#the trial and error noodles

[bitacrytic]

I am ashamed to say this, considering how much I LOVE KINNPORSCHE, but this little boy is exactly who I thought Kinn Theerapanyakul was going to be.

[magicalcreeks]

I literally woke up for an hour thinking of Kon watching Tim eat cup of noodles for a few days straight… he doesn’t say anything at first… he’s silently observes. Eventually he goes to Ma and asks her to teach him how to make her bangin’ chicken noodle soup recipe. After some trial and error Kon finally makes the perfect soup.

The next time he sees Tim he doesn’t say anything. He just takes Tim’s noodles out of his hands, chucks it across the room and puts down a thermos prob covered in knockoff Superman stickers.

Tim and his discarded cup of noodles are like ???? and Kon goes :))) and floats away.

[lovverletters]

👉👈 yandere serial killer...??? Maybe?? Like just this big scary dude with a mask and a big fuck all weapon like a butcher's knife or something and hes so big and scary but he sees his darling as he's just head over heels in love and obssessed and stalks them and makes sure they are safe.

Maybe leaves gifts as a way to try and court his darling even (trial and error style)

So like he leaves maybe a dead animal like a fucking cat cause he's this kinda survival guy and he's trying to provide food but darling is freaked out, so he tries again with something else maybe bones. Doesn't work. Tries to figure out what they like and tries again with their favorite flower or something.

Like he's out of touch with society cause again big serial killer who likely lives out in the woods, kills people who get to close to his home etc so he's really trying to win over his darling who lives closer to the town/city or something.

Just.... I just love big scary man who is so scary and mean but is ONLY nice and soft to his darling and tries to be so gentle, especially if his darling is much smaller than him.

No pressure if you dont wanna do this! Just!!! Giving out some ideas!

♡♡♡

♡Bunny

Yandere! Serial Killer

A/N : thank you for requesting! I changed a few things if you don't mind💖 this is like an intro for him? I'll write more if people like this dude

T/W : Obsessive behaviour, murder, mentions of dead animal.

«────── « ⋅ʚ💌ɞ⋅ » ──────»

"─yet another body has been discovered near a park at Heartfelt Avenue this morning. The police were alerted to the scene after a man who was walking his dog stumbled upon the deceased body covered with deep cuts that were shaped into a heart. This marks the twelfth victim of the serial killer, 'Lovelorn' that has left communities in fear──"

The news forecaster were cutted off as [Name] switch the television off. Their stomach churned with uneasiness at the reports of the new killing. With the serial killer still on the loose, god knows who'll be next?

It could be them.

It's a terrifying thought but a probable possibility. All of the bodies were found near their place of living, meaning that the killer is not far from their area. Moving away is not a choice for them, they could barely make enough money to stay afloat.

[Name] will have to put up with the murderous maniac's antics until they were caught and placed behind bars.

"Shit── I forgot I have to cover for Stacey today!" They cursed out, hurriedly changing into their horrendous work uniform.

Working a late shift at a cafe wasn't exactly their choice. [Name] usually worked the day shift── stressful but far better than being all alone at night when there's a lunatic who's going around stabbing people. Their coworker Stacey had an emergency today and had practically begged [Name] to cover for her shift as no one would take up on it.

[Name] don't blame them, no one in their right mind would voluntarily throw themselves in a situation where they would ended up in a news headline.

However, adulting is hard and it drains your sanity slowly and [Name] already lost theirs a long time ago. Plus, they really need more money otherwise they'll have to live off cup noodles.

What ever could go wrong? The killer had just slain a person today, they couldn't possibly attempt to do it again could they?

«────── « ⋅ʚ💌ɞ⋅ » ──────»

Everything went wrong.

It had been mind numbingly boring shift, the cafe were deserted at night with only a few people coming in and getting out as soon as they got their drinks.

[Name] were tempted to just sleep through their shift in the break room. Their boss won't care──probably.

"Can't something interesting happens right now? I'm bored out of my mind──" On cue, the lights suddenly begun flickering before shutting off.

Fuck. They're not bored anymore.

[Name] jolted in their place when the main door slammed to a close and their heart stopping momentarily as they saw a figure running towards the backdoor entrance.

They raced towards the exit──there's no way they're going to investigate it! They value their life more than this store they worked at──and try to pry the door open but discovered to their horror that it has been jammed!

Before they could attempt to break the glass door with a steel chair, they heard a noise from their former place behind the counter. [Name] eyes widened in fear at the sight of the figure they'd seen running earlier.

The man was muscular and had a red horned mask on, in his hand was a large butcher knife that serial killers loves wielding. Had their life not being in danger, [Name] would've laughed at how cliché this situation they're in.

"H─hey buddy, that's a nice looking knife you got there" [Name] says as they held onto the steel chair tighter, ready to wield it as a weapon if needed to.

The killer only stalked further in silence, ignoring [Name]'s remarks. He only stopped once they reached a good distance from each other and [Name] were confused, is he fucking with them?

Their confusion only furthers when the killer drops a fucking dead rabbit in front of them. Horrified beyond belief, [Name] looked at the horned masked man who stared at them as if he's waiting for a praise.

"Wh──wha..?" They could only croaked out timidly.

"It's for you" The killer spoke in his deep voice, elaborating no further.

Their eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as he dropped a human heart next to the dead rabbit. [Name] felt their knees weakened as they fell on the ground, disturbed at the sight before them.

Mustering whatever courage they have left within them, they asked the killer that's towering over them.

"Wha──what are these f──for?" Stumbling over their words from how terrified they were.

The killer, holding a flower in his hand──they looked freshly cut from the stem──lowered to their level of ground and spoke in his gravely voice that's strangely laced with a certain gentleness and love.

"M' courting you cause' I love you"

«────── « ⋅ʚ💌ɞ⋅ » ──────»

[espionn]

Fly, Little Bird

i suppose this counts as my contribution to the stp drawing challenge!

honestly the apotheosis was never my personal favorite route, i've always been more of a witch/beast fan, but sometimes inspiration comes from unlikely places! i realized, watching the scene where she throws the long quiet into the tear in reality, how cool that shot must look from a 3rd-person view, so i decided to bring it to life myself.

a little more about the process for anyone interested:

i expected the hands to be a pain and they were. you can probably tell where i gave up in certain places. but ultimately at this scale they're just a bunch of noodles with a few bumps at the ends so they didn't take too terribly long, it was just a bit tedious.

what might have actually taken longer was the background. i really wanted to recreate the bg of the long quiet and damn was that a process. what you're seeing actually has several layers and it took a while to get something i was happy with, but i think it was worth it.

the shading on apotheosis herself actually wasn't that bad considering i did it all on one layer. limiting yourself to a few tones can do wonders

that green beam of light, meanwhile, was an asshole to draw and took a lot of trial and error. i think the end result serves its purpose, but it's probably the thing i'd most want to tweak in the future.

i'm super happy with the end result though, it's pretty much exactly what i hoped for and i did the whole thing in only a couple hours. im particularly happy with apotheosis's face, the background, and the long quiet's wings. might do more stp stuff soon who knows!

[scarletts-scribbles]

Spice Up Your Life

⁀➷ Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

⁀➷ Notes: Just a small idea I thought could be really cute :) If anyone has requests/ideas please send em over!

⁀➷ Summary: Natasha admits to you that she never really learnt how to cook, luckily you're more than happy to teach her.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Natasha knew you were cooking from the moment she’d gotten home. The smell of oil and fresh vegetables hung in the air, wrapping her in a sweet aroma, as she hung up her coat Nathan couldn’t help but smile to herself as she made out your low humming coming from the kitchen. A slow happy tune gracing your lips.

She loved coming home to you cooking. Not only was it something you enjoyed but you always made something delicious for her and she was always beyond grateful.

Truth be told, she was a little jealous of your culinary skills. Sometimes the redhead would just linger at the kitchen door, leaning on the wooden frame whilst she watched you effortlessly guide a knife to chop ingredients or she’d come to your side and help you plate your meals. It was somewhat enchanting to her to see you in your element.

Tonight was no different. Natasha finished taking off her coat and slid off her boats, placing them on the small rack by the front door before making her way to the kitchen.

She couldn't resist the urge to sneak up behind you, wrapping her arms around your waist and resting her chin on your shoulder. "What's on the menu tonight?" she inquired, her voice filled with genuine curiosity.

“Well let’s see, I’ve got some fresh peppers from the market and we’ve got those left over noodles.” You explained as you continued to dice up a garlic glove, “I was thinking maybe a stir-fry, how does that sound?”

“Stir-fry sounds amazing.” She smiled and planted a soft kiss on your cheek and peered over at the ingredients. Nat pursed her lips for a moment before stepping back to admire how you navigated the kitchen so easily.

“So.” Natasha began but paused for a moment, causing you to stop and look back at her. She seemed to be blushing a little, her cheeks a darker red, “How do you know how to prepare everything so well? You do it so easily, I’ve never been able to do anything like this.” She mumbled quietly, her gaze not quite meeting your eyes. It was something you’d learnt that she did when she was embarrassed, “I never learnt how…”

You chuckled softly, turning to face Natasha, "Well, it's just something I picked up over the years. Trial and error, you know?" You noticed her hesitancy and added, "But if you want, I'd be more than happy to teach you some tricks?”

Natasha smiled widely, unable to stop the corners of her lips curling up, her eyes seemingly sparkled with excitement. “You’d do that?”

You turned to face her, surprised but amused. "Of course darling, it's never too late to start learning. How about you help me finish making this? I'll teach you the ropes as we go.” You smiled, washing off your knife before offering it out to her.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to risk it? I might burn the kitchen down."

“Well it’s lucky that I live with a very strong Avenger who can elegantly carry me to safety, isn’t it?”

Natasha muffled a giggle, shaking her head a little as she kissed your cheek. You returned the gesture softly before guiding her towards the cutting board, you handed Natasha an orange pepper. "Here, hold the pepper like this, and let's start with a simple chop." Your hands gently covered hers, guiding her hands gently with the knife, slicing through the vegetable as you demonstrated, “See? You've got this."

As Natasha started to chop the pepper with your guidance, she couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. "I might not be as smooth as you, but I’ve love to cook for you sometime - only once I get a little better of course, wouldn’t want to poison you.”

You chuckled, nudging her playfully with your hips, “I think I’d love that Natty.” With a wink, you handed her a pan, showing her how to heat it up and explaining the order of ingredients and how to know when each one was ready. It didn’t take long to explain your seasonings either, she was so eager to take it all on. “We could make this a regular thing if you’d like? Start making meals together from now on?”

Natasha's eyes lit up with excitement. "I'd like that very much," she replied, a genuine warmth in her voice. As you both continued to cook together, the kitchen filled with laughter and the sizzling sounds of the oil. It was the beginning of a new tradition, where the joy of cooking intertwined with the joy of being together and you couldn’t be more proud of the progress she’d made.

✧･ﾟ: *

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[loulou-land]

Chicken Noodle Soup for the Heart

Day 2 of @bucktommyfluffebruary | Cooking Together | 1,470 words

It was the kind of day that made staying in feel inevitable. Outside, torrential rain fell against the loft’s windows, its relentless rhythm sounding softened inside the kitchen. Buck was grateful they both had the next 48 hours off—no calls, no alarms, just the luxury of enjoying the bad weather from the warmth of home instead of going against it.  

And Buck could think of nothing better on a day like this than making soup from scratch—something rich, hearty, and comforting. 

He moved instinctively, pulling ingredients from the fridge and pantry, spreading them out on the counter with practiced ease. Taking a step back, he ran through his mental checklist, envisioning how each component would come together to create the perfect chicken noodle soup.  

Over the past couple of years, Buck had come to appreciate the art of cooking, taking pride in the growing repertoire of recipes he’d mastered—many of them learned through trial and error, as well as sheer persistence. He had pestered Bobby until he had every little detail down to a science. 

Now, he could already imagine the depth of the broth, the way the herbs would meld together, the chicken turning perfectly tender, the explosion of flavors in his mouth. A pleased hum escaped him at the thought. 

Which was when Tommy's voice broke through his focus, momentarily reminding him that he wasn't alone in the kitchen. 

“You know there's a can of soup in the pantry, right?” Tommy said, voice laced with amusement. 

Buck stopped. Turned in his direction. Stared. 

Tommy, leaning lazily against the edge of the counter in one of the kitchen chairs, looked entirely unbothered by the deep offense he had just committed. 

“A can?” Buck echoed, as though repeating it out loud would change the fact that his boyfriend had seriously just suggested he heat up canned soup. “Why would I—? You think I’m just gonna—? Tommy.” He shook his head, muttering, “I can't even look at you right now,” before moving to his cutting board, whispering the recipe under his breath like a mantra. Willing himself to ignore the overly amused man watching him from the other side of the kitchen counter. 

Buck was not falling for it again. 

He knew Tommy’s tactics. He loved to rile Buck up when he was in the kitchen, often distracting him from his cooking until it led to wandering hands, panting kisses, loud moans, and eventually—burnt dinner. So no, Buck wasn’t going to let himself get sidetracked this time. 

He soon lost himself in the rhythm of it—chopping onions, heating butter, letting the scent of sauteing vegetables fill the space. A little salt, a little pepper, the start of one of the recipe's components coming to fruition. 

But then—he couldn't ignore it anymore. 

An intense gaze. Like a soft caress running over him. 

He glanced up, catching Tommy watching him with an indefinable expression. Soft. Slightly exasperated. Amused. Fond. 

In love. 

Buck swallowed hard, a flush running up his cheeks and ears. He quickly shifted focus, turning to the pot—stirring with intense concentration. He was just cooking. It wasn't a big deal. 

But the way Tommy was looking at him—like Buck had hung the moon and all the stars just for him—it made him feel unbelievably warm inside. His throat tightened, the onslaught of things wanting to spill through his lips catching in the sudden knot that formed there. Still, the words echoed through him.  I love you. Thank you. I Love You. 

The breakup had left its mark on them both in different ways. Buck’s sometimes manifested in moments like this—in wanting to say it over and over, in wanting to make sure Tommy knew. That he was grateful Tommy had come back, was still here. 

Okay, Buck needed a distraction. 

“Alright,” he announced, clearing his throat. “You're not just gonna stand there watching—I'm putting you to work. If you want soup, you can help.” He placed his hands on his hips with authority. 

Tommy raised an eyebrow at Buck's bratty little stance, lips quirking like they did anytime he acted like that. Buck just knew Tommy was already plotting some kind of retribution for later. He felt a shiver run down his spine but he quickly shook it off. 

Tommy let out a small, amused laugh before stepping up beside him. “Fine. What am I doing, chef?”

Buck’s heart stuttered. The playful nickname wrapped in that special way Tommy always said his name. He cleared his throat. 

“Carrots.” Buck handed him a knife and some whole carrots. “Cut them like this.” He demonstrated, cutting them into tiny, perfectly uniform cubes with quick, even movements. 

Tommy hummed, took hold of the knife—then did absolutely none of that. 

Buck watched in mounting alarm as Tommy hacked his way through the first carrot. The slices were uneven, some too thick, some too thin, one somehow triangular. 

“What—what are you doing?” Buck asked, voice bordering on distressed. 

Tommy barely glanced up, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he butchered another carrot. “Cutting the carrots.”

“Well, they look—” Buck inhaled sharply, letting out a nervous chuckle. “um…artistic.”

Tommy snorted. “Don't backseat cut, Evan.” 

“What—Tommy, that’s not a thing.” 

“It is when you’re breathing down my neck while I wield a knife.” 

“I am guiding you.” 

“You’re hovering.”

Buck clenched his jaw, breathing through the urge to snatch the knife away. He lasted maybe three more seconds, wincing as Tommy whacked the blade against another carrot (why is he whacking at them? Buck thought, horrified) before exhaling sharply and gently shoving Tommy aside with his hip. “Okay, I'll cut the carrots.” 

Tommy threw his head back and laughed, stepping away with his hands up in surrender, as he allowed Buck full control of his kitchen again. 

Buck frowned at him, narrowing his eyes suspiciously when Tommy threw him a wink. 

“Were you butchering them on purpose?” he asked, already working through the rest of the carrots with quick, precise cuts. 

“Not at all,” Tommy said, completely unconvincing. “I was trying my hardest.” His voice was dry as he wiped his hands on a rag, then leaned back against the counter—subtly flexing his muscles at Buck. 

Buck’s lips twitched, before he ducked his head and let himself smile. 

He'd never known love could feel like this. Had never had this with anyone else before. This easy banter, the teasing, the laughter, the way he felt wanted and above all, free to be himself.  

When he looked up again, Tommy was still watching him, smiling happily, the crinkles around his blue eyes, deep and warm. 

“You’re such a liar,” Buck said, voice bright with laughter. 

“Hey, now, those are some serious accusations.” Tommy said in mock offense. 

Buck rolled his eyes fondly before stepping into Tommy’s orbit, pressing a quick kiss to his boyfriend's cleft. 

Tommy caught him by the waist, his hand settling below his chin as he pulled Buck in for a  deeper, softer kiss. Saying his I love you in the way he held Buck close, in the way he kissed him like he was something precious. And Buck said it back with another gentle press of his lips, his fingers curling into Tommy’s sweater. 

Buck sighed happily, then nudged Tommy away with a grin. “Alright, stop being a menace and go wait on over there” he pointed to the chairs “while i finish the soup.”

Tommy hummed, pressing a quick kiss to Buck’s forehead right over his birthmark. “Yes, chef.”

By the time the soup was simmering, warm and rich, Tommy had set the table and opened a bottle of wine. Buck stirred the pot one last time before ladling out two bowls and bringing them to the table. They clinked their glasses together, sharing a look that said how grateful they were for these moments. 

Tommy took one bite and let out a deep, appreciative moan. “This is wonderful, Evan.” 

Buck felt himself flush, both at the compliment and Tommy’s reaction. He ducked his head, stirring his own bowl. “Well, you helped a little.”

Tommy tilted his head, amused. “Oh?”

Buck smiled, lifting his spoon and pointing to the triangular carrot in the broth. 

Tommy stared for a moment before breaking into a grin, something bashful and deeply touched flashing across his face. He reached across the table, catching Buck’s hand in his own before bringing it to his lips, pressing a warm lingering kiss to his knuckles.  

They smiled softly at each other, before they continued eating, slipping into easy conversation—talking about nothing and everything. 

Outside, the rain kept falling. The rest of the world tinged gray, cold and wet.  

But inside, they were bathed in faint yellow lights, their hearts full of warmth and love.

[cactibarber]

bg3 companions ranked from worst to best cook

9) astarion

has not eaten human food in two centuries and doesn’t want to start now. since he mentions that wine tastes bad to him he’s probably like the vampires in wwdits and projectile vomits after eating so when it’s his turn to cook he just lays raw ingredients out for other people to deal with

8) shadowheart

has been living in a convent where she probably didn’t have to learn how to cook ever. overcooks whatever she does cook and tries to pass it off as a “style”. is the equivalent of a “one iced coffee for the entire day” girl so is surprised when people are still hungry after eating a small bowl of gruel

7) karlach

basically like a college kid in terms of scrounging together food and comes up with awful combinations. would be on an instant noodle diet if she could

6) minsc

only knows how to prep food for boo and no one else so it’s salads and fruit only (literally rabbit food)

5) lae’zel

food is important because it gives you energy to fight so you need exact amounts of it to bring your body to its full potential. what do you mean you don’t want to eat two boiled chicken breasts with a side of boiled potatoes. what about your calories

4) jaheira

now we’re getting into the actual decent cooks. makes very homestyle meals that leave you full, even if they’re not the fanciest and tastiest of meals. her kids always complain about her cooking but never leave home before eating a meal

3) halsin

the druids all take turn cooking so has had lots of practice. manages to make shitty ingredients actually taste decent but cooks a little bit like a health nut. at least you won’t feel bloated afterwards

2) wyll

grew up eating fancy ass food that he then tried to replicate when he was on his own. trial and error means he’s gotten pretty good at it too, although he swears that it’s not as good as he remembers it

1) gale

canonically is the best and does all the cooking and why wouldn’t he? fancy man living on his own in a tower is going to have a lot of time experimenting and developing recipes. loves showing others how he cooks (but isn’t the best teacher)

[cimmerian1275]

Some Dragonfruit AU Headcanons and ideas, there was a whole 2 hour discussion in the Shellcord server brainstorming this AU and i collected a bunch of really neat notes for it!

A bit about it so far:

Raph: Hes biggest, the scaliest, the spikey guy, hes like a giant terrestrial western dragon-shaped dog <3 He has massive wings that he 100% uses as shields for his brothers, i gave him 4 wings just to make that happen. Hes absolutely the toughest out of all the brothers, and because of that his wings and scales have seen some rough times with tears and chips in them.

Like Leo hes capable of flying, but it took him many more years before his wings actually grew big enough and strong enough for him to actually take flight.

His diamond-shaped scales are similar rubies and they continuously grow and shed, sometimes he chomps down on them like theyre edible crystal snacks xD

Mikey often makes little gem inspired trinkets to hang on his horns or braid into the long fur down his spine (<- Leo is the best at braiding fur/hair, Mikey often puppy-eyes Leo into braiding his)

Raph is a cold-blooded dragon, but unlike Mikey he cant generate his own body heat without outside influence. He often yoinks his brothers (most likely Mikey) to warm himself up on a cold day.

Donnie: Hes a warm-blooded lung/western dragon, semi-aquatic, and extremely flexible and long. His skin, eyesight and ears are the most sensitive out of the brothers, and hes overall more susceptible to dehydration.

He is extremely good at swimming, kind of like hes just a giant otter. He's capable of holding his breath for over an hour.

Like Mikey, he cant fly and has no wings, but that doesnt stop him!! He was quick to draft up concepts for mechanical wings that would let him take to the skies aswell. He was extremely jealous of Leo and his bragging when it came to flying, and didnt want to be left behind when Raph eventually began flying too.

It took years of trial and error but he eventually created his own mechanical wings, inspired by birds (He will never admit to Leo that the true inspiration for the mech wings was actually Leos own wings)

With his flexible dragon noodliness, hes almost immune to fall damage (but there are limits).

Leo: Like Donnie, hes a warm-blooded noodle of a dragon. Very lithe and long, he is also the only dragon out of them all with FEATHERS! The crest of feathers down his spine is very expressive and often gives away his emotions (whether its intentional or not we shall never know...) it also adds to his dramatic body language.

He was the first to fly, his feathered wings grew in exceptionally fast and because of his hollow bones and light weight it was pretty easy for him to get started.

He absolutely hates his baby photos, that growing period when his feathers were just beginning to come in was not a good time for his looks...

Despite being a bird-like dragon, he is very fond of water (think of cormorants and kingfishers) His feathers are water resistant and he is surprisingly great at swimming!

Hes the best at singing (second to April though) Leo is also freakily talented at mimicking various sounds (with lots of practice ofc), he pranks Donnie when he mimics the sound of his alarms/notifications (Donnie has had to change those SO many times xD)

Leos eyesight is the sharpest, he can see the furthest out of the brothers.

Mikey: Very similar to a cat, hes a cold-blooded drake with a fluffy mane and a long prehensile tail.

He is a small but mighty little dragon.

Mikey is the only dragon capable of breathing fire (or having any sort of breath weapon at all) and because of that, his body temperature runs fairly high.

His fire breath isnt that strong (no one would be safe if it WAS-) but he uses it for cooking or as a light source when exploring somewhere dark. He also shoots sparks when he sneezes or coughs.

Despite Donnie and Leo being warm-blooded dragons and not needing external sources of heat as much like Raph, they still love borrowing him as their dragon shaped hot water bottle <3

Like Donnie, he doesnt have wings and cannot fly (YET!) so he rides on his brothers. His brothers often fight over who gets to carry him (usually Raph or Donnie win), his prehensile tail makes it easier for him have a good grip to stay on their shoulders.

Eventually (in the kinda distant future) his mystic powers surface and hes able to harness those to float, and eventually fly.

——————

Extras!:

They each smell like a different fruit: Mikey is citric, Raph is cherry/berries, Donnie is bananas, Leo is mangos/pineapples (April loves to pet them, and then sniff her hand xD)

Mikey and Leo mess with everyones tails, especially the tuft of fur at the end of Donnies, they struggle to resist the urge to pounce on it

They all purr and love scritches

They got taught to pretend to be/act like cats or dogs when they were younger if theyre ever spotted on the surface by humans (it doesnt work so much when they got older, too big)

They call their finishing group attack/move the 'fruit punch!'

April mistook Mikey and Donnie for 'exotic weird looking cats' when she first stumbled across them

She names Donnie Fluffy and the only reason she figures out theyre not actually weird cats but talking sentient DRAGONS... is because when she meets Donnie and names him, he gets so offended that he has to correct it

Whenever theyre arguing over who gets to carry Mikey, Donnie often says: "i will carry him because unlike yours, my wings wont tire out" (tech wings for the win)

Mikey and Leo keep Leos shed feathers, Mikey loves asking for them and keeping them for art projects

When Leo is asked why they shed he loves to say “i forgot to cherish them”

Mikey loves to paint/dye everyones scales and fur

Leo and Donnie have venomous spit (the family quickly built up immunity to it because the twins were massive biters when they were younger, and still are)

Donnie has real eyebrows

Everyone but Leo has great night vision

Mikey is the only one who doesnt like water

(Close to the time they meet April) Mikey, when their closer with April, gives her a little charm she puts on her jacket, and it's a fruit of course (a dragonfruit) Leo suggests the fruit name as a joke because he thinks its so funny that theyre dragons and that theres a fruit that exists named after them <- Leo says "a dragon fruit" and in his mind hes imagining a pear with wings, cue his shock when he sees an actual dragonfruit (he laughs at it for weeks)

[asexualsinner]

More Ghoul Headcanons: Kitchen Edition

Mountain

Hides his snacks on the top shelf to avoid the others stealing them

Has to use a recipe when cooking

Likes hearty meals like stews

Is an excellent shadow, will assist any of the other ghouls or Copia when asked.

Likes to just be in the kitchen

Is the embodiment of a pioneer woman mom

Loves to bake

CanNOT handle spice

Thinks cayenne is spicy

Favorite food is chili and drink is tea

Favorite snacks are fig newtons (yes he knows that they're made with wasps, he thinks it's funny)

Carries epi pens on him for the others

Rain

Is obsessed with making smoothies

Isn't allowed to use the stove after using water on a grease fire

Nearly burned half the abbey down

It's fine, he prefers salads anyway

Do not trust this ghoul with a knife he will find a way to hurt himself by accident

Is just a disaster when in the kitchen

Favorite food is smoked salmon thanks to Dew

Fancy ✨bitch✨ that puts mint and fruits in his water

Is the only ghoul to like Kale

Has a high spice tolerance

Takes forever to do the dishes bc he'll play in the water instead

Dew/Sodo

Favorite snacks are seaweed sheets and Takis

His taste buds went "weird" after his transition

He can't decide what he likes anymore, spicy? Fish? So he decided on both. Sometimes neither

Loves to smoke foods, begs Mountain for dried wood flavors for it

Dew learning to smoke properly was heavy trial and error, some things were edible some were very much not

His favorite changes weekly, but ATM it's smoked veggies and tofu

Is a big garbage ghoul, will throw everything together on a plate and eat it

Drinks coffee but doesn't like energy drinks

Has moderate spice tolerance

Will try anything once

Surprisingly one of the better cooks in the pack

Is lactose intolerant. No this doesn't stop him. Why would it?

Doesn't need a recipe, cooks from memory or guesswork

Has everything labeled and dated

Swiss

NO spice tolerance

Tries to compete with Dew, Cumulus and Rain and it never ends well

Loves comfort food!!! Give this ghoul Macncheese or pierogies and he's happy

Can follow boxed instructions or strict recipes but tries to "improve" them

Survives off of Redbull

Doesn't know the difference between a chef's knife and a paring knife

Thinks bc he's a multi ghoul he can pull pans out of the oven without mitts - has been treated for burns multiple times

Hates doing the dishes

His go to snacks are gummy worms or jerky

Will eat expired food thinking it'll be fine - it never is

Is a 3am fridge raider

Phantom/Aeon

Loves pancakes, absolute favorite food though is fettuccine Alfredo. Has to be fettuccine noodles, spaghetti isn't the same

Has texture issues with food

Absolutely hates ground meats, the texture is bad

Has a sweet tooth

Is a surprisingly decent cook, can manage without recipes

Baking is beyond him

Mistook baking soda for sugar once and Mountain banned him from baking ever again

Doesn't like eggs

Is allergic to peanut butter

Favorite snacks are Oreos or rice crackers

Enjoys cranberry juice

Can't have caffeine - gives him headaches

Aether

One of the better cooks in the pack

Is one of the only ones that can finish the dishes without distractions

Is allergic to citrus fruits

Has an app on his phone to scan packages for ingredients

Will practically drink soy sauce he loves it so much

Favorite snack is cucumbers and Italian dressing

Prefers strawberry jam over grape jelly

Doesn't like seafood

Favorite food is deer chili - shares this with Mountain

Wears gloves when cooking to avoid cross contamination

Cumulus

SPICE QUEEN

Has done every spice challenge possible, downs it like it's nothing

Like Swiss, can read box instructions but don't trust her past that

Has burnt frozen pizza before

Favorite snacks are tortillas and ghost pepper salsa

Eats jalapenos like candy

Needless to say she terrifies others

Favorite food is homemade ramen - she begs the others to make it for her

Package ramen isn't the same

Likes to do the dishes and help out in the kitchen

Does need a step stool however

Favorite drink is hazelnut coffee

Aurora

Junk food junkie

Favorite snacks are Skittles and kettle cooked potato chips

Prefers vitamin water over regular water

Likes to make quick easy meals like grilled cheese etc

Eats at the oddest times, breakfast is 2pm and dinner has been at 4am for her

Leaves her dishes in the sink like a gremlin

Has been banned from eating in the living room

Gets easily distracted while cooking

If she puts her mind to it, can make really elaborate dishes for the pack

However she makes a huge mess of the kitchen when doing so

Cirrus

Can identify spices/ingredients after tasting things once

Is also lactose intolerant, takes lactaid frequently

Loves Korean BBQ

Likes differing temperatures (cold food that's spicy, mints, etc)

Loves blackberries and celery

Is a very good cook, can make most things after trying them once

Her favorite drink is bubble tea

Has medium spice tolerance, like spicy flavor rather than the heat

Would rather dry and put away the dishes than wash them

Has a massive sweet tooth like phantom

[notsodailykurudoro]

Day 95

Dororo lacked an appetite.

Despite his flawless care habits, rigorous training that he glided through with ease, the extra attention he gave to others, his strong morals, and insistence on staying on the bright path after belonging to the shadows for so many years, it was a reality, an asterisk in his portfolio, a blue stain on the white cloak of hypocrisy.

Dororo didn't feel like eating.

Dororo, in fact, refused to eat.

Even though this affliction did not greatly affect his almost invincible performance, it exposed him to certain situations that were, at the very least, unfavorable and uncomfortable. A fake laugh accompanied by a hand gesture of rejection, a polite decline that, under insistence, turned into cold sweat and finally into the bitterness of giving in. He had always been weak to social pressure, weak to the pure of the heart, as he would say.

Kururu was not like that.

After constant, close inspection and very long sessions of trial and error, he realized how curious his nature was. He could spend entire days awake, with the occasional bite of a curry-flavored nutrition bar, too engrossed in whatever task or objective was in front of him, determined to finish it until the inevitable snap of reality fell on his shoulders and brought him to collapse, something that he eventually found out only happened when he was in total and complete solitude. Something that changed once the trained assassin settled into his routine.

Once he finished his endless days of leisure, hunger attacked him as if his stomach was demanding blood, and he ended up eating anything he had within reach with aggressive voracity, regardless of the time, as long as no one could see him. He tore up packages, skinned pieces of meat or chicken, gobbled up noodles, inhaled instant curry, and if the gods decided to take pity on his putrid soul and he happened to have access to homemade curry (or, in general, something more edible than the packaged garbage he got at any grocery store), there was no power on earth that could keep him from almost tearing off his fingers or eating part of the plate. It was a spectacle, one that he had been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to experience more than once.

And from that moment on, the Ninja tried to get packages of food prepared by him to hand over. Once again, the extra attention to others was messing with his own well-being.

He loved Pekopon, he loved his friends, he loved his hobbies, and he loved Kururu, but that conclusion came only after an extensive period of deconstruction and a very severe identity crisis that cast a shadow over him, which he was still trying to leave behind to this very day. The things he saw and did during his time in the assassins' corps were only to remain in his darkest nightmares and in the most horrible of his intrusive thoughts, things so ruthless, immoral, unpleasant.

It wasn't until he tried to take a bite of a piece of undercooked ham that, the impact of the taste making him return to the darkest of his days, made him realize that perhaps, and just perhaps, the problem ran a little deeper than he had initially thought.

He grimaced in disgust, only reflected in his usually expressionless eyes, as he witnessed how the Sergeant Major noisily slurped what a moment ago was his almost intact soup without waiting for a concrete response from him. It wasn't like he would have denied it to him anyway, but the urgency with which he was devouring his food (and his, too) was perhaps starting to displease him a little, besides the fact that he was starting to consider it somewhat rude.

He sighed again, looking away at the rest of the event hall, which was also part of the underground base of the platoon, decorated halfway with lights and other Christmas miscellany for the season, and also with the mess that gradually grew while his companions argued and ran around the entire venue wrapped in the decorations. Completely oblivious to the conflict, he barely made an effort to put the pieces together of what he more or less found out before the situation escalated... Did the life cycle of geese have something to do with the color of the grass in the stadium? He had no clue.

It was horrible; he felt strangely melancholic, almost dizzy from the lights and the screams. Christmas was supposed to be a time to rejoice in the company of those you care about the most, to feel grateful for what you have in your life and what you have achieved during the year, to admire the decorated houses, the families, the friends, the lovers... None of that entered into the bitter feeling that built up in his stomach and made his chest throb.

He considered excusing himself and calling it a day, returning the next day or maybe in a week, clearing his mind with more meditation, having tea with Koyuki, but he had no idea when the next time they would include him in their plans would be and he did not wanted to risk cutting short valuable time in the company of...

Another glimpse of Giroro hitting Keroro, who was on the ground with Christmas lights wrapped around his torso, with a comically large candy cane in his hand, erased his train of thought in a flash, and his grimace only grew larger. He prepared to stand up.

"Very well, this has been deligh-" he began.

"FFFWAAAHh-" A high-pitched, nasally voice exhaled from beside him, finally satisfied after having victoriously exterminated as many dishes as he could reach from what used to be the feast prepared for their small meeting thousands of meters underground.

"Now THAT is a Christmas miracle, Ne, Doro?"

"Ah..." Interrupted once again mid-sentence, he managed to blurt out, halfway up to leave.

"What? You gonna empty the tank?" Kururu returned, halfway to lying down on the ground.

"Um... Actually, I... I was just about to-" He tried to excuse himself, making inconclusive gestures, realizing it would be quite rude to take his leave without a proper goodbye.

"...N-Nevermind."

"Haaaah..." The yellow frog blurted out, scratching his stomach and looking away at the trio of morons who were now hanging Giroro from the ceiling with the same Christmas lights and preparing (or at least hinting at it) to use him as a piñata.

They both entertained themselves for a few minutes staring in mutual silence at the stupid scene before Kururu spoke up.

"Welp, I'm fed up. Wanna get outta here?"

Slightly surprised, he was able to return his gaze in time to process his request, take one last look at the rest, and nod firmly.

And once outside, he could finally breathe.

Their shared silence always seemed comforting to him, being able to lose himself in his own thoughts with the freedom of knowing that the other was doing exactly the same until one felt the eventual need to mention something before returning to calm, sometimes for hours, sometimes for minutes.

This was one of those minutes.

"You're quiet," Kururu spoke, bringing him out of his trance.

"What do you mean? I always try to reserve my words." He answered after seconds of stupefaction.

"More than usual, too much jovial charade?"

Dororo seemed to consider it, staring at the mechanical floor beneath his feet that constantly moved in tune with the machinery, saving them the tedious task of walking barefoot through the endless corridors of the base.

"...Maybe."

"Hm."

Another couple of minutes passed, seeming to stretch on for hours. Usually, they didn’t take the scenic route; by now, if they had wanted to, they would have already been in front of the metal doors of the amphibious lemonade lab. He supposed his autopilot got the better of him, unconsciously falling into one of Kururu's psychological traps.

He bristled a bit at the realization, doing a fleeting recount of all his actions during the day and the week while he was at it, failing to take a hint at the subject of the mental war that was approaching.

"You didn't touch your food."

Oh. Oh no.

"...You didn't let me."

"You haven't done it in a while."

Insightful, and honestly not surprising.

"A-Ah... Is... Is that so?"

"Listen, as far as I'm concerned, you can starve yourself if it means you're in the middle of some weird ninja starvation vow. I don't care what you do to honor the persona you created in your roleplay post-trauma, but believe me, I don't want to be the one to drag you once you fall face-first into the ground because of this stupid little antic."

He sounded oddly harsh, mad even, genuinely exasperated by something as banal as he believed his little intermittent fasting was. No matter how much he turned his claims over, he couldn’t fully understand his frustration or what at least resembled such.

"Such... thing is not going to happen, I can assure you. My health is above all in perfect condition." A half-lie, perhaps accustomed to the static in his vision, to the numbness of his words, and the slowness of his cognitive tramp.

"Sure." He spat, cynical as always in that mocking bite that adorned his own words.

Tense, he pressed his forearms together a bit, feeling somewhat scolded and remaining in cold silence for the rest of the journey. At least until the belts split, and the decision to jump to Kururu's or stay on his own to go off on his own presented itself to him. Panicking a little in the face of uncertainty, he opened and closed his mouth as he searched for the right words to ease the burden he felt he had placed on the hacker's crooked back. Finally, he opted to move from his spot, at least to beg for an apology, and if possible, a hug, any kind of physical contact, any pixel of validation. He took a step forward.

And that was the last thing he knew.

Fading in the process, a deafening pressure enveloped his senses and took his breath away, effectively falling face-first to the ground.

Still dragged by the moving platforms, Dororo remained motionless.

The yellow devil let out some sounds of urgency (and annoyance), condemned to the irony of his predictions always coming back to bite him in the ass. Cursing under his breath, his hands gripped the ninja's pits and dragged him to a more optimal area on the belts, at least while they arrived at their destination.

"I told you, I told you, I fucking told you. I always tell you, and you never listen to me. You're a…" He muttered between pushes, the mechanical statue with its face rising imposingly behind him.

He huffed, wiping sweat from his forehead, before slapping it after remembering that he could make robotic limbs emanate from his gear to make the task of carrying a body in the solitude of his mechanized cave easier… For once, without malicious intent. He supposed his autopilot got the better of him.

Still grumbling, he held Dororo suspended in the air, supported by six spider hands. The statue's teeth raised upon detecting his presence and emitted a few extra beeps upon recognizing the shinobi's. His own hands clung to his churning stomach in an attempt to ease the nausea caused by the scare and physical effort previously used. It was his fault for overdoing it like that anyway; he could only hope that he didn't end up throwing up that night.

He gently positioned his partner in his Gaming Chair™, manipulating buttons, commands, and medical equipment with his mechanical hands while he rubbed his face in eternal tiredness and stress, sitting on the floor next to the blue-hued frog. He connected small tubes to his arms that led to plastic bags with strange liquids, serums, and alien substances that perhaps, if he were in the right mood, he would take the trouble to explain in excessive detail. Withdrawing assistance once everything was in order, he shrank a little in his place when he noticed that the discomfort was only getting worse.

He let out a shaky sigh, looking up at one of his huge screens to see the time: 1:05 AM, December 25th. Christmas.

"Tch… Ho, ho, ho, motherfucker." He tilted his smile, staring at the sleeping frame of his partner.

This was nothing out of the expected; he had gotten used to the idea that sooner or later, he would end up tying him to a chair and forcing him to eat, or maybe take a rag and cut off his breathing until he fell asleep and proceed with the same idea. Even suddenly attacking him with syringes while his guard was down, taking advantage of moments of closeness, or simply going all in and stabbing the poor bastard. But he never thought that the moment would come so quickly, or much less in such an easy and, he would be lying if he didn't admit it, anticlimactic way.

Nevertheless, a failure in his almost precise calculations was a failure; there was no denying that. This was not what he expected from his night when he left the room with a full stomach. Yes, his emotional instigation was a stone in the road, and yes, maybe he also got a little bit carried away with the "scolding." But it was nothing that couldn't be smoothed out with a little more time, nice words, and a grope here and there.

Dororo was easy to manipulate, and it just so happened that Kururu almost always got his way out of things. He wasn't even leading him toward committing illicit acts! Everyone had a win on this!

…Had one.

Christmas was supposed to be about freebies, food, and consumerism, and basic decency and kindness, no matter how many war crimes and hate crimes you committed over your long career in the scumbag chain of the worst of spatial scum. Endless speeches about love and peace and giving, the hopeful looks of idiots rejoicing at the most futile of gestures, the smallest of compliments, the most meaningless of gifts…

To become uncomfortable under the coldest of touches…

He shuddered all over, his stomach churning with the aggression of a miniature typhoon, twisting and bending his organs until he felt the gags graze the back of his throat, flesh sizzling against the acid.

Oh no, he definitely wasn't going to be able to hold this one, he thought fleetingly, unable to find a trash can in time. Grabbing an unfinished helmet attached to a myriad of cables, he emptied some of the contents of his stomach inside.

Making a mess of the unfinished apparatus, he remained in that position for a few seconds before regurgitating again. His gags and whimpers echoed too loudly in the lab's silence, as he threw up another slice of turkey and stew.

"Nnngh..."

He hated food.

He hated Dororo.

He hated the way he always bragged about being nice and good, with his old-fashioned sayings, his well-kept garden, his almost perfect physical condition, and the pretentious advice he gave, as if he knew him or at least had a rough idea of what was going on in his head.

He snorted, idiot, he couldn't even take care of himself. He was just as mortal as everyone else, just as miserable and pathetic.

He laughed to himself, in a fetal position, waiting for the nausea to pass. His congested breathing made him snore and sound unpleasant as he tried to boast.

Poor thing, of course, he needed him. What would become of Dororo if he wasn't there to drag him out of his misery bubble?

"... Yeah..." He found himself muttering, turning his permanent smile upside down.

"Kur-... uru..."

He jolted upwards, how much time had passed?

He rushed to Dororo's side, who was beginning to stir and show signs of consciousness. Kururu tried to hide a sigh of relief.

"Don't strain yourself, dumbass." He warned, rubbing one of his eyes, still dizzy from his earlier vomiting.

"What... happened...?" Dororo tried, attempting to bring a hand to his face, only to notice his restricted movement.

"Don't move." Kururu said quickly, holding down his arm with one hand, carefully

They finally locked eyes.

“... You passed out because you are a crybaby who doesn't want to eat his fruits and vegetables.”

"I'm... sorry."

"You're a moron." Kururu frowned, tempted to hit him behind the head, without taking his hand off the other.

They held their stare for a while, one crystallizing and the other softening.

"Tch... Fine, apology accepted..." Kururu looked away, crossing his arms.

Dororo, in all his exhaustion, couldn't help but muster a hidden smile.

"I... suppose you did end up being the one to-"

"Drag you once you fell face-first to the ground, yeah, I know, very funny, Doro..."

A pang stabbed through his chest and stomach. He remained silent before trying to move one of his arms again to reach out for Kururu.

"I'm... sorry." He repeated, his hand in the air stretched towards Kururu's direction before being held by the wrist by an alien touch. A touch that, even coming from annoyance, was nothing more than a gentle squeeze.

"I said don't move, you braindead?"

"Are you mad?"

"What kind of question is that? Of COURSE, I'm ma-..." Kururu cut himself off, falling silent and looking at the floor for a few seconds before returning his gaze.

"No." A blatant lie, as he led Dororo's hand to a more optimal position and let him go.

Resigned, the ninja stood still, losing his sight in some dead spot in the room while Kururu walked away to lean on his desk and let his weight fall on his arms, exhaling a sigh between his teeth, still dizzy.

Dororo tended to make him sick.

"Would... it make you feel better if..."

"Just don't do that again..." Kururu interrupted, bringing a hand to his face to rub his eyes again under his glasses.

"What thing?"

There were a few beats of silence.

"... Scaring me."

The Shinobi's empty eyes opened a little more, worry settling on his features. Before he could properly process it, he began to tear up.

"... I'm sorry..."

"Ah, it's alright..."

Normalizing his breathing, Kururu finally turned to see the ninja practically tied to the chair, approaching to check the bags connected to him. Not yet.

He gave him a few playful pats on the cheek.

"Ne, cheer up, it's good now."

"I-Is it...?"

"Yeah, you just caught me in a bad mood."

Dororo sniffed.

"Is there a difference?"

"You're stretching it."

"... I know."

He weakly laughed, Kururu stretched his smile.

“... I'll start eating more,” Dororo added, his blurry vision showing signs of determination as he tried to focus on his partner's face.

“Do I believe you?” Kururu asked skeptically.

“I implore you to trust me.” Dororo replied.

“Only if I see it.”

Even through the haze of his own tears, Dororo could make out their faces drawing closer with each passing second. For the first time, he took the initiative to disobey previous orders and reached out to grasp the smaller frog’s face. He took the edges of his own mask with his free hand, attempting to pull it down. Until suddenly, Kururu shuddered violently, puffed out his cheeks, and vomited all over both of them.

… Merry Christmas, he guessed…

[heian-era-housewife]

The Wormie Chronicles

An evolutionary analysis of Shiu's acceptance of a certain cursed worm.

Special thanks in large part to @noodle-is-unstable whose genius inspired...well, this! Thanks, Noodle 💜

Pt. 1 - The Origin

Toji walked into Shiu's office with his usual swagger, ready for his briefing on their latest target.

"Talk to me, Kong," he said.

"Subject's name is-" he stopped, staring over the rim of his readers, the pages of their target's profile drooping in his hands. "W-what the hell is that?"

"Oh, this?" Toji gestured to the ugly purple creature draped over his shoulders and around his waist. "S'a curse," he said simply with no further explanation.

"And you have it because...?"

"Holds things," Toji shrugged, "I'm training him to carry my weapons."

"I'm sorry, him? Did you just say him?"

"Yeah. I think," He shrugged again.

"How do you know- you know what? I'm not gonna... What do you mean it 'holds' things??"

Without another word, Toji reached for the curse's sputtering mouth, his hand swallowed up past the wrist as he rummaged for the hilt of his sword. Shiu dropped his papers, one hand gripping the edge of the desk behind him, the other bunching the fabric over his heart. Finding his grip, Toji pulled the cursed tool from the creature's mouth. Trails of drool dribbled from the end and onto the hardwood floor of Shiu's office. The handler stared in stunned disgust.

"He holds things," Toji repeated, as if the demonstration alone was a fully sufficient answer.

"I- You- I-," Shiu searched for words that wouldn't come. Taking a deep breath, he started over. "Zen'in-"

"It's Fushiguro now," the assassin corrected.

Another deep breath. "Toji," Shiu said, bringing his hands together and dropping the honorific. "Where in the fuck did you find that thing and, more importantly, how did you learn it could do that ??"

"Trial and error," he shrugged once more

"Trial and- ?!" Shiu heaved a sigh. "Forget it." Massaging his brow, he eyed the slobber on his mahogany floor. "Just keep it out of my office."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Two weeks later, Toji sauntered into Shiu's office, the ghastly purple curse wrapped snuggly around his torso.

"You still have that thing?" Shiu asked, an air of judgement to his voice as his lip curled in repulsion.

"He's useful," Toji stated.

"Can you even fight with that overgrown caterpillar clinging to you like that?" Shiu reached for his mug. He hadn't had nearly enough coffee for Toji's wacky bullshit.

"If he gets in the way, I just swallow him," Toji said casually.

Hot coffee shot from Shiu's mouth, spraying the floor as he choked on the oversized swig he'd just taken.

"Easy there," said Toji.

"Did- did you just say," Shiu gasped through strangled breaths, "'SWALLOW' ?"

"Yeah. You know," with great ease, Toji balled up the curse until it was about the size of a golf ball. Then, to Shiu's utter horror, he swallowed the orb in one great gulp.

"Wha- who- how the fuck?!" The handler's deep voice had jumped a full octave, cracking as he spluttered incoherently. Once again, he found himself clutching his chest.

"Yeah. And then I just," Toji reached a finger into his throat, gagging slightly before the ball reappeared in his hand. In one swift motion, the hideous curse was back to its original size and shape, draped comfortably on Toji's figure. "Like that," he finished.

With a shaking hand, Shiu reached once more for his mug, stumbling to his leather office chair before throwing himself into it. He drained the mug in one shot, realizing far too late there wasn't enough coffee in the world for Toji's wacky bullshit.

[malikselfindulgence]

RED SON X READER BLURB ☆ 1K WORDS

Description: How Red Son tends to show his love to his partner :3

Content: RED SON REFERRED TO WITH HE/SHE/THEY PRONOUNS! I personally see her as genderfluid but any hc is cool. Reader is gender neutral

Fic under the cut!

Red Son doesn't really ever say "I love you" 

He might have whispered it once, but you were half-asleep in his lap and the warmth from his hands threading through your hair turned your brain to mush, so you could've been imagining it. Besides that, he's never said the dreaded L-word.

You're not sure why- perhaps an aversion to such disgustingly vulnerable words in general, or his parents hammering lesson after lesson of how displaying emotions so openly is weak. Or maybe it's a lot simpler than that, and the thought had simply never crossed his mind.

Red Son does love you, though. You know this, and they know it too. They tell you they "tolerate your company" and that you're "just adequate enough to be in their presence"- both code words for I like being with you. 

Red Son's love is his driving force- it builds up in his chest and overflows out of him, despite his insistence that his heart is black and cold.

For her family, it's countless nights spent in her lab, working on their next plan to overtake the world, it's trying to live up to her father's legacy, not allowing a single smidge of dishonour to smight her family's name, it's continuing to live in the demon bull fortress, despite the fact that she's over 400 years old now and old enough to live in her own house. 

For his friends, it's reminding them of their self worth when needed- however brash and blunt he may be, it's watching Mei's streams as he works, leaving small comments to show her he's listening, it's helping MK fix up his dreadful noodle-cart while begging him to put it out of its misery and purchase a new one already.

For you, however, it's a bit of a mix of these.

For the first few months of your relationship, it was a lot of trial and error. There was a cultural gap between you and Red Son, demon courting being completely foreign [and frankly concerning] to you. And even if there wasn't, Red Son had no relationship experience. They were still reeling from having friends now, never mind a romantic partner.

Red Son would try to read up on mortal's courting customs [or "dating", as he's come to learn], he'd sit through those crappy rom-com movies and shudder each time they did something over the top, he'd even thought about asking Mei for help, which was just wholly embarrassing, and he totally didn't try to subtly do so only for her to call him out on it and laugh immediately.

It started out with a lot of choppy romantic gestures that just weren't….Red Son, despite how hard he tried to enjoy them, and after a long conversation [or two, or three-], you two eventually found your rhythm, one you both enjoyed and found comfort in.

Red Son built you things- trinkets and machines and the like. If you mention off-handedly that you'd been wanting this thing for ages but just never had the money or time, you best believe they'll be showing up on your doorstep the following morning with a box hidden behind their back. They also fixed things for you- your fridge, your washing machine, your kettle. They grumble the whole time about how out-dated and rusty and repulsive your tech is, but they've never once turned down your requests. They've even offered to upgrade your TV a few times, but you're just too attached to the old thing.

Red Son spends a lot of time with you, even if you two aren't actively engaging in conversation. You'd sit across from each other, or in each other's laps, doing your own separate thing, just in each other's company. Every once in a while you pipe up with a random thought or question, and he shares his own as well before you two fall back into comfortable silence. You like watching him work with his hands, and he likes seeing how passionate you get over your hobbies. He shares parts of his life with you and you do so as well in turn.

Red Son's also shockingly touchy with you. She's not one for grand acts of physical affection- picking you up in public and hand-feeding you syrupy fruits and whatnot, but she will loop her pinky finger around yours when you walk, she'll kiss your forehead just before you head to bed, hug you from behind when she's freshly awake and still sleepily dazed, and once she gathers up the courage to do so, kiss you when her feelings rush through her body and send her hurtling towards you. She always has to be touching you in some way or another.

Most importantly, Red Son tries for you, and for themselves. They still mess up sometimes, they still get scared and terrified and defensive, they're still figuring themselves out, but they try for you. Red Son'll try out a new food just because it's your favorite, or will dabble in new music genres for your sake. Even more than that- Red Son tries to be more open, they try to talk about things they've never spoken aloud before, they try to listen to you- they start taking breaks more often, and eating better, and their self confidence rings a little truer and a little less fake each day. It's more than you could ever ask for. 

So, no, Red Son doesn't really say "I love you", but you don't mind. You hear it in the shared space between the both of you, in the mugs of your favorite drink freshly brewed and handed to you when you're stressed, in the angry notes scolding you for not resting properly, in the brush of his hand against yours. You hear it loud and clear, and you whisper your response into his hair every morning, every evening, every night,

 "I love you, too." 

[sgiandubh]

For a very quick, but effective fix: Pasha's improv rustic pizza

Meet Pasha IV, Shipper Mom's British Shorthair spirit animal and soulmate:

This is the most lazy & gourmet being ever to grace this planet, so it's only normal to dedicate the following quick fix recipe to him (pets are never 'it' in this house, nor should they ever be - damn grammar!).

This is a freestyle recipe I invented for myself back in my first days of desperate cooking apprenticeship, in Paris. Leaving home at 18, with virtually zero food skills, I quickly realized it was not reasonable to eat every single day in town. My path to cooking began with books, fantasizing scrumptious recipes and a lengthy, persevering trial and error process. I always was a difficult, horrendously fastidious client, but now I was slowly turning into a monster, keeping my eyes peeled on cooking gestures and mannerisms, wherever I could find them.

This pizza experiment was an instant success and the moment the coin dropped: I actually could do things to and with food, that would be something more than survival. The rest is reading ahead, combining ahead and never being shy to ask around for that recipe. From taxi drivers to friends, they were all more than happy to generously indulge, all around the world.

You need whatever you have loitering around in your fridge and you aren't really sure how to recycle. I even happily, barbarically put mac & cheese or cold satay noodles (want my recipe? I poached it in Phnom Penh) on it. Tuna/corn/red onion is a sure combo and so are deli bits and bobs/corn/Vidalia onion. Cold roast beef, too. Diced ham, onion and even roasted potatoes leftovers, plus heavy cream - only in winter. Sardines (tinned), lemon/orange zest, ground pepper and perhaps a dash of coriander leaves (add herbs at the end, otherwise, they will go bitter). Fresh goat cheese, pistachio, figs (even fig jam will do) and balsamic vinegar. Sky is the limit. I also never use Mozzarella, and yes, please curse me - I always use Irish red cheddar, because this is what you are likely to find in my fridge until the end of time. And whenever you can or see fit, break an egg on top of it three to five minutes before you take it off the oven: it's called Pizza Radio and it is a local Corsican secret.

Preheat the oven at the usual temperature: 350 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius.

Unroll a store-bought pizza pastry sheet in a parchment paper lined 13x8 baking pan. Let rest while you prepare the easiest sauce in the world.

Mix Heinz ketchup, Sriracha and sweet Thai chili sauce. Should yield about a cup - proportions vary according to your own resistance to heat: one of the reasons you should taste your own concoctions and do it often. If you went overboard with the sacred Sriracha, immediately add honey or some brown sugar, until rectified. Add two Tablespoons (30 ml) of EVOO and mix well. Spread on the pizza pastry sheet with your usual brush.

I always try to use this one, but any brand will do:

4. Add the grated Cheddar, with spiral, clockwise movements (this is something I stole from a pizzaiolo in Florence, it is the only way to make sure all the surface gets evenly covered).

5. Thinly cut the onions (you know: halve them, then go ahead exactly like you would do for onion rings or quarter them and go ahead for more caramelized crunchiness, curse TPTB and cry your arse out). Add them on top. I had red onion - it is stellar with cold cuts.

6. Add whatever it is you want to garnish the pizza with. In my pic, we had thinly cut (recycled) debreceni kolbász (Debreziner) sausages and diced Prague/cooked ham (you need something more neutral to counterbalance all that heat).

7. Finish off with 150 grams/5 ounces (drained) canned sweet corn. No particular brand, but make sure it's dry before you add it on top of this.

8. Bake in a very hot oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Take out, let breathe (5 minutes tops), cut and devour. I guarantee no leftovers.

You're welcome! We'll get to more serious things this evening, though.

[manikas-whims]

XAVIER COVERED IN BLOOD CARD WHEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SAME ANON, WE NEED IT!

you know i think alot how others get to reincarnate.. restart and fall in love with MC again.

But Xavier has always been here.. helplessly watched the love of his life die..had to leave her in order to make change for her..and.. HE'S JUST GONE THROUGH SO MUCH

He's lived life as an evol police, and he probably changed professions so many times, changed places he lived in so many times, changed identities so many times..

And he's got every other faction of crime rings after him (Lumiere), he's got his own people from Philos against him, he's got people from N109 against him..and there's Lumiere antis slandering and trying to uncover his identity..

HE'S JUST BEEN GOING THROUGH A LOT!

and he'd probably been living on take-outs and cup noodles, and his own trial and error cooking (MC must've made it slightly better)

Like it'll be so fun to see his pretty face get a lil messed up..to see him drenched in blood, see his expression go a lil crazy..because he deserves to be a lil unhinged after all this shit! So yes anon, its not a want but a need. And we all need it!

[lacefuneral]

oh btw here is my take on Buldak Creamy Carbonara as a guy with a low spice tolerance. apparently they post about these noodles on tiktok or whatever but i found them on my own lol

Spicy Crab-onara:

In a mixing bowl, pour 3/4 cups of milk and the powder packet. Mix them together until powder clumps are gone.

Place a patty of butter a small sprinkle of shredded mozzarella into the bowl, but do not mix yet.

Using a knife and fork in a small bowl (or like? a food processor? idk) cut up imitation crab meat into smithereens. Then microwave them until hot.

Pour the imitation crab meat into your mixing bowl. The heat of the "crab" will melt the butter. Stir mixture thoroughly.

Cook your noodles as per instructions. Strain out all the water. Add them into the mixing bowl.

Mix the noodles and your crab mixture, although it's a bit like trying to staple water to a tree because of how thick the noodles are. Just do your best.

Take the buldak hot sauce packet and add to the mixture to-taste. Find whatever spice level works for you. The dairy proteins will already be working overtime to cancel out the capsaicin. I find that the more I eat these noodles, the more sauce I add.

Pour noodles-and-sauce into desired microwave-safe container (or keep in bowl, if microwave-safe already.) Sprinkle more cheese on top. Perhaps some black pepper. And microwave it just long enough to get the cheese to melt.

Yum!

Notes: As with any stove-top ramen dish, the water content may evaporate out, so you may need to add a little bit of water if you want more sauce. If you don't add a lot of the hot sauce packet it can taste bland. Perhaps some of this umami flavor can be returned with a chicken ramen packet (such as maruchan), but i've not tested this. I've not tested this with real crab meat due to price, but I imagine it would be tasty. This would probably also go hard with a seafood ramen topper, which I have not tested either. Nor have I tested adding additional spices (aside from a very tiny amount of Sichuan pepper) or vegetables. I do think there's a lot of potential to make this better. This was mostly just me doing trial-and-error over several attempts because I bought a 5 pack I didn't want to waste, and I ended up liking it enough to order more noodles. I have tried adding egg, and it sort of overpowered the dish, so I don't recommend that.

[gremlin-recipe-book]

Boston Pizza Bugs 'n Cheese

Ingredients!

- ~1 cup pasta noodles of your choice

- 1 jar alfredo sauce

- Shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste (best if it's enough to give you a good, stringy texture)

- Garlic powder, pepper, and salt, to taste

Boil (salted, if you like) water and cook pasta according to instructions (or personal taste, I guess). I find macaroni noodles work well for this, but go nuts. I bought the actual bug shaped pasta from bulk barn!

Drain pasta, and add sauce to the same pot. You're gonna add your spices at this point, to personal taste. Cook this on low until the pasta and sauce are both hot, but the sauce is NOT bubbling! This is important.

Remove your pot from the heat and let cool, stirring occasionally, until it's warm enough to melt cheese, but not burning hot. This matters, because if it's too hot, your cheese will get all gritty and gross.

Once the cheese is melted, you're done!

Notes:

You might need some trial and error for the cheese, it took me four tries to get a batch that didn't go gritty. I found you don't have to worry about much except for the temperature, as long as your sauce isn't too hot, just warm enough to melt your cheese, you should be okay.

Gritty sauce is still totally fine, I just don't like the texture, obviously. You could use garlic alfredo sauce, I just find the garlic sauce tastes odd, so I buy the plain and add my own. I used Classico alfredo sauce, but I don't think it matters! You can also use pre-shredded cheese, just note that the anti-caking stuff they add might change your results a little. Or not, I'm no expert.

I make the whole thing in one pot with one utensil, and you can drain the pasta using the lid for the pot, especially if it has holes for steam in the side like most do. If you want to save a dish and you've only made a small, single person batch (like the one here), you could eat right out of the pot.

Enjoy!