#shy guy pastry chef

[scoringeffects]

.

[sophsbookstore]

Cookies Included

Auston Matthews x reader ｡･:*˚:✧｡

Word count: 1500

A/N: posting all my hockey drafts! NHL master list (hopefully) come soon

Auston Matthews was in the kitchen, trying his best to look serious as he watched you roll out dough for the cookies. You were wearing one of his old jerseys—an oversized, cozy thing—and you looked so focused that it made Auston grin despite his best efforts to look like he was helping.

“You know, I can’t believe you’re making all of these,” he said, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, but his eyes never left you. “You're going to make me the most popular guy on the plane. I’ll have everyone on the team eating out of my hand with these.”

You shot him a playful look over your shoulder. “You know, it’s not just about getting you brownie points with the guys. I’ve been practicing these recipes, and I want them to be perfect.”

Auston’s face lit up. “So you’re baking for me, then?”

You giggled, turning to face him. “Well, I’m baking for you, but you’ll have to share with your teammates. No choice there, Mr. Popular.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You’re making me share your cookies? I feel like that’s a crime.”

“Don’t act like you don’t love a little attention,” you teased, rolling the dough out with the kind of precision that spoke to your inner perfectionist. “Besides, you know you’ll look good bringing these snacks Matthews.”

His lips curled into a grin. “I always look good, what are you talking about?”

You were in the middle of cutting out the first batch of cookies when Auston stepped up behind you. His broad chest was warm against your back, and he placed his hands on the counter, peering over your shoulder. “I’m really good at decorating, you know. I could help with that part.”

You snorted, unable to hold it in. “Oh, yeah? I’m sure your ‘skills’ could rival those of a professional pastry chef.”

“Hey, I’ve got an eye for detail,” he said, his tone playful but feigning confidence. “Watch and learn.”

You handed him a piping bag filled with icing and grinned. “Alright, show me what you got, Matthews.”

Auston took the bag and squeezed it, but the icing didn’t come out in the neat little swirl he was hoping for. Instead, it splattered across the cookie in a way that could only be described as abstract art.

He glanced at you with wide eyes. “Huh.”

You couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “That’s... not exactly what I envisioned when I asked for ‘decorating help.’ But nice try.”

Auston gave you a sheepish smile and then leaned in closer, his breath warm against your cheek. “Okay, fine. I might not be a decorator, but I’m a pro at eating them. So, I’ll leave the fancy stuff to you. I’ll just be your official taste tester.”

“You can taste-test all you want, but you’re not getting out of this,” you replied with a smirk as you skillfully decorated the next batch of cookies, leaving the ones he had touched to the side. “You’re still helping me. You’ve got two hands, Auston. Use them.”

“I’ll use one hand for icing, and the other hand for… well, more eating.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you, causing your cheeks to heat up, though you tried to keep a straight face.

“You’re insufferable,” you muttered, rolling your eyes.

He just chuckled, stepping back to give you room to finish the batch. “It’s hard to resist when I’ve got such a cute baker in front of me.”

You looked up at him through your lashes, feeling your heart race a little. “Are you flirting with me while covered in icing?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Auston said with a wink. “But seriously, you look adorable, even when you’re criticizing my decorating skills.”

Your breath caught in your throat, and you suddenly felt shy under his gaze. “Stop being so charming,” you said, trying to focus on piping icing onto the last batch of cookies. “You’re making it hard to concentrate.”

He grinned like he knew exactly what he was doing. “You’re welcome.”

After a while, the cookies were ready. You’d decorated them with a mix of simple designs and some that were a little more chaotic thanks to Auston’s input. The cookies were definitely an interesting mix of perfectly neat and totally offbeat. But you’d made them with love, and that was what mattered.

Auston packed them up carefully, grabbing the container and wrapping it up in cling wrap. “Alright, time to go. I’ve got a plane to catch and a team of hungry guys waiting for these. Let’s just hope they’re good enough to forgive the, uh, artistic choices we made.”

“They’ll love them,” you said, your confidence back. “They may look weird, but they’ll taste amazing. I’m not saying I’m a genius, but I know what I’m doing in the kitchen.”

“Just like you know what you’re doing to my heart, huh?” Auston shot you a playful wink as he lifted the container with one hand.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide your smile. “Okay, smooth talker. Go give the guys their cookies before you get too cocky.”

Auston leaned down, pressing a kiss to your cheek before heading toward the door. “I’ll text you after the game. Promise I’ll save a couple for us when I get back.”

“Don’t you dare eat all of them,” you called after him with a laugh.

“I can’t make any promises,” he teased back, his voice fading as he walked out of the apartment, leaving you with a smile that stayed with you long after he was gone.

The next day, you were pacing around your kitchen, anxiously waiting for a message from Auston. He’d landed in Boston, played his game, and was probably having fun with the guys. You had a feeling that they were probably getting a kick out of the cookies.

Sure enough, your phone buzzed, and you grabbed it eagerly.

Auston:They taste amazing, but I’m pretty sure half of them look like they belong in a modern art museum. I think Mitch is planning to hang one on the wall.

You laughed out loud, shaking your head as you typed back.

You’re welcome. I’m just happy they didn’t taste like a disaster. At least they won’t be getting bored with plain old chocolate chip cookies.

A few seconds later, the phone buzzed again.

Auston:You’d be amazed how many times we’ve joked about how much your cookies look like a Picasso painting. But seriously, the guys all loved them. I’ll bring some back for you. Promise.

You better, Matthews. Those cookies didn’t make themselves.

Auston:I know. I’ll never question your baking skills again.

You smiled to yourself, feeling warm inside. The night was still young, but you could already tell that it was going to be a great one—cookies, playful banter, and the thought of Auston coming home to you later made the wait feel worth it.

When Auston finally returned, a few days later, you were sitting on the couch, waiting for him. The door swung open, and he stepped inside, holding a bag of leftover cookies. He immediately dropped it on the table and came over to give you a tight hug.

“You look good, babe,” he murmured into your hair, his arms strong around you. “Missed you.”

You pulled away, grinning. “Missed you too, but I’m more excited for these cookies.”

Auston laughed, grabbing the bag from the table and handing it over. “I was almost going to eat them all on the flight home. But I’m a man of my word, so here you go.”

You eagerly opened the bag, pulling out one of the cookies that had survived the trip back. You inspected it carefully, noting that it was one of the more... experimental ones. “Hmm. This one looks like it was decorated by a toddler.”

Auston chuckled. “We can thank Mitch for that one. He said he’d hang it on the wall for me.”

You took a bite, and your eyes widened. “Okay, okay. I’ll admit it—these might actually be your best work.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re happy I brought them back,” Auston said, sitting down beside you. He raised an eyebrow. “Or maybe because you just love me that much.”

You bumped him with your shoulder. “Maybe a little bit of both. But seriously, next time you decorate, let’s just stick to the simple designs.”

“I’ll consider it,” he said with a wink, pulling you close. “But only because it’s you.”

You smiled, leaning into him, the warmth of his arms and the sugary sweetness of the cookies making everything feel perfect.

“Good thing I’m so irresistible,” he added with a smirk, and you rolled your eyes.

“You’re lucky you're cute.”

“Lucky? I’m a hockey player. We’re basically all good-looking by default.”

You laughed, leaning up to kiss him. “I’ll take your word for it. Now, let’s finish these cookies.”

Auston grinned, wrapping his arm around you, his focus on the cookies fading as he pulled you closer.

"You're all I need, cookies included."

[httpvomitello]

Hi would it be okay to request a Rottmnt with a female reader who makes pastries or maybe works a some kind of pastry shop 🍰

Hello, hello! Hope you like a it ~ ♡♡♡♡

Pastry Shop *⁠.⁠✧

Shows up to your pastry shop all the time (not when people are inside, of course)

He’s not even subtle about it—he acts like it’s a casual visit, but everyone knows he’s there for you (and maybe for the pastries)

“Oh, hey, Y/N. Fancy meeting you here… at your workplace… again.” Cue his cheeky grin

Always “samples” whatever you’re baking

He’s the type to ask, “Do you need a taste-tester? Because I’m highly qualified.”

Pretends to have sophisticated taste in desserts. “Hmm, the balance of sweetness in this éclair is truly exquisite.”

But really, he’ll eat anything you make

“For me? Your favorite customer? C’mon, don’t act like I’m not your favorite.”

At first, he’s a little shy about coming by

But once he realizes how much you love baking, he’s all in

He always compliments your creations, even if it’s just a simple cupcake. “This is amazing, Y/N. You’re really talented.”

Buys way more pastries than he can eat, just to support you(he started saving money just for that)

His brothers constantly find random boxes of cookies and cakes in the lair

Always offers to help you carry heavy supplies, like bags of flour or crates of ingredients

“No way you’re lifting that on your own. Let me.”

You caught him sneaking one of your pastries into his pocket for later, and now he’s forever known as “the pastry thief.”

Doesn’t understand the appeal of pastries at first

He’s more of a “function over flavor” kind of guy, but he’s fascinated by the science behind baking

Spends a whole afternoon in your kitchen asking questions about how different ingredients work. “Wait, so gluten development affects the structure of bread? Fascinating.”

Invents gadgets to make your life easier, like a faster mixer or a temperature-controlled rolling pin

“With this, you’ll have the most consistent dough in the city!”

You catch him sneaking into your shop late at night to try and reverse-engineer your recipes

When you confront him, he denies everything. “I was… conducting research!”

His favorite thing to order is whatever you made just for him

He insists it’s purely because of your skill, but you know he loves the personal touch.

The biggest hype man for your baking

Every time he tries something you’ve made, it’s “THE BEST THING I’VE EVER TASTED.”

Wants to help in the kitchen but always makes a mess

Flour ends up everywhere, and you have to shoo him out before he burns something

Calls you “his personal pastry chef,” even if you’ve told him a million times that you bake for everyone, not just him

Has a massive sweet tooth and keeps begging you to make custom desserts based on his wild ideas

“Okay, hear me out—pizza-flavored cupcakes!”

Brings your pastries back to the lair and brags to his brothers about how talented you are. “Y/N’s the best baker in the world! You guys are missing out.”

[thebearer]

hi again !! what about carmy having a younger gf who's inexperienced in relationships and sex but she's got a dirty mind (yeah she reads smut) and is eager to learn but is also kinda shy about asking him, etc...

thank you <3

minors dni 18+. slight age gap reader is still 21+ just bc that's what i'm comfy with.

"You never done this before?" Carmen asked, raising a brow at you. You shook your head, eyes flickering downward in a shy, hidden expression.

Carmen could feel his chest swelling, boasting with pride, maybe? No, it felt deeper, more primal and raw than that. The idea that he'd be the first to touch you like this, the first you touched like that- it made his cock throb.

"No one's ever taken care of you like this?" Carmen rasped, taking a step towards you.

You shook your head. "No, I mean, a guy fingered- or well kinda tried to finger me once, but it wasn't... good." You admitted, looking at the ground. Carmen caught your jaw easily, lifting your gaze to him. "But no one's ever..."

"Ever?" Carmen lifted a brow, a little teasing, eyes darkening with every passing second. "C'mon, say it f'me, baby." His hand slides down your waist, pulling you closer.

Your body is buzzing with heat, a dull ache between your legs, Carmen's finger wrapped around your jaw. "I-I've never had someone, uh, go... go down on me." You admitted.

"Yeah?" Carmen's hand is gravelly, a tiny rasp that had your head reeling. "You want me to? Want me to take care of you?"

"Yeah." You whispered, a tiny whine tailing on the edge of your tone. Carmen's hand kneaded the fat of your hips, your ass.

"Yeah, what?" Carmen's nose brushed over your cheek, lips ghosting over your skin, body shuddering in goosebumps. "What'd ya say?"

"Please." You whimpered, breathy, clinging to the cotton material of his shirt.

"Alright. I gotcha, alright? Lay back f'me. I'll take care of you. Make you feel good." Carmen's lips were over the shell of your ear, walking you back towards the bed.

Carmen wasn't super experienced by any means, a few hookups here and there, a weird situationship with the pastry chef in New York. It was something he always felt a little insecure about, a little inferior. Then he met you. You were vibrant, magnetic in every way, Carmen was so sure you'd been loved properly before, he loved you in every aspect. You'd told him, over a few glasses of wine, mumbled, shy confessions that shocked him. Carmen didn't say much, just muttered it was a shame, a shame for them, not for him. He'd take care of you, at your own pace.

You were down to your pantie, laying on Carmen's bed, a little unsure, suddenly more vulnerable and painfully aware. Carmen's hands slid down your ribs, over your tummy, toying with the hem of your panties.

"You ready?" Carmen asked, tracing the elastic band.

You nodded, heart thudding loudly in your chest. "Y-Yeah."

Carmen paused, looking at you fully. "Hey, look at me." Carmen commanded. Your eyes moved to him. "You good? You ready?"

You took a deep breath. "Yeah, 'm ready." You nodded.

Carmen leaned over you, kissing you deeply, sweetly, kindly enough to have your head reeling and melting into him. Carmen kissed down your jaw, your neck, down your sternum, until he was on his knees in front of you. Finger hooking around your panties, he pulled them down, tongue running over his bottom lip at the sight of your puffy, slick pussy.

"Fuck, look at you, huh? No one's ever done this?" Carmen muttered. You blushed, legs closing gently, his hands prying you open. You shook your head. "Fuckin' criminal. Y'know that?"

Carmen's lips trailed down the inside of your thighs, hot, wet, sloppy kisses down your right thigh, pressing a teasing kiss to your mound, tongue sliding over your slit, before he started up your left thigh.

Your hips jerked, whining at the feeling of his tongue trailing over you. "Please, Carm, don't tease me." You whined, hand threading through his hair.

"I won't, 'm sorry." Camren rasped, his breath hot over your slit. Carmen's finger spreading in a V over your lips, pressing so he spread you, clit puffy and presented to him.

Flattening his tongue, Carmen's eyes lifted to yours, licking a long stripe from your sopping hole to your clit, watching you carefully. Every buck and gasp, eyes rolling back, breath catching in a strangled moan in your throat. Your body was on fire, aching heat that had you whimpering and whining, with every slow drag of his tongue.

"Fuck! Carmen, that-that... Oh, keep doin' that please." You gasped, fists tight around his curls, his nose bumping with your clit, tongue sliding through your folds, circling your sopping hole.

You were reactive, squirming with pleasure, a new rush of adrenaline and ecstasy flooding through your system, his tongue reaching a new area that had your head spinning.

"Look at me." Carmen hummed, lips still on your clit, sending vibrating shock of pleasure that had your legs tightening around him. "Look at me, baby."

Your eyes lowered, blurry vision while he made sure you were looking at him. He waited, eyes stayed on you, wrapping his lips around your clit, sucking gently, alternating between tongue fluttering so you flailed under him, crying out at the pleasure. Your legs tight around his head, wrapped in a vice hold of a headlock, Carmen's hands tight on your hips to keep you in place.

Your hips were rolling, grinding furiously on his mouth, tears leaking out of the corner of your eyes with pleasure, tummy clenching as your pleasure built more and more and more until you were gushing, flooding over his tongue.

Carmen lapped you up, catching every last drop of your release, holding you through the shuddering aftershocks of your orgasm. Your chest rose and fell rapidly, flush against the mattress, Carmen's cheek resting on the inside of your thigh, teasingly running a finger through your folds, grinning at how you whined, muttering something about "too much, Carm".

It might have been your first time, but it was hardly your last with Carmen, your new favorite activity involving his head between your legs, making a mess of you on the mattress.

[floweringlino]

Shared passion | L.M

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 ; A chef losing his passion for his occupation and a right hand that is losing respect for the person that taught her all she knows.

𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 ; Chef!Minho x SousChef!Reader

𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 ; Mention of knives, slight aggression, loss of passion, mention of burn out, slight angst, fluff, suggestive

𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 ; 2,3k

The Gods Menu Masterlist

✎ ❀

"Alright everyone, we can start Mise en place in a second. There are some things that we need to discuss before we start and i'd like everyone to listen." The girl gathered the attention from her colleagues around her, a hand shot up from the back.

"Yes Felix?"

"Where's Chef?" The pastry chef de partie calmly asked, not to piss his sous chef off

"I don't know Lix, we'll see him show up somewhere today. If you need to ask something important about work you can ask me."

"Yes Chef”

Another hand shot up from the crowd. It was the intern. He had been at the restaurant for about 8 months, nearing his exames.

"Anything I can help with Jeongin?"

"Maybe Chef, I had a meeting with Chef at 12.00 about school, what can I do if he doesn't show up?"

"I'll talk to you after debrief, is that okay?" To which he responded with a polite nod.

"Okay now the points of today, first of, today all of you will do as much as possible without mine of Chefs help. Its time to show us what you’re all capable off, that doesn't count for our Interns." All responded with a yes chef.

"Secondly, Changbin. I would like to ask you politely to stop making the Interns clean up your mess. Jeongin is here to learn. I don't need him filling piping bags because you're too lazy to do it yourself. Han,  Jeongin is not your personal Carrot scrapper. Do it yourself." Both men responded with another yes chef and looked down to the floor in embarrassment.

"Three, i will first be carving the meat, after that i will be in the office, working on the fall menu, got any ideas, share them with me. I'd love some of your input."

"Lunch, 30 people, two times no pork. One person gluten-free, and 5 people confirmed vegetarian. Does everyone know what that entails for each partie?" Another yes chef.

"Alright everyone, it's a beautiful day to make some people smile. Let's start Mise en place. Jeongin come with me." The intern followed her into the restaurant where they sat down at one of the tables.

"Talk to me honey." She spoke kindly

"Well you see, i have my exam next month and I still need to do one more assignment before i qualify for the national exams. But i need a superior to sign it."

"And you worry because Chef hasn't been around much." To which he responded with a shy nod.

"I'll get him to sign it. Do you have the paperwork here?" He nodded and gave the papers.

"You'll have it tomorrow, now you do your work. There's a lot to learn from the guys today, try to keep an eye on everything." He nodded happily and went back into the kitchen.  Y/N dropped her head in her hands and her elbows rested on the table bellow her. A deep sigh left her mouth just as Chan entered the restaurant.

Chan and Minho had opened the restaurant together, two weeks after opening Minho called Y/N to become her sous chef.

"Whats the matter?”

"Min is not showing up I think."

Chan sat down next to her putting a caring hand on her shoulder.

"I know its hard but he's going through a bit of a rough path. Don't love faith in him."

"I'll try" she nodded at him, understanding his words.

She went back into the kitchen and did what she did best, cooking her ass off.

At 12 lunch started rolling in but still no Minho to be seen. She called him but was met with a sleepy voice on the other end of the line.

"What?"

"Get your ass here and help me with the new fall menu."

"Why would I?"

"Uhm excuse me what the fuck? What do you mean why would I? Your kitchen, your staff, your mess."

"Whatever, I'll be there in 20."

"You better." And she hung up on him. He did keep his word as 20 minutes later he walked into the restaurant. Not in his work clothes but in his sweatpants and Tshirt.

Y/N wishes everyone a goodluck with service and with that she left to the office, dragging her chef with her.

"I need you to sign this." She shoved Jeongin's papers in his hands.

"Whats this?"

"Your interns papers. Or did you forget you had a meeting with him today at 12?" He smacked his own face which made it clear that he had indeed forgotten. Later that day they had gotten nowhere with the new menu, only arguing and head butting.

Y/N picked up her stuff and stormed out of the office. She made her was to the kitchen with her notepad. Minho running after her.

"Hyunjin, you're in charge for tonight. I need to get the fuck out of here. It's 10 people, will you be okay?"

"Of course I will! Thank you for this opportunity, Chef."

Minho didn't like that answer even one bit.

"Y/N is not your chef so you will not refer to her as such."

She angrily spun around to face him.

"“You are such a fucking asshole, you haven’t shown your face in days and now you do this? You know, i used to admire you but i have lost all respect i ever had for you in this moment. You sad excuse of a leader. You don’t even know what is going on in your own kitchen.”

And with that she left

~

Later that evening Y/N was preparing food for the new menu in her own home. Thought flew through her head and she wrote all of it down, even if some things didn't make any sense. Multiple people for work had texted her their ideas and those also made their way onto her papers.

Her mind wondered to how it all was 10 years ago, she was still an intern at a Michelin star restaurant, freshly turned 18. Completely overwhelmed and extremely confused. It was there where she met Chan and Minho. Chan was just a simple waiter back then but Minho, he was everything the admired about the job.

He had the confidence, the admiration and most importantly he had more passion for his work than everyone around her combined. She looked up to him, started watching his techniques, following his movements. He quickly noticed and took her under his wing. Of course she had learned a lot school but Minho had learned her everything she knew.

He learned her how to use her creativity. He showed her the best techniques, took her to the most important seminars. He made her follow the most interesting courses. Together they rose to the top

Intern, chef de partie

Chef de partie, Junior sous chef

Junior sous chef, sous chef

And now they were at the end of their road. A year ago she knew for sure that there was still so much he could learn her but then he stopped showing up. Y/N had to figure out how to do it without him and it hurt her.

Even a simple bystander could see it. Guests asked Chan about it? Were they together? A normal person saw love but it was so much more than that. It was shared looks of respect, passion and admiration.

Her lonely thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Only after that she noticed the single tear that had rolled down her cheek oh so dramatically. She wiped it away and opened her Front door.

A face full of regret was what she was met with. Both didn't know how to start a conversation so after a couple awkward second of silence, Y/N just gestured for him to come inside of her home.

"I still remember when you still lived with your parents. Now you own a home and have pets."

"Well im not 18 anymore, and you're not 19 anymore. What are you doing here Minho?" She wasn't interested in his small talk. Why did he come to her house at midnight.

"Okay, uhm. How do I start this" he took a couple of seconds before continuing. "Im sorry."

"Explain to me what it is that you're sorry for."

"I'm sorry for letting you down. What can I do to make it up to you?"

She couldn't help but look deep into his eyes. She used to always be able to tell what was going on inside his head but something was blocking it. So she did the one thing what made them a team.

"Cook with me?" She pointed her head to her kitchen where a messy kitchen was displayed. He nodded happily and accepted the apron she handed him. He smiled as he held the fabric in his hand, the logo of his old job looking back at him. She stole it from them. The place that brought them together.

"You kept this?"

"Of course I did. I had the best time of my life there. It's where I met you." She smiled kindly at him, a smile he hadn't received in a couple of months and he couldn't help stare.

"So what are you gonna do."

"You're gonna do what you do best, debone this pheasant."

"Where did you get a pheasant?"

"I have my sources."

And they cooked, they wrote down their ideas and ended the night with a perfect new menu. They were a team and for the first time in a while Minho had found his joy back in the kitchen.

Gradually the cooking came to an end and the scenery changed for the kitchen to the living room.  A opened bottle of wine and deep conversation was where the night was headed.

Minho sat on the couch normally, and Y/N sat next to him but her legs over his. First he wondered if it was the alcohol speaking to him but only now he realised how dumb he had been. Looking in her eyes he realised something.

"I'm gonna start going to therapy I think. Maybe they can help me with my burn out."

"Im proud of you, Min."

"Im proud of you too. I had lost my passion, I felt completely burnt out and tired. And today I realised that it was still there. You made me realise." His finger traced the side of her head and shrugged leaned into his touch.

"Im sorry for pushing you aside and im sorry if i have caused you any pain. I have been horrible to you when you have shown me nothing but kindness from the beginning." His hand moved along her jawline, shyly she looked away but that was not gonna happen like that.with his hand on her chin he lead her face back to his. Their eyes interlocked, Minho leaned closer. His eyes darting towards his lips.

"Minho wait." He stopped and they rested their fore heads against each other.

"Do you want this or is this the alcohol? Because if its not real I don't know if I can do this." She started tearing up but before she could she got her response.

"I don't what this, i need this. I need to hold you, i need to have you. I've waited 10 years for this moment and I'm never gonna let you go." And with that confirmation he presses his soft lips against hers. Soft and tender. He wanted to take in every second of the moment, as they could only get one first kiss. It brought comfort and happiness. A longing that was finally fulfilled. After a soft kiss of a couple of seconds both pulled away.

"I've been in love with you for 10 years, Y/N."

"I've been in love with you too, Min."

He dove back into his kiss happily, smiling into it as he wrapped his arms around her, his arms sliding halfway underneath her hoodie.

"You're so beautiful, i could do this all day with you." She giggled into the kiss which gave him the opportunity to add a little bit of tongue into it which she happily accepted. Her hands wondered to the bottom of his shirt which was quickly taken of in a swift motion, along with many other pieces of clothing. They fell asleep of the couch after that and when Minho woke up at 9 he traced her naked shoulders.

"Wake up my love, we need to go to work." He pressed a kiss against her forehead with care. She humbled.

"Are we going together? Your coming with me?"

"I am. Its time for you to give me back my position."

"Gladly, being chef is fucking tiring."

"Be my Co-Chef? We'll do it together."

"You sure?"

"Id love for you too, the team listens to you. Im not there yet with them. Respect is something you need to earn and i haven't proved myself to them yet."

"You have proven it to me."

He turned to his girl as they made their way to work.

"Are you officially mine now?"

"I've always been yours."

Apparently there are more places for people to find their passion. Sometimes you just need to find the perfect person to help you with it.

Passion is in everyone, even if you can't see it so closely. Chase your dreams and don't be afraid to do new things.

Do the things that make you happy the most.

[osmanthus-wine-addiction]

14 Food Play

Zhongli x Reader / SFW / Fluff / Teahouse & Coffeeshop AU / Rivals to Lovers / Zhongli and Reader are both pastry chefs / Reader is a bit of a tsundere

Nobody would ever suspect that you and Zhongli were seeing each other. Afterall, the two of you had been professional rivals for almost a decade.

You met him during a pastry competition while the two of you were still in college. He was your senior and had quite a large following, especially among the female students. In hindsight, you were a bit of a prick back then. Passionate, confident, and competitive, you weren't the least bit shy when it came to critiquing his work. His criticisms, on the other hand, had always been delivered with more grace than yours. He ended up winning that competition along with many others, but he never once held them over your head. It wasn't like you've never snatched a win before. There were those few times his entry lost to yours. You couldn't brag about them though, because that would be far too petty of you since he always congratulated you so sincerely. It was strange how he always showed up in the same events you sign up for though. Whenever his name appeared in the lineup, you almost always ended up losing to him. It was more or less an unrequited animosity.

Zhongli had never actually treated you like his rival, even going as far as sharing techniques and introducing vendors to you. He always had a gentle smile on his face, which irritated you all the more. It didn't help that he was frustratingly handsome and a true gentleman, even by your inflated standards. If he weren't always overshadowing you professionally in every way possible, you might’ve gotten along with him.

Eventually, you opened up a small coffeeshop with your friend Ningguang. She provided the larger chunk of the funds while you introduced pastries to the menu and took care of most of the day-to-day operations. To your surprise, your old nemesis got hired by the teahouse right across the street. You only found out when Ningguang brought you a morsel that tasted suspiciously like it came from a certain someone's hand.

The first bite into that osmanthus cake, you were certain it was him. He really was haunting you! Did he have to pop up everywhere you went, as if Liyue was too small to fit the both of you? You didn't even hate the guy. You were just tired of competing against him!

Truthfully, you never understood the comparisons. Was proximity the only factor? Or was it because your shops both served desserts and drinks? Your menus were from two completely different worlds.

Zhongli had always been dedicated to the classics. He studied traditional Liyue recipes and even managed to revive some pastries that had gotten lost in time. Stepping through the doorway of the teahouse for the first time, you got the impression that you had stepped into a portal and ended up in old Liyue. Dark rosewood furniture and ink wall scrolls were the first things you saw. Faint wisps of incense and steeped tea calmed your nerves. Colorful pastries sat on rows of ceramic trays. Osmanthus cakes, almond tofu, and flaky lotus pastries contrasted immediately from the chocolate croissants, mango mousse, and tiramisu that sat in your display cabinets.

You've always respected Zhongli as much as you couldn't stand him. Before you got to know him more intimately, he always came off rather elitist, insisting on using the most traditional methods and ingredients to create his confections. Substitutes were strictly forbidden, especially for the sake of cost. This carried into just about every aspect of his life to an overbearing degree. You couldn't help but debate about silly things whenever you were in the same room as him.

"Quality and craftsmanship is not something I'm willing to compromise on." He says.

"Just like how you insist on charging three times the price for your pastries?"

"It is up to the guest if they are willing to pay the higher price." Zhongli says, calmly sipping his tea. "Value lies in the eyes of the beholder."

"We can never get on the same page about anything, can we?"

"That isn't true." He refutes you. "I can see your perspective quite clearly. We may take different paths, but both you and I are headed in the same general direction."

"Just like how I ended up on the same street as you?"

"Precisely." He chuckled.

He scooped a spoonful of tiramisu, bringing it to your lips. Zhongli loved to feed you, something you were happy to indulge him on since it freed up your hands to do other things. The dessert you had brought over to share with him today was a new flavor you had been working on. You wanted to get his input on it before putting it on your menu. Whenever he released a new pastry into the wild, he would have you try it as well.

"How do you like it?" You asked him while thumbing through the pages of his guestbook.

Some patrons even left pictures in it. The smiling faces told you that this teahouse wasn't simply a place to buy a cup of tea and eat dessert. They gathered here after work with friends, celebrated birthdays, and spent dates here, just as they did at your coffeeshop.

The piece of tiramisu ended up falling off and landing on the back of your hand.

You reached for a napkin, but Zhongli snatched it from you. Instead of using it to clean off the cream, he raised your hand to his lips, tongue darting out to swipe away the sweet confection.

"Exquisite as always. The sunsettia adds a tangy, fruity sweetness to the richness of the mascarpone, which also happens to balance out the bitterness of the coffee. You've outdone yourself yet again with the reinvention of something classic, dear." He complimented without a drop of innuendo, except his actions were as suggestive as is gets.

He had always been like this. You could never tell if Zhongli was flirting just from his words alone. Perhaps you were just incredibly dense. Maybe there was an element of denial in your ignorance too. You just never considered a professional rival to also be a suitable candidate for romancing. Perhaps in this one aspect, you were even more inflexible than he was.

How exactly did you and Zhongli's fates intertwine when the two of you had been on parallel trajectories for all these years? Simple, you were heartbroken and desperately in need of a drinking buddy one particular day and he just happened to be closing up when you came trudging by.

"Someone's birthday?" Zhongli asked you, eyeing the intricate cake in your hand.

He might not specialize in this kind of pastry, but he could still tell when something was specially crafted for a certain occasion. It was not hard to tell with the hand-lettered chocolate decorations.

You had poured your entire afternoon into this thing. Sure, you made pastries for a living and each one was made with love, but this one was special. Every little detail on it was laid on with a personal touch. It was made for someone who had been occupying your heart for far too long.

Zhongli was a perceptive man. It didn't take much for him to piece together a vague idea of what had happened. The cake was still in your hands, unappreciated, untouched, and uneaten. Your face was drained of your usual glow.

"My boyf—" You caught yourself. "My ex-boyfriend's."

Perhaps it was your fault things had gotten that way. You had been too occupied with the coffeeshop lately and an irreparable rift had formed between you and your college sweetheart. He needed someone who could be there for him, who would always have time for him. You couldn't be that person for him. While you were busy baking croissants and serving lattes, he had allowed someone else to quietly take your place in his heart. The relationship had long since gone stale and the sweetness was no longer there.

Love was a lot like baking, sometimes things don't turn out the way you expect it to. You make mistakes and measure wrong. Like a burnt cake or a bad batch of whipping cream, sometimes it has to be tossed out. It hurts to let it go to waste, but you could always make more.

The moment Zhongli saw you, he could instantly tell that something had gone wrong between you and your boyfriend. His hand clenched in silent rage at the thought of that ungrateful bastard causing such a downtrodden look to appear on your face. Despite the heaviness in his heart from seeing you hurt, a long-dormant seed of hope finally sprouted deep inside of him.

"The right person will not corner you with difficult choices." Zhongli assured you. "There is no regret in giving up something that was not meant to be."

Zhongli's sincerity came like a warm cup of tea on a cold day. Who would've expected you would find comfort in the words of your long-time rival? You were clearly in a better mood now than when you first walked into the teahouse.

You smiled. "Thank you."

Under your insistence, he brought you some fruit wine, but made you eat the cake you worked so hard on. You had a coffeeshop to open up the next morning and couldn't afford to have a hangover, he reasoned. He knew exactly what to say to get you back in the right mindset. You might not have been willing to admit it before, but Zhongli understood you to an uncanny degree, perhaps even more deeply than your boyfriend ever did. He shared the same sentiments when it came to your craft, even down to the obsessive attention to detail.

In your eyes, cake was a sacred thing. The batter had to be mixed perfectly. The fruits had to be fresh. The topping had to be whipped just right and piped precisely. To you, cake was the closest thing to tangible joy. The sweetness, softness, and fluffiness of the emotion could all be tasted in a single bite.

"It's delicious. A pity the person it was intended for would never get to taste it." He remarked after he tried a bite of your cake.

It was chocolate flavored, which you knew Zhongli was actually quite fond of. Traditional Liyue desserts did not use this ingredient so he often sent Xiao over to buy him some of your chocolate flavored morsels. You knew it was for him since the boy preferred almond flavored pastries.

"You lucked out." You joked, a bit of a slur on your tongue.

A flush was beginning to spread over your face because of the wine. You rested your cheek against your palm.

"I do consider myself quite fortunate." Zhongli replied with that gentle smile that has you spacing out way too often.

You tilted your head at him expectantly. His unwavering gaze told you he was not just taking about cake.

"There is only one thing setting fortune apart from mere coincidence. Do you know what that is?"

"No. You tell me."

"The cherishing of that opportunity." He paused to take a sip of wine. "A fool will simply let it fall through their sieve without making something out of it. I was guilty of this once as well. Regret isn't often met with second chances."

"Sounds like a story." You poured yourself a full cup in anticipation.

"Perhaps another time, dear." He chuckled. "Tonight, I am just a listening ear."

You pursed your lip, a clearly dissatisfied look on your face. Zhongli was getting on your nerves all of a sudden. He was glancing at you with that constipated look again, like he had something he desperately wanted to say to you, but decided not to for some selfless reason.

It was not the first time, but you never actually considered the reason why your long-time rival would look at you with such an odd expression. You just assumed that, given how long the two of you have actually known each other and with the amount of genuine respect and admiration you held for him, Zhongli also held a comparable amount of, for lack of a better word, affection towards you. It was normal for rivals to be a bit smitten with each other. You have to actually like them enough to see them as a worthy opponent, right?

The further down this piping bag your mind went, the more defined your scattered thoughts became. What if Zhongli had always harbored a crush on you? All those competitions he participated in, all the events he attended, working at this teahouse, even that box of osmanthus cake Ningguang brought you seemed deliberate now. Were you just being delusional here, or had it been that obvious all along? Every interaction you've had with Zhongli started to look a little rosy now with the imaginary food coloring added.

Despite years of unfounded animosity from you, Zhongli had been a reassuring constant in your professional life. He encouraged you in a way that a lover couldn't. He challenged you to improve your craft and reach your potential. He genuinely believed in you, and you felt that in his every critique, even if they were harsh on the ears. Perhaps that was why you found yourself here, seeking solace in this teahouse instead of sulking in your own coffeeshop by yourself. Armed with the liquid courage you were pouring down your throat, you decided to face your suspicions and confront him.

"I know I'm not the most intuitive when it comes to this sort of thing…" You hiccupped. "You've been nothing but kind to me, even though I act like I hate your guts most of the time."

Zhongli chuckled at your unusual confession, confused as to where you were going with it. "If you truly despise me, you would not have confided in me tonight. In that light, you must see me as a friend in the least."

Friend. What a complicated yet simple word. It could mean someone you've met for only a day or it could be someone you've known for a lifetime. Take a step forward and the two of you could become lovers. Take a step back and the two of you would become strangers instead. Stay exactly where you were and nothing would ever change.

You shoveled a spoonful of chocolate cake into your mouth, mind too busy churning your thoughts around that you didn't realize you had grabbed Zhongli's spoon by accident. His eyes fell on your lips as you pulled it out clean. He swallowed, unable to tear his gaze away from the bit of chocolate cream clinging to the corner of your mouth.

"All this talk about the right person, fools, second chances… Are you trying to tell me something?"

"What would you have me say?" He deflected. "I'm afraid I don't—"

"You like me, don't you, Zhongli?"

You narrowed your eyes, daring him to look away. If he does, that instantly proves your hunch was right. Surprise flashes in his eyes, but he doesn't fall into your trap.

"Perhaps I do." He replied calmly as his gaze locked with yours.

"What do you mean, perhaps? You either do or you don't."

"You have something on your face, dear." He motions to that bit of chocolate cream that's been testing his self-restraint all this time.

"Don't change the subj—"

Zhongli reached out, hand cradling the back of your head as his lips descended on yours. He could taste the fruit wine on your lips as well as the cake. Decadent and indulgent, this kiss filled your head with whipping cream and turned the pit of your stomach into bubbling fondue. His tongue darted out to swipe away the chocolate crumb that had been teasing him.

"Is this a clear enough answer?" He breathed, pulling away.

You stared at Zhongli, half in shock and half in daze, chest heaving from having your breath stolen. Your heart raced, unprepared to get ambushed like that by him. A rosy pink dusted your cheeks, which he found even more alluring than that piece of chocolate cake. Of course, the kiss itself was unbelievably sweet, so sweet you immediately craved a second one.

"I need another one. For confirmation." You demanded, closing your eyes and puckering your lips.

Zhongli chuckled, feeding you another spoonful of cake. You ate it without opening your eyes, because you already knew his lips would follow. His tongue slid in, tasting the cake along with the cream on your lips.

He fed you bite after bite. You returned the gesture, sharing countless kisses with him in between. Gradually, you shifted from the seat beside him to his lap. There was just something so natural about falling into Zhongli’s arms, kissing him, getting lost in all the sweetness. He held you so carefully, like a fragile piece of pastry, taking his time and savoring every bit. It was a good thing you didn't just toss that chocolate cake. What a waste that would've been.

[sakumira-agashi]

can we have francis crying plsplsplsplsplsplsplspls- it won't hurt you to make him suffer ;)

My time has come.

So I was gonna make a full comic for this but it'd be really long, and I don't wanna make your ask sit in the inbox for months LMAO so this will be art paired with writing.

Young Francis jumpscare ahead.

Francis Bellerose, he was known for quite a lot of things not only amongst his friends, but also within their college.

Francis, the promising young pastry chef that would have their professors use as the shining example for the class, always nailing the most difficult pastries in seemingly no time at all. Francis, tall, handsome, the ever charming prince of their college, yet would greet you with a shy yet friendly smile. Francis, iconic for his long, luscious blond hair. Francis, the person who seemingly had all his life figured out already.

And Francis, the smitten man whose love for his girlfriend went beyond the universe.

"Ah-? Really, class is off?"

"Yeah!" One of his friends beamed. "Mr. Albert came by and said Mrs. Bertin won't come in today!"

"Yoooo, Francis dude!" Another friend of his spoke with a big smile. "Wanna go grab a drink with us?"

"It's 2 in the freaking afternoon." The first friend snickered as she elbowed him, to which he smiled back.

"So what? We're not gonna have class for the rest of the day anyway, why not!" The friend turned over to Francis. "So, you in?"

"Ah, uh-" Francis fidgeted with his hair. "Th-Thanks, but- it wouldn't be nice to leave my girlfriend back home alone."

"Aww." The girl teased as she patted his shoulder. "Look at the lovebird, just can't stop thinking about his girlfriend."

"It's- It's just, I told her I was leaving for class. Wouldn't want to go out when I could come home to her instead." Francis chuckled as his friends teased. "You all go have fun, sorry."

"C'mon dude, you know we're joking!" The guy friend patted Francis's back. "We get it, you wouldn't want to lie to your wife-to-be about where you are."

A blush practically jumped up Francis's face, eyes averted as his friends laughed around him. "She- She's not-"

"Oh she will be, just mark my word." A friend shot a devilish smirk up at him. "I know that face. We know that face, and that's the face of a guy who wanna sweep his girl off her feet already, he's just waiting to graduate."

"Oh no no, c'mon now." A guy laughed as he waved his hand around. "That's waaaaay too late. You'd have a better chance at being right if you said the wedding was happening tomorrow."

"Okay okay-" Francis rolled his eyes as he playfully pushed his friend away with an undeniable deep blush on his face, eliciting a wholehearted laugh from everyone. "For someone who wanna go have a drink, you all strangely have a loooot of time idling around here."

"Look who's embarrassed now 'cause he knows we're right." A girl snickered before turning on her heels along with others. "But you're right, we shouldn't hold you here any longer, wasting your precious time when that could be spent with your woman instead."

"Oh my g-"

And with one last grunt from Francis, they all shared an amused laugh before waving goodbye at him as they parted ways, and even so, after walking far away from Francis, they snickered amongst each other once more because they knew they were right. Knew that behind that annoyed expression Francis feigned was a smile that bloomed when he thought his friends couldn't catch it. And knew that their marriage wasn't at all a matter of "if", but rather a matter of "when."

Because Francis Bellerose was known to not at all shy from how much he loved his girlfriend so dearly, the woman many envied because she had him. She had the prince charming of this prestigious university, one that would have anyone swoon just by his effortless energy presence alone. And she had the man who just seemingly had his whole life planned out already, and all he needed left was a person to be the last piece of puzzle to his perfect life. The final touches like the ones he would add to enhance his final creation and have the professors in awe from how creative and gorgeous it looked. The moon to his sun, the person he could call on the phone for hours on end late at night, and the person he was willing to fight with his parents for.

"There's no way I'm leaving her behind!"

"Francis, you're- We get that you love her, but-"

"But what? That I'm crazy, like you and Dad have said over and over again whenever we talked about this like a broken record?!"

"Francis, no, just- We get it, it's just- You can't just put your future on hold for a woman! You don't have to break up with her, we'll try to make it work, just please-"

Francis halted in his steps, autumn breeze fluttering with his hair as all of a sudden, the world seemed to have pause around him as deep thoughts entered his mind. Thoughts about that offer to work for his uncle at his bakery after graduation that his parents kept reminding him about.

They weren't wrong. The internship would greatly help boost his career, his uncle was fully on board with letting him work full-time afterward, and even if Francis chose not to, the experience would look great on his resume. It was an opportunity where seemingly nothing could go wrong and an average person would think of him as insane if he didn't take it, probably like his parents. It was just that... one of the things that made it appealing was the very aspect that made him shoot it down immediately, and it was the fact that it was all the way over in Italy.

To leave his darling behind-

Francis shook his head and forced himself to keep going, because he just couldn't bear the thought of it. Sure, his parents said they would help make it work out, but considering they refused to help pay his tuition because he didn't go to college for engineering like they wanted, making him work vigorously fresh out of high school just to afford college, and only agreed to help out this year after he'd proven himself "worthy"... he wasn't sure if he was willing to take up their word on it. Plus, they probably hated the fact that they were living together as an unwedded couple with him paying most of their rent, and again, considering they couldn't care less about his finances when he didn't follow their choice of career, he wondered why they suddenly were so interested in his personal life with his girlfriend now, pretending to be worried that he was slaving his time away for a girl who just "lounged around at home and did nothing," which was absolutely not true because she was paying rent, just less than half of it, but it just was that her job didn't pay very well and it would help them save money if they lived together and she said she was looking for a better job anyway so he-

As he stood at the intersection and waited for the light to turn green, he let out a deep sigh.

Ah, why the hell was he still pondering it? He already made his decision, and it wasn't like there weren't great restaurants here in France that he could apply to. And so, as the spotted the green light above him, he crossed the road and headed back to his apartment with a smile on his face.

His girlfriend didn't say it, but every time, she seemed pretty sad to see him leave for class, even if he said it would only be for a few hours. And it made him unable to hold in a smile as he thought about her face when he came home way earlier than expected, to the point he almost exposed himself when he nearly forgot to that he was supposed to be quiet. He sucked in a deep breath to calm himself, maintaining his signature quiet as feather steps as he agonizingly slowly turned the doorknob as not to make any sounds.

He swung the door and opened his mouth to announce his return when a sound drowned his excitement out.

What he prayed was just the sound of the TV, one of the appliances, from the neighbors, anything... sadly wasn't any of them, but rather clear, undeniable moans from inside his bedroom as well as what could only be the creaking of the bedframe. And the voice sounded too much like his girlfriend as it melded with that of someone else.

All of a sudden, instead of running around the apartment to look for his beloved and hold her in his arms, it was as though he was tethering on the line of life and death, one feet in the apartment and the other still out in the hallway. Half wanted to bolt out of there and hide, go for a walk, stay at the library till he was kicked out, go out with his friends, anything to help him pretend this wasn't happening, and another half of him wanted to shut the door behind him and walked in there to see for himself what the hell was going on in there. And after what felt like eternities of steadying himself on the falling ground beneath him, he chose to step in.

He wasn't sure what compelled him to do so. Perhaps it was that tiny hope in him that was praying it wasn't what it seemed like, but more likely, it was perhaps he was smarter than to pretend this never happened, too smart to believe he would ever rid himself of this memory.

And yet, funnily enough, he was too foolish to believe his beloved was as loyal to him as he was to her.

"Francis, it's- it's not what it looks like!"

That was what Francis wanted to tell himself too, Odette. But he knew he would hate himself for the rest of his life if he did.

And yet, even as he stared at himself in the mirror, hands on the bathroom counter, he still found it hard to believe that it happened. Somewhere in him, he really thought this was all just a horrendous nightmare and he would soon wake up to Odette greeting him with her smile that was as though nothing was going on behind his back, just like his picture-perfect life that he used to have.

"I love you, really, but love... love isn't enough, Francis. What you have now... isn't enough. It's not that I don't love you I swear! You just- You just can't blame me for prioritizing myself! My future!"

It took everything in Francis to not crack the mirror in front of him.

She knew.

"I'm sorry, I- I can't possibly imagine myself living like this forever. You say life will get better when you have your career established, but he's already there, and... I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I passed up this opportunity to have a better life for myself, for what? To wait for you to try and chase this hypothetical dream when he already has it ready for me?"

She fucking knew he was willing to give up a huge opportunity for her, yet here she was, being so ready to just throw him away for just that, a huge opportunity.

Though he supposed the wallet of that old man was enough to convince her. That was the difference between him and that guy as she claimed - that man was a millionaire, money enough to last for generations and fund her dream lifestyle that she had "always wanted", and Francis was just a "broke college kid" who was at the starting line when that old man had reached the end of the race already. A winner, if Odette could describe it that way, while Francis was a loser who never had a chance. That man had properties lining one entire street of Paris while Francis was sharing rent with her in a tiny student apartment. And that man had everything while all Francis had was a dream.

And a dream wasn't enough for Odette. She needed it to be a reality. A filthy rich reality where she could buy everything she wanted without "looking at price tags" as she, once again, claimed. And a sparkling lifestyle where she could boast to her friends about, instead of being embarrassed about her boyfriend's "stupid, useless antique collection" when he instead could be "more ambitious" and work harder, sell it all to take her on a trip around the world.

"Why did you stay then?"

He remembered asking her that question after her angry rant that seemed to have simmered for who knows how long.

"If I was so 'stupid and poor' like you said, then why did you stay? Why did you even agree to be my girlfriend?"

And that seemed to take Odette back, as she fell silent as though contemplating her answer.

"Because I had hopes for you, Francis. Because I was stupid enough to believe in your hypothetical success. Blinded by love, if you will."

Ironically enough, that seemed to be where their similarity lied.

He too was also blinded by love, enough to buy her a ring with the full intention of proposing to her some time later, to get married after they both graduated just like they had talked about. The same ring he hid in their bedside drawer next to the bed she invited that man over. The same bed they lied together every night as they exchanged sweet nothings as she played with his hair.

Francis's hand mindlessly played with his hair, while the other shakingly fidgeted with the scissors that were laying nearby.

His hair... Odette always said she loved his hair. Always gushing about how soft it was as she played with it. It was the same locks she would experiment new hairstyles on as he read a book and laughed along, wondering what weird styles she had stumbled across on the magazine.

She loved his hair, just like how she loved everything about him... and now he wondered if that too was also a lie.

"Long day, sweetie? I made dinner."

Francis gripped the scissors but couldn't bring himself to.

"I believe in you, Francis. You're gonna nail that exam just fine!"

He just couldn't, because why would he?

"What- No! How could I? What we have now is everything I could possibly dream of!"

For a woman that didn't care about him... why would he do that?

"Can I have some of your expensive shampoo pleeeeaaaase? Your hair is just so nice, I have to try!"

No, he couldn't, because that would be stupid.

"Hey, Francis...?"

His pride, his joy, his signature look, why would he give all that up for a w-

"I love you."

Snip.

The sound sliced through his trainwreck of a thought process like how the scissors sliced through his hair.

"... Ah."

He did it

Long locks of hair falling on his hand and down the floor. Golden color illuminated by the bathroom light as they glistened under something.

Tears, donning them like dews of the early mornings, and for a while, all he could do was to stare at it all.

His pride, all thrown away for a woman. He did it, and he wondered what the hell he was feeling.

Sure, he was crying, and Francis Bellerose was not known to cry. Yet just like the air around him, his mind was empty and he questioned if he really was just emotionless to it all, or if his heart had grown tired from all the agonizing feelings and now it simply wished for a break.

...

"What an anticlimactic ending."

He muttered as he nonchalantly wiped his tears away, because yeah, it really was a boring anticlimactic ending. He expected himself to be devastated for much longer, to break down into inconsolable tears and wail on the floor alone like a loser, and yet here he was, just empty inside with not an ounce of strength to shed another tear for his hair now only sat pathetically on his shoulders instead of being a golden waterfall like people would describe.

Francis let out a sigh as he, once again nonchalantly, began to pick up his hair and cleaned up the area. Honestly, he was quite sad he didn't break down, because if he was going to be fucking depressed over this, he might as well be dramatic about it, not just calmly picking up his hair like this. It was his damn apartment, he could do whatever he wanted, and yet it was as though someone else was here and he wanted to keep up appearance,

Perhaps it really was true. Francis Bellerose was perfect. Francis Bellerose had his life together and Francis Bellerose was not known to cry, and he was going to make sure that stayed the same, even to himself.

[R-Really? Are you sure?]

Francis bit back a laugh. "Dad, you and Mom were the one begging me to take this chance, and now you're asking if I was sure?"

"N-No-" His dad's voice lightly shook from the other line of the phone. "We're really happy, just- why so sudden?"

Francis was quiet for a moment.

"Because you're right, I shouldn't throw my future away for someone."

Francis held back the "like her" part. That was for later, when he visited his parents at their place to discuss the plan.

"Francis?"

Francis used every ounce of strength from within him to still himself, otherwise he would've jumped from the sudden voice from behind him. He turned around to look, but not before quickly and discreetly wiping away a tear that was welling in the corner of his eye.

After all, Francis Bellerose never cries.

"Ah, Bernard." A smile bloomed on Francis's lips as naturally as though it was a natural habit. "What's the matter?"

"You, uh..." Bernard leaned down to eye Francis with a rather concerned expression. "You okay there?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

Bernard averted his eyes for a moment. "You seemed... off, is all."

A chuckle slipped past Francis's lips as he shook his head. "Oh I assure you, I'm fine as ever. I was simply..." Francis trailed off as he resumed chopping the strawberries. "What's the word. Ah, spacing out, yeah. I was spacing out. Long day, you know?"

Bernard's eyebrows scrunched together, his expression a mix of confusion and suspicion.

"You were spacing out and... chopping stuff just fine?"

"Yeah?" Francis shot Bernard a nonchalant face. "Is it not normal?"

"It's- I guess, it's just- You were so precise with your chopping and you just looked so calm, but something about the way you were acting was just off, which didn't make sense with how confident you were with your knife 'cause if that was me I would've put it down and-" Bernard cut himself off and groaned into his hand. "You know what, never mind."

Because that was just how Francis Bellerose was, effortlessly nonchalant that it made his questionable demeanor not worth questioning, if that even made sense at all.

"I appreciate the concern regardless, though." Francis chuckled softly. "You seem free. Are there not orders for you to tend to?"

"No- Well yes, I just gotta watch over the oven. No new order for now, so I can take a breather, dear god today was hella busy."

They stayed quiet for a moment, the sounds of the chopping the only thing existing between them, before Bernard turned over and spoke.

"Hey Francis?"

"Hm?"

"You always joke about how you were 'almost married once', yet never elaborated on it."

Francis's body was still for a moment before he proceeded to use his knife to slide the strawberries slices into the bowl, buying him some time to think of his answer.

"And what made you bring it up?"

"It's just- C'mon Francis, you know it's bound to make people curious, right? Everyone here is curious, they just don't wanna say it." Bernard leaned against the counter and cocked his head to the side. "So, what's that about?"

Francis chuckled. "I don't owe your curiosity an explanation, I've said so before."

"But it's not fair, Francis!" Bernard's desperation grew. "You just can't say that and expect people to just- move on like you didn't practically plant a seed in their head."

Francis looked Bernard dead in the eye with a smile that didn't quite match his eerily unbothered expression.

"You also have refused to tell us your last name, Bernard."

"Okay okay fine fine, you win." Bernard held up his hands defensively while Francis had a small laugh to himself. "But- one more question. Do you- plan to ever tell us?"

Francis's hands paused for a quick moment.

Did he?

...

"Perhaps."

Perhaps, one day. Someday. Perhaps that was just a lie to keep Bernard's curiosity at bay. Perhaps he did mean it. He just didn't know, just like how to this day, he still couldn't explain the empty, "anticlimactic" feeling that evening.

Bernard didn't seem convinced - which Francis couldn't blame him, as Francis himself wasn't convinced he meant it either - but in the end, he shrugged.

"I guess I can believe that-"

Bernard cut himself off when something caught his attention, and suddenly, Francis was no longer his concern as Bernard pushed himself off the counter and quickly walked off. Francis glanced back to see it was Denis, trying to carry a heavy bag of flour in before Bernard placed it on his own shoulder instead.

"I appreciate it, but I- I can do it, you know?"

"With your tiny stature? Oh please, I wonder why you can even reach the shelf-"

Bernard burst out laughing as Denis lightly hit him on the arm with a flustered expression, and in a moment in time, Francis caught their wedding rings twinkling under the light together.

He smiled. A blissfully genuine one this time that he hoped no one caught.

Everyone here held a secret, that was merely human nature. Things they swore to never let the world know, all the while they cried about them the moment they were alone. And as much as Francis tried to appear as a know-it-all, someone you wouldn't want to lie to because he would for sure catch you red-handed, in the end, he was also a mere human with his own limitations, and thus, he would never know all the secrets of his coworkers. All their unspoken desires and their hidden pain.

One thing he found peace in though, was that he knew Bernard and Denis would never have to cry about the very thing that broke Francis that day ten years ago.

[maxdreavus]

Damn i really didn't think about ever spiraling back into my pokémon hyperfixation like this, at least not this deep, but your posts are birthing blorbos to haunt my every waking moment. So. *cocks gun* i need some uhhh milo headcanons for a uhh friend (the friend is me being down bad for him) (obviously joking pls there's only a watergun involved) (your pokemon stuff literally inspires me ty)

*takes out a mini-water gun and shoots it into ur mouth* I am here to quench your thirst (get it?? Because water. And thirst for Milo. and. . Sorruy)

Hello hi I finally did this omg I am so sorry it took literally MONTHS but here we are!!!!

I did my best, not very confident in my characterization of Milo by any means, and most of these are silly, but I hope I did him justice :’)

- I told you this in DMs already but I’ll put it out there for everyone else to enjoy: Milo voiceclaim BLAST‼️ (doing this on mobile so I can’t link from a time stamp atm but I think he starts talking around 30 seconds in?)

- Milo isn’t a gamer. But. If he ever got into a DnD campaign somehow (I feel like he’d prefer tabletop > video games if anything?) he would absolutely 100% be a druid

- Spent a while internally debating his race class. I think maybe he’d stick with human, tbh, or maybe a halfling

- If he wasn’t a farmer, I could see him still working closely with pokemon beyond just being a gym leader. Like maybe he’d have a gig at a pokemon center

- OR. Or!! maybe he’d work in a battle café as a pastry chef?

- Or maybe I’m projecting, because the thought of baker!Milo is so cute to me ckejvoskckd

- Clothes headcanons.. hmm…. Lots of sweaters? Those sweaters that have a Very Pointless zipper that goes down to the, like, mid-upper chest area before stopping?? Yeah?

- Omg wait this guy KNITS

- He totally gives out scarves and mittens and beanies that he made as a (platonic) love language

- If and when things are romantic then you’ll get sweaters and blankets too, alongside everything else

- I don’t think he’d eat meat! I don’t think he would be vegan necessarily, but I can’t see Milo being the type to eat the creatures he exists so closely with

- So maybe a vegetarian, or at least the type that eats meat sometimes but avoids it for the most part

- I wanna imagine that he meshes well with anyone he meets. Bro is a pure people person

- When it comes to romance, I think he’d be very surprisingly confident

- He’s a sweet cinnamon roll but he’s not shy by any means!!

- I think he’d be pretty up-front too. If he likes you, you’ll know. Hell, maybe he’d say it outright one day while you’re just hanging out, doing something super mundane

- Milo’s definitely a gentleman. Lets you walk inside the sidewalk rather than on the street side. Opens doors for you. Walks you to your door (maybe with a cheeky smooch?) after a date night

- He’s a ditto that’s gotten REAL good at acting btw. I mean look at that cute happy little face— You hear something?

[tomatoluvr69]

Longtime followers of this blog may remember unless they respectfully and respectably blocked it out the time that I went into a multi day state where I was beside myself, just absolutely debilitatingly giddy with mirth, by the concept of Amish romance novels and pirated a bunch and read one start to finish (it was bad btw). Well unfortunately at the library yesterday I saw a romance on display called “When A Scot Ties The Knot” which had a shirtless muscular guy in a kilt on the cover and the plot is that there’s this girl and she’s so so shy and so she doesn’t want to do her debutante thing so she makes up an imaginary boyfriend so she doesn’t have to go to parties bc she’s not like other girls. And she writes a bunch of letters to a guy with a fake Scottish name and puts them in the mail but then a hot rich guy with that actual name shows up I guess. And I actually can’t stop thinking about it. And I know if I read it it will be bad and I’ll be wishing I read something else instead. But I guess once every year or two I must become fixated on a bizarre romance novel like the time in 2019 or something when I saw a post online about “The Angel Wore Fangs” which was that one where the vampire Viking angel who was cursed with ‘vangel’ status bc he was “once guilty of the deadly sin of gluttony” and he has to FIGHT ISIS about it…and falls in love with…a pastry chef named Andrea I think? And i specifically remember her being referred to as “the too-tempting mortal” And they time travel and have sex on a plane I think. Anyways I read that one in paperback while on a backpacking trip which was an interesting choice. Ok sorry for always writing incomprehensible paragraphs on this blog. I literally don’t even like romance novels. It’s more that sometimes the plot of one infiltrates my consciousness and the only way to exorcise it is to read it even though I don’t even enjoy it unless it’s ridiculous but usually it’s just boring but I think I feel it coming on again. There is something so wrong with me

[vladacatfire]

Im on ArtFight 2024! This is gonna be my first Art-Fight🌃✨

Character's!

Makril

Age: 26

Specie: Anthro beastman Dog

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Hetero-Ally

Height: 334 cm ( ≈11 ft.)

Bio: Makril created in a hospital during a long experiment to merge two magic energies with blood of a giant big guy . He lives in an analogue of our world but includes a huge variety of magical types and miracles and magic with witchcraft. Maki likes to cooking, playing games, foreign languages, sport and of course being a best adopted brother to his little human sister Blythe. This big goof is really kind , helpful and naive doggy who gives a best hugs!

Blyhte

Age: 12

Specie: Human girl

Height: 145 cm

Bio: Blythe is very optimistic, kind and cheerful girl! She lives in an analogue of our world but includes a huge variety of magical types and miracles and magic with witchcraft. In addition to standard lessons at school such as mathematics, languages, etc., Blythe is trained in witchcraft and spells. As the other humans she can't do magic, but she can use spells with her magic wand. She love her family so much, but adopted big brother Maki is her favorite)

Strix

Age: 26

Specie: Harpie owl

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Lesbian

Height: 167 cm.

Bio: Strix is a hyperactive and brave woman. She lives with her girlfriend Asio . Strix is involved in sports and also works as Pastry chef in cafe together with Asio. In the modern world, Strix is one of the few harpies capable of flight thanks to her large wings. She is also a wonderful friend, and her best friend is a beastman dog named Makril. Strix is a devoted, brave and valiant person, always ready to stand up for loved ones

Asio

Age: 26

Specie: Anthro beastwomen owl

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Lesbian

Height: 166 cm.

Bio: Asio is really sensitive shy person. This beauty really like making pastries, especially when paired with her dear girlfriend Strix. Asio is a quiet and calm owl, she takes many things seriously, but likes to have fun within reason. She is ready to support her loved ones no matter what. And you better not anger her, my dears.

Morelleth

Age: 361

Specie: Elf

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Aro-ace

Height: 160 cm

Bio: Morelleth was born in 17th century , in a fairly noble and wealthy elven family. For the most part, she was deprived of the love of her parents, whose attention was devoted exclusively to her brother Ahaly. Those times were full of wars and battles in her native land, so at an early age, before she became a teenager, she lost her father.

And centuries later, during the Second World War, her mother also passed away.

Blaming her already selfish, greedy brother for many disasters, Morelleth was in a prolonged depression for a long time, leading a scandalous and riotous lifestyle for a long time. Only in the 21st century, after hundreds of years, did she find her peace and those people whom she can call friends. Now she can be called simply a gloomy introverted girl trying to improve her life. Do her and his brother despise each other to this day? Yes.

Katya

Age: 27-28

Specie: Anthro hybrid of Hare and Rabbit 🐇 Beastwomen

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Aro-ace

Height: 180 cm

Bio: Katya is a graduate of a medical university. Thanks to the magic of blood manipulation, her graduation project was to help create a beastman by combining two magical energies with a blood of giants. She completed the project successfully, but not without complete moral exhaustion. Now she works as a therapist in the clinic where her graduation project was carried out. And she became good friends with her “project” which she called Makril . Katya is a rather reserved and thoughtful girl. She is not a fan of being in large groups of people, but sometimes she has to get out of her comfort zone and socialize .

[demialwrites]

You know now that I seen you reblogged that soulmate au. I imagine Rufus having a soulmate but outside of his world and maybe from our own? He can see what she's doing at her world. With her being a massive fan of him as she from the real world and FF7 is a fictional world much to his surprise. She was actually rather shy writer and I think some pastry baker... I know he's about 25 in the og and 30 in the remake continuity..... So she's about 27 years old....

Hehe Anon, did you describe yourself??

I get the impression that Rufus isn't much for sweets. He seems like a black coffee or plain tea kind of guy. Do you think having a pastry chef soulmate might change his mind? When would he see her, in his dreams? Maybe he would wake up in the morning, craving something that may not exist on Gaia. I do wonder if what he could see would be a first or third person view.

As for watching someone else write, I think that'd be rather soothing after a busy day, don't you think? Assuming they're not pulling their hair out at the time. Lol I do sometimes wonder what the characters of FF7 would think of our world. There's so many more people, different technology, and more variety of everything. I think it would make him feel small and backwater in comparison. That's an amusing thought.

I do think it would boost his ego to see her be such a big fan. But to see her read anything on the internet not correct about him, I think he'd find it annoying. I also think he'd get a kick out of knowing so many people struggled with his boss fights. :)

There's one part I think you missed about this. There's no way they could meet! It's a sad conclusion to come to. Square never seemed to give him any romantic inclinations. Maybe he'd live out his days working to repay his improve society alone, comforted by her in his dreams but still feeling somewhat lonely.

[violetnintendo]

Official art of Peach (Vacation) and Shy Guy (Pastry Chef) - Mario Kart Tour

Image taken from the MarioWiki

[sweevanna]

Pastel Pastries

[mario-pride-icons]

Pastry Chef Shy Guy for anon!

☆ Rainbow flags under the cut ☆

[elladories]

hq boys reacting to you wearing their oversized hoodie/sweater

warnings: none!! super soft and fluffy <3

characters: sugawara, osamu, sakusa

a/n: OK but,, i love the idea of wearing an oversized hoodie that doesn't belong to me and it smells like the person who it belongs to,, <3 akaashi hand it over /lh /j

request status: open <3

# sugawara:

- it's early and he's waiting at the nearest cafe for your date today!! he's super excited to see you (he always is <3)

- he's already ordered a hot drink for the both of you and a few fresh pastries yummy

- i feel like sugawara definitely likes raspberry or cream cheese filled pastries!!

- he's waiting for nearly five minutes and you walk into the cafe with your purse,, and your wearing this pretty plated skirt and sugawara's big sweater

- he gasps quietly at the sight of you,, sugawara obviously knows its you but you never cease to surprise him with how pretty you are <3 even though you guys have been together for so long, he gets flustered around you still hehe

- sugawara trying to hold back happy tears because you look so pretty omg,,, <3 boy is head over heels for you!!

- he waves you over and you wave to him with your little sweater paws and you awkwardly jog over to him HAHA

- he sits you down and hands you your favorite hot drink with a shy brush of your fingers against his

- "did you wait for a long time?" you lift the drink up to your lips with both of your hands and sweater paws

- "no, of course not" he reassures you and takes a sip from his own hot drink with a gentle smile

- in reality he's been waiting for like ten minutes but he decides to forgive you this once because you look so warm and cuddly in his clothes!!

# osamu:

- it's early in the morning and osamu tries to get up early every day to cook breakfast for you awe (husband material)

- some days it's a simple egg omelet or a simple rice on bacon bowl yummy chef miya!!

- he's preparing the foods and he still believes you're fast asleep in your shared bed until he feels two small arms wrap around his torso

- "good morning, hon" he looks down at your hands and spot your little sweater paws,, he does that deep/husky chuckle (heart bursting out of your chest rn)

- "ya know ya have yer own clothes, right?" osamu teases but in reality he LOVES when you wear his clothes

- "no,, i like your clothes, 'samu!" you retort playfully and he fully turns around to face you and tip your chin so he can look at you in the eyes

- he leans down to give you a small gentle kiss on the lips and you get super flushed help

- uh osamu your eggs are burning

- he doesn't mind though LOL,, afterward he pulls away and you grab some of the plates for breakfast

- during breakfast he keeps catching himself staring at you because 1) you look like you're drowning in his clothes and 2) osamu thinks you're the cutest ever <3

# sakusa:

- everyone thinks of sakusa to be this EXTREME germaphobe but he really isn't especially around his s/o!!!

- it's morning and you're both preparing to spend the day together and you're digging around in your closet and his closet for something stylish to wear

- "love? what're you doing?" sakusa walks out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in his mouth

- he never really thought about how you stealing his articles of clothing would feel and he's not entirely grossed out by the idea of you wearing it either

- "can i try this on?" you ask and he kinda just shrugs,,, again he doesn't know what to expect so he just lets you do whatever

- so when you come out of his closet with his big msby hoodie on his jaw literally drops

- "do,,, do you like it?" sakusa asks, subtly trying to avoid eye contact because he actually really likes to see the big letters "MSBY 15" and "SAKUSA" on your back oh my god

- i think it's more of a "they belong to me when they wear that sweater" situation

- this kid is so flustered and you nod your head happily,,, the fabric is super soft and smells like sakusa's shampoo products

- "may i wear it for today?" you make sure he's ok with it because you understand how important his boundaries are

- he says "yes" a little too quickly hehe

[simkhira]

I Have 300+ Gameplay Mods?! & Yes, They All Work Together...

Yes, you read that correctly. I have over 300 gameplay mods / overrides in my game. 340 to be exact. & Yes, they all work just fine together. By that I mean hardly any last exceptions / errors. So if you are looking for ways to spice up your game - here you go, sis:

⭐ = my ultimate faves

PLEASE SEE ALL 300+ LINKS ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE! desktop tumblr won’t let us be great.

BIG DISCLAIMER: Use these mods at your own risk! Just because all 300+ of these mods work for me, does not mean they will work for you. ALSO - when patch day comes, do not refer to this list for the most up-to-date versions of mods… I will only be updating this list when I feel like I need to.

O K A Y

let’s start with... the basics:

MC Command Center ⭐

UI Cheats Extension ⭐

More Columns in CAS ⭐

No Mosaic ⭐

CAS Background

CAS Blob Remover

CAS Immersive Lighting

CAS Tidy Accessories + Details

New Loading Screens

Cube Map Remover ⭐

Into the Light (Lighting Mod)

Out of the Dark (Lighting Mod)

Twinkle Toes (Lighting Mod)

No Fade on Sims and Objects

Build/Buy Camera (Tab Mode) ⭐

Lot Trait Effects Hider

Smaller Plumbob ⭐

& then you need... realistic socialization:

Chat Pack ⭐

Whim Overhaul ⭐

Meaningful Stories ⭐

Personality Please

Better Elders

More Face to Face Conversation

Call Over Sims (Higher Distance)

Call Anytime + Chat Longer on the Phone

Unlisted Phone Numbers ⭐

Low Fun is Boring

Family Matters (Share Big News with Family Members)

Share More News ⭐

Congratulate More

Ask What Happened More

Conversation Tweaks

Chat Standing Still

No Stand Up to Greet

No Rude Intro Animation

No Flirty Animation

Apology Fix (Don’t Apologize if Your’re the Victim)

Angry Walk-style Only When VERY Angry

Less Intrusive Conversations

NPC’s Get Out of My Convo

Autonomous Parenthood Social Interactions

Autonomous Social Interactions

Reduced Idle Chatting

Know Your Coworkers / Classmates ⭐

More Away Actions

More Social Activities

Spend Weekend With

Teach Me the Rumbaism

now let’s talk about... realistic romance:

Chemistry System ⭐

Pillow Talk After Woohoo ⭐

No Shy First Kiss

No Woohoo Dance

Shower Woohoo Tweaks

No Romance for Family

Restricted Romance Interactions

Less Jealousy

Simda Dating App

Can I Come Over?

Date Night Event

Movie Night Event

Set Family Relationships ⭐

Set Extended Family Relationships ⭐

Bathroom Privacy Tweak

Bridal Shower Event

Bachelor(ette) Party Event

Auto Engagement / Wedding Ring ⭐

Vacation Weddings

Sit at Weddings

Better Wedding Presents ⭐

Honeymoon Event

Buy More Gifts from Phone

Ask for Romantic Massage

Realistic Divorce ⭐

Traumatic Divorce for Children

Improved Relationships

No Restaurant Bill When Invited ⭐

Faster Cooking at Restaurants ⭐

Better Food Quality at Restaurants

Finish Eating in Restaurants

Restaurant Guests Overhaul

Restaurant Sit Tweak

(can y’all tell that restaurants annoy me? lmao)

first comes love, then comes... pregnancy / toddler / kids / fur babies:

Ages Behavior Tweaks

Toddlers Spawn at Parks (with Parents)

More Children at Beaches

Pregnancy Overhaul

Rub Your Baby Bump (Small Pregnancy Overhaul)

Determine Baby’s Gender for All ⭐

Ultrasound Scans ⭐

Baby Shower Event

Amazing Birth (Rave About Your Delivery)

Advanced Birth Certificate ⭐

Sibling Care Tweaks

Make Less / Clean Less Mess

Auto Brush Teeth After Puking

Auto Put Activity Crafts into Inventory

Allow Toddlers to go to Services

No Call Out of High Chair

Toddler Power Nap

Better Toddler Milk

Better + Younger Nanny

Call a Babysitter ⭐

Call a Dog Walker

Shorter Dog Walks

Dog Walkers in Other Worlds

Scold All Pets

Sell Grown Up Pets

Pet Food Serving Overhaul

More Efficient Pet Brushing

Kids Can Walk Dogs

Kids Can Order Espresso

Kids Can Ride Bikes

Kids Have More Phone Interactions

Kids Can Cook

Kids Can Do Retail

Kids Can Garden

Kids Can Make Flower Arrangements

Kids Can Make Robots

Kids Can Workout

Kids Can Do Spa Activities

Kids Can Play Guitars

Kids Can Play Ping Pong

Birthday Anytime

Let Friends Age Up ⭐

No Auto Put Away Toys

No Auto Put Away Pet Toys

No Puddles Under Tubs (Toddler Bath)

Has to Pee Walk-style for Kids Only

Better Homework ⭐

Better Grade School ⭐

Better High School ⭐

Preschool for Toddlers ⭐

School Projects are Fun

More School Holidays

25 School Vacation Days

Prom Night Event ⭐

Sleepover Event

Pizza Party Event

Field Trip Event

Family Reunion Event

Pool Party Event

speaking of school... university:

Less Credits for Degree ⭐

University Costs More ⭐

University Holidays Fixed

Higher Scholarships ⭐

Rejection Letter

Harder Distinguished Degree Acceptance ⭐

Degree Required for Promotions

Faster Run to University Class

Teens Jump to University

Choose Your Helmet

Choose Your Roommates ⭐

Roommate Age-Checks

Roommate Significant Other Fix

Roommates No Random Outfit Changing

Roommates No Random Item Spawning in Dorms

Roommates No Spawning Meals

Roommates No Trash

Roommates Sleep All Night

Roommates Less Music

College Org Members Are Uni Students

Faster University Homework ⭐

Faster Tutoring Class

Copy Graduation Photos and Diploma

No Bad Microwave Buffs

No Ghosts on Campus

Sports Fixes

Game Day Event

Graduation Party Event

once you graduate... careers & aspirations:

Plan Career Outfit

Better Work Actions

Enlist in War ⭐

Live in Business

Faster Retail Actions

Faster Record / Edit Videos on Video Station⭐

Higher Acting Gig Payouts & Royalties ⭐

More Realistic Overmax Pay ⭐

Higher Payments for Paintings ⭐

Higher Royalties for Apps/Games ⭐

Higher Royalties for DJ Mixing ⭐

Higher Royalties for Lifestyle Brands ⭐

Higher Royalties for Song Lyrics ⭐

Higher Royalties for Music ⭐

Freelancer Edits are More Successful

Sketchpad No Fees

Campaign Rally Event

Visible Political Position

Watch Political Speeches at Podium

Retirement Party Event

The University Aspiration Pack ⭐

Accomplished Lady Aspiration

Family Aspiration

Grow Up Aspiration

Teacher’s Pet Aspiration

Knowledge Aspiration

Retirement Aspiration

Romance Aspiration

Famous Pastry Chef Aspiration

Twilight Years Aspiration

All-Rounder Aspiration

Programming Genius Aspiration

Travel and Culture Aspiration

Wellness Aspiration

9 to 5 Career Pack ⭐

Night Shift Career Pack ⭐

Part Time Career Pack ⭐

Fitness Career

Health and Beauty Career

Modeling Career

Journalism Career (Adult + Teen)

Trust Fund Career (Adult + Teen)

Welfare Recipient (Adult + Teen)

Saturday Jobs (Teens)

Oceanography Career (Teens)

Private Tutoring Career (Teens)

All Freelancer Careers (Teens)

Tutor (Odd Job)

Woohoo (Odd Job) - lmao

Art Show Event

hahaha... adulting sucks:

Basemental Alcohol ⭐

Happy Hour Event

SNB Realistic Bills ⭐

SNB Banking

Invest in Stocks

Lowered Thermostat Bills

Instant Thermostat ⭐

Auto Wrinkles for Adults

Life Decider 

House Warming Party (No More Fruitcake)

Door Knock Notification ⭐

Island Events Notifications ⭐

No Strangers Knocking at Your Door

Quick Showers / Baths ⭐

Shower + Bladder Reliever (don’t judge me)

Power Nap ⭐

Sleep All Night

Smarter Robot Vacuum

Functional Tide Pods

Clean Your Bedsheets

Auto Put Away Clothes

Auto Start/Dry Clothes

Laundry on Community Lots Costs

No Idle Laundry Animations / Sparkles

Don’t Prep Food Where You Angry Poop ⭐

Don’t Wash Dishes Where You Angry Poop ⭐

Eco Dishwasher

Faster Cooking ⭐

No Auto Set the Table

Ask to Cook, Bake, Grill

BBQ Event

Custom Food + Recipe’s ⭐

Custom Drinks + Recipe’s ⭐

Grannie’s Old Cookbook + Recipe’s ⭐

Bake Cupcakes in Oven

Coolers are Cooling

Advanced Fishing ⭐

Fishing Trip Event

Fish for Crabs, Lobster, & Shrimp

More Seafood Servings

More Snacks in Fridge

More Food at the Bar

More Food in the Cafe

Flea Market Every Sunday

Get to Church

just in case you... get famous:

No Fame Decay ⭐

Celebrities Never Reject Fans

Celebrities are Quarantined in Del Sol Valley ⭐

Get Famous Award Overhaul

Less Celebrity Reactions

Famous Sims Gain Followers Automatically

More Follower’s Resolution for Everyone

Free Staff (Chef, Barista, Bartender, etc.) ⭐

Gardeners and Maids on Weekends

Red Carpet Event

whatever you are... just be happy and healthy:

Fitness Controls ⭐

Balanced Calories ⭐

Go for a Walk

Hiking Increases Herbalism Skill

Power Workouts

Athletic Outfit in Winter ⭐

Healthy Drinks

Improved Meditation Stool

Improved Spa Day Tablet

Improved Yoga Mat ⭐

Craftable Pottery

Less Elder Exhaustion

Less Sickness

Longer Basketball Games

More Fun Stuff

Online Gaming with Headsets

and I can’t forget these... more gameplay mods:

NPC Controller ⭐

Improved Autonomy

Simulation Lag Fix

Simulation Timeline Unclogger

Improved Autonomy During Loading Screens ⭐

No Empty Venues When Arriving ⭐

No Temperature Deaths ⭐

No Death from Murphy Bed

No React to Stranger’s Death

Realistic Death (Mortem) ⭐

Memorial Event

Freezing Sims Don’t Turn Blue ⭐

More Club / Holiday Icons

Make Hidden Holiday Traditions Selectable

Random Holiday Traditions

Wellness Traditions

More Holiday Icons

Less Rain More Sun

Less Snow More Sun

Summer Blow-Out Event

Christmas Eve Event

New Year’s Eve Bash Event

No Ugly Rain Outfits

More Umbrella Variations in World

Open Umbrella on Rainy Days Only

No More Broken Umbrellas

Destroy Leaf Piles ⭐

Dress Code Lot Trait

Gender and More Lot Trait

Preferences Lot Trait

Add Sims to Groups During Events

No Auto Club Gathering ⭐

Flower Arrangements Slower Decay

Take Photo Overhaul (Moschino Stuff) ⭐

Snorkel Everywhere

Don’t Turn NPC’s into Spellcasters

No Role Outfits for Sages

ROM Portal Only for Spellcasters

& you also need these... much-needed overrides:

More Sponge Colors

More Sippy Cup Colors

More Dog Leash Colors

White Ice Skates

Better Food Textures (All of Them) ⭐

Hidden Bassinet ⭐

iPhone X Phone Replacement

Playing Cards Replacement

Military Salute Overhaul

Small Saucer Light ⭐

Working Medicine Cabinet ⭐

Working Alarm Clocks ⭐

Realistic Fighting Animation 

Oasis Springs + Island Living Palm Trees ⭐

special thank you to all of the wonderful mod creators! seriously, I could not play this game without you guys... (no, really.) There are way too many of you guys to name without missing someone... so if you reblog this, all I ask is that you please tag your favorite modders! (& maybe even add your favorite mods?)