#i promise i like flavor too. you just wouldnt know it by the foods i go feral for on social media

[hillbilly---man]

A solid 30% of the reason I drive 40 minutes to my primary care doctor is because they have a Taco John's (it's like Taco Bell but somehow dramatically whiter. Like, tater tots with your combo and chicken tenders on the menu white. It's a taco restaurant based out of Wyoming)

They had opened a bunch of locations in my city, but people (understandably) did not like their bland food so they have all closed. I thought this rural-ass town my doctor is in would be safe.

I'm sitting here in the doctor's office DEVASTATED because when I drove by I saw that their Taco John's is closed, too

I'm gonna have to go to KENTUCKY for potato olés now 🥲

[the-s1lly-corner]

Ookay this one is really really tooth rotting fluff level

Tadc x reader who just realized christmas is coming, and is freaking out with absolute glee and childlike wonder

TADC cast x reader who loves christmas!

AAAAAA im so so sorry i could have sworn i answered this but i guess i didnt??? i promise i didnt mean to leave this in the inbox this long on purpose i think i must have lost track of stuff </3 regardless, i hope you enjoy! admin must admit, asides from presents and the christmas tree, he doesnt do many holiday activities so... admin is underqualified for this but hes still gonna try! a lot of the character segments intertwine in this btw! like not in a "similar idea" thing but in a "they are actually overlapping and interacting with one another" way so !! side note unrelated to the post eheheheh the second batch of macarons have been piped! theyre now on the counter set out to dry, and ive got my ganaches out to get to room temperature so i can whip em up into a frosting :3

CAINE:

oh i just know that caine would lean hard into holiday stuff, plus i think he has the best sense of time in the digital world out of everyone.. plus he just seems like the kind of guy to celebrate all sorts of holidays, not just christmas! year round stuff, you know? not just winter... so you guys would likely team up and totally deck out the grounds to match the holiday spirit! sure caine on his own already puts in way too much effort decorating everything, he even makes it snow! but with you around he cranks it up to 11! lets just hope there arent any scrooges around, though.... also prepare yourself because he would definitely find a way to have christmas music play on loop in the background... somewhere... ambient music but its festive songs... i think caine is also the one responsible for most of the presents, since he can basically get most things with just a flick of his wrist! ooooo perhaps a date (platonic or romantic! up to you!) where you guys wrap the gifts together!

POMNI:

funny enough, while i usually think pomni would SUCK at cooking, i think she can make a mean hot coco. granted, hot coco and/or hot chocolate arent the hardest things to make, but... i dont know, its just different when she makes it... (recommendation from the admin, add a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg to your hot coco its a game changer frfr, this goes for a lot of chocolate stuff, actually. its like the chocolate-coffee effect but like. makes a different flavor profile. add a bit of nutmeg to your chocolate chip goodies. rn.)

anyways! pomni always keeps you supplied with hot coco, and honestly it benefits you both! keeps you nice and warm, plus its delicious; and it gives pomni something to do... i mean, its christmas... surely she can take it easy from trying to find the exit... just for the season... helps with her anxiety about the whole situation, you know? making digital food sure is weird, though...

RAGATHA:

as mentioned in gangles part, she joins you and gangle in helping making a skirt for the tree! keeping up with the idea of sewing things, i think she would also make stockings for everyone; leaving most of them blank so everyone can customize them however they like... but you and her get together to decorate your own together and just !! i just think thats sweet! depending on how soon caine starts putting the christmas stuff around, you and her might be able to make some ugly sweaters for yourselves! thats a christmas thing, right? oooo and they match.... OOOO YOU GUYS MAKE AN EXTRA LONG SCARF FOR YOU GUYS TO SHARE!!!! rolls around... she makes you mittens so you can go mess around in the snow caine put all over the grounds

JAX:

snowball fight. and i mean really intense once. in fact it wouldnt be too much of a stress to call it a snowball WAR! honestly jax might just be the type to put rocks in his snowballs.... but because this is meant to be nice and sweet, he wont... just this once, and because he feels TOO mean crushing your holiday spirit (even if your digital body would quickly recover from the possible injury...)

you guys make forts and go absolutely ham. the stuff ragatha had made for the two of you! i mean sure you guys cant succumb to hypothermia, buuuuuuuuuut being really painfully cold still sucks... but the sweaters help you guys stay out for longer to play! and you can perhaps ask pomni to make some hot coco

oh yes its all coming together

ooo perhaps you convince jax to make snow angels and snowmen with you... though, i think jax would make the snowmen purposefully unappealing... but maybe you think hes actually trying his best... oh you jolly little thing..

KINGER:

okay so i admit this one might be a stretch and its mostly because his robe already has the fur and he gives off grandpa energy (even though hes only 48 but hey some grandpas become grandpas young) but imagine somehow someway he dresses up as santa (and i say that loosely, his robe turns red and the fur turns a plain white), bonus if he wears a hat to tie in the entire look. while caine is the one getting the gifts and wrapping them, i like to think kinger would ask to be the one to put them under the tree at an ungodly hour. sweet man. chews

as for an interaction with the reader... hmm.. hes the last character im writing, everyone else already has their parts done... the one christmas activity i can think of that hasnt been taken yet is baking! honestly i can see him being a decent chef! maybe its the dad/granddad energy speaking to me again... perhaps its the admin projecting... buuuut imagine you two make shaped cookies togehter; stars, candy canes, trees, bells, ect... and you ice them together! sure they may not be the prettiest or look the most professional; but does that really matter when youre having fun? they still taste delicious!

ZOOBLE:

ok i get it, i tend to lean hard into the zooble being negative and/or unimpressed with things a liiiiiiiiittle too often, but again zooble doesnt strike me as the type to enjoy most holidays. they seem more of a halloween person to me, you know? though, i think that they would switch out their antennae for ones that resemble antlers more... or if they dont have those, they string lights up on them! all for you, just because they know how excited the holiday makes you. they dont care about many things, but they care about you... and if it means doing (harmless) things they normally wouldnt do, then so be it! dont expect them to get in on many holiday activities, though...

GANGLE:

you and her make decorations for the grounds and the giant digital tree caine put in the main common area! handmade ornaments, paper stars and snowflakes, things like that! you and gangle stay up take cutting each thing, applying the colors and the glitter and any small details.... dozens of times.... because caine chose a tree that was way too big than it needed to be.... oh you might have to have gangle on your shoulders so she can reach the higher points of the tree! sits and thinks.... ooouuuuuuuuugh you guys make a skirt for the tree together with the help of ragatha... little group activity... sobs...

[heyitsyn]

Oh God

TimeTraveler!Son x Haikyuu!! Part 2

a/n: hehe i wouldnt put ‘x haikyuu’ if manager y/n ends up with that certain character. youll just have to,,,, wait for the end 😏

he didnt want to lie but he had to so he could survive

hinata offered his hand to help him up and natsu winced at the scratches and the slight headache as he stood on his two feet

‘you okay?’

hinata asked and natsu nodded

‘yea, just a headache’

natsu tried to play it off as cooly as he could bc this must’ve been from the car hit before and he couldnt just say he got ran over by a damn car

‘where do you live? i can go and treat your wounds there’

natsu was about to respond but he remembers hes not in tokyo anymore and he cant just spout out his address

so he did the thing his mom told him to do whenever it was necessary

he lied

‘i-um,,,’

he fumbled for an excuse but he sighed to maintain the act

‘i got kicked out’

he mumbled and hinata had to make him repeat it twice because he said it so quietly

the tangerine boy gasped and held his arms

‘what?! why?!’

natsu sniffled

‘my dad,,,, he just,,, doesnt want me’

well, that was actually true

so a true statement could equal that lie, right?

thankfully, hinata bought it and he grabbed his arm to walk forward while his other was pushing his bike

‘i hit you with my bike so the least i could do is take you to my house and treat you!’

and that was what they did

natsu’s phone was dead even though he was sure he charged it from denki’s powerbank during practice but it remained its black screen no matter how many times he hit the power button

his surroundings was also something unfamiliar

his mother only kept him in tokyo and never took him to go visit her family because she was kicked out and had to go live with her auntie when she found out about him and his father refused to help her

‘so, sendai, huh?’

he mumbled and hinata looked at him confused

‘sounds like youre not from around here. where you from?’

‘t-tokyo’

he replied and saw hinata’s eyes brighten

‘oh?! you look like youre my age so you must have been in a high school in tokyo, right? what school?’

‘yuuei’

‘hah?! yuuei?! what is that?!’

natsu rolled his eyes and shrugged

‘a school’

hinata persisted though

‘do you know other schools?! any other school friends?! like nekoma?! or fukurodani?!’

natsu shook his head and he was supposed to be happy that he got to meet, even talk, to his idol yet his younger self was much more hyper than his mellowed out behavior on tv

‘i stick to my friends from yuuei’

‘but what are you doing all the way here?’

natsu’s throat dried up and he watched his feet kick the pebbles to distract him of his urge to just whine and throw a tantrum with the confusion from this mess

‘i dont know’

he choked out and he was so tired and confused and all he wants to do is cry in his mother’s arms like he used to but she doesnt even know he exists

hinata sensed the tension and sadness from the boy beside him and tried his best to stay quiet until they get home

to say his mom was angry was an understatement

‘SHOYO, DONT YOU KNOW TO WATCH WHERE YOURE GOING?!’

‘kaa-san i was so angry and bakageyama was yelling at me and hit me and-’

‘THAT DOESNT GIVE YOU AN EXCUSE TO RUN SOMEONE OVER!’

natsu sat there on their couch awkwardly watching the black-haired woman yell at the human tangerine

he coughed in impulse and she turned away from her son and went to sit next to the h/c boy

‘dear, im so sorry for my son and his terrible biking. i didnt catch your name when you entered, what is it?’

even hinata forgot to ask his name but thats such a hinata thing to do though

natsu froze

if he was to say his mother’s last name, it would raise suspicion that he might know her in this time period and izuku has shown him enough doctor who to show him what happens when he messes up in time

again, he lied

‘kiri,,,shima,,, natsu. kirishima natsu’

he inwardly apologized to eijirou for using his last name

mrs. hinata raised a hand to her mouth with a surprised gasp

‘oh! my daughter’s name is also natsu! natsu, dear! can you come here for a second?’

natsu heard soft sounds from the stairs and she shyly walked down 

‘come say hi’

she softly urged her daughter to come closer and the little girl ran to hide behind her older brother who gently smiled and held her hand

‘well, thats her. she just turned 10 a few days ago. look dear, kirishima-kun has the same name as you!’

she waved slightly and natsu felt his heart swell at the sight of the adorable little girl

his mother never really had time for relationships so he was an only child and never got to experience a sibling, only hearing the experience of having siblings from his friend, shouto

mrs. hinata placed a gentle hand on his arm to revert his attention back to her

‘shoyo told me what happened and im sorry that this is all happening to you’

he felt guilty at the sight of her sad eyes because this was all a lie but he knew if he told them the real reason, they wouldnt believe him

so he had to continue with the lie

‘everything was falling apart and i wanted to leave everything behind. so i just took the shinkansen to nowhere and ended up here’

mrs. hinata felt her heart tug because he was just a little boy and he was too young to experience this so she offered him something he shouldnt have agreed to but again, survival

‘you can stay with us in the mean time. our guest room has been collecting dust so you can live here’

‘what? no! i can’t!’

natsu instinctually turned it down because he hated people giving him charity

but the woman squeezed his arm to give him a smile

‘i will not allow a child to live in the streets because of something he couldnt help’

‘arent you worried youre inviting a total stranger in your home?’

but she gave him a knowing smile

‘im a mother. i can trust you, boy’

in exchange for board and food, he promised to get a part time job so he could pay her back and get out of their house as quickly as he could

shoyo led him to the bathroom upstairs so he could treat the wounds from the ground

natsu sat on the closed toilet seat while his literal idol was putting cream on his boo-boos

he still cant wrap his head with everything

maybe it was because he was so busy trying to come up with lies that he wasnt able to fully sit down and think about the fact that he just TRAVELED BACK IN TIME and could accidentally change it

‘shoyo, what year is it?’

he mumbled

‘2012′

he answered and natsu sighed but his head perked up

oh god

2012

thats a year away from 2013

the year he was born

that meant shoyo’s team manager was going to give birth to him next year

‘why? did you hit your head so far that you forgot?’

hinata joked but he paled when natsu didnt laugh

‘OH GOD DID YOU?!’

‘NO! AND STOP YELLING!’

natsu shouted, equally surprised

‘whew, thank god. again, im so sorry i hit you’

‘shoyo, dont worry about it, okay? im fine, i swear’

during dinner, mrs. hinata told him about his school situation

‘you can go to karasuno with shoyo. what year were you in?’

‘first’

‘perfect! shoyo is too so he could easily help you around the school!’

natsu nodded quietly, still out of it and his brain finally starting to accept this impossible reality

‘but i dont think i could help you with the entrance exams. im not the most-um-smartest, per se’

shoyo apologized but natsu already knew that

he was no extreme fanatic but he knew quite a lot about hinata shoyo, the player he watched during the 2021 olympics and the reason he started playing volleyball

natsu dreamed to join the msby jackals just like his idol did and eventually reach the national team like hinata did

it was during the olympics of 2021, he knew he wanted to be like him

this boy who sat next to him was the reason he came to love volleyball along with his other idol, oikawa tooru, from the argentina volleyball team after seeing that legendary match 

when oikawa hit that service ace, natsu wanted to be able to receive that

he was merely 8 and his neighbor, midoriya inko, was babysitting him and she placed him and her son who was his friend, izuku, in front of the tv where they watched the olympics match

‘someday, ill be someone great. ill be great like him’

he promised and from then on, he worked to achieve that goal 

‘natsu? hello?’

he was shaken from his thoughts as shoyo nudged him back to reality

mrs. hinata laughed

‘maybe you should head to bed early, dear. you must be tired after having a hard journey’

he nodded and was about to go and wash his dishes when she stopped him

‘no. go and sleep, ill take care of this’

‘i have to do my part in here, hinata-san. please, let me do this’

she finally agreed and he was scrubbing the plates when his mind wandered over to possible solutions on how he could go back

there was an episode that he watched with izuku that the character had to do something to go back

and he had a feeling that he would have to do the same thing

but what would that something be?

there had to be a reason he was thrown all the way in this time and it couldnt just be a coincidence that supposedly, this would be around the same time his mother would get pregnant

but who would it be?

he finished putting the plates on the drying rack and he felt really thirsty suddenly

opening the fridge, he found no water bottles and natsu had a very sensitive stomach so he couldnt drink tap water

his next favorite beverage was there and he pulled a glass from the cabinet

‘hinata-san, is it okay if i can have some milk?’

he called out and she shouted that it was okay

natsu poured the drink on his glass and started drinking it when hinata entered the kitchen and snickered at him

‘yknow, you remind me of my idiot teammate. none of my other friends drink straight milk except for him’

natsu placed the glass down and wiped his lips

‘chocolate milk make me sick and i hate the taste of flavoring in milk. but i just hate flavoring in general. except for gari gari popsicles, those are good’

natsu reasoned, watching hinata move across the room to get an apple

‘still ew. but come on! lets go to bed so i can show you around school early before practice tomorrow!’

natsu noticed his excitement by the way he bounced in place and he chuckled

it reminded him of his friends mina and denki

hinata led them both to his room so he could check his wounds again just to make sure

then something caught his eye

‘kirishima-kun you like volleyball?!’

that threw him off

partly because he wasnt used to being called by his friend’s last name

but also because of the question

‘huh? how do you know that?’

natsu asked, almost defensively

hinata shrugged

‘i saw your volleyball shoes in your bag’

hinata reasoned and excitedly pointed at them

‘you should play for us! im part of the team too! oh oh! what position do you play?!’

‘l-libero’

natsu stuttered out, slightly overwhelmed by hinata’s energy

hinata started circling him, inspecting his height and looking at him up and down

‘yanno, kirishima-kun, youre really tall. like much taller than the rest of my club. maybe not saltyshima but really!! youre so tall!!’

hinata whined in envy and natsu laughed

‘blame it on the paternal side of the family. my ma isnt really tall’

he laughs but then memories of his mother resurfaced and he suddenly felt gloomy, guilty, even, bc he doesnt know if time stopped there or it kept going and if so, shes probably worried sick

and he knew she was always one who blamed herself

hinata noticed his downcast expression and thought he probably remembers his dad and got sad since he got kicked out

so our baby sunshine freaked out and he frantically waved his hands around

‘oh no! gomen kiri-kun! gomen! i really didnt mean to make you think about him! gomen!!!’

he even bowed which surprised the h/c boy and made him stand back up

‘o-oi shoyo! dont! you didnt because i wasnt thinking about him!’

he fussed and patted hinata’s hair

‘i dont care about him. to be honest, there isnt much to think about’

he didnt think about what he said until he heard himself

natsu’s eyes widened, fearful of how hinata could take it but he flinched when the orange-haired boy’s eyes were filled with his own tears

‘OH NO!! KIRI-KUN!!!’

then launched another series of apologies and natsu had to calm him down

oh dear

it was early in the morning like 5 when hinata bursted into natsu’s room

the loud shout of shoyo made his eyes blink open and he groaned before turning to the side

‘come on, kiri-kun! we need to go to take your exam!’

‘nooooooooo’

‘yeeessssssss’

it was quite a battle for hinata to even just get natsu out of bed but he managed to bribe the latter with some milk bread from the bakery down the street

‘2′

natsu showed his two fingers and hinata sighed before nodding

‘yes. now go hurry so we can leave!’

dressed in his grey sweatpants and a yuuei sweatshirt, natsu cursed as he only has clothes good for 2 days and he didnt want to bother the hinatas so he was at a loss

mrs hinata bid the two boys good bye and natsu was yawning and dragging his body to walk while hinata was skipping over to his bike

then he finally realized the problem

he nervously looked at natsu and the taller boy didnt understand why he was looking at him that way

‘what?’

shoyo pointed at the bike and awkwardly smiled

‘uh,,, you see,,, i dont think youd,,, fit,,, at the back seat’

natsu shrugged

‘then ill bike. ive done it before’

he sauntered over to the bike and swiftly lifted his leg before testing out the brake handles

‘its good and better than mine back home’

‘a-are you-’

‘sit down, sho’

hinata gripped on to the back of natsu’s sweatshirt as he told him the directions to how to get to the school

natsu remembered watching an interview of hinata talking about his high-school life and he remembered the star player talking about his dedication to go to karasuno everyday for volleyball

and the boy couldn’t believe hes doing that right now, with his idol literally behind him, and driving to the legendary karasuno high school

from the jackals to the adlers and even some other teams like the frogs, natsu cheered for them

there was a memory of his mother sitting with him on their couch during one of her rare day offs as they rewatched the recorded copy of the olympics

it has become natsu’s favorite thing to watch

‘with great talent comes great hardships. people don’t become good overnight and i watched those people suffer through it all but look where they are now’

‘KIRISHIMA, WATCH OUT! COWS CROSSING!’

natsu was snapped out of his thoughts at hinata’s shout

then it morphed into pure and utter confusion

‘cows?’

shoyo laughed

‘since youre from the city, this must be a weird sight for you, huh? well, in the countryside, this happens a lot!’

but natsu didnt mind

in fact, he loved cows

he loved any farm animal in general

maybe it was his upbringing in the hustle and bustle of the city that he grew to love the countryside

shoto took him with his family to a trip to the country once and he remembered loving the smell of grass

they were able to do an activity in a farm where they worked in a rice farm and the peace and serenity was something he will always remember

his mother was lucky she grew up in a place like this

‘kiri-kun, ive been wanting to ask, how is your volleyball team in the city? are you a powerhouse?’

natsu felt pride bubble up in his chest

‘of course! we got second place in nationals!’

he boasted and blurted out before he could stop himself

then he felt fear

he shouldnt have said that because for all he knows, yuuei probably doesn’t exist at this time period

hinata had a different reaction and his eyes shone

‘WHAT?! WOAH! SO COOL! I HAVE TO TELL OUR CAPTAIN THAT WE’RE GETTING A POWERHOUSE STUDENT!’

‘uh-i-uh-’

natsu didnt know what to say because he had a feeling he definitely just did an oopsie

so he switched topics really quick to divert the attention away from his past

‘o-oi sho, once youre done being a pro volleyball player and stuff, we should have our own rice farm’

of course it was such a random idea but it distracted the orange boy

hinata shrugged

‘i mean,,, i have to be a pro first but i guess we can!’

‘hmm,,,, i dont think you have to worry about that’

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

taglist:

@hartbeat-art​ @yakus-yakult​ @nerdyphantomlady​ @jollycowboysaladhero​ @cynicallychaotic​ 

a/n: oh god this sat in my drafts for so long and i really dont know what im doing like i kinda have a rough outline of what im doing but im just going with the flow but i dont think the flow is quite flowy 

[ionlydatesassyelves]

mods are asleep post more gay drabbles it's the only flavor i can write

modern human au where L and Luigi are seperate people who have to deal with each other, and then they also have to deal with Dimentio. because that's the only other flavor i can write.

((will format correctly in the morning because fuck tumblr mobile))

~~~~~

L wasn't entirely certain when a street performer had set up a magic show in front of his mechanic shop, but it didn't seem to be driving away business, so for now he ignored it. For several weeks, actually, he did a stellar job of ignoring it.

The performer stopped him one day on his way into work, sauntered into his path before the crowd with a dazzling smile. He conjured a rose for L and offered it with a bow, the trick met with cheers and applause.

L scoffed and moved to step around the attention whore, but his path was blocked again. "Not one for flowers, then?" the shorter man sang. He pulled the scarf from his own neck, wrapped it around the delicate rose, and pulled it away with a flourish.

He now held a bouquet of rusty wrenches and screwdrivers wrapped in colorful paper.

L couldn't help it, he laughed, the whole crowd laughing and applauding as well. The man bowed again, and this time L accepted the gift, and he was at last allowed to go on his way.

He pulled the bouquet apart once he entered the shop--not excellent tools, gathered probably from the dump, but the gesture was still hilarious. Once L had unwrapped the paper, he found a card nestled among the tools. No number to call, no elaboration on the givers identity. Only a name.

"Dimentio"

L tried very hard not to hope Dimentio would be hanging around outside his shop again, but he couldn't help being glad to see the thin boy stood up on a box and talking excitedly to the crowd before him.

L elected to spare five minutes to be late for work and watch a couple of Dimentio's tricks. Dimentio smiled when he spotted him in the crowd, asked him to pick a card at one point and summoned it from a little girls knit cap. The girl was delighted, her mother twofold, and she let the little girl hand Dimentio a sizeable tip at the end of the show.

L was more than disappointed he couldn't spare the cash to at least tip Dimentio. He knew Luigi often liked to leave a parting gift for hard working performers that had made him smile, and Dimentio had done that two days in a row. Which was not an easy feat, given L's situation.

The thought pressed firmly at the back of his mind all day. Eventually, he decided to take an early lunch and bolted to catch Dimentio outside.

The performer was gathering tricks and props into a worn duffle bag by this hour, moving onto a different spot. L called out to him before he could go, and Dimentio seemed surprised to see him again.

"I'm afraid you've missed the encore," he teasingly replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Nah, I got enough of your flashy tricks, thanks," L returned. He jogged over to meet Dimentio on the corner, and it was more apparent without the box that Dimentio stood more than a full head shorter than him. It was also more apparent he wasn't wearing shoes.

L frowned down at the sidewalk, taking in the boys pale toes and wondering if he was okay. It wasn't the coldest of the year yet, but it was still far from warm.

Dimentio shifted in place, seemingly eager to get on. He smiled at L anyway. "To what do I owe the pleasure then?"

L ran a hand through his messy hair. He was never very good at this. "You eat yet?"

There was a laugh, and L smiled again. It was different than the stage laugh. Dimentio choked on it a little suddenly, and his voice cracked on the end of it. "Was than an invitation?"

L snorted and jerked his head over his shoulder, walking back towards his shop. He was thrilled that Dimentio followed him.

There wasn't much to the shop, but there was a small, worn couch tucked away in a tiny back room where L could retreat to relax and warm up a little. Dimentio left his pack at the door and happily settled onto the couch with his legs folded under him. L tried not to sit too close to him, but it was difficult to not squish in the small space.

L brewed hot coffee for them both and they shared the sack lunch L had brought for the day. He tried to get Dimentio to eat the whole sandwich, insisting he could make something later, but Dimentio refused to touch more than half of anything.

They sat and talked in the warm little nook for some time longer than they probably should have, but eventually Dimentio went on his way.

L didn't mean to go on and on to Luigi every time this happened afterwards, but eventually Luigi encouraged him to take enough food for L and Dimentio to both have a decent lunch. Gradually, their dates became routine enough that Dimentio swung by the shop even when he had been performing elsewhere that morning.

L didn't quite realize he had a crush until the afternoon the windchill picked up and he gave Dimentio an old coat. It swallowed him up, but he had thanked L sincerely, and stood on tiptoes to give L a kiss on the cheek before he left that day. L didn't want to admit he had spent the rest of the day finding his fingers softly touching the spot, but he did.

It was three dates after that when L finally worked up the nerve to scoot closer to Dimentio on the couch and kiss him fully. Dimentio was so quick to slide his arms around L and return the deep kiss. They wound up making out on the couch, and it wouldnt be the first time.

------

Luigi got to meet Dimentio three weeks after the first time L had invited him to lunch. Usually he kept to the quiet, shambly part of the city, but he'd been visiting a friend on that end of town and ran into Luigi on his way to work, mistaking him for L. They had laughed at the mix up, but Luigi was glad to meet Dimentio at last, and Dimentio was thrilled to discover L had been talking about him.

Dimentio had neglected to tease L about it later that day, but when Luigi told him that night his boyfriend was indeed very cute, the flowers and lovebites L had to come home with suddenly made sense.

Luigi and L both began to look forward to Dimentio brightening their days, either in the silly gifts he would conjure for Luigi before work, or the warm kisses he snuck around L's shop to steal. It wasn't uncommon for Dimentio to come up in conversation while Luigi and L ate dinner together.

Winter rolled around, and they began to wonder more and more where Dimentio called home. If he was safe at night, or at least warm.

L stayed up later pacing some nights, wondering where Dimentio might be and if he was okay. Some days his make out session with the preformer turned into something more, and L could give Dimentio an hour or more of warmth and comfort. But Dimentio always left into the bitter cold with L's old jacket pulled tight around his thin form, bare feet against the cold sidewalk, but no less a spring in his step or spark in his smile.

L began working late and hoarding spare change, cutting little treats for himself where he could to gather up a little bit of extra cash. When Luigi finally asked what he was up to, if he needed help with anything, L admitted he wanted to get Dimentio something warm to wear. At least some new shoes. Luigi gave him the sweetest, warmest smile, and began working overtime as well, adding extra tips to L's fund.

L was beyond tickled the day he finally could lead Dimentio into his worn shop hand in hand. After they ate and exchanged their usual quips, L reached behind the couch and handed Dimentio a very large plastic bag. They couldn't do much to wrap the gift, but Dimentio took it with a bewildered grin. "What is this, now?"

"Call it an early Christmas..." L muttered, sitting back and trying to appear as casual as possible. He was sitting on pins and needles, praying Dimentio didn't notice.

Dimentio eagerly set to digging through the bag, but his motions soon slowed. He pulled out two large, fluffy sweaters in bright colors, and a wool scarf with matching hat, holding all the items in a bundle against his chest. He turned and gave L a shaky smile, like he was waiting for the punchline. "...is this for me?"

"Yeah, it's for you," L almost laughed. "Don't want you to fuckin blow away in the wind out there."

Dimentio turned very quickly back to the gifts in his lap. He looked like he might cry. He busied himself instead pulling the box from the bottom of the bag and opening the lid with a quiet gasp.

"They're a little worn..." L apologized as Dimentio ran his fingers thoughtfully over the black boots. "We found them at a thrift store but, uh... I really didn't want you to freeze..."

Dimentio smiled, and choked a little. "I love them." he said quietly.

He tried them on, and they were a size too big, but only half a size with the colorful wool socks Luigi had tucked into the box. They were big and bulky especially since Dimentio didn't bother lacing them, but they somehow suited him when he kicked his legs back and forth on the couch, and L couldn't help smiling.

He pressed his face into L's shoulder and wrapped his arms tightly around the larger man. "I love them," he repeated.

L tried not to respond "I love you too."

Dimentio hung out around the shop the rest of the day, leaving only when L locked up for the night. L insisted he might as well come over for dinner, but Dimentio fidgeted anxiously and insisted he couldn't owe L any more favors.

L wrapped both arms around Dimentio and kissed him slow and deep. "You don't owe me. Just stay safe, okay?"

Dimentio winked, adjusting his scarf around his face to hide the bright blush coloring his cheeks. "No promises."

L bit his lip, but he steeled his nerves and tightening his grip before dimentio's fingers could slip from his. He had to know. "You got somewhere warm to sleep right?"

Dimentio gave L a peck on the cheek and squeezed his hand. "I'll find somewhere."

And then he left.

L couldn't sleep that night.

The thought of Dimentio huddled in the freezing streets was keeping him up. He had already been sick with worry, but previously he could chalk it up to paranoia. Now it had been confirmed, Dimentio was homeless. It wasn't fair. Nothing was in this awful city, but that especially tore L up.

Four times, L almost asked Luigi if he could invite Dimentio to stay. But every time he tried to come up with a reason, he felt like he was asking to keep a dog, which was both insulting to Dimentio's independence and throwing another burden on Luigi. L hated both of those things, so four times, he shut his mouth.

The fifth time had been an impromptu trip to the grocery store, stocking up on essentials. L had commented idly on people looking like they were preparing for the apocalypse.

"Its probably the storm," Luigi had carelessly reminded him.

"...what storm?" L asked, face melting to horror.

Luigi sighed a little as he compared their cart to their list. "I told you, there's supposed to be a blizzard rolling in tomorrow. They say the streets are going to freeze. Oh--remind me to leave the water running tonight, we're fucked if the pipes freeze too."

L couldn't help his knee jerk response. "Dimentio's homeless."

Luigi's eyes flew up to meet L's, wide and shocked. He knew what that meant. "What?" he asked anyway.

"Dimentio's homeless," L repeated, his voice shaking. "He's out on the streets, I don't think he has anywhere to go."

Luigi took that in for about three seconds, then took a deep, steadying breath. "Let's hurry up here and get this home, then we'll see if we can find him."

-----

Luigi almost wrecked the car when L spotted Dimentio from the passengers seat and just jumped out onto the sidewalk. L ignored the frustrated scolding behind him and bolted towards the performer.

Dimentio had taken shelter from the falling snow on a high slope beneath a bridge, but when L climbed up he discovered that Dimentio was already shivering. He was bundled in several layers, but his nose and ears were already a pale shade of blue.

"Get up, you're coming with us," L said sternly, not waiting for a reply as he grabbed Dimentio's bag and slung it over his own shoulder.

"N-no, L, it's... d-d-don't--" Dimentio tried to stutter out a protest, but he was shivering too hard in the howling wind.

His effort was interrupted by L scooping him up off the ground--all the clothes put together probably weighed more than Dimentio himself. "I don't want to hear it. We're going home."

Dimentio didn't argue with that.

Luigi had managed to stop the car nearby when L struggled back down the hill with Dimentio in his arms. L didn't think much about taking the backseat on the ride home and holding Dimentio in his lap, but the preformer didn't seem very intent on moving, so no one questioned it.

Granted the rickety apartment wasn't much, especially for three people, but anything was better in a blizzard. Luigi took Dimentio immediately into the bathroom and showed him how the shower worked, told him to get clean and more importantly, warm. He left Dimentio a soft towel and some of his own cozy pajamas, and Dimentio still seemed at a loss for words.

While he was in the shower, Luigi made a warm soup for dinner and L busied himself cleaning space in his own room for Dimentio's things and piling spare blankets onto his bed.

Dimentio arrived in Luigi's pajamas and the coat he'd been wearing, and L traded it for a softer hoodie. He was still a little uncertain, but he seemed happier and at least the color of a healthy human again.

The three piled on the couch together and ate soup out of mismatched bowls, watching TV as they chatted late into the night.

Before they headed to bed, Luigi got Dimentio to gather up what little clothes he owned so he could wash them in the morning. Luigi also produced a spare toothbrush for Dimentio they "happened" to have, and certainly hadn't bought that day hoping and praying they would find Dimentio tonight.

Dimentio was grinning ear to ear by the time everyone was getting ready to settle into bed. L insisted Dimentio keep his bed tonight, and went to the couch himself, but the preformer clung to him and bashfully asked if L would be willing to stay.

They snuggled into bed together, squished in the small space, but warm and happy to hold onto each other. They whispered in the dark for several hours before falling asleep, sneaking in soft kisses here and there.

The storm did end up snowing them in for several days, and Dimentio was happier to be in the house with each passing hour. Dimentio taught them both several card tricks, and Luigi taught Dimentio new, flashy ways to shuffle the deck. They traded stories about the ongoing struggle against the upper class, laughed over preparing meals, and snuggled together in the quiet.

On the fifth day, news reports began to state that the worst of the storm had passed, and streets should begin to get clear. The weather in the early morning channels also seemed to indicate that the danger of freezing outside would be gone.

L found Dimentio staring out of a window soon following the newscast, watching the snow fall on the empty streets outside. L sat behind him and slid his arms around Dimentio's thin waist, and the smaller man leaned back against his chest. "So I have bad news," L began with a sigh.

"Mm." was all Dimentio said.

"The truth is, we've kidnapped you," he announced grimly.

Dimentio snorted, and L could just make out his smile in the window reflection. "Is that so?"

"Unfortunately, yes, you've actually been a hostage this entire time," L went on in a deadpan, sarcastic tone. He propped his chin on Dimentio's head, and a sigh ruffled his curly hair. "I'm afraid you're going to have to stay forever."

Dimentio's grin crept a little wider. His hands wandered up and rested over L's. "Unfortunate indeed... and if I were to refuse?"

"Well, Luigi gets attached easily, so you might make him cry," L informed him.

"Hmm. Tragic." Dimentio hummed. "You're not one for tears, are you?"

L shrugged carelessly. "Nah. I'd just drag you back here. What do you weigh, like eight pounds?"

"Probably six," Dimentio agreed. He squeezed the toned muscle of L's forearms latched around his waist and teased "Hardly a struggle, even for a weak shrimp like you."

L laughed into Dimentio's hair, and squeezed the performer tighter against him. He pressed a kiss to the top of Dimentio's head and murmured "I want you to stay. We both do."

Dimentio bit his lower lip - a failed attempt to control the excited grin on his face. His hands squeezed awkwardly around L's wrists, and he sucked in a short, thrilled gasp. "I'd love to," he managed.

[therukurals]

Tagged by the very cool @dingyuxi​ (thanks fam!) 

and tagging some mutuals off the top off my head no pressure! @melonatures​, @deokmis​ @gimme-a-chocolate​ @forursmiles​ @digimoo​ @junghaesin​ @rain-hat​ @mockingjaypin @roarofalannister @seongwu

1. What is the color of your hairbrush? I have a couple, but one is red/black, one is blue, and the other white/gray

2. Name a food you never eat. Okra, my mom promised me I’d grow out of my distaste but im 26 and its still no

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold? too cold I am a tropics baby i thrive in heat (i know i live in the midwest) 

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? trying to unclog our pipes with a bladder and some amateur plumbing 

5. What’s your favorite candy bar? uhhh, anything chocolate but the kinder bueno ones

6. Have you ever been to a professional sports game? A couple, mainly basketball and went to one american football game because bb bro was too young to go by himself and i just sat and read a book

7. What is the last thing you said out loud? My roommate and I are dealing with a plumbing issue and trying to fix it and I have a call soon so I said let’s pause and come back to it later. 

8. What is your favourite ice cream? Green tea followed closely by coffee. 

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water

10. Do you like your wallet? Yeah, i like its. its long and solid

11. What is the last thing you ate? a chocolate chip cookie

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? lol no

13. What’s the last sporting event you watched? uhhhh idk, not an actual match but i think some mbappe highlights? 

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? ooooo classic butter or kettle. 

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? uh it was a group chat with my colleagues 

16. Ever been camping? Yeah, when I was young. It wasnt straight camping it was at a site and it was with my girl scout troop lmao

17. Do you take vitamins?  not regularly, sometimes some vitamin c if im feeling a little throat something coming up or iron before i donate blood 

18. Do you regularly attend a place of worship? Not in a religious way? and when you do community organizing/work you are in a lot of churches and they always pray at the neighborhood association meetings. 

19. Do you have a tan? lmaooooo. i am blessedly melenated and usually get a nice tan but its winter and lockdown so ive lost some of that :_;

20. Do you prefer chinese or pizza? lmao im with sam on this question, i dont like this question cause its a false equivalency and definitely chinese because the options??? and chinese food is so good???

21. Do you drink your soda through a straw? uhhh....not really? usually in a glass or in a bottle. 

22. What color socks do you usually wear? girl whatever socks i get, they range from black to white to pink to gray they dont match 90% of the time

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit? wouldnt you like to know

24. What terrifies you? on a philosophical level seeing my loved ones hurt and failure. more physically? frogs freak me out, people in easter bunny costumes, clowns, and medieval plague doctors, actually the concept of existing in medieval Europe terrifies me 

25. Look to your left, what do you see? im on our large conference table and it has a bunch of stuff but immediately to my life is my phone, some pens, my bullet journal and my copy of “collective courage” 

26. What chore do you hate most? Washing dishes!!!! And compost 

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? idk??? steve irwin? 

28. What’s your favorite soda? Root beer and vanilla coke

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Drive thrus, because im probably already out and around doing errands. 

30. What’s your favorite number? 13

31. Who’s the last person you talked to? My roommate, again about this plumbing issue. 

32. Favorite meat? I really dont have a preference tbh, depends how they are prepared

33. Last song you listened to? Do it on the tip by Megan thee Stallion ft the City Girls

34. Last book you read? In the middle of a reread for “Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice.” by Jessica Gordon Nembhard and just starting “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents “ by Isabel Wilkerson. 

35. Favorite day of the week? Saturday 

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? maybe if i tried really hard but im not going to try 

37. How do you like your coffee? With a little bit of creamer and sugar, like a decent brown color. I like the flavor of coffee so i dont want it too diluted. 

38. Favorite pair of shoes? uh, dont really have one but something i can slip in and out of lmao

39. Time you normally get up? around 8/8:30am but in my heart id like to wake up at 10 or 11 ;_;

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? Sunsets!!! also sunrises involve me getting up early and im not doing that hell no

41. How many blankets on your bed? Two since its winter, a comforter and a thick wool one. 

42. Describe your kitchen plates super basic white round plates. 

43. Describe your kitchen at the moment messy, we havent been able to wash our dishes because of the plumbing issue so hopefully that can be fixed today

44. Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink? mmmmm, idk? i have grown to like a good whiskey, usually a bulleit bourbon or this one bourbon w get from a local distillery. really any dark liquors, i will not do beer that shits dissssssgusting

45. Do you play cards? not regularly and i have tried to learn how to play eucher and spades and each time ppl explain it to me i forget it the next day and i just dont have that kind of brain capacity. 

46. What color is your car? uh.....so i live in a commune basically lmao and we share vehicles so i personally dont own one but the couple i share with some other folks is Black and gold

47. Can you change a tire? Yeah, one unique thing about my parents were they were very fair around gendered roles(especially for south asians), so my mom was strict with my brother around learning how to cook/clean and my dad taught me how to work on cars/maintenance work around the house. so i can change tires/oil/do other car work  

48. Your favorite state or province? i really like the pacific northwest and miss it.

49. Favorite job you’ve had? being an instructor for a course on globalization in college! also idk if i can classify what i do now as a “job” because its....unique but that too

[nightmaretyrantvantas]

It never hurts to spoil your pokemon- a pokemon au story

Another headcanon/ little fluff story for @sugarglider9603‘s pokemon au! This time it focuses a bit more on thomas and his adoration of the boys. It also takes place time wise after my previous fic, so this could be considered a continuation( but you dont have to read it to understand this)

I hope you enjoy!

and hey, @notveryglittery, I heard you were having a rough day and I know this probably isnt the fluff you were expecting but I hope, none the less, that it helps cheer you up( I feel you about 8 hour shifts, and I believe youll get through it!)

Thomas gave a happy hum as he walked along the neatly kept sidewalks, enjoying the bright fall summery sun and the sweet salty breeze. He was tired, but who wouldnt be after traveling through a long mountain pass. But Thomas figured it was worth it to reach a small riverside town on the other side of the mountain base, a lovely place surrounded by nature and flowers. It was worth it but the journey itself had been pretty rough and upon reaching the pokemon center he let the boys rest in the room they were staying in and went out to explore and restock.

“ Lets see....oh boy thisll be a big shopping list...” He muttered to himself, rummaging through his bag.

“ Potions, max potions for emergencies, revives for emergencies that we cant reach a pokemon center, antidotes, burn heals, full heals for big emergencies,parlyz heals, and some medicinal herbs in case the boys get sick...along with more food and drinks for the road...ok!” With a firm nod Thomas smiled and found his way to various markets, surprisingly speeding through his shopping despite his fatigue. He waved to the cashier as he stepped back into the sunshine from the last store on his list, humming even happier than before.He started to make his way back to the center then stopped seeing a bunch of berry stalls. It only took a second to think about before he moved and started looking through the stalls. 

It had been awhile since he had really cooked poffins or any other pokemon treats, since the last time he had tried with MJ Thomas had over half of his( Remus ate them happily regardless, but that wasnt the point). But he still had the recipes he’d learned in a little booklet in his pocket and plenty of leftover money on hand to splurge a little...the trainer couldnt help but smile to himself. His boys had done amazing climbing mountain terrain for the first time,and they deserved some special treatment. With that in mind he began picking out berries that would make treats in their favorite flavors. The older woman smiled watching the young boy try to decide between two different sweet berries with a clueless expression and walked over.

“ Hello young man, can I help you at all?” He gave her a sheepish smile, a bundle of berries in either hand.

“ Ah well...I’m looking for berries that have a sweet but also little bitter taste? Im trying to make treats for my pokemon...” She smiled wider and gently directed him further down the stall, and Thomas was grateful as she gave him cooking advice for different berries. Once they were done and things were paid for he had a nice basket bursting with colorful goodies as he continued down the street to the pokemon center. But once more he stopped when he saw a little accessory store , the window display showing off many different options and goodies. His eyes caught on something in particular though.

A little clip on flower crown made with well made big blooming fabric Gracidea flowers. It immediately made him think of Patton, and the way he always makes flower crowns whenever he gets the chance. Thomas just couldnt stop himself from going into the store and buying it, tucking it safely away in his bag as he continued his way. 

It was about one street over when he stopped again at a store window and went in, coming out once more with a lovely blue and black striped tie and a bright reddish pink bandanna in his hand, as well as a shiny red brush and some glasses’ cleaner. He whistled as he walked as he tucked his new presents into his bag as well to keep them safe, happily imagining the reactions he’d get to his surprises. They deserved this, his boys had been working hard.

Thats what he told himself as he made his next few stops. Grabbing some fidgeting toys he knew Virgil liked to play with to calm his nerves, as well as some soft mareep fleece to line the inside of his hoodie with as summer ended and fall and winter slowly approached. After all it never hurt for him to prepare early. He told himself it as he also bought a small bundle of local flowers from a little girl and her roselia and bellosom, watching the small pokemon cheerfully help his flowers bloom. Patton would love them, he knew it. Just like Deceit would like couple electric gems and little brooch for his cape or like Remus would enjoy couple antique metal pieces, dented and twisted like youd find in a junkyard and a small bundle of break apart pokemon toys that he could happily break and rebuild as much as he wanted.Once he finally decided to cut himself off he got back to the pokemon center and smiled tiredly at Nurse Joy, holding his haul in his arms.

“ Hey um...do you have a kitchen or something I could use to cook?” The woman chuckled and led him to the kitchen and showed him where to find anything he mightve needed, simply asking him to clean up when he was done. With everything he needed sprawled across the counters he pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, tying off his apron with a grin.

“ Ok lets do this! It cant be that hard!” 

Thomas was in there the rest of the late morning and afternoon, up until the light tinted gold, red, and pink across the kitchen. There had been many little mishaps and retries and alot of taste tests from the nurse’s paitent Chansey, but he finally had everything ready. The boy wiped at some flour streaked across his cheek, not noticing it only smearing it even more as he washed his hands and began placing the stacked plate of different flavored poffins, treats, and pokemon safe cookies and fruit goods as well as tin foiled and hot wrapped up dinner into a appreciately provided lined basket and finished cleaning up the mess he made in the kitchen, scooping every up into his arms and half waddling back to his room with Chansey’s help opening the door. The smell of food filled the little bedroom and awoke the cuddled together eevelutions, all of them lifting their heads groggily and yipping at him questioning. Thomas beamed proudly and he sat on the floor and gestured for them all to join him as he set everything down, petting them in greeting.

“ Evening guys! You all were wiped out, so I let you sleep and I went to go restock our supplies. While I was gone I got you all surprises!” He motioned to the poffins and happily exclaimed that he made them himself just for them, and that he also had dinner in the basket too. He felt his chest swell happily as he watched them all pick their favorite flavors and munch happily, leaning on him as they did. Thomas also couldnt help but laugh at the squeal Patton gave as he tackled him and buried his face in kisses when he saw the flower crown and the flowers, wearing his new accessory excitedly. Roman practically demanded to be groomed purring when he saw his new brush as he pawed at his new bandana contently. Once the grooming was done Thomas helped Logan put on his new tie and cleaned both his and Patton’s glasses, as well as attatched Deceit’s new brooch while Remus nawed on his new toys to break them in and nuzzled him gratefully. Then he pet them all as they ate dinner and played, promise virgil that when they found a seamstress they would attach the fleece to his jacket to keep him warm. He was happy and so were they, and that night as he was laying down Logan curled up on his chest licking his hand and fingers appreciately. Remus flopped down at Thomas’s feet, on top of them really, and purred loudly as he nawed on the metal more contently, his eyes half open. Patton curled up under one arm nuzzling the hand not getting licked and happily being petted as Roman curled around his neck under his head to keep him warm while Deceit and Virgil cuddled on his stomach purring. Thomas smiled contently and shut his eyes, falling asleep like that.

Tada! It took a week but I hope its ok! 

taglist

@phantommoonpeople @sweetsweetemo @amazable01 @leesacrakon @sugarglider9603

[knifetengale]

Ellie-Brando C-S Support

Ellie @ mine Brando @zlosopher

C SUPPORT

Brando: Hmm... (That woman looks familiar)

Ellie: hmm? (That’s quite a vibrant color, where have i-)

Brando: Excuse me. I'm not sure if we've met yet.

Ellie: I suppose we haven't, have we?

Brando: I'm Brando, Lord Xander's retainer. Who might you be?

Ellie: (Lord Xander's retainer...huh. must be that way.) Eileen, pleasure to meet you.

Brando: A pleasure to meet you as well Eileen. What exactly are you doing here?

Ellie: Reading, as you can see. [Holds up her book]

Brando: What kind of book. History? Adventure? Romance?

Ellie: [deceptively chipper] a murder mystery! The crown prince's loyal swordsman was found dead in the rose garden, strung up in thorns and pierced with his own blade, it’s quite the tale~

Brando: Oh my. That sounds kinda interesting actually. How far into the story are you?

Ellie: They’ve just discovered the body, nobody knows who could have done it! oh how I wish I could be left to read unhindered. I feel much more engaged when I can immerse myself into the words

Brando: My apologies then. I didn't mean to disturb you. After you're done may I treat you to some of the pastries I've baked to make it up to you?

Ellie: Perhaps, what pastries are we speaking of?

Brando: Tarts, Danishes, and a few pies.

Ellie: ...perhaps i wouldnt mind a short break now

 B SUPPORT

Ellie: ...you know, you remind me of someone i once met.

Brando: Actually, I thought the same... I think I saw you somewhere before...

Ellie: i have a reckoning we are perhaps thinking the same event. I am recalling to when i was yet learning the staff and there was a great fire in the village. There was a man with your eyes there, fighting against the cavalier that defended me. That cavalier had been part of an outlaw gang that had kidnapped a young noblewoman and would pay a hefty reward if she was safely returned

Brando: Wait... You mean the cavalier that held that woman captive? The cavalier I killed by splitting his head open?

Ellie: (rising anger) That cavalier that had pulled me from the burning mess that was the courthouse, from beneath the crest of Nohr. that cavalier that had given his last elixir so that I may yet live to heal others. you are lucky his mare did not split your head open with her hooves, panicked as she was her primary rider was now dead.

Brando: ...Both sides knew the risk. Your group was doing their job, as was mine. It was either fight or die.

Ellie: (closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, visibly resettling when she calms down, a slight smirk and smugness on her face) ...and what will you do now? There is nothing you can say to anyone, what proof do you have? (leaves with a sweep of her caplet)

Brando: ... You didn't even finish the tea I made to go with your pastry.

Transition

Brando: Hello again Ellie.

Ellie: ....

Brando: Still upset huh? It's understandable.

Ellie: ... are you quite finished? Or are you volunteering for target practice with my new stave

Brando: Huh?

Ellie: ....

Brando: Ellie?

Ellie: What. Do you want. I'm reading.

Brando: I brought you some sweets I had left. Would you like them?

Ellie: And why would I accept anything from you?

Brando: ... You know I could've killed you. After I had taken that man’s life I decided to spare you

Ellie: Because I got away, only to have the misfortune of running into you again

Brando: I could have gone after you but I didn't. I wasn't going to harm a woman who could barely walk... I didn't enjoy killing him. It was the only way I could get the job done and feed my family.

Ellie: You think he wasn't trying to feed his as well?

Brando: He was doing his job by trying to kill me. As was I. Do you think I'd just let myself die when I had my parents back home?

Ellie: You had the choice to use mercy, and you didn't. Were you in such a battle blind rage you just knew to strike?

Brando: Tell me Ellie. Would your friend have spared me if I was the one who was defeated? Would he have let me go after I was beaten?

Ellie: Ardal wouldn't have even raised his lance if you hadn't raised your sword first.

Brando: The question is would he let me live. Someone who would have rescued that woman and ruin his job and potentially his family. Would he not have plunged his lance into my heart if I lost?

Ellie: (getting audibly frustrated) And who is to say that woman had not been rescued already? Who is to say that?

Brando: I was told during that job that it would be a rescue mission. Save the woman and return her to where she belonged.

Ellie: There were many women in that village on that day, how were you so sure about her? Or did you just assume that any woman outside was an oddity? (huffs and attempts to calm) ... this conversation is over. I will have nothing more to do with you

Brando: ... Very well then. Good day Ellie.

Ellie: ...

 A SUPPORT

Ellie: Stupid...stupid....what does he know

Faceless: ?

Ellie: Wh-shit!

(Tome sounds)

Brando: Huh? What was that?

Ellie: (bumps into him as she’s trying to make distance) move it! You have approximately 4 seconds before i entrap you and leave for fodder

Brando: I'm not about to let you take that thing on your own!

(the Faceless catches up)

[Brando: You're not touching her! Haaah! (he swings his blade at it)

Ellie: (casts entrap, locking the faceless in place) get to it! (Fussing with her hip pouch to draw out the stronger tome

Brando: (pierces it with his sword) Gotcha you sack of- huh?!

(the affects of the tome wear of and the Faceless punches Brando into a tree)

Brando: Gaaah! *cough* Well there goes that idea

Ellie: Odds bobs the gods- (hurries over and readies the tome) Now be HAVE!!

(the Faceless falls)

Brando: Your pretty good Ellie... Don't mind me, just some broken bones, that's all.

Ellie: (heaving deep breaths) Shut up and let me catch my wind.... (pulls out her trusty psychic stave and casts it, helping him up when she’s less grumpy) It’ll hold you over, come on.

Brando: And here I was thinking you hated me, hehe...

Ellie: I would rather not have become Faceless food, or been executed for leaving you to die you dolt. Stop dragging your feet, I want to get back to my books

Brando: Huh... I knew there was a reason I didn't go after you those years back. It was so I could meet you again... Try to make amends...

Ellie: ...Less talking more walking.

 S SUPPORT

Brando: Hey there Ellie. Brought some sweets for you to try out. *he comes in with three packages*

Ellie: Good afternoon, Brando. *shuts her book and reaches out a hand* What are todays flavors?

Brando: Hm? You used my name... Well that's a surprise.

Ellie: No I didn't, you were hearing things.

Brando: Well today I have something for you. I'll give you these boxes one at a time and you tell me if you like them.

*he hands her the first box. In it there's a piece of cherry pie*

Ellie: oh! Cherry, I haven’t had it in a while, and the lattice is so delicately done... (purrs but totally denies purring as she takes the fork to eat the tiny piece

Brando: I'm glad you love it. Next up is this one.

*the second box holds a piece of cheesecake*

Ellie: well isn’t this a surprise, I heard this was hard to make... It’s delicious…

Brando: ... The last one... w-well... Here you go...

*the final box has little weight when Ellie holds it*

Ellie: ...?  *confusion, both as to why brando hadn’t introduced it and why it’s so light* Is it a macaroon?

Brando: ...

*when Ellie opens the box it reveals a golden ring with a jewel in the center*

Ellie: *surprise, looking from him to the box* I... Hey...is this a joke..?

Brando: No... Ellie. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

Ellie: I...

*blushes hard*

Brando: I love you. When I said, there was a reason I knew we'd meet again... It was because I knew that after seeing you again that I wanted to be with you. I wanted to protect you from anything that comes your way. I'll respect whatever answer you give me but... Ellie? Will you marry me?

Ellie: *flustered, holds her tome closer* I can protect myself well enough but *a small smile forms on her face, extending her hand* A partner wouldn’t be too far out of the question. I do need someone to watch my back

Brando: *blushes and smiles* S-So... You'll be my wife?!

Ellie: *reaches over and paps his nose* It’s a yes you silly dolt. *hooks a finger in his collar to draw him in for a small kiss*

Brando: ... *begins to tear up while smiling* Ellie... Thank you... I promise to be by your side for the rest of my life.

Ellie: *hugs him* Dry your eyes before you make me cry too...

[ouraidengray4]

A List of the Gross Things Making Their Way Into Your Tea

I thought I was in the minority, but, turns out, my love for tea isn't so unique: Tea just so happens to be the most popular beverage in the world besides water. Yes, it even beats coffee. I love tea for the variety of flavors, but it doesn't hurt that it has some serious health benefits too. Some studies have shown that the antioxidants found in the tea leaf can help prevent cancer, improve metabolic and cardiovascular function, and could even slow the progression of degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s). With that info in my back pocket, I was confident that my sipping would have me soaring.

So when I first heard that tea bags can sneak in some pretty gnarly ingredients, I was shocked. No way. Not possible. I decided to do some digging and look into just how problematic my go-to afternoon pick-me-up could be. Isn't it just tossing a tea bag into hot water? If you regularly enjoy a cozy afternoon cuppa tea, you'll want to be aware of these super-sh*tty ingredients that might be lurking in your mug.

Pesticides

OK, so we obviously aren’t sharing anything new by telling you that exposure to pesticides probably isn’t great for your health. But if tea isn’t something you would normally associate with the dangers of agricultural chemicals, think again.

Multiple studies have been conducted in the past few years, and each one concluded that, yes, pesticides exist in a ton of teas: A study in 2012 found pesticides in 100 percent of the teas tested; a follow-up study in 2014 discovered pesticides in 94 percent of samples. What’s worse, many of the brands contained quantities considered unsafe for regular consumption. The FDA’s 2014 Pesticide Report found unacceptable levels of pesticides in 57 percent of the retail teas tested.

Not what you expected in your cup, right? Here's the thing: Occasional pesticide exposure isn’t likely to cause any devastating health problems. The challenge here is that long-term consequences of pesticide consumption aren't definitive, but a study like this is proof that it can't be good. If you’re someone who drinks tea on a regular basis, this is definitely something to be wary of.

Heavy Metals

One nutritional tidbit you might not have known is that drinking tea can contribute to your daily dose of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and zinc. But these aren’t the only minerals in your brew.

A study published in the Journal of Toxicology tested for toxic elements in a variety of common tea brands, and the findings are pretty unsettling. Seventy-three percent of brewed teas contained lead when steeped for the standard time of 3-4 minutes, and the quantity was even higher when steeped for longer. Umm, lead in my tea? Thank you, next. They also found potentially unsafe levels of aluminum, cadmium, and, oh yeah, arsenic. Feeling queasy yet?

I bet you’re wondering, how the heck does lead get into a tea bag? Companies would never add these toxins to products on purpose (or at least, we’d like to think they wouldn’t); it really all depends on where the tea was grown. Heavy metals inevitably accumulate in the soil on tea plantations due to the close proximity to coal-fired power plants, industrial waste runoff, and pesticide use.

One upside is that young tea leaves contained lower levels of heavy metals compared to mature tea leaves because their roots had less time to absorb the toxic elements in the soil. The only problem is young leaves are typically more expensive, and most large tea companies rely on mature leaves for their product.

Plastic

If you think the leaves themselves are the only problem in your teacup, you’d be wrong. You know those fancy-looking tea bags shaped like little silk pyramids? You probably thought those were made out of some type of cloth… nope. They’re typically made of plastic: polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene, to be exact. Again, not the first thing you’d instinctively steep in a cup of boiling water before drinking it.

While there aren't a ton of studies spelling this out for us, I'm going to make an educated guess here and bet that plastic tea bags are iffy because there's a good chance they’re leaching BPA and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals into your beverage, and why many reusable water bottles and plastic food storage containers are now BPA-free. Bisphenol A (BPA) has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and serious problems with reproductive development. Then there’s the whole laundry list of estrogen-mimicking chemicals that can mess up your entire reproductive system and even increase your risk of getting cancer.

If you apply this information to tea, it’s likely that those chemicals are leaching out of your plastic tea bag and into your cup, just like they’d leach out into a single-use plastic water bottle. The history of tea drinking is estimated to be nearly 3,000 years old, but it wasn’t until after World War II that people began using tea bags in the infusion process. And it’s too bad they started because tea tastes way better when you use loose-leaf, plus you can get an adorable little infuser like this guy.

Artificial Flavoring

One of the sneakiest things tea companies can do is trick you into thinking you’re drinking something you’re not. Generally speaking, if you’re drinking something with a name like Raspberry Pizzaz or Tropical Sunset, odds are there are not actual raspberries or mangos in that tea bag.

This is because food scientists and flavor engineers are masters at manipulating synthetic chemicals to create flavors that mimic those of real foods. Oh, and don’t get me started on all the FDA loopholes companies can use to label something natural instead of artificial. It’s essentially code for all kinds of chemicals that don’t have to be explicitly listed—so read your labels and always buy organic when possible.

Tell me something positive, please.

We have some good news too. A lot of progress has been made regarding many of the issues we just discussed. In 2017, China promised to implement stricter regulations on pesticide usage, and many major tea companies have switched to plastic-free tea bags and more biodegradable options.

And you can now get your tea locally grown. Yes, that's correct: U.S.-grown tea is becoming a thing. What was once a crop almost exclusively grown in China and India is now being cultivated in our own backyards. Tea can only thrive in very specific climatic conditions, but there are some regions in the United States that allow relatively large farms to flourish, especially in tropical Hawaii, California, and some parts of the Southeast.

Where do we go from here?

OK, so we know that was a lot to take in. We can see you pushing that mug away—but you don't have to. We’re not trying to freak you out, just laying out all the facts so you can make more informed choices and look into your favorite brands to make sure they're making all the right calls. Because let's be serious, tea can be super good for you. It’s just a matter of figuring out what to watch out for and knowing where to buy the high-quality stuff.

The best way to avoid potentially harmful ingredients is by buying organic, ideally loose-leaf tea. Organic tea leaves aren’t sprayed with pesticides the way their non-organic counterparts are, making them a much healthier choice. Loose-leaf tea is frequently higher quality (which usually means younger leaves and less heavy metals), and you can buy compostable tea filters or stainless steel tea infusers that are just as convenient as the pre-bagged alternative.

Don’t worry, though, we’re not going to leave the task of finding healthy high-quality tea entirely up to you. We’ve done some digging to determine a few of the best tea brands that you can feel confident drinking. Numi Tea, Traditional Medicinals (specifically herbal but still a great choice), Mighty Leaf Tea, Mountain Rose Herbs, Vahdam Teas, and the Little Red Cup Tea Co. are all great options. And let's not forget about local tea shops, where you can talk to people who really know their stuff to get all the details.

from Greatist RSS http://bit.ly/2MEmq7L A List of the Gross Things Making Their Way Into Your Tea Greatist RSS from HEALTH BUZZ http://bit.ly/2Ba9dPQ

[viralhottopics]

Confession: I Go Totally Overboard For My Kids Birthday Parties

Lately, the opinion on kids birthday parties seem to be split between two extremes: On the one end of the spectrum, you have the Pinterest crowd, celebrating every birthday with gourmet desserts and decorations fit for a magazine spread. On the other end, you have the parents who are fed up with over-the-top parties and are begging all of us via impassioned blog posts to just cut it out and to please stop with the treat bags, the long guest lists, and generally making a huge deal out of birthdays.

I wouldnt necessarily consider myself a Pinterest Mom (Ive written multiple blog posts about the toys Ive made for my kids out of actual garbage,) but I absolutely love birthdays. I love any celebration, really. But since having two kids, my love of birthdays has only increased. Every year, I throw big, themed parties for each of my kids, complete with lots of guests, decorations, games, a personalized birthday shirt for the birthday kid, and goody bags for all of the children in attendance.

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I know big parties arent for everyone, and Id never suggest that someone who hates big parties needs to throw them. I try to make sure not to pass out goody bags with treats in them that would annoy other parents (Im looking at you, toys that break in five seconds.) I usually stick with serving pizza or hot dogs or some other easy food. But, my parties are big, and I know that I have a tendency to go overboard. Though theres a widely shared sentiment online that this kind of party is too much, I continue to have big parties for three reasons:

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1. My kids love parties

My primary motivation for throwing big parties is my children. Im not trying to impress anyone. Im not secretly hoping that the guests will think Im a better mother than I am. I just want my children to feel celebrated on their birthdays — to have a magical day that is all about them.

Courtesy of Bethany Neumeyer

My son recently asked me if grownups have birthday parties, and I told him that they do sometimes, but not always. At the thought of no longer having birthday parties every year, he looked like his little heart might break. So I quickly assured him that as long as he wants to, we can celebrate his birthday with a party.

Someday his idea of what the perfect birthday is wont be one spent with his mommy, daddy and baby sister eating food served out of dog food bowls for a puppy-themed party. But until that day, Ill keep throwing parties my kids love.

Courtesy of Bethany Neumeyer

2. I love planning parties

Im not a particularly organized person (OK, Im not even a slightly organized person) but theres something that I absolutely love about planning details for a party. I have so much fun deciding on a theme and then finding decorations, games and food that go along with it. I love scouring Pinterest and party websites to find the perfect touches, making decorations, and assembling treat bags for all of the kids. I love finding things that I know my kids will love and then watching their excited faces when they see it all come together.

There are some parents for whom party planning is just stressful. Its definitely not for everyone. But if I love to plan them and my children love the results, I see no reason to stop.

Courtesy of Bethany Neumeyer

3. They make for happy memories

One of the birthday parties I remember most fondly from my own childhood was when my mom had a fancy tea party for my friends and me to celebrate my ninth birthday. She instructed us to dress up in our fanciest dresses, spread out a table cloth and cloth napkins, then served us tea, fancy sandwiches and cookies on her wedding china. I had never felt so elegant in my life.

My mom doesnt even remember throwing this particular party for me, but 25 years later its still one of my favorite memories.

Courtesy of Bethany Neumeyer

Ultimately my kids might not remember the gifts they got or what flavor the cupcakes were. They likely wont remember what was in the goody bags or whether the plates and napkins matched the party theme (though for the record, they totally did.)

But, I hope theyll remember the fun and being surrounded by friends and family. I hope theyll remember feeling loved. I hope theyll remember that every year, we celebrated how happy we are that they were born into our family.

For more from Bethany Neumeyer visitI Was Promised More Naps,FacebookandInstagram.

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