#they do the WORST kitchen Reno’s | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dapperbasil · 2 years ago

Note

tammy "please don't ask me about how much i love my sire" king 🎹 👑 💢 lilian "dear god someone get this cunt out of my head" macbeth 🚫 👑 💞 kiasyd

Tammy:

🎹 Do they have any special talents or skills?

"As far as kindred go, no not really anything special. Before and even after embrace I've never really had much I can claim to be great at. I suppose I am fairly decent at getting information out of people, I'm good enough with my words to sway them more towards what I need or want from them. Considering I was eloquent enough to impress one of the visiting elders, I'd say that's my talent.

I'd also argue I'm pretty good in the kitchen though it doesn't do much for me as a kindred. We can't really be near fire and most of us can't even eat. My sire and I both can though, which allows me to keep up with practicing my cooking. When I lived in Reno if he was staying at the haven the night before I'd make something for him to wake up to, whether it was simply coffee the way he likes it (no cream or sugar) or something to eat, usually comfort food. I always woke up considerably earlier than he did, so I had plenty of time to work on it. I don't know how Zacharias felt about it, but doing it helped me feel like things were a bit more normal."

👑 What is their opinion on the Camarilla?

"Well, I'm not really sure what opinion I'm supposed to have aside from my loyalty to it. Its all I've ever known and every other option is unappealing or just no longer exists. Every encounter I've had with the sabbat has left me terrified further and further I'll admit, which may have to do with my first encounter being particularly bad. Bad enough my sire kinda had to bail me out of it, and yeah I know that's kinda his job but nobody wants to be the person that has to get rescued.

The expectations everyone in the camarilla has of me are very daunting. There's always something going on that I have to help with or be a part of, but in truth its a bit comforting too. We have community here, and though kindred still look after themselves mostly, we do protect each other in the end. I heard a bit about the anarch life from Reid and Jackie, and it sounded like it might have been nice, but things like that never last. I like the stability the camarilla provides, however fragile it may be."

💢 What is their moral alignment?

"Moral alignment...? Well I genuinely hate hurting people in the first place. See, I was pretty powerless as a mortal. Just one of the unlucky ones born into a bad situation. Mom died when I was little and I never met my dad, he walked out on her before I was born. I remember what it was like as someone with no control over her situation. Hell you could argue I don't have much control over it even now. But what I do have compared to back then is power. I'm a kindred, with all the perks that come with it. And all the pains as well.

I hate that we have to feed from kine. I hate that as a ventrue I don't really have a choice against feeding from kine. Sure the kiss is pleasing, and some even seek it out but we're still interfering with others lives. If you're not careful you could hurt or even kill someone, and I hate it so much. I try to rationalize it in my mind but sometimes it doesn't work and my beast has to force me to feed. Those times are the worst, because I see how easily it is to hurt someone. Its... its not right to hurt them. I don't care if you see them as lesser because they're not kindred, its still just not right."

Lillian:

🚫 Have they ever broken one of the Traditions?

"Well I suppose the question here is what Sabbat Cainite hasn't? Many of us kill, embrace, and flaunt our undeath in the face of mortals nightly. Destruction I say would be the tradition I am most guilty of breaking. Many a camarilla kindred has lost their unlife to my hand, and I did in fact diablierize my own sire as well. It is an action I live now to regret, but it is one that was taken nonetheless."

👑 What is their opinion on the Camarilla?

"Fools, the lot of them. Kindred are not meant to play among the masses of the cattle. I have not met a single member of that damnable sect worth the vitae that flowed through their veins. As a researcher of the kindred condition, you would think I would have more sympathy for them but on the contrary I hate their weakness and inability to change. They play at being royalty hiding among the masses whilst spending their nights in stagnation, ignoring the beauty of the adaptability of the kindred as a species. We are meant for change, we are meant to overcome those that stand before us. And if those who stand before us do not move, we will tear them down one by one until the last fledgling falls."

💞 Do they have any opinions on kiasyd?

"I will admit, before I met Miss Chills I had not had many encounters with the bloodline. They are a reclusive sort, though the few I have met are all bright witted and brilliant. Those I had met before the formation of the new pack were wary of brokering deals with a Tzimisce, as to be expected by those who consider themselves independent. Many of the ones I have met were during my time in europe, chasing the idea of curing myself of my affliction. Though in the grand scheme of my research the time was wasted, I feel as if I did indeed learn from the experience. Miss Chills is a rather interesting kiasyd as she is severely devoted to our sect. I do not judge her for her difference in appearance or her abnormal affiliation, as after all who are we to judge when we are abnormal ourselves?"

#ask meme #Toronto by night #Tammy king #Portland by night #Lillian Beaumont

3 notes · View notes

rachel-blue · 1 year ago

Text

2023.

Saying this year was rough is an understatement. It's been a hard year for so many people in so many ways and I'm still having difficulty reconciling it all. It's been a year of loss and grief and stress and anxiety and it seems oddly appropriate that I'm wrapping up 2023 sick on the couch.

2023 Highlights:

House Remodeling. We bit off a lot this year, with a half-bath remodel (first major project) and a kitchen remodel (almost done!). This house feels more like us every day and it's rewarding, though time-consuming and expensive. We've replaced all of our kitchen appliances (including installing an over-the-range microwave) and learned how to drywall, how to lay tile, and how to extend our drip sprinkler system. We've also learned how to turn off our water main and that cutting tile is not a skill I'm blessed with.

Cup In Six. Zero regrets about spending an entire bonus (and then some) on the two worst tickets in the stadium so we could be in attendance for a Stanley Cup Finals game (that we won by a good few goals!). Getting to watch the actual Cup winning game from outside the stadium a few days later and be in the midst of an entire crowd singing "We Are The Champions" was absolutely something else. It's been incredible watching this team do what they've done and the way this city has embraced them from day (fucking) one.

Little Free Library. I always wanted to set up a Little Free Library after first encountering them on my first trip to Milwaukee back in 2013. Owning our home (and not having an HOA to deal with) finally gave me the opportunity to do so. It's allowed me to set up something with some Route 66 vibes and also to stock the library with copies of some of my favorite reads (primarily LGBTQ+ YA and children's books). We get a lot of use from the kids in the neighborhood and I'm excited I'm not the only one getting enjoyment from it.

Unraveled. It took me far too many years to evolve my knitting past scarves and the occasional blanket, but learning to knit sweaters and shawls and to appreciate the art ($30 skein price tags and all) of hand-dyed yarn has really enhanced my craft. I've complete multiple sweaters this year and learned to knit cables, and I have a whole collection of yarn and planned patterns in store for the coming months. Next year's goal is to complete my first pair of knit socks.

Continued Travels. Spain, Oakland (x2), Reno/Tahoe, Portland, Denver/Colorado Springs. While the race travels continue to be on pause, there have still been the occasional getaways, mostly brief. I'm being as intentional as I can with making plans to see friends and family. The times come less frequently as the years go, making the moments spent together that much more important.

Books read this year: 103

‘23 playlist (in no particular order): Moulin Rouge Broadway Cast - “Your Song” Alabama - “I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why)” The Front Bottoms - “2YL” The Mowgli's - “Time” Bowling For Soup - “Already Gone” Frank Sinatra - “My Way” Micah Schnabel- “Not The Boy You Used to Know” Otherwise - “No Rain" Queen - “We Are The Champions" Defiance, Ohio - “Anxious and Worrying” Frank Turner - "No Thank You For The Music"

[2022. 2021. 2020. 2019. 2018. 2017. 2016. 2015. 2014. 2013. 2012. 2011. 2010.]

#eoy #eoy 2023 #end of the year

1 note · View note

strawberrywaifer · 2 years ago

Text

The worst thing about a trust is the red tape leading to... frankly, some rather stupid things. Bought my house nearly three years ago, decided I wanted to reno the kitchen this year because everything is perfect but the kitchen.

What does the bank say? "Well, given the sharp rise in value of the home and the current market cooling off, we have decided that instead, you should just buy a different house."

Buy an entirely new house just because I wanted a different kitchen? Are you kidding me???

All of the times I passed on the trust sending people out to work on things (paint, garden, general DIYery) so that I could do them myself and "save" money for something like this and they are still saying "it's just a house. Just pick another one."

#strawb life commentary #strawbheiress #dont get a trust fund they're stupid

1 note · View note

househunting · 4 years ago

Photo

$289,900/6 br/4300 sq ft

Reno, OK

built in 1900

#1900 #reno #oklahoma #my takeaways:#Is it an unpopular opinion that the worst part of this entire house is the sink in the kitchen?#or maybe it's the period blood textured paint #why do houses like this always have so many dolls

1K notes · View notes

hometoursandotherstuff · 1 year ago

Text

I don't know what the hell they did to this once-gorgeous 1864 Italianate Victorian in Middletown, Connecticut, but it's the worst I've ever seen. Even Zillow doesn't know how many bedrooms and baths it has, b/c it's so messed up. I don't think it can ever be restored back. Look at this travesty. And, they have to nerve to ask $1.1M for it.

They highlighted the railing on the entrance hall stairs b/c that's about the only thing that's still intact. The rest of the wood is painted beige and they tacked down indoor/outdoor carpeting. Hate the wallpaper, too.

Some serious major reno went on here. I don't even know what this could've been. Maybe the sitting rooms?

Looks like an entire floor was gutted to make this auditorium and stage. The columns must be holding it up where the walls were knocked down and don't get me started on the suspended ceiling.

I'm sure that this commercial kitchen is nowhere near where the original kitchen was. It's so messed up, you couldn't even make it into a restaurant or B&B without extensive reno.

The only large space that has any potential is this temple. I like the woodwork and ceiling, (even though it looks like storm clouds), but I don't know what you could actually do with it.

Public restrooms. Well, at least the plumbing's there to make a bathroom.

This would've been amazing, but they're not the original railings.

This might've been a bedroom with an alcove.

There is absolutely no back yard, it looks like the parking lot is shared with this building in the back.

Look at the nice street it's on. There's a small park across the street.

I don't know why organizations don't take over non-historic homes to mess up to meet their needs.

#italian victorian renovated #victorian conversion #historical reno disasters #houses #home tour #house tours

69 notes · View notes

cloveroctobers · 3 years ago

Text

A Sunday Drabble | w. a few of my boys

~•~•~••~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~~•~••~•

Warnings: language, phobias, under age drinking, possessive/jealousy, illness, and trauma. Fluff, humor, drama? And angst? All right up my alley! I think that’s it.

+ also from a prompt list I forgot to like/reblog?

Angel Reyes

There were times like these where you preferred being single, preferred not having someone that got on your nerves. And sure your relationship with Angel tended to be dramatic and if you asked anyone who knew the both of you, they’d say you were the most dramatic out of the two. Whatever.

Your parents came down to Santo Padre for Labor Day weekend and Angel had the nerve to take your dad’s side over yours. So after dessert you cleaned up the kitchen with your mom and right off the bat your mom knew you were annoyed with your husband. Yet she found it humorous how you were sulking over your husband’s shared preference with your father, instead of saying how you felt from the beginning.

Normally you would jump at the chance of your husband bonding with your father, since it took forever for your dad and Angel to get along. You were the youngest of four sisters and in your mind you seemed to get it the worst out of your sisters for whatever reason. It really wasn’t a whatever reason, you were extremely close with your father (and his favorite) despite what your second eldest sister Josephine thinks. It was childish of course to want your father to agree with you 100% of the time but to have him and Angel gang up on you? This will just not do.

Your mother never had a issue saying what was on the tip of her tongue, whether you liked it or not. Sometimes it worked in her favor and a good portion of the time it irked your father’s nerves, again every relationship was of course not the same, but you weren’t the most vocal out of your siblings or your mother. Most of the time people had to pull teeth to get you to open up…but when you did it put those around you at ease—depending on the situation.

Instead of sitting in the living room with Angel and your parents, you went straight outside to walk your front yard with another glass of white sangria in your hands. You paced the front yard as the summer bugs voiced their complaints into the night. The conversation wasn’t that big of a deal but it made you question whatever else Angel might have thought differently from you.

First it was the whole debate about leaving Santo padre behind as you two were going a year into your marriage but Angel had his duty to the club, which you understood but you wanted to see more. You weren’t originally from here, being from Reno, Nevada then you went off to school in Utah before dropping out two years in to end up right in Santo Padre where you met Coco then Angel.

“Come inside, quierda, I’m sorry.” Angel called out to you, now standing on the porch from some time as he watched you pace back and forth.

Your mother must have blabbed your annoyance to Angel the moment his eyes burned into your frame as you silently walked out the house.

“What’s her problem?” Your dad huffed as his wife sat on the couch.

Angel shrugged, just as clueless as his father-in-law.

A laugh bubbled in your mom’s throat, “listen very carefully boys—

You fanned your hand at him, “Not until you apologize.”

Angel furrowed his brows, he couldn’t believe you were this upset over him choosing lemon white frosting on pound cake rather than plain, how you liked it.

“I just said I’m freaking sorry.” Angel sighed as he hopped off the porch, making his way over to you.

He hoped to the man above that you weren’t crying, then he’d really get his ass kicked but by his own father this time. He knew your dad would just stare at you wide eyed like he normally did over your dramatics.

“So every time you eat my pound cake it was just a lie?” You whipped around, peering up at Angel who was relieved there were no tears.

Just pain.

“I never said I didn’t like your cake? I just prefer icing on most desserts! Anyways, every time you put a plate in front of me I’m eating that shit right?” Angel gripped your forearms while you shortly thought about it.

This was true.

His hands slid down to your backside, “I like peaches and cream too.” He flirted.

You scoffed using your elbow to shove your own personal horn dog away, “cool it 112, I’m still annoyed with you.”

“But I love you anyways even when you’re pissed over stupid pound cake.” Angel pressed his forehead against yours as you finally laughed at how silly this whole thing was. However Angel Reyes wouldn’t have you any other way.

Jordan Baker

It was summer time so you had this bright idea to do a friend trip and once you put the bug in Layla’s ear (it also somehow got to JJ) it was no turning back from there. You were all graduating high school and majority of you wouldn’t be attending the same school’s so it was in your best interest to have one last hurrah since it would be the last for awhile.

JJ put Europe out there but that was shot down the minute Chris said it wasn’t in the budget right now. Respectfully they had to take that into consideration since most of the teens did not have their own money or a lot of it so they all settled on Sante Fe, New Mexico.

So far you were having a great time, it was only your first-second day out here? Blame the drinks okay? But everyone seemed to be enjoying their time together since there was no pressure of whatever college had to bring and you were trying to keep it that way. You and the group took a early afternoon flight to New Mexico, with no turbulence and no running into storms that would delay the flight. Every thing was fine minus Spencer getting hit with motion sickness one hour into the flight but everything was smooth sailing especially when you all arrived at your home away from home for the next week!

There was only a hour difference between California and New Mexico but by the time you did get to the vacation home it was approaching dinner time. You all ordered from grubhub and took shots out by the pool to end your first night in Sante Fe before managing to all get to your rooms. You were sharing a room with Layla and it didn’t take long for the girl to knock out on her bed beside yours, so you were left tossing and turning in your bed for a good thirty minutes before you threw the covers back.

You hated being a insomniac. Melatonin was not on your side tonight or those three shots of tequila but your thoughts about Rihanna finally giving us a album was stuck on your mind. Humming to yourself you went shuffling along the spacious home, your fingers sliding against the warm toned walls as you went—and for leverage if you ended up stumbling. It was when you reached the split level of the house that you heard something, your eyes went to slits as you peeked around the corner.

Of course you couldn’t see anything since you didn’t have your contacts in and oh yeah, it was dark as hell in the house—considering there were no lights on but that’s not focus here! Your bare feet slapped against the cool tiled covered stairs as you slowly went down them still looking to the right searching for something. That’s when you heard the noise again, you went down the four steps that led to the front entrance and door of the home.

See, any other time you heard a noise? You would high tail your ass right back up those steps and lock the doors before sending a quick text to warn the others or something along those lines but with liquid courage, you were about your shit more than ever right now. Latching onto a golf club that looked pretty expensive, that sat by the door, you quickly weighed it in your hands before running on your tip toes around the house.

Making it into the living room you hunched down as the noise was much louder now. Your heart was hammering in your chest as you silently counted before your attack.

“Game’s over, you son of a bitch!!” You screamed, swinging the golf club all throughout the air. You might have even closed your eyes as you did so— yeah we can talk about that later.

You did hear a gasp until a familiar voice answered, “Okay, just don’t hit me.”

“Jordan?” You questioned, opening your eyes at some point.

There the tall boy stood in a tank top and some shorts holding a carton of cashew milk, “Morning sunshine.” He waved his fingers around the carton he was holding.

“What’re you doing down here?! I thought it was a alien making all that noise.” You lowered the golf club.

Jordan frowned, “why would a sexy ass alien like myself be down here trying to eat human food?”

You grimaced, “…I don’t know about all that but—

“I’m offended that you don’t think I’d make a sexy alien.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you think you’re sexy.” You pointed.

Jordan smirked, “I don’t think, I know, y/n. Did you see those ladies break their necks at the airport?” You rolled your eyes as Jordan continued, “and you thought I was sexy a few hours ago too with the way you were putting that thang up on me by the pool.”

You plunged your ears, “lalallala, Meg was playing, Meg was playing! what was I supposed to do?”

“Hey, I’m not complaining!” Jordan laughed placing the carton on the counter.

You snorted as you moved to pull yourself up on the counter peeking to see what he was even eating at this point. “Really Jordan, egos and Buffalo wings? Ewww.”

“When I’m toasted, a man has to eat.” Jordan argued.

“It doesn’t make a difference if you’re drunk or tipsy, you’re always eating, fat ass.” You shuffled away from the plate of disgust near you.

Jordan glanced behind him, “you think my ass is fat? JJ and Asher were the only one’s who wanted to work on glutes the other day.”

You slapped your hand against your mouth laughing but also getting a peek yourself.

“Don’t objectify me, y/n!” Jordan scolded you.

“You asked my opinion!” You raised your hands in surrender.

Jordan folded his arms before moving to place them on the counter by your hips, “you didn’t answer either, you just keep hurting my feelings. why are you up?” He suddenly asked.

Tipsy Jordan could give anyone whiplash.

“Couldn’t sleep, as always.”

Jordan trailed his fingers over your face, pressing against your tense temples before flicking his eyes up to meet yours, “I know a way to put you to sleep.”

“Nope! I’m not drinking NyQuil again.”

Jordan laughed before running his fingers over your lips, “oh hell no we’re never doing that again, I’ve had some pretty stupid ideas but that might be top five.”

“Uh huh.” You nodded.

“I was thinking something like this.” Jordan’s voice lowered before pecking your lips, once then twice.

You caught his drift as you wrapped your legs around his waist.

EZ Reyes

Sundays were meant for relaxation before the week starts but they always seemed to fly by. It was approaching 3pm, the light platter of rain sliding down the windows as you cuddled into your blanket watching some lifetime movie that your mother texted you about. It was funny really that you hated watching them with her when you were a younger since all you cared about was watching your cartoons or some teen drama but now here you were, getting texts whenever a good one seemed interesting enough to watch.

You snacked on your gummy bears periodically as you buried yourself deeper into the couch as the central air kicked back on. Letty was stretched out on the two-seat sofa, already sleeping a half hour into the movie, homework long forgotten. You shook your head laughing to yourself as you turned back to the flatscreen watching as the story progressed.

The movie went straight to commercial as you heard the door open then shut. You were shocked EZ was home early unless he was coming in to run right back out?

“Hey, babe, look what I found.” Ez greeted you as he walked around the couch, he pressed a quick kiss to your ear.

You hoped it was The Xoloitzcuintle you’ve been looking at for months now as you sat up on your elbows as Ez moved to stand in front of the tv. Immediately you stopped chewing your gummy bear as you focused in on what ez was holding oh so proudly.

“GET THAT OUT OF THE HOUSE NOW!!!” You screamed, making Letty jump up out of her sleep.

The smile on ez’s face dropped as he glanced at the object then back at the complete terror on your face. Letty rubbed her eyes as she sat up and peeked at what ez was holding with one eye still closed, “dude, why would you bring that ugly thing here?”

“Ugly?” Ez frowned, “your dad is actually the one who encouraged me to get it for y/n at one of those thrift stores at the border? You don’t like it, y/n?”

You closed your mouth and rubbed at the spot in between your brows taking a deep breath. “I—appreciate the sentiment but that thing—

“Is creepy as fuck. Worse than annabelle and robert the doll combined.”

“Letty!”

“Sorry. I’m just saying what we’re thinking but clearly bozo one and two weren’t.” She sat back against the couch searching for her phone to take pictures.

Ez lowered the object slightly disappointed.

“I guess now you know a phobia of mine.”

Ez tossed the doll at Letty who snatched it up to take pictures of it and with it while he sat on the floor in front of you. “Damn, why haven’t you told me before?”

“‘Cause it’s embarrassing and childish?” You muttered, no longer wanting your gummy bears.

Ez shook his head reaching for your hand and placing a kiss on the back of it, “nothing to be embarrassed about…we’re all scared of something.”

“Have you ever seen that movie dead silence?”

“No, can’t say that I have.”

“That amplified my fear.”

Ez hummed, “guess I know what I’m going to be for Halloween this year.”

“Oh, fuck you.” You shoved his hand away while the man laughed, pushing off his hands to lock his muscular arms around you.

One way you would want to die would be by this man’s arms, don’t tell him you said that though, it might go to his head.

“I’m sorry, y/n. I should have bought you a better trinket, that’s the last time I listen to coco’s dumbass.” Ez huffed as he squeezed you closer to his chest by your shoulder.

“You promise?” You laughed.

“When it comes to you? No doubt.” He grinned, placing a kiss on your head.

Sofiane Kada

“Why’d you hug him? You love him?” Was the first thing Sofiane had said to you in two weeks.

You knew he was having a hard time with the disappearance of his brother and you tried to be there for him. You tried to be there for Sofiane in many ways when you simply didn’t have to be but still he treated you like shit. Just like he did Melanie. He was cold then he was hot and it kept going like that for awhile and it was so draining. You were Sofiane’s friend before anything, before feelings got involved and you wished it counted for something.

“Sorry, we don’t want anything you’re selling.” Was your automatic reply as you went to shut your door, you would go out the back way to avoid him if you had to.

As you went to close the door, his hand shot out with such strength it almost knocked you back into the wall. He saw the look in your eyes and steadied his breathing before taking it upon himself to walk inside your house and close the door behind him. He glanced around your house finding it quiet and no cars out front, which meant that you were alone.

He knew he’d get his ass beat by your own family if they caught him here. He was positive they knew how he was acting towards you lately since you seemed different yourself without Sofiane—even though you hated to admit that.

“Sofiane,” you inhaled, “get out.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you answer my question.” He snapped.

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” You screamed, highly frustrated with him.

“Yes you do,” Sofiane pointed which made you slap his finger from your face, “you made sure to put on a show as you hugged him. You made sure you saw me to flaunt yourself at some loser ass dude.”

“Excuse me?” You hissed, “you have no right questioning or dictating what I do when or if you’re around.” You knew what he was talking about, it had to take you hanging out with another classmate Sofiane didn’t particularly like for him to actually speak to you. Wow.

Sofiane pinched as his bottom lip pacing your floor before slamming his hand so hard against the wall you were sure you heard it crack.

“Do…you love him?”

“No.” You immediately answered shaking your head, “does it matter?”

“Yeah, it does.”

He turned to rest his back against the wall as you crossed your arms, burning holes into his frame.

“My brother’s back.” He announced.

You thought you saw Karim around school but didn’t think much of it since you had too much on your mind that day.

“I’m happy for you guys, is he okay?” You were polite.

Sofiane shrugged, “I don’t really know how to answer that, to be honest with you, y/n.”

You nodded, understanding. There were many things you were out of the loop on when it came to Sofiane but you knew it shifted once again when Victor and Luisa came into the picture.

“At least you’re being honest about something.” You muttered.

Sofiane knew he deserved that but that didn’t mean it didn’t sting. He was coming to terms with the shitty ways he’s been treating people and he’s trying to be better. He wanted to be better and knew he could be but who’s to know if it’ll stay that way? It was different with you than with Melanie but he still needed to be better.

“I’m sorry for everything and making you feel like you didn’t deserve to be loved by me.” He stepped to you.

You knew you deserved love and that it didn’t have to be by Sofiane. He had such this ego before but you knew that you wanted to be loved by him, that was the difference, and ultimately the hard part.

“I have my own inner…demons I guess you could say.” He laughed bitterly, again something you didn’t quite understand, “I don’t need you to forgive me but I just want you to know that I really am sorry for putting you through all that shit.”

You clenched your eyes shut. That was all you needed to hear. He cautiously reached out for you and instantly you fell into his embrace. The both of you melted into each other, his arms locked around your shoulders while you buried your nose in the space between his shoulders and neck with his cold gold chain brushing against your cheek.

It was unclear how long you held onto each other but you didn’t want the moment to end. Once he pulled back, he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe the water from your eyes.

“Still pretty even when you cry.” He smiled, laughter lines appearing by his lips.

That was something you enjoyed seeing. More smiles that reached his eyes because lately, they haven’t. You wanted Sofiane to be happy, more than anything. You had such a good heart and Sofiane took that for granted.

You just had to do it. You placed two quick kisses, one by the corner of his lips, and then right on them. His licked his bottom lip scanning your face as he fought with himself for a few seconds before he muttered, “fuck it.”

Before gripping your face and placing your lips together once again. You both sighed against each other as your head touched the wall and your hands gripped his back.

Sofiane maybe bad for you but you wanted him and you had him.

JJ Maybank

“Let’s just bury the hatchet.” JJ made his way over to you as you silently sat by yourself watching the night waves.

You and your friends now lived on your own unknown island after the battle with the Cameron’s on the ship. You weren’t sure how long it had been but you were sure some of you were being looked for. It was a miracle that you were not dead yet since you were so accident prone once upon a time, shout-out to that bitch anxiety, we hate her! Lately due to the circumstances on the outer banks, you changed when you didn’t want to. Call it growth, call it trauma, call it healing, all of that, you had it.

You were not known as the klutz anymore. You became a fighter and a lot of people weren’t expecting that, including yourself but this was the new you. And here comes Jeremiah James “JJ” Maybank messing up your little ounce of peace. You two recently butted heads on the island, maybe day five onto the island? You couldn’t remember what it was even about so you say but you instantly felt pissed the next morning and ignored him. Which he didn’t like. At all.

Once the sun went down and you had your dinner thanks to your turn of spear fishing and clamming with John b you separated from the group for a little bit. You encouraged them all to do that so you wouldn’t get sick of each other but of course no one listened so it was only a matter of time before you were all starting to bite each other’s heads off. Little did you know that Sarah and Cleo were the main one’s encouraging JJ to talk to you, while John b, Kie, and Pope decided against it.

“Fuck your hatchet.” You flipped your now choppy short hair behind your shoulders, “I don’t want you anywhere near me.”

“Do you even have a reason to be pissed or is it just easier to be pissed at me than to admit you like me more than you should.” JJ still stood while your doe eyes flicked up at him, heated.

You picked up grains of sands in both hands and tossed them up at JJ’s face but that backfired since a sudden breeze flew by, sending the sand flying, which made you cough as you inhaled the grains and a little bit went up into JJ’s eye.

“Are you freaking serious right now?!” He yelled, rapidly blinking and rubbing at his eyes.

John b went to glance over at you two from the fire but Sarah immediately reached onto his head to turn it back to the fire, “let’s mind our business before we get sand in our eyes too.”

“How did you know—

“Oh this might not end well.” Pope mumbled, side eyeing his friends by the ocean.

Kiara poked the fire, “tried to warn Sarah and Cleo here, you have to let that one ease their anger for at least two to three business days.”

“I don’t remember it being that serious.” Cleo stuck her knife in a log.

“Just leave Jeremiah.” You said.

“You seriously thought throwing sand into the air would be a good idea?” He gritted his teeth, the dimple on one side of his cheek appearing as he did so.

“Oh you should be the last one talking to me about good ideas, Jeremiah James.” You fanned your hand at him, turning to face the ocean.

JJ chewed on his bottom lip in irritation, “would you stop calling me that!”

“Jeremiah. Jeremiah. Jeremiah.” You waved your fingers up at the blond while JJ slapped your hands away in a instant before reaching for your legs, “the hell are you doing?!”

“Shutting you up, buttercup.”

Easily he lifted you up into his arms and it took you a minute to react, “JJ—

“Oh, now it’s JJ huh?” He laughed as he walked closer to the large body of water and that’s when you went into fight mode.

One long swing to JJ’s clavicle and he quickly let go of you right into the water. Under you went as JJ rubbed at the now sore spot, “see I was trying to bring the peace but you kept on picking! All because I didn’t want to hear some Celine dion song yesterday night! Really, y/n!?”

Spitting out some water you smoothed your hair back as slammed your fists into the water, “no one disrespects Celine!”

“That can’t be what this is about.”

You trudged through the water, stalking up to JJ who glared at you and you pushed him back then sighed as you felt your lips quiver, “…i miss my mom, okay? I know I don’t talk about her and I just thought you would get that. Celine was all she played and sung before it took over. She didn’t think I noticed but it became harder for her to not only sing but talk so that’s why she sent me down here to live with my uncle and aunt.”

JJ’s shoulders fell. He did understand now that you said it. It wasn’t a secret about your upbringing: your mother was a single mother back in New Jersey, father was a deadbeat and in jail for robbery and assault, mom got throat cancer and shipped you off to North Carolina before she fully left this world—it still hurt regardless, and you grew up in the outer banks since thirteen with your mom’s younger brother and his wife.

The blue eyed boy rubbed at the back of his neck, “I-I’m sorry, y/n. I didn’t think.”

“I’m sorry too, we’re supposed to be friends…well…close and I shouldn’t have blown up on you like that.” You apologized as well.

The both of you didn’t talk about your mother’s much, maybe you did more so than JJ but you both shared that pain. You shared scars and knew most of them physically and internally, but that wasn’t the main thing that bonded you. There was much more to the both of you than the surface layers: JJ was more than just the goofball who was always up to something and you were more than just this once shy person obsessed with cars.

And you both knew that.

“Can we hug it out?” He asked, which you appreciated.

“I’m all wet.”

JJ smirked eyeing your frame, “that’s never stopped me before.”

“Oh, see. Now you’ve ruined it.” You clasped your hands together before circling around him.

JJ jogged after you laughing and he locked both hands around your waist and twirled you around before settling you back on your feet. He kept himself pressed against you before whispering into your ear, “is it safe to say the hatchet is buried?”

“Only if you let go of me.”

“Eh, I kinda like holding you,” he squeezed you tighter, “and I think you do too, you’re just putting on this front but I know your heart, y/n. you’ll give it to me when you’re ready. So I’ll wait.” He let go of you to stand beside you instead.

You peered up at him and felt a smile trying to break out onto your lips but JJ saw the twitch, reaching out to poke your cheek.

“Whatever, Maybank.” You lightly bumped his shoulder before leading the way back to the bonfire, JJ shaking his head with a laugh as he followed you.

He sat right next to you which everyone caught onto.

“Everything good, guys?” Pope asked as he sipped at his water.

JJ smiled glancing at you with those eyes, he raised his brows silently asking you to answer the question.

“As long as everyone else is…we’re good.” You smiled which made everyone let out a cheer before you looked over at JJ who sent you a wink.

#Angel Reyes #angel reyes x reader #Mayans mc #mayans mc x reader #ez reyes x reader #ezekiel reyes #ez reyes #Jordan baker #Jordan baker x reader #all american #all american cw #sofiane kada #mortel netflix #Sofiane kada x reader #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #obx #I had 3 other characters I wanted to write for but if I did Sunday would be over for me at this point lol #maybe Tuesday or Monday night I’ll write those? we’ll see if this one goes anywhere or not

213 notes · View notes

the-teddy-bear-butch · 2 years ago

Note

salut mon chou! yes that could be directly translated to hi my cabbage, but in my case when I say chou I mean the french cream puff which is a lot sweeter but infinitely less funny.

If you ever do have the chance to repaint one you should! it took me a whole summer for me to do mine but that's only because I did kinda like a patchwork of individual designs, (I'll send a couple of pictures on what I like to call a burner tumblr account because I didn't want to use my main account, i'll send the pics after I send this, I actually had this whole thing typed out but then my laptop died, it was a whole fustercluck)

I don't think I could have said the song/vibes thing any better than you.

some song recs for you my dear: these are two french country recommendations that I don't actually recommend because I feel deeply in my soul country and french don't mix but if I heard it, then you have to too, and if you like it then I know some more! un jour à la fois by Ginette Reno, there's also sur la trap line by Anique Granger.

I only listen to like the most basic pop punk so no recommendations that probably don't know, but I do have a couple random songs you may or may not like! two of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands! atop a cake and saved by a waif by alvvays, also für élise by Klô Pelgag

Inch Plants, next to snake plants are on the top of my list of hardest to kill, fun fact but I kept it in the kitchen for a bit but it kept on getting knocked over somehow and it was fine, all the bit's that snapped off I just stuck into some soil and they grew really fast without me even having to propagate them! I love plants :D

I wish I had some pictures but in the spring here there are so many wild flowers it's beautiful, even if every time I step outside I sneeze lol.

I feel like this is kinda a weird thing to say after talking about how much spiders scare me, but despite all that i've always wanted a tattoo of a spider in between my shoulder blades I just think it would look cool.

love always and forever

-el

Hello darlin’! Another busy day or I would have replied sooner <333

I could be your cabbage or your cream puff, whichever you’d prefer, both are adorable. I wonder what it is with nicknames and foods? There seems to be a trend there.

I’d love to! I love repainting stuff, I’ve actually done a couple of denim jackets! But no guitars. Maybe I’ll match a guitar to my most recent jacket and it’ll be a super cool look I think. I saw your guitar pictures!!! Your art is beautiful, especially the flowers! You’re so skilled in so many different things and it’s so cool! Funny story, Tumblr apparently decided between this morning and this reply that those pictures were “inappropriate or abusive” so now they’re blurred out, so Tumblr is homophobic I guess lmao. Thankfully I got to see before they did that lol

Side note, fustercluck is my new favorite word, that’s funny as shit

Okay, baby, don’t judge me, but I did not expect to actually enjoy French country music and I actually liked both of those very much. Sue me. 💀 Especially the first one. Thinking Wild West Ronance thoughts… Anyway

I have never heard of Alvvays and that is a crime because both of those songs are new favorites now omg. The first one reminded me so much of 99 Luftballons. If you like them, I’d recommend the Sonder Bombs! Twinkle Lights and Atom are both excellent.

Are you a Paramore fan? (They’re might favorite band so there is a correct answer). Totally joking, but did you listen to their new song? I’m incredibly excited for them to be making music again

Oh that’s so cool! Maybe I’ll have to see if that’s one of the plants I can successfully keep alive! They’re so adorable.

Boy do I feel that. Pollen season is awful but so damn pretty. Bradford pears are my worst enemy. But! Wildflowers make me so happy. I wish I could go lay about in them like a total goofball but then I will be very itchy and have many regrets

Oh dude that would be sick as fuck! And definitely sounds like something a gay person would do 😂 Speaking of, did you make a decision about the purple hair?

Eternally swooning,

- Max/Lo

#elmax anon #I’m so so curious if I know you #are we mutuals?#are you a random lovely stranger?#I don’t know #but the mystery is kind of fun #<333

3 notes · View notes

ash-and-books · 3 years ago

Photo

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: A delicious debut rom-com about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup.

Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations.

Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest "upgrade." Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.

Review:

Savvy Sheldon has been stuck, stuck in high stress job with not so many benefits, a boyfriend who never appreciates her, and a kitchen that needs fixing. When her boyfriend tells her they need to break up because she just isn’t doing it for him anymore, that she is the problem... Savvy decides it’s time to get back on track, starting with trying to make herself happy again. Savvy plans to fix her kitchen, improve her relationship with her body, find a way to make. a work-life balance, and fix her love life. Cue Spencer, a very cute guy she accidentally thought was homeless but is actually a renovator. Savvy hires Spencer to help fix her kitchen but soon sparks start flying. As Savvy starts getting into yoga, tennis, healthy eating, and going on dates she starts to realize that maybe all these things aren’t about just improving... its about learning to love yourself and seeing yourself. This was a story about self-healing and about learning to find confidence in yourself. It was a great story about falling in love with yourself. Savvy’s friends were great and such a fun group of supportive gals. Savvy’s journey of self love was a great one to read, and Spencer was a sweet romantic interest for her! Overall, this was a really sweet story!

*I was given an arc in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own*

#book review #bookish #book #romance read #romance book review

5 notes · View notes

newstfionline · 3 years ago

Text

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Omicron Is Pushing America Into Soft Lockdown (The Atlantic) “I do not see a scenario for any kind of shutdown,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared this week, as parts of New York were in fact shutting down all around him. Broadway canceled show after show. Restaurants closed their kitchens. De Blasio’s successor, Eric Adams, who will take office January 1, nixed his inauguration gala. There has been no March 2020–style universal shutdown, but New York is not back anymore, baby. For Brent Young, who runs a butcher shop and two restaurants in Brooklyn, it began last week when, one by one, staff members tested positive. “It’s more or less decimated our workforce,” he says. One of his restaurants had been booked solid with parties for a week—the holidays are one of the busiest times of the year for restaurants—but people started canceling those parties too. At this point it’s not worth trying to stay open, Young says, “because the anxiety’s so high no one’s wanting to eat.” A voluntary suspension of activity—a soft lockdown, essentially—will help dampen transmission of the coronavirus. This happened all over the country in spring 2020, when people began staying at home before official stay-at-home orders came down, says Saad Omer, an epidemiologist at Yale.

Major storm dumps snow, closes mountain routes in California (AP) A major Christmas weekend storm caused whiteout conditions and closed key highways amid blowing snow in mountains of Northern California and Nevada, with forecasters warning that travel in the Sierra Nevada could be difficult for several days. Authorities near Reno said three people were injured in a 20-car pileup on Interstate 395, where drivers described limited visibility on Sunday. Further west, a 70-mile (112-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80 was shut until at least Monday from Colfax, California, through the Lake Tahoe region to the Nevada state line. The California Department of Transportation also closed many other roads while warning of slippery conditions for motorists.

Omicron, storms disrupt air travel for 4th consecutive day (AP) Flight cancellations that disrupted holiday travel stretched into Monday as airlines called off thousands more flights because crews were sick with COVID-19 during one of the year’s busiest travel periods, and storm fronts added to the havoc. Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a constant this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and carriers have struggled to make up ground this year, when air travel rebounded faster than almost anyone had expected. The arrival of the omicron variant exacerbated the difficulties. Since Friday, airlines have canceled more than 4,000 flights to, from or inside the U.S., with over 1,000 U.S. cancellations on Monday, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations.

1,000 New People Arrive in Texas Every Day. Half Are Newborns. (NYT) Births are declining in the U.S. In Texas, they’re surging. Every three minutes, a child is born somewhere in Texas. At one hospital in North Texas, 107 babies were delivered over 96 hours this summer, shattering local records. At a hospital in San Antonio, more than 1,200 babies have been born this year, up nearly 30% since 2018. Across one of the nation’s fastest-growing states, an average 1,000 new Texans arrive every day. Half of them are newborns. Across the state, a baby boom has been fueled by newcomers from states like California and New York, attracted by a lower cost of living, less crowded schools and cheaper taxes. Many of them are starting their own families in the process. Between 2010 and 2020, the state’s population grew by 4 million—or the entire population of neighboring Oklahoma. Babies made up the largest number of new arrivals to Texas (about 48%), with migrants from other states (31%) and countries (21%) rounding out the rest.

Death toll from Brazil flooding rises in Bahia's 'worst disaster' ever (Reuters) The death toll from floods hammering northeast Brazil rose to 20 on Monday, as the governor of Bahia state declared it the worst disaster in the state's history and rescuers braced for more rain in the coming days. Much of Bahia, home to about 15 million people, has suffered from intermittent flooding for weeks, after a long drought gave way to record rains. Flooding in some areas intensified late on Christmas Eve and early on Christmas Day after a pair of dams gave way, sending residents scrambling for higher ground.

France further tightens COVID measures, but no curfew for New Year's Eve (Reuters) Faced with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, France will further tighten COVID-19 measures, but there will be no curfew for New Year's Eve and schools will reopen as planned in early January, the government said on Monday. From Monday and for the next three weeks, all public gatherings will be limited to 2,000 people for indoor events, and to 5,000 people for outdoor events, and all spectators will have to be seated at concerts. Consumption of food and drink will be banned in public passenger transport—including long-distance transport—as well as in movie theatres, while in bars and restaurants all food and drink will have to be consumed seated, not standing. Masks are already required for passengers on public transport.

Bulgarian shoppers find bargains in Turkey as lira struggles (AP) Bulgarian shoppers are crossing Turkey’s western border in packed cars and buses, taking advantage of a declining Turkish lira to fuel their own shopping sprees. Their first stop is the currency exchange and then it’s off to the markets and grocery stores in the northwestern Turkish city of Edirne. On Christmas Eve, the city’s Turkish marketplace was packed with shoppers from Bulgaria. Turkey is in the throes of an economic crisis with official inflation figures above 21%, affecting the prices of food, fuel and household items. But for the Bulgarian shoppers, the grocery stores are a bargain and they leave the country with their trunks packed.

Training Civilians, Ukraine Nurtures a Resistance in Waiting (NYT) In a pine forest not far from Ukraine’s capital, a mock battle raged. Commanders barked orders. Figures in camouflage huddled behind trees. A soldier fell to the ground, yelling for help. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have signed up to learn combat skills in training programs created and run by the government and private paramilitary groups. The programs are part of the country’s strategic defense plan in the event of a potential invasion by Russia—to foster a civilian resistance that can carry on the fight if the Ukrainian military is overwhelmed. There is no indication that President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has made up his mind whether to launch an attack. But if one should come, even Ukraine’s own generals say their regular military stands little chance in a full-fledged invasion. So Ukraine has drawn a lesson from the United States’ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan of the past two decades, when guerrillas provided enduring resistance in the face of vastly superior American firepower. Government-sponsored training for civilians has underpinned Nordic and Swiss military strategies for decades, and is gaining traction as a military doctrine in Eastern Europe.

Afghans desperate; Taliban face economic ruin (AP) The bitter cold of Afghanistan’s winter has small children huddled beneath blankets in makeshift camps. Sick babies in hospitals lie wrapped in their mothers’ all-enveloping burqas. Long lines at food distribution centers have become overwhelming as Afghanistan sinks deeper into desperate times. Since the chaotic Aug. 15 Taliban takeover of Kabul, an already war-devastated economy once kept alive by international donations alone is now on the verge of collapse. There isn’t enough money for hospitals. The World Health Organization is warning of millions of children suffering malnutrition, and the United Nations says 97% of Afghans will soon be living below the poverty line.

Hindu vigilante groups disrupt Christmas celebrations on Modi territory (Reuters) Hardline Hindu vigilante groups disrupted Christmas mass in parts of India, including in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s core territory ahead of local elections in the coming months, media reported on Monday. The disruption of Christmas celebrations at the weekend and last week included the vandalising of a life-size statue of Jesus Christ at Ambala in Haryana, a northern state governed by Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), The Hindu newspaper said. It also reported activists burnt a model of Santa Claus and chanted slogans against Christmas celebrations and religious conversions on Saturday outside a church in Varanasi, Modi’s parliamentary constituency and Hinduism’s holiest city.

Delta: Flight to Shanghai turned back because of COVID rules (AP) Delta Air Lines said Monday that new pandemic-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport were behind the turning back of a recent flight from Seattle in midair, a move that had prompted a protest from the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. An emailed statement said the new mandates at Shanghai Pudong International Airport “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta.” It wasn’t clear what the rules are and what prompted the change, but it comes as China tightens its already strict COVID-19 travel restrictions in the face of a growing outbreak in the city of Xi’an and ahead of the Winter Olympics in Beijing in six weeks. Two Taiwan-based airlines, China Airlines and EVA Air, have both cut down on the number of flights heading to Shanghai Pudong International Airport in recent days, citing new disinfection procedures that will take longer to complete.

Hong Kong is clinging to ‘zero covid’ and extreme quarantine. Talent is leaving in droves. (Washington Post) Ellie May Paden, 26, came to Hong Kong over a year ago for a new opportunity and a budding relationship. Paden found herself isolated by extreme quarantine rules that require anyone returning from abroad to spend weeks in confinement at a cost of thousands of dollars, irrespective of vaccination status. She missed her grandfather’s funeral and the birth of her niece, but she hoped that as vaccination rates rose, Hong Kong might open up. It wasn’t to be. Paden is now joining the swelling ranks of expatriates leaving Hong Kong over its approach to the pandemic. “No other country takes it as far as three weeks,” Paden said. “It is kind of insane.” With China exercising ever-tighter control over Hong Kong, the city is hewing to the country’s strict “zero covid” policy extolled by Beijing as evidence of a superior political system. Yet the approach has largely cut off Hong Kong from both China and the world—a severe blow for a place that built its success on global connections. Even more than recent political changes, the authorities’ refusal to adapt to living with the virus is eroding Hong Kong’s viability as an international city, according to almost two dozen diplomats, chambers of commerce, recruiters, pilots and other expatriates.

#headlines #news

3 notes · View notes

rune-writes · 4 years ago

Text

Holiday Cookies

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Shinra Holiday 2020 » Day 1: Bake it til’ you make it

Word count: 1834

Rating: G

Summary: Elena isn't the best cook. As she is trying to make holiday cookies for Tseng, Reno walks in on her.

Note: A bit late, but here’s my entry for the Shinra Holiday 2020 event. This is also my first time writing the Turks, so hope you enjoy :)

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

“What are you doing?”

Elena jumped at the sudden voice. Her hand that was stirring another batch of cookie dough jolted to a halt. She knew that voice—that arrogant, half-amused, in perpetual teasing voice. As though he had the entire world in the palm of his hand. Reno stood in the now-open doorway, one brow raised in question.

How had he found her there? Elena had asked to use the kitchen in the dead of night when all the kitchen staff had gone home. They’d let her, albeit begrudgingly, and lent her the key, making her promise to make sure no one came and stole food from the pantry. Apparently they’d had a case of a thief for several nights, and no, it hadn’t been a rat.

“Good thing I’m not Tseng, though, right?”

Reno’s scoff brought Elena’s mind back to the situation. At the tilt of her head, Reno made a deliberate scan of the chaotic counter between them. Flour was strewn about, with splashes of milk and butter and egg, and in the center of it all was a plate stacked high with burned cookies.

Elena’s face went red with mortification.

“It’s not like no one knows,” Reno went on. “Except Tseng, that is.”

He crossed the kitchen, then sat on a stool he pulled from beneath the counter. He picked a cookie from the top of the stack, burned black and cut into what was supposed to be a gingerbread man, but the edges had crumbled, leaving only a decapitated head. Reno’s smile was crooked, but before Elena could warn him, he had taken a bite off the head. The grimace came almost immediately, his brows scrunched in disgust.

“What is this?”

Elena looked away and continued stirring the dough, willing her heated face to cool.

“If you’re thinking of giving these to Tseng, I suggest you think twice before—”

“How did you get here?” She cut him mid-sentence. She didn’t need his lecture to know how badly she’d messed up her first batch—and second. And third. Besides, it was two in the morning and she had locked the door.

“I’m on standby,” Reno replied, as though that justified him visiting the pantry in the middle of the night. “Figured I could swipe a chicken leg or something.” Elena half wondered if he was the one who’d been stealing food, but the thought stopped midway when she heard a soft crunch from behind her.

Her hand paused. Did he eat another? Those ruined, burned-black, disgusting cookies? Her heart had sunk at the sight of them when she’d pulled the tray out of the oven. But she’d figured the taste mattered more than the appearance and had taken a bite from a tree-shaped cookie. She’d almost gagged. Her second batch had come out still burned, but at least it was edible. Still not enough to present to Tseng, though.

“You, on the other hand,” Reno went on. Elena glanced at him. He tossed the last of a star-shaped cookie in his mouth, his grin turning wry. “Didn’t expect you to be the sneaky type.”

“What do you mean sneaky?” Reno waved the cookie as if to make a point. Then he eyed the mess on the counter. Elena’s frown deepened. She set her bowl down and turned around to face him, her hands on her hips. “For your information, they let me borrow the kitchen. Unlike someone.”

“At least I didn’t spend a week’s worth of cooking ingredients.” He picked a cookie from the top of the stack, one of the edible-looking ones, and bit into it. His brows drew together, but he still gulped everything down. “Imagine what the chef would say once he sees his storage is empty.”

Reno was exaggerating. Elena was only into her second bag of flour and had only used half a bag of sugar and several eggs. They were only a fraction of what the kitchen staff used daily. She doubted they would even notice.

“They know I’m making cookies,” Elena said in defense of herself.

“Bet they didn’t know you’re only just trying it out.” Reno picked another cookie from the plate. He inspected the round and plain chocolate chip, his lips pulled into a deep scowl at the black surface. “Tell me, did you follow a bad recipe, or are you just a plain kitchen disaster?”

“If you don’t have any constructive criticism to give, the door’s that way.”

“I’m just saying.” Reno tossed the cookie back onto the plate before picking another—a cane-shaped cookie with white icing on top. She’d hoped it could have masked the burnt taste, but she’d made the icing too salty. “Don’t be too ambitious if you don’t have any baking experience, and—” Reno swiped at the icing and licked it off his finger. He didn’t bother to hide his revolt. “Don’t mistake sugar with salt, please.”

That was only one time, though now a bag of icing lay in waste on top of the counter. That would earn her an earful from the head chef.

Reno exhaled a loud, exasperated sigh. He pushed himself off his stool then moved around the counter, taking the mixing bowl from Elena. “You don’t have enough flour,” he said with a click of his tongue as he tested the gooey consistency of her batter with the spatula. He pinched a little of the batter with his finger, and Elena held her breath as she watched Reno taste it. “At least you used sugar this time.”

“Of course I did!”

He glanced around, then grabbed the measuring cup sitting next to the flour bag. “How many cups of flour did you use?”

Elena bit back her frown as she wondered what Reno was going to do. “Three?” she said. Reno quirked a disbelieving brow at her, and Elena folded her arms. “I followed the recipe okay! It’s not my fault it doesn’t go the way it’s supposed to.”

“Then whose fault is it? The oven?”

Reno scoffed and reached toward the bag of flour to scoop for another cup. Elena’s eyes grew wide in horror and she was about to stop him. She could do this herself—she had to do this herself. What would be the point if she didn’t make the cookies she would give Tseng tomorrow?

“Just tell him you spent all night at the kitchen,” Reno said, adding half a cup of the flour into the dough through a strainer. He set the cup down, then began mixing the batter. “That’s not exactly a lie.”

“But—” Elena pursed her lips and looked away, ignoring the way her cheeks burned. “Stop reading my mind.”

“Then stop being an open book.”

Elena huffed and gritted her teeth. She could never win against her particularly obnoxious senior.

Reno mixed the batter with the spatula with expert dexterity. He added more flour when the batter was still too viscid, then mixed it some more until the consistency resembled a cookie dough. Elena found herself entranced by the way he moved with ease, the blue in his eyes focused solely on the task at hand.

“Can you really bake?” she asked.

Reno’s laugh surprised her—the sort of startled laughter as if she’d said something stupid. “I’m a Turk,” was all he said, as though that answered everything. She was a Turk herself, but she knew nothing about the kitchen. Though that was nothing new. Her own family had forbidden her to enter the kitchen, even when nobody was home. That was why she had to use the company’s kitchen in the small hours.

What if Reno was only putting on airs and the cookies he made now turned out worse than her own burned batch? What if he was playing her? Elena wouldn’t put it past him. Then Tseng wouldn’t look at her the same way ever again—and not in the way she hoped.

“You don’t believe me that much?” Elena blinked. Reno was looking at her from the corners of his eyes, a frown playing across his face. “All I want is to save Tseng from getting hospitalized. Now, either you get out of my way or you get me the parchment paper.”

He’d sounded so stern that for a split second, Elena had thought she was on a mission and he was her field superior. She stood at attention, then responded the way she would have as a member of the Turks. It wasn’t until she caught his tiny, teasing grin as she was turning around that she realized he was messing with her. Unease, mixed with exasperation, creeped its way into her heart.

“You’re not pulling my leg, right?”

His delayed answer made her think of the worst. He hadn’t added anything strange into the bowl while she wasn’t looking, had he? She could just imagine Tseng’s expression. The cookie would look good on the outside, but the moment her superior bite into it—the grimace, the disgust, the gag. What if he threw up in front of her? He’d get hospitalized for sure!

“You like him that much, huh?”

Reno’s eyes were uncharacteristically drawn, a slight crinkle around the corners that made him look... gentle, for once. Teasing still, but kind. In a blink-or-she’d-miss-it moment, his smile turned tender. Then he looked away and resumed his mixing.

“Relax,” he said. “After tasting your cooking, I fear for Tseng’s life if he has to eat it.” She took offense, her lips pulling into a scowl as a retort formed behind her mouth, but then he said, “Just take it as me trying to express Holiday spirits. I’m being sincere here for once, you know.”

That was the last thing Elena expected him to say. Holiday spirits? Sincere? Elena never thought those words existed in his vocabulary. For all she knew, her senior’s sincerity only existed on the battlefield when his target stood at the other end of his electro-mag rod. Elena had no reason to trust him, yet she had no reason not to trust him either. Maybe Reno really was doing her a favor. Whatever his reasons had been for visiting the kitchen so late at night, he was here helping her bake cookies when he was supposed to be on standby. Should she take him up on his offer? He’d do things his way no matter what she said.

“Fine,” she finally said. She turned around on her feet, then reached for the parchment papers in the cupboard. She spread it over the counter, but before Reno could scoop the now-thickened dough onto the paper, she held her hand over it, stopping him. “But if Tseng throws up in front of me, I’m going to say you made it for him.”

A pause, in which Reno’s turquoise eyes met her dark brown ones. The grin that spread over his face was almost challenging, but then he laughed a hearty laugh that came from his stomach and shook his shoulders.

“Deal,” he said, then he scooped the dough onto the parchment.

~ END ~

#shinraholiday2020 #reno of the turks #elena of the turks #final fantasy vii #ff7 #ffvii #ff7r #final fantasy #fanfiction #ff fanfic #ff7 fanfic

9 notes · View notes

imsarahcate · 4 years ago

Text

Good things: -I'm doing the thing and making the phone call(s) -I have food in the oven (stoffurs mac n cheese for the win) -I scooped -I got lots of Jack snuggles this morning when I went back to bed -My new wrist brace arrived and the ice pack is in the freezer to set.

Bad things: -Not 100% sold on the new brace. It doesn't have a support bar for the thumb and I don't know if that's going to make it less effective for me -Probably gonna be on hold for a while -Do NOT have the energy to go out and fax in paperwork -I think my recent bouts of nausea are both a good and bad thing. I think that the pain med switch IS helping. I can almost tell when the morning med wears off because I notice a drastic pain increase when it does. But the flip side of that (and the cause of the nausea) is that my baseline pain levels are SIGNIFICANTLY higher than they were.

I know I've talked before that a couple of years ago Dr. D and I both came to the conclusion that not only was my neuropathy not going away, but it was likely going to continue to get worse. It was one of the reasons he was so supportive of me getting a powerchair. But then, in general (unless I really overdid it), my pain stayed at a baseline. When I did push too much, I'd end up just completely wrecked- sick to my stomach, nauseated, sour stomach, dizzy. So I have a standing rx for zofran just in case.

. This past week I've had to take it almost every day, and more than a few times- multiple times during the day/night. Since before the snowstorm, I have noticed my pain has been a lot worse. I kept chalking it up to doing too much but the truth is- I really HAVEN'T been doing "too much."

And I don't really know what to do about it. I don't know that anything CAN be done about it. The fact of the matter is (and Dr. D has had to remind me of this on more than one occasion) pain meds (even at their most effective) will never stop the root cause of my pain. For me, best case scenario is that it stops me from noticing the pain my body is in to a degree so that I can ration my energy and activities and give myself some kind of life AROUND recovery times..But my neuropathy isn't fixable. It's not like... an anti-depressant which can actually HELP your brain with serotonin uptake. It doesn't have a real functional power over what's happening in my body. So the pain meds dull my awareness, but they don't keep my actual body from experiencing the pain and stress of the neuropathy itself.

At some point, (hopefully far far in the future) there will be a point when I have to choose .. pain management over driving. Independence over side-effects from pain meds. These are not choices I'm looking forward to.

To be honest, quarantine during the pandemic has been, in a small sense, practice for this. For the time when I will have to be much stingier with my activities and energy. It's one of the reasons I really really want to get back to getting the house totally in order. The better shape everything is HERE the easier it will be for me to a)just exist here, and b)manage regular chores during recovery periods when I DO choose to overexert.

I started typing this all out on facebook but frankly, I don’t want people there to know how bad it’s really getting already. I mean, some folks KNOW, but i haven’t laid it out quite this... explicitly for my loved ones to just... see and read.

I have really distinct plans to get the house up to speed- and I’ll have a little bit of $ from dad’s estate to do stuff which will help a lot. I need to get threshold ramps in the house, and a ramp from the driveway to the porch. I need to finish sorting, storing, organizing and putting KW’s stuff in the garage so that what’s in the HOUSE is all mine and stuff I need/want/use.

I want to have a ramp put in the garage up the steps to the kitchen/utility room. Once KW HAS eventually gotten all her things- I’d like to turn the garage into my art/crafting space AND move the daybed in there for additional guest sleeping too. It’s big enough I think that I could have a VERY SMALL studio portrait space, a crafting area, and the daybed, etc. When the weather is nice, and with a ramp for access, I could sit out there in my wheelchair and craft or paint or take photos.

Shifting my art/crafting/beading stuff to the garage will free up a LOT of various random spaces in the house too. Which will let me better organize what’s in it. The reno we did a few years ago means the kitchen and big bathroom are essentially accessible for me in my chair NOW (if the kitchen was.. um... clean), and i have a space to add a dishwasher if I end up needing one. One thing I definitely plan to get with estate money is a new washer dryer. I even found an ada compliant set at lowes!

Basically, I haven’t told anyone in my real-life yet, but I’ve been working on a list of things that need to get done in order for me to continue living alone once things really do take a turn. I think CityDad would probably fly out and stay with me for a couple weeks if I asked him to- he’d be able to help me build out and shift the garage into a more useable space once it’s empty, (this project is not going to happen even within a year...even if I had everything for KW totally packed up, I have no idea when she’ll actually sit down to go through stuff and either take it/trash it or donate it.)

But it’s been on my mind a lot as I’ve noticed this pain increase. What do I NEED on my worst days now- so that when those days are my baseline I can make my life as simple as possible and maintain as much independence as possible.

I don’t know. And it’s not like it HAS to be said somewhere, I just... I needed this all out of my brain for a minute. I needed to scream it into the void without upsetting my loved ones about the decline.

For now, I’m just... doing the best I can, day to day. And making sure my zofran refills keep getting approved.

3 notes · View notes