christmas festivities to Apollo and Klavier .

If Trucy stays in town when her dads are visiting Franziska in Germany during the holidays- she stays with Apollo and Klavier. Klavier spoils her rotten and Christmas some how becomes even more extra

They definitely hit the different Christmas Markets around LA. Apollo collects nutcrackers; Klavier collects Christmas Pyramids.

Going to Disneyland during the Christmas season is a must for them. Aside from it being fun and pretty at night, they’ll try to be some of the lucky few to get a handmade candycane

They make a point to spend Christmas Eve night relaxing- no work calls allowed, all presents/baking/Christmas dinner prep must be done by 3pm on 12/24. So they can spend the evening cuddling on the couch watching movies and drinking mulled wine or egg nog

Klavier makes Christmas Eve dinner, which is the traditional fish dinner with potato salad he grew up with in Germany

Every year, they exchange new pajamas on Christmas Eve.

Apollo is pretty good at making holiday cookies- he has a great gingerbread recipe as well as a linzer cookie recipe. Klavier doesn’t bake much, in fact the only thing enjoys making is stollen. His recipe is Frankensteined from several he knows.

[abiteofnat]

If you’re reading this, I’m coming back to Chicago, beetch

The non-existent rumors are true. After a brief 10-month exit from the city to soak up the fresh air and social distance-friendly suburbs, I am now returning to Chicago as a single, slightly more anxious version of myself. While I’m still trying to kick some of the anxiety and OCD that COVID-19 pushed from “lifelong tagalongs” to “all-controlling demons”, I feel 97% ready to be back where I feel most myself, and cannot wait to welcome that change. While that 3% still makes me a little uncomfy and hesitant, I’m a believer in pushing your boundaries to allow yourself to grow, and also, I am really sick of suburbs food. 

Ha! I joke. I wouldn’t move downtown simply for access to more diverse & higher quality food... or would I? All I know is while there are plenty of gems in the North Shore, I’ve eaten take out from all of them ten times over, and I did not foster my dislike of cooking out of nowhere. My parents do not enjoy cooking, my sister pretends to enjoy cooking, and I will cook if it is 5 ingredients or less. My latest speciality is a toasted bagel with butter, hummus, and EBTB seasoning. Voila. So when it comes to dinner, we are living off of a carousel of suburban favorites, and are losing steam as we are still not comfortable with dining inside (or dining inside in the city, where the fun food is). 

All of this to say, it’s exciting to imagine what life is going to be like in a few short weeks. While I’m still extra precautionary, I can’t wait to have my own space downtown, where I can enjoy coffee on my little balcony (!!!) and dream of the days friends can come squeeze into my studio safely while I lay out an entire table of sharable spreads and snacks from Ema (Charred Eggplant Spread is the best one, don’t fight me). 

So you may ask, how did you come to this decision to move to the heart of downtown out of seemingly nowhere, you hermit? 

It starts with my mom and I having a brief, simultaneous breakdown and coming to the conclusion that we would both feel comfortable doing a staycation downtown, as long as we wore masks, sanitized always, and braved the cold to eat outside. This was big for me! As a person with real OCD, not cute TV show “I have to keep my pens straight” OCD, this would be the most exposure I’d had to a lot of uncontrollable variables since the pandemic started. If you’re thinking, “you get to spend a weekend downtown in a hotel with your mom, shut up”, know that I hear you. I am unbelievably grateful that I’ve gotten this time with my parents, and that we can do a staycation. However, having anxiety comes at a cost, and that cost is blowing everything way the fuck out of proportion instead of being able to rationalize it sometimes. Let’s! Normalize! Having! This! Discussion!

So, we went downtown in early March for a two-night stay, and oh my goodness. The realization that we got to be in a different space, and do different things, and eat different food for a weekend made it feel like a legit vacation, and not like we drove 30 minutes to get there. The view from our room was of Michigan Ave, and hearing the traffic and seeing the people out and about instantly made me feel a sense of peace I wasn’t expecting. I’ve lived downtown for 6 years, but it always shocks me how much the city feels like an extension of me once I’m in it after being away. My mom and I went out for a walk (gentle yet forceful reminder to please wear a mask), then decided to grab dinner while we were out. The plan was to bring it back to the room, but there was a warm spell, and there just happened to be a table for two at Topolobampo on Clark, and suddenly we were sitting on the patio under the lights eating masa quesadillas dipped in a spicy salsa verde. It just happened!!! 

Before getting downtown, I was tentatively looking at apartments for the spring. I was looking at Lincoln Park, Old Town, maybe Lakeview, and came across a listing in the Gold Cost that caught my eye. That one was swiped out from under me within days, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the area. Then I discovered another unit that was available, and couldn’t shake it from my mind. Over mushroom tacos I discussed it with my mom, and we decided to go see it. Totally not what I had been planning for in terms of location, but why not? 

Once we polished off breakfast the next morning (Eggs Benedict with fried eggs, extra hollandaise) we headed out to see the place. Let me say I have never seen my mom fall in love with a single apartment I’ve lived in, and she was ALL. FOR. IT. Unreal reaction on her part. Once I saw the west-facing views and the incredible natural lighting, I was 100% in as well.

We spent the rest of the weekend wandering the downtown area, enjoying another dinner outside at The Gwen and my mom’s first visit to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, which was 95% more empty than I’ve ever seen it given we went in a pandemic at 8:30PM. Shit on Starbucks all you want, but that Roastery is an incredible use of space (in non-pandemic times) and the coffee & Princi pastries are really, really good. 

When we got back home feeling refreshed and like we had actually gone on a vacation, I jumped into apartment shark mode real fast and signed as many documents as the very kind realtor could send over. One week later, whabaam, I was a Gold Coast girl. Ahem, *lady*. What better way to celebrate than going to Somerset and having the Rapini & Roasted Garlic Flatbread and Wild Mushroom Risotto? No clue. As I sat outside, yet again with my mom, I felt a wave of excitement come over me and realized, this is it. This is the sign and feeling I’ve been waiting for, telling me it’s time to move back to the city and start over. The creamy, herbacious risotto also helped solidify that. 

SO. After all of that, the news is I’m moving, and you’re probably wondering why I shared all of this on a blog about food. I meant for this post to be about everywhere I ate during my staycation, but realized quickly we ate at some very basic places - DELICIOUS, but still basic. Oops. Below are all the dishes I had and a rundown of the flavors, textures, etc., however don’t expect to find any new, revolutionary restaurants. Sorry! 

1. Topolobampo 

This Rick Bayless restaurant has been around forever, and unfortunately, you can tell by the interior. We’ve eaten here as a family a couple of times before, but never had a noteworthy experience. I can confirm that in a pinch, the patio covered in fun lights & mini piñatas, and the sharable, filling bites will do just fine. This was my first time going to a Mexican restaurant as a non-alcohol drinker, and instead of my typical mezcal margarita, I opted for a Fresh Limeaide which was refreshing and flavorful. We split the Guacamole and Chips, which if you’ve ever stopped at the Frontera in O’Hare, you know is good as fuck. It’s smooth, creamy, tangy, and topped with chopped onions and cilantro for a little crunch. It’s not the most life-changing, but it is consistently satisfying. Next, we got the Mushroom Tacos and Masa Quesadillas. The Masa Quesadillas were a fun surprise, as instead of a tortilla, the masa is what makes up the outside. They are almost like empanadas and stuffed with gooey, melty cheese, and come with a spicy salsa verde on the side. I would come back for these alone - they’re rich yet light, warm, and comforting, all the things you would want when dining outside when it’s still a little chilly. The Mushroom Tacos were quite frankly unreal, because whatever they seasoned the mushroom slices with and grilled them on made them taste unlike any mushroom I’ve had before. There was definitely some meat crossover on the grill, so don’t order those if you’re vegan, or ask them to prepare the mushroom separately. I however was LOSING MY MIND. Over mushrooms. The joys of being vegetarian! 

2. The Gwen

On a happening Saturday night in Chicago, Upstairs at The Gwen is sure to be a packed scene. Located in River North, this hotel bar/restaurant offers a somehow cozy rooftop filled with loungey couches, fire pits, and ambient lighting, even though you’re surrounded by apartments and skyscrapers and there is nothing “cozy” about River North. Every table was filled, yet since you’re outside and it’s fairy spread apart, it still felt safe. I got my new classic, a Lemonade, and we got the Burrata to start. With sourdough, roasted beets, squash, pomegranate, pistachio, & arugula, this plate was nothing short of mouth-watering. It has textures! It has flavors! It has pomegranate seeds, the TikTok must have of the moment! The bread was 10/10, the burrata was 8/10, and all of the toppings made for a very find bite of salad on their own. For my main I got the Lobster Fettucine, a beautiful bowl of “charcoal fettuccine with saffron-tomato sauce, lobster, calabrian chili butter, and basil-brioche crumbs” as listed on their website. Take any of those ingredients and it’s going to be delicious, but all of them TOGETHER? INCREDIBLE. The chunks of lobster were huge, absolutely making the dish worth its price tag, and the sauce was flavorful, unique, and unlike any sauce I’ve tasted in the last few years. It’s typical to do a squid ink pasta with seafood and tomato sauce, but the saffron added a new element I very much appreciated. 

3. The Starbucks Roastery 

I KNOW. THIS IS A TOURIST DESTINATION. All I am saying is if there’s no line, go get an iced latte with two packets of sugar in the raw. That’s all. It’s really good after something like, I don’t know, Lobster Fettucine. 

4. The Penninsula 

You cannot go wrong with hitting up The Penninsula for breakfast or brunch, especially if you are staying there and have the option to do room service. Typically we would go to Pierrot Gourmet, the cafe in the ground floor of The Penninsula, however it has been closed temporarily. If there’s one thing to order with your breakfast, it’s the smashed fingerling potatoes. Delish. 

5. Somerset 

Somerset is becoming a quick go-to of mine for an impromptu dinner downtown, given it’s in the heart of Gold Coast and is cute if you’re sitting indoors or outdoors. The food is nothing too innovative, but it is done well, which is the most important part with “cuter” restaurants that may focus on the Instagram appeal over the food sometimes. Each time I’ve gone I’ve gotten the seasonal flatbread and a pasta or risotto, usually something with mushrooms, and it’s always been plate-licking good. To drink, I got -you guessed it- a Lemonade! For dinner I went with the Wild Mushroom Risotto which was everything you could hope for in a risotto, topped with olive oil, herbs, and local parmesan. We split the Rapini & Roasted Garlic Flatbread which was as it sounds, flatbread covered in rapini, garlic, and ricotta, which added a nice crunch and had enough rapini to feel like it was replacing a boring vegetable side dish or salad. The patio vibes were wonderful, the judgemental girls in the greenhouses looked like they were having a good time, and our waiter couldn’t have been sweeter. I will be going back to try the Fontina Arancini, which I just noticed on the menu. FRICK. 

So there you have it, a very long-winded explanation of the last few weeks of my life and where you can find me on a staycation in Chicago. Hopefully once I move back to the city I’ll have endless new spots to try and won’t be basic anymore! 

Until next time, Happy Eating!

-Natalie 

[hopelikethemoon]

Stressful Times (Javier x Reader) {MTMF}

Title: Stressful imes Rating: PG Length: 1300 Warnings: Angst  Notes: You can find everything about Maybe Today, Maybe Forever here. Set in May 1997. Short cause #selfcare. Summary: Reader voices her frustrations.

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You peered over the top of the refrigerator door, spotting Javier looming in the threshold of the kitchen. “What are you doing up?” He questioned, one brow arching upwards as he glared at you.

“What are you doing home early?” You countered, tucking the jar of pickles under your arm as you grabbed the mayonnaise as nudged the door shut with your hip, before sitting both jars down on the counter. 

“You’re supposed to be laying down.” He insisted, though he hadn’t brushed from his spot as he watched you prepping the hard boiled eggs you had made for egg salad. 

“And you,” You started, glancing at the time on the microwave. “Usually have office hours right now.” You opened the bag of white bread, throwing two slices down on a plate. 

“Why don’t you go lay down and I’ll make your sandwich?”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, “Why don’t you just stand there and look pretty and I’ll continue making my own sandwich?” 

Javier had been driving you crazy with how concerned he was. It felt like you couldn’t do anything without him deciding it was too strenuous. And it was driving you crazy. 

As much as you loved the man, you actually looked forward to him being gone at work so you could sit outside and read a book or recline on the sofa and watch soaps. 

Laying in bed was the last thing you wanted to do. 

“You know, one of the books I read suggested that eggs could be dangerous.” Javier offered, folding his arms across his chest. 

“The doctor told me to focus on eating protein, Javi.” You gestured to the half-made bowl of eggs, mayo, and pickles. “This is protein.”

“Baby, I’m just looking out for both of you.” Javier held his hands up in mock-defense and you couldn’t help the sharp laugh that escaped you. “What?”

“I have another month of this and I’ll be damned if you keep me confined to that fucking bedroom.” You warned him, pointing at him with the knife you’d used to cut the eggs. “Knock it off.”

Javier frowned, but he nodded his head understandingly. “I’m just trying to take care of you.”

“I know you are.” You sighed, tossing the knife in the sink. “But you’re driving me crazy. I’m miserable enough without feeling like I’m trapped in this house, alright?”

And he was still being so cautious with you. That was getting under your skin too. Javier was treating your like a porcelain doll and you fucking hated it. 

At least you had managed to get him to finally touch you the other morning. That had taken the edge off the unruly hormones that cropped up, but Javier had gone straight back to barely touching you. 

It was so different from when you were pregnant with Josie. It had come with its own difficulties, sure, but Javier hadn’t been this distant with you — he didn’t treat you like a patient. 

“I’m just following the doctor’s orders.” Javier reminded you, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “I don’t want to see you in the hospital like that again, baby.”

You sighed heavily, turning around to face him as you stirred your bowl of egg salad, folding the ingredients in. “Trust me, Javier — ending up in the hospital is the last thing I want. But these past few months… I don’t know. Blame it pregnancy hormones or whatever, but I feel more like a baby incubator and less like your pregnant partner.” You sat the bowl aside, turning your focus on him. 

“I’m—“

“If that’s an apology, I really don’t want it, Javi. I get why you’re reacting this way, but it’s driving me insane.” You gestured between the two of you. “I miss this. I feel like every conversation we have is about how I feel, or if I’ve been too active, or what’s happening inside of me.” 

You hated to say that it felt like some of the spark was gone, but it definitely felt lackluster lately. Everything was centered around the baby, leaving everything else to get lost in the background. 

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I’m not going to force a conversation.” You shot back, turning back to spread the egg salad onto the bread and finish with your sandwich. “Can you clean up for me? I’d hate to do anything too strenuous.”

“Baby—“

“Would you like to feed me too?” You questioned as you breezed past him. 

“I realize I’ve been overbearing.” He snapped and you were almost thrilled to get some reaction out of him. “But do you have any idea how fucking traumatizing it was to show up at the hospital? To not know if I was going to lose you? To lose all of this?” He set his jaw hard and shook his head. “I saw you bleeding out in Colombia again, but this time I didn’t have a belt to stop the bleeding.”

You hesitated, turning to look back at him. “I know it was hard on you, Javier… but I’m still me. I’m not some fragile egg you have to protect like a penguin—“ 

Javier’s brows drew together, “What?”

“Bad analogy.” You shrugged. “What I’m saying is… I have high blood pressure, but that’s not who I am. I don’t know… I just had very different expectations for this pregnancy.”

He didn’t say anything else to that. He just stared at you, long and hard before he busied himself with cleaning up the mess you had made.

You headed for the sofa with your sandwich, wondering if he would even join you or if he’d sulk in the kitchen until you inevitably retreated back to the bedroom. 

Stevie barked quietly, jumping up onto the sofa beside you and sitting as close to you as possible without being on you. “That’s my good girl.” You cooed, scratching at her ears. “You like ear scratchies?”

“I could do with some good ear scratchies.” Javier remarked as you loosened his tie and strolled into the family room.

“Ear scratchies are for good boys.” You told him, taking a bite of your sandwich as you gave him a skeptical look. “Not sure that applies.”

Javier rubbed at the back of his neck as he moved to sit down on the arm of the sofa, sighing heavily. “Baby, I don’t wanna fight.”

“We’re not fighting.” You told him, shrugging your shoulders. “I’m just really not in the mood for being treated like I can’t do anything.”

“I know.” Javier slid off the arm of the sofa and onto the cushion beside Stevie. “I’m sorry, baby.”

You pursed your lips as you turned to look at him, brows drawn together. “Apology accepted.” You smiled a little, leaning forward to sit the plate down on the coffee table. “Stevie, down.” You told the dog, waiting for her to jump off the sofa and lay down at your feet before you patted your leg. 

Javier chuckled softly before he scooted down onto the sofa and rested his head on your lap. “Thank you.”

You brushed your fingers over his forehead, “You’re welcome, babe.” You told him softly, winding your fingers through his hair. “How was class today?”

“I was lecturing on the constitution.” He dragged his hand over his face and sighed heavily. “So you know how it went.”

“No wonder why you’re being such a dick.” You retorted, tracing your finger down his nose. 

Javier huffed softly, turning his head to press a kiss to your stomach. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“I know.”

“I just don’t want anything to go wrong.” He told you honestly and you knew he meant well. 

“Neither do I.” You tugged gently at his hair. “But please let me do what I feel is right, okay? I know my body and my mind — I know what I need.”

Javier nodded his head slowly, reaching up to catch your hand, bringing it down to press a kiss to your palm. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” You promised him. “Even when you make me want to kill you.”

He snorted, “And that’s how I know you love me.” 

The last thing you needed was the added stress of being at odds with the one person who made everything in the world feel right. 

[odaatlover]

Any tips on how to accept your body and your weight?

I’ve been trying to loose weight since forever and it’s hard and I want to keep going but not make it my priority and not let it really affect me but it’s hard.

I don’t really have tips for how to feel comfortable in your own body because that’s something per individual :/ But I have some tips for helping you reach your goals!

First, being in a caloric deficit and consistency are the only two things you need for fat loss. The issue that most people have — myself included — is consistency. You have to find something you can sustain for the rest of your life, because once you lose the weight you have to be able to keep it off so it’s not like you lose it and then can eat whatever you want. You’ll end up just gaining it all back, especially if you’re someone like me who has an unhealthy relationship with food and struggle with binging. So these diets like weight watchers, Atkins, Jenny Craig, or even things like keto or a low carb diet don’t really work because they’re not sustainable. You lose it at first and then you gain it back. And so you blame yourself thinking “Oh I just didn’t do it well enough and need to get back at it again” when in reality the programs aren’t meant to last forever. That’s how they get you to go back to it. They make you think it worked because you lost some weight for a bit and so you repeatedly buy their products. These diets are only useful as tools. They only help if you understand why you’re losing weight on them.

So you have to find something that works for you! If you tried something and lost weight but you weren’t able to keep it off and ended up gaining it back, then it’s not something that worked for you. As Albert Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Try something different! I’m still trying to find the thing that works for me, 12 years of losing weight and gaining some back repeatedly.

Right now I’m trying to eat lower calorie foods that will fill me up, and that taste really good. For example, these are the kinds of meals I’m eating now:

Brownies: 280 calories for the whole plate (cocoa powder, chocolate protein powder, flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, Diet Coke, Lily’s white chocolate chips, topped with crushed reduced fat graham crackers)

Cheeseburger crunch wrap with salad: 430 calories for the meal (whole Joseph’s lavash bread, beyond meat crumbles [can use lean ground beef], onions, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup, mustard, reduced fat shredded cheese) and for the salad (cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, spinach, 0 calorie honey mustard)

Anabolic chocolate ice cream: 365 calories for the bowl (cocoa powder, PEScience chocolate cupcake protein powder, xanthan gum, topped with sugar free chocolate sauce and a fiber one brownie bar)

Breakfast burrito: 380 calories (whole Joesph’s lavash bread, 1 egg, 3 servings of egg whites, beyond meat crumbles, sugar free maple syrup for some sweetness — or can use salsa)

Egg grilled cheese sandwiches: 320 calories (4 slices Lewis 35 calories white bread, 4 servings egg whites, reduced fat shredded cheese — sometimes I’ll add some Simple Truth vegetarian deli ham slices for an extra 70 calories to add protein)

French toast with eggs and fruit: 430 calories for the whole meal — I usually have 4 pieces of French toast so that’s what the 430 calories is including. The French toast is 4 slices of 35 calorie Lewis bread dipped in a mixture of egg whites, cinnamon, Stevia, half capful of vanilla and cooked on pan with a bit of cooking spray. The eggs is 1 egg with 1 serving of egg whites and veggies. And I use sugar free maple syrup and just eat as much of that as I want because it’s only 5 calories for 2 tbsp.

Shepherds Pie: 285 calories for the bow full, 1/4 of the dish. (Mashed cauliflower — which is a head of cauliflower, one potato, few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt, and spices blended together; Gardein crumbles, frozen veggie mix, vegetable stock)

Nachos: 400 calories (2 whole Joseph’s lavash breads cut up and baked in oven to make chips, reduced fat shredded cheese, onions, salsa)

These are just a few examples. But notice how much food you get for low calories — that’s what you want! I’ve been trying this for the past month and have lost about 10lbs so far. I’m not sure if this is THE thing for me yet, but so far it’s incredibly easy to stick with because everything tastes so good! And it doesn’t feel like a diet or anything. The foods don’t taste like a 10/10 like the highly paletteable foods that are full of sugar and fat, but these are more like an 8/10 or sometimes even 9/10, and that’s worth it to me for being able to stay in a good caloric deficit. So if this is something you think might work for you, then definitely try it out! Read food labels and WEIGH your food! Even you’re bread — you’d be surprised.

On Saturdays I allow myself a “cheat” meal. We usually do something active like a bike ride and I’ll eat what I want afterwards. Right now I’m eating pizza 😂 But I’m going to be trying a low calorie chocolate chip cookie recipe for dessert tonight so I’m not going too crazy! The important thing is I can definitely see myself eating this for the rest of my life because I don’t feel deprived, everything tastes good, and I’m not constantly thinking about fast food because this food honestly helps those cravings as you can imagine.

So, just try to find something that works for you, that you can do for the rest of your life! Something is out there, I promise. Take your time with it. Trust the process, don’t rush it. Don’t try to lose weight fast because omg that’ll most likely cause you to gain it back because you’re under eating and will eventually want to give up and eat everything high in calories lol. Also, DON’T WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY. I’d say once a week at most. But the scale isn’t that great of a tool because weight constantly fluctuates. Use your clothes and measurements to track progress, plus pics! Otherwise, you’ll get easily discouraged thinking you’re gaining fat when reality you’re probably losing fat but retaining water and gaining some muscle so the number went up.

This was a lot, but I’m so passionate about it and love helping people as much as I can with it, because I was really heavy a while back and know what it’s like to try to lose fat. So I really hope this helps ❤️ Feel free to DM me anytime if you want some more tips or recipes!

[strangergrove]

I was sent this request over dm and had a lovely chat with the requestor.

37) Set up on a blind date

56) "I don't know if I should be flattered or offended."

With Steve holding a potato the whole time.

Steve sat in the corner booth of the little diner, knees tucked up to his chest, looking like a lost puppy. He stared vacantly out the window, wondering why he had let Robin whisk him away from his perfectly good apartment. He should have said no and kept cooking dinner. He sighed and wiped away the fog accumulating on the window. He was pretty sure he had been stood up by his blind date.

Autumn was dying, making way for winter. The air was finally getting a bite to it, learning how to settle into one's bones. Steve pulled the neck of his fuzzy sweater up around his ears with one hand. If he left now, he could make it home before night fell. He could finish cooking his little dinner. He could curl up with a blanket and watch a cute movie.

"Harrington? You have got to be kidding me."

Steve closed his eyes. He didn't need to look up to know who that voice belonged to. He'd had countless dreams over the past few years filled with that voice. Sometimes nightmares. Sometimes wet dreams.

Billy slid into the booth across from Steve with a grunt. "Tell Buckley I'm gonna kill her."

Steve finally looked over at Billy. He looked… Nice. "Why?" he croaked.

Billy scoffed. "Setting me up on a blind date with King Steve."

Steve sat up, resting his arms on the counter. "I thought this was Heather's idea."

Billy shrugged. "I'll kill them both then. Did you know about this?" He squinted at Steve for a moment before a motion caught his attention. Steve was fiddling with something. "Is that a fucking potato? You brought a potato to our date?"

"Sweet," Steve mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"It's a sweet potato," he said, holding it up, then looking at it like he had never seen it before in his life. "I was in the middle of cooking and Robin just grabbed me and ran. Said we were gonna be late. You know I was sitting here for almost an hour?"

Billy smiled and shook his head. The window next to him was starting to fog over. Steve watched it creep toward him, debating. He could still leave. He didn't owe Billy anything.

But he stayed, and they ordered their food. Billy got the greasiest trash burger on the menu. It looked like it had literally been thrown together and punted onto his plate.

"That," Steve said, pointing at Billy's food with his fork, "looks disgusting. Why is it so soggy? Is that an egg?"

Billy scowled. "Eat your fucking grass and shut up."

Steve rolled his eyes and pecked away at his salad. He too was starting to consider killing Robin, for forcing him into this disaster. They ate mostly in silence, Billy making a huge mess with his nightmare burger, Steve still holding his sweet potato. Just a little longer and Steve could bolt, never to speak of this again.

When they had finally finished and their plates were cleared, Billy propped his elbows on the counter and leaned forward, picking at the sleeve of Steve's sweater. "The fuck is this?"

"Clothing. I see you don't understand how it works." He gestured at Billy's bare chest peeking out of his open shirt. There was no way he wasn't freezing.

Billy rolled his eyes and smirked. "You look like you're wearing a fucking cat."

Steve looked down and frowned. He thought he looked pretty nice. "It's wool. And at least I don't go around showing off how hard my nipples get when I step outside because I don't know how a shirt works."

Billy's eyebrows shot up and he pulled his shirt to the side, showing off his pec. "You been staring at my nipples, pretty boy?"

Well no, he hadn't, but he was now. "We're in public. Put your tits away," Steve mumbled.

There was the flick of Billy's tongue across his teeth, then his signature smirk. "I'll put my tits away if you put that goddamn potato away."

Steve clutched it to his chest. "I'll have you know… This sweet potato is very important to me. It gives me hope that one day I'll escape this dumpster fire you call a date, and get back to my life."

Billy put his hand over his heart and feigned offense. "I'm hurt, Harrington. And here I thought you were starting to fall for me."

Steve snorted, which earned him a grin from Billy. It was warm, different from the predatory grin he usually flashed around. It was the kind of grin he'd only ever seen Billy wear in his dreams. It looked good on him.

"Your face looks a lot better with that smile." He hadn't meant to say it out loud. He didn't even realize he had until Billy laughed.

"I don't know if I should be flattered or offended." The smile was still there, and it was somehow brighter, leaking gold now. It dazzled Steve.

He leaned back, a smile growing on his own face, and drew in the fog on the window. Billy watched him, face twisted in either disgust or confusion.

"What the fuck is that?" Billy asked when Steve was finally done.

"Me wearing a cat. Obviously."

"And what's that?" Billy asked, pointing to the other half of Steve's drawing.

"Your very hard nipples."

There was that blinding smile again, then the deepest, most glorious laugh Steve had ever heard. His dreams would never do it justice. "Good god. You're an idiot, you know that?" Steve simply smiled back. "Hey, what d'ya say we blow this popsicle stand?"

Steve scooted out of the booth, shrinking into what he would forever call his cat sweater. Billy dropped a few bills on the counter. His hand discretely found the small of Steve's back and they made their way for the door.

"Hey, where's your potato?"

"Don't need it."

"Ah," Billy said, opening the door for Steve. The icy air knocked the breath from Steve's lungs. "Given up all hope on escaping this dumpster fire I've been calling a date?"

Steve pressed himself against Billy's side, trying to shield himself from the wind. Who was he kidding? Steve pressed himself against Billy's side because he wanted to. "Something like that, yeah."