#A Cookbook for All Skill Levels

[health-care-products-24]

A Delicious Journey into Vegan Cuisine: A Review of "300 Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Cook Book"

Embarking on a vegan diet can feel daunting, especially when it comes to meal inspiration. Having dipped my toes into the world of plant-based eating, I craved variety and delicious recipes. That's when I discovered the "300 Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Cook Book," a digital treasure trove, and it's been a game-changer in my kitchen!

A World of Flavors on Your Fingertips

This digital cookbook isn't just a collection of random recipes; it's a portal to a world of flavorful vegan cuisine. Boasting a staggering 300 recipes, the book covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even desserts, ensuring you have a delicious and satisfying option for every meal. From hearty stews and vibrant curries to innovative takes on classic dishes like lasagna and burgers, the variety ensures you'll never get bored with your plant-based meals.

Clear Instructions and Easy-to-Find Recipes

Gone are the days of deciphering cryptic recipe instructions. The "300 Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Cook Book" excels in clarity and organization. Each recipe is clearly written, with easy-to-follow instructions and readily available ingredients. The digital format allows for a user-friendly search function, making it a breeze to find the perfect recipe based on ingredients, dietary needs, or desired meal type. This ease of use has made cooking a more enjoyable and stress-free experience.

Healthy and Nutritious Delights

Transitioning to a vegan diet shouldn't mean sacrificing nutrition. This cookbook prioritizes healthy and wholesome ingredients, ensuring your meals are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and protein. Many recipes incorporate whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, creating balanced and delicious meals that nourish your body. Nutritional information is often included, making it easy to track your intake and ensure you're getting the nutrients you need to thrive on a plant-based diet.

A Cookbook for All Skill Levels

Whether you're a seasoned chef or a kitchen novice, the "300 Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Cook Book" caters to all skill levels. The book offers a good mix of simple, weeknight-friendly recipes and more elaborate dishes for when you have more time in the kitchen. The clear instructions and helpful tips make it easy for beginners to gain confidence in their cooking abilities, while the more complex recipes challenge experienced cooks to explore new techniques and flavors.

A Gateway to a Sustainable Lifestyle

Vegan cuisine isn't just about delicious food; it's also about embracing a more sustainable lifestyle. The recipes in this cookbook highlight the versatility of plant-based ingredients, encouraging a reduction in meat consumption and promoting environmentally conscious food choices. This focus on sustainability adds another layer of satisfaction to your culinary journey, allowing you to enjoy delicious food while making a positive impact on the planet.

In Conclusion: A Must-Have for Any Vegan Kitchen

The "300 Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Cook Book" is a must-have resource for anyone exploring a vegan lifestyle. With its vast collection of delicious recipes, user-friendly format, focus on nutrition, and accessibility for all skill levels, this digital cookbook offers a wealth of inspiration and guidance. So, ditch the bland stereotype of vegan food and embark on a delicious culinary adventure – the "300 Vegan/Plant Based Recipe Cook Book" is your perfect companion!

[latteodyssey]

ooh, sugar pie, honey bunch | damian wayne cooking for you ˚｡⋆ ୨୧

masterlist

damian wayne is, above everything, a perfectionist. it’s a double edged sword, really. it means he’s a hard-worker, and he’s willing to give his all to achieve what he wants, but it also means he sets standards too high for himself.

so when he gets in a relationship with you, he’s determined to be the best boyfriend the world has ever known.

given his reserved nature and his obvious lack of interest in most people, he’s not the most experienced when it comes to relationships — so when he decided to attempt cooking for the first time, he resorted to good old intensive research.

research indicates that couples who cook for each other feel more engaged, present, and appreciated in their relationships.

‘seems reasonable’. he thought to himself. you’ll definitely be very pleased — he can already picture it. the slight squint in your eyes when you’ll smile as he presents the food, the compliments you’ll give. he’s got this.

it starts of too easy. he scours the internet for a recipe he deems adequate. he chooses a vegan recipe that seemed perfect in theory, except he severely miscalculated the level of his cooking skills.

he asks alfred for help picking ingredients but dismisses any kind of assistance or input when it came to actual cooking, confident there would be no problems. he’s damian al ghul wayne after all — notable strategist, master of martial arts, hero and protector of gotham…

and a disaster in the kitchen.

the sauce is way too overcooked, but somehow the pasta is way too hard still. the ingredients are clashing with each other in a myriad of different flavors, the ones from the original recipe, and the ones he put him trying to fix it. — he doesn’t present it to you, just cleans it up and pretends it never happened.

well, mostly. because then and there, it had become a personal challenge.

he spent the following days watching tutorials, reading cookbooks with tips for beginners. a week later, he is standing in the kitchen again, the countertops of the kitchen are full of ingredients of the same recipe he claims ‘defeated’ him. sleeves are rolled up. he’s even rocking a damn apron.

“watch and learn, titus” he looks over at the great dane lounging on the floor, staring back at him in curiosity.

he takes his time, always double checking every step to make sure he’s doing everything right. he’s determined to make this perfect. and when he’s finally done, he’s beaming with joy. he’s victorious once again, left only with a giant mess he has to clean up.

later that day, the smell of food fills the dining room in a delicious embrace, you find already waiting for you, a mahogany table is set up for a meal, a cream-colored linen table runner, embroidered with a subtle Wayne crest in silver thread, runs down the center. he pulls a chair so you can sit down, his serious expression contrasting his expectant eyes as he serves you the dinner he made.

his shoulders relax as you, you compliment his food, taking another bite with enthusiasm.

“only the best for you, my beloved”

[littlbowbub]

🚨 Please remember to keep a back up of your save files.

This mod is an ongoing passion project and things will change along the way.

Please do not use this mod with the old version in the 'olde cookbook kit' as they will conflict! This is now an independent mod. 🚨

---

Available to download on Patreon

Release dates:

Choco/Mini/Bow Puds - 17.08.2024 Public - 01.09.2024

I have created a guide handbook to showcase what you can do with this mod and to help visualise better what your sims can do - it's a bit messy but the general information is there. If there is anything you would find useful to be put here please let me know.

What's new?

I've worked on this for a long while to tidy up and expand the hunting & foraging part of the olde cookbook kit and move it to it's own experience. Amongst a bunch of fixes I've tried to improve hunting & foraging to make it more challenging but also more compatible with other recipes as well as a few new things.

Hunting now has a skill! This will unlock more options for your sim as they progress (more things to be added in the future). - Some key things are what animals your sims can hunt - lower skill levels are more limited to smaller animals and less of them. The higher the skill level the more animals you can hunt and a larger bounty to bring home! So there is still the random chance of what animal your sim will bring home but now their skill will play a part in that. - As your sims foragers skill levels up they will unlock the option to craft bait to help lure the desired animal. Careful, these baits can turn foul and end up discouraging the animal instead but you can always use that to your advantage! - The colder seasons now also effect hunting. Animals are more likely to be hiding which means your sim will bring smaller amounts home in the winter season. Higher skill levels can increase the amount but everyone will be working a lot harder in winter!

The Foraging interaction has been overhauled and now the seasons will effect what your sim brings home. Expect higher amounts of fruits and berries in summer and a less than bountiful winter of foraged greens and more hardy vegetables. - There is also a foragers basket which your sims can craft to help carry all those foraged ingredients. Make sure to click to use the basket in your sims inventory before going foraging so your sim doesn't leave it at home!

New Hunters Crafting Table - where you can craft bait and the foragers basket (I will be adding more useful items here in the future)

Plus a bunch of fixes and other tidbits.

[monayen]

how about something sfw for a change? can you do a ranking of who’s best at cooking?

Cooking Headcannons

➷ Paring - Multi x Fem!Reader [Randal's Friends / Ranfren]

➷ CWs - very light mention of consuming blood and cannibalism. that’s about it !!

a/n - i feel like im a bit rusty at pure sfw stuff… but i will try for NNN ~_~ this isn’t a ranking, since a good chunk are either just bad or barely cook. mostly just hcs about food they like, what’d they’d make you, and habits etc. ratmen are excluded cus you know those boys scavenge rather than cook !!! also ignore any mistakes i wrote this really fast

Sebastian

While Sebastian did work at a pizza place for a bit before becoming Randal’s pet, it was just as a delivery boy

I like to think he was in the training process of learning how to make the food, but he got lost before he learned anything skillful. He does have half the recipe for garlic knots memorized though 

A personal hc is that his parents were semi-absent with him (which probably helped lead him to being in the adoption center in the first place), so he survived a lot on sandwiches and microwave meals since they were easy and available

He wasn’t a big fan of it then, but now he craves them a lot. His favorite were the microwaveable kraft dinner mac & cheese cups. Foods like that are a comfort for him, and he’ll love you forever if you manage to get some for him to eat

Luther doesn’t trust him in the kitchen, so even if Sebastian wanted to cook, he wouldn’t be allowed. Deep down, he doubts his cooking skills anyways

Randal

A terrible cook. He has no idea how to properly prepare a meal and his attempts often end in disaster

Randal doesn't understand the concept of recipes or following instructions. He just throws random ingredients together and hopes for the best. “How to Basic” levels of culinary skills

Despite his terrible cooking skills, Randal still insists on trying to make meals for people (or you) to try. Truly believes he's good and everyone else just can’t handle his exquisite tastes

Once, Randal tried to make surprise pancakes for breakfast. He used baking powder instead of baking soda and the pancakes turned out hard as rocks. He still ate them anyway, breaking a couple of his teeth in the process. Don’t worry, they grew back by supper

He used to try to cook at least a couple times a week, but Luther banned him after he 

somehow managed to set water on fire on the stove. Now he’s restricted to just the microwave. Which is alright, just remind him to add the water in his instant noodles before they explode

Randal will also eat almost anything if it's covered in enough sauce or condiments. He's been known to put ketchup on his cereal and maple syrup on his pizza. Swears by it, will probably make you try all his weird food combinations

Satoru

This little show off!

Cooks and bakes purely to give it away to you or Randal. He doesn’t even eat them himself, always insisting you try his new recipe

The reality is that he steals most of his ideas from cookbooks. While he has the skill to execute them, coming up with his own dishes and perfecting them is a bit beyond him—but that’s a secret he keeps to himself!

He’ll sit there, watching closely as you eat his carefully prepared food, studying your reactions and asking if it’s good, like a chef waiting for feedback

But he’s memorized what you like already, and he makes sure to tailor his dishes just for you, hoping to earn your praise when the flavors hit your tongue

Exceptional at chopping, so fast at it you worry he’ll cut a finger off or something if he’s not careful enough. A part of him doesn’t mind if you taste something that has a little bit of his blood in it…

Doesn’t exactly have a favorite meal or food, he likes whatever you like :) is a bit partial to Japanese cuisine though, especially sashimi

Nyon

Nyon's cooking skills are quite limited. As a catman, his preferences lean more towards raw meats and simple  foods. Or whatever Luther gives him

Doesn’t mean he doesn’t like a good home cooked meal, but if you put him in a kitchen with every ingredient and tool that could potentially make something avant-garde or delicious… he’d probably just end up making hard boiled eggs

He does have an odd skill of picking though. Pickled cucumbers, onions, beets, all in unlabeled, merky, mason jars. Has a goal to pickle everything that can be pickled, just to try

Keeps a stash of it in the pantry and munches on them when he gets high. Will share if you ask (he kinda wants you to, pickling takes practice!) 

Nyon has the stance that he’d much rather wash the dishes and put away the ingredients than actually prepare the food, as it’s a lot of effort and stress on his part that’d he’d rather avoid

Nyen

Really only ever cooks for himself. Not a fan of sharing and to be honest… you probably wouldn’t like what he makes anyways

Lots of slabs of undercooked chicken and beef, barely seasoned because “it doesn’t need that.” Protein buff, but not keen on eating beans… or eggs… or fish… Okay, usually just eats chicken to maintain his muscles

Unironically picky, doesn’t eat a lot of what isn’t what he usually eats. If you give him a plate of pasta or something, he’ll just stare at it like you handed him a severed cow head. Even Luther knows this, making sure he keeps the fridge stocked with Nyen favorite foods so he’s in the best condition to get through the day!

Does have a small sweet tooth, so you can coax him into baking if he’s in a good mood. His favorite are raspberry muffins :)

You still might have to do most of the work, but he’ll mix shit and keep track of the dessert in the oven for you. Don’t ask him for anything else—just hand him a muffin and clean up the mess, okay?

Luther

Quite the chef! 

He’s domestic, and even though Randal always begs him to get fast food to eat, he always prefers to make something at home

Uses “passed down” recipes. Passed down from who? Who knows. He keeps them all in a little old notebook, pages yellowed and worn out. The last ingredient in all the recipes is always “love ♡”

He’s also a big fan of those southern mom baking shows, especially during the holiday season, he’ll bake like a madman!

Likes nature, so he does have a small garden in the backyard of the house he’ll tend to when he has the time. Specializes in exotic vegetables you probably aren’t used to eating. Ask him how his kohlrabi harvest is going, he’s quite proud!

The type of humanoid to surprise you with your favorite meal after a long day. Makes enough for everyone, of course, but Luther puts in effort to see the smile on your face when he presents you with it at the dinner table

He does expect compliments after you eat any of his food, even if it’s something as simple as scrambled eggs. It means a lot to him, so don’t forget to do so. He might take it the wrong way if you don’t 

Luther swears up and down that he’d never eat a human. Cannibalism is wrong! But he did get very close to once… just to “expand his pallet”

[azuhrasims]

A Little Mod Showcase

Mods created by @janesimsten and @littlbowbub that add flavor to old fashioned game play. You should check out both of these awesome creators though, they have more mods than I'm showing you here!

Archery Skill by JaneSimsten. This mod comes with multiple bow options, three different target ranges, and options to compete with your fellow sims. Kids can practice their bow skills too.Also, its a 10 level skill! This is just a fun flavor to add to any country living save.

Of course if you are into archery, maybe your sims also want to go hunting? You can do that with:

Marksmanship Skill by JaneSimsten. This mod brings your sims rifles, pistols, and 3 different lengths of shooting range to practice their marksmanship. For funsies, you can also get into duels with other sims with this 10 level skill.

The cool part for archery though? This one comes with a hunting spot that works with both guns and bows! Once you reach skill level 3, you can start the hunt. Hunt for multiple critters. These animals actually show up in your inventory and your sim can place them in the world if you need something a little more gruesome for your story telling. That said, you don't actually see any animals killed with this mod - a shot is fired and an animal appears in your inventory.

If you want to use these animals that you've hunted for meat, you can do that with:

Medieval Cookbook by Littlbowbub. This one is so much more than a cookbook - but I will always stand by Jess's recipes and craftsmanship. If you have the medieval cookbook mod installed, you can click on the animal you've hunted and carve it for meat that can be used for cooking.

If you don't want to deal with hunting by marksmanship or archery, the medieval mod has a nifty sign post that comes with it that allows you to do SO MANY rabbit hole activities! Really. You can go to a rabbit hole for fishing, hunting, gathering herbs and plants - which LBB has added some custom herbs for cooking that can be gathered!

You can also go search for firewood, which you want to keep in mind if you get the add-on for this mod that requires firewood for all fireplaces and fire places to light them. You can also download a couple of fun options for custom cooking fireplaces. Using the actual cookbook then, find a variety of medieval dishes to pick from!

Going for hard mode in your sims game? Install this mod with LBB's Homestead Helper and related homesteading mods to be forced to make very part of every food item your sims want to consume.

The Functional Spinning Wheel by JaneSimsten. The spinning wheel looks awesome and the animation is flawless. You get the option to spin thread or pull yarn. With this mod installed, that thread and yarn are required for knitting and cross stitch. Fun side note, if you play as a spell caster, they can cast a spinning wheel curse on a newborn like Sleeping Beauty and isn't that just the neatest thing?

Rideable Dragons by JaneSimsten. Guys, I was not prepared for this little fire starting, flying lizard to amuse me so much. You purchase the egg and hatch the dragon yourself. They start out as manageable smallish sized child dragons and grow up into great big dragons. The dragons have behaviors attached to them like Cottage Living animals, so you can pet them, clean them, feed them, give them gifts. They stay in one spot and do not move around on the ground though. That;s a good thing, Until you train them not to start fires, these guys are hazardous to your lot!

This comes with a 10 level Dragon Rider skill. At level 5 you can begin to take your adult dragons for flights. Its fun. Watch them in Tab mode if you really want to see how far your dragon and riders are going.

Climbeable Tree by JaneSimsten. This one is a little thing that is lovely for screenshots. It will take your sims a few tries to learn how to climb the tree the first time. It appears to be related to the fitness skill though.

Blacksmithing Skill by Jane Simsten. This one is cool. The blacksmithing skill is another 10 level skill. You mine the ore you need to craft from rocks that come as part of the mod (their in the rock category in landscaping!) Then you make that ore into ingots. The ingots can be made into swords, maces, pole arms, sword racks, suits of armor, and more! This would make for an awesome way to make that medieval weapons shop that every town needs. It takes some serious time and effort to get started though!

Lute Skill by Jane Simsten. Its a lute, with custom lute noises! 10 level skill, options to write and license songs and romance other sims are here. Our bards can have lutes!

Playable Harp Skill by Jane Simsten. Guys, the animations and the custom sounds on this are so lovely. I feel like I've stepped into a lovely wonderland when my sims are playing the harp. It just feels magical. 10 level skill.

There are more and I may get to them in the future, but this is what I played with today and it was lovely. Thanks to Jane and Jess for all of their hard work to make our games more magical!

[no-goodbyes-no-regrets]

I see you're looking for prompts, so if you're still writing then how about:

Tommy comes over and accidentally interrupts Uncle Buck time.

Sorry it took so long! I hope you like it!

---

"Ok Jee, these need to cool off while the other batch is in the oven." Buck told his niece, putting their freshly baked cookies onto a wire cooling rack. He grabbed her hand and moved it away when she tried to grab one. "No, no, these are hot. You'll burn yourself. It'll hurt. Ouchie."

The girl tucked her hands against her chest and warily eyed the rack.

"They'll be cool enough to eat in a little while." he promised her. "And we can make the chocolate chip ones while we wait for the snickerdoodles to cool off."

"With extra chips!" Jee announced happily.

"Sure. Why not. We can even make some more so you can take them home with you when mommy and daddy come pick you up." Buck suggested. "And maybe some banana bread too..." he mumbled more to himself than to Jee.

He flicked through the cookbook he'd bought so he wouldn't have to look up recipes on his phone (and he'd be less tempted to check his text thread with Tommy) to find the right page, while Jee pointed out all of the other things she wanted to make.

"And this!" Jee pointed at a picture of a cake that looked like something out of a professional bakery and way above his skill level.

It was perfect. A complicated recipe meant his brain had no time go over that last conversation with Tommy again to try and figure out how and where he'd screwed up so spectacularly.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Buck glanced at the clock on the oven, but it wasn't anywhere near the time he expected Maddie and Chim to be back.

He quickly wiped his hands on his apron, deposited Jee on the sofa with the cookbook and rushed to open the door.

He expected to maybe find one of his neighbours on the other side, or someone trying to convince him to donate to some charity.

"Tommy?"

The other man looked about as well as he felt. Dark circles under his eyes, hair a mess, and the same three day stubble that was currently on his own face.

"Hey... Uhm... I did text... And call... But you didn't reply."

"Oh uh... Yeah my uh phone is on silent..."

Tommy nodded, fiddling with the zipper on his jacket.

"C-can we talk?" Tommy stammered and Buck realised he was nervous. Cool and collected Tommy Kinard was nervous about talking to him.

Before Buck got the chance to answer, a loud beeping came from the kitchen and Jee excitedly ran up to the island.

"Uncle Buck! It's done!"

"Oh... Is this a bad time?"

"Uhm..." Buck desperately wanted to talk to Tommy, but at the same time he had to keep an eye on Jee and their baking adventures. "Just... Come on in. Close the door behind you." he rushed over to the kitchen to shut off the timer and check the cookies.

"I can just go... If I'm interrupting your time with your family..."

"No, it's fine. Stay. Please. We're baking. You can help." Buck said, almost pleading. "And when the sugar rush wears off and she's down for the count, we can talk."

"Ok." Tommy nodded and took off his jacket, hanging it on the hook by the door that had practically been his the past six months. Only this time there was no Air Ops uniform jacket next to it or a duffle on the floor.

"Jee, this is my friend Tommy, he's coming to help us." Buck announced as he took another batch of cookies out of the oven.

"Is that ok?" Tommy asked Jee, looking like he was afraid of her answer.

"We're making chocolate chip cookies." the girl told him like she was explaining the mysteries of the world. "With extra chips."

"Oh. Ok. Can I help with that?"

"Tommy is very good at baking." Buck told Jee. "Maybe he'll help us make that cake we found too."

"Sure. Just tell me what to do." Tommy said and Buck saw the exact moment the mask went on again. There was a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes and a fake cheery tone in his voice. "I'm happy to help where I can."

The three of them went to work and soon almost every available surface of the loft was covered in cooling cookies or ones ready to go into the oven.

Tommy had started to relax a little but there was still a tension to his shoulders Buck didn't like.

When he took the last batch of cookies out of the oven some time later, Jee was already out cold in the armchair and Tommy was sitting at the island with an almost perfect posture, like he was back in the army.

In the exact same place he'd sat when he'd broken both their hearts.

"So... That's the last of it." Buck wiped his hands on his apron before taking it off. "Maddie and Chim won't be back until 10... so we've got two hours."

Tommy nodded.

"Don't you want to clean up first? I can help." he offered but Buck shook his head and sat down too.

Somewhere in the back of his mind the irony of them being in the exact same place as when Tommy ended things between them did register, but he quickly pushed that thought away.

"No. Clean up can wait. I want answers." he looked Tommy in the eye. "I want to know why my boyfriend dumped me instead of telling me I was moving too fast and I freaked him out."

"I... I... I'm sorry." Tommy said eventually. "I did what I thought was best."

"For who? For me? For you? Because I haven't been doing so great these past few weeks."

"Neither have I..." Tommy admitted quietly.

"Then why did you do it? Why did you dump me?"

"I just... I'm not the last person kind of guy. People don't stay with me. I'm ok for a while... Until they get a better offer. I'm never anyone's mister right, only mister right now."

Buck frowned.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That you're going to find someone you're going to want to settle down with and that someone is not me. And that... that hurts... but it's better to rip the band aid off now than 6 months or a year or maybe even longer if I'm lucky down the line. "

"What makes you so sure I'm going to meet someone else?"

Tommy gave him a sad smile.

"Because that's the way it always goes. It's fun for a while and then you meet the person you're meant to be with."

"What makes you think I haven't already met him?"

"Evan..."

"Don't Evan me." he took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. He wanted to get this right. Make Tommy see he was serious. "I miss you." he started "You said you couldn't be my first and my last but I think you can. I want you to be. Ever since that first time you kissed me, I've felt more free and alive and... complete... than I ever have."

"Evan..." Tommy started again but Buck held up a hand to stop him.

"Just... let me get this out." he paused for a second "I'm a grown man, Tommy. I'm not some teenager with a crush who doesn't know what he wants. I've slept around plenty over the years... But I stopped doing that because it didn't make me happy. I wanted someone to come home to. Someone I could introduce to my friends and family. Someone who would listen to me talk about my day and tell me about theirs. Someone I could just be myself with. Who wouldn't get annoyed about my internet deep dives or if I had to cancel date night because I was too tired after a shift. "

"And you deserve that... And... And I hope you find that person."

"I already have." he grabbed Tommy's hands. "It's you. You know most of my friends and family, you've even already met my parents." he grinned, thinking back to Maddie and Chim's wedding day in the hospital. "You know the job, you even used to work at the same firehouse."

"That doesn't mean I'm good for you. Or good enough."

"Can I be the one to decide that?"

"I... I... what? I... of course... but..."

"Everyone keeps making decisions for me. Including you."

"I'm sorry..."

"No." Buck shook his head "I should stand up for myself more. Go after what I want."

"And what is it you want?" Tommy asked, trying not to get his hopes up.

"You." Buck said simply and leaned forward to kiss him, happy when Tommy didn't pull away or try to stop him. "I want you. All of you."

"I want that too but..."

"No buts. Whatever problem you think there is... we can work it out. I think what we have is worth fighting for, don't you?"

"I... Yes... Yeah it is..."

"But?"

"I'm kind of terrified." Tommy admitted. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. I've never been in a relationship where I fell so hard so fast... And that scared the hell out of me."

"That's ok. I can be brave for the both of us for now." Buck told him and kissed him again, just because he could. "But promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Next time I move too fast or say something dumb that makes you freak out... talk to me instead of running away?"

Tommy took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

"Ok. I promise."

---

Send me a prompt and I'll write you a ficlet!

(if you've sent me one recently - I have seen it and it's most likely saved in my drafts, partially written, because I keep getting distracted - but I will finish it sooner or later!)

[tianasimstreehouse]

Strawberry Shortcake

Lovestruck? Starstruck? Cake-struck?

Any guests of your Sims' who eat this dessert will be all three! 💕

*REQUIRES the latest version of my TianaSims Cookbook to work*

Category: Desserts

Ingredients: Milk, Flour or Sugar

Prepped Ingredients: Dough

Skill Level:  4 (Homestyle)

Available sizes: Party

Dietary: Vegetarian-Safe

DOWNLOAD (early access): Strawberry Shortcake Milk and Cookies: Now! Sugar Cookies: 13th July Public: 20th July

[ch6sos]

a/n: this is mainly for black gender neutral readers or those with coily/curly hair but anyone can read :)

Whenever Kento wants to learn something new, he devotes his entire time to it. No, seriously. People around him often ask how he manages to master so many skills, or they gape in awe when they see him in action, because it always looks like he’s a natural. But the truth is, Kento practices—endlessly.

Take cooking, for example. He wasn’t always good at it. His parents were the first to teach him about the importance of basic household skills—especially cooking. They told him, "If you want to survive in the real world, you need to know how to take care of yourself, and cooking is essential."

But his first attempts weren’t smooth at all. He didn’t master stegt flæsk on the first try, nor could he bake the perfect rye bread, or make udon from scratch. In fact, when he first attempted cooking, even the boxed mac and cheese stuck to the pan.

Frustrated but determined, Kento began watching his family closely. He'd observe his mother in the kitchen, occasionally passing her ingredients or awkwardly chopping vegetables. He read cookbooks, borrowed recipes from his grandmother—learning both Japanese and Danish dishes, and followed each step carefully—getting the right ingredients, measurements, and temperatures just right.

That’s how Kento approached every skill he became interested in—whether it was fencing, archery, learning to play the violin, or pottery. He would buy all the necessary equipment, immerse himself in content about it, and fixate on it until he was satisfied with his skill level—like a Sim locked into a single task.

So, when Kento started dating someone with coily hair, he applied the same method.

He noticed how much time they spent on their hair—the hours dedicated to braiding, curling, and washing. He wasn’t the type of partner to just sit back and watch, especially when they were feeling tired.

He went into research mode: watching videos, reading articles, and practicing. Whenever he had time off from work, he’d be on his couch, blue light glasses perched on his nose, eyes glued to YouTube tutorials explaining how to care for coily hair—the products to use, the best protective hairstyles, and the time required for proper maintenance.

He’d search on his Samsung, scrolling through article after article written by people with coily hair, trying to understand how he could help make their routine a bit easier.

One day, his partner caught him with a mannequin head in his lap, his legs crossed on the couch, glasses slipping down his nose, fingers moving as he tried to braid from the scalp down. His brows were furrowed in concentration, teeth gnawing on his bottom lip.

“Kento, what are you doing?” they chuckled, glancing at the mannequin on his lap.

He let out a small huff, not annoyed but a little sheepish. “I’m trying to learn how to braid, or at least take care of hair.”

They laughed softly, seeing his frustration as he undid yet another braid that wasn’t quite right. “Why don’t you practice on me?”

“I don’t want to ruin your hair,” he replied, frowning as he started over again, still a bit clumsy but improving.

“I’ll teach you,” they offered, amusement in their voice, touched by how much he wanted to get it right.

Kento’s eyes lit up in excitement, as if he’d forgotten that watching them take care of their own hair was the best lesson he could get. "That’d be great," he said with a lazy grin, pushing his glasses up.

For the next few weeks, they taught him everything—how they followed their daily hair routine, how they carefully braided and styled their hair, and how long it took to recreate certain looks. Kento watched intently, always hesitating before touching their hair, afraid he might mess something up. But with gentle encouragement, he grew more confident.

Eventually, he learned enough to help out. On days when they were tired, Kento would sit them down, placing pillows beneath them, and take over. He’d part their hair with a comb, splitting it into neat sections, his hands gentle as he worked, always mindful not to tug too hard. They’d both watch a silly reality show on TV while he braided or styled their hair.

He even learned how to wash it delicately, stepping into the shower with them to help massage their scalp and rinse out the conditioner. He bought the right products, ensuring they always had what they needed. Sometimes, he’d try new hairstyles on them—ones even they hadn’t thought of—just to keep things interesting.

For Kento, it wasn’t just about learning a new skill. He loved spending that quality time together, knowing that every effort he made to help them made a difference. And in those quiet, intimate moments, he felt truly happy.

[l0ts-0f-l0ve]

some prompts of fun things to do with your f/os <3

Baking/Cooking with them - Do you share similar tastes, such as in spiciness or sweetness levels? Do you have the skills of a chef, or are you going to set the kitchen on fire? Are you precise and by the book, or are you winging all the measurements? Maybe you have a cookbook full of recipes from other family members- or perhaps your own recipes- kept all in one place that you keep coming back to for good food.

Picnics - You could bring around some of the aforementioned food you made, or buy your favorite treats, snacks and drinks. Where would you go for a picnic? Beaches, forests, meadows, some secluded area only you know about- the choices are endless. Would you want to have a picnic for lunchtime or late in the evening to see the sunset?

Slumber Parties - No, it doesn't matter how old you are. And no, it doesn't matter if you live in the same home. It's an excuse to have fun and games, and doing who knows what! What sort of games would you play together? Would you try and spook yourselves out with something like Bloody Mary, or cuddle up to watch your favourite TV show/movie? Would either of you be able to sleep at all?

Drawing each other - I've seen this idea frequently appear and it sounds so fun, in my opinion!! Regardless if you consider yourself an artist or not, you get to show each other how you see them and get creative with it. How artistic do you consider your f/os? Would the art session be finished in less than a few minutes, or are you making sure you capture their every detail?

Shopping - What are your favorite shops to go to? Who would be the most eager to spend money and who's stingy with theirs? Do you spend forever browsing through a select few places, or do you like to do some window shopping? You could help each other buy clothing and play dress-up to see what you like the most, or maybe you secretly buy gifts for each other!

pro shop/mdni accounts do not interact

[bunabi]

This was announced last month but: I provided spot illustrations for The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook releasing September! ♥

One of the authors, Victoria Rosenthal, also runs a blog with tons of recipes from other games like BG3 & Stardew Valley for all skill levels, if you wanna try your hand at recreating some other dishes & desserts!

[pitviperofdoom]

@morning-softness reblogged my Caleb bio post with these tags, and I'm so glad you asked! The short answer is, Caleb's vampirism created his attitude towards cooking.

The long answer is that SDverse is urban fantasy, not horror, so vampires are a fantasy sophont species rather than always-antagonistic monsters. They're just folks! And sure, you have your Count Draculas and your Henry VIIIs who see humans as livestock to be subjugated and fed upon, but that has more to do with them being royalty than them being vampires. Vampires can subsist comfortably on a liter of blood every few weeks, far less than it would take to kill someone; it takes a lot of gorging to get to the level of power and indestructibility of Count Dracula, and as Count Dracula proves, that gets you noticed, and all it takes is a handful determined best friends to slap you back down. There's a reason the world hasn't been taken over by bloodthirsty overlords; most vampires just don't want to.

So your average ham-and-egger vampire isn't going to have the power, resources, and preexisting authority and mystique to get away with terrorizing the local populace. If they're discovered, they're more likely to have people charging out with torches and pitchforks than cowering in their homes. So, they have about two options. Either they get really good at stealth, never stay in one place long enough to be noticed and, most importantly, don't get greedy when they feed. Or, they can deal openly, and fairly, with the humans they feed on.

It's not uncommon for vampire clans to have permanent or semi-permanent human entourages, who trade their blood for protection, monetary payment, or whatever goods and services the vampires can provide. These arrangements can be exploitative, of course, but most vampires who take this route know that what you put into it is what you get out of it. A vampire that takes good care of their humans is a well-fed vampire.

Caleb's clan had a number of human members over the years, two of whom ended up turning and joining the clan permanently. As a human, Caleb had learned to cook out of necessity, both to directly feed himself and as a skill he could be paid for. As a vampire, he took it up again, got very good at it, and found a lot of joy in feeding his humans healthy (iron-rich, of course) meals. As the centuries passed, he was always on the lookout for new cookbooks, and new advances in medicine and nutrition. Gotta keep those humans happy and healthy, so they can keep you happy and healthy, too.

He hasn't cooked in a while.

[moonspirit]

I just think Pieck has the skills to convert Jean's love of cooking into an absolute nightmare (affectionate)

See, in dating Jean, Pieck ofc, is blessed with the perks of waking up late and lazing in her pyjamas and never having to lift a skillet for eggs. Jean does it all. The apron is fitted for him, not her. And he's a great cook! He loves it! She loves seeing him love it! She also loves eating what he makes, and Jean is only too pleased as well!

However.

Pieck is... Pieck. And Pieck is not Pieck if she doesn't tease him every day once in a while.

So, she decides to get the cookbooks! Why? To further dear Jeanbo's talents in the kitchen because she loves him sooooooooo much, ofc.

"Jean!" She calls one morning. "I've found an excellent recipe to try out!"

He's interested enough, despite the exaggerated roll of his eyes. See, secretly he does enjoy watching her relish his cooking - proud boyfriend feels and all that.

Still, he mustn't be all over the moon. "Oh?" Is his disinterested reply, wiping his hands on a towel. "What is it?"

Pieck grins, a sweet and completely innocent pull of her lips. "It's really simple too, you need just 4 ingredients. And according to the recipe, it tastes amazing."

Jean is more convinced now. He pulled off that difficult 4 course dinner last night, and everyone had loved it (even Annie, who was a high bar when it came to meat, her preference was the dessert after all) and Pieck had made loud oohs and aahs, secretly (very secretly) filling him with pride. How hard can a 4 ingredient recipe be?

"Alright then," He agrees with a slight air of detachedness, like a man all too used to making his girlfriend recipes at her whims and fancies (he's on the way, ofc; but let's not tell him).

"Oh good," Pieck says, gazing at a particular page with immense seriousness. "I think you'll like it too. It's called-" She snaps the book closed and pointedly stares at him. "Hot Milk Cake."

Jean colours every single shade of red. "Wh-"

Her grin grows wider. "Oh it's supposed to be veeery good."

He can't keep his nose from burning. What the hell? What's with that name?! Snatching the book out of her hands, he flips to the page in question and flushes crimson. Sure enough, that is the name of the started recipe, but fuck- that's not what she meant at all!

"What's wrong, Jeanbo?" Pieck's smile is impish. "Won't you make me some hot. milk. cake?"

Past his limit, Jean's poor tsundere heart gives out and he passes out on the kitchen floor.

Elsewhere, overhearing this ordinary-summers-day conversation:

Reiner (eager and dumbly enthusiastic): hey! Hot milk cake sounds great actually, where can I find some?!

Connie (nodding gravely, taking notes in his "couples counselling" notebook, quickly becoming an expert in relationship therapy): Fantastic move. Well played. Good job. A level. Simply wow.

Annie (to Armin, shyly, entirely only thinking about food): Can we... get some hot milk cake too?

Armin (blood pressure up by 200, hands shaking, heart says YES, dinosaur brain says YES, common sense says NO, WE'RE NOT ALONE AND I HAVEN'T LIT 100 CANDLES YET AND THE GOOD LINEN IS IN THE LAUNDRY AND I HAVEN'T USED MY NICE SMELLING SHAMPOO AND-)

"Armin? Hot milk cake?"

Armin (squeaks): YES! YES! I-IF YOU DON'T MIND! YES VERY MUCH!

[queenie-ofthe-void]

A Desperate Fool - Part 12

Part 11

Last Time: Steve's struggling with Eddie being back in town, and Dustin just tries his best to help

~~~

Eddie’s been in Chicago for almost three months and Jeff’s only called once. They’d chatted for a few minutes before Eddie spilled all the beans about Steve. Jeff wasn’t all that surprised, which surprised Eddie in return, and when he told Jeff as much, his friend laughed. “It was only a matter of time, Eddie.” And he’d said it with such grace that Eddie felt the anxiety slough from his shoulders. Either with or without him, the band would be fine. 

Now, Eddie’s learned to savor the casual routine he and Dustin have established over the past month. It’s been nice, relaxing– normal.

While Dustin spends his days working from his home office upstairs, Eddie cooks, cleans, and avoids calls from his manager. Somedays Nancy and Jonathan invite him over for dinner. He’s also started meandering the neighborhood, discovering all the reasons Dustin picked here to settle down. Around the corner is a small game store which hosts DnD nights on Wednesdays and Magic the Gathering tournaments on Saturdays. It’s next door to a record shop and a small cafe that serves the best cranberry orange muffins Eddie’s ever tasted.

He’s starting to gain some of the weight back he lost, so the small amount of clothes he brought with him are starting to dig in. Dustin says it’s thanks to the home cooked meals and down time, now that he’s not partying every night. Cooking is another part of everyday living Eddie’s come to love. Steve had done all the cooking before, not just because Eddie didn’t know how, but because Steve genuinely enjoyed it. He doesn’t think his skills will ever be that good, but that doesn’t matter much. Eddie’s already halfway through a cookbook and hasn’t felt this proud of himself since he learned how to play.

It’s well into April when Dustin suggests renovating the downstairs guest bedroom into a temporary recording studio. Eddie considers it for a grand total of three hours before he calls his manager– much to their relief– to have his guitars and equipment shipped from LA on the promise of starting a new solo album. By the time it arrived, the room’s sound proofed with mounted wall hooks for each of his sweethearts. He’s also furnished it with a few plush couches and a black leather barstool beneath the hanging microphone.

This is where Eddie sits now, headphones pulled up and plugged in, his old-school acoustic swung across his back as he leans over a notebook scribbling out the lyrics falling muffled from his lips. He hums the melody, repeating the last verse to himself when there’s a soft poke on his shoulder. Startled, Eddie shouts and barely manages to catch his guitar before he tumbles off the barstool on top of it. Loose sheets scatter across the floor as he fumbles the notebook. He gathers as much as he can, but when he stands, he finds Dustin scanning some before he can snatch them away.

“Those are private, dude,” Eddie exclaims, shoving them unceremoniously into his pocket. Hopefully later he’ll be able to make out the writing through the wrinkles. 

“Yeah, seems like it,” Dustin replies. He avoids eye contact, shuffling back and forth, and picks at his fingernails. “So, are those–”

“New songs.”

“–breakup songs?”

Eddie sighs, rubs his hands down his face. Dustin’s eyes are on him when Eddie moves his hands away. He feels seen, overly scrutinized, much in the same way Max and Nancy first looked at him. Dustin’s the only kid who’ll talk to him, but Eddie’s been living here for two months now and on some level, it feels like they haven’t talked about anything. Stuff like what’s for dinner, shopping lists, TV shows, video games. Things that don’t really matter.

The studio’s suddenly claustrophobic, but as Eddie moves towards the door, a half-hearted bullshit reason to leave stuck in his throat, Dustin steps in front of him.

“You know Steve’s happy, right?”

Ok so they’re talking about it. Eddie’s been anticipating this since the phone call, but is still unprepared for the solid earnestness scrawled across Dustin’s face.

“Yeah, Nancy told me everything. About all of it.” Eddie crosses his arms, can’t help hunching in on himself. Big, loud, and obnoxious never worked around Dustin, who could match him step-for-step. And after his initial conversation with Nancy, all Eddie wants to do is hide– preferably here in Dustin’s basement. “She takes care of him, she’s practically obsessed with him, wants kids– the whole package.”

Bitterness coats his tongue, and Dustin doesn’t miss his seething tone. 

“She likes sports too,” Dustin adds, defensive. The kid’s always stood up to bullies to protect the people he loves. He used to do that for Eddie. Now Eddie’s alone on the opposite side of a chasm, wondering why he never considered what kind of relationship Dustin could have with Becky. 

“Nancy mentioned something about sports journalism.”

“Becky gets press tickets and front row seats. They go to Blackhawks and Cubs games all the time.” Tone rising, Dustin’s cheeks are flushed, hands clenched at his sides.

“That’s–” Eddie starts, but is interrupted.

“Has he called you?” Dustin shouts at him.

Eddie freezes, body coiled tight and ready to run, but also horribly, devastatingly confused.

“What?” Cold sweats break out down his spine, his hands tingle with tiny pinpricks. “Dustin, I don’t–” he wheezes, swallowing around the dryness in his mouth. “No, we haven’t talked at all.”

“Good. Right, yeah– that’s good.” Even though Dustin’s impeding stance doesn’t change, his tone is laced with uncertainty. 

“I swear,” Eddie pleads.

“I believe you,” Dustin heaves a great, heavy sigh, his body slumps. “Just– please don’t answer if he calls. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Eddie can’t help the snap of irritation. “Why?”

“Uhh,” Dustin’s voice drags out, dripping with defensive sarcasm that has Eddie deflating, “maybe because he’s planning a wedding with his new fiance and his ex showed back up out of fucking no where.”

“I know. Fuck, I know. I’m sorry.” Regret and shame crawl under his skin.

“You keep saying that, but it still doesn’t feel true.” 

His eyes are hot, the panic of confrontation bubbles up through his grief. “I want it to be true, Dustin, I’m trying to make it true. I know nothing I do will ever make up for what I’ve put you all through, but– fuck.” Eddie wipes at his misted eyes. “I’d give up everything if I had to. Everything I have, all the money and clothes, the parties and the awards. I’d grovel and I’d–”

He doubles over on a long exhale that lurches from his chest unrestrained. Eddie grounds himself by counting the checkered pattern on Dustin’s socks until his breathing evens out. 

“I’d give up Steve.” He almost vomits as the words leave his mouth, and at that moment he can’t tell if it’s the truth or not. “I just want my family again, Dustin– you and Nancy and Mike. I don’t want to be alone anymore. And if he’s truly happy with her, I don’t want to hurt him. He deserves to be happy, even if that means I never see him again.”

He stands up and sees Dustin’s crying now, soaking the tears into the sleeves of his sweatshirt. Years or minutes or days pass as he waits for Dustin to answer, to say fucking anything after Eddie just carved himself open and spilled his guts on the floor. He can’t imagine never seeing Steve again, never hearing the sound of his laugh or grazing his hands against the moles on his neck. 

Except if Steve’s actually happy– truly down-to-the-marrow-of-his-bones happy– like Dustin says, Eddie can’t stand in the way of that. He won’t. He’s already hurt his baby so much, he won’t ruin the rest of his life too.

The realization tips Eddie’s world on its axis, the foundation of his life crumbing beneath him. As he does his best to reorient himself, Dustin scoffs a wet chuckle. “There’s going to be so much groveling. Like, a shit ton of groveling.”

A wide, relieved grin breaks out across Eddie’s tear stained face as Dustin smirks. The tone is teasing, but they both know he means it. Eddie wasn’t lying, he’ll grovel on the ground until his knees are soaked in blood. Giving up Steve feels wrong to the depths of his soul, but he’ll do it. Eddie’s not promising he’ll move on, but he can let go. He’ll do whatever it takes to earn the love and respect of his family, and he’s willing to rebuild his entire life to do it. Reconstruct it into something softer, more mundane and normal and utterly filled with a new kind of love.

And when Dustin pulls him into a hug and squeezes the air from Eddie’s lungs, he can’t help but feel overjoyed at the thought he’s already started.

~~~

Part 13

Tag List!!!

@sadisticaltarts @5ammi90 @blacklegsanji21 @jaytriesstrangerthings @thewickedkat

@stripey82 @a-lovely-craziness

[littlbowbub]

Available to download on Patreon

Release Dates:

Choco Puds - 12.08 Mini Puds - 19.08 Bow Puds - 26.08 Public - 02.09

I'm very excited to finally be releasing this (later than planned.. but we had some bloopers to fix!) Whilst this is quite different to what I usually make, I hope those of you interested will like it just as much!

~~~🌼🌻🌹~~~

This is a ongoing project mod. This is not the final version of how I would like this mod to be and I am hoping to continue to grow this mod, adding more wreaths, possibility for more ingredients etc as time goes on. Everything is subject to change.

~~~🌼🌻🌹~~~

Important info:

Seasons EP is required.

This mod will override the in game flower crafting station.

Compatible with flower crafting station conversions providing the flower table object tuning has not been edited.

For additional addon wreaths, please make sure you have the required pack before downloading.

~~~🌼🌻🌹~~~

What is this mod?

You can now craft wreaths using the flower arranging table!

I have added the 4 wreaths that came with the Seasons EP.

Any Season Wreath (level 1)

Fall Twined Twigs Wreath (level 2) Fall Twigs wreath also uses 'Acorn' as an ingredient if you have my Olde Cookbook Kit.

Spring Sprigs Wreath (level 3)

Winter Holiday Wreath (level 3)

Each type has a variety of colour choices. I have made all original colour swatches as options to craft, so there are a lot of options!

All wreaths work like flower arrangements:

Uses the flower arranging skill to craft - each wreath has a different skill level requirement

Optional flowers as ingredients

Current base cost in 50

They will start as pristine and eventually decrease until withered

Can be sold & listed on plopsy

live-draggable/inventory compatible

given as gift - friendly or flower arrangement

I have also made a small adjustment to the flower crafting pie menu and have separated wedding bouquets into their own menu. So now there will be flower arrangements, wedding bouquets and wreaths.

Addon Wreaths:

Blueberry Wreath - Cottage Living EP required (level 2)

more wreaths to come in future updates

~~~🌼🌻🌹~~~

More information in the original post.

[vibratingskull]

Your name spells l.o.v.e.

Part1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

Tags : Reader is disabled, fluff, self-doubts, ptsd, cuddling, hurt-comfort, ice-skating, heavy make out session

Your day started rather well but derails quickly. But Thrawn is never too far away to help

FemaleReader x Thrawn

You let the water roll on your body, eyes closed, appreciating the warmth wrapping around your body. Fortunately, your legs are waterproof, it would be such a pain either way. The vapors rise in the glass cabin, blurring your vision. You sigh in delight, letting your stress melt under the water. You’re mentally reviewing what you will cook for this morning. 

What would Thrawn like? You really should take note of his favorite dishes to cook them regularly, “Cooking is a good way to keep your man happy” your mom told you before when you helped her in the kitchen. 

You don’t know enough recipes, you should buy a new cookbook and practice. You shouldn't start worrying about acquiring new skills when you have a baby in your arms.". Also, you should be able to cook at the level of the dish served to him on the Chimaera! What would it say about you if you cannot even do that?  

You purse your lips, you also have the dishes and the laundry to take care of… 

Once your shower is done you wrap yourself in Thrawn’s robe, inhaling his scent deep inside your lungs. What a pleasure. You brush your face in the fluffy fabric with another sigh. You open the basket to find it empty. 

Where are all the clothes? 

You enter the kitchen where you discover Thrawn savoring a cup of caff while reading his datapad. He raises his head at your approach. 

“Cha’cah.” He greets you with a thin smile. 

You stop, getting submerged by the obscene memories of yesterday morning again and your heart starts sprinting immediately. You feel your cheeks flush, remembering how you served him and how he touched you sent you into a flustered panic. 

He tilts his head, amused. 

“Are you not going to greet me properly, my love?” 

He extends his hand to you, and you take it after an hesitation, pulling you into a hug and he captures your lips immediately. He came back to his usual self, showering you with affection, kissing your face, hugging you… But this time he doesn’t shy away from kissing your lips properly, licking them with his tongue and embracing them. 

It makes you melt and you feel like a teen experiencing her first relationship, all shy and giddy. You're glad his affection returned as before, he hugs and nudges you as he used to. These two days giving you the cold shoulder was killing you, and you are so relieved to be in his arms once again. 

He invites you to open your mouth and dances with your tongue delicately and you moan against his lips,earning a faint purr. He squeezes you against his large form, making you feel small, but protected. 

He then parts from you to let you breathe, looking unbothered but satisfied of his effect on you. 

“Did you sleep well, Cheo vir?” 

No. 

No you didn’t. 

Satlove’s head and voice is omnipresent in each of your dreams, haunting you. Sometimes you feel him behind your back when you’re awake, ready to jump on you and finish the job for good this time. You woke up at night, nerves on fire, goosebump all over your skin, refraining a scream to not wake up Thrawn and the neighbors. You hug the cover, nails digged into the fabric, out of breath with a headache. Your nights are either sleepless or full of nightmares since that fateful day.   

But he doesn’t need to know that. 

“Agitated but well.” You respond, circling his neck with your arms. 

You press your foreheads together and he cradles you gently. You look at his close face, with his eyes closed, his purr resonating at your ears.  

He is so handsome and regal…And so nice to you… So tender… 

Sometimes you look at him and want to burst into tears in joy, to have this man be your partner is a blessing of the Maker, even if you don’t believe in it. 

“Do you know where all the dirty clothes are? The basket was empty.” You ask, squirming closer in his arms. 

“I took care of it.” 

What? 

You lean your head over his shoulder and see the dishes are also done. 

“Oh… Thank you.” You say, a bit lost. 

It's the first time one of your partners has participated in the chores. 

That’s not... normal? 

“Fill yourself a cup and join me on the sofa.” Thrawn says gently, kissing your cheek. 

You take your favorite cup, a silly green ceramic mug with a produting tooka’s snoot and ears with the handle mimicking the tail and pour yourself a generous amount of caff before coming to sit on the couch. Thrawn circles your shoulders and presses your body against his. 

“Speak to me, Cha’cah.” He just says. 

“About what?” You ask, chuckling, “What do you want to know?” 

“About your nightmares.” 

Your sip takes the wrong way and you cough. Thrawn observes you, serious as always but you can see compassion in his shining rubies. 

“What?!” You ask with a white voice. 

“I know your dreams are plagued.” He squeezes your shoulders, “I spent all of our nights together cradling you while you cry in your sleep. I know you suffer terribly, as it is natural in your situation, and I want you to share your pain with me.” 

He… 

Oh great, you who thought you could push it under the rug. 

“It’s nothing, really.” You try to cut the conversation short. 

“I daresay it is not. Your trauma is important, and the sequelae are dire. You lost weight and your sleep, and I cannot simply stand by and watch you destroy yourself without you at least sharing the load.” 

You bite your lips, trapped. 

You didn’t tell him about your weight loss and took care not to dress before him, so when…? 

You suddenly want to slap yourself. When you took off your shirt when he had his rut crisis… What an idiot! You were so distressed by Thrawn state you forgot he could see in the barely lighted bedroom. 

Maker, what a dumbass you are! 

And now he has you stuck between his arms! 

Your mind spins at 100 miles per hour, trying to find an escape. 

“Speak to me, my love.” He insists. 

“I…”  

You gulp, suddenly feeling an immense pressure on your body. Your eyes avert his and you feel yourself starting to tremble, so much you have to put down your cup. 

“I…” You try to start, but your voice immediately crashes down. 

You fidget your fingers, digging your nails in the fabric of the robe. You open your mouth only for a strangled yelp to come out. You feel your stomach turning acidic and your breath escapes you. 

You hear Satlove's laugh resonating in your brain… 

“I…” You choke. 

You feel your ribcage retracting on itself, strangling your heart ready to explode. 

“It is alright, Cha’cah.” Thrawn takes your hand to kiss your knuckles, “Do not force yourself.” 

You look at him without understanding. 

“But you…” 

“It is evidently a wound too fresh for you. I should not have pressured you into talking. I am sorry, Cha’cah.” 

He kisses your forehead again in a soothing manner. 

“I simply wished for you to know you could confide in me anything, even your pain. It was distasteful of me and I did not expect it to send you into a panic.” 

“It is… still hard for me.” You concede with a little voice. 

Your heart is still speeding inside of your chest and you wipe your sweaty palm on the robe, but you’re relieved you will not have to talk today. 

You avoid that subject like the plague. 

“As long as you work with your psychiatrist, I am relieved.” He continues, caressing the back of your neck. 

“I don’t have one.” 

He parts with you suddenly, with a mixture of shock, surprise and indignation on his haughty face. It disappears in a split second returning to a deadly serious expression. 

“You do not see a psychiatrist right now?” 

“No?” You stutter, “I saw one for three sessions back at the hospital but that’s it. I don’t have time for that.” 

“Are you aware we have specialists aboard the ISDs?” He asks incredibly gravely. 

“We do?” You’re flabbergasted. 

You didn’t know that! 

He immediately takes his comlink, standing up from the sofa. 

“I am booking you an appointment.” He declares. 

“No Thrawn, it’s good. I assure you, it’s fine” You temper, trying to calm his ardour. 

He gives you a side glance, clearly unconvinced. 

“Permit me to doubt it. Your reaction was truly revealing.” 

You greet your teeth. You don’t want to speak about it! 

Ever! 

It is too painful. 

“Thrawn, please…” 

“Therapy is an efficient way to heal, Cha’cah. They are specialized in war traumas, they can help you.” He gently insists. 

“THRAWN, NO!” 

He turns to you, silent and eyes sharp and inquisitive. You realize you were the one who shouted. 

“I…”  

He tilts his head, awaiting your explanation of your sudden outburst. You hug yourself, still trembling, mouth open, trying to push words out of your mouth. 

You suddenly turn away and run to the bedroom. 

Thrawn calmly follows to find you curled over the toilet seat in your bathroom, vomiting your entrails. You feel his large and warm hand on your back, caressing it gently and soothingly. You try to ask him to get out, but another wave of sickness silences you, shaking your whole body. 

“Please…” You beg. 

“Breath, Cha’cah.” He advises softly. 

With one knee on the ground, he places himself at your side, delicately taking your hair out of your face as you keep puking. 

You gag over the toilet seat, but the sickness subsides slowly. You finally fall on your ankles, panting, flushing the toilet. 

Thrawn applies a wet washcloth on your forehead, his arm circling your shoulders. 

“Relax, Ch’acah. Breath through your nose.” 

“I am sorry…” 

“What for?” He tilts his head. 

“For shouting at you, and… that charming sight and smell…” 

“I have witnessed worse. I can stomach a sickness.” He comforts you. 

You gulp, laying your head on his shoulder, your strength slowly coming back through your limbs. 

“May I ask why you refuse to see a therapist?” He murmurs. 

You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand and sigh. 

“I do not want to confront those memories…” 

“Why?” 

“Because… They are so painful. I want to bury them, forget them…” 

“You will never forget those memories.” He responds, “But you can advance past them, grow and heal.” He pushes a strand of hair out of your face, “But you will need to confront them.” 

You shake your head, yelping. 

“You can try to push them down and forget them, but those memories will only devour you alive, poison your personality and reshape you in their image. They will make you suffer everyday, deeper and deeper until  irrevocably and drastically changing you as a person, for the worse.” 

“I… I can’t…” Your voice breaks. 

“I know it is hard, Cha’cah.” He presses you tighter, sitting with you in your little bathroom on the cold floor, “Facing yourself and your traumas is uncomfortable and terrifying. But you have to face your deepest fears to mend.” 

His hand comes caressing your hair as you shake. 

“Please, promise me you will think about it.” He asks seriously. 

Is it… Worry that you hear underlying his assured voice? 

“Aren't there any other ways?” You plead. 

“There is not, I am afraid. This is our fate as warriors.” 

You bury your face in the crook of his neck and let silent tears roll on your cheeks. He hugs you tight in response, caressing your hair and back. He remained still for as long as you needed him, for as long as you cried. 

You finally calm down and unfasten your arms around his neck to wipe out the last tear off. 

“Do you feel better?”  

“Yes, I think…” 

“Good. Brush your teeth, I will cook you something.” He says. 

You part with him with a shocked and worried expression. 

“You will… cook?” 

“Is there a problem?” 

This is your domain, your duty. You permitted him to try and play with it for a bit, but it is time order comes back in this household. 

“Thrawn, we both know your strengths aren’t in the kitchen.” 

“You are in no state to manipulate knives, let me help.” 

“Thrawn, with all due respect: No.” 

He purses his lips for a split second. 

“How can I help?” 

You giggle in his arms, touched by his pouty face and will to help. 

“Thank you, love.” You nudge against his large, tall and warm body, like a tooka in its basket. 

“You still need to eat, will you help and advise me in this case?” 

“Alright…” You accept with a tired sigh, “Either way you will poison me.” 

“I humbly admit, cooking is not part of my skills.” 

“Of course, it is my job to take care of that.” You assure. 

He frowns for a split second but doesn’t respond. 

He helps you stand up on your wobbly legs and exit the bathroom while you brush your teeth. 

When you go back to the living room, Thrawn is sharpening the blades adroitly, his tall stature turned back from you. You approach silently and circle his hips with your arms. 

“I am sorry I shouted…” you insist. 

“There is no problem, cheo Cha’cah, I should not have cornered you.” 

Your cheek pressed against his back, you let his warmth spread in your own skin. You sigh again, feeling more at peace with his presence.  

“... Did you go to therapy?” you finally ask. 

“No.” 

“Oh…” you let out. 

“But I had someone precious to me to listen to my doubts and uncertainties.” He continues in a softer tone. 

“Your brother?” 

He doesn’t respond. 

He doesn’t have to. 

“I am sorry, Thrawn…” You press him tighter. 

One of his hands comes caressing your arm in front of him. 

“There is no problem.” He repeats, ever so slightly tenser, “What recipe do you want?” 

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

“I never did that!” You scream, unbalanced, threatening to fall face first. 

“Stop agitating yourself. Focus on grounding your feet.” Thrawn slides closer to take your hands and help you. 

“Do not let me go!” You order, panicked. 

“It is simple. Trust your balance.” 

“In case you didn’t notice already, I have no balance on these!” 

You never ice skated, ever. You tremble on your thin blade on the ice, ready to fall at any moment. Thrawn is confident and graceful, assured on his feet he skates with ease and facility. 

Contrary to you. 

You are absolutely pitiful. 

Thrawn pulls you with him, slowly, as you dig your nails in the sleeves of his coat, desperate to not escape his grasp. 

“How do you do that!?” 

“I have skated since I was very young.” He explains, slightly amused by your stressful predicament, “It is second nature.” 

“Well not for me, so do.not.let.me.go!” You insist. 

“It is like me learning to cook,” He smiles thinly. “You need a mentor willing to let you go.” 

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no…” 

But he lets go of one of your arms, letting you agitate it in every direction to keep your balance. 

“Aaaaah…. No, no, no… Why did you let go?” You squeal. 

“For you to gain assurance.” 

As you pathetically try to not fall on your butt and actually skate on the ice, you see all the families all around you, old and young, skating with more or less experience. Some kids were so much more comfortable than you, some even spinning and jumping in the air to land with practiced ease on the ice. 

You cower against Thrawn, holding on to him. He receives you in his arms with a soft chuckle. 

“How do you intend to progress if you do not let go?” He inquires. 

“Do I really need to be able to let go for my first try? We could always come back!” You say panicked. 

“Indeed we could. But gliding with confidence on the ice is such a delightful sensation, I want you to experience it.” He pushes you forward, letting you go completely. 

“No! How dare you! THRAWN!” You scream horrified as you glide on the ice all by yourself. 

You can hear the experienced children laugh at you behind their hands, but you do not care. Your only worry is TO NOT FALL.  

By sheer desperation you push on your feet, skating farther and farther all by yourself. You keep going with the low wall as a finish line in your eyes. 

You crash against it, cutting your breath. 

Finally!Some support! 

You spin on yourself, holding the rail, ready to scream at Thrawn, absolutely scandalized. 

He arrives at your side smoothly, clearly amused behind his stern and respectful expression. 

“How was it?” He inquires, relaxed. 

He clearly appears more at home on the ice than anywhere else you saw him. It’s true his homeworld is frozen, it must remind him of the past. 

“Terrible! It was terrible! How do you do that?!”  

“I learned when I was two.” He explains like it is obvious. 

“How?!” 

“Temperatures used to drop so low that the only way for pedestrians to travel anywhere was ice skating. As soon as I could stand on my feet my parents put ice skates on them, I learned with…” 

The gleam of amusement dies down, and his expression hardens subtly, his eyes narrowing slightly. 

“With?” You ask, encouraging him. 

“It is not important. I mastered this skill early with my family. And now I can teach you.” The tone is just a tad colder and distant. 

You look at his face, gauging him as he awaits your response. 

“You were clearly speaking about someone precisely.” You try, “Who was it?” 

“It is nothing important.” 

“Is it? You have the same face you had when you told me about your brother, back in that cavern.” 

He tenses up ever so slightly. 

Oh… 

“Thrawn, I did not meant-” 

“I know you did not.” He cuts you short, “Maybe you wish to learn by yourself. I will give you some space for you to evolve on your own terms.” 

“Thrawn!” You try to hold him back. 

But he skates away from you with ease and elegance. You look at him going away, helpless. 

Blast! You just needed to keep your mouth shut, and now look at you… 

You sigh. 

‘Congratulations, you idiot!’ 

You look at him, slaloming between people swiftly. Away from you… 

You grumble and, very hesitantly, resume your skating, holding on to the rail for dear life. You laboriously manage to go forward, with the occasional loss of balance from time to time. You greet your teeth and keep going forward, really slowly, but that is still a win for you. 

You’re never going to reach him back at that speed. He will easily complete several laps while you pathetically look down on your feet to not fall. 

When you raise back your head to assert his position on the ice, you see him kneeling on the ice next to a kid. 

The child seems to be crying. 

Did they fall? Are they hurt? You accelerate the best you can to reach them. 

You see Thrawn helping the little ones back on their feet, they’re visibly shaken and terrified. 

You take a deep breath and push on the wall to propulse you in their direction.  

You reach them with more or less gracefulness, but join them nonetheless. 

“What-WOAH!” You yelp, slamming into Thrawn that catches you before you run over the poor kid, “What happened?” 

“She fell in front of me.” He simply explains, holding the little alien girl by her hand. 

The little girl is crying, cheek soiled with tears, holding on to his larger hand. 

“Oh no, poor little one.” You admit, “Are you wounded?” 

“No… I-I don’t think so…” She sobs. “But it hurted when I fell.” 

“Where?” Thrawn asks 

“On my knee.” She sniffs. 

He kneels in front of her and gently manipulates her articulation. 

“Does it hurt when I bend it?” 

“A little…” 

“You have not been scratched, I do not see any blood on your pants. It is a simple bruise, you will be fine.” He raises his gaze to hers with a soft voice. 

“I don’t know how to skate.” She explains. 

“You’re not the only one. I am a beginner too.” you say. 

She looks at you with round eyes. 

“But you’re an adult.” 

“That doesn’t mean anything. It is my first time skating and I am bad at it too.” 

“Judging from both of your performances, my fiance is worse than you.” Thrawn reveals. 

“Hey!” You protest, slapping his shoulder. 

“You’re engaged?” She asks with stars in her eyes, the pain of the fall already forgotten. 

Thrawn looks up to you, meeting your gaze. You do not know how to respond. 

It’s the second time Thrawn called you his fiance, and you both imagined your life together, but… 

“No, we are not.” Thrawn cuts your doubt, “But we are together.” 

“Like a couple?” She insists. 

“Indeed.” 

She gasps, eyes full of stars but suddenly, her expression darkens. 

“Mom and dad aren’t a couple anymore. They got a… a…” She searches 

“A divorce?” You propose. 

She nods, sadly. 

“I am sorry.” You sympathize. 

“Where is the parent looking over you?” Thrawn asks. 

“Not here. Dad left me here cause he has a meeting.” She grumbles. 

Thrawn looks back at you and you shrug.  

“Do you wish for me to teach you how to ice-skate?” Thrawn proposes gently, swapping the subject matter to something less painful for the kid. 

“You would?” 

“Yes.” He stands back on his blades, “(Y/n), take her other hand.” 

“Are you sure? I am still unsure of my own balance.” you argue. 

“Everything is going to be fine. You only need practice.”  

You clumsily walk to her side and take her little hand. 

And off you go. 

You advance hand in hand, at a low speed among the rest of the skaters. It is easier for you to skate while holding someone else, even if you still have some mishaps. 

“See? Even adults can have difficulties, what matters is working to better oneself.” Thrawn stoically points your errors to the little girl. 

She burst out laughing. 

“Hey! Hey! Hey! No mocking!” You bite back, “At least I didn’t fall on my butt, miss.” 

She grins, amused, getting more and more confident on her skates. 

You keep making laps slowly, cradled by the sliding sensation over the ice. 

Thrawn was right! It is pleasant! 

Soon enough, she lets you go, gaining speed, skating away. Thrawn closes the gap between you, a hand coming against your lower back to ground you. 

“There she goes.” He says mysteriously. 

You risk a glance to his face. He is observing her sliding away with a stern expression, but his gaze is incredibly soft. 

You smile. 

“Thanks to you.”  

He shakes his head. 

“She simply discovered it for herself.” 

Is he always blind to the impact he has on others lives, you wonder? Does he not see the good he releases on the world by simply being… himself? 

You seize his hand and squeeze it. 

“No, it is thanks to you, Thrawn.” 

You keep skating hand in hand again, this time he doesn’t let you go. He holds you firmly, but also gently. 

“Byyyyyyyyyyyye!” You hear a shout. 

You both turn your head to the little girl, smiling and holding her father’s hand, waving at you. 

You smile and wave back at the two. 

You flow on the ice with Thrawn’s aid, less terrified now.  

“You are progressing.” Thrawn praises you sternly. 

But the soft pride in his voice is unmistakable. 

“That is not a reason to let go!” You immediately add. 

And he doesn’t. Instead he holds you close to him, skating side by side until you are trembling, frozen. 

“Let’s go home.” Thrawn invites. 

You go back to your little apartment, hand in hand. His hand is large and warm compared to yours, just like the rest of his gigantic body. 

Not to your distaste. 

You bury your nose in your scarf and silently observe people's reactions to Thrawn. Men look envious of his stature and charisma, raising their heads to see him towering over them. And women giggle like young girls on his path, turning back to see him walk away. 

At your arm. 

Hidden behind your scarf you smile blissfully, measuring your chance to be with him. As a power move over all of them you stop him and raise on your tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He looks at you a bit puzzled by your sudden affection but does not reject you.  

This beautiful gentleman is yours only! 

He gently seizes your chin to incline your head and capture your lips in the middle of the street. You hear a gasp in the crowd as your lips meet immodestly at the view of everyone. 

You puff in the kiss, taken by surprise by his response. 

He leaves you breathless and panting while looking perfectly undisturbed, making you flush profusely. His thumb caresses your lower lips tenderly as he straightens his back. 

“Did you lose your words?” He asks with his typical dry humor. 

You feel your cheeks heating up so much at his carmine gaze devouring you like that. 

“I did not expect you to kiss me in the middle of the street in front of everyone…” You explain, flustered. 

“Why not?” He tilts his head, “You appeared to be craving some affection.” 

“I just thought you would be more secretive in front of others.” You confuse yourself in your reasoning, melting under his burning gaze. 

He lightly chuckles. 

“Why would I? I am not ashamed to be at your arm and even less to show you are mine. I thought you would appreciate me kissing you?” 

You hide your face in your scarf to hide from such inquisitive eyes, your legs feeling like absolute jello. The glowing heat signals of your face are all the confirmation he needs. 

“Come, Ch’acah.” He invites, squeezing your hand and guiding you to your apartment. 

-------------------------- 

You  sigh of relief inside your cocoon, home sweet home. You stretch to make your spine ‘pop’ with great satisfaction. 

“I love being home!” You sigh. 

“It is quite pleasant indeed.” Thrawn approves while taking off his long trench coat. 

“My feet are all sturdy frozen!” You chuckle, “I should have wear thicker socks.” You point at your ridiculous pink flowery socks with a big smile. 

You kept the habit of putting on socks and shoes to not see your mechanical legs. 

To hide them from your sight and forget, at least for a moment...  

“Is it uncomfortable?” Thrawn ask. 

“The articulations are frozen, it’s just hard to keep my balance and walk properly.” 

“Sit down on the sofa.” He orders gently, heading to the kitchen part of the room. 

You let yourself fall on your sofa with a laughing ‘oof’, sprawling on the comfy furniture like a starfish. You observe your red ceiling, hypnotized by the burgundy color. 

“The white ceiling was truly ugly.” You declare, “We did well to paint it all.” 

“You painted it all by yourself.” Thrawn retorts from the kitchen as you hear him rummaging through stuff. 

“You did the whole bedroom.” 

Thrawn reappears in his signature black tank top, a clothe and a basin of hot water and kneels before you. You look at him, tilting your head as he seizes your feet to take off your socks and gently lays them in the fuming water, letting the frost disolve. He gently 'massages’ the metal of your feet, bending your toes gently to test the damage of the frost. 

“No need to take care of it, I can do it myself.” You chuckle uncomfortable, not used to be served like that. 

“Shhhhh. Let me help.” He shuts you down. 

You fix his kneeling form, working on your articulations like he did it all his life. 

“Do you need a massage in return?” You ask. 

“I do not freeze as easily as humans.”Thrawn shakes his head as he looks up to you. “My organism is tailor made for cold climates.” 

You nod. You try to settle down the uneasy feeling in your guts, trying to just enjoy the moment but you can feel your mother's disdain darting on you. 

Why is Thrawn serving you right now and not you? 

You sigh. In some way it was easier to be with Nather, with his army of droids you only had to be a pretty candy in his arms and play the trophy girlfriend, you have a harder time guessing what Thrawn wants in his life. 

As that thought cross your mind you feel a wave of sickness rising in your throat, threatening to submerge you. You press your hand on your mouth to prevent the bile from passing your lips. 

How can you even think that?! 

“Is everything alright?” Thrawn asks, always careful of your health signals and mood swings. 

You nod with a pitiful smile, putting your hand away, trembling slightly with a cold sweat. 

Careful not to repeat this morning error, Thrawn doesn’t insist but you can feel his gaze on you at all time, monitoring your weakness at every moment of the day. 

He keeps rolling your articulations in hot water to test your legs flexibility. You let your gaze travel your cozy little living room, you locate Benedict with her red leaf, going strong and growing with shiny new baby leaves and little white flowers, the numerous art pieces projected holograms all around the room for Thrawn, the old TV screen, and the little coffee table with the poufs. 

“We should buy real paintings.” You say to yourself. 

“Where would we put them?” Thrawn asks, focused on the massage. 

“I don’t know. We can buy little rectangular ones, they slip anywhere! It would be better than holograms.”  

He silently nods. 

“Would it please you? To have some real art in the apartment?” 

“Why not your own pictures?” He demands raising back his gaze to meet yours, “You snap some really good pictures with your imagers.” 

“This old thing? No, not really. They’re just silly images I took in the heat of the action...” You giggle a little embarassed to be complimented on your hobby. 

“They are some really good ones, we could frame them.” He insists. 

You wince, pursing your lips and squirming on the couch. 

“We’ll see about that.” 

He takes your feet out the water to rub some grease on them and dry the metal with the clothe before putting back your socks on. 

“Here. It should feel better.” 

You bend your ankle and toes, testing their flexibility and indeed they now flex properly. Thrawn clears the basin water as you stretch again, fighting a yawn.  Getting cared for like that made you sleepy. 

An idea crosses your mind. 

“What do you think of a holo night?” You ask across the entire apartment. 

“As you wish.” He responds, “We should eat first.” 

You tut. 

“Taratata, you silly man! When it is holodrama night you snack in front of the TV!” You correct him with glee. 

His nostril flares. 

“Snack?” He inquires  

“I’ll make you healthy snacks.” You temper. 

“I’ll help you.” He goes to open the drawer with cutlery but you seize his shoulder and push him out the kitchen. 

“No, no, no! You did the service on my legs, I cook!” You order him. “Shoo, mister!” 

Once you’re alone in the kitchen space, you take out the cutting board and your kitchen knife. 

You open the fridge and takes out vegtables like tomatoes, Balka greens, green onions, carots and Kebroot. You slice them down or cut them in dice, placing them in little bowls to make an entire platter. 

Thrawn leans against the wall, looking at you cooking with his arms crossed on his chest. You turn your head to him and smile, simply happy by that simple life and domesticity.  

He gently smiles back. 

“If you only wanted to cut vegetables you could have let me help.” He argues. 

His cutting game is immaculate but he is a real terror in the kitchen, so you’ll keep him away as much as possible. 

You open the cupboards an take the mustard and olive oil. You mix in some thyme and add June-lime juice and a dash of pepper and salt with garlic powder, you pour drops of vinegar and add the grean onion and red pearls of Borfa and mix it well and thorougly. 

You wipe your hands on your apron and breath deep, preparing yourself for what is to come. 

Under Thrawn curious gaze you walk up to another cupboard and push all the tins and jars to take a box in the back. You brought it to the counter, feeling your hands starting to tremble. 

You brace yourself and open the lid to reveal a piece of meat you hide from him. 

“Where does that come from?” Thrawn immediately asks, “We stopped buying meat.” 

You turn to him with a smile you hope is reassuring. 

“A little surprise for you.” You say casually, hiding your tremors “It’s a family recipe I wanted you to try!” 

You take out the meat to put it on the bowl full of marinade and the simple contact with the flesh sends shivers down your spine. 

Let’s not even talk about the odor. 

You gulp and smear the sauce over the whole chunk, feeling sickness boiling in your stomach. 

You remember your torturer’s fingers gripping your soft flesh, manhandling your body... 

“Ch’acah?” Thrawn calls. 

But you start humming a nice tune, as much to shut him out and push down every sick feelings arising. Once the meat is well coated you take it off the bowl and on the cupboard. 

You wipe your knife clean and get a hold of the meat with your hand, placing your blade over it ready to cut. 

That’s when you see how your hands are trembling, you see the knife shaking terribly in your grip. You take a deep breath to calm down, to no avail. 

A blue hand comes caressing your arm to gently seize your hand holding the knife as you feel Thrawn’s body pressed against your back. 

“Enough Ch’acah.” He says, his gentle voice inviting no rebellion, “You are hurting yourself.” His fingers slide into yours to delicately take the knife out of your hand. 

And you feel your body falling, like the thread holding you in one piece just snapped. 

Thrawn catches and embraces your shaking body, pressing you tight against him, kissing the top of your head. 

“It is alright. No need to force yourself (Y/n).” 

“But I want you to try it...” You whisper out of breath, “That is my jo...” 

You gasp repeatedly, trying to breathe the best you could. 

“Do not inflict that on yourself, my love. There is no need. You are too sensitive yet.” 

“It’s a fa-family recipe...” You pathetically repeat like it would explain everything, “I want you to tas-” 

“Shhhhhhhh.” He craddles you, the knife laying on the counter where it cannot wound anyone. 

“I am pathetic...” You let out, disgusted by your own weakness. 

“No, you are not. You are suffering.” His thumb comes caressing your cheekbone as you slowly calm down. “You are home, safe. With me.” 

You sniff unelegantly, burying your head in the crook of his neck to ground yourself in reality with his warm presence and scent. He squeezes you tight, pulling you away from the meat. 

You hug him back, squeezing him tight. You feel the spasms of your body against his solid and still one. 

“I will throw it.” He decides. 

“No!” You burst into panic before calming down “No... It cost me a little fortune. I really want you to try that recipe, it comes from my homeworld...” 

He looks at you suspicious. 

“You cannot finish that dish.” 

“Let’s wait a bit, I’ll get used to it...” You try. 

“You are not touching that meat again.” He asserts, “If you really want me to taste it I will finish it.” 

Argh! Everything goes downhill here! 

You go to protest but his glare lets you know that your only options are him finishing that dish or him throwing away the meat alltogether. 

You sigh, defeated. 

“Alright...” 

You pour some essential oil on a tissue and press it against your nose to cover the meat scent, sitting at the kitchen table as Thrawn cuts the meat in long cuts, dripping some honey and putting it in a pan to braise. 

You inhale the essential oil, the trembling subsiding, overseeing Thrawn’s cooking. Everything goes rather well for once, he manages to cook both sides of each pieces pretty well all thing considered. 

Until he lets one side burn. 

“I am sorry.” He present you his excuses. 

“It’s me.” You sigh, “I should had kept an eye on you, it was going pretty well and I let my guard down...” 

“It is still edible.” He tells, “Nothing cutting cannot save.” 

He cuts the burned size to expose the inner flesh and dive them back in the marinade and finish by cutting the meat in little dices. 

You brought the plateau of vegetables with some cheese to the coffee table while he takes he meat, hidden under a clothe for your comfort. 

“What do you want to watch?” 

“I have no opinion.” He shrugs, “Anything you desire.” 

You shoot him a mischevious smirk. 

“Even a sappy, melodramatic romantic comedy?” 

“If you wish to watch one.” 

“Because I have an entire collection of those! If you don’t stop me I’ll force you to watch them all with me!” You threaten sadistically. 

He remains unbothered. 

“I am open to anything. Cinema is an art I am not well accostumed to.” 

“Your call!” You snicker maniacally. 

You roam around your collection of romantic dramas until you find your Graal. 

The ultimate romantic comedy among romantic comedies! 

The red roses of bridge Nine! 

You throw yourself on the couch and Thrawn’s embrace as you lauch the drama. 

Nyark nyark! That’s going to be fun! 

This is the sappiest, most sugary dripping, tooth cavity giving drama you have, you cannot wait to see Thrawn exasprerated face at that disaster of a movie! 

You snuggle agaisnt him with a deviant smile. 

The movie is as tooth roting as you remembered, with cheezy acting and dubious quality sets and costumes. The perfect recipe for a good laugh if you watch it ironically or get on your nerves if you take it at faith value. 

Thrawn remains stern, undisturbed by all the nonsense thrown at him. 

Crap! Is anything able to reach this Chiss? 

Laying arms in arms, his gaze travels from the screen to you. 

“You seem disapointed. I thought you enjoyed this drama?” 

You pout. 

“My plan failed...” You complain. 

One small loopsided grin spreads on his lips. 

The incident in the kitchen is long gone in your mind as you laugh your ass off at the holo, snuggling in Thrawn’s hug. 

He tries one piece of the meat under your watch, anxious to know if it would be to his taste. 

“It is savory and sweet.” He sentences. 

“Do you like it?” 

“Indeed. It as a really pleasant taste and texture.” 

You smile satisfied, resting your head on his arm. 

The holo continues until you reach a scene you completely forgot about. 

It’s when you feel Thrawn tensing up against your body that you realize subjecting a man in a rut to a sex scene, as vanilla it might be, is borderline torture! 

“I am sorry Thrawn!” You launch yourself on the remote to cut the drama but Thrawn arms holds you tighter against himself. 

“It is well. No need to panic.” 

But you feel his powerful muscles rolling under his warm blue skin, contracting at the action on screen. His breath deepening like he was trying to contain himself. 

You wince, feeling guilty. 

You suddenly feel his lips grazing your neck and shoulder like delicate butterfly wings, peppering sweet kisses on your thin skin. His arms snakes their way around your form to prevent you from moving away.  

From escaping him... 

He buries his head in the crook of our neck to deeply inhale your musk. You feel him shuddering in agaisnt your back, one of his hand sliding under your shirt to caress your tummy. 

He makes you roll suddenly to get on top of you, trapping you under his weight and captures your lips. You gasp, tacken by surprise. 

This kiss is so demanding! So pressing! 

You have difficulties meeting his eagerness as he licks and bites your lips and tongue, pushing his own down your mouth to hug and dance tenderly. You cannot help but moan in the kiss, circling his neck with your arms and his waist with your mechanical legs. He waves his entire body agaisnt yours, seemingly desesperate for any frictions. 

You let one of your hand travel south, caressing its way along his perfect body to take him and relieve him with some caress but one of his own hand immobilize it on the couch, clasping them and entertwining your fingers together. 

He kisses you urgently, groaning his desire in unison with the fake moans coming from the TV. You can feel his body temperature skyrocketing, getting sweatier as the rut takes the reins of his reason. Trapped under him you cannot do anything but take it. 

Like you wanted anything else more than that! 

You mewl and welcome him, more in tune with his craving now, spreading your legs open to welcome him. As you desesperatly try to breath in the kiss you hear his growl rising in the little room, getting steamier and steamier by the seconds... 

His other hand caress your back under your shirt, letting his warm skin discovering yours. His hand stops over the back of your bra and gently tugs on it, not to open it but rather to evaluate the true strenght he would need to tear it apart if need be...  

He presses down his clothed groin against yours and brushes them together. You mewl again for Thrawn, feeling the fire spreading through your veins and your core demanding attention. 

When you thought it will finally happen he suddenly pulls away with a painful groan, leaving you pantless on the couch, disoriented and clothes in a mess... 

You raise on your elbows, completely disheveled and flustered with swollen lips, observing him looking straight ahead, his hand clasped around his mouth like he couldn’t believe he just caved in his baseless tendencies. 

“Thrawn?” You call for him gently. 

He shudders slightly and passes his hand in his luscious black blue hair, sighing. 

“I am sorry, Ch’acah.” He finally lets out, “I lost control. It will not happen again.” 

He doesn’t look at you. 

“No, Thrawn... It’s alright...” Your hand goes to caress his shoulder but he evades you. 

He feels really on edge. Your hands fall on your knees, powerless in front of your Chiss’ pain. 

“I need a shower.” And he jumps on his feet to disappear in the bedroom. 

You’re left alone in the hot room, excited and frustrated. You cut the movie, not interested in it anymore. You dress back correctly and clear the table as you hear the water running. 

His shower must be icy cold to calm him down. 

You’re focused on the dishes when you feel strong arms circling your waist once again. 

“You’re back.” You note, a tad painfully. 

You hear him smell your undone hair. 

“I should not leave you alone after edging you like that.” He recognizes, “But I needed to clear my mind urgently.” 

You purse your lips, finishing the dishes. 

“Are you mad?” He asks, almost affraid of your response, almost... But you know him. 

“No.” You let him know, “You were clear nothing would happen during your rut cycle.” You turn to him, laying against the counter. 

“I see in your body language you are displeased.” He pulls you back towards him. “I am sorry.” 

“It’s nothing.” 

You’ll take care of it yourself later, you’re used to that. 

A glint of pain flashes on his face, very well aware of his mistake. He presses your bodies in a warm embrace he hopes is soothing to you. 

“Can I do something for you?” 

You purse your lips. 

“I just want a hug from my man...” 

He hugs you tight and eagerly, letting your face rest on his broad chest, still fresh from the cold shower and despite the shirt. 

“Let’s fisnish that movie.” 

You look at him in surprise and suspicious. 

“Are you sure?” 

“I was invested in the drama, we will simply pass the risqué scenes.” He smiles with his signature tight grin, pulling you to the couch again. 

@Bluechiss @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @twilekchiss @pencil_urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay @telltale-vixen @obbicrystaleo @germie2037 @exoplorationn @leo4242564 @davesrightshoe @holylonelyponyeatingmacaroni @empresskrennic

[sim-berry]

Not So Berry CC & Mods Masterlist!

I'm almost to generation 5 of my Not So Berry challenge, so I thought I'd make a list of my favorite cc and mods that I use!

CC Creators

This is the most important part, as making your sims colorful is part of the fun of the challenge! There are some generations with colors (ex: peach, plum, mint green) that can be difficult since EA swatches don't really have these colors. Some creators have more swatches that add a bigger variety of colors. Look for specific palettes that have the colorful berry swatches, like Sorbets! Here are some great creators that provide these colors:

IMPORTANT: For recolors, remember that you'll often need the mesh of the original or else you'll get the dreaded broken cc with the question marks!

@simandy (amazing adult hairs that also often come in Puppycrow or Sorbets swatches)

@kissalopa (recolors many hairs with more swatches for all ages)

@dcwnandout (recolors many hairs in the Sorbets swatches)

@sweetberryturtle (recolors many hairs in Sorbets and Candy Shoppe swatches)

@i-heart-pudding (recolors of hairs and clothes)

@simysteric (recolors in the Sorbets swatches)

@noodlessorbets (the creator of the Sorbets palette, also reblogs cc using the swatches!)

Mods

Many of these I use for general reasons and not just for the NSB challenge, but I think they can really enhance your gameplay when following some of the challenge rules!

MC Command Center by deaderpool- I think this mod is a necessity overall but for the Not So Berry challenge one of the most important modules is MC Pregnancy. Some generations have a specific number of children to have, and this mod lets you be more in control of your sims' pregnancy. In the "offspring" tab for your pregnant sim, you can change the number of babies your sim is having (change twins to one baby, etc).

Grannie's Cookbook by @littlbowbub- some of the generations require your sim to master the cooking skill. If you're like me and play this game all the time, you might be getting bored of making the same old recipes. This mod provides a ton of adorable and creative recipes for your sims to enjoy. My personal favorites are the desserts- I haven't made a base game cake in a long time!

Relationship and Pregnancy Overhaul by lumpinou- one of the best mods out there for how much depth it adds to pregnancy, woohoo, and relationships. While playing gen 2 of the NSB challenge, my sim was supposed to have 1 child and "no maternal instincts" (quoted from the challenge rules), so it didn't really make sense for her to be overly happy about her pregnancy. This mod allows you to choose whether or not your sims want children (the game will also pick randomly), and they will react accordingly with moodlets and sentiments. It makes everything feel much more realistic.

Let's Get Fit Workout Equipment by cepzid creation- more options for workout equipment with custom animations. Great for generation 4 aka your athlete sim.

Talents and Weaknesses by lumpinou- allows you to choose your sim's talents and weaknesses in certain skills, which affects the rate of their skill gain. Maybe it's cheating a little, but since many generations require your sims to max certain skills, this can really help.😉Not to mention if you have a sim who is supposed to hate cooking, it doesn't make sense for them to be level 10! You can even block your sim from increasing certain skills.

I'll add more at a later date but I hope this helps some of my fellow NSB players!