#whatever at least my lemon tea is good

[dietkit]

just shredded a big cucumber and a small carrot and that's breakfast! im gonna try for volume eating? since i'm fresh off getting takeout at least once a day like a fucking pig

[theonewiththefanfics]

Homecoming (one-shot)

Synopsys: When Y/N goes missing during a simple supply run, she comes back with world-shattering news for Astarion. News he never thought to hear, and now he has a decision to make, one that will shift his life on its axis once more.

Set after the main events of BG3

Pairing: Astarion x fem!Reader

Genre: angst, fluff, a bit of SMUT, but nothing explicit

Warnings: talks of blood, injuries, swearing, mentions of abuse, but nothing explicit, kidnapping

Word count: 8397

A/N: I have not played Baldur's Gate 3 (I don't own a PS or a PC where to play it. all of this is based on the info gathered online and through Neil's own gameplay etc. Please be kind :) )

Part 2(ish) - Love Conquers All (one-shot)

A home was not something to ever be taken for granted, that much they had learned during their adventures.

A home was a fire slowly crackling in the hearth, warmth expanding through the living room. A home was Astarion sitting on a loveseat, a book in his hands while he waited for his love to finish puttering around in the kitchen. A home was drying tea leaves and making preserves for the coming winter as she shooed him out, saying that his fussing would only hinder her process.

He’d huffed, puffed and whined, trying to make Y/N pull away from her plans just so they could curl up and read together, but she was adamant.

“I’ve already started.” She dropped an orange peel and pressed some lemon juice into the steaming pot. “It’ll be wasted produce if I just leave it now.”

“But it will take you hours!” Astarion whined like a child and even stomped his foot, making her snort.

“And it will take me twice as long if you don’t stop annoying me.” Y/N threw him a saccharine smile over her shoulder, batting her lashes at the pouting vampire. “Now, be a good boy, and quit pestering me. We’ll have all the time in the world, once I’m done.”

Astarion just groaned, going up to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, the incisors he usually sank into her neck now nipping at her lobe. “I can be a very good boy if you only let me prove it.”

“My love, you will be getting absolutely no sex from me, if you don��t let me at least finish this batch.” A shiver rushed down her spine as he licked at her neck, so close to that sweet spot he always used as a place to bite and drink from. But she had to be strong. The jams wouldn’t make themselves. “Every additional minute you keep me from this will be an additional day of your dry spell.”

The vampire spawn jumped back from her as if he’d been scalded, scarlet eyes narrowing in on her. “You wouldn’t dare. You wouldn’t last an hour!”

Y/N turned around, crossing her arms as a devious smile bloomed on her lips, a brow raised in challenge. “Would you like to test those waters?”

Astarion stood, staring her down. His crimson gaze was blazing from underneath his lashes, but she didn’t budge. They’d played this game for close to three years as a couple now, and she’d learned very quickly – Astarion was very much so a cat. But especially – he was a cat that liked to knock things over while keeping direct eye contact with you, though the second you placed a palm underneath whatever it was he wanted for to fall, all his need for chaos disappeared. It just wasn’t fun anymore.

For twenty long seconds, Y/N and her pale elven lover didn’t break, hoping the other would crumble and be announced as the loser, but part of what he loved about her, was her stubbornness. It was because of that part of her personality, she’d stuck by him when his doubts had crept in, when his own mind called him worthless and not good enough for her, almost as if to spite those vicious words in his mind. She didn’t give up on the people she loved, and as luck would have it, Astarion owned her heart.

But Y/N also knew how to handle a cat like him, so just after a few more tense moments, his eye twitched, and he huffed in defeat.

“Fine,” he scoffed. “But if you are not done by sundown, I shall have no other option but to drag you away from the stove. Kicking and screaming preferred.”

Y/N simply shook her head, and went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling the man into a deep, breathless kiss, but not before nipping at his bottom lip, dragging the piece of flesh between her teeth and making him let out a desperate moan. “I’ll even let you tie me up if you wish to do so.”

Astarion’s pupils almost swallowed the red irises in a matter of seconds, as he threw his head back in a groan. “My love, you’re absolutely killing me here.”

“Then I hope whatever punishment you deem fit for me, will be just oh, so sweet.” Y/N stepped back, untangling herself from him, but the mischievousness in her eyes didn’t lessen.

She could see how the words tortured him, how it took every single last piece of his fraying self-control, to not rip off her apron and the clothes underneath and just lay her down on the kitchen table, legs spread with his mouth licking into her until she orgasmed.

With eyes holding nothing but pure lust and hands clenching and unclenching, Astarion retreated. Y/N would be lying if she said she wasn’t hot and bothered and absolutely dripping between her thighs, and the thought of finishing those jams was the last thing on her mind, but she did have to do it. If only to keep him waiting longer, knowing whatever his beautiful brain was cooking up would leave her screaming and shaking for hours.

They’d been growing their own vegetables and fruits, Y/N tending to them during the nights to spend more time with Astarion as he fussed over his flower gardens, so it would simply be wasteful to leave their berries to rot. The year had been very generous and offered a variety of things to gather, so a while back, she’d decided to pickle some of the tomatoes and cucumbers, turn another batch of peppers and tomatillos into sauces while the sweeter things would be turned into syrups and jams.

Y/N shook her head, trying to clear it from the haze of lust, as the aroma of lemons and cranberries, raspberries and oranges wafted all around, encasing her in the scent. She was just about to add the sugar when the tin rattled with the sound of the last grains left.

Her brow furrowed as she opened the lid and looked inside. Sure, enough it was empty.

The woman huffed. She was absolutely positive she’d gotten the right amount during the last trip, but somewhere along the way it seemed a miscalculation had happened, and now she had to get more. Y/N would have asked Astarion, and had the sun dipped below the horizon, he would have jumped at the request, but alas his little vampiric predicament forbade him from walking during the day, the sun still high in the sky from what she could see through a tiny slit in the shutters.

Quickly, Y/N snuffed out the flame below the pot, untied her dirtied apron and grabbed a basket from the pantry, tying a pouch of coins to her side. She only needed sugar, but maybe she would grab some other necessities as well. They were low on Astarion’s favourite wine, one he claimed didn’t taste like vinegar at least.

“I’m off to the market really quick,” Y/N announced as she peeked into the living room, taking in Astarion as he flipped a page in a book. “Do you want anything?”

“No, my love.” He looked at her like a love-sick puppy. “Just your darling self back as quick as you can. I have picked up some… inspiration for your punishment if you will. Just as you suggested, of course.” He closed the book, showing the cover to her.

Heat crawled all over her body as she read the title, one of her smuttier romances she had started to read, and when she could do nothing but gulp and nod, his smile turned from a sweet one into a wicked-fanged thing. It was all she needed to know whatever awaited her once she was done would leave her unable to walk. Gods, she needed to finish this whole thing up as quickly as she could.

Y/N was out the doors like the wind, the usual stroll to the market cut from half an hour into a brisk fifteen-minute jog, the thoughts of the man waiting back home for her at the forefront of her mind.

The needed sugar, some coffee beans, a loaf of fresh bread, Astarion’s wine and some sour cream were all bought in quick succession, Y/N didn’t even try to haggle. Her eyes drifted across various stalls and merchants and she almost deemed it done when her gaze caught onto a rose seedling. It was a beautiful bloom with blood-red petals that whitened at the very tips. She smiled and went to buy it. Astarion would love the symbolism even if a bit too on the nose.

Once satisfied with everything, Y/N marched across the market and was back on the road to home. It was a humble little house they’d purchased with whatever had been left in their pockets after all was said and done with the tadpoles, but Astarion had bigger plans. This was only a temporary situation.

“I want a whole room full of books. Nothing but books from one end to the other and then some,” he’d confided in Y/N one night after both were panting and spent from multiple rounds of bringing the other to ecstasy.

“And a large ballroom,” he continued, and Y/N couldn’t help the loud laugh that escaped her.

“A ballroom? And what will we do with that?”

“Why, have grand balls, of course!” He threw his hands up in the air as if her question was preposterous.

“Star…” Y/N tilted her head to look up at him from where she was lying on his naked chest. “You hate people. A ballroom full of them – it would be your literal nightmare.”

“I don’t hate people.”

“I don’t count.”

“Alright,” he conceded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. Y/N placed her palm atop where his heart was and rested her chin on it, looking deep into his eyes. “I hate most people, simply dislike them, but I wouldn’t be opposed to a get-together, from time to time. Maybe… maybe see our friends. Catch up on how they’re doing. I absolutely despise to admit this and will say you are lying if you ever mention it to anyone, but I – I miss them… even Gale…”

A gentle smile lifted her lips as she brushed a wild curl out of his face and tucked it behind his pointy ear. “I think I’d really like that too.”

His eyes were so soft and full of love, that Y/N swore she could feel his heart beating once more in his chest, thudding against her palm in a confession of adoration.

She was almost out of the city by that point, already on the small, secluded road leading to their house which lay on the outskirts of Baldur’s Gate right by the edges of the woods, so Astarion had easier access to game in between feeding on her when her attention was drawn back by someone calling out.

“Miss!” the voice, male she made out, yelled after her. “Miss, please wait!”

Instantly, her guard was up, but when a breathless man, looking to be in his late sixties appeared from behind a copse of trees, she somewhat relaxed. Y/N was still cautious, but if anything, she had a dagger holstered against her thigh. She was always prepared.

“Miss,” he gasped out, leaning his hands against his knees to catch his breath. “Miss, you are a quick one. I’ve been calling for you since by the rose stalls."

“Oh, I – I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you!” Y/N said but didn’t move forward. “How can I help?”

He huffed, as if regaining her breath, before fishing out a piece of fabric from his pocket, and extending it towards her. “You dropped this by the flowers.”

When she took a closer look at what he was holding, it seemed to be some sort of a silk scarf. She narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t own silk scarves and definitely hadn’t worn one on such a warm day. “You must have mixed me up with someone, as it’s not mine. Sorry, for you to have troubled yourself like this.”

“No.” The man furrowed his brow, taking a step closer. “I am fairly certain I saw you drop it. Such a fine piece… didn’t want you to lose it.”

Y/N took a step back, angling herself in a defensive position with the basket in front of her. She didn’t like the tone he was speaking in, nor the way his eyes seemed to be appraising her. “No,” she asserted. “It’s not mine.”

His back stiffened, eyes growing cold, the grip on the scarf tightening as he hummed. “Well… a pity then.”        

She took another step back, but he was already lunging at her.

Dropping the basket to the ground, she reached for the knife strapped at her thigh, but he was quick as a viper as she hadn’t even noticed when a rope appeared in his hands, lashing it at her. Years of having fought had kept her agile and aware, but years of domestic bliss with Astarion had dulled her senses a bit.

The rope caught and wrapped around her ankle, knocking her to the ground. Y/N’s teeth clattered and snapped, her tongue almost in between them, but as he rushed to pin her down, she twisted her leg around the rope and pulled, making the man lose his balance and stumble.

It was enough for her to swipe her leg underneath his, and send him sprawling. It was enough for her to untangle her legs and roll away as he snapped it at her head. Her clothes were dirty as was her face, but it didn’t matter. She’d cover herself in blood if needed.

It was almost animalistic how she pounced – teeth bared, a snarl ripping from her throat and hands forming claws as if she would gouge at his face with just his nails, but as her palm brushed her thigh, unclipping the holster for her dagger, Y/N didn’t see the man had crouched on his knee and swung the cord.

It knocked the air out of her, as it wrapped around her chest, and he pulled her down, hard. Her ribs were screaming as the tether tightened and tightened with every pull, but as she thought this would be it, something strange happened – instead of offering her the killing blow, he opened a palm, now covered in a leather glove, and blew the contents of it onto her face.

Y/N coughed and sputtered, but whatever it was, was fast-acting and her lungs, still incapable of proper breathing due to the rope couldn’t expel it. In just a few seconds, the bright day around her turned into darkness.

She didn’t know how long she was unconscious for, but enough time had passed to dry out her throat. Or was that a side effect of whatever was blown into her face? In any case, as she slowly came to, Y/N noted there was a soft mattress under her body, which was an oddity for someone kidnapped. She could even tell the dagger was still by her thigh, the comforting weight of the blade pressed under her. Even weirder, if you asked her, to not disarm your victims.

Darkness still encompassed her, but the soft cloth against her cheeks told her she hadn’t permanently lost her vision, but with her sight obscured, she had to rely on her ears. That’s when voices invaded her senses.

There were three people somewhere further away, most likely in a different room if taken by how muffled the words were. She focused harder on what they were saying.

Two men and a female, Y/N differentiated, when the woman spoke.

“This is not what we agreed upon!” she hissed, and a grumbly-sounding man scoffed.

“You said to get her to you. I did. You never specified how.” It was the same man who’d knocked her out.

“We want her to help us!” A different male voice, this one softer, even kinder, rebutted. “I highly doubt kidnapping is a good incentive for that!”

“Look,” her assailant said. “I fulfilled my end of the deal. She is unhurt, maybe she'll sport a couple of bruises and a headache, but that is her own fault. She could have come willingly but didn’t. Other than that, though – she is completely fine. Now you do your part!”

As the trio argued between themselves, more angry whispers than shouting, Y/N started to shimmy her hands which had been bound, out of the restraints. She had a good inclination they needed her alive but had no want of staying as a prisoner.

Though her fighting skills seemed to have mellowed, which she was not happy about, even a couple of years without mortally dangerous adventures, hadn’t changed how quickly she could slip her wrists from their bindings.  Astarion might need to get more creative during their debauchery.

Y/N froze the second she heard a door open and shut, two pairs of footsteps moving closer and closer to where she was. Her breathing was shallow and almost imperceptible, as she tried to make it look like she was still unconscious.

She could sense two bodies enter the room and one move to stand where she faced, the other going to her back.

Y/N tensed. In just a few moments, whoever was behind her, would notice her undone binds. But she’d be ready.

“Darling, please be careful,” the woman said, a tremble in her voice.

Good. Let them be scared.

“Don’t worry,” the man replied. “I’ll just make sure she’s – what in the -”

But Y/N was already up, the blindfold off and ready to pounce. This time, she’d have the upper hand.

For a second, the light in the room blinded her, but her sight refocused fast enough to take in her captors’ faces.

The woman was beautiful, with high rosy cheekbones, and jade green eyes so vivid they looked like actual gemstones. Her hair was long and dark, down to her waist while grey strands seemed to have invaded the brown tresses in some places, but she was still ethereally gorgeous, her pointy ears covered in piercings.

Y/N snapped out of the shock quicker and using this to her advantage, she was behind her in a matter of a blink, her dagger pressed tight against her throat.

A gasp entered her ears, but she just pressed the blade harder, making her whimper.

“Please!” the man made her look at him, but instead of bracing for an attack, he had his hands up in surrender. “Please don’t hurt her! We just want to talk.”

“Funny way of having a conversation you’ve got there.” Y/N tightened her grip on the knife, surveying the man. Again, those same pointed ears, but his eyes were the most brilliant blue she’d ever seen and his face was marred with more age lines than the woman’s, yet he still was as gorgeous as she. “Typically, only my enemies would knock me out and tie me up before spilling their grand plans. But I will be kind and give you a choice – what would you like to be – friends or foes?”

“Friends! Friends! Please! We – we’re looking for our son!” the elven man pleaded. “And we – we heard a rumour that you might know him. Have even seen him.”

Y/N narrowed her Y/E/C eyes, piercing his with her gaze. “I’ve known and seen a lot of people. Usually, others just ask me about them, they don’t have someone kidnap me.”

“And we’re sorry, we’re so very sorry, but we had to make sure you came. It went too far and we apologise, but please…” He took in a deep breath, worried eyes flipping between his partner and her. “Our son – his name is Astarion. Astarion Ancunin. Have you – do you know of him?”

Hearing his name, knocked the breath out of her as if they’d snapped a rope around her chest again, making her stumble back. Her grip on the woman released, and she used the moment to leap over to her partner, using the bed as a buffer. He instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her half behind his back, but not before checking if Y/N’s dagger had pierced the skin.

Tears brimmed in the eleven woman’s green eyes as she looked at her, not even caring that just a moment before she was so close to having her blood dripping on the floor. “Please,” she whispered. “I – I know we didn’t go about it the right way, but please… is it true he’s alive?”

"I,” Y/N stammered, her gaze snapping back and forth between the two.

Astarion.

They were Astarion’s parents.

Even after all this time, they were searching for their missing son.

Y/N should have noticed the details – how the woman had a small mole on her cheek right where Astarion did, how the shape of the man’s eyes was the exact same as his son’s. Astarion even had the same high cheekbones as his mother while his sharp jaw was that of his father.

What had his eyes been like before? Green like his mother’s or the sky blue of his father's? What had he been like as a child? No doubt as mischievous and scheme-prone as he was now, but who had he gotten it from? So many different questions rattled through Y/N’s brain as she kept glancing back and forth, before shaking her head and pulling her out of the shocked stupor.

“You – you’re Ancunins?” She had to ask. Had to make sure she hadn’t overheard them or maybe hallucinating because of the powder she’d inhaled.

“Yes.” The woman nodded, brushing tears from under her eyes. “Our son has been missing for more than two hundred years, and we almost lost hope until… until we heard about you and your company a few years back. How one of the party members resembled our little Star so much.”

They hadn’t been inconspicuous, though they had tried, so it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise that tales of their adventures had gone far and wide, especially after saving Baldur’s Gate, killing Cazador and the absolute, and Gods know how many other evils along the way. But she never thought Astarion’s parents would have heard of it.

In fact, Astarion had barely even mentioned them over the years, and, for whatever reason, Y/N had concluded they must have passed, despite knowing elves lived extremely long lives. Had he maybe tried to find them on his own and couldn’t? Or had he forgotten about them?

Until Astarion and Y/N had become an official couple and she’d commissioned a portrait of him as a gift on an anniversary, he hadn’t even seen himself in two centuries. He’d forgotten what he looked like. It didn’t seem too crazy to assume, the memories of his parents’ names or their faces, might’ve slipped away as well, or even the love they had for him. Especially knowing how deeply Cazador had ruined that notion for him.

She needed to get home. She needed to see Astarion, and then she could figure out what to do.

“I need to go.” Y/N nodded to herself, muttering under her breath. “I need to think.”

“No, please!” the woman lunged, trying to grasp at her, but she had a knife pointed at her chest in an instant, making the elf shrivel back, but still, she pleaded. “Please help us. You’re the hero of Baldur’s Gate! If you can’t help, who will?”

“I promise I will do my best,” Y/N said. “But I need time… I – I need to figure all of this out.”

Her mind was swirling like a hurricane, but the man interrupted her breakdown as she realised how pretty much her in-laws, had kidnapped her. “At least tell us this – is – is it true he is alive? Or have we travelled across Faerun under the pretences of false hope?”

In truth, Y/N wanted to take them by the arms and drag them to her house, but whether Astarion wanted to reach out and reconnect, was up to him. That sort of a choice was not hers to make, but she could grant them this one request.

“He is.” Y/N nodded.

And then she left as quickly as she could because if she had to stand there and watch as the elves crumbled into one another, cries of relief and joy escaping into the slowly setting day, she would crumble too. Their faces were already permanently burned into her mind, and she needed a moment to process everything.

By a stroke of luck or fate, Y/N instantly recognised she was in the woods on the other side of Baldur’s Gate, so retracing her steps to the market was fairly easy even though the whole way back home, she was pretty much stumbling around in a daze, knocking into people and tripping over her own two legs.

Her discarded basket was right where she’d left it, gold coins scattered around it. The pouch must’ve broken during the struggle. Y/N made sure to pick every single piece up and was more than relieved to see, that the rose bloom was still intact.

By the time she arrived, the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, and as the last rays warmed her back, she extended her palm to open the door, though she didn’t even get to touch the handle as it was ripped open by a visibly distressed Astarion.

His eyes looked like he’d been crying, his hair as if he’d been relentlessly raking his fingers through the locks and his lower lip so bitten, there was a small hole where one of his incisors had gone through.

“Oh, thank the Gods!” Astairon instantly grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her in a bone-crushing hug, burying his nose into the crook of her neck. “Thank the Gods!”

Y/N dropped the basket over the threshold and closed the door with her foot, her own arms weaving around his middle, a palm soothingly brushing along his side, as he soaked her in.

“I’m alright, Star,” she said, kissing his temple and didn’t even make a noise as he gripped her waist tighter, right where bruises were forming. “I’m sorry I was gone so long, but I’m alright.”

“What happened? You said you’d be quick, but you were gone for hours! And you know what the worst part was – I couldn’t even go out looking for you because of the damned fucking sun!” Astarion cupped her face, turning it this way and that way, trying to find any injuries, but the biggest one would be in her head as she tried to figure out how to explain to him what had happened. “Gods, I am never letting you out of my sight again!”

Y/N indulged the vampire in the hug he pulled her in, holding him against her chest, trying to comfort him, but she was way too consumed with her new findings. Too quickly, as evident by the frown on Astarion’s face, she untangled herself from the embrace, anxiety immediately flashing over his handsome features.

She slid her arms from around his waist to take his palms into hers. “I – I don’t even know how to say this… How do you say something like that?”

Worry instantly marred his brow, and Y/N pressed a practised thumb between them, trying to soothe them away.

“Shit…” he muttered. “Did I do something wrong?”

“What? No!” She cupped his cheeks. “Astarion you’ve done nothing!”

“Then – then what?” He was tentative, still, scared Y/N might be angry at him. Or worse – wanted to leave, but her next words erased all that doubt.

“I…” She took in a deep breath. “Astarion, I met your parents today.”

Whatever he had expected, clearly that hadn’t been it. Probably a confession she’d met a past love, that their feelings were reignited and she wanted to go with them. But definitely not that.

He blinked once, twice, trice, completely and utterly stupefied before a small whisper of “What?” passed his lips.

“It’s why I’m so late,” Y/N explained. “They’d heard a rumour, that I knew you and had travelled with you during our tadpole situation, and came to me. Astarion, your parents are looking for you…”

A million thoughts seemed to swirl in his head, but Y/N held onto his hand through all of them.

“What,” he cleared his throat, “what did you tell them?”

“That I’d find them once I figured out what to do?”

“Which means?”

“Which means I would come home, give you this information and let you figure out what you’d like to do…”

So many emotions flashed across his face, but Y/N no longer needed that mind flayer tadpole connection it created – Astarion was an open book for her to read.

Joy. Such indisputable joy shone in his scarlet eyes before being consumed by confusion. Then anger and disgust and love, but by the end of it all his heart settled on one feeling – fear.

It’s what it knew best, though Y/N had tried her hardest to reduce it to ashes, yet still it lingered. She understood it, despite not being happy he ever had to feel it.

He feared what to do, what would be the right choice to make, he feared their reactions and what they would say of his disappearance or of his newest… condition. Would they accept him? Or would they be repulsed by him?

“What – what would I even say to them?” Astarion searched her Y/E/C eyes as if they held an answer, but when one magically didn’t appear, he hung his head, a tear rolling down his cheek. “I can’t even remember what they looked like. Their names, the house we used to live in… it’s all a fog.”

Y/N tried to give him an encouraging smile. “Well, your mother – she has the most beautiful green eyes. Like that dress you made for me for Summer Solstice, that same shade. And – and she has a little beauty mark on her cheek.” With a gentle thumb, she brushed over the mole. “Right in that same spot.”

His brows furrowed in concentration; his lips pinched tightly. “I – I remember blue eyes. Not green.”

“That might be your father's. His are azure I’d say. Like the summer sky. Gods, Astarion,” Y/N breathed out. “You look so much like them, but… honestly, the only thing you need to know right now is that they looked relieved.” Her voice was soothing as he tried to find lies in her words, but there would be none. “I didn’t tell them anything apart from the fact that you’re alive, and all I saw was complete and utter relief.”

Y/N placed a strand of hair behind his ear as he pondered. His carmine eyes slid to hers. “Do they want to see me?”

“Yes. It was the whole reason they sought me out because I might have a single scrap of information on you.” She’d mention the kidnapping later. Or maybe never, depending on how everything went. What he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

“Is it,” he hesitated, as if ashamed to be asking such a question. “Is it alright if I think this over for a bit? I’m just – there’s so much going on in my head…”

“Of course, Star!” Y/N cupped his cheeks and placed a reassuring kiss on his forehead. “Take all the time you need.”

“Thank you,” he sighed, his shoulders dropping, but she just shook her head.

“Nothing to thank me for. Not for this.”

And so, they continued on like that for a few days – Y/N didn’t bring the subject up, but she made sure Astarion knew, she’d be there whenever he needed to talk. Yet her mind couldn’t help but worry about the two elves in that little cottage on the other side of the town. How horrid it must be to wait for an answer that might never come, but her love was her first and only priority. When he decided it would be time, she’d support him no matter what.

It was a week after the revelation (and subsequent freakout on Astarion’s part when Y/N had removed her clothes before him, and he saw the raw skin and bruises on her ribs. She spent the whole night convincing him it was fine and talking him down from hunting the mercenary and bleeding him dry. She didn’t mention it had been his parents who’d hired him but rather said it had been an unfortunate coincidence), when Astarion awoke with a certain determination, shaking her awake.

She swatted at him like an insect buzzing by her ear. “Leave me be, you blood-sucking, elf!” Y/N grumbled, burying herself under the duvet. “It’s too early. And stop hogging the covers!”

She was just about to elbow him in the ribs if he didn’t let her sleep more, but what he said was like cold ice being poured over her, waking her up completely.

“I think I want to see my parents.”

Y/N was sat in a second. The sheet dropped down, exposing her naked chest, but she didn’t even feel the chilly air biting at her skin, even though Astarion’s gaze immediately dropped down to her breasts, eyes blazing with want.

Rolling her own eyes, she pulled the cover so that it obscured her indecency. Though it was his favourite outfit of hers, they needed to focus on the important things. “Are you sure? You can take all the time you need. There is no rush to this, and it’s a huge decision to make.”

“I’m sure,” Astarion sighed, running a hand through his moon-white locks and dropping back onto the pillows. “It’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about.”

Y/N worried her lip before sliding back down next to him, letting him wrap his arms around her body. She knew in moments like these, Astarion needed reassurance, and he craved being close to her. Holding her grounded him, and made his scattered thoughts into something solid.

She kissed right above where his heart lay. “If, you’re sure.”

“I am… I just… Will you be there?” Astarion looked down at her.

The woman gave him a smile. “Nowhere I’d rather be than by your side.”

Gently, he brushed a finger against her cheekbone and leaned to kiss her, thankful he’d found someone to walk the world with, especially during the moments he feared he might break.

The day before they’d decided on meeting, Y/N ventured out to the cabin to inform the elven couple of Astarion’s decision. Once they’d seen her walking up through the window, they were out before she even managed to get to the door, faces full of hope.

“Astarion, he wants to come and see you, but there are some… conditions…”

His mother’s brow furrowed, the grimace so familiar it sent a pang through Y/N’s heart, but she swallowed it. “Whatever he needs. Whatever you both need. Anything for our little Star.”

“So… please just don’t question this, but umm… physical contact – I know I can’t possibly understand how you feel, but let him come to you first. It might not make sense, but it’s important that he is the one to make that step.”

“Of course,” Astarion's father nodded, his mother eagerly agreeing.

“And umm… he’ll be different. He might not look like the elf you remember him being. The world wasn’t kind to him for a long time… Please don’t mention this.”

Pain flashed across their faces at her words. They must have assumed something horrible had happened to him, but to have it confirmed was a different kind of agony. But as Y/N had asked – they didn’t question, simply nodded, holding onto one another a bit tighter.

“Alright.” Her heart was somewhat settled. “Thank you. We – uh- we’ll see you later tonight then.”

And with that, she left only to find Astarion pacing the inside of their hallway upon her return.

“Is it sundown already?” He snapped his neck to her as she removed her cloak, visibly upset when Y/N shook her head.

“A couple more hours, I’m afraid,” she said, taking his hand and kissing his palm, placing it against her cheek. “Please stop worrying. It will all be alright.”          

“But what if I’m making a mistake?”

She raised her brow. “Do you think you’re making a mistake?”

“N-no?” Astarion huffed. “I don’t know. I know I want to see them at least once, but what if it’s best to leave the past in the past? Why torture myself and exhume it, so to speak?”

“You can leave it all behind if that’s what you wish. But, Star, you also have the rarest of opportunities people get – a second chance.” She stepped close to him, pulling his head down by the nape of his neck so they could rest their foreheads against one another. “But you can always leave. You can always say “no.” And if someone doesn’t get that, no matter who they might be, I will gut them navel to throat.”

Astarion chuckled, brushing his nose against hers. “My knight in bloody armour, always ready to ride into battle for me.”

Y/N pecked his lips in response. “As long as I get my kisses at the end of it – without a second to spare.”

They spent the couple of hours waiting until the sun went down cleaning up around the house and then it was time to go.

As Astarion took a deep breath before closing the door, Y/N squeezed his hand. “We can turn back whenever you want to.”

But he seemed determined, only giving her a reassuring smile and twining their fingers together, her hand in his solid hold.

They walked slowly, enjoying the warm night gracing Baldur’s Gate, and soon enough they were through the city and past the woods, a small log cabin coming into view.

He stopped them a few feet away, taking in a moment to gather his thoughts and emotions.

Y/N glanced at him encouragingly. “Are you ready, Star?”

Astarion took in a deep breath, held it in for a moment and then exhaled, nodding. With this confirmation, she released his hand and ventured to the door, gently rapping her knuckles against it, immediately returning to stand beside her lover.

Instantly his palm was back into hers, as if he needed her to ground him, reassure him everything would be alright as nervous energy coursed through his veins while they waited for the inhabitants to come and see them. And though it was probably no more than ten seconds since she’d knocked, it felt like time had stood still. Once the doors opened, even nature quieted down.

The breeze shushed the tweeting birds and seemingly even the worms digging underground stopped their burrowing as finally, after two hundred years, the lost Ancunin son returned.

They stood like that for what seemed like ages, just taking one another in, before a small sob of Astarion’s name from his mother’s lips broke the spellbound silence.

It’s when he rushed for her, the elf already on her feet, meeting him halfway. Her arms wrapped tight around his body, hands smoothing down the back of his head as all the while she kept whispering “My Star, my little Star, you’re home.”

Y/N was on standby, ready to rip her away if Astarion became overwhelmed. She’d asked them to allow him to be the one to make the first step, and they had, but with such all-encompassing feelings, she just wanted him to be safe.

Though all that anxiety dissipated like ice under the blazing hear of the sun when Astarion practically melted against his mother, his fingers digging into her shoulders and back as if he never wished to be let go, both of them crumbling to their knees, still in each other’s embrace.

Tears welled along Y/N’s bottom lashes and when his father joined them, wrapping his arms around his family, they fell like rain on an autumn evening. She had to press a hand against her mouth to not sob out loud, but it didn’t seem like anyone would care, as Y/N noted Astarion’s shoulders shaking while his mother and father were freely crying, all the while touching and caressing his face, trying to ingrain the memory of having their son back in their arms.

She couldn’t imagine that feeling, didn’t ever want to, of finally being reunited with a family which you were so brutally ripped away from. Y/N almost wanted to resurrect Cazador, just so she could drive a stake through his heart again, but that might’ve been a bit too morbid of a thought in such a tender moment.

“You’re home.” His mother pulled back, cupping Astarion’s cheeks and smiling from ear to ear. “Our little Star is back home.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long,” he choked out, but his father shook his head.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re here. That’s enough for us.”

Y/N watched as he took in the people who’d searched for him relentlessly. He never knew they’d never given up. She wondered if there would be a time, he’d believe he was worth all it. She certainly hoped so.

“Thank you,” the elf with eyes like jade said, snapping her eyes towards Y/N. “You have no idea what kind of a gift you’ve bestowed upon us. We will never be able to repay you.”

She could only wave them off, a knot in her throat. “You owe me nothing. Seeing this – this is enough for me. I’ll – uh – I’ll leave you to it then.”

Just as she was about to turn around, Astarion jumped to his feet, untangling himself from the limbs of his parents, eyes full of concern. “What? Why? What’s wrong?” He was by her side in an instant, pulling her hand to rest against his chest.

“Nothing!” Y/N shook her head. “I just – I just think maybe I should take my leave. I can be back in a few hours if you’d like, but this just all seems like – like a private family reunion.”

Astarion scoffed, his free arm weaving around her waist, completely offended. “And what exactly do you think you are to me if not family, my love? Arguably, you might be the most important part of it.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that -,”

“Hush now!” he scolded her. “You promised to be by my side through everything. Are you breaking that promise?”

“No, I just,” she stammered. “Are you sure you don’t want me to leave you to it? This just feels awfully personal.”

“My love, you are the keeper of my heart. You are my true home.” Astarion cupped her cheek, resting his brow against hers, chest against chest, not caring who might see. “Without you, none of this would have happened. I could still be on that beach with a mind flayer tadpole wriggling behind my eye.” He took her hand, and kissed her knuckles, sighing as they brushed against his jaw. “I don’t want to do this without you. I want to relearn who my parents are, and I want them to get to know me, but a non-negotiable part of that is you. That is if it’s alright with you?”

A tear slipped down her cheek, as she looked deep into those ruby eyes that once held nothing but fear and pain, only to now show love and compassion and happiness. When she smiled, her grin could have rivalled the sun itself. “I’d be honoured.”

When they glanced at the two elves by the threshold of the house, they noted the horrified looks on their faces. Astarion’s guard was immediately up, but his mother beat him to it.

“My Star, I am so sorry!” She put a hand over her mouth. “We swear we didn’t know you two were lovers! We just...” She glanced at her husband in desperation, but it seemed the little scene they’d put on had rendered him speechless. “Had we known, we would have never…”

Astarion squinted at her, a dangerous note appearing in his voice. “Never would have what?”

“Oh Gods, we had your partner kidnapped,” his father finally got out, eyes only widening in more shock as it settled that Y/N wasn’t just a travelling companion or a friend, but just what she really meant to Astarion.

“You did what?!” His head snapped to Y/N who now retreated to stand between the two shocked elves, and her quite furious boyfriend.

“Astarion, it’s alright,” she tried to calm him down. “They didn’t know! Besides, I heard them arguing with that mercenary. They didn’t hurt me. In fact, I,” she let out a nervous chuckle, “I held a knife to your mother’s throat. So, call it even and let’s move past it?”

His gaze was hot like the flames, as it burned into her. “We will discuss this later.” He pointed an accusatory finger at her before taking a deep breath and exhaling. “This is absolutely not how I ever imagined a family reunion to go, let alone the introduction of my partner.”

Y/N’s shoulders dropped as he broke the settled tension, but something in his eyes told her she’d pay for her omissions. And oh, how delicious that punishment would be.

His mother still seemed to be all nerves as she invited them inside, spouting apologies in Y/N’s direction, but when she took the elf's hand in hers and gave a comforting embrace, she relaxed a little. “Let’s let the bygones be bygones.”

“I’d appreciate that,” she smiled, and wrinkles of age and time appeared around her eyes.

It was awkward at first, two centuries of hurt laying between them, two centuries of torture on Astarion’s end, of lost love and people, but slowly they opened up. And when his mother mentioned how he always used to bury his nose into strawberry fields, because it reminded him of his mother’s hair care products, it was like a damn had been opened.

The memories were still there, buried under layers of pain and horrors, but there. Maybe a little jumbled up and out of sorts, but with every hour spent together, locks were being broken and a light long lost lit up again.

Astarion had changed, but so had his parents. He let them know of his adventures, how he met Y/N and how she had turned his world upside down but abstained from the more gruesome parts. He wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. Maybe not ever, but if he so wished, she knew his parents would be there to listen and welcome his vulnerably with open arms.

An hour before the sun resumed its place in the sky, Y/N nudged Astarion, telling him it was time to leave. She had little doubt in her mind, his parents had caught onto what he was, even if they hadn’t mentioned Cazador. If not for the shape of his elongated canines, or the colour of his eyes, which Y/N had found out had been a beautiful shade of pale green, then because of the brutal scars on his neck. But they still pulled him into a hug with such vigour, it was like they feared they’d never see him again, which was probably a thought always haunting their minds.

“Would – would you like to come over to ours?” Astarion asked, still holding onto his mother’s hands. “It’s a bit of a mess, our place, but if you come after the sun’s down, I’m sure we can have it proper enough to take on guests.”

It was an odd request, but thankfully, neither his mother nor father said anything about the specific time request, simply hugged him once more and promised to be by their door the second the sun dipped, wine and lemon cakes in hand.

As they waved their goodbyes, Astarion slipped his palm into Y/N’s and made sure they walked all the way back like that. Once behind a closed door, he pulled her into his chest relishing in the way their bodies melded together – two puzzle pieces finally connecting and forming the most magnificent picture to exist.

“What is it like to be finally home?” Y/N asked as he swayed them to a tune only, he heard.

Astarion shook his head, pulling slightly back so he could cup her jaw. “My love, I have been home for a long time now. I’ve been safe and cared for, all thanks to you.” His eyes were so full of love and adoration, she almost choked on a breath. “Now… now it just feels complete. So thank you… thank you for being my home,” he muttered that little confession against her skin, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you for keeping me safe.”

“Always, my love.” Y/N didn’t hide the tears rolling down her face and he brushed them away with a soft thumb. “Always.”

When their gazes locked, all she could see was excitement for what the new day had to offer, and she knew whatever was in store, as long as they were by one another’s side, there was nothing they couldn’t overcome.

But for all that, there was an important thing she was unaware of.

As Y/N entered their living room, talking to herself and making a list of what they had to do before his parents arrived, Astarion stood and watched her, leaning against the doorframe, all the while his hands rested in his pocket, where in one of them, a beautiful ring was being twirled between his fingers.

Before they’d left, his mother had slyly pulled it off her own hand, pressing it into his palm, and whispering to him while hugging that she didn’t want to see Y/N without it the next time around.

Astarion had no intention of living his life without Y/N as his fiancé for a second longer.

When she turned around to find him on one knee, he didn’t even get to ask the question before she responded with a shout of “Yes!” and jumped on him, pulling him into a kiss he swore breathed life into his still chest.

He couldn’t wait to reintroduce Y/N to his parents as his intended.

Now all was as it should be. He was finally home. And somewhere in the garden, a rose bloomed in full.

Tags:

Everything tags: @palaiasaurus64 @supernaturalbaesduh @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @sea040561 @staryeyedgirl @deathbyarabbit @m-a-t-91 @maladaptive-ninja-returns @averyrogers83 @gallifreyansass @dewy-biitch @avxgers @unlikelygalaxygiver @magicwithaknife @ollyoxenfrees @bnhvrdy @tvwhoresblog @thatkindofgurl @sj-thefan @lestersglitterglue @im-squished @strangersstranger

Astarion tags: @spacebarbarianweird

A/N: This idea was inspired by that one post of a painting Astarion's parents probably had of him, but had put away somewhere just so they didn't have to look a the son they lost, so I rectified it (Link to the inspo pic :) :( Now they have a portrait of Astarion and his love right above their fire place :)

P.S. my tags are always open :)

P.S.S. please don't plagiarise or repost on other platforms.

[720am]

M A S T E R L I S T

for losing as much as possible in a short amount of time (cuz we are all desperate), from me - a biotechnologist, who relapsed (the demons never leave)

the tips i am about to share with all my girliepops are all based on science and work; if you have any other tips, feel free to share in the comments, so we can have all the tips in one place!

• eat your meals from smaller sized plates, to trick your brain you are eating more

• cut up your food into small pieces

• chew every bite at least 10-15 times, until it is a purée consistency; this way you will be eating slower and give your brain more time to realise you are full

• sip water with a lemon slice between your bites

• focus on eating vegetables and protein, limit carbs

• drink a lot of water, and I mean a lot

• add lemon slices to your water to make it have some flavour; also the lemon juice in water before your meals will help reduce the glucose spike => less insulin released from liver => less absorbed glucose from carbs/sugars/starches => less fat on your body

• move for 10 mins right after eating - walk, do calf raises, some light movement so all the glucose can be used before getting stored as fat on your body

• drink tea - green tea, detox tea, whatever tea, without a sweetener

• do not drink diet sodas/colas - or any kind of liquid that is not water/tea - these are useless calories, why would you do that to yourselves?! even if it says 0 cals - this s#it is so bad for you, and the carbonation makes you feel bloated like a god damn whale! ditch the diet sodas girliepops

• implement some kind of movement every day - walking, pilates, yoga, dance workouts, resistance bands workouts or stretching

• do not weigh yourself everyday - due to hormones our weigh fluctuates every day and this will just make you feel bad if you lose and gain 1-2 legs everyday depending on your menstrual cycle, water weight and so on.. weigh yourself every 2 weeks.

• do not drink fruit juice - this is such a scam; hear me out: how many oranges does it take to make 1 glass of orange juice? around 3. can you eat three whole oranges in one sitting? i bet no. then why would you drink 3 oranges? when you make fruit juice, all the fibre and the pulp is removed, leaving you with just the juice with all the sugar in it (in the form of glucose and fructose) so you are basically drinking pure sugar, which turns into fat… just eat your damned fruit, instead of drinking a bunch of empty calories

• take red cranberry supplements - they are usually taken for UTIs, but the red cranberry has diuretic effect, and will make you pee your water weight out; please do not take more than 2 pills and remember to drink plenty of water so you don’t damage your kidneys!!!!

• take probiotics - this will ensure your gut health stays good while restricting foods, so you don’t end up constipated and bloated

• i personally do not eat dairy products (i am lactose intolerant) - they are full of hormones from the cows, give you acne and inflammation, and the protein in it is not worth it considering the amount of fat these products have; skip the dairy if you can

• if you drink a lot of coffee, remember to drink plenty of water! coffee has a diuretic effect and if you are not drinking more water, it will make you retain whatever water is in your body, leading to water weight gain

• if you end up binging, do so mindfully - do not give in to all the food, just have a piece of chocolate, not the whole chocolate bar; have a piece of cake, not the whole cake; then get back on track and try to exercise as much as possible to burn the excess calories

• i think this is obvious but let me say it just in case - in order to lose weight, you have to be on a calorie deficit - meaning you burn/use more calories than you consume; but!! here is the trick - you have to maintain low calorie diet, do not ⭐️ve for more than 2 days, as this will f#ck up your metabolism - your body goes into fight or flight response, meaning everything you eat after f4sting will remain on your body as a reserve of food, in case you end up ⭐️ving again; so have your veggies and protein (chicken breasts, white fish)

• keep yourself busy so you don’t think about f0od - study, work, read books, journal, whatever it is, your day has to be full of activities do you can forget to e4t

• reject offered food - say you already ate / yr not hungry / you are allergic to some ingredient / you have a bad migraine and this will make it worse / or take the food and say you will have it later and just give it to someone else (pls don’t throw in trash, do not waste food)

• when eating with family / boyfriend - place food in a smaller plate, cut up food into very small pieces and eat very slowly and chew every bite for a long time, sip water between every few bites, then say you are full and cannot eat anymore / that you ate a bit earlier and yr full

• when eating, eat your veggies first, then your protein and eat the smallest amount of carbs - always leave leftover carbs in your plate

• do not eat any snacks - no cereal bars, no cereal, no chips, no crisps, no crackers, no salty sticks, just do not eat snacks!

• if you feel like eating - drink water first, then have veggies (cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, etc) or fruit (apples, citrus, any kind of berries)

• if you are having breakfast - always eat a savoury breakfast - eggs, avocado, veggies etc; never eat a sweet breakfast - cereal, croissants, pancakes, etc, this will spike up your glucose levels and all that sugar will turn into fat; a sweet breakfast will make you feel tired and exhausted all day, leading you to eat more

• wear a waist trainer - do so for no more than 8hrs a day; this will also help you have smaller portions of food, as it won’t allow your stomach to expand

• do not purge - this is very bad for your teeth and overall health; the stomach acid is very strong and every time you purge, your teeth are getting damaged; just don’t overeat in the first place and have self control!

this is all i have for right now; if i think of anything else, i will add later / make another post; if you have anything to add to this list - go ahead and do so in the comments below

remember, stay safe xx

[karlachismylife]

Thots on how they would react if you got sick?

(totally not self indulgent right now)

Oh no, my lovely spouse is sick :( Get well soon, lovie, and here are some little speedrun headcanons for you ahead of everything, as a treatment!! Beware, there are some NSFW parts under the cut :) So MINORS AND AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT I swear I get so upset every time I have to block some ageless blog. If it's so hard to put your age in the bio, just DO NOT TOUCH THE POST!! I'd rather keep you around to read my SFW pieces than block you altogether.

Okay sorry for yelling, here we go

CW: gn!sick!reader, reader is somewhat being stubborn about getting treatment at some points, sickness unspecified, but I wrote with something cold-adjacent in mind since we're in the cold season, a bit of controlling behavior from Ghost and Price.

Soap is Mister Indulgence. Any cravings you get, be it three kilograms of crisps for breakfast or his Mam's soup you suddenly want to taste at 2 am, he's getting his ass out of bed and runs to the store or puts on an apron to make the soup. You want some tea with sugar and lemon? How much teaspoons of sugar? What, you tried it and turned out you wanted a teaspoon less? No worries, he'll make it again. You wanna binge your favourite show? Listen to "your" song fifty times in a row? Cuddle and nap on his hot chest for eight hours? Whatever you want, bonnie, his Maw always said that good mood is the most important step in getting better, so Johnny would rather die than not keep you satisfied during sick time.

He might not be the most well-versed in medical stuff, but he definitely uses his Mam's knowledge (and she is one wise woman, I tell you) and whatever experience he has himself to get you both real treatment and some homemade remedies. Swears he doesn't get sick (ever, bonnie!) when you try to shoo him away worried he'll catch whatever you have.

Drops sick the very next day you finally are all good again (and behaves as if he's actually dying, even though he has like three times lighter symptoms than you cuz that man has an immune system of a beast).

Ghost is mean about it, cruel and ruthless. At least that's what you tell him when he wakes you up to make you drink some medicine or, even worse, change you out of your sweaty pjs, help you bathe and (this one is almost breakup-worthy betrayal) take you to a doctor. No amount of pleading, whining and pouting can deter him from making sure you're getting appropriate treatment.

Truth be told, he's probably blaming himself, because under his care you should've never gotten sick in the first place. This means he's probably checking your wardrobe and adding some warmer clothes and shoes (no more wearing old sneakers when it's already rain season!) to it, probably inspecting all the food you've eaten recently in case it was bad, proofing all the windows against drafts... and somehow he still finds time to be around you all the time, holding you in your fever-induced sleep, changing cold wet towels on your forehead and caring for you.

Might or might not catch the sickness from you, which reveals that he's an even worse patient than you, constantly grumpy, wrapped in three blankets and trying to put an indifferent face, but so, so pathetic when the fever gets actually high. He will be good if you promise to hold him in your lap and stroke his hair with cold fingers.

Gaz isn't as indulgent as Soap, but he gives you a lot of autonomy and trusts that you know best what treatment helps you. So if you say you don't feel like you need to call a doctor, he won't force you; he'll buy the medicine you tell him to buy, and if he thinks it's not the best choice, he'll just suggest an alternative, leaving the final decision up to you. Also has some homemade remedies ready to go if you're willing to try them, but leans heavily towards scientifically proven treatments.

He definitely tries to keep you if not active (no hikes or something, but maybe little walks around the apartment once the worst wave passes) then at least entertained, and not in "200 episodes of a dumb sitcom watched alone" way. Of course, if that's what you're feeling, get your sitcom fill, angel (he's not one to judge, he is keeping up with like a hundred series somehow), but if you're up to play some games, Kyle is more than happy to. Puzzles, card games, board games - maybe not so much computer games, since he wants you to be mindful of your eyes health, but a little bit? Sure. If you don't wanna play games, he still wants to keep you company so that you don't feel like you're missing out on life alone in your bed.

Probably the one who is the least likely to catch your sickness, because he ACTUALLY never gets sick, that pretty boy possesses some magic, I'm telling ya. Buf if he somehow does, he's the best patient who doesn't even need your help (but will accept it since he doesn't want you to feel guilty and it's just nice). For the three days that he's sick before he's healthier than ever.

Price is also very insistent on you getting proper treatment, but he doesn't go about it in Ghost's stern manner - no, he's a sly, smart dog, he's sweettalking you into thinking half of it is your own idea and he's just there to provide. If he needs to, he plays up his worried behavior and voila, you're already taking your medicine and days off from studies or work, simply because you don't want to worry your John's bleeding heart. Drops casually something like "good thing doc's office is on the way to the base, I can drop you off before finishing that bloody report they're wanting my head for and then pick you up, lovie" - and when you note that you actually don't feel like your sickness is doctor visit worthy, he sighs and tells you that he'll stay with you then. Of course now you have to agree, you can't let him get in trouble with the report simply because you didn't want to go to the doctor!

In all the other aspects he is absolutely doting and spoiling. Will casually look through fifteen stores until he finds the exact type of natural juice gummies you once mentioned your parents got you when you were sick. Absolutely no smoking around you or even in the apartment - and he also makes sure he doesn't smell too much of tobacco before coming into your room. Will baby you in whatever way you want (yes, he will read you your book aloud) or simply stay at your side to assist you with different things if you're not into that. But god forbid you try to get back to work or studying before John Price deems you recovered enough...

Probably catches the sickness, but pretends he didn't until it's too obvious to deny. Will do all the things he reprimanded you for: try to work, keep smoking, avoid doctor etc.

Hyena!141 bonus: they absolutely cuddle you in their hyena form and do not shift into humans when you need them to fetch something like a pillow or more paper tissues. They're your fluffy cuddle buddies that are there to grumble and purr for you soothingly, keep the chills away and lick your forehead, nape and wrists to cool the fever down. Shove their snouts in different places on your body to check the temperature (no thermometer needed!) and tickle you, give you paw massages if your muscles ache and suddenly get on their best behavior (yes, even Soap). Furry menaces who? Not them, they're the sweetest boys!

NSFW under the cut, once again, minors and ageless blogs DNI or I'll block you (and cry about it!)

CW: gn!reader, oral sex, fingering, brat tamer Ghost (so it's consensual in case I didn't make it clear enough), penetrative sex with Gaz (bottom!gn!reader).

Soap is also number one advocate of "sex is proper treatment", so if you're not feeling too bad and have some energy to spare, he'll gladly eat you out and unleash his oral fixation on you. As treatment, of course. Also maybe because you're so hot that you're practically burning his tongue and it feels as if he dipped his face into the sweetest, freshly-baked pie, when you squeeze his mug between your overheating thighs. He'll do more if that's what you want, but if all you want is to come on his face, he'll lick, suck and rub as much as you need - yes, he spilled in his sweatpants just from pleasuring you and grinding against the sheets, but can you really blame him for enjoying a warm meal a little too much? Will probably compare your "sick" taste to your "healthy" one. No, he does not know what the word "shame" means.

Ghost is reluctant to have sex when you're sick, because, well... you're sick, you shouldn't exhaust your body, because it needs all the strength to fight whatever it is you caught. But once you start getting better (and as a result much, much brattier, since now you have the energy to not just whine and pout, but also to be a little defiant shit), he is absolutely using his fingers to reward or punish you for complying or resisting the treatment. Are you being good, taking your medicine, measuring your body temperature and doing whatever else doctor told you to? Good, you deserve to cum on his fingers, lovie, just lean back and let him do all the work. What's that, you don't wanna drink your medicine, because it tastes bad, and you hid the thermometer? Well, love, he hopes you don't mind getting your temperature checked a little more old-fashioned way. And if you don't like your medicine, maybe having his fingers in your mouth, muffling all your protests, will change your mind. After all, that's what you wanted to achieve by being a brat, didn't you?

Gaz is already the king of gentle sex, but if you ask him to indulge you while you're sick, he'll be as tender as only molten marshmallow fluff can be. Caressing your feverish skin with his soft palms, making sure to avoid possibly hurting joints or muscles, going down on you with his sweet, honeyed mouth before even trying anything else. Can actually give you a perfect massage (even the normal kind) and add some lightweight petting and fingering to it. If you want to have penetrative sex though, he finds the best position (probably spooning, his arm cradling your head so it doesn't spin or hurt, and your body resting without any extreme stretches or strains) and takes you slowly and carefully. Doesn't let you worry about his orgasm at all, but if you feel like cockwarming him, he won't say no, that's for sure :) let him soak in some of that heat directly from you, angel, eh?

Price will probably need the most persuasion to engage with you sexually during your sick time, he is worrying about you too much, so the best you can get is probably his fingers and mouth closer to you already getting fully healthy again. He's just scared he'll go too rough on you regardless of how careful he's trying to be, lovie. But if he ends up catching you masturbating (and failing probably, since you're still too weak for such activities), he'll have no choice but to help you finish, careful tongue strokes and finger movements along with soft grumbling about him "leaving you just for five minutes, and you're already up to no good, love!" Don't let him fool you, he's the happiest man, because he both gets to pleasure his partner and because this means you're getting better.

[milykins]

TMNT Headcanon – When You’re Sick

My daughter was sick for the better part of last week so that got me thinking... also these are just my silly little headcanons, my hope is that they fit with your perception of the turtles.

Aged-up characters

Bayverse Turtles

Individual Turtles x Female Reader (they would all be separate relationships not all at the same time, could just be friendships as well)

Mikey

Upon seeing you are sick with various symptoms, coughing, sneezing, headache, fever… etc. Mikey will spring into action immediately. He will wrap you in a blanket, deposit you on the couch and put on your favourite shows and movies. You want classic episodes of The Price Is Right? He’s got you covered. Then he gets to work in the kitchen making the absolute best homemade chicken noodle soup you’ve ever tasted. Mikey will proudly tell you he even made the broth himself. He also swears that it will help you get better faster. Even if you tell him to keep your distance because you don’t want him to get sick as well he will not be deterred. He will bring you medicine and water and cuddle you in a burrito blanket while giving you forehead kisses and asking if you feel better yet. You do, his care is exceptional and sweet.

Raph

This turtle will panic upon seeing all of the symptoms you are displaying and run to his brother in purple for advice. No, he does not want Donnie to take over, just tell him what to do! Donnie will exasperatingly tell him how to take care of you and he’ll return with a thermometer. Gingerly, he’ll take your temperature and when it beeps he’ll mutter to himself: is 100.5F normal? He’ll leave the room before you can answer and he yells the question to his brother. Donnie will reply with a resounding no. Raph will return again with some medicine that will help bring the fever down. He’ll help you take it with some water and make sure you’re wrapped up tight. His attempt at cooking will be a can of chicken noodle soup because he can at least do that. You appreciate the gesture nonetheless. He’ll also bring you cough drops and a cup of hot lemon drink like Neocitran or whatever they have on hand. Raph won't care much about germs, he will hold your shivery self until the medicine kicks in and you fall asleep.

Leo

He is mostly unfazed to find out you are sick but the deep underlying concern will be there. He will be the one to brew you a certain blend of tea that will help with your symptoms. He will have created the blend himself with a combination of peppermint leaves, dried juniper berries, Echinacea and eucalyptus. It’s surprisingly good and he adds some honey to soothe your throat. He guarantees this will help you feel better but he’s not opposed to using modern medicine as well. If your fever is high he will bring Advil or Tylenol to bring it down. He hates seeing you suffer after all. Leo’s care will also involve him keeping a cold compress on your forehead and strict bedrest, he’s serious, don’t get up. He wants you to call him even if you have to go to the bathroom. If you’re hungry he’ll make you some toast or plain white rice. He can do that without burning down the kitchen. If you want cuddles he will gently stroke your hair and maybe even sing a Japanese lullaby to help you sleep.

Donnie

Doctor Don will make sure you get well. He is the one with the actual medical advice and he will put it into practice. He might even wear a mask around you if your symptoms are severe enough. He will quarantine you in your bedroom and bring you medicine, hot lemon with honey and food that is easy on your stomach. He’s also the one that will bring you handheld video games or a portable DVD player. If it’s a deep mucousy cough or chest cold he’ll bring you into the shower and hold you in the steamy air just to help you breathe a little easier. Donnie will put on his doctor hat and will do ‘rounds’ just to make sure you’re doing okay. His care is a little on the excessive side… no visitors, even Mikey until your symptoms have greatly lessened. You can see how seriously he takes his concern for your wellbeing and even checks on you at night just to make sure you’re okay. He can be easily coaxed into holding you if it will help you feel better. It does.

[nyoomfruits]

PREGNANT LANDO 📈📈

okay so the idea is basically omega!lando gets pregnant through a one night stand, doesn't know the guy and doesn't know how to track him down but he decides to keep the baby and just raise them on his own. alpha!oscar takes one look at pregnant lando and goes batshit insane inside becase 'oh my god smell good must protect must keep save must comfort' but like he's a Proper Alpha so he's not going to like. bother lando with all that or whatever. it slips through the cracks sometimes tho. getting lando anything he asks, giving him his hoodies. sort of hovering around him and growling at unfamiliar alphas whenever lando visits the paddock, stuff like that. and lando is kind of charmed?? also oscar's scent is really nice and actually soothes his morning sickness whereas most alpha scents make it worse and so he keeps asking oscar for hoodies even though that's kind of a little innapropriate maybe but oscar gives them anyway so it's fine and maybe he asks oscar to help him out with some stuff and drive him to an appointment and then before they know it they're assembling the cot together in the baby room that's in a color they picked together and still completely oblivious to the fact that they're totally becoming a family ANYWAY i don't have an outline yet so nothing's set in stone BUT i did write this little blurb in the tsgc discord the other day that kind of captures the vibes

The whole meeting feels kind of stupid. Pointless, really. He barely feels pregnant. It’s only been two weeks, it’s going to take months before he even starts showing. But he smells pregnant, and the rules and regulations don’t allow pregnant Omegas to drive, no matter how far along they are.

And so here Lando is, wiggling around in McLaren’s stupidly uncomfortable conference chairs, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive so he can tell them The News. He chews at his thumb for a bit, lets his hand wander over his still completely flat stomach, thinks about what everyone’s reactions are going to be.

Oscar is early, for once. Takes two steps into the meeting room, freezes, whips his head to look at Lando, eyes widening, looking for all intents and purposes like he just got all the wind knocked out of him.

“Yup,” Lando says, doing a little jazz hand motion. “Surprise.”

“Oh,” Oscar says, takes an aborted step forward, freezes again, fumbles a little in place. “I, yes. That’s. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Lando says, smiling a little tightly. He hasn’t really gotten used to that, really. People congratulating him. It’s not. He wants the baby, he does. That’s why he’s here right now announcing his pregnancy leave and everything. But it was still a mistake. Sort of. It wasn’t planned. So people congratulating him feels. Undeserved, somehow. Weird.

“Can I. Do you need anything?” Oscar asks, still hovering in the doorway and oh. That’s. That’s kind of precious, really. Oscar’s Alpha instincts kicking in, wanting to take care of a pregnant omega. Protect them. That’s sweet.

And so Lando indulges him, smiles softly. “Yeah, could you get me a tea, actually? Lemon, if they have it.”

“Yes,” Oscar says, and then he’s out of the room before Lando can even blink. Oh, well. If anything, at least he can have fun with that.

[dilemmaontwolegs]

Wild Nights || CL16 {5}

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x songstress!reader Summary: You show your support for Charles and he shows his support for you. Warnings: 18+only, just Charles being himself WC: 2k

F1 Masterlist || One || Two || Three || Four || Five || Epilogue

“Hurry up or you’re going to be late to your own show,” Bea urged as she tugged at your arm. “Come on, we have to go!”

You rose on your tiptoes and tried to look over the sea of people. “Just one more minute.”

“I gave you ten.”

You checked your phone again but there was no new message from Charles since his last update that he was just going to quickly shower. You had briefly seen him before the free practice, but other than a few quiet words in the back of Ferrari’s hospitality you hadn’t really spent any time with him since landing in Las Vegas. 

You had thought scheduling concerts in the same city would mean seeing more of Charles but nothing was ever quite that simple.

Sighing, you sent him a message apologising for leaving without a proper goodbye and reminded him not to wait up for you. It would be late by the time you finished the show and he needed an early night before his qualifying race, but hopefully you were able to find a few minutes together in the morning before he left.

The drive through the city was long with traffic congestion and you spent most of it checking your phone to the point that Bea leaned over and ripped it from your hands.

“Hey!” you growled as she tossed it into the front seat beside the chauffeur. “I was using that.”

“No, you were distracted by it.” She grabbed a bottle of champagne from the minifridge and popped the cork. “Here, bottoms up.”

“Classy,” you murmured as you took the bottle and drank straight from it.

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and took it back for a quick swig of her own. “At least I know it will get you to relax. Luckily your makeup has survived the day, there won’t be time to redo it.”

“There was a time when you said I didn’t need make up, is this you saying I’m getting ugly?”

“Pfft, bitch, please. If I thought you were ugly I would tell it to you straight, like a good friend. You’re beautiful and I’m jealous, I just thank god I have these,” she said as she grabbed her boobs for emphasis. “They kill my back, but they look damn good.”

“Forget your back, I heard they nearly killed Pierre,” you chuckled. “I think his fans would have a problem if you accidentally smothered him with those.”

“At least he would die happy and doing what he loved. Imagine that obituary.”

“I’d rather not.” Your nose wrinkled at the thought of any type of obituary for a racer, it was an all too real possibility you tried not to dwell on.

Bea agreed quietly with another drink from the bottle and cast her eyes out the window, taking in the bright lights of the strip. She nearly spit out her mouthful at the sight of an electronic billboard advertising the first Las Vegas F1 race. “Wow, they really got him again?”

You leaned over the seat and saw the ad of Charles decked out in a glittering jacket, elvis wig and pink feather boa as a deck of cards rained down. A laugh bubbled up as you took the bottle back and brought it up to your lips with a dopey smile. “He’s too sweet and trusting, a little gullible too.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” she joked as the car pulled into the service entrance of the MGM. and she took the half empty bottle away. “Can’t have you drunk on opening night.”

“Can I have my phone back?”

She reached through the front and grabbed it off the seat. “Fine, but no moping like a sad sap because we have to run.”

The door to the car opened to an entourage of people chiding you for the tardiness and you were hustled through the back channels of the building, stopping briefly in a room little larger than a closet to change outfits before you reached the backstage area.

“You have five minutes,” the head coordinator warned as Bea arrived with a cup of lemon, ginger and honey tea to help warm your vocal chords.

You thanked her as you sipped the hot drink and felt your phone vibrate with a notification as Scuderia Ferrari’s Instagram went live. ‘Music Challenge’ was the caption and you waved Bea over knowing they were always entertaining.

“Oh, I love this song,” Charles exclaimed as he nodded his head along.

“You say that every time,” Carlos complained.

“Kill Bill?”

“Correct!” The interviewer confirmed as Carlos groaned and fell back into the couch in defeat.

“How do you know that?”

“I listen to a lot of music.”

They both fell silent as the next song started and they both smashed their hands on their little bells.

“Flowers,” Carlos shouted. “Flowers, flowers, I got it first.”

“You got it loudest,” Charles disputed but the moment the next song started he was jumping up and pinging his bell in time. “Y/N, Love You Need!” He turned to Carlos and blew him a kiss. “It’s my song.”

“That’s not fair, I don’t have a song.”

“I’m sure someone has written a song about you, probably not a love song though,” Charles teased before he checked his watch. “Ay, I need to go or the next song she writes about me won’t be happy either. Ciao!”

“He quit so I win, right?”

“No, no, no I didn’t quit.” Charles paused his exit to point an accusing finger back at his teammate. “You took so long fixing your hair that we started late.”

“Still, I win, because you’re leaving.”

“See this,” Charles turned to the camera, his hand still waving to his team mate, “he doesn’t care about winning, he’s just upset he wasn’t invited to Y/N’s concert. Carlos?”

Carlos batted his eyelashes with a smile. “Yes, Charles?”

“Would you like to come with me?”

Carlos was already on his feet. “I thought you would never ask.”

Charles rolled his eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “Vamos, we’re late.”

You turned to Bea as the live feed ended and you shoved your phone into the storage cupboard beside the stairs leading to the stage. “Did you know he was coming?”

“Duh, who do you think set him up with a backstage pass?” She shrugged and put her own phone away along with her jacket. “I gave him a few in case he wanted to bring some friends.”

You cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “You mean Pierre…”

“I mean friends, and if that happens to be Pierre then I have no problem with that.”

You didn’t have an opportunity to tease her further about the commitment issues the two of them had before a microphone was shoved into your hands and you were pointed to the stage entrance.

“Kill it babe!” Bae shouted with a thumbs up as she jogged around to the other stage entrance for her cue.

The sold out crowd was a swirling mass of energy and it swelled as you stepped into the spotlight, their screams barely blocked by the earpieces that you had pushed into your ears as you took the stairs. The rush of seeing the excitement on their faces never ceased to amaze you and you bounced on your toes eagerly.

“What’s up, Las Vegas? Are you doing alright tonight?” Their responding screams shook the stage and widened your grin. “That’s good to hear, because, for me, well, I’m Fine.”

The music started and remembered the day you started writing the song, taking off from Monaco. It had begun as a tribute to Bea and the friendship you shared but then as the weeks went by and Charles stayed in touch it had evolved. It really was a song for any sort of relationship and why it was one of your favourites after Love You Need.

“Woke up too early, Almost put salt in my coffee, Oh, I thank God that you stopped me before that.”

You grinned to the shadows where you knew Bea was waiting, having been the inspiration for the line.

“Tripped over something, Spilt it all over your front seat, Didn't even say I'm sorry about that.”

You had been so frazzled trying to clean the mess up in Charles’ ridiculously expensive car that you had forgotten to apologise at the time. You had made it up to him later, and luckily it hadn’t stained, probably credit to the expensive upholstery.

“On and on, it's just more of the same And even when you ask if I'm okay… I try to say I'm fine (I'm fine).”

The drummer came in with the heavy beat for the chorus and the hands in the crowd waved in time as Bea jumped into the spotlight for her parts. This was what made it a favourite of yours, when she grasped your hand like she had when you had broken down over your ex. She had called you on your bullshit when you said you were fine and she had been there through the worst. It made performing this with her even more special. 

The entire concert was going to be even more special knowing Charles was going to be in the crowd soon and he knew exactly which songs were devoted to him. 

You shouldn’t have been surprised that he was coming because he balanced you, and everything was equal between you. You supported him in his races whenever you could make it to them and he supported you when he could make it to yours, but you knew how tired he would have been after his day. 

There were thousands of people beyond the blindly bright lights of the stage but somehow you knew where to look when you felt the energy shift halfway into the set. And there he was. 

He must have changed in the car as he was no longer wearing the bold red Ferrari shirt, opting for more sedate casual clothes to blend in with the crowd. It didn’t exactly stay that way when you pointed to him during one of his songs, singing the lines solely for him and drawing the attention to him.

“Can we stay frozen in time, in between hello and goodbye?”

You collapsed onto the bed of the hotel still riding the high from the concert and Charles fell down with you, equal parts of happiness and exhaustion warring in his eyes.

“You should get some sleep,” you said as you rolled onto your side to face him so you could cup his cheek, your thumb brushing over the 5 o’clock shadow along his jaw. 

“I will soon,” he murmured as his arm curled over your waist and pulled you closer. “I just want to hold you for a little while.” He tucked you into the curve of his body until there wasn’t any space left between you, his cheek resting atop your head. “You make me so proud, seeing you living your dream. I wish I could be at every concert.”

“Me too,” you sighed longingly. “It’s the hardest thing when we have to say goodbye.”

His chest rose and fell slowly as he relaxed in the embrace, bordering on the edge of sleep. “You’ve never asked me not to race.”

“Why would I do that?” You pulled back to see his face and recognised the look. It was something his ex had asked of him. “Would the moon ask the sun not to rise? No, because both are equally important and their paths still cross. We are the sun and the moon.”

You felt his smile as he kissed your forehead. “Am I the moon or the sun?” 

“The moon,” you stated as you tipped your head back so you could stare into those gorgeous eyes if his. “You are there to lighten my darkest nights.”

“And you make my day infinitely brighter.”

Click here for the epilogue.

Tagging: @91vhs @alwaysclassyeagle @applespiez @ravenqueen27 @booksobsess @tempo-rary-fix @baw-sixteen @im-an-overthinker @notleclerc

[honeybadger-has-a-grimoire]

Lemon Ginger Infused Honey | Clover’s Cookbook

Hey everyone, it’s Clover here and this is the Lemon Ginger Honey Infusion!

Originally, this recipe was passed down to me through my mom who learned it from my paternal grandmother. We found around the time I was in third or fourth grade that over the counter medicine was starting to lose effect on me, so my grandma told my mom this recipe to see if it helps. And, to everyone’s relief, it did!

(Although, Mini Clover was not a fan of the taste originally—it’s grown on me immensely.)

My mom needed to tell me that it was “Magic Tea” to get me to drink it. And, after trying Theraflu a year or two later, I agreed that: “yes, it was magic because it was medicine that tasted better than anything else”. Now this infusion is my go-to cold cure.

(I also drank almost half of my batch that I made almost a year and a half ago when I was laid up in bed with the flu in March. That thing is very shelf-stable.)

Without any more preamble, here’s the recipe!

What you will need:

An airtight container

Fresh Lemons, I usually use three or four but it depends on the size of the container.

Fresh Ginger, I usually use a handful of ginger root but it depends on the size of the container.

Honey

How to make it:

1. Rinse and slice the lemons and ginger

You can shred the ginger if you like, but I usually slice it up whenever I use it. Shredding ginger takes a lot of time that I personally do not have—and our grater is a pain to wash.

2. Layer the sliced ginger and lemon on top of each other in the airtight container, getting as close to the top as possible.

I use an empty instant coffee container, if you want ideas for it. It is a bit larger than I need, since I’m the only one in the house that drinks this infusion when I’m sick, but the trade off is that I know it’s airtight and there will be enough for at least a year. You can use mason jars or any other airtight containers you have on hand. The old instant coffee jar is just my suggestion.

3. After layering the lemon and ginger in the airtight container, add the honey. You want to fill the honey all the way to the top of the container if possible. If you can’t, at least so it covers the top layer of the lemon-ginger tower.

You will probably be using all the honey in the bottle, just so you know. When I first did this myself, I was unaware how much honey I needed and had to go out and buy another bottle because the container was bigger than expected. So just a heads up.

4. Seal the airtight container and let sit out overnight then place it in the fridge a month before use.

So I was unaware until recently that, for max potency and a proper infusion of the ingredients, you want your honey infusions to sit for a month before use. I just ended up getting super lucky the past few times I made it because I replenish my infusion when the house runs out, not when I need it right away. So my suggestion is make it in late July or Early August, that way it sits the month and you have it for cold and flu season.

5. Add to your preferred tea when sick and drink it throughout the day. For me, doing this kicks whatever is brewing in my system—and usually works in about a day for the few people I’ve given the infusion to. But take it as long as you think you need it, you’re the only one who knows your body.

Why this works:

Lemon:

Lemon is high in vitamin C which helps boost the immune system and shorten the duration of colds.

Vitamin C is also helpful to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke (healthline.com), which aren’t important to this cold cure, but good to know anyway.

Hot Lemon Water is also good for sore throats and congestion in a 2008 study, as per medicalnewstoday.

Ginger:

Ginger is good for the gut as it helps settle stomachs, and the bitterness of the root kicks your digestive system into overdrive to clear out what the body considers to be possibly poison due to the taste (any Holistic Herbalism podcast episode where Ginger is involved).

Ginger’s anti inflammatory properties also help reduce pain and inflammation with a sore throat you usually get with a cold, as per this medicalnewstoday article (link here).

Ginger is also antiviral and antibacterial just like lemons are. So it helps get rid of any unwanted viruses or bacteria building up because of the cold, flu, etc.

Important note about ginger—if you or a loved one is on blood thinners don’t take ginger. Ginger’s chemical compounds will have a reaction with your blood thinners and make the blood super thin. This will cause excessive bleeding that is potentially life threatening.

Honey:

Honey is a natural cough suppressant and throat-soother. It is also antimicrobial. A Harvard Health article (link here) indicated that honey works well for upper respiratory viruses (such as a cold) and some studies observed that taking honey shortened the duration of the cold in some participants.

Conclusion:

Well that’s it! That’s my Lemon Ginger Honey Infusion that I have with my tea when I’m sick. My preference as a tea pairing with this concoction is usually Moroccan Mint, Peace of Mind Tea, or just normal green tea.

It depends on what we have in the house.

I usually pour it into the tea with the intent of helping me feel better soon as well. Just to add a boost of magick to an already great cold cure.

Have any of you tried this before? Do you have alternatives for this cold cure? If so, tell me!

Thank you all for reading and have a wonderful day!

[cobaltcarbonpotassium420]

lemon sorbet - gojo satoru

content: 1.4k words, gn!reader, can be read as platonic or romantic, wrote this with teenage gojo in mind, gojo is an annoying little shit

author's note: it has been so long!! uni has kept me dead, and the summer weather has continued to keep me dead :/ anyway out of annoyance at the heat and my burning desire for lemon sorbet, i figured i'd write this. also i somehow have a cold... in july... and the boredom is turning my brain to mush so apols for a slightly shite fic, i just needed something to do :p

"is it possible to sweat from the bottom of your feet?" "how would i know? i don't know shit about biology."

the summer heat had never felt so stifling before. in fact, even this wasn't an appropriate way to explain the weather. the heat was suffocating. not a single breeze passed through the town, fans and air conditioning were rendered useless, and even going down to the river in the shade of the trees did nothing since the stones by the riverside had absorbed all of the heat from the summer sun and were probably hot enough to grill food on. as the saying goes though, all clouds have a silver lining. in this case, the silver lining wasn't cute summery outfits, or beach days with friends, or whatever else typical july days offered. instead, the oppressive heat finally gave you an excuse to hang out with the ordinarily (and at times inappropriately) adventurous and spontaneous gojo satoru while doing nothing.

"freezing cubes of tea so the tea doesn't get diluted when the ice melts? that's genius! where did you learn about this?" "uh, the internet? it's kind of an open secret."

on any average day, gojo would have dragged you out to a cafe on the other side of town but even he had no energy left after the heat made it all evaporate from his body. as such, he had no choice but to lay on the cold wooden floor in your room so he could have at least some company. your laptop was in front of you, open to the last page of the dozen tabs you had been scrolling through in your boredom before giving up and deciding to just press your face to the floor in a futile effort to cool down a little more. just next to you gojo was aimlessly flicking through a pile of books, manga, and magazines which he had grabbed from various places around your room. currently, he was skimming the pages of a week-old local newspaper that was on the pile of mail you needed to bin.

"strips in a club, five letters? dollar doesn't fit… maybe paper?"

his questions had started to become a little annoying, but it beat staring under the furniture and wondering how long it had been since you'd moved it out of the way and mopped the floor under it.

"it's bacon. the clue means 'club' as in a 'club sandwich'. they've used that clue before, editor must be getting lazy. maybe they've recycled the whole crossword." "you really think so? okay then, what about poker term, or a mount when read backwards? four letters." "ante. yeah they definitely did this one a while back, sometime late last year i think. i remember solving that clue and thinking how nice it would be to go to italy. maybe try some authentic gelato."

gojo immediately perked up. his previous position had made you wonder for a second if it was possible for a person to melt, but now all of his energy had seemed to be restored in merely the blink of an eye.

"oh that sounds like a good idea! we could go do that now!" "do what, go to italy? for starters, i absolutely don't have the money for a plane ticket. and anyway, if it's so scorching hot here then just imagine how hot italy would be. we're barely hanging on by a thread here, i think we might actually die if we go to italy." gojo's energy was normally infectious, but somewhere between the temperature and humidity it got misdirected and just couldn't reach you.

"nonono, although if you really want to go i'll just pay for the flight." "absolutely not." "fine. but italy wasn't what i meant. i meant we could go get some ice cream from the train station! you know that's where the best ice cream is." "that's a lovely idea and all, but how are we meant to get there? not like we have a car, there's no buses in that direction, and getting a taxi just to the train station seems a little excessive. and they're shit expensive." "we have legs!"

upon hearing those three words, your body finally granted you enough energy to lift yourself up, even if just to support yourself on your elbows for long enough so you could stare gojo right in the eyes before giving him a definitive "fuck no." and slumping back down on the floor.

gojo wasn't one to give up on an idea so quickly though, and upon seeing him sit up and drag himself closer to you so he could try to annoy you into giving in, you simply prayed that there was a benevolent deity which would take pity on you in this state and let this whole ordeal blow over quickly. unfortunately, even the gods were tired from the heat today, and so the discussion had to be dragged out for much longer than you wanted it to.

"please?" "no." "pretty please?" "no." "pretty pretty please?" "no." "pretty pretty please with a cherry on top?" "like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae?" "yes!" "still no!" "argh! you never want to do anything fun!"

gojo threw himself on top of you, and from his voice you could hear his pout, both actions which you were sure were worthy of an acting accolade, but by this point the heat had exhausted you completely and your eyes were closed which was the only surefire defence against gojo's theatricality.

a few moments passed with neither of you making a move. nothing was said, but you knew gojo's actions were childishly telling you that unless you agreed to his stupid plan then there was no way he was moving.

"if we go then it's my treat, y'know, since i dragged you all the way there."

no response. gojo started drumming his fingers on the floor, thinking up his next course of action, and then his phone screen lit up with a text from geto and presented him with the perfect plan.

"they have lemon sorbet today! i know you love that." he dragged out the word "love" for far too long. he could never understand why that flavour was among your favourites, and ever since he found out he teased you for it constantly. out of all of the delicious, mouthwatering flavours that you could choose from, you chose the most vile, sour flavour nine times out of ten.

"they have lemon sorbet every day." "yeah, but geto just texted me. he said that it's just flying out of the shop today, and they're down to their last two containers."

now this had the potential to change your mind. your interest was piqued, and gojo could see how your facial expression subtly changed from where he was sat.

"you know, they only get deliveries twice a week, and today was their delivery day. that means you'll have to wait at least three whole days until the next time you can savour the taste of their refreshing lemon sorbet." gojo spoke slowly, even more so on those last three words. the gentle lilt of his voice was starting to sound nice, almost as nice as the sorbet he was talking about.

"three whole days?" "yeah, or maybe even longer. you know lemon sorbet is gonna be flying off the shelves right now, and i doubt a tiny ice cream place in the middle of nowhere will be at the top of the suppliers list."

at some point during gojo's very convincing speech, you had sat up without realising it. the gravity of the situation suddenly fell upon you. lemon sorbet was indeed very popular, and the supplier's priority would probably be larger cities with lots of customers.

"you might be right… and the sorbet they sell at the store isn't that good…"

a twinkle appeared in gojo's eyes. he knew he was close. he could practically taste the chocolate chip cookie ice cream he'd get.

"if you want, we can take a tub as well, and ask for a few scoops to take home too."

a moment passed. and then another. gojo scrutinised your facial expression. he watched the way you stared ahead at the wall, and the way your eyebrows slightly furrowed together. you licked your lips ever so slightly, and then took a deep breath.

"fine. we can go." "oh hell yeah!" "you're paying though." "you know what, i'm not feeling it anymore."

[beemynumberone]

All The Colours (7/7)

-> In which Idol!Minghao and Actress!OC convey their heartfelt messages through colours.

-> slowwwwburn romance. friends to lovers. no smut.

-> constructive feedback is always appreciated!

All pictures are from Pinterest, I do not own them.

Writer’s note: Hi! I am writing these scenarios to placate my active imagination and hopefully make someone’s day/night. I do not intend to hurt anyone/anything through this fic.

Thank you for picking up my story and happy reading!

Masterlist

*btw, Yile is pronounced as Yi Le (in Chinese pronunciation), it is not supposed to rhyme with Kyle

Part 7: Blue

You had me at um, hi

The morning chill blew through the air. Minghao wrapped his denim jacket around him tightly. Yile had told him to wear blue. After looking through his closet, he realised a denim jacket would be the least flashy blue garment he could find. It suited this “meet-up” after all. It blended in with the population and was casual, no sincere feelings on either end, amirite?

His bandmates were all telling him to “man up” and “confess already”. But Minghao wasn’t sure of Yile’s feelings and if there was a risk he didn’t want to take, it would be this. This meet was definitely a between-friends thing right? He didn’t want to get his hopes up too soon.

He stood in front of the address Yile had sent him. The café looked like it came out of a garden, with an assortment of flowers decorating its door frame. Warm lights from inside the shop lit the tranquil ambience indoors and Minghao eagerly stepped in.

He was instantly hit by a sweet and earthy aroma of tea leaves. Yile had chosen a place that she knew he would like. Minghao couldn’t be more grateful for her consideration. It was still early so the café was mostly empty, except for the familiar figure sat at the back of the shop. He walked over to her, opening his mouth to call her name out.

“Yi-” Wait. Should he call her name? Would the café staff start spreading news that he and Yile were on a date or whatever-they-wanted-to-call-it? Was this safe for her?

“Hey, Minghao.” Yile waved him over. Noticing his apprehension, Yile explained. “I’m close with the staff here. Nothing will be leaked, don’t worry.” Minghao slid into the plush deep blue sofa opposite Yile and took in their surroundings. They were seated at the last booth in the café, with partitions between each booth, providing privacy for each table.

“I heard from Junhui that you liked all things tea, so I decided to introduce you to this café. It was started by a good high school friend of mine, specialising in herbal tea and confectionery.” Yile picked up the menu. “I’ve taste tested everything here and I can assure you nothing tastes bad.” Minghao browsed through the selection. He had tasted most of the tea flavours, except for blue pea. He asked Yile on her opinion.

“I like roselle tea the best — it’s a deep magenta flower. But I prefer blue pea for the milder days. Y’know, the cold, lazy mornings. That’s what I’m getting, actually.”

In the end, they decided to share a pot of blue pea and some fruit tarts. A waiter took their orders and left them to converse with each other.

Soon, the waiter reappeared with a tray of their orders. A transparent glass pot filled with hot water and a small dish containing dried blue pea flowers.

Minghao reached out to start making the tea. Yile stopped him, insisting that she wanted to do the honours. Minghao complied, setting the fruit tarts in the middle of the table. Lemon slices, dried dark pink petals and another glass cup sat neatly on a dish. Minghao didn’t know why they were there. He distinctly remembered not ordering roselle tea.

Yile sensed Minghao’s curious gaze on the additional items. She steeled her nerves and efficiently stirred the blue pea flowers in the teapot. Minghao couldn’t tear his eyes away, mesmerised at the saturated colour of the water. Yile set two glass cups in front of her, pouring the blue liquid out. To Minghao’s surprise, the tea didn’t smell of much, just an earthy whiff.

Then, Yile spoke. “Did you know, blue pea tea changes colour based on pH level?”

Yile squeezed some lemon juice into one of the cups. The previously blue tea turned purple. Yile took a deep breath. Be direct and pointed, Xinhui had advised. “Minghao, I’ve overthinked and weighed the pros and cons and everything on this. I want to know if you would like to be friends or something more?”

Yile sprinkled some pink petals into the other cup of tea, stirring so the solution turned a fiery red. Red like the graphic liner on Yile’s face the first time they met, Minghao realised. Red for love, red for passion, red for fortune.

Then he looked at Yile’s earnest expression, purple tea on her left, red on her right. Purple meant a mix. A limbo, if you will. A delicate balance of red and blue, friendship and romance. Of a precarious area of no rest and constant struggle.

He took the red cup. “Fortune favours the brave.” He smirked and downed the cup.

Bad idea, Minghao scolded himself. His tongue stung from the scalding pain of hot tea. Even though his tongue was in pain, he felt happy. A weight had rolled off his shoulders and he could now laugh freely with his girlfriend about his dumb decision.

[briarpatch-kids]

can you give me a brief overview of brewing ginger ale? im interested!

Yeah! Non-alcoholic right? (If you want the alcoholic one, I'll reblog the ask I got about that a while ago)

Okay so Ginger Ale is mainly made from something called a ginger bug, which is a little colony of yeasts and bacteria simular to a sourdough starter. I made mine by mixing about a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger (skin on, not peeled) with a slightly smaller spoonful of sugar in a little water. You keep adding ginger and sugar every day until it starts to bubble a lot of little bubbles an hour or so after you feed it. Mine took like a week to bubble good.

If it starts getting full of ginger, take out a spoonful of the old ginger and either eat it (tasty and kinda pickled) or discard it. If the water in the jar smells a little too sour or starts to smell boozy, take half of it out and put fresh water in. (I do it about once a week when I feed my starter more ginger) after that, give it a spoonful of sugar every day or two when the bubbling slows down and a spoonful of ginger about once a week or so to maintain it. You can maintain it forever as long as you feed it pretty regularly. Some people keep them in the fridge so it needs less care.

When you go to make ginger ale, you make a really strong sweet tea out of fresh ginger (to taste) and at least a cup of sugar per 2 liters of water. Cool the hot tea down to about room temperature, mix in a half cup or so of the bubbling water from the ginger bug, and put it in a tightly closed bottle in a warm spot for a couple days while it bubbles and builds up pressure.

Some people put it in glass bottles, but you run a huge risk of the bottle exploding if you let it ferment too long and that will send ginger ale and shards of glass all over the kitchen into the ceiling and everything you love. I use a plastic 2l bottle because you can squeeze it and feel how firm the bottle is to see how fizzy it will be. Also if it explodes it's just plastic and not broken glass everywhere.

Once it's got a lot of pressure built up, put it in the fridge and let it get really cold so the liquid can hold more carbon dioxide and stay bubbly like a soda. Be careful opening it, if there's too much pressure, it'll spew ginger ale everywhere and be sticky and you'll lose some of your delicious soda.

You can also do this with juice, tea, and whatever other drinks have enough sugar in them and you want to carbonate. I made a cherry lemonade out of a can of cherries and a lemon that turned out tasty.

Here's a tutorial if I did a bad job of explaining lol. Ignore all the BS about organic ginger and filtered water. Unless your water is like... Oakland pool water levels of chlorine it should work. I didn't bother with the fancy organic stuff and my ginger bug is happy as can be with white sugar and tap water.

[therealmaquaroonie]

Mx. Shadow t. Hedgehog I’m sick what wisdom do you have?

Dear anon, I have not gotten sick very often, but here are a couple different things Mx. Shadow T. Hedgehog recommends;

Herbal teas - herbal tea, often with lemon and honey in them, when made warm, will help soothe the throat and sinuses. There are other positive health benefits to them as well, and there are many different kinds of herbal teas that can vary for different ailments. I recommend herbal teas simply because caffeinated ones will make a headache worse (in my experience).

Water - stay hydrated!!!!!!! Making sure you drink plenty of water is very very important when you are suffering any kind of ailment. Yes I am going to sound like The Most Basic Bitch Alive, but water! Does! Matter!

Chicken noodle - chicken noodle, or other soups, while not healing on their own, do help provide comfort and may help soothe the throat. Again, if this is a case where your throat is sore, please do consider a brothy warm soup.

Cough drops/other medicine - reminder that most over the counter medication have less expensive counterparts that work just as well! I'd you cannot afford name brand nyquil, there should be an offbrand thats just as good. While hall's brand cough drops are a main contender, I do recommend ricola better, simply because they use less menthol (and i. Strongly dislike menthol).

REST!!!! - Catch some z's! Hit the hay! Please please PLEASE rest if you are able to!!! You will recover quicker that way!!! Do whatever you need to in order to sleep, or at least lay down.

I hope you feel better soon, Anon Who Thinks I'm Shadow The Hedgehog!!!

[fragrantpines]

Hello! Can i have Hu-Geng with the lemon tea prompt please? Love your writing!

Of course, it will be my pleasure 💕

(Link to prompt request/prompt list post)

lemon tea; what are mornings like with them?

Hu-Geng

▪︎ Mornings with Hu-geng are calm. He's prepared everything for you the night before to ensure that nothing will disturb your well deserved sleep, including himself.

▪︎ There are many mornings where he rises up earlier than you, a habit of his that has yet to break even now. He doesn't feel tired one bit, especially when he gets to wake up right next to you, watching you sleep peacefully with a quiet smile.

▪︎ When it's time for you to wake up, he's already dressed and ready to serve you. Want a change of clothes? Here, freshly ironed. Want him to brush your teeth? He'll laugh but do it in a heartbeat. Want him to give a good morning kiss? Of course, right away.

▪︎ Even when the two of you are preparing for the day together, he'll still tend to you first, making sure that you are dressed appropriately and well taken care of before him. It's in his genes (ingredients? seasoning?) to take care of you and he'll never give that job to anyone else, not even you ww

“Hu-geng, I can do this by myself.”

You look away bashfully, red dusting across your cheeks as Hu-geng buttons up your shirt in a swift manner. He looks up at you apologetically before replying, "I'm sorry, young master. It's just that I've been doing this for you for so long that my hands moved on their own.”

Despite saying that, he doesn't stop for even a minute. After buttoning up your shirt, he places you in front of the mirror and picks up a brush, making sure that it's of the utmost quality before combing through your hair, humming a soft lullaby that was starting to push you into the realm of unconsciousness.

“If you keep spoiling me like this, then I might become a bad spoiled child.” You whisper sleepily, speaking out whatever was on your mind without filter.

His combing hand suddenly pauses, making you lift your head up to meet his wide blown eyes in the mirror. If you looked closely, you could see small blush starting to form on his face, or was that the sunlight bouncing off his face? You didn't know and you didn't have time to ask when he suddenly bends down and kisses the time of your head, pulling away with an endearing smile stretched across his face.

“The young master will always be a good child in my eyes,” he states seriously, honesty brightening his eyes. “As for being spoiled, I believe that it's only right for me to do at least this much as your companion and lover.”

Gently, he covers your hand with his own, intertwining your fingers together before pulling them to face him, pressing a firm kiss on the inside of your palm before smiling at you through the mirror.

“If this is considered as spoiling you, then please allow me to continue doing so. After all, you deserve to be spoiled even more than now, and I'll continue to take care of you no matter what befalls us in the future.”

[ladyswillmart]

Doing my own OC questionnaire for/as Hivallion, because I know nobody else will do it for me! "Thank you Swilly, for filling your own hole!"

(1) Signature "Magic Mushroom" Air Freshener Scent:

"The prospect of having a home perpetually smelling of whatever 'Nature's Bouquet' smells like sounds compelling to me. What could that possibly entail? Can you imagine? I can. I have spent a lot of time in nature and I have smelled a lot of different things, in combinations that one may conceivably describe as a bouquet. But, I am also not that daring so I would probably just go for 'Lemon Whisper'. You know exactly what you're in for with a name like that: A faint suggestion of lemon. Indeed, as if someone is merely whispering the word into the void while hiding in your coat closet."

(2) Personal Nickname, Title, or Epithet?

"We elves tend to accumulate many names; we sort of collect them like barnacles on an old skiff. One category of name is the epessë, which I would most liken to a epithet or professional title. Now you know my first name is Hivalliôn—some of my kin would call this the Father Name, though my name actually derives from my mother's. And it's purely a Falathrin construct. It comes from our word for a large seabird that once lived here, the hiválew. I never actually met my father, for the candle of his life got snuffed shortly before I was born. His name was Haegaear and he was a shipwright, but anyway, his epessë was Swan-Maker. And I too have had several such titles over the years. Lately people are calling me the All-Feather because I've taken it upon myself to document every species of bird that I encounter in my travels. Even the Rangers started calling me this, save Radanir, who started calling me Birdbrain instead. Well, whatever works!"

Pictured: Hivallion and the famously taciturn ranger Radanir, a strange sight without his characteristic hood. "We've very different personalities and he teases me quite a bit," admits Hivallion. "But we are mates so it's all in good fun."

(3) Any compelling reasons for existing?

"Oh, headed straight into the hard philosophy, aren't we? And so soon after the one about air fresheners. Well. I suppose this question reads differently for an elf of the Fourth Age; it has long been our destiny to leave Middle-Earth and sail to the Uttermost West, and there are not very many of us remaining here at all. So, should I say that my main reason for existing here today is to fulfill this destiny? Seems a bit redundant. Yet I think, primarily, I continue to exist here because I feel my business is not yet finished, not quite. My heart beats alongside that of my master Círdan...

"...hmm. That answer sounds a bit vacuous, doesn't it? So, aside from all that, my most compelling reason for remaining here is to periodically return to Long Cleeve so I can visit the Askews for tea and conversation, and some apple brown betty. Sometimes they have ice cream to go with it—really, they say that now is the Age of Man, but I maintain that we might want to consider forfeiting this one to the Hobbits."

(4) Favorite Genre of Dessert?

"It is funny, I was never much of a sweet tooth all throughout my life. I suppose we elves don't really do dessert, or at least we didn't in the Falas, or even in Mithlond. But those Hobbits take their meals very seriously and they can cook. Pies, cakes, buckles, cobblers, muffins, tarts—I've never had a buckle in my life, 8120-something years old and I didn't even know what a buckle was until I came to the Yondershire. So I think my favorite sort of dessert is something not too sweet, something with loads of fruit and perhaps a crumbly topping for textural contrast. As for the specifics, well, I'm not picky!"

(5) Uh oh! You've been arrested! What's the crime and how do you plead?

"Oh, probably something related to protecting the environment, I should think. In cases where such a thing would constitute a crime, it is always one worth committing. Like chaining myself to a tree to stop someone from cutting it down, that sort of thing. Hmm. Of course, if that someone happened to be Saruman, I doubt something as inconsequential as my body would've prevented him—or more likely one of his Uruks—from taking a hatchet to the thing."

(6) Do you know where your keys are?

"I think so. I hope so! I have keys to a rental cottage in Falathlorn as well as my old place in Mithlond. Though the latter I haven't seen in over three millennia as I've yet to make my way that far west. Do you think the place still stands? If it does, whoever occupies it now has certainly changed the locks by now, and no doubt they've redecorated so I probably wouldn't recognize it anyway. I also have a key to a small box in the Rivendell vault that contains a few of my more important belongings. Elrond set that one up for me while I was vegetating in Tham Send. Wasn't that kind of him?"

(7) Favorite Unsolved Mystery?

"Why didn't they just fly the eagles into Mordor...?"

[111tblog]

HEALTHY HABITS.

trying so hard not to sound like everyone being all into wellness out of nowhere and pretentiously advocating healthy habits. but i feel like i’m going to get into that lane… a tad bit.

i have realised that i have built those habits for myself and unconsciously try and do them every day, but we are all human beings and let’s face it: not every day is what we expect it to be and that’s the beauty of it. so here is my list of habits that could inspire sb to make time for themselves throughout their day to day life.

1.tumeric, black pepper, honey and lemon hot water. first thing you put into your stomach is actually pretty decisive for how it’s gonna work throughout the day. that’s where the acid from the lemon comes in hand and balances your ph or sth like that. tumeric is anti inflammatory and is a natural antioxidant.honey is just sweet and nice and really healthy.

2.stretching in the morning or having some kind of movement regime. i like to do push ups. also yoga, squats, jumping jacks whatever works as long as it makes u feel better.

3.cold showers.they boost circulation, reduce muscle soreness,strengthen the immune system by stimulating blood flow and it just wakes you up! which is in general good for ur mental health.

4.loots of water and consuming salt with it. the minerals(which is salt) are used by our body to help our body absorb the water better. i know we hear this a lot but i cannot tell u the difference hydration makes to how i function and how i feel!60% of your whole body is water.

5.meditate. and i'm not talking in a way of like 1 hour meditation, but however little or lots of time you have. try and do it. enough info on the web about how to do it. all starts with breathing. might do a lil blogpost about what works for me.

6.breathing excercises. taking 30 sudden deep breaths and 3 sets of 5 repetitions where you breath in for x amount of time, hold for 3x time and breathe out for 2x time. but look it up on youtube also to see more types of excercises.

7.reducing screen time. being present. being around nature. i am struggling sometimes with this one. but there are many ways in which u can reduce ur screen time: charging your phone in an unconventional spot in your room, turning off noftification, downloading "screenzen" and just realising that time is valuable and you kinda don't wanna spend it on your phone, while you can go to the nearest park and enjoy everything there is.

8.walking when you have the option to do so. just enjoy a walk, stare at trees, sky, buildings people. don't listen to music or do. just try to romanticise it and it could easily become a habit.

9.tea.hard to keep up with this habit espescially in the summer, but the difference on your overall health when you have at least one green tea a day, or whatever you like, is just there. tummy feels great, hence skin gets better. mentally it could also have some benefits, but you can look that up on pinterest in terms of what each tea brings to the table. for the record : i do smoke cigarettes and have my green tea with them. but balance is everything.. dur.

[zerofuckingwaste]

Hey y'all, here's my suggestion for a great low waste, healthy, flavorful alternative to soda: kombucha! Not the stuff you buy at the health foods store that costs like $6 a bottle, no- the stuff you make at home.

Materials: a large glass container with a decently wide mouth (a pitcher, a jug, etc), a cloth (linen or cotton or whatever, a tea towel works), rubber bands, a wooden spoon, a ladle, green tea leaves, sugar, water, and a Scoby; you can buy the latter online, or you can find one locally with a little sleuthing, or you can make your own- just use an unflavored or 'original flavor' premade kombucha from the store.

Boil 4 cups of water, let cool 1 minute, and steep 3 tbsp green tea in it for 7-10 minutes. Remove the tea (don't press on it, you'll release tannins) and mix in 1 cup of sugar. Add in 8 cups of ice water to cool it, then pour that into your glass container. Ensure that it's room temperature, then add your Scoby. Seal the container with the cloth and rubber bands, and let sit 7-30 days, depending on how you like yours to taste.

You can drink it as is, or you can do a second fermentation to add carbonation; get some swing top or otherwise resealable glass bottles, and leave 1 inch of headroom when adding the booch. You can flavor it with a few tablespoons of whatever you want. I just did a batch of pinecone booch this week. I did lemon and charcoal last week, and hibiscus rose passion fruit the week before. The more sugar, the more carbonation. Seal it and let it sit for a few days at room temperature. Don't open them at room temp though, refrigerate for at least 3 hours before opening so you don't have an explosion.

To make your next batch, simply reserve the pellicle (the weird white thing that will appear on the top of your brew) and a cup of the liquid, and that's your Scoby for next time! You don't technically even need the pellicle- if it gets too thick, you can always toss it in the compost and just use the liquid, or you can make a fruit leather out of it, or even dog treats.

Anyhow, the cost of having a constant supply of kombucha flowing is simply the cost of water, green tea, and sugar, and about five minutes of your time every so often. It's easy, it's fun to experiment, and it's a great way to avoid soda while drinking something technically good for you.

But hey, kombucha isn't for everyone. And things can go wrong, it can be frustrating sometimes. All this is is a suggestion if you're looking for a more sustainable alternative to kick a soda habit!

PS- if you're disabled, look into getting a glass punch dispenser, it negates the need for a ladle, just ensure that the spout is not a reactive metal. You can find them at thrift stores, and they're always on sale at big box stores!