#the black is a really nice lemon hard cheese

[grandscrumwizard]

Spookuterie Board

[3xm-draconic]

Palace of Night

Summary: Fixing Cazador’s old manor to be less of a horror-show is more of a task than expected…it’s even worse when the previous homeowner shows back up.

“Ok Wyll & Karlach have the kitchen, Gale & Shadowheart have the library, Lae’zel and Halsin are tackling the dungeons, Roger and allegra called dibs on the wine cellar and Jaheira is cleaning the bedrooms” Cyris listed off of sections of the manor everyone had taken “which leaves the garden and the ballroom”, “we should all tackle the garden later, there's a mausoleum of ghouls there that I’d rather not disturb right now” Astarion groaned “repainting and wallpapering the ballroom sounds more relaxing”.

Cyris helped Astarion bring in the buckets of red, black, lavender and pink paint as well as the similar pallet wallpaper. Cazador liked black and red too but his color of red was more scarlet than sanguine-crimson, a bright eye-hurting red that drove Cyris crazy looking at it, he was glad to be painting over it with a nice soothing strawberry pink.

The original black wallpaper had little decaled motifs of…people being torchered…that definitely had to go, instead the black wallpaper that replaced it had a night sky motif, with hundreds of little shimmering stars and moons and little bats.

The painted frescoes of blood and murder on the ballroom walls were being painted over by Astarion, he had an eye for fancy art, he had taken up painting as a hobby in his past life before Cazador…that much he remembered. He never painted much after his transformation…until now…

Now…he could really unleash his inner artist again.    

He decided that sun-light fields of lavender, bleeding hearts, strawberries and plum trees would be a much better fit.

“Those trees…plums?” Cyris curiously turned to him as he now put up the pink wallpaper, “you love strawberries, I love plums” Astarion hummed, “hmm…any specific type, sugarfangs?” Cyris pondered, “haha…now that you mention it I absolutely craved burgundy sugarplums, the deeper the red the teastier”.

Cyris grinned “Then tonight I’am making sugarplum crumble for you darlin~”, Astarion chuckled “I’d quite enjoy that.”

There was a loud bang and a crash.

Astarion and Cyris rushed into the kitchen to find it an absolute mess…

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPEND?” Astarion screamed, “I don’t know shit just started attacking us!” Karlach yelled as a pot zipped past her head.

“I think it might be a poltergeist!” Wyll screeched as forks chased after him, Cyris used his abilities as a cleric of twilight to reveal the ghost, nothing escapes his vigilant eyes…

It took…the whole team of 4 people…to kill the ghost…of a FUCKING rat.

A rat…that was the poltergeist…an undead rat…

Astarion and Cyris had gone back to painting and fixing up the wallpaper while laughing up a storm about it all, Karlach was helping tend to all of Wyll’s little scratches and cuts as they too had a good laugh about the fight with a rat.

Eventually everybody took a break and Cyris stopped to cook them lunch, the kitchen was now usable enough to make a dish he learned how to make at the gambling den, it was a sort of bread dish with sauce, cheese and various toppings on top. Cyris made different ones for everybody…

Wyll, Karlach, Jaheira and Allegra all had one with various toppings of meat.

Lae’zel and Roger shared one with anchovies.

Gale, Shadowheart and Halsin had just plain cheese.

And Astarion and Cyris had sausage, blood mixed in the sauce, olives and mushrooms.

To go with lunch Jaheira made them all big pictures of sugary lemon water, it was a nice combo after a hard day of work clearing out leftover traps and cleaning.

“I am NOT looking forward to killing those ghouls…” Shadowheart groaned, “Eh I wouldn’t mind smashing some ghouly face in!” Karlach grinned, “some of us should go back to Monty’s and get our stuff so we can start moving in” Lae’zel added as she bit into her slice of bread.

“Karlach, Halsin, Jaja and Allegra will clear out the ghouls” Astarion said, “Zel you and Shads go back to Monty’s and grab our stuff. Gale, Wyll, Roger and Cyris will pick up the rest of the stuff we need to fix this place up. I’ll stay here and clean up lunch”.

 Everybody paired up and left for their tasks, “you ok by yourself?” Cyris held Astarion’s hand, “oh darling, what could go wrong?”

A lot…

Astarion was peacefully picking out new curtains when he felt a chill crawl down his spine like a skittering spider, he tried to ignore it “it’s just the old house being creepy, once every last bit of HIM is gone then it will go away” he reminded himself “now should I go with the cream curtains or the ivory?...”

“What. in. the. HELLS have you done to MY HOUSE!?” a slithering, nasally voice hissed, Astarion whirled around…HE stood there.

Cazador.

He had returned…the bastard had indeed gotten enough courage to come back.

“Lavender?...PINK!...and..and you are scribbling on the walls!” Cazador shook his head “tisk, tisk, Child you WILL BE punished for this…SEVERELY” he snarled, Astarion growled and readied his crossbow and daggers “you don’t scare me anymore”.

The fight took place all over the ballroom, they clashed like twisting serpents, leaping from the floor to the walls to even the ceiling!

Vampires could cling to any surface like glue, their battle was not restricted to one terrain. 

“I DON'T UNDERSTAND!” Cazador huffed as Astarion dodged his sword swipes “HOW?! How are you able to do this!?”, “like I said before, cazzy, I am more than a spawn!” Astarion screamed as he hurled Cazador into a wall with his Strigoi strength.

Cazador whistled and suddenly armed guards in strange armor crashed through the windows, aiming crossbows at Astarion.

Astarion instinctively misted away and turned into a little white bat, camouflaging himself in the fallen white curtains.

“These men…they are from Gortash’s personal militia” Astarion realized, he had to deal with them before he could stop Cazador, once and for all.

Astarion observed them…they were all in light armor “good this will be reasonably easy”, He cast the spell “Darkness”.

One by one he baited them in, poofing in and out of bat form, he had never drained a person to death before let alone 12 people…

Gods he was full…

Cazador…looked almost…frightened.  

“What in the hells are you?...”, “hungry…that's what…” Astarion maliciously grinned.

Astarion had read in Gale’s strigoi book that the whole “vampire lord/master must WILLINGLY give their blood to their spawn inorder to free them” was complete bullshit. No, Astarion could just TAKE it, TAKE his place as a vampire lord.

Astarion misted behind Cazador and pinned him to the floor, he sank his fangs in…

Astarion drank…and drank…and drank…

He could feel his already distended stomach grow heavier, 12 people…er well 13 now each containing at least 1 to 2 gallons of blood…

The average person’s stomach could only hold about 4 liters…

But Astarion was not the average person…nor a normal vampire…

Turns out strigoi had stomachs like mosquitoes…

Cazador screamed the whole time, going on and on about how Astarion could not do this…well he was…and the bastard was powerless to stop him.

He finally whent quiet and limp…

When he was dry Astarion threw him aside like the trash he was…

He didn’t even taste that good.

“Gods…” Astarion groaned and placed a hand to his gut “this…this was a bad idea.”  

He collapsed to the floor, he was just so full and so tired…

Cyris and the guys decided to come back to the house early, while picking up the rest of the decorations Cyris had bought something for Astarion he knew he would like, a burgundy sugarplum sapling.

He bought it so that when it grew up and started fruiting they could have fresh home-grown plums right out of their own garden.

“Sugarfangs~” he called out “I’am home little darlin~” there was no reply…and the stench of fresh blood was…potent.

“Shit!” Cyris dropped the sapling on the dining room table and rushed into the ballroom…

“Oh my…” Gale gasped, Wyll and Roger gawked at the sight before them as Cyris stood in utter shock.

12 dead mercenaries of Gortash’s insignia, Cazador’s desiccated drained corpse…and Astarion…curled up on his side with a very full stomach.

“I knew something happened” Cyris grumbled.

 “Oof…uhg…ow” Astarion groaned as he got up, Cyris helped him “so tell me what exactly happened?”, “I (hic) was attacked…but (hic)...I managed to keep myself safe” Astarion hiccuped, “next time someone is staying behind, this was too close” Cyris grumbled.

 That night as Astarion fussed and worried about his figure, Cyris took a closer look at the merc’s bodies, their boots having a familiar scent to them…

“The sewers…ew…the fuck is it with shady criminal underbellies and the sewers?...”

“Uhg darling this is really bad!” Astarion whined “look at me!” he flopped onto their bed, his belly had gone down somewhat but a small mound of pale flesh still remind, “oh stop it’ll be gone by morning” Cyris assured him and gave the vampire a loving kiss, “humf…I hope so” he grumbled.

“We’ll have to make another trip to the sewers” Cyris sighed, “ugh why!?”, “the merc’s wreak of it, I think Cazador may have had another base down working with Gorty there and if he did…”, Astarion’s face saddened “then there might be more spawn he’s torchered and kept prisoner”.

“Looks like we’re on a rescue mission, sugarfangs” Cyris turned to him “and it looks like Bloodcrystal Veil is going to get some more residents”.

[darkapples13]

This is a continuation of a previous post I did which I’m calling based off of @forgettingcrowbin idea where Nightmare takes in Palette

The Chronicals of Nightmare and Palette

Chapter 2: Dinner Time

When Palette woke up he wasn’t sure if what happened was actually real or if it was a very civid dream. But when he shifted around in a nice soft bed covered by a full blanket he was sure it wasn’t a dream anymore. He sat up and saw a gift box on the end of the bed.

He was cautious in opening it but when he did he was pleasantly surprised by the gift. It was from Killer and inside the Box was a new pair of clothes, a dark purple shirt with a green jacket, and a pair of black ripped jeans.

He put them on and walked out of his room only to find Horror about to knock on his door. “Oh heh Horror what’s up?” Palette asked. Horror smiled and took him to the dining room where breakfast was all set up.

Palette sat down and they all started to eat breakfast, but Horror made sure that Palette had enough to eat and maybe even a bit more than enough. Since it seemed that Palette didn’t want to take larger portion sizes than ones that would be meant for little kids. So the next few days Horror made sure to serve Palette serving sizes that fit him.

Eventually this became the entire routine for them and Horror would serve Palette the correct amount before letting the rest of breakfast continue. But other than breakfast time together nothing really happened with the others and Palette during the day.

Sure they maybe Interacted at lunch or dinner but rarely any time in between those meal times. Palette mainly stayed on his own in his room just drawing or reading one of the books Nightmare gave him. He tried to help out with chores a few times but it always ended up in confusion so he just stopped trying to help and stayed in his room most of the day.

But that changed when Nightmare and the others had to go on a mission and Palette was left home alone. So he decided to do the chores that weren’t already done and to make the most of the day. He cleaned the bathrooms, did the dishes, mowed the lawn, fixed up the training dummy’s etc. So that was mainly Palettes entire day except for when it came to the end of his cleaning spree.

Palette looked at the time and saw that it was almost 6:00 so he decided to make some dinner. Spaghetti carbonara to be exact, he made sure that they had all of the ingredients for it first and then started to cook. He chopped up the bacon, mushrooms, and zucchini. Then he made the sauce.

He boiled the pasta and put the cooked pasta into a separate pot of similar size. He added the sauce and the vegetables and the bacon into the pasta. He mixed it around and added cappers into the pasta, not too many but just enough to add a pop of flavor into the pasta dish.

He then set the stove on low heat to keep the pasta warm while he started to make a lemon pie and he used the left over egg whites from earlier to make the meringue. After the pie was done he popped it in the fridge and started to work on making some garlic bread.

He just made fancy garlic bread like the way you see it in restaurants and added a crap ton of cheese on top of it. He was just setting the garlic bread on the counter when he heard one of Nightmares portals open up. And when the others came into the kitchen and saw Palette they were at a loss for words.

“How did you do this..?” Horror asked as he looked at the spaghetti carbonara. Palette shrugged and stirred the pasta around. “I figured you guys would be hungry after your mission so I decided to cook after doing the chores.” Palette said simply. Palette served everyone a nice large portion of food, he even gave himself a decent portion much to Horrors delight.

After dinner Palette went to his room where he tried to go to sleep after a nice long day. But it was going to be one of the nights where his body wouldn’t let him sleep no matter how hard he tried. So he just laid there in the dark waiting for him to eventually drift to sleep.

About an hour later he still wasn’t falling asleep and Nightmare came in to check on him. “Why are you still awake child? It’s midnight and you should be sleeping after all of the work you did today.” Nightmare said as he flicked on the light. Palette shrugged and sat up feeling restless. “It’s just one of those nights where your brain feels like it’s never going to shut off.” Palette explained.

Nightmare left the room and came back 5 minutes later with a children’s book in hand. “You need to rest for tomorrow Palette so I’ll try this method that I do with dust sometimes.” Nightmare said plainly. Palette laid back down and watched as Nightmare flipped the book open to page one and started reading.

“One upon a time there was a fluffy bunny. This bunny liked to play games with his friends. One of his favorite games was hide and seek. But his friends had grown quite tired of this game navy’s they were never able to find him.” Nightmare read. “But maybe this time with your help you’ll be able to find fluffy bunny in his…” Nightmare kept going.

Palette slowly drifted to sleep as Nightmares voice gets slowly droned out more and more the longer he reads. Eventually Palette finally falls asleep and starts to lightly snore the exhaustion finally taking hold of his body.

Nightmare pats the child’s head and ticks him in making sure that Palette is fully covered with the soft blanket. He turns off the lights and utters a single “good night.” To Palette before he leaves and closes the door behind him making sure it was quiet as to not wake him.

And the only thought that crossed Palettes mind before drifting off to sleep was.

Maybe this is my home?

Drawing of the clothes Killer gave Palette at the beginning

[ohnoshespostingthis]

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚get to know me˚ ༘

this tag game is so crazy personal that it once again had to be made into a new post bc of reblogging issues <3

@pumpkinpie59 lol heyyy youuu stawpp<333

✎ favourite color ■ lol that's hard, I do tend to go for darker colors like neutral browns, greens, blues, etc but I also LOVE a veryvery saturated warm red! makes me so happy to see it

📓currently reading ■ i dont read lol. unfortunately. and that very much clashes with my mysterious aura... i think the last book I picked up was Kiki's Delivery Service.. i have been reading some tmnt 2012 fics (mainly apritello hahateehee)

♬ last song ■ Hard Times by Ethel Cain <-- wish I could have put a not sad song full of trauma but I was burying a (not viable) wren egg.

🎥 last movie ■ i had to look through my search history,,,, haven't watched any in the last 2 months... recently tried to find a Korean animated film (The House/Jib?) I watched years ago but could not find it- does that count????<-- no it does not.

⏯ last series ■ NANA(2006)

🥄 sweet, spicy, savory ■ sweet tooth{teeth}

♨ craving ■ hot instant ramen with powdered parmesan cheese mixed in (its 80 degrees rn lol)

⛾ tea or coffee ■ I like the taste of coffee a lot but due to health issues I have not been able to have it without regret, I still can't really have it without worry. the caffeine in coffee must be different though compared to black tea bc i have like,,, 3-4 cups of some sort of black tea nearly every day and feel nothing lol. anyways, love it hot or iced- favorites are any kind of black, not really a fan of berry flavored teas (strawberry can stay), but i do love fruit flavored ones like lemon/orange, and also chai (with cream)!

⚙ currently working on ■ crocheting my *2nd* Mathtila (Léon) inspired beanie. the pattern is SO easy even my dumbass can do it with my eyes closed like damnnn

hope this was nice and obnoxious to read through<3 2ft me tugging on your sleeve heyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyhey @crystallizabethine @nothums-from-tj @sweet-cheezits @grayeyedandroid eyeheyheyheye

TAGGED OR NOT JOIN IN<3!!!!!!!!!!

[warcats-cat]

top 5's!

favorite foods

favorite books (comics/graphic novels count too!)

favorite superheroes

favorite supervillains

favorite beverages

Omg so many 🤣🤣

Favorite foods:

- my dad's angel hair pasta and kilbasa

- snickerdoodle cookies (the softer the better)

- couscous 🤤🤤

- Salmon because I love fishie

- broccoli (bonus if it's made with browned butter and mizithra cheese)

Favorite books: (I've been reading so much fanfic lately I had to go home and look at my bookshelf to remember what the titles were 😅)

- the boxcar children series because they give me very good nostalgia 💜💜💜

- goodnight moon (for the same reason)

- The Botany of Desire (from my botany/ecology class, about the 'four desires of men' : beauty, stability, sweetness, and intoxication. It's actually a really interesting read if you like science)

- Welcome to Night Vale (the original novel; I need to get to the other ones still)

- Wicked (the novel the musical is based on - I was too young when I read it the first time so it was a *slog* but it's my favorite musical and has a lot of meaning for me personally, and I did enjoy the book when I re-read and actually finished it)

Favorite Superheroes: (not sure I have 5; I am not a superheros person 😅)

- Spiderman aka the only Marvel Tsum Tsum I allow in my collection

- Deadpool for the humor

- The Ninja Turtles if they count? And/Or the Power Puff Girls?

- Batman I guess? I have a tangential relationship with Batman because one of my mutuals is really into Batman and Robin and Danny Phantom crossovers which I have been looking at curiously. So a Blorbo-In-Law

- Iron man (sometimes?)

Favorite Super Villains:

- I don't have any 😅😅 sorry! (Unless Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls counts as a supervillain... Or Doofenshmertz from Phineas and Ferb.... Or Gru from Despicable Me yes I like the movies leave me alone /hj)

Favorite Beverages:

- Ginger Ale (specifically from the brand Sprecher; I love nice and spicy ginger ale 🤤🤤🤤)

- Fentiman's Rose Lemon Soda (it's from Britain so they call it lemonade but it's a soda.)

- Strawberry Limeade from Sonic 😅

- Peach Basil hard cider (for the taste; I just like basil for some reason. It comes from Sweden! ☺️)

- Tea! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 (Simpson and Vail have a blend called Shakespeare which is like black tea with rose, lavender, and rosemary, and it's *amazing* but I do enjoy most hot teas and iced teas)

[postwarlevi]

I have a few questions about Jean.

What is his favourite meal?

What is his favourite junk food?

What is his favourite snack?

What is his favourite hot drink?

What is his favourite cold drink?

What is his favourite chocolate/candy?

What is his favourite sweet pie?

What is his favourite thing about you?

What is his favourite memory of you in your ship?

Hope this isn't too much!

Jelly! Oh oh okay here we go :)

What is his favourite meal?

If someone else is making it (since it can be lots of work LOL) he quite likes butternut squash soup that include carrots and apples and is topped with pumpkin seeds. He'll eat it warm during winter and cold during summer!

What is his favourite junk food?

Is pasta a junk food? Okay so yeah he eats healthy but he does love his carbs and I think pasta is his favorite! Just a plate of spaghetti and red sauce with lots of cheese.

What is his favourite snack?

Buttered popcorn! He only has it once a week maybe cause he can eat a lot. He likes to make it on the stove and pour melted butter over it in a big bowl.

What is his favourite hot drink?

Spiced vanilla black tea with a splash of almond milk. He likes to have it midmorning.

What is his favourite cold drink?

He really enjoys ice cold water. If he's splurging, a glass of strawberry lemonade will satisfy his taste buds.

What is his favourite chocolate/candy?

He likes Carmello bars, milk chocolate filled with caramel! Besides chocolate he likes Skittles, classic or sour. Lime is his favorite.

What is his favourite sweet pie?

Ginger lemon strawberry pie with a pecan crust. There's some brown sugar and cinnamon in there as well and topped with whipped cream and pecan pieces.

What is his favourite thing about you?

The way you, or well, I match his sarcasm and humor in a positive way that doesn't annoy him (Eren, Connie). You know when to challenge him but also when not to, if maybe he's having a hard day. He loves how in tune you are to him especially when he doesn't directly know how to say things.

What is his favourite memory of you in your ship?

(Am I cheating here?) Not specific, being in the kitchen together. Making breakfast, dinner, baking, etc.

Specifically, adopting our yellow lab, Murphy, who is basically our first child. Jean had been wanting a dog and I quietly started looking and found 6 month old Murphy at a shelter and told Jean today was the day. His face lit up and we were in the car to go pick him up before we could even get the house ready.

Otherwise, a date we had a few months into the relationship. Things had been kept pretty casual and we were going to a nice dinner and that was one of the first times he saw me in a pretty dress. I usually wore jeans and a shirt or maybe a simple day dress, but that night I put in extra effort and after all of our conversations about comfort being key, and here I am with my hair done and an evening dress and shoes and a maaaaybe a touch of makeup, he almost fell to the floor. It wasn't just my look (which he commented on was beautiful) but the fact I would do things or try things that I didn't mind doing but just normally didn't, knowing it would make him happy. It was a great evening that ended it going home to change into pajamas and staying up late playing video games!

[theo-grayson]

Lemon, naples yellow, titans, and azure blue!

lemon; what’s your comfort food?

Oooh, that's hard. I can't choose just 1, but my top 3 would probably be chocolate cake, homemade mac-n-cheese, and eggnog pie (if you like eggnog, look up 'b dylan hollis eggnog pie' on youtube. its so so so easy to make. i made it last christmas. my mom didnt really like it bc its very rich so i ate basically the whole pie myself over the span of a few days. best thing i've ever eaten)

naples yellow; where do you feel most at home?

Oh this is a hard one too. I don't think any of the places I've lived have really felt like home to me tbh. Most of them have bad memories attached to them. I think... once I get my own place. When I live alone, when it's quiet and I can decorate it however I want, and only the people I want to invite in can enter... I think that will be home for me.

titans; do you prefer slow mornings or relaxing evenings?

Ohh man, obviously it's so nice to finally finish a long day at work, and be able to just relax. But there's nothing better than waking up on a Saturday morning, and knowing that there are no responsibilities, and you can take as much time as you need

azure blue; what’s your favorite type of tea, if any?

I really like Chamomile tea, and regular black tea is my second favourite. I usually put an obscene amount of honey in my teas though :p

[mouseymassacre]

MORE DR. TWO BRAINS HEADCANONS BC I WATCHED THE RISE OF MISS POWER AND A BUNCH MORE EPISODES

fruity ass gif bc i love him

-> he has so many mental illnesses. particularly adhd and bpd ^^ im not projecting. he's also autistic because i said so.

-> sensory processing disorder moment. he has trouble processing sounds and touch mostly and kinda isn't super aware of the space around him ^^

-> he doesn't talk to his family much or like. at all? he doesn't really remember much about them because his living situation was really stressful as a kid.

-> not only is cheese like. good bc he's a mouseboy, but also it's like. really good for his sensory issues.

-> showering is a fucking nightmare for him. his hair is always super messy, the sound of running water is a really bad thing for him sensory wise, and its hard to shower with his rat features + his mouse brain being on the outside is uncomfy. he made himself some earplugs though to help with the sensory part of it.

-> tbh. fruity. he's bi and trans!! he makes his own hormones and did his own top surgery. made his own binder as a younger adult.

-> if he had an actual cell phone, i think he'd have a very specific typing style. all caps, a lot of punctuation, MOUSE PUNS, etc!

-> "CHUCKY BABY, ANGEL DARLING, MY BEST FUR-RIEND. CAN I COME OVER" "mom said yeah just don't make a mess pleasee :(" "YES YES OF COURSE OF COURSE!! THANK YOU YOU'RE SO AM-MOUSE-ING!"

-> i like to think that the shirt he wears under his lab coat is one of those hospital scrubs. i feel like he definitely went to a hospital as a child and managed to keep the scrub bc the texture was nice:) i know its not a scrub but shut up its MY comfort headcanon!!

-> lemon demon fan. will wood fan. the oozes fan. probably likes some rock music bc of chuck, like black sabbath, alkaline trio, rise against, warrant, etc!!

-> he honestly really likes stickers and wears them on his arms or face in his free time. like... he doesnt do it while doing evil business in public but they remind him of his henchmen and shit:)

-> he and chuck definitely have made ocs together.

-> kinda touch adverse except with people be trusts? like. he won't completely freak out from physical contact but its still uncomfy for him. so when miss power was like hashtag Whip and Nae Naeing his ass he was internally Screaming.

-> he doesnt really like being picked up by his shirt in general but with miss power it was somehow worse bc she's just like. some gal.

-> he would use discord. he would have discord nitro. he's in a cheese eaters discord. he got banned from the cheese eaters discord because he got a little rowdy one day.

-> i think that he'd learn a lot of slang because he hangs with the botsfords a lot. like... he kinda got integrated into the family after the dr two brains forgets episode bc it just... happened. it just happened.

-> tj teaches him the word "poggers" and wordgirl has to simply cope every time she hears him say it unironically about one of his inventions or cheese.

-> his hair is so Dry. he is so dry in general. fuck bitch MOISTURIZE!!!

-> really likes cuddling chuck. can be interpreted as /p or /r tbh i think he just feels safe with his little sandwich bestie.

-> he really likes it when people he trusts touches his tail or scratches behind his ears. hes so Mouse you guys... He is so Mouse.

-> (minor s/lf h/rm tw, proceed with caution) probably has a lot of weirdly healed over scars because of his teeth being shaped like mice's, and he probably bites at his skin quite a bit to relieve stress.

-> idk why i like this headcanon but... he really appreciates the like... demonia + kandi + graphic tee stuff, but unfortunately doesn't participate because the familiarity of his coat and normal clothes is safe while Wearing Other Clothes Is Not. he thinks its a really cool way to express yourself!

-> adding onto this, but one time becky made a couple of little diy homemade pins out of a couple of different buttons, all painted with different pride flags and even one decorated with a couple of spikes and a cute little super-mousified version of dtb. he wears them literally every day, and even tried to make pins for his other villain friends!!

god i have school tomorrow i need to stop mf RAMBLING. if u have any other hcs please feel free to like . tell me i dont bite i purr-omise i just love attention

[ladykissingfish]

What do you think, in today’s world, the Akatsuki members’ favorite foods would be? Doesn’t have to be their canonical faves either. Love your blog/all your quirky little posts! ❤️

thank you for the love for my blog, I appreciate it!

and I like your question. let’s see, um, well Hidan and Deidara I can see being typical young guys and just living off of fast food. I can see Deidara eating like 40 McDonald’s chicken nuggets in one sitting, covered in a mix of bbq and sweet and sour sauces, and still complaining about being hungry. Hidan I can see being a burger guy, the bigger and thicker, the better. And not just a burger but a burger loaded with pickles and tomatoes and onions and half a cow’s worth of cheese. Topped with a mountain of ketchup-drenched fries that Deidara (if he’s eating with Hidan) will filch half of. Oh, and soda. These two can down an entire 12 pack of Coke each or just guzzle two liter bottles.

Kakuzu and Kisame, I can see being a bit more evolved in their tastes. Kisame being half-shark probably has an appreciation for fine sea food, like salmon or mahi mahi; or I can also see him being the type to go to one of those conveyor belt sushi places and just amassing stacks of plates at his elbow. Kakuzu, well the old guy is cheap af, but on the few occasions he’s not, I can see him enjoying a nice steak, rare, maybe with sautéed onions and mashed potatoes, and some sort of cruciferous vegetable. Kisame strikes me as a water drinker and Kakuzu (again when he’s not being cheap) either a good glass of wine, or a scotch.

Sasori doesn’t eat, but if he DID, I can kinda see him having a thing for soufflés. Like wanting to make them on his own and always working on perfecting his recipes to make the fluffiest creations ever. Making a soufflé requires a lot of precise baking work and attention to detail, which I feel someone like him would be good at. Also see him as being the kind to enjoy a cold glass of milk, and *chocolate* milk if he’s being “adventurous” that day.

Konan, she has such a lovely slim figure and I imagine she eats in a way to keep herself in shape, so mostly healthy foods like salads, yogurt, lean proteins and a variety of fruits and vegetables. But when she allows herself a “cheat” day, I can see her being just as big a fast food eater as Deidara and Hidan. For some reason I picture her going to Taco Bell, ordering a nachos bell grande and like 4 chalupas, eating it all, hiding the evidence and working out twice as hard the next day, to make up for it. Also see her being like Kakuzu in that she enjoys an occasional glass of wine, maybe a hard drink every now and then.

Obito and Itachi, they grew up in the Uchiha clan and the Uchiha never had a lot of money or resources, instead learning to stretch what they had to make delicious meals. So I think each of their favorite things to eat would be home cooked things, simple yet tasty. Maybe for Obito garlic-roasted chicken and potatoes, or possibly a marinated roast beef. For Itachi, I can see breakfast as being his thing, like big homemade breakfasts like his mother used to make: pancakes, fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes, eggs, bacon, or maybe once in a while something like an apple tart. Both of them strike me as tea drinkers, although I see Obito as drinking his tea plain/black and Itachi using a lot of honey or lemon or sugar as sweeteners.

Nagato, I think he’d really be a fan of pasta. Easy to eat, easy to digest, and so many different types. I think a vegetable lasagna would be his favorite type, noodles and ricotta and mozzarella, spinach, zucchini, carrots, peppers … and he’d ask Konan to make this for him at least once a week. He’s not a big eater in general but with this I can see him having 2 or 3 servings. Also see him as being a coffee drinker, although he’s trying to cut back because the caffeine probably isn’t very good for his heart.

and Zetsu … well, his eating habits would be hard to stick into a modern day world, right? But maybe he’d enjoy some unique cuts of (cooked) meat, stuff like roast rabbit, or herb-crusted rack of lamb, or maybe even quail or squab. Like Kisame, I see him as being solely a water drinker.

[lilypixels]

...............all of them.....?

It took me an hr to do this....🥲💀

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Teacupsss

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Uhhh cotton candy

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Probably quiet and smart lol I did my school work and was friendly with everyone so I was a favorite and heard all the nice things 🙈

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

I kinda like bottles more but like the glass ones with the caps that could slice your fingers-

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

I’m for all but sports lol

7. earbuds or headphones?

Earbuds

8. movies or tv shows?

Shows cause I’m the type to watch an hr long episode vs hr long movie idk why but I’m rarely in mood for them

12. name of your favorite playlist?

Drop the beat (ie songs that are upbeat and I like most)

13. lanyard or key ring?

Hmm...I guess lanyard?

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Skittles or twizzlers

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

I had lots I had to read in school but only ever finished a handful lol my favorite I think was maybe Macbeth? I would say Odyssey but I don’t think we read the full thing cause I remember being disappointed about something like that...

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Sitting with my legs bent up in seat with me in some way

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

Converse and some nice but cheap sneakers from Walmart

18. ideal weather?

Not too hot, not too cold, mild like before/after a rain (most the time), idc if it’s raining or sunny but as long as temp is comfortable I’m fine

19. sleeping position?

On my side most often

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Phone and notebook

21. obsession from childhood?

Oh gosh uhhh I guess my like of dolls maybe? Or obsession with anything ✨unexplained✨ like ghosts, aliens, cryptids, etc

22. role model?

Kim Namjoon lol just kidding (sorta)

23. strange habits?

Ok I know I have some and my friends would be more than happy to point them all out but hm let me think...idk if these count as habits but I’ll never place a mirror facing a bed (this is more superstitious I guess than habit,,,) I can’t stand my food touching, if I have a tray like in cafeteria I have a certain spot for everything and uh my mind just went blank-

24. favorite crystal?

Moonstone, lapis lazuli, and I feel obligated to say garnet cause it’s my birthstone

25. first song you remember hearing?

Circle of Life maybe who knows xD

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Walk or clean,,I’m more active and about with warm/nice weather

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

...stay inside where it’s warm

28. five songs to describe you?

Not this again😭 uhhh idk you tell me ajdbd

29. best way to bond with you?

Indulge me when I go off about things I like or learn 😔✊ I know I’ll talk your ear off and I’m sorry but know I don’t often talk about these things with people so once I start it’s hard to stop,,and it makes me really happy when people do listen to me about these things and send me related items every so often or even look into it themselves to learn more 🥺

30. places that you find sacred?

For some reason this feels like a trick question...um cemeteries and anything with ages of history I guess

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

Oof do I really have a true outfit?? I have shoes for this which are just black platform sneakers I call stomping shoes

32. top five favorite vines?

I never,,,watched these,,,

33. most used phrase in your phone?

“Yes”...?

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

State Farm and McDonald’s, always

35. average time you fall asleep?

10-11...usually...

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Uhhh that one with the ginger dude (I think it was someone’s yearbook photo??) I don’t remember much else about the meme but it was on ifunny, or whatever the app was, a lot

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

Suitcase

38. lemonade or tea?

Easy, tea

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

...neither

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

Dude these questions really testing my brain power here- for senior prank someone put cereal in some bathroom sinks I think

41. last person you texted?

My mom

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

I’m gonna say jacket since I wear those often

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

Hoodie or cardigan

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Usually whatever shirt I’m wearing that day and some pj/lounge pants 🤷

47. favorite type of cheese?

Mozzarella

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

I-what kind of question is this? How does one even answer this?

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

What comes around goes around lol (yes I’m a heavy believer of karma)

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

Lol who knows, probably something dumb me and my siblings were doing or something we watched cause there’s been plenty times of that xD

51. current stresses?

Homework vs free time e-e

52. favorite font?

I like the gothic looking ones but it’s usually not practical to use so idk

53. what is the current state of your hands?

My hands...? They’re fine ??

54. what did you learn from your first job?

How to care for babies and little kids, how to put on a diaper lol

56. favorite tradition?

I can’t remember a particular one off hand but I’m trying to start few new ones like decorating cookies for Halloween uwu

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Uhhhhh like personally or...? Cause we’ve overcome homelessness before, um finishing assignments idk😭 oh maybe bullying?? That’s all I can think of since I still struggle with a lot,,

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

Alright let’s do thisss: creativity (mostly in writing sense), I can bake/cook, I have amazing organization skills and many work places have used that lol (bonus is I don’t mind, I actually really enjoy it, very peaceful), surprisingly good balance all things considered, I’m a quick learner

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“I’m too tired for this.”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Good question good question🤔 I don’t think I’d last in any of them/have a terrible side character role so 💀

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“Life’s too short to hold grudges.”

62. seven characters you relate to?

Dude this is gonna get embarrassing I can feel it🤠

Itaru, Iori, Sogo, Belle, Simeon (obey me), Nozaki (he’s clueless about romance irl and doesn’t know when someone has a crush on him yet can write romance well enough and yeah it’s me lol), and uhh Swindler/Ordinary Person in Akudama Drive (still can’t believe no one really has names in that anime but the way she gets wrapped in everything felt like something that’d happen to me lol)

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Like nightclub...? I’m skipping this ajdbd

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Probably the Barbie site, me and my sister played all the dress up games almost daily istg

65. any permanent scars?

Appendectomy scars and then looks like I have one on a toe but it’s possible it still might heal...

66. favorite flower(s)?

Nightshade, foxglove, baby’s breath, bellflowers, roses

67. good luck charms?

I don’t think I have any...

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Lemon

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Let me think...I read something once about flowers having ears(?) but like not ear ears just something about having a part that picks up sound waves

70. left or right handed?

Right

71. least favorite pattern?

Lolll animal print I think

72. worst subject?

Physics...the worst science

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

6...?

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I don’t remember, it probably happened when i was 6. I do remember losing one of my front teeth during my birthday one year and I was happy since the tooth had been loose for some time xD

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Chips I guess or just like fried in skillet

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

A succulent probably

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Neither ew

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

They are both about equally terrible

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Fireflies

82. pc or console?

I am on pc side now

83. writing or drawing?

Writing

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts I guess

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology, it’s too fun and chaotic lol

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Hm...cupcakes

87. your greatest fear?

Uh,,,I don’t have many fears but I guess one would be falling from a great height? So I would get scared of crossing a bridge and it collapsing or riding a plane and it falling easily

88. your greatest wish?

World peace🥲

89. who would you put before everyone else?

My mom maybe...?

90. luckiest mistake?

I honestly don’t remember but something I do remember is I out semicolon instead of period and turned out to be correct grammar lol

91. boxes or bags?

Boxes

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Sunlight or fairy lights, I don’t require much either way and prefer more natural lighting

93. nicknames?

Lassie, twinkle toes, Ash, poody butt (by 3 yr old I sometimes watch and play with lol he means it affectionately; I call him monkey butt and it’s catching on slowly instead)

94. favorite season?

Starting to be fall just a little more but I like transition times most

95. favorite app on your phone?

Let’s go with twitter

96. desktop background?

It is a moriarty and gang pic

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

2: mine and my moms

98. favorite historical era?

Ooo tough one but I’ll say renaissance as some of the coolest things came from that time

[reincarnated70sbaby]

star crossed

-chapter one-

jimmy page x fem!OC

warnings: none!

A/N: so I’ve been toying with this idea for a while, and I’ve finally felt inspired enough to put it in motion!!

words: 2.4k (🤨)

star crossed masterlist

next chapter>>

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

Fresh off the success of Led Zeppelin, the namesake band were already quick to get back into the studio and start recording material for a new album.After a long eight months of non-stop touring, the band already had a sizeable amount of rough demos, all written on the road or between concerts.

On a warm day in September, they reached Mystic Studios, and were finally able to transform the songs from paper to production. Arriving at the studio early, the band entered, not knowing what to expect as the manager and owner of the small studio, Tom, was quite vague on the equipment available.

“Finally, that car ride took fucking years” Bonzo complained, after being stuck in the small vehicle for almost an hour straight in the balmy Los Angeles climate.

“God damned Yankee traffic, they should really fix that, I mean, how is it normal to add an hour to your commute time every day?” Robert inquired, getting out of the sleek, black car.

“We’ll we’re here now, let’s just get down to recording eh?” Jonesy stated, ever being the optimist.

They walked through the wide double doors, upon which they met Tom. Jonesy, Bonzo and Robert chatted shortly with Tom, before continuing on with the tour of the studio. Jimmy, having been napping in the car ride, was stretching his legs while his band mates were entering the studio. When he entered, he collided with a flock of red hair, the owner of which stared up at him in shock.

“Uh, s-sorry Mr Page, didn’t see you there, hope your ok” Alice stuttered, unaware that the famous band were arriving this early in the morning.

“I would hope you’re ok, after all you’re the one who ended up on the floor” Jimmy chuckled, extending a hand to the young woman, Alice taking it and rearranging her disorganised stack of paper in her hands.

“Thank you, Mr Page” Alice replied, avoiding Jimmy’s eyes in embarrassment.

“Please, call me Jimmy, no need for the formalities” Jimmy replied coolly, slightly intrigued by the aura of mystery that surrounded her.

“Yeah okay, Jimmy, I should uh get going” Alice said with a smile, while pointing to a random direction behind her, her legs kicked into action and she walked quickly to the back office.

Jimmy stood there for a brief moment, liking how his name sounded in her voice, before getting his head straight and navigating his way to the recording booth.

“Ah, there he is, the famous Jimmy Page!” Tom declared as soon as Jimmy entered the mod room connected to the booth.

The rest of the band rolled their eyes, most publicists and managers often overly praised the guitarist, aware of his famous temperament and trying to stay in the good side.

Finally, once introductions and navigation were over, the band could finally start the recording process. They started off with a bit of a loose sesh, playing random riffs and melodies that came to them in the moment, as well as prepared verses and choruses written on the road. Then they decided to begin recording ‘The Lemon Song’.

Upon hearing the song playing, deciding since all of her small errands and messages were complete, Alice walked into the mod room.

“Hello, Alice, how y’a doing this morning?” Tom questioned, his heavy southern accent reverberating through the soundproofed room.

“Great, how’s the band? They sound great” Alice replied, still not sure of what to think of Tom, this only being her third week as an intern in the studio. She desperately needed the money, it was actually good pay considering all the work she did all day, part- receptionist, part assistant, part cleaner.

“Pretty good honey, now will you go get me a coffee from the store down the street? Two sugars and cream please” Tom commanded, obviously not up for conversation at the minute. Alice rolled her eyes behind his back, wishing she could be a bit more involved with the recording process. It was her dream after all, to be a sound engineer. That’s why she moved out to L.A, leaving everything and everyone she knew behind at home.

Walking down to the diner down the block, Ellie collected Toms usual of coffee and bagel with cream cheese, the order she knew by heart at this point. Wondering if the band would like coffee, she decided against it incase they weren’t on break yet. Knowing the work with of rockstars, they might only take a break at 10pm once they got into the groove of recording.

Returning to Mystic, Alice walked through the reception , straight to to mod room. When she entered, they entire band, along with the recent arrival of their infamous manager, Peter Grant, were all situated around the room, conversing over the song playing over.

“Working hard or hardly working boys, Hmm?” Alice quipped before handing Tom his coffee, before exiting.

“Who was that? I met her briefly today but I didn’t get anything out her” Jimmy inquired to Tom.

“Oh, that’s Alice, she’s our intern, great little thing, always round to help if anybody needs it” Tom replied curtly, looking up from the mixing table.

“Hmm, quite the looker isnt she eh?” Robert joked, noticing how bright her eyes went when she saw all the band in the control room.

“If you say so, but we keep it professional in this studio boys” Tom instructed, his fatherly side coming out, after all he did feel a bit responsible for Alice. If she didn’t get the job he could’ve only assumed that she would be out on the streets.

“Ah just some fun and games Tom, we’re very professional, as you know yourself” Bonzo joked, knowing he would only flirt with her as a joke, he was married after all.

“Right enough chatter about the bird, let’s get back to recording” Peter demanded, not there for gossiping.

———————————

The following days ensued similarly, the boys would record a track, dissect it in the booth, before recording any new ideas or improvements. The band often stayed early into the morning hours, determined to finish a song, not matter how long it took.

Once Alice arrived early the next week, Tom immediately asked for his usual order in the diner. On returning however, Tom asked Alice to stay in the control room.

“Alice, thank you for this” Tom said, gesturing to the coffee on the table, realising only recently that he wasn’t the nicest to Alice. Determined to work on the friendship with her, he decided it would best if she got more experience into the recording and mixing process, knowing she wanted to move into that career path.

“Of course, what did you want me for” Alice asked, unsure of her boss’s newfound friendliness.

“We’ll Alice, I’m just going to be straight with you here for a moment” Tom started, looking her in teh eyes with a stern face. Alice gulped, fearing she was going to be fired. She couldn’t fathom why though, she thought she did everything perfectly. Maybe she got his coffee order wrong and ordered it wrong each time? Maybe they didn’t need her anymore? She couldn’t understand that possibility, as the office was a lot more organised and certainly cleaner, after her arrival.

“Uhm, sure?” Alice replied uncertainly, not sure where the conversation was going.

“Well Alice” Alice gulped. “I know I haven’t been the friendliest to you, and I am aware of your aspirations to become a sound engineer, am I correct” Alice nodded quickly, keeping her eyes on Toms. “I am very thankful for everything you do in this studio, you are the backbone of us here, always picking up the grunt work when It needs to be done” Alice released a deep sigh, thankful that she wasn’t going to be fired.

“Oh phew, thank god, uh yeah, no thank you for keeping me on” Alice replied releasing a quick sigh.

“Keeping you on? You didn’t think I was going to fire you was I? Oh god Alice, I’m sorry for making you feel anxious, I could see you were getting a bit agitated” Tom said, trying to calm down the redhead.

“Thank god, anyway, you were saying” Alice continued, curious to know where he was going with his spiel.

“Oh yes, uh, where was I? Right, yes I want to break you into the engineering side of this job, if that’s ok with you. I’ll teach you the basics later, but you’ll be learning on your feet okay? It might be a bit overwhelming, to put it nicely, at first, with all the jargon and knowledge. But soon you’ll catch on, you’re a very bright girl so I know it won’t take too long” Tom finished, hoping he didn’t sound to brash.

“Oh my god, I can’t uh, thank you! I really appreciate this Tom, it’s my dream, wow!” Alice excitedly replied, finally happy to get down with the business. She sprung to her feet, and flew her arms around Tom. He didn’t really know what to do, but nevertheless he hugged her back, happy they were on an amiable relationship.

“Okay, uh, hate to say this, but could you just bring me in the extra tapes in the back room, then we can start the whole process when you get back, before the band get in obviously. Once they are in you will just shadow me ok?” Tom requested.

“Yeah of course, I’ll go get those now, anything else” Alice asked, not really wanted to do any more errands after weeks of doing them, but still being polite.

“No that should be fine” Tom answered, resisting the urge to ask her to get him a donut. He just reminded himself that it would be good to have a second engineer in the room, especially one he could train with his liking.

Alice walked to the back storage room, looking for more tapes. On entry, a small box on the bottom shelf caught her eye. On the top of the box ‘FRAGILE’ was printed in dark red letter. It looked like it hadn’t been touched in years, with the amount of dust covering it. Swiping away the dust on the label, it read ‘THEREMIN’. Alice eyes widened, she had heard of this instrument when in school, but hadn’t seen one in real life, as they were hard to master and not in fashion with any music genre currently.

Re-entering the mod room, she placed the extra tapes on the large table at the back of the room. Sitting down on the large swivel chard beside Tom, he started explaining the control board to her, as well and slang for certain keys and nobs. He continued until the band arrived, around 30 minutes later. Tom requested Alice stay in the control room, feeling she could be of benefit. Checking over her notes, she began to familiarise with the huge board. There must have been around 100 nobs and switches, all with different functions. Tom was impressed with Alice’s intellect, she responded well and added thoughtful questions about the mixing process. Tom could tell within a week she would be well roped into the process.

Taking a break, the band, Alice, Tom and Peter all sat down for lunch in teh small break room. There was only two tables so they conjoined them and ate together. Conversation flowed easily, everyone exchanging funny stories from the business, touring and random tidbits of memories.

“And I was sitting there with a frozen banana smoothie all down my front, absolutely frozen - I mean what are you supposed to do when you tell a girl no to her invitation to you coming back to her house, in god knows where, then she throws an fucking smoothie at you” Robert stated exasperatedly finishing off his sandwich

“Come on Rob, that was nearly five months ago, you would’ve thought you’d have forgotten it by now” Peter joked with a gently shove to Robert.

“Yeah I know, still gives me nightmares at night” Robert answered while playfully rolling his eyes.

“Same thing happened to me Robert, except, it was my wife and she was giving out shit to me for missing my daughter Grace’s dance recital” Tom added.

“Um, actually Tom, you missed Hannah’s recital, Graces is on next week. I think the handprint Cheryl left on the back of your head was a cute accessory hm?” Alice added, casually calling Tom out on his bluff.

The entire table went quite before bursting out in laughter. Alice panicked for a moment, fearing she went too far but calmed when they all laughed, joining in too.

“The bird is English? Why didn’t you tell us Tom?” Bonzo asked, directing his eyes to Alice.

“Excuse you, the bird is sitting right here” Alice said, pointing to herself.

“Well I thought you would’ve picked up on it by now John” Tom replied.

“Well uh, the drums, y’know” Bonzo answered, shaking his hands around his ears with a smirk plastered on his face. He was actually quite embarrassed that he overlooked her that much, she seemed like a talented girl behind the booth screen.

“Where you from love” Jonesy enquired kindly to Alice, opening up the conversation to her again.

“Well, I’m from a small village beside Heston. I used to live in France til I was five, as my mother is French” Alice replied with a smile, Jonesy was the one she talked to the most.

“Well would you look at that. How small the world is, you and Jim being from the same place. Mad world Hmm? How did someone from Heston like you end up in the city of angels?” Peter enquired, finding the whole situation rather funny, both Alice and Jimmy going slightly red.

“Um, I finished school at sixteen and moved out her shortly after, and have been here since” Alice answered, slightly embarrassed that she didn’t know she was reared in the same town as Jimmy Page.

“So you must be what, around 20 something?” Robert asked.

“No, I actually just turned 36 last month, I guess I look younger that I am” said Alice, trying to keep a straight face. She was met with dumbfounded faces of the Zeppelin lads. The boys looked between her and Tom, who kept his expression neutral, running with the joke.

“Gosh, you don’t look it’s, that’s for sure” Robert interrupted, still hoodwinked by the new information.

All of Alice’s self control was lost, she and Tom both bursting out simultaneously, wiping away tears after a coupole minutes of gut laughter.

“Of course I don’t, I’m only 18 for gods sake!”

“Right, enough small talk, let’s plan the songs you wanna record next” Tom interjected, stewing the conversation back to business.

“Well I think we should start with Whole Lotta Love and see how it goes” Jimmy piped up, only now joining the conversation, previously he had being staring at Alice, trying to place her as she looked familiar.

“Yeah I agree, that one probably needs the most work” Bonzo added, happy to get down to the complicated track.

Various forms of agreement were sounded from the rest of the band and staff. When they had finished up they all returned, energised to continue the recording the album.

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

navigation

star crossed masterlist

ok so first chapter! this was going to be a prologue but I think I’ll just add another chapter before we time skip!!

again, please feel free to leave any criticism in the comments!! if anyone has any ideas or plot points they think would work, just message me and I’ll see what we can do!!

tag list - @rebel-without-a-zeppelin @princesspagey

ask me if you want to be added!

[jimlingss]

Sugar and Coffee [8]

Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9

➜ Words: 3.3k

➜ Genres: 99.5% Fluff, 0.5% Angst, Pâtisserie school!AU

➜ Summary: It isn't hard to be a pâtisserie chef, but it's not a piece of cake either. It seems like for you in particular, life keeps throwing in one wrench after another. It always finds ways to make your sweets bitter. The cherry on top is Jeon Jungkook — a rival with a sensitive sweet tooth who always finds ways to complain about you.

cr.

You always thought you would be happy to see him again.   To come face to face with the man who you miss the most — who you’ve yearned to see so much. Like reuniting with a close friend who you’ve lost contact with. Like rediscovering a piece of yourself that you had lost.   But you didn’t know it would be so painful. That your heart would be so heavy.   “H-hey.”   “Hey.” Seokjin smiles and your heart stutters but then constricts. It’s hard to breathe. “Are you on your way to class?”   You hold your books closer to your chest as if they could do anything to protect you. Your eyes sweeping over his features, trying to freshen your memories of him. You can’t recall the last time you heard the sound of his voice. “Y-Yeah. Are you?”   “I’m on my way to the library to meet up with some people for a group project,” he says casually with a good-natured smile.   “Oh. A group project already?”   “Yeah, I know right.” Jin sighs lightly, lips falling into a slight pout. “Well it’s my last ever semester, so it’s the last push.”   “Totally. I...get it.”   “I should go now before I’m late. It was nice seeing you, Y/N.”   You nod and without waiting a beat, he brushes past you, continuing down the hall.   You hate it. The way he looked at you, talked to you so nonchalantly, how he didn’t even blink thrice. Jin was friendly, but you know him — and he treated you the way he treats strangers. There weren't any softened gazes, gentle words. None of his actions had a trace of lingering feelings. His polite smile is the same one that’s reserved for mere acquaintances. Distant.   You’re no less than a stranger to him.   And as you watch Jin’s backside fading down the corridor, you quickly wipe away the tears that shed down your cheeks.   //   “You ran into him?”   You nod, toying with the hem of your sweater.   “That’s great news,” Jungkook murmurs from the corner of his mouth, preoccupied with choosing a game.   “Yeah, I know, right?” You're stiff, but he doesn't pay enough attention to notice.   You’re sitting on the floor of Jungkook’s dorm room, knees gathered together as you watch him set up. He’s finally cleaned up after you insulted him that he was a pig living in a pigsty, and he was offended enough to clean up after himself and do his laundry.   Jungkook switches on his PS4 and flops down on his small couch with the controller. He glances up at you when there’s ongoing silence and realizes he should say something more.   “That means there’s hope, right? If he’s willing to talk to you and all. I know a lot of exes who would run in the other direction.”   “Yeah. That’s true, I guess.”   Jungkook is optimistic. “If you keep talking to him, who knows, you might get back together before you even realize.”   There’s a loud knock on the door, someone’s fist banging on the surface. The boy in his gray sweatpants and black, boxy shirt sighs, gets up and opens the door. The person on the other side glares at him. “Dude, about fucking time. Was standing out there for an eternity.”   “Shut up, I literally took ten seconds.”   “Yea, but ten seconds we could’ve used playing. Hey, Y/N!” Hoseok grins, plopping down on the couch and stealing Jungkook’s controller. Jimin follows in, greeting you with a smile, and Taehyung and Yoongi are the last with the former harshly nudging the latter forward.   “Alright, alright,” Yoongi grunts quietly and then faces you with his hands dug into his hoodie pocket. “Y/N. I wanted to apologize for my behaviour last time.” He looks less sorry and more disgruntled and reluctant, but it’s enough to amuse you.   You snort. “It’s no big deal.”   “Okay, cool.” Yoongi exhales and sits beside you.   Taehyung shakes his head but redirects his attention to Jimin when he steals his favourite controller. “Hey, hey, hey, paws off, bro.”   “What?”   “That’s mine.”   “Who says?”   “I wrote my name at the back in pencil. Look. See?”   “You wrote on my controller?” Jungkook is outraged, snapping into their argument.   In the meanwhile, Yoongi scrolls through his phone and notices you’re blankly staring at Jungkook's old flat screen — the one he stole from his parent’s home months ago and somehow set it up here. “I meant it.”   “What?”   “I know it looked like Taehyung made me,” Yoongi mumbles, “Which he did. But I meant to apologize anyway. Eventually. I know I’m an ass.”   “You’re an honest one,” you admit with a small smile. If there was anyone who was going to be frank and truthful, it would be Yoongi. He won’t sugar coat it, won’t string pretty words together to make you feel better, so that’s why you pick him to inquire, “Can I ask you a question, Yoongi?”   “Sure.”   “Do you think I’ll ever be able to get back together with Jin?”   “No.” His gaze connects with yours. “You won’t. Usually people break up for a reason and that reason always stands.”

Two weeks pass by as you ignore the thoughts lingering in the back of your mind. You overlook it like an assignment on your desk that needs to be done or like that messy drawer you should clean out but keep procrastinating on. And it’s easy to distract yourself when the entire school is stirred.   Of course it would be. After all, the most competitive holiday was coming up.   “What are you going to make for Valentines?”   “Me?” You blink. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it yet….”   The atmosphere hyped — even the dining hall is louder, the air buzzing.   The holiday simply dedicated to love has long been replaced by alumni years ago and became a competition. After all, this was the place where everyone could make sweets after all. No longer was Valentine chocolates simply melting chocolate from the store and pouring them into molds — every single person here can properly judge the quality, taste, texture, flavour, and the presentation.   According to rumours, the tradition started between three people, specifically when a girl told her two potential suitors that she would become the Valentine of whoever baked better. It sounds like some ridiculous Shakespearean tragedy, but as people went head to head to win the affections of their crushes — it essentially evolved into a competition.   And at this point, it doesn’t matter who gives it to who. It’s who bakes it better.   “I’m still debating if I want to do raspberry possets or raspberry religieuse,” Taehyung hums, chin resting in his propped up hand, and he turns to his side. “Which one do you like, Yoongi?”   “Why the fuck do you care what I like?”   “Well obviously because I’m going to make it for you,” he giggles.   Yoongi glares. “Fuck off.”   “Who else am I supposed to give it to? You have no one, I have no one.”   “What about Jimin?” you ask, trying to hold back laughter with said brunette.   “He has his mom.”   “Hey,” Jimin whines, “I have the Valentine’s Day fundraiser at the hospital this year too.”   “So you’re not going to make anything for your mom?” he deadpans.   “Well, no.” Jimin pouts. “I’m going to make her red velvet cupcakes.”   “Don’t make fun of him,” you chide Taehyung and turn to the other. “That’s really cute, Jimin.”   Jimin grins, eyes crinkling into half moons. “Don’t worry, Taehyung can say whatever he wants. He’s just jealous my mom’s the best. She raised me all on her own and I wouldn’t be here without her.”   “Okay, I’ll admit she’s really nice,” Taehyung has a dreamy expression. “I miss her warm hugs.”   “That’s weird,” Jimin deadpans, pleasant smile switching into a face of comical disgust. “Don’t talk about my mom like that, dude.”   You laugh and look over at the sleepy man lazily chewing on his mac and cheese. It’s always funny to watch Yoongi eat. He looks physically pained to chew and swallow — you wonder if he would blend all of his food to just drink it if he could. “Are you going to make anything, Yoongi?”   “No. Who would I give it to?” He ignores Taehyung when he exclaims ‘me’.   You direct your attention to Hoseok and he shrugs. “I might...make lemon and poppy seed cupcakes or strawberry rhubarb shortbread bars.”   “For who?” Jungkook asks, brows raised.   “Uh, no one.” But it’s obvious that the answer is too suspicious, so he gives in with a sigh. “I owe Y/N’s friend, Aeri, a favour, so I’ll probably make something for her.”   “Ooh, I haven’t heard you talk about Y/N’s friend before.” Taehyung leans in closer, eyes glistening.   “Shut up,” Hoseok quips. “What about you, Y/N?”   “I...haven’t decided if I will or not. Maybe I’ll make something for Jin.”   Yoongi’s eyes flicker up, brow cocking, and you stare back at him blankly.   Jimin catches the quick exchange and intercepts. “You should tell Jungkook to make you his chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes.”   “Holy fuck, I remember those!” Taehyung slaps the table, startling both you and Jungkook. “Those was so fucking delicious, I thought I was going to cream my pants when I ate them. I can still taste it.” He slurps up the spit that’s accumulated in his mouth.   Jungkook’s nose wrinkles. “No. It’s too much work to make that.”   Taehyung bats his lashes. “You wouldn’t make it for us?”    “That’s an even harder no.”   “Psh. Valentine’s Day hater.”   “Fuck off. It’s not my fault that the holiday is stupid.”   “You just hate it because you’re alone.” You pat your friend on the back. “It’s okay, Jungkook. You’ll find love someday.”   “Okay, fuck you too,” he spits without much malice, making Yoongi smirk.   “Jungkook just knows his small package can’t satisfy any man or woman.”   Yoongi’s insult rouses laughter from everyone and the man being grilled has his brows shot to his hairline. “For your information, I have a substantial size and I’m probably bigger than everyone here. Especially you, Mr. five foot nine.”   You blanch. “Gross.”    But while Yoongi doesn’t seem injured by the retort, Jimin’s the one who’s sitting straight and he whines, “Why do you have to bring height into this?”   They ignore him in favour of Taehyung’s questioning, “Really? Bigger than everyone here?”   “Okay fine.” Jungkook points at Taehyung. “Except you.”   You look between the pair of them. “Did you guys have a dick measuring contest or what?”   “We will not speak of the past,” Jungkook deadpans, making you laugh even more.   //   You know that you shouldn’t. With what Yoongi’s told you, with what you know yourself, you shouldn’t go out of your way to do something so unnecessary. You shouldn’t put your heart on your sleeve to get hurt again when it’s not going to be worth it. But in your life, there've been a thousand shouldn’ts and you’ve always grasped onto the one should.   It never hurts you to try, and that’s how you’ve made it this far.   “Hey, Jeon.” You catch up to him. Jungkook’s legs are unbearably longer than yours and when he walks fast it puts you out of breath within seconds.    Luckily, he sees you and has the decency to slow down. “What?”   “I need your help.” Jungkook’s steps slow even more until he outright stops in the middle of the hallway. He looks so apprehensive, you have an urge to slap that expression off his face. “Hey! It’s not like I’m not going to ask you to kill someone for me!”   “Yeah, well, the last time you asked for a favour, we destroyed a kitchen trying to temper chocolate. I’d rather you kill me, thank you very much.”   “Pretty please? Promise it’s not bad.”   “Ew, ew. Don’t look at me like that and stop pouting, you’re not cute.”   You frown at him. “Look it’s not a huge, huge thing, promise.”   “What is it?”   “Well, you’re Jungkook, World’s Best Chocolatier, right?” You nudge him with your elbow and it only makes him more suspicious with how you’re thickly laying down the praise. “And you know chocolate hates me. I definitely don’t know about it as well as you do either, so I need you to bestow your gifts onto me—”   “What is it, lady? Get a move on! I don’t have all day.”   “Can you help me make something for Jin?”   Jungkook pauses. He stares at you. Maybe his brain finally died — not like there is anything to die considering it’s always been a little on the empty side. But then he finally opens his mouth. “What are you planning?”   “Just something simple. Like truffles. What do you think?”   Jungkook hesitates, then he looks at you. “Fine.”   “Really?”   “Yeah, yeah.”   He waves his hand away, but you grin at him. “You know you’re my best friend, right, Jungkook?”   “Yeah, well, it’s something I never really signed up for,” your best friend mutters and continues walking while telling you that you’ll owe him and that means more notes from multiple lectures. But it’s worth it.   On the fourteenth, right on Valentine’s Day, you meet with Jungkook.   He audibly sighs when he sees you tie up the back of your apron. “What?”   “Nothing. I just can’t believe I’m spending Valentine’s with you.”   “I thought you didn’t care about the holiday.”   “I don’t. But that still doesn’t mean this isn’t lame. Whatever. The quicker we get this done, the quicker I can leave and avoid all this.” He motions around, but you know what he means.   Love is in the air and it’s sickening — couples were holding hands, kissing each other on the tips of their noses, rubbing their cheeks against one another, dialing up the PDA to an uncomfortable amount. But you can’t blame them. You and Seokjin were once like that.   “Do you know how to make ganache?”   “Do I know how to make ganache,” you mimic him mockingly. “Of course I do! What am I, an idiot?!”   “Well, you didn’t know how to temper chocolate so you tell me.”   You glare at him. You would mouth off but can’t risk him storming out.   The two of you gather the eight ounce semi-sweet chocolate, a half cup of whipping cream, cocoa powder and some vanilla. Jungkook helps you heat the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, looking over your shoulder at every step along the way. While you’d usually mind the way he’s intruding in your personal bubble, you don’t want to get anything wrong.   “Make sure it doesn’t burn.”   “It’s not going to burn.”   “You said that last time.”   You snap. “Keep bringing up last time and this will be the last time you step into the kitchen, Jeon.” A second later, you’re begging Jungkook not to leave. But thankfully, he has enough mercy and lets you off with a warning.   The pair of you continue making the ganache, placing the chocolate in a bowl before pouring the cream and adding the vanilla to it. You allow it to stand for a few minutes before stirring it into a smooth, deep mixture.   You place the ganache in the fridge for half an hour to chill. In the meanwhile, you clean up the mess and wash whatever dishes you have. Jungkook, on the other hand, shows you Yoongi’s reaction of Taehyung proposing to him with some cupcakes in front of campus in which the former man straight out walks away.    Jimin who’s filming is giggling hard enough that the camera is unsteady, but his laughter is infectious and makes the both of you grin. Jungkook says he’s glad he wasn’t there lest Taehyung turned to him and started to declare his fake affections and cause a crowd to gather. Apparently it’s happened before.   When the ganache is ready, Jungkook helps you roll it into balls and dust with cocoa powder. You pull out a box you had prepared to place them in, and you could not be prouder when it’s complete.   It looks like a product that you could buy in-store. Simple yet elegant.   “All done.”   “All done,” you repeat after him, viewing your final product. Chocolate doesn’t hate you so much when you’re with Jungkook, you realize.   “He’ll love it.”   “Yeah….”   You can imagine it — calling out Jin’s name. He’d spin around, regard you with his surprise. You’d extend your arms to give him the box. You’d try to show through this small gesture that you still love him, but you wouldn’t speak the words in case the moment would be ruined. But with your courage mustered, you’d tell him that you miss him in your life. That you don’t want to be strangers anymore. Whether that means remaining friends or being lovers again.   But you know that it’s just your fantasy.   A delusion — your optimistic imagination running wild with the semblances of hope still left within you. A sweet dream you would have in your slumber only to wake up to reality. The grief of your heartbreak morphed into a wishful thinking. The image and scenario you’ve constructed in your mind is simply part of a chapter in your life that would never happen.   “He wouldn’t take it,” you whisper.    It's a truth that’s hard to face, that you’ve been running from and turning yourself blind to.    But you know Seokjin. After nearly two years together, you know the kind of polite smile he gives to strangers. You know how he treats acquaintances. You know when he’s being distant, how he acts when things don’t matter to him anymore. And you know that— “He wouldn’t….”   He would never take this.    He would never accept the chocolates you’ve made on Valentine’s. You would never be able to muster the courage to tell him how much you miss him. And he would never agree to being friends after your extensive history together.    Your head lowers, and tears drip down your cheeks. Jungkook is rendered speechless but you feel his hand on your shoulder. He squeezes comfortingly.   You sniffle, wiping your face with the back of your hand, and you take a truffle to throw into your mouth. You chew in your cheek and look at Jungkook with your reddened, teary eyes. “I-If he won’t eat it, we should.”   That’s how you end up on the floor of the kitchen with Jungkook beside you.    The two of you are leaning against the kitchen island, hidden away from the window of the door and any intrusive eyes peering through. The tips of your fingers are stained with melted chocolate — the fruits of your labour gone in an instant.   The realization sinks in. After months of what you’ve tried to keep a hold on it. Having hoped aimlessly that you could change this back around. What had shattered into sand and slipped between your fingertips, but you tried to catch it again. It hits you in an instant.    Harder than it ever has.   “It’s really over, isn’t it, Jungkook?” you ask in a murmur, in a broken voice. “It’s over.”   The relationship ended. Any form of a relationship with Seokjin is gone forevermore.   Jungkook turns his head, gazing at your profile. He pats you on the back.   He’s learnt long ago that he wasn’t very good at speaking, but that his words don’t mean as much as his actions do.   So in silence, Jungkook eats the truffles with you. It’s not bad, he muses internally. You’re getting better at chocolate despite how you never had a knack for it. Well, technically he made them but whatever, your effort still means something.   He chews and keeps to himself how the chocolate truffle strangely tastes sweet and bitter, like both sugar and black coffee.

[thespamman24]

Here are some baby names!

Boys:

10. Robert

9. Louis

8. Optimus Prime

7. CabbageAss69

6. The Devourer of Souls, the Ruler of The Void, The Conqueror of Galaxies, Dave!

5. Yo’mama

4. Spicy Hot Sauce

3. Battlestar Galactica Season 4

2. Mr. Banana Pants

1. Mr. Banana Pants 2: The Return

Girls:

10.Felicia

9. Daphne

8. Scooby Doo

7. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

6. *the sound a blender full of coconut chips makes*

5. Girl in a Movie Who’s Really Badass but Also They Seem Like An Asshole But Really She Turns Out To Be A Nice Person and Its Revealed That The Only Reason They Are Mean Is Because They Have A Tragic Backstory

4. 57 Horses

3. *water sloshing sounds

2. Most likely a human person

1. Her Majesty, The Queen of the Universe and Inventor of Toast (only works if baby will eventually invent toast)

1. The Entirety of The Pink Floyd Song “Echoes”

2. *yodels

3. ;)

4. The Battle of Pernford Bridge, 1804

5. Cheese is a dairy product, derived from milk and produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, the milk is usually acidified and the enzymes of rennet (or bacterial enzymes with similar activity) are added to cause the milk proteins (casein) to coagulate. The solids (curd) are separated from the liquid (whey) and pressed into final form.[1] Some cheeses have aromatic molds on the rind, the outer layer, or throughout. Most cheeses melt at cooking temperature.Over a thousand types of cheese exist and are currently produced in various countries. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk (including the animal's diet), whether they have been pasteurized, the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and how long they have been aged for. Herbs, spices, or wood smoke may be used as flavoring agents. The yellow to red color of many cheeses is produced by adding annatto. Other ingredients may be added to some cheeses, such as black pepper, garlic, chives or cranberries. A cheesemonger, or specialist seller of cheeses, may have expertise with selecting the cheeses, purchasing, receiving, storing and ripening them.[2]For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such as vinegar or lemon juice. Most cheeses are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn milk sugars into lactic acid, then the addition of rennet completes the curdling. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available; most are produced by fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehei, but others have been extracted from various species of the Cynara thistle family. Cheesemakers near a dairy region may benefit from fresher, lower-priced milk, and lower shipping costs.Cheese is valued for its portability, long shelf life, and high content of fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus. Cheese is more compact and has a longer shelf life than milk, although how long a cheese will keep depends on the type of cheese.[3] Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, last longer than soft cheeses, such as Brie or goat's milk cheese. The long storage life of some cheeses, especially when encased in a protective rind, allows selling when markets are favorable. Vacuum packaging of block-shaped cheeses and gas-flushing of plastic bags with mixtures of carbon dioxide and nitrogen are used for storage and mass distribution of cheeses in the 21st century.[3]

5. Lucy

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 115

Extra special thanks for this chapter go out to @baelpenrose and @charlylimph-blog. Besides being regular beta-readers for me, Bael really really wanted a chapter with more Charly/Coffey, and Charly happily obliged by joining my and Bael’s regularly scheduled live-write of the chapter. We. Had. A. Blast.  It was  a shining beacon of love and laughter in my life, let me tell you.

I walked from the kitchen to the entry just as the notification went off that someone was standing outside. Still laughing from the comment Tyche made about the chicken breasts we were currently stuffing, my smile didn’t drop an inch as I saw Charly and Coffey standing there. “Hey, you two! About time!”

Charly held her head high and ignored my comment, while Coffey grinned back. “Best for last, you know,” he tossed with a wink as he handed over a bottle of red wine. “I know it doesn’t go with chicken but…”

“Stomachs are colorblind,” I finished, in sync with Charly and Tyche like we had rehearsed it. Conor and Maverick burst into laughter while Arthur just shook his head at our antics.

Charly stretched her neck to look over Tyche’s shoulder. “Those looks like…”

“We know,” Arthur groaned, eliciting another chuckle from everyone. “Tyche just mentioned that.”

“The - feta? - cheese is not helping your case, I’m just saying.”

Tyche tried her hardest to scowl and made a shooing gesture. “Please don’t ruin dinner before it’s even cooked please?”

“If I promise it won’t make dinner sound obscene, can I ask a question?” Charly ventured. All eyes turned toward her, since it was probably the first time she had ever asked permission to ask a question. Once I slowly nodded, she took a deep breath. “Have you ever tried rabbit?” The next part was rushed. “ImeanIhavearecipeforrabbitstewthat’stodiefor, andI’mprettysureAntoinewouldlikerabbitragout-”

“Charly,” Coffey intoned softly, reaching out to gently scritch the back of her neck.

She stopped talking and bit her lips. “I just mean - “

“It’s okay,” I assured them before anyone else in the room exploded from the laughter they were trying to hold back for her sake. “I really would love that recipe, Charly. I actually have a recipe for lapine ragout that Antoine adores, but the only other recipe I have is for coney pie.”

Charly nodded enthusiastically while practically collapsing on Coffey’s lap. Still nodding, she pulled a file up on her datapad and flicked it towards me. “Can I ask about the rabbits?” she asked softly, head twitching when Coffey scowled and - I assume - gently tugged the hair above where he was still scratching her neck. “Doesn’t hurt to ask!” she complained.

“I swear, it’s fine,” Arthur stated firmly. “You would be shocked at how hilarious she finds this story.”

Tyche rolled her eyes hard enough to move her neck. “And it puts some things into perspective…” she sighed.

Conor, on the other hand, gave me a hard look when I opened my mouth. “You know the rule.”

Dropping my head back in defeat, I took a deep breath. “Yes, I will make coney pie tomorrow for dinner.” Antoine, Charly, and Coffey all looked at me in confusion. “Conor hates hearing about my near-death experiences, so when I tell this story I have to make him rabbit pie for dinner.”

“So he can eat your enemies,” Charly nodded sagely.

“Pretty much,” I shrugged.

“Wait- “ she sputtered, realizing the rest of what I explained. “You had a near death experience? With a bunny!?”

All I could do was giggle. “Yes. I have a deathly fear of bunnies because one almost killed me once.”

“Twas no ordinary rabbit - it had a vicious streak a mile wide….” Arthur added, funny accent and all.

“May I ask that no one interrupt Sophia until she explains how she managed a real-life reenactment of a Monty Python sketch?” Coffey asked, leaning forward so far that Charly had to twist to stay on his lap.

“The truth is stranger than fiction,” Arthur nodded, tapping his glass gently against the other man’s. “Sophia, take it away.”

Shaking my head with a grin, I obliged. “You have to know, Tyche and I grew up in a very backwater, uneducated family, and also in hereditary poverty.   So, it was perfectly normal - to us, anyway - to have pets like chickens, or goats… or rabbits… Food animals.  Well, when I was eight, my uncle decided I was old enough for my first pet rabbit.  A good, big one.” Tyche shook her head with a smirk, and I just shot her a glance as I kept speaking. “Well, Snickers wasn’t quite hand-tamed. And the only way to hand-tame a wild rabbit is to…. Well, hold it, honestly.  So I would sit in the yard, with Snickers in my lap, and hold him while he ate grass.”

Maverick opened his mouth to ask the question he always loved to ask, but Charly gently put her hand on his wrist and shook her head. 

I still answered the question I knew would have come. “I know, it sounds like the most harmless thing in the world, right? Pet rabbit, in my lap, chilling out and eating fresh grass.  The thing is… Rabbits are burrowers. And they have these wicked claws on their back feet just for that.  So, when you hold them, you have to hold their back feet together, or they kick to get away.”

Charly gasped softly as she realized what was coming, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth.

I nodded. “Yep. One day, Snickers got started, and I didn’t have his back feet as tightly as I should have, and… well, he opened my arm up from wrist to elbow before I could let him go.  I screamed, my mother came out, took me to the emergency room.  I’ve been terrified of rabbits ever since.”

“That’s awful!” Charly cried out, jumping up to come hug me.

As I patted her on the back, Coffey sat up straighter and shook his head. “Poppy, she’s okay now. And besides, didn’t you hear her mention how ‘backwater’ her family was?” He arched an eyebrow at me, eye gleaming. “I bet that rabbit was dinner that same night.”

“Bunny dumplings,” Tyche confirmed with a wink. “If we didn’t know what else to do with it, it was dumplings.”

Arthur shook his head with a chuckle. “I would have thought you would be upset that she ate her pet, Miss Harper.”

She made a rude noise in return. “Are you kidding!? The first thing I killed with a bow was a rabbit.” Head high, she flexed her biceps. “Do you know how fast those things are!?”

“Nice and fat one, too,” Coffey added. “And she found rosemary to roast it with.”

“And lemon balm,” she added. “And mint, but that stuff grows everywhere.”

I nearly groaned at the memory of spit-roasted wild game.

“So, you two have been through the whole After together?” Conor asked as dinner hit the table.

Charly nodded enthusiastically as she took a bite. “Yeah, we were friends Before - oh my gosh, this balsamic reduction is perfect, Tyche - and found each other not long after the End.  After a while…” she trailed off, waving between them as much as she could, considering she was still sitting on Coffey’s lap.

We all nodded.  I was, honestly, happy to see two people who knew each other that long survive the end of the world together.  “So, I knew Charly did archery - she’s shown me a few times, but I’m terrible at it, turns out. What about you, Coffey?” I paused before realizing how intrusive that might be. “And if you don’t want to answer, it’s okay,” I rushed to clarify.

He smiled in reassurance. “I was security, Before, and… security After, in a way.” Chewing thoughtfully on a bite of bread, he glanced at something none of us could see. “I had a gun, at first - being a black man who grew up in NorthAm before it was NorthAm, it was more prudent than it was deviant at the time.”

“I don’t blame you,” I grumbled, while Tyche nodded and scowled furiously. We were horrifically embarrassed to be related to some of the reasons he needed a gun in the Before.

He tilted his head in a conciliatory fashion, as though he could tell what I was thinking. “In the After, bullets were hard to come by and… not very prudent, it turned out. They drew a lot of attention. Whereas our sneaky Charly…”

“Probably made traps,” Arthur finished nonchalantly.  When a few of us glanced at him, he rolled his eyes. “Oh come on! No one can tell me the queen of pranks and engineering over here did not booby-trap anywhere she was living within an inch of her life and the lives around her.”

Charly beamed, while Coffey just chuckled. “I honestly don’t believe the margin of error was quite that wide, to be frank. But it was safe enough that, before long, we accidentally had an enclave.”

I snorted in an attempt not to choke on my drink, while Conor and Maverick were both glancing at Arthur - the resident warlord.

Arthur just blinked in an almost placid manner. “I’m actually impressed. You started rebuilding by accident.”

“Do I look like someone who decides to take over the world?” Charly pointed out. After a chorus of Yes all around the table, she rolled her eyes. “It’s not my fault that hobbit holes are a strategically sound idea.”

“Apocalyptic Tolkien,” Tyche whistled. “I like it.”

“Sophia would have loved the library,” Coffey laughed.

My head shot up hard enough to make my neck hurt. “Library?”

He nodded. “Charly had the idea to go rescue every book we could find on camping, how-tos, engineering, historical infrastructure…”

“You just passed every class you are ever in, with flying colors,” Arthur nodded. “I had to make most of my people read - though we did end up with a library and decent bathing infrastructure.”

“Siege engines, Mr. Farro. We were building siege engines.”

He muttered something that sounded like “I will make up classes for you to pass,” but I was willing to bet that he would never admit it. Out loud, he just added “The fact that you not only read voluntarily but got other people to read without being forced has earned you extra credit.” She opened her mouth to object, but he held up a hand. “I’m being entirely serious, and no I won’t take it back.”

“I wasn’t going to try to survive an apocalypse without baths,” she scowled, stabbing a potato. “We may have ended the world, but we weren’t heathens.” Chewing so fast I thought she was going to choke, she immediately started asking Arthur about how he organized plumbing for his group.

“Trenches, aqueducts, and basically I got lucky because someone had a construction background.  We had some records of how Romans built their sewers with something close enough to the materials we had to work with so… it worked out.

With that, the conversation took off in the direction of infrastructure for post-apocalypse settlements, with Conor adding his opinion everywhere possible.  I knew there was no changing the topic, so I just shook my head and tried to keep up.

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[outoftownagain]

The best restaurants in Santorini, Greece

This, of course, isn't a definite list. We didn't even try a fraction of what the culinary world of Santorini has to offer and I am sure there are plenty of equally fantastic or better places. But by these 5 restaurants stood out for us and came recommended by other travelers and locals.

Hope you're not hungry!

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1. Μεταξύ Μας / Metaxi Mas 9FQ5+H2 Exo Gonia, Greece www.santorini-metaximas.gr

Metaxi Mas is a must whether you take a taxi, rent a four-wheeler, or simply walk from the charming village of Pyrgos. (We were advised very strongly against doing the latter by a very nice lady at a souvenir store: "It's not possible to walk, it's in the next village! But it is a wonderful restaurant, you must make it there regardless," she said. We did it anyway and it took about half an hour of walking downhill.) And just like pretty much everyone we spoke to about Metaxi Mas promised, it is absolutely amazing. You won't find your regular horiatiki and moussaka here, but by the time you make it here, you've most likely had enough of those and will be excited to take a quick break. You'll also have a change of view, because the cozy terrace is overlooking the airport and the less photographed side of the island, which may be slightly less iconic but gorgeous nonetheless. We started with Smoked Fish in a Chickpea Stew and the moment we tasted the dish, we knew that it would be the best meal on the island. We continued with Shrimp saganaki finished with ouzo, tomato sauce, fennel and feta cheese, which I will remember for a long time. And then, for a finale, a Spicy fried pork with Assyrtiko Santorini wine (which we were about to learn all about at a nearby winery, Santo Wines) with peppers, onion, garlic, Santorini cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and boukovo—red pepper flakes. Were we full? Of course. Did we want more? Absolutely! It was our last day on Santorini, so we knew we wouldn't have time to return to Metaxi Mas, so we asked our lovely waitress if she could suggest just one more, small dish, simply because everything was so delicious that we'd love another bite. She said that her favorite thing on the menu was Oven-baked asparagus with Cretan graviera cheese and estragon, and we thought that a little asparagus appetizer would be a perfect finishing touch to this feast. Little did we know that the "small dish" is in fact a huge plate filled with lots and lots of hot, melty, delicious cheese (with a little bit of asparagus buried deep under). It was way more than we wanted but way too delicious to leave behind and a taxi to take us to the wine tour at Santo Wines was already waiting. We might have burnt our mouths a little but we finished the asparagus and our wonderful waitress brought us a dessert packed to go because she knew we had to go. If you're in Santorini right now and looking for some delicious food, I couldn't be more jealous of you!

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2. To Psaraki Vlichada Marina, Vlichada 847 00, Greece www.topsaraki.gr

Near the southernmost tip of Santorini, at the end of Perivolos beach you'll find the charming Vlychada port. Arguably the best place to view it from (and definitely the most delicious one) is To Psaraki taverna. You'll have to drive or take a taxi there but the place is worth the trip. The actual restaurant is very nice but you really want to sit at the bright blue terrace across the street, which overlooks the port and the sea. Eating at To Psaraki feels like finding a hidden gem andt also like being on a Greek postcard at the same time.   The food is delicious and it starts from the very beginning—each table receives a bread basket and a portion of Santorini tomato paste with olive oil and oregano. (There is a tomato paste museum down the road, but it was still closed due to Covid when we visited.) We continued the feast with Fresh Greek mussels steamed with wine and spring onions (it's hard to imagine a more perfect dish to go with the view of sea and a distant smell of a seaport) after which a gorgeous Grilled Octopus arrived. Can't say that we were hungry anymore, but our main dish — fresh and homely amberjack was only about to be served. Accompanied by vegetables, tomatoes and a lemon, it was wonderful.

The restaurant overlooks the port and a short walkaway is Vlychada Beach with black sand, a beach bar and some amazing view of the cliffs, which makes it easy to spend a whole day in this small area.

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3.  Kokkalo 25is Martiou 25, Thira 847 00, Greece kokkalosantorini.com

We arrived in Santorini midday and after the initial shock caused by the overwhelming beauty of the view from the plane, then the taxi and finally from our suite, we were ready to eat. We picked Kokkalo purely because it was the closest recommended restaurant from our suite. It did take some climbing (everything in Santorini involves countless stairs and hills) and then a short walk along a busy, narrow street, but the place was 100% worth it.

We were greeted by a very friendly and quirky lady with a very particular sense of humor and a tray with 2 glasses of strong, local liquor. Day drinking it is! After hearing that we just arrived on the island, she was quick to recommend a local specialty—Santorini tomato fritters. "If you're going to have them, you need to have them here," she said, "we have cooking classes and we teach how to make them here." Tomato fritters are very tasty, but to be completely honest, it is one of those dishes that you try once and don't necessarily need to order again anytime soon.

We also got the Santorini Greek Salad and Chicken Souvlaki, which were both absolutely delicious and anyone could eat them every day for a long time. The presentation of the chicken deserves a special shoutout—it is definitely an attention-grabber when it arrives at the table.

Kokkalo is totally a great spot—it may not overlook the volcano, but staring into the flat side of Santorini with Anafi island in the distance is a pure pleasure! Mix that with great food, chilled wine and lovely service and you have a fantastic experience!

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4. Roka Mpotsari 6, Oía 847 02, Greece www.roka.gr

I'm not gonna lie, Roka was a bit of an accident (a great one though!) We hiked from Fira to Oia and we completely underestimated the time it would take us to complete the hike considering all the stops for wine, snacks, photos and views. They say that the hike takes from 3 to 6 hours and it did take us 6 hours (we're fast hikers but we stopped A LOT along the way to enjoy the views and wine) so when we finally got to Oia, we needed to eat before the sunset and most places were either booked or still closed because of Covid. We basically ran to check out Roka and it is semi-hidden in a maze of small, charming alleyways so we got a little lost trying to find it. We were greeted by a man who looked like he could be in a movie about a mafia-ran restaurant: white shirt and a tie, a sceptical gaze, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, and a brutal silence. He turned out to be our waiter and luckily he turned out to be very friendly, much contrary to our first impression of him.

We were seated at the small back patio lit by the setting sun and overlooking the sea and some less touristy parts of town and the island. The food was absolutely delicious yet presented in a slightly pretentious but cheesy way. It is not taverna food and obviously the chef is aspiring to a higher level of a dining experience. To start we were served rusk with olives and delicious tomato paste, which we learned was typical of Santorini, famous for its cherry tomatoes. Then we continued with ‘Imam Bayaldi’ with eggplant, shrimps, ’Oyzo’ glaze and chilli garlic mayo and Mushrooms Ragout on a sourdough bruschetta with caramelized onions, cream and gruyere sauce. Those two appetizers were quite Huge And Totally Satisfied Our Post-Hike Hunger, But We Had Two More Dishes Coming - Main Courses This Time.

Skioufikta - Traditional Greek Handmade Pasta with Caramelized Onion, Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato and ’Xinoturi’ From Ios, which was light, delicate and delicious. The shape of pasta is a bit like cavatelli and is a perfect vessel for the summer flavors of this dish. Fresh Dorado Fillet came with fantastic Parsnip Puree, Braised Leek that melts in your mouth with Hazelnuts and was topped with long, thin crisps that gave it an additional texture. Satisfied and excited, we ran to the nearby Castle of Agios Nikolaos for a spectacular and unforgettable sunset.

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5. Naoussa Fira Santorini Next to the Central Orthodox Cathedral of Fira Town Mitropoleos Fira Town, Thira 847 00, Greece naoussasantorini.restaurant

When we arrived at this gigantic taverna, it was empty, with the only two guests eating at a table near the windows. We decided to sit at the other table with a view—right next to the couple finishing their dinner. It turned out to be a quite an unfortunate choice because those guests were an extreme example of a married couple who goes out to talk to other people in bars and restaurants. We spent the entire dinner listening about the wealth, success and amazing life of our co-diners, all the houses, apartments, businesses and countless trips all over the world were described in detail whether we wanted it or not. We also learned the history of their relationship including tidbits like: "Would you believe that after not seeing me for 2 weeks my husband chose to take me out to eat sushi instead of taking me to the bedroom straight from the airport?"

But back to the restaurant, the food was delicious and the sunset view (when we managed to look away from our interlocutors) quite terrific. We started with Dolmades, which are vine leaves stuffed with lemony rice and happen to be one of my favorite small dishes. The leaves are the best when they're delicate and not veiny, the rice needs to be moist and the entire thing is best served room temperature or slightly warm. So good! We also had a tuna salad with hard boiled eggs, which looked a bit like mess but was packed with unexpected flavor. We finished with a whole fish, which was absolutely perfect.

We did drink a lot of wine and we took our time eating, listening to the forced stories and admiring the sunset. At some point the initially empty dining room filled up completely and then it emptied again. It felt like we experienced the whole circle of sunset dining crowd.

[pandemicperipatetics]

Two Weeks in Missoula, MT

View from a bridge over the Clark Fork River

The Verdict

What a fun place to spend two weeks! Missoula prides itself on being weird, and we can see the charm. This tiny university town of 70-80K residents is surrounded by mountains and has the cute little Clark Fork River running through it. There are hardly any tall buildings and the downtown area is full of places to eat, drink, and buy random Montana-themed tchotchkes. We encountered very few chains or national brands (basically just some hotels downtown and the nearby Albertsons grocery).

From the quad at The University of Montana, Missoula

We also got a different kind of weird vibe, though. Missoula is gentrifying, and there’s an odd juxtaposition of it feeling a bit run-down -- the downtown area on the river isn’t terribly well-maintained; the local housing stock is pretty old; the university has lost a lot of funding and applicants in recent years -- and also designed for deep-pocketed tourists (food is more expensive than comparable options in NYC; the new downtown Mercantile building that houses the ~2 year old Marriott Residence Inn feels like an upscale shopping mall; it’s hard to believe how so many breweries could be supported by the size of the local population). As visitors unfamiliar with the area, we didn’t always feel totally welcome -- and we can only imagine what it must feel like for people from the area to experience it being transformed by yuppies and Silicon Valley money. Even the local shops already evoke AirSpace, and it’s a bit sad to think of Missoula losing its quirkiness more in the future.

Walking around downtown Missoula

What to Eat: Vegetarian Edition

For a town of its size, Missoula has a surprising number of places to eat out. It was exciting to discover lots of ethnic food and plenty of vegetarian-friendly options, but ultimately we found a lot of the food to be extremely overpriced for what it was. We also noticed that many of the places we visited were advertising for staff, some were closed due to lack of staff / inventory / ingredients, and a surprisingly high number of places experienced outages of menu items during our time there. 

Note: All recommendations are in downtown or within walking distance. We’ve listed them in order of how much we liked them.

Five on Black [5/5]: Brazilian food that is surprisingly vegetarian-friendly and pretty reasonably priced ($12 for a large bowl). The tofu bowl with sweet potatoes and mango BBQ sauce was out of this world. Outdoor seating was available.

Masala [5/5]: Indian make-your-own bowl, Chipotle-style ($8). The coconut curry korma was delicious, and the paneer was pretty good too. This was the best value meal we had downtown. They had outdoor seating.

Basal [4.5/5]: Smoothies and salads. The Caesar salad with vegan dressing was pretty amazing, and the creamy smoothie (blue version) was obsession-inducingly good. Knocked off half a point because it is ridiculously expensive...yet we still went back a second time because it was delicious and healthy. Can’t remember if they had outdoor seating...

Market on Front [4.5/5]: Right by our hotel, and known for breakfast burritos. We tried picking up lunch there one day but it was a 25 minute wait. We tried again for an early dinner and voila...the Rawsome Vegan Wrap ($10.50) was very good The service was friendly, too.

Bernice’s Bakery [4.5/5]: This is a cute little bakery with great bread and vegetarian-friendly lunch options; we really liked their house-made Parker rolls ($0.60 each, or great as part of their sliders). They post their changing menu on Instagram daily. We didn’t try any of their sweets but they looked very enticing. This was also one of the few normally priced places we ate at. The shaded picnic table outside was very nice to eat at.

Zoo Thai [4/5]: This is an overpriced but pretty good Thai restaurant downtown. We really enjoyed the massaman curry ($17) and the coconut milk Thai iced tea ($3.5). There is one other vegetarian curry on the menu that was also decent. The service was exceptionally friendly although they are clearly understaffed (like lots of local places, it seems) and it took an unusually long time to get our food. Their outdoor patio was nice, and about a 30 minute wait on a Wednesday around 6p.m.

Conflux [4/5]: In a similar boat to Zoo Thai: the food was pretty good but it was one of the most expensive places we visited. We liked the vegetarian burger and the mushroom sandwich, and the beers were good too. The outdoor patio is extra cute and there was no wait when we went on a Thursday evening (when the wait was over an hour at The Camino).

The Union Club [4/5]: Our friend took us here, it’s a no-frills spot with a dive bar vibe, including pool tables and a few arcade games. As far as vegetarian options, they have a veggie burger (something like $6-$8) that was pretty decent and various fried items (breaded zucchini, jalapenos, etc). It was the most reasonably priced place we ate and we liked the relaxed atmosphere. There wasn’t any outdoor seating, but luckily it was nearly empty when we went.

Break Espresso [4/5]: Cafe. The lemon jam scone was decent, very sugary. We would totally go back here, but it didn’t seem like they had outdoor seating.

The Catalyst Cafe [3.5/5]: Good brunch options; the huevos rancheros were amazing, 5/5. However, the breakfast burrito with tofu and black beans was disappointing (maybe try the vegan brunch burrito with vegetables instead), and the service was particularly grumpy compared to anywhere else we went. They charge a gratuity on take-out orders, which they were upfront about but is still a bit odd. They have outdoor tables but due to the wait we took our food to go and ate on the lovely patio at our hotel.

Madeline’s Mediterranean (food truck) [3/5]: The falafel plate ($10) was tasty but unconscionably overpriced - 3 falafel balls, some lettuce, and a good heap of french fries. 

Bahn Missoula (food truck) [3/5]: We tried the tofu bahn mi sandwich ($8). It wasn’t bad, but the bread wasn’t great, overall it had a bit of a sterile taste like airport food.

Le Petit [not rated]: This is a very popular local bakery that was recommended by a friend. We visited on a Sunday a little over an hour before closing and they literally had ZERO pastries left. We actually haven’t seen that anywhere before. Maybe it’s a small town thing? We didn’t see outdoor seating.

An area across the river from downtown, near the University. Close to Bernice’s and Le Petit. The reminder to “Believe women” brought us back to Jon Krakauer’s book Missoula.

Notable places we didn’t try:

The Camino (Mexican): We heard good things from friends but the vegetarian options looked sparse. Their happy hour could be a good option if you’re in the mood for margaritas -- we put our names down on a Wednesday around 5:45PM and an outdoor table wasn’t available for us until 7:10PM, after we had already sat down at Conflux. Notably, there was an open patio table for 40 minutes that they were saving for someone who was supposedly coming “soon.”

Tagliare Delicatessen: Our friend highly recommended, but the sandwiches were mostly meat- or cheese-oriented. Could be great for a tomato/basil/mozzarella lunch option.

What to Drink

There are so many great breweries! We only tried the most popular ones, but imagine there is much more to enjoy.

Draughtworks: Gorgeous and spacious outdoor patio; we easily got a table on a Saturday at 5p (though it filled up a bit later). They seem to be known for sour and fruity beers and have many unique flavors; the flight ($10 for 4) is a great way to try them out. The watermelon rhubarb kombucha was also amazing.

Dram Works: Has a good outdoor patio and exceptionally friendly service. They let you sample anything before ordering. We really loved their peanut butter beer. They also have multiple kombucha options on tap!

Big Sky Brewing: We didn’t actually go to this brewery, but tried their beers at a fun street festival (Roots Festival) that happened during our visit. We had to mention this because their beers were so delicious!

The Roots Festival was fun -- in addition to enjoying beer and food trucks, the 4-mile race through south Missoula was great!

Plonk: Cocktails place with an extremely cute outdoor patio upstairs. The cocktails were excellent -- especially loved the Pink Panther (it had watermelon in it, what’s not to love?)

Lake Missoula Tea Company: Not beer, but their array of loose leaf teas was incredibly interesting and expansive! They can brew a cup of any tea for purchase in store if you’d like. We heard the lychee black tea was exceptional, though didn’t try it. We did try the vegan ginger chai, which was good.  Definitely a fun place to visit if you enjoy tea.

What to Do

As this was our stop between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, we didn’t do a ton apart from eating and drinking. 

We did hear there is some decent hiking nearby. We walked the M Trail -- a short, straight uphill hike (1.2 miles each way) with a good view of Missoula -- it was perfect at around 8:30a.m. while still shady. Pattee Canyon was a longer hike recommended to us. 

View from the M Trail

We heard hanging out on the river can also be fun. We did a chill ~2 hour tubing excursion on the Clark Fork River with Clark Fork Yacht Club. It was a lot of fun, we definitely recommend!

Where to Stay

We would have loved to stay in an Airbnb to get a feel for what it’s like to live in an actual neighborhood. Availability was sparse -- a local friend told us housing has been very difficult to find across the board as gentrification has accelerated, and we were also visiting for the 2 weeks before the fall semester started at the University. 

We ended up staying at the Marriott Residence Inn Downtown (it was actually cheaper than the few Airbnb options we saw -- you can get a decent discount for staying 12+ nights). It felt more like a hip Manhattan high rise apartment than a Residence Inn -- it was swanky with a great gym and outdoor patio. The service wasn’t great and the staff were fairly unhelpful, but it otherwise worked out fine. The location was great: we were within walking distance of basically everything we wanted to do. 

View from the Marriott Residence Inn Downtown Missoula patio