#wishing waffle iron

[thatsbelievable]

[copperbadge]

I've had to introduce a moment in the latest novel where Eddie is having a minor crisis, and I wanted Simon to recognize it because he's cooking a specific dish he always cooks when he's dealing with anxiety or stress. But it took me for damn ever to figure out what that dish should be -- I don't cook as a coping mechanism for anxiety so I was no help to me. And I'm all for self care but if you Google "stress cooking" you mostly get "simple meals to cook when you're depressed" which is not what I was going for.

I did finally come up with something (see below) but it occurred to me this could be a fun discussion. If you cook to cope, even if it's coping with something other than stress like anger or sadness, what do you cook?

As an example, you can read about Eddie's stress cooking behind the cut...

(context: Simon is enjoying an evening chat with his brother Hugo and Hugo's wife Gwen when he sees Eddie post to Photogram.)

"What's he up to, anyway?" Gwen asked, as Simon studied the post.

"Process photos for a dish," he said, mildly concerned, because it looked like -- "He's making waffles. American waffles."

"Is that bad?" Gwen asked.

"It's not...good," Simon said.

"It's what he makes when he's stressed, and trying not to think about something," Hugo, who had witnessed the stress waffles before, explained.

"Because you can't see the waffles while they're cooking, and if you check too soon, you'll pull them in half," Simon added.

"How does that relieve stress?"

"It doesn't," Simon and Hugo chorused. Gwen looked amused.

"It just means you have to stand next to the waffle iron the entire time and watch it, and all the anxiety goes into that, instead of whatever you were worrying about," Simon continued. "So he explained it, in any case. His parents taught him that when steam stops rising the waffle is done, so you have to watch for the steam. As a wedding gift they gave him the waffle iron they cooked on when he was a child, so it's..."

"Comforting," Gwen suggested. "That's kind of sweet."

"Yes, but not entirely a good thing," Simon mused. "I do wish he'd let go of the idea he's not a baker. He's entirely adequate at most baked goods I've seen him make, and it would do him a world of good to really get into sourdough," he said to Hugo, who nodded knowingly. "I feel sourdough waffles would be a balm to the soul, and also taste better than the quick-rise kind."

"The heart wants what the heart wants," Gwen said.

"I suppose so," Simon agreed. "I'll speak to him tomorrow. Many confessions happen in a kitchen."

[itwasntimethatdidit40]

Waffles for breakfast

Pairing/AU: Joel Miller x afab!reader, no outbreak so flour is safe in this one lol

Words counts: 1141

Rating: +16? (just a little tiny smut 👀)

Tags: pov second person, no use of y/n, reader is described having breasts and vagina, no other description is given, established relationship, a huge amount of fluff, mutual masturbation, unprotected p in v (do better irl!), joel cooks (i feel like this needs its own tag 😂)

A/N: another thing I wrote a year ago, revised and corrected. I hope there are no mistakes but if there are please, forgive me.

Enjoy the Sunday fluff my lovely friends, hope you’ll like it and you’ll have a really nice day♥️

Tagging: @baronessvonglitter , @aurorawritestoescape, @milla-frenchy and @bean-is-reading just to say thanks for your encouragement, kindness and support, you all are great and deserve the world 😭♥️

Thanks to anyone who reads this!

Archive tags: @pedrostories ♥️

“Joel”

“What”

“Leave it alone, there's no need for you to do it”

“I’m doing great!”

“Okay”

You are observing a batter that is too liquid and full of lumps.

Joel got into his head to prepare breakfast this morning, perhaps because last night you ironically commented on his total inability to cook something vaguely edible.

“Let me finish, you'll see you'll like them”

He got into his head to make you waffles.

Him.

The one who burns everything he tries to cook, the one who holds a neat pile of takeaway flyers near the phone.

His idea of fine cuisine is fried chicken wings or pepperoni pizza with olives.  

You tried to make him forget that he promised you, you tried very hard.

This morning you woke up first, slipped over to his side of the bed and hugged him, clinging to his back and encircling his waist with one arm.

You intertwined your legs with his to get as close as possible and slid your hand under his shirt caressing his tummy, leaving little kisses on his wide back through the shirt. 

Your hand made its way into his boxers to reach his sex and you gently stroked it until you felt it get hard.

He made a grunt as he woke up and put his big hand on yours, continuing to massage. 

You surrounded the base with your fingers, slowly going up to the tip, stroking his cock.

Slowly.

He made a deep, hoarse moan. 

He turned to look at you and held you close, lowered a hand on your sex and massaged you in turn.

You took back his shaft in your hand and you both continued like this, caressing each other, looking at each other smiling, until everything became too hot and blurry.

You undressed in an instant, throwing everything on the floor.

You rode him the way he likes it, your hands resting on his broad chest while he held you firmly by your hips. He always says he loves seeing you like this and he loves your tits bounce before his eyes.

You lay on him exhausted, totally satisfied, he hugged you tightly.

“God baby, you're amazing”

He kept you like this for what seemed like an endless time and anyway you wish it never ended.

He kissed your forehead and nose and whispered “well, good morning I guess”.

You giggled then kissed that little patch in his beard that you adore “Good morning, Joel”.

You thought he'd forget by then and never get up.

Joel, however, is a man who keeps his promises.

He is a stubborn man, above all, when he gets something in his head, nothing stops him. Whether it's small or big doesn't matter.

And he would do anything when he cares about a person.

He got up and you saw him disappear in the bathroom.

 You wanted to follow to continue distracting him but you knew that it would be useless anyway so you decided to enjoy the warmth of the bed for a while longer, wrapped in his scent on the sheets and pillow.

You heard the shower water flowing and after a few minutes he came out with a towel around his waist, a few drops of water still on his skin, chest, shoulders, wet hair pulled back.

A breathtaking view.

You would have liked to drag him back to bed but he headed to the closet, pulled out a clean t-shirt, boxer briefs and a pair of sweatpants.

He got dressed and said, “stay in bed, babe, I'll make you breakfast” with a smile so sweet and enthusiastic that it melted your heart.

 You didn't have the courage to say no to him, and now you're here, watching him energetically turn a spoon into the bowl and try to remove the lumps from a too liquid blob. You wonder how he was able to make it liquid but at the same time lumpy.

You smile, looking at how he's trying.

“Joel, please. There are frozen pancakes in the freezer.”

“Absolutely not, it's Sunday, I won't let you eat frozen stuff”

And you laugh thinking that he would like to give you that thing that he is furiously stirring instead.

It looks like glue.

You stop protesting, because you see how tenderly he looks at you, you see how convinced he is as he pulls out the waffle iron and lets it warm up.

In the meantime, the batter has thickened a bit but it remains full of lumps.

You offer to set the table, but he doesn't want you to do that either.

“Today you have to relax, I'll take care of you”

You stay on your stool, with your elbows leaning against the island counter looking at him and remaining silent, enjoying the sight of his arms delightfully embraced by his t-shirt.

He puts two placemats on the counter, two plates, cutlery and glasses. 

He takes the orange juice out of the fridge.

Pour a little batter on the iron, close and wait with a satisfied smile.

What he puts on your plate it’s the ugliest waffle you've ever seen but you don't have the heart to tell him.

Not when he seems so proud and convinced of his work.

After all, what does it cost you to taste?

You hope you won't need to call 911.

You chew slowly, tasting a strange flavor, but you don't say anything.

He looks at you in expectation.

“So, how is it?”

“Good” you try to say, but you don't know how to swallow the bite.

It's weird, gummy, incredibly salty.

You keep chewing while he takes a bite too.

He chews for a few seconds and then roll his eyes and bend over the sink spitting.

“My God it’s horrible! Don't eat it!”

At his surrender, you can no longer resist and you also spit in the sink and then turn on the garbage disposal hoping that that horrible thing will disappear forever.

 You laugh, you laugh so much that tears come to your eyes while he looks so sorry.

“I think I put salt instead of sugar in it” he murmurs.

You keep laughing, as you approach to hug him “how much did you put in, a whole jar?”

“Fuck” he rolls his eyes, looking frustrated.

“Babe, it doesn't matter, really”

You squeeze him as much as you can, he put his chin on your shoulder “I’m sorry, I wanted to do something nice”

“Don't worry, you tried” you stroke the back of his neck trying to comfort him “I appreciate it anyway”

His strong arms surround your waist and you wouldn't want to change him with anything in the world.

You look him in the eyes “I love you”

“Damn I guess that's true, considering the crap I just made”

And he laughs too, finally relaxed.

“I love you too”

And he kisses you.

After all, breakfast is not that important.

[notti-stellate]

Good Morning

JJ Maybank x fem!reader

Summary: A somewhat perfect morning with JJ.

Word count: 0.6k

Proofread: Kinda

Warnings: Smoke, mention of drinking, PDA, major fluff

You sighed softly as you woke up, feeling an odd weight in your chest. Looking down you saw your boyfriend’s fluffy blonde hair as he laid sprawled over you. He reminded you of a blanket, the thought making you laugh quietly. Feeling your chest move, JJ slowly opened one eye, tightening his arms around your torso.

“Morning princess,” he mumbled, a small smile adorning his lips.

“Hi J” you whispered, running your fingers along his bare back, scratching softly. His hum of appreciation made you wish you could stay in this moment forever, frozen in time with the person you love most.

JJ’s phone ringing broke you out of your thoughts. He sighed, sliding his finger over the screen and placing the phone on his ear.

“What?” He grumbled to who you assumed was Pope or Mr.Heyward asking where he was. Realizing your moment was over, you slid out of his arms, much to his dismay. Throwing on JJ’s old shirt you walked out of your room, heading towards the kitchen. You could hear JJ sigh and follow you out of your room, padding down the hallway.

After JJ hung up, he came over to where you were standing, wrapping his arms around your hips and burying his face in the crook of your neck. 

“What time do you need to go in?” You asked, pouring waffle mix into the iron.

“An hour ago,” JJ chuckled, swaying softly in place. You just shook your head laughing, that boy was alway late. 

Turning around in his arms, you pressed your lips together softly, only pulling away when you heard the waffle iron beep. Spinning you to face him again, JJ kissed you with much more passion than before, your lips moving in sync as though they were puzzle pieces, meant to fit together. You were so deeply focused on him that you didn’t hear the waffles beep.

Smelling smoke you pulled away, your eyes widening when you realized what had happened. You flung around, grabbing the burnt waffle and tossing it out the front door. JJ loved the fact that you could get so lost in each other, even if it didn’t always have the best outcome. Laughing, you turned back to face him, seeing him laughing as well.

Placing the finished pancakes on two plates, one for you and the other for JJ, you set them on the table. Turning around when you heard a beer can opening, you shook your head at him nodding your head towards the full coffee pot and sitting down.

“Mr.Heyward’s gonna freak if he finds out you were drinking before work.” You muttered, taking a sip of coffee. Sitting across from you, JJ smiled taking a bite of his breakfast. These mornings were your favorite parts of the day, having a little bit of peace before you both had to leave for work or school. To be completely honest, you were still in disbelief at times that JJ was actually yours, not just some small crush you had like before. No matter how long you were together you were still convinced that one day you would wake up and all of your perfect days with JJ would be a distant fantasy. Not that he would ever admit it but he had the same thoughts.

After breakfast you smiled as JJ kissed you goodbye muttering a soft “I love you” before walking out the door. Even though you had just seen him you were already missing the warm feeling of his arms around you, it was obvious you were, without a doubt, completely infatuated with the young Maybank

[corroded-hellfire]

Well, since it's this weekend… what about Ryan and Luke giving their favorite baby-sitter something for Mother's Day? Either after Eddie officially gets the girl, or before… I bet Brittany would loooove to find out that her kids made something for Mother's Day in school, and gave it to the baby-sitter instead of her. 😏

I love, love, love this. @munson-blurbs and I came up with a little sweet and spicy tale. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there except Brittany 😘

Warnings: smut, p in v, unprotected (wrap it up), oral f!receiving, mild choking, Eddie’s breeding kink is loud and proud

Words: 4k

[As You Wish masterlist]

“Okay, next we need a cup of water.” Eddie hands the glass measuring cup to Ryan, nodding towards the sink. “Fill ‘er up and then—carefully—dump it in the bowl.” Ryan does as he’s instructed, and Eddie proceeds with the recipe. “Now, Luke, you’re going to gently mix it all together.” 

Luke takes the directions a bit too seriously, circling the spoon around the bowl at a painstakingly slow pace. “Like that?” he asks proudly. 

“Liiiiittle faster, bud,” Eddie says, holding his thumb and forefinger apart slightly to emphasize his point. “I’d like to get these made before Father’s Day.”

Once the waffle batter is completely combined—Eddie had to help out before the milk curdled—he ladles it into the waffle iron, inhaling the cozy scent of homemade waffles. It’s what he’s always wanted: family dinners where he and his boys cook. Getting to spoil his girl with love and breakfast food. 

His girl. He still can’t believe that you’re his girl. 

“Did you guys make anything for Mom at school today?” Teachers usually have the kids do some sort of Mother’s Day craft, and Eddie wants to make sure that it gets to Brittany before she can accuse him of withholding her gifts. 

Ryan and Luke share a look that Eddie is unable to decipher. “Um, nothing?” Ryan says meekly, though it comes out as more of a question. 

Eddie frowns. “No art project this year? Not even a macaroni necklace?” He sets the timer and leans back on the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Neither of you?”

“No, we did,” Ryan admits, “but we were talking, and…we don’t wanna give them to Mom.”

“Yeah,” Luke chimes in, an unmistakable smirk spreading across his face, “we wanna give them to your giiiiiiirlfriend!” 

“Luke!” Ryan scolds, but his eyes tell Eddie that he had the same idea. “Is that okay?” he asks his dad. 

Eddie nods. “Of course. I think she’ll love that.” He starts to wipe down the counter before turning back to his boys. “You still need to give Mom the gifts that we bought her, yeah?” Not that she deserves them, he thinks bitterly, but she’ll have my head on a platter if they come over empty-handed. 

“Okay,” Ryan says as he puts the milk back in the refrigerator. “And the cards we bought, too.”

“Oh! And we made cards to go with our gifts tonight!” Luke adds. 

“Did you now?” Eddie asks, raising his eyebrows at his youngest son. “You got a future working for Hallmark?”

“Daddy, you know I’m going to be a monster truck driver.”

“Right, how could I forget?”

A key turns in the lock of the front door and an instant smile appears on Eddie’s face. Ever since he’d given you the key to his apartment, he’s been locking the door more just because the sound of you unlocking it when you come over makes him happy. Both boys scurry in that direction and Eddie follows behind at a leisurely pace. 

You’re barely able to put your keys back in your bag before being enveloped in two sets of small arms.

“Oof!” You toss your bag over on the closest chair and wrap your arms around the boys. “This is a nice welcome. Ooh, and what smells so good in here?”

“Happy Mother’s Day!” both boys cheer. 

It takes you a moment to realize that they’re saying those words to you. They are wishing you a happy Mother’s Day. 

“W-What?” you ask, slightly stunned. 

“We won’t see you on Sunday, so we wanted to have Mother’s Day with you now!” Luke says as he takes one of your hands in both of his. 

“Yeah!” Ryan agrees. “And we made your favorite breakfast for dinner. Waffles! Daddy helped.”

“Helped?” Eddie mumbles under his breath, but it goes unnoticed by both kids. 

“This is so sweet,” you say, the wide array of emotions hurtling through you. Dropping to your knees, you tug the Munson children against your body so that you can give them a proper hug. “I love you boys so much.”

“We love you, too,” Ryan says. 

“Let’s go get the presents,” Luke says to his brother.

“Ah-ah, not until after we eat,” Eddie pipes up.

Luke sighs and lolls his head in the direction of his father. “We can’t just go get them?”

“Fine, go ahead. There’s about to be some kissing anyway, and I don’t think you wanna see that,” Eddie teases. It works. The boys head down the hall to their rooms and as soon as you get back up on your feet, Eddie pulls you into his embrace. “Hey there, gorgeous.”

“Hi, handsome,” you say as you loop your arms around his neck. Tilting your head up, your mouth catches against your boyfriend’s and you sink into the kiss. A loud rattling noise and a shout of I’m okay has the two of you breaking apart. “Was this your idea?”

“Nope,” Eddie says, popping the “p.” He rubs his hands up and down your back as he gives you a smile that’s full of pride in his sons. “They asked me just yesterday if we could do this—have the waffles for dinner. And I didn’t know about the gifts until about two minutes before you walked in.”

“I’m getting spoiled tonight,” you muse, pressing a kiss to his stubbled cheek. You start to walk towards the table, but he pulls you back to him. 

“Oh, you have no idea,” he murmurs in your ear, squeezing your ass. “As soon as they leave, I’m going to—”

“Is dinner almost ready?” Luke whines as he thunders into the room. “I’m starving!”

Eddie races to him, crouching down and placing one hand on either of Luke’s shoulders. “Do you think you’ll make it?! Hang on, Luke! Don’t go into the light!” He ruffles his son’s curly hair. “Yeah, it’s ready. Go sit down at the table.”

Luke giggles as he takes his seat, and Ryan trails behind him. 

“How was school?” you ask them, putting waffles on plates and setting them at their places. “Learn anything new?”

Luke nods enthusiastically. “My friend Todd bounced a hot dog on the ground at lunch, and it almost touched the ceiling!”

Eddie shrugs. “I guess that’s science, kind of? What about you, Ry? Conduct any food experiments?”

“No, but we started learning about fractions today,” Ryan says, taking a bite of his dinner. “It was tricky at first, but then I got it.”

“That’s my boy!” Eddie high-fives him. “Munsons don’t give up when things get tough.”

“Is that why you took senior year three times?” you tease him, and his jaw drops in mock offense. 

“Hey, Daddy?” Luke interrupts, grabbing the syrup bottle and positioning it over the waffle and drenching it in the sticky-sweet sauce. “Can we do presents now?”

“When dinner’s over,” Eddie reminds him, taking the bottle before Luke can empty it. “And, no, that’s not permission to shove the entire waffle in your mouth at once.”

“Fine,” he concedes, turning his attention to you. “So, who’s your favorite: me or Ryan?”

You shake your head, cutting your waffle into neat little squares. “I can’t answer that. I love you both equally.” You glance at your boyfriend for confirmation, but of course, he’s no help. 

“That means you must fight for her love and affection!” he roars, deepening his voice to a raspy growl. “Men, grab your armor!”

You roll your eyes at his antics, but there’s a smile on your face the whole time. 

Unsurprisingly, Luke is the first one finished with his food. He sits in his chair, fingers beating a rapid rhythm against the tabletop. The patience of a five-year-old can only go so far, though. Eddie tries to hold in a chuckle because it looks like his youngest is near wetting himself. 

“Okay,” Eddie caves with a sigh. “Get your presents ready.” 

“Yes!” Luke cheers as he grabs his gift and the homemade card made of red construction paper. Eddie stands and clears away the plates while both boys take a seat on either side of you with their respective presents. “Mine first!” Luke slides his towards you. 

First, you pick up the card and grin at the flower smiling back at you on the cover. On the inside, Luke has written in his adorable boyish handwriting: “Happy Mother’s Day! I 🖤 you! Love, Luke.” You ruffle Luke’s curls and press a kiss to his forehead. 

“Here’s the gift I made.” Luke points at it. Picking it up, you see it’s a Shrinky Dink that Luke has written his name on and someone—presumably the teacher, put it on a key ring. 

“This is perfect!” you exclaim as you look over your new keychain. “I use my keys every time I drive or have to get into my house, so I’ll always see your name and think of you.”

Luke grins and throws his arms around your neck. You chuckle and maneuver him into your lap so he’s not hugging you from an uncomfortable angle. 

“Thank you, Luke.”

“Now me!” Ryan hands you his card, designed on purple construction paper. It says: “I am happy that your with Daddy now because that means I see you more and I like seeing you. Happy Mother’s Day! I love you! Ryan.”

“That is very sweet, Ryan.” 

“Thanks! This is what I made you,” he says. A heavy lump of what you can only assume is clay is placed in your hands. Tilting it to inspect the blue ceramic piece, you realize it’s the shape of a hand. Ryan’s hand, to be more specific. His handprint has been molded into a small ceramic dish. “It’s for jewelry! To hold it.”

“Oh, that’s perfect! I’m going to put it right next to my bed for when I take my jewelry off at night.”

“It’s like I’ll be holding it,” Ryan says with a giggle. 

“I know it’s in safe hands then,” you say, reaching over to boop his nose. “Thank you both for the thoughtful cards and gifts. I’m very lucky and grateful for you two.”

“Ahem,” Eddie cuts in with a dramatic throat clear. “No love for me? I’ll have you know that I’m the only one here who knows how to use the waffle iron, thank you very much.”

“You’re right,” you sigh, but when he leans in for a kiss, you just boop his nose as well. “Here, let me get the dishes.” You stand up to start towards the sink, but he playfully tugs you back down.

“Not a chance,” he says with a wink. “The Munson men are on it! Boys, I’ll need all hands on deck.”

Luke and Ryan begrudgingly follow their dad, dragging their feet as they walk to where Eddie’s flicking on the faucet and rinsing the dirty dishes. “Can we at least listen to music?” Luke grumbles, grabbing the sponge.

“Can you ask that without whining?” Eddie nudges him, but his tone is serious. “Try again.”

Luke plasters a giant fake smile on his face. “Can we please listen to music?” he asks.

“Of course, my wonderful, perfect second-born.” Eddie goads, clicking the dial to his usual rock station. 

And when she knows what

She wants from her time

Your head perks up and your eyes widen at the familiar Billy Joel song. Eddie throws you a grin over his shoulder before stepping back from the sink and wiping his hands off on a towel.

“Our song, baby,” he says, holding out his hand as he approaches where you’re sitting. “Boys, take over. Ryan wash, Luke dry.”

“I thought this was a Munson man chore,” Luke grumbles, which Ryan nudges his brother’s shoulder for.

“Shut up,” Ryan hisses under his breath.

Luke huffs and snatches the towel up from where Eddie tossed it on the counter. “What does that mean?” he asks his older brother. “That it’s ‘their song.’”

Ryan chuckles as he grabs a plate and holds it under the water. He looks over at the two of you and watches as Eddie practically yanks you out of the dining chair until your chest is pressed up against his. 

“It’s the song they smoochy-smooch to,” Ryan says.

Luke spins around to look at the pair of you as well, making kissy noises as he awaits a plate to dry.

“I’d start washing those dishes unless you want to see us start smoochy-smooching,” Eddie calls, never taking his eyes off of you. You giggle and wrap your arms around his neck, hugging him even closer.

“Maybe I wanna smooch now,” you say, batting your eyelashes at him. Eddie doesn’t hesitate to fill your request. He leans in and just as his lips are about to brush up against yours, there’s a jarring knock on the front door. 

“I’ll get it!” Luke shouts, taking any opportunity he can to get away from the dishes.

“Good,” Eddie mumbles before stealing a kiss from you anyway. Just as you tilt your head up to continue the kiss, an irritating ahem sounds from behind you. 

Turning your head, you have to fight to keep the sneer off your face when you see who’s standing there.

“Mom’s here,” Luke calls to Ryan as he jogs back into the kitchen.

“Hello, Brittany,” you say, sidling up next to Eddie. You go to grab his hand in yours and he’s quick to give it a reassuring squeeze. Play nice for the sake of the boys, you tell yourself. Those seem to be the only semi-pleasant words that ever go through your head when she’s around. 

“Hi,” Brittany says, the words somehow sounding like a scoff. 

“Boys,” Eddie says, forgoing greeting his ex-wife altogether. “Go get your backpacks and the gifts you bought for Mom.”

The mention of gifts has a slight smirk appearing on the bitchy blonde’s face, and you can hardly say you’re surprised. As materialistic as she is, she’s probably more interested in seeing what she’s getting than seeing her own children. Eddie had already told you what the boys had picked out at the store and all you could hope was that Brittany was able to fake enough enthusiasm so as not to hurt the boys. 

Luke emerges from his room first. He puts his bag down on the table and picks up the keychain and jewelry holder that you had gotten from them. “Mom, look what we made!”

“Good job. Thank you.” She couldn’t sound less excited if she tried. But you don’t care because you know Luke is about to correct her.

“Oh. No, your gift is in my backpack. These aren’t for you.”

Brittany’s face hardens into steel, the forced smile looking more like a disfigured grimace than anything. Come on, look up at me, you think to yourself with a gleeful smile on your lips. Eddie tugs on your hand and you glance over to see him wearing a matching grin of satisfaction. 

Ryan comes in as Luke puts your gifts back on the table, and Brittany’s head finally lifts. You swear you can literally see her face turning red as she locks eyes with you. You raise an eyebrow slightly, as if saying, yeah, that’s right. Those are for me.

“Whatever,” she spits, ushering the boys out of the apartment. “Pick them up Tuesday night. Don’t be late.” 

Before she can slam the door behind her, Ryan and Luke call out to you, “Happy Mother’s Day!” You can see her entire body clench with anger.

As soon as she’s gone, Eddie lets out a huge exhale.

“You okay?” you ask, pressing your chest against his and resuming your position. You can feel his heart beating, and it’s immediately soothing.

Eddie nods slowly. “Yeah, she doesn’t really bother me anymore. ‘S just…” he pauses, searching for the right words, “...I hate not being with them, y’know? And I hate having to send them to their mom’s when they’re happier here. But what am I gonna do, tell her that she can’t have them on Mother’s Day?”

“You��re doing the right thing,” you murmur, rubbing his bicep comfortingly. “And once custody is figured out, I know you’ll be able to see them more. Those boys absolutely adore you.”

He tilts your chin upwards and kisses you, softly and gently. “They adore you, too,” he says with a small chuckle. “I had to convince them to buy stuff for Brittany and not you.”

Your jaw drops, making him laugh harder. “No way. You’re kidding, right?”

“‘M dead serious,” Eddie promises, making an X over his heart. “And speaking of gifts…I have one for you, and it’s in the bedroom.” He waggles his eyebrows, and you hook your finger into his belt loop as he leads the way.

You lay down on the bed as he climbs on top of you, trailing kisses down your body. “This–kiss–is for–kiss–being the absolute–kiss–fuckin’--kiss–best.” He sits up suddenly, taking in the gorgeous view before him. “I love you so damn much.”

“I love you, too,” you whisper against the soft plush of his lips.

“You know,” Eddie mumbles against your mouth, “I was thinking.”

“Uh oh,” you tease. In retaliation, Eddie lightly nips at your collarbone, making you giggle.

“Mhm. About your ass.” He gives it a little squeeze as you laugh harder. “Well, that, and how goddamn gorgeous you’d look having my baby.”

“You mean ‘our’ baby?” you ask, arching an eyebrow. 

“Of course,” Eddie says. He starts to move down your body with kisses again. “Round belly making a home for them.” He pushes your shirt up to the underwire of your bra and places soft kisses around your belly button. 

“Not to mention my bigger boobs.”

“Oh don’t worry, I hadn’t forgot about those,” Eddie says, looking up at you with a smirk. “Shit, I can picture it so well.” His fingers fumble with the button on your jeans as his lips press gently against your skin. “But before that all happens, there’s something I’ve gotta do.”

“And what’s that?” you ask, your eyes never leaving his hands as you watch them work.

Eddie presses one last kiss just above the waistline of your jeans before looking up at you through his enviably long eyelashes. “Fuck a baby into you.”

A whimper leaves your lips, both at his words and at the urgency in which Eddie is pulling your pants off with. Your panties aren’t far behind, but you reach up and tug on his shirt before he has time to undress you any further. Your hands begin to work on his belt, and Eddie lays one hand on your shoulder to keep himself balanced, and the other hand trails along your jaw. Slowly, he swipes his thumb over your bottom lip.

“You want me to make you a mommy, sweetheart? Want to spend next Mother’s Day with the little baby we made?” 

“Uh-huh,” you nod breathlessly, moaning when two of his thick fingers slide into your pussy. “M-Making me regret taking my pill this morning.”

Eddie laughs, pumping his fingers in and out of you as he speaks. “S’okay, babe. We can just practice tonight, hm?”

You nod, unable to speak as you watch Eddie lower his head and attach his lips to your clit. With a breathy whine, your head drops back on the pillow as he gives a harsh suck to the sensitive nub.

“Fuck,” Eddie says once he finally releases it. “Never get used to how good your pussy tastes.” He gives you no time to respond before he dips down and licks at your leaking hole. One of your hands fists the sheets, while the other reaches down and grabs onto your boyfriend’s curls. “Feel good?” Eddie mumbles against your folds.

“So good, Eddie,” you moan. “Fucking love your mouth. B-But I want your cock.” 

“All you had to do was ask, my love.” He looks back down at your pussy and gives it a quick kiss. “I’ll be back for you later.”

You don’t have time to process the fact that he’s talking to your genitals before he’s pushing inside of you with a delicious stretch. “Fuuuuuck, Eddie,” you whine, adjusting to the fullness. “Feels s’good. Always feels s’good.” Your words slur together, already drunk on his cock. 

“Only the best for this tight, perfect pussy,” he growls. He brings his thumb back to your clit, making deliberate circles. “Can’t wait to fill you up with my cum. Gonna fuck it into you s’deep. Gonna knock up my princess, make her a mommy, holy shit!” He cries out when you move his hand from your swollen bud up to your neck, placing it around your throat. “Y’want me to choke you, baby?”

“Yes, please,” you manage, body trembling with pleasure as you feel the pressure from his grip. He’s rocking into you at an immeasurable pace, the ridge where the tip meets the shaft hitting all the right angles. “Keep g-going. ‘M gonna cum.”

Eddie throws his head back. “Good girl, good fucking girl. Cum on my cock, fuck, fuckin’ cream it. Make a mess on me, my good girl.”

One hand still gripping the green sheets below you, the other wraps around Eddie’s arm where he braces himself up against the mattress. Little moans and whimpers are slipping past your lips as Eddie brings you up to the brink. 

“I’m—fuck—I’m coming,” you say, hand tightening around Eddie’s arm as your pussy tightens around his cock. You hit your peak just as he does, an expression of ecstasy on his face. 

“Take it, fuckin’ take it, take all my cum. Want it dripping out of you.” You feel the hot, thick ropes coat your walls as he finishes inside you, leaving you both panting and speechless. 

The two of you lie there with each other for a few moments, letting your bodies relax and come down from their highs. Begrudgingly, Eddie pulls out and you both hiss at the loss. He’s quick to grab a warm washcloth from the bathroom and clean the both of you off. As soon as he tosses it in the hamper, he’s climbing back into bed and pulling you up against him beneath the covers. You eagerly snuggle up against him and rest your head in the crook of his neck.

“So, how was that for a Mother’s Day present?” Eddie asks, his fingers gently tracing patterns on the bare skin of your back. 

“Perfect,” you respond with a lazy smile. “You Munson men spoil me.” 

“Cause we love you so damn much,” Eddie says as he presses a kiss into your hair. When you stay silent, Eddie’s brow furrows in confusion. When he feels your body start to tremble in his hold, he pulls back to look at you. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Shaking your head, you wipe the fallen tears from your cheeks. “Nothing’s wrong. I just…I wasn’t expecting any of this.”

“Is it too much?” Eddie asks, worry creeping into his voice. “Because I can talk to the—” 

“No,” you say kindly but firmly. “It’s just overwhelming. The food, the presents. Them wishing me a h-happy Mother’s Day. Eddie, I…” You’re unable to keep the tears from falling even as a joyful smile spreads across your lips. “I’ve never felt so loved before.” 

Eddie gazes at you with an adoring expression on his face. He gently tucks a piece of your hair behind your ear and presses a kiss to your forehead. 

“Well, get used to it, baby,” Eddie says. “Because you have the hearts of all three Munson men and we’re all suckers for showing affection.”

Shifting yourself so your head rests next to Eddie’s on his pillow, you still can’t wipe the smile off your face. 

“They think of me as a mother figure.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve been there for them when their own mother hasn’t. Many, many times. Of course that’s how they see you. You’re everything a good mom should be, and they see that. They needed that in their lives. And then you come along; perfect, wonderful you. Who we all were missing, we just didn’t know it yet. But now that we have you, you’re stuck with us.”

You giggle as Eddie nuzzles his nose against yours. “I needed you guys, too. I always will.”

“I love you, my beautiful girl.”

“I love you, my handsome man.”

“Happy Mother’s Day, baby.”

[estrellami-1]

If I Should Stay

Part 1 | . . . | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53

“You wish,” Steve teases, then looks wide-eyed at Robin. “What about all the pictures we have?”

“We’ll take new ones,” she assures him, then grins. “And hey, maybe Starcourt will be built, without the Russian base underneath.”

Steve hums. “Maybe then I could avoid one of the concussions from Billy.”

Robin freezes suddenly. “Steve,” she says, “is it a good idea for the party to meet Max? Because of the first concussion from Billy? That wasn’t Upside Down related, was it?”

Steve grimaces. “He’d been Flayed at that point, yeah. Even if he is a racist asshole, I can’t imagine him coming after us like that again.”

Robin hums. “But if he does-”

“Tell me,” Eddie says suddenly, “does he like Mary Jane? Because I can make sure he never sees her again if he goes after Steve.”

Robin blinks at him, then begins to grin. “Sorry, Stevie, Eddie’s my new favorite.”

Eddie laughs and fist-bumps her. “Likewise, Birdie.”

“Hey!” Steve says, faux-affronted. It’s ruined by the grin he can’t hide.

El pokes gently at Steve’s arm, then the waffle iron when he looks at her. “It’s done.”

“Ah,” he says, opening it. “Thank you, Ellie. Mind getting me a plate?” He grins at her. “Without grabbing it?”

El grins. Without moving, she opens a cabinet, floats a plate out to Steve, then shuts the cabinet again. She wipes underneath her nose, then grins at Steve. “No blood!”

“That’s great!” He celebrates with her, offering her a high-five. “You think you’re ready?”

“I’m still scared,” she tells him. “But yes. I do.”

“Y’know something else?” Steve asks. “Vecna needed four more years to be strong enough to do what he did. You needed two more days. I think you’re much stronger than he is right now.”

“Speaking of the big bad,” Eddie interjects, nibbling on a corner of his waffle, “shouldn’t we go over the plan?”

Steve sighs. “Probably,” he agrees.

“I think we should wait for everyone,” Alli says. “Let’s just have as normal a morning as we can for right now.”

Steve smiles at his sister. “Sure, Al,” he says, then rolls his eyes when she pulls him into a hug and ruffles his hair.

“Love you, Bubba,” she murmurs into his ear, and he can’t help but to melt into her hug.

“Love you too, Al,” he murmurs back, then grins at her. “How about grilled cheese when we all make it outta this intact?”

“I think that sounds like an excellent idea,” she nods, then steps away. “I’m gonna call Cass. Come and get me when everyone’s here?”

“Will do,” he nods, and she smiles in response as she walks off.

Eddie pulls his feet up onto the counter he’s sitting on, looping his arms around his knees. “So, Cassidy is Alli’s-?”

“Girlfriend,” Steve nods. He takes another waffle out of the iron and scrapes the last of the batter into it. “It makes me wonder how I would’ve ended up, if I had her the entire time, y’know? Cause I know I was an asshole. And I’m trying not to be anymore.”

“You’re succeeding,” both Robin and Eddie say at the same time, then excitedly point at each other.

Steve laughs and shakes his head. “Thanks. But I wonder, if I’d had her the entire time, would I have ever gotten as bad as I did? Would I have ever worked at Scoops or Family Video and met you, Robin? Would any of his have ever happened in the first place?”

He only notices his hand is shaking when Robin gently takes his fork and puts it down, then grabs both his hands in hers. “Squeeze,” she requests, and he does, letting out a harsh breath and resting their foreheads together.

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“Shuddup,” Robin says. He laughs.

After a few seconds, he pulls away to look at her. “Am I being crazy?”

“I think you’re being exactly as sane as taking this mission in the first place makes either of us, Dingus, I don’t think either of us were all there in the first place.”

Steve giggles. “I think you may be right.”

“Maybe you would’ve been different,” Eddie says. He’s taking the last waffle out of the iron. “Maybe you wouldn’t have. Maybe all of this would’ve happened, and maybe it wouldn’t have. Maybes aren’t gonna change anything that’s currently happening. All we can do is our best to get through it.”

El slips between Steve and Robin and wraps her arms around Steve’s waist. “I can do things you can’t,” she says quietly. “But I can’t see the future. I don’t know what could’ve happened. But I know I’m glad that you’re here now.”

Steve sighs contentedly and wraps her in his arms. “Me too.”

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[glaciertea]

Masterlist here~

Tales the Songs Weave

Ch.2<< >>Ch.4

Summary: Miguel O'Hara is a leader. A leader who doesn't let anyone or anything distract him from the tasks at hand.

He's focused, unwavering, and ruthless.

But what happens when he abruptly pulls away from his territory and wanders into an unknown playing field he hasn't faced in forever?

Many say love holds no bounds, but how much will he be willing to break for you?

Chapter 3: That This Problem Lies in Me

Word count: 1.3K

Miguel awoke to an unpleasant thump in his brain. It wasn't intrusive, just inconvenient.

His eyes flickered, pupils constricted as a streak of gold marginally reached under his eyelids, rapidly removing his vision from catching any sort of light. Browsing his surroundings, he immediately recognized a major dilemma.

He had zero idea where the hell he was.

He struggled to recap the events from the previous night, but his memories were foggy.

He haphazardly slung his body upwards, a bunch of half-dried towels flying off his body onto a bedspread that he certainly knew didn't belong to him, the wooden floor, and a fluffy rug.

The room was abundantly cozy, yet relatively cramped due to its size. A bookshelf, computer desk, and dresser drawer were covered in knickknacks. There was enough space for one person.

But Miguel wasn't that person.

His head spun when he heard airy footsteps and something being opened and closed right outside the door that was separating him from whatever was out there.

Shifting his body until his feet were on the floor, he cautiously stood up, creeping towards the wooden object and placing his ear on it.

Silence until more slight footsteps crossed the ground, echoes of seemingly drawers or cabinets carefully shut. Whatever or whoever was out there clearly doesn't wish to be caught.

Miguel grasped the doorknob, calmly twisting it before hastily hurling it open.

You leapt, alarmed at the sudden, violent entrance. There he stood, exhibiting his full height, deadpan. You gulped harshly as you both remained glued to your respective spots.

Just like the park.

“Uh, good morning. How are, um, how are you this morning?”

Miguel skimmed over you and the surrounding area. Just like the bedroom, it resembled that snug yet cramped atmosphere.

“Where am I?” He crossed his arms over his chest, his watchful eye refraining to drop from you.

You dumped waffle mix and other ingredients in a silver bowl, biting your inner cheek.

“You're in my apartment. You nearly passed out in an alleyway until I basically dragged you here. You are one heavy guy, but I'm sure you’re highly aware of that.”

You chuckled, but promptly ceased when his stony aura lingered in the stagnant air. Sounds of butter sizzled on the waffle iron as you poured some now-beaten batter into it.

You didn't know how to exactly spark a casual chat with a stranger who happened to spend the night in your bed after indulging in whatever was affecting him.

Miguel's brain whirled with an abundance of questions. Why was he brought here? Why were you so mellow in this situation? Well, as mellow as you strained to maintain. What exactly did happen? Were you earnestly not anxious about his presence domineering over you?

Why did you help him?

“Do you like cinnamon? I was planning on adding some to the next mix, but if you don't, these are plain.”

You tried to wrangle any conversation from him to avert any more awkwardness as you scratched the back of your leg with your foot.

From head to toe, you were stiff.

“That's fine.” His voice was harsh, but he endeavored to get a handle on it.

You beamed as you mixed the spice with brown sugar. “I'm glad you're willing to eat. Last night, you gave me a huge fright, but I believe I squashed a good chunk of what was in you. Oh, do you need any pain medication? I don't know if that'll help, but it shou-”

“Why?” Miguel cut you off.

“Why what?”

“Why did you... why are you not afraid?”

You tore away from the waffle iron, your eyebrows furrowed in pure confusion.

“Afraid? What is there for me to be scared of?”

Miguel gestured to his sharpened claws, his eyes, and his fangs. Him in general.

You blink a few times before plating the rest of the cooked, fluffy, sweet bread. “Not proving your case.” You giggled and made a serving for him.

“You saw what I'm capable of. The brick wall, when I bit and injected my venom into that woman, tha-”

“That you used to protect me.”

“That you thought I killed her with.”

Sitting the syrup-covered breakfast on your round dining table, beckoning him to relax as he dubiously sits across from you.

“Yes, and I'm sorry for assuming that. Then you told me it was temporary and non-lethal. You didn't intend on fully hurting her, just enough to stop her in her tracks to prevent actual permanent and lethal damage.”

You munch on a giant part of one of your waffles.

“So once again, not proving your point.” A sincere smile formed on your face.

Miguel perched over, stunned. You didn't appear intimidated or turned away by his presence. It disoriented him in a way. Why didn't you view him in a negative light after all that concurred last night?

“Yes, but I still tried to just dump the body at the police station and walk. And then I attempted to frighten you away. What type of hero does that?”

“You were frazzled. You had unwanted drugs taking over from what you mumbled last night, and I didn't mind telling the police what happened.”

You took another bite, but a smaller piece this time.

“And I figured out what you were attempting, but I'm not allowing anyone to suffer by themselves, especially if they helped me. You were in pain and agony. And even if you didn't do anything for me, I would still help in any sort of capacity. And on top of that, it was on my own accord.”

You casually spoke, shrugging your shoulders, and planted your elbows on the table. Miguel once again hunched over in silence.

“So yes, you are still a hero. You made a few wrong calls, but it happens. We have our flaws; I certainly know I do; it's just how we go about them. We're humans; we make mistakes, but the intention is what shows. And guess what? Your good intentions are there. And from what I've witnessed, they surely do shine.”

You gave him another kind smile and stood up, offering him some juice. Miguel was muddled. He's expected to be a constant excelling leader, not just from the society and the citizens themselves, but from him as well.

Mistakes are made. They can be created, and when they are, they need to be attained and fixed. He's not allowed to have any slip-ups.

They can be easily created… but can they truly be mended? His purpose behind what he does is for the best. Yet hearing that it's fine for him to make mistakes spoken out loud…

Miguel shook his head, refusing to have his judgments and objectives sink into some provoking abyss.

If you weren't panicked by his appearance, then he can linger for a while longer and then return to his life as if you two never crossed paths.

“I'll take you on that offer for pain pills and coffee.”

You gradually shut the fridge as a nervous titter escaped.

“Righhht… coffee.” You pulled your phone out and pressed it a few times.

‘Do you not have any?” Miguel raised a brow, taking a few pieces from his perfectly cut waffles.

“I haven't been able to buy any for the past week. But I'll order you one, so you're gonna be trapped here until it gets here.” You teasingly stuck your tongue out, gaining a playful eye roll from him.

“That'll be fine by me. I'm getting a free drink from it.”

“Perfect! So how do you like yours?” You gleefully rush back over and place the phone near him, leaning in, interested in his choice. 

A one-and-done ordeal. Neither one is truly obligated to advance any further. He'll thank you for your help, express his extensive gratitude, and go from there. 

That's it. The lone, flickering candle he's retaining will remain that way.

Blunders happen. From the insignificant to the monstrous. It's a part of nature. 

Until it takes effect. 

They didn't deliberately aim to burn the candle flame any brighter. It was a mere accident.

[pikaglove]

Now that I have beaten Baulder's Gate 3, here is a list of headcanons I made up about my character and her life (also includes some in game canon events)

Sylvia

• Half wood elf

• Druid (circle of the lands)

• Folk hero

• Cis female

• Bisexual

• Early-mid 30s

• Lover: Gale (married)

• Adopted two kids after the events of bg3 (arabella and Yenna)

• Absolute freak in the sheets

• Has demon fetish

• Canonically forgets her quests (people have died because of this)

• Lived in Baulder's Gate when she was a young girl and was going to be married off to a noble drow but got in a fight that made her "unfit for marriage" and had to be shipped away due to being an embarrassment to the family.

• Lived as a hippie in her young adulthood with other druids.

• Went around saving small towns from bandits.

• Normally peaceful but gets really hotheaded when she sees injustice

• Has gone days without eating much (Gale has had to make her eat a proper meal instead of just a few berries)

• Had a fling with Lae'zel, thought it was mid.

• Did have a pixie friend when she traveled with the other druids

• Not good friends with Astarion because she wishes he would be a better person (she was really proud when he didn't ascend)

• Shadowheart is her bff

• Loves cats

• Prefers cooler weather

• Will fight Mystra at a waffle house

• Loves raunchy ballads about herself

• Has Heterochromia (left: blue. Right: green)

• Got a flower tattoo on her neck once she left Baulder's Gate

• Got facial scars from charging up too much lightning to take down a group of harpies. (She won of course)

• Down with Bukake (Gale gets her so well)

• Half illithid (cured)

• Has blanked out when Gale goes on tangents but she's happy to let him ramble

• Canonically told Gortash to fuck off

• Disappointment to parents (canon by auntie ethiel)

• Astarion, Jaheira, and Karlach judged her for fucking the emperor

• Canonically sacrificed herself to save everyone in the iron throne along with Astarion (character growth for astarion)

• Halsin is her father figure now after he found out her dad is shit

• Canonically cucked Gale 3 times (The emperor, the drow twins, and Haarlep)

• Whenever Haarlep is using her body and she is in puplic, she and Gale absolutely go off somewhere to fuck.

• Date nights with Gale include star gazing

• Is the reason why Gale learned more ice spells (He wanted to impress her)

• Taught Gale animal handling.

• Steals books for Gale while on adventures

• Canonically goes on adventures with Gale

• Uses vines to bind Gale's wrists so she can give him the sloppy toppy without him returning the favor. (All consentual)

• Taught Arabella druid magic

• Yenna and Gale cook while in waterdeep

• Tara and Sylvia have helped Grub come out of his shell more.

• Has a good relationship with Mrs. Dekarios

• Won the heart of Tara after growing her some catnip.

• Has gotten into cheese arguments with Gale, whenever Elminster comes to visit.

• People sometimes think Yenna is her biological daughter due to similar hair and eye color.

• Father is human, mother is a wood elf

• Has a younger brother

• Her bi awakening was when she was a teen and had a crush on a tiefling classmate

• Let's Shadowheart stay at their tower when she visits waterdeep to be at the Selunite temple.

• Once got attacked by Shaarans when Shadowheart was visiting.

• Has nightmares of turning into a mind flayer due to taking that parasite

• Years after all events and our heros have passed, the wizard tower of waterdeep becomes overgrown with vines.

[mysimsloveaffair]

The scent of waffles and bacon guides me to the kitchen when I wake up the following day. Downstairs, I find Maia there, standing next to the waffle iron.

Wade: How are you feeling?

Maia: Okay, but I’d feel much better once this nausea disappears.

I wish there was something I could do to help. But I can only offer a ‘feel better’ kiss on the cheek. Luckily, the nausea subsides long enough for her to enjoy her breakfast.

(Full post available to read on my website)

[exvangelical-christian-nerd]

Some thoughts on "Hell is Forever"

TW religion, conservative Christianity

Hell is Forever is a bop. Musically I enjoy it a lot. And It's definitley one I'll go listen to separatelyfrom the others on occasion.

But

It is also probably the song that bothers me the most. And it does not bother me in a way I like. I've talked about before, how I like things that poke at my beliefs and make me ask questions. This one doesn't do that. This song is like a buzzing fly to my inner-theologian, and I think I figured out why (Ironically it might also be one of the reasons I enjoy it)

So I've been working on some of my series type content lately, including my devos. I'm trying to make a series based on the Hazbin songs (if that is something you're interested in let me know in the comments and I will try to tag you when I start posting them). Naturally this includes Hell is Forever.

The thing about Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss is that by their very nature they include some theology, but a good portion of it is hellaverse-ified. Some of it is theology and some Christian lore. It's part of the draw. Here's the diffrence between Hell is Forever, and most of the rest of it: Hell is Forever addresses real Theology, more or less directly. I'd say more than, possibly, any other part of either show so far.

Now before I go any farther let's make sure we all have the same definitions so my meaning doesn't get mixed up.

Real Theology= Theology actually believed by a fair portion of people.

Good Theology= Theology that is grounded and has biblical backing.

Bad Theology= Opposite of Good Theology

So yes, Hell is Forever has Real Theology. Here's the thing that gets me though: I wouldn't consider most of it Good Theology. In fact I would consider most of it Bad Theology.

Now the thing with Theology is that our interpretation of it is flawed. We don't know a lot and we don't agree on a lot. That's why there are tens of thousands of denominations. But the particular brand we get in this song is what I'm going to call "Bible Thumper Theology." Not all Bible Thumper Theology is necessarily Bad Theology, but plenty of it is. But honestly I have three major issues with Bible Thumper Theology. First is that it's weaponized. Whether your Theology is good or bad, using it as a weapon is risky business. Second, it's often pretty weak. Even if the theological concept is solid, their understanding of it is usually surface level at best. And third, so much of it is just cherry picking.

So here are the main theological points I identified in Hell is Forever. I'm not going to go deep into them now, because that would make this already long post way to long, and because I'm already planning on making posts specifically on them.

Hell is forever (Obviously)

Eye for an eye Theology (I don't know what else to call it)

Justification by the law (or works)

Justified k1ll1ng (which is obviously super yikes)

Now there are few others in there too, but I'd say these are the main ones. As I said I'm plannin to address these more later, though the first one, I'm still waffling on whether I want to tackle that or not. The primary reason being that I do believe eternal damnation is eternal (as much as I wish I didn't), however I am not going to join the fire and brimstone brigade. There are too many of them all ready. If I do tackle it, it will probably be about why I take issue with the fire and brimstone brigade.

But yes all that to say, Hell is Forever bothers me because it's essentially just Bible Thumper Theology, and Bible Thumper Theology annoys me because it's what makes the church as a whole look bad, and usually it is pretty Bad Theology.

Honestly most of the time someone starts spewing this kind of stuff at me, I can't help but think "Have you read your Bible, or do you just believe what your pastor tells you?" Is my theology flawless? Not a chance (If anyone ever says their's is, approach with extreme caution, or better yet don't approach at all). I am seeking and trying to sort out what I believe. And I'm growing.

Ironically, I think part of the thing I like about Hell is Forever is that the people spewing the bullshit are the villains. I have too often seen them up on a pedestal.

[pixelglam]

I’m SO excited for the upcoming stuff and expansion packs! I love the little waffle iron we’re getting, I have one just like it 🥹

Also for the ep I’m really wishing for an urban world with townhouses and apartments. Maybe even a more realistic real estate system (that won’t be too buggy). It seems very possible judging by the key in the ‘teaser’.

[birdmitosis]

Keep seeing your analysis-ish posts in the tags and man. I wish I could make coherent posts about this game like that but whenever I try it just comes out like this

misery

also I see you are a voices enjoyer so I am obligated to ask what you think about voice of the contrarian bc he is my fav (he just like me fr we are best friends we are going to go get waffles together)

Aaahhhh, ironically my brain has been MUSH and so I didn't respond to this right away, but it's been giving me fuzzy feelings for days ;-; It is so kind of you to say... My analysis stuff is mostly me rambling and trying to sort out my own thoughts, LOL, so I'm glad it's at all coherent! I constantly feel like I'm in a state of

over this game, at least, so I get it. As for Voice of the Contrarian, I absolutely adore that voice! He's not my top fave but he's easily in my Top 3. I love him so much in The Stranger chapter and especially if you get her first and get any variation of the "Strange Beginnings" endings; I love his development and the quietly positive relationship he develops with Voice of the Hero, with the Stranger, and even in some ways with the Narrator. I love the way he tries to defend the Long Quiet in the "A new and unending dawn, and everyone hates you" endings! I love him in The Razor and The Moment of Clarity paths, I adore him in The Fury chapter... The only chapter he even mildly annoys me in is The Wild, and I think that's just because my first experience with that was the one with Opportunist and Paranoid and there was something so... emotional in that experience, and Contrarian really doesn't want to let you just sit with that emotion. That's not really a bad thing, though, not inherently, and it also says a lot about his character at that point in the game! (Honestly, my one quibble with the game is that since he says in the "Strange Beginnings" version of the endings that he's been at the cabin since you left him there, I honestly wish it became impossible to get any route he appears in if you get the Stranger first. That might be annoying and even a little unfair; I'm sure that in practice I wouldn't like being entirely locked out of The Razor and The Moment of Clarity if I went with The Stranger for my first vessel. But it'd make that part make a bit more sense, right? Then again, if you say to Hero "I thought you died whenever I looked in the mirror," he says:

"I don't think that's wrong, but I'm not sure it's right either. ... There's still a piece of me nestled close to where it all began. I can take you there... I can take you to her heart." Which I... think might imply that while the voices are all broken-off shards of you, they're also in pieces across each chapter you do? Which has some fascinating implications and does make Contrarian's thing work better. He is also still "where it all began," where Hero takes you.) ANYWAY that was some rambling about non-Contrarian things, or at least not strictly Contrarian things. Suffice to say that I really, really love that character; I think that in a situation where the other voices are learning to be individual people especially he could be really supportive and helpful there, because he has possibly the biggest personal arc of any character in the entire game. And I love that for him. (I also ship him hard with Voice of the Hero, and have a bunch of other more minor ships with him, including Contrarian/Hero/Narrator a little? SO YEAH THAT TOO.)

[townsenddecades]

Recap 1320 – 1329

And that’s another decade done! It was certainly an interesting one. There was no deadly famine this time, but with the number of sims to manage increasing, the individual days have started taking longer to play through. Which explains why completing this decade has taken me almost four months.

Historically speaking, the 1320s were an…interesting time in English politics, to say the least. I touched on it in some posts, but the tensions between King Edward II, his nobility and Queen Isabella came to a head, first in the Despenser War, and finally in Isabella’s coup against her husband to oust him from power and instead place their son, Edward III, on the throne. In addition to these domestic troubles, there was also continuous war with the Scots (culminating in Edward III recognizing Scottish independence in 1328) and trouble with the English fiefdoms in France, a prelude to the Hundred Years War that will begin in the coming decade, and which ironically enough gave Queen Isabella the springboard from which to launch her coup.

Another prelude to the Hundred Years War was the death of King Charles IV of France, after which Queen Isabella put Edward III forward as a candidate for the throne. Unsurprisingly, the French weren’t too keen on having an English King, but we all know that that wasn’t the end of the matter.

When I started this challenge, I actually intended to incorporate the Scottish wars into my story, but in playing I shied away from the research I would have needed to put in to think up rolls for that. Maybe with the next one, because we also all know that this wasn’t the end of the border clashes between England and Scotland.

Because of this, my sims may have had a lot of heartache because of marital troubles and dead children this decade, but at least in terms of big historical events, they’ve had it rather easy. Which doesn’t mean I was bored, far from it!

Which is a perfect cue to stop waffling and finally get into the recap for the individual households. Of which there are far more than a decade ago. This will be a long post (hence the read more), but I hope the division into individual entries helps to read it if you need multiple sessions.

I have also decided to write posts with more in-depth descriptions of the deaths and weddings of this decade, and to intersperse some polls between posting these.

The Townsend Family (Tovar, Main Household)

Current members: 7

In 1320, the Tovar branch of the Townsend family consists of Benedict Townsend, his oldest son Benjamin and youngest son Gregory, Benjamin’s wife Malika and Benjamin and Malika’s two surviving sets of twins: Malcolm and Amye, who are seven, and Frank and Adeline, who are only infants.

Like most people of their community, the Townsends begin the decade by trying to rebuild after the devastating famine of the last few years, which means working on the field and buying new animals for the farm, among them a kitten named Mouser whose task will be, as the name suggests, keeping out mice. Amye, who loves animals, is especially happy about this. Sadly, even now that their fields aren’t waterlogged anymore, their crops are growing badly, so the harvest they bring in in early 1321 is small.

In that year, Gregory, who wishes to be a painter, asks his sister Anna, whose family moves in more well-heeled circles in Praaven, for help in securing an apprenticeship. He has always had an artistic bend, but it isn’t unlikely that the hardships of being a peasant have added fuel to the fire of wanting to escape life on a farm. Through some effort, Anna does manage to secure an apprenticeship with a painter in Praaven for him, although it doesn’t come for free. Before he leaves, Gregory travels to the Abbey of St. Wright to propose marriage to his childhood friend Agnes, who promises to wait for him.

Also in 1321, the younger set of twins ages up into toddlers. And to add to the joyous news, at the end of the year, Malika discovers that she is with child again.

In 1322, Malika gives birth to a son named Edwin. This year, the harvest is adequate, although they delay harvesting some plants that still haven’t grown as well as they would like. Fuelled by this, Malika starts thinking about ways to secure her family economically. Farming obviously comes with too many risks, and losing children, friends and family has left its marks on her. Independent of her thoughts, Benjamin has already started putting more emphasis on cultivating grapes for nectar, to be used by the local Guild of Nectar Makers. She proposes making nectar themselves, but Benjamin dismisses this as too risky.

Later in the year, Benjamin takes his older children to meet Sir Robert Chevalier, his recently married half-brother whom he hasn’t seen in years and whose new home is nearby. Malcolm is very impressed by having a knight for an uncle. Meeting Robert and seeing his spacious – by peasant standards - home gives him his first idea of wanting more in life than farmwork.

While this visit is happening, Clement Dudley, brother to the local earl, visits the Townsend's farm looking for party of riders. Instead of his quarry, he finds Malika, whom he had a brief flirtation with before her marriage. As she is still a beautiful woman, he is very interested but meets with rejection when he tries to charm her. Naturally, he is offended by this reaction and leaves in a huff.

Not to be deterred by a pesky thing like this he returns a few months later, in 1323. Malika, who has been considering gaining his support to push her idea of becoming nectar makers, reciprocates his advances this time and allows him to kiss her. They are nearly caught by Benjamin in this compromising position but manage to play it off. It is only after Dudley leaves that Malika confesses her plan to him, much to his horror and disgust. A few months later, he gives his reluctant consent and Malika and Clement become lovers, but Malika’s and Benjamin’s relationship suffers noticeably under this. Undeterred, Malika makes a first attempt to talk to Clement about the ways he could support her family, but he is clearly uninterested. For him, their relationship is a pleasant diversion, nothing more.

Ever the determinator, Malika keeps trying, which in 1324 begins to put Clement off. Only then does she admit to herself that he likely won’t help her. After he stops visiting her, she starts feeling ill, which is soon revealed to be the first signs of another pregnancy. This discovery (and the fact that neither can tell who the father of the child is) strains her relationship with Benjamin further, especially when she reveals that her plan failed.

In 1325, while heavily pregnant, Malika has a talk with Amye about marriage and childbearing. Amye is nearly a young woman now, which means that these matters, and the danger associated with childbirth, are starting to become more pressing for her. Despite her mother’s reassurances that many women survive multiple births without issues, Amye isn’t convinced. Later in the year, Malika gives birth to a daughter, Cecily, who strongly takes after her, which makes it impossible to tell who her father might be. During the birth, Benjamin realizes how much he still loves his wife by how scared he is to lose her. After this, their relationship very slowly begins to mend.

Some months after the birth Malika is visited by one of the earl’s men-at-arms. Sir Robert, informed about what has been going on via village gossip, has asked the earl to intercede, but as Clement’s paternity can’t be proven, nothing comes of it.

At the end of the year Amye and Malcolm age up into teens, Frank and Adeline age up into children and Benedict ages up into an elder.

In 1326, the four older children begin take on new duties. For Amye, this mostly means helping in the household, like caring for her little siblings Edwin and Cecily and taking over some of the cooking, cleaning and whatever else needs to be done. She likes the work, but still doesn’t think she wants to do this for a husband. Then, tragedy strikes: baby Cecily dies of a fever. Despite his uncertainty about the child and his feelings on the entire affair, Benjamin comforts his wife, who feels that Cecily's death may be divine punishment.

In 1327, Benjamin stuns his wife by announcing that he intends to apply to the Guild of Nectar Makers, as he has had all winter to ponder the merits of her idea and decided that they are worth the risk. He does just that, and after the requisite entrance fee is paid, they buy the necessary equipment, build a shed to house it and dig a cellar to store and age the nectar they produce. Their first attempt at mead-making fails, but Benjamin is undeterred, and later attempts to make cider and wine are graced with more success.

Amye turns out not to be the only Townsend child to ponder her future. Malika and Benjamin notice that Malcolm doesn’t seem to be quite sure what he wants out of life – which is a luxury problem for a peasant, truth be told – but reassure themselves by saying that he is still young and will find his footing sooner or later.

That same year, the Townsend children sans toddler Edwin attend the Mahlsberg Spring Fair, where Amye meets a young man named Alexandre de Bellefaye (grandson of the local baron) and Adeline meets a boy named Bertrand Pelham (also related to the baron, but more distantly).

In 1328, while making a delivery to his uncle Sir Robert, Malcolm meets the Chevaliers' new maid, the pretty and spirited Hawise Barton, whom he instantly takes a shine to. He also meets his newest cousin, little Jehanne, but because Malcolm isn’t overly fond of children, that part of the visit is far less pleasant for him. Hawise, though initially wary because she is home alone with the children and doesn’t know Malcolm, seems equally interested in him.

In the same year, Edwin ages up into a child.

Continuing their growing pains, the older twins are still thinking about the future. The years have helped Amye realize that she truly is content with living with her family, and glad that her parents don’t pressure her to find a husband. At around the same time, Malcolm has a talk with his mother about the future – he knows that she has ambitions for their family, and she admits that she would wish to see them rise in the world, but tells him that ultimately, it is his decision. That doesn’t really help Malcolm decide what he wants to do with his life and where his attraction to Hawise fits into his reluctance to settle down with a family like his own father has done.

Later in the year, Hawise visits the farm to carry over a message regarding Annette Crawley’s marriage and makes the acquaintance of Malika. On his mother’s prompting, Malcolm walks her home, and the two admit that they like each other, and share their first kiss.

1329 begins with the news that the family has to pay a tallage of nearly 13,000 simoleons. That is more money than they have at the time, but through hard work and a successful wheat harvest, they succeed in paying it off on time.

Since their kiss in the previous year, Malcolm and Hawise have been meeting often, which has deepened their attachment. After the harvest, Malcolm makes Hawise very bumbling, accidental proposal of marriage, which she accepts gleefully. His parents are equally content with his choice, and as the Chevaliers raise no objection either, the marriage is loosely planned for the following year, before winter sets in.

Everything seems to be going swimmingly for the Townsends – they have a budding nectar making business, at least one of their children is ready to start his own life, their farm is going well and they are content. So of course, tragedy has to strike them again. And so, the decade comes to a sorrowful conclusion as Edwin falls ill with some kind of stomach disease, which, through malnutrition and dehydration, claims his life. He is laid to rest near his grandmother and aunts in the Tovar churchyard, which means that the Townsends end the decade with the same number of children as they had at the start.

The Townsend Family (Lüghaven)

Current members: 5

Simon Townsend begins the decade as an apprentice to the witch Elea Ellesmere, which he has been for some years. Besides his teacher, he shares his home deep in Lüghaven woods with Elea’s daughter Mariora, who, unlike him and her mother, does not possess the gift of magic. 

Right at the beginning of the decade, in 1320, Elea gives birth to twin girls, both witches. Mariora, saddened by what she views as her mother now having the gifted children she always wanted instead of an ordinary daughter like her, feels superfluous and wishes to use this chance to to escape her isolation and start a new life. What holds her back is Simon confessing his love for her, feelings which she reciprocates despite herself. They agree to move a little closer to civilization into the half-destroyed village of Lüghaven, where they will live as husband and wife, even without a proper ceremony.

They make a home there, with her continuing her study of alchemy and him growing some plants and doing odd jobs in the nearby villages, which leaves them reasonably happy and comfortable. In 1321, they are already expecting a first child, which is born at the end of the year. They name the little boy Irving.  Sadly, he dies of a lung defect early in 1322, for which they both blame themselves.

In 1323, Mariora gives birth to a second son, Nicolas. They don’t see Mariora’s mother much, which Mariora views as confirmation of her fears that her mother doesn’t need either of them anymore – Simon was only ever a stopgap for her because she never had any gifted children to pass her arcane knowledge onto, and maybe as a means to have gifted grandchildren, should he and Mariora fall in love, as she thought likely. Surprisingly, Mariora doesn’t feel saddened by this. She feels free.

In 1324, Nicolas ages up into a toddler while Mariora is already pregnant with her third child, which turns out to be her and Simon’s first daughter. They name her Misty.

1326 brings with it both tragedy and joy. Mariora gives birth to another healthy son, Christopher, but they lose Misty due to illness a few months after his birth.  

Luckily, Christopher doesn’t follow his sister’s fate, and ages up into a toddler in 1327. Around the same time, Mariora starts musing about finally leaving Lüghaven woods, because their only link to the outside world is Simon venturing out to do his odd jobs and sell some of Mariora’s elixirs at market. She isn’t unhappy with her life – in fact, she is happier than she could have imagined when she accepted Simon’s offer of marriage – but she doesn’t want to spend her whole life hiding.

In 1328, Mariora gives birth to her fifth child, a boy named Joseph.

In 1329, Nicolas ages up into a child. The peaceful birthday party turns heart-pounding when a fire breaks out due to Christopher’s magic becoming uncontrollable in his frustration at being ignored, but thankfully, no one is harmed. The experience leaves a sour taste in Nicolas’ mouth, however.

Later in the year, Joseph ages up into a toddler (without a birthday cake, this time) while Mariora is pregnant with yet another child. Their year ends with troubling news: while at market, Simon was beseeched by a terrified father to help his daughter, who was dying of an infected wound. As a father himself, Simon couldn’t look away and helped the girl heal. While noble, both he and Mariora know that publicly using his magic like that could have dire consequences if his deeds reach the ears of the wrong people.

The Townsend Family (Praaven)

Current members: 3

The Praaven branch of the Townsend family (not to be confused with the Tovar branch and the Lüghaven branch) is established in 1321, when Gregory Townsend moves to town to undergo an apprenticeship to become a painter with a member of the painters’ guild named Jeremiah Browne. Because his father and brother had to pay a fee to give him this chance and his ability to marry his childhood love, Agnes, depends on his success, he is determined not to squander it.

And he doesn’t. Over the next few years, he acquits himself well, so that in 1325, he is made a partner by Master Browne. Browne also encourages him to marry Agnes and have her move in with them to keep house.

Following that encouragement, Gregory and Agnes are married in a joyous celebration with all of Gregory’s extensive family and many friends in attendance in 1326. While Agnes is a little intimated to be marrying into such a large clan, she is welcomed with open arms by most of them.

In the following year, 1327, Agnes gives birth to their first son, Colbert. Sadly, the boy seems to be born with some sort of birth defect that prevents him from gaining strength, despite his mother’s efforts to nurse and care for him. He dies only a few weeks old.

Luckily, in 1329, Agnes gives birth to a second son, Wymark, who doesn’t face the same issues. By the end of the year, she is already expecting her and Gregory’s third child.

The Crawley Family

Current members: 3

At the beginning of the decade, the Crawley family consists of George and Anna Crawley and their two daughters, Annette and Theodora. Of these two, only Annette is their biological child; Theodora is the bastard of George’s younger sister Caroline, which they are playing off as Anna’s child by George. Their attempts to conceive another child – ideally a male heir to the Crawley name – have so far been unsuccessful.

In 1321, Theodora ages up into a child.

Excitement is raised in the Crawley household when Anna finally falls pregnant again. Sadly, the child she gives birth to in 1322 is not only a girl, but also stillborn.

To compound Anna’s misery, in Illness marches through the Crawley household in 1324 and almost claims her and George’s lives, while the girls, Mary and Matthew recover comparatively quickly. Luckily, both of them pull through, although it seems like a small miracle to most.

In 1325, Annette ages up into a teenager, which makes it imperative to find a good marriage for her. While Anna and George may yet have a son – they are only in their early thirties – the current lack of one makes Annette and Theodora eligible heiresses, and thus prizes on the marriage market which the Crawley elders, especially Mary, intend to see well settled. While Anna, George and Matthew would be content with her marrying a wealthy merchant or gentleman, Mary aims higher and intends to snare the young Baron Elbenhawke, her aunt Caroline’s stepson, for her. Annette is initially repulsed by being decided over like this, but her Crawley ambition asserts itself enough for her to go along with the plan.

She uses a family visit to Elbenhawke Hall in 1327 try to charm the baron, with questionable success. But regardless of the young lord’s own feelings, his guardians settle on another marriage for him, which puts and end to the Crawleys’ plans in that direction.

A year later, in 1328, Theodora ages up into a teenager. By then, George, Anna and George’s parents have identified a new potential husband for Annette: Alexandre de Bellefaye, the baron’s cousin and scion of a minor branch of an aristocratic French family. After meeting him and thinking through the possibilities such a marriage could mean for her, Annette – or rather, her father, who nonetheless consults her – agrees to it. 

The marriage takes place in 1329, after which Annette leaves her home. This means that only Theodora remains to be married of – but while her parents and grandparents are already looking for an equally profitable match for her, Theodora has her own ideas about where to seek love.

The de Bellefaye Family

Current members: 2

The most recently established household of the sprawling Townsend bloodline, it comes into being in 1329, right at the end of the decade, when Monsieur Alexandre de Bellefaye, youngest of the three sons of Henri and Joan (née Pelham) de Bellefaye marries Annette Crawley. The wedding is held in great state in Praaven Cathedral. It is all the more joyous for them because while they expected a marriage of convenience – with her gaining status and him gaining her sizable dowry – they become quite fond of each other over the course of their engagement and are looking forward to their married life. With the wealth Annette brings into the marriage and Alexandre’s connections as nephew of the countess and cousin of the baron, they are certainly a couple to take note of.

 By the end of the year, Annette starts feeling nauseous, which she hopes is the first sign of pregnancy.

The Watmore Family

Current members: 1

Even at the beginning of the decade, the family isn’t big, consisting only of orphaned serf siblings Elsie and Wilfred Watmore. Because children that young can’t live on their own, they are being raised by their paternal uncles, Alaric and Noah. Neither of these men is pleased at having to take care of them, and are sometimes rather harsh with their niece and nephew.

In 1322, Wilfred ages up into a child. Sadly for him, that only means that he is old enough to take over duties on the fields.

In the following years, but especially 1325, the Watmore family gets into repeated arguments with a neighbouring serf family, the Bransons, about whose parcel of land ends where, which eventually leads to a brawl between Alaric and Freddy Branson. Because Sibyl Branson, Freddy’s mother, is tired of the constant conflict, she goes to the earl with her complaints, and the Watmores are threatened with a fine. This overshadows even the joyous occasion of Elsie aging up into a teenager.

Because the Watmores don’t have the money to pay the fine and to resolve the legal quarrel, the earl decrees in 1326 that Elsie is to marry Freddy Branson, with the disputed piece of land as her dowry. Her uncles are not pleased with this arrangement but have no leverage to refuse.

Accordingly, Elsie leaves the household after her marriage in 1328, at the age of fifteen.

In the following year, 1329, Wilfred ages up into a teenager. This means that he needs to soon start thinking about his own marriage prospects, but he isn’t too fond of the idea of settling down with a wife, especially after watching his sister’s none-too-happy marriage. Time will tell whether an intrepid young woman can win his heart and make him change that stance.

The Branson Family

Current members: 3

This household is established in 1328 upon the marriage of Elsie Watmore to Frederick “Freddy” Branson, the son of Sibyl Branson (formerly Crawley, the sister of Elsie’s aunt’s mother-in-law Mary) and Sibyl’s late husband Tom.

While the marriage itself was prearranged, Elsie has grown up socializing with the Branson children. Before her parents’ deaths, she had sometimes played with them, and since returning to the village after the famine, she has met them at church and during many gatherings at the village green. Despite the animosity over the piece of land, Elsie has always gotten along well with Freddy and while not overjoyed about the marriage, she has been able to bear it with equanimity. Until the moment that Freddy forces her to hasten it by consummating it early against her wishes. This breach of trust not only cools her relationship with her new husband, but also leaves her feeling unprepared for being a wife. Her only consolation is that his family, especially his mother, is very kind to her.

Other than Freddy and Sibyl, the family consists of Sibyl’s new husband, their son Michael, and Freddy’s older sister Corinne, who is pregnant out of wedlock, but refuses to name the father.

Soon after her marriage, Elsie does indeed soon find out that she is pregnant, which at least gives her the comfort of having acted wisely. Her grandfather Benedict visits her during her pregnancy and is worried at her tired look, but can only tell her to keep her chin up and make the best out of her situation.

In 1329, Elsie gives birth to her and Freddy’s first son, Elton. Despite having lived with the Bransons for more than half a year, she is still struggling with finding her footing in the family and to acclimate to motherhood. Sibyl remains to be her biggest supporter and does what she can to comfort her.

The Chevalier Family

Current members: 4

At the beginning of the decade, Robert is still Robert Townsend, a squire to his half-brother, the earl of Petersmarch, and betrothed to Mademoiselle Elisaria de Bellefaye, to be married once he receives his knighthood. Even before then, he and Elisaria are close to Lord and Lady Petersmarch, a status they will continue to enjoy.

Robert is finally knighted in 1322 and weds Elisaria only months later. They change their surname to ‘Chevalier’, as a nod to her heritage and his profession, and are given the use of a small estate outside of Praaven by the earl as a wedding gift. Robert is still thinking about Katheryn, whom he shared a romance with in the previous decade, but determined to treat his wife well. This sense of duty soon blossoms into real love.

They have their first son in the following year, 1323, but sadly, the boy is stillborn. They name him Roman anyway and lay him to rest nearby.

In 1324, Elisaria gives birth to their second child, a healthy daughter named Marguerite. Unfortunately, their third child (and second son), Elijah, is born early in a tavern while they are en route home from a visit to another noble in 1325. The boy dies of a fever after they arrive home, much to their distress.

Some good news comes in 1326, when Marguerite ages up into a toddler. They celebrate this milestone in Praaven, since the earl and countess have invited them to put their daughter in the castle nursery, but Elisaria, who suffers from depression after the death of her second son, finds it hard to find joy in it.

Her spirits brighten a little when she gives birth to another healthy daughter, Jehanne, in 1327.

Around that time, they notice that their maid, Hawise, has started to develop an attachment to Robert’s nephew, Malcolm, who becomes a regular visitor in the Chevalier home. So, in 1328, Jehanne not only ages up into a toddler, but Robert and Elisaria also reveal to Hawise that they are in favour of her interest in Malcolm, provided he conducts himself properly.

In 1329, Elisaria gives birth to her third son (and fifth child), Landon, who actually survives his birth. Relieved by this, she and Robert begin to plan their girl’s education, now that they finally have a son and heir. But their joy doesn’t last long; they find Landon dead in his cradle a few months after his birth, which utterly devastates them and launches Elisaria into a crisis of faith, because she can’t understand why the Watcher would take all of her sons away from her.

The Dudley Family

Current members: 8 (Dudley branches), 4 (Penrith branch)

At the beginning of the decade, the aristocratic Dudley family consists of Ralph and Mary Dudley, the Earl and Countess of Petersmarch, their daughter and heiress Lady Maud, Lord Petersmarch’s sister Lady Gwendolen, brother Clement and Clement’s wife Lady Katheryn, as well as the siblings’ mother, the Dowager Countess Elizabeth.

For the Dudleys, 1320 begins with a joyous event: Lady Gwendolen marries Arnulf Penrith, the earl of Windermere, thus becoming a countess, as arranged for her by her brother. They hold the marriage in great state, before she leaves to live with her husband at his seat, which is only a few days’ travel away. The other joyous occasion of the year is Lady Maud aging up into a toddler.

Over the following years, the new Lady Windermere (Gwendolen) gives birth to several children: a son and heir, Vincent, in 1321, and a daughter, Lady Viviane, in 1322. In that same year, Vincent ages up into a toddler.

But there is some trouble in that year as well. Near the end of it, Lady Katheryn discovers that she is expecting her second child and tries to flee to her father’s estate. Her marriage with Clement has never been easy, and she especially doesn’t want his influence on any child of hers, least of all on a son. She makes a halt at Amrhein Hall, where the Dowager Countess resides and where Lady Windermere happens to be a guest, and tells them about what has happened. The Dowager Countess disapproves but promises not to detain her. Unfortunately for her, this promise becomes meaningless when her husband catches up to her before she can continue her travels, and forces her to return to Praaven with him. This worsens their already contentious marriage further.

Regardless of this, in the following year, 1323, she gives birth to her child, a son named Ralph III after Clement's late father. Lady Windermere gives birth to another daughter, Lady Margaret. Sadly, the girl doesn’t survive birth long, but as if to make up for that, Lady Viviane successfully ages up into a toddler.

Much to Clement’s chagrin, the countess falls pregnant again and gives birth to another son in 1324, hopefully averting the looming succession crisis. Her and the earl have had several sons before, but all of them died young during the famine of the previous decade. They name this new son and heir Robin. In the same year, Lady Maud ages up into a child.

In 1325, Ralph III, Clement and Katheryn’s son, ages up into a toddler, followed by his younger cousin Robin in 1326. Both of them continue to be in good health. This is followed by Lord and Lady Windermere’s surviving children, Vincent and Viviane, aging up into children in 1327 and 1328 respectively. The last birthday of the decade is Ralph III aging up into a child in 1329.

The Pelham Family

Current members: 5

At the beginning of the decade, the Pelham family consists of Peter Pelham (the aging Baron Elbenhawke), his widowed daughter-in-law Caroline, née Crawley, his grandson and heir Richard and Caroline’s young children, David and Josephine. And while for the Dudleys, the year begins with a wedding, for the Pelhams, it begins with sorrow.

Because in 1320, Baron Elbenhawke, who has been such a support for Caorline after the death of her husband has left her position uncertain, dies in his sleep, thus making his grandson Richard the new Lord Elbenhawke at only six years old. The running of the estate is swiftly taken over by regents, who will care for the land until young Richard is old enough to manage them himself. Luckily, Caroline is allowed to stay, to order the household and care for the children.

After that, life goes on. In 1322, David ages up into a child, followed by his sister Josephine in 1323. Already regular guests for feasts at the Hall, Anna and her daughters travel out from Praaven to attend the birthday celebration. And as always, Caroline is wistful that she can’t tell Theodora that she is really her mother.

Some peaceful years pass, and in 1326, Richard, the young Lord Elbenhawke, ages up into a teen, ready to take over the running of his lands and to look for a bride of his own, to ensure the continuation of the family line. If he notices that his Crawley relations would like for Annette to fill the role as his baroness, he never breathes a word of this knowledge to them or his stepmother.

In 1327, Caroline causes furore in Anna Crawley’s life once again by admitting to her that she has fallen pregnant out of wedlock with the child of a lover; apparently, she has been “seeing” her steward for a while now, a rare glimpse of happiness in her otherwise rather melancholy life. While happy for her friend, Anna can only really shake her head at her. Luckily, this time around, the father-to-be knows of the child and has rectified the situation by offering her marriage, which Caorline accepts.

In the same year, Richard is betrothed to a young noblewoman named Lady Lettice Adair.

In 1328, Caroline gives birth to a daughter, Isabel, attended by Anna. The birth almost claims her life, but the Grim Reaper decides to spare her.

And finally, in 1329, David ages up into a teen, which means that he, too, will soon need to go on the hunt for a suitable bride.

And that is it, at least for this decade. That was quite a lot to get through (and took a while to put together), but I hope some of you find this helpful. If anyone has actually read this far, that is, in which case: thank you!

I’m actually very much looking forward to what comes next for my sims. Not so much because of big historical events, although there is the Hundred Years War coming in the next decade, but mostly because of the stories I have planned. I am really excited to see what becomes of the Townsends’ nectar business, how Malcolm’s and Hawise’s relationship will develop once it becomes clear that he has no interest in spending time with their kids, where Amye’s path might lead her, and how the story I have planned for one of the side households pans out…

Which doesn’t mean that the social upheavals that will follow in the next few decades aren't interesting. That will be fun, too. The beginning years of the Hundred Years war aren’t too exciting, to be honest, but…well…

The clock’s ticking down to the Black Death in 18 years. Let’s enjoy the last decade without that hanging over our sims’ heads.

See you first to a few other posts and polls and then in 1330!

Previous: 1329 Statistic | 1310 - 1319 Recap <--> Next: 1320 - 1329 Deaths | 1330 - 1339 Recap

[theprecuresystem]

Pro-curetember Day 29: Rainbow!

Bonjour~! For today's prompt, I looked at the Cures who had Rainbow color scheme, according to Toei's official categorization, and decided this was a perfect time for our third Animal Sweets recipe translation on this blog. Un moment Parfait, if you will. This recipe is a one star difficulty out of three, so you should have a fine time with it. It's the Pegasus Parfait that Kirahoshi Ciel uses to transform into Cure Parfait from Kirakira Pretty Cure A La Mode Episode 23 of the Precure Franchise.

Let's・La・Mazemaze!

What you'll need

For the Waffle Wings:

85g, or 3oz, of pastry flour

1 tbsp of baking powder

25g, or 0.9oz, of caster sugar

A little salt

1 Medium Egg

100ml, or 2/5 cup, of milk

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

For the Pegasus Decoration:

Vanilla icecream, as needed

Fresh cream, as needed

Sugar, as needed

Canned pears

Melon Slices

Orange Wedges

Strawberries

5 Chocolate Pens (1 of each: Pink, Purple, Blue, Yellow, Chocolate)

Your favorite jam, as needed

For your pre-preparation step, pre-heat your waffle iron if your waffle iron's instructions require that, and cut your fruit into your shapes. If you're young, ask an adult to help with the knife.

Step One

We're going to make the waffles. Whisk your pastry flour, caster sugar, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.

Step Two

Crack the egg into another bowl, and beat them lightly. Then add your milk and oil, and whisk with a whisk.

Step Three

Very gradually, add your wet ingredients you made in Step Two to your dry ingredients you made in Step One, and mix with a whisk until smooth. The key to preventing lumps in this step is to add the liquid to the powder little by little, rather than in large amounts.

Step Four

Coat a pre-heated waffle iron with a thin layer of vegetable oil (not included in the recipe), and pour in the waffle batter you made in Step 3 with a ladle. Clover-shaped waffle irons work best to make heart-shaped wings, but any shape is fine.

Step Five

Cook your waffles according to your own waffle iron's instructions, then remove your waffle with chopsticks, allow to cool, and then cut the waffle in half.

Step Six

Dip your pink, purple, blue, and yellow chocolate pens in hot water, and cut the tip. Then, draw four lines in pink, purple, blue, and yellow on half of your waffle halves that you made in Step Five. We are done with the wings.

Step Seven

It's time to make the whipped cream. Place the caster sugar and fresh cream from the Decoration ingredients in a bowl. Place the bottom of the bowl overtop some ice water, and whip until it is about 80% stiff. Place a star tip on a piping back and pour the cream into it. We are done with the whipped cream.

Step Eight

It's time to assemble the parfait. Place the vanilla icecream into a bowl using a scoop and squeeze the whipped cream you made in Step Seven onto the top and in front.

Step Nine

Combine the canned pear and melon slice to make the Pegasus' head and beginning of the mane. Continue the mane down the icecream back with orange wedge and strawberry. To secure the melon mane on the pegasus' head, use short bamboo skewers or toothpicks.

Step Ten

Place the waffle you made in Step Six on top of the icecream to make wings. Put your favorite jam into a piping bag, cut the tip, and squeeze it onto the sides of the waffle.

Step Eleven

Squeeze the cream you made in Step Seven onto the neck of the pegasus in star dollops to make a necklace. Dip your chocolate-colored chocolate pen in hot water and cut the tip. Finally, use your chocolate pen to draw the eyes and nose of the pegasus on the canned pear head. Your Pegasus is assembled!

Please, everyone, enjoy your tasty Pegasus Parfait if you ever do try to make it, following the translated recipe. I apologise if it's a little unclear, but given how customizable it is in terms of your favorite fruits, feel free to do what you wish. Régale-toi bien!

Procuretember Event by @pro-curetember

[pinkestmenace]

💫 (Shooting Star) - If they were to wish on a clockwork star, like Galactic Nova or Star Dream, what would they wish for?

🥘 (Stew) - Do they have any favourite foods or comfort foods? What are their eating habits like? If absorbed by the Cook ability, what healing item would they summon?

☀️ (Sun) - What’s their morning routine like? Do they take a lot of time getting ready in the morning? How do they groom themselves? What are they having for breakfast?

🐛 (Caterpillar) - What are your OC’s greatest fears, and why? How do they act or react when they’re afraid?

For the pea!!! :D

Oof! Starting off with some hard ones right off the bat! Have fun picking these apart. Heeheehee...

💫 (Shooting Star) - If they were to wish on a clockwork star, like Galactic Nova or Star Dream, what would they wish for?

I think current her (that is, tournament time/space shenanigans her) is pretty satisfied with her life. Enough that she wouldn't want to risk it misinterpreting her and creating some kind of disaster because it gave her more than she bargained for. This goes for 'canon' Hero of Yore her too. At least until it all goes down the drain after the fight with Void. I haven't completely worked out what happens after that. (I still need to iron out some details.) But let's just say that during the period of her existence where she desperately wants to make a wish she's no longer able to. There's no turning back time. It relentlessly marches forward until the past and all that belongs in it is forgotten. The thread of time can be bunched up and stuck in knots, it can be twisted and repeated, even folded to bridge gaps and overlap with itself, but it cannot be fully rewound. Not for her and not for her friends.

🥘 (Stew) - Do they have any favourite foods or comfort foods? What are their eating habits like? If absorbed by the Cook ability, what healing item would they summon?

I don't think she necessarily has a favourite food. She does like vegetables a lot, but she's not picky at all and always open to trying new snacks! ...Actually, if she's having a bad day (or just winding down from a tiring one) she might enjoy a nice thick soup.

She's definitely a big eater and her daily diet probably involves lots of protein and carbs. (She's a jock, pretty active and needs that fuel!) But she's not that strict in her diet. Her goal is being strong! Not being perfectly slim and trim at all times.

The obvious food for the Cook ability is of course pea soup. For food that actually appears in the games the peas in a pod that can be found in Kirby's Super Star (Ultra) or the snap peas in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. But just for fun I'd like her to spawn a glass of punch or a club sandwich.

☀️ (Sun) - What’s their morning routine like? Do they take a lot of time getting ready in the morning? How do they groom themselves? What are they having for breakfast?

She wakes up and she's up 'n' at 'em! The biggest part of her morning routine is probably combing her hair. (She has so much of it. Where did it come from?? Where does it go?) She does not bother with pretty outfits often outside of special occasions (not that she dislikes them, they just get in the way), but her luscious locks and her long lashes are her pride and joy. Gotta make sure she looks sharp when she's kicking your butt!

Breakfast is whatever she grabs first that's available in large quantities. (She wakes up HUNGRY!) If you gave her a large pile of waffles with honey they'd be gone in the blink of an eye. And then her big ol' eyes will be staring up at you for more.

🐛 (Caterpillar) - What are your OC’s greatest fears, and why? How do they act or react when they’re afraid?

I'd say she's pretty brave, so when she's faced with a threat she definitely tries to fight back. Fleeing is a last resort to make a tactical retreat and try again later.

There are some things that would disturb her. Things she can't fight. She prides herself on her strength and coordination. If she were to lose that, if everyone suddenly saw her as just a weak useless little bug, if she became so clumsy her friends and innocent people got hurt because of her that would definitely haunt her. If nobody listened to her or took her seriously and everyone saw her as just an overgrown child or dumb muscle, or worse something that's outlived its usefulness, that would break her heart. Especially if she believed it's coming from her own friends.

Oh, and she probably doesn't like the dark either. A cloudless night is fine, she can still orient herself by the stars. But finding herself stuck in murky suffocating darkness that stretches out endlessly wide, too lonely and too quiet, to the point where it cuts off the senses and you lose all sense of body, self, time and direction? That's just eerie! She wouldn't wish that kinda nightmarish fate on anyone!

...Actually let me tag @kirbyoctournament in this. For the 🫛 lore!

Masterpost

[timelessxmemories]

NAME: Trixie Falls Hopper

GENDER: Transgender Male

PRONOUNS: They/He/Angel/Angelself

SEXUALITY: Biromantic Asexual Poly

AGE: 18

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

LIKES: Reading, Studying, Waffles, Sweets, Savory Foods, Street Food, Fairs, Carnivals, Carnival Rides, Going for walks, The beach, The ocean, Fluffy things, The moon.

DISLIKES: Enclosed Spaces, Sour candy, Loud noises, Being yelled at, Thunderstorms.

OCCUPATION: I remember working in Granny's diner as a Waiter!

PERSONALITY: I'd say I'm a pretty gentle person! Really loving and really friendly when you talk to me! I'd also say I'm super fun to be around and I won't let you down! If I seem a little reserved I am. Sorry. I am. Bad at speaking! Working on it! I swear!

DISTINCT MEMORIES: I remember entering Storybrooke when I was like, 16, I was like, really fucking lost and that's when Mr. Hopper found me! He took me in, gave me shelter, food, everything one would need to survive. And in turn, I helped him out around the house with chores, cooking and everything else! And then a few months later he actually was able to legally adopt me!

My Fairytale Counterpart was actually an angel. My name was Trixster! I was only an angel in training, learning to help others and grant their wishes. I had a wolf familiar by the name of Ajax. He was my only friend at the time. I miss him a lot. I also remember having a really bad family life in the sense of my family having seriously high expectations. Of course. This was before some kind of curse was placed on The Upper world, nearly causing almost all of us angels to go extinct. I was. Lucky enough to get out of there. In time.

I remember visiting Mr. Gold every once in a while because he was helping me with recovering my magic, because after I entered Storybrooke I ended up somehow losing my magic, so Mr. Gold was nice enough to help me recover my magic!

FUN FACTS: I have really high blood pressure and very low iron. So dizzy spells are super frequent and normal for me. I also have a history of fainting a lot. I am Autistic and I have mild depression. I'm also really skinny because I have a habit of forgetting to properly eat and I can stick my fingers under my ribs. That's. A problem. I also have a ton of scars on my wrists and thighs from self inflicted harm. I'm getting better!! I promise!! I also collect a lot of crystals and animal skulls and stuffed animals!! I have about 56 crystals, 5 animal skulls and 10 stuffed animals as of right now!!

@residentsofeurydice , @satyrsystem !! Um.. not sure who to tag!! Sorry if you didn't wanna be tagged!! Um.. ahhh!!!! Sorry!!! •Trix🪽