#quality milk solutions

[farmerstrend]

Kenya Dairy Board Partners with ILRI to Boost Milk Safety and Quality in Informal Markets

The Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) have launched a four-year initiative dubbed More Milk: more milk for lives and livelihoods in Kenya that aims at transforming the country’s informal dairy sector, which accounts for about three quarters of the country’s milk supply. L-R: Dr. Fabian Kausche, Deputy Director General Research and Innovation at the…

[goddessofroyalty]

How does Silco take Viktor's choice to formula feed rather than nurse Naph?

So you know those previous posts about how Silco and Viktor can argue a lot?

Okay I don't think it gets that bad but I do think Silco is of the position that Viktor could have tried a bit harder before going the formula route. Because Viktor tried exactly once when Naph was very newly born it didn't work and went "oh well, Jayce go get the formula out." And that was that. But the whole final months of the pregnancy was spent with every doctor and nurse making comments about how with his health Viktor it would be unlikely Viktor would produce enough if he did at all, and Silco knows his son, so it's not exactly a surprise for him that's where it ended up.

Viktor very much doesn't care what Silco thinks because it is convenient for him and Jayce for Naph to be formula fed and they are independently wealthy because of Hextech, they don't need to worry about saving the money. It's not worth the stress of trying to get Viktor's body to produce when there's a convenient perfectly fine alternative available.

[violetrainbow412-blog]

From hate to love… or something like that

Aegon II Targaryen x fem!reader

word count: 15.7k (sorrrryyyy)

warnings: arranged marriage, hate-to-love, mentions of rape, mentions of incest, mentions of suicidal thoughts, drinking alcohol, mommy issues, daddy issues, mentions of sex without love, unprotected sex, oral sex (f receiving), porn with plot (but something cheap, tbh) and I probably forgot something but I think that makes it clear that this shit is not for minors, so MINORS DNI :)

A/N: I started this since the second season premiere started so if you find any canon-like scenes I completely promise it wasn't intentional. I also want to make it clear that you are responsible for what you read and if you don't like something please just let it go, that would be very kind of you!

And this doesn't make me team green at all, I'm a defender of the rightful queen to the death… it's just that her brother is too sexy to ignore 🫦

Enjoy!

taglist (who I thought might be interested): @barcelonaloverf1life @ilovequeen978

FIRST ACT: HATE

Finding a wife for Prince Aegon II was probably one of the most difficult tasks Alicent Hightower had to face.

The engagement with his sister Helaena had been broken after a more tempting offer for the princess, which would get them a permanent alliance with the Lannister house that they couldn’t refuse. Viserys himself had agreed to accept and the queen consort had no choice but to give her little daughter in marriage to a blonde lord. The problem was that her son was left without a fiancée.

Aemond didn't worry her, after all he was growing up quite quickly and she knew that he was more inclined to become a warrior than to fulfill his marital responsibilities. But Aegon, however, was a lost cause.

It was no secret that Alicent had always felt disappointed in her eldest son. He was careless, lazy, and a hopeless alcoholic, qualities that couldn’t be celebrated at all. Now that her beloved father had returned, the queen didn’t hesitate to consult him on the matter, hoping that the man had a solution for the problem that afflicted her, and together they analyzed what was the best option to unite the king's first-born son. Especially after, years ago, Rhaenyra and Daemon got married and moved to Dragonstone indefinitely.

“It must be someone we completely trust, someone who cannot dare to hurt us because they know that their blood is linked to ours.”

The Arryns were loyal to the future queen Rhaenyra and some of the houses south of Vale were too. The Westerlands was the richest section of the Seven Kingdoms and was already secured, so it seemed prudent to the king's hand to go for the next widest section: The Reach. The most formidable options within this area were the Hightower and the Tyrell. Obviously taking the first option would be a waste since the members of that house would support Aegon without complaint due to their kinship, so the decision was made with the direct heir of Highgarden.

King Viserys agreed to the idea without putting up many obstacles, since poppy milk clouded his judgment most of the time and also the affairs of his first son had never interested him much.

The union was sealed as soon as the deal was offered to Lyonel Tyrell, who was extremely happy to be able to assure his family a future with said marriage. It was thus that he gave you, his only daughter, to Prince Aegon II Targaryen.

And the second the boy saw you, he absolutely hated you.

He had come to the idea (very unpleasant, by the way) of marrying his younger sister and now that his mother was forcing him to marry a complete stranger, he couldn't be angrier. In a short time he would turn twenty and it seemed pathetic to him that at that point he would have to offer shows like those before the kingdom. Because the wedding wasn’t simple, of course, but thousands and thousands of guests were present at the banquet that Alicent forced the king to prepare, claiming by saying that he had done the same for Princess Rhaenyra's wedding.

“It is a pleasure to finally see each other, your grace. They have told me a lot about you”

You had said those precise words the first time you had met, when his mother organized a walk so that you could 'get to know each other better', although supervised by her own eyes that were behind you, making sure that her son didn’t commit any indecency. But no matter how sweetly you smiled and spoke them, Aegon could sense that you were lying.

There was hatred in your eyes and a clear resentment towards the life from which you were torn, as if it weren’t an honor to have the opportunity to marry the prince of the seven kingdoms. Your hypocritical words represented an insult to the boy and that is why he decided from the first moment that he would hate you deeply.

With your mere existence you would have deprived him of his freedom, his entertainment, his youth. He would be tied to you for future occasions, he would have to take you to all the events, secure your food, your clothes. share the same roof and pretend to be nice to you in the eyes of others. And, besides, he could have thought of a lot of candidates better than you, physically speaking. Your beauty was quite ordinary for his taste, as if he were looking at any painting; cheap and repetitive.

“I regret to admit that I am not so fortunate, Lady Tyrell. But I am happy for the union of our houses” he lied, in the same way that you had done.

And it was obvious that this didn’t go unnoticed by you, that you had the same critical eye as your recent fiancé but that you sought to maintain composure in the presence of your future mother-in-law.

On the wedding day Aegon had a good time only because he was able to drown himself in monumental quantities of liquor and because he was able to eat as much as he wanted of the exquisite banquet. He didn't even pay a bit of attention to how you looked in the wedding dress that the royal seamstresses had been in charge of making in record time, because when the time came he flattered you superficially and then ignored the matter. The ceremony kiss was the first you shared, and it was so fleeting and awkward that the prince felt disappointed. On the wedding night he was so drunk that he didn't even look at you.

You knew that the unfortunate day would come when you would have to carnally please the young man and the simple thought of being defiled in this way caused you terror and nausea in equal parts.

It was a stranger whom you had married, of whom the only thing you knew was his noble title and name.

In the days following your marriage, unfortunately or fortunately, Aegon didn’t even speak to you. You didn't have to share a room, so it was easier for him to completely ignore you while he went about his ways.

You had to admit that the only good thing about having taken this trip was the beautiful landscapes that King's Landing offered you. Your room had a direct view of Blackwater Bay and you spent several days looking out the window at the beautiful sea. Sometimes you could watch Prince Aemond ride his dragon, and honestly, the size of the beast scared you a little. You hadn't had the chance to observe Aegon in Sunfyre yet but if he was as impressive as Vhagar, then he would be quite a sight.

A week passed, then another and another where you were nothing more than a guest in the palace. You didn't talk to anyone, you ate dinner alone, you barely saw the outside of the castle. Sometimes you went to the Sept, pretending to pray, but really just killing the endless boring hours of the day. You were somewhat lucky if you found Helaena, the most sensible and calm within the royal family, because you had pleasant conversations with her. When you met the queen it was a little more difficult, because she asked you endless questions in which you had to fake the answers. How could you be fulfilling your parenting responsibilities if the capricious prince wouldn't deign to lay a finger on you?

After a month, Alicent seemed to take matters into her own hands and forced her eldest son to take you to sleep in the same room as him. However, Aegon seemed to want to blame you for something you hadn't chosen. He never spoke to you and every time you went to bed, he would stand with his back to you as far away as possible. And as if that weren’t enough, he had explicitly ordered his guards not to allow you to leave the room unless it was in his company. It was his way of punishing you, of getting even for the complaints of his mother and grandfather regarding his lack of interest in marriage.

“My mother wants us to attend a dinner tonight” you were so unaccustomed to hearing his voice addressing you that it took you a second to process what he was telling you “I will talk to the maids to bring you a suitable dress.”

You didn't know what to say. You didn't want to go to that dinner, nor did you want to be with him, or wear one of those tight, annoying dresses. Aegon, noticing your silence, deigned to look at you and in your eyes he could see the aversion you felt for him. It was something difficult to mask and he had seen it on so many faces that it was nothing new.

“As you wish, prince.”

A bitter laugh came from your husband's throat.

“Don't be a hypocrite, for God's sake. I know you hate me as much as I hate you. Save appearances for guests, not in the chambers."

You wouldn’t have had the courage to admit out loud what his majesty had said, but you didn’t dare to contradict him either. You had to play the role of a self-sacrificing and suitable wife for the man if you wanted to keep your honor, but above all your head.

You tried, with all your might, to see some quality in Aegon that you liked so that you could treat him in a better way, which always resulted in something useless. Perhaps if he had been nicer to you, you could have known how to forgive his faults, but even that wasn’t granted to you.

The dinner was mostly family-oriented, with the guest of honor being from House Baratheon whose purpose was to discuss some political matters with the king and queen. Due to his health, Viserys didn’t usually leave his room more than necessary, however, that night the occasion warranted it.

“Lady Tyrell, how is your stay in King's Landing?”

The king had a reputation for being gentle with his guests and was the first person to ask you a personal question, so the smile you showed him was genuine.

“Very pleasant, your grace. The servants treat me as well as possible and I must admit that the views from my room are beautiful. Your dragon is impressive, Prince Aemond, by the way.”

The boy, who wasn't all that expressive, just looked at you for a moment and tilted his head down slightly.

“I'm glad you like it, princess.”

"And my son? How is our Aegon treating you?”

That question was more complicated to answer, since it required expressing a lie. Everyone present focused their attention on you, except your husband who had been staring into nothingness for a long time.

“Very well, my king. He’s a good husband and I am happy to have been able to unite our houses.”

The aforementioned snorted, incredulous at what you were saying at the table, and took a long drink from his glass of wine.

“And I hope very soon you can give us strong and beautiful heirs.”

Although that was intended as a compliment, you felt the weight of that responsibility pressing down on you again.

“I wish the same. It will be an honor to serve the crown and bear the progeny of a house as formidable as yours."

The queen was pleased with your answer and for a moment felt sorry for you. She knew her son well, so deep down she knew that it wasn’t a gift from the gods to be married to him. The rest of the table looked at you curiously, wondering if you were serious, trying to be ironic, or just trying to play the good girl role.

Aegon, as expected, became intoxicated during dinner and when Queen Alicent announced that she was going to retire to sleep you thought it prudent to do the same. Your husband, however, had other wishes.

“Stay here,” he asked, his voice serious.

When he was drunk he looked you up and down, probably evaluating how worth it would be to decide to strip you naked and fuck you once and for all. Your body in the dress you were wearing looked better with a few drinks on him.

“I think it would be best to retire, my husband. This way you can stay with the men to chat and… drink”

“But I want you to stay here to keep me company,” he insisted, holding your wrist tightly “Or don't you want to please your prince?”

It wasn’t a loving request, but one for control. He wanted to have you there only to demonstrate his power over you, without paying attention to you or talking; only as an ornament.

“Aegon, enough,” Alicent interrupted, observing the scene that had begun to unfold. “Daughter, let's go to sleep. “I will accompany you”

“Fine, do whatever you want,” he spat contemptuously, abruptly releasing the wrist that was holding you. There was hatred in his eyes, but also pride.

The queen said goodbye to everyone present and then offered you her hand to take you away from there. You spent most of the way in silence, walking through the long, wide corridors of the fortress followed only by the faithful footsteps of Ser Criston Cole.

“You must be patient with him” he began to say “He is a particular man and sometimes… difficult, but I know that with your docile character you will be able to deal with his temperament.”

What did she know about your character? She didn't know you at all.

“So it shall be, Queen Alicent.”

“I understand what you are going through, dear. We both come from the same lands to endure the difficult task of accompanying a monarch. But it is our duty to carry it out with all the honor and temper worthy of our homes. Of course, I can trust that as a woman you will be able to help him fulfill another of the most important marital commitments, such as having children, to maintain the lineage and blood. For a virgin like you, Aegon may be rough, but... patience and resilience are among the best virtues. A woman in royalty must endure these things to give the best to the people.”

You had never wanted to be a princess. And just when you thought the queen was showing you compassion, you realized that she was only looking out for her interests and those of her family.

"Thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind"

She smiled and immediately left a kiss on your forehead, which could have been taken as a maternal kiss but which you didn't like at all. The longer you can postpone suffering, the better. If Aegon didn't even want to look at you, it was perfect.

That night, as soon as you touched the mattress and the silk sheets that decorated it, you began to cry until you fell asleep.

SECOND ACT: CONTROL

Time passed again and although the punishment of not leaving your room was not revoked, you found multiple activities with which to entertain yourself in the prince's absence. You filled your mornings and afternoons with reading, writing, knitting and embroidering. The nights were even more boring because most of the time your husband wasn't there either.

Rumors that you hadn’t yet consummated the marriage had spread through the halls of the palace and soon the smallfolk would murmur too. After all, the people couldn’t entertain themselves with anything more than the gossip and the plays that were going on in the poor neighborhoods, making fun of royal affairs.

You no longer even had the energy to deny those accusations and Aegon had given you the perfect opportunity by throwing you out of his room and refusing to leave the four walls of yours: if you didn't leave there, there was no way anyone would question you. And since you didn't have family inside the Keep, you didn't have any visitors either.

One night, however, your husband surprised you by entering your room. It had been days since you two had seen each other and his staggering around the room warned you that he was drunk again. You often wondered how he resisted drinking so much and the long-term effects it would have on his health, but right now your mind could only focus on the fear of what he might want in that state.

“Good night, dear,” he drawled, sounding as sarcastic as possible.

You were in your nightgown and you were carrying in your hand an old book that you had been reading and that you threw on the nightstand as soon as you saw him approaching you. You didn't have time to say or do anything else when he had already approached you in giant steps to grab you by the back of your neck and start kissing you. He was abrupt, careless, with his mouth smelling of wine and tasting even worse. You wanted to cry from helplessness.

“It's what everyone wants, isn't it?” he murmured, separating himself from you, but still holding you by the hair at the back of your neck. “A marriage arranged in a couple of days to form alliances. And that's it, my life was ruined thanks to my father wanting your stupid castle to expand his domain."

The truth is that couldn't be further from the truth. Viserys’s ambition had never been that, as he had been so little involved in the process that he simply didn’t care who his children were or were not married to. Except for Rhaenyra, of course.

Aegon continued:

"I didn’t want this. I didn't want to marry you, or anyone..."

“And you think I do?” you confronted him.

You were tired of the insult, the humiliation and him ignoring you as if you were worthless; even if that was what a husband did. And the most likely thing was that your words would be forgotten due to alcohol or that they would put an end to the wait for your suffering to begin and Aegon decided to take you once and for all.

“You have nothing to lose, prince,” you continued. “You get drunk as much as you want, you run away from your responsibilities and walk everywhere when I have to stay locked up here all day just because you want me to. I have to endure the suspicious looks of everyone because I still don't have an heir in the womb while you go and fuck your whores."

“I'm the prince and I fuck whoever I want, did you hear me?” he hissed. The grip on your hair had already begun to become painful and a few tears slipped down your cheeks “And I stop fucking whoever I want too. I'm not going to please anyone by getting you pregnant. There they will see if they come and force me to put my cock in you”

“Do you doubt that, your grace?” you exclaimed bitterly “Doubts that will force us to conceive?”

“So that's what you want? Do you want me to do it?”

“I want to go home. That is what I want. But my father used me as a bargaining chip and that's why I can't do anything."

“I'm sorry it was like that. If I had chosen my wife, I would surely have chosen someone prettier and more educated than you, but I can't do much either."

Once again, the man pushed you until your lips joined his and the same discomfort settled in you. He didn't kiss you with love, but with fury and violence to the point that you had to push him away when he bit you so hard that a trickle of blood began to come out of your lower lip. Aegon was also stained by it and with an acidic smile he ran the tip of his tongue all over his mouth to remove any traces.

Looking at you he didn't look happy, but he didn't look angry either. He just seemed fed up.

Everyone knew, or suspected, that the prince was very capable of taking sexual advantage of any woman. He had done it before with maids and prostitutes and had slept peacefully throughout that time. However, there was something about you that encouraged him not to. He didn't even think it was something about you specifically but about the situation, because he wanted to do the opposite of what he was ordered: if everyone ordered him to take you to have an heir, it automatically became an unpleasant act and at the same time that he refused.

He was hurt, not because of you but because of years and years of abuse and neglect. He didn't really know you at all, he only knew what you represented.

You were just the unlucky one who had married him.

"I hate you. I hate that you are my wife and you are not worthy of me even touching you” he snapped with disdain. You were still fighting to keep the tears inside your eyes and his vision had also blurred slightly “I wish I had never met you.”

“The feeling is mutual, your grace,” you expressed, your voice breaking. If it was an offense to the crown, you wouldn't even care anymore and if he killed you right there you wouldn't regret it too much either.

Aegon looked at you one last time before staggering back out the door without another word, closing it behind him with a loud gesture and leaving you alone in the room. The reality that you had escaped, once again, from being raped by the man fell on you like a bucket of cold water and your knees weakened until you fell to the floor.

You were hurt, tired, and defeated by the stress of the situation and the fear that had washed over you the entire time. Luckily he was gone, otherwise you didn't know if you would have endured what he had to do to you. It was better to have him busy in a brothel than to have to endure him in your bed.

You wished you could talk to someone and cry on a loved one’s shoulder, only to realize a second later that that was impossible. Aegon was your new family, now you belonged to the Targaryens and you would have to do as they wished.

Anger completely overwhelmed you to the point where you stood up from your seat and began throwing pieces of glassware all over the room, in a violent outburst at what had just happened and the way you felt. None of the guards outside your door dared to come in to check on you and soon enough you fell back to the ground, exhausted from the effort.

As you cried, perhaps for the umpteenth time since you had been married, you thought about how you would never be able to love Prince Aegon. Not even if you tried.

THIRD ACT: PAIN

After months, the inevitable arrived. The truth was that the first time you felt sorrow and anger, but the following times it became more tolerable. Not because it was better, but because you began to get used to it. Aegon didn't change his attitude towards you one bit. You indeed spent more time together, although that didn’t mean that you got along better or that you had begun to have more sympathy for each other.

The only advantage was that you had started to be friends with some people in the palace. Your sister-in-law, to begin with, as well as some of the maids who were in charge of looking after you, as they turned out to be your only company during those days. Those distractions were more than enough for you, considering the situation you were in, and they kept you sane as time went by.

Almost like a punishment from heaven, it seemed that you weren’t pregnant yet, since your biological processes seemed to continue working to the letter. That meant that, unfortunately, you would have to keep trying; when Aegon was lost enough to forget who you were and you had to stand still as a statue to let him loom over you.

You often liked to imagine what your life would have been like if you had stayed in Highgarden. Nobody knew it yet, but there you had found your first love and although it never went beyond a few kisses, you treasured the memory with particular affection. You had always wanted to marry a sweet man who loved and respected you, who would give you your place as a wife and adore you day and night; someone with whom you could feel protected, cared for, but above all happy. You thought, naively, that that boy you had met and who was nothing more than a commoner could have given you that life, but all those possibilities were nothing more than fantasies in which you tried to lock yourself in to feel less miserable with your unpleasant reality.

One night Helaena had invited you to a modest dinner in her company that you couldn't refuse, since none of your husbands were present and some time with friends could clear your mind. You didn't even know where the prince was, although it was expected that he was spending some time in the town with his friends.

“Sometimes I feel sad about our situation,” said the blonde. You were in the privacy of her chambers, not even with the maids present, so confessions like that were allowed “But I am happy that you are my friend, something that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”

“I'm glad to talk to you too,” you smiled sincerely. “You're the best thing I've found around here.”

“My brothers aren't that bad, they're just… well, we've had a hard life. And that's why they behave like that."

“I think there is no justification for being a…” idiot, you wanted to say, but you had to remember that you were in the presence of the princess, “a person who is rude to others. But I guess that happens with royalty, right? They do what they want without consequences”

"I guess so. Kings, princes, the heirs, lords, dukes…”

“Okay, I get it,” you laughed bitterly “It's probably a masculine quality.”

You never thought your sister-in-law would have that kind of humor and to be honest, most of the time she was a comic relief for the situations you two were going through. Sometimes her prophecies scared you, especially the way she phrased them, but you wanted to think that her premonitions would never affect you directly.

When you finally got tired of chatting and the food was finished, you decided to return to your room, so you could have a peaceful night's rest. It was raining outside and thunder echoed in the distance, making the atmosphere slightly gloomy, but at the same time cooling every corner of King's landing.

The novelty of your position was no longer important enough to require you to be escorted by guards twenty-four hours a day, so you were able to slowly walk through all the corridors that led to your sanctuary. It was modest but cute, although not on the level of Aegon’s.

A man was guarding the door and you bowed your head to him to let you pass, which he did without any opposition. Once inside you got rid of your shoes and unbuttoned your corset, not caring that the room was almost in darkness; only the moonlight illuminated from the window. You took a few steps forward and squealed when you discovered that there was another person in the room, sitting at the small table with a drink in his hand. You would have started screaming for help if you hadn't noticed that said intruder had silver hair falling like a curtain over his face.

"Your grace?" you asked cautiously.

It isn’t usual for Aegon to drink in your room, as he preferred other places with more interesting company, and when you didn’t receive an answer you approached slowly. You thought that at best he had simply fallen asleep and at worst he would be dead.

At first his long, wavy hair covered your view of his face, but when he noticed your presence he raised his head and then you could see him. His features became clearer as lightning illuminated him from the outside and for a second you were horrified.

His cheek was red and a trickle of blood was dripping from his nose, however, what surprised you the most was seeing his eyes completely swollen.

“For the seven, I… I'll go call a maester”

“Don't even think about it,” he exclaimed hoarsely, seeing that you were already rushing towards the door.

Your husband didn't sound like his usual angry tone, but rather he seemed... hurt.

You thought for a second about what the appropriate reaction to the situation was. You couldn't leave the room because, in addition to the guards murmuring, it would be impolite to leave him in that state; also, where would you go? If you ignored him, he would probably take it as an insult and he had already made it clear that he didn't want to see someone who could take care of those injuries.

You hated him, it was true, but you weren't an insensitive monster either.

"Who did this to you?"

Aegon was surprised by how soft, even kind, your question sounded and the intoxication gave him some courage to answer.

“My mother and my grandfather. Mostly my mother, my grandfather rather dedicated his efforts to reminding me how useless I am”

You didn't know what to say. You never believed that the queen would be capable of hitting one of her sons like that. You didn't believe it from any mother, actually.

With some trepidation you took one of the chairs and placed it in front of him, expecting him to immediately push you away or ask you to get out of his sight. However, the prince didn't seem to have enough energy to do any of those things.

He had a lost look on his face and tears began to run down his face.

“Nothing… nothing I do pleases her. Neither to her, nor to my grandfather. All the time they are pressuring me, demanding me, yelling at me. Apparently Otto still hopes that my father will name me king, but I've never wanted that. They blame me for drinking all the time and how do they expect them not to? My father cares so little about me and my mother hates me. All his life he has hated me. She does it, my brothers… and so do you. My own wife hates me. Everyone… everyone who knows me does it”

You were silent for a moment.

There were mixed feelings inside you, because you couldn't forget the mistreatment that the man had given you during those months, nor the way he used you for his pleasure. He was right when he said you hated him. However, there was a compassionate part of you, deep down, that felt sorry for the man's state.

“And sometimes I just want to be dead. I just wish all the shit would go away and drowning in alcohol and dying would take away Alicent's problem and allow her to focus her attention on something better”

His gaze lifted and he looked at you with crystallized eyes.

“Maybe you should poison me one day. So your suffering would also end”

“Your highness, I cannot do that”

“But would you like it? Do you hate me enough to wish me dead?”

“Of course not,” you said quickly.

"Liar. You lie like everyone else. You want me dead”

You knew that saying something negative at that moment, in the state he was in, could result in him making some incoherence that you would be blamed for the next morning. So it was best to act cautiously.

“I don't think anyone wants that”

“My mother does. My father, Rhaenyra does it, and so does her stupid new husband…”

“Your grace…” you interrupted him harshly. Listening to him sink into his self-indulgence was too much to bear “You better go to sleep, don't you think? Now you're not thinking clearly, you'll feel better in the morning."

But Aegon seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, oblivious to anything you had to say to him.

“I guess I just wish someone wouldn't completely detest my existence, you know?”

Aegon had done terrible things to you, of course, but seeing him at that moment made you wonder if all of this was the product of poor parenting and psychological abuse that had been perpetuated for twenty long years. You couldn't say your father loved you, not after what he had done, but at least he hadn't constantly hurt you as the man in front of you had. You knew better than anyone that hate had to be healed with empathy and for a brief moment you felt soft for him.

Once Aegon was a small child, without sins, without accumulated hatred, without evil... and apparently that frightened child hadn’t been completely buried, because it was him who cried inconsolably and saw death as a viable alternative to end that suffering. However, there is no redemption without guilt, right? You don't get to heaven without first repenting.

You stayed silent for a long time, listening to him sob, and when you gathered the courage you spoke:

“Prince, can I be honest with you?”

You had spoken in a low and benevolent voice, while you slid from your chair until you were kneeling in front of him. The boy didn't even want to take advantage of that position for a sexual act, he was simply too tired and drained to think. You placed your hands on his knees and seeing that he nodded, you continued:

“You say you wish someone wouldn't hate you, but have you ever made an effort to do so? Or have you even wondered why people feel that way about you?”

“It's something natural for them”

“I didn't feel it,” you said, honestly. You hated the idea of getting married out of obligation, but if he had been different from the beginning maybe your feelings for him would be too “And you made me feel it. With your contempt, your humiliations, your punishments…”

“If everyone thinks you're a monster, what's the point of contradicting them?”

“And then you prefer to agree with them?”

You were probably taking too many liberties with the prince, but you would never have a chance to talk to him like that again. He was vulnerable and therefore less defensive than normal.

“Every person is responsible for their actions,” you continued. “You can't change how the queen or king feels about you, but you can choose to offer something better to others. If it’s your desire that people not hate you, that won’t happen overnight just because you tell it to. It takes time, effort and above all it requires kindness. If you live regretting the concept that people have of you, without doing anything to change it, then you will live a lifetime of dissatisfaction. If you seriously want someone to feel happy about your existence then pursue that goal, don’t expect it to be granted to you as a divine work.”

A deeper cry began to well up from the man and you almost thought he would lean down for your hug. Still, he didn't.

“I don't know how to be someone else. I have always been this”

“Not always, that's for sure. Water that stagnates rots and becomes a swamp. The one that runs, on the other hand, becomes a river and flows into the ocean.”

You raised the handkerchief you always carried and, in an act of kindness that was also intended to be an offering of peace, you gently wiped the tears and dried blood from his face. Aegon squirmed as he had never experienced that kind of care.

“You just have to ask yourself: what do you choose to be?”

For an endless moment he watched you. His judgment was clouded by drunkenness, but he wondered if he wasn't hallucinating and you were simply the voice of his conscience telling him something he had never wanted to accept.

It was easier to blame others for his mistakes, to justify himself by saying that everything about him was his mother's fault and that if he behaved the way he did it was only a defense mechanism. Aegon had never thought about how his treatment of women was a direct consequence of Alicent's upbringing: if his own mother had hurt him, why wouldn't other women do the same to him? And since he was convinced that they were all going to do it, he preferred to turn them into objects that he could use for his benefit.

He was so drunk and so exhausted from all the crying he had shed that he simply pushed your hand away from his face and stood up from the chair, without saying a word. You, now standing, saw him begin to undress and the first thing you thought was that he would seek to heal his sorrows by having sex with you. However, he only got rid of the essentials and then lay on his stomach on the bed. Without any choice, you took off your clothes for the day, put on a nightgown and also lay down on the mattress to sleep.

You were sure that the next day Aegon wouldn’t remember anything and you weighed the possibility of the whole story repeating itself, in an endless and painful loop for the two of you. And if you were right, it would be a shame if you had to live like this for the rest of your days.

FOURTH ACT: REDEMPTION

“Do you know where Meryna is?” you asked one of the maids who had come in to change your bedding.

“No, your grace”

“I'm starting to get hungry and she still hasn't brought my breakfast,” you exclaimed sadly.

You had woken up a while ago and had gotten dressed to go for a walk after eating, to see if this would cheer you up a little. It had been a few days since Aegon had opened up in the privacy of your room and after that you had barely seen him, much less spoken to him. You believed that everything was due to a matter of pride or even shame for what you had witnessed and you simply didn’t give it importance, because you knew that eventually he would approach you again. You just had to wait for him to want to do it.

Almost as if by summons, the black-haired girl appeared through the door, looking agitated and embarrassed by the delay. Furthermore, she came empty-handed.

"Princess…"

“Didn't you bring breakfast?” you asked, still sounding cordial but slightly surprised.

“I'm very sorry, it's just that Prince Aegon asked me to bring the food to the royal dining room. He is waiting for you there, he told me to come and get you.”

He hadn’t mentioned requiring your presence for any breakfast and, according to you, there were no guests in the palace to accompany. The two women noticed your dismay and Meryna stood waiting for a response.

“Did he tell you why?”

“No, your grace”

"Good. Then tell him I'll be there in a moment."

You only took a few minutes to change your dress, one more suitable for being in the presence of the prince and in case there was a guest you didn't know about. There were no guards at your door so you were able to walk to the dining room by yourself and were surprised to see that only your husband was at the table. He had an expression that you interpreted as a mix of impatience and nerves.

“Oh, you finally arrived. Sit down. You, bring the princess something to drink,” he ordered a maid. He used to call you that in the presence of guests, but it was rare for him to have that courtesy when alone.

“Are we waiting for someone?”

"No. I just thought you might want to have breakfast together.”

You were already sitting next to him, and for a second you watched him with a frown. Had he hit his head somewhere or why was he acting so strange?

“Do you prefer juice or wine, your highness?

"Juice"

“And bring her some strawberries,” Aegon exclaimed.

There was something about the situation that scared you, because you imagined that he wouldn't be treating you so kindly without wanting something in return. But you were already his wife and he did whatever he wanted with you, what more could he want from you?

You looked him up and down, as if searching for some sign, but he looked completely normal. He was wearing one of those full black robes he was used to, with a golden chain with emeralds decorating the hem of his neck and a belt accentuating his figure. The dark circles in his eyes were pronounced, as always, but the look was not that of someone angry; you would even say that he looked somewhat passive, even sleepy.

While you were thinking about all that, you remembered the last conversation you had had with him. You feared that madness had finally exploded in your husband and the food you were about to eat was poisoned, as he had suggested at the time. Perhaps out of courtesy he was waiting for you to take the first bite and, trying to control the trembling in your hands, you took a portion of the cold cuts on your plate to put it in your mouth. Luckily the food didn't taste different and after seeing that the man ate it with the utmost calmness, you assumed that it didn't contain any poison either.

There was freshly baked bread, jam, some cheeses, the aforementioned cold cuts, a variety of fruits, scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and chives, as well as some stuffed buns for dessert. It was a mini banquet and as you ate it you couldn't help but wonder why this show of kindness was due.

Aegon didn't seem to have any intention of talking and you didn't try to force him, not wanting to either. The atmosphere was one of peace and tranquility, one you had not experienced since your wedding day until now, and it was a very different but strangely pleasant feeling.

It was just a couple sharing breakfast time, but for two people who come from such a broken home it felt like a totally new experience.

You continued in silence until most of the things served were finished, leaving only what wasn’t to your palate's liking or that your body was simply no longer able to ingest.

“Do you need anything else, your majesty?”

“Clear this table, we won't eat anymore,” he said to the maid, nonchalantly pointing to the leftovers you had left. Then he looked at you “Satisfied?”

"I am. Everything was delicious”

“I want us to do the same tomorrow. I will send a maid for you, so get ready soon,” he said decisively.

Then he got up from his chair, stretched a little, and left the room without saying anything else to you.

You didn't see your husband the rest of the day, but the next morning he kept his promise without fail. Although the breakfast menu was different the routine was the same and again it made you wonder what the reason for it was.

The next day he also requested your presence for breakfast and you concluded that he intended to make it a habit. For the rest of the morning you were supposed to dedicate yourself to your activities, but after a week of following that routine Aegon informed you that he had other plans for you.

“I want you to come with me for a walk.”

"To the exterior?"

"Yeah. I have training with Ser Criston but I don't wish to attend, so you will be my excuse. I'll tell him that the princess wanted to go for a walk and that I couldn't let her go alone."

He was telling you that lie almost like a childish prank and you would swear he was about to smile.

“Huh, okay. If you want it, we will”

You were still confused by his actions, because in all the time you had been there it was the first time he treated you decently. You didn't know if he was still drinking in large quantities, but at least when he went to sleep he no longer reeked of liquor in the same way. And all that week he hadn't forced you to have sex with him.

What had motivated the prince to change his way of behaving towards you?

"Do you want to go to the beach? I will order a couple of horses to be saddled for us” he exclaimed when you had already left the dining room.

You couldn't refuse to go to the bay, because in your entire life you had never seen the ocean and your curiosity was greater than any other feeling. Besides, you loved horses, and being with them might even make you feel better.

Aegon did as he told you and soon enough you were in the stable. He had ordered a beautiful white mare for you, with a silver mane the color of your husband's hair and a formidable build.

You approached to pet the animal, carefully, and tensed completely when you felt another body behind yours. Until that moment you hadn't realized how warm your husband was.

“She's pretty, right?”

His voice sounded at your ear level, as he had also reached out to touch Frostfire’s hair.

"She is"

“I guess you know how to ride,” he muttered under his breath and you let out an offended sigh.

“Of course I do. Highgarden is the heart of the chivalry of the seven kingdoms”

After saying that you turned your head just a little and met his gaze, indigo eyes with hints of lilac looking at you carefully. You could feel his breath against yours and at that closeness your cheeks had already turned red involuntarily.

He separated from you and then went to choose his horse, a black thoroughbred with beautiful braids, to get on it and ask the guards to open the door for you. You almost managed to sneak away, but Ser Criston stopped the two of you just before you could do so, claiming that he had a scheduled practice with the prince.

“I'm taking my wife to Blackwater, she hasn't had a chance to visit since her arrival.”

“But your grace, your father…”

“We will continue with training later, Ser Criston,” he said firmly.

“Will you go to Blackwater without an escort?”

“I will”

"That's impossible"

“Don't worry, I don't want to be accompanied. Just rest for now.”

“But you are the prince.”

"Exactly. I am the prince and I want my orders to be respected."

The boy was a smug son of a bitch when he put his mind to it, just like now. The man had no choice but to obey the words and then the two of you were able to leave. You could get there on foot, but Aegon had felt like riding and had wanted an alternative to quickly escape if something went wrong.

You walked along a path that still belonged to the Red Keep grounds, so there was no great danger of being attacked along the way, and you soon reached the bay. It was even more beautiful up close and as soon as you got off the mare you forgot any courtesy towards your husband, as you rushed towards the shore to watch the waves crash. Your pumps and dress were soaked when the water reached your calves, but it didn't bother you too much because you were happy for the reason.

“Have you never been to the ocean?”

“I'm afraid not, your grace. There was never any business that required me to be on the coast of The Reach and I have always lived surrounded by hills and forests. I had seen some rivers, but…”

Before you could continue your story you staggered because of a wave and to avoid falling you tried to hold on to whatever was within reach, which turned out to be the man next to you. He supported you from the elbows with his strong arms.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he laughed. For the first time in your presence, he had laughed “But we should get away from the shore. I wouldn't want to take you back to the castle all soaked”

You heeded the boy's advice and, still leaning on him, walked towards the sand. The sky was slightly cloudy, so the weather was perfect for walking around without any discomfort.

“I've never visited Highgarden, is it as impressive as rumored?” he asked, as he began to walk in the opposite direction of the Red Keep.

Although you never believed that the prince would be interested in such things, you began to talk to him about your hometown with particular emotion. You told him about his surroundings, about the castle and you also told in greater detail the gardens that once belonged to you and were full of golden roses, as was the emblem of your house.

You were surprised by how attentive the boy was to everything you had to say to him and for the first time since your arrival, you didn't feel like a stranger in your own skin. Talking about your home was like remembering a part of yourself, as if you were showing him your insides through stories of the beautiful hills where you had ridden so many times.

“Everything sounds wonderful,” he concluded. The sea breeze had already ruffled both of your hair and he took advantage of this to brush a strand out of your face “Someday I should go visit it”

“Yes, maybe you would like that” you exclaimed smiling. You had come too far and it was time to walk back, towards where you had left Frostfire and Moonshadow tied up “Your grace, may I ask you a question?”

"Yeah"

You opened your mouth to ask him why he was doing all that and why he had suddenly started showing so much interest in you. You wanted to know the reason for his unexpected kindness and his abstinence from activities that weren’t very pleasant for you. But before you could speak, you took a moment to observe him. His skin looked paler in the light outside and his silver hair waved in the wind, however, what caught your attention the most was the serene expression on his face.

Although you couldn't say that you knew Aegon, the time you had lived together had shown you that his personality was extremely challenging. If you pointed out that he was being nicer to you and questioned him about it, he would most likely revert to his old behavior towards you simply on a whim. So no, you couldn't ask him about anything or you'd ruin the minuscule part of a good relationship you had managed to build.

“I was thinking... Do you think we can one day bring golden roses to the royal gardens? Green and gold are part of your emblem too and that would beautify the place. I could take care of them, if you want.”

“That's a good idea,” he exclaimed happily. You had already turned around to return and you calculated that it must be after noon “I will order them to be brought in as soon as possible, in the hope that the hot weather at King's landing will not ruin them”

“I hope not,” you said, although a little less enthusiastic than before.

You had been lost in thought after the appearance of that question that you did not verbalize and suddenly Aegon feared that he had made some mistake. You walked a few meters in silence, until this state was unbearable for his majesty and he stopped you by holding your shoulders. You were about to ask what had happened when he pulled you against his lips, stealing your breath. It was still a rough kiss, but this time less desperate than before. His hands went down to your waist and held you to his body until there wasn’t even a centimeter of distance left, with your belly touching the heat of his stomach.

“Still no signs that you are pregnant?”

You thought that, perhaps, your answer was in that question and that the only thing the man wanted was to convince you to hurry up the matter of producing an heir.

“I'm sorry to say no. It's very unfortunate."

“We'll have to keep trying,” he said, shrugging his shoulders as if he wanted to downplay the matter “Mother insists on it.”

“Has your mother always been like this to you?”

"What are you talking about?"

“It's just… she seems to have everything under control all the time.”

You couldn't be further from the truth and rather than describing it that way Aegon would have said that she was controlling. She wanted to have things under control, but she couldn't and as an example was the eldest prince himself, whom she had never been able to persuade to behave the way he did.

“Well, she is the queen. I guess that's how she must be” he exclaimed without much encouragement. He was still holding you by the waist and was surprised by how intimate that position was. “But we better get back, they must be wondering where we are”

“Maybe they even think I ran away, taking advantage of the fact that you weren't there to watch me,” you joked.

"Would you do it?"

"Do what?"

“Run away”

You looked at the man, incredulous, because it was stupid to think that if you were planning to run away you would just tell him like that. That was the characteristic of it, that it was surprising and hidden.

“Why would I do, your grace?”

“Maybe because I'm a bad husband,” he said quietly. You weren't understanding the game Aegon was playing and it was driving you crazy.

“I wouldn't dare do it. I have nowhere to go and I know I couldn't even get through the doors without your majesty noticing,” you replied.

The prince didn’t want pragmatic reasons like that, but rather his question was more aimed at whether it was your will to abandon him.

Against all odds a couple of raindrops began to fall and very soon a storm had already brewed over your head. It was useless to run, but you did it anyway and Aegon held your hand to prevent either of you from falling due to a trip. Somewhere along the way you lost one of your pumps and at this you began to laugh and he, infected by your joy, did the same. It amused you greatly to think of the face the queen would make when she saw you enter the castle, with her eldest son soaked from head to toe and your clothing incomplete. But you also laughed from the joy of feeling so alive in that moment. You felt like a girl playing in the rain and despite the coldness of the falling water, you felt a certain warmth traveling from the tips of your fingers to your chest.

Although he was sure that you were an excellent rider, your husband insisted on taking you on his own horse to avoid any accidents and you agreed without complaint. His body sheltered you all the way to the Red Keep and once there, under the roof, he helped you down from the chair with extreme care. You didn't think he was that strong until you felt him grab your waist and place you on the floor effortlessly.

“Ask the maids to prepare a bath for you, or you will catch a cold,” he said, putting on your back a cloak he had found hanging on one of the walls.

There was the hint of a smile on his face and seeing him behave like this towards you made you feel weird. You almost felt like he was trying to be affectionate with you, even though he wasn't quite succeeding.

“You should do the same,” you exclaimed softly.

Motivated by the kind moment you had shared, you reached out to brush away the wet hair that had stuck to his face and he shivered at your touch. It was the first time you touched him that way, out of conviction and with care.

“Your majesty, Lord Hand is looking for you. He says he needs to talk to you urgently."

“My grandfather,” he sighed at you, as if wanting to apologize for the words the guard behind you had just said.

He gave the man Moonshadow's reins and then explained that someone had to go get the horse you had left in the bay, so you assumed your presence there was no longer necessary. You were about to leave when he stopped you, grabbing your arm somewhat roughly and looking at you with a feeling that you couldn't decipher.

“I'll go to your room tonight,” he informed.

You felt a little disappointed by the reality of having to share a bed with him, after so long without having done so, but you were grateful that he was at least warning you.

You nodded your goodbyes and he did the same, forming an unspoken agreement. You thought maybe that was why he had been polite to you, so he could get back under your bed sheets. But there was no point in doing it, he wasn't courting you to win your hand, but you were already his wife and he had made it very clear that he could do with you whatever he wanted.

Still a little confused, you were escorted to your bedroom, where you hoped that a tub with hot water and essences would be enough to appease all those doubts that were growing in you.

FIFTH ACT: LOVE

At some point Aegon would get tired of all this, you were sure. But while that moment arrived, you were thoroughly enjoying all kinds of attention you received from your husband. He kept his promise to bring golden roses for the gardens and although the queen wasn’t very happy, in the end they adorned some of the busiest sections of the place. You took that as an act of good faith, so you thought that maybe the thought of repaying him for some of the decency he was showing you wouldn't kill you.

There wasn’t a single breakfast that you skipped, except when the prince was required for political matters or had to travel. You were too proud to admit that you had begun to genuinely enjoy his company, as you still had some distrust due to how temperamental the man was. It wasn't all sunshine and flowers, as the young man still had some outbursts that made you fear him and reminded you that this was who you were really talking to.

His drinking habits hadn’t changed much, since although he was able to handle it during the first week after that period, it was inevitable that he would go back to his old ways and drink an entire jug of wine in a couple of minutes. With sex it was the same, because he continued to fuck you without signs of care and regularly when he was lost in drink. It amused you to think that perhaps that was the reason why you still didn't carry a child in your womb; that he was too drunk when you tried to be of any use.

However, as your relationship strengthened you could notice slight (you almost swore they were imaginary) changes when having sex. He was no longer as rough towards your body as before and tried to thrust into you a little slower, as if he wanted to lengthen the moment and not just unload into you and sleep like a baby after that. Maybe it was just that the drink made him lethargic, but he had even started seeking your lips in the middle of the act or kissing everything within reach of the skin on your neck. You didn't intend to spend much time analyzing his behavior because for you it already represented a victory that he had stopped hurting you after every time you had sex and, honestly, you didn't want to inquire about it. Once again you thought it was more prudent not to question the prince and simply let him continue behaving that way.

Until one night, things looked different for you.

When you heard your husband open the door, quite late at night, and saw him approach your bed, you knew that the same dynamic of nighttime visits would take place. Aegon, already hard as a rock, would kiss you a few times, undress, order you to undress, and then position on top of you to satisfy himself. Needless to say, under the confidence that being in the dark gave you and your husband's lack of interest, you looked away or concentrated on something else while your martyrdom was carried out. He would finish, lie naked next to you, and then sleep soundly with no memory the next morning of what had happened.

Aegon called your name, just to check that you were awake or otherwise wake you up, and you were surprised to hear that his voice sounded quite normal. He wasn't slurring his words like usual.

"Your grace?" you called back, propping yourself up on your elbows so you could look at him.

He did what was expected and as soon as he was far enough away, he started kissing you. You must have known something was wrong from that first moment, when he grabbed your cheek with his wide hand and offered you the most passionate kiss you had ever had. It is reiterated that Aegon was always somewhat careless in intimacy, but this first contact hadn’t felt as impatient as others, but rather was something more careful and planned.

Only one other man had kissed you like that in your life and although the feeling brewing in your chest must have been pleasant, the truth was that it wasn't. You had endured too much abuse from the white-haired man so your body didn't know how to react otherwise. That's why when he continued kissing you for longer than usual and then laid you down meekly, you couldn't do anything but tense uncomfortably.

You were only in your nightgown so there wasn't much difficulty in sliding the straps to the side, almost exposing your tits. Suddenly Aegon lowered his kisses to your neck, where his stubble scratched your skin. Knowing that he would be busy in that area, you turned your head away to focus your gaze on a tapestry on the wall. However, you got a surprise when you felt the prince move away from you and then a bigger one when he took your face between his fingers, placing his index finger and thumb on each of your cheeks to force you to look at him. At first you thought there was anger in his eyes, but after looking at them for a second more you concluded that the feeling was more like that of someone insulted. And why? you asked yourself. What had you done that had offended the prince?

“Why are you looking away?”

His question had a certain aggressive tone, but, at the same time, he sounded hurt. With that you confirmed that he wasn’t drunk or that, if he was, he had drunk just enough to make him feel slightly dizzy. You couldn't tell the way your eyes looked at him, but Aegon interpreted your expression as one of disdain.

Unbeknownst to you, he had his own whirlwind of feelings inside him, one that was driving him crazy and causing him to look you up and down while still holding you. He’d never been like this on another night, so you were at the mercy of knowing how good or bad that would turn out.

Suddenly he seemed upset, you would even say disgusted, and surprisingly stood up from his position. The cold air hit you where he had been before and you sat on the bed to watch him, completely confused by the way he was behaving.

"What's going on…?"

“You don't want this,” he spoke firmly. It was obvious that you didn't want to and you wondered how he had barely realized it. “Not like that… I… no. Not this way"

His babbling confused you even more and when you saw him walk away with exaggerated steps until he left through the door, you couldn't help but feel totally amazed.

What was the reason for what your husband had just done?

The feeling of being abandoned was more hopeless than having him fuck you would have been, and for a moment you even felt ashamed. Maybe he didn't like you anymore or he would just go and cure his frustration in the bed of a woman you didn't know.

He had watched you very strangely and the whole scene wasn't like him. You even pinched yourself just to check that it wasn't some strange dream, getting a moan of pain in response to your question. You thought that perhaps you were acting impulsively, but barely a minute later you put on a green robe over your nightgown and headed towards the door, still not knowing exactly what you were going to do.

“Where are you going, your grace?” the guard on duty asked, putting his voluptuous body in your way.

“Prince Aegon, do you know where he went?”

“In that direction, your majesty. But I'm afraid I must recommend that you return to your room, it is dangerous to walk around the palace at this time."

“But I wish to see my husband,” you said firmly.

The man let out a sigh and then slid to the side of the hallway, leaving you a clear path. Even so, when you started walking you felt his footsteps following you because he probably wanted to make sure that something didn't happen to you. You walked for a while, but you knew it was useless when all you found were locked doors that you couldn't knock on and that you couldn't open either. If Aegon was in any of those rooms, you wouldn't know it. Defeated, you returned to your room and, as expected, found it empty again.

The next morning there wasn’t a single word about that event, but it was present in your mind throughout the day. You had already lived with him enough to realize that something was bothering him, however, upon noticing that he was less talkative during your usual breakfast, you decided to give him time.

You were about to leave the table when he stopped you, asking you to take your seat again and looking at you seriously.

“I have to travel for a couple of weeks,” he informed you. You were surprised to hear that he almost sounded sad “The king is required on some business and since my father can no longer travel, I will have to do it.”

“I hope the entire journey is favorable and the visit profitable, your grace,” you exclaimed cordially. However, your husband didn’t seem pleased with it.

One of his hands slid to hold yours, with a strength that surprised you. There was urgency in his grip, like he needed to hold on to something.

“Is that all you have to say?”

A couple of wrinkles appeared on your brow, as you clearly weren't understanding what he expected of you. Accompanying him would be reckless and you didn't know if he wanted you to keep him there at King's landing.

During those last months something had changed in the man's face, because those eyes surrounded by purple marks no longer saw you with the same aversion as the first time. And it disheartened Aegon that his attempts to please you were yielding no apparent fruit. He was giving you time, effort, and being kind to you like you had said was necessary, but he still couldn't help but feel that you still considered him a stranger.

He had been patient because he thought that, as time went by, you would begin to seek him out or not shy away from his touch. Aegon cared a lot about the physical, so every time he sneaked into your room he did so with the hope that you would welcome him with open arms and give yourself to him willingly. Countless nights he waited in his own room for you to show up to keep him warm and love him throughout the night. But it never happened and a part of him couldn't blame you either.

However, he was already tired of it. He wanted to make it clear to you that he not only wanted to give, but also receive. But forcing you to do anything would ruin everything; you had to want it.

“Have I said something that offended you, prince?”

“I just thought you would say you were going to miss me”

A laugh echoed in your throat at those words and for a second Aegon felt hurt, like you were mocking you. He was going to let go of your hand and walk away, insulted, but you squeezed his hand harder as a sign that you didn't want him to do that.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at you. I just didn't think that if I harbored feelings of that kind they would be of interest to your majesty."

“Do you miss me when you don't see me?” he asked now, allowing himself to be vulnerable in front of you “Or are you glad to have me away?”

You didn't know what those direct questions were about, because you didn't expect that a man like him would be plagued by uncertainty about knowing the answers.

“Not at all. I will always be willing to be with you whenever you want.”

“And you want to be with me?” he insisted.

“I think that what I want is not important”

“But I'm trying to make it so. I thought I was making it clear enough,”

He was angry, but not for the reasons you might think. It frustrated him that he was trying hard to improve and that your eyes continued to see him like that first time. Too many people were already observing him like that and he thought that, perhaps, since you were the most recent to do it, you could also be the first in whom he could manage to modify it.

You, however, were still too confused by his signs. Sometimes his attitude didn’t coincide with the intentions he had, since antipathy was often the only emotion with which he allowed himself to express and feel, accustomed to what he received during all his years of life.

All those months of effort were a direct product of the talk you had had with him, of that moment of weakness in which, instead of ignoring him like everyone else did, you had stayed with him. Aegon was aware that the treatment towards you was sometimes inhumane and he couldn’t explain how despite this you had wiped away his tears with such care, expressing nothing more than an act of integrity. Sometimes he even just imposed things on you to see if he could push you to the limit and he was surprised to see that you endured everything with honor and decency. You were good, something he could never be.

He didn't want to hear anything more and then let go of your hand, feeling rejected again.

"Majesty…"

"It's getting late. I have to go feed Sunfyre so he can endure the trip.”

“Will you travel by dragon?”

“How else would a Targaryen do it?” expressed obviously.

You were silent for a moment and then he stood up, ready to fulfill his obligations. In the afternoon he had already left, without emotional goodbyes or anything like that.

You had those weeks alone to reflect on everything that had been happening. You firmly believed that a cruel and evil person would always be that way, even if they hid it, because humans can’t change from one day to the next. Still, you had to allow Aegon the courtesy of admitting that he wasn't being a complete jerk lately.

You tried to think of any unpleasant moments with him during that week and although you found a couple, you realized that they had all been because of minor arguments or simply that one of the two of you had woken up in a bad mood. The hatred for the boy had been so ingrained in you that now it was difficult to decipher how much of it was due to things that were really happening and how much of it was a resentment carried from the past, at the beginning of that harmful relationship that existed between you.

He was no longer a mean man to you, he just sometimes had those logical slips for anyone who has never been taught to love. He didn't know how to care for you, how to talk to you, or even how to touch you properly. He had always existed alone and could still be seen reflected in his incessant desire for you to be the one to look for him, in his longing to know that you would miss him during his absence and in wanting you to look forward to his return. He wanted you to pay attention to him. He needed it.

One fine afternoon the vision of Sunfyre finally appeared in the bright blue of the sky, with you watching from the huge window of your room. He looked majestic, flying deftly and confidently with the rider above him grinning from ear to ear. Aegon had once confessed to you that he loved to fly on his dragon and he spoke about it with a devotion that completely touched you.

You thought about going to look for him, grateful that he had returned, but you were afraid that your presence would bother him or, in that case, that there would be murmurs about you. You didn't want to seem like a desperate wife so you thought it would be best to look for him at dinner time and in case he wanted to see you before, you stayed in your room all afternoon.

Once night fell, you put on one of your prettiest dresses and went to the royal dining room hoping to find him there, but it was in vain. Luckily one of the cooks had seen him and he told you that he was in his room, since he had ordered that something to eat and drink be brought there.

Determined, you made your way there and took a moment before entering. You hoped that the time away from King's landing had not hardened your lover's character, because it would be a shame to waste what you had built for some time and have to start over, or not do it at all, which would be even worse. Since there were no guards at the door, you were able to push the wood without any hindrance and then you saw it.

Aegon was sitting near the fireplace, his back to the entrance and leaning against a table that had a jug that you assumed was full (or not so full anymore) of wine. When he heard your footsteps he turned slightly and when he saw you, he kept a serene expression on his face.

“Hey,” he exclaimed quietly.

“The maids informed me that you were here” you explained and he nodded.

You noticed that he no longer wore his black doublet with the Targaryen emblem, he only kept the breeches of the same color and a mint-colored linen shirt that left part of his chest exposed. His white hair had some natural curls that fell delicately over her shoulders.

“Yeah. I don't feel like seeing my parents.”

“I understand” you assumed that if he hadn't wanted to see you he wouldn't have hesitated to tell you, so you approached him. Undecided whether you should greet him with a kiss or just stay to the side, you placed your hands on his shoulders and leaned a little to look at him “How was the trip?”

“It was good,” he responded with reluctance. “But my body feels completely crushed”

“Hm. It shows” you whispered, amused. The tension in his body was palpable and that's why you began to massage him, pressing hard just where he needed it. Aegon, feeling your skilled hands doing this, let out a satisfied grunt and leaned his head back with his eyes closed.

Doing that wasn’t something you had planned when you went there, it had only happened out of the heat of the moment and the reality that your husband's body was taking its toll on him for the hours he had spent riding his dragon.

With each passing second Aegon's burden felt lighter and lighter, wondering where you had learned those movements and how your hands were strong enough to exert the right pressure.

"Feel better?" you asked kindly and he nodded immediately, eyes still closed.

Suddenly one of your hands slid lower, towards his chest, to caress him. This time your fingers were light as feathers, sending an electrical current up and down the man's spine under your touch. No whore had ever touched him like that, with that force and at the same time so delicately.

But it was clear that you were not a whore. You were his wife.

“Come here,” he said firmly, reaching out to wrap his hand around your wrist and pulling you directly into his lap.

It was extremely painful to admit that he had missed you. He was physically frustrated because he hadn't dared to take any other woman in your absence. It had been a long time since he had frequented pleasure houses, since his appetite was awakened only by being with you.

What the hell had you done to him?

“The cook told me that you ordered some food, but I only see wine around here. Have you already eaten anything?”

“Mhmm,” he said absently. Your legs dangled to the side and one of his hands came up to your face, brushing your loose hair away from it. The other one surrounded you until it planted itself firmly on your belly. “Still no signs of anything?”

“Honestly, I don't know. The maesters can’t say with certainty… I am sorry”

“What if you are sterile?” the mere possibility of it made you nervous and you wondered what your fate would be if that was the case. Aegon didn't look so worried “What a disappointment for Alicent.”

You didn't know how to take that, because on the one hand it could be that your husband was amused by the irony of the matter and on the other hand it was that he would never have wanted to have children with you. For a moment you thought that the tranquility of the environment had been fragmented by this, but it turned out that the man couldn't care less. He was completely focused on your lips, almost as if hypnotized.

“I trust that is not the case, your grace. Just… it was a streak of bad luck.”

“I guess so,” he murmured nonchalantly. He was still watching your mouth when you spoke “But now I don’t care much about that.”

He carefully grabbed you by the back of your neck and brought you closer to shorten the distance, giving you an eager kiss that took your breath away. The hand that was on your waist pulled you closer to his body, leaving practically no separation between you and him. You could feel the desperation on his lips and in his touch, like he was eager to make you his. And at the same time, he was kissing you like he had never done before: it was sweet, yearning, passionate. You felt like he really wanted you.

He separated from you so you could breathe and, as best he could, he maneuvered to lift your body until he placed you on the table, where it was easier for him to place himself in the space between your legs. You instinctively placed your hands around his neck and wrapped one of your legs around his body.

“I longed for you. These weeks” you finally confessed. You heard him, and felt him, breathe more erratically at this because your words had fallen on him with the force of an axe.

From there, Aegon acted solely driven by the feeling of knowing that you had wanted to see him as much as he had wanted to see you.

His entire body leaned over you to kiss you, with the same urgency as at the beginning. While he did that he grabbed you by the lower back, pulling you until your body collided with his crotch which, if it wasn't already hard, wouldn't take long.

His kisses were clumsy due to urgency and after a while he moved away from your mouth to descend to your neck. Sometimes he left a kiss or two, at most, but this time he seemed to want to take his time. His tongue ran all over your skin, freshly washed, and he spread caresses without restraint. Every place the dragon's lips touched lit up with fire and his hips grinding against you weren't doing much for the blush on your cheeks. Inevitably you began to sigh from so many stimuli, right at the level of his ear, which only motivated him to continue.

As best he could he pulled the laces on the back of your dress and it didn't take long to get rid of the restraints. He slid one of your sleeves over your shoulder to begin kissing that section, the same way he had done with your neck. An indiscreet moan escaped you as your husband bit into your soft flesh and you could feel him smile against your skin.

“You're mine, right?” he sighed brokenly. You had tilted your head back to give him more space and he took the opportunity to lower the entire torso of your dress. “Only mine…”

With the same devotion he took care of your breasts and you couldn't do anything but continue alternating between sighs and some muffled moans. You could feel how he longed for you, eager to be able to kiss every inch of your skin even if it took him the entire night. Suddenly your body had become a temple, an object worthy of worship. The prince continued to distribute kisses that each time descended towards your belly, until with one hand he violently threw everything that was on the table and you ended up lying completely on it. Then he walked away.

You were about to ask what had happened when he took care of taking off your ballerina flats and throwing them somewhere far away in the room, only to stretch your leg up to the height of his torso to start kissing it. No one, not even him, had ever done that to you, so it was natural for you to be dismayed. His kisses moved quickly up your thigh and once he did that, he dropped to his knees in front of you. The skirt of your dress blocked your view and when you tried to get up something made you scream. Aegon had bitten into the tender flesh of your thighs, quite close to your crotch and with more force than he had hit your shoulder. You could only imagine his face when he carefully licked the mark he had surely left on you, once again making your chest exhale a moan.

What he did next and the sensation it caused, you could never have even imagined. That mouth, which most of the time was used for ironic puns and sloppy kisses, was now taking expert care of all of your pussy. Aegon was devouring you completely, touching just where it was necessary to make you squirm on the table. He wasn't careful at all; it was a touch hungry and extremely dirty.

You wanted to hold on as much as you could to keep yourself attached to reality, but it was difficult with your husband eating you like that. One of his arms wrapped around your leg and placed it over his shoulder, probably to give him better access. You had never moaned like that in his presence and it only made him harder and harder beneath the tight fabric of his breeches.

The pleasure was barely getting to your head when he stopped and a dissatisfied grunt escaped you shamelessly. Aegon laughed unabashedly at this, pleased at the control he had gained over you, and then went up again to kiss you hungrily. You couldn't do anything but welcome his salty lips and you moaned against him as he leaned against your body and you could feel his crotch, not knowing if it was your own wetness or his that was present.

He held you from behind and, without stopping kissing you, carried you until he placed you on the bed. You considered it somewhat unfair that your husband already had you trembling beneath him and still hadn't taken off a single piece of clothing, but your complaints were silenced when he hurriedly pulled his shirt over his head and took off his breeches in record time. In the same way, he pulled your dress towards your legs so that a second later it ended up on the floor, along with everything else.

He knelt down on the mattress and spread your legs roughly, lining himself up with your entrance. He began to rub the tip of his member up and down your already wet center and that did nothing but drive you crazy again.

When a delicate, pleading, «please» escaped your swollen lips, Aegon knew it was more stimulating to have you begging for him than to worry about only satisfying himself.

He played with you for a while longer, smiling from ear to ear at the sight of his delicate, pretty wife vibrating from having him close, until he finally plunged into you. For the first time there was enough wetness in you that the stroke felt satisfying rather than painful and both of you let out a delicious moan.

He set the pace, slow at first, but after a while his movements became more desperate. He wanted to get to the core of you, he wanted to fill you completely so you knew that only he could make you feel that way. When his body began to ache he leaned towards you, resting each of his arms on the side of your head and looking directly at you. You had stopped looking away from him, now you were looking at him with your mouth open with pleasure, your eyes watery and your pupils dilated on your completely flushed cheeks.

“Aegon,” you sobbed pathetically, clouded by everything you were experiencing and proving that it wasn't long before you reached your orgasm.

You had never called him by his name. You always referred to him as «your grace», «prince» or «husband», at best. So hearing his name come out of your lips like that, under those circumstances, was too much for him to bear.

Knowing that he couldn't last much longer, one of his hands moved down to rest his thumb on your clit and once there he began to make erratic circles. You closed your eyes, completely seized by pleasure and a couple more thrusts were enough to make you lose the battle. Hearing your whimpers, combined with the way your walls squeezed him, was enough to make him cum too. With trembling legs you felt the warm liquid filling you and, for the first time, it was comforting.

When Aegon plopped down next to you, you immediately missed his body warmth. Both of you were breathing heavily, trying to catch the breath that the orgasm had taken from you. You could clearly feel your heartbeat bouncing off your bare chest and the stinging sensation coming from your crotch and running through your entire body was something you could get used to. Your hair had stuck to your face from the sweat and not to mention your lips, which you felt were burning from your husband's attention.

Aegon had already had many orgasms in his life so this time he decided to turn his gaze a little to see you enjoying yours. The mere idea that he was responsible for your condition made him completely shake.

“You look beautiful,” he blurted out suddenly. You thought he had heard wrong because of the rush, but from the way he was smiling at you, you highly doubted it. “Just like that”

“Like what?”

“Freshly fucked. Well fucked” he corrected himself.

A laugh bubbled up from within you and you blushed even more, if that was possible, perhaps from the nerves and elation of what had just happened. The man stood up a little from his seat and leaned down to kiss you, although this time he did it with a calm and affection that you never thought you would see in him. It was just that he couldn't deny it anymore; from that moment on he would become an open book for you, where you could see all his feelings, desires and fears.

“I don't know why you're doing this,” you suddenly murmured and Aegon pulled away enough to look at you “And I don't know why you've been acting like this these past few months. But I like it. I think it's a good time for you to know."

“You said I could choose who I am,” he said meekly. One of his hands grabbed your chin and stole another fleeting kiss from you. “I haven't forgotten, every word is present in my head. It's just... sometimes it's hard. And I thought I would have a better chance with you, even with the things I did to you when we got married”

You smiled at him and were happy to know that the change in his behavior was because of the talk you once had with him. If he continued like this, ignoring the demons inside him and trying to be better, then your marriage had a chance to become more than just a condemnation.

Driven by the pleasant feeling growing in your chest you reached out towards him to reward him with a kiss. The man's breath hitched when you pushed him to the side and reversed roles, now you being the one pampering him while he was lying down. There was a playful glint in your husband's eyes as you looked at him.

“Do you know this is the first time you kissed me?” he exhaled softly.

You couldn't believe that was possible and for a few seconds you tried to remember so you could contradict him. But every time you remembered you realized that it was always him who initiated the contact to which you only responded, so, effectively, it was the first kiss you gave him out of conviction.

Maybe it was an omen that something good was coming.

Still happy with how everything had turned out, you snuggled into his side, your head resting on his chest while he hugged you and threw a sheet over your bodies. You planted a hand on his bare skin and began drumming your fingers, alternating with small circles made with the greatest delicacy.

You were silent for a long time, you even thought that your husband had fallen asleep until you heard him speak again:

“It's also the first time I'm doing this.”

“Are you talking about sex, your grace?”

“No, I'm talking about cuddling,” he confessed softly, his hand caressing your back the same way you did with him, “And don't call me your majesty anymore. I am Aegon. Or my prince, at any rate. But my is important”

With the affection worthy of a wife, you raised your head to place a kiss on his cheek and assured him that from now on you would call him that in the privacy of your chambers.

Suddenly, after another moment of silence, Aegon pulled you close to him as if afraid you were going to suddenly evaporate. Intending to calm his fears, you climbed until you were on top of his body, hiding your head in his neck so that the distance became minimal.

There was silence for another couple of minutes.

“Do you think I can ever be forgiven?”

Apparently the atmosphere of the moment had managed to soften the boy's heart.

“We can all be absolved, Aegon.”

"And you?"

"Me what?"

“Do you think you can ever love me?” you were quiet for a second, thinking about your response. Then, he added “Or could you at least try? It would be a nice detail for me. No one has ever done it before.”

Not wanting to ruin the mood with a false word you decided to kiss his neck gently and that was enough of an answer for him. He would have to trust in your goodwill and that he could continue to restrain his impulses to keep this newly discovered gem that was his wife. With some luck you could even be that person he prayed for so much all his life, one with whom he could feel safe.

The slowing of the man's breathing revealed to you that he had already fallen asleep and you discovered that it seemed not so bad to find yourself in that position, sheltered by your lover's arms.

Under that scenario, the idea of eventually loving Prince Aegon Targaryen no longer sounded so far-fetched.

[sunny-knight]

What Kind Of Monster Was He?

A @forgettable-au fan (colored) animatic

MINOR BLOOD WARNING!

*Was he the kind to do too much, or not enough?

…OK, SO WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS-

I had planned to finish this into a full fledged animation, but a lot of the parts I did end up finishing just didnt live up to what I imagined…I waited for more motivation to happen, but it just didnt so HERES THE COLORED ANIMATIC CAUSE IM REALLLY HAPPY WITH WHAT I HAVE and ive sat on posting this for like a 2 weeks 😭 which is an eternity in my time

Im gonna post the unfinished “finished” part on my side account @o-sunny-day though! and probably have people yell at me cause it actually isnt that bad AND IT TOTALLY ISNT I just… art. You get it. ENOUGH YAPPING! ITS TIME TO YAP!

except not yet, MORE BACKGROUND INFO HUCDHUC- but its background info on explaining the lore…

The explaining is much less expansive than in Dear My Dear just because I didnt work on it long enough to think every bit of it through. This is just a clean, nicer looking, and colored version of the very first storyboard.

I usually think about and put more effort into the little stuff while making the FINISHED bits since ive had so much more time to think about that in all the preppin n sketching.

BUT I liked the explaining format I did for Dear My Dear so im sticking with it!

The main idea for this was to do a study of Wingdings’ character from what we’ve been given, mainly focusing in on the expectations he puts on himself because holy shit the lyrics for this works so stupidly well it makes me mad LOOK AT THIS???

its ridiculous. i love it. I didnt know Jack Stauber helped write Forgettable AU???? woww!!! ANYWHO thats the gist of it, not much context is needed past that. Onto the sillies!!!! (per usual excuse the shitty quality of the pngs idk why Tumblr does that-)

Did you know love? Will you rest in peace?

Wingdings and Sans holding hands as kids, before turning to a casket like appearance for adult WD. The flowers hes holding are pretty important too, Marigolds to represent grief, Lilys, new life, and Forget Me Nots for this lovely little line I found when looking up good flowers to use-

“a promise to always remember” ….stop that.

That actually also has a double meaning in this case too. 1, ofc the forgetting of Wingdings. But ALSO Wingdings forgetting something himself. Forgetting who he is. Almost like a Zuko ATLA situation.

Did you have a family?

Who knows where theyre parents are, but this is HAPPY TIME and we’re gonna assume they were so awesome and very kind but had to leave or went to a farm in the sky for whatever reason.

The colors here I had a lot of fun with. Their parents had warm colors but the boys have cold, still with warm accents. Its said they more or less raised each other being very independent as shown in the second part with them running out the door by themselves.

How was the view from the shelf? Did you ever believe in yourself?

Before, we started with the beginnings. The good things, the only thing Wingdings cares to even recall. Now we’re seeing his life really start to turn upside down- making first contact with The Player :D

He’s hesitant to reach out, but is intrigued, before getting a rushing revelation of his reality and how it isnt “real”

Rather than feeling crushing existential dread, he more feels pressured to be BETTER, to figure a solution, to do something. Thats what white represents here

WHAT KIND OF MILK WERE YOU?

We then switch to more examples of how Wingdings is taking this pressure (not well) The soft tones of yellow that were shown before, turn to way brighter, intensifying that feeling that he should be fine, he should be happy, drowning in success of being the Royal Scientist.

But he just desperately wants to just go back to a time of nice coldness.

The warm vs cold tones in this I had so much fun with, coldness is supposed to represent hostility usually, while warm is nice and happy. (same with Black and white. Scary, relieving,) But these points often contradict each other, its hard to tell what you’re feeling vs what you’re supposed to be feeling. Just like Wingdings!

WHAT KIND OF LIFE DID YOU LIVE THROUGH?

The white lab coats, the expectations, theyre on all of them. But Wingdings has essentially become his expectations.

He questions what life he wants to live, one being himself and alone (speaking in wingdings) or not himself and with company (speaking in a “normal” font) Still, he frames it in past tense as he believes theres no going back now, based on what he knows.

“One of the last happy moments they had together” stop that. (i cant find a link to when that was said but I know it was once, about them taking a photo together….)

DID YOUR LIFE RUN RICH WITH CALCIUM?

Calcium….bonesss :3 Hehehehdhehfhehehheheheh still dont know why he has holes in his hands so we’re movin on

DID THEY LAUGH AT YOU OR DID YOU LAUGH AT THEM?

Compared to the childhood Wingdings remembered, heres the sadder, bleaker, more realistic version. He always thought they were laughing at him but… maybe they werent.

DAIRY BELOVED. YOUR DAYS ARE GONE,

It doesnt matter now though. Because in the NOW, Wingdings has become consumed by his expectations of himself, seeing this has the “only option” to do the only thing that he feels will give his life meaning and purpose, establishing connection with THE PLAYER

But the grocery list goes on…

And yet life continues on without him, and his room is transformed into a more livable space now that someone is…living in it. Always hurts so much making the differences between Wingdings and Papyrus’ room. It feels like making something out of the man Wingdings COULD HAVE been. Because honestly thats just what Papyrus is,

Thank you to my bestie @fruitytrip for helping me with all of my art in general but especially the storyboarding on this :3 <3

[eclipseberrycake]

Poly! MoonBerryCake x Reader Pt. 4

I went on Pinterest. Got inspired. I should be paying attention to class. Which I am. Kinda.

-> Part one

-> Part Two

-> Part Three

Sharing a bed with three other people isn't as romantic as you think. >:)

☁ Omg I'm writing headcanons that are actually headcanons and not practically a story i broke up because I hate connecting sentences and paragraphs?

☁ I'm shocked too.

☁ Omg I never even INTRODUCED MYSELF. Y'all can call me Milk <3 or Roo. Neither are my real name but I go by those names on Dandy's world <3 So if you've played with an Astro named Roo :).

☁Anyway.

☁ Sharing a bed with someone? Is nice, don't get me wrong. But it has it's downsides. Let alone sleeping with THREE people? Crazy stuff.

☁ For the first little while, you probably don't sleep in the same bed because...there's four of you. There's no bed big enough for you all to cuddle. When nights get really hard, sometimes one of you will crawl into whoever's closest room and that's how the night will go. Or if there's a rather hard run, one of you will put in the work and gather all the mattress, pillows, blankets and cushions you can get away with to build what is basically a large nest to keep the others nearby.

☁ By the fifth time that happens, Sprout is whining abo☁ut the work put into it and immediately is looking for a solution.

☁ Out of all of them, Sprout is the pickiest sleeper in my opinion. Astro can fall asleep literally anywhere. Literally anywhere. There have been times where panic hits and you come back waiting for the elevator to close only to realize he's not there with 12 seconds left to retrieve him.

☁ He's always very apologetic, don't get him wrong, but it's unfortunately just how the celestial works I'm afraid.

☁ Cosmo is kind of in between the two. He won't fall asleep mid-run, but he does have some things he absolutely needs or he won't fall asleep. Like, for instance, he needs blankets. At least three. No matter how hot it is, get him a fan then. That number lowers when he's sleeping with one of you to a whopping one blanket, but he needs something covering him.

☁ Sprout needs like the highest quality pillows, and blankets, and white noise, and a water cup in arms reach and and and-

☁ So Sprout is in charge of picking out a bed. However, this comes the question of who's room it will go in. Astro and Sprout have the bigger rooms, but both rooms have a...theme. And no offense to either, but You and Cosmo readily agree the fight to see which theme wins is not worth it.

☁ So, you and Cosmo take it upon yourselves to scour the blueprints of the building and talk with Brightney who has the records of the building practically memorized. She's able to direct you to the abandoned Handlers rooms. They're larger than the toon rooms and none of them have been claimed thus far.

☁ So you and Cosmo take the time, clean one out- The only one that didn't have a placard- and present it to the other two with bright grins and starry eyes.

☁ It's taken well with a flurry of kisses bestowed upon you both.

☁ So, Sprout orders the bed though the magical power of don'tlooktoohardintothelogic and the room is yours to claim.

☁ The room is evidently decorated with a mix of all four of you whether it be the addition of fairy lights along the walls from Astro, or the rugs with pies on them from Sprout, or the bedspread from Cosmo. Each of you is seen in every corner of the room and it's both brilliant and kind of frightening.

☁ Even if you all still have your original rooms, this is a much bigger step. You all wanted to see each other as much as possible previously, but now you're sleeping in the same room, waking up together, getting ready for your days together?

☁ That's all to say, sleeping together in one bed does not have its pros! There's always someone there for when a bad dream slips through the cracks, and most times at least one person is awoken by the sudden jolts and its already hushing you with a soothing presence and whispered reassurances.

☁ It gets hot and sweaty at times because of the body heat but after the introduction of a fan and opening the window, it becomes much better.

☁ Also the clothes? Stealing clothes is just normal for you all. At this point, any new article of clothing bought is just communal. You've lost count of how many times you're reading or playing games in the general area when Astro walks in, wearing your shirt and just collapses onto you for a nap, or Cosmo's in the kitchen with Sprout's apron or you've stolen Cosmo's sweater. Sprout himself is exasperated at the thought because he's so tall he sometimes struggles to steal anything. He feels left out!

☁ Have no fear though because once Astro becomes more comfortable to go without his cloak, sitting in your room in just a shirt and pants, Sprout is the first to claim dibs on it, him and Cosmo fighting over it. You're smart as you go right after the source, perched in Astro's lap as he watches them.

☁ Getting ready for bed is a routine now too. It used to be a clumpy and choppy thing, but soon enough you've all developed a way to work with each other so it's seamless with minimum hiccups.

☁ Sleeping through the night? Is...a process. Every night brings a new situation and it's a journey.

☁ Sprout and Astro are more often the not the bottom part of the pile. As I mentioned earlier, Sprout is a prissy sleeper so there have been quite a few times he's woken you up with a quiet "My arm's asleep, bud." and you have to spit back "Suck it up." before he's forcefully dragging you to a new position.

☁ The jolt sometimes wakes Astro and Cosmo, but they're quick to go right back asleep.

☁ Other nights you're woken by Astro pushing at Cosmo, groaning softly. "Just keep jamming your knee up my crotch, that's fine." It did not in fact sound fine, making you grin before burrowing back into your chosen boyfriend pillow at the time.

☁ Some nights both you and Cosmo are rudely awoken by Sprout and Astro shoving at each other, arguing over who is taking more of the giant bed despite an entire half of it not being in use.

☁ Speaking from experience, when sleeping with another person, one half of the bed goes unused at all times. Idk if it's just like instinct to huddle together, but like yeah. That's what happens. doesn't matter how you all lay down, by the end of it all, you will all be in one heap on one half of the bed.

☁ One of you falls off the bed at least once a week. Most times it's you or Cosmo, who's laying on either Sprout or Astro when they roll over and take you with them only for there to be no more bed for you.

☁ That's the true difference between them. Astro is all "Did that hurt?" and when you're like "I'll survive." He's immediately like "That's not what I asked?!"

☁ Sprout's laughing and tells you you'll be fine, dragging you into his arms and smothering your face in apologetic kisses.

☁ By the way, once they're comfortable, you'll miss the seperate sleeping quarters. Astro has shoved so many articles of clothing into your face asking if it smells clean enough Tisha won't hunt him down.

☁ He hasn't learned even after you've told him yes three times when you knew Tisha would rain hellfire.

☁ Cosmo brings treats into the bed. You know that tiktok that's like "Making food in bed without my bf/husband/dog noticing." That's him. He's literally got a griddle somewhere. You've woken up to him making pancakes, watched him turn, smile at you and return to his project like...huh.

☁ When Sprout woke up that night, wrapped in Astro, he was only mildly confused before the rest of his brain jogged awake and he was left staring at you and Cosmo both sitting at the foot of the bed, eating pancakes. Like it wasn't three in the morning.

☁ The griddle was banned the next morning.

☁ Three days later, Cosmo had an easy bake oven.

☁ Astro didn't even question it when you handed him a pretzel bite, eating it before returning to sleep.

☁ When he off handedly mentions it the next day, there's a distant shout from Sprout before he's appearing in the doorway, demanding more information.

☁ He never finds it.

☁ Arguments go crazy too.

☁ not fights, but those little squabbles you get into after youve been with someone for a while and they're existance is just so adorable and loving and it pisses you off bc wdym they chose me.

☁ On runs especially. Sprout is NOTORIOUS for pining one of you down in the elevator, hands squeezing your cheeks, "You are so annoying, oh my god- I LOVE YOU." Like he doesn't know how to handle it.

☁ I didn't mention this previously but the distinction between how he treats you three versus everyone else is SO FUNNY. Like if for some reason none of you are the same run, he literally sits in the corner and pouts. Vee is so over his shit.

☁ He does this thing where he walks up to a machine and just bangs his head against it and cries about how he doesn't want to be there.

☁ The SECOND he's back, he acts like he wasn't a mopey kitten.

☁ Like I have this imagine of him coming back, walking into the kitchen. You and Cosmo are covered in cake batter. Astro is sipping on a drink, leaning against the counter as he watches you two. Immediately he's just relaxed because this is such an idiot thing to do, but you're his idiots and that's what matters.

☁ You have a notebook of shit you've all said.

"Tough shit toons, you're distractor has a thesis to examine to a molecular level about the connection between Spongebob and Chappell Roan."

"It's like a perfect oval. Like a circle compressed by the Thigh Master."

"Her laugh reminds me of a dog just before they throw up."

"The lamp. It's just sitting there. Like you- who said they would do the dishes!"

☁ It's a national treasure.

☁ The other toons think you're their own little show. It's so funny to them. It's like the Toonashians (Have yall seen those tiktoks?)

☁ Especially when it's between Sprout and Astro. As two mains, their fights are so funny. They both do that thing where they turn to you and Cosmo and ask who's right. Neither of them are.

☁ You and Astro are not allowed in the kitchen alone. Period. You make unholy concoctions. Remember the pudding fiasco? Sprout put a ban on you from entering the kitchen. Everyone knows. Pebble rats you out fastest.

☁ Sprout is banned from the Hamilton soundtrack. You threatened to drown him in the shower after hearing him belt it for the fourth week in the row early in the morning.

☁ Speaking of! Morning routines! Sprout wakes up first. Makes it all of your problems. But he does do coffee/tea/juice/ whatever you need to start your day and has it ready with a kiss by the time you make it downstairs.

☁ Cosmo is normally next, leaving you to fend off Astro by yourself.

☁ Astro is such a cuddler, so good luck getting him off. Normally you have to pry him off with Cosmo's help after he's done his morning routine, replacing yourself with a pillow.

☁ He gets up right after that, immediately sensing the pillow is NOT you. He's grumpy and tired and just heads straight to the kitchen where Sprout is waiting. Coffee is first before anything else for him along with some snuggles.

☁ Y'all so domestic its cute asf.

☁ Of course the relationship has its pros and cons, but every day and night you're reminded of just how worth it it always is.

☁ Ahh im out of ideas so idk when the next part will come out <3

[miabbh]

Tiny Little Battles 🍚

dad!husband!Baekhyun x reader

Synopsis: There are things about motherhood that are hard to overcome—your little boy's latest pet peeve with food being one of them. Unlike Baekhyun, you can't achieve the same results as him through persuasion, and that always leaves you emotionally shaken. It's not your fault, you know that deep down, but Baekhyun does his best for you to never forget it.

Genre: slice of life, fluffy, Baekhyun being a super caring and loving and 😩😩 husband for a frustrated and sad and tired reader| ~1,7k words

a request from this anonie ♥️♥️ thanks

The sun rising late and setting early made the already short days feel even shorter, stretching your patience thinner with each passing moment. The once-welcoming sunlight seemed fleeting, leaving you scrambling to make the most of its glow while spending a good quality time with your little boy preparing dinner.

Minsoo was an almost-three-year-old perfect blend of you and Baekhyun—a mischievous smile identical to his father's and a curious gaze that mirrored your own. You didn't know that life could be so full of joy, so routine but without actually following the routine as having a toddler made everything but unpredictable.

Still, you couldn't help but feel so much pride and love and admiration on the little human you held in your arms everyday. Being a mother was something you didn't expect to love this much; before you even knew it, your favourite word was "Mommy"—or whatever other version with that same meaning, your heart melting at each time he called for you.

"Mommy, ew! It's spicy…"

In an usual commotion, with the stool high enough for him to reach the counter, you prepared dinner together. He'd once delighted in naming the ingredients, his voice bubbling with excitement as he repeated each of its names after you. But lately, that sweet smile had been replaced by a furrowed brow, his tiny lips pressed into a pout the moment even the smallest taste touched his tongue.

The pediatrician's advice had been simple: involve him in meal preparation, let him explore the textures of veggies and fruits as snacks before dinner. It had worked—for a time. The solution quickly faded into disgrace, leaving you back to the battle. Mealtimes had become a battlefield, with you trying every trick in the book to coax him into taking a single bite.

When Baekhyun was home for dinner, though, it was a different story. Somehow, his playful persuasion always worked where yours failed. The floor beneath the table would end up a chaotic mess of crumbs, but you didn't mind. What mattered was the sparkle in your son’s eyes as Baekhyun turned every bite into a game, his animated gestures and silly voices breaking through the stubborn resistance. At least then, you knew your little boy had something in his stomach—and maybe, for a fleeting moment, you could let yourself breathe.

That day, though, you found yourself staring at the clock, Minsoo sleeping after having only a bottle of milk for dinner. Baekhyun had texted you that he'd be late—he was working really hard, and you knew that, but it only predicted you'd lose the battle for good.

It wasn't easy to accept that you couldn't make Minsoo eat, even using the same playful manner as your husband. Something about it made your eyes get full of tears each moment he rejected something you tried to give him. It wasn't anything new, he ate peas and rice and shredded chicken plenty of times before—and with a certain enthusiasm, finding it funny to bite the peas one by one with his front little teeth—but tonight, not even two spoonfuls went in.

The soup plate suffered the same fate—left untouched, its contents spilled across the high chair tray. You stared at the mess for a moment, your shoulders slumping under the weight of yet another mealtime gone unsuccessful.

The bowl clattered into the sink with a little too much force, the sound echoing in the quiet kitchen as frustration bubbled up inside you.

It wasn't just about the food; it was the effort of making it fun, the planning of combinations that could conquer his appetite, the endless attempts to make something your little boy might actually eat.

Deep down you knew it wasn't your fault either, but the mess, the growing guilt of wondering if you were doing enough and the exhaustion were too much to keep yourself all together everyday.

As soon as Minsoo fell asleep on the couch, his tiny arms curled protectively around your arm, you gave yourself permission to close your eyes for just a moment. The kitchen was still a mess, remnants of dinner scattered across the counter; and your phone sat beside you, still open to an endless scroll of recipe ideas that felt more futile than inspiring. You hadn't even managed to shower yet either, but exhaustion tugged at you like a weight, and you let yourself sink back into the cushions.

Just for a moment.

A little moment to get yourself together again.

After what felt like ten seconds, the faint jingle of keys stirred you from your half-sleep. You blinked, the familiar sound of the front door creaking open grounding you. A second later, Baekhyun stepped inside, his footsteps soft against the floor.

His eyes immediately found yours on the couch, your little boy sprawled across your lap, his chubby hands clutching the fabric of your shirt even in sleep. Baekhyun paused, his chest tightening at the sight of you both. The exhaustion etched into your features and the faint mess of toys scattered around spoke volumes about your day.

"Oh, my love…" he whispered, the weight of his unspoken apology heavy in his tone. Guilt flickered across his face as he quietly set down his bag and shoes.

Crossing the room in careful, quiet steps, he crouched down beside you. His warm hand cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing against your skin. His touch was gentle, reverent, as though afraid you might break under the weight of his absence.

"I'm so sorry…" he murmured, his other hand wrapping gently around your free one. His thumb stroked the back of your hand as he leaned in closer, his forehead nearly resting against yours. "I tried to leave earlier, I swear. But practice ran late. I hate that I left you to do everything by yourself again."

You blinked up at him, the tears that had been threatening to fall all day suddenly harder to hold back. You tried to swallow that urge to cry, squeezing his hand.

"You told me you might be late." you said softly, your voice cracking slightly despite your attempt to sound indifferent. His shiny brown eyes narrowed slightly, his lips getting into a discreet pout—and you lost again. "It's just… It’s been a hard day, Baek."

His face crumpled with sympathy, and he closed the small distance between you, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. Then, his lips brushed against your temple.

"You've been doing so much... too much! You're incredible. I don't deserve you." he whispered.

You shook your head weakly, a tear slipping down your cheek. His thumb was there instantly, brushing it away, and then he kissed the spot tenderly, his lips warm and soft.

"It's not that, Baek…" you managed, your voice barely above a whisper. "It's just… he didn't eat again. He said the rice was 'spicy'. It was plain white rice, Baekhyun! I don't know what I'm doing wrong!"

Baekhyun chuckled softly, his lips quirking into a small smile even as he cupped your face in both hands.

"You're not doing anything wrong, love. He's just… figuring out his own quirks. Our picky little prince." his gaze moved down to the toddler blissfully unaware of effect of his recent behavior.

You tried to smile, but your exhaustion kept it at bay. It wasn't his fault, either. He was but a little kid, somehow the world not seeming as interesting as before, maybe?

"It doesn't feel like that when I'm scrubbing rice off the walls." you tried to joke, running your hand through the strands damp from the little one's sweaty sleep.

Baekhyun's laugh rumbled low in his chest as he leaned forward, his nose brushing against yours.

"You're amazing. The way you love him, the way you try every single day… I don't know how you do it, but I see it all, love. You're the best mom he could ever have. And the best partner I could ever dream of."

Your heart seemed to sink when you heard those words—for a moment, you felt no shame on being tired, even with so many things to be done yet. Your gaze meet again before you close your eyes tight to keep all the river you felt emerging on them from falling.

Still, more tears escaped your eyes, and Baekhyun didn’t hesitate, kissing them away one by one, his lips trailing from your cheek to the corner of your mouth.

"I mean it." he murmured, his breath warm against your skin. "You are everything to us. Everything to me."

You exhaled shakily, leaning into his touch as his hands moved to the nape of your neck, his thumbs tracing soft circles against your skin.

"I just wish it didn't feel so overwhelming sometimes." you whispered.

"That’s why I'm here." he replied, his forehead pressing gently to yours. "To hold you when it's too much. To remind you that you're never alone. And tomorrow, I'll take care of dinner, okay? Minsoo and I will have a little chat about respecting Ma's cooking and to not use rice as wall plaster."

Despite your weariness, a small laugh escaped you, and he grinned, his lips brushing over yours in a playful, fleeting kiss.

"Good luck with that." you teased softly. "He's stubborn."

"I'll win him over." Baekhyun replied with a smirk. "You know I've got a way with both of you."

Carefully, he slipped his arms beneath Minsoo, lifting the little boy with practiced ease. Some sleepy mumbles proved he stirred, but quickly settled against his father’s shoulder, letting out a soft, contented sigh. Baekhyun’s eyes never left yours as he stood.

"Stay here." he said softly. "I'll tuck him in and come right back for you."

He took a few minutes, and when he returned, he found you still on the couch, your head tilted back and your eyes fluttering closed. With a fond smile, he knelt in front of you again, his hands finding their way to your knees, sliding upward to cradle your waist.

"Come here." he murmured, his voice tender as he coaxed you forward.

"Baekhyun, I'm fine." you protested weakly, but he was already pulling you gently to your feet, his arms wrapping around you securely.

"No, you're not." he said firmly, though his tone was laced with love and tenderness. "You're exhausted, and you've done more than enough today. Let me take care of you."

His hands settled at your hips, and he tilted his head to meet your gaze, his eyes dark and earnest. He got a little closer, just enough to brush his lips against yours.

"How about we take a shower together? Huh?" he murmured against your lips, his eyeleads almost shit against each other, but you knew he was looking at you. "Just you and me." He hands gently moves up to your arms, sliding up and down beneath your shirt. "I'll wash your hair, and then I'll kiss everything out of you until you feel like yourself again."

You hesitated, your tired mind arguing with the warmth pooling in your chest. But the way he was looking at you, like you were the most important thing in the world, made it impossible to refuse.

"Okay." you whispered against his lips.

You felt him smiling, finally leaning in to press a kiss to your lips, lingering there for a moment.

"That's my girl." he murmured against your mouth. "Let's get you cleaned up, love. You deserve it."

thanks anonie for your request!! I do have a soft spot for dad!Baekhyun due to a lot of personal reasons and then some ✨delulu🤪✨ reasons too. But!!!! I had so much fun writing this 😭 I want a Baekhyun for myself pleasee

[edytae]

Puppy Daddy (smut-mature) ft. Kim Taehyung x Reader

pairing: Taehyung x (female) reader        

summary: You would like to promote Taehyung from your puppy daddy to baby daddy.

rating: 18+, smut, mature, do not interact if you are underage

genre/warnings: impregnation kink, Taehyung talks FILTHY, not much explaining just talk

word count: 1403 (a shortie!)

masterlist | Tae-time | Spoiled | inexperienced |

——— 

“Yeontan, house.” You pointed the door; your little furry baby wiggled his little tail. His adorable face melted your insides but you had to be strong. “Come on, you lazy puppy.” You rubbed his rich fur to encourage him. 

“That’s not how you speak to your son.” Taehyung laughed at your attempts from where he sat— while looking ridiculously handsome. You glared at him. “Tannie, come to daddy.” He excitedly said while patting his thighs. Yeontan ran back to him with his silly tongue out.

“Oh, my son.” He fondled the dog as you huffed, kicking your legs frustratingly. “I will give you a son!” you thought. “We are shooting videos for the Internet, mummy. Will you leave us alone?” Taehyung picked up Yeontan to his face and talked over him.

You dropped your head back, “Ahh, don’t…” You groaned. How he could be this handsome and fucking attractive and father material; yell at you with all of his being to fuck him and bear his kids. 

Taehyung let out an airy laugh when you saw thighs rubbing each other. “Tannie, will you leave us alone, baby?” Taehyung lowered the dog to the floor and patted his back. “Mummy needs some attention too. You know some girl stuff.” You watched Yeontan rub his face to Taehyung’s knee before running on his little feet. “Nah, I just want to promote you to baby daddy from puppy daddy.” You groaned at him as he cockily smiled at you. He looked at you challengingly, “Easy there, sweet little bunny.”

As Yeontan left the room without sparing a gaze, you closed the door behind him. You didn’t need your son to see what you were going to do to his daddy. Similarly, Taehyung turned off his phone completely and threw it between the big pillows. 

Taehyung spreaded his leg where he was sitting on the floor, dropped his head back and fucking winked at you with a fuck boy smile on his face. “Come and get it.” Oh, how smug he was. 

You frustratedly crawl over to him, Taehyung groaned. “Yeah, crawl to me, you little horny slut.” You gasped. Your boyfriend never played soft when you were in the mood. You knew he was going to milk this. A few days ago, when you came home from a baby shower, you let him know that you were neck-deep in baby fever. Taehyung had let out a devilish laugh at your serious tone when you asked him for his load at four am. He was making fun of you and banned you from going to baby showers. But the capitalist baby party was not the only thing to be blamed. Before that, Taehyung was abroad for so long that it had been messing with your head. You missed him like never before. Then, you stayed over at Seokjin’s wife’s place to help her around with a toddler. Then, three of your friends from HYBE announced their pregnancy. As a result, you were suffering from a severe baby fever and Taehyung’s dick was the only solution. 

You didn’t even bother to make out with him or take his shirt off at this point. You came closer to him, gave him a sloppy peck and took his cock out of his sweatpants. After so many rounds of sex, Taehyung couldn’t get hard anymore. He was thoroughly emptied and spent. When he offered to take some pills for his performance, you veto-ed saying that it lowers the quality of his sperm. 

“Have mercy upon us, madame.” He shakily whispered when you grabbed his semi-hard dick. You cried into his neck, “I want you...” Your sloppy wet kisses started to decorate his neck. Taehyung wrapped his arm around your waist and indulged in the warming pleasure. Soon his body would burst into flames. “I want it so bad, Taetae. Please give it to me, please.” You begged him with your usual needy voice that always gets him to the point. When his body moved approvingly, you kissed all over his face. “I love you, love you sooo so much.”

“I love you more.” He grabbed your ass cheeks. You rubbed his nape, “I want you on me.” 

“Straight to the subject, huh? Where is the foreplay we loved so much?” He asked while laying you back on the carpet and taking his favourite spot between your legs.

You completely ignored his comment. “I read in a magazine that missionary is the best position for conceiving.” You cling to him when Taehyung tried to give you breathing space. 

“You little dirty girl, what have you been reading?” He lowered his sweatpants to his thighs and pulled your panties to the side. “Fucking drenched! Look at this.” Taehyung tsked as his fingers loosened the elasticity of your panties. He rubbed his cock while he made you lay there fucking soaked.  “Ugh, put it in.” You groaned; your needy voice was Taehyung’s personal viagra. 

You felt yourself gushing with juice as Taehyung made himself ready for you with  strong concentration. Meanwhile, you kept whining about how good his dick is. 

Not to make you whine anymore, Taehyung plunged his dick straight into you. Then, his filthy mouth opened. “Look at you filthy girl, begging me to fuck you all the time. Why can’t you get enough, huh? Why are you so dick-hungry, baby? His beautiful necklaces tickled your face while fucking you with the utmost precision from the beginning.

“Yh– your d-ddick-k is s-soo good...” You screamed out.

“Is it?” Taehyung darkly chuckled at your confession and at how your hands grabbed his arms.

“It is so good that you want to get pregnant from it, don’t you? You just want to carry my babies, love. Why are you so eager, baby?” Taehyung kissed your lips harshly when your cunt squeezed him too hard.

“My, my- my biologic- clock-” You tried to mumble some words but Taehyung greeted you with harder thrusts. 

“Your biological clock?” Taehyung scoffed. “You are only 25 years old. You are still young and yet you beg me to cum in you, don’t you? You just love being my little cum dump. Ahh, my perfect girlfriend… I will give you what you want, baby. I will give you my cum and get you fucking pregnant.” 

“You are so greedy too. How many times have we had sex this week baby? It is too many to count right? You are gonna make my dick fall off.” He groaned, slowing his thrust down. Instead, he brought his thumb to your clit to toy with it.

“Normally you would return back to your normal phase but this baby fever is going for too long. I might just be tempted to give you one for real.” He said in a filthy voice with a permanent grin on his face. “Mhmm, make you so plump for me. Then everyone would know I fucked you so hard, baby. Knocked you out…” 

You claw at his shoulders, slurred his name, and bite your lips all while he dedicated himself to your mind-blowing orgasm.

“Or all you want is my attention. You are so greedy with me, baby. You still didn’t learn to share.” You shook your head vigorously. “Y-you arr-rre mine. O–nly.” 

Taehyung gave a rewarding thrust, “Yeah, I am. I am your little sex toy, huh? That’s what it seems like.” Taehyung was reaching his limit with you. His voice became hoarse and spit fell out of his mouth with the words.

“You fuck me day and night, and still don’t get enough. Fuck-ing fuck. How lucky I got, baby. I have the prettiest baby girl to fuck any goddamn day.” You hardly gulped when Taehyung’s hand caressed your face. 

“Please, baby, cum in me, p-pleasee! Please! Please, cum in me.” You squeaked when Taehyung’s hand grabbed at your shoulder to fuck you even better.

“You fucking cum whore…” He groaned; his lip was ruined from all the biting. “You need to cum first, baby. My little fleshlight. My pretty toy… Come on, ruin my dick. Dirty it!” 

With your relaxed sigh followed by your inner walls squeezing him, Taehyung joined you with his radiant orgasm. He pulled halfway and came all over your pussy. When you felt the immense emptiness in you. You groaned, “In me, in me…” You mewled.

When your hands tried to push his cum in, Taehyung held your wrist above your head. 

“There is more where it came from. Get your slutty ass up and wait for me in our bed…” 

———

masterlist | Tae-time | Spoiled | inexperienced |

[jensensitive]

It's not always an easy thing to make breakfast in the morning when there's so many people around. Jostling for what exactly everyone's individual tastes are wanting that morning, or not wanting, or just how much coffee is left, or where the tea went, or who did the dishes last night and why there's stuff on your favorite mug. It's good though, he likes it. It feels right, having his family so close to bug him. He doesn't really like peace and quiet as much as he does the people he loves making themselves known in his life and routine. And the smell of coffee and feeling like it's a new day worth waking up for because everyone's there and alive. Right now it's just him and Sam in the kitchen, but your little brother being annoying is all just a part of it.

"You're like a middle aged divorced guy obsessed with his car, but without the excuse of ever actually having been married."

"Who wouldn't be obsessed with my Baby, she's hot as hell."

"She's never gonna love you back, Dean."

"Hey, that's not nice, I treat my girl right. Take her out on the town. Just last night, she and I went for a nice long drive, real romantic like."

Sam snorts.

Mary walks into the kitchen.

"Hey, mom, there's coffee if you want some. I'm doing pancakes, whether Sam wants 'em or not, you up for pancakes?"

"Always. I'm not gonna say no to pancakes."

"See, that's the right answer, Sam."

"Whatever, I just don't wanna throw up in the middle of my run."

"Seems like there's an easy solution to that where you still get pancakes," Dean quips.

Mary makes herself a cup of coffee at the kitched counter and grabs the milk beside Dean to put some in her mug.

Dean turns back from flipping the pancakes to look back at Sam. "Are you just bugging me about this because you've finally got a girlfriend so now you've got some kind of leg to stand on in how much of a loser I am?"

"Oh, I always had that leg to stand on."

"Sam." Mary chides.

"Sorry, Mom, I'm just messing around."

Dean smiles at Sam getting talked to. "He's just jealous of me and my girl and our long and loving commitment."

"Yeah, real jealous." Sam rolls his eyes. Dean is drinking his coffee, but he knows Sam is rolling his eyes.

"I took her out last night. " Dean offers a low whistle. "You should have seen her, man. Making heads turn left and right, she's still got it."

"Yes, she's so pretty, she's so hot, she's so stunningly blah blah blah, you understand how weird you sound, right?"

Mary smiles. "I think it's sweet. He really likes her. What did you guys do together last night."

Sam groans. "Not you too, come on."

"Took her out for a nice dive-in dinner, curly fires and a burger, with the tray that clips to the window of course, only the best for my girl."

"How romantic." Sam deadpans.

"Then we went for a nice long drive, just us and some Zeppelin, yknow. You gotta have some quality time."

Mary nods. "Your father and I used to do something very similar," Mary answers with a gleam in her eye.

"Yeah, see she gets it." Dean gestures from Sam to Mary.

"It's weird, you both are weird and I'm not participating in your perverse afflictions."

"Zeppelin never sounds better than on my Baby's tape deck."

"Yeah we know you really love a big deck." Sam snorts at himself.

"Yeah whatever." It's Dean's turn to roll his eyes.

Mary turns to him. "So what's her name, when am I gonna meet her?"

Sam starts coughing somewhere in the background.

Dean is just lost. "Huh? Who?"

"Your girlfriend. No pressure or anything, but I'd love to meet her, see who's stolen my son's heart."

Sam barks out a laugh. Dean just blinks. "Huh?"

"She thinks you were talking about an actual human woman, you weirdo." Sam spells out like he's a complete idiot. He might feel his ears turning bright red at the realisation.

"Oh," he chuckles awkwardly. "No, no woman."

"No, he doesn't date actual women anymore, only personified objects that he gives female pronouns."

"Dude, shut up, it's not that weird."

"He was talking about his car."

He should just say it. "Actually." Why shouldn't he just say what he's thinking. "Well, it wasn't just me and Baby, we might have drug Cas along, heh." He huffs at himself awkwardly. " I mean why would I need a girlfriend, I have Cas," he says it like he's joking, so he is. "And my Baby. What more could I want than that."

Sam just sighs deeply like he does when he doesn't think one of Dean's jokes is funny. Well, to be fair, it wasn't.

Mary just lays a hand on his on the counter. "You sound like you're happy." She smiles at him. "And I've already met Cas and Baby, so you don't even need to introduce me."

Sam is just shaking his head as if they're still joking, but Mary is looking at him, and actually seeing what he's saying. And he has to give her hug and try not to cry. "Thanks, mom."

[itsabouttimex2]

Sable Arms, Sable Heart

Macaque stands at the entrance of the cavern, his expression unreadably blank. Still, his eyes never leave the Monkey King’s face. He steps forward, carrying two cloth bundles under one of his arms, one of them outright bulging.

Sun Wukong snarls at the sight of pitch fur, shaking his head. “You’ve finally come back. To mock me, right?” The Great Sage glares and performs a rude gesture with his hands, one little act of rebellion still available to him.

He looks much different than the last time Macaque saw him. Even the way he holds himself is different. Exhausted, weary, jumpy- a sign that he’s been left alone for too long, spent a little too much time ruminating. Regret writes itself across his face in the form of a deep-set frown and tired eyes.

Had no one else visited him?

“Shady coward,” he snaps, crossing his arms with a glare shot to his former sworn brother. The words snaps Macaque out of his thoughts, causing the ebon demon to grow closer. A flicker of anger and irritation crosses his narrowed golden eyes. Even after spending several cold, lonely months under this mountain, the Great Sage that Macaque so adored was still defiant and rude… not that he didn’t have a solution for such unloving ungrateful behavior.

He slowly walks closer, carrying a bundle of cloth under a toned arm. “Don’t be so rude. I’ve been thinking about you lately.” That’s a lie. Wukong is all he ever thinks about- even more now than ever before.

The Monkey King raises his eyebrow at that half-true statement, still glaring as his old friend approached him. “And what were you thinking about, huh? How else to ditch a friend?”

“…I let you make a lot of decisions for me, didn’t I? We were best friends, Wukong.” A pause, and his eyes narrow to glittering slits. ‘Were’ is a word that drops bitterly from his lips, the memory of such a close relationship being tarnished weighing heavily on Macaque.

“But the light I admired in you is running low. Like a fire left unfed, you’re burning out.”

“Don’t you dare say-“

Macaque cuts his old friend off by unrolling the cloth bundle, revealing a dozen hand-made dumplings. “You can’t survive here on your own,” the demon says, a strange note of warmth in his voice.

The Monkey King eyes the gift from Macaque cautiously, suspicious of his former best friend’s sudden bout of kind behavior.

“You need me, Sun Wukong.”

And all the grace and patience drains from the Great Sage, pulling his lips back to reveal snarling teeth.

“No, I don’t- mmph!” All his angry protests are cut off by the forced entrance of a dumpling, the entire pastry stuffed into his mouth. Macaque’s clawed hands clasp over his lower face, preventing the Great Sage from rejecting the ‘offering’.

Like he had rejected the peach. Like he had rejected the six-eared demon. Allowing Wukong a chance to make his own decisions had clearly been a mistake- so Macaque would not give him the chance to reject this.

The dumpling’s skin is savory, rich. The butter and milk used were clearly of high quality, resulting in a light and fluffy dough. And there’s a mild kick, too- the result of adding five-spice powder, a great way to warm the mouth and leave the stomach satisfied.

Reluctantly, Wukong is won over by the taste of the wrapping, biting into the steamed pastry locked inside his mouth.

Immediately, he gags in revulsion, eyes widening. The dough might’ve been nice, but the filling- it’s pure liquid, metallic and warm.

Blood, thick and red.

Nausea overcomes the demon, leaving him to futilely try and spit out the blood-soaked pastry. Instead, Macaque pulls his hands away for the sole purpose of stuffing in a second dumpling when Wukong opens his mouth.

“This is proof,” Macaque says, clasping his hands over his old friend’s mouth again. “That you need me. And I’m going to give you everything that I am until you understand that I am the only thing you need!”

His passionate speech grows faster and sloppier, words spilling out one after they other.

“I made them with all of me. My blood. My fur. My tears. My fangs. And once I stuff you full of everything that I am- you’ll remember how much you love me.”

The Monkey King tries to break free in some way, attempting to punch or bite Macaque to no avail. Forced to swallow the dumplings, he glares at his former friend with burning anger in his eyes. He grits his teeth, fury boiling on his tongue.

“I never asked you for this! I never asked for you to do anything! I don’t need you!”

It feels good for just a split second, right before the many-eared demon rounds on him. The side of Wukong’s face is struck harshly, leaving an imprint across the skin of his cheek. Before he can speak or respond, the sable simian swings on him again, deepening the bruise.

Macaque stands there in seething fury, swinging his powerful hand like a pendulum, sharply cracking against both sides of Wukong’s face. The vicious impacts whip the king’s head back and forth, the demon incapable of defending himself.

The assault lasts for nearly a minute, only ending when Macaque snags his clawed hands deep into Wukong’s chin, forcing his bruised face upwards.

“Apologize. Now.”

The Monkey King looks unsteadily up at Macaque, his abused jaw quivering like a young child about to cry. He swallows a couple of times, trying to calm himself down before he finally speaks.

“I… I’m s–sorry…”

A switch flips, it seems. Macaque comes down from his blind fury, gently cupping Wukong’s face to rub at the spot he struck. “That’s better.”

His clawed thumb runs circles around one of the bruises left by his unforgiving palm, mildly soothing the sting. “You don’t yell at your best friend,” he dissonantly scolds, eyes no longer burning with golden rage.

The Monkey King lowers his gaze, feeling the almost soothing touches on his cheek. He gulps again as his emotions threaten to overtake him, continuing to suppress the urge to cry.

“I… I know… I’m sorry…”, he chokes out, tears brimming in his eyes at the loss of pride and dignity, at the assault and subsequent ‘forgiveness’. This causes the faintest hint of a smile, and Macaque pulls away.

“You have more dumplings to eat,” he says, his smile growing wider. Carefully, he brushes away the brimming tears- why would Wukong need to cry when he had his best friend right here?.“And then I’ve got something special for you.”

He unfolds the second roll of cloth, revealing a small ceramic bowl. There’s a peach in it, carved into chunks and drenched with honey.

He would’ve jumped at the opportunity to indulge in such a saccharine delight before. But right now, all he can think of is the first peach he was offered.

The soft, sweet fruit that was consigned to the floor, left to rot and mold over the course of weeks.

And he finally breaks and begins to cry, thinking of the trouble he could have avoided by just eating it in the first place.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Cake For Breakfast

Orange Layer Cake, with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, that is!

I've been wanting to do an absolutely orange cake for awhile.

I ended up improvising (as usual) on the recipe (which I will type up and post with a reblog) and it came out exactly like I like cake: dense, moist, and packed with flavor.

This is one that should be refrigerated, definitely. We're working with fresh orange juice and zest, so fridging is necessary. It doesn't really matter as far as the immense flavor goes!

The crumb is nigh what I call perfect for a scratch cake. Super-dense, moist, and flecked with orange zest. The orange cream cheese frosting is also flecked with zest and packed with the flavor of fresh orange juice. No artificial orange flavoring or extract needed!

Both the cake and frosting are lightly colored with a few drops of high-quality gel "Sunset Orange" food coloring.

Also made a home-made Orange Sherbert to go with. I will post all the recipe and more pics later today.

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

What started all this off was the idea of making a cake that tasted like the old Dreamsicles of the '60s-'70s. The ones made now don't compare...the solution, I figured, had to be the perfect combo of orange and vanilla, so this is what I aimed for.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

3 cups flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn salt

4 eggs

2 tspns vanilla extract

3/4 cup whole milk

1/3 can of frozen pure orange juice concentrate

The zest of half of a large orange.

6-7 drops Sunset Orange gel food coloring

Procedurally, it's like any other scratch cake: begin by creaming butter/sugar/vanilla together, add eggs one at a time, alternate between adding your liquids and the flour/solids.

Note on creaming the first ingredients: use this time to add the food coloring and freshly grated zest from half of a large navel orange. Set the orange and grater aside to use when making the frosting.

Note on the liquids: take a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup, and pour 3/4 cup whole milk in. Now open the can of frozen orange juice and spoon in enough to bring the level up to 1 and 1/3 cups. Stir/mix the orange juice concentrate into the milk until it is smooth. Alternate adding THAT mix with the dry ingredients until all is used.

Bake at 350 for about 25-30 mins, use toothpick test. Rack in pans for about 15 mins and turn out onto wire racks. Let cool completely before frosting.

Makes 2 9" round layers.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:

2 8oz bricks cream cheese

3/4 cup butter (stick and a half)

2 lb bag powdered sugar

2 tspn vanilla extract

grated zest of the other half of the large orange, plus the juice from one of the cut halves.

6-7 drops gel Sunset Orange food coloring

Cream together the cream cheese and butter until they are fluffy. Add the vanilla and food coloring, orange zest and keep the mixer going while slowly adding the powdered sugar until it is all in. Add your juice from half of the orange as needed to thin it down to proper consistency/sheen.

I refrigerated the frosting for a few hours while the cake cooled, and then put the entire cake in the fridge, frosted, uncut, overnight, to set the outside of the frosting and make for easy cutting.

TO MAKE THE ORANGE SHERBERT:

1 2/3 cans frozen pure pulp-free orange juice concentrate

1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand, etc)

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tspns vanilla extract

1 quart heavy whipping cream

5-6 drops of Sunset Orange food coloring.

Use the whip attachment of the mixer and mix the orange juice concentrate with the sweetened canned milk, food coloring and vanilla. Slowly ramp up the speed until it is beginning to whip. slowly pour in the quart of whipping cream, and then add the sugar as the mixture whips on the highest speed. Give it about 5-6 minutes or longer, and you will have stiff peaks (or close too), and a near soft-serve consistency. Pour immediately into two loaf pans and cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 24 hours before serving.

[muthaz-rapapa]

Otona Precure '23: The Sequel We ACTUALLY Deserve

Let's not mince words.

Otona Precure wasn't just fantastic, it puts every reboot or sequel of an established series to shame.

Because yea, it's primarily aimed at an older audience alright but the issues and the themes discussed in the story are relatable and relevant to everyone's interests, regardless of age.

That reality is much harsher than we think it is, more than we can comprehend. That the world will never be perfect like we want it to be.

But also that, because we're on this planet right now at this very moment, we can't just sit around and resign ourselves to not do anything as situations continue to worsen.

Pollution, climate change, toxic society, war.

The show did not shy away from addressing these topics but what's even more notable is it pointing out that people, humans, are the source of them all.

And I appreciate the honesty of that statement because yes, frankly, we are the problem.

People are selfish. We indulge too much in ourselves, our own egos, that we are blinded to the welfare of others. We are also lazy and discriminating and even those who say we'd like things to be better often give up too easily because searching for a solution is too hard and daunting.

Mankind is the shittiest species to walk upon this earth and no one's gonna argue on that.

But does that make everyone inherently bad though?

No, of course not.

We're flawed beings but we're also capable of learning. We're capable of understanding and compassion. There are many among us who do try our best to make this world a kinder and more beautiful place to live in.

But as the finale shows, it cannot only be these few people (like Precure) to do all the hauling and pushing. Everybody has to pitch in. Everybody has to contribute for a better world to be possible.

And that doesn't mean tackling a conflict that's a lot bigger than you can handle. That doesn't mean you have to go at it all alone.

It means that you have to change the way you are, change the way you do things to get the ball rolling. Only by changing yourself first that you can begin to change your surroundings, not the other way around.

It's only through the collective effort of everyone wanting to change for the better that we can protect what we love and create the future that we envision.

Precure is meant to inspire that will to act which is best exemplified in Nozomi. Cure Dream, the Precure of Hope.

Nozomi stands out among the many lead Cures we've had over the years in the quality of leadership she displays as the head of her own team.

She is not the brightest nor sharpest person in any group but damn, does that girl woman never give up.

Not even when she pushes herself to the brink that she falls unconscious from fatigue several times did she ever consider the thought of giving up.

And that's exactly what makes her such a strong and effective leader.

It's not because she's been put into that position so she's only functioning as one.

It's because she inspires everyone around her to become the leaders of their own lives which would then repeatedly bring about the butterfly effect in people beyond their own circle.

Additionally, we must applaud at how well the themes of adulthood and personal struggle have been explored. Look at the girls! Look at how much they've grown, how much they've progressed from the time they were still just middle schoolers dreaming of what they want to be in the future.

(GODDAMNIT, MILK BECAME THE PRIME MINISTER OF HER HOME COUNTRY, I'M STILL NOT OVER THAT AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!)

They've accomplished so much and you can't help but be incredibly proud of how far they've come on their individual journeys.

But now that they're adults, they also realize just how difficult it is to keep the optimism they had when they were kids. Things don't always go the way you want them to. Real life is stressful and exhausting and the accumulation of all those negative feelings of helplessness is enough to send anyone into depression.

As an adult, you're constantly asking yourself "is it really worth it?" because you don't want to betray the hopes you had as a child but sometimes, it's just too hard that all you want to do is give up.

...and that's okay if you need to for a while.

Take a break, go talk to someone you can trust if you feel you've really hit rock bottom.

Find a secure, safe space to cry it all out if you have to.

It's okay to not be okay all the time.

Because that's pretty much what adulthood is.

Being an adult is not about doing everything but knowing you can't do everything and telling yourself that's okay. Because you're already doing everything you can. Your best is good enough.

It's good enough for one person. Nobody's asking you to save the world or become a magical girl to fight off monsters or resolve a major crisis with a miracle answer.

You just need to do your part of the whole in the best way you can. That's all.

And I believe Bell knows that as well.

She knows that just because today's worst was averted, it doesn't mean we're out of the doom radar yet. Because she's right. Humans still can't be trusted as proven by that after-credits scene. There are still plenty of jerks out there who don't give a damn about how much harm they're adding to the world.

But she also knows that as long as there is someone like Precure to do their part, to yell at those jerks to pick up their trash, then maybe, maybe, not all hope is lost just yet.

And so she leaves with the words "I'll be waiting for you in the future", hoping that what the Cures have taught her to believe won't betray her when that time comes.

That said, for us longtime fans of the series, Otona Precure is also a love letter.

A project of appreciation to us for the past 20 years of love and support we've given this franchise.

And I'd say we got what we wanted because before the announcement of this spin-off, I didn't think Toei would ever care to redeem Yes! 5 Precure on how badly it performed during its two seasons run.

Yet here we are and even 100 times better than the original.

They cut out all the fillers which was the primary flaw of those two seasons and focused entirely on the characters. The girls and the expansion of their story arcs. The stuff we actually want to see.

Moreover, the writers did a very great job of showing how everyone has matured. For example, Rin and Karen outgrew their bickering and even the uncalled for vitriol that Kurumi always directed at Nozomi is nowhere to be found.

Seriously! I laughed so hard when Kurumi switched the target of her criticism from Nozomi to Coco. I don't think we've ever seen her this concerned and sympathetic towards Nozomi to the point that she didn't even hesitate to yell at her superior to "cut it with your responsibilities crap and go comfort your lonely girlfriend, you idiot king!"

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Everyone is just incredibly supportive of each other and that's so heartwarming.

I also personally loved how they dealt with Komachi's episode, which introduced a sort of sub-theme of one's love for their hometown.

Komachi has always aspired to become a writer and it would've been fine to go down the route of getting her out of her slump.

But having Komachi put in effort for her community, learn about the history of her town, and becoming determined to defend it after her strengthened appreciation fit with the overarching theme and her personality so much better.

The inclusion of Splash Star into this story was awesome, too.

If I can be honest, I don't think Saki and Mai would've done as well as Otona Precure if they had 12 episodes only to themselves (including Michiru and Kaoru, btw). So by giving them a fair amount of screentime next to the Yes!5 girls, the show just felt more complete with their conclusions.

They're still chasing their respective dreams, had their relationship troubles (and Saki got engaged to her boyfriend/fiance who seems like a very good guy judging by how he's supportive of her going to Luxembourg, ugh so happy for her!) and career doubts but are still as close as ever which allowed them to pull through in the end.

Wonderful.

Finally, let's all agree that no anniversary season is complete unless proper spotlight is given to the dai-senpai Precure, FutariWa.

Maybe that's why 10th anniversary was such a dud?

They didn't get as much screentime as they did during the 15th anniversary (which included two episodes in Hugtto and sharing the main lead role with Hana/Cure Yell in the All Stars movie) but they still made a grand entrance in the penultimate ep of Otona Precure and kicked absolute ass in the finale and that's really all that matters.

So good job, Toei!

And ok, finally finally, NozoCoco officially got 💖MARRIED💖

Romance is not a vital aspect of Precure nor does it ever have to be because focusing on friendship and teamwork is still the most important aspect when it comes to this series...

But only a stupid numbskull would say Coco is unnecessary to Nozomi's happiness because he's the biggest reason she was able to become who she is today. The fact that she even tells him, right after she woke up from her coma, that she needs him to truly be happy is a proof of how irreplaceable he is to her.

She doesn't ask him to be with her because she needs a man. She wants him to marry her because he brings out the best in her. Because he is the one person who can understand her better than anyone else can and the one person whom she wants to share the rest of her life with.

Remember that Nozomi was inspired by Coco. She became Precure, became Cure Dream, because she met him. She aspired to become a teacher because of him. The butterfly effect for her began with him.

For them to overcome all these obstacles to their relationship and promise to be there for one another, through all the good and bad...it's the fulfillment of a dream they both deserve.

And the perfect ending to Yes! 5 Precure.

So congratulations to Yes!5 and Splash Star on an amazing sequel.

Congratulations to Precure for these precious 20 years you've given us.

Here's hoping to more successful years ahead.

See you in the new year!

[mariacallous]

As a child growing up in Sydney, Australia, I would often hear my parents wistfully reminisce about eating qei’mar (pronounced khey-mar) for breakfast everyday. Qei’mar, an Iraqi clotted cream made from the milk of water buffaloes, acquired an almost mythic quality in my young imagination. 

The cream is made by slowly boiling raw milk over low heat, then cooling overnight, which results in a thick layer of cream. Water buffalo milk has a very high percentage of fat (about 40-60%) which makes it ideal for this recipe.

Kaymak, a word with Central Asian Turkic origins, meaning “melt,” is a similar type of clotted cream. It is popular in Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, Romania and central Asian countries like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia. In Iran, this cream is called sarshir, which means “top of the milk.” 

Water buffalo originated in West India and were domesticated about 6,000 years ago. They were traded from the Indus Valley civilization to Mesopotamia in 2500 BCE. Archeological records even show the the sacrifice of water buffaloes on the seal of the scribes of an Akkadian King. The marshes that dominate the south of Iraq are particularly suitable for the raising of water buffalo. While Saddam Hussein, in his attempts to root out the “March people,” tried to destroy the marsh ecosystem, the marshes of southern Iraq are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the water buffalo continue to thrive there. 

For Iraqi Jews, Shavuot is synonymous with qei’mar and kahi, a flaky layered crepe. When we were younger, my mother would make us kahi from scratch, but it’s an involved process of kneading a dough made with vinegar, allowing it to rest, rolling it out and layering it, then frying it with lots of butter. 

This year for Shavuot, I decided that rather than struggling with the kahi dough I would bake little squares of puff pastry. But what could possibly come close to the thick, rich creamy qei’mar?

Rachel and I hit on a wonderful solution: We strained equal parts sour cream and ricotta cheese. The results were a mouthwatering smooth, thick, rich cream. 

We highly recommend you try this recipe for crispy kahi, clotted cream and silan (date syrup). A typical, traditional Iraqi breakfast food, for Jews and non-Jews alike, it makes a perfectly simple, yet elegant dessert. 

As I enjoy it, I’ll be nostalgic for my childhood home on the Sydney harbor and the happy memories with my parents; but, as always, I will cherish the sweet, new memories.

[thommi-tomate]

Special Müller Mail: RDY edition

Hello everyone

and welcome to the Müller Mail Special.

FC Bayern's season is now officially over. Now the home European Championship is just around the corner and I can hardly wait to experience a great football festival in our country - as a player on the pitch, but also as a football fan.

We will be talking in detail about this major event in the coming weeks. In this special edition of Müller Mail, I would like to tell you about a project that I have put my heart and soul into.

After months of development work, RDY Protein Meal, the new protein drink meal that I launched together with ESN, is finally on the market. I was hooked from the very first idea, back in early 2023.

But first things first.

What is RDY?

We've all been there - a hectic everyday life, little time for a balanced meal, we're on the go and still want to eat smart.

This is exactly where the RDY drinkable meal comes into play for me.

RDY stands for "ready" and is a protein drinkable meal. Together with the experts at ESN, we have worked on a recipe that delivers the best possible performance and, in my opinion, is now the tastiest drinkable meal on the market.

RDY now contains 38g of high-quality protein, fiber, important vitamins and minerals. The energy/carbohydrates come from valuable MCT oil, among other things. And what makes me particularly happy is that all four flavors taste really nice.

Why RDY?

My basic idea is to pass on my experience and knowledge of nutrition and performance.

And now I even have the opportunity to launch products on the market with my partner ESN that help me personally to nourish my body better.

ESN is one of the leading German supplement manufacturers and the collaboration has been extremely positive so far.

Our first product is RDY Protein Meal.

During the development of the RDY protein drinkable meal, I was also in the laboratory several times to fine-tune the recipe and test the taste.

Protein was an important factor here.

Science currently agrees that a sufficient protein intake is not only filling, but also essential for a healthy and efficient body. As an athlete, I try to consume around 150g of protein (1.5-2g per kilo of body weight) a day. Of course, this may vary for you, so it's best to find out.

150 grams of protein a day is not so easy to achieve, even with three freshly prepared and balanced meals. An RDY Protein Meal often comes at just the right time.

One thing is important to me: drinking meals should not replace a balanced and freshly prepared meal. Rather, they are a much better alternative to snacks with empty calories such as chocolate bars, jelly babies, potato chips and the like. To be honest, we often snack our way through the day.

This is where RDY comes in and offers an excellent solution when you need something quick and easy, but still want to provide your body with high-quality nutrients. And of course it's really tasty too 😋

My RDY favorite.

I love all the varieties, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would currently be the Milk Chocolate. The creamy chocolate flavor immediately reminds me of the delicious cocoa of my childhood.

A little Müller tip: In recent weeks, I've been drinking RDY Protein Meal in the evening with a handful of nuts and a few berries. This gives me something tasty to drink and something to bite into.

During the day, the banana flavor has currently taken the lead.

So I'm all the more excited to find out which variety you love.

Exclusively at REWE & online.

Now it's your turn.

The RDY Protein Drinking Meals are available exclusively in your REWE store. I'd be delighted if you'd pick up a drink and give it a try. For those who prefer to order online, you can do so directly from ESN using this link: To the ESN website

Your opinion on RDY counts.

Now I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say. The initial feedback has been great and the drink is already sold out in some REWE stores. But whether it's positive or constructive - I really want to hear your honest opinion. Let me know how you like my protein drink and whether it helps you in your everyday life.

You can also send me photos or videos of you enjoying your new favorite drink. Or simply link to your Instagram or TikTok post about RDY Protein Meal.

With your permission (please be sure to add a comment) I will share some of them on my Instagram channel.

I will be giving away 3 RDY surprise packages from me among all entries.

Thank you so much for your continued support. Without you, my fans, it wouldn't be half as nice. You only win together. And that's exactly what we'll be doing at the upcoming European Championships.

Here's to an unforgettable football festival, keep your chin up and stay healthy,

Your Thomas

[songmingisthighs]

atinytwt is so stupid and toxic oh my god i just saw someone "shading" kq for jongho ???? like okay let me put down my points

a. we don't actually know how they decide to let or allow jongho to only receive injections and medication. jongho's condition was explained by an indonesian orthopedic surgeon who said that NORMALLY injection and medication COULD aid and alleviate the pain but considering jongho's occupation and activity (i.e. dancing), recurrence is expected and it needed a more permanent solution. also, jongho is a grown ass adult, let's not baby him too much (despite me wanna go goochie goochie goo and tuck him into bed with warm milk and cookies) and think that jongho is incapable of making a huge decision for his own health no matter the consequence

b. "kq put them in crazy schedules" it's literally the pitfalls of being idols my ghawd do you want them to not tour and expand their reach and just sit pretty with one comeback a year ??? sure, they could do that but they'll need money to get better production quality like you buying one album per comeback or one album per version is not enough to even cover the shoe budget, do you think those things are cheap ??? considering album sales are not pure as it's separated as distributor and company and from the company's cuts, it's further broken down and ateez will only get a sliver if any, they have to depend on miscelaneous schedules like radio, tv shows, joint concerts, festivals, etc. And no it's not unfair because there are calculations put in place and no matter what you do, the cuts will never be enough but at least from what we see, ateez is living rather well

c. compared to the big 4 (ion even wanna get into TS, cube, mld, mbk, etc. bc yuck) kq is a far better situation for ateez and xikers. like we haven't heard much from xikers, but we know that ateez praises kq. hongjoong even said that kq's ceo goes everywhere with them on tour (hj said this on the singapore concert) except for the show in manila bc he had a prior engagement. and dude, the gifts the ceo gave ateez and the fact that kq didn't put ateez on diets they don't want and how the staff interacts with ateez and ateez with the staff. idk, i've only been seeing green flags so far. ofc no one is perfect but again, compared to jyp who made momo eat only ice cubes to achieve her target weight so she can debut, or shoving all of seventeen in one tiny ass dorm that didn't seem like there were any blankets around during pre-debut, or putting the members on a leash and treating them like dogs like infinite, i actually love kq. I've liked kpop for over a decade now, since i was like in 5th grade and i've truly never seen a happier group than ateez.

is there a way to not read stupid ass posts on twt or x or wtv and just save pictures from there ??? really i have low tolerance in stupidity bc i have to deal with my own on a daily basis

[paavia2desimilk]

Is Lactose-Free Cow Milk the Ideal Choice for Lactose-Intolerant Individuals?

Lactose intolerance is a prevalent condition worldwide, affecting millions of people who experience digestive discomfort when consuming regular milk and dairy products. For those individuals, lactose-free cow milk offers a promising alternative. But how beneficial is it? In this blog, we will delve deeply into the topic, exploring what lactose-free cow milk is, its benefits, drawbacks, and its role in managing lactose intolerance.

Understanding Lactose Intolerance: The Basics

What is Lactose?

The Root Cause of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance occurs due to a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, which is responsible for breaking down lactose into glucose and galactose. When lactose isn’t digested, it passes into the colon, where gut bacteria ferment it. This fermentation leads to symptoms like:

Bloating

Abdominal pain

Gas

Diarrhea

Nausea

Prevalence of Lactose Intolerance

Lactose intolerance affects approximately 68% of the global population. Its prevalence varies widely:

Over 90% in East Asian populations

60–80% in Sub-Saharan African and South Asian populations

15–25% in Northern European populations

The severity of symptoms varies among individuals based on their lactase enzyme levels and the amount of lactose consumed.

What is Lactose-Free Cow Milk?

Lactose-free cow milk is regular a2 desi cow milk that has been specially treated to remove or neutralize lactose. The two main methods used are:

Enzymatic Treatment: Lactase enzyme is added to the milk to break down lactose into glucose and galactose. This process mimics the natural digestion of lactose in the body.

Ultrafiltration: Physical methods are used to filter out lactose molecules from the milk.

Despite these modifications, lactose-free milk retains its nutritional profile, including:

High-quality protein: Essential for muscle growth and repair.

Calcium: Vital for bone health.

Vitamin D: Crucial for calcium absorption and immune support.

B Vitamins: Important for energy metabolism and red blood cell formation.

The Benefits of Lactose-Free Cow Milk

1. Relief from Digestive Discomfort

Lactose-free milk eliminates the primary trigger of symptoms in lactose-intolerant individuals. By removing or breaking down lactose, it allows people to enjoy milk without bloating, cramps, or diarrhea.

2. Nutritional Equivalence

Lactose-free milk provides the same nutrients as regular A2 cow milk, ensuring that individuals meet their dietary requirements for:

Calcium and Vitamin D: Essential for bone density and preventing osteoporosis.

Protein: Important for maintaining overall health, especially for growing children, athletes, and elderly individuals.

3. Improved Taste

Interestingly, many people find lactose-free milk slightly sweeter than regular milk. This is because the enzymatic breakdown of lactose produces glucose and galactose, which are naturally sweeter than lactose.

4. No Major Dietary Changes Required

Switching to lactose-free milk allows lactose-intolerant individuals to maintain a dairy-inclusive diet without the need for drastic changes. It can be used in the same way as regular milk for drinking, cooking, baking, or adding to beverages like tea and coffee.

5. Wider Availability

With the growing awareness of lactose intolerance, lactose-free milk is now widely available in supermarkets, making it an accessible choice for most consumers.

How Does Lactose-Free Milk Differ from Dairy-Free Alternatives?

It’s essential to differentiate between lactose-free and dairy products. While they may seem similar, they cater to different dietary needs:

Lactose-free milk is ideal for those who are lactose-intolerant but still want the nutritional benefits of cow milk, whereas dairy-free milk is suitable for those with both lactose intolerance and dairy allergies or who follow a vegan lifestyle.

Potential Drawbacks of Lactose-Free Milk

While lactose-free cow milk is a great solution for many, there are some considerations to keep in mind:

1. Higher Cost

Lactose-free milk often comes at a premium price due to the additional processing involved. This may be a barrier for some consumers, especially in regions where regular milk is significantly cheaper.

2. Processing Concerns

The enzymatic treatment of milk involves industrial processing. While this is safe and does not compromise nutritional quality, some individuals prefer minimally processed foods.

3. Taste Preference

While many enjoy the slightly sweeter taste of lactose-free milk, others may find it less appealing compared to regular milk.

4. Not Suitable for Dairy Allergies

Lactose-free milk still contains proteins like casein and whey, which can trigger allergic reactions in individuals with a dairy allergy.

Scientific Validation: Is Lactose-Free Milk Effective?

Scientific studies strongly support the effectiveness of lactose-free milk in managing lactose intolerance:

Symptom Reduction: Research in the Journal of Dairy Science found that lactose-free milk significantly reduces gastrointestinal symptoms in lactose-intolerant individuals compared to regular milk.

Nutritional Impact: A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that lactose-free milk provides comparable calcium absorption to regular milk, ensuring bone health remains unaffected.

Consumer Satisfaction: Surveys indicate that most lactose-intolerant consumers find lactose-free milk an effective and convenient solution.

Lactose-Free Milk and Lifestyle

1. Cooking with Lactose-Free Milk

Lactose-free milk can be used as a direct substitute for regular milk in recipes. From creamy soups to baked goods, it performs just as well without altering the texture or consistency.

2. Inclusion in Diet Plans

Dieticians often recommend lactose-free milk for people who struggle to meet their calcium and protein needs due to lactose intolerance. It’s particularly useful for:

Children, who need milk for growth and development.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women, who have increased calcium demands.

Elderly individuals, who are at risk of bone density loss.

3. Fitness and Lactose-Free Milk

Lactose-free milk is an excellent post-workout drink, providing high-quality protein for muscle recovery and carbohydrates for energy replenishment.

The Market for Lactose-Free Milk: Trends and Innovations

The global market for lactose-free dairy products is expanding rapidly. Consumer demand is driven by:

Increasing awareness of lactose intolerance.

A growing preference for functional and specialty foods.

Advancements in food processing technologies.

Producers are innovating to improve the taste, texture, and nutritional value of lactose-free products, including flavored milk, lactose-free yogurt, and cheese.

Conclusion: Is Lactose-Free Cow Milk Good for Lactose Intolerant People?

The answer is a resounding yes. Lactose-free cow milk is a highly effective solution for lactose-intolerant individuals, offering all the benefits of regular milk without the discomfort. Its nutritional equivalence, versatility, and accessibility make it a practical choice for maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.

However, like any dietary choice, the decision to include lactose-free milk should consider personal preferences, budget, and health requirements. For most people with lactose intolerance, lactose-free milk represents the best of both worlds: the goodness of dairy without the drawbacks of lactose.

In a world where dietary inclusivity is increasingly important, lactose-free milk stands out as a testament to the power of innovation in meeting diverse nutritional needs.

[permionics]

What do you know about Membrane ?

Membranes are everywhere, quietly working behind the scenes in many industries. But what exactly do they do? In simple terms, membranes are like selective filters. They let some things pass through while blocking others, making them perfect for tasks like filtration, separation, and purification.

Take water treatment, for example. Membrane solutions are used to remove contaminants from drinking water, ensuring it’s clean and safe. Reverse osmosis is a well-known membrane process that many households and industries rely on. But that’s just one use.

In the food and beverage industry, membranes help filter products like milk or fruit juice, giving you that clear, high-quality drink. They’re also critical in pharmaceuticals, where precise filtering ensures the purity of medicines.

Even industries dealing with wastewater rely on membranes to treat water before releasing it back into the environment. These systems are crucial for filtering out harmful pollutants, ensuring the water is safe and clean. By doing so, they play a huge role in protecting both people and the planet, helping to preserve natural resources and reduce environmental harm.

So, whether it’s making water drinkable, refining medicines, or producing clean food, membrane solutions are at the heart of these essential processes.

#membrane #solutions #permionics