#which is why i searched for it in the first place

[klm-zoflorr]

Okay so uh. I was wondering about what the fuck this is caused by and nobody had answers?? And OOP is not explaining why this is so obvious because of secret fast food place knowledge probably. But anyways here's what i got from my google searches and detective work on the mysteries of cooking appliances (please correct me i am certain of nothing)

First off, oil starts a fire when its too hot. The temperature this actually happens at depends on the type of oil you have, it's pretty high temperatures but you should be careful about not getting it too hot. Especially if your pan is small: small pan means less oil means it heats up quicker, that's why OOP mentionned that.

Now the first latke didn't catch fire. But for the second one I think the oil had simply gotten hotter as time passed. Which brings us to the problem.

So apparently frozen food in oil isn't a problem in an of itself, it's just that:

-frozen food usually has little droplets of ice on it, which when plunged into hot oil turn into steam, which project droplets of boiling oil everywhere, which can burn you and set something else on fire also. But I don't think that's what happened here.

-frozen food takes up a lot of place in a pan, because of the water expanding when turning into ice. Also the pan was like, small. So what I think happened was that the pan was too small, the oil was getting hot, the latke being dropped in made a pocket of oil between it and the bottom of the pan, it got very hot very quick cause it was very thin, and it caught fire. And the frozen food didn't really make it colder, because it was food and it transmits heat less easily than a liquid like the rest of the oil

Anyways in conclusion i'm never ever going to try deep frying stuff and also we all need to buy a food thermometer

[multific]

Simply Perfect

Dimitri Kravinoff x Reader

Summary: Your first Christmas with him.

The fire crackles softly, casting a warm, golden glow across the room.

Outside, it was a rainy day in London, but inside, it was just the two of you, wrapped in the spell of Christmas.

The tree twinkles with the lights you placed on it that morning, and the smell of pine and cinnamon fills the air.

Dimitri sits next to you on the couch, his hand resting lightly on your knee as you look at him with a smile.

He looks so handsome in this light.

Despite the luxury of the room, there’s something wonderfully simple about tonight, just the two of you, sharing this special moment.

He reaches under the tree, pulling out a velvet box.

“I hope you like it,” Dimitri says, his voice low and smooth, carrying a hint of suspense.

Your heart skips a beat as you take the small box from him.

He’s always thoughtful, but there’s something about his sincerity tonight that makes your chest tighten in a good way.

You open the box, and your breathing stops for a moment.

Inside is a necklace, a beautiful silver necklace with a pendant which has intricate design that gleams like starlight.

It’s the one you’ve admired for months, the one you thought was out of reach.

It was simply too expensive and too beautiful for you.

You’ve talked about it before, but you never expected him to buy it for you.

“Dimitri… it’s perfect,” you whisper, your fingers brushing over the delicate diamonds.

You meet his gaze, his eyes dark and warm with affection. He doesn’t say anything, but the way he looks at you tells you everything.

“I'm glad you like it,” he says, his voice a soft promise.

You get the necklace from the box and drape it around your neck.

Immediately, he stands up, reaches behind you, and fastens the clasp with fast fingers.

His fingers brush your skin, and for a moment, you feel just how cold they are.

He must have been nervous to give you this beautiful gift.

"I feel spoiled." you laugh a little.

"You should be spoiled, you deserve it, My Love."

You reach for the gift you’ve been hiding in the pillow behind you.

It’s not nearly as extravagant, but it’s from the heart.

You spent months trying to find the best gift.

“I’ve got something for you, too,” you say, your voice a little shaky as you hand him the box.

He looks at you, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to, and it is only fair because you also bought me something,” you reply, your heart beating faster, now you understand why his fingers were cold.

Dimitri unwraps the gift slowly.

When he finally opens it, inside is a leather-bound journal. You watch as he makes a confused face.

Then he decided to open it.

The first page: For every moment we’ve shared, and every one we still have to come.

His expression softens, the stoic façade he often wears slipping just a little. His eyes flicker to you, searching your face but you just smile and motion for him.

“It’s… it’s beautiful,” he says, his voice thick with meaning. “You know, I’ve never been someone who writes down my thoughts, but… maybe I’ll start.”

As he flicks through the pages he notices that you have also written some things in there.

It makes him smile. You are so thoughtful.

You reach for his hand, squeezing it gently.

“I thought it would be nice. To have something for only you. Write your thoughts down since it has been a tough year for you. I have put some of mine in there. Some might be... dirty.”

His eyes lit up as he quickly began his search through the pages.

You only laugh.

He closes it, his thumb brushing over the cover.

“I’ll treasure it.”

For a long while, neither of you speaks. You simply sit there, in the quiet warmth of your home, the sound of the fire crackling in the background and the soft hum of Christmas music playing from the speakers.

"This is the best Christmas you know?" he speaks. "I never really liked Christmas... with my father... but you changed my mind."

"I'm glad I was able to help you. And I really do love the necklace."

He leans in and you kiss him.

It is a slow and soft kiss.

The world outside may be cold, but here, in this perfect, intimate space, you have everything you need and want.

You rest your head against his shoulder, the necklace he gave you gleaming softly in the firelight, and Dimitri pulls you closer, his embrace wrapping you in both warmth and affection.

He reaches for the remote and turns the TV to search for your favourite Christmas movie.

It was simply perfect.

A/N: Above photo is not mine! It's from Pinterest!

Taglist: 

@castellandiangelo @imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl @manduse @jacalineiscomingforyou

@mandoloriancookie @deliciousfestsalad @lilliumrorum @asgards-princess-of-mischief 

@fallout-girl219 @dracaryxzs @snowtargaryen @mel-vaz

~Masterlist~

ˇAO3ˇ

/YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO TRANSLATE, TO STEAL OR TO REPOST ANY OF MY WORKS TO THIS OR OTHER PLATFORMS/

[mikashisus]

KID & LEVERET

SYNOPSIS: "i was the leveret in hiding," "kid among beasts of metal and malice." the years in which you and kinich found each other, lost each other, and found each other again in a world riddled with conflict that was intent on keeping you apart.

PAIRING: kinich x gn!reader

TAGLIST ! @wystiix @pneumosia @kazuinvocation @pixelcafe-network

warnings: angst, conflict, implied alcoholism, implied abuse

word count: 4.5k

notes: im so glad i was able to get this done in time, i was rlly scared i wouldn't be able to :') im not rlly happy with the first part of this, but it's fine. this is my secret santa gift for @knnichs !! i hope u like it zira!! <33 i put in a ton of effort to make it as enjoyable as possible despite my less than satisfactory writing 🤕

also, this was loosely based off yaelokre's song "kid and leveret" which i will literally sell my soul for. gonna loop that song for forever when it finally releases, mark my words

The first time you decided to run away from the castle had been when you were seven years old. At the time, your parents had sent every general they could out into the vast fields and forests to search for you.

A lost, small child would be extremely hard to find, but they were confident they would be able to find you. You couldn’t have gone far— after all, you had always been afraid to go outside the royal city’s gates by yourself. 

General Capitano, one of the most elite soldiers in Eirene’s military and one of your father’s most loyal men, had been the one to bring you back within the castle walls. You had kicked and screamed when he found you quite far from the kingdom’s gates. However, your tantrum did not phase him in the slightest. He simply placed you upon his horse and made haste back to the castle to return you to your parents. 

Your mother— bless her soul —had been weeping tears of joy upon your return, and immediately had the maids draw you a bath to rid your skin of the dirt and grime, and your hair of the leaves and twigs. She hadn’t left your side for days after that, for fear of her baby once again slipping through her fingers. 

The second time you attempted to run away from home had been when you were thirteen years old— seven years after your first attempt. It lasted longer than the last. You managed to get to the far outskirts of the kingdom’s vast land before your personal guard (and babysitter), General Capitano, once again found you. You kicked and screamed again, reminding him of the first time you both had gone through this scenario. 

However, just like the last time, he was not phased. He picked you up with ease and perched you on his black horse, taking you back to the castle. 

Your mother paced back and forth in front of the bathtub, her hands on her hips as she bit her lip. The two maids who were washing you eyed her nervously out of the corner of their eyes. One of them even shared an uneasy glance with you. You simply shrugged and stared at your mother, waiting for another one of her long lectures. 

A few tense moments passed, the only sound being the sloshing of the water in the tub and a soap-filled sponge making contact with your skin. Finally, the excruciating silence was broken as your mother turned to face you, her visage riddled with resignation. 

“Leave us.” She addressed the maids quietly, and without a word, the two of them stepped back and fled the room, most likely sensing the oncoming lecture. 

Your mother pulled up a chair next to the tub and sat down, folding her hands neatly into her lap. She nervously fiddled with her fingers as she took a deep sigh. “I’m not angry with you for sneaking out,” she told you softly, “I just want to know why you are so intent on leaving the castle without a guard. You could be hurt, or— or worse, you could die out there! Do you know how many times your brother had left? And what it did to him in the end!?” 

You resisted an eyeroll and a groan of frustration. You heard that story many times. The story of how your older brother, now long gone, had snuck out of the castle in his youth and wound up dead in a river a few weeks later. When your parents had you, they were insistent on never letting you leave the castle under any circumstances— unless you were heavily guarded. 

Understanding their worry, you put up with it for a while. That was until it got to a point where you felt claustrophobic. Being watched at all times was draining, and you felt as if you couldn’t even go to the bathroom without a guard breathing down your neck. You had enough— so you attempted to leave your unhappy life, only to be dragged back. 

“Yes, Mother. I know. You’ve told me this story many times.” You told her, avoiding her worried gaze. 

She grabbed onto one of your hands and held it tightly. “You understand why we worry, yes? You nearly terrified us half to death the last time you slipped away from us.” 

The previous attempt had been because you were curious of the world outside the city’s walls.

“I know, Mother. I’m sorry for worrying you.” You felt a little bad for the anguish you caused her, but deep down, you still had a desire to leave the life your parents were planning out for you. That, and you wished to wander freely without the daunting stone walls caging you in and without an annoying guard to watch over you as if you were a baby. 

You promised your mother that night that you would be reasonable in the future, yet, that was also the last night you ever talked to her. Because that night, you escaped for good. You left the royal city, posing as a guard, and finally, finally tasted the sweetness of freedom that you had been dreaming of for what felt like forever.

Life outside the royal city was harsh, and the weather was even harsher, yet you weren’t completely useless. General Capitano had taught you enough so that you could successfully survive on your own and protect yourself against foes. 

The first village you stumbled upon for solace was a riverside village— one with a number of fishermen and lumberjacks. They welcomed you with open arms, happy to have a new addition to their cozy little home. You didn’t stay long, but their hospitality had always stuck with you. 

One person that always stuck with you was a boy a year younger than you who went by the name Kinich. 

Kinich had been taken in by the others in the village when he was very young, shortly after his parents had passed away. At the time, he had been living in a small hut on the outskirts of the village. When he came stumbling over after all food in his home had run out, the elders of the village took him in with open arms and raised him. 

Kneeling by the riverbed and gathering water into a flask, you spotted something laying in the sand just underneath the shallow water. Your curiosity took over, and you reached forward to pick it up. Your fingers smoothed over its surface as you turned it this way and that, trying to make out what it was in the dying sunlight.

“It’s a seashell.” A voice behind you said.

You jumped and turned, almost falling into the river as you did so. The boy acted quickly, pulling on your arm to prevent you from falling in. As soon as you were safely back onto the riverbed, he let go of you and pointed to the object in your palm. 

“That’s a seashell.”  He repeated.

Your eye twitched and you sent him a look. “I heard you the first time,” you quipped, glancing down at the shell in your palm, “what’s this doing here, anyway? I thought the closest oceanside town was on the other side of the region near Seameet Port?” 

He wasn’t phased by your nasty tone. “It’s from Augustbury. By the shore.” 

Your eyes widened at the name of the desert-side town. “Augustbury is far South… How did you get this? Are you from there?” 

He wordlessly shook his head. “Another nation.” Well, that explained his foreign name. “Came here when I was young. What about you?” 

Looking away from his striking green and yellow eyes, you looked back down at the shell laying in your palm. You turned it over, silently admiring it. You always wanted to see the ocean. Instead, you had been forced to live in a castle in the mountains far up north. But now… you could do whatever you pleased, whenever you pleased. 

You didn’t have a guard breathing down your neck, and no parents to lecture you anymore. You were free. You could roam the continent and see the wonders the world had to offer. You could go to Augustbury. 

Realizing you hadn’t answered his question, you stood up and met his gaze head on, a determined look in your eyes. You made up a lie, claiming you were from Northpass— a small village located on the outskirts of Eirene’s land and a bit north of this one. It was a renowned hunting village, but considerably poor. 

Kinich, who’s expression hadn’t changed from one of stoicism this entire time, took in your words. Whether or not he believed your lie, you didn’t know. But he never asked any further questions, and instead leaned down to pick up another shell laying in the sand. 

“This is a conch. If you put it up to your ear, you can hear the sound of ocean waves.” 

The following two months, you met Kinich at the riverbank, and he told you stories of all kinds of relics he had found in Augustbury by the shore. Each one he picked from his collection had a story behind it. You listened attentively as he entranced you with his voice, and he’d look away from you nervously, not used to such attention being directed his way.

It was only when a herd of royal guards had raided the village that you decided it was time for you to leave. The screaming of the townsfolk as the guards ransacked their houses and threatened to kill anyone who was incompetent rang in your ears for days to come. The sight of blazing fire was burned into the back of your eyelids and the smell of smoke lingered heavily in your nose for weeks. 

The once lively village that Kinich had called his home ever since he was a child had been ransacked and torn, burned completely to ashes by knights who you had once sworn oaths to protect your family. A bitter hatred settled deep in your gut as you witnessed their destruction. 

The last time you set your sights on Kinich had been amidst your escape. His figure was aglow with the light of orange flames, and tears had been streaming down his tan cheeks. The look of utter despair had been one you never saw on him until that moment, and the guilt eating away at your heart never ceased. You had to leave without him, lest the guards find you. 

You never saw him again. The hope you held in your heart for years to see him once more had been snuffed out. 

“Thanks for yer help, Sir!” A sailor saluted Kinich firmly, stumbling on his own feet as he set the barrel of goods down onto the musty deck of the ship. “Without another pair of hands, we might not’ve been able ta load this here ship by sunset!” 

Kinich nodded curtly, taking a glance at the rather old and decrepit ship. “It was no trouble. I’m sworn to help those in need.” 

The sailor waved him off. “Whateva ya say, kid. Hey, ya need a ride back to Eirene?” The sailor wiped off his forehead with a dirty cloth and set it down on the barrel. “We’re headin’ tha’ direction on our way back to Alryne.” 

Kinich mulled over the offer. He wasn’t in a hurry to get back to Eirene by all means. He wasn’t expected back for a few weeks, as he was still on the quest the King had sent him on a month prior. 

The quest had sent him on a wild goose chase to find an ancient relic stolen from the King’s vault by a master thief with no fixed appearance. How he was supposed to find and capture the criminal when he had nothing to go off of regarding their appearance eluded him. 

All the information he was given was that they were last seen here, in Augustbury, and bought a treasure map off a merchant. Kinich had searched the town high and low, asking all around and even finding the merchant who sold the map, only to come up empty handed. 

No one could give him any details. Strange. 

On top of that, the lost royal highness, the King and Queen’s only child, had been spotted in Aeris— right outside the royal capital —just a week ago. Because of that, the kingdom had been bustling with activity and uproar. If someone located and found the missing royal, they would be paid handsomely by the royal family for their efforts. 

Kinich didn’t care much for a rumor, but he did care about the reward. Whatever it was. He’d gladly take the money and flee the continent to the piece of land bordering this region by sea— the northern, barren lands of a mountainous kingdom called Cairnfelle. 

He’d leave the guard and live out the rest of his life there, free of stress or worry. Knowing him, he’d still take up mercenary work. He couldn’t stay still for one moment, after all. 

“I’m not expected back to my post for a while,” he finally answered, “but there is someplace I’d like you to drop me off. It should be on the way.” 

Without another word, he handed a small pouch of mora to the sailor and hopped aboard the ship. 

The Island of Kairos was once said to be home to a magnificent goddess who ruled over time and wind. The legend stated that once, long long ago, the ancient people of Cairnfelle had erected a glorious temple to honor her and sing her praises. 

As the years passed, the temple deteriorated and the people slowly forgot their goddess, leaving the island in a state of disarray. It slowly became a place unwelcoming to outsiders, draped in a thick fog and drawing many ships to shipwreck ashore from the storms raging just on the outskirts of the fog. 

The island was said to have been in a perpetual state of early morning. Whether or not that was true, Kinich was about to find out. 

Many adventurers in their lifetimes had attempted to reach this island, only to get caught in the swirling protecting storms and meet their untimely demise. 

Kinich was risking his life to reach this island. All for a wild goose chase that he was sure was futile. But he had to do this. He was indebted to the royal family, after all. 

The captain of the ship stepped up next to him, a wary look in his eyes. “Are ya sure ya wanna brave that storm, kid?” 

“Yes.”

That was all he said on the matter, and the captain left him alone for the remainder of the trip. 

“We’re nearing the storm, Cap!” A sailor shouted. “What should we do? We’ll get caught up in it!” 

Kinich turned to the crew. “Do you have a rowboat? I’ll go through it on my own.” 

“What!?” One of them cried incredulously. “You’ll die! It’s too risky!” 

He simply shrugged. “I’ve been through worse. Ever fight monsters from the Abyss head on? A dragon, by chance? A god?” 

The crew was silent. He clicked his tongue. “A simple storm is nothing compared to the foes I’ve faced. Now, do you have a rowboat?” 

Bracing the storm was a feat of skill. But he had spent long enough with Eirene’s Naval fleet to get by just fine. 

It was as if the storm was alive. As if it was trying to push him back and prevent him from reaching the shore. But he persisted, despite the amount of saltwater he swallowed and the coldness of the water drenching his hair and armor. 

Finally, in a last ditch effort as he steadily approached the sand, he stood and launched himself off the rowboat and into the shallow water, paving his way to the shore with heavy arms. He coughed, choking up the saltwater that had gotten in his mouth from the swim, and took a few moments to catch his breath. 

He looked up, meeting the sight of looming pillars and the presence of an eerie wind. He had made it. Successfully. 

He laid on the sand for a short while, staring up at the foggy sky with half lidded eyes. All of a sudden, he felt tired. His whole body felt heavy, as if it was being pulled into the earth. His eyes, struggling to stay open, fell closed unwillingly, and he slipped into a deep sleep. 

The image of his parents filled his head, both of them working in tandem in the same one-room house. Confused, he looked around, taking in the sight of the house he had lived in as a child back in Seameet. 

His mother was cutting up their last stash of grainfruits in the kitchen, her hands working diligently as she absentmindedly hummed a tune he hadn’t heard in many years. 

His father stumbled through the doorway, a beer bottle clutched tightly in his hand. His eyes were glazed over with drunkenness, his words slurring together in a mix of something incoherent. 

Kinich felt his stomach drop. His mother’s eyes sharpened as she set down the cutting knife and rounded on her husband. The two began yelling, and he couldn’t hear a word of it over the ringing in his ears. He went rigid, watching the scene play out before him, his lip trembling at the sight of his mother. 

He remembered now. This was the day his mother left and never returned, leaving him alone with his father. 

He knew how this would play out. His father, in a fit of drunken rage, would raise his hand on Kinich’s mother, and leave her sobbing on the floor. She’d continue making dinner, only to stop midway and retreat to the backyard. His father would leave the house to take his anger out elsewhere, and Kinich would be left to cry alone. 

Then, when his father came back, they’d look for his mother, only to find her gone. 

He jolted awake in a panic, clutching his chest as he heaved and tried to make sense of his surroundings. He was still on the Island of Kairos, right in the sand where he had been when he arrived. 

He sighed heavily, his body shaking ever so slightly as he calmed himself down from the memory he relived. Scrunching his brows together, he turned to look up at the gargantuan, deteriorated temple behind him. 

Had that been a lingering effect of the island? 

He stood, his legs a little wobbly, and began his trek into the ancient temple. He searched the place high and low, but it was no use. There was nothing here— no relics, no treasures from a bygone era, just dust and rubble and the lingering scent of dandelions. 

Strange. Dandelions were Cairnfelle’s trademark…

Had someone been here recently? He decided to do one more check of the perimeter, just to be safe. He scanned the walls, looking for anything out of place that could give away a hidden room of sorts. He pressed along the stone, his patience running thin the more he searched and came up empty handed. 

There had to be something here. He could feel it. 

He slammed his fist against the wall in frustration, only to hear an eerie creaking of stone. He looked up, his eyes widening as the wall opened and revealed some sort of ritual room. It was filled with incense, freshly picked cecilia flowers, and dandelion seeds laying on an ornate plate on the altar in the center. 

He took one step forward, only for his vision to go dark. 

“Are you sure about this?” Leena questioned, glancing over at you as she leaned over the unconscious body of the man you knocked out in the temple. 

You shrugged. “Not really, but this sword’s incredible!” You gently ran your fingers over the blade. “This’ll sell nicely! Imagine the reward they’ll pay for a captain of the royal guard’s weapon! Lady Kairos is smiling upon us today!” 

Leena sent you a deadpan look and sighed heavily. She stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips. “You’re insufferable, you know that?” 

Despite the insult, there was a fond smile on her lips. She took the sword from your hands and slid it back into its scabbard. “And stop touching it with your grubby hands! If you really want it to sell, then you can’t smudge the metal!” 

You raised your hands in surrender and took a step back. “Alright alright!” You snatched the sword from her hands and smirked as you gazed down at the man laying on the deck of your ship. 

Leena glanced at you. “What are we gonna do with him?” 

“He came all the way out here for our heads. I’d love to return the favor by cutting off his, but he’s useless as a dead man. We’ll send a ransom note to their royal shitasses.” 

She winced. “Will that even work? The King and Queen of Eirene don’t really care about their captains. The only thing they’ve ever cared about is finding their lost child.” 

“It’ll work.” You said confidently, gazing out at the pristine sea. 

The island was far from view now, only a speck on the horizon. A small part of you felt empty upon leaving. You had done your utmost to start rebuilding the temple to its former glory, starting with that ritual room. Ever since, you’ve received nothing but good luck. 

Fate, and Lady Kairos, was surely smiling upon you for your good natured efforts. 

“It’ll work because this man’s no ordinary captain,” you turned to glance at him again, his face ringing a bell in your mind, “he holds a beast within him. One that could destroy everything we hold dear. He’s Eirene’s ace in the hole— the one thing they care about.” 

Leena searched your face, a look of uneasiness in her verdant eyes. She bit her lip. Her orange-brown skin glowed under the dying sunlight.

With a huff, she let out a hesitant, “Fine. I trust you, Captain.” 

Your well thought out plan was in full swing, and it was only a matter of time before your prisoner awoke from his beauty sleep. Tasking your best friend and trusted right hand to look after him, you tended to that stubborn cannon down below the deck with another one of your crew. 

Leena sat next to the prisoner, tying knots into ropes and occasionally tossing a grape into her mouth from the bowl sitting to her left. 

The man next to her stirred, and she jumped as he began to struggle against his binds. His striking eyes met hers, and a chill ran down her spine. He clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing at her. 

“Release me.” 

“I’m sorry. I cannot.” 

They stared at each other for a few long and tense moments, before a small voice called out. “Auntie Leena!” 

She panicked, her eyes widening as she spotted her nephew running towards her with a full plate of food in his hands. He dodged past the other crew members, the food almost slipping off the plate. 

“Yanqing! Stay away from here, you’re supposed to be in the Captain’s quarters!” She jumped forward, stopping the little boy from getting any closer to the prisoner. 

He held the plate up, sending her a wide-toothed smile. “Look! Momma and I made you food! Well, I made it all by myself and she watched!” 

She took the plate from him and ruffled his blonde hair. “Very good! I’m proud of you.” She sent him a warm smile. 

He basked in her praise, before his golden eyes landed on the prisoner behind her. His eyes sparkled as he saw the intricate gold armor, the same shade of his very own eyes. He stared at the man in awe. 

You swung down from one of the masts, skidding onto the deck with practiced ease and waltzing over to the prisoner with a confident stride. 

The man’s eyes widened upon seeing you, his mouth falling open in utter shock. As you opened your mouth, he interrupted, your name falling from his lips. 

The smirk on your lips vanished, replaced with a tight-lipped frown. Leena glanced between the two of you, her eyes calculating as her brows furrowed. 

“Do you know him, Cap?” 

You didn’t  answer, staring the man you once knew directly in the eyes. He had changed. He was no longer the scrawny kid with an air of despair around him. He wasn’t the same kid that collected seashells and could talk for hours about the stories behind each one. 

There was no fire in his eyes. Not anymore, at least. 

He was firmly built, with defined muscles and a set jaw, and a bandanna wrapped around his forehead. He was cloaked head to toe in Eirene’s standard Sunfleet armor. He had joined the very people who tore down the village he once called home. 

You had nothing left in you but disgust. How could he join them when they took everything from him? 

If there was a deeper reason why, you wouldn’t hear it. You wouldn’t listen to reason, not when Eirene had taken everything from you. Well, almost everything. 

Yanqing gripped your leg, and you placed a comforting hand on his head. “Go with Auntie Leena. Momma has work to do, okay?” 

The small boy of eight nodded and took Leena’s hand. The woman next to you sent you a look that screamed ‘we’re going to talk about this later’, and followed the little boy to the other end of the ship. 

“Long time no see, Kinich.” 

Kinich nodded ever so slightly. “Where have you been all these years?” 

You gestured to the ship. “Saving up enough for this. I see you’ve joined Eirene.” You crossed your arms over your chest, the scowl on your lips a sharp sight. 

His expression softened. “You still hate Eirene…” 

“They took everything from me. And they did the same to you.” You spat. “Why on Kairos’ green earth did you join up with the enemy!?” 

A small silence passed as he glanced around the ship, avoiding your gaze. “After Eastlily fell, the Captain of the Guard showed up. He slaughtered the remaining men who burned down our village and offered us a safe haven within Eirene’s royal capital. I’m indebted to not only him, but the King and Queen who showed their kindness to us.” 

The mention of the King and Queen ruffled your feathers, and you slammed your fist into the wall above his head. His eyes wandered back to you, and he shuffled in his binds. 

You took a deep breath, trying to calm the rising anger. You stepped back. “You’re not going back to Eirene. Not unless I get what I want.” 

“And that is?” 

You leaned down, your face inches from his. His striking eyes took in your features, lingering a little too long on your lips. 

With a smirk, you giggled softly. “Revenge.”

notes: i procrastinated so hard with this piece, but im happy with the ending at least!! i'll definitely write a part 2 in the future since we haven't even scratched the surface of the mc and kinich's relationship in this au 😭 i might make it a bunch of small oneshots and turn it into a series that way! idk we'll see (mc is around 27-28 in the last timeskip, and kinich is 26. at the age of 19, mc fell in love with someone from cairnfelle and they had a child together. a few years later, that person was killed in the war between eirene and cairnfelle.) yes, yanqing is the same yanqing from hsr!! he'll be showing up as the mc's son in my neuvi fic as well bc the mc from this fic and the one from my neuvi fic r almost the same person! the only difference between them is that THIS mc is royalty and also gn, while the mc from "abandon ship" is the daughter of a sailor and specifically said to be a woman. and YES, our lovely leni made an appearance!! <33 it'll be mentioned later on in "abandon ship," but leni's real name is leena! she switched it after people in fontaine kept mispronouncing her name as "leni". tired of correcting them, she decided to go by the name leni instead. it's kind of a nickname now :))

© 2024 mikashisus. do not plagiarize, copy, repost, feed to ai, or translate my works to any other platforms.

[lixiesfreckless]

Warm Me Up | e. s.

(co-written with @ashonheavenscloud in a christmas themed round of frantic fanfic! merry christmas everyone <3)

“Shit, I can’t even feel my hands,” your boyfriend hisses as he peels his wet gloves off, and promptly drops them to the floor.

“Next time you start a snowball fight,” you laugh, the last word emphasized as you yank a snow boot off your foot, “make sure you’re well equipped for it. I’m a snow storm you can’t handle.”

“Oh I can handle you alright,” he chuckles, throwing off a snow-covered hat and ditching his scarf too, “just not when I can’t feel my face, jeez.”

“That sounds like a you problem.” You tease, and Eric shoots you a glare balanced with one of his trademark crooked smiles.

“Hey, I couldn't use all my power. You're dating an ex-baseball player, it would have been unfair.”

“That's such bull!” You sputter through laughter, stripping off your coat and hurrying further into the warmth of your apartment, finding a blanket on the couch and very quickly wrapping it around your figure as you curl into a tight, shivering ball on the cushions. Eric follows, running a hand through his curls which had been flattened by the hat, and walks right past you, reaching over to the wall to turn on the fireplace.

“Any room for me under there?” He asks, poking you with his foot as he tucks his hands into his sides.

“No vacancy!”

Eric takes your muffled yell with a grain of salt and plops down next to you on the couch, pressing into your side with his sweater. He bends down next to where he assumes your ear is, and smiles to himself.

“Are you sure?” He purrs, and a shiver runs through you, although not from the cold. “I promise I won’t be any trouble, and I happen to know a fantastic way to warm you up.”

“Oh yeah?” You peek at him through a tiny hole in the blank blanket with narrowed eyes. "What are you suggesting?"

“Let me in and you'll find out.” Eric murmurs devilishly, fingers searching for a seam to break into.

You grumble at the way his movements let in the cold, but you're losing your resolve quickly. Finally, he manages to slip a hand under the blanket and find your body, hand feeling for your waist under all of the fabric.

Once he’s found it, his other hand is quick to join the fray, and before you can whine about the amount of cold air being let in, you’re being lifted onto his lap, both knees finding their way onto the couch cushions on either side of his hips. You’re holding yourself off of him, but as the blanket settles around the two of you, your collective warmth is now trapped between your bodies, and the urge to fall into his chest is eating away at you.

He slumps into the couch with a sigh. “There we go. Isn’t this much better?”

“I was warming up just fine on my own, thanks,” you huff and roll your eyes, but with the way his big hands are now rubbing up and down your thighs, you know you don’t even mean it.

“Mmmmm I’m sure you were,” he says as he leans forward, wrapping his arms tight around your waist and looking up at you with a mischievous grin.

The way his warmth seeps into your skin and makes every nerve of your body tingle is making it harder and harder to not just give in, and when Eric's hands slide under your shirt to run against your bare skin, you fail to remember why you were resisting in the first place.

Your lips crash against his without warning, and a muffled sound of surprise falls past Eric's lips before he's kissing you back, hands pressing you closer. The sound of your heartbeat races in your ear, or maybe it's rushing heat coursing through your body, or maybe it's Eric's soft sighs and the murmur of your name spilling off his tongue like he was born to say it.

“See? Isn't this better?” Eric's teasing comes out breathless, and you feel similarly winded as your hands slip over his shoulders to steady you. “Told you.”

“Oh, shut up.” You say as you pull him back in.

[shaunamilfman]

Where the Lovelight Gleams

pairing: Shauna Shipman x reader summary: Christmas drabble Christmas Masterlist

You hold Shauna's hand tightly against yours, stuffed in the pocket of her jacket in a pointless search for warmth. Shauna has insisted that you had to go out to see the light tonight, even though you would be there for the rest of the week. Why it has to be the coldest night in your entire stay, you aren't sure, but she was so insistent on it. 

It would be one thing if the town square was anything particularly impressive, but like everything else in her hometown, it seems to be disappointingly small. The worst part is that Shauna herself doesn't even seem to be impressed by the whole thing, which leads you to question why she wanted to come so badly in the first place. 

It's not that she's having a bad time, not with how eager she is to drag you from place to place with an adorable skip in her step. Every so often she stops in front of something utterly inconspicuous–a lit storefront or a lamp with an uninspiring wreath on it.

She'd gotten you to take no less than four different pictures with her in front of the big Christmas tree, even resorting to bribing you with paying for the hot chocolate in order to get the last one. You decided to be the bigger person and not point out that she was always going to be the one paying, if only to watch the way her face lit up as she handed it to you. 

Her cheeks were flushed, either from the cold or sheer excitement. It wasn’t like your girlfriend to be so interested in a place like this. Truthfully, she had never seemed all that interested in holiday events, so it had really caught you by surprise.

Shauna rolls her eyes as she catches you eyeing her hot chocolate, glancing away to pretend to look at the lights above you until she wordlessly lifts the cup up to your lips. You had your own cup, of course. But the keyword was had. That cup has long since made its way to a trash can. 

Besides, Shauna's tasted better anyway. 

You grin over at her as you take a sip, enjoying the way the twinkling lights look reflected in her eyes.

“It’s kind of lame, isn’t it?” She asks, bumping her hip playfully against yours.

“...I wouldn’t say that,” you say slowly, wondering if she’s trying to lead you into a trap.

“I would. I always thought so.” She looks around slowly, dragging you back toward the tree. You laugh joyfully, breath coming out in white puffs of air as she brings you to a stop. Shauna rests her head against your shoulder as she looks up at the tree.

“Then why…?” You ask, trailing off as you rest your head against hers.

“Jackie always used to drag me here with Jeff. Always insisted on not doing stuff like this without me, since we used to go together as kids. It just sucked, having to follow them around with the camera this whole time while he was all over her.” 

Shauna pauses, squeezing your hand tightly in hers with a bitter smile on her face. “They’d be laughing together, and I’d just also be here. I kept thinking about how much I hated it the whole time and how much I wanted to come here with someone who wanted to be here with me one day.”

You can almost see it: a teenaged Shauna getting dragged around the square by an equally teenaged Jackie, her gloomy expression matched by Jackie's enthusiasm as she directed the show. The thought of Shauna's broody expression behind the camera as she glares at Jeff almost brings a smile to your lips, but you brush the thought away in favor of imagining how lonely it must have felt. 

Despite how close she and Jackie obviously were, a lot of Shauna's stories from high school seem to have a common theme. The more you hear about it, the more you start to suspect that Shauna was the only one making herself feel that way, but it still felt real to her. Having an unhappy girlfriend this close to Christmas simply won't do. 

Shauna breathes out a sigh. “Well, it’s not that Jackie didn’t want to be here with me, but it just wasn’t–”

“The same?” You finish. Shauna nods slowly, pressing a kiss against your shoulder.

You want to kiss her right now more than anything, but the two of you are getting enough suspicious looks as it is that you don't dare to risk it. 

“I guess you got your wish, then.” 

Shauna laughs softly. “I guess I did.”

“It still sucks, though,” she admits in a low whisper as she looks around. “I don't think they even try.”

“How about we get some more hot chocolate–” 

“Highlight of the night,” she agrees. 

“And then we'll drive around to go look at lights instead,” you finish. 

“And maybe while we're in my car…” Shauna trails off expectantly, a hopeful note re-entering her voice. You could always count on her for one thing. 

“Ask again when the heater’s on.” 

Her laugh is quieter this time, but it feels lighter than before as she drags you back toward the coffee shop.

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 116 (Volunteering As a Family)

After Ash's run-in with his cousin Michael, Heather and Conrad looked for a way to teach him some much-needed empathy. Heather made a plan with her good friend, Dylan Richards, which would bring them to San Myshuno to help at a shelter where Dylan had volunteered for years. But first, Conrad made breakfast while Lavender watched him intently with a bowl of cereal.

Heather found her sister doing laundry. "You sure you don't mind spending the day with Lavender while we're in the city?"

"Of course not! We're gonna play in the snow for a bit and then we're going over to the Goths to spend the afternoon. I really need to catch up with Lydia, and Lava can hang with little Jag."

"Just make sure to watch her around Obsidian. She gets so excited around animals, and a crow won't appreciate her squeeze hugs." The dryer beeped beside them. "Thanks for doing laundry, but I really don't want you feeling like a maid or a babysitter. How's the job search coming?"

"Great, actually! Conrad told Alexander I could help with research and analysis for his charity campaigns, so we're going to work out a schedule this afternoon. I'll probably start next week."

"That's great, Hazel, but Brindleton Bay doesn't even have a mayor. I already adopted him! Come to think of it, I don't even know who keeps the power on in this town."

She assumed the answer her own question as soon as she voiced it. George Brindleton, most likely.

"Alex thinks he could be the first real mayor Brindleton Bay's had in decades."

Heather smiled. She didn't like thinking of their friend Alex tangling with George Brindleton. If the town had no real mayor, he probably wanted it that way, but she didn't want to sound unsupportive. "Mayor Alex Goth has a nice ring to it!"

Heather, Ash, and Conrad left Lavender and Hazel playing in the snow with Gord. When they made it to the Spice District, they met up with Dylan and her daughter, Pearl, outside the graffiti-covered Soup Kitchen. As Henford-on-Bagley's grocery deliverer in her teens, Dylan had witnessed food insecurity firsthand, and she wanted to instill a passion for helping others in her own children.

The Soup Kitchen was a welcome place for unhoused sims and volunteers of all ages. A small cafe on the site served the public, with all proceeds going to the shelter. The industrial space was also a place where creativity could run wild - they encouraged their residents to create art to beautify the walls so the place felt less like a converted canning factory and more like a place they could feel at home.

Seven-year-old Ash walked around the main room in awe, where beautifully-painted murals decorated the walls and floors. This was a side of San Myshuno he'd never seen before, nothing like the stark glass and steel of his family's Uptown penthouse a thousand feet up across the bay.

Ash loved the art, but his eyes were drawn to the beds. The room was packed with them - some small enough for Lavender and Bridgette. He was surprised to think a toddler might be unhoused. It's way too cold for Lava and Bridgie to sleep outside, he thought.

Dylan showed them around the cafe, and Ash even helped the baristas deliver food to various patrons. Heather helped serve while Conrad prepared ingredients for the shelter's dinner that evening. "Are you sure you don't want help prepping the cottage pie?"

"I've got this. I thought you were keeping an eye on Ash?"

"He went upstairs with Pearl. I think he might be meeting some of the people who use the shelter. Dylan says there's a kids' room."

Upstairs, Pearl introduced Ash to Zacharius Beard and his mother, Anjali, who had been staying at the shelter since Anjali had left her husband. "Why did you leave?" Ash wondered innocently. "Was he not nice?"

Zacharius shook his head. "Daddy's mean," he insisted. Ash opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Pearl discreetly shook her head behind the Beards.

"Are you watching a movie, Zach?" she cut in.

"I was going to. Did you want to join me? Mom can stay for a bit, but then she has to finish a mural out back by the tents."

"People live in tents here?"

"Fewer sleep outside in the winter, but some don't want to stay inside with kids," explained Anjali. "But they can still come here to eat and shower whenever they need to."

"Do you watch a lot of movies?"

"The movies I like, I watch a lot," Zach said. "But I don't always have someone to watch them with me. There aren't a lot of other kids here right now. Last time Pearl was here she tried to teach me to plié, but I'm not very good at ballet."

"No one's better at ballet than Pearl," said Ash.

"I'm only good for my age. So far," Pearl insisted with a confident smile. "But one day I'll dance Swan Lake with the SanMy Ballet Company."

Anjali smiled. "I have no doubt you will, Miss Pearl. But I hope you'll all excuse me while I get painting."

"Did your mom do all the murals here?" Ash wondered.

"Most were already here, but she's an artist."

"I could do art on my craft table and bring it another time," Ash said thoughtfully. "Or can you do crafts here?"

"If we get enough donated art stuff, we can, but craft supplies get lost, toddlers eat the crayons, and most of the cafe money goes to food and stuff we need, not stuff we like," explained Zach. "We're not allowed to use the mural paint."

Downstairs, Conrad and Heather were chatting in the kitchen while a hearty cottage pie baked in the oven. "It smells incredible, Conrad. What ingredients did you use?"

"I could tell you that, but this recipe is a Gordon family secret. You've got to marry in to get it."

"There's still snow on the ground," she reminded him. "No coats, and no one freezing to death! That is the least I could hope for at our wedding."

He laughed. "Then the secret ingredients stay with me. For now."

"Would Ben know it? Maybe I'll try to ask him with Mrs. Goth's seance table," she teased, and with a sudden hiss, the power inside The Soup Kitchen went out. The lights in the large kitchen went dark, the electric stove stopped baking, and the movie upstairs shut off with a click.

"What happened?" asked Pearl, looking around fearfully and noting every light in the building was out.

"Power outages happen a lot," said Zach. "My mom says the building should have better wiring, but it's too expensive. But sometimes when the power goes out, we don't get warm dinner. Just snacks."

Listening to Zach, Ash stood with conviction. "We don't need the power on to make dinner. I have an idea!" ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 2.1 Summary

Gen 1 Start | Gen 1 Summary

ICYMI Cozy Winterfest Xtras: Winterfest With Bella Goth & Happy Holidays from the Nesbitt-Landgraab-Gordon Household

WCIF Soup Kitchen: This phenomenal lot by Fejuna in the Sims 4 Gallery. It's stunning and so detailed and the setting helped me write the story, so thank you a million times to Fejuna, and to every builder who makes my gameplay time so much more fun by sharing such incredible creations.

[angelofstarlight]

Transformers Witwicky return

(Finally thought of a au name)

This one takes place weeks later and a certain Warlord sees and remeets a certain human.

~~~~~~~~~~

It had been a few weeks since Sam reunited with the Autobots and to no surprise Optimus refused to let the boy out of his sight. Except for the moment because Vivian had received a call from the British museum concerning a new artifact they found.

Which led Cade, Vivian and Sam there. Lennox would have joined but he was busy reestablishing N.E.S.T.

As they walked towards the room holding the artifact Sam spoke up.

Sam: Just saying I'm not touching it if it's Cybertronian of any kind.

Cade: Bad experiences?

Sam: Cybertronian relics like me too much and I don't know why.

Vivian: Then let's hope it isn't a Cybertronian relic.

Sam: Vivian, some small part of your family is connected to us Witwickies. Your luck is never that lucky.

Vivian gave him a look before they entered. Only to find the room practically destroyed and the museum workers dead.

Sam: Well this isn't good.

Cade: Agreed. We need to spilt up and search the place.

Before Sam could voice his objection to that Vivian and Cade left.

Sam: Oh sure spilt up with the chances of running into...Decepticons.

He had said that turning around and coming face to face with Megatron using his holoform.

Sam: I swear you have a radar on me or something.

Megatron: Nice to see you too boy. I am not surprised you are not dead like many believed.

Sam: Because of last time I 'died'?

Megatron nodded grinning.

Megatron: Correct. Now I believe you and I have unfinished business boy.

Sam paled at that. The unfinished business Megatron was referring to was literally everything that happened since Mission City.

Sam: Well I'd love to chat but we...You found the object first didn't you.

Megatron: Correct. Now I am in a good mood boy so I will give you a head start.

Sam gave him a mock salute before running to find Cade and Vivian.

[laurentgold06]

Golden Army

In the cold light of the arena, everything gleamed like a promise. Bodies clothed in gold, every fiber of their skin-tight suits stretched over muscles worked to perfection, moved in a silent, disciplined choreography. Nothing here was left to chance. Every movement had a purpose. Every breath was a step toward a shared ideal: to improve oneself, to uplift others, to elevate the Golden Army as one.

They were brothers, all of them. No hierarchy, no judgmental glances. Every role, every position in this sacred order, had a place and an equal importance. Some were built to lift weights that defied logic, others to run faster than the wind. And I, Laurent, the waterboy, was there to support them. No more, no less. This was my place, and I embraced it with a devoted, almost religious humility.

My chastity cage, hidden but visible under the stretched fabric of my golden shorts, was both a symbol and a choice. It spoke of my renunciation, my discipline. It was my way of contributing to the Golden Army, of erasing myself while giving all of myself. What I withheld, what I contained, was not a weakness. It was a shared strength, a sacrifice that made me the equal of these brothers who ran, punched, and pushed their limits.

Marcus had explained this to me on my first night here, months ago. “No one is more or less in this place, Laurent. Whatever you do, as long as you give everything, you are a brother.” Those words had marked me. They echoed tonight, as I moved from one brother to another, offering water, wiping a forehead, or simply being there, a constant, reassuring presence.

Samuel, his breath ragged after a series of sprints, grabbed the golden water bottle without a word. His eyes met mine, and I saw that familiar glint I had come to recognize in all of them: a silent acknowledgment. Not condescending, but fraternal, pure. He drank slowly, his throat contracting with each swallow, before handing the bottle back to me with a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

“You’re one of us,” he murmured.

I nodded. Words weren’t needed.

When Marcus set down his weights, he turned toward me. His golden suit clung to his massive shoulders, his thick thighs, but it was his gaze that bore the most weight. He stepped closer, scrutinizing me as if searching for something in my eyes.

“You do more than carry water, Laurent,” he said, his voice low but gentle. “You remind us why we’re here. Why we push ourselves.”

He placed a hand on my bare shoulder. His warmth, his strength, were tangible. And yet, there was nothing domineering in the gesture. It was a silent embrace, a renewed pact.

In the Golden Army, everything was about balance. No brother was more important than another. The one who lifted the heaviest weights depended on the one who cleaned the arena at the end of the day. The one who ran the fastest relied on the one who carried the water. Brotherhood was everything. A chain in which each link strengthened the next.

When night fell and the training ended, I stood alone in the empty arena. My reflection in the mirrors showed a body tense, offered. My golden shorts, so tight they revealed everything I contained, were a silent declaration: my role was no less than theirs.

Here, in this golden fraternity, everyone gave their all. Not for themselves. Not to shine. But to make the circle stronger. United, invincible, brothers.

Ready to join the Team and be like Kit?All you need to do is contact our recruiters: @brodygold, @goldenherc9, or @polo-drone-001

[blocksruinedme]

My hallmark Christmas Smalletho + smallidarity au. it was supposed to be a quick summary of an idea, surely less than 1k.

It's not done and it's over 5k. It's almost Christmas so I'm posting what I have, there will be more. If you want to watch it happen in real time, dm me here or on discord to join my server. You must be 1) 18+ 2) not morality cop. (kill the cop inside yourself who says to police other people. acab.)

Alright so. Joel is a big city boy who is burning out hard cause he's such a toxic sweat. he's in a long term healthy and happy relationship with jimmy. Joel spends december in to rural canada (not as rural as Joel claims) to take care of his great aunt trudy, who is packing up her house to move to assisted living near her daughter. He plans to spend christmas there because jimmy’s going to visit family, and he’s never been very into christmas.

Joel can work remotely and that's why he's the family member who got sent up to canada. He always liked her when he was a kid, but he was a kid and hasn’t seen her in ages. He went in expecting to find a frail old woman who needed to be rescued, out in the misery of rural...ality? but instead he finds someone feisty, who knows far more than he does about life, and is ready to knock him on his ass if needed. She's not being forced into anything. She used to be very physically active, mountain climbing and shit, but now she wants to live somewhere warmer and be able to call an uber. It's not assisted living, it's like the place my grandma lives, it's just age restricted and has like community center stuff. It’s even queer. Joel realizes in retrospect she was very lesbian coded but he was a kid, and then a sullen early 20 something. 

Every day Jimmy texts Joel to tell him to "touch grass" and Joel grumbles and finds different grass to send him a picture of. One day, bored, he wanders far afield while searching for slightly different grass.... 

Etho finds Joel down on his knees staring at grass. Etho looms over Joel and startles him. Joel yelps and stumbles, and Etho laughs at him and Joel growls like an angry tiny dog. Etho tries to soothe him but Joel rants at him and insults him while Etho tries to hide his amusement. Eventually Joel shouts and storms off and it's the most interesting thing to happen in Etho in years. Who is this guy?

(Note: Getting a bit of a pride and prejudice vibe, but with Etho being less of a bitch than Darcy. Go watch “Fire Island” for gay asian-american pride and prejudice it’s so good. Bowen Yang is Jane. Here, Joel (Elizabeth Bennet)  is convinced Etho (Darcy) is this big imperious asshole who thinks he's better than everyone, but Gem and his great aunt know he's a goober.) 

This is a really small town and Etho... ETHO IS FIXING TO GREAT AUNT TRUDY 'S HOUSE. Which Joel didn't know for a few days cause Trudy didn’t want to have work going the first few days Joel was there. Monday, Joel comes downstairs in his pjs and Etho and Trudy are having coffee together. Joel is in cutesy snail pjs got him for Christmas.

Joel is so angry, enraged, how dare big stupid Etho be helping someone he cares about. Joel storms upstairs (he knows he’s not subtle but it is HARD) and calls Jimmy to rant. After a few minutes, Trudy texts him and says Etho is outside. 

Joel comes back down, fully dressed, and Trudy lets him complain. Yes, she remembers him complaining about the nameless asshole the other day, and now it's the fucking guy fixing up the house so they can sell??? And he lives so close??? How dare he! 

Joel he can’t focus on work, no big deadlines because it’s the end of the year, and he doesn’t even have any meetings. They have a generous vacation policy and things mostly shut down in December. Joel sighs dramatically and shuts his laptop and sulks and paces and Trudy laughs. After an hour of Joel being absurdly grumpy, Etho comes in and says “hey sorry there's a thing I need to do but it's physically impossible without someone else, even for a big strong guy like me”.

Trudy and Etho laugh like there's an inside joke Joel's not part of and he seethes. He hates being excluded, especially if it’s because of *Etho.  And Etho says he'll look for other things he can do while he waits to get someone to help tomorrow. But Joel can't get home until the house is done, and that’s his excuse when he announces he's doing it. And Joel feels like Etho is being patronizing but he isn't. They do the task well, work together easily, and Joel also hates that. He hates everything about Etho, especially the way he stays out and helps Etho with other things even after that one is done. Clearly Etho needs… supervision. Can’t trust that big asshole.

Etho's over every single day for a week. Trudy is constantly finding excuses to send Joel out to offer Etho snacks, or to offer help carrying things. Joel fumes but never actually tries to not go. Trudy feigns "oh I'm too old to go offer him coffee" and it's bullshit and they both know, Trudy doesn’t even keep a straight face.  Etho is terribly amused to see he's being "set up with" Trudy's cranky great nephew from the city. Which is clearly a funny joke, Etho knows that he's a non-serious flirt, and that Trudy knows that, and Joel’s only here a couple weeks. Nothing could possibly happen. So Etho thinks clearly Trudy thinks Joel would enjoy flirting... and Etho quickly finds it really enjoyable to flirt with Joel.  Etho isn't analyzing that right now! Flirting is fun and this is a normal amount of flirting! Flirting is just fun! A game, a game where half the time he just lets himself be super awkward and jokey!  

Now it's Saturday afternoon and Joel hasn't seen Etho since Friday afternoon, and that's FINE that's GREAT actually! Because Etho is so annoying, and he stomps, and the construction work is loud sometimes and wakes Joel up - though of course by the end of the week Joel's out there most of the afternoon, and there hasn't been loud work in the morning. (Joel is too stupid to realize Etho did that on purpose, stopping the loudness in the morning. Such a silly boy.) 

So Joel is restless with no Etho to argue with and be annoyed by. (Note: Etho doesn't think they are arguing and Joel doesn't seem to be really annoyed, now does he?)

Joel goes out shopping and, like Joel was warned, the gps is really spotty out here. So he's pulled over the street and angrily trying to figure out how to get to the store before it closes. He's not going to go back to ask for help and it's just that there's no street signs most of the time, he's going through offline maps, he's absolutely so close to figuring it out when there's a knocking on his car and he SCREAMS. So loud Etho hears him outside Trudy's pickup truck. Joel turns and looks at him with a mix of confusion and rage and Etho steps back, waving. Joel rolls down the window and Etho explains he was waving but Joel wasn't looking up, and Etho instantly realizes Joel's lost and Joel is SO MAD. 

Etho says don’t worry, oh follow me to the store, I need to go to the store anyway. (note: Etho does not need to, he gets some stuff but he wasn't out of anything.) Joel is enraged when they get there because it's like two turns away! Etho could have told him! What, did he think Joel would get lost??? Etho doesn't engage with it, just chuckles and acts like Joel isn't Being Like That. He realized on Wednesday he could just ignore it and it would be fine. 

They finish shopping and Etho really doesn't want to say goodbye, though he tells himself he's just being nice to the traveler. He invites Joel out to go bowling, Etho genuinely is meeting people there. Why would Joel do that! When Etho is so annoying, he could go home and call Jimmy and maybe jerk off together, maybe just complain about Etho, but somehow it seems he said yes, why did he say yes, what the bloody hell now he's renting *bowling shoes*. 

Joel realizes Etho's asking him what he wants on his pizza (they sell it there) and etho knows Joel is vegetarian and isn't being weird about it, which Joel assumed everyone out here would be so he tries to hide it. He said he just wants cheese, then asks for pineapple to see if Etho is mean about it. Etho is not mean about it. By the time Joel has his shoes on, Etho is back and quickly describing people they are meeting and Joel is shocked Etho has friends. He knows that's rude and stupid but he just imagined Etho as a friendless introvert. But he's happy and comfortable with his friends - though it's true he only has a couple friends. 

And GOD DAMN IT but Etho is GOOD at BOWLING. Joel goes to the bathroom and frantically reads about how to get good at bowling real fast. Etho does not comment how it's obvious Joel is suddenly Trying Techniques. They eat pizza, they drink beer (joel doesn't really like beer, he's all into mixology but he drinks anyway after some complaints). Everyone can see they are flirting and generally think it's adorable. 

Joel finds himself genuinely comfortable - he blames the beer for dulling his senses. In truth, the beer is helping him calm down and drop some of his overactive brain that tries to protect him from pain by protecting him from everything. 

They finish a set, or a whatever a round of bowling is. People are taking a break, they go off for more pizza and giant pretzels and deep fried mac and cheese balls and the bathroom and stuff. Etho comes back with beers for himself and Joel. They wind up alone for a few minutes, as Etho teases Joel about his fancy cocktails, asks about them and mentally takes note of his favorites so he can go get the ingredients and... he's not sure what. The alone time stretches on a bit cause Etho’s friends are deliberately staying back and watching. 

Then Gem walks in.

Gem walks in the front door and finds the group trying to look innocent. They all walk back with her cause it would be insanely awkward to have Gem go over alone to Etho who is flirting with Trudy’s nephew who she’s never met. 

Etho isn’t sitting next to Joel, that would be too much to deny, which means once everyone is back they aren't sitting next to each other. Gem sits next to Joel and cheerily says she heard about the new guy, and Joel splutters and says he's temporary, and she's friendly and chatty but god Joel wishes he was still talking to *Etho*. He's so upset that it's true. 

Joel starts texting Jimmy just to have something to focus on, and goes to take his first turn, and comes back to his seat and... Etho and Gem are flirting, They are clearly flirting, and seeing it he realizes several things at once

A) Joel and Etho have absolutely been flirting

B) Etho is flirting with Gem like Joel isn't even there

C) It feels bad D) Joel hates that it feels bad

However bad it feels (a lot), Joel tells himself he can't leave because it would be obvious why, everyone would know he minded Gem and Etho flirting. Then maybe Etho would *say something* or even worse *apologize* and he'd die on the spot. Or maybe Etho wouldn’t say anything, wouldn’t care, wouldn’t offer to walk him to his car, and that’s terrible too. (And more terrible that he wants that)

Joel tries four times to explain the situation to Jimmy, and then just asks if he can do a call later, asking when is Jimmy going to bed.

[cut to: Jimmy looking at his phone with his brow furrowing, ready to stay up as late as Joel needs.]

Two people leave after that set/round, and Gem says Joel has drunk too much to leave, she can drive him home later cause she's not drinking tonight. Joel feels like he’d be sober fairly soon, but Gem’s not *asking*, she's informing Joel that therefore he should drink the beer she's handing him right now, and she's so nice and honestly so pretty and Joel's drinking the beer, and whoever he was splitting the pitcher with says they are done and Joel should finish it.

Why? Because tonight is unique and strange, and Gem has seen *something* and she's not going to let Joel go off and... sulk? She feels like this is a one time opportunity, if she lets Joel get away that'll be it, something will be gone, and for the worse. She can't put words to whatever is going on but she's going to be in control of tonight. 

Meanwhile Joel doesn't even think about the fact that he has a car here that will need to get back, he's so used to just taking cabs/lyfts around it just feels like an alternative to that. 

Etho does not comment, sipping his own beer... and getting another, because he also wants an excuse to not drive. Part of his mind is making a *fuss* about this behavior, making a fuss about the way he keeps looking at Joel, but he's ignoring it.

Eventually bowling is boring. Joel isn't as good as Etho, but he isn't always last, even while drinking. (Maybe everyone except Gem is drunk, but he’s not paying attention to anyone besides Gem and Etho). Joel is texting grumpily and Etho teases him about being grumpy, he says he's explaining to Jimmy that he's drunk on *beer* and it's appalling how far his standards have fallen, he gets over dramatic and silly

Due to miscommunication between multiple people, Etho has wildly misunderstood things and thinks Jimmy is Joel's long time housemate. He knows people in the city do that because everything is so expensive. They’ve lived together across multiple apartments, which sounds nice, to have a friend like that, a partnership of some kind.  Etho thinks they are both queer, which seems normal and also nice.

Gem laughs and asks what Joel normally likes to drink, and Etho starts teasing about Joel's fancy drinks, and Gem moves so she's as far away as she can be (it's a small space). 

[Gem is the woman doing math meme]

Joel winds up at Gem's place, which is walking distance away. He thinks it's because that's how he gets back home - to Trudy's, that is. He’s feeling so complicated and he hates it and there’s no way he can process it tonight. Therefore, Joel is giving himself permission to do whatever because he's very loud about how he's drunk on beer and it's too much liquid to put in one person and he's back to cocktails and shots after this. 

Etho teases him about being small and touches him and it's the first time they've touched. Joel is so ANGRY because he wants Etho to touch him more, touch him in other ways, and either Etho just flirts with people or maybe Gem's his *girlfriend* and Etho's probably *straight* this isn't the city why would he be....

They’re almost to Gem’s and  Etho bumps Joel's side with his own, teases him about thinking too much. Joel gets grumpy back and suddenly they're at Gem's, and it's five people and maybe Etho’s going to leave and it feels like if he does it’s forever, he’ll never see him again, but the other two disappear so fast and it's the three of them. Etho says he can't drive yet but he doesn't *seem* drunk - but then Gem is offering them cocktails, and Joel had sworn off more drinking but it's *civilized* here and Etho laughs so loudly and Joel should really just leave.

He doesn't.

In honor of the season, a prompt:

You have been tapped to write/direct the next Hallmark Christmas special. Which blorbos do you cast as your romantic leads and what's the summary of your feel-good holiday tale?

[heritageposts]

seriously, what the fuck is this about?

they've just outright banned the tag for an indian state that's home to over 34 million people

[choccy-milky]

the place me and my roommate were supposed to move into today was so disgusting and uninhabitable we just took our stuff and left and now we're gonna be staying at airbnbs and hotels until further notice/until we can find a new place hopefully quickly...........im in my homeless drifter era y'all!!!😍😍so if im not as active then thats why LMFAO

1 like = 1 prayer

[mobius-m-mobius]

You wanna hear a good story? Listen to this one.

Mobius + comfort

[tankgotstuckinthecircusgate]

i am sorry cant be silent but ru*ssians in karlovy vary is such a mind blowing thing to me. thinkin bout this all evening

@demonzriti u just shouldnt have told me that. now i wont sleep bc of this

[viviantimmet]

Sucks that youtube doesn't have tags or categories or something. I mean, I know they do, but in a way that is easily accessible and useful to me, a watcher of videos, who sometimes wants to see the new videos from channels I'm subscribed to, and sometimes just wants to watch a bunch of amvs and animation shorts.

[cannibalisticskittles]

i LOST my unopened birth control and i've been panicking ever since realizing that (last night)

i was going to call the pharmacy and ask if they had any way of filling another one so that i could be still taking my pills while searching for it, even if i have to pay for it without insurance, but they're closed today

[kegareki]

ok i’m posting my. hopefully final train seating arrangement. under a cut

i did this last night and it is slightly inaccurate--i have lgy and his aunt two spaces down from where i want them--but That’s Fine. i have literally redrawn the seating arrangements 7 times so like. i’m done redrawing them LMAO

THINGS TO NOTE BEFORE READING FURTHER:

this is for my orv au, which has a si/oc functionally replace kdj in a world which (like many other worlds) he did not live to read twsa

there are ocs involved as a consequence of following a different character’s journey

there are also different survivors that form the 5 subway survivors

i am so so normal about worldbuilding

ok? ok

for the rest of this post i’m going to use whole names instead of the three-letter shortening for clarity

onto the notes abt the seating arrangements:

like i said above ^ if i redrew this for the 8th time i would have lee gilyeong, his aunt, and yoo sangah scooch two seats toward 3707. the webtoon was at least consistent about kim dokja and yoo sangah’s spot on the bench they were sitting on--yoo sangah was on the second-to-last seat of their bench, so two seats down from what i have pictured would have lee gilyeong in kim dokja’s spot

like i also said above ^ kim dokja doesn’t exist as a living person in this world, so yoo sangah doesn’t switch seats.

in canon yoo sangah had been sitting across from kim dokja, then--at a transfer, when one of the people sitting next to kim dokja got off the train--she took that vacated spot. lee gilyeong then took her seat across from kim dokja

so in this world, lee gilyeong is in kim dokja’s spot, since yoo sangah doesn’t move from hers

from their seat, my si/oc soon noeul (labeled sne in the picture) can see lee gilyeong, kim namwoon, oc choi hanna (labeled chn in the picture), and han myungoh, but cannot see the old lady, yoo sangah, or lee hyunsung

(them not being able to see yoo sangah or lee hyunsung is deliberate. for two very different reasons)

kim namwoon can see the old lady from his spot by one of the side doors

lee hyunsung is on the other side of the train car from the old lady, because i think that adds to why he doesn’t try to stop kim namwoon in canon from beating her--he is physically distant from it, which makes it easier to remain still instead of moving forward

yoo sangah and kim dokja were actually supposed to be on the other side of the train car as the old lady--when kim dokja throws the bug catching net at the opposite side of the train car, he aims specifically for yoo sangah--but if i switch them with where i have lee hyunsung and han myungoh, suddenly lee hyunsung is RIGHT THERE when kim namwoon throws hands with an old woman, so... yeah. no. this is a bit of incontinuity that i will have to accept. (clenching fist) i am accepting it

what i HAVE adhered to: lee gilyeong and yoo sangah sitting across from each other; kim namwoon being against one of the doors; the old lady being in priority seating; lee gilyeong is in a position where he can be thrown towards the old lady due to the explosion in 3707

i decided a few days ago to go back to my orv au and see what i can bang out, and it has led to me obsessing over seating arrangements that only matters for the first few chapters and not actually doing any writing