#you gotta do it in layers of milk & white chocolate

[imwritesometimes]

this just in - I still have not made the peppermint bark I'm supposed to make. It's not lookin good for today either. Perhaps..... tomorrow 🤔🤔🤔

[rubyroboticalt]

looks like a chocolate and vanilla sweet loaf. let me get my recipe, i have a good sweet loaf recipe and can tinker for ph.

edit: found it! under a readmore for length.

ruby's babka sweetloaf: chocolate swirl edition. makes 2 small loaves or one big loaf.

you will need:

2 cereal size bowls

2 big mixing bowls

a loaf pan

tin foil

cooking spray, not important what kind. you can also use vegetable oil or butter instead of spray for the pan, but not the loaves

½ cup/118ml warm milk, about 95f/35c, do not go hotter than 140f/60c

1 packets/1 ½ tsp/7g active dry yeast, instant and fast rising also work but active dry is my favorite

2 tbsp/25g white sugar, can substitute equal volume of honey

1 large egg, the carton will have the size. extra large eggs work as well, but you may need to adjust the flour to get a good slack dough

3 tbsp/42.5g soft butter, if you soften in microwave do not exceed 140f/60c

½ tsp/2.5 ml vanilla extract*

½ tsp/2.5 ml almond extract*

2 ¼ cups/270g all purpose flour, spooned into measuring tools. this is vital, do not skip spooning the flour

½ tsp/3g/fat pinch of salt

⅓ cup/35g standard cocoa powder, do not get black or dutch processed*

the directions: gather double the specified amounts of every ingredient except the starred ones. we're gonna make two separate doughs, and my recipe is for one. when mixing, add by the amounts specified on the ingredients list, not the total amount gathered. let's start with the chocolate loaf.

first you gotta bloom that yeast in the milk. milk has sugars in it (lactose), so just add that packet of yeast into a small bowl of the warmed milk and give it a stir. then let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

in a big mixing bowl, add your flour, sugar, egg, butter, almond extract, salt, and cocoa powder. when your yeast has made a nice thick layer of foam on top of the milk bowl, pour that whole thing into the mixing bowl. use a spoon or small spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and get all of the big yeast particles in the mixing bowl.

then get out a sturdy spoon or spatula and mix that baby until a dough starts to form. once it's all incorporated, turn it onto a smooth surface and start kneading (you can knead on a baking sheet if your counters aren't smooth). if you're kneading by hand, it'll take about 15 minutes for the dough to become smooth as a billiard ball, which is what you want. a stand mixer with a dough hook can do it in 10. if your dough is sticking to and coming off on your hands in clumps, slowly add pinches of flour every 4 turns until it stops.

spray that mixing bowl with cooking spray and then plop the dough in there. spray the dough as well, cover with plastic wrap if you have it and a towel if you don't, let rise 2hrs, set a timer.

while rising, you can make the other dough. bloom the yeast again by pouring a packet into a small bowl with the cup of warmed milk and stirring, then let it sit 10-15 minutes until it's nice and foamy.

add the sugar, egg, butter, vanilla extract, flour, and salt to a big mixing bowl. when the yeast has made that nice layer of foam on the milk, pour it in, scrape the sides, and mix with a spoon or spatula until everything is incorporated.

just like last time, turn it onto a smooth surface and knead until smooth, 15 minutes by hand or 10 by machine. if it's sticking to your hands in clumps, add a pinch of flour every 4 turns until this stops.

spray the mixing bowl with cooking spray, stick your dough back in it, spray the dough, cover, and let rise two hours.

when both doughs are done rising, roll them out one at a time into a rectangle as wide as your loaf pan is long, with a thickness of about ½ an inch or 1.8cm.

lay the chocolate dough on top of the vanilla. then, roll a few more times to seal the doughs together.

starting with the end closest to you, which should be an end as wide as your loaf pan is long, roll the rectangle into a log. go slowly, this is not like rolling paper. i find lifting and stretching the dough slightly as i roll it helps get a good tight swirl.

spray your loaf pan with cooking spray. carefully pick up your dough log and stick it in the pan. cover with a towel.

preheat your oven to 350f/177c. put the loaf near the oven, the heat will help it rise in the last few minutes.

when the oven is heated, put the loaf in and bake it for 30 minutes. pull it out, and using oven mitts carefully add a loose cover of tinfoil over the loaf. put it back in the oven, and bake another 15 minutes.

finally, remove from the oven once baked (if you're not sure it's done, you can poke a butterknife in and see if there's crumb reaching to the middle. crumb is fully baked, smooth is still raw. bake in additional 10min increments if needed). cool 10mins. then, place on a rack or plate to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

it's absolutely delicious. you can shoot me an ask or dm if the recipe isn't working or you're unsure, but my online hours are sporadic. king arthur baking has many tips and tricks and help if you need.

common problems:

dough didn't rise - yeast died. try again with new yeast packs. the water should be warm to touch, not hot. if it didn't foam, it isn't awake. you can add the sugar to the milk and stir until dissolved to see if that helps.

bread is dense - it didn't rise. try again with more yeast/see above.

i am at high altitude - use extra large eggs. cut out ½ tbsp/14g butter per dough. if you can afford it, use bread flour. add more milk or water so your dough is almost sticking to your hands. you can put a small pan of water in with the baking loaf to keep it moist. increase temperature by 25% and decrease the first bake by 4 minutes and the second by 2 minutes.

i'm gluten free - you'll want to look for a sweet bread recipe formulated around gluten free flour, like king arthur flour's recipe. for the chocolate dough, use almond extract instead of vanilla and add ⅓ cup/35g cocoa powder.

i'm dairy free - you can use substitute milks, add 1 tbsp/12.5g sugar per ½ cup/118ml of milk substitute. use margarine or lard in place of the butter, 1:1 ratio.

i'm allergic to chocolate - you may be allergic to a component of chocolate and not the cocoa itself. ask your doctor. if you don't have specifically a cocoa allergy, you can make this bread. don't test the allergy at home, please.

[rodeoxqueen]

SMELLS LIKE QUARAN-NEROKIRI SPIRIT 

Nero/Kyrie

“In quarantine, Nero and Kyrie spend time together.” 

Rodeo’s Two Pieces: 

First time writing for Nero/Kyrie. Tread lightly with my take of their dynamic. 

(I)- Dalgona Coffee and Cookies. 

Despite how everything was shut down and the grocery was found vacant of basic necessities, Nero was grateful to at least be with someone he loved the most. 

“Look, we probably need some time off from kickin’ demon ass anyways,” Nico explained, smoking a cigarette during the video chat. 

“Yeah, not like demons care about being six feet away. People don’t even do that.” Nero looked at himself in the little square in the corner of his phone. Clad in a grey hoodie, he hadn’t even bothered putting on anything over his boxers. No one had come to visit since the mandate to stay inside, what was the point? 

Nico was in her garage again, from what he could see in the camera view. Cigarettes and old cups of coffee littered her desk, warbled country music playing off-view. 

“Who knows, maybe I’ll make something to fix that. I was thinking a mask-gun, rapid-fire reloading.” 

“Artisan of Arms, huh?” Nero laughed, getting up from his bed. 

“You fuckin’ bet. Now I gotta go. Got some things to weld.” 

“See ya, Nico. Stay safe, alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He gave a peace sign before pressing “end video call.” 

The video chat ended and Nero tucked his phone into his pocket. Even banter just wasn’t the same virtually. 

“Who was that? Nico?” Nero made it down the hallway to see Kyrie, bustling about getting things from the cupboards. 

“Yeah, still building stuff as usual.” 

Kyrie had been in their apartment’s kitchen, deciding to try her hand at some recipes she saw online. A bag of flour, too many bowls, and more chocolate than Nero remembered buying, all laid out on the table. 

Just when he wanted something to eat, he’d have to wait or his girlfriend would practically make enough to feed an army and be surprised when he didn’t want anymore. 

He opted for a cup of water instead. 

Nero admired her hair, how it looked when it wasn’t in a ponytail, how it sat perfectly on her shoulders. Seeing how she started to measure some ingredients, he took the hair tie on his wrist, careful fingers bringing it into a low ponytail. 

“Oh, thank you.” She commented, opening her booklet of recipes she had handwritten. Neat, slanted cursive in a smattering of blue, red, and black read out recipes for cookies, cakes, and bread. 

“You look busy, planning to make all of those?” Nero rested his chin on her shoulder, shrouding her with warmth. 

“Well, I don’t know how long we’re going to be stuck at home, might as well try some recipes out. Maybe we can deliver some to the orphanage.” 

“That is if I don’t eat all your prototypes first.” She laughed, birdsong to Nero’s ears. 

“As long as you help me I don’t mind if you do.” Kyrie handed him a measuring cup. Nero sighed, taking it. He always lost count of how many cups of flour he was supposed to put in the bowl. 

A jar of porous dough caught his eye as he sifted some baking soda in his white mixture. He took it from Kyrie’s side of the island. 

“Whoa, what is this? A science experiment?” Kyrie chuckled, watching Nero scrutinize the date on the white tape to the top of the mason jar. 

“No, it’s a sourdough starter! It’s basically wild yeast. We can make bread with it since people bought out all the dry yeast in the grocery store.” 

Nero shook it with curiosity and then opened the silver lid, making an “eh” face at the smell. 

“It’s yeast alright.” 

Kyrie continued whipping up the sugar and butter mixture, Nero helping himself to a handful of chocolate chips. 

“Have you talked to your uncle and father? They must be staying at the shop in Redgrave.” 

Nero shrugged. 

“Most likely, I haven’t talked to them yet. Dante probably didn’t pay the phone bill and Vergil doesn’t know how to use the phone anyways.” 

“Let’s just hope they’re getting along during this time.” 

Nero thought back to all the “family outings” he had since his uncle and father returned from hell, mostly just jobs becoming contests of strength that turned to friendly family fights. Endless banter and elbowing. 

Honestly, compared to that, standing next to his girlfriend while they shaped cookies for the oven was heaven. 

Once the chocolate chip cookie dough was done baking, Kyrie insisted they make some whipped coffee while they cooled.  

“I thought you didn’t like coffee, Kyrie.” She stooped down to find something in the lower cabinets. A robotic hand that was colored dark blue and black, his old Devil Bringer, appeared with a tiny whisk duct-taped to it. 

“Yeah, but that TikTok made it look so good.” Nero handed her the glass container of instant coffee. 

Turning on the Devil Bringer, the tiny whisk spun to life, rapidly mixing sugar, coffee, and water together. With her back turned, Nero popped a thing of cookie dough in his mouth. 

“Honestly, Nico should have patented these Devil Bringers, make a bunch of money, and maybe she’d stop trying to rip me off all those times.” 

“Support local businesses, Nero.” 

He looked over her shoulder, surprised at how an abysmal brown mixture had become fluffy and thrice its previous volume. 

Two cups of milk poured, the practically instantly whipped coffee laid on top like a decadent Mount Everest next to a still-warm plate of cookies. 

“Cheers!” Kyrie clinked glasses with him, stirring her mug vigorously with a spoon. He copied her, taking a sip of surprisingly light and sweet coffee. 

When he lowered his cup, Nero both revealed to the world a mustache of whipped coffee. 

Kyrie snorted into her cup, covering her mouth as she bit back a laugh. Embarrassed, Nero went to wipe it off when Kyrie pecked him on the lips. She drew back to reveal an imprint of the ‘stache on her own upper lip. 

“We match now.” Kyrie giggled, helping herself to another gooey cookie. 

Half a plate of cookies and two mugs properly drained of its contents, Kyrie and Nero loaded up the dishwasher to do the work. 

“This is coffee, why am I tired?” Kyrie yawned. 

The couch was this god-awful IKEA purchase that took hours for Nero to just figure out what the instructions meant. But right now, it perfectly supported both of them while they slept away their food coma. 

(II)- Curl Up And Dye. 

After the second time the mandate got lengthened, Nero could sense that Kyrie was starting to wane in her ever-positive attitude. The news had nothing good to say, and the number of shows they had binged left them indifferent to watching anything more. 

They did a lot of singing during quarantine, Kyrie always being the musical one. Evanescence was one of their favorites to sing together, Nero’s guitar skills and Kyrie’s ability to hit those high notes left many memorable nights of laughter. 

After a while, Kyrie began to just sit on the couch a lot and have Nero pay her company. 

“What’s wrong?” Kyrie sighed heavily, curling into Nero’s hoodie as he opted to stay shirtless. 

“I don’t know Nero, it just feels like everything is the same. We go through the same things every day and I just feel...trapped.” 

Nero kissed the nape of her neck, humming in agreement. 

“Look, I��m usually the one going to you for stuff like this but...it will get better. It’s been a really hard time for all of us, and we’re just watching everything go downhill. It’s not a good situation but, you got me. Always. And there’s still a lot of things we can change up if that helps.” He stroked her hair and rubbed her back, feeling her take a deep breath. 

“You’re right Nero. That really did help. Thank you for listening.” 

“Of course.” 

While he scrolled on his own phone, he didn’t heed all the things Kyrie was watching. She touched her own long hair, seeing the way other people recorded their own home-salon trims. 

“Things to change, huh?” She mumbled. 

So here they were now. 

“It looks so bad!” Kyrie exclaimed, her face in her hands, hair on the bathroom sink. Nero shook his head. 

“No it’s not, Kyrie! You look fine, just let me fix it!” In the mirror, Nero cringed at the way her hair was ridiculously over-layered. 

“Um, what did you try to do-” 

“Curtain bangs! Oh Nero, I shouldn’t have tried to change up my hair!” Kyrie was thoroughly upset, seeing how her bout of bravery lead to her bangs being mauled by her own hands. 

Nero hugged her, noting that she had been wearing his shirt while she trimmed her hair. 

Okay that shirt’s gonna itch for a while until all the hair comes out. 

“It’s okay, let me see if I can fix it.” Kyrie blushed in the mirror, groaning at how bad her hair was cut. 

“There’s no way you could make it worse than what I did.” 

Nero gingerly took the scissors Kyrie put in the sink, a little bit too small for his hands but good enough. Although he was no stylist, he could tell where Kyrie had either cut too much off or unevenly. 

Eventually, they did manage to cut it in a way that hid the previous mistakes. Kyrie took another deep breath. 

“I shouldn’t have been so impulsive.” She murmured, arms crossed. 

Nero chuckled at her rare emotional outburst. He was glad to have been able to be there for her. She always hid how she felt, helping others her way of expressing herself. Now with no one around but him, he totally understood that she felt helpless. 

No one liked being helpless. 

He kissed her cheek and a lightbulb went off in his head. 

“You wanna dye my hair?” Kyrie turned around in surprise. 

“What?” 

“I mean, who knows how long this shutdown is gonna be, it’ll be fun,” Kyrie noted how Nero had forgone shaving, his peach fuzz becoming something more. 

Honest blue eyes peered at her, wondering what she would think. Her surprise softened to a sort of relief in their solidarity. 

“What color, Nero?” 

“Neon green-” 

“Nico’s going to make fun of you.” Kyrie giggled. Nero shrugged nonchalantly. 

“I don’t mind it.” 

(III)- Can’t Get Out Of It, Get Into It. 

“Nero, you look so fucking ridiculous.” 

“Shut up, Dante.” 

His uncle finally managed to figure out how to work the virtual chat on his fossil of a computer, and Nero was already prepared to end the call. 

His father sat slightly off-camera, not in the mood to entertain Dante’s antics to ridicule his son. Although, he did look oddly radioactive with his washed-out green hair and strong quarter-past five o’clock shadow.  

“Quarantine did not do you a favor, good lord,” Dante commented, kicking his feet up on his desk. Nero flipped him off. 

“Good to know you’re still living in shambles, not surprised neither of you cleaned up after yourselves.” The number of bottles on the floor was a travesty and the couch littered with poetry books Vergil had slowly begun to hoard. 

Nico entered the zoom call, smoking another cigarette Nero was lucky to not have to smell. 

“Nice broccoli head.” 

Nero flipped her off as well. Kyrie came into view, smiling at her boyfriend’s family and their shared friends. Nero decided to get a drink, clicking a few buttons before letting Kyrie have the seat. 

As they discussed how the business would continue with Devil May Cry, Kyrie sat next to Nero. 

It was mainly business, until it got to a certain line that Dante said. 

“I don’t know, it just feels like things are just going to keep staying like this. Hate to break it to you Nero, but it’s going to be tough for a while.” 

Kyrie finally heard enough, scooching Nero aside so she could talk. 

“Kyrie, wait-” 

“We’re going to get past this. As long as humanity still keeps coming together for the sake of benefiting each other, and we keep working to make sure to keep safe, we will get past this. We just have to keep hoping, and sure, hoping isn’t always going to make you feel better. I would know. But in a time where we do feel helpless, we should connect with other people in a different way. That’s why we succeed, we keep moving, we keep adapting! And hope, hope keeps that going.” 

Kyrie took a long breath. Looking at the dumbfounded group, she waited for a response. 

“Um, Kyrie. You were muted.” Nero finally said. Kyrie realized her blunder and how Nero’s hand was attempting to unmute them. 

“Oh.” Kyrie flushed, looking embarrassed. 

“I have no idea what you just said, but that’s okay.” 

“I’m sorry, that was so awkward.” 

“Don’t worry yourself, Kyrie. I bet it was real sweet whatever you had to say,” Nico assured. 

The zoom call was full of laughter since, a business call turned to a time to discuss how each person was doing. 

Dante and Vergil had spent days and nights sparring, Vergil learning more about humanity from Dante, and “making their own pizzas.” 

Nico had continued welding and making weapons for her own curiosity rather than based off of commission-based instructions. The van finally had the vinyl player fixed and she apparently gave herself a stick-and-poke. 

“So what did you two love birds do?” Nico asked, lighting another cancer stick. 

Nero and Kyrie looked at each other, smiling at their shared memories of this strange period in human history. 

“Where do we even start?”  Kyrie said, thinking of all the days and nights that seemed to breeze by and also slowly progress. 

Nero ruffled his longer messy green hair, Kyrie tucking her curtain bangs behind her ear. As they were two peas in the pod, Nero had decided to get another set of gray sweats for Kyrie, matching finally. 

Kyrie bit into a cookie, offering Nero some. 

“Smells like quarantine spirit, huh?” Dante finger-gunned.

Nero chuckled. 

“Hell yeah.” 

[blueberrypossum]

No One Does It Like You Do Dastardly Danny x oc

Hi everyone! This is another Shiki x Danny fanfic that I loved writing (I love writing fighting scenes and also winter atmospheres because it’s so cozy! So this is Shiki again (because I love writing her it’s so much fun) I hope you guys don’t mind and hopefully you can just place yourself into it! @greaser-wolf and I just love going back and forth with her oc and mine and it’s so much fun and she is just so wonderful! I hope you guys enjoy!!

WARNING: There is usage of inappropriate words and adult themes ( such as sexual content that is pass making out)

(Also I know that the Hidden city doesn’t have a sun or moon or even weather but I want them to have an atmosphere XD )

Word Bank: 

Big Cheese: Big Boss

We’ve been had- Been tricked or deceived.

Yuck- A foolish or stupid person

Music:

You brought your overcoat closer to you as the chilly breeze started to become quicker and snow started to dart through your vision at an easy pace. You tried to start a match between your hooves as you awaited for Danny and the others to investigate the bar, but after each click there was nothing but empty silence of the mountain.

It has been a hot minute since you’ve done a job somewhere this cold, of course it snowed in the Hidden City, but not like this. With your genetics, the cold wouldn’t really bother you, but without harnessing the true potential of your power, you were left shivering under your several layers of clothes. 

The mountain side was gorgeous though, the glistening of the snowbanks shined in the afternoon sun and the yokai’s that lived in the hidden village were enjoying warm beverages and gentle conversations. The white layer under your boots crunched as you continuously moved back and forth to keep warm as your boyfriend was taking a little too long to ask where this polar bear yokai was. 

When you were given the opportunity to go after one of the most psychotic war lords by your boss, you just couldn’t say no. But you weren’t given a team in the progress, so one you told Danny about it, him and the rest of the Mud Dogz created a plan to help you, with a small price to pay as well. 

You were honestly glad that Danny and the others wanted to join you, not only were they your friends, but you couldn’t really trust your teammates in the force. Too bad that Mickey had to do other business and had to sit this one out. 

 You finally spotted the usual purple wearing rat in the distance, his long brown coat flapping behind him as a gust of wind danced into town, two thin figures close behind him as they made their way over. Frost dusted over Danny’s whiskers as he came up to you, his hands rubbing each other under his gloves as Nova and Leonard joined as well. Leonard was the most bundled out of all four of you, his green body shivering under the black coat he wore. 

Nova seemed to be the only one who enjoyed the weather, her nose twitching every time a flake landed on her. 

“Are you actually enjoying this?” The ogre asked, an eyebrow raised as she gave him a sly smile. 

“When you’re this hot the cold never affects you.”

“....”

“I’m kidding! I’m a Mountain Fishing Cat, this is my element.”

You rolled your eyes at Nova’s comment and looked up at Danny, who had curled himself up close to your side for any connection of warmth. 

“Did you find anything out?” You asked him as Nova and Leonard continued to have their fake argument. 

Dastardly Danny shook the excess snow off his shoulders and hat as you watched his breath roll out like a cloud.

“Apparently the Big Cheese is holding up somewhere not far from here, hidden within the mountain,” he said with a low huff, his voice going quiet as a family walked by, their children running around them as they played in the snow. 

 Till’ then we should rent out a nearby cabin, Len said that there is a renting inn nearby.”

You pulled your beanie tighter onto your head as you let out another quiver, the mountain’s thin air starting to get to you. The rat yokai took notice of your sudden chill and unraveled his large coat and then the smaller one he wore under it, his hands gently placing the toasty coat on you. 

“Danny I’m fine-”

“Yes, yes, I know, sugar. But I’m sweating like a hog-”

The look you gave him as you settled the coat on you made him stop in his tracks and an embarrassed look crossed his face and for the first time you actually saw Dan flustered. 

“Uh, I meant..What I meant to say-”

“Ha! Danny actually messed up on a slang. Maybe Leonard will be cheerful for once!” Nova purred as she joined the conversation, Leonard right at her heels as they joined in on the full group. It seemed that the comment struck a nerve in the ogre and he looked down at the feline, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

“Only in your dreams, kitten.”

Woahhhhhhh, where did that come from?

Both you and Danny were in amazement as a dash of red flared against Nova’s face, and it wasn’t from the cold. It was good to see your friend get bashful for once instead of you and you grinned at the sight, taking in the heat and smell from Danny’s jacket. His cologne was trailed with cigarettes and old spice, and the fur that was sewn into the inside rubbed comfortably against your fur. 

Danny placed an apology kiss on your head as Nova and Leonard continued to banter back and forth and you took in the soft texture of his mouth as you sucked in an icy breath.

“Alright you two, we’re burning daylight. Let’s rent a cabin,” you ordered, and you couldn’t help but giggle at the relief that flashed in Nova’s multi-colored eyes as she headed towards one of the wooden signs that showed the option of renting out an isolated cabin, her tail curled against her back. 

“This is gonna be a long weekend.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You four were able to rent a two bedroom cabin that was a few miles out and packed your bags into a waiting car that would drive you to the location. Leonard wasn’t the happiest to hear that they could only get two rooms, and commented that he would sleep on the couch, but Nova kept flinging comments that he didn’t want to cuddle with her. 

“We better hope dat’ our room is on the other side of the house,” Danny whispered to you as Nova would turn from her seat from the front to fight back with Leonard. 

“So we don’t hear them?”

Danny shot you a sinister smirk as the arm that was wrapped around you tightened itself. 

“More like they don’t hear us.”

The surprise that surfaced over your face only fueled the rat more as you squirmed in the car seat, the warm air that was blasted throughout the car was no longer nice, but overly steaming. 

The worker checked the cabin for food and cleaning supplies and left instructions if they needed anything. 

The wooden cabin was decorated with lemon and wine, candles and lanterns lit up the shack anda fire crackled in the fireplace. The front door brought you to the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right and the stairs were a few feet away right as you walked in. The only thing upstairs was one of the bedrooms and a door in the kitchen led to the other spare bedroom. After searching you all found that the bathroom was under the stairs. 

“I’m guessing the couple gets the upstairs room?” Nova asked as she took off her coat and placed it on the coat stand by the door. Danny sent the feline a cocky smile as his hand grazed over your lower hip. 

“You betcha.”

 Flustered words came out of your mouth as you moved your bags upstairs, almost tripping your way up to keep Danny’s wandering hands and him also trying to carry your bags.

The only thing upstairs was an open room and an extra bathroom, a large king bed laid up against the wall and furry rugs were enriched onto the wooden floor. Dressers and shelves were dotted around the room and all four of you started to unpack and get yourself settled. You undress yourself down from your layers until you only wear a black long-sleeve shirt with a maroon cardigan and elastic jeans to keep you warm. 

“Ya sure you don’t need help taking off the rest?”

“You know that Nova and Leonard are downstairs, right?”

“They gotta sleep at one point, darling.”

“And so do we!”

You dodged Danny’s hug attack and skipped down the stairs to the sound of light music humming throughout the cabin. A delicious smell had drifted into the air as you made your way to the kitchen and found Nova sitting on the kitchen counter while Leonard was behind the stove, his fingers working on dinner. You barely heard Leonard telling the feline to not get any fur into the food as Danny came up beside you, his body wrapped in grey long-sleeve and work pants. 

The tabby pulled her hair up into a ponytail and continued to read the book in her hands, the cream turtleneck she wore blazed against the fire’s shadow. 

You looked over Leonard’s shoulder and saw the rice, herbs, and sauces that were stirring in the pan while he separated an egg yolk from its whites. 

“So, can all members of the Mud Dogz cook?” You asked as you sat at the island of the kitchen. 

“Mickey is not good at cooking, never ask him to cook for you.”

“Oh come on, it can’t be that bad.”

“Nah, toots, never eat what that eel cooks up. Not after the meatloaf.”

“Oh don’t even remind me of that day! My stomach still doesn’t sit right after that.”

A confused laugh escaped your mouth as the ogre continued to make dinner, Nova handing him ingredients that he needed while flipping through her book. The melody that came from the bluetooth speaker from the living room swayed into the kitchen, and the cozy and friendly atmosphere made you loosened up as the conversation continued on without you, your body heading to the fridge in search of milk. 

The scent of dinner floated around as you dug through the cabinets, Nova moving over when you came around the area she sat. You finally found the hot chocolate packets as Leonard had just finished up the meal, the steam rising from the mixture of rice, vegetables, and potato chips made your stomach growl with hunger. 

You set the ingredients you were gathering aside as you four enjoyed the dinner, the cooked egg and spice made your cheeks spill with warmth. There were a few comments thrown here and there, such as going over the plan and what they were gonna do with the money. Your main concern was just getting the guy, Shia Albright, and he was on the top list of criminals for a reason; you just hoped that you and your friends could handle the polar bear yokai. 

Apparently your concern was noted because a hand under the table was placed over your thigh. 

You looked down and watched as Danny gave your leg a squeeze of reinsurance, his nails digging into the fabric. 

It had been several months dating Danny, and you were surprised that it was the most love and happiness you’ve had in a long while. Even with his open book personality, there was still a lot more to uncover from the rat yokai. It was pleasing to learn from Danny, to give him the chance he had been fighting for since the beginning. He was very open to you, with how he felt, what he wanted to do with you. And of course it made you squeal with exhilaration, but you both kept things slow. You were still a cop, and he was still a thief. 

After dinner, Nova and Danny did the dishes while you started to make the hot chocolate. Your hooves worked carefully to boil the milk and then get out the whipping cream, happy to find that they also bought the chocolate syrup you had placed on the shopping list.

“You are so washing that pot afterwards,” Nova commented, her paws drying themselves on a cloth after placing the dishes in the drying rack. 

“With how good it’ll taste, you’ll be licking the pan clean,” you joked back, pouring the creamy liquid into multiple cups before decorating them with the heavy cream and dark liquid. You found a platter to carry the drinks and you brought them over to the living room, Leonard was in one of the chairs, Danny on the couch, and Nova on the floor. Each of them gave you their own thank you as you let them grab a mug off the tray, leaving it on the floor as you got comfortable next to Danny, your legs curling up to you.

The soft guitar played in the background as snow drifted outside, Nova flipping her nails through her book, Leonard going over the plans notes in his hands, and Danny was holding you tight, one hand held the drink and the other held you. And within the guitar strings and the casual crackle of the fire, the dread that was growing on you was almost unnoticeable. Almost. 

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The summit air was brutal against your fur as you and your group headed up to the hidden factory, your boots making deep imprints in the white ground. 

The plan was simple, you had your laser and taser gun, and once you and Danny found the opportunity to get Shia, you would pounce while Leonard and Nova went after the gold they had been mining for in the factory, a lightness spell to carry it was placed on the bag the ogre carried. 

It almost seemed that it didn’t matter how many coverings you wore, the winter hands reached around into your body and gripped every nerve ending. 

Nova was the only one up ahead, her long legs carrying her easily through the snow as she led up to one of the broken areas of the factory; Leonard had scouted out in the blueprints, the metal and scrap of the building being torn away as if a large animal bit into it. The tabby hopped over one of the uprooted pieces of metal and plummeted into the darkness below and you followed, your feet landing harshly on the metal floor as the boys followed, the only light being seen was a glow stick, the orange glow outlining you and everyone else. 

The feline handed Leonard the light stick as he pulled out the layout of the workshop, his footprints leaving weak imprints of snow on the black floor. You tried to flick a flame between your hooves, but all you got was the snapping echo of the aftermath. Ever since the run-in with your dad a month ago, your powers seemed to bury themselves into your body, where you couldn’t even feel the swirling ball of warmth that usually danced in your veins. It almost made you feel useless in situations like this, when the group needed fire, it just seemed like you weren’t the match for it to light. 

But your feelings were gonna have to wait as you heard the slightest pitter patter against the metal and you pushed your friends up against the wall in a swift move. One of Shia’s guards walked slowly by, his body decked out in warm armor and a gun was strapped against his chest. The male yokai strolled down the hallway, the flicker of his flashlight slowly dying out and the staircase went silent. 

Once the cost was clear, Leonard turned to Danny and handed him a copy of the map.

 “Alright, once you have him, meet up at the F2 tower, he should be in his office,” Leonard ordered, even with being in an isolated area, his breath still collected in front of him.

Danny took the extra map and you eyed it at his side. Shia’s office was up several floors, and you both knew that there would be groups of henchmen on lookout. But, with stealth and silence, you and Danny could make it up there effortlessly. 

“Stay safe you two,” Nova purred quietly and her and the ogre dashed into the shadows, the only sign of them ever being there was the leftover snow from their bodies drifting off. 

You rolled your shoulders as your biceps tensed under the cotton shirt and Danny turned around and handed you the map. 

“Lead the way, toots.”

A grin leveled on your face as you took the map and started the walk up the first flight of stairs, your boots eagerly carrying you up, Danny right at your heels. You ran into your first guard at the third floor, the husky yokai let out a yelp of surprise before your fist came into contact with his snout, and then your knee into stomach, and with one single swipe you had your taser in his chest, a loud thud vibrated against your feet as he made contact with the ground. 

The next flight had you and Danny taking out multiple guys, both of you darting between crates and mining equipment and you took out yokai’s with your taser and Danny took his fair share out with a knocking out technique. 

After minutes of fighting and sneaking around, you both finally made it the top and final floor, the staircase leading straight to Shia’s office. 

The hallway that looped to the office was long and dark, the only sound the mirrored around was the old factory settling to its age. Dastardly was flanking you as your fingers grazed over the metal door, the bitterness of the cold traveled from the metal to the inside of your glove. The door was already unlocked from its handle and you pushed it open, the unholy light that dripped out of the room pooling over you like water. 

You pointed your gun through the doorway and you took in the large office. The room was cold and white fur littered the ground as you continued further in, Danny’s tail curled in dread as you got closer to the large office chair, the end of the laser gun pushing the leather seat to the side. 

No one was there, nothing was there except a half done cigar that sat in an ashtray. Your small brows furrowed in confusion as you placed the gun back in the holster on your thigh as your hands started to dart around his desk. 

“He’s...he’s schedule said that he would be here, if he’s not here, then where is he?” You asked out loud. The office had large windows and Danny peaked his head out to watch the soldiers quickly dart around, his arms crossing in question. 

You searched his drawers and file cabinets for any information, but even if you did find anything, you still wouldn’t have him in chains. 

And then the door slammed shut and the sound of a blockade over it blasted through the cracks. 

“Well dat ain’t good,” Danny grunted and the sound of hushed orders and then a slow, irritable ticking clicked throughout the room. Your ears snapped with the rhythm and then the sound of gunfire was heard in the distance. 

The clicking was getting faster, and with all the yokai’s running away…

“We’ve been had!”

Danny grabbed your hand and raced over to the furthest window on the left, his hand taking hold of your laser pistol and shot through the clear material until the glass shattered into falling pieces, like icicles hanging off the side of a house. There was a torn edge that led over to a large scissor lift and your boots scrapped over the broken glass, the grey outer layer held your stance steady as the beating of the hidden bombs continued. 

“Ladies first!” The rat exclaimed as you both looked at the jump ahead. You sent him a hot glare but got ready and pushed off, one of the blasts from the concealed bombs went off and the heat waved knocked you forward and you landed hard against the platform, the pop in your shoulder caused a grunt to escape your throat. 

You got up and looked up at Danny, whose figure was still against the window frame, the blast of the bomb sooted the side of his body. 

“Alright, your turn!” You screamed up at him and then let out a wail as the scissor lift groaned under you and the metal bars started to creak under the new weight.

The rat took a step back and with a graceful leap he landed right next to you, his hand instantly pulled the level on the side just as the rest of the bombs started to go off one by one. He blocked his body over you as flying debris exploded around you in a ray of black and orange. The impact of the blast knocked both of you over, sending Danny sliding next you and over the side. 

“Danny!”

The hanging platform whined as the weight was shifted over to one side and you scooted over to the ledge, your hand gripping Danny’s wrist before his claws slipped from the ledge. His mass was nothing you were used to, but you were used to him being on your back, not over the side of a dangerous overhang that could collapse any minute. The metal shafting and room was groaning with pain as the pillars and other rooms started to fall apart due to the explosion.

You pulled your other hand around him and stood up, your boosts digging into the black outline of the scissor lift as you brought him back up and before he could thank you the ramp gave way and dropped towards the first level. 

Curse words sprinted out of both of your mouths as you held onto the sides as the platform crashed into the floor, sending you both rolling to the opposite side as the destroyed roof rammed into the scissor lift once it hit the bottom. 

A fit of coughs lashed out of your mouth as the dust swirled around you, the light creaking of broken metal and fire ringing in your ears as your name was called out. 

“Shiki?! Shiki!”

You pushed yourself up and hissed at the small cuts and bruises that were scattered over your body, but you counted your blessings to find no major injuries. The rat’s voice continued to vibrate against the splintered mess.

“Danny?! Are you alright?!” You called to him and then took several steps back as more debris gave way, taking you further away from the wreck and Danny. His voice became muffled and you just had to tell yourself that he was fine, that you needed to meet him and the others at the tower. 

Hateful tears sprang in the corner of your eyes as you made your way through the factory, your legs dodging small piles of flames as you started to recognize the area you were in. Of course this plan had failed, this mob boss knew everything about everyone, and he wanted to make sure that the death of you would be a prime example to not go after him. That only gave you more rage, more strength to go after him as you crawled through a small hole created by shattered mining equipment. 

You reached for the door in front of you until two forms crashed through it, your body flattening itself against the wall as the two balls of fur ripped each other apart. A cat-like yowl came from one of the forms and you recognized the winter outfit that was torn from battle. 

“Nova?!”

The cat then swiped her claws across the wolf yokai’s face that made him let go of her. She pushed herself against the wall and used the hard surface to kick the yokai into one of the multiple holes that lead into the mines, his terrifying howls haunting the rocky surface. 

Nova turned to you with an astonished expression, a cut on her head bleeding a trail down her face.

“Are you okay? Where’s Leonard?”

“We got seperated, but he has the gold. What about Danny? And Shia?”

“This was a setup! They knew we were coming.”

Nova frowned as you both started to look for another way out, her tail whizzing back and forth like a strip of rope. 

“This wasn’t a setup, another revival gang showed up. Apparently that dumb polar bear thought that he would make his hideout into a trap so he can get rid of them.”

It felt wrong but joy pulsed through your body as you found a torn apart wall that led outside, the light snowfall was now a blizzarding storm. If Shia was fighting against a rival group, then he didn’t know that an officer was here, and you could still get the jump on him. 

The feline started to proceed over to the watchtower F2 but you grabbed her hand and tugged on it. 

“We can still get Shia! He’ll be so distracted that he won’t see us coming!”

Nova’s eyes flashed down to you and then over to the tower, her left ear flicking with concentration along with her tongue licking off the excess blood from the corner of her mouth. 

“Alright, if we can find him under ten minutes.”

You led in the opposite direction and towards one of the gaping holes of the mines, the echoes of gunfire and battle cries filled your ears like music.    

The snowstorm was slowly getting worse, the petals now turned into sharp splinters as your vision started to get covered with white. The crunch under your combat boots was barely heard and you could barely feel the metal pathway that was under you, your covered hands holding onto the side as a large gust of wind tried to push you over. The bellow’s of the yokai’s started to get louder and with one flick of your thin ear, you were spinning around to push Nova out of the way from a hidden attacker. 

“Look out!”

The female snow leopard leapt onto you, her claws shredding out of her gloves and into your coat and a low hiss growed out of her white throat. Your hooves wacked into her nose as you pressed yourself further into the railing and with the yokai’s extra burden of weight the rusted pipes gave way and folded over, taking you and the henchmen with you. 

“Shiki!” Nova called for you but it was barely heard as you and the snow leopard rolled through the snow and down the slope, away from the factory and the watchtower. Even with the smooth snow to impact your tumble, the frozen floor underneath still stabbed itself into you as you both came to a sliding halt. 

Your body was freezing now, the cold hands of winter grasping over your form and it took all your strength to raise yourself up. Far from the factory, you and the female snow leopard had landed over a frozen lake, ice holding your weight easily as the war around you continued. Not far from the lake were several military vans and henchmen shooting bullets and arrows at two hidden figures behind separate crates.  

“Danny! Leonard!”

The two yokai turned at the sound of their names and spotted you. Leonard had a few cuts scrapped over his body and his shirt was torn while Danny was covered in more soot than before and his hat was gone, but both seemed relatively fine. When the rat caught sight of you, a gust of comfort filled his hollow lungs to see that you were still breathing. His hand planted against the crate he was behind to get up but he instantly lunged back down when more ammo was shot at him. 

You made a step towards him but a blur of chalk pounced for you out from nothingness, her claws tearing up the ice surface like nails against a chalkboard. You dodged a swipe from her and then a kick with your hands, your hands going for the laser pistol from your thigh but the flexible feline broke it out of your grip, the weapon skating over the frozen water.

Jeez! Is every cat yokai like this? 

She drove you further into the middle of the lake, your boots having trouble keeping friction over the slippery exterior while the snow leopard didn’t wear any form of shoe except for her pants connecting with the middle of her paws, but it kept her upright as she continued to chase you. 

Nova, if you can hear me right now, know that you and I are having a fighting session once this all over! 

The woman jumped for you and you swiftly moved to the side, and with one kick of your foot it sent the leopard back to the bank of the lake, her face going straight into a pile of snow near the battle Danny and Leonard were in. You couldn’t help but smirk at the small victory, but a pair of azure eyes poked from the heap of white, fury marking the snow leopard’s face as she looked around. 

Near her was a minecart filled of pickaxes and safety hats and her paws swaddled one of the weapons, a wicked smile on her face as she neared the lake once again and with one hit she stabbed the axe into the frozen glass and millions of broken cracks surfaced and the watery hell took you down. 

“SHIKI!” 

Danny was on his feet as you disappeared into dark liquid, the clumps of ice drifted around the spot you had fallen into. Leonard was by his side now and as the rat started to race towards the lake, the ogre tackled him and rolled them both behind a tree as the polar bear’s henchmen started to make their way closer. 

“Are you crazy?! You can’t survive that temperature! You’ll also die before you get there!”

“Get off of me you bloody yuck! She will drown!”

Before Danny was going to elbow his friend right in the jaw, a pair of legs jogged right past them and they glanced up to see Nova racing towards the half-ruined lake, her arms quickly working off her two layers of coats and her cream turtleneck until her grey thermal showed. She then hopped over the snow leopard yokai and took the pickaxe from her grey paws, her momentum slamming the ax into the shattered ice until a large enough hole was created and the Mountain Fishing cat jumped in without another thought. 

“What is wrong with these girls?!” Leonard exclaimed as he let Danny go and knocked out a guy who came too close, his fingers taking control of the rifle the henchmen had in his talons. 

Danny could hardly hear the leader as he searched over the lake, trying to find your figure drifting in the cold liquid. 

He had never felt fear like this, as if he was the one drowning instead of you. He ignored the ongoing dogfight around him as every second that ticked by felt like lifetimes. With how shattered the pool of water was, the rat yokai saw how strong and recentless the current was underneath, the tide pushing up against anything it could get its grasp on. Including you. 

And then him and Leonard saw it. It was barely visible but a white paw came crashing out of the ice on the other side of the lake, the enlarged nails broke into the ice like an anchor and created long marks as the creature heaved itself out. 

Danny felt his friend next to him lose his breath as Nova broke the surface, water droplets falling down her hair and fur as she pulled herself out of the water, and in her arms was a waterlogged you, steam rolling off both of you as your friend dragged you out. 

 The men didn’t have to have sonic hearing to hear the feline’s grunts as she dragged you over to the shore, Nova’s paws working on your chest as she performed CPR. 

Danny’s body hurdled into action as he stole the gun out of Leonard’s hands and shot at the criminals crowding them, his dead-eye like aim taking out over four before he started to haul ass over to you and Nova, not even giving Leonard a heads up as the black-haired stared dumbfounded at the rat before joining the retreat. 

You couldn’t hear anything, you couldn’t taste or see anything, all you felt was the cold. It violated you and suffocated you as you felt the water slush around in your lungs. And then the pressure, something or someone was placing pressure on your filled lungs to the point your chest couldn’t take it anymore and you perked up, your head turning over to vomit up the lake water you had swallowed. 

You could barely open your eyes as you tried to take in your surroundings, but it was so cold, why was it so cold?

“Shiki! Shiki are you alright?!”

A bubbly groan came out of your waterlogged throat and you thought to yourself that you would never drink water again and that you hated winter. Your head was exposed to the elements and you realize that your beanie was gone. 

Your dark eyes were able to open to peer up, the flakes of snow coating your eyelashes. Nova was soaked leaning over you, her fur drooped with the soggy water and her whiskers started to become white. But another figure was coming into your vision and as you tried to warn your friend, all that came out was a backbreaking shiver. 

The cat then let out a cry as she was grabbed and tossed to the only unbroken part of the lake and all you could do was watch in horror as the snow leopard started to attack your friend, nothing protecting Nova except her thin thermal shirt and her own wits. 

Nov...Nova,” you shivered out and your hand reached up as the evil leopard took a hold of Nova’s neck and slammed her into the ice, the fragile solid breaking under her. Hands were wrapped around you now and your freezing hand went for your taser but the familiar and tender scent of Danny wafted your senses. 

“Dann...Danny?”

“I’m here, sweetheart, I’m here.”

“No..Nova needs..”

“Leonard has it handled, we need to get ya outta here.”

The yokai lifted you up easily, the crisp drops of water that fell from your clothes barely made it to the ground as they froze. Even with your head making contact with the rat’s soft fur, it was almost nothing against your frozen skin and stiff fur. 

As your boyfriend carried you deeper into the woods, you turned your head and spotted Leonard and Nova not far behind, the bitter color of crimson dripped from Nova’s claws and Leonard’s hands. 

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You all four made it back to the cabin in one piece and Nova was quick on getting her boots off and looking over at you. 

“Danny, I need you to go and take off her clothes.”

“I’m sorry? What?”

“Because if she sits in those wet clothes she’ll get hypothermia! And then she can die! So take her upstairs and get her undressed and in a new pair of clothes!”

You could tell Nova was panicking, when her voice rose over and past a joking manner you knew she was nervous and you could hear her dive into the kitchen and started to search. You wanted to argue that you were fine, but you found no power behind your muscles and all you could do was give a little cry of pain as your body was pounded with the cold. 

When Danny made it up to your room he sat you on the bathroom floor and started to derope you. His fingers scrambled over the black coat, and then the green overcoat, the maroon cardigan and then your black sweater was all off. You were cold to the touch and your brown fur was dyed to a darker oak. Even with the cold layers off of you your body reacted violently against it and your arms wrapped around yourself. Danny felt his heart shatter like the lake that consumed you and placed a small kiss on the top of your head, as if he was afraid you would break with just one touch. 

You had to help him take off the two layers of pants you wore until you laid almost nude in front of him and the harsh flush of warmth crossed your face, but it just made you feel a lot more sicker. The rat saw the temperature in your face change and he got up and to your dresser, not one flash of emotion came across his face as he headed a new outfit for you. 

“You got this, call if ya need me,” he whispered silently to you and then left the bathroom and leaned against the wall next to you. 

You couldn’t but try to roll your eyes as you tried to ease your bra off. Even in a life or death situation he was still going to be a gentleman towards you. It was hard though, the cold undergarment clinged into you like glue and it took you several minutes to even get both of them off. You threw the wet clothes aside and placed the ones Danny had handed you and the cotton grey long-sleeve and black leggings under sweatpants were on after drying yourself off. 

You could still feel the sickness trying to settle on you and a sneeze blew out of your face. 

“Gesundheit.”

“You..you speak german?”

“And french, if you’re catching my drift.”

A laugh curled out of your throat but it came out in a fit of coughs. From the restroom you heard Nova call for Danny and his light footsteps drifted away from the room and down the stairs. 

Nova and Leonard were in new clothes and the only evidence of Nova falling into the lake was the dampness in her fur and the silent shiver that drove through her body every few minutes. 

“Okay, keep her warm and under blankets. No placing her in hot water either.”

“Rag-a-muffin, why are ya telling me this?”

“Leonard is coming with me to find elderberries, it will help make a beverage that will make her feel better and push away any case of fever. But you need to bring her temperature up.”

“And how am I supposed to do dat’?”

“You’re her boyfriend, figure it out.” The feline joked and slammed the front door. 

Danny, for the first time in his life, felt an awkward hotness in his stomach as he headed up the stairs to find you curled up in the bed, the vicious shakes that erupted under the sheets made your boyfriend worry, and then Nova’s words came in mind. 

The snowfall had slowed down to a gentle delay and the cabin was sprinkled with the light sugar. Danny started the fireplace that was settled in your room, his calloused hands throwing the pieces of firewood into the hungry flame.

His frame floated over to your trembling form and joined you under the blankets, his hands wrapping around you and you instantly curled into his chest, your hooves digging into his back as you tried to absorb every ounce of warmth he had to offer. A rough chuckle vibrated against your head and you buried yourself into his exposed chest fur. Danny placed a soft kiss on your head, and then your cheeks, and then the tip of your snout, and he waved his hand under your chin to look up at him and he kissed you. 

The contact from his lips sent a jolt of fire into your throat and you took in the kiss with every pint of strength you had left. But when his body jostled to where he was hovering over you, one hand holding himself up next to your head and the other holding your head up to meet his, you realized the eagerness behind each kiss and release. 

His body was over you now, his legs tangled with yours as you sunk further into the mattress, his fingers playing with the tufts of fur behind your head as you felt your heart rate pick up rapid speed.  Your hooves held onto his back as he continued to tease you with each feverish kiss, with each touch over your curves and muscle. And as he peppered kisses up your jawline and near your ear, a growl full of R’s rolled into your eardrum.

You instantly had to close your legs as your very core was rocked and you no longer felt cold as heat traced itself throughout your body. He had never growled to you before, especially rolling his R’s like that. This man always had something under his sleeve, but at this moment, you couldn’t think straight, as if every peck of his mouth and the hands that advanced over you made you braindead. The keenness in his movements as his snout started to make its way down your neck created a moan out of your mouth, your voice raspy and needy. 

Another hust growl went against your throat and you shivered, and your heart bounced in your ribcage when you realized that it wasn’t from the cold, and that this male was going to heat you up like a oven. His hands were slowly riding up your shirt, his nails tenderly digging into your fur and his thumb doing slow and taunting circles under your chest. 

He was teasing you and you squirmed under his hold, but a feather-like moan popped out of your mouth as his teeth grazed your throat and shoulder.

“Danny,” you breathed out and you felt the mammal over you tense up and he stopped, a savage-like look in his eyes as he took in the shameless sight of you. The redness was peaking out of your fur and your chest heaved with pressure and he took a large notice with how your legs were crossed. 

“Say it, doll.”

You knew what he wanted you to say, you knew exactly what he wanted you to do. 

“Please.”

He was on you like a cat on a mouse, his large build practically swallowing you whole as he took full control. The rat was a sucker for you, almost like a kid in a candy store, wanting to have every single bite. He effortlessly started to mark you as his, the small little squeals that started to rise into the house made his blood pump and you were pushing up against him now, chestnut fur flushed against oak fur as you both tried to get closer to each other. His hands were fully under your shirt now and your neck was covered in small little black spots, all perfectly lined up as the rim of his mouth went for the hollow of your throat and your spine bending to give him full access to your body. 

You honestly didn’t care if Leonard and Nova came back early, the heat that rushed through you like water through a pipe was almost too much to bear and you felt himself bump up against you and a heartful gasp came out. 

Oh gosh he was too much for you, the senses he spiked within your body was a remedy you never thought you needed. 

His warm hands felt good against your chest and you groaned into his mouth, his own vocals sending a growl in return. You were sweating now as you escaped to get a breath of air and you could feel the hot pants from Danny as he left more love marks on you, much lower than your neck. You had to bite your lip to keep yourself quiet and your tail wiggled with ecstasy as his hands spread your legs apart so he could get closer, his large mitts now explored your back and your rump. 

You both were burning under the blanket and the fire felt like nothing against your heated fur, you felt like you could be rubbing up against the sun for all you know. 

Danny had you pressed against the headboard now, and every vibration from your thighs or your arms when he touched you made him want you more, he desired you more. The hunger and ache he had for you was beyond unbearable and having you to himself without work or anyone getting in the way was paradise. 

The bruises under your skin ached but Danny’s hands were gentle over the purple areas and he was gentle with you and... The emotion that roared in your heart was stabbing you, pinching at your lungs as you continued to kiss Danny, his tongue sneaking its way into your mouth and you gladly accepted it. And between the kisses and the cries of pleasure that was spilling out both your mouths, you let out the holy words that he had wanted to hear from you since the day you started dating.

“I love you, Dan.”

The male rat stopped in his tracks and looked down at you, surprise spinning in his eyes as he looked down at you and you swore you saw his eyes flash with heartache. You were so out his league, he would always believe that you were better off without him. You wouldn’t have to worry about your job, you wouldn’t have to stress over the idea of being caught with him, but you stayed with him, you cared for him, and now you loved him.

His hand caressed your cheek and you were practically putty in his hands as he said against your mouth. 

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

And he told you that over and over as he undressed you once again.

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The next morning was hard to wake up too. You woke up the burning glint of the sun over the snow and you went to roll over but you were held as if prisoner. Strong arms were around you and soft snoring was brushed up against your back. Flashes of last night danced through your head and the heat between your legs started to flicker again. You unraveled yourself from his hold and placed his forgotten long-sleeve shirt over yourself and your sweatpants and headed downstairs. 

It was quiet in the lodge and there was no sign of Leonard on the couch, you walked over to Nova’s door and the shocked gasp couldn’t stop itself as you saw the ogre curled up with the feline, her body rolled up in a ball next to his sleeping figure. 

You could only imagine the awkwardness once one of them woke up and you tiptoed back to the kitchen to find a wine-colored drink on the counter with a note. 

“Dear Shiki, drink this once you wake up, but by how the cabin was shaking and how you were hollering like you were dying, I’m guessing you might not need this ;). Love, Nova”

Humiliation rolled in your stomach as you took a few sips of the drink, your fist pounding against your chest once you realized that it was an alcoholic beverage. You would give anything to just have a cup of coffee. 

You headed back upstairs and for a split second, you remembered why you were truly here. Shia had gotten away, and even though it was a successful heist, it was a failure of a bounty hunt. You felt shame hit you as you failed your mission to get the polar bear. But once you made it up the stairs and saw Danny laying in the spot you had been sleeping in and his hand hanging off the side of the bed as if going after you, waiting for you. 

It might’ve been a failure of a job, but you won something today, you won him. 

And as you opened up the blankets and let his arms once again entrap you, you felt like the only thing you failed at was not telling him sooner.

[darkhymns-fic]

A Pair of Would-Be Pastry Chefs

Nothing is better than chocolate brownies - just the trick in making it was a bit of a challenge. But for Lloyd and Colette, little miracles can happen.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel, Noishe, Dirk Rating: G Mirror Link: AO3 Notes: This was a request fic done for Umbry on twitter! Also wanted to write a quick colloyd for today. Happy Valentine’s Day!

--

It was Genis who was usually the one making the desserts - so this was entirely new territory for the both of them.

"So is… this the right amount of flour?" Lloyd held out a wooden drinking mug full of the ingredient, practically near to overflowing. Much of it was already on his hands and cheeks, as if he had been recently standing under fresh snowfall. "It said to use a cup but we have a lot of different sized cups here…" Should he have used the smaller ones they had for tea?

Colette turned her head towards Lloyd, her hair tied up in a neat ponytail, though several strands were already loosening from its hold. "Ah, I think that should be okay, if we - uh oh!"

Unfortunately, she had been holding onto the bag of cocoa powder while they were talking.

Noishe was peering at the pair from outside, his head just poking past the front doorway, large ears flicking with each stumble they did throughout their attempt at baking. He whined, keen enough to grab Lloyd's attention as he helped Colette off the floor.

"Can't come in here, Noishe!" he warned. After all, chocolate was bad for dogs! Although Noishe only kept looking at them with worried eyes. But it wasn't like they were going to burn the kitchen down…

All they had really done was heat up the brick oven, and crack a total of one egg into a bowl to whisk with the other ingredients… But two of them, both cocoa powder and flour (Lloyd had to drop his maybe-a-cup to catch a falling Colette) were now spread out all over the floor. 

“Ah, I messed up again…” Colette looked down at her white apron where another third of the spilled cocoa powder had decided to decorate it in erratic patterns. 

“It’s okay! We still have half a bag left. That’s more than enough.” Lloyd blinked at his dropped cup, quickly retrieving it. “I probably should have used the clay ones anyway. They’re not as big.”

Colette sighed as she clutched at the half-empty bag, looking over at the table full of prep work. A quarter-full carton of eggs that Dirk had gotten from the store at Iselia the previous day, several bags full of sugar, brown sugar, as well as chocolate chips, and also a stick of butter that looked dangerously close to melting…

They had barely started on step one of making the red velvet brownies.

Lloyd guessed the source of Colette’s small pout, and quickly picked up the whisk that was meant for the later stirring, eyes going to the bowl that only had yellow yolk in it. “Don’t worry! We just gotta whip all of these together, right? Then we put it in the oven… Wait, when do we put on the frosting?”

“I’m not sure…” Colette admitted. “I was trying to follow Genis’ directions, but there was so much. Also I think I dropped the directions somewhere when I tripped earlier too.”

“Oh.” Lloyd shrugged, taking the bag of cocoa powder from Colette’s hands. “We can just wing it 

then! I kinda remember what Genis did for this...I think.” He was maybe about seventy percent confident on that front.

Both of them were wearing matching aprons that were a few sizes too wide (courtesy of Dirk, who was also lending his kitchen while he went out woodcutting), with the sleeves of their jackets pulled up to their elbows for better movement. There were a few mishaps with some dropped eggs, Colette nearly burning her fingers on a hot cooking tray which Lloyd helped treat quickly, and wondering where exactly the milk was after about twenty minutes of searching through an overstuffed icebox.

Then again, nobody said baking was going to be easy.

“Do you think… we should just buy the chocolate?” Colette suggested, a shy smile on her face. “I’ll just keep messing up…”

“Colette, it’s okay! I told you I wanted to make it with you. We just gotta take it one step at a time.” Lloyd grinned wide, going to the table and practically upturning the rest of the bag of cocoa straight into the bowl. The result was a cloud of chocolatey goodness rolling into the air around them. “Ack!”

Colette coughed as well, and by then Noishe had turned tail and left, as if the chocolate explosion had been another monster. But once the air cleared, Colette looked to Lloyd and started to snicker.

“W-What is it?” Lloyd said, followed by another cough leaving him as some particles of chocolate snuck into his throat.

“Your hair! It looks like chocolate frosting now!” Colette couldn’t stop giggling, looking at Lloyd’s spiky hair like it was the top of a scrumptious ice cream cone. The cocoa powder had given his hair a delicious texture. Even as Lloyd tried to brush it away, it only made his hair look more disheveled and adorable. 

“Sounds like you really want some chocolate if that’s the case,” Lloyd reasoned, hands on his hips. “Come on, let’s make the rest! I bet these will be even better than what Genis can come up with.”

“Hehe, you’re right!”

Of course, both didn’t totally believe that statement, but it was fun to dream. And it cheered up Colette instantaneously, letting her hands handle the butter, the chocolate chips, and even more of the eggs to be added to the bowl. But then they also had to boil up some hot water, grease up the cooking tray, and oh, where had they put the vanilla extract?

It was during all of this that Colette suddenly stopped in mid-motion to blink - and it was because Lloyd had plopped a dollop of their new thick chocolate mixture onto her nose with his whisk, making her blink. “Ah!”

“That’s payback for my hair!” Lloyd stated proudly.

“But Lloyd, you were the one who poured the powder like that to get it in your hair!”

“...Oh, right. Well, this is payback for laughing!” But he was chuckling just as much, and then quickly caught onto the bowl before it tumbled all their hard work on the floor.

Colette had caught it as well, their hands meeting, chocolate still on her face. “Let’s keep going!” Because she felt renewed excitement to try again, that and the oven behind her was getting hot. Dirk had warned them to not leave it on for too long… 

--

In all fairness, Dirk had half-expected to see a bit of smoke coming from within his home when he arrived. Lloyd and Colette were not exactly the most talented of pastry chefs, after all.

But after putting down the handles of his hand-drawn cart to the soil, the cut lumber within its confines, all that he was greeted with was the sight of a boy and girl, no worse for wear than typical chefs trapped all day within a hot kitchen, seated on the doorstep just outside. They were feeding each other what looked like blackened brownies, some of the chocolate chips on its very top falling to the ground. They looked as happy as children discovering their new favorite treats.

“And here I was being worried when Noishe ran up to me earlier,” he said. The named dog poked his head from out of the cart, his green fur an oddity among the different shades of brown. 

“Told you we’d make our chocolates okay!” Lloyd stated, still half-chewing it as he talked. “And it’s really good, too!”

“Maybe a little burnt though, hehe.” Colette’s hair was now half-untied, her hair also stained with flour and chocolate, but she opened her mouth as Lloyd plopped in another bite of brownie, playfulness in each of their motions. “But, I think it makes it taste better that way,” she said afterwards.

Dirk’s grin could be seen through his beard. “So, I take it that you two are enjoying your Valentine’s then?”

If it had been a few years earlier, before going on their journey together, there may have been a few embarrassed flushes and denials. But Lloyd was grinning wide, reaching to hold on tight to Colette’s hand, neither giving mind to the other’s chocolate-stained fingers. “Yeah, I think it’s been what we needed after everything.” The boy’s face was perfectly alight, the kind of radiance one only got when near something, or someone, precious. It was not a new expression either - it had always been there ever since him and Colette had first met. “Thanks for letting us make it here.”

“And we made some for you too, if you wanted!” Colette said, her smile matching Lloyd’s. It was an ecstatic smile, the kind he would see on her face as a young child, when his son would grab her hand in a game of hide-and-seek.

“You should remember that this is you two’s special day, not mine. But I won’t mind having a small bite later on.”

And as Dirk moved to retrieve the wood from the cart for the fireplace, he tried not to make it too obvious that he could still notice the two of them getting close, to see Lloyd lean in for a quick kiss, and see the flush rise in Colette’s cheeks to match with the red velvet layer of the brownie. Their laughter washed over him like a sun shower. It had really been too long since they had visited last, and was content that they could spend their holiday break here.

He also tried not to show too much outward worry for the smoke he could see building up in the room behind them, the doorway thankfully still open. Only a moment before Colette sensed it, turning around, and for Lloyd to jump up and hurry to get the water from the nearby well.

It didn’t really matter who left the oven on. Dirk had already prepared his home for such accidents long ago. Maybe next time I need to supervise, he thought. But once he had a taste of those chocolate chip brownies himself, long after they had grown cold, he thought he had never had something so sweet before.

It was no surprise. Lloyd and Colette could always make the greatest miracles happen when they were together.

[lu-undy]

Chapter 90 - SBT

Here it is!

"Mike?" 

"Yeah?" 

"We're out with Micky." 

"Oh, alright, be safe out there, eh?" Mike answered from his sofa, while watching the television. 

"Yeah, I'll be home later, he'll drop me." 

"Fair enough, have fun and watch out for your Mum, Micky."

"Yeah, will do… Uh, see ya, Dad." 

Mundy raised his eyes to his father from the door and sighed. This might be the last time he was allowed in his parents' house… 

"Dad?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Love ya." 

Mundy couldn't see it, but Mike's eyebrows jumped. 

"Love ya too, son." He unglued his eyes from the screen and turned to look at Mundy and Caroline at the door. "You be a good boy and take care of your mum, yeah?" 

"Yeah, don't worry." 

They exchanged a smile and Mundy stepped out of the house. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he had been holding, and his shoulders sank. 

"You ok, Micky?" Caroline's higher pitched voice tickled his ears and made him land back to reality. 

"Yeah… Let's get to the van." 

Caroline followed Mundy and hopped in the van that was parked a few meters away. They both fastened their seatbelts and Mundy started the engine. 

"Is your house far from here?" Caroline asked. 

"Nah, it's a fifteen minute drive, something like that."

"Ah, alright." 

Caroline paid attention through the whole journey and was surprised to see that Mundy stopped and parked in the city centre. 

"You live around here?" 

"Yeah, that black door, that's the place." Mundy pointed and Caroline followed the direction he showed. 

"Oh…" 

They hopped off and Caroline followed her son to the door. Mundy took his keys out and unlocked it. As soon as he pushed it open, a white cloud of fluff and her black companion meowed repeatedly and trotted to Caroline and him. 

"Hey, babies… Mum, welcome home." 

"Ooh…" 

They both stepped in and while Mundy shut the door, Caroline's head was moving left and right, scanning the floor, the walls, the ceiling and the furniture. 

"Here, gimme your jacket and go ahead, have a look."

"Thank you Micky." 

"Meow…!"

"Pearl, baby, go take Soot and play with him, Grandma and I need to talk, yeah?" He crouched down to scratch their heads and the cats left their side. 

"Very beautiful house you have…"

"That's all Lu'." Mundy started and came close to his mother to hold her hand and lead her to the living room. "When we got the house, it was practically empty. He did all the decoratin', he chose the furniture and stuff. He's good at it."

"You didn't take part in that?" 

"He always asks me before buyin' something, but I just trust him. Also, uh, see that corridor with the stairs? It needed a new layer of paint and I did that. I do all the heavy stuff, he does the pretty stuff." 

"Oh, I see…"

"And this here, it's the kitchen." 

"Ooh! Very colourful!" She said. 

"Yeah, again, it's all Lu', I just put a fresh layer of light blue on the walls and white on the ceiling. And then, he bought all the kitchenware." 

"D'you have a garden?" 

"Nah, we don't."

"Ah, makes sense, you're bang on in the centre…! I guess the rent is expensive, eh?" Caroline asked.

"Uh… Mum…?" 

"Yeah?" 

Mundy stopped walking and Caroline turned to him. 

"What is it?" 

"We… Uh… We're not payin' rent…" 

"What? You don't have the money for it? How late are you?" 

"No, no, Mum, it's not that… It's uh… W-we actually bought this house." 

Caroline's eyebrows jumped behind her glasses. 

"You… bought it?" 

"Yeah, with Lu's money… Uh, y'know what? Let me make some tea and we can sit down and I explain everything, yeah?" 

"Alright." Caroline frowned slightly. So she had been right, huh? Lucien did have heaps of money…

Mundy got busy in the kitchen. 

"Let me help you, Micky…"

"Nah, you're the guest here, Mum." 

"I'm your mum, Micky, I'm not a guest!" 

"Fine…" 

They put together a kettle and in no time a tray was ready with tea, milk and sugar. 

"Here, try these biscuits." Mundy put a pack on the tray.

"What are they?" Caroline asked. 

Mundy took the tray and headed for the living room, followed by his mother. 

"They're called something-something, I can't remember the name in French but it means 'cat's tongue'."

"Oh, I guess Lucien showed them to you?" 

They both sat on the sofa and Mundy put the tray on the coffee table. 

"Yeah, he loves them with his coffee, but they work well with tea too." Mundy answered as he started to serve his mother and himself. "Here, milk but no sugar, yeah?" 

"Yeah, thank you sweetie." 

They exchanged a smile.

"So tell me about the house." Caroline asked. 

"Right… Mum, you were right, Lu' is… uh… very well-off."

She nodded to herself proudly. 

"We bought the house with some of his money because… Uh… To be honest, he surprised me with it."

Caroline frowned. 

"One day, he brought me here and made me visit it. I didn't really know why. You should've seen it back then, there was nothing in it, absolutely nothing! But then he said that it could be ours if I liked it too."

"Ours?" Caroline repeated. 

"Mum, there's heaps of things that we didn't tell you because… I didn't want to worry you or Dad and I wanted to just… y'know, get along well with you. And now that Dad sees that I've fixed my life, I don't want to tell him how or why."

Mundy paused and put his cup of tea back on the tray. He wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers. 

"Tell me, Micky…"

"I'll try." He took a deep breath. "Here's the thing, uh… I don't know where to start… Hold on…" 

Caroline put her cup back on the tray and put her hand on Mundy's. 

"Start at the beginning." She said. 

"Y-yeah but… You gotta promise." 

"I swore I won't tell your dad a thing." 

"N-no, you gotta promise to… to still talk to me… after I tell you the truth…" He lowered his head. "Mum, please…?"

"Why wouldn't I? You told us you killed a man, but you're still my baby, you're still the same baby Micky that I held in my arms many, many years ago." She put her hand on Mundy's cheek and gently brushed it. 

"Please, Mum, promise." 

"I promise." Caroline said, thinking that there wasn't much left to be worse than actually killing a man.

"Right." Mundy raised his head again. "Here's the true story of Lu' and me then." He cleared his throat. "Back when I was searching for Johnson's alligators, I had a lead that pointed to the Queen Victoria, y'know, the posh restaurant." 

"Yeah, I know it." 

"Well I went there and uh… Pff, it was ridiculous. I put on the only suit I had, the black one that I had for your funeral. I couldn't pay for food so I got their cheapest dessert, a chocolate cake. I sat there and was observing people, trying to find the bloke I was after, and uh…" 

"And?" 

"And that's where I saw Lu' again, but I didn't know it was him, I didn't realise."

"Wait, this was before you found the alligators, right?"

"Yeah. I saw Lu' on the stage there, singin' and playin' the piano…" Mundy had dreamy eyes and a smile on his lips. "He sang a song about solitude. It was in French but… I don't know, I kinda got the idea of the song even if I understood nothing of what he was blabberin' about." 

Caroline nodded. 

"I realised that I liked it there. It was posh and filled with filthy rich people, but I liked listenin' to him. So I came back a few times… Oh, hold on-!" 

Mundy jumped out of the sofa and went to one of the shelves in front of them. He opened a book and retrieved a sheet of paper. 

"I even wrote to him…" He showed his mother the letter he had addressed to Lucien back then. "And I learnt that letters like these, he was receivin' heaps of them. Sheilas were falling like flies for him, understandably so. He was singin' like he meant it, and he was dressed so nice… Looked like he was born wearin' suits, like his tie wasn't strangling him like mine was…"

Caroline smiled. 

"It is true that he is good looking and he has very good clothing taste, elegant and all." 

"Yeah, he does…" Mundy blinked and landed back on Earth. "But yeah, I took that habit of goin' there, spending my last bits of money on a chocolate cake that was very good, yeah, but I couldn't care less about it. And then…"

"Yeah?" 

"Then… Then there was the alligators' thing where I met Lu', not knowing that he was the same person as that singer, and then we spent our time arguin' and fightin' over who would get Duchemin first…" Mundy sighed. "Until the masquerade ball."

"The what now?" Caroline asked, surprised. 

"Duchemin organised a ball with costumes and he invited Lu', the singer. Lucien got me a costume and we went there dressed like rich people from two hundred years ago… It was ridiculous, Mum, but it got us closer to the man and I actually talked to him…!" Mundy opened wide eyes. "Actually, he talked to me, and I got so confused, I wanted to kill him then and there but I couldn't, the place was full of his goons…!"

"What did you do?" 

"Me? Nothing… I couldn't do anything. I stayed there, like an idiot, paralysed. It would have all gone to shit if Lu' hadn't been there. He talked to the guy, like small talk and all, and when we got alone, he calmed me down." 

Caroline smiled tenderly. 

"Then, Duchemin asked Lu' to sing something, but I was convinced this Lu' wasn't the singer, so I panicked! If Duchemin learnt that we had tricked him, we were good as dead! But Lu' went anyway and sang something and that's when I got it… Him and the singer were one and the same…!" 

"Hold on, you didn't see that it was him?"

"When he was singin', he was wearing nicer clothes. But when we were out there tryin' to get Duchemin, he was wearin' uh… What was he calling it…? Uh, bala-balala...thingy? It's a mask basically, so I never saw his face entirely when we were workin' together. But then he sang and I recognised the voice and the manners and everything… I wanted to beat him up for lying to me, but I couldn't make a scene."

"So what did you do?" 

"We went back to town and in the middle of the desert, on the road, I asked him to stop his car and then I beat him up." 

"Micky!" 

"I did…"

"You… beat him up?!" Caroline exclaimed, astonished. 

"Y-yeah. I beat him up and he didn't fight back. I beat him up but it wasn't even the first time. But that time, he let me knock him out completely. I carried him to the Doc' and stayed with him all night, couldn't sleep." 

"Micky… Since when did you get so violent?"

"Since you and Dad were dead and nothin' made sense, everything was unfair." He frowned. "After that, I got a message from Maurice telling me that Lu' might have… gone." 

"Gone? What d'you mean?" 

"I didn't know what he meant either, so I ran to his hotel and when I got to his door, I heard Pearl cryin' on the other side of it. I broke in and -"

"You broke in?" 

"Yeah, and I found Lu'..." Mundy got shivers and wiggled his shoulders to shake them away. "For a second I thought…" 

Caroline hugged him and brushed his back. 

"In your own time, sweetie…" 

Mundy took a deep breath. 

"He was in his bath, fully clothed… He had an empty bottle of wine in his hand and… His eyes were closed."

"Oh, dear…" 

Mundy nodded. 

"I got him out and dried him out before trying to put dry clothes on him. I slapped him on the face, Pearl curled up next to him to warm him up, his lips were blue… And finally he woke up."

"Whew…!" Caroline exhaled the breath she had been holding and put a hand on her chest. 

"Yeah, he woke up but was hungover like hell. I brought him water and some sugar while he talked nonsense… I asked him if he wanted some food or somethin' and he said he was hungry. So I went to the kitchen and cooked whatever I could find while he put on some more clothes."

Caroline nodded to show she was following. 

"A few minutes later, he popped in, in the kitchen, and he… uh… he was still weak so he, uh, c-clung to me, I mean, just cause he couldn't hold himself up, eh?" Mundy blushed and his mother smiled. 

"We had dinner together and uh… I just made sure he could… Y'know… Go to bed safe and stuff…"

"Yeah, I get it." 

"Then I went back to the van and drove away. After that, I tried to get Duchemin on my own. I went to his palace and hunted him down."

"Yeah, I remember you told us about that." Caroline nodded. 

"But I didn't tell you that the only reason I survived this, is Lucien. He came after me, riskin' his skin as much as I was foolishly riskin' mine, and he got me out of there. He drove me to the Doc' and this time, he stayed with me all night." 

"Why did you go on your own?" 

"Cause he had Pearl to live for. I had nothin', no one." Mundy raised his hands before they landed on his lap again. "Who cared who I was, what I wanted, what I was? No one! You weren't there anymore and I had nothing left!" 

Caroline softened and shook her head, the pinching she felt in her heart showed on her face. She put her hand on Mundy's again and brushed it slowly. 

"When I woke up, I was determined to go back and try again." 

"But you nearly got killed?" 

"Who cared?!" He said, his lagoon, eager eyes riveted on his mother's hazel, soft ones. 

"I…" Words failed her and Mundy sighed before a gentle smile appeared on his lips. 

"He had Pearl and uh… There was a person… He-he fancied someone, I knew that much. And uh, I thought whoever that might be, they'd fancy him back, no doubt about that, right?"

"Oh." 

"Yeah, so I thought to myself, well, if someone has to go kill Duchemin and then die, let it be me cause uh… I-I…" The muscles of his mouth wanted to say it but his head hit a bug repeatedly, like a wall. "I was sure that the uh… the person that… I mean…" He closed his eyes and scratched his head and his cheek nervously. "I-I mean… The-the…"

"You were in love with someone too?" Caroline's eyes snapped wide and Mundy hid his face in his hands. "Micky…" She brushed his back. "I know we never talked about these things but… Don't be shy, eh? I'm your Mum, baby, I love you…" 

"No, Mum, you don't get it…" His muffled voice answered as his hands still covered the shame of the truth. "I fancied someone but… I was sure they didn't like me back…"

"Oh, Micky… Look, it's a heartbreak, it happens, it hurts, yeah, but it’s fine… If it didn't work out, that means she wasn't the right one." Caroline tapped his back gently and leaned on his arm. 

"Mum, I…" He sighed. "I can't bloody say it. I know the words, I wanna say them, but I can't." 

"Why?" 

"Because… I'm sorry, Mum!" Mundy burst into sobs. "I'm so sorry… I wish I wasn't like that, I wish I was born differently, I wish I-"

"Shhh… There, there, baby, I've got you." Caroline hugged him and he sobbed against her chest. 

"You and Dad didn't raise me like that, you… I… I'm sorry…! I'm so bloody sorry…!" 

"What are you talkin' about, Micky?" 

Mundy's tears started to drench his mother's blouse. 

"I swear, Mum, I swear I didn't do any harm to anyone, we're quiet and lead a good an honest life, Mum, I swear that we're good people, we don't look for trouble, we lead a calm life, we're just livin' normally, Mum…!" 

"We? You mean Lucien and you? Yeah, I know that you're not hurtin' anyone, what do you mean?" 

Mundy calmed his hitched breath and wiped his face with his sleeves. His hair was a mess and his eyes were red and slightly swollen.

"We… Lu' and me… W-we live together."

"Yeah, I know…?" Caroline failed to understand. 

"No, no, you don't get it." Mundy sniffled and took a deep breath before he took both of his mother's hands in his. His palms were sweaty, his nerves were buzzing and hurting everywhere. "We live together…!" 

"Yeah, Micky, I know, you already said. What is it? Why did you cry? Why apologise?" 

"Mum! You… Ugh… C'mere…" 

Mundy stood up and pulled his mother by the hand. They climbed up the stairs. 

"Meow?" Perle and Soot peeked out of their room and Caroline stopped sharp. 

"Oh, woah, hold on, Micky…" She pushed the door and her jaw dropped. "Is that your room…?" 

"It's Soot and Pearl's room." He answered. 

"Did you… build all that?" 

He smiled as his mother looked at the shelves on the wall, the ropes and other installations that Mundy had built for his cats. They were all painted with different colours, which brought a vibrant atmosphere in the room. 

"Oh, look at their bed…!" Caroline pointed at the little fluffy bed on which Soot was still asleep. 

"Meow…" Perle trotted to her husband and lay next to him. She bathed him and the black cat opened his eyes before yawning. 

"You really love them, eh?" She said. 

"Mum, these cats are my babies. I raised them, I fed them, washed them…" 

"I can see that, eh. They obey you like they understand your words… Anyway, what is it you wanted to show me?" She asked. 

He took her hand and went through the corridor before he stopped in front of a door. Mundy turned to his mother and put his hands on her shoulders. 

"Mum, before I open this door, you really swear that you're not gonna tell Dad, right?" 

"Yeah, I swore and I swear again."

Perle and Soot trotted to them and brushed themselves on Mundy's legs while meowing repeatedly. 

Mundy took a deep breath and turned to the door. He put his hand on the handle and pushed it down. 

"What is it? Your room?" 

Mundy pushed the door open and let his mother in. 

"Oh, yeah, that's your room. Did Lucien decorate it too? I don't see you like the flower in a vase kind of man…" Caroline stepped in and her eyes directly caught the flower vase on the night tables. "And a big, double bed you have, eh?" 

The cats jumped on the bed and lay on it, bathing each other. 

Caroline's eyes went to the wooden suit valet stand. 

"You wear suits now?" She went closer to it and looked at the brand. "And it's a Lemercier too…!" 

"N-no, that's not mine." Mundy was at the door, incapable of stepping in his own room as if it was forbidden somehow. He fidgeted with his fingers while his knees were wobbling awkwardly beneath him. 

"It's Lucien's? What is it doing in your room? Oh…" Caroline went to the night table and saw on each one, a framed picture was resting. She took one in her hand and adjusted her glasses before inspecting it. Mundy closed his eyes and hid his face in his hands. 

"Micky…? You sure are very good friends with Lucien, eh…? You keep pictures of both of you next to your bed? And what's this one? Oh…" 

It was a picture of Lucien and Mundy hugging each other, on the day that the house was officially made theirs. 

"I didn't take you for the huggin' type, Micky…"

Mundy's whole body was boiling, bubbling on the inside and burning in an uncomfortable way. The clock was ticking and he knew that his mother would understand any second now.

"And the bed sheets… They're silk!" 

"L-Lu' likes them…"

"So this is Lucien's room? Why did you take me here?" 

"N-no." Mundy couldn't move. His heels were anchored in the floor and his legs were threatening to give up. "Go look… in the… cupboard." 

Caroline put the framed picture back on the night table and looked at her son. 

"You're shakin', Micky. Are you alright?" 

He nodded as much as he could. 

"Just… go, please." 

Caroline frowned and did as she was told. She went to the wardrobe and opened it. Half of it was filled with suits neatly hanging and the other half was simple polo shirts and trousers. 

"He wears very diverse stuff, eh?" 

Mundy took the few steps that separated him from his mother and pointed at the suits. 

"That's… his." 

"Yeah?"

His index moved to the polo shirts. 

"That's… mine." 

"Why would you both put your clothes in the same wardrobe?" She raised a curious eyebrow. 

 Mundy moved to the bed. He pointed at Lucien's side, where Perle was lying. 

"His." And then at Soot's side. "Mine." 

"I know Soot is yours and Pearl is his-"

"No!" He exclaimed and the cats moved out of the bed. He pointed again. "His side… Mine…" He turned tearful eyes to his mother. "The bed is… ours…"

Caroline's eyebrows arched high up and Mundy saw it. He saw the precise moment that she saw the truth. Her eyes went to Lucien's suit, then the framed pictures, the wardrobe and finally, the bed. 

"Mum… We live together." 

Her jaw dropped and silence fell.

[normal-thoughts-official]

See I think the problem is sweden is just.. cold amshnsdhdj we can’t really grow spices here so throughout the times it’s just been salt and pepper (until we started importing spice from the colonies like we thought we were the brits lmao) but traditional swedish food is like??? Potatoes and meatballs with lingonberry jam and sometimes you make the sauce out of the fat you fried the meatballs in and it’s gross. I’ve never been to Germany actually but that restaurant sounds disgusting I’m so sorry what are they doingggg. THANKFULLy we have so much food imported from pretty much everywhere that most people’s favourite foods is almost always something that didn’t originate here. Like tacos!! It’s a staple in pretty much any household here, at least where I grew up, and one of my friends is obsessed with Indian food, specifically vindaloo which is so so spicy but so good. As for the cream cheese sushi, at the restaurant here they put it in the maki rolls with veggies and a piece of omelet, i cannot stress how good it is ahaha. I love food so much!!! I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything Brazilian specifically, but since we’re talking about it I’m really curious. If you have a specific dish or anything you think I should try let me know!! I’m gonna ask google but it’s always fun to get tips from someone who is living with the culture behind it and everything!! - salmon anon (salmnon? salmanon? Swenson? I actually wrote swenon but my phone corrected me so I’m leaving it skhdkshd)

aaaa okay so when it comes to brazilian food you gotta understand that there’s...... so much stuff. our cuisine is super varied and rich and there’s just... a lot. so it all depends on what strikes your fancy. but i have a few suggestions, although keep in mind that again, brazilian cuisine is varied and rich and it’s a big country, so i have the mos contact with food from my region (the southeast), although i’ve been to the northeast, north, and south as well

so the basis of culinary in most brazilian households is the rice + beans + farofa combo. farofa is basically cassava flour with spices, it is made to add Big Crunch to the meal. we eat that in every meal, except for breakfast. it’s kinda the foundation/pillar of the plate. i do recommend trying it, absolutely. the most likely version of that for you to find is feijoada, which is a little stereotypical as far as brazilian dishes go, but i doubt you’d find regular rice beans and farofa around in a small town in sweden. in feijoada the beans come with pork parts, and it’s black beans, not regular beans. it is also traditionally served with kale and orange slices. it’s really good, personally i love it

[image ID: a plate with kale, rice, farofa (which is sandy-colored and has a grainy consistency), orange slices, and feijoada. end ID] 

another great dish worth a try is moqueca. moqueca is (usually) fish/shrimp, coconut milk, dendê oil, bell peppers, and other spices. it takes cilantro so if you are a little bitch, i mean, if you don’t like it, you might skip that one. it is also usually served with farofa or pirão, which is essentially farofa but moist 

[image ID: a pot of moqueca. it looks soup-like and has very vibrant colors, particularly red, yellow, ad green. you can see pieces of bell pepper and chopped cilantro in it. end ID]

i do recommend trying anything palm-heart related if you haven’t. palm heart pies are one of my favorite things. and okay i know that you probably won’t be able to find this but i doubt you’ll be able to find most things i’m talking about so i’m just gonna dream big here: catupiry is this kind of brazilian... cream cheese, except it’s creamier and tastier and just superior in general. we love putting it on shit, and when it comes to stuffing, palm heart + catupiry or chicken + catupiry are my favorites

i also love bobó de palmito na moranga, which is essentially palm heart inside very creamy squash. the most common version actually takes shrimp instead of palm heart, but i don’t like shrimp and they’re not super accessible in my city anyway lol

[image ID: a carved pumpkin with shrimp swimming in a creamy mixture of squash, coconut milk, and catupiry inside. end ID]

escondidinho is another great dish. it means “little hidden one” in portuguese and it is cassava puree with dried meat inside, gratinated. there’s also a version with mashed potatoes, ground beef, and tomato sauce, but cassava is better. honestly just go for anything cassava. it’s the basis of native brazilian culinary and it’s fucking delicious. fried cassava, roasted cassava, cassava puree.... if you’ve never had them, they’re like potatoes, but better in every way. and don’t get me wrong, cuz i love potatoes

anything from the state of minas gerais FUCKS and is highly recommendable. tutu de feijão might look bad for a gringo but i promise it’s worth a try. feijão tropeiro is amazing, and chicken with okra is one of my fave brazilian dishes. it’s also easy to make so you can make it at home, even. just don’t forego the rice beans and farofa. my eastern european friend had never seen okra so if you look it up, no, that is not pepper. it’s not spicy. seriously i know yall are afraid of everything but it’s not

as for snacks! one of the greatest institutions in brazil is coxinha. coxinha is a potato-based batter stuffed with chicken (and usually catupiry as well although coxinha without catupiry is also commonly found) and deep fried. you cannot have a kids party and not serve it, it is absolutely essential. but it is also eaten as a regular snack commonly. it is super good, everyone loves it, and i highly recommend

[image ID: a plate of coxinhas. they are round-ish thingies with a “beak” on top, making it look almost like a pyramid. they are orange-golden in color and have a distinctly deep fried texture. end ID]

another great institution is pão de queijo, which i’ll admit i’m not a fan of because i don’t like cheese (catupiry doesn’t count) but i can’t just forego mentioning it. it takes polvilho, which is tapioca (which is a derivation of cassava, i’ll get there in a minute) flour, with cheese, basically. it gets a fluffy consistency that is hard to describe and that many people love. it is most traditional in the state of minas gerais, but you can find it all over brazil and also in other places in south america although recipes vary

[image ID: a bowl of pão de queijo. they are small, round, and white-ish. they have a very thin hard-looking layer on the exterior, but it also has cracks that make you able to see that the inside is fluffy. end ID]

tapioca! you might have heard of tapioca as the bubbles in bubble tea are made of it. it is a kind of cassava flour, but it’s very different from the cassava flour used to make farofa. it is white in color. you just put that motherfucker in a frying pan (no oil needed) and the grains stick to each other, making a sort of... taco-like thing? it doesn’t taste like a taco but it looks slightly like one. then you just stuff it with Whatever You Want. can be savory or sweet, personally i prefer savory but the "classic” one is coconut and condensed milk. another good stuffing to try is what we call romeu e julieta (literally “romeo and juliet”), which is a cheese that we know as queijo minas, but if you have contact with mexican food you might know as queso fresco, and guava paste. i know it sounds weird which is why it has the name as these two things are not supposed to be together but they go WELL together. romeu e julieta is a common dessert and the basis for thousands and thousands of other recipes in brazil

[image ID: a plate with tapioca. it has the form of a taco, but the “batter” is thinner and white. the inside is coconut and condensed milk. end ID]

speaking of tapioca, DADINHO DE TAPIOCA (tapioca dice) is where shit’s at. it is tapioca flour with cheese rolled into a dice format and fried, served with pepper jam, altho you can forego it, but i DO recommend trying it with the pepper jam. it is not super spicy and so so very good. don’t waste an opportunity to try it

[image ID: dadinhos de tapioca. they are small cubic snacks with a golden color and granulated-looking texture. there is also a little bowl with pepper jam in it. end ID]

and an ESSENTIAL brazilian institution: pastel and caldo de cana. pastel is a flour-based batter with a bit of cachaça (sugarcane liquor) stuffed with Whatever You Want (most common tho are ground beef, and cheese. but personally i’m always a slut for palm heart and there’s a local pizza place near my home that also makes pastel with whatever flavor you could possibly want and broccoli with catupiry pastel? PEAK) and deep fried. it is kinda big for a snack but bro it is so very good. and then we usually have it with caldo de cana, which is sugarcane juice. now, caldo de cana is very sweet, so personally i like to put a little bit of lemon in it, which is how we usually make it in the state of São Paulo, but other states lowkey look down on that (brazilians as a whole have a sweet tooth, many of our desserts are Really Sweet) but they are wrong and we are right. anyway, pastel and caldo de cana are usually served at street markets, so once you are done with your groceries, you can sit down and enjoy some. highly recommended altho again i’ll be surprised if you can find any in sweden. but pastel is not hard to make! caldo de cana is tho, you have to have kind of a machine to extract the juice from it

[image ID: pastel and caldo de cana. pastel is a long, golden-colored, thin rectangle with, in this case, cheese inside. caldo de cana is of a brownish-green with a regular juice consistency. end ID]

onto desserts! an all-time brazilian favorite is brigadeiro. that is condensed milk, butter, and cocoa with chocolate sprinkles, essentially. i recommend using dark chocolate as it is otherwise really sweet but it depends on your tastes. do try it tho

[image ID: brigadeiros. they are little balls completely covered in chocolate sprinkles, each places in a smal paper holder. end ID]

romeu in julieta as i already mentioned is very popular and seriously, give it a try

if you’re into sweet stuff, try rapadura, which is our version of piloncillo. it is like 90% sugar tho so seriously, you gotta like sweets

pé de moleque, which literally translates to “boy’s foot”, is rapadura and roasted peanuts, and it’s one of my all time favorite desserts

[image ID: a plate of pé de moleque. they are thick rectangles with almost entire roasted peanuts parts stuck together by a rich brown sort of batter - rapadura. end ID]

paçoca is also grounded peanuts with a little bit of salt and sugar, usually coming in a cork format. they are absolutely amazing and i can’t recommend them enough

[image ID: paçoca. it literally just looks like a small cork, even the color is similar. looks like something totally underwhelming but i promise you it’s so so very good and worth a try. end ID]

and okay i think that’s what i have!! at least off the top of my head (yeah that’s just what i came up with off the top of my head. like i said. brazilian cuisine is RICH) sorry for the gigantic answer that is probably not very helpful, but welp, now you know what to look for, at least lol also if you’ve followed me for over a year you should have known i would do this. BITCH I’M LATINO FOOD MATTERS TO ME

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #393

i’ve got a shitload of surveys backed up, so... get ready, aha.

Have you ever watched the show Bad Girls Club? No, but I adore the Falling In Reverse song, haha. Have you ever purposely made someone jealous? Not to my recollection, no. What kind of shampoo do you use? It's a Dove one for dandruff and I LOVE it. It makes my hair so silky, smells good, and just feels clean longer. Have you ever been told you were a good writer? Not to brag, but I've been told that my whole life. What name do you think is pretty for a girl? "Alessandra" will ALWAYS be my favorite name. If you had to name your daughter after a Disney princess, which one? Hm. Perhaps Jasmine, or maybe Aurora. Do you think telepathy is real? Nope. When you were little, did you ever think you would be a magician? Not seriously, no, but I was OBSESSED with those little magic kits you could get at the Scholastic book faire. What is your opinion on poetry? It's a beautiful way of expression, and I especially love the figurative approach to it. I truly think writing poetry can even help discover things about yourself. What, if any, TV shows do you have on DVD? I have seasons 1-4 of Meerkat Manor, and you can bet your ass I'll get Season 5 once that's available in that format! Would you rather go in a hot air balloon or go sky diving? Hot air balloon, probs. I'm too scared of sky diving. Homework–would you rather do it on a Friday or Sunday? Friday. I like to get it out of the way the day it's assigned. What cartoon character did you have a crush on as a kid? Ash Ketchum, haha. What video games have you beaten? Loads and loads. Who makes the most in your entire family? I actually don't know. Probably Ashley? She's a mammographer, along with other duties. If a cosmetology class was offered at your school, would you take it? No. Do you think plastic surgery is no big deal? If it's done safely and not overdone to the point it affects your health, you damn well go for it if it helps your self-confidence. Your favourite meal growing up? Spaghetti, or as I called it, "psghetti," haha. How many bedrooms in the house you live in? Three. What link was the closest person to you that’s died? If we're talking humans, Jason's mom. If you wanna include any living being, then absolutely my dog Teddy. Anything about your mum that annoys you? She is ALWAYS right. Doesn't matter what it is. What meal that your mum cooks is your favourite? I don't know. Have you ever tried caviar? Can you explain the taste to me? HELL no. What, in your opinion, will cause the end of the world? The universe itself is infinite. If we're talking Earth, completely eliminated, either a gamma ray or black hole. If your siblings are old enough, what do they do for work? I mentioned Ashley already, and Nicole is a social worker with children. I actually don't remember what my half-siblings do for work. Have you ever been jealous of your siblings? I've been envious of them for sure, absolutely. They're actually doing shit with their lives and seem to have themselves figured out. I gotta admit I'm jealous of how close Ash and Nicole are, too. I want to be the third person, but I'm just... not. We're so very different that it's hard to get as close as I want. Do you prefer a proper restaurant to a fast food place? Depends on what I'm feeling of course, but I think like most people, I have a more quality experience at sit-in restaurants. What is the biggest dream of your life? Photograph and come into physical contact with meerkats (whether they climb on me or I pet them, idc) at the KMP. I WILL cry. What is a country you’d never ever visit? Places like North Korea. Have you ever had any trouble paying your bills? I don't have bills. Do you think life should just hand things to you? No. Would you rather live off government benefits or earn your own money? I desperately want to earn my own money. What type of a survey do you skip altogether? I don't like bolding surveys. I like the opportunity to explain in normal ones like these. Do you get nervous before “meeting the parents”? Yep. Do you own a knife? Not any besides your ordinary kitchen knives. What song do you want played at your funeral? I have a few in mind. "Life is Beautiful" by Sixx A.M. and "Angels on the Moon" by Thriving Ivory probably top the list. Do people get shocked by how old you are? I don't know, but probably, given how dependent I am on my parents for like, everything. Do you have any features that people notice right away? As in a mole on your cheek, or a big nose, big teeth, etc? Apparently my lip ring. What's the last compliment you received? The lady that works with me in the TMS office liked my Umbreon shirt. What's the meanest insult you have received? Probably that I'm a martyr (and not in the good way). Have you ever fallen asleep with the last person you kissed? Yes. Does your best friend approve of the last person you kissed? They're the same person lmao. Do you have any friends with kids? Yes. I feel like most of my FB friends have kids. What was the last thing you spent your money on? I bought my niece her birthday present. Where did you first kiss the last person you kissed? My back porch. Does your favorite song remind you of anybody? Just America in general. Do you have a member of the opposite sex you’ve told everything to? Jason, pretty much. Do you want any tattoos? If yes, what? Oh hunny, I want LOADS. Are promises important to you? YES. Do NOT promise me shit if you're not planning to keep it for sure. If you’re a girl, do you have big hips? Too big? Well, for one, I'm overweight, so. But if you're talking bone structure and spacing or whatever, then no, I'd say they're average. Girls, do you think you look good in dresses or not? Who says only girls can wear dresses? But regardless, nope. Have you ever taken a pottery class before? No. Have you ever had a period in your life where you were on a major health kick and you were really picky about what you consumed? A few times. Is there anything that you’d never do for any amount of money? There's a good number of things. Do you know what your next injection will be? No. Does anyone call you darling? If so who? Sara sometimes. If you had to have a cartoon character tattooed to you what would it be? If I had to, maybe Pikachu? It'd be a nostalgia thing. You have to dye your hair two colours, what do you choose? Two colors at once? Maybe a pastel mix of pink and purple. Or black with orange highlights and layers? What a Halloween vibe. Ever had something stolen? If so what? Yeah; our basketball hoop was stolen from our yard when I was younger. Do you feel the water in a pool before you get in, or do you dive right in? I feel it. Have you ever touched a squirrel? No. What's better, candles or incense? Incense! When's the last time you’ve smelled a skunk? I'm actually unsure if I ever have. Have you ever used a Ouija board? No. Have you ever met anyone who claimed to be a witch? Yes. Does it annoy you when high-schoolers wear Elmo bookbags? Why the fuck would I care? Do you go along with prank-callers, or just hang up? I don’t even answer numbers I don’t know. Would you ever tattoo a lover’s name onto your body? No. Do you own any version of Guitar Hero? I have a lot, actually. Do you use mouthwash every single day? No. Have you ever eaten White Castle burgers? Only those you warm up in the microwave. We don't have the actual restaurant here. What’s the weirdest thing in your body that you can crack? Nothing weird. Do you like chocolate milk? Who doesn't? o: Do you know anyone with asthma? Yeah, my mom. Why aren’t you texting the last person you kissed? Because she's probably asleep, and we mainly chat on Discord now. Has someone ever called you at midnight on your birthday? Many years ago. Have you ever slept in the same bed as your friend? Yeah. Do you want to see somebody right now? Yes. Do you currently have feelings for anybody? Yes. When was the last time you changed in front of someone? I'm not sure; especially with how I feel about my body now, I avoid it like the plague. Realistically though, probably Mom, passing by or something. Who did you last fall asleep with? If you exclude my cat, Sara. Think back to the last person you held hands with, would you kiss them? That would be my niece Emerson, and I'd certainly kiss her head. Can you be your complete self around the person you like? She's the only person I feel 110% comfortable being my authentic self around. How many tattoos would you get? I want A LOT. Like, more than I'd keep track of. How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? None.

[okwhotookmyusername]

First 10 and last 10!

1.what color are your eyes?

My eyes are green but they were blue when I was little :p

2.do you like your name? why?

Considering I picked it, yes ;D I like that it can be long for professional crap but shorter in 2 ways ;p

3.what is your relationship status?

Very single D:

4.describe your personality in 3 words or less

Sarcastic, Sad, “Fucker”

5.what color hair do you have?

Naturally brown, but it’s like half bleach blonde right now

6.how would you describe your style?

Uhh...gay but lazy

7.what size bed do you have?

Queen....? I dunno but it’s big :p

8.any siblings?

I have a sister, she’s two years older than me

9.favorite tv show?

I don’t really watch a lot of tv but I rewatch Voyager and Corner Gas a lot :/ (Corner gas is a Canadian comedy show from 2004(?), just in case anyone has no idea what it was :/)

10.describe your dream date

I really have no idea but just...something quiet yknow? I like museums

40.last person you called

My mom probably, I don’t like making calls

41.chocolate or rainbow sprinkles?

UGH if I gotta pick? Rainbow obviously

42.what shirt are you wearing?

I posted a selfie earlier and I’m still dressed the same, so...not really wearing a shirt exactly?

43.what is your phone background?

Just black with a diagonal stripe near the bottom the colours of a lesbian pride flag

44.do you like it when people play with your hair?

If they ask >:( people used to just touch my hair if I shaved it (looong ago) and when it was long sometimes people would just touch, especially if I said not to

45.have you ever been drunk?

YUP, a few times, the first was when I was? 15? I drank a lot for a few years after that

46.favorite lyrics right now

:| I got no idea, had a song stuck in my head earlier but I forgot it

47.summer or winter?

Winter, I get way too warm in summer and you run out of ways to cool off, at least in winter you can just get more layers

48.day or night?

Probably night, its nice and quiet, and daytime is just so bright :(

49.dark, milk, or white chocolate?

If I have to choose? Milk. But I don’t really like sweets that much.

50.who was the last person you cried in front of?

Again, probably my mom

Thanks Ben :)

[m88n]

Hiiii ti! Omg no it’s all good, I tend to reply pretty promptly otherwise I will actually completely forget to and will only remember in three month’s time haha. It’s all good, as long as you enjoy talking to me and I’m not disturbing with so many messages 😂. I’d love talking but am v conscious everyone has diff boundaries and I don’t think your priority should ever be a stranger on the internet lol. Oh that’s so good!!! i’m quite spiritual too. I think you get more zen as you get older 1/??

too because you just give no shits about what people think. Omg more power to you!!! i feel like I transform when I wear it, like a magical girl 😂 but I’m just too lazy to do it lol. That’s a good way to be 😌. What’s ur fave makeup brand or product?Ooooh if u want I will send them to u via insta then!!!! I am always cooking and baking for my friends and fam 😌. i think one of my favourite cakes is an opera cake, which has layers of coffee buttercream and chocolate ganache 🤩2/??

or a white choc muddy boi!!!! Except I need them to be dairy free because milk hates me 😭. do u have a fave sweet or cake? I’m march 14! White day 🥰. Hehe yes pls don’t visit me until it’s safe 😂 in the interim we can plan a brunch crawl LOL. seclusion ftw. I was psyched when I went into remote working LOL an introvert’s dream!!! Luv u hope ur well get on the beers 🥰💖🥰💖 3/3 lol soz i think the formatting got eaten when i submitted these dkjaskdsa

🌚🌚🌚🌚🌚

Hello ... its me again steph 🥺💖🌚 hahahaa i feel you on that, but i really am someone notorious for replying late 😂😂💀💀😔😔 rip i mean as long as ppl get i dont mean any harm 🥲🥲 feel like my way of doing things is just very .... ??? Sometimes LMAO at times i feel like that part of me *might* b a lil similar to jaemin (??) like ppl cud sometimes b like tf is she thinkin HAHHAHA but i mean is me guys wat can i do abt it ..... yes v happy to hear that ur conscious about diff boundaries (giving + receiving) steph cos i feel like thats super ipt when ur relating to others.....🥺🥺👍🏻 but please plz don’t think ur a stranger to me steph😢😢😢 makes me feel the saddo !!!!

Thats so true hahaa omg it took me awhile to get here tho girl and im happy i did (and happy u did too🥺🥺💐) cos i feel like not everyone has the privilege of coming home to urself methinks. Same omg i literally do it to boost my fickle self esteem during the rona & bc im not exposing myself to any action these days 😂😂😂🌚🌚💀 n its fun !!! Exactly like a magical girl, like what kinda look shud i do this time !! Hahaha. Hmmm im a lipstick hoarder LOOL n i always love it when i mix colors n stuff... i dont usually buy korean makeup but i love their lip products omg !! My recent fav lip product is apieu true matte liquid(?) in some almond omg... its so good girl like i cud smudge it or wear it straight up🥲🥲🥲 love makeup LOL. Do u have any fav makeup products steph or a fav brand ???🥺

YES PLZ ok its about time i come home 2 our ig dms 😭😭😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 send them plz (if u don’t mind) !!!! 🍪🧁 Like how cat spams her cat pics whether or not were there to respond HAHAHAHA :”D ohhhhh damn opera cake is a solid cake yum !!! 🥲🥲 ohhhh u a white choc girl ?? (Fitting cos ur birthday on white day ???) I personally dont really like white choc😂 or what typa choc u like the most ??

Noo that must’ve been annoying since u love baking n desserts :/ but u gotta do wat u gotta do . Lately my stomach thing is doin its thing n man ... its so annoying but truly Health #1 . !!! ! Yes omg !! I LOVE strawberry shortcakes and fruit rolls like ones ud see at a japanese bakery 🥺🥺🥺🥺 or anything chocolatey mmmmm. Or mille crepes!!! Ohhhh damn. So many of my friends have birthdays in march ... u got anything planned for ur special day steph?? 😃👍🏻💘 LMAOOO but yea im actually planning to eventually visit u tho (if im still welcome then LOL), cos im also visiting my other friend who moved to syd 🥲🥲🥲👍🏻 two birds w one stone only rona getting in the way . OOOOO brunch crawl yes yes yes please !!! I went to syd a few yrs ago n i remember eating so many good food damn. 🥺🥺🥺✨✨✨

LOL omg dude fr tho 😂😂 my extrovert friends r like dying n im rly js chillen in my room HAHAH 💀💀💀💀 thank yu i hope ur well too luv 🥺💘💐 unfortunately getting on the beers will still hav 2 be postponed bc my stomach is being an ass these days lsjfkfjwojdj 💖💖💖✨✨✨

[gem-quest]

[ SIDEQUEST 03. — INFERNA & NEDDY ]

neddy doll by @bebemoon​ on urstyle! story is an optional read, as it’s just a continuation/spinoff that fanfan & i felt like writing <333

in which neddy and inferna share a single brain cell ;DDD

It wasn’t long after Ace had left when Inferna got a response from Neddy: let’s meet up!

And there was a picture attached, to help Inferna navigate the snowy forest.

Inferna sighed, swiping her inventory closed as she prepared to go over to the copse of pine trees that Neddy had indicated. She had a few bars of chocolate; she was thinking of melting them in order to make a gooey approximation of hot chocolate (it was a shame that she didn’t have any marshmallows with her, though). And even if they couldn’t find anything dry enough to make a fire with, that was a non-issue with Inferna’s totally swaggy fire-mage powers.

I hate the fucking cold, Inferna thought to herself, disgruntled, as she trudged through the snow, keeping half an eye out for any other Yetis who were in the mood to terrorize some rando who was dumb enough to have her hair dyed a glittery bright orange. Even in the real world. Winter as a concept can go fuck itself.

Inferna finally arrived, about ten minutes later. “Sup,” she greeted, pushing through branches and pine needles until she was also standing in the clearing.

She gave Neddy a once-over. The Moonstone player had been wearing her signature flowy fabric-y thingies when they were separated, which Inferna would never ever wear in her life because 1) she would freeze to fucking death, and 2) she would tangle herself in all the floating bits of wispy cloth and fall on her face like a scrub. But now, Neddy had somehow copped herself some kind of...ice armor? Pretty ice armor, too.

But, no, there was also something else that was different...

“Hey!” Inferna said, abruptly. “What the hell happened to your hair?!”

Neddy looked miserable. “Be real with me,” she replied. “Is it the geriatric travesty I think it is?” 

Inferna scratched her head, consideringly. Neddy’s lilac hair had somehow turned itself white - did she use a hair dye potion, or something?

“It’s...definitely something,” she said, then grinned, picking her way through the snow until she was standing by the other girl (waving hi to cute lil’ smol Jack as she did so. He looked more like a puppy and less like a dragon, when he was shrunken down like this!).

“Okay, yeah, it looks wack. What’d you do to it?!?!”

Neddy emitted a small plaintive sound. “I don’t know,” she whimpered. “It’s something to do with this-” 

She pulled out a crystally ice dagger. Inferna frowned.

Shaking her newly-white head, the other player threw her free hand up, clueless. “I pulled it out of a tree and now I look like this!” 

“Huh,” Inferna said, leaning closer, curious. “Can I see?”

And, because Inferna was - and one cannot stress this enough - a total fucking idiot, she reached out to take the crystalline dagger from Neddy’s hands.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! What is it doing to me?!” she shrieked, pulling her hand away from the dagger.

Too late: there was already a thin veneer of ice creeping up her legs, over her boots. It felt - cold, like all those times rainwater had soaked through her shoes while she trudged to class without an umbrella because her 0 IQ ass could never remember to check the weather. She frantically shook one leg, then the other, trying to somehow get the ice to just go away and leave her alone...!!!

“Oh!” Neddy shrieked, too. “Oh my god!” 

Inferna watched as Neddy, who was just as horrified as Inferna, immediately dropped the dagger into the snow and tried to help her in the only way she knew how- by breathing warmth onto her. Great misty plumes of breath billowed into the wintry air, doing- as one might imagine- fuck all to actually stop the ice-spread. And the ice was enveloping her entire body, like the scene with Anna in Frozen!

“Why do I have to be an ice sculpture, I hate the cold, why couldn’t I be a cake sculpture instead, at least I’d be able to eat my way out,” Inferna wailed miserably, lifting her hands up to watch as the ice hardened over her fingers. “This is bullshit!”

She swung her gaze wildly around the clearing. “D’you know if Jack can do anything that melts ice???” she said to Neddy. “I mean, he’s a dragon, right? Dragons can do cool shit?”

“He breathes poison!” her friend screeched, anxiously flapping her hands. “That definitely will not help!”

“Why can’t he breathe fire?!” Inferna also screeched. “How am I supposed to use my Tearoom coupons for free scones if I’m a fucking ice sculpture!!!”

...wait a second. Breathe...fire? 

Inferna could do that, right? Well, she couldn’t breathe fire, but she could still summon fire…? Because, you know. Totally swaggy fire-mage powers???

Oh. Duh, she thought, belatedly.

So, Inferna raised her ice-covered hands again, and concentrated. The layer of cold that had spread over basically her entire body dampened her powers a bit, but they still worked.

After a few seconds, her hands began to warm up, and they started emitting a faint orange glow. A few more moments passed, and the ice had begun to crack and melt.

“Hey! Shit, I think it’s working!” Inferna exclaimed, holding up her palms for Neddy to see.

Neddy clutched her chest, looking just as relieved as Inferna felt. “Oh, thank god,” she exhaled. 

When the ice over her hands was gone, Inferna continued melting the ice off her body with the small flame hovering over her palms, grimacing as the frigid water soaked through her clothes. Once the ice was all gone, she grabbed her player-plexus and swiped open her inventory, dragging out about half a dozen H-rank “hair dryer” potions.

She uncorked one of the glass vials and dumped the gaseous contents over her head. There was a poof! of lavender smoke as the glass vial shimmered out of existence. 

Inferna felt...drier than she had been, but not 100% back to normal. Which made sense - the potions were specifically made to dry hair, after all. She continued dumping potions over her head until she was completely dry, then turned to face Neddy again.

“So, what’s up with the new look? How come you didn’t turn into an ice sculpture???”

“Trust me, if I knew I’d tell you,” said Neddy. She bent down to very cautiously take the dagger up again. Inferna watched as she stood up straight, unharmed, and frowned down at the weapon. “I don’t know.” 

Inferna frowned, too. “Well, do you want some hair dye potion to try to turn your hair back? I have a ton.”

And then she giggled, just a little bit. “But that white-haired look is still pretty great, I gotta say.”

Neddy made grabby-hands, and Inferna laughed again. “Please!” Neddy exclaimed, so Inferna pulled her player-plexus up to snipe a quick picture of Neddy with her white hair - grinning the entire time - before she swiped open her inventory, scrolling over to her H-rank cosmetic potions. 

“What color do you want? I’m not sure if I have your exact lilac color, but I have some other pretty purples.” And she held her plexus out so that Neddy could see.

“Ah. Well, the palest purple you have will do,” Neddy answered. 

Inferna squinted at her purple hair dye potions. She had a very light, washed-out violet-indigo color, so she dragged it out and examined the glass bottle thoughtfully, gently swirling the semi-gaseous substance inside. “You wanna try this one?” she asked.

The other player nodded tentatively. “Sure. Let’s- let’s try it.” 

Inferna shrugged. “Aight, here goes,” and she upended the contents of the glass bottle over Neddy’s head.

There was a flash of purple smoke and silver sparkles as the hair dye potion settled over Neddy’s hair. The bottle disappeared, magicked away into nothingness, and Inferna switched her plexus camera function into selfie mode and passed it over to Neddy so that she could see what she looked like.

“You think it worked?”

With her lips in a line, Neddy turned her head this way and that, getting a good look at the colour from every conceivable angle. Then: “It’s a little bluer than before, but...yeah. Yeah, it worked. It’s better than the white, at least.” 

Inferna grinned. “Lit! We should go find somewhere to sit down, then. I want to make hot chocolate.”

She took her plexus back, dragging out a tin can filled with sugar cubes that had a small tray attached to the inside, filled with Inferna sauce - sort of like the set-up for the Nutella to-go thingies that Inferna loved - and carefully dipped a sugar cube in the sauce before tossing it at Jack.

“Errrrpf,” the dragon purred, and Inferna beamed at him. She leaned down to scratch him behind his ears, then scooped him up in her arms, her player-plexus in her free hand.

After she was ready, she said, “C’mon, let’s go!”

“Right behind,” answered Neddy, and they set off at a brisk pace (well, as brisk of a pace as she could get in the stupid six inches of snow covering the ground), Inferna hugging Jack to her chest and letting his head settle on her shoulder. They walked for a few minutes before Inferna found a small clearing with a few large-ish, flat rocks that they could comfortably sit on. 

She brushed the snow off of them and plopped down, patting the spot next to her for Neddy and letting Jack settle in her lap before she started scrolling through her inventory.

“Do you think you have any water or milk or something in your inventory, for hot chocolate?” Inferna asked. “I definitely have the chocolate we’d need.”

In response, Neddy swiped into her inventory, humming a question. Inferna watched her scroll for several seconds before stopping on an item. 

“Dragon’s milk is all I have,” she said, a small wrinkle forming between her brows. “Don’t suppose that would work?” 

Inferna paused, and considered. “Will it give us cancer?” she asked, dragging out two cups and the chocolate she bought the other day.

Neddy blinked and looked back at the Plexus screen as if it would provide the answer. “Er, not- no, I don’t think so,” she replied. 

Inferna gave a nonchalant half-shrug. “Okay, let’s try it then,” she said, taking the chocolate out and setting half of it in one of the cups. She summoned a ball of fire and balanced it on her open palm, holding the cup above the flame and waiting for the chocolate to melt, occasionally putting out the fire to use her hand to stir the chocolate.

Once the chocolate had turned somewhat gooey, Inferna threw Neddy a glance. “You have the milk?”

In response, the other player produced the little glass stoppered bottle of milk from the Plexus. A cartoonish blue dragon was emblazoned on the item.

Inferna grinned. “Pour some in?”

And once Neddy had filled the cup the rest of the way with the dragon’s milk, Inferna let the hot chocolate sit over the flame for a few more minutes, stirring the entire time, before she extinguished the fireball. “Ta-da!” she exclaimed, handing the hot chocolate to Neddy. “Tell me how it tastes? And ooh - be careful, it’s hot.”

Neddy accepted the cup gratefully and blew at the billowing heat coming off of the mug. She took a sip and hummed. “It’s not bad, actually!” she said, a note of excitement in her voice. “Can’t even taste the...dragon.” 

Inferna quickly made another cup of hot chocolate for herself, and took a sip. “Mmm, you’re right,” she replied. “It just tastes like regular hot chocolate.”

She grinned. “Good to know that dragon milk has its many uses!”

They sat in silence for a while, drinking the hot chocolate - with Inferna feeding Jack sauce-covered sugar cubes every few minutes or so, to the dragon’s delight - and Inferna had just polished off the last of her drink, her player-plexus already in her hand as she began scrolling through her inventory to see what else she could make, before a Yeti burst through the trees and into the clearing. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Inferna shouted, as the Yeti roared and advanced. “Can’t we ever get some peace and quiet in this damn game?!?!”

Inferna jumped up - displacing Jack as she did so - and pulled one of her flaming daggers out, bringing her free hand up and firing off a quick succession of mini-fireballs at the stupid Yeti. A few ash-gray spots bloomed over its torso, the fur smoking and charring as it came into contact with fire, but the attack didn’t do much to slow it down.

“What now?” Inferna heard Neddy shout, and when she whirled around to face her, the panic was evident on her face.

Inferna shot a bigger fireball at the Yeti. “Uh, I don’t know?!?!?!” Inferna yelled in response, shoving Neddy out of the way as the Yeti responded with a blast of icy magic. “Do you have any ignitium potions??? I’ve already used mine up!” 

They were behind the Yeti, now. Neddy swiped quickly through her Plexus inventory.

“Er, it’s not something I usually collect!” she answered, evidently coming up with nil. 

“Fuck,” Inferna said, with feeling. Jack scurried over the snow to hide behind Neddy’s legs, chittering with distress.

The Yeti was turning around, but slowly. It gave Inferna enough time to lob a fireball at its eye, which set off a cacophony of obnoxiously loud roars.

A thought occurred to her, just as the Yeti reached out to grab for them. Inferna darted to the left, shoving Neddy to the right, and the Yeti's comically large fingers closed over empty air. “You think your weird ice dagger thingy will do anything?” Inferna yelled over her shoulder as she held both her palms up, blasting fire in its direction.

Out of the corner of her eye, Inferna could see Neddy quickly feeling around her person before coming up with the dagger, which had been tucked into a special slot in one of her gauntlets. Hand visibly quaking, she handled it blade-down; like an icepick, rather than a melee weapon. 

“I, er,” she called nervously, “just give me a second, okay?” 

Inferna gritted her teeth. “Make it quick!” she shouted back. 

Inferna continued to batter the Yeti with flames, and it was doing something, because she could tell that it was slowing down. But at this rate, Inferna would run out of steam long before the Yeti did.

Shaking her head, frustrated, Inferna yelled a warning in Neddy’s direction - “You better be ready with that stupid ice sculpture dagger!” - before she quickly darted below one of the Yeti’s swinging arms and slashed the Yeti in the gut with her flaming daggers.

“Now!” she yelled at Neddy, flicking her daggers away and bringing her hands up to shoot jets of fire into the Yeti’s face. She gritted her teeth again as Neddy stumbled a step forward - and seemed to hesitate a moment. It looked like she was gripping the dagger so tightly her knuckles were white. 

A heartbeat passed, then another. 

“Hurry the fuck up!” Inferna yelled again, sweat trickling down the side of her face, despite the chilly temperatures, and she watched as Neddy shut her eyes, breathing out. 

Then, Neddy shifted. Her courage became suddenly evident in her posture. Her eyes flew open and then- 

She leapt...

...and plunged her ice dagger thingymabob into the Yeti’s back. 

“Fucking finally!” Inferna exclaimed as ice began to form over the Yeti’s fur. She shot off one last bit of fire before she threw herself away from the Yeti, landing on her butt in the snow.

She looked up, panting, as the ice continued to spread across the expanse of the Yeti’s torso, down to its legs, up its arms. The Yeti didn’t seem to like it one bit - it continued to roar and thrash, even as the ice solidified over its neck and head, rendering it immobile.

All was still in the clearing.

Then, Jack climbed into Inferna’s lap, squawking something in dragonese, and nudged at the tin can of sugar cubes that had spilled out of her satchel in the melee.

“Holy shit,” Inferna breathed out, automatically feeding Jack one of the sugar cubes. She re-directed her gaze to Neddy, and grinned wildly. “That worked! That actually fucking worked!” 

Neddy appeared just as stunned at her own handiwork. Her mouth hung open. “Wow,” she muttered.

Inferna got up and gathered her things - some of which had been scattered all over the clearing, thanks to the stupid Yeti - before scooping Jack up again and making her way over to Neddy. She punched her in the arm, playfully. “That was badass!”

The other player’s face unstuck at that, and she grinned, putting the heel of her palm to her forehead in awe. “I’ve never done anything like that before,” Neddy laughed. “Wow!” 

Inferna grinned back at her. “Come on. Grab your ice dagger and let’s get out of here, before the Yeti figures out how to escape!”

[l-egionaire]

A Gocup Christmas

I posted this over a year ago to my AO3 and Fanfiction accounts and wanted to post it here.

It was Christmas time in the city of San Fransokyo. People were stringing up lights, putting up their trees, and working to make everything just feel festive. And nowhere was that felt more than the San Fransokyo Institute of technology. The walls of the buildings were lined with blinking high tech environmentally friendly Christmas bulbs, and inside the middle of the quad a massive Christmas tree had been put up and covered in almost every kind of decoration the students could find. The small spray of snow falling from the sky decorated its branches with layers of white, further adding to its holiday display.

Inside the robotics lab, two students in particular where hard at work. One was a young woman with black hair with a purple streak in it and the other was a young man with scruffy wind whipped brown hair and a large nose. They were currently examining a bright yellow bike frame hanging from the ceiling.

"I think it's looking pretty good Gogo." Said the man as he admired the bike.

The woman examined the bike frame with extreme scrutiny. "Yeah, but so far all the practical tests I've done have been in the lab. I haven't managed to try it out on the open road, so I don't know how it'll perform." She looked over at the man. "Besides Hiccup, there is a big difference between something looking good and it actually working the way it should."

"I know, but what can you do? You'd need permission from the university to test out something like this outside of school, you know with their whole "Not letting students test their dangerous experiments outside campus" Policy." Hiccup shrugged. "Not much you can do."

Gogo sighed. "Yeah, guess I'll just have to figure it out after the holidays." Then she cleared her throat and nervously looked off to the side. "So um, Christmas is just two days away."

Hiccup smirked. "I gathered that from the twinkling lights and people wearing Santa hats."

"Yeah, and I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to do something tomorrow."

Hiccup frowned. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Go to dinner or see a flick or something" Gogo suggested, doing her best to look away from him.

Hiccup thought for a few seconds before regretfully saying. "I can't. I've got some Christmas shopping to do tomorrow." He turned away so she wouldn't notice the conflicted look on his face. In truth he'd be using the time to complete a special gift for her. He'd been working on it for weeks and it was almost done.

"Oh." Gogo said sullenly.

Hiccup frowned in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just figured since that since this is our first Christmas together as a couple, we'd spend it, you know, together."

"Sorry, but I really put this off to the last minute." Hiccup said. "Besides, it's just Christmas Eve. As in, the day before. We can still go out and do something Christmas day."

"Yeah, yeah sure." She said, not quite managing to hide her disappointment.

Hiccup noticed her downtrodden expression. "What's the matter?"

Before she could answer, the door to the lab opened. They looked behind them and saw Fred, Wasabi, and Honey all wearing thick Christmas sweaters. Fred's was red, Honeys was pink, and Wasabi's was light green.

"Feliz navidad you two!" Honey said cheerfully. She ran over and pulled them into a tight hug.

"Merry Christmas Honey." Hiccup croaked out.

"Ribs….being…..crushed." Gogo groaned.

Honey let go and pulled on the sides of her sweater to better display the glittering periodic table on the front. "What do you think? I made them for everyone!"

Fred walked over and lovingly rubbed the front of his sweater,which bore the image of a giant blue and orange kaiju breathing flames onto a city. "Honey you are amazing. I have never wanted a piece of fabric to touch my body as much as this one."

Wasabi simply hid his face in his hands and mumbled something about "being roped into this", his other hand trying to cover the red atom on his sweater.

Hiccup stared at them, dumbfounded, while Gogo stood there with an eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Wow, those are really…..something Honey." Hiccup said, feigning enthusiasm.

"I'm so glad you think so, because I made some for you guys too!" Honey whipped out two more sweaters from her purse. One was bright yellow with the picture of a speeding bike and the other was black with the image of a red jet.

The two of them looked at each other before begrudgingly pulling on the sweaters.

"Great. You really shouldn't have." Hiccup said, pulling his head through the neck hole on his.

"Yeah. Really." Gogo grumbled while putting on hers.

Fred reached behind his back and withdrew a thermos and five small paper cups. He unscrewed the top of the thermos and poured a thick white liquid into each.

"My special recipe eggnog." He shoved a full cup into each of their hands and then raised his in the air. "A toast! To this awesome Christmas and all the ones that come after it."

"Merry Christmas!" They all met their cups in the middle and then took a swig of the Eggnog. Unfortunately, Fred was the only one to do so without spitting it out two seconds later.

"Ugh!"

"Yuck!"

"Oh god!"

"Umm, Freddie?" Honey asked politely while trying not to be sick. "What exactly is in this Eggnog?"

"Just a few eggs, some milk, a little bit of scotch, some cinnamon, some nutmeg, ground up Christmas cookies, powdered cocoa mix, mint toothpaste, some holly, and a leaf of mistletoe." He took another sip and gave a satisfied sigh, licking the nog mustache off his upper lip. "I call it Christmas joy."

After hearing the exact list of ingredients, Wasabi covered his mouth and bolted out to the nearest bathroom.

The others grimaced and poured the concoction into a nearby trashcan.

"So." Honey said, hoping to distract from the horrific beverage they'd just consumed. "Hiccup, Gogo, your first Christmas together as a couple. You must have some exciting plans for tomorrow."

"Not really." Gogo said abruptly. "Hiccups going to be too busy."

"Seriously, why are you so upset?" Hiccup pressed.

"I'm not upset okay!?" Gogo snapped. "I just- I gotta go." She grabbed her coat, and her bag, and bolted from the room, slamming the door as she left.

Honey stared worriedly at the lab door. "What was that about?"

"I don't know. All I said was that I wouldn't be able to do something with her tomorrow because I was going Christmas shopping."

"Ah, Hiccup how much do you know about how Asian countries celebrate Christmas?" Honey asked.

"Besides the fact that they eat different foods and do different things? Not much." He admitted.

"Well, in places like Korea and Japan, Christmas eve is usually celebrated more than Christmas day. And it's seen as more of a romantic holiday. Sort of like Valentine's day."

Hiccup eyes popped. "What!?"

"It's just that from what I know, most couples in San Fransokyo spend Christmas Eve together doing something special, so I think the reason Gogo got so upset was because she figured you'd spend that time together."

Hiccups brain was almost overloaded by this new information. "Why wouldn't she just tell me that?"

Honey snorted. "Hiccup, it's Gogo. She's like a brick wall when it comes to expressing her emotions. I doubt she'd admit she wanted to do something romantic with her boyfriend on Christmas Eve."

Hiccup sighed wearily and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Ugh, what am I going to do?"

"Don't worry Hiccup, I'm sure you'll think of something." She left.

Hiccup simply stood there for a few minutes before Fred walked over and slung an arm around his shoulder.

"I feel you buddy. Love can be tough. I bet another cup of Christmas joy would-."

"Not going to happen."

As he walked back home, Hiccup tried to figure out what to do about Gogo. He had no idea Christmas eve was such a big deal around here. God, if this was really as big as Valentine's Day, he definitely didn't know what to do.

He kept going until he reached the Lucky cat Café. The outside was completely covered in lines of Christmas lights. In front of the door was a red bowl set up for charity.

Walking in, he found that the inside was no less festive. The number of lights inside were double the amount outside. The place was packed full of people who had come in to get away from the snow and have a nice warm drink. The air wreaked of cinnamon, gingerbread, and eggnog. In the corner was a Christmas tree that was slightly too big to fit, the tip of the star on top poking into the ceiling. The menu had been rewritten in festive green and red and several holiday exclusive items were circled on it.

Cass came from out of the back wearing a bright red Santa hat on her head and holding a tray of hot chocolates in red mugs. Once she saw Hiccup she immediately ran over to him.

"Hey Hiccup. Glad you're here, there's a huge crowed." She glared up at the stares and yelled. "AND IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE HELP DOWN HERE HIRO!"

"I'M NOT COMING DOWN LIKE THIS!" Hiro yelled down.

"THAN I GUESS A CERTAIN SOMEONE ISN"T GOING TO GET THOSE NEW SERVOS HE ASKED FOR!"

There was a pause before Hiro groaned loudly and came down the stairs wearing a green elf suit with a green elf hat, green pointed belled elf shoes, fake pointy ears, and green and red striped stockings on his legs. His happy outfit was marred by the very unhappy look on his face.

Behind him, Baymax waddled down wearing a Santa suit, Santa hat, and a beard duct taped to his face.

Hiccup put his hand over his mouth trying futilely to hide his laughter.

Hiro glared at him. "Not. One. Word." He growled.

Hiccup snorted into his palm. "Of course not." He pulled out his phone and quickly snapped a picture of Hiro. Before he could stop him, he immediately sent it to Gogo with the caption MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Cass beckoned Hiro down. "Come on. You look adorable."

"I look like a total loser." Hiccup moaned as he came down the last step.

"No, you look great, really. I bet Santa's all ready for you to help out with making toys" Hiccup snickered.

Hiro gave him the evil eye. "Well, I'll have to do that after asking about where you got that nice sweater."

Hiccup looked down, having forgotten he was wearing it. "Yeah, I got it from Honey. She made one for everyone in the lab. She might have one for you too."

"I'm good." Hiro said testily. He went to take the tray from Cass.

Baymax walked over to Hiccup. "Hello Hiccup. And merry Christmas. I have been told that this is a customary greeting at this time of year, despite it not yet being Christmas day."

Hiccup smiled. "Thanks Baymax."

"My scanners indicate that you have lower than average neurotransmitter activity and a slight increase in melatonin. Diagnosis: You are sad."

Hearing that, Cass looked at him worriedly. "What's the matter?"

Hiccup was about to answer but then heard a number of people call out for service. He told her. "I'll tell you later." And they went to go serve the customers.

The work was good. It kept him distracted and took his mind off of his problems. He even managed to crack a grin after a customer asked Hiro to pose with her child for a photo. Seeing him stand stonily in an elf costume with that kid felt like an early Christmas present. Unfortunately, Cass remembered and made sure to question him during dinner.

"So what had you upset earlier?" She asked.

Hiccup, having nearly forgotten about the conversation and with a mouthful of katsu don, simply blinked in confusion.

"Baymax scanned you and said you were sad. How come?" She explained.

Now realizing what she was talking about, Hiccup regretfully swallowed his mouthful of chicken, rice, and sauce, and replied. "Eh, me and Gogo got into an argument and now she's upset."

"Argument about what?" Hiro asked.

"Well, I was going to use tomorrow to finish off Gogo's gift so I told her I was going Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that Christmas eve was considered a romantic holiday in the city and she got angry and baled on me."

Hiro snorted, his face covered in rice." Sounds like you screwed u-OWWW!" He rubbed the spot where Cass had smacked him on the head.

She glared sternly at him and said. "Don't use that kind of language." Then she turned to Hiccup. "And you! How could you tell her you couldn't be with her on Christmas Eve?"

"I didn't realize it was such a big deal!" Hiccup argued. "Most people usually use Christmas Day as an excuse to go out and do romantic stuff!"

Cass looked at him doubtfully. "Really? You told you had a girlfriend before Gogo, didn't she ever want to do something on Christmas Eve?"

"No" Hiccup said, absentmindedly stirring his katsudon. "Honestly, Astrid was more into preparing for holidays. Setting up Christmas lights, decorating the tree, wrapping presents. By the time we we're done all that, we had spent more than enough time together."

"Well you still should've thought of Gogo wanting to do something." Cass pointed out. "Look, this is your first holiday together as a couple. Are you really telling me you don't want to spend as much time with her as possible?"

"Of course I do, I just…..I just wanted to make something special for her. To show her how much she means to me." He sank sadly back into his chair. "I wanted what I gave her to be really special."

"Oh Hiccup, that's so sweet. But don't just focus on what you can give her. Think about what you can do with her too. After all, she knows you love her."

Hiccup knew she was right. Finishing his gift for her might have been important, but he knew he would still miss the time they could have together. Even with his minimal relationship experience, he knew how important Christmas could be.

And he was going to spend it with the woman he loved.

Gogo awoke the next morning still feeling disgruntled from last night. She tried to focus on her usual morning routine of making a cup of coffee with her busted up coffee maker and getting dressed for her morning run and not on the cold feeling of waking up alone instead of with Hiccup next to her or sucking down a mug of brown coffee sludge instead of going out to breakfast with her boyfriend.

She knew her scene last night was stupid. Hiccup had made other arrangements and if he couldn't go, he couldn't go. It wasn't like he was missing out on spending Christmas eve together by choice.

And she hated how sappy she was being. All down in the dumps just because she couldn't spend the day before Christmas with him.

"Get a grip." She whispered to herself. "Plenty of couples can't spend Christmas eve together. It's not the end of the world."

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but think of the Christmas's of her youth she'd spend with her family. Couples snuggled all warmly on the couches holding mugs of hot chocolate. Tender kisses shared under the mistletoe. Heartfelt gifts that were thoughtfully picked out traded between lovers. In her childhood she'd considered it all too mushy and figured she'd never want to do any of that romantic junk with someone. Now the fact that she couldn't do any of those things with Hiccup was making her feel like someone was squeezing her heart.

"Auugghhh!" Gogo roared, clenching her fists and her cheeks burning red. "What is wrong with me!?"

"I'm guessing you're still upset about hiccup?"

Gogo turned around and saw Honey, still in her pajamas, looking at her worriedly.

"No." Gogo lied, her face still flush.

Honey Lemon stepped closer to her and give her an encouraging smile. "It's okay to be upset that you can't be together today. I know I'd be upset if I couldn't do something with Fred."

Gogo raised her eyebrow bemusedly. "Let me guess, you two going superhero Christmas Caroling?"

"And baking big hero cookies for the little ones!" Honey squealed. "You're welcome to join us."

Gogo cringed. The only thing more depressing than spending Christmas alone was acting as a third wheel to Honey and Fred. Especially if Fred brought more of that nightmare concoction he called eggnog.

"I'll pass." Gogo said. She slipped on her boots and went to the door. She turned back and said. "I'm going for a jog."

"Why do you still do that during the winter?" Honey asked.

Gogo shrugged. "Keeps me warm." And went out.

Trudging through the layers of snow that had accumulated over the night, Gogo headed for the stop sign at the end of the street, the combination of her jacket and the friction she was creating keeping her warm.

She was so focused on her run, she just barely heard the sound of her voice being called.

"GOGO!"

She turned around just in time to see Hiccup coming towards her until he tripped and feel face first first into the snow.

She ran back to him and helped pull him up, brushing snow off his jacket sleeves. "What are you doing here!"

Hiccup huffed, his breaths showing up in the cold air. "I lied." He blurted out.

"W-what?"

"I lied. I don't really have to go shopping, That was just something I said because I wanted to finish making a present for you and I didn't want you to find out but I realized how stupid it was to focus so much on that when all I really wanted was to be with you." He said, all in one breath.

Gogo stared at him, not sure how to respond to that, before asking. "Why do you look so tired?"

Hiccup smiled and started digging through his satchel. "Because, I stayed up all night and downed enough caffeine to kill a small house in to make you...this!" From his satchel, Hiccup withdrew a slim black box.

Gogo took it and pulled the top off. Inside, sitting on a bed of crushed velvet was a locket on a small chain. She took it out and opened the locket. Two pictures were set inside the locket, one was of Hiccup bent down next to her bike, examining it closely. The other was one of her in a a white and red sleeveless shirt with a red 6 on the chest and red and white shorts. She was dowsed in sweat and raising her fist triumphantly in the air after winning the San Fransokyo marathon. Hiccup always said it was his favorite picture of her.

She looked up at Hiccup who was rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"I know it's not as good as it could be. I wanted the chain to be longer so you could wear it around your neck and for it to play a little tune when you opened the locket-." He was cut off by her giving him a nice warm hug he quickly leaned into.

She let him go and said. "It's perfect dork." She slid the chain around her wrist. "See? Now it's a kickass bracelet."

Hiccup smiled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Thanks. So, Since it's the day before Christmas I couldn't really arrange something fancy, so I was thinking maybe we could go for breakfast at Cass's hang out for most of the day, get some lunch at noodle burger, go see the tree light up and then go back to your place?"

Gogo grinned. "That sounds great." Then her smile fell. "But, um..."

"What?"

"I'm not so fond of noodle burger ever since I was almost murdered by it's mascot."

"Oh, right." They stood in awkward silence before he said. "Yakl-taco?"

"Better." The two started walking down the street towards the Lucky Cat. They took a second to look at each other with adoration.

"Merry Christmas Gogo."

"Merry Christmas Hiccup."

[fictional-scenarios]

can I please have a scenario where toshinori has a crush on reader, one day during winter he’s shaking from how cold he is and reader gives him her scarf and he’s just a lovesick fool through the whole day? maybe at the end of the day he buys her favorite coffee to her as a thank you? please and thank you so so much!!

thanks, for the warmth

pairing: toshinori yagi // reader

a/n: this was so cute to write i loved it

warnings: none

—————

Days later he’s still thinking about it. Still feeling it, the soft fabric bundled around his neck and draped over his bony shoulders.

It had been such a terribly cold day, no one could blame him for the shaking of his body even underneath all the layers he wore. Toshinori was a bony man, and a (sadly) unhealthy one at that. Winters were almost dangerous for him, and this particular winter had quite the powerful cold front he had to deal with.

At work he didn’t notice the chills quite at much. He was inside, after all, surrounded by walls and heat within his office. Even in the car driving home he wasn’t too bothered. Technology spoiled him with all the heaters he used maybe a tad more than those around him. He loved his warmth, and the warmth was always there to provide in return.

Perhaps that’s why he shook like a leaf in a storm once he was entirely outside for more than five minutes. He waited at the red light with a few other pedestrians, his true form offering little insulation even under his sweater, heavy coat and gloves. His breath left him in misty puffs lost in the brittle air. Though he tries to hide it to the best of his ability, there’s no mistaking the way his arms huddle against himself for warmth.

Beside him, a stranger turns to look up at him with equally suffering eyes.

“Tell me about it,” You laugh nervously and rub your hands together. “When they said freezing temperatures, they weren’t kidding.”

“It would have been safer to stay inside today, it seems.” Toshoniri’s voice wavers as he shakes, and he tries to tug his heavy coats collar up to protect his chin.

“Mhm. Definitely. Wish I had the choice.” Even though you’re oddly cheery, you can’t hide the dreary tone when you slump your shoulders. “My boss would totally kill me.”

“That’s awfully unfair. Don’t they care about their employees?”

You shrug as you play with the hems of your long, grey scarf. “I’m sure to a certain extent. Clearly weather is not part of it.”

“Still… You could get frostbite.” He feels guilty, strangely, for your sake. You just shrug again and shove your hands into your pockets.

“Gotta make money somehow, right? The cafe needs it’s employees.”

As the light turns green, you and him take off, side by side now. It was as though you’d been friends for as long as he could remember. That, or maybe he was just surprised at how easily you spoke to him. There was no hesitation in your words or exasperation.

“You work at a cafe?” He asks, and you nod. “At least you can get some free coffee, then. That should help you warm up.”

“I wish. Boss would take the hands clean off my body.”

He blinks down at the moving ground for a moment, frowning. “You have to pay for all your drinks? Even if you’re an employee?”

“Yep. Damn shame, the expresso mocha is my most favorite thing ever. It doesn’t really bother me, though. It’s just business I guess.”

The way you submit is oddly contrasting to your choice of words. He can understand it, he supposes. Unhappy with a system that you know would be futile to fight against.

As he steps onto the sidewalk, you at his side, he feels a strange sense of disappointment. He doens’t know you, however, there’s a strange feeling in his chest like he wants to know you. He really does hope that when he turns, you follow, perhaps going the same way but you don’t. You stop where you are, hands still shoved in your pockets, smiling up at him. He stops as well.

“Well, it was nice meeting you.” You say cheerily, and his stomach does a strange flip. He wants to ask you your name, but before his mouth can even open, you’re suddenly stripping the scarf from your neck. “Here,” You hum, and much to his surprise you’re on your toes to wrap the cloth around him. When it’s secure on his broad shoulders you take a step back and chirp, “This should help keep you nice and warm. See you around!”

If you hadn’t left a little piece of yourself snug around his neck, he would have felt like he was missing out when you swiftly turned on your heel and left him to disappear into the ever moving crowds of people. Like he could see the ghost of you, Toshinori waits where he stands. Floods of people pass him by but hes stuck in his spot, watching where the image of you was hidden and all that remained was the softness of your scarf.

For the remainder of his day, he feels like he’s not entirely in his own head. Mentally he never left the crosswalk, stunned in his place staring off in your direction while people pass him in blurs. Half of him is eternally grateful for your unprovoked kindness, whereas the other half really wishes he would have asked a few more questions. He would have liked to know your name, or at least where the cafe you worked at was located.

The world worked in mysterious ways, and he supposed that if you and him were meant to be anything more, it would have happened. He doesn’t really want to scour the roads and shops for you- that would be stalking, and he fears that he may scare you off with an approach like that anyways.

So imagine his surprise when you share another chance encounter only days later. It had been with Midnight dragging him to a local cafe just downtown. It was fairly new yet always seemed to be buzzing with life. He had agreed to come for a casual hang out, missing his friends from the U.A., so once more he bared the tough weathers and walked with your scarf once more draped around his neck. The dull grey almost didn’t match with the bright blue and white of his winter coat, and the white fuzz on the hood could have provided enough warmth alone, but he was smitten. That scarf was his favorite item from that moment on.

You were busy taking a customer’s order when he wandered in behind his friend. in the first few moments he almost didn’t see you, too interested in the set up of the cafe he’d never ventured into before, but then there’s the sound of your voice. Even though he’s heard it once in a few sentences, he knows it instantly, and it flips his heart.

“Alright! French vanilla late and white-hot chocolate coming right up!” You wander away from the table and leave somewhere behind a heavy door to place the order before showing face once more. As you press the pad of paper to your chest, you turn quickly, only to come face to face with Toshinori standing at the entrance, still. It was like time had stopped once your eyes met. He watched your gaze shift from his line of vision, to the scarf, and then back to his eyes once more as a smile broke out over your features.

“You!” You cheered and skipped right over. “How are you?”

“Me- Oh- I’m-” Midnight claps him in the back and he almost sputters blood through his teeth.

“Oh, Yagi! Could this be the one you’ve told me all about?”

She does it on purpose, and it’s easy to tell on it’s own even without his knee jerk reaction of flushing a bright red. At least he doesn’t try to hide it, just rubs the back of his head abashedly before you like he wasn’t almost an entire foot taller.

“Uh-… Yeah,” He touches the scarf and sighs contently. “I never got to thank you.”

You smile and bring your notepad up to your chin, grinning. “Aw, no need to thank me. I gotta’ say, it looks nice on you.”

Oh, if he wans’t tomato red before than he definitely was now. He tenses upright and tugs at the fabric nervously, feels the softness between the boniness of his fingers. Midnight on the other hand watches with almost cat-like satisfaction. Her eyes dart from you to him, a smug grin narrowing her eyes. When it looks like she’s about to pounce, you beat her to it.

“Uh- Hey, I’m actually heading on break in a few minutes if you two wanna sit for a bit?” Even though you talk to the both of them standing before you, Toshinori is the only one in your field of view. Midnight, seeing this plain as day and already concocting a plan in her brain, breathes out a drawn out sigh. Dramatically, she presses her hand to her forehead.

“You know, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’m feeling too great. Might need to head home early, sorry Yagi.” She pats his shoulder and leans in close, giggling. “Looks like it’ll just be you and your new friend.”

Midnight doesn’t even give him time to object, even if the look on his face tells you he wouldn’t even dream of it anyways. She’s gone in almost an instant after she eyes you, sticks her tongue out playfully heads out the door.

“What a character,” You laugh nervously. “She seems sweet, though.”

Toshinori sighs lightheartedly. “She’s a good friend, indeed.”

“So, where do you wanna sit?” You ask, shoving your pad into the pocket of your apron. Toshinori’s eyes wander the cafe and plant themselves on a table towards the window.

“There,” He states. “That should work just fine.”

You follow him to the table and sit down across from him, only to stop yourself and suddenly widen your eyes. “O-Oh! I forgot, did you wanna order something? I can totally do that, for you.”

“I-If you wouldn’t mind.” He scratches the side of his face sheepishly, and you stand up to pull your notebook out.

“Just a plain coffee with milk, and um…” He pauses. “An expresso mocha.”

From where you scribble down the order, you glance up at him. “Trying it out?”

“For you, actually,” He smiles when you grin. “As a thank you.”

You light up before him, and he takes note of the way you keep glancing from the pad to him and then back to the pad. It’s cute, he remarks in the confines on his mind. You’re cute.

“Alright, that’ll be right out, and then we can chat for a bit. Sound good?”

Toshinori nods and clasps his hands together on the top of the table. “That sounds great, thank you.”

As you take your enthusiastic leave, Toshinori feels the weight of the scarf on him all over again. It’s much too warm within the cafe to keep it wound up over his neck but he keeps it on regardless.

Once you’re gone from his vision, he grins to himself, and plays with the hem of the fabric.

[haydenandtrish]

A tour of Brussels

From historic to hipster. Timeless beauty to rundown surroundings. Nestled within a country that was once a battlefield for World Wars, revolutions and rebellions – it has seen its fair share of bloodshed and misery. The French, Dutch, German, Austrians and British have all staked their claim to the lands at one point in time. They have rebuilt their city from the ruins of war and have created their own culture within Europe. Now an independent multicultural city flourishing with pride for their craftsmanship, food, craft beers, art galleries and more. Welcome to Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the unofficial capital of the European Union, we can’t wait to show you around. 

All right, let's go. We begin in Koekelberg, north of Brussels. The outskirts of the city are more residential – just like anywhere. It is far cheaper to stay here and we were able to gain a greater appreciation and understanding for the city by being immersed in a more authentic area where few spoke English and fewer tourists were in sight. The area was more run down than the city, the cleanliness was subpar but renovations were happening down streets and we got a bargain breakfast of pastries for only 2 Euros, we can’t complain.

Anyway, back on track. Getting around. Our choice of transport in this city was the Metro. The stations are denoted on street level by a sign with a white M on a blue background. One thing to mention is that the Metro system in every city is exceptional – so far. Our Guide to the tram system. Admittedly it’s a little confusing at first, but the routes are displayed in straight coloured lines with dot points indicating each stop. So, as long as you know the destination you want, don’t freak out, take your time and read the lines until you see your stop. Which platform to be on is easy too because they will put one sign at two separate entrances and your particular stop will only be on one of them.  A little tip: Google Maps is a literal lifesaver. It tells you step by step where to go and it will list your suggested stops. 

All tickets purchased are valid for all public transport within Brussels including the tram, local city buses and Metro.

Ticket Price:

A single fare ticket is 2.10 Euros and valid for one hour from activation.

A full day is 7.50 Euros. Be careful with this one though as it is literally one day, it stops at midnight on the day of purchase.

If you are in town for a few days then a travel card may be of more interest to you. It is 5 Euros to purchase but you can top it up as needed. You can buy these form most Metro stations and you save up to 1 Euro per trip.

If you haven’t guessed already, Hayden and I elect to walk nearly everywhere we can. Yes, because it’s free, but also because this environment is completely new to us and we want to see every little bit. Walking gives us the freedom to make our own route, to stop where ever we want and admire every nook and cranny – and its Europe, so there’s many of those. Brussels is also a smaller city so the monuments, museums and galleries are all quite close to one another. 

Food. A perk of staying outside of the main city is that it is cheaper than central. Le Familial is where we got our cheap pastries from. We ventured out for dinner on our first night at 5:45pm only to learn that most kitchens do not open until 6:30pm. Like I said in our last blog post, Europeans love their late starts and later finishes so definitely keep that in mind for your travels. We chose a restaurant/bar and ordered a couple of drinks to wait it out. Le Scenarios could also be slash night club because behind a makeshift wall was a small club with confetti all over the floor and tiny platforms for dancers. It turns out a lot of places replicate this same design so you are not short for options on a night out. For dinner we enjoyed some pasta dishes with a glass of red and a crepe covered in chocolate for dessert

We also had the best kebab shop down the road from our accommodation too. If you are a potato lover like me, you’ll die over the fact they put fries on them. But that’s not surprising considering that the potato frites (fried potatoes) originated in Belgium. We cannot remember our exact shop, but similar ones are everywhere. On that subject, you cannot miss tasting the fries, there will be a huge line, yes, but they are worth it. Thick chips with a perfectly crusted outer layer that crunches and exposes a fluffy inside. I learned that it’s because they deep fry the fries twice. They are perfect. 

What to see.

Our walk started off at one of the higher points in the city and we worked our way down. We caught the Metro to Louise where we saw Palais de Justice or the Law Courts of Brussels. It was under construction when we visited but the mammoth craftsmanship was evident even behind the piles of scaffolding. We then walked over to the Infantry Memorial which was beautiful and daunting in its own right. Behind it was an incredible view of the city which also had an elevator to get down into the streets.  

L’atelier en ville This place is a funky café that we thought was worth mentioning. It is a café, art gallery, clothes shop and wooden bench top store all in one. We later figured out this was the ‘hipster’ side to Brussels. So if you want a little more modern, less touristy, more artsy and more party, then this is the side of Brussels you want.

Mannekin Pis This little guy is one of the best-known landmarks in Belgium. The fun thing about the mannequin boy is that he is dressed in costume to commemorate each major celebration, event or festival. You can view all of his costumes displayed at the Museum of the City of Brussels. There are actually three little statues. One of a boy peeing, one of a girl (Jeanneke pis) and one of a dog (Zenneke).  And a lot like Pokemon – you gotta catch them all, so keep your eyes peeled because they are not very big and can be around any corner. 

Brussels Park There are many parks in Brussels, but this is the one we escaped into when the parade for the150 years of the tram in the city got a little too overwhelming. Its entrance is directly across from the Belgium House of Parliament too. The park is pictured below and it is incredibly busy due to the parade but it was still a nice park to be in. 

Belgium Chocolate Village For 6 Euros per person, you are able to explore the Belgium Chocolate Museum. We found this self-guided tour extremely informative and delicious. We learnt about the history and process of gathering the cocoa beans, how chocolate is made, and where nearly every different style of chocolate originated from. We were able to stand in a class where the chef showed us how to create ganache chocolate, and yes, there was a taste test too. Some of our favourite moments was seeing the sculptures made out of chocolate, they were huge and the smell of cocoa was euphoric. It’s no wonder we finished our tour in the café upstairs to subdue the cravings. Hot chocolate that was made with frothed milk and chunks of dark chocolate was my poison, whereas Hayden stuck to a chocolate milkshake. However, if you are not interested in the museum and tour, that’s fine. There is a chocolate shop on nearly every block anyways. Plenty of opportunities to treat yourself. 

There is plenty more to discover in Brussels, but what we were not prepared for was stumbling across a fun little parade. Just our luck. Labour Day and 150 years of the tram parade. 

We continued on our walk with one destination in the back of our mind – Grand Place. It was almost humorous because I was asking Hayden to get photos of some trees because the branches were mended to create fences – honestly, I just thought they were cool. We walked alongside the tree fence around to the front and saw the most incredible looking building. I said ‘This has to be Grand place, or Kings Palace just look at the detail’. We tried to pinpoint where we were on the map to no avail. But alas, I spotted a young boy in a blue vest which symbolised he could help with information. We found out that no, this was definitely not Grand Place, instead it was Notre Dame du Sablon (Chuch of Our Blessed Lady of Sablon). A gothic-style Catholic church from the 15th century. 

He went on to explain that we were standing in Rue de la Regence. The significance of this little street? It was lined with hundreds of trams. Why? Because the city was celebrating 150 years since the tram was introduced. There was every single model of tram that had ever been driven in Brussels laid out in order of year. 

There was also going to be a parade beginning at 1400 hours. The trams were to be driven through the centre of the city. We walked past crowds of people, past a makeshift grandstand and behind it was at least 12 different food stalls. We got mojitos and fries and sat down to enjoy what was around us. By now we had been out for hours, and although I enjoy public things, I absolutely despise being in crowds, they just tire me out. I was ready to go home. I was a little disappointed we hadn’t seen Grand Place, but our day had been filled with so much excitement I was content. 

We headed back down to Brussels Central Station ready to catch the Metro back home when we spotted an exceptionally busy street, so of course something had to be down that way. We garnered up the energy and made our way down. We stepped around the happy buskers, we admired the street markets and then we were left completely and utterly speechless... We had finally found Grand Place. And it is most definitely its namesake. 

It’s incredible. A huge square that leaves you feeling minuscule. Gilded buildings that leave you feeling, well, poor. It is comprised of the Hotel de Ville (Brussels town hall) and Maison du Roi (Museum of the City of Brussels) famously facing one another and the Guild Houses completing the rest of the shape. There is detail in every little thing from the post lamps to the pillars, from the carved stonework to the gold decoration. Each building is so innately different but perfectly matching the grandness of their home. We literally spent an hour there, in that square, taking in each building, taking a million photos, looking up at the incredibleness of the Grandest place I’ve ever seen – so far ;). Being labour day, it was incredibly busy. Hundreds of people were in that square at the same time, but we never felt overcrowded. Now it was finally time to go. We had come to see what we had wanted to see. We walked back to the Metro and headed back to our beautiful Airbnb on the outer skirts of the town.

Always with love  Trish

[littlemix-styleblog]

Requested Little Mix Picnic Inspired Outfits

Jesy

MissGuided black nakey nakey nakey slogan oversized t shirt dress: £18. So we begin with Jesy who was the hardest for me to do. I know she had that period when she went through a boho phase for a while, But I was still clueless because most of those boho outfits were dressed up and you don`t really need to dress up when you go for a picnic do you. But nevertheless I got their in the end and these are my results. I went with this oversized black shirt, We all know she likes the colour black and she does seem to like oversized items...Oversized items that don`t compliment her body sometimes. Example 1. MissGuided do a lot of oversized t-shirt dresses in a variety of colours, patterns and whatever else.

PrettyLittleThing BASIC BLACK CYCLE SHORTS: £5. So at the minute your body is pretty much covered by the oversized shirt, You could wear it as a dress or a t-shirt but you have to be careful your not flashing too much. What has become a essential in many peoples lives the cycle short comes into play. This is such a versatile piece, they are so comfortable and all you gotta do is slip them on with no fuss. Be warned though when you buy these shorts, some of them are nylon and some are see through.

PrettyLittleThing WHITE CHUNKY TRAINERS: £25. I don`t believe she`s worn similar trainers before or anything, Maybe the FILA ones come close? Or the Buffalo ones she wears. Either way Jesy likes a chunky shoe. Now this you can say is inspiration from one of Kim Kardashian`s outfits she wears, Sometimes out of the all the ungodly, ugly outfits she wears she does wear a good one. Kim Kardashian has become such a staple in the fashion market for the last couple of years, Places such as MissGuided and PrettyLittleThing offering dupes of what she wears. She embraces her curves and likes to flash too much sometimes. It`s ok to embrace your curves too and don`t be shy, But for some this isnt comfortable. I`ve noticed a lot recently that places like PLT have a lot of cropped tops out or dresses that hug your body and I only wish that could change you know. I do not like wearing crop tops myself for several reasons, One being my skin is sensitive and I don`t like feeling the cold. I`ve being trying for ages to find a t-shirt/shorts PJ combo but have come to absolutely no avail because it`s all crop tops and mini shorts. I think something needs to change and I think these shops need to look at their target audience more. Sorry for the rant. I also did manage to find some other chunky trainers from Ego and ASOS

Noughtsandkisses Malibu Flat Top Leopard Oversized Aviators: £18. So when it is sunny in the UK, Everyone suddenly becomes sun worshippers they whip out the sun cream, the bikinis, the sunglasses etc. So I picked up these Celine dupes from a unknown brand that has yet to really make it`s mark yet. I`ve heard of these people before but never really gave them much interest. So instead of paying £100 for a pair of designer glasses, You can buy them for a measly £18.

Leigh

River Island White ribbed halterneck crop top: £7. I dunno if anyone has noticed or if I`ve mentioned it before but Leigh loves a white crop top. I think it`s become a essential in her suitcase every time she travels. So I picked this one up from River Island for £7! What`s more is that it comes in a whole chocolate box of colours.

H&M Wide trousers: £34.99. Initially, I set out to find a pair of flared trousers, I could not find any anywhere and when I did they were either too small or the wrong pattern I wanted. Went on a normal search on H&M and found these in the New In section. What a great summer piece this is, You don`t want something too clingy or uncomfortable when your on a picnic in the basking sunshine. These trousers are flowy so you will feel the summer breeze, the colour is gorgeous. Perfect if you wanted to wear trousers but not jeans.

Zara FLAT LEATHER SANDALS WITH TASSELS: £7.99. I`ve just realised I`ve made a mistake. These arent the shoes for Leigh`s outfit, Were meant for Perrie`s. The ones I was meant to choose were these which are sold out now. Either way you can still use these sandals for this outfit too.

Jade

Miss Selfridge PETITE Blue Floral Tie Bardot Top: £28. As i`ve said before Jade loves a ditsy flower, I find she`s very petite in her clothing when she wears petite patterns which is cute and girlie. I picked this top up from Miss Selfridge which showcases Jade`s inspiration well.

Topshop MOTO Authentic Jamie Jeans: £40. Jeans, I know I said they arent exactly the best in the summer but it`s personal preference for everyone. So you can either team this look with jeans or with shorts, So I picked these shorts up from h&m.

Kurt Geiger KLAUS in tan CARVELA: £109. Jade likes a wedge, infact she likes a unique shoe. These arent exactly my cup of tea but I can see her wearing them despite them looking....Odd. They may look uncomfortable but think of it this way, Your mum will be eyeing up the moment they enter your door.

Headscarf. As demonstrated from yesterdays wave of photos Jade was seem wearing a headscarf. I think it`s adorable when she ties her hair up with a headscarf, it`s so different and unique and cute. I couldn`t choose just one so I chose a whole page for you with lots of variety.

H&M Small tasselled shoulder bag: £14.99. I`ve noticed she likes a small shoulder bag wherever she goes and who can blame her when it carries the essentials. So that daisy necklace you made whilst waiting for your mum to feed the ducks could be tucked away in your bag, away from the dangers such as your dog. Found this bag which so happens to go nicely with the shoes. Can pat yourself on the back here Emma.

Perrie

PrettyLittleThing NORAH WHITE BARDOT BOW SLEEVE JERSEY CROP TOP: £10. Perrie likes a white top too, But she`s more of a broderie, hippy, boho, crochet and lace kind of girl then Leigh who likes a plain white top. Think back too handmaid/Milk maid times when they used too wear them tops, which is what Perrie would wear. The one I had in mind was no longer available but that`s ok because she`s worn similar to this one anyway. Again, easy and simple, very comfortable and flattering. No feeling of hot or bothered. I also have some other different versions of the top, from this one, to this one

Topshop MOTO Premium Mom Shorts: £32. No brainer as to what would go with this outfit really.

Zara FLAT LEATHER SANDALS WITH TASSELS: £7.99. She likes a boho sandal with all the nooks and crannies of lace and crochet and tassles etc so it was only right to find one. Unfortunately these have just sold out. 

PrettyLittleThing GOLD RENAISSANCE TRIPLE LAYERED COIN PENDANT NECKLACE: £8. If you think your neck looks bare or needs a little perking up then how about these. We`ve mentioned these so many times and they are a firm favourite here. Really cute layered necklace set, these are in fashion at the moment so you will find anywhere. I know Topshop and ASOS do some. What`s more is that Perrie favours them aswell, How satisfied can you get?

ASOS DESIGN gold plated sterling silver hoop earrings with cut out eye detail: £15. I dunno if anyone else has noticed but Perrie has a strong set of earrings she loves at the moment. Gold feather earrings can be seen dangling from her ears beneath her curls, I believe hers is from a boutique and I think they are still available to buy. However, you don`t see me posting them about much on here because she wears them repeatedly I find it would be too repetitive if I posted it on here all the time. You guys arent dumb, you know where they are from, you know how much they cost and you don`t need a constant reminder. But back to this outfit, Perrie loves a accessory and so we`ve gathered a list of earrings you might like, from crosses to pearls. ASOS arent the only place that does them, nearly every high street store or online shop you can think supplies them in every design you can imagine.

ASOS DESIGN leather western tip waist and hip belt: £16

This post does contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through these links I earn a tiny commission to keep the blog running. It does not cost you any extra.

[hansolmates]

jeonghan; touch of terror

feat. jeonghan x reader 

genre: halloween fluff! rated f for flailing zombies and gracious f-bombs

word count: 3k

prompt: person A from your OTP getting separated from their friends while they’re inside a haunted house. Now imagine them clinging to the next person they see in fright and that person is B (who was also separated from their friends).

Free pizza, you’re doing it for the free pizza. It was the only thing stopping you from shitting your pants and bolting the fuck out of there. The weather is moderately nippy with all your layers and flannel scarf, but under that shell you’re a furnace, sweating like you were in a middle school locker room as you approached the haunted house.

You had to hand it to the theme park, they went all out this year. There’s hardly any little kids wandering around the line to the haunted house, as if there were some spiritual barrier blocking off minors from entering the building.

“Awh shit, this is going to be wild!” Minghao, the Daredevil incarnate, leads your pack further into the line. Anyone can tell that it was him who forced all of you to shell out your twenty bucks to get into the venue due to the way he was all glowy-eyed and the skeleton-designed hoodie he layered on.

On the other hand, three of your group of five look particularly glazed over, their dotted chocolate eyes looking beyond the house in slight discomfort. The only person who you really knew as a close friend is Minghao, who shares your suite and persuaded you last night to let him borrow your car to go on this weekend adventure.

But you have to admit, the specs on this haunted house were particularly haunting. One whole ticket was enough for twenty Dollaritas, but it seemed well-worth due to the amount of effort crafted in this gargantuan house. Dusty fog looms across your calves, growing thicker and thicker as you got closer to the entrance. Dark, thick blood was spread along the iron bars, crusted over single limbs and burned flesh strewn along the entrance. Flashing red and white strobes reach to splay over your body, as if you committed a gruesome crime.

“So,” you side eye Soonyoung, who was definitely trying too hard to put up a brave front. “What’s the theme this year? Something simple, like a spooky mansion?”

“It’s a haunted penitentiary with the spirits of former insane patients.” Chan chirps, “With zombies.”

Soonyoung throws his arms out, “Always gotta have zombies.” He says exasperatedly, standing on his tiptoes to check out how many people were in front of them. “We’ve been waiting here for so long, let’s get this over with!”

“For every minute I waste standing here, I could be memorizing a whole flashcard for Sunday’s Chemistry Practical.”

The languid voice, which cut through the eerie sounds of both workers and patrons alike screeching from the haunted house, slips through the conversation like the smoothest glass of milk and honey. Jeonghan is the only one in the group you know remotely, a friend of Minghao’s that did not live on the same floor that you guys did, however you knew enough to stay clear of him whenever he dropped by. You’d usually walk out whenever Minghao invited him in, or triple lock your room and pretend you were already gone when it was too late to leave. Every so often the brush of Jeonghan’s tawny gaze whenever he watched you leave was more than enough to make your spine tingle. It wasn’t anything personal. He’s just very smart, and very handsome. Smart, handsome people were double-intimidating.

Although he looked just as all the other friends you were with, a pair of fancy sweatpants he probably didn’t work out in and a thick bomber jacket, still he had an air of elegance. Maybe it was the particular shade of brown hair he recently dyed, or maybe it was the challenging gaze in his eyes at the prospect of beating this haunted house.

“Wow, a whole flashcard. How tragic.” Soonyoung drawls, pulling out his ticket from his puffy down jacket because your group was going to be let in after the next party.

“That’s sixty flashcards per hour.” Jeonghan quips, pursing his lower lip. You bite down on your own lip in response, because his pink lips suddenly spread into a deep smirk, elbowing Soonyoung. It was kind of hot, the way he spoke so smoothly, you couldn’t help but stare just a little.

You debate on piping up, and Jeonghan turns to you slightly, blinking his eyes at your mild acknowledgement. Just as you were about to say that yes, I got school stuff too, a heavy arm throws itself onto your shoulders, and you look up to Minghao. In your stupor you stopped walking, and he took no hesitation in practically dragging you to the front alongside him. “Nervous?” He teases, looking down at you and feeling infinitely smaller under his theoretical gaze.

“I swear on my last breath, you better not leave me in there.” You fall short on his steps, letting Soonyoung, Chan and Jeonghan give the bloodied employee their tickets.

“Don’t worry. You won’t leave my side, roommate’s honor.” He squeezes your shoulder before handing over both your tickets, and the employee holds out a greyed hand with two white bracelets.

You put on the jelly bracelet, watching it glow under the blacklight. “What’s this for?”

“Oh,” Minghao had the audacity to grin sheepishly. “So the employees know that they have permission to touch you. They can pull you away from the group, take you on a hidden path or whatever. Gotta get the full experience, you know.”

You couldn’t even fathom a response when you’re suddenly being shoved into Chan’s back because  the crowd behind you grew increasingly impatient at your frozen state. Minghao reaches for your the arm of your yellow parka, tugging you inside the venue like you were about to face heaven’s glory.

“Don’t. Let. Go.” You manage to grit at him just as the doors close behind you, a gust of wind icing your back.

The screams of people in other rooms echo throughout the metal pipes that strung through the ceilings and the spaces in the rotting wood. You were practically drowning in the crowd of people, waiting for the show to start. The only source of light was a dim fireplace on the side, illuminating a small corner of the room. You tighten your grip onto Minghao, who only laughs in response.

In seconds, there was a loud boom, followed by the tinkling of broken glass and metal. A set of doors opened, and the monsters were out.

You knew they weren’t real, the bloodied and battered nurses and patients (zombie nurses and zombie patients, of course) but you couldn’t help but fall into the suspension of disbelief when they were centimeters from your face demanding for your attention. A face of boiled over flesh grins at you with a toothless mouth, clutching at you by the arm and pushing you away from the crowd. You scream as you try to grasp for Minghao’s jacket, flashing lights and sirens playing a good show and rendering you in a panic.

The zombie throws the both of you in a pitch dark cell with a single mutilated mattress on the floor. The only reason you could tell that it was a cell was because of the sound of the metal chains clinking as it shut you in. Your hands flail wildly for Minghao, before finding his jacket and pulling his arm flush against your chest.

“Since I’m alive,” you say shakily, letting your blunt nails dig into his thick coat, “I just want to let you know. Fuck you, fuck you, and fuck you.”

You expect Minghao to laugh, or even curse back at you, but there was no response of the sort.

“Unless you’re a paid zombie,” Jeonghan drawls levely, “Please don’t rip my arm off.”

You thought zombies were scary? No, being trapped in a cell with Jeonghan was the scariest of them all.

The only light which emanated from the room were the little blue and green safety lights on the floor, but it was more than enough to make out your companion’s soft jawline and high cheekbones. Definitely not Minghao.

“Jeonghan?” You squeak.

“The one and only.” He grins, tilting his head down to where his arm was pressed flush against your body. “God, your chest is so warm.”

You swallow a thick bout of saliva, your eyes slowly zeroing in on his arm which was practically ripped from his possession, landing right between the valley of your covered breasts. Heat quickly floods to your cheeks, and you throw it off your body like it was a decapitated limb.

“My bad,” you cough, shifting away from him and trying to get as far from him as possible. The asylum cell was so cramped that the farthest you could get from him was less than a meter, and it forced you to back up against the wall. “Let’s just try to get out of here.”

You walk up to the cell, slowly as you scope out the area. You can’t see much but you could feel that there had to be someone watching you, whether it be the same zombie that pulled you two in or a camera waiting for you to faint. Holding out a shaky hand, you reach to rattle the rusted cell with a single finger.

Two long, rotted hands slip between the cells as quick as a gun, and you were met centimeters away from another zombie, this time a maggot-eaten doctor, screeching in your face. You cry, your eyes bugging at how convincing their persona was, their arms trying to envelope you between themselves and the cell. Once you feel the doctor’s fingers curl upon your back you fling yourself off the cell, throwing yourself onto Jeonghan’s chest.  

“Are you scared?” he asks mildly, his voice laced with amusement. You feel his arms wander across your sides in response, naturally curling over your coat.

“Me? Pfft, no! Of course I’mnotfuckholyfuckohmy—” You squirm in his hold, hearing the zombie patients rattle the cell chains and calling for brains brains brainsbrainnnnsssssssss. “Fuck you I paid twenty dollars for this experience, against my will! Let me be scared!”

He laughs, and you want to yell at him but he felt like a toasted marshmallow and his laugh sounded like pretty windchimes in comparison to all the screaming banshees outside. You felt his heartbeat thrum against your ears, contrasting against the cool facade he was trying to put up.

“I’ll save you from the zombies,” he pries you away from him, but he lets you cling to his arm again as he goes deeper beyond the cell. If he’s uncomfortable at the awkward way you hold his arm like a stuffed teddy bear, he doesn’t dare to complain. You hear his nails from his opposite hand scrape against the bricked up walls, feeling for another way out that didn’t have the zombie.

It’s a tight fit, but he guides your hand to a crack in the wall wide enough for the two of you to escape. It must’ve been an added element to the haunted house, other passageways and secret hallways to make the experience feel even more desolate and unescapable. Jeonghan insists for you to go first (“So you can be my human sacrifice!” he proceeded to cheerily suggest, which earned him a worn sneaker jabbing onto his foot) but it was actually because he’s taller and you needed to make a clear path for him.  

His warm breath fans your cherried cheeks, his head hovering next to yours as you follow the little blue and green lights toward the next room.

“So, this is nice.” Jeonghan hums, drumming his fingers against the walls. “We finally get to talk after missing each other’s paths for so long.”

“Oh, you’re right.” You reply quietly. More like actively avoiding on your part, but it was all in good nature for the sake of your sanity. However the Halloween Spirits were definitely trying to bite you back in the butt and jam you two in the tightest possible space so there was no possible  way you could get away from him again.

“Mm, it’s fine.” He picks out a fake cobweb in front of you, pulling it away so it doesn’t smack you in the face. Your heart nearly faints at the tenderness of the gesture.

“Can’t you be like, more scared?” You don’t mean to be so defensive, really. But he was quickly grating into every little bit of emotional sanity you had left, and coupled with all the scary zombies you were quickly losing your traction. You stop at the edge of your escape route, and you hear the melodic sound of screaming humans and fake-humans alike. “You’re totally cramping the whole point of this activity.”

“Oh, I’m fucking terrified.” He chuckles, his voice oddly clear in the midst of the new room, a medical ward with blood and guts splattered across the floor and the beds. “But that wouldn’t look too cool. And besidesohfuckshitshitwhat—!”

A bloodied patient in a straightjacket clambers up to the two of you, baring its toothless mouth and spitting saliva. So, so fucking close that you both stumble and scream, the both of you toppling against the wall. You hear the crackle and sharp rattle of chains being held taut, and you watch the straightjacket-ed zombie struggle to meet ends with you, thrashing around the cot they were tied to.

But of course nothing was going to stop you from peeing your pants so you turn around and press the entirety of your head onto Jeonghan’s marshmallow down jacket, hoping the expensive material will muffle out the sounds once more.

“Not to take advantage of your vulnerability or anything,” you could hear the stupid smirk in his voice, “but I always thought you were pretty cute. It really is a shame you’re never around.”

You hoped for a quick, swift death.

“Fuck—Jeongha-ha-han!” You blurt out in frustration, curling your fingers to pull Jeonghan and you back up when more zombies approach you. Sirens blare in the distance, and white and scarlet strobe lights only amplify your panic. “I can’t fucking move and I’m shaking and will you please shut up and figure out the fastest way to get out of here because I need to pee! And die! And kill Minghao! And bring him back to life because he owes me twenty dollars. And kill him again!”

“Let’s say we ditch ‘em and do something else.” How the hell does he stand to stay so composed? “They can Uber back.”

You feel tears of playful frustration blurring your vision when you feel foreign arms try to cut between you and Jeonghan’s embrace, yet another doctor zombie foaming at the mouth and grinning at you crudely.

“I’m sorry,” Jeonghan frowns disarmingly at the zombie, “But you’re not invited so can you please back off.” The zombie hisses at him, “You’re being rude.”

“F-fine!” The zombie gives up on Jeonghan and opts to focus back to you instead, tugging fervently on the hem of your jacket. “Let’s get out of here out of hereouttaohstoptouchingme!”

Jeonghan snatches your hand hand, gripping it firmly. “Hold tight.”

You feel the rest of the haunted house get smaller and smaller as he expertly weaves through the track, moving quick enough to avoid oncoming zombies but slow enough so that you don’t get a headache. He pulls you away from all the scary attractions, but stops every now and then when there’s a blockage of people (and that’s when you press his arm impossibly tight against your own) until there’s natural moonlight at the end, signaling the exit.

Both your palms are disgustingly clammy and you’re pretty sure you’ve sweated through two of your layers, hearing a wet suction-y sound as you’re met with fresh air and remove yourself from Jeonghan. Clutching your chest and feeling your heartbeat against your ribcage you stumble as far as possible from the wretched building.

It takes all of fifteen seconds for you to register the fact that Jeonghan is calling your name, patting you on your shoulder to stand up straight. You look up at him, who is grinning happily. He runs a hand through his caramel tresses, ruffled by the cool evening wind. You squint your gaze because in all your years of studying science, you just couldn’t fathom how he manages to stand at the perfect spot, where the pearl moonlight drapes over his bangs.

“You okay?” He asks, pulling you up by your elbow.

“Yeah,” you swipe a thumb over your brows, forcing yourself to stand up straight. “Thanks.”

“So whaddaya say, let’s get out of here?”

You hope you don’t look too dumbfounded, struck that he was still willing to spend time with you. “I nearly pulled your arm out of your socket,” you say carefully, “And you still want to go out with me? Aren’t you tired of me sticking to you?”

“I wouldn’t mind if you stuck around for a long time.” He confesses easily, looking at you pointedly and showing how serious he was.

“But uh, Minghao offered me free pizza in exchange for coming here.”

“So? I’ll buy you a whole pie. And we can go out for ice cream.” He holds out his arm, tilting his head invitingly.

You bit your lip, which ended up being more of your lips running against your tongue because not only were you parched, but your subconscious was all for ditching it out and going out with Jeonghan (for the free pizza and ice cream, of course). Even in your stupidly puffy banana yellow jacket, he still found you attractive and it made you rethink your whole mission to avoid Yoon Jeonghan until graduation.

“Okay.” You agree, reaching for his arm. “But only if we take the rest of the boys home and eat in the dorm,” Jeonghan pouts at that, “And take it easy on me, alright? My heart can’t take this much panic in one night.”

“Fine.” He has that all-knowing smirk on, the one that simultaneously wrecks and slightly turns you on. His pink tongue darts out to swipe over his chapped lips, “Because after today, you can’t avoid me now.”