#non fried starters

[goodcryunicorn]

Ellie Rogers // OPEN

who: Ellie Rogers when: unknown where: Avengers tower open to: anyone, Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop triggers: none image triggers: none blog: @goodcryunicorn1

Ellie wasn’t sure how she felt being at the Avengers tower, her father being they leader and her being part of the ‘Young Avengers’, she loved Miles, Kate and Kamala, they were her best friends after all but it was different being in the tower where Stark and her parents worked.

[suchananewsblog]

6 Chicken Finger Foods That Will Make You Say 'Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner'

Who doesn’t love crispy appetisers? When it comes to non-veg options, chicken finger foods are some of the most popular ones. Although other types of meat and fish can also be used, chicken remains a common choice. Why? Because they are easy to prepare and also experiment with. Many chicken finger foods are deep-fried to a crisp brown colour. Inside, they have a range of delicious fillings and…

[lunaritex]

𓏲࣪ ִֶָ ︎ִֶָ PRETEND HEARTS 𖤐. — nishimura riki

↺ CONTENT: non idol+university+fake dating au, reader is female, riki and reader are roommates, heeseung and sunghoon are partners in crime, riki is kinda a loser+lover boy here, slight angst, hurt with comfort, faint mentions of insecurities, kissing scene.

↺ FROM HYE: i wanted to try writing fake dating with heeseung but uh, i ended up choosing riki instead... this has NO business being this long though... @kazuhaiku and @riekiss (thanks for proofreading bff mwah)

The moment your ears picked up the dreadful familiar footsteps approaching you was enough to set off the alarm bells in your mind. You did not bother turning around, choosing to busy yourself by scrolling through your phone as you waited for your friends to be dismissed from their class. You did not raise your head even when his shoes appeared in your sight. If anything, you desperately wished for a hole to appear and swallow you whole so you could avoid your current dilemma. 

“Hey, how’s it going?” He asked, and you turned a deaf ear to his question. However, it seems like your ignorance only pissed him off. 

To your mixture of annoyance and disgust, Yeonjun had the audacity to reach out and grab your chin, forcing you to look at him. Goosebumps form on your skin and your hair shoots up at the skin contact. You boldly met his gaze, arching an eyebrow as you cocked your head to the side. Your seemingly scandalous position earns curious whispers from the students walking past the two of you and thankfully, some have not pulled out their phones yet. 

“Oh hello Yeonjun, I didn’t see you there?” You flashed him a smile, a smile that was anything but sweet and friendly. 

He scoffed, leaning in slightly but you did not budge, not wanting to show him you were intimidated by him. “Stop playing hard to get, (Name). Or are you doing this because this is the first time someone gives you this much attention?” 

You barked out a humorless laugh, eyes flickering to the side before back to him. “Don’t worry, I have plenty of attention and I don’t need it from the likes of you.” 

“You’re such a-” 

Cough cough. 

Yeonjun and you looked over his shoulder to see your roommate; Riki and his friends standing behind him. Riki’s eyes flickered between your faces and furrowed his eyebrows. He was not oblivious to how Yeonjun had been persistent to get you to date him, having witnessed the daily scenes of the boy chasing after you like a desperate dog. 

“I believe you were saying something?” Riki asked, taunting him to finish his sentence. 

Yeonjun clicked his tongue, moving away from you. “Never mind.” 

“I didn’t know your mother raised a coward!” Riki calls out to Yeonjun who was leaving, earning a round of sniggers from his friends. Once he disappeared from your sight, Riki turned to you, doing a quick scan and was relieved to find no physical signs of injuries. 

“You alright?” He asked, voice softening and you nodded, adjusting the strap of your bag. 

“I’m fine, thanks for stepping in, though I had that handled,” you replied. 

Riki shrugged his shoulders, reaching out to ruffle your hair. You squawked, slapping his hand away and patted down your now messy hair. “Sure, (Name). Come on, we should get going to the cafeteria before it’s too late.” 

~

“You know, if he keeps bothering you, how about you do something to stop him from doing that?” Heeseung asked, once everyone had grabbed their food and settled down by their usual table. 

Riki plopped down on your right while Jake sat on your left, already reaching his hand out to steal a few of your fries. But you were quick to pull it away from his reach, eliciting a groan of protest from him. You hummed, shoving a mouthful of food into your mouth as you chewed while pondering over what he had just said. 

“And what do you have in mind?” You questioned, pointing your fork at him, not catching the secret glimpse shared between him and Sunghoon. 

“Well, for starters, you can date Riki,” Sunghoon proposed. 

The moment you heard that, you choked on your food and burst into a coughing fit. You thumped your chest while Riki sympathetically rubbed your back, in hopes of calming you down. The others however, burst out laughing at your reaction. You managed to down your water and glared at the culprits seated opposite of you. 

“Damn, I didn’t know that you dislike me that much,” your roommate teased, earning a light shove from you. 

“To put it specifically, I mean fake dating. All the two of you have to do is to pretend you’re in a romantic relationship and maybe once Yeonjun sees how lovey-dovey you two are, he might leave you alone,” Sunghoon briefly explained. 

You purse your lips, risking a glance in Riki’s direction, only to find that he was already looking at you with an expectant look on his face. “Well… when you put it that way, it does make sense but why him?” 

“I’m sorry, but is there something wrong about me?” Riki retorted, pointing at himself. 

“Yes, especially the part where you refuse to do the dishes,” you retorted and Heeseung stepped in, acting as the meditator before the two of you started squabbling amongst yourselves. 

“Both of you are roommates and you’re close with one another. If it were any of us, Yeonjun might not buy it and no offense, but you’re not my type,” Heeseung teased, only to yelp when you kicked him in the knees under the table. 

“Don’t worry, the feeling’s mutual. I won’t want to date someone who’s horrible at League,” you cheekily replied, earning an offended gasp from Heeseung and a snort from Riki. 

“You take that back!” He demanded. 

“Well, she’s speaking the truth,” Sunghoon chips in, giving you a high-five when you wordlessly raise your hand. 

“I can’t believe everyone has turned against me…” 

~

The day of back-to-back lectures finally came to an end and you face-planted onto the couch the moment you retreated to the safety of your dorm, not bothering to remove your shoes and bag. Riki on the other hand, sighed as he closed the doors, dumping the keys in the bowl nearby and walked to your direction. 

“(Name), at least remove your shoes and bag,” he gently reprimanded you, getting to his knees to help you do it instead. 

Your eyes fluttered open when you felt your shoes being removed, making you look over your shoulder before you pushed yourself up to remove your bag. “I can do it myself, you know. I’m not a princess or anything.”

“Well, the way you act is different from what you said,” he replied, earning a huff from you as you leaned back into the couch, head tilted up to the ceiling. 

Riki moved to sit beside you, stretching his long limbs and placed his feet on the coffee table placed before the couch. You scrunch your nose, shooting him a disgusted look and he rolled his eyes, making himself comfortable and pulled out his phone. 

“And pray tell, how do I act differently then?” You asked, already regretting asking after the words slipped out of your mouth.

Your roommate smirked, shooting you a mischievous smile. “You act like a gangster- Ow, ow, ow! Stop hitting me!” 

Poor Riki could barely finish his sentence when you wasted no time in jumping on him, grabbing the nearest pillow and repeatedly whacking him with it. The previously quiet living room was now filled with your laughter. He shielded his face with his hands, phone slipping down from his chest to the couch but none of you paid it any mind. Riki then wasted no time in switching your position with ease. You squeaked when you landed on your back with him pinning you down against the couch. 

The last warning you received was the way his eyes twinkled with mischief before he ruthlessly tickled your sides. Your entire body was trembling as you swayed side to side, pushing Riki away but it was obvious that his strength overpowers yours, like it was nothing. Tears were already formed in the corners of your eyes and your stomach was starting to ache, due to how hard and long you were laughing to your heart’s content.

“N-No, enough! Pft, Riki, I-I swear- hahaha!” You barely managed to choke out words when your roommate was persistent with his tickling attack. 

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” He snickered, amused with your current state but he decided to take pity and ceased his attack; much to your relief. 

You remained laying on the couch with your legs now dangling off the edge, panting as you catch your breath. Riki sat cross-legged near the edge, with a cushion resting on his lap. You were fully aware of how his eyes remained on your figure.

“I can tell you’re thinking about something. What is it?” You asked, breaking the brief silence that had engulfed you.

Riki averted his eyes, fiddling with the rings adorned on his fingers. The cold metal surfaces proved to be useful in grounding him to reality. “...I was thinking about what you’re planning to do about Yeonjun.” 

Humming, you ran a hand through your hair, hissing when your fingers got tangled in a few strands but you slowly untangled them from your hand. “I might actually listen to Sunghoon and Heeseung’s advice.” 

“You will?” Riki’s face lit up but he cleared his throat, calming himself. You chuckled at his reaction, finding him adorable. 

“At this point I’m desperate to get him off my back and if you think about it, between choosing to be in a fake relationship with you compared to dating him, I’ll rather take the first option,” you replied, oblivious to how your words made Riki feel like he was floating. 

“So, is that a yes then? Yes to being my girlfriend and having a relationship with me?” He asked, praying that you will not be able to hear how his heart was practically pounding against his chest. 

“Fake girlfriend and fake relationship. And that’s a yes from me, So I hope you’ll take good care of me, Riki,” you pushed yourself up, flashing him a grin.

“Likewise,” he returned your grin, mentally doing somersaults in his mind. 

~

Everyone’s eyes were on you the moment you stepped onto campus. To be more specific, they were looking at you and Riki’s intertwined hands. Due to Riki being a popular student, it was safe to say that his fanclub had discovered something so devastating that you could hear their hearts shattering into tiny pieces. You tried your best to ignore the chorus of whispers and murmurs heading your way, involuntarily tensing your shoulders and even looking down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. You were snapped out of your thoughts when Riki gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, making you look at him. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. I got you,” he reassures you.

And for a moment, you wondered if he was a magician for his words seemed to have an immediate cooling effect. His words allow you to straighten your back and you face them head-on, unaware of how a certain student was observing the scene from the sidelines, fists tightly clenched with jealousy gnawing away at his heart and mind. Riki walked you to your class, showing no signs of releasing his hand. He did not care if there were students already taking videos of him. A part of you wonders if he has gotten used to people constantly staring and fawning over him. 

Eventually, you arrived at your lecture room and you mentally heaved a sigh of relief when Riki was the one to move away. You were about to enter when he stopped you, hand shooting out to grab your wrist. His action made you look at him, bemused. 

“Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?” He smirked. 

“What am I forgetting?” You owlishly blinked your eyes. 

“You’re forgetting this,” he laughed, tugging you towards him. 

You stumbled over your feet, taken aback by the sudden force used. You would have crashed into his chest if Riki did not steadied you in the nick of time. Due to the height difference, you have to tilt your head up towards him. You hated how your heart fluttered when you saw the way he was looking at you. With nothing but pure love and adoration in his eyes. 

“What on earth are you do-!?” 

Your voice dies in your throat when Riki leans down, gingerly brushing your bangs back with such tenderness that one might mistook it as love. You swore you stopped breathing for a moment when you felt him kiss your forehead. Perhaps you were overthinking, for you swore his lips lingered against your forehead longer than five seconds. He moved away, unable to hold back the laughter at the sight of your flushed ears and cheeks. 

“You’re so cute,” he teased, affectionately poking your cheeks with his index finger. 

“R-Riki, stop!” You hissed, your ears turning a darker shade of red when you noticed how some students were looking at the both of you. 

To them, they might view you as a regular couple who could not keep their hands off one another. But that was not the case. What they did not know was that everything you do was nothing more than an act, a show with you and Riki being the main lead of the performance. Riki sniggered, dropping his hand and pointed at the closed doors behind you. 

“You should get going now. Wouldn’t want the best student to be late for her first lecture, do we?” He said. 

“And I wonder whose fault is it,” you rolled your eyes, bidding him farewell and entered the lecture room, immediately locating Heeseung and Jake seated at the back. 

The two boys were waving their hands in the air, gesturing for you to sit with them and you obliged, plopping down in the empty seat between them. You already knew what they were going to ask the moment you sat down, placing your bag on your lap. 

“So, did you actually listen to Heeseung and Sunghoon’s advice?” Jake whispered, although it was barely a whisper considering how the people nearby were able to hear him loud and clear. 

You shot him a warning glare and he instinctively lowered his voice. “Yes, I did. Why are the both of you so surprised anyways?” 

They shared a glance and this time, Heeseung was the one who replied, adjusting his position when the lecturer had entered the room. “To be honest, none of us thought you would actually do it.” 

“What? Did you think I would continue letting Yeonjun follow me around like a lost puppy?” You asked, disbelief written all over your face. 

“Maybe, maybe not,” Jake chipped in. 

“Putting that aside, we saw the both of you outside. That was hella cringe,” Heeseung teased, playfully nudging his elbow against yours. 

Your face turned as red as a tomato when you heard that, already knowing what he was referring to. Instead of responding, you choose to busy yourself by pulling out your laptop when you see the lecturer entering the room. 

“Shut up, you and I both know that was merely an act and he doesn’t see me that way,” you replied, unaware of the knowing look Heeseung and Jake shares. 

“Sure (Name), whatever makes you happy.” 

~

The next few days passed with you and Riki maintaining the couple's facade. The more you continued, the more things you learnt about your roommate. A prime example would be finding out he has a talent for dancing. It happened when you were heading to campus after making a quick stop at a nearby cafe, only for you to feel your phone vigorously vibrating about in the left pocket of your jeans. You pulled it out and answered it, without even looking at the caller ID. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey (Name), where are you now?” 

You moved to the left when a cyclist rode past you, granting them enough space on the pathwalk for them to move past you with ease. ‘I’m heading to campus now. Why?”

You could pick up faint music coming from the other line. 

“Uh, I was wondering if you could head back to the dorms to grab my bag? I’ve forgotten to take it before leaving this morning,” Riki sheepishly answered. 

“What? And you’re only telling me this now? I’m going to be late for class,” you groaned. 

“Pretty please? With a cherry on top?”

You were thankful that Riki was not physically there, for he would not be able see the smile you had on your face, amused with how desperate he was. “Fine, but please don’t say that ever again. You sound like a child.” 

“I’m going to let that slide since you’re doing me a huge favor. I’ll text you where to find me, thanks (Name)!” 

And just like that, he hung up. Sighing, you make a slight detour back to where the dorm is located. You entered, closing the door behind you and headed to his room without removing your shoes. You pushed the door open and it was at that moment that you were reminded of how you have never been into his room before. The first thing that piqued your interest was the Nintendo Switch resting on his table, followed by the expensive-looking PC setup sitting on his desk. 

You stepped closer to the desk, smiling when you saw three framed photographs placed on the left. One of it was with his family, taken when he managed to return home during the school break. Another was with your shared group of friends, when everyone impulsively went for an overseas trip together. The final picture however, took you by surprise. It was a picture of you when everyone was having a picnic together, celebrating the end of their final examinations last year. 

You were not sure how he had taken the picture without you knowing but you did not want to waste anymore time, not when Riki was awaiting your arrival. Eventually, you found the item you were looking for: a black bag that had his clothes. Sparing his room one final glance, you closed the door and sped walked back to campus, making a mental note to give him a good scolding once you met up with him. 

As always, there were people staring at you when you arrived. You knew they were curious to know about the identity of the bag you were carrying but you paid them no mind. True to his words, Riki had already texted you where to find him. It did not take you long to reach your destination. As you got closer, you could pick up muffled music from the other side of the closed doors. Unsure if they could hear your knocking, you were about to pull out your phone to give Riki a call when the door was opened from inside. 

“Oh, (Name)? What are you doing here?” Sunghoon asked, surprised to see you standing there. 

“Riki called and asked me to bring him his stuff,” you grudgingly replied, raising the bag. 

He laughed, pushing the door wider and gestured for you to enter. You obliged, thanking him and heaved a sigh of relief when a strong and cold gust of air kissed your face. You remained where you were, watching as four figures were moving effortlessly across the floor of the dance studio. Despite how their backs were facing you, you were able to identify your roommate, considering how he was the tallest as compared to everyone else. 

Somehow, seeing the way Riki moves with plenty of experience combined with the focused look on his face leaves you in awe. As far as you were aware, you had never seen Riki this focused, until today that is. 

“Careful there, one might think you’re actually in love with Riki,” Jake teased, entering the dancing studio after going off for a quick break. 

“What are you talking about? I told you we’re only doing this because-”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it. And I heard you loud and clear,” Jake interrupted, already regretting opening his mouth in the first place. 

“(Name), you’re here!” 

Jake took this chance to slip away as Riki jogged over, his hair flopping up and down reminds you of a puppy. You raised the bag, to which he gratefully accepted it. He unzips it slightly, checking the content and a satisfied smile appears on his face. He walked to the table located on the left, placing his bag down and returned to you, hands shoved in the pockets of his sweatpants. 

“So, what do you think?” He asked. 

“What?” 

Riki laughed. “I saw you looking at us when we were dancing earlier. You weren’t being slick at all.” 

Huffing your cheeks, you crossed your arms. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Anyway, I should get going. I’ll see you guys later.” 

“Oh.” Riki’s expression drops for a moment but before you could point it out, he was back to his usual self. 

“I’ll see you during lunch, good luck with your class,” he grins and before you could react, he leaned in to press a chaste kiss on your cheek. 

“Ew, get a room!” Heeseung called out. 

Riki turned, flipping him off and the older man gasped, dramatically resting a hand on his chest. Their interaction made everyone except you burst out laughing. You quietly made your exit, fanning your face once you were out. You leaned against the wall, eyes looking out the window before you and sighed, running a hand through your hair. 

What’s happening to me? 

“Well well well, look who it is. Today must be my lucky day.”

Groaning, you looked to your right to see Yeonjun approaching you, with his signature infuriating smirk on his face. You made a show of rolling your eyes, ready to walk off but he was faster. Yeonjun reached out his hand, grabbing your wrist and pinned you against the wall. A pained hiss left your lips when your back hits the wall with an audible ‘thud’. Raising your free hand, you wanted to push him off but he beat you to it, also grabbing your wrist and roughly slammed it against the wall. Your face burned in pure humiliation at the scandalous position you found yourself in.

“What are you doing?” You hissed, venom evident in your voice as you glared at him, trying to hide your pounding heart. 

He chuckled. “Drop the act, princess. I know you and Riki aren’t a thing.” 

Your heart dropped when you heard his response. Your first mistake was to stare at him, disbelief written all over your face. Your second mistake was to remain silent, rendered speechless. Seeing this, Yeonjun smirked and that was when he knew you were in hot soup. He leans in to whisper into your left ear. All you could do was to press yourself further against the wall, hoping you could be swallowed up whole. 

“Anyone with eyes can tell Riki isn’t interested in you. I think you should stop acting all high and mighty just because you got the popular kid dating you. Out of everyone, he has to pick you and I pity him for that.” 

“What are you saying?” You bit back. 

Yeonjun pulled away, allowing you to see the chilling smirk on his face. “I’m saying that he only does this because he pity you.” 

“Hey, what the fuck are you doing with my girl?”

Both of you turned to see Riki standing outside of the dancing room. The air around him thickened with an unspoken fury. He clenched his jaw, taking in the scene— the way Yeonjun’s posture loomed over you, and how your body language screamed for space. His voice cut through the air, sharper than he intended and he marched forward, gaze locked onto Yeonjun. 

“Back off,” he demanded, the command hanging heavily in the air. 

Riki easily stepped in between the two of you, roughly shoving Yeonjun back with one hand as he protectively positioned himself in front of you, his taller figure nearly shielding you from his sight. You internally heaved a sigh of relief, lowering your wrists as you rubbed at your left wrist that were feeling slightly sore as compared to your right wrist. 

Yeonjun stumbled back, caught off-guard with the sudden force but managed to steady himself. Surprise flickered in his eyes but the cocky grin did not fade. “What’s the problem, Riki? We’re just having a little fun.” 

Riki’s fists tightened at his sides, a storm brewing within him. “That’s not fun for her. You need to get it through your head and I’ll say this once again.” 

He paused, stepping forward until he was invading Yeonjun’s personal space. The air crackled with tension with every step he took. Riki’s eyes narrowed, and the warmth that usually defined his demeanor had transformed into an icy glare.

“Stop disturbing my girlfriend,” he said, voice low and steady, but laced with a barely contained threat. “I mean it. Or else…” 

Yeonjun’s confident smirk faltered, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. “Or else what?” he challenged, though there was a tremor in his voice now, a hint that he might be second-guessing his bravado. 

Riki leaned in closer, his tone dropping to a fierce whisper that only Yeonjun could hear. “Or else you’re going to find out exactly how far I’m willing to go to protect her.” 

There was a weight in his words, a promise of consequences that hung heavy in the air. The atmosphere shifted palpably, and Riki’s intensity forced Yeonjun to step back slightly, his confidence wavering. 

“What, you think this is a joke? You’re making a mistake if you think she’s just another game to play,” he pressed, cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow tauntingly. 

Yeonjun glanced between Riki and you before scoffing. “Whatever man, have it your way.” 

He made sure to roughly shoved his shoulder against Riki’s before leaving, muttering a wonderful string of curses under his breath. None of you said a thing until he made a turn and his figure was completely out of your sight. Only then did your shoulders sagged with complete relief, leaning against the wall as you closed your eyes for a few seconds. Riki turned to you, silently approaching you and stopped, maintaining a respectful distance between the two of you. 

“...Are you alright?” He murmurs, looking hesitant on whether he should grab your hands or not.

His eyes trailed down your figure, pausing when he saw how you were rubbing your wrists and the look darkened slightly. You followed where his eyes were looking and when you realized where he was looking, you quickly hid them behind your back. But Riki shook his head, closing the remaining distance and gingerly grabbed your wrists, treating you as if you were a piece of fragile glass. 

“Don’t hide from me, please,” he softly pleaded, eyes softening. 

You remained silent, allowing him to examine your slightly red wrists. You pointedly ignored looking at him but from the corner of your eyes, you saw how he furrowed his eyebrows and how his lips were pressed in a line. You were tempted to just kiss him right there and then but you stopped yourself, feeling stupid for having such a thought. After all, there is no way your dear roommate will have romantic feelings for you, right? 

“... Do you want to head to the nurse’s office to have it checked out? I can accompany you,” he proposed, but you shook your head. 

“It’s fine, this isn’t that big of a deal.” 

Riki blinked, still holding onto your wrists. “But it is that big of a deal to me. I can’t stand the thought of you being injured.” 

The pure sincerity of his voice combined with the words made your breath hitched in your throat. You wanted to savor the moment but the words Yeonjun told you had already planted itself in the depths of your mind. You wordlessly nodded your head, unable to find the will in you to speak. Riki took your silence as agreement and brought you to the nurse’s office. None of you said another word during the walk to the nurse’s office. When she was done, you mumbled a quick excuse and left, ignoring Riki’s piercing gaze on your retreating figure. 

~ 

The next two to three weeks passed with you trying your best to avoid Riki as much as possible. It was already a difficult task, considering how you are practically living under the same roof as him. You had to take a drastic approach: leaving the dorm earlier than usual, taking a longer and more inconvenient way to campus and back to the dorm, taking a shower before or after him and even eating in your room. Everytime Riki opened his mouth, you were already retreating to the safety of your room, closing the door shut behind you. 

You knew your action was hurting him, judging from the pained look on his face but you could not bring yourself to look at him, not when you were already like this. Currently, you are lying on your bed with a pillow tightly hugged against your chest, your back facing the door as you absentmindedly stare at a random spot on the wall. 

Knock knock. 

“(Name), I know you’re in there. Would you please come out?” Riki’s muffled voice echoed from the other side of the door. 

Silence.

Riki kicked the door open with a loud thud, the sudden impact echoing through the room like a heavy slam. The forceful sound sent a sharp jolt through the air, startling you and you shot up from your bed, heart racing as the door rattled slightly in its frame from the force. You stared at him, rendered speechless with what he had done to your door and you were relieved to see it was not ripped from the hinges. The relief was then replaced with anger and disbelief, shooting him an incredulous look. 

“What the fuck was that for!? You would have broken my door!” You exclaimed. 

He merely shrugged his shoulders. “I can pay for it, but that’s not the point. I’m worried about you. And it’s not just me, the others are too. Now will you be willing to tell me what’s been happening to you?” 

You gulped at the seriousness in Riki’s voice, gripping onto the pillow as if it was your final lifeline. “I’ve told you before; it’s nothing. You don’t have to worry about me.” 

He lets out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair. You hated how such a simple action made him more attractive than he already is. “(Name), stop lying to yourself. And why wouldn’t I worry about you? You’re my roommate and friend. Of course I’ll be worried about you.”

You bitterly chuckled; the noise gaining his attention. “Is that it? Am I really just a roommate and friend to you?” 

Riki paused, looking remorseful at what he had said. “Wait, I-” 

Your frustration boiled over, your voice escalating with every word. “I don’t know what to think anymore! This whole fake dating thing was supposed to be simple: just to get Yeonjun off my back. But now, it’s a mess, and I’m a mess! Because the more time we spend together, the more I realize I’m actually falling for you!”

Your hands flew to your hair, tugging at the roots in frustration. “At first, it was easy. Pretend dates, fake smiles; it was all supposed to be an act. Like, when you kissed my forehead, when you kissed my cheek and when you protected me from Yeonjun, it felt real and it’s messing with me. And then Yeonjun—” 

Your voice wavered as you recalled the conversation, a knot forming in your throat. “He said you’re only doing this because you pity me, and it's just—” 

You faltered, wrapping your arms around yourself as insecurity crept into your tone. “I feel so stupid for thinking there might be more. Like maybe you actually—” 

Before you could finish, Riki closed the distance between you in five long strides. His hands cupped your face, silencing you with a sudden, firm kiss. Your breath hitched, the warmth of his lips erasing your words and leaving your mind blank. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were bright with amusement, and he laughed softly, shaking his head. 

“You’re so stupid,” he said, still smiling, his thumb brushing over your cheeks to wipe the tears away. 

“W-What?” You stuttered.

“You really don’t get it, do you?” He murmured, eyes locked with yours, sincere and unguarded. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time. This whole fake dating thing? I didn’t do it because I pitied you, I did it because it was you.” 

He continued before you had the chance to speak. 

“It’s you— your strong personality, the way you never back down. You’re always so real with me. You’re caring and gentle. You’re yourself, and you don’t care about impressing anyone, least of all me. And I fell for you because of that.” 

His hand moved to brush a strand of hair behind your ear, his gaze softening even further. “I fell for your cheerfulness, the way you light up a room without even trying. But more than anything, I fell for the way you’re just you around me. No games, no pretending. Just you. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted.” 

Riki let out a breath, as if releasing something he’d held onto for too long. “So stop thinking this was ever about pity, because it’s not. It’s always been about you.”

You stood frozen, Riki’s words sinking in like waves crashing over you, overwhelming and impossible to ignore. You had spent so long convincing herself that this was all just an act, that he couldn’t possibly feel the same way. Yet here he was, laying it all bare in front of you.

“But... why didn’t you say anything before?” You finally whispered, your voice shaky. “Why go along with this whole fake dating thing?”

Riki let out a small sigh, his hand trailing down your arm, gently taking your hand. “Because I didn’t think you’d ever feel the same way,” he admitted, a hint of vulnerability flickering in his eyes. 

“I figured if I could be close to you, even if it wasn’t real, it was better than nothing. I thought I could handle it, just pretending. But being with you, even in this fake setup… it made me fall even harder.” His thumb brushed over your knuckles, almost absentmindedly, as if seeking comfort in the touch.

“And then you started feeling things too,” he continued, his gaze locking with yours again. “I saw it—the way you’d look at me, like you were afraid it was becoming too real. And I realized I couldn’t keep pretending anymore. I didn’t want to.”

Tears welled in your eyes as you looked at him, your heart pounding. “But Yeonjun—what he said… it made me doubt everything,” you whispered, your voice breaking slightly.

Riki’s expression hardened for a moment, his grip on your hand tightening protectively. “Yeonjun doesn’t know a damn thing about how I feel. I don’t care what he told you. He can say whatever he wants, but that’s not the truth. I’m here because I want to be, because I love you. Not out of pity, not out of obligation. Just because it’s you.”

The raw sincerity in his voice cracked something open inside you. The room felt smaller, quieter, like it was only the two of you.

Riki smiled softly, brushing a thumb over your cheek again, wiping away a tear you hadn’t even realized had fallen. “You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like this, you know?” His voice was soft but firm. “And I don’t want to fake it anymore.”

The silence hung between them for a moment, charged and heavy with unspoken feelings. Then, with your heart in your throat, you leaned into him, closing the space between you once more. 

“I don’t want to fake it anymore either,” you whispered, your lips brushing against his as you spoke.

Riki’s breath hitched, and then he kissed you—soft, but full of all the unspoken emotions that had been bottled up for so long. It was real, and it felt like everything was finally falling into place.

[starsinthesky5]

every time i look at you || joe burrow x reader

description: who knew that an unexpected relationship with a guy you never thought you’d be with would be the happiest, healthiest, and most special relationship in your life? you feel like you’re in high school ;)

a/n: in honor of mr quarterback throwing for the first time since November (publicly). so excited to see him ball ;) this may or may not have been inspired by a song i recently fell in love with.. (cough so high school cough)

alot of flashbacks/reflections to certain moments in this fic because of how the song goes! 

word count: 7 k

warnings: smut, language

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

You took a deep breath, taking in the salty aroma of your favorite beach as your feet were covered in sand. You and Joe had rented a beach house on your Hometown beach for a few weeks and had invited all your cousins over for a few days, so you were soaking up the last few moments in the sand before you had to get everything ready. 

“Y/N, they said that they’re about 30 minutes out!” Joe yelled from the patio. “Come inside so we can get everything set up,”. 

“Okay,” you yelled back, looking over at him. His hair was in its ‘post ocean water’ state, slightly messy but perfect at the same time. You both had taken a little dip in the ocean earlier together and he decided to let his hair be, which you approved of since you loved his beach hair. The golden sun was shining right onto him and he was practically glowing. 

You got up off the sand and made your way inside the house, making sure to wipe your feet on the mat outside since you had just cleaned. Joe had his back to you as you walked into the kitchen. He had ordered some food, making sure to ask your cousins what they liked and only getting that, and was getting all of it ready for everyone. 

“I’m just gonna put out the snack-type food for now so the rest doesn’t get cold,” he says. 

“Okayy,” you sing song, admiring your boyfriend for a few moments and taking in all the little details. For starters, the atmosphere. Joe had gotten all the right foods, alcohol, and games for your little beach reunion. You and your older cousins used to go down to the beach for a few weeks every summer, but after everyone got too old and had adult responsibilities, it became very hard to schedule. So, when you told Joe about how you’d spend your previous summers, he was adamant about having your cousins over for a few days during your own beach trip, and that meant the world to you. He had taken the reigns and planned everything out based off of the things you told him, and he did great.

Secondly, Joe himself. Other than the fact that he looked like a Greek God right now, he was being the most perfect boyfriend and lover to you, and making you feel so giddy inside. You had been here for a week already and you felt like you were being transported back to high school. You would go on a beach trip every summer, but usually to Florida or Malibu, but this year Joe wanted to experience the summers you would non-stop talk about. So that’s exactly what you did. You took him to all your favorite spots such as the pier, the arcade, the cute shops, and the restaurants, and made sure he had some of the best boardwalk fries you have ever had. The entire week felt like you were back in high school, doing the same things with your friends, but this time with the most special person in the world and he was enjoying the hell out of it. He felt like he was 17 again and running off to the beach with his friends from sunrise to sunset (even if it was quite a few hours away), just like you would do.

You didn’t realize how long you were staring at him until he playfully threw a chip at your face, causing you to flinch. 

“Did I lose you there?” he laughs while leaning against the oven. 

“Yeah,” you smile. “Sorry, were you saying something?”.

“Oh, I just said we should hit the pier later tonight if we can. I remember you saying that you guys loved going down there at night since the rides would be the most fun in the dark,” he says.

“Oh it is a must,” you emphasize. 

“Mhm. Also, quick question,”.

“Shoot,” you say back, eating the chip he threw at you. 

“Why were you staring at me like that just now? Did you need to say something?” he says before launching off the oven and over to you.

“Oh, nooo reason,” you giggle as he wraps his arms around your waist, and your arms around his neck. 

“Sureee,” he says while rolling his eyes. 

“It was nothing important, I swear,” you say while pressing a kiss onto his nose. 

“If you say so,” he says, repeating the action and kissing your nose. “You look gorgeous by the way,”.

You blushed at his words. You were wearing a pair of jean shorts and a lilac tank top, nothing crazy, but just enough for your boyfriend. 

“Thank you, Joey,” you say as he pulls you in for a kiss. His hand slides up your waist and around to your back as he pushes you deeper into him. Your hands navigate to his hair as you begin to get lost in his embrace. 

“Mm, Joe,” you whimper as you try to pull away, but his lips follow you, pulling you back into the heated kiss, and holding you tighter. He begins to suck on your bottom lip as his hands wander to your ass; you smile into the kiss as you knew exactly what this would lead to. 

He pushes you against the counter and cups your ass to help you up onto the surface. You open up your legs to let him in between and hook them around his waist. Your tongues are tangled in your mouth and his hand moves down to unbutton your shorts. 

“Joe, they’re gonna be here soon,” you say as you get him to break away by cradling his face. “We still have a lot to do,”.

“We can be quick,” he whispers against your lips. 

“Mm, I doubt that. The fastest we’ve done it was probably 30 minutes,” you chuckle. 

He stares into your eyes briefly before sighing, “Fine, but we are finishing this later. I don’t care if your family is under the roof, we’ll go outside if we have to,”.

“Deal,” you giggle, giving him a deep kiss to show your appreciation. 

A few hours later, your cousins–Sydney, James, Bella, and Micheal–get settled into the house, and you all are gathered on the patio drinking and eating. Non-stop laughter echoes through the air as you all catch up and tell funny stories. You take another sip of your drink as you find yourself staring at your boyfriend once again. He was sitting next to you on the loveseat, your free-hands fingers entwined, as he was telling everyone a funny story about the first time he saw you. It was a pretty embarrassing but cute story, one that always showed off Joe’s adorable little crinkles around his eyes whenever he would tell it. 

Flashback to LSU

You were in the library, cramming to finish your research paper on Metaphysics for your Philosophy class, and had completely lost track of time and forgot that you had to be at your best friend’s apartment to help her get ready for her date. Stacks of books were dispersed around your workspace and a big warm cup of coffee was the only thing keeping you sane. You glanced over to the clock and noticed that it was 2:30 and you were supposed to be at her apartment 10 minutes ago.

“Fuck,” you whispered, a feeling of panic washing over you.

You hurried to close your laptop and gathered your books to put them in your bag. You grabbed your cup of coffee and rushed to the stairs to head downstairs, but just your luck, you ran into a book cart on the way and spilled your coffee all over the extremely expensive college textbooks on it. 

“Shit,” you said as you saw the librarian walk over to you, a scowl on her face. 

“What on earth happened here,” the librarian said. The tone in her voice sends chills down your spine. 

“I- I am so sorry,” you said while trying to salvage the textbooks, which was no use since the majority of them had coffee seeping through the pages. 

“You college kids and your coffee. Do you realize how expensive these textbooks are?,” she lectured.

“I didn’t mean to spill my coffee on the books, I swear. I was in a rush because I have somewhere to be and completely missed the bookcart,” you explained. 

“That’s what they all say,” she said as she cleaned up the spilled coffee. “There are at least 4 fully damaged books. You’re going to have to pay for these,”.

Your eyes widen, “That’s like 450 dollars!”.

“Should have thought about that before bringing coffee in here,” she said while pointing over to the big ‘no food or drinks allowed’ sign. 

“Shit,” you mumbled. 

“Come with me, we can get you billed for them at the front desk,” she said, motioning you to follow her.

How the fuck were you supposed to pay for these textbooks? Your paycheck from your job at the School Store doesn’t even hit until next week and it definitely was not enough to cover textbook fees since you had 50 other things to do with that money. You accepted your fate and were about to walk with the librarian until you felt a warm and muscular arm around your waist. 

“That won’t be necessary Ms. Cindy,” he said. “You see, this is my girlfriend and she was on her way to meet me at the FroYo place down the street for our date,” he added. 

“Punctuality was never her strong suit,” he whispered, causing the librarian to chuckle. “Anyways, that’s why she spilled her coffee on these books. It’s pretty much all my fault so if you’re going to charge someone, charge me,”. 

You were too nervous to look up because that voice sounded all too familiar, a voice you had heard on screens across campus many times, and you refused to accept reality. There was no way this was actually happening.

“Oh! That won’t be necessary Joe,”.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend,” she smiled. 

“Me either,” you whispered. 

“What was that?” Joe said while gently squeezing your waist, making you look up at him. 

“I- Um,” you stumbled while anxiously searching his eyes for an answer. Something about his eyes calmed you down and you went along with the act. “Yup, he’s my boyfriend,” you said while smiling at the librarian.

“Ahh, Joey finally got a girl,” she teased. 

He laughed at her words and you laughed along. Why was he helping you? You don’t even know each other. 

“I’ll come back later about the books, we’re a little late for our date. Right, Babe?” he said while giving you a wink. 

“Yup! That FroYo is calling my name. Sorry about the books Ms. Cindy,” you say while giving her a sincere smile. 

“Oh, no worries Dear! You both go on ahead and enjoy your date,” she says. 

Joe gives her a nod and tells her goodbye as he leads you down the stairs and out of the library, still gripping your waist. He finally lets go and moves to face you.

“Thank You,” you quickly say, praying that he wouldn’t make fun of you. 

“Anytime…I didn’t catch your name?” he says while putting his hands in the pockets of his purple LSU football shorts. 

“Y/N,” you say. 

“Anytime, Y/N,” he smiles. “You looked like you needed some saving and I am one of Ms. Cindy’s favorites so,” he says with a shrug. 

“Yeah, I was wondering what that was about. She was quick to forget those 450 dollars,” you giggle. 

“Me and Ms. Cindy go waaay back. She really helped me out when I transferred here from Ohio State and had literally no idea what the hell I was doing on Campus. She’s basically my Mom down here. I’m pretty much her favorite college student ever,” he laughed.

“Mmmm, that makes sense. Your charm is pretty hard to beat,” you blush. 

“Thanks,” he replied while bouncing on his feet. Was he nervous? That was something you’d do whenever you’d get nervous. 

“But seriously, thank you for saving my ass back there. How can I repay you?”. 

“Hmm, how about that FroYo date girlfriend?” he smirks. 

Your stomach fluttered at his question. There was no way in hell the quarterback of the LSU Tigers, the QB1, was asking you to get FroYo with him. You? Some random girl he helped at the library that he’d literally never seen before?

“Oh, um. Are you sure? I mean you probably have somewhere to be and-,”.

“Actually, I just got done film study. And I know that you are free too because you’re def late to wherever you were in a rush to go to,” he interrupts. 

You stay silent and look at him for a few seconds. “And, I would love to know how we got to where we are right now,” he adds. 

You think about his offer for a few seconds, contemplating if you should take the risk of doing whatever this was with him, but eventually, you say yes. “Okay, let’s get FroYo boyfriend,”. 

An hour later 

“So you really think aliens are real,” you laugh.

“1000%,” Joe says as he takes another bite of his frozen yogurt. “There is literally no way that we’re the only things in the universe. I refuse to believe it. They’re too advanced to accidentally expose themselves so we probably won’t see them for a while,”.

“Fair point,” you laugh. Joe had been going on about space and aliens for about 10 minutes, and he was absolutely set on convincing you that they existed. You felt high on his interesting thoughts and felt drunk on the feeling that was overcoming you, and it was all because of him. Where were the cameras because you felt like you were living in a teenage rom-com and just had a meet-cute. “Maybe you’re an alien? I mean, I can’t think of any other dude on Campus that would randomly help a random girl at the library like you did,”.

He smiles at you and says, “Maybe I am? I guess we’ll never know,” he shrugs. “What was all that about anyway?”.

“I was caught up writing my essay about Metaphysics and completely forgot that I had to help my friend get ready for her date,”.

“Ah, I see. Did she get ready for her date fine? Ya know, since I stole you away for an impromptu date?”.

“I didn’t know this was actually a date,” you teased. 

“It can be if we want it to be,” he says while giving you a wink. “I know I want it to be,”.

You felt like screaming at that moment. He really was being serious about this being a date. You were pretty unlucky in the college dating pool, most guys you met only want to hook up or be FWB, but Joe wasn’t giving either of those vibes, which was shocking considering he’s a football player. He felt different from the other guys, and you loved the way he was making you feel; so silly, shy, and like you were 16 again and were living out the dream of having a football player boyfriend in high school. But him being a football player was the least interesting thing about him. His nerdiness, charm, and normalness shined through which separated him from most guys. This made the risk of starting something with him less scary.

“I do too,” you say while taking another bite of your custard. 

He was silently praying you would. Even though you just met, he thought you were the most stunning, genuine, and honest girl he had ever come across. This entire date had felt so relaxed and comfortable, something that was uncommon for him when he would go on a date with a girl. Most of them seemingly just wanted bragging rights as the “quarterback’s girl” or to hook up, and he wanted a real girlfriend, and you gave him that vibe. 

“Anyways, she was just fine. I told her why I was skipping out on her and she was more than happy to get ready alone considering why I bailed,”. 

He lets out a soft laugh before asking you about your essay. “So your essay, Metaphysics, that’s…?” he says while trying to recall where he heard that from. 

“Aristotle,” you answer. 

“Right, Philosophy class,” he nods. 

“Mhm. I love anything and everything psychology, sociology, and philosophy related,”. 

“Nerdy, good to know,” he teases. “I think our second date should be at the art and science museum. I heard they have a pretty sick space exhibit right now and an impressive psych one,”. 

Second date? He wanted to spend more time with you. Did he actually like you or was he just being nice?

“Second date?” you questioned. 

“Uhh, Duh,” he said while putting his cup down and resting his arms on the table. “You’re super cool, funny, nerdy, and gorgeous. Why would I not want to do this again?”. 

You blush at his words and your stomach has butterflies in it as he talks. You shake your head and say, “You’re not gonna let me go until I say yes, will you?”.

“Damn straight,” he says while raising his brows.

You let out a dramatic sigh, “Well, I suppose I’m free Friday night,”.

His face falls at your response. “Got a game that night. Quarterback duties,” he sighs. 

You stay silent for a few seconds before he asks another question. “You could come to the game? I can snag you a ticket and one for your friend if you guys wanna sit front row in the stands on our side?”.

Your heart was beating so fast you thought it would pop out of your chest. He wanted you to come to his game and he was being serious. He was serious about all of it; a second date, spending more time with you, and even going to his game. Although you’ve been at LSU for longer than him, you have never attended a football game before. But maybe that should change. 

“Sounds perfect. I would love to see you in action up close Mr. Quarterback. Gotta really make sure you know how to ball and that it’s not all talk,” you flirt. 

“Oh, it’s not just talk,” he flirts back. “But that sounds good. We can do the museum on Saturday,”. 

“Can’t wait,” you say. 

Friday Night – Tiger Stadium 

“Holy Shit, that was a dime!” You screamed while jumping up and down, and bringing your friend Sophia along with you. 

“He is too damn good,” she smiled. 

Joe had just thrown his 4th Touchdown pass of the game, and the entire stadium was electric. You felt adrenaline rushing through your veins as you watched Joe tear it up on the field. He knew how to ball, and he knew how to do it well. You had been screaming and cheering the entire time that you were about to lose your voice. 

“I seriously cannot believe you two are dating,” Sophia said while squeezing your arm.

“Woah, It was 1 date and we’re not even officially official. We’ll see how it goes,” you blushed. 

“Mhmmm. Did you pick a wedding date yet? Ya know, I would like to save the date ahead of time,”. 

“Ha ha,” you said while rolling your eyes at her. 

“Or did you guys already talk about baby names? You would make the cutest babies on the planet,” she teased.

You couldn’t help but smile at her antics and were caught up in teasing each other so you didn’t even realize that Joe was walking over to the barricade where you were seated in front of. The game had ended and he managed to figure out where you were sitting and wanted to talk to you. 

“He’s walking over,” she notices. 

You whip your head back around to the field and catch him jogging over to you, helmet in hand and a big smile on his gorgeous face. 

“I’m gonna go pee, let me know what’s up Mrs. Quarterback,” she winks, quickly exiting the row you were sitting in and leaving you alone.

You shake your head and look back over and Joe is standing right in front of you on the ground below. “Did you have fun?” he panted. 

You leaned down to get closer to him, “Are you fucking kidding me. That was so much fucking fun. I don't think I've ever had this much fun at a sporting event, you killed it,” you smiled. 

“Thank you, and I’m glad,” he said. “You look really pretty, by the way, the LSU purple and ‘9’ looks amazing on you,”.

“I’m glad you like it, I could get used to this. Purple might just be my new favorite color,” you tease.

“I mean, you look absolutely gorgeous in purple,” he nods. “I’ll be wrapped up here in like 30 minutes. If you’re free, we can go get something to eat after,”.

“I’d love to,” you said while reaching down and pressing a kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush. 

A half-hour later, you meet Joe outside the stadium and he has an Uber ready for you both. You texted Sophia to let her know that you and Joe were hanging out so you’d see her tomorrow before your date with him. 

You walk over to him and the car as he opens your door for you, making sure you get inside first. 

“Thank You,” you say at the sweet gesture as you climb into the backseat. 

He climbs in next to you, shutting the door and immediately pushing a button to close off the little window in the car that separates the driver from you both since it was a fancier Uber than you were used to. 

You’re a little confused as to why he did that but before you could ask him, he pulls you closer by your waist, your legs tangled, and he presses his lips against yours. You stay absolutely still for a few seconds before moving your hand to the back of his head, pushing him closer to you. He begins to suck on your lips as you press yourself closer to him. His tongue pushes against your lips, begging for entrance. You open up your mouth and his tongue begins to explore yours and you do the same with him. His grip around you tightens as you feel butterflies flutter in your belly, the kiss turning hotter and messier by the second. Pure electricity between you both. 

“Joe,” you whimper as he begins to kiss down to your neck.

Eventually, he pulls away, leaving both of you a little breathless. 

“I’ve been waiting to do that all week,” he confesses, his lips a little swollen from the kiss. 

“Well, I’m glad you decided to do it,” you whisper, pulling him back to you as you kiss him again, both of you grinning into the fiery kiss. 

End of flashback 

“Oh my god, that was the most embarrassing moment of my life,” you cackled. 

“But, it was also the best. Without that, we wouldn’t be here,” Joe says as he brings your hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it. 

“I mean, who knew that we would end up here? I seriously thought you were going to ditch me after you got drafted to the Bengals,” you joked, only partially though.

“Ditch you for what? I have everything I’ve ever wanted and need right here,” he says as he squeezes your leg. 

Flashback to Draft Night- Athens, Ohio 

It was currently Draft Night, also the night that Joe’s life, and yours, would change forever. He already knew he was going to be the first overall pick, also knowing he was ending up in Cincinnati. Joe had told you before you both graduated that wherever he ended up, he wanted you to go with him. You thought he was just messing around, but he was being so incredibly serious and you were feeling it for real now. 

Flashback to Graduation 

After the graduation ceremony, Joe had decided to take you back to the FroYo place where you both had you first unofficial official date. He had been meaning to talk to you about your future plans for a few weeks, but never found the right time to bring up such an important subject. He thought it would be best to talk to you about it today, and where better to do it than where it all started. 

You had gotten your FroYo and sat down at the same table you usually sat at and started digging in. 

“I want to talk to you about something,” Joe said, his voice a little shaky and nervous.

You notice his demenour, put your cup down, and reached over to grab his hand, stroking his skin for comfort. “What’s up?” You ask. 

“We just graduated,” he says.

“That we did,” you smile. 

“And I declared for the draft,” he adds. Your smile drops a bit at his next sentance. 

“That you did,” you said back. 

He didn’t really know how to approach the subject, so he just decided to let it out. “Come with me,” he said.

“Come with you where?” You giggled. 

“Wherever I end up. Whichever team and city drafts me. Go with me,” he says.

Your stomach does a backflip as you listen to him talk. He wanted you to go with him? You didn’t really know what was going to happen to your relationship after you graduated. You knew he was going to declare for the draft, and knew he was going to get drafted; but what you didn’t know was what was going to happen with you. A thought in the back of your mind was that he would breakup with you, and that thought scared the shit out of you. The thought of that happening was killing you, but he clearly had other plans. 

“Really?” You ask.

“Really.” He says, squeezing your hand. “I need you with me. I love you so much and the thought of us being so far away from each other is bullshit. I can’t do this without you, Y/N,”. 

You stay silent for a few seconds to collect your thoughts. If you went with him, you’d be living together. You’d have to find a Job in whichever city you’d end up in. It didn’t sound so bad. Actually, it sounded like a dream. You’d get to stay with the love of your life and get to embark on this journey together. 

“Okay,” you smile after thinking about his offer for a few moments.

“Seriously?” He asks.

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.” You say while staring into his ocean blue eyes which are filled with promise and love. 

Flashforward back to Draft Night

“Are you excited?” You ask Joe as you sit next to him on the couch. The draft was virtual for the most part this year due to COVID-19, so you were enjoying draft night from the comfort of his parent's house.

“Excited, nervous, and a bit scared,” he laughs. 

“Sounds about right. Your life is about to change,” you say as you press a kiss onto his cheek.

“Our life,” he says.

Butterflies flutter in your belly, “Right, our life,” you say as you get a warm feeling in your stomach. 

“Did you hear back from the job you applied to in Cincy?” He asked.

“Not yet. Should be hearing back tomorrow. Buttt, I talked to one of my connections there and they said to be expecting a positive answer,” you beam.

“That’s amazing, Y/N. I'm so proud of you,” he says as he pulls you in for a hug. 

You let out a laugh as he pulls you in tighter, “I can’t wait,”.

“Me either. It’s starting to feel real,” he says.

“Oh, it will feel realer when we go house hunting in Cincy on Sunday,” you say as you pull away from the hug. 

Joe lets out a sigh, “Mm I can’t wait for the fun experience that’ll be,”.

“It won’t be super fun, but at least we’re doing it together,” you say, gazing lovingly into his eyes. 

“And I’m very glad we are,” he says, pressing a kiss to your soft lips.

End of flashback 

“Aww, you guys are so cute,” Sydney says. 

"Agreed. I’ve never seen Y/N happier and more free like she is with you, Joe,” James adds as he takes a sip of his drink. 

Joe looks over at you with a big smile, “Well, I’m lucky to have her,”. 

You look over at him with so much love and comfort. No one has truly ever had you like he has. He brings out the best in you, and he has since day 1. Everyone can see it, and everyone can feel it too.  

A little later, you all go back inside and go your own ways for a little bit for some guy and girl time. The boys are sitting on the couch and getting the Xbox set up to play Grand Theft Auto, while You, Sydney, and Bella are sitting at the Kitchen Island drinking some wine and having girl talk. 

You look back over to Joe, who seems to be incredibly excited to play GTA with your cousins. 

“So high school,” you giggle as you remember a similar instance from a few years ago. 

Flashback to a few years ago

You had just gotten back from lunch with your friends and were making your way into your and Joe’s house. You walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water and saw Joe sitting on the couch, seemingly playing video games with his high school friends, something he would usually do on weekends. 

You walk over to him and he sees you, so he puts his headset down and mutes himself. “Hey Babe, how was lunch?”.

“It was good, just the usual,” you say as you sit next to him on the couch. 

He looks back over to you, taking in everything about you. You looked absolutely sexy in your white top and flowy pink short skirt; your hair was in two cute braids. “You look beautiful,” he says as he goes back to his game. 

“Thank youuu,” you say as you fall back against the couch cushion, your skirt riding up your legs. You move your hand to his lower back and slip it under his shirt, rubbing the soft golden skin. A smirk graces his face as he leans back against the cushions like you are. His hand moved to your thigh, slowly creeping up to your core. 

“Joe,” you whisper. 

“It’s alright, they can’t hear you. And I owe you for this morning,” he says as he puts his headset back on and unmutes himself. He was referring to the early morning head you gave him before you left for your lunch. He wanted a little more, but that was all you had time for. 

His fingers move under your skirt and hover over your already damp-panties. He slides them over to the side and feels your wetness. You let out a quiet moan as you move your hips closer to his hand. Your wetness allows him to easily slide his finger inside your core, causing you to let out another moan. 

“Joe, shit,” you quietly moan.

He begins to pump his finger in and out of your slick heat as your breaths come out in short gasps. You move your hand to grip his forearm as he picks up the pace of his fingers, eventually adding another which was driving you insane. 

“Oh my god,” you moan as you squirm in your seat. 

You look over at him, a smile on his face and he was so casually talking to his friends through the headset, and had you a complete mess right next to him. He continued to pump his fingers into your core as your grip on his forearm tightened.  

“Ahh,” you quietly moan as you throw your head back into the cushion. Your breathing turned heavier as his thumb grazed your clit and he started to rub your sensitive sweet spot. A few seconds later, you felt your walls clenching around his fingers. 

“I’m gonna cum,��� you whimpered. And as if on cue, he pinched your clit with his thumb and pumped another finger into your core, ultimately sending you straight over the edge. 

“Joee,” you moaned as you came around his fingers.

End of flashback 

“Joe’s a really great guy,” Bella says as she takes a sip of her wine, snapping you back to the present. 

“Mhm, he really meshes with everyone so well,” Sydney adds as she pops a chip into her mouth. 

“Yup. Andd he is absolutely amazing to you. He’s like your real-life prince charming that you would dream about in high school,” Bella says. 

A blush creeps up your face as they continue to tell you how amazing he is. “He’s so down to earth and normal even though he’s a millionaire quarterback, it never fails to amaze me. And he is absolutely head over heels in love with you” Sydney says while patting your thigh. 

“Yeah, he really is,” you say as you take a sip of your wine. 

“I mean, it’s been like what, 5 or 6 years?” Sydney asks.

“Yup,” Bella responds.

“5, almost 6 years of that everlasting blush and smile on your face. This is it, Y/N,” Sydney says, referring to what you had been dreaming about since you were little. 

“Here comes the bride,” Bella Sing-Songs as she mimics a slow dance, causing you to break into a laugh. 

“Bella’s right. Any wedding bells in the near future?” Sydney asks. 

A smile creeps up your face as you look back over to Joe who is incredibly focused on the video game and chatting with your other cousins. 

“Yeah actually. We have talked about it,” you say as you look back over to Sydney and Bella, a big smile on both of their faces. 

Flashback to last summer 

You and Joe had been laying out on the pool chairs on the deck, soaking in a bit of the sun and hoping for a nice tan. You were laying there with your eyes closed as you suddenly felt a dip in your pool chair. You opened your eyes and Joe was kneeling on the chair.

“Think you can make some room?” he smiles. 

“Always,” you say as you spread open your legs. Joe lays down in between them, the back of his head resting against your belly and his arms caressing your legs. You move your hands into his soft golden hair and let out a relaxed sigh as you feel so much peace at that moment.  You closed your eyes again, but suddenly opened them at Joe’s question. 

“Do you wanna get married?” he asks so casually. 

“What,” you say, feeling a bit dazed.

“I said, Do you want to get married?” he laughs as he turns around in between your legs, moving a bit higher so that his head is resting on your chest now and his arms around your waist. 

“Is this your way of proposing?” you giggle as you look down at him.

“Well, No. I don’t have a ring yet and when I do propose, it will definitely be more memorable. But would you want to marry me?”.

You stay silent for a few seconds, a million thoughts in your head. Was this really happening? You had dreamt of your wedding since you were 5 years old, and now you had someone who wanted to make that a reality. And it wasn’t just any ‘someone’, it was Joe, your Joe. Your boyfriend, best friend, and favorite human.

“Of course I would,” You smile as he looks back up at you.

“Really?” he asks while raising his eyebrows.

“Really. I couldn’t think of a better person to spend my life with. You are quite literally my dream boy and I am so fucking glad I spilled that coffee on those textbooks in the Library at LSU. It brought me you,” you say as you rub his back.

“I love you,” he says as he presses kisses onto your chest.

“I know things are a bit crazy right now with football and everything and I want you to focus on your goals first, so whenever the time is right and the time comes, I’ll be right here,” you add.

Joe lifts his head off of your chest, moves to your face, and starts to press kisses all over your lips. “I love you so much,” he says in between kisses. 

“I love you too, future husband,” you say.

End of flashback 

“Awwww,” your cousins said in Unison. 

“So yeah,” you breathe out. “It’s gonna happen when it happens,” you shrug.

“Well, I have a feeling it’s gonna happen soon. My intuition has never failed me,” Sydney says. 

“Syd’s right. You remember when her intuition said that the Zipper ride at the pier was going to break down mid-ride and that we shouldn’t go on it? And then 15 minutes later what happened?” 

“You guys are too much,” you giggle as you get off the barstool and put the empty glasses in the sink. 

“Can’t help it. Baby Cousin is gonna be a Wifeyyyy,” Bella teases as she hops off the barstool and grabs your arms, and twirls you around. 

“Shut up,” you laugh as she pulls you in for a hug. 

“Yo, you guys ready to go to the pier?” Micheal asks from the living room. 

You lift your head up and say, “Um, is that even a question,”.

“Joe, you and Y/N can go in your car, we all can take the other one,” Sydney says.

“Sounds good,” he says as he walks over to the counter to grab the keys and then grabbing your hand. He presses a kiss to your forehead as he leads you out to the driveway.

A few minutes later

You and Joe are in the car and on the way to the Boardwalk where the pier is. Joe’s hand rests on your thigh and your hands are playing with his soft fingers. 

“You having fun?” he asks.

“I am,” you smile. “Thank you so much for doing this,”. 

“Hey, they’re my family too,” he says while giving your thigh a soft squeeze. 

You look over at Joe for a few moments. God, your life was perfect. You could not ask for anything more, it couldn’t get better than this. He was truly the best thing that could have ever happened to you. Your family loved him, your friends loved him, you loved him. The way he makes you feel cannot be replicated by anyone else. Truly one of a kind.  

“Y/N, you’re staring at me again,” Joe laughs as he notices you gazing at him. 

“I knoww,” you blush.

“Well… You gonna tell me why this time?” he asks, looking back over at you. 

You let out a content sigh, “I just feel so high school every time I look at you,”.

“I’m gonna pretend like I know what you’re talking about,” he says while parking the car. 

“I feel so high school with you, like I’m 16 again. I’m dating a quarterback who absolutely loves everything about me. I never thought I would be dating him, it was really unexpected. I never would have had the courage to make a move, but he did. You knew what you wanted and boy, you got her” you beam. "I'm living a teen rom-com right now,".

Joe turns off the car and looks at you, his mouth slightly open and his eyes filled with nothing but love. His heart fluttered at your words. You were it for him. He wanted nothing more and he felt at peace knowing you felt the same about him. 

“Y/N,” he whispers as his hand cups your cheek. 

“I love you, Joe. Thank you for making my dream a reality,” you say as you move closer to him. 

He leans over the center console and slowly inches closer to your lips, eventually capturing them in a sweet kiss. The neon lights from the Ferris Wheel reflected onto the car, casting a glow on both of you. This felt like something straight out of high school. You were sitting in the car with the man of your dreams, at the beach where you would spend countless hours of your youth, a memory-filled place, and you were sharing it with your special person. 

You pulled away after a few seconds, a smile bigger than ever before on your face. “You know how that felt?”.

“So High School,” he responded with a smile. 

“So High School,” you nodded as you pulled him back to you for another kiss, both of you smiling into it. 

Suddenly you heard a few smacks on the window and some yelling, causing you and Joe to pull away. 

“What the-” you say.

“Come onnn Love-Birds!” James yells. 

“We don’t have all night!” Bella screams as your Cousins walk over to the pier entrance.

“You guys can make babies later, that rollercoaster is calling our name!” Sydney yells. 

“Let’s goooo,” Micheal adds, pointing to the Ferris Wheel. 

You and Joe look at each other and start laughing at the scene. He gets out of the car and makes his way to your side, opening your door and helping you out of the car. He closes your door, grabs your hand, entwines your fingers, and leads you over to the entrance.

“This is gonna be epic,” Joe says. His cheeks were pink and his eyes twinkled in the light, a bounce present in his step. He looked like a little kid at the boardwalk for the first time.

“Yeah, this is so high school,” you laugh as Joe eagerly leads you to the entrance.

--The End--

[lackadaisycats]

Hi, magnificent Tracy! Congrats on "Stratagem"! Speaking of which: Mordecai lists off some chess strategies. I tried to google these strategies, but found information about only a few of them. Can you please share some info/links on the sources where it's possible to read about these chess strategies if they're real ones? Thank you in advance!

Thanks very much! All credit to the crew and the VAs who conjured it into existence! We went down quite the rabbit hole researching chess strategy and historic chess games for this, trying to keep it relatively aligned with the time period. At one point we even reached out to a St. Louis-based chess master looking for advice. (I guess the subject header of our attempted email correspondence - "Sir, we need your help for our angry cat cartoon" - was a non-starter for him, though.) In the end, we compromised on something in-between historicity and proclivity for silly names. Some of the strategies Mordecai rattled off are real things - Hammerschlag, for instance. Some are odes to real things. Dave C. stumbled on the Fried Fox, which is a real sort of attack in chess, and came up with Poached Penguin. Some are allusions to grandmasters of the past, like Savielly Tartakower, who wrote books on playing chess, and was generally a big deal in the chess world in the 1920s. Fable wanted to make sure we fit the very excellent word zugzwang in there somewhere. How could I resist? And there are a couple we just fully made up.

[elusivewildflower]

i would love to hear your domestic six thoughts (if you have any)

Oooo, yes I do have some domestic Six thoughts! Domestic Six and letting him be all soft is probably one of my favorite things to think about, and some of these will tie in heavily with The Other Fitzroy series. Shout out to @lloydsbitch for brainstorming with me for some non-smutty ideas 🤣

I think that after Six gets away from the CIA that he will teach himself how to become a handyman. He's not used to having so much free time, so he needs something that will keep his mind and body active. I feel his father probably taught him some things, since he was so determined to make his sons "macho," and that he's learned things as needed throughout his life -- but I'm talking about learning how to remodel a whole house just for you. You want to turn that spare room with a lovely view into a library? He'll build bookcases and a window seat by hand to transform it into the space you've dreamed of.

Whenever he's not busy keeping active, he's more than happy to sit on the couch and binge watch your favorite shows and movies. Six hasn't exactly had the time or internet access to watch everything that's came out in the last 20 years, so he has a lot to catch up on. Expect to spend several nights a week and potentially all weekend cuddled up on the couch, his arm wrapped around your waist and your head on his chest. But if you're watching an action movie, he won't be able to stop himself from calling out everything that's unrealistic.

Six clearly likes to be self-reliant after retiring, so he also has a garden in the backyard that he tends to on a daily basis. You certainly enjoy watching him tend to the crops from the covered porch. He's shirtless, dripping with sweat and covered in dirt by the time he comes up to you for a refreshing glass of lemonade. It's also fun to watch him chop firewood in the fall with a steaming cup of hot cocoa. He might be wearing more layers in the cold air, but the sound of his grunts carry across the yard and straight to your.....*ahem*

There was never much time for date nights while on the run, so Six makes quality time one of his big priorities after you've settled down. It still can be difficult to achieve with a child to take care of, but at least Claire is old enough to babysit for a few hours. Something easy that the two of you enjoy is taking a drive out to get ice cream (and maybe some fries to dip in it? I love salty & sweet, sue me.) and sitting together in the car. You'll find someplace to park and eat your dessert, happily chatting or snuggling up to each other. And if you can't manage to get away from the house, then Six will go out and get the treats for you after the kids are asleep. You'll cuddle up on the couch, or on the loveseat on the porch during the summer, and fall deeper in love with the sweet man by your side.

smutty thoughts are under the cut.......

For starters, I want to give credit to @hederasgarden for this because she's the one who said Six has a housewife kink and I fully agree with it. By no means is he a lazy partner, but he does love to watch you cook in the kitchen and clean around the house. Both of those things make him look at you with hearts in his eyes and a growing erection in his pants. Especially if you happen to be wearing a pretty sundress. If the two of you are home alone when he gets riled up, he'll take you anywhere. He'll fuck you on the countertop, bend you over the side of the couch, or even halfway up the stairs on the way to the bedroom.

I also believe that Six has a major breeding kink. It might take him a year or two of being safe & settled to fully give himself into the kink, but once he does, he wants to pump you full of his seed every night. Six wants to see you barefoot and pregnant, and better yet — in a pretty sundress — and he won't rest until he gets it. If you thought him being riled up with his housewife kink was bad, just wait until he has to have you morning, noon, and night while you're ovulating. 🫣

After having kids, it's a lot harder to get that alone time together, but Six will happily sneak you away for a quickie. He knows your body so well that he can get both of you off in under ten minutes. Laundry needs switched over? He'll follow you in to "help." As soon as the dryer is on, he's got you bent over it — the sound of clothes tumbling around helps cover the noise of him pounding into you. Your baby just went down for a nap? Six will take you into your shared bedroom for a quickie, giving you an orgasm that puts you right to sleep. After all, you should be sleeping when the baby is, right? You need your rest, and while two of the most important people in his life are napping, he'll go downstairs to clean up the house or prep for dinner.

[hellishtrickster]

Fox And Found

Starter for @oneandahalfwolf

Orianna stumbled her way through Salt Lake City. It had been a long few months. She’d come from the UK to do some research and potentially some diplomacy with the American Fae population.

For her troubles, she’d been attacked with iron by some religious zealots which forced her to take her fox form to flee. However being beaten with iron had made her seriously sick on top of her injuries, ensuring she couldn’t take her humanoid form. To add insult to injury the injuries meant she couldn’t hunt very well, and the inability to take humanoid form meant she had no access to her money so she couldn’t buy food. That in turn made it harder for her to heal. Orianna had to resort to whatever she could scavenge…and sometimes that made her ill enough to bring it back up. Desperation could make you eat things you’d otherwise never dream of eating.

In a world filled with magical beings, one would think there’d be more tolerance. But nope! Orianna just had to have the luck of running into the worst kind of bigoted non-magicals…fucking bastards. She’d continue to curse them and their very existence until she either got out of this situation, or died. The latter seemed more likely after wandering for miles and miles on end. She couldn’t remember where she’d been when she started her journey at this point.

Orianna ducked and weaved through the various humanoid legs, trying to avoid being trampled. She sniffed the air trying to find something easy to scavenge. Her head turned toward an alley. Something smelled good.

Recently dumped scraps maybe?

She weaved through the crowds as quickly as her emaciated form would let her. It wasn’t like her fur caught the eyes of people to warn them of her presence anymore either.

Making it into the alley, Orianna saw a paper bag. She could smell something greasy. Fries maybe? The bag was beside a turned over cardboard box with a bundle of clothes in it. Weird, but safe enough.

Darting forward, Ori began to nose her way into the paper bag. Hopefully she’d found something edible this time.

[exhausted-archivist]

Updated: 2023/12

I originally posted this on my old blog. Since posting that, I've found other foods, drinks and ingredients. As of now this list is updated with everything found in media released as of Oct 2023.

Like the original, this is still a very long post that contains all canonical desserts, dishes, drinks, ingredients, and sauces. Unlike the original, I could not list canonically suggested food and ingredients, nor every codex, item, letter, ect in the sources. Because it was too long. I did add them to the individual post.

Like in the individual posts, the list has the country of origins next to each item and any relevant information. Such as ingredients, use, notes, or trivia. For the canonically suggested foods and drinks I list what their real world uses are for your reference as to what they might be used for in Thedas.

For Shorter Food Posts

Dishes, Sauces, and Sides

Drinks

Raw Ingredients

Prepared Ingredients

Canonically Possible Foods and Drinks

Disclaimer

Though real life plants may be listed here as edible it is for fictional use only. This is not intended to be used as a reference nor guide for what plants are edible or safe to eat. Please do not use it as such.

Dishes

Breads

Bark Bread

Biscuit

Whole Grain Biscuit - Commonly made in Chantry cloisters. A staple in their simple diets.

Black Bread

Braided Honey and Date Bread (Anderfels)

Brown Bread

Buns

Butter Puff - Bread made by folding butter into the dough allowing it to become puffy and softer than usual bread. (Orlais)

Crumpet

Dark Bread

Dried Bread

Flat Bread - A no-rise bread. Served with dip, brushed in oil, and/or as a side. (Nevarra)

Honey Loaf

Lichen Bread - Bread that is made using lichen. (Orzammar)

Black Lichen Bread

Peasant Bread - Comprised of wheat, grease, and salt in equal measure, made by Dalish and city elves in Orlais. They top it with butter, jam, and sometimes sugar. (Elves - Orlais)

Pumpkin bread - A favorite of Dorian Pavus (Tevinter)

Raider Queen’s Bread of Many Tongues - Created by the Raider Queen, this bread calls for flour, baking powder, salt, butter, brown sugar, molasses, eggs, bananas. The creator calls for Par Vollen bananas but another version of the recipe says Rivaini bananas are an acceptable replacement. (Rivain)

Rolls

Bread Roll

Sweet Rolls

Ryott Bread - Made of a protein rich grain called ryott. (Ferelden, Chasind)

Sweet Bread

Thin Bread - A thin bread used to make wraps in Seheron.

Whole Grain Bread - Another staple made in Chantry cloisters.

Wraps - Described as "soft" bread.

Appetizers, Starters, and Refreshments

Blood Orange Salad - a salad of bitter greens with blood orange slices served on top. (Nevarra)

Canapé - a type of hors d'œuvre.

Couscous Salad - A salad comprised of couscous with many varieties, one such variety includes red bell peppers and mint. (Rivain)

Crab Cakes - a classic dish in Kirkwall. (Kirkwall)

Dried Bread and Fruit

Eggs à la Val Foret - An egg dish served with a cream sauce. (Orlais)

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding - Celery, pepper, mackerel, diced onion, mustard, salt, Antivan pepper, ground mace, cardamom seed, eggs. Also known as Feast Day Fish (Ferelden)

Fried Crab Legs - A subsitute for the Orzammar dish of fried young giant spiders.

Fried young giant spiders - A common food in Orzammar, usually served with an alcohol-based sauce that varies with every establishment. (Orzammar)

Roasted Cave Beetles - Roasted whole and eaten out of the shell. (Orzammar)

Roasted Prawns - A substitute to cave beetles, said to have the same taste and texture.

Shredded Dried Meat and Cheese - A dish that is commonly used as a spread by the dwarves and used for lunches. (Orzammar)

Snails Dressed in Butter and Oil (Avvar)

Snails and Watercress Salad - A non-traditional dish inspired by Avvar cuisine featuring snails and watercress to appeal to lowlander pallets.

Stuffed Deep Mushrooms - A dish derived from various Orzammar deep mushroom delicacy. This Fereldan creation is stuffed with cheese and spinach. (Ferelden)

Rations, Tavern Fare, and Travel Food

Beer Nuts (Kirkwall)

Bread and Cheese

Chicken Wings - Sold in The Rusted Horn as ‘Wyvern Wings.’ (Ferelden)

Crow Feed (Antiva)

Dried Foods

Dried Fruit

Dried Meats

Fereldan Hearty Scones - a scone filled with bacon and cheese, careful, a mabari might snag it. (Ferelden)

Fish Pockets - A meal of fish, crisp vegetables, spices, and a soft wrap.(Seheron)

Fish Wrap - Fish wrapped in thin bread (Seheron)

Grey Warden Pastry Pockets - A hand pie filled with meat and other foods. Olesian Grey Wardens put their own twist using Olesian puff pastry.

The Hanged Man's Stew - The tavern’s featured dish, made with a different mystery meat every morning. (Kirkwall)

Jerky

Jerky Ball

Spiced Jerky

Meat Skewers - A portable snack. A known Orlesian version of this snack is primarily eaten by nobles while out on hunts and are not interested in the hunt, made of meat, cheese, and wine-soaked fruit.

Pickled Eggs - Eggs, sugar, salt, vinegar, and various spices and seasoning of the cooks preference. Favored in Ferelden and seen as a cure all. Served in nearly every Fereldan tavern. (Ferelden)

Pig Oat Mash - A constant dish on The Hanged Man menu, a popular hangover cure if washed down with brandy spiked cider. This warming porridge contains apples, dried salt pork or smoked bacon, dried rolled oats, berries, ale or water (Kirkwall)

Poison Stings - "Poison stings" is the colloquial name. Orange peels coated in chocolate, a crunchy yet chew texture that is both sweet and sour. A favored snack of Dorian Pavus when traveling from Tevinter to Ferelden. (Tevinter)

Provisions and Rations - Typically consist of dried meat, nuts, and a variety of other simple foodstuffs.

Dry Ration

Hardtack

Qunari Ration

Stuffed Vine Leaves - Common tavern food in Tevinter, stuffed with rice, herbs, and sometimes minced meat. Can be topped with lemon juice or tzatziki sauce.

Treviso Energy Balls - Made of peanut butter, oats, and dried fruit, it is a famine food invented during the occupation of Treviso in the Qunari Wars/The New Exalted Marches.

Unidentified Meat - Despite it's ominous name, it's simply chicken legs. Sometimes served with Nevarran flat bread. (Tevinter)

Dips, Glazes, Gravy, and Sauces

Apples Stewed in Brandy Sauce

Applesauce

Cherry Sauce

Cheese Sauce

Cream Sauce

Deep Mushroom Flavored Cream Sauce - Commonly served with seared nug. (Orzammar)

Dragon’s Blood Sauce (Nevarran)

Gravy

Honey-glaze - A sauce used to glaze various foods, particularly meats.

Hot Sauce

Llomerryn Red Sauce - A sauce that goes on almost everything, contains pulped tomatoes, onions, red pepper, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, hot pepper powder, salt, cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves, fennel seeds, dill seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, bay, garlic. (Rivain)

Mushrooms cooked in ale - One recommendation for this sauce is to be served over roasted nug.

Mushroom Sauce

Nesting Roast Gravy - Gravy made from the pan juices of a nesting roast. Meant to be served with the roast. (Orlais)

Plum Sauce

Red Wine Marinade

River-herring Gravy - a gravy as white as apple blossoms. (Orlais)

Special Sauce - A sauce infused with the essence of fifty-two herbs, prized for the ability to help with “inadequacy”. (Kirkwall)

Spider Leg Sauce - a variety of alcohol-based sauces unique to each Orzammar establishment, meant to be paired with fried young giant spider legs.

Tzatziki Sauce - Served with stuffed vine leaves. (Tevinter)

Wild Flower Glaze - A honeyed glaze made of wild flowers, it is recommended to use flowers plucked at dawn and the lowest blossoms. (Anderfels)

Yogurt Dip - Often served with flat bread (Nevarra)

Soups and Stews

Barley Soup

Blood Soup - Merrill is credited with the creation of this creamy beetroot soup, it is topped with roasted chickpeas. (Dalish)

Butter Soup - A simple, inexpensive, and easy soup. Made as midmorning meals or midday refresher for field workers. It is commonly fed to children and convalescents due to its nutritious nature. Ingredients include water, potatoes, cinnamon, star anise, clove, bay, peppercorns, salt, noodles, cream, butter (Orlais)

Cabbage Stew (Ferelden)

Deepstalker Stew - A stew of deepstalker is made when rations run low. (Legion of the Dead)

Denerim-rabbit Stew - Made with rat (City Elf)

Enchantment Soup - Made by Sandal, edibility unknown.

Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup

Fereldan Turnip and Barley Stew - White beans, oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, stock, turnips, turnip greens, sausage, barley, cumin, dried basil, oregano, salt, pepper, herbed wine vinegar

First Day Festival Stew (Orzammar)

Fish Chowder (Antiva)

Fish Stew

Lamb and Pea Stew - Alistair has his own version of this soup. (Ferelden)

Lentil Soup - A universal soup, with lentils being common in every Thedosian pantry.

Nettle Soup

Norbotten Fruit Stew - This dish is used to rehydrate dried fruits: dried apricots, pitted prunes, raisins, mixed dried fruits (cherries, apples, cranberries, etc), lemon or orange, cinnamon, cloves, water, sugar or honey, brandy. (Anderfels)

Pea Soup

Ram Stew (Ferelden)

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup (Ferelden)

Turnip Stew (Ferelden)

Turnip-Goat Stew (Ferelden)

Wild Rabbit Stew

Main Course

Alamarri Pickled Krone - Krone, Brine, (optional) pine pitch and druffalo dung.

Baked Fish - An Avvar cooking method where they wrap fish in pungent leaves and clay before cooking it in banked coals. (Avvar)

Baked Krone with Honey - The honey is typically used as a side sauce for dipping. (Fereldan)

Beans and Bread

Boiled Roots

Braised Nug with Elfroot (Dwarven)

Braised Ram with all the Trimmings (Ferelden)

Broiled Boar Head (Fereldan)

Cacio e pepe - A dish of three ingredients; spaghetti, pepper, and pecorino romano. (Antiva)

Dalish Deep Forest Comfort - String squashes, halla butter, garlic, mushrooms, elfroot or spinach, diced tomatoes or beetles, hot red pepper, rock salt, halla cheese or goat cheese, edible wildflowers (borage, chicory, etc), pine nuts. (Dalish, Southern Orlais)

First Day Chicken - a dish served during First Day in some parts of Orlais. (Orlais)

Fish in Salt Crust - Cooked much liked the baked fish, instead of using clay, the fish is covered in salt and wrapped in pungent leaves before being cooked in banked coals. (Avvar)

Fresh Oyster - Noted to go well with Llomerryn red sauce.

Fried Fish

Fried Mush (Orzammar)

Glazed Krone (Ferelden)

Gilded Swan with River-herring Gravy - An eastern spice, flour, gold leaf, river herring, swan, yolk. (Orlais)

Gnocchi (Antiva)

Goat Custard - A broiled goat head, not to be confused with the dessert. (Ferelden)

Grilled Poussin - Grilled chicken, typically a younger chicken. (Chasind)

Ham

Anderfels Smoked Ham - It tastes of despair

Avvar Ham

Ham Stuck with Cloves

The Jade Ham - Honeyed with wild flowers (especially those picked at dawn), masterfully seasoned, and spiral-cut. Not considered edible but better used as a weapon. (Anderfels)

Orlesian Ham

Smoked Ham

Herbed Chicken and Biscuits (Ferelden)

Jellied Meats

Jellied Pigs Feet - A delicacy in the Free Marches and originally a popular commoner food that has risen to the tables of nobility. Pigs feet and/or pork hocks, salt, onions, garlic, allspice, peppercorns, bay. (Free Marches)

Veal Galentine (Orlais)

Liver

Lutefisk

Nesting Roast - This dish is classically made with a quail stuffed in a pheasant stuffed in a swan. Served with gravy made from the pan juices. (Orlais)

Mad Burnard’s Gift of Flesh - A nesting roast unlike any other, involving a whole wyvern, stuffed with a whole gurn, stuffed with a horse, stuffed with a large halla (horns and all), stuffed with a swan, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a quail, stuffed with a bunting that choked on a gold piece. (Orlais)

Nug Steak (Orzammar)

Nug-gets (Orzammar)

Nug-loaf (Orzammar)

Nug-Nug - A dish meant to resemble a nug peeking from its burrow; made of ground meat (beef preferred), parsley, egg, salt, crushed cumin or mustard seeds, black pepper, cooked rice, tomatoes, onions, chives (Orlais)

Paella - Made with rice, saffron, and a variety of seafood; such as shrimp, cuttlefish, and mussels. (Antiva)

Pancake - The breakfast food and savory dishes.

Crepes - A very thin pancake that can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients. (Orlais)

Hearth Cakes - Described as a common fare where they are baked on an iron griddle. They are made with halla butter (can be subbed for goat or cow butter), flour, hardwood ash (can be replaced with baking powder), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar, mixed dried fruit (like cranberries, raisins, and currants), an egg, and milk. Described as baeing crispy and flaky on the outside, but remains moist on the inside. They are grilled on one side and then are flipped over, ensuring they are all crisp and bown. (Dalish)

Nug Pancakes - A savory pancake made with nug. A favorite among dwarven children. (Orzammar)

Porridge

Bland Porridge

Deer Porridge - A savory porridge served with deer.

Porridge with Raisins

Savory Porridge - Served with meat, vegatables, or spices.

Pudding - A sweet or savory, steamed dish that can be topped with gravy or chocolate.

Rack of Ribs (Ferelden)

Ram Chops (Ferelden)

Ram Cutlet (Ferelden)

Rice and Boiled Vegetables (Tevinter)

Roast

Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce (Avvar)

Roast Boar - One cooking method involves the boar being stuffed with apples (Ferelden and Orlais). Another has it served with a side of candied yams.

Roast Chicken

Roast Duck

Roast Hog

Roast Lamb

Roast Turkey - Common in the Free Marches, especially among Starkhaven nobility, as well as the Chasind.

Roast Wyvern - Common with the Avvar and Orlais.

Roasted Cave Beetle (Dwarven)

Roasted Giant Spider (Dwarven)

Roasted Nug (Orzammar)

Roasted Phoenix - One of the most infamous meals in Thedas, it is served with sweet red wine.

Roasted Rabbit

Roasted Venison with Wild Greens - The venison is seasoned with mint and pepper, served with wild greens and sweet pastries. Paired with wine to drink. (Ferelden)

Slow-roasted Nug-let (Orzammar)

Spit-roasted Deepstalker (Dwarven)

Spit-roasted Nug with Hot Sauce (Orzammar)

Sandwich

Ham Sandwich

Sausage - There are about twelve different kinds of sausage unnamed mentioned in Last Court.

Black Pudding - A type of blood sausage made from pork or beef blood, pork fat or beef sue, and a type of cereal. (Orlais)

Smoked Sausage

Spiced Sausage

Savory Pies

Dove Pie - A pie made with live doves, for the theater of the meal. (Orlais)

Nug Bacon and Egg Pie (Ferelden)

Pigeon Pie

Pork Pie

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie - Fish from the Minanter River (carp, trout, or others), wine, onion, carrot, thyme, bay, sea salt, dried currants, sliced almonds, boiled sliced eggs, butter, flour, fish broth, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cream, fried whitebait or other small fish. (Starkhaven)

Turnip and Mutton Pie (Ferelden)

Unmentionable Pie - It is a meat pie that uses the typically undesirable parts of an animal. (Ferelden)

Venison Pasty - A hand pie filled with venison. In Serault, it is served with curls of goat cheese. (Orlais)

Seared Nug - Usually served with a deep mushroom cream sauce. (Orzammar)

Simmering Partridge - Cooked with sweet onions and pale beans (Orlais)

Smoked Meat

Smoked Boar

Smoked Fish

Smoked Rabbit

Smoked Venison

Spiced Nug

Stuffed Cabbage - A seasoned cabbage head stuffed with meat.

Venison with Apples Stewed in Brandy Sauce

Wandering Hills - A delicacy made from large creatures of the same name. (Anderfels)

Wyvern Steak

Sides

Antivan Olives - Soaked in vinegar and stuffed with capers.

Boiled Turnip (Ferelden)

Brandy Soaked Cherries (Orzammar)

Candied Yams

Croutons

Fried Potatoes - Recommended to be served with Llomerryn red sauce.

Hard-boiled Egg

Honey Carrots - Most common in Orlais where it is traditionally sweeter compared to other places due to the use of honey.

Jarred Olives (Tevinter)

Jellied Eels (Ferelden)

Mashed Turnip (Ferelden)

Peeled Grapes (Tevinter)

Picked Foods

Pickled Apples

The Pickled Apples of Arlathan - Apples said to be from the time of Arlathan. The taste is described to be one of fresh apples, with the same crispness.

Pickled Fish

Pickled Lamprey

Pickled Nug

Pickled Ox Tongue

Pickled Vegetables

Pickles

Roasted Chestnuts (Nevarra)

Roasted Figs (Rivain)

Roasted Potatoes - Recommended to be served with Llomerryn red sauce.

Roasted Turnip (Ferelden)

Sera’s Yummy Corn

Smoked Bacon

Steamed Beans

Steamed Turnips (Ferelden)

Stir-fried Turnips (Ferelden)

Toast

Toasted Bread - Used for dipping in stews.

Toasted Chickpeas - Used as a topping for soups and salads, sometimes as a replacement for croutons.

Wine Soaked Fruit

Baked Goods, Desserts, and Sweets

Bread Pudding - Made with stale bread, eggs, milk or cream, and other ingredients varied by if it is savory or sweet (Ferelden)

Cake

Cake with Apples

Cake with Nutmeg

Chocolate Cake

Cupcakes

Cherry Cupcakes - Historically a common method used to poison people, often served in the theater. (Tevinter)

The Exquisite Misery - A little cake topped with a dusting of anise, deep mushrooms, and gold dust. (Orlais)

Found Cake - A chocolate cream cake topped with white frosting and strawberries (Ferelden)

Hearth Cake - A pan-made cake; made of flour, hardwood ash or baking powder, halla butter, sugar, mixed dried fruit (currants, cranberries, etc), egg, milk. (Dalish)

Honey Cake (Orlais)

Lamprey Cake - contains no actual lampreys, it is modeled after the appearance of lamprey.

Lemon Cake

Petit Fours (Orlais)

Pound Cake

Round Cake - Often topped with poppyseed and honey. In Serault, they will sometimes have the antlers baked into the crust. (Orlais)

Sponge Cake (Orlais)

Sugar Cake - One version is made with strawberries and sugar-cream icing dressed on a pound cake. (Ferelden) Another version is made with a "humble cake" and is dressed with butter, sugar, and almonds. Both are seen as great gifts and good pick-me-ups after long days of traveling, and are often served by merchants.

Sugar-drizzled Lemon Cake - A type of lemon cake that was used in Antivan Crow history to assassinate templars.

Sugarcake - A dense cake usually topped with powdered sugar.

Sweet Cake

Wedding Cake

Candy

Black Licorice Candy - Can be salted. (Tevinter)

Bon-bons

Candied Almonds

Candied Fruit

Candy Apple (Ferelden)

Candied Dates (Tevinter)

Candy Cane

Carastian Candy - A candied chocolate. (Tevinter)

Peppermints

Spun Sugar (Ferelden)

Sweetmeat - A confectionery treat, sometimes candy coated fruit.

Toffee

Unnamed Candied Nuts with Spice - A candy that is sweet until swallowed, then they leave a spicy aftertaste. (Orlais)

Cobbler

Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler

Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler (Ferelden)

Cookies

Biscuit - A hard, flat, and unleavened baked treat that can be sweet or savory.

Butter and Sugar Cookie - This cookie isn’t specified as it is only described by these ingredients.

Raisin Cookies

Shortbread

Tea Biscuits

Wafers

Custard

Goat Custard - Differing from the Fereldan savory counterpart. This custard is made throughout Thedas with goat milk and has numerous varieties. On pairs it with roast fig. A Rivain variation uses milk of the Ayesleigh gulabi goats specifically for its sweeter milk.

Donuts

Ice Cream

Orlesian Guimauves - Another name for marshmallows.

Pastries

Antivan Apple Grenade

Cinnamon Rolls - one of Varric's favorite pastries.

Croissant - Vivienne starts every morning with one. (Orlais)

Honey and Nut Pastry (Tevinter)

Macaroon

Marie du Lac Erre’s Sweet Ruin - One version of this pastry with a dramatic history, the recipe contains; butter, powdered sugar, chocolate, vanilla extract, flour, orange or mint extract, baking powder, and milk. (Orlais)

Tarts

Unnamed Blueberry Pastry - A light, sticky pastry with blueberries. (Possibly Nevarra)

Varric's Favorite Pastry - A pastry spread created by Devon, a Fereldan cook, after consulting with Varric Tethras on his favorite pastry.

Pie

Apple Pie

The Blessed Apple - A pie made by a small cloister of Chantry sisters tending to the orchard, they use the windfall apples and share the pies freely; as well as the apples. The ingredients are flour, salt, butter, water, apples (golden apples from Lady’s Orchard preferred but others are acceptable substitutions), brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. (Orlesian)

Minced Pie - filled with finely chopped fruit and sweet things.

Pudding

Blancmange - A white pudding made of milk or heavy cream, its name is Orlesian for "white eating". Because of the mild, sweet taste it can have a variety of toppings such as toasted almonds, ribbons of fresh mangos, red grape compote, cherry saus, or Vivienne's preferred plating of white chocolate curls with whole jasmine flowers. (Orlais)

Caramel Pudding

Dessert Pudding

Rice Pudding

Scones

Sour Cherries in Cream (Orlais)

Sticky Figs Rolled in Nuts (Tevinter)

Sticky Jellies (Orlais)

Drinks

Absinthe

Absence - One of the bottles of Thedas you find in Inquisition.

Absinthe - also referred to la fée verte - “little green fairy”

Petite Absinthe - Made from a certain type of wormwood.

Ale, Beer, Drafts, Lagers, Malts, and Stouts

The Tapster’s Tavern in Orzammar serves 52 types of ale, some are listed.

Ale

Ander Stout - This stout is stored in oak casts. (Anderfels)

Barley Wine - Despite its name, this is an ale.

Beer

Brakien Brew (Orzammar)

Brown Ale

Coconut Draft (Orzammar)

Fereldan Beer

Fereldan Lager - A pale ale.

Lichen Ale (Orzammar)

Lichen-malt (Orzammar)

Oghren’s Homebrew - An amber coloured ale with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and described to have a hint of toastiness, and is spiced with cloves. (Dwarven)

Qunari Ale

Ryott Ale (Ferelden)

Ryott Beer (Ferelden)

Valenta’s Red (Orzammar)

Watered Beer - While watered beer is served to reduce the price of beer and stretch it along, it is also served as a provision. In Serault, the peasantry drink watered beer to stave off the summer heat.

Watered-down Ale

Wildwine - An ale made from ryott. (Chasind)

Wilhelm’s Special Brew - This dark-colored ale gives off a thick, oaky smell. When swirled in its tankard, it takes on an unexpected glow. (Ferelden)

Brandy

Ammazzacaffe - A drink taken after coffee to dull the taste or effects. Though it can be a small glass of any liqueur, it is usually brandy. (Antiva)

Aged Antivan Brandy

Antivan Brandy

Antivan Plum Brandy

Apple Brandy (Orlais)

Orlesian Brandy

Plum Brandy

West Hill Brandy (Ferelden)

Cider

Brandy-spiked-cider

Cider

Serault Cider (Orlais)

Winter Cider (Wycome)

Cocktails

Benediction - Made of Prophet's Larel gin, served with a wedge of lime, and a thimble of Golden Scythe.

Elfroot mixed with Dandelion Wine - A restorative draft. (City Elves of Orlais)

The Emerald Valley - A spirit distilled of over seventy different herbs and flowers by the Chantry sister in Lydes, it is topped with egg-white foam and dusted with nutmeg. Described as having a varied and complex flavour, fresh like a lush green valley. (Orlais)

Dragon’s Piss - The name is probably figurative, but no one knows for sure. BioWare gives the “recipe” for Dragon Piss as “1 oz light rum, 1 oz dark rum, filled with iced tea”. "Dragon's Breath" is offered as an alternative name for this drink as it is served while lit on fire in the glass and burns on the way down.

The Golden Nug - Made with a base of effervescent white Seleney wine, sweetened with a dash of West Hill brandy and a splash of pomegranate juice. Muddled with raspberries and garnished with a sprig of Royal Elfroot. The goal is to imitate the soft pink colour of a nug.

The Heart of Spring - A “restorative” drink from Verchiel made with violets. (Orlais)

The Hissing Drake - Mix of cinnamon-infused whiskey, darl Llomerryn rum, and Hirol's Lava Burst.

Ice Cream and Beer

A Night of Shame - Antivan port with a dash of chocolate bitters and a twist of orange, served in a flute of chilled Serault glass. (Orlais)

Orichalcum mixed with wine - Considered to have aphrodisiac properties.

Posset - A drink made of hot milk curdled with ale, wine, or other liquor and typically flavored with spices. Can be drunk as a delicacy or as a cold remedy.

The Randy Dowager - Rumored to be created by the editor of the periodical, it is a tall glass of Abyssal Peach liquor and fresh cream, garnished with sugared rose petals and served on a silk handkerchief with a scandalous rhyming couplet inked by the bartender. (Orlais)

To Cure a Cold - a folk remedy that requires boiling whiskey and adding lemon juice and crushed garlic.

Gin

Gin

Prophet’s Laurel Gin (Orlais)

Grey Warden Liquor

These are bottles unique to members of the order, as each warden will combine half-full bottles in order to save space. No bottle is ever fully emptied or cleaned. In order to preserve the base flavor. They are called Grey Whiskey, Ritewine, or Conscription Ale, each vintage is named after a warden with a small note.

Vintage: Warden Anras - Bottled whimsy.

Vintage: Warden Bethany Hawke - Princess piss.

Vintage: Warden Carver Hawke - Toast them all.

Vintage: Warden Daedalam - Extra red.

Vintage: Warden Eval’lal - Griffon Wing Ale

Vintage: Warden Gibbins - Don’t frigging touch! I spit in this! I mean it!

Vintage: Warden Jairn - Smash when dead.

Vintage: Warden Korenic - Notes of fruit and anger.

Vintage: Warden Riordan - Serve yourself.

Vintage: Warden Steed - Joining juice.

Vintage: Warden Tontiv - Home.

Mead

The Tapster’s Tavern in Orzammar serves 17 types of mead, some are listed. Honeywine is another name for mead.

Avvar Mead

Chasind Sack Mead

Lady Odette Guillory’s Family Honey Wine (Orlais)

Mead

Orlesian Honeywine

Port A sweet, fortified red wine, typically served with dessert.

Antivan Port

Tevinter Port

Rum Boot Screech is another name for rum.

Alvarado’s Bathtub Boot Screech

Blackwater Rum (Wycome)

Dark Llomerryn Rum

Tea and Other Drinks

Coffee (Antiva)

Cocoa/Hot Chocolate

Juice

Fermented Fruit Juice

Pickle Juice

Pomegranate Juice

Prune Juice

Punch

Spicy Punch

Tea

Almond Tea (Orlais)

Bitter Tea - An unspecified tea so bitter it is astringent. Served during the Fourth Blight.

Black Tea

Black Tea with Juniper

Fires of Change Tea (Orlais)

Herbal Tea

Iced Tea

Lattenfluss Tea (Anderfels)

Mint Tea

Anderfels Mint Tea

Nameless Tevinter Tea

Rivaini Spice Tea Blend - Blend of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. One of the teas from Rivain known for its healing properties. Empress Celene commonly uses this tea to stave off headaches.

Rivaini Tea

Rivaini Tea Blend - A blend of licorice root, oregano, lemon verbena, and peppermint. One of the teas from Rivain known for its healing properties. Rumored to be favored by Empress Celene to stave off headaches.

Rosehips Tea (Orlais)

Spiced Tea (Nevarra)

Stripweed Tea (Tevinter)

Unsweetened Tea

Verimensis Tea (Tevinter)

Whiskey

Cinnamon-infused Whiskey

Ferelden Whisky

Legacy White Shear

Mackay’s Epic Single Malt

Wine

The Tapster’s Tavern in Orzammar serves 12 types of imported wines, some are listed.

Agreggio Pavali (Tevinter)

Alyons Black (Orlais)

Amaranthine Red (Ferelden)

Anderfels Red

Antivan Red

Bitter Black Wine (Orlais)

Bottled Scar 5:34 Exalted - A rare collaboration between human and elf vintners.

Celestine Black Wine (Orlais)

Dalish Wine

Dandelion Wine (City Elves of Orlais)

Elderberry Wine (Ferelden)

Finale by Massaad (Orlais)

Flames of Our Lady (Orlais)

Flat Wine

Ghislain Red (Orlais)

Iced Wine - Mentioned in both Tevinter and Orlais.

Montsimmard White (Orlais)

Mosswine (Orzammar)

Mulsum (Tevinter)

Orlesian Red

Plum Wine

Red Wine

Serault Yellow Wine (Orlais)

Serault White (Orlais)

Silent Plains Piquette (Tevinter)

Southern Black Wine

Spiced Wine

Sweetened and Spiced Yellow Wine

Val Chevin Red Wine (Orlais)

Vint-9 Rowan’s Rose (Tevinter)

Watered Wine

White Seleny Wine (Antiva)

White Wine

Yellow Wine

Additional Spirits

Abyssal Peach

Antivan Sip-Sip

Aqua Magus

Aquae Lucidius - A potent liquor made of wyvern venom; a rare drink known for its hallucinogenic properties.

Bottle of Rotgut - Rotgut is slang for cheap whiskey.

Butterbile :84

Carnal 8:69 Blessed (Orlais)

Dwarven Ale - Not actually an ale, but a black liquid reputedly made from fungus with a reputation as being almost undrinkable for anyone not a dwarf.

Garblog’s Backcountry Reserve

Golden Scythe 9:40 Black

Hirol’s Lava Burst (Kal'Hirol)

Maraas-Lok (Qunari)

Moonshine

Potent Moonshine

Sun Blonde Vint-1 (Tevinter)

Raw Ingredients of Thedas

Fruits, Mushrooms, Nuts, and Vegetables

Edible Plants

Bark

Fern Fiddlehead (Avvar)

Hops

Lichen (Dwarves)

Black Lichen - Toxic unless properly cooked.

Moss (Dwarves)

Nettle

Pungent Leaves - Unspecified leaves. (Avvar)

Rose (Orlais)

Rose Petals

Rosehips

Stripweed (Tevinter)

Sugar Cane (Orlais, Tevinter, Rivain)

Vine Leaves (Tevinter)

Watercress (Avvar)

Wildflowers

Borage

Chicory

Dandelion

Honeysuckle

Jasmine

Violet

Fruits and Nuts

Apple

Applewood Apples (Orlais)

Golden Apples (Orlais)

Green Apples

Le Pomme Vie et Morte - Apples that grow by the gallows in Val Royeaux. (Orlais)

Red Apples

Windfall Apples

Apricot

Banana

Par Vollen Banana

Rivain Banana

Berry

Blackberry (Ferelden)

Blueberry

Cranberry

Currant

Black Currant

Elderberry (Ferelden)

Raspberry

Strawberry (Ferelden)

Caper (Antiva)

Cherry

Black Cherry

Sour Cherry - unspecified variety(ies)

Sweet Cherry - unspecified variety(ies)

Cocoa/Chocolate (Donarks)

Coconut

Coffee (Antiva)

Date - A purple and red fruit with a pit, it has a sweetness and tangy taste. (Tevinter)

Fig (Tevinter)

Grape

Red Grape (Orlais)

Lemon

Lime

Mango

Nuts

Almond

Chestnut

Pine Nut

Olive

Antivan Olive

Orange (Antiva, Orlais, Tevinter)

Blood Orange (Nevarra)

Passion Fruit (Antiva)

Peach

Pear

Plum

Pomegranate (Tevinter)

Pomegranate Seeds

Grain

Barley

Fereldan Barley

Pot Barley

Oats

Rolled Oats

Rice (Antiva, Rivain)

Ryott (Ferelden)

Wheat

Durum Wheat (Rivain)

Whole Grains

Mushrooms

Deep Mushroom

Field Mushroom

Unspecified Fungus - Used to brew Dwarven ale.

Truffle

Unnamed Glowing Fungus

Wild Mushroom

Vegetables and Legumes

Beans

Bush Beans (Free Marches)

Green Beans (Orlais)

Pale Beans (Orlais)

White Beans (Orlais)

Beet

Cabbage

Carrot

Purple Carrot (Orlais)

White Carrot (Orlais)

Celery

Chickpea (Rivain)

Chive

Corn

Checkered Corn

Golden Corn (Orlais)

Yellow Corn

Cucumber

Eggplant (Antiva, Ferelden)

Fennel (Orlais)

Leek

Lentils

Lettuce

Mustard

Onion

Red Onion (Orlais)

Sweet Onion (Orlais)

White Onion

Pea

Peanut (Antiva, Seheron)

Pepper

Antivan Pepper

Green Pepper

Hot Pepper

Hot Red Pepper

Red Bell Pepper (Rivain)

Sweet Pepper (Orlais)

Potato

Radish

Daikon Radish (Ferelden)

Rhubarb (Ferelden)

Spinach

Squash

Marrow Squash

Pumpkin

String Squash

Tomato

Turnip - aka navet

Turnip Greens

Wild Greens

Yams (Ferelden)

Animal Products

Dairy

Cream

Heavy Cream

Milk

Cow Milk

Goat Milk

Halla Milk

Ram Milk

Soured Milk

Eggs

Caviar

Chicken Egg

Fish and Seafood

Carp

Cod

Crab

Cuttlefish

Eel

Krone

Lamprey

Mackerel

Mussel

Oyster

Prawn

River Herring

Shrimp

Sunfish

Trout

Whitebait

Insects

Cave Beetle (Dwarven)

Giant Spider (Dwarven)

Scorpion

Snail (Avvar)

Wood-burrowing beetle larvae (Dalish)

Meats

Beef

Ox

Ox-tongue

Veal

Boar

Bronto (Orzammar)

Cat - mentioned to be eaten in Orlesian alienages by those most desperate (City Elves of Orlais).

Dog - mentioned to be eaten in Orlesian alienages by those most desperate (City Elves of Orlais).

Druffalo

Giant (Tevinter)

Goat

Gurn

Halla

Hare

Hart

Horse

Liver - General name given, animal isn’t specified.

Nug

Pork

Pig’s Feet

Pork Hocks

Pork Saddle

Rabbit

Ram

Rat - mentioned to be eaten in alienages by those most desperate (City Elves of Anderfels, Ferelden)

Sheep

Lamb

Mutton

Venison

Wandering Hills (Anderfels)

Poultry and Reptiles

Bunting

Chicken

Poussin (Chasind)

Deepstalker (Dwarven)

Dove

Dracolisk (Tevinter)

Dragon (Nevarra, Orlais)

Duck

Gurgut (Avvar)

Lurker (Avvar)

Partridge

Pheasant

Phoenix

Pigeon

Quail

Quillback

Swan

Turkey

Varghest

Wyvern (Avvar and Orlais)

Misc.

Dragon Blood (Nevarra)

Druffalo Dung

Honey

Honeycomb

Miscellaneous Ingredients

Baking Ingredients

Ash

Elfroot Ash

Hardwood Ash (Dalish)

Baking Powder

Yeast Cake

Salts

Fine-ground Salt

Rock Salt

Salt

Sea Salt

Others

Brine

Clay (Avvar)

Pine Pitch (Alamarri)

Herbs and Spices

Herbs

Basil - Mentioned to be grown in Serault, Orlais.

Dried Basil

Bay Leaf

Catsbane

Elfroot

Elfroot Leaves

Royal Elfroot

Lavender (Orlais)

Mint

Anderfels’s Mint

Foxmint

Peppermint

Oregano

Dried Oregano

Parsley

Prophet’s Laurel

Rosemary

Spindleweed

Verdant Spindleweed

Thyme

Spices

Allspice

Anise

Antivan Cord-seed

Cardamom

Cinnamon (Rivain, Seheron)

Clove

Cumin

Cumin Seed

Deep Mushroom Powder (Orlais and Orzammar)

Dill

Dill Seeds

Eastern Spice - Unnamed

Fennel

Fennel Seeds

Garlic

Ginger

Dried Ginger

Hot Pepper Powder

Hot Red Pepper, Crushed

Juniper

Licorice

Mace

Mustard

Mustard Powder

Mustard Seeds

Nutmeg (Seheron)

Grated Nutmeg

Ground Nutmeg

Pepper

Black Pepper

Peppercorn

Black Peppercorn

Poppyseed

Saffron

Spice Ball - A variety of mixed spices wrapped in a cheesecloth

Star Anise

Vanilla (Rivain)

Prepared Ingredients

Basic Ingredients

Alcohol

Brandy

Cinnamon-infused whiskey

Dark Llomerryn Rum

Hirol’s Lava Burst

Prophet’s Laurel Gin

Red Wine

Watered Down Ale

Whiskey

White Seleney Wine

Broth

Deepstalker Broth

Fish Broth

Butters - Non-dairy butters

Peanut Butter

Caramel

Cocoa Products

Chocolate (Orlais, Tevint)

Chocolate Bitters

Cocoa Butter - used to make white chocolate (Orlais)

Cocoa Powder - difficult to procure

White Chocolate (Orlais)

Compote - Fresh or dried fruit that is cut into chunks and stewed in a syrup of sugar and other flavours.

Red Grape Compote (Orlais)

Croutons

Custard

Dough

Pie Dough

Puff Pastry Dough (Orlais)

Extract

Mint Extract

Orange Extract

Vanilla Extract

Flour

Ryott Flour (Chasind, Ferelden)

Semolina Flour (Rivain)

Wheat Flour

Whole Grain Flour

Frosting

Buttercream

Chocolate Cream

White Frosting

Gold

Edible Gold Leaf

Gold Dust

Jam

Plum Jam

Raspberry Jam

Mulled Fruit

Mulled Raspberry

Oil

Cod Liver Oil

Orange Essence

Pasta

Antivan Pasta

Couscous (Rivain)

Gnocchi (Antiva)

Grain-based Noodle

Noodle

Pound Cake

Stock

Brown Stock

Sugar

Brown Sugar

Molasses

Powdered Sugar

Sugar-cream Icing

Sugar Flowers

Sugared Rose Petals

Syrup

Sugar Syrup

Tea Biscuit

Toffee

Wafer

Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar

Herbed Wine Vinegar

Dairy and Eggs

Butter

Cow Butter

Goat Butter

Halla Butter

Herbed Butter

Nug Butter

Cheese

Antivan Smoked Cheese

Blue-veined Cheese (Orlais)

Brie Cheese

Brined Goat Cheese

“Dalish” Cheese - An ill described item as it is unclear if it is actually cheese. One thing is for sure it isn’t Dalish.

Dry Cheese - Unspecified cheese used in cacio e pepe(Antiva)

Feisty Cheese (Orlais)

Goat Cheese

Halla Cheese (Dalish)

Ram Cheese (Ferelden)

Cream

Spiced Cream

Thickened Cream

Whipped Cream

Egg

Hard Boiled Egg

Yogurt

Dried and Cured Foods

Dried Fruits, Vegetables, and Fungi

Dried Apple

Dried Apricot

Dried Beans

Dried Cherry

Dried Cranberry

Dried Currant

Dried Mushroom

Dried Peas

Prunes

Pitted Prunes

Raisin

Cured Meats

Bacon

Nug Bacon

Smoked Bacon

Cold Cuts

Dried Meats

Dried Mackerel

Lutefisk

Jerky

Spiced jerky

Salted Meat

Dried Salt Pork

Salt Pork

Salted Beef

Salted Dragon Meat

Salted Fish

Salted Goat Meat

Sausage

Blood Sausage

Smoked Sausage

Spiced and Salted Sausage

Smoked

Smoked Beef

Smoked Fish

Smoked Goat Meat

Pickled Foods

Pickled Apples

The Pickled Apples of Arlathan - Apples said to be from the time of Arlathan. The taste is described to be one of fresh apples, with the same crispness.

Pickled Fish

Pickled Lamprey

Pickled Nug

Pickled Ox Tongue

Pickled Vegetables

Pickles

Prepared Animal Products

Gelatine

Grease

Ground Meat

Ground Beef

Ground Nug

Lard

Spiced Meat

Miscellaneous

Lyrium

Soup Bone

Wyvern Venom - There are 47 ways to distill wyvern venom to be safe for consumption.

Sources:

(If you want to find the direct links or page numbers, check out the Wiki's Food and Ingredients page.)

Primary Sources: Dragon Age: Origins (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: Awakening Dragon Age 2 (Base and DLCs) Dragon Age: The Last Court Dragon Age: Inquisition (DLCs + Multiplayer)

Books: Dragon Age Tabletop RPG Core Rulebook Dragon Age Tabletop RPG: Blood in Ferelden Dragon Age Tabletop RPG: Game Master’s Kit: Buried Past World of Thedas Vol. 1 World of Thedas Vol. 2 Dragon Age Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne Dragon Age: The Calling Dragon Age: The Masked Empire Dragon Age: Asunder Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights Short Story: Paper and Steel Short Story: Paying the Ferryman Short Story: Riddle in Truth Short Story: As We Fly

Comics: Silent Grove Mage Killer Knight Errant Deception

Wanna support this blog? Check out my ko-fi.

[moore-nocturnal]

I will say the great thing about drawing on it phone is the quickest way for me to make doodles of what I'm thinking lol . SO, this is Partyhat with their fairy fries 😌

....Partyhat is a name I use for games when they ask for a name if I don't use my name now lol. Ever since a villager starter calling me that 😩 it's my favorite non name. I'm excited to make a fully fleshed out pic ☺️

[piracytheorist]

Are you a starter or desert type of person?

You mean if I prefer starters to deserts? For me, the thing about eating deserts right after the main course is that... since my stomach is full and my palate full of salty tastes, most of the time deserts don't hit as right. I prefer to have a bit more space to eat, and be able to enjoy the desert as it is. That is, if I'm served something I like, I will eat it, but with not as much excitement as if I ate it an hour or so afterwards.

Now, when it comes to starters... the thing is that Greek starters are good. The first thing that comes to mind, probably the most common starter dish in mainland Greece: French fries with tzatziki (yogurt - plain yogurt, not yogurt "sauce" - with garlic and trimmed cucumber) which is just... *chef's kiss*. Whoever thought first of that combination is a genius.

You can dip a lot of stuff in tzatziki - as you see in the pic, someone has dipped a piece of pitta bread, which is the second most common thing to dip in it, but french fries are inarguably the best choice.

Then there's stuff like zucchini "balls". Like meatballs, but made of zucchini instead of meat.

They can also be made of tomato,

mushed chickpeas (like falafel, I guess)

and then we can get a bunch of vegetables and salads in general. Aubergines, peppers (the long ones, we call them Florinis here), fried tomatoes, pretty much anything goes.

... Maybe my view of "starter" meals is very different due to our cuisine. When you go to a Greek traditional restaurant/taverna, you don't get a starter meal per person eating. You get a bunch of them, and we put them in the middle of the table and share, and it's only the main course that's separate for each. Probably the once and only time I've had an actual "starter" was when I went to a non-traditional restaurant in Istanbul and had tomato soup for starter. That one was great, lol.

So yeah, even though I love desserts, when in such a setting I prefer the starters. They're easier to digest before the main course, they come in a bigger variation (compared to what dessert options most Greek restaurants offer), and it's fun to be sharing them with the people around the table.

[goodcryunicorn]

Ben Parker // OPEN

who: Ben Parker when: the day he is killed where: Parker's residence open to: anyone, Peter Parker, May Parker triggers: none image triggers: none blog: @goodcryunicorn1

Ben was sitting on the kitchen reading the newspaper about some game while he drank his coffee, he did wonder if Peter was still asleep, he knew the kid had been working pretty hard on school and he did worried a lot about him.

[kobold-sanctuary-buss-island]

BLUE MOON BALL DAY FIVE/SIX: "Fine dining"

While i was in the bathroom, i disgorged about twenty five large chunks of cobaltite, which completely demolished the (thankfully clean) bowl and tank of the toilet, and left a rivulet of greywater flowing out under the door to soak into the floorboards. I left the poisonous and dodecahedral rocks to their own business, alongside the toilet's ballcock, laying pathetically on the floor, and headed to the dining room.

I was starving after a long night with no snacks to speak of (apart from a couple of oranges and a mouthful of brass), so i sat down on a wooden chair near the end of one of the tables. Though, as soon as i sat down, my tail erupted in pain from touching the back of the chair, so i was forced to sit on the chair side-saddle, hiding my tail under the tablecloth so nobody touches it. My entire torso hurt from the fight with the automatons.

A silver call-bell was waiting for me. I rang it, and a small charcuterie board floated over to my position on the table. I consumed its minature yet vast arrangement of hard cheeses, hams, sausages, pastrami, forcemeats, mushrooms, prawns, savory pies, bread, crackers, grapes, olives, lettuce, peppers, radishes, carrots, cucumber, and celery, though i shunned the miniature pickles. Small dishes of vinaigrette, caviar, blue cheese, and honey were provided alongside the starter.

The next course of the meal was a most abhorrent combination. Which was, according to the little plaque that came with it, the meat of a lobster and a whole Kobe steak together with Pule, Stilton, Parmigiano Reggiano, Västerbotten, and Halloumi cheeses, tuna, black truffles, seaweed, jalapeño, ghost pepper, guineafowl, pheasant, alligator, quail eggs, beef tomatoes, spaghetti, onions, lettuce, banana, saffron, foie gras, vanilla, rice, fugu pufferfish, and a most unpleasant concoction of sauces i can't all remember, all stuffed between the buns of a burger, sous vide, baked into a pastry shell, deep fried, and finally bathed in a different seething mixture of liquids.

The other people near me at the table glanced with concern as i choked down the Ozymandian ex-Soviet apartment complex of the "Four Elements sandwich", one thin and inesculent slice at a time. Serbian cheese and Japanese fish waged total war upon French duck and Vietnamese shrimp paste. None of the flavours mixed well, the fillings spilled in every direction once i broke through the bomb-proof exterior with my woefully non-vorpal knife, and if i couldn't get the "horrible safari-themed barbecue inside the Deepwater Horizon" taste out of my mouth, i feared that i might have developed a fatal case of Reggae Reggae Sores. My bleeding nose was not helping the situation, and it peppered the aftertaste with a generous hint of sweaty pennies.

My face was covered in various sauces after eating that crude obelisk dedicated to the pharoh of conspicuous consumption, so i made haste and re-entered the bathroom to wash it all off. The dessert was a pleasant variety of chocolates with strawberry ice cream.

After the meal, we all walked outside into the gardens, and down the main path towards a small french-style pavilion building. Behind the building was a wonderful view, as the treeline was short, and the Blue Moon was finally visible. I took a picture on my camera, of course. We were then seated on wooden benches facing the river, and the fireworks were set off. The display went on for ten minutes, but i was in too much pain to really care about it.

Those were my fifth and sixth logs of the Blue Moon Ball. Everything hurts. I'm tired. I want to go home.

[aurorabayrpg]

EVENT 006 {JULY 19TH- JULY 24TH} AURORA BAY SUMMER CARNIVAL

It's been a month since the night that rocked the entire town. Since Ocean Crest Apartments had gone up in flames in an act of arson and disgraced Mayor Ellis was murdered, his scandals all come to light. In the weeks since, Aurora Bay has banded together, assisting those who have been displaced and taking care of one another and thankfully, finally, the Apartments are back open, Mayor Ellis has been laid to rest, and the culprits behind everything have been brought to justice.

Despite the recent events though and the tribulations many of Aurora's residents have had to deal with, a bright light is still very much on schedule, and now it's finally here!

Aurora Bay's Annual Summer Carnival!

For one week every year at the height of summer, Aurora Bay hosts a large carnival filled with rides and games and all the carnival treats you can handle! and with this being the town's 80th anniversary, our new mayor, Mayor Mariana Reyes, is wanting to make sure this year is one our residents will never forget!

OOC INFO UNDER THE CUT

Here's our next event! When put to a vote everyone wanted a fun, easy one, so here we go!

For the next week, the pier along beach has been transformed for fun for all ages, including rides, games, and of course lots and lots of food. Every day will feature live music and every night will have a firework display at 10pm. The carnival itself will be open every day from 11am until midnight.

Feel free to use your imagination with it! Below are just some examples of rides/food available, but it's of course open to more!

OOC RULES:

From 10am CST Wednesday the 19th to Monday the 24th the dash will be open for event threads! Non-event threads can continue, but the must be tagged non event thread.

If location owners want booths for their businesses, contact the main and let us know!

please use the tag aurorabay.carnival for any posts

Three open event starters may be posted right off the bat, but after that, you must reply to at least two before posting your own!

Have fun!

carnival attractions:

rides (roller coaster, ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl, bumper cars, flying swings, fun slide, kiddie rides)

dunk tank

fun house

food stalls (cotton candy, fried foods, pizza, sandwiches, bbq, desserts and ice cream)

drink stalls (beer and wine, summer cocktails and mocktails, slushies)

face painting

photo booths

live music

fireworks

[snnydcysarchivee]

plotted starter for @stanfordprepped

FLASHBACK: it was a late night in wisconsin and sonny found herself outside, under a rather large tree that stood proudly in the middle of town. guitar placed on her lap as she indulged into her little world. strumming and singing a song she had recently wrote, letting the sounds travel around. everyone was used to this. it was a small town after all. they were used to sonny doing something publicly just for the joy of it.

as she played, she noticed a stranger not too far away. watching, in a non creepy way. she would know, she's seen some creepers and lurkers. when she was done, brown hues glanced up to meet his gaze and a friendly smile took over her freckled features, "hello."

PRESENT DAY: back at her job in the diner, sonny was in the middle of singing. entertaining the customers that walked in and enjoyed their meals. letting her music fill the small space. it was like every other night. never a new routine in the small town of appleton, wisconsin.

guitar at hand, she reached her break and spoke into the mic while brushing some blonde strands away from her face, "okay, i'll be taking a thirty minute break and you guys will get to hear some more right after." with a smile, she placed her guitar down on the stand and stepped off the stage. making her way over to the bar and grabbing some fries. treating herself to a snack before turning and suddenly that familiar face from long ago stood in front of her. taller, much taller, than before. blinking almost in shock. "sam?"

[wingsnwangs]

open starter with waiter tae il [ open for anyone, mutuals or non mutuals alike]

Tae Il lifted his gaze from the table he was wiping down, a small smile on his lips as he watched a new patron take a seat at one of his booths. He made quick eye contact with the head waiter, who sent him a small hand signal in response. A first timer, of course. He always got the first timers. The restaurant hadn't been open long for dinner, the large TV still showing a replay of the previous night's soccer game for their patrons. Tucking the rag away in his pocket he collected a menu from the waiters station, approaching the guest with one of his signature smiles. He knows he looks a little intimidating in build, but the red booty shorts and the tight tank mixed with the dopey smile usually worked to calm the nerves of a new customer who is usually embarrassed to set foot in a restaurant as this one. "Welcome to Wings! I'll be your waiter tonight, my name is Tae Il, but you can call me whatever you're comfortable with. Just so you know we are running a special on our kimchi loaded fries, can I get you started with any drinks?" He passed over the menu, a grin on his face. The menu wasn't taken however, as the customer seemed to have a staring problem - normal for a newcomer, in his opinion. "Unfortunately, I'm not on the menu, so you'll have to go with another choice"

[ramayantika]

WEDDING MENU

Need to sort this out with the groom lol but from my side: (ab see meri shaadi ko abhi 10-12 saal hai but I am still going to make preps 😂)

Starters

Chicken lollipop

Fish Finger

Chicken momos/paneer momos (for the veg people)

Chowmein (veg and non veg)

Ofc gupchup/panipuri/phuchka stall laga rahega. As a bride stage chorrke vahin 2 baar khane aaungi

Main course

Butter naan obviously

Tandoori roti in case the oldies would want to

One paneer dish

Veg manchurian ek

One chicken dish

Mutton for the odias

Fried rice/pulao

Desserts

Mishti doi (my beloved) though in the future would need to see if this would be available kr not. But if I am getting married in kolkata then this is going to be there

Kheer

Rasabali (odia sweet dish)

Rasmalayi (if we don't get mishti doi)

2 ice cream flavours. One butterscotch and the other one need to check but not vanilla.