#October Tasting Menu

[teethburglar]

[flyingwargle]

october fanfic recs!

i don't have too many this month, so check out the previous months' recs: july, august, september

some of these fics are rated e!

sakuatsu

Dawn and Other Acts of Love t. 4.6k. sakusa's worst nightmare has come true: he has to stay the weekend at atsumu's. such a funny premise spun into a fluffy piece with light hurt and so much comfort. loved it!

shoot to kill g. 6.2k. this obliterated me and continues to haunt me. atsumu knows not to cross the line when it comes to insults and arguments, but sakusa does not, and says something that he shouldn't have. very powerful, with a tender conclusion at the end. one of the best fics i read this year <3

Summer Special: Omigiri t. 6.9k. osamu asks sakusa to be his model for his upcoming summer umeboshi onigiri special, but it turns out to be a ploy for him to confess to atsumu. absolutely hilarious.

The Taste of 2 a.m. t. 8.2k. atsumu is an insomniac with a need to drink tea at 2 am and sakusa joins him. they eventually fall in love with the routine and each other.

Curse Breaking for Dummies: A Setter's Guide to Getting the Guy g. 10.2k. 2/2. modern magic twist where atsumu is cursed with a love curse and everyone falls in love with him except sakusa. you can tell where this will go. very fun and lighthearted!

love as told by you t. 11.1k. this fic is the sun that beams onto you at the end of a rainstorm, reassuring you that love exists, and you'll find love, or a platonic soulmate. it's so warm and tender, choke full of affectionate details of a blooming sakuatsu relationship. a comfort fic, for sure.

recipe for disaster e. 22.9k. fwb narrative where atsumu falls in love with sakusa, featuring anxiety, supportive brothers, and sakusa who also loves him back. the sunaosa side of things is also *chef's kiss* and recommended below ehe

sunaosa

turn west towards dawn e. 2.7k. prose intertwined with letters about osamu getting an email from suna while studying in italy to reconnect after their break-up. the writing is both light but heavy with their lingering emotions and regret that makes your heart throb.

resistance to flow t. 6.2k. fwb to lovers agenda. i will never tire of the slippery slope of falling in love, especially if it's written beautifully.

A Primer for the Small Weird Orchestra Loves t. 8.2k. au where the boys are in an orchestra and suna helps osamu with the violin. lovely details and slow burn, with also a sakuatsu sequel.

of great ambition m. 17.8k. more of a suna-centric character study with a splash of sunaosa that focuses on suna's journey to become a pro. suna is so vulnerable in this, and he deserves all the glory for himself. it's also very in line with how i interpret his character <3

secret menu e. 26.3k. the sunaosa side of recipe for disaster. suna takes a part-time job working at onigiri miya during the off-season and gets more than he bargained for. also fwb narrative but augh. augh. the writing for both fics is so good and tailored to each character's perspective. i love both of them.

bokuaka

an ode to a conversation stuck in your throat e. 3.1k. a character study of bokuto who has bpd with spice. achingly soft and full of love.

crossing distance g. 4k. bokuto went abroad to study after high school and akaashi is the first one that he contacts. i just love how they were able to fall into each other again despite the distance and falling out of communication, it's truly a magical thing <3

A Kind of Magic t. 6.7k. bokuto and akaashi often hang out at bokuto's house until akaashi invites him over and introduces him to his incredibly large and wild family. beautiful, beautiful prose and gradual realization of feelings. we stan family members as their cheerleaders.

heavy heart, a love apart e. 7k. exes to lovers. this oozed with angst and heavy hearts with tension that is eventually resolved for a hopeful ending. loved the atmosphere created by the prose.

iwaoi

yes-man t. 4.1k. no matter what oikawa asks of iwa, he always says yes, including a spontaneous weekend trip to las vegas. very cute and fluffy!

Pretty Boy t. 8k. oikawa is used to iwa's range of nicknames for him, but when iwa starts calling him pretty boy, well. that changes things. fluffy, cute, and lighthearted!

shoelaces and departures t. 10.1k. 2/2. magical realism au where iwa runs a cafe and oikawa is compelled to travel to different corners of the world because of his innate wanderlust. mutual pining at its finest with fluff.

rise e. 12.4k. oikawa and iwa live together after high school but don't have a label on their relationship. something else that this fic focuses is on the push-pull aspect they have, especially with oikawa's knee injury. the hurt/comfort hit me where it hurt.

When I Fall to My Feet e. 23.2k. 3/3. trans oikawa is looking for someone to overwrite his terrible first time, and eventually iwa offers to do it. fwb to lovers, with a sprinkle of makki and mattsun friendship, and a wonderfully supportive iwa.

other

The MSBY Black Jackals Guide To Self-Care t. 4.5k. sakusa-centric. a cute little fic of sakusa learning about his teammates' various self-care routines.

Off the Hinges t. 15.9k. arankita, sakuatsu. kita adopts sakusa since he's a kouhai in the same business program as him while watching him develop his relationship with atsumu. kita also takes a page from his own book with his relationship with aran. cute and endearing. my first arankita fic and i hope it won't be my last.

i remember how the earth stopped turning t. 73.3k. 6/6. kageyama-centric. man. man. it's an amazing read that focuses on the immediate post-career ending injury and intertwines povs from other characters. gorgeous prose. give it a read, seriously.

Yamaguchi Tadashi is NOT a ghost hunter m. 77.9k. 23/23. tsukkiyama. the house that tskushima, kuroo, and bokuto rent in osaka is haunted, and hinata recommends yamaguchi, a spirit medium, to help them. the slow burn!! the mystery!! the details!! i very much enjoyed this <3

[persefolli]

𝐍𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲

𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞

Carlisle began to feel himself worry as you took longer than usual to get to the door. He looked inside the windows that were covered with sheer curtains and tried to make out your figure. He sighed and banged on the door a few more times. After a few moments, his worry washed away hearing your cat meow at the door. Slowly, the locks turned and you opened the door, smiling brightly. 

“Good Morning Doc.” You smiled at him.

“I almost broke the door down.”

“Ah.” You let him in and slowly walked to your favorite sofa. “Not quite used to getting up this early.”

Carlisle shivered and set the tupperware on the dining room table. “It’s freezing in here.”

You nodded in agreement. “That's also why it was so hard to get up, my body is aching. Carlisle frowned and walked to the thermostat. He saw it was set to sixty and winced. “It’s October, it should be at least seventy in here.”

“I forgot.”

“Mhm” he hummed and walked back over to you, stepping over your hairless cat named chicken. “You didn’t forget to take your medicine, did you, Y/n?” 

You shook your head. “Couldn't forget the bitter taste if I wanted.” Using what body strength you had, you walked to the dining table. “What's on the menu doc?”

Carlisle smiled and unwrapped the pan with foil. “Biscuits, bacon and eggs.” 

“Yum.” You allowed him to help you into the dining chair.

Carlisle brought out his bag and watched you dig into the food. He took out his stethoscope and began monitoring your heart beating. After verifying your breathing was okay, he wrote some things down in the notebook.

“Everything normal?” You asked.

“Yes. I need to check your blood pressure. And you said you were aching right?”

“Yes.”

Carlisle began pressing softly into your arms, your torso, and everytime he pressed a sore spot you hissed. He frowned and continued his inspections as you ate, nodding as he came to a consensus. “You need to start icing your knees.” He wrote in his notebook again. You paused mid chew and looked at him. “Okay for how long?”

“You need an icing machine.”

You sighed, “I can't afford that.”

Carlisle closed his notebook. “Your insurance will cover it.”

“They won't.”

“You'll never know if you don't call and ask. If they cover these visits then they'll cover an ice machine I prescribe you.”

You nodded. Carlisle sensed the embarrassment. He knew you weren’t particularly fond of his visits. It was depressing having him come every week and see you rot away inside a house that was so far away from the rest of Forks. 

“I'll come back for lunch. But before I go.” He takes out a glass jar and sets it on the counter. “You need to take this.  It was a gelatin-like substance inside.

“What's this?” You inspected the jar. 

“Minerals, Vitamins. The good stuff your body needs.” Carlisle kneeled to your height and untwisted the jar. “A spoonful. After every meal.” He took a spoon and dipped it into the gelatin and held it to your mouth.

“It looks nasty.”

“Y/n, it's no different than sea moss. ever heard of that?” You huffed and took a bite of the sweet gelatin, nodding in approval after seeing it wasn’t so bad. 

 “After every meal?

“I'll be checking to see how much is left, got it?”

“Yes doc.”

After he left, you spent your time curled up in a book, then began the movie marathon your cousin had sent you in the mail after discovering you were sick and alone. You had a mild form of malabsorption. It wasn't bad to the point you couldn't go outside, it was more your body was deteriorating from the inside out. Your bones were prone to breaking and your body had a hard time keeping up with your surroundings. Eventually working became too much and you had to settle down in Forks. Luckily your parents owned the home you lived in, and paid for that, but unfortunately that was it. Other expenses were paid for by the government and in Forks the aid wasn't the best. 

During the movie you felt your eyelids growing heavy. It wasn’t close to your naptime yet, but you decided it wouldn’t hurt to take a nap. Just for an hour. 

Hours later you slowly opened your eyes to hear beeping and muffled voices. Confusion wracked your brain as you thought you were at home alone. Your eyesight cleared up and you saw the white hospital room, a drip stand, and Max curled into your side. It happened again.

You sighed and threw your legs on the side of the bed, Grabbing a hold of the drip stand, and making your way out of the hospital room.

“Y/n!” You heard a familiar voice.

You groaned as your body ached while you were turning around.  “I'm just going to check myself out.”

“You're not checking yourself out.” Carlisle scolded. “You're staying here.”

“I hate it here!” You half-yelled. “I’m not staying here.”

“You give me no choice Y/n.” He sighed. “I found you passed out again. What would've happened if I didn't come for lunch, hm? It's dangerous for you to live alone.”

You bit your cheeks as he scolded you. He was right.  “So you’re gonna send me to Seattle with the loonies?”

Carlisle smiled and shook his head. He guided you back to your hospital room and closed the door behind the two of you. “This may be inappropriate. But as you know I have a house, and some land.” He started. “On that land I have an unused guest house, usually for my cousins when they visit the family. 

You pondered his offer at first. You didn't want to leave your home but again, you didn't want to be sent down to seattle. “Okay.” You accepted.

Carlisle looked taken aback from your quick response. “Are you absolutely sure?”

“Don’t make me think about it. Let’s just do it.”

By the end of the week you were moved into the guest house. It was really fancy, so fancy it had no place in a town like Forks. Majority of the home was made of reinforced glass like the main house, but the plethora of trees on the property gave you more than enough privacy. 

You met his son named Emmett and he helped you move all of your things in. He reminded you of someone you’d gone to college with a few years back.

"Thought you had a full house?" You asked.

"I do," Carlisle said. "They're just in Italy for an annual festival.”

“And here you are missing out because of me. Sure they’ll be okay seeing the reason you couldn’t go?”

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve been to Italy every year since I was a boy, one year won’t kill me.” He saw the slight frown on your face, leaned back and sighed. 

"Hey..." He started." I wouldn't choose this profession if I cried over every event I missed out on.” 

He noticed the expression on your face isnt letting up so he smiled at you and nudged your arm.“How about I cook you dinner. As a welcome.”

You nodded, thinking the least you could do is accept his dinner.

His kitchen was one of the nicest kitchens you'd ever seen. The ones you'd see in the movies. He opened his pristine fridge and pulled out some meat wrapped in paper. 

“Fresh cut. Got it yesterday.” He commented before putting the meat in the stainless steel pan. You looked around his kitchen and home in awe. Your parents worked their entire life to afford the house they put you in, but Carlisle was only in his 40s and was able to attain a life like this.

“Feeling Asparagus or Broccoli.”

You gagged slightly, “Broccoli please.”

“Take it you’re not a big fan of asparagus.”

“Never have been.”

You watched him pull out a broccoli floret from the fridge and begin to chop it as the meat cooked behind him. “You must have a whole farmers market in there.” You said.

“I try my best to drive out to nicer grocery stores to get this stuff. One thing I had to adjust to when I moved my family here.”

“Why did you come here?” You asked curiously. His expression changed slightly and he went silent. He walked over to the stove to flip the meat. “Needed to settle. Away from a larger population.” He stated.

“Needed a peace of mind. I get it. I probably still would give anything to leave this place.”

“And where?” He smiled slightly. “Portland, if I wanted to stay close. But reaching for the stars. Colorado.”

“The city or the mountains.”

“The mountains. 100%”

After a few minutes of small talk he sliced up the steak and set it on a plate for you along with some broccoli and mashed potatoes. You thanked him and dug in, but after a few moments you noticed he wasn’t eating. “Are you not eating as well?” 

He shook his head. “I ate earlier.”

You raised your eyebrow, knowing you saw him most of the day and didn't see him eat, but you decided to let it go. Carlisle walked over to the fridge and pulled out that same jar of gelatin he’s been giving you.

You groaned and he smiled at your response. “You know what time it is.” He took out a large spoon and took a spoonful of it, handing it to you. 

At night in your new bed you watched as all the lights in the main house were shut off, leaving you alone in the darkness with only the trees outside to give you comfort.

You stared at the ceiling, thinking about the decision you made to live with Carlisle instead of going to hospice. It was stupid to say, but you trusted him more than most of your relatives. He could take better care of you than any nurse. Even though you trusted Carlisle's judgment, and felt comfortable being nearby, you found yourself unable to sleep in this new environment.

Hours went by, endless tossing and turning, and you still couldn't sleep. You stood and went downstairs, scoping out the house as if you hadn't done it already. You shivered and a chill ran up your spine. Turning around you saw one of the windows was left open, letting the cool air fall inside. You walked over to close the window, but paused hearing a snap and a whimper of an animal in the distance. You looked around in horror, wondering what was killed, and who killed it. Forks was known for having freakishly large wolf sightings, and the fact you were practically in the middle of the forest freaked you out. You locked the windows and went around the house making sure everything was secure. Once you got to the last window you paused, seeing something in the distance, standing in the only hint of moonlight that came from the trees. 

Your heart clutched in your chest seeing your doctor…or at least someone who looked like him, standing shirtless with blood covering his chest. You stood frozen, hoping that you wouldn’t trigger the man to come running towards you. You slowly reached over and pulled the blinds down, putting a barrier between you two before dashing up the stairs. Max meowed at you as you scooped him up and went inside your room, closing and locking the door. Under the covers you curled up, hoping that maybe you were just sleep deprived and seeing things. But a lot of strange things happened in the mountains. You heard the stories of the Appalachian Mountains, so maybe the same applied in washington. 

The next morning you were woken with hard knocks at the door. Max was pawing at the door.

“Sorry.” You climbed out of bed and opened the door to see Carlisle standing in his scrubs. He had breakfast on a tray.

“Heard your cat wailing so…decided to just come upstairs.”

You sighed and rubbed your head in frustration, cursing your negligence. “Sorry. I saw something last night and it freaked me out. Didn’t want him roaming the house.” You said watching your cat slip out the room.

“What did you see Y/n?”

You shook your head and sat at the desk that was on the opposite end of the room. “Probably nothing.”

Carlisle sat the breakfast on the desk in front of you and curled his eyebrow. “Probably nothing?”

“Isn’t it like a rule that says if you see something, no you didn’t and if you hear something no you didn't?”

Carlisle let out a hearty laugh, holding his stomach. You got flustered at his laughter, noting that you probably sounded even more crazy or ominous than you meant to.  “I think that only applies to the east.”

You sighed and chuckled slightly, breaking off a piece of bacon. “Okay so…I think I heard an animal break…”

“Break?”

“Like…I heard this weird snap and then a small cry, then silence.”

Carlile nodded along. “Is that it? Could've been some coyotes. Wolves.”

“That's what I thought…but I think…I saw a man.”

“A man?”

“Covered in blood, it was coming from his mouth like he was eating something. And he had on no shirt so it was all over his chest too.”

Carlisle’s eyes flashed, but he smiled. “On this property? I would certainly hope not. I’ll probably have Charlie come and check it out.”

You shook your head. “You can't tell anyone. I don’t want people freaking out.”

‘“Hey.” He kneeled before you. “I want you to feel safe during your stay here. I don’t want you locking you or your cat in your room every night to feel safe. Maybe it’s one of those addicts.”

You nodded. A lot of druggies found themselves wandering from the city to Forks. Almost all of the crime in this town came from said transplants, but one massive offense and we had grounds to send them right back. 

“My family comes home tonight.”

“Oh really? Well, i'll try to stay out the way-”

“No. I was going to ask you to come to the main house for dinner. And meet them.”

You felt nervous at the prospect of meeting his family.

“I'm just a patient.”

“You're not!” He exclaimed. “You are a distinguished guest, a neighbor. You deserve to be surrounded by people. It’s good for you.”

Before you could respond he stood and tapped on the spoonful of gelatin he had in a bowl. “Eat that. And I'll see you tonight at dinner, yes?” You watched him leave your room, a little taken aback by his sudden departure.

Carlisle grabbed his bag on the way out of your home and walked on the pathway that connected the guesthouse to the main house. Once he was sure he was out of your sight he went right back into the main house, kicking off his shoes and heading downstairs to the basement. He went down another flight of stairs and sighed as he stripped down to his underwear, changing into the hazard suit he had sitting next to the door. After changing, he opened the heavy door and stepped inside. Inside was another kitchen-like area, everything was stainless steel. On the table was the deer he’d killed last night. He wasn’t worried at all that you’d seen him last night. It was late, you were tired, and the way you told the story you didn’t even believe it yourself.  He got to work at skinning the deer, ignoring all the blood that was beginning to make a mess everywhere. After putting elbow grease into baring the deer, he took a seat and huffed. 

Hours went by, all spent in the basement, making the perfect cuts for this week's dinner. He packaged all of the parts separately and put them in the large industrial fridge, all labeled based on day and time. 

He grumbled seeing he was running low on beef, his ‘vendor’ being late for the week. He took meal prepping for you very seriously. Portions and balancing out your nutrients was most important. Even if you didn't eat all the food, you were still being nourished.

Upstairs, the faint sound of his children coming back home sounded into the basement below. That was a sign that it was almost time to start cooking. He took off the hazmat suit and sat down on a sterilized chair. He used a tourniquet and rubbed the inside of his elbow with an alcohol pad. He took one of the four laid out syringes and began drawing his own blood. He never felt the effects of drawing so much blood at once, but he knew it was for a good purpose, he pushed himself so you didn’t have to. Once finished, he placed the tray of syringes in another cooler, right next to an unbonded gelatin mix. 

You woke up from your nap feeling refreshed, energized enough to go to the bathroom and wash up a bit before dinner. Across the way the lights in the main house were on and you saw the figures of people walking around. You picked up your cat and stroked his head. “Looks like we’ll have some new friends soon.” 

The walk to the main house was peaceful, the path lights were beginning to turn on and the sun was setting. Holding Max, you knocked on the door. A few moments went by, then a short girl opened the door.  She smiled brightly and stepped aside. “You must be Y/n.”

You nodded. “And your name is?”

“Alice,” She said. She then pointed to a taller blonde man next to her. “And this is my lover, Jasper.”

You waved slightly, but he only stared down at you. You chuckled nervously, but sighed in relief seeing Carlisle making a beeline to you. “I see you met Jasper and Alice.” He placed his arm around your shoulders and guided you to his living room.

“I hope you like what’s on tonight's menu.” He reached down to the coffee table and handed you a glass of wine. You began to decline but he gave you ‘that look’ reassuring you it was okay for you to do so. In came Emmett, with a blond haired girl. “This is Emmet’s wife, Rosalie.”

You smiled softly and waved again. “Hi. I’m Y/n.”

Rosalie looked you up and down, then looked at Emmett. Emmett nodded and she looked back at you with a smile. “Nice to have some fresh meat around here.”

“Oh, be nice.” Carlisle slightly scolded.

The family was dressed in more fancy attire, which made you stand out because you weren’t from a family that took washing up before dinner seriously. Here they had on dresses and dress shirts while you had on a long cardigan, a pajama shirt and lounge pants. You sipped your wine as Carlisle caressed your shoulder in a comforting manner.

For a whole, you sat and talked with his kids, noting how similar their mannerisms were. 

“I don’t really like the city.” Alice said. “I rather spend my time around nature to feel more connected.”

“Cities have parks.” Rosalie chimed in.

“Yes, but it's not the same. The air is just different. I can tell.”

The two began slightly bickering and you smiled at the interaction. Carlisle leaned over and began whispering in your ear. “They do this almost every dinner. Might have to get used to this.” He said. 

“Get used to?”

Carlile nodded, “I don’t want you feeling this is some temporary stay. If you like it you should stay.”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“I know you don’t want to. But look at yourself. You’re improving, getting better and you don’t even realize it.”

You nodded along. Ever since you got here you noticed slight changes in your energy levels and your appearance. The most obvious dark under eyes went away, so that’s a win in your book.

He shook your shoulder slightly. “Ready for dinner?”

You nodded.

On the menu was a medium well venison with dinner rolls, beef stew, and roasted potatoes. You loved hearty meals, so you wasted no time cutting into the venison. You looked around and saw the family hesitantly eating, their food was rare, and you shook your head. Emmett noticed and spoke up. “Never seen a family eat rare venison?”

“No. I’m not a rare girl, medium or more. I can’t eat raw bloody things.”

Rosalie began chuckling and Alice glared at her. You heard Max purring, and looked over to see your cat by the basement door. You looked back and saw Carlisle intently watching too.

“Oh is he not supposed to be over there?”

“It’s fine.” He said. 

The dinner went better than you thought. Carlisle’s family was really nice and they talked to you as if you were one of their own, but all good things came to an end, and eventually it was time for bed. 

“I’ll walk you back to the guest house.” Carlisle approached you at the door. 

“It's fine.” You protested while holding your cat. “It's a few feet.”

“A few feet in the darkness.”

You sighed and nodded, knowing he wasn’t gonna let up. After waving goodbye to his kids, the two of you walked silently on the trail. “I hope dinner was to your liking.”

“It was.” You smiled. “I always enjoy your cooking.”

He smiled. “I thought next week we’d change it up and start giving you some seafood.”

“Salmon?” You perked up. “I can get you salmon.”

He escorted you inside the guest house and closed the door behind you two. He went to the fridge and pulled out the gelatin he always insisted you ate. At this rate you were used to it, so you walked over. He already had a spoonful and you quickly leaned forward and took it, giggling as you watched his shocked expression. 

“I assume you’ll be taking me to my formal appointment tomorrow?”

Carlile nodded, placing the mixture back into the fridge.

“I’ll have to draw some blood, just as a forewarning.”

Pt. 2 coming soon....

Credits to : @anitalenia for divider

[riofann]

9. tempestuous

Tempestuous: characterized by strong and turbulent or conflicting emotion.

Previous Chapter

Trigger Warning: Violence

Saturday October 23, 2021

You look around the room filled with Detroit residents, mostly those residing on the north side but it was a good mixture nonetheless. A lot of arguments and fighting to get to this moment. Oasis was finally open. Another bar/lounge but this was more upscale. Small bites and charcuterie boards. It served as a 3rd space for the immediate community and a cool hang out spot for adults in the greater community. A bite off the speakeasy vibe with secret menus and drinks. Guests were here to get  a taste of what the place had to offer.

You had done your fair share of mingling and hosting, speaking to the inspiration, and sales pitching the space to the guests invited. It was exhausting. This was a long day from 5:00am to now and it wasn’t even midnight yet, (midnight was still 3 hours away).

Rio and Nick showed up not as family but as two unassuming guests. Of course Nick had to put his mayoral stamp of approval. They should have just arrived as a family the way they couldn’t stay away from each other was comical. 

After another sales pitch speech to 3 couples you spot Rio by the bar. Sitting staring straight ahead and even the people trying to interact with him were quickly walking away.  

“You look nice” you compliment him. A forest green turtle neck with gold chain and trench coat. He nods in response “You know its poor host manners to not interact with your guests” you lean in closer “you need to mingle with our customers” you whisper teasing

He turns to face you a deep mug on his face “not in the mood Y/N” he speaks before turning to face the bar again 

You take a step back “Whoa, what's wrong? You ok?” you ask 

“Nothing” he answers

You don’t need a neon sign to see he would like to be left alone. “Okay....” “Y/N?” you hear your name being called making both of you look towards the direction. It was your ex Isaias. 

“Y/N! It is you!” He steps closer leaning in for a hug which makes you move back quickly inadvertently running straight into Rio. 

“Hey Isaias” you say waving as you try to maneuver around Rio but he has you trapped between his legs 

“It’s nice to see you!” he gestures towards you “I didn’t think you would be here!” 

“Yea me either” you look down and notice the very precarious situation you were in and try to move away from Rio only for him to hold onto the belt of your dress trapping you. You freeze. This is not where you wanted to be. You try to turn and face Rio to figure out what he was up to but Isaias keeps talking 

“So what are you doing here?” “Oh I came for the launch” He motions around the room “You had a hand in this?” “Uh no not really. I was just consulting you know” 

He looks at you sympathetically with a small frown on his face “Sorry about the bar” “It’s okay we rebuilt and we are honoring Gracie as much as we can” 

There was an awkward silence “You look great!” he compliments “Same to you thanks” 

He looks past you “Oh I’m sorry I’m Isaias.” he extends his hand 

“Oh silly me” You try to use this as an opportunity to move but Rio holds you in place so the best you can do is lean out of the way “This is.....” “Rio” he answers for you 

“Isaias” they shake hands  

“Yea” you giggle nervously 

“Y/N I wanted to talk to you about something”

You take a sip of your drink “Okay” 

He chuckles nervously “So I’m opening up my own bar”

“Oh nice!”

“And I know you know alot about hops”

You shake your head “Mmm no I don't” you knew where this was going. This is how it always went with Isaias a compliment followed by him siphoning your ideas your thoughts to make him look good

“Y/N” you hear your name 

You whip your head to the sound “Yes!” 

“Sorry” the waitress looks apologetically  “can you help me with something?” 

“Absolutely excuse me” you speak as you maneuver out of Rios’s grip “Excuse me gotta go, talk to you later Isaias.” You turn to face the waitress “Yes, what do you need?” you ask as you both head back into the kitchen. 

You hide in the kitchen for at least 30 minutes before you make your way out. This time you were well aware of where Isaias was and you were avoiding being detected by him at all costs.

“You two make a cute couple” an older woman speaks to you as she approaches you

“I’m sorry?” You were confused

She motions behind you “You and him” you turn to see her motioning at Rio “I saw it all happen, him protecting you from what I assume was your ex?” You begin to blush “oh uhhh” you hated being perceived

“Sorry didn’t mean to infringe, these drinks are good” blaming the alcohol  “Oh I uh....thanks” is all you could muster up to say before you hurriedly changed the subject

The night ends and you usher the guests out leaving you Rio and Nick while the staff cleaned up. 

“So that was a success” you beam

“It was! Good job Y/N” Nick compliments putting his hand on your shoulder 

You smile and nod Nick looks at Rio who’s eyes are trained on Nick's hand on you. “My bad brother” he chuckles raising his hands in a surrender motion, Rio scoffs in return. 

“Y/N” Another call for help “Yea? Excuse me guys” 

Tuesday December 7, 2021

“This is Adriana, you will be working with her now.” Rio states “Okay” you say looking at the woman standing next to him 

“You two will be working together on cleaning up my money” You nod in response. “Any questions?” You shake your head and hand him the bag while Adriana hands you her bag. He doesn’t say anything else, just walks away and you turn around to do the same. 

Sunday February 13, 2022

Dealing with Adriana could either be a blessing or a curse, initially things went smoothly until they weren’t.

“You think you’re so special”

“What is it now?” you ask her irritated 

“All he does is ask how you are when I drop off the money” You roll your eyes “I have already heard this you can tell him to stop you know” you didn’t even know why he was asking about you, he could just call you or pop up and you’ve told her that many times. “I did pendejo” “You can call me whatever you want but I’m busy and so are you so lets get this exchange over with... Plus don’t you want to go prepare to celebrate valentines with someone special?”  you add in the last line as a sting to her very open wound. The amount of times she tried to connect over wanting a man made you physically ill

She scoffs and you both exchange the bags

Monday February 14, 2022

You were working at Oasis, the bar was extremely busy tonight, you had to make it a reservations only night and couples who did pop up had a minimum of an 2 hours wait even at the bar. Small bites intended for feeding each other with desserts meant to end the night with a perfect kiss. 

“What are you doing here?” you ask Rio who was sitting by the bar

He smiles to himself “what I can’t spend valentines in the most requested place in Detroit?” 

“No” you respond flatly you didn’t want him there observing you it made you even more nervous. Like he was taking notes to bring up later like a health inspector or food critic

“Hey!” you hear from behind you it was Adriana

“Oh heyyy!” 

She slides onto the barstool next to Rio “I asked for the  Strawberry Ricotta Bruschetta bites and the Stuffed Mushrooms like 20 minutes ago!” 

You bite back a laugh (finally he took her out on a date, cheap bastard brought her here where he basically won’t have to pay) “Let me go look into that, is there anything else you need?” 

She looks at Rio “need anything boo?” 

Rio shakes his head and takes a sip of his drink, you couldn't tell if he was enjoying his date or hating it he was very stoic.

You nod in return and make a quick exit to the kitchen where you let out all of your laughter before you personally deliver the food ordered to them. You make it a point to be the only one to serve them that night. 

“Food could have been a little better, let me give you a tip a little less......" she remains quiet thinking "salt and spice” 

You smile “noted” 

“Same for the desserts you know you wanna find that right balance between too sweet and just right” 

“Got it!” 

She links arms with Rio “Anyway thanks for the Valentines, sad you had to work” She fake pouts “maybe next year” 

“Maybe, see you guys later”

Friday April 1, 2022

Things got better with Adriana after that. All she talked about was the Valentine's date for a while then onto another date, this time emphasizing just how good Rio was in bed. 

“Did you fuck him?” 

“Excuse me?!” “My man” “Who is?” she had stopped talking about Rio recently She mugged you “Bitch don’t play dumb” “Rio?” 

“Who the fuck else!?” “No I didn’t” “Then why the fuck is he talking about you?” 

You shrug “i honestly don’t know” 

“Yea okay let me find out you fucked him” 

“Then what?” 

She looked back at you shocked, “What you say?” 

“Then what?” 

“You’ll see” she threatened

You shrug and walk away. You didn’t have time for this as you were split between two places today, this was not a welcomed surprise. 

At 2 in the morning you finally pulled into your driveway and sat there for what felt like forever. After 20 minutes of playing on your phone and convincing yourself that it will not be 1. Safe nor 2. Comfortable to sleep in your car you take the painful steps into your home. 

“Think I’ve told you many times sitting in your car isn’t safe” you hear his voice before the lamp turns on

It scares you, he hasn’t popped up in a long time you were getting used to him not doing it

“Thanks for the reminder, what do you want?” you scan the room and Mick is just around the corner lurking “Hi Mick” he doesn’t respond but steps into the now lit room 

He stands up walking up to you “rumor is you shorting me” 

“Is this some April fools thing?” you ask failing to hold back a laugh. First Adriana then this?

That anger that you had forgotten resurfaced and like last time you find yourself in a very bad situation “does it look like an April fools joke to you?” his hand with a vice grip on the back of your neck 

Your mouth goes dry and your body tenses up immediately your mind flashes back to the past and without you being able to control it tears roll down your face

As an act of regret Rio loosens his grip not letting you go but studying you, he stays like that for awhile before stepping back completely 

“Adriana’s been giving me bags that are short on my cash even when she goes to pick them up with someone they are always short. So you tell me how she’s giving you all that money to wash and your short by 1/3” 

“I...I...I” your mind goes blank of course its false why would you want to be back in this very situation 

“One of you is lying and since I got my men to join her then it can only be you” 

You look at him the migraine radiating from your neck was getting worse

“You better start talking darling” 

“I...I...I don’t....know” 

“That’s all you got for me?” Tears roll down your eyes and nod that's all you could muster up to say at the moment

He looks to Mick who reveals the duffle bag behind his back “I took what is owed plus interest” 

Wednesday April 20, 2022

“Authorities are warning people to be mindful on their intake of marijuana today as they see a spike in emergency room visits and accidents during what is known as 4/20 holiday for frequent pot smokers. Please keep in mind if you are found with marijuana or illegal substances you will be arrested. Stay safe Detroit! Onto other news authorities have found the body of a female and a male in the early hours of Monday April 18 it is unclear...”

“Thanks for meeting with me” Nick says as he slides into his seat

“No problem” your neck tenses up again and there is the migraine you grimace in pain

“You okay?” 

You nod “neck hurts” 

“So how have you been?” “What do you want Nick? You don’t care about my well being” “Actually! I do! Because you are one of our loyal partners!” 

You respond with a tight lipped smile

“As a token of our appreciation we are giving you this!” he hands you the duffle bag full of money “for you” 

“What is this?” 

“I just said” 

“I don’t want it” you shove it back to him 

“No cariño its yours, you earned it” 

“I could just leave it here and let someone take it” “You could but your fingerprints are on the envelopes sooo” 

You stare at him for a minute before you put the pieces together, you chuckle to yourself “what are you paying me back?” 

“No in fact what I am doing is fixing what my brother wronged, found out Adriana started sleeping with his men many so there goes the mystery of you coming up short” 

You nod and look away remembering that night 

You both sit in silence for a while. It was awkward at the beginning but then faded away. You avoided eye contact

“You okay?” he finally asks

“Yea yea” you say wiping away the few tears “anything else” 

“................He likes you, you know?” 

You guaff “Yea as much as he likes his money!” 

“Not like that this is different” 

You hum and nod “mhmmmm” in response sarcastically not believing anything he said

“I’m serious!” “Well at least we know he loves you or you would be dead” you say

He laughs, throwing his head back “nah he can’t kill me that's the difference? You.......... he won’t” He analyzes you “wonder what it is?” 

You roll your eyes “That doesn’t mean he likes me as you're trying to infer here, I’m not special” 

“Ha! try telling him that!” He stands up and walks away. 

You sit there for a while gathering your thoughts before you too get up and leave. 

Sunday May 29, 2022 

Finally the warm weather was breaking in Detroit and you felt comfortable enough to leave your home with a light sweater and not layer up. You pull into the driveway and look at the Orchard Lake Country Club building, you were so busy you failed to realize where you were going instead copying and pasting the address into your phone to lead you towards the meeting point. 

Good thing you were starting with Oasis today or you would have showed up in a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. 

You check your phone one last time to ensure this was indeed the place besides the GPS telling you your destination was 0.1 miles to the left you were in the right spot. 

“Hi how can I help you?”  the front desk attendant speaks

You adjust the duffle bag “I’m meeting with Christopher Serraño” “Oh yes he is in the tennis court, he asked me to have you wait in the restaurant”

“Okay”  you say as she walks you over to the outside seating area. You watched as he played a round of double tennis only sipping on the water that was provided and responding to texts. 

When he spots you he waves you over but you don’t think he is talking about you so you look behind you and he it makes him chuckle when you realize he is talking to you. You pick up the duffle bag. He motions with his hand to put it down “leave it!” he tries to yell over the music but you can’t hear so you just take it with you 

“I was telling you to leave it” he finally speaks smiling at you. You hadn't seen him since April 1st so you guess seeing a smile on his face was a good sign

“Oh uh I couldn’t hear” you explain

He nods taking a big swig of water “it’s cool”

The silence is awkward between you. You knew it was his guilty conscious that kept him from seeing you but a lousy sorry would suffice to get over whatever this was

“Right so here” you say handing him the bag 

He smiles taking it from you. Either this was new or you’re just now noticing how he takes the bag from you. This time you feel his hand grazing your thumb caressing yours before he grabs the bag. 

You retract your hand quickly, instinctively, there was something intimate about it. It shocked you.

He ignores your reaction and turns to look at the tennis court before facing you “Played tennis before?”

You look at the court “No, I don't know how. But you’re pretty good”

He smiles “I can teach you!” 

“Now?” 

He shrugs “Why not? What you got going on?” 

“Oh...uhhh..I....I..” you motion to your attire taking a few steps back “I didn’t know I don’t have any clothes” “They got a shop” he points behind him  “go pick up what you want they can put it on my account” 

“I...uhhhmmm...I have to work Rio” you say rubbing the back of your neck  

“You good?” he looks slightly concerned 

“Yea just a migraine coming on gotta take my meds plus I gotta go they need help tonight” He nods “See you later” you didn’t wait for another statement another question. 

Authors Note: Please leave your feedback, again please don't steal. Only repost, like, or give credit.

XOXO Rose

Taglist:

@katymae12344, @yinmaggiorebass , @flirtyjen, @wnbweasley, @meadows5, @ffenthusiastt, @rio-reid-whoreee, @belezaya, @meera10, @aunicornmademedoit, @stilestotherescue, @thatoneasiagurl, @baddiereads,

[lance-thunder-reporting-live]

Good morning Amity Park, I'm your ghostly weatherman, Lance Thunder. Today's Friday, October 4, and there's a 10% chance of rain. Highs are in the high sixties, and the lows are in the high fifties.

Luckily, the ghostly meteorologist from yesterday was captured by The Red Huntress before causing much damage. After that, there were no notable attacks yesterday.

The Nasty Burger is bringing back an item which was last seen on the menu back in 2002. The Kiwi Fudge Surprise milkshake can now be found on the Nasty Burger menu, but many are saying that this well missed treat tastes different this time around.

Many question if the reason the milkshakes came back wrong, so to speak, is an inclusion of ectoplasm into the recipe. The health and safety department has investigated these claims and has found them to be false.

The Fentons will not be driving today.

[sc0tters]

Birthday Do Over | Quinn Hughes

summary: it’s Quinn’s birthday and you can’t help but fuel your need to see him.

request: yes/no

warnings: swearing?

word count: 1.53k

authors note: I wasn’t going to write this but when the request came in and it being Quinn’s birthday the opportunity was too great to pass up. Kaylin if you see that I used your answers to my cake questions, surprise? This piece is a lot of flashbacks people so pay attention to the regular italics!

You knew you shouldn’t have been doing this.

But as the three red bulls in your system kept you up you couldn’t help it as you stood in the kitchen baking.

October 14th, Quinn’s birthday and his first since you two were no longer talking.

Surely you should have been fine staying at home enjoying the comfort of your bed but instead you were in the bakery.

Quinn watched you start your dream as you bought the bakery but he never got to watch you fully live out the dream as you two broke up before it opened.

So the cake you made was from your memories of what he liked eating at late hours of the night in your apartment.

Bowls of different icing flavours were in a line “why can’t I try it yet? Quinn complained watching your hand swat his away “because I’m not ready so you need to wait.” You explained in a duh tone.

Over the last week you had been building a menu that had each of your favourite flavours that you had made throughout the years, as well as some new ones and those were what he was meant to try.

Quinn let out a huff causing you to smile “shut your eyes.” You brought your spoon into one of the bowls as the boy listened to you.

His eyes screwed shut as his mouth hung open “let me know what you think of when you taste this.” The spoon dropped a bit of icing onto his tongue causing him to close his mouth.

The sweet flavours melted into his tongue as he moved his arms getting excited “that was delicious.” Quinn announced as he opened his eyes to look at you again.

It made you laugh “that isn’t a flavour,” you shook your head as you sent him a look waiting for an answer “give me a hint baby.” The hockey player pouted as he reached over the counter to bring you to him.

His hands wrapped around your waist as you stood between his legs “it’s this one.” You brought the bowl to his nose but he still couldn’t get it “it’s my take on cream cheese-” the gasp Quinn let out made him sound like a child who just learnt Santa wasn’t real.

You smiled shaking your head “it was cheese!” The American grabbed a spoon again so that he could taste it again.

It was clear that the dials in his brain were turning as he came to terms with it “you make cheese good.” His words made you laugh “you give me too much credit.” You corrected him placing the bowl back on the table.

Quinn brought his hands from your waist to your jaw “don’t think I give you enough at all.” He mumbled running his hand over that bone as you leaned down to kiss him.

Both of you got sucked into it as the world felt like it stopped around you.

But it didn’t and the smoke alarm started going off “shit!” You groaned quickly pulling away from him.

As you whipped your icing you smiled remembering that night in the apartment that you now moved out of with the extra cash you had been making you were able to use to get more space.

It was another reminder of a milestone that Quinn missed yet still it wasn’t out of his own choice.

Part of you should have felt sorry for his neighbours as you two argued for what felt like the twentieth day in a row.

Your hand raked through your messy hair as you tried to remain calm “maybe I should go.” You shrugged avoiding Quinn’s irritated scoff “you always leave when things get fucking tough y/n!” He complained totally unaware of how much smaller you got in that moment.

If you chewed at your cheek any harder you would have drawn blood “look Quinn I love you.” You blurted out as you dug your nails into your palm “but this isn’t working anymore.” The hockey player was your world, that’s what happens when you date someone for three years.

But the reality that the arguments were now outweighing the normal conversations that you two had was weighing on you and the t was no longer at a point where you could act like it wasn’t around anymore “what are you trying to say?” The American knew what you were trying to say but he prayed that this was one time that he was so wrong.

Tears formed in your eyes “this is goodbye Q,” you frowned walking over to him as you pressed your lips against his cheek.

Before Quinn could process that you had left him the door to his apartment shut with a slam.

You were gone.

The final touches always scared you the most. It was like the moments when you screwed here were the ones where you wanted to cry.

Which was why you did a happy dance as Quinn’s birthday message was written out perfectly “perfect!” You smiled placing the piping bag on the table.

Below you sat absolute cake of his dreams, the red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting were complimented by the blue, green and white icing colours that you used.

The gold edible topper balls were for how you saw Quinn. Your shining star that could guide you anywhere.

If you had to find Quinn as a cake you would be looking right at it.

The boy grew impatient as he watched you work “this is an art Quinn.” You explained joy giving him the chance to complain “you put too much pressure on yourself.” You had been tasked with making a cake for Luke’s birthday and you weren’t going to screw this up.

You sent him a look trying to tell him to shut up “I’m trying to make this perfect.” You spoke in a duh tone as you were working on making the icing the perfect shade of red “you could give Luke cake batter and he’d love you.” Quinn’s voice made you laugh as you shook your head.

Luke was definitely the easiest man to impress.

You prayed that Quinn still lived in the same apartment that he was in before the summer. Fears that someone new occupied his home were greater than the ones you held about the ideas of him moving on.

As the sun had barely came over Vancouver you were just grateful that the doorman of the building recognised you because you would have been waiting for hours without him.

It was quiet in the building though as once you stepped into the elevator you hadn’t seen another person. Which is why you thought you were successful in getting to Quinn’s front door unnoticed.

But of course the universe wasn’t going to make your life that straight forward so as you placed the box on his doormat a laugh let you know that you were no longer alone.

Quinn leaned against the wall as he pulled his headphones out of his ears “you’re up early.” He smirked remembering how he could never get you out of bed early.

His bed was warm, and that was your excuse “Quinn!” You groaned reaching out to feel him no longer there “yeah baby?” He smiled seeing your eyes barely open.

Your pout was clear “come back to bed.” You tapped his side of the mattress “I’ve got to get to the rink.” The hockey player sat on your bed next to you as you let your head rest on your pillow once more.

He watched as your breathing slowed once more signalling that you were asleep “I’ll see you soon love.” The boy leaned over to press a kiss to your temple before he quietly tucked you into the duvet letting you bask in the comfort of his beds warmth.

You awkwardly picked the box up “I came to drop this off for you.” You explained turning to show him what you were holding.

Being a hockey player a cake wasn’t something you got in the middle of the season “thank you y/n.” He smiled seeing your cheeks turn red “I should get going.” You sucked at your teeth as you sent him a nod trying to move past him.

Quinn knew that he couldn’t let you leave again “wait,” the hockey player sighed feeling his shoulders grow lighter.

Your nod made him smile “you want to come inside?” Quinn’s offer made him feel nervous as you stayed quiet “I won’t be able to eat this cake by myself and if I get Brock over I won’t get any-” he began to ramble before you cut him off.

The giggle you let out made him go quiet “you know I’ll never say no to cake.” Your confession made him nod as he opened his door “it’s about time we caught up.” The door shut behind you both but this time it wasn’t the end of a chapter.

No this was the start of your second chance, the redo if you will. And this time you two were going to make sure that you didn’t screw it up.

This time was going to count.

[ofstoriesandstardust]

twisters masterlist

updated october 13th, 2024

wranglers & reader (found family):

i just want to be part of your family

kate carter x reader:

can't take the home out of oklahoma (series)

kate carter x tyler owens x reader:

i bet on losing dogs

dvd menu

javi rivera x reader:

crystal clear on a star lit night

under these midnight skies

if there is a right time (chances are i'll be here)

all of my life it's been heartbreak weather (series)

like no one's ever been here before or at all

dani x reader:

i miss you, i'm sorry | i love you, i'm sorry

"the taste of honey from someone else's lips"

"dollar store sunglasses"

everything comes back to you (series)

boone x reader:

i just want your love

"the taste of honey from someone else's lips"

"someone doing up your seatbelt for you"

[see-arcane]

How well do you think Jonathan and Laura would handle each other's vampires?

If this is Laura circa her canon as a young woman? Unless Dracula has some reason to flex at her father and get inside the home to play creepy old suitor, she is just getting chomped. Full callous Lucy Westenra bat hickey treatment. No romance, no buildup, no dramatic speeches or gentle kisses. Chomped. Stolen. Maybe she starts Bloofering around or else Dracula snatches her and her coffin back home to Castle Dracula.

If this is a Laura post-Carmilla, whether it's her ten years later self or older, she might have a better chance, owing to a newfound wariness about certain vampiric traits and random eerie nobles who elbow their way into your life one night with amorous intent. Maybe she'd even get to save herself or someone else from him! Though it'd be a close call regardless.

Jonathan is probably not on Carmilla's menu unless his aura of genderfluidity (damsel? young man-damsel?? gothic heroine for to chomp???) carries over for her the same way it does for Count 'I only turn hot chicks! And my good friend Jonathan <3' Dracula. This guy seems to be a vampire magnet across the board so it's not impossible that Carmilla might be tempted; especially if we look back at her Mircalla past and note (spoilers!) that she had more than one lover, including a young man who ultimately helps her newly-turned self avoid being slain.

Still, even if she was eager for a taste, he's also--shudder--one of the Lower Class. Millie is shown to be a snob when it comes to anyone who doesn't live in a castle. So she may just opt for the same dine-and-dash murder she's been dishing out to the local girls of wherever she's ended up by the time she reaches the 1890s. Rude. Jonathan might be in serious trouble if he's in a pre-Dracula state and/or he doesn't have a village's worth of concerned citizens acting to protect him.

...On the other hand.

If this is post-Dracula, post-October 3rd Jonathan Harker?

I think Carmilla is better off turning herself around and going on holiday with Countess Dolingen and her little necropolis for a while.

[burning-academia-if]

Hello, I am mostly back and recovered at the time of writing this lol. June wasn't very productive writing wise (...for BA), which is fine because I needed that break! Look at everything I did do in June:

RELEASED CHAPTER 2 FINALLY

Spent like 2 weeks fixing bugs (dw chapter 3 I'll get beta readers so it doesn't happen again LOL)

Participated in the Raffle for Palestine + wrote and sent out the story to the winner!

Wrote about 5k words of Chapter 3

Wrote and edited Zoe's back story

Wrote most of Lars back story because I was inspired (sorry you won't get this until after Chapter 3 drops)

I'm pretty happy to have released Chapter 2! I'm gonna be honest, this felt like such a daunting release lol When I started BA, I was expecting no one to read it save for a handful of people and I'd just be chilling and writing mostly for myself like usual, so releasing it with over 1.5k followers was very daunting. With that said, I am glad people overall enjoyed the new chapter! The plan is for Chapter 3 not to take as long, but life is still hectic so we'll see. At the very least, it hopefully won't be any later then October (BA's one year anniversary month!).

I also just want to give another shout out to everyone who participated in the raffle for Palestine! Raising over two thousand euros in two weeks is still amazing to me, and I'm happy the IF community could come together like this to help out a cause! This was lowkey another thing I was nervous about since I've never really done anything that's felt like a personal commission before (asks definitely feel different lol), but other then my initial nerves the whole thing was a really nice experience!

Now, going into July, I want to focus on the UI updates I want to make. I have some things I want to shift around and change, and since coding is my biggest weakness I know it's one of those things I'm going to have to focus on. If things go well, I'm hoping to do a pure UI update by August. It'll mostly be the menu pages (achievements/stats/relationships/etc), but there are a few other things I want to add in and adjust outside of it. As for Zoe's backstory, that should be out soon, so keep an eye out of that! Finally, I also might not be too active in July. For personal reasons, July is always a hard month for me. Hopefully it isn't obvious, but just in case I'm not around as much as usual, that's why!

OH and before I forget, here's this month's chapter preview ft Angry Rook:

Lastly, I made the questionable decision to make a side IF. Updates will be very sporadic since BA is and will always be my main project until its completion. But if you want to follow it, it's To Taste Sweet Silver. An 18+ gaslamp fantasy about trying to steal the Fruit of the Old Gods in order to bring the world to an end. It's a little more niche I think, but feel free to check it out! The demo shouldn't take too long to get out since I did accidentally write most of opening already.

[teethburglar]

[yuriisclumsy]

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕𝐈 — 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑭𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔

𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕 | 𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕𝐈 (you are here) | 𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐕𝐈𝐈

Authors note: Hi, everyone! Been busy with other stuff. The project for Dawn Winery is finally progressing when we managed to fix the laser (yes, we did by one). I'll update once we have everything more defined. PS. I have a character sheet for Amalia! Will post it after the next Arc is published.

Volksfest

╰[A Volksfest (pronounced [ˈfɔlks. fɛst]; German for "people's festival") is a large event in German-speaking countries which usually combines a beer festival or wine festival and a traveling funfair.]

╰Volksfest begins in Autumn – August to November – because it is the season of harvest.

Adler’s Tavern

–Adler’s Tavern should be on top of your list to visit during this festival! With out-of-this-world music and local beers and wine, with famous staples from all around Teyvat.

–Many come here for the Autumn show in Adler’s Tavern. The show can vary between years. From shows about Autumn itself, to Archon related shows, but there is always one show that is always performed during the season: Grace and Humanity.

╰Grace and Humanity is a show depicting the love Her Grace has for humanity, blessing them with great harvest each year.

╰The tavern has a little theater that is always full during these festivals. When not in use, Adler will rent it out to producers to host their shows here. Safe to say, it always has something in its box at the entrance.

╰Majority of the shows are family friendly, especially Grace and Humanity.

–Overall, a 10/10 place to visit even outside of Volksfest.

Wine Festival

–This festival is done only during Volksfest because many people can gather and taste, and make, wine. This Festival is hosted by the farmers in the ‘countryside’ of the city.

╰There is grape juice for kids to not make them feel left out of this festivity.

Old Times Renewed

–As the name suggests, this festival is to bring back the old in the city. During this one week festival, people will dress with traditional clothes, or old styled clothes to commemorate the past.

–Foods that have a long history or are traditional will be served especially for this time.

╰If you have time, walk around the city and see which restaurant brings back a 100-year-old-recipe into the menu.

╰A lot of this restaurant only bring out this old recipes for this festival only, so don’t miss it!

Farmers Harvest

╰The Farmers Harvest is different from Volksfest because it actually involves farmers coming together to harvest their crops and selling them in their markets. Depending on what plant they are harvesting, the date for that Farmers Harvest will begin.

╰During this period, all vegetables and fruits in season will be on display in the Farmers Market.

╰Fruits and vegetables that don’t take long to grow will not be included in Farmers Harvest.

Grapes

–Begins in August and ends in November.

Pumpkins

–Begins August, ends in October

 Wheat Fields

–from July to September.

Parades

╰There are three main parades in the City that are celebrated each year.

Irene Parade

–This parade is done once a year on July 9, for the founding of the city.

–The main streets of the city are closed for this parade. It begins from the main entrance of the city, traversing through farmland, following the streets of the city, to eventually end at the entrance of the Castle.

╰At the end of the parade, a young boy who won the week long competition present a present to her Grace representing the gratitude of the people for forming the city.

Masquerade

–This parade welcomes winter with open arms. It is a dance with masks to show the winter it got nothing against them.

–There are many parties hosted throughout the city, but the most important one is the one hosted in the castle by her Grace.

╰If you received a letter for the dance, consider yourself luck! There is only a limited amount of letters sent out to random individuals. So make sure to accept before they give it away to another!

January, The Month of our Lady

╰The first month of the year is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing Her Grace alone. Many activities and parades happen during this time, such as Grace’s Mercy.

Grace’s Mercy

–Grace's Mercy is a parade done once at the end of January.

–It usually consists of tales, sayings, and shows regarding her Grace. But the main course is the dance done in her honor in the city’s square. Only one dancer is allowed to dance the traditional performance each year.

╰It is a great honor to perform this dance as it takes years of practice and experience, with even some of the best dancers unable to follow the routine with how difficult it is.

– If she is happy with the gift the people of the city will be blessed and protected until next year.

[Fun Facts]

–Diluc has made contact with Madam Adler after coming back from his revenge-emo-phase to manage the family business.

–Madam Adler and Master Crepus were good friends back when he was still alive.

╰They were penpals.

–The time of grapes to be harvested is when Volksfest begins and ends.

╰The time for wine making!

–The Irene Parade is a legal Holiday. No one works that day, even her Grace.

–There are actually two dances for Grace's Mercy, a male version and a female version, both are as complex as the other.

…: (╭ರ_⊙)

???: You don’t understand me?

???: What don’t you understand?

…: （ ゜ρ゜)ノ

???: Why am I wise?

???: I’ll take that as a compliment.

…: ＼(´◓Д◔`)／

???: Oh, you don’t understand why I act like I do.

???: I see…

???: The only thing I can say about that, is that I have many years on me.

???: It may be the reason I behave like I do.

???: Maybe you could learn a few things from me.

…: (ｷ▼⊿▼)ﾉ

???: Hehehe… Don’t make me laugh.

???: You mature?

???: What nonsense is that?

…: ಠ��╮ಠ

???: Oh look at how cute your pout is…

…: 〴⋋_⋌〵

???: Okay, okay! I’ll stop teasing you.

𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚜: @udretlnea, @taurus-caeli. Re-blog or Comment if you want to get added into the Tag section for The Divine City: Arc. Back to The Divine City: Arc Master-List. Go to Story, a related series.

Back to Master-List

[vcstasy]

⠀maybe it’s been a long time coming.

INCLUDING◞⠀kil jiyeol. (&) duan jalen, mae ilwoo, na yeseul, qiao yijun, JG staff. TIMESTAMP◞⠀OCTOBER 2016—JANUARY 2024. WARNINGS◞⠀non-chronological, implied sex, mentioned smoking. WORD COUNT◞⠀5.3K NOTE◞⠀this is important to ME! and maybe me only. oh well

scribbled on a calendar in bright pink biro that wasn’t his own, under JUNE 27, 2023: LUNCH WITH JALEN

“I want to leave.”

Jalen looked at him from over the top of his menu, slowly setting it down onto the tabletop. Idle conversation from the tables around them filtered into one ear and out of the other while the singer stared at him.

“Here? We just sat down.”

Jiyeol rolled his eyes. Jalen was difficult on the best of days.

“No, idiot. We waited half an hour for this table, I’m not wasting time finding somewhere else to eat. I.. I want to leave the company.”

He sat back in his chair after he’d explained himself, expecting a reaction out of the younger man. A gasp, maybe. A look of shock. Anything at all, really.

What he got instead was a bored shrug. Jalen picked the menu back up and returned to his thorough exploration of the starter options. “Do it, then.”

Jiyeol leaned back over the table to rip the menu from Jalen’s hands, ignoring the irritated noise in response. “That’s it? What the fuck! At least pretend to be surprised.”

The singer snatched the laminated piece of paper back out of the older rapper’s grip and pulled a face, holding it out of reach when he tried to make a grab for it again. “Why should I? It’s all you’ve been complaining about for months, hyung. I’d be more surprised if you stayed.”

“Everyone complains about their company. You do it, too. Are you leaving with me?”

Jalen’s eyes strayed downwards, back to the list of meals sat before him. His shoulders seemed to draw in on themselves, as if he was trying to make himself smaller, arms tucked into his sides. “No. There’s—you know. The group.”

Jiyeol’s nose wrinkled, eyeing up his dongsaeng for a moment while he pretended to ponder over what he wanted to eat. The mysterious act couldn’t have been a more obviously fake persona, because Jalen was easier to read than any book he could’ve picked up off of the shelves. It surprised him that more people hadn’t come to notice. Maybe it was just Jiyeol who was of that opinion. Maybe it was just how they worked.

“The group. Right.” He was more certain it was mostly one person in particular, but he’d overlook it for now. Excuse the lie. His lock screen was a picture of the seven of them, after all, so it might’ve contained one lick of truth. “How’s Yijun?”

Jalen’s head raised to give Jiyeol a look of contempt, followed by a short eye roll. “Yijun is Yijun. I have no idea how he is. It fluctuates.”

The rapper held a hand up in a mock surrender, sitting back in his seat once more. “Alright, I was only asking. And hand that menu over, you’ve hogged it long enough.”

Jalen played at shielding it from him, throwing an arm over the top and lowering his head so far his nose almost touched the smooth surface of the table. “I’m not done.”

Difficult.

Jiyeol sighed and acquiesced, attempting to bite back the small smile that rose to his face when the menu was quietly slid over to him a few moments later.

For a place they’d waited that long to get into, the options that were to his taste were few and far between. He supposed it was his own fault for not looking online before he let Jalen book a spot. Silence fell between them for a while, Jiyeol making faces down at all the food listed and Jalen drumming his fingers on the tabletop in a random rhythm, feet following the same beat. He could tell something was coming, and so looked up just in time for a question to be sprung at him.

“What are you gonna do afterwards?”

Jiyeol’s mouth opened, but the words didn’t come. He was expecting the question, of course, but not this soon. Had thought Jalen would wait until they’d eaten, at least. His hand went from running through his hair, to tugging at one of his earrings, to finally joining the other folded in his lap, as an answer finally came to him. The one he’d been juggling around in his head for a long time, the one he’d been up late researching and looking into more and more over the months that had passed. The one he decided he was finally ready to say out loud, instead of dismissing it as a pipe dream.

“I want to start my own label. Or—try to, at least. I don’t know if it’ll work out.”

As far as he knew, it would take a lot of paperwork. Enthusiasm, the drive to actually make it work. Critical thinking, planning, an inside-and-out understanding of the industry and what made it tick. And an ego, of course, but Jiyeol was sure he had that down already. He felt a little.. Nervous, of all things, as he faced Jalen after his declaration, unsure of how his dongsaeng would react. 

The man in question was wide-eyed, not quite dramatic enough in character to be open-mouthed, but still visibly surprised. They stared at one another for a few moments, neither saying a word. A waitress approached their table, pad in hand and biro tucked into the pocket of her apron, which she retrieved as she came to a stop before the pair of them.

“Hi! Can I get you anything, or do you need a little more time?”

She sounded like she was smiling, but Jiyeol didn’t really know. He was still looking at Jalen, who was looking straight back at him. Silence fell over their table, idle chatter from others sounding that much louder in comparison to how quiet it was. Shoes shifted uneasily from where the woman was standing, the nib of her pen retreating in and then being pushed out again with a click. He probably should’ve said something, but he didn’t. Just.. Kept on staring. Click. There was a question in Jalen’s eyes that he wouldn’t know how to answer if they both just stayed silent—which was looking like the likely scenario. Click. Jiyeol’s eyes were starting to water from the impromptu staring competition they’d entered, and the waitress coughed uncomfortably, turning to leave again.

“I’ll just, uh, come back in a sec.”

She retreated, and yet they still stayed silent. He was starting to regret saying anything at all. He was about to make an attempt to change the subject, or maybe to escape to the bathroom to douse himself in cold tap water and clear his head, or maybe outside for a smoke break to take the edge off, or maybe outside to catch a cab away from here and away from Jalen’s prying eyes—until everything came rushing out of the younger’s mouth like the floodgates had burst.

“Your—your own label. For real? With who? A label, hyung? Like.. Like Jaguar? Is it even for music? Are you going into clothes? Are you sure?”

He looked frantic—nothing like the calm, composed Jalen he was known as to everyone else, known as even to him until two minutes ago—and more than a little out of breath by the end of it. Jiyeol wished the waitress had stayed, because Jalen could’ve probably used some water after that performance. He stopped himself from staring into his desperate, searching gaze for just a few seconds by breaking away and looking over the rest of the tables inside the restaurant instead. A few eyes met his, likely alerted by the outburst that Jalen hadn’t bothered to try and lower the volume of, but they turned their heads as soon as it happened. Once the silence had stretched on for a minute or two again, Jiyeol turned back to the man on the other side of the table.

“Jae.”

He cringed at his own choice of words, of nickname, and decided to start again, sitting up more in his chair and meeting Jalen’s still-wide, endless eyes head on.

“Jieyang.”

The use of his birth name only made him look more nervous, if anything, shoulders drawing in on themselves as they had earlier. Dyed hair fell into his face, and a hand reached up to push it back out of his eyes. Jiyeol carried on, contemplating his words as he went along—trying to find the best way to explain something he himself hadn’t fully thought out yet.

“Yes, my own label—and yes, for music. Why would I want to start making clothes, what the fuck? I.. I don’t really know who with, yet. Or where. Or.. How, I guess. Well, I do know how, I’ve been researching. But I know it’ll take a while. I want to do it anyway.”

He ended with a smile. He hoped it looked like a smile, at least. Comfort in any shape or form had never been his strong suit, and would likely continue to not be in the future. They were back to staring at one another, not a word said. The itching feeling of wanting to make a break for it returned, left him shifting uncomfortably in his chair, but he resisted the feeling. It could wait until after Jalen had responded.

The frantic look in his eyes had calmed, leaving behind the sea of dark brown they usually were. His hands fidgeted from where they were tangled together on the tabletop between them, separating so he could pull at the corner of the long-forgotten menu. Jiyeol almost wanted to kick him under the table, to provoke him into saying something so they could brush past his own wants and desires as if he’d never shared them at all. But before his foot could move, Jalen finally spoke up.

“Okay. Okay. That’s.. That’s really cool. I think you can pull it off, hyung. I’m—I’ll always be here if you need me. You know. Just in case.”

Despite himself, a smile broke across his face, and he feigned looking at something over his shoulder to smother it. His chest felt a little warmer, a feeling somewhat like comfort settling where humiliation had been beginning to fester. His ankles hooked around the legs of his chair, and he pulled himself closer, looking back to meet Jalen’s eyes and watching as his grin widened when their gazes met. Unabashed support was all he could see in the pools of brown, and he coughed and broke eye contact once more, pretending he couldn’t feel heat prickling at the nape of his neck.

“Well. Thanks. Stop looking at me like that, though, creep. Let’s just order. You’re paying, Yang-ah.”

Jiyeol ignored Jalen’s indignant protests with a smirk and turned to catch the eye of the waitress, waving her over. If he felt a little lighter, a little freer, a little happier after the reassurance, even as he asked for a plate of something that didn’t even sound all that nice, he kept it to himself. Jalen didn’t need any bigger of a head.

calendar dates had never been a thing with them. following texts sent on APRIL 21, 2023:

Ilwoo had known first. Because of course he had. Jiyeol had sent him a text, exactly the same thing he’d told Jalen—I want to leave. Then, before the first could even be read, I want to start over.

He’d only sent back one word in reply. Alright. They both knew there was more to say, but Jiyeol had always hated doing it over the phone. Ilwoo was easier to read when he was right in front of him.

And even easier like this. Even if all the lights in Ilwoo’s apartment were off, only the cityscape to illuminate them through his too-wide bedroom window, and only his old R&B playlist to just barely cover the sounds of their laboured breathing. He knew every stretch of skin like the back of his hand, could map out every vein and find every mole with his eyes closed. He preferred them open, though, so he could lock eyes with the man above him through the dark and reach up to take his face into his palms, smoothing a thumb over the line of his cheekbone with one hand and pushing back sweat-laden strands of hair out of his view with the other.

“Come on, out with it.”

Ilwoo came to a halt for a moment, a bemused smile flitting at his lips when Jiyeol shifted his hips in an attempt to spur him on again. “Now? Really?”

He wasn’t finding it nearly as funny as the younger man was seeming to, wanting to squirm under the amused attention but holding firm to continue on.

“Yes, really, spill it. Better to be vulnerable all at once. Or something. I don’t know if that’s a quote.”

When Ilwoo’s shoulders started to shake with laughter, Jiyeol let go of his face to pinch the bare skin in retaliation, smirking to himself at the yelp of pain it evoked. They traded insults and pokes and play-punches until the younger jolted and in response Jiyeol did too, brought back to what they were doing all too suddenly.

“Shit. Just—tell me. I’m not going to beg.”

The pout that pulled at Ilwoo’s lips was predictable, familiar. Sleaze was creeping into the edges of the words he leaned closer to whinge into his ear. “Not even a little?”

Normally he’d fake-gag, push the joke a little further, indulge him a little more. But tonight Jiyeol was toeing the line of irritation, and so a blank look was all he gave him, mouth set in a flat line. Ilwoo crumbled not long afterwards, hanging his head.

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just.. You’re definitely doing this for yourself, right?”

Silence. His face contorted, brow furrowing. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Ilwoo faltered again, for a moment, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, faint reflections of outside billboards and street lights and neon projecting signs lighting up his eyes when he raised his head to meet Jiyeol’s.

“Alright. Okay. I was just—asking. Wanted to check you weren’t still hung up on.. I don’t know. A few years back.”

His palms curled into fists where they were still resting on the younger man’s back, before he forced them to relax, and—he almost wanted to laugh, a little bit. Hung up? He’d felt like the rug had been yanked from underneath his feet, left stranded in a place he hated yet was scared to leave, scared to fade into another face in the crowd if he’d turned his back on it. But that was then. That was coming up on four years ago. He’d grown up. He’d gotten over it. Jiyeol could never hold a grudge—he was doing too much at any one moment for things like that to linger, and he said as much; brow still raised, eyes still blank.

The laugh he got in response sounded emptier than earlier, far from amusement. Still, Ilwoo leaned in ever closer, soft puffs of air ghosting over his cheeks as they stared at one another again. A grin even tugged at his lips, just as it had before. The tense air between them had dissipated as if it were never there in the first place.

“Well, like I said, I was only checking. Maybe that’s on me, though. Who am I to judge you, hyung, hm?”

Jiyeol had always been told he had an ugly laugh, face too scrunched up and odd little hiccups springing forth every once in a while, but for once he couldn’t stop it from bursting out of his chest from the tease, granting Ilwoo’s bare skin another lighthearted slap and then pulling him closer with a scoff they both knew he didn’t mean when the younger man whined for him to soothe the pain.

“Just shut up and get back to it.”

His smile stretched wider. Gleaming eyes in the half-dark, white teeth on display, one hand verging on too warm from where it rested heavy on his hip. Ilwoo did as told.  

nothing but a memory of OCTOBER 14, 2016.

Before anything else, he’d been the first in the know. Before he’d ever step foot on a stage, before he’d ever held a microphone in his hands. Before they’d been put together and then tossed aside again, on the way to being fully forgotten.

He couldn’t quite remember how he’d ended up on one of the balconies, standing next to Na Yeseul while she touched up her makeup. Maybe he was looking for Hyeonmin. He’d been holing himself up in practice rooms and redoing the same mindless routines until his legs were shaking and his chest was heaving, too tired to explain himself when he was found. Jiyeol was trying to stop it before it became a habit, before it became something that hurt more to stop than it did to carry on. He’d cared more, back then. But that was exactly when it was—then. 

So he’d gone looking for one and found another, led astray by a vague comment saying they thought they’d seen Hyeonmin head outside. He wasn’t even sure Yeseul had noticed him at first, was tempted to turn on his heel and leave her to it, but maybe she’d caught his figure in the reflection of her mirror compact, her voice ringing out through the silence.

“Jiyeol.”

He tipped his head to her out of obligation, hands fidgeting in his pockets. “Sunbae.”

She scoffed, the sound abrasive, and gestured to the empty space next to her. “Since when have you called me that? Come here, keep me company.”

Jiyeol did what was ordered of him, forearms bracing themselves against the railing that lined the ledge overlooking the streets of central Gangnam. He could hazard a guess as to why she was here already, without even having to ask. He asked anyway.

“Are you and hyung in a fight again?”

His gaze drifted sideways, and he watched as she answered him without ever saying a word. Watched as her eyes rolled and she fished around in her tiny clutch purse for a tube of lipstick, the cap of which was tugged off far too forcefully. 

They said nothing for a while, as Yeseul reapplied the deep nectarine shade she’d grown to favour on her lips and Jiyeol followed the motion, wondering how bad it’d been this time.

“I’m thinking of leaving.”

Really bad, then. Awful. Irreparable. Wait, what?

“Leaving?” His voice sounded airy. Panicked. Yeseul shrugged, sending dark waves tumbling off of her shoulders as she did so. It was only when she shifted in his direction and saw the look on his face that she decided to explain herself.

“I really can’t.. I don’t know. I’m just done, simple as that. Insu is too.” A humourless laugh left her purple-stained lips, eyes not quite meeting Jiyeol’s. “And besides, it’s not like we’d be lasting too much longer anyway. I’m nearly thirty, you know. People don’t stick around to watch.. That.”

He wanted to lean over the edge of the balcony and throw up, dry heave until his eyes stung. He wanted to pry, and pry, and shove his way in for more details. He wanted to protest. He wanted to stop them.

Instead, Jiyeol just nodded. Attempted to accept it. He turned his eyes back to the city, and tried to imagine Na Yeseul and Choi Insu living lives of retired stardom within it. The thought almost made him laugh.

“When are you..”

She didn’t let him finish his sentence. Maybe saying it out loud would make her reconsider, make her change her mind. Make it feel more real. Too real.

“Tomorrow.”

Another laugh rang out too loud, bouncing off of the walls that closed in on either side of them and hurting Jiyeol’s ears. Yeseul was snapping her mirror closed and prying it open again, lipstick discarded back into the clutch. “That’s what I’m going to say when I get in there. ‘I’m thinking of leaving.’ With no hello or anything else.”

Despite himself, Jiyeol smiled at the idea. The panic was still there, but so was Yeseul. He could put it off for now. “Youngshik-hyung’s gonna cry. Like a baby. And Yoonhae-hyung is gonna throw something at you.”

A hand reached over to shove at his shoulder lightly, and he let himself topple forward enough to rest his chin in his palms. 

“I’m leaving, not dying. I’ll call them. Maybe I’ll even let them take me to dinner every once in a while, too.”

He nodded in understanding. They fell quiet again. The sudden feeling of a warm palm landing on the top of his head made him start, hand flying to his chest as Yeseul messed up his (admittedly already a little wild) hair.

“Should I call you too? What kind of noona would I be if I didn’t take my favourite dongsaeng out for a drink, hm?”

With all the wicked mirth in her voice, and teasing smirk on purple-lined lips, she reminded Jiyeol of Ilwoo. Or he supposed it was the other way around. He leaned over and nudged her with his shoulder in return, the comforting weight of her arm draping over the both of them coming not long after. The way he was leaning into her was awkward, tilting to match her height, but he could withstand the discomfort. They watched cars race by and people flit in and out of restaurants, bars, noraebangs; in their twos or threes or more, and on occasion less, without another word shared between them. Nothing more needed to be said.

The moment wouldn’t last forever, and there wouldn’t be another one like it. Jiyeol found he didn’t quite mind as much as he first thought he would. He just—took it all in now. Made the most of the silence and the warmth and the memory of lipstick the colour of ripe nectarines.

it’s far past midnight, and the date on his phone while he dials a number he hasn’t touched in years reads DECEMBER 19, 2023.

His phone screen had a large crack running straight down the centre, and Jiyeol ran an idle fingertip down the line as it rang. The number displayed on the screen: Yijun’s.

He wasn’t expecting him to answer. Jiyeol wasn’t stupid, he’d spent most of his teen and younger adult life with the boy, practically knew him inside and out.

Well. Perhaps not anymore—perhaps not in a while, even, not since that early December evening.

“Are you gonna let them do that? Shove some.. Some rookie actor kid in with us? After how long we’ve all trained?”

No, he wanted to say, to the sudden apparition of seventeen-year-old-Yijun standing before him, eyes bloodshot, hair a mess, words of the past echoing in his ears. He wished he could go back and tell him honestly; now that they were how they were, now that his hindsight was crystal clear. No, I’m not. I’ll fight for this. I’ll speak up. 

But he couldn’t, obviously. So he was here, instead. Sat on a lone bench by the river, as the hour crept later and later, watching his phone ring and half-wishing he hadn’t dialled at all. 

Jiyeol wished he had a cigarette. He wished he’d brought a jacket, he wished he was at Ilwoo’s apartment, he wished Yijun would pick up. He wished he didn’t. He didn’t really know, anymore.

Just as he was anticipating, the phone rang to voicemail. He hung up before the automated voice waiting for him on the other end could drone out its usual message, and stared at the screen afterwards. Stared at his own face looking back up at him. Ran a finger down the crack once more, felt the serrated glass edge against his skin. Then, after another moment, he picked it back up, and called Yijun’s number again. 

Why? It was a question he didn’t know how to answer. Jiyeol was never usually one to pester—once he had the answer he wanted, or lack of one, even, he just backed off. Picking fights wasn’t something he enjoyed, much unlike the person he was currently trying to reach, who seemed like it was all he knew how to do. But he’d gone and called him again anyway, maybe just to really hammer home the realisation that they were practically strangers, now.

Jiyeol almost hung up before the voicemail tone would get the chance to signal the end for him, and then his eyes blew wide after his next glance at the screen.

The call—connected. He checked the contact name again. 宜君. Exactly the same as the day he’d entered it into his phone for the first time. Seconds ticked by, silence from them both, before he snapped back into himself and pressed the phone to his ear.

“Yijun. You—you answered.” It sounded desperate, sounded pathetic, but he let it slide. It was the shock, he told himself.

A noncommittal hum from the other end. “I guess. What do you want?”

There was no point dragging it out. He wasn’t one for wasting time, after all.

“I need to tell you something.”

More silence. Yijun scoffed as if the next steps were obvious, as if their usual rhythm hadn’t been unused and nonexistent for years now, broken with a crack clean down the centre. “Tell me, then. And hurry up, I’m meant to be.. Ah, whatever, it doesn’t matter. Speak, hyung.”

His mind stuck on one part of the sentence. ‘I’m meant to be.. Ah, whatever.’ Jiyeol knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew he shouldn’t bring it back up. He did, anyway.

“Are you going out with Hyeonminnie? Is that it?”

A switch flicked, the edge sharpened. Yijun’s voice was ice when he next replied.

“Don’t call him that. It’s none of your business, anyway. Just tell me already, or I’m really gonna hang up.”

A pause. As if to make it seem he was saying it of his own volition, and not because he was practically ordered to. The words then fell from his lips in a rush, almost unintelligible.

“I’m—I’m leaving. The company. Jaguar. All of it.”

Absolute quiet between them. Jiyeol couldn’t even hear Yijun breathing. He felt a sudden flash of déjà vu—to months before, the day he’d sat before Jalen at the restaurant that neither of them had ended up liking and told him the exact thing he was relaying now, over the phone.

“Finally.”

In hindsight, he should’ve really been expecting something of that nature. They weren’t friends, hadn’t been for years. Not a civil word had been exchanged between them since before the start of the end. But it still shook a bitter scoff out of him, eyes regarding his phone screen with disgust.

“As charming as ever, Yijun-ah.”

The remark was met quickly, coldly. “I don’t know what else you were expecting from me, hyung.” And—Yijun had only said what Jiyeol himself was thinking, but it still felt like a hit. 

“Well.” He stood from the bench, wishing he hadn’t left his pack at Ilwoo’s, wishing he hadn’t called Yijun against his better judgement. “You got me there, I guess that one’s on me. It won’t happen again, though. Say hi to Hyeonmin-ah for me, will you?”

The only response he was given was the disconnect tone. 

i guess it’s happening. the early morning of JANUARY 6, 2024:

In his dress shirt, smart slacks, and carefully pressed hair, Jiyeol sort of felt like Jaehee—on the day when he was first introduced to their once-four in particular, looking as if he was split between wanting to bolt and throwing up all over his dress shoes. The passing thought made him want to throw up also, and so he banished it from his mind as quickly as he could, flitting from topic to topic in an attempt to distract himself from it.

He’d almost forgotten the view from the uppermost floor, having not seen it for a good few months now—it was where most of the more central members to the company resided, after all, as well as where meetings were held. Like the meeting he himself had called, and would be walking into.. Soon. They hadn’t given him a time, but on the other hand they hadn’t said he could waltz in and say whatever it was he wanted to say whenever he pleased, either. Seungdae had just assured him with oblivious cheer that Hyojoo would just ‘pop her head out and wave her arms akimbo’ until he got the message and followed her in. So in the meantime Jiyeol was staring rather listlessly out of the window, half focusing on the view and half running back over what he planned to say when he was inside, again and again and again.

He hadn’t written anything down. Nor prepared a speech, of any kind. Jiyeol was planning to enter with grace, maintain his composure, say his piece in a way that hopefully didn’t sound like he’d been rehearsing it for weeks, and walk back out again. Or maybe he’d allow a couple minutes or so for the questions the table sitting before him would surely have. Hyojoo, the most. Jitae close behind. Seungdae—Jiyeol hadn’t a clue in the world. And that was what annoyed him most about it all.

He knew most CEO’s, most people at the top lording over their subjects below, strived to keep an air of mystery about them—to construct yet another barrier between them and those beneath them, to keep them firmly in their places at the bottom, knowing they’d never be able to surpass someone they didn’t even fully know—but Ae Seungdae was something of a special case. It was less mystery, and more unpredictability; and the most irritating kind, at that. He crawled inside the mind and stayed there, a parasite lying in wait to find whatever was being most rooted for when someone came before him, and then took the wheel to drive them in the complete opposite direction; so quickly that one might think it was out of spite. But no. It was pure, unadulterated (although sickening) luck. He got it right every time, knew exactly how to pull strings in a way that would push buttons, raise tensions, start a fight. 

You would think any good CEO would strive to move in the opposite direction, seeing as that seemed like the surefire way to fail. But it was as if Seungdae enjoyed his own misfortune. He was writing his own tragedy, giving himself all the flaws in the book, and stringing the rest along as the background characters in a play that, if it ever came to light—in another universe, a different timeline—probably no one would show up to. 

Before he could continue to entertain himself with imaginings of Ae Seungdae’s failed career as a playwright, movement came from down the corridor. A manicured hand around the door frame, teal-painted nails as always, and brunette hair falling around her shoulders—shorter than he last remembered seeing it. Sim Hyojoo gave him her customary thin smile, and the hand raised as if to wave before it morphed into a quick, aborted motion; a beckoning gesture. Leading him to his death. Or maybe not. She didn’t know why he’d called this meeting, after all. None of them did. 

Jiyeol straightened his tie and set off the short distance down the hallway, inclining his head in silent thanks as the door was held open for him but not making any move to sit down once he’d entered and Hyojoo had returned to her seat to the left of Seungdae. Jitae aimed a grin at him, one that he did not return. 

“Jiyeol,” he was greeted, Seungdae rising to exchange a handshake. “How’ve you been? I’ve been up all night wondering what it is you’d like to speak to us about.”

“I’ve been well, thank you.” He paused to wait until Seungdae had sat again, and took a final deep breath. Flashes of the past few months raced behind his eyelids as he stole one more moment of silence. The raw earnestness in Jalen’s eyes. I’m always here if you need me. Ilwoo’s bedroom, shrouded in darkness and the sounds of their mingled breath. Who am I to judge you? Purple lipstick, a final fight. I’m nearly thirty, you know. Yijun’s bored voice, new salt on old wounds. Finally.

Jiyeol opened his eyes. His hands were steady by his sides, shirt pressed, hair styled. He was fighting a smile away from his lips as he opened his mouth to begin his proposal. He hoped his words gave them déjà vu.

“I’m thinking of leaving.”

[la-merlaison]

Louis XIII and his cooking adventures 🍴🥞

When it comes to our Louis XIII cult, I often refer to the king's iconic omelettes, but what about his other stuff? For example, he really loved sweets (like beignets or jams), but could he also cook them? The answer is YES, and that's not even all yet!

Louis was a curious child who's head was already filled with various interests and cooking became one of them when he was only ten years old at the time (which is quite unusual for a king). First ever case of the king cooking was recorded on february 11th of 1611, when he was preparing milk soups for the Duchess of Guise / Catherine of Cleves. So milk soup, most likely, could be Louis' very first dish made by himself!

Of course many kids have a sweet tooth and our precious omelette king was not an exception which I guess is why he started to learn how to cook mostly from recipes of sweets. Also, take a shot every time I say "sweets" or "cooking" (don't..) 🕊️

So, among 17th century royal sw- *ahem* DESSERTS we had in our menu – a jam, quince jelly, beignets (basically french donuts) and marzipans. In a well-known, among many of y'all Louis stalkers, journal of his doctor Jean Héroard I found some clear evidence of Louis XIII cooking some of these himself, so here it is feat. me periodically panicking over my own translation because my half-french friend is too busy atm and I don’t wanna bother them:

June 6th, 1611 — «He walks through the corridor from the study to the paneled gallery where he had an oven for making jams, he is amused to see how it's done.» I know it's not exactly him cooking, but I just wanted to leave it here :")

October 15th, 1612 — «Madame comes to see him; he has fun making jam with Mademoiselle de Vendôme»

January 29th, 1613 — «He often has fun making almond milk and marzipans at Madame's house.»

March 6th, 1615 — «It was very cold; he goes to the kitchen, makes omelettes, beignets, fried eggs; it was he who made them and ate a little of that he tasted.» Pretty sure the last few words could be translated better because it's always rather my terrible french or a little confusing way of Héroard's writing, so feel free to correct me.

February 3rd, 1616 — «He is preparing a small snack of dry jam for the queen, who must come to him at two o'clock. After going back to bed, he happily forms various battalions of his little silver men.»

February 5th, 1622 — «He leaves Saint-Germain, goes to Pontoise, where he enjoys making and eating beignets; while dining at Cormeille, he suddenly goes to the goblet in which he makes little cream puffs.» The original text says «petits choux au lait» and I have no idea what could that exactly be, but it seems like some sort of little éclair-like buns made of milk? Little cream puffs?? Maybe by «choux au lait» Jean meant «choux à la crème» which were invented back in 1540 in France.

I know you've been waiting for the quince jelly too, but unfortunately I couldn't find anything about the jelly :c Though, judging by what we've got here It's still quite possible Louis could cook quince jelly as well, hmm... Anyways, if you know something I don't know of the jelly mystery, hit me up!

In the future, this great love for desserts will be inherited by his son Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (brother of Louis XIV), who is also a very interesting character in history!!

In conclusion I must say that Louis not only had a sweet tooth, but also a big love for trying out different things, all this curiosity and pure excitement, even when it comes to something so simple and familiar like food, will never ever stop to fascinate me :"D

Btw speaking about Louis 'trying out different things', I of course still have a lot to share on this as well! Stay tuned and have a good day/night 💘💘💘

[a-d-nox]

celtic astrology: ivy

date range: september 30th to october 27th

paid reading options: astrology menu & cartomancy menu

enjoy my work? help me continue creating by tipping on ko-fi or paypal. your support keeps the magic alive!

animal

the butterfly; symbol of customs, ancestors, and dreams.

deity

arianrhod, the goddess of the silver wheel and the caer sidi; sage of the stars, key holder of mysteries, and order bringer.

ivy attributes

high-climbing, small, inconspicuous, persistent, enduring, extremely popular, fast-growing, low-maintenance, gifted with insight, vivid dreamer, enchanting, radical thinker, artistic, creative, intellectuals, civilized, elegant, charming, of good taste, liver of beauty and harmony, dislikes being alone, craves partnership, emotionally compromising, possessive, clingy, etc.

ivy attributes distinguished with western astrology signs

a libra ivy person is imaginative, artistic, open, independent, rational, emotionally cool, good in a crisis, quiet, peacemaker, good listener, understanding of others, amiable, genial, dislikes being alone, heightened awareness, tranquil, elegant, refined, peace seeking, harmonious, etc.

an scorpio ivy person is determined, strong sense of purpose, emotionally powerful, smoothing demeanor, cool, detached, intense, idealistic, understanding, people pleasers, straightforward, enthusiastic, passionate, intelligent, talented, charming, magnetic, charismatic, accepting, counterintuitive, elusive, undependable, hard to read, demanding, possessive, warm, generous, etc.

have ideas for new content? please use my “suggest a post topic” button! 

return to nox’s guide to metaphysics

return to the masterlist of celtic astrology

[unhonestlymirror]

From April 13 till October 13, the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition will be held in Osaka, Japan, with more than 160 countries taking part.

One of the highlights will be cold pink soup – šaltibarščiai. This national Lithuanian soup has been adapted for Japanese tastes and is included in the menu of the exhibition’s official restaurant, Kura sushi.

The dish has already attracted the attention of Japanese media and was included in the list of the 6 most spectacular at EXPO.

Lithuania and Latvia will present themselves in a common Baltic Pavilion, where theme days will take place, including Lithuanian National Day (July 6) and Baltic States Day (August 23).

[dystyches]

Danganronpa 2 × Mixx Garden

2022 Collaboration Café Drink Recipes & Reviews (Pt. 1)

Since October of 2022, I've been very slowly working my way through a project in which I've recreated (to the best of my ability) the drink recipes advertised as part of the Mixx Garden & Danganronpa 2 collab.

Below the cut will be my recreations and reviews of the first three (out of eleven) character-themed drinks on the menu—the ones for Hajime Hinata, Nagito Komaeda, and Gundham Tanaka.

If you end up creating any of these yourself, I'd love to hear what you think!

I spent my time during the collab looking at all of the images I could find of people's drinks on Twitter and Instagram, searching relevant words and tags in both Japanese and English. I was able to find at least two images of every single drink at the café.

My information on the ingredients comes from the descriptions on the menu, as well as what I could infer from the pictures.

Without further ado, let's begin.

—————

First on the list is Hajime Hinata's drink. The ingredients (translated into English for your convenience) are:

Mint candy pearls (dragées), 8-minute whipped cream, white hot chocolate, mint (garnish, not mentioned in recipe but present in photo)

Now for the record, I have no professional experience making food or drinks. I'm not exactly sure what makes "8-minute" whipped cream distinct from the other recipes being listed with just unspecified whipped cream, but I abided by the rules and whipped the cream for approx. 8 minutes. I assume it has something to do with the stiffer peaks giving it a denser feel.

I wasn't able to find candy pearls that were mint-flavored, which is a shame. But I did manage to find silver ones to match the look of the images.

It was fun to make the white hot chocolate from scratch as well, which I did in a batch large enough also to serve the friends I had over for the New Year's Eve party I was hosting.

Happy birthday, Hajime.

On a personal level I'm typically not a fan of white chocolate, but this was nice. The mint was a very good touch. My friends, who do like white chocolate, appreciated the drink even more than I did. Two of the four people present ranked it a 10 out of 10.

—————

Second on the menu was Nagito Komaeda's drink. The ingredients are:

Raspberries, whitewater (Calpis water), black lemon jelly

If you're unfamiliar with Calpis (alternatively spelled Calpico) and plan on making this drink yourself, do make sure that you get the diluted Calpis water and not the concentrated form.

In the pictures of this drink I looked at, the raspberries appeared to be frozen, which made them have this nice bleeding as they thawed.

Well, I forgot to do that.

If you've never had Calpis water before, you may worry that something with a milky, yogurt-y flavor wouldn't mix well with the lemon flavor. I can assure you that it actually works just fine.

I only had one other friend with me to try this one, and he doesn't like raspberries much. He still gave it a 7 out of 10. I think this drink is great.

—————

Lastly for this post, the third drink was Gundham Tanaka's. The ingredients are:

Whipped cream, blueberries, cola

Simple enough.

I made four to share with others, and apparently forgot to take a picture of one solitary.

After such a fortuitous result with my enjoyment of the prior drink, I knew my luck was soon to turn.

If I had to describe the taste of this drink through comparison, I'd probably say it tastes somewhere between a root beer float and pilk. I do not like either of those.

One of my friends said she quite liked it, and ranked it an 8.5 out of 10. Another called it "harmless".

—————

Next on the list, which I will get around to in a sequel post, will be the drinks for Kazuichi Soda, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, and Izuru Kamukura.

Thanks for reading, see you next time!