#August is Sandwich Time

[draconicace]

i went to ikea

[rabbitcruiser]

Cuban Sandwich Day

National Cuban Sandwich Day on August 23 celebrates the joy of devouring a humble yet heroic Cuban sandwich. Whether it’s a casual budget-friendly lunch or evening treat, there’s never a bad time to enjoy the traditional sandwich. But, there’s much more to the Cuban sandwich than the famous flavor combinations.

It’s no secret that the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich — as the name suggests — is from the largest island nation of the Caribbean. The sandwich is mostly characterized by its delectable blend of ham, cheese, pork, and mustard. Moreover, cubanos represent the melting pot of culture in the country!

History of National Cuban Sandwich Day

The first Cuban sandwich is believed to be created more than a quincentenary ago by the Cuban Taíno tribe. One of three tribes who inhabited Cuba before the Europeans arrived, they supposedly used casabe bread — which is made from yucca — to create the dish. However, pork was unavailable at the time, so the Taínos stuffed fish and bird meat between the crunchy slices of casabe.

When Europeans — primarily Spaniards — eventually arrived on the island, meats such as pork and ham became part of the native’s diets, transforming the Cuban sandwich into what we recognize in modern-times. Casabe, which was more of a crunchy and thin bread at the time, made way for a doughy, bread-like alternative.

We thank the Cuban influence in Tampa during the mid-1860s for making the Cuban sandwich what it is today. The sandwich likely originated in the Key West as a common lunch food to Cuban workers who sailed back and forth for employment, pleasure, and family visits. However, history is rather murky of its exact creation in the country, because of the largely undocumented movement of people between the island nation and the United States.

Later on, Miami fell in love with the sandwich when Cuban expatriates introduced the sandwich to the area during the 1960s. The Cuban sandwich became so popular, that there is now a long-standing friendly rivalry between Tampa and Miami. So much so that in 2012, Tampa designated the “Historic Cuban Sandwich” and the “signature sandwich of the city of Tampa.”

Alongside ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, salami is also included in the Cuban bread recipe in Tampa, due to the area’s large Italian immigrant population. The Communist Revolution also brought a wave of Cuban immigrants to other cities in the country, such as New York, New Jersey, and Chicago, where variations of the sandwich popped up. Even with it’s simple appearance, the Cuban sandwich illustrates that the soul is more important than anything.

National Cuban Sandwich Day timeline

1900Cuban sandwich first recognized

Historians theorize the sandwich we all know and love today is first recognized when the immigrant-rich Ybor City and West Tampa describe workers’ cafes in the area.

1934Internationally loved

The Tampa Cuban sandwich is recognized in a travel article, naming it a complete meal consisting of ham, lean pork, Swiss cheese, salami, pickle, and mustard.

1961Making it to cookbooks

All ingredients of the Cuban sandwich make it to the first and all following editions of popular recipe collection “The Gasparilla Cookbook.”

2012Friendly rivalry

Competition ensues between Miami and Tampa over the Cuban sandwich influence in America, so much so that Tampa designates it as the “signature sandwich of the city of Tampa.”

National Cuban Sandwich Day FAQs

Are Cuban sandwiches really Cuban?

Although history is a bit sketchy, the recognized Cuban sandwich we know today likely originated in cafes catering to Cuban workers in Tampa or Key West.

What is the famous Cuban sandwich called?

Also known as a Cubano, the undeniably delicious meal is a variation of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.

What is on Panera Bread Cuban Sandwich?

It’s usually made with artisan ingredients consisting of a ciabatta bun topped with premium ham, shredded pork, mustard, Emmental cheese, and sweet pickles.

National Cuban Sandwich Day Activities

Make your own Cuban sandwich

Celebrate the countries melting pot of culture

Enjoy a meal in a restaurant

What better way to kickstart the day than to make your own variant of the tasty treat! Salami or no salami, compile the delectable ingredients and share it with friends and family. Better yet, hold a lunch so everyone can enjoy the deliciousness.

The Cuban sandwich as it is today wouldn’t be around without immigrant influence and cultural exchange through the means of food. Food is actually one of the most effective — not to mention tasty — means of celebrating culture.

Taking friends and family along to enjoy a tasty Cuban sandwich meal is a sure way to celebrate the day in style. Wherever a Cuban sandwich is on the menu, take a pick of the numerous restaurants and cafes that serve it and celebrate the day.

5 Fun Facts About Cuban Sandwich Day

Hoax turned into a holiday

The ‘true’ Cuban sandwich

Recreating the age-old delicacy

“In a raft from Cuba”

Just a sandwich

A writer from the Tampa Bay Times decided to perform an experiment to see if people would celebrate a holiday he made up in 2016. It has stuck ever since then.

Many say the true famous sandwich starts with Cuban bread. This includes 8-12 inches of loaf slices, lightly brushed with olive oil, cut in half horizontally.

Putting aside Tampa and Miami for a moment, traditional Cuban bread baking is far from easy. Above all, a moist palmetto leaf on top of the dough before it’s baked must be present for the flavor.

Tampa famously renamed the Cuban sandwich “Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich,”which prompted former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado to say, “The Cuban sandwich came in a raft from Cuba.”

The Cuban sandwich is popular all the same in the US and Cuba, except in Cuba, locals just ask for a sandwich.

Why We Love National Cuban Sandwich Day

Different delicious variants

Celebrating culture

A global hit

From different styles of bread to a variety of ingredients or how the pork is cooked, the Cuban sandwich is tasty nonetheless and is a prime example of a simple yet delicious meal.

Perhaps there is no other food quite like the Cuban sandwich which represents the United States’ history as a melting pot of culture at the turn of the century.

The traditionally pressed sandwich and its many forms is so delicious that it spread from Tampa to restaurant menus all over the world. The day is a cause for celebration of culture and sharing!

Source

[ramyeonpng]

Croissant sandwiches are SO MUCH BETTER than regular sandwiches???

TIME CAPSULE: unsolicited thoughts

[fingertipsmp3]

I love finding out my past self did something really nice for me that I forgot about

[fatehbaz]

Good question:

In the United States, many jails and prisons can and will charge you money for every single night that you spend imprisoned, for the entire duration of your incarceration, as if you were being billed for staying at a hotel. Even if you are incarcerated for years. Adding up to tens of thousands of dollars. What happens when you’re released?

In response to this:

---

So.

You’re getting charged, like, ten dollars every time you even submit a request form to possibly be seen by a doctor or dentist.

You’re getting charged maybe five dollars for ten minutes on the phone.

Any time a friend or family tries to send you like five dollars so that you can buy some toothpaste or lotion, or maybe a snack from the commissary since you’re diabetic and the “meals” have left you malnourished, maybe half of that money gets taken as a “service fee” by the corporate contractor that the prison uses to manage your pre-paid debit card. So you’re already losing money every day just by being there.

What happens if you can’t pay?

In some places, after serving just a couple of years for drugs charges, almost 20 years after being released, the state can still hunt you down for over $80,000 that you “owe” as if it were a per-night room-and-board accommodations charge, like this recent highly-publicized case in Connecticut:

Excerpt:

Two decades after her release from prison, [TB] feels she is still being punished. When her mother died two years ago, the state of Connecticut put a lien on the Stamford home she and her siblings inherited. It said she owed $83,762 to cover the cost of her 2 1/2 year imprisonment for drug crimes. [...] “I’m about to be homeless,” said [TB], 58, who in March [2022] became the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state law that charges prisoners $249 a day for the cost of their incarceration. [...] All but two states have so-called “pay-to-stay” laws that make prisoners pay for their time behind bars [...]. Critics say it’s an unfair second penalty that hinders rehabilitation by putting former inmates in debt for life. Efforts have been underway in some places to scale back or eliminate such policies. Two states — Illinois and New Hampshire — have repealed their laws since 2019. [...] Pay-to-stay laws were put into place in many areas during the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and ’90s, said Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology at University of Southern California who is leading a study of the practice. [...] Connecticut used to collect prison debt by attaching an automatic lien to every inmate, claiming half of any financial windfall they might receive for up to 20 years after they are released from prison [...].

Text by: Pat Eaton-Robb. “At $249 per day, prison stays leave ex-inmates deep in debt.” AP News / The Associated Press. 27 August 2022.

---

---

Look at this:

To help her son, Cindy started depositing between $50 to $100 a week into Matthew’s account, money he could use to buy food from the prison commissary, such as packaged ramen noodles, cookies, or peanut butter and jelly to make sandwiches. Cindy said sending that money wasn’t necessarily an expense she could afford. “No one can,” she said. So far in the past month, she estimates she sent Matthew close to $300. But in reality, he only received half of that amount. The balance goes straight to the prison to pay off the $1,000 in “rent” that the prison charged Matthew for his prior incarceration. [...] A PA Post examination of six county budgets (Crawford, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lehigh, Venango and Indiana) showed that those counties’ prisons have collected more than $15 million from inmates — almost half is for daily room and board fees that are meant to cover at least a portion of the costs with housing and food. Prisoners who don’t work are still expected to pay. If they don’t, their bills are sent to collections agencies, which can report the debts to credit bureaus. [...] Between 2014 and 2017, the Indiana County Prison — which has an average inmate population of 87 people — collected nearly $3 million from its prisoners. In the past five years, Lebanon’s jail collected just over $2 million in housing and processing fees.

Text by: Joseph Darius Jaafari. “Paying rent to your jailers: Inmates are billed millions of dollars for their stays in Pa. prisons.” WHYY (PBS). 10 December 2019. Originally published at PA Post.

---

Pay-to-stay, the practice of charging people to pay for their own jail or prison confinement, is being enforced unfairly by using criminal, civil and administrative law, according to a new Rutgers University-New Brunswick led study. The study [...] finds that charging pay-to-stay fees is triggered by criminal justice contact but possible due to the co-opting of civil and administrative institutions, like social service agencies and state treasuries that oversee benefits, which are outside the realm of criminal justice. “A person can be charged $20 to $80 a day for their incarceration,” said author Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology and a faculty affiliate of Rutgers' criminal justice program. “That per diem rate can lead to hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees when a person gets out of prison. To recoup fees, states use civil means such as lawsuits and wage garnishment against currently and formerly incarcerated people, and regularly use administrative means such as seizing employment pensions, tax refunds and public benefits to satisfy the debt.” [...] Civil penalties are enacted on family members if the defendant cannot pay and in states such as Florida, Nevada and Idaho can occur even after the original defendant is deceased. [...]

Text by: Megan Schumann. “States Unfairly Burdening Incarcerated People With “Pay-to-Stay” Fees.” Rutgers press release. 20 November 2020.

---

So, to pay for your own imprisonment, states can:

-- hunt you down for decades (track you down 20 years later, charge you tens of thousands of dollars, and take your house away)

-- put a lien on your vehicle, house

-- garnish your paycheck/wages

-- seize your tax refund

-- send collections agencies after you

-- take your public assistance benefits

-- sue you in civil court

-- take money from your family even after you’re dead

[aikaterini-drag]

Shower Ride

Pairing: August x fem reader

Summary: your boyfriend Augusts gives you a shower ride 😉

Warnings: 18+!!,minors dni, explicit smut, fingering, oral male receiving, p in v sex, cockwarming at the end.

It was a quiet night, the city sounds muffled from your apartment.

Walking on tiptoes, you made your way to your boyfriend’s office. You peeked through the half-opened door, and even though he was deep into his work, August, being the agent he was, seemed to sense your presence. He gave you a soft smile before returning to his laptop.

He remained at his desk, completely absorbed in analyzing the profile for one of his upcoming missions. He had been at it for hours, poring over details and taking work calls with his team. Coffee after coffee, he had barely eaten, and only finished the sandwich you had made for him an hour ago because you insisted.

He looked so dangerously handsome. Sitting so big and towering in his office, making the space seem so small with his broad shoulders and possessive presence. His physique was honed from years of intense physical training and demanding missions.

His eyes, those piercing blue globes were focused on the laptop screen, his long fingers typing away. A few strands of dark hair fell across his forehead. His jaw was tight, chiseled jawline sporting a shadow of stubble along with his mustache.

August still wore his perfectly tailored dark suit though he’d loosened his tie and discarded his blazer. The crisp white dress shirt was undone by a few buttons, revealing a hint of curls on his chest.

“I’m going to have a shower,” you said, hoping to tempt him away from his work. He’d done so much; he needed a break, a rewarding fuck and some well-deserved sleep.

He didn’t look up from his laptop. “Hmm.”

With a soft grimace, you headed to the bathroom and slipped off your clothing. You’d have to work harder on your seductions skills. After taking a shower, you’d try again—maybe slip into some sexy lingerie and surprise him at his desk.

You stepped into the shower and turned on the taps, adjusting the water temperature until it was just right. Standing under the warm spray, you closed your eyes, letting the water soothe your tired muscles. Lost in the relaxing flow, you didn’t hear the door open, nor sense August as he slipped into the shower with you.

And, damn what a sight he was. Fully naked, tall and bunching with muscles. His hands were etched with veins, his stomach flat and chiseled, his thighs thick and powerful. And in between his legs, his rigid cock protruded almost angrily, so hard and long that it reached up to his bellybutton.

Your belly gave a little somersault, your inner goddess satisfied.

You smiled. “You know, you really need to stop sneaking up on me. It’s kind of creepy.”

August chuckled as he closed the shower door and stood behind you. “I’m sorry, love. I was so focused that I barely heard you. By the time I did…”

“You’ve done too much work today. You must take a break.”

He beaned in, his breath warm against your neck. “You are absolutely right.”

He trailed kisses down your neck, his hands traveling over your arms, thighs and your belly before cupping the weight of your breasts. He cradled them in his palms, thumbs toying with your nipples. You leaned back in his chest, taking deep intakes of breath.

“I didn’t give my girl much attention today. I need to make it up to her,” his deep voice rumbled, sending a shiver down your spine.

“Hmn.” You hummed but he turned your head and claimed your lips in a kiss. His tongue explored your mouth, warm and probing as it swirled around yours.

He nudged your legs apart with his knee, and you complied, spreading your thighs. “That’s my good girl.”

A finger teased your pussy lips, rubbing round and round and you couldn’t help but moan against his mouth. He still kissed you, while he gathered with your slickness, toying with your clit. Rubbing, tapping, curling and then penetrating you with a thick finger. He did it over and over again.

Your knees wobbled, and he steadied you with a hand around your waist as you climaxed, mewling and gasping in bliss.

“That’s it,” he drawled, his finger pumping gently in your sensitive walls. “Sweet pussy drenching my fingers.”

“Want you,” you muttered, your head a little fuzzy.

“You have me—”

“Want to suck you.”

“Then suck.”

All you could do was whimper and get to your knees before him. August turned off the taps, and moved away your wet hair from your face. One hand cupped his heavy balls while the other pumped his turgid cock. Your tongue travelled up the length of it, following a rigid vein up to the purple tip. Groaning, he lowered his knees so you could reach him better, his hands running up and down your sides.

“Open.” His command was husky.

You opened your mouth and hollowed your cheeks as he slid down your throat. The head touched the back of your throat and you shallowed hard to stop yourself from gagging. He was too big, but he had trained you to take him deep, as deep as possible. Taking deep breaths from your nose, you cupped the cock that didn’t fit and toyed with his sack.

“That’s it. Get me nice and warm, baby,” he said darkly, his fingers pinching your nipples.

August’s hands fisted in your hair, pulling back the entire length of his dick. You licked a wide stripe up his dick then took it back inside your warm mouth. Making correct eye contact, you worked your tongue, and relished in the sight of your man so deep in pleasure.

With only your mouth around him, you had him under your control. With a surge of arousal, you sucked him in earnest, your hands digging into his flexing hips. Lewd sounds encased the shower until he was so out of his mind with pleasure he had to jerk your head away.

He pushed you to your feet and pressed you against the cool tiles, lifting you against his hard body. Your legs wrapped around him, arms locking around his neck. He lined his cock, you were so slick and ready that he surged upwards in one smooth glide. You shut your eyes at the overwhelming stretch and the fullness of him inside you.

“My perfect pussy.”

“My perfect cock.”

He smiled before pulling your mouth to his.

From there on, you lost track of time. You could only feel his steady pumps and the hard girth of him pounding into you. You could only hear his feral growls as he grabbed your asscheeks and thrust you up and down on him, making you take him deep, deeper still.

You moaned without end, running your fingers down his hair, digging your nails into his back and running tongue over his throat.

His thrusts were in perfect sync, sharp and hitting that sensitive spot inside you.

“Oh, like that.” Your heels dug into his tight ass. “D-Don’t stop.”

August didn’t stop, he kept going in the exact same rhythm, changing nothing.

Sweet death. You came hard around him, blabbering his name, crying out incomprehensible sweet words. He followed right after, tensing balls deep inside you, pumping his load inside you with wild abandon.

“Fucking hell.” He sighed against your breasts. “That was so fucking good.”

“Fucking hell indeed.” You grinned, caressing his nape.

“Want to fuck you all night,” he mumbled, taking your nipple into his mouth.

“I want that, too.”

“I must bathe you first.” Holding onto your thighs and keeping himself deep inside you, he sat back on the marble shower seat.

“We’ll bathe? Like this?” you asked incredulously. “You can’t keep me lodged to your cock, August, seriously—”

August grinned and slapped your bum lightly. “Quiet.”

“Cockwarming lover.”

Bringing one hand to cup the back of your neck, he claimed your lips. You moaned against him, rubbing your nipples against his chest. Unintentionally, your hips moved against him, rubbing your clit against his pubic bone.

“Such a demanding woman,” he drawled against your lips, one corner of his mouth turned up.

“Shut up.”

“Who can’t have enough of my dick now?”

You didn’t manage to answer because he took your breath away with his touches, thrusting and rubbing until the both of you gasped into each other’s mouths and came once again.

[beracerbera]

Sandwich lunch time!

She was posted on my Patreon in August. The full artwork is also there (just as MANY unseen works (30+))

Really appreciate your support! https://patreon.com/beracerbera

Tenks! >w<

[heirloomgem]

Insatiable {Sung Jinwoo x Reader August One-shot}

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except for my characters and plot.

Warning: Slight Yandere from the reader and Jinwoo. Sorry for the missed grammar.

Hello everyone, I hope you've been well! I would like to present to you this month's one-shot! The timeline is before Jinwoo met Joohee.

The request came from @xxeclipze. [Hello! Can you make a sung jinwoo x s rank fem reader whose a grim reaper class, she's quiet and a simple minded person who has never once joined any guild since they want to stay independent.][Hello! Can you do sung jin woo with a s/o who's a quiet and simple minded person and they wield a scythe, they had never once joined a guild at all. They're a s-rank hunter too :>]

Watching from the podium as every high-rank hunter did practical combat, Sung Jinwoo's eyes never left your figure as you fought your opponent with the grace and precision he had seen in his early days.

Your hands show no wasted movement as you strike, your steps were solid as you stride to your next target, and your eyes, observant of your enemy's weaknesses.

All these never escape him and yet it’s not just these that Jinwoo observe closely.

The way your hair swayed with your movement, the spark in your eyes as you enjoyed the thrill, the curve in your reddish lips as you taunt your opponent, the sweat that trickled down your slender neck as you tilt your head.

Completely different reasons that he shouldn’t have noted in the first place, however to Jinwoo, he fervently etched it into his very being.

Once, Jinwoo heard that a small spark was all that was needed to ignite a man's obsession.

As the weakest E-rank, Jinwoo was always on the verge of death whenever he entered a dungeon. But with the circumstances, he’s been given, he never had a choice but to always take a step towards death.

And this one was no different from the others he had faced and yet so different at the same time.

The sole reason for that is because of you. An unknown S-rank hunter who was not affiliated with any of the guilds however you work with the hunter association in exchange for keeping your identity.

Jinwoo has learned these only by coincidence when you had been assigned to work with him and the other hunters for another raid.

Jinwoo's impression of you at first is a weird, playful but kind hunter as you accidentally bump into him. The coffee that he just bought spilled on his shirt.

Seeing this, you quickly panicked, bowing profusely, and apologizing.

Seeing that the situation was unavoidable and it was just a pure accident, Jinwoo waved it off with an awkward smile, hoping to diffuse the situation. However, that didn’t seem to work as you looked at him and the coffee he dropped, a flash of guilt on your face.

Bowing again then you quickly ran off in a different direction, Jinwoo thought that that was the end of your interaction however it wasn’t long before you returned, this time with a drink and food in hand.

Giving him the food and drink and not even waiting for him to decline, you told him it was in return for earlier.

Jinwoo, with a panicked expression, tried to decline “This is too much it's just a coffee that was spilled. You didn't have to go through all that trouble.”

With clear and bright eyes, you smiled, “This is nothing. Beside the coffee is for the coffee as for the sandwich…”

You grinned before putting a finger in front of your mouth, “It’s because I find you cute.” You winked and chuckled as Jinwoo blushed. Seeing him so flustered, you couldn't help but find him even cuter.

Thinking that’s enough teasing for the young man in front of you, you winked and smiled at him before giving a small wave and left; leaving a frazzled Jinwoo.

Staring at your disappearing figure, he couldn’t help but think for a moment of your smile. It was beautiful and sincere even though a glint of playfulness was mixed with it. It's so unlike the ones he was used to receiving when he became a weak fool of a hunter.

And for some reason because of your smile, he finally accepted your offer. The lingering hesitation he still has vanished and a warmth ignited within him.

Smiling, Jinwoo took a bite of the food and enjoyed the enriched flavour of coffee on his tongue, his mind drifting to you again.

When he had been trying to calm you down earlier, he took notice of the massive bag behind you, deducing it might be your weapon.

Unusual though never rare as he has also seen other hunters carry such weapons in size. The only thing he’s worried about is that your choice of weapon might have been too big for you as he saw how petite you were.

Later, he considered how foolish he was to have such thoughts as they entered the dungeon and were unexpectedly engulfed by a red gate.

As soon as they entered, everything was calm and controlled. The more experienced hunters were swiftly taking down charging monsters, while he did his best to defend and went after the weaker ones. Unfortunately, his caution didn't prevent him from getting injured.

As the group delved deeper into the dungeon, the atmosphere grew increasingly perilous. The mana in the air darkened, making it difficult for the hunters to breathe, and a sense of fear began to weigh on their minds. The monsters they encountered were noticeably more powerful than those they had faced earlier.

Even the strongest hunter in their group was visibly struggling to deal with the monsters, while Jinwoo could only focus on defending his life.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw you.

He couldn’t help but find it weird as he never saw you use the massive weapon on your back. Only a short sword in hand when confronting such monsters.

However, before Jinwoo could ponder more, screams echoed from all the hunters in his group and he felt like a massive weight fell on him, making him slam into the ground because of an unknown fear and bloodlust that suddenly appeared in the air.

His ears were ringing, his mind disorientated, but once Jinwoo got his bearings, he struggled to lift his head and saw that all his comrades had fallen to the ground. Some fainted, some half-conscious, coughing up blood.

That’s when Jinwoo noticed liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth. The taste of iron on his tongue. Looking down, he saw red droplets staining the ground.

He then heard a growl, a group of monsters slowly prowled at their group as they eyed them, ready to hunt and eat them for their next meal.

Jinwoo thought that things couldn’t get worse when suddenly a massive creature, a chimera, emerged. It’s the dungeon's final boss.

Dread filled Jinwoo’s being.

The thought of his sister waiting for him at home and his mother in the hospital made him tear up as he struggled to get up, to get away.

Abruptly, Jinwoo saw one of the monsters run up at him. The monster's fangs were just about to hit him when he felt a gush of air ruffled his hair. The monster that was about to kill him was now lying in front of him, cut in half.

Blood splattered on his clothes and onto his face; Jinwoo looked up. There in front of him, he saw you.

A massive scythe in hand, adorned with a crimson essence stone, almost resembling a demon eye. A long curving silver blade extends from a skeleton whose skull is wrapped in razor-sharp blades sticking out in different directions, while the rib cage connects to the red and black stem of the handle, which ends in its lower backbone.

 “Are you okay?” You ask, your eyes never leaving the monsters that started circling your group.

Jinwoo silently nodded before realizing you couldn’t see him “I am.”

“That’s good. Take cover for a moment.” You frowned, eyes without the hint of joy nor playfulness from earlier. And yet Jinwoo couldn’t help but find you alluring at that moment.

With a flick of a wrist, your scythe twisted in your hand with ease as if the massive weight was nothing and without a moment, you disappeared, only leaving dust in your wake before Jinwoo heard yelp and howls of pain echoed as you dealt with them swiftly.

Heads torn from their necks and split in half from head to groin. This was the sight Jinwoo witnessed in disbelief as you fought them with such calmness.

All of a sudden, Jinwoo saw the chimera preparing for a breath. He screamed, not caring for his life but yours, “Watch out!”

Evading at the last minute and with a solid step you rush forward, a hand lowered on your weapon's handle and this time you swing your weapon much faster and sharper, completely decapitating the boss of the dungeon, not even leaving a chance for a counterattack.

And with a loud thud, its two heads fell on the floor, cracking the ground.

Finally, as if a weight was lifted from his shoulder, Jinwoo couldn’t help but hyperventilate. All the suppressed emotions he had been holding since the moment he noticed that there was something wrong with this dungeon, came crashing down.

He clutched his chest and tried to calm down, but no matter what, he couldn’t, and beads of sweat dropped faster than the last.

Glancing at him, you turned back, kneeling before him and placing a hand on his forehead. Ignoring the sweat and blood that clung to him.

Still breathing with difficulty, you frowned before meeting your forehead with him, your eyes locking with his frantic ones.

Your voice quietly whispering, “Take it slow and match your breathing with me… that’s its. Just like that…”

Your soft and warm voice made him follow with ease. The soft caress of your hand on his cheeks calmed him down and calmed his trembling body without reserve as he basked in your soft gaze.

The sensation in his cold limb slowly came back as your warmth spread throughout his body. He was sure his ears were tinged with red now that he regained his bearing, though still disorientated.

Sensing that he had calmed down, you smiled softly.

“I’ve heard many things about you, but from what I’ve seen so far, you’re a strong person.”

No, he wasn’t. Jinwoo thought. He wasn’t strong as a hunter. He’s the lowest in his rank. If anything he was barely hanging on supporting his sister and mother. However, before he could wallow more in self-pity, you interrupted as if you heard him.

“Of course, I’m not talking in that sense.” You chuckled.

“I might not know you that well, and we have only met today, but something in you just told me you're a strong person because you're so kind."

You admitted, closing your eyes as you nuzzled into him, ruffling his already messy hair.

Since your first raid, this man immediately caught your attention. Not because of his rank or anything special but because of the kindness and strength inside him.

Learning new little details about him as you observe him every time, a fondness within you arouses.

Even though your personality changes into a confident combatant whenever you enter every mission, you don’t dare to talk to him. Shy and blushing at the mere thought of talking to him, but the incident earlier gave you the courage you needed to take the first step.

Even at this moment, you knew you were pushing it; however, with the way your path is going as a hunter. This was the only time that you might be able to confess to the man who has caught your attention so wholeheartedly.

You did have past crushes; however, they were only admiration by the end of the day and faded right away but this time, it’s different.

He’s different from everyone.

Deep inside, you realize that there wouldn’t be anyone who would be able to compare to him and that there wouldn’t be a chance for you to be with anyone because of him, however, you didn’t mind.

He captured your very being.

Opening your eyes, you softly and lovingly gaze at him causing his already flushed cheeks to turn redder and his eyes reddening.

Noticing that your breaths were intertwining together, your eyes lowered and stared at his lips. If you moved even a little, your lips would finally touch but...you knew that this wasn't right.

He wasn't yours, and you weren't his.

And so with a deep ache inside of you, you close your eyes again, chuckling and lifting your head. Jinwoo then felt your warm and soft lips on his forehead, hearing you say before his consciousness slowly faded.

“You won’t be able to remember this but I like you, Sung Jinwoo.”

And with that, everything went blank.

The next time he woke up, medics were rushing everywhere, assisting him and every hunter who were now out of the gate and regaining their consciousness.

He couldn’t help but look everywhere, looking for you in particular.

He didn’t know why, but now a part of him longed for you deeply, and with time, it seems to only intensify.  

Walking towards you with a calm façade but with trembling hands in his pocket, Jinwoo helplessly clenched them tightly, holding his sanity.

It’s only been a few years but he felt like it’s been an eternity.

As Chairman Go Gunhee introduced him to you, Jinwoo felt some blood flow from his trembling fist as his nails dug into his palm.

Jinwoo lowered his eyes as it darkened. He tried his hardest to calm down as he felt that at any moment he might just grab and attack you, his desire and longing just barely contained.

Letting out a small breathe, he then gave you a close-eyed smile, apologizing to you in his mind.

Now that he finally caught up, this time, he won’t let you go that easily like he did when he was a weak hunter.

Now that he remembers your confession, it’s only right of him to reciprocate it, right?

A/n: It was only supposed to be a short one-shot but it got longer than expected. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one-shot!

{All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author}

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Machinist 2

Warnings: this fic will include elements, some dark, such as possible bullying, misogyny, noncon/dubcon, and other untagged triggers. Please take this into account before proceeding. It is up to curate your online consumption safely.

Summary: your new boss sets his sights on you. (short!reader)

Characters: August Walker

Author’s Note: Please feel free to leave some feedback, reblog, and jump into my asks. I’m always happy to discuss with you and riff on idea. As always, you are cherished and adored! Stay safe, be kind, and treat yourself💜

You take your lunch where you always do; outside. You don’t like to sit inside all day, especially after sweating amid sparks flying from dozens of torches and grinding wheels and the like. The metals walls do little to let the heat out, so it is that you greet the sunshine and fresh breeze with a sigh. 

You find your way to your truck and unlock the back, climbing up to sit in the open bed as you unzip your lunchbox. You have your standard fare; some carrots, hummus, and a tuna sandwich. Nothing fancy or special. Just what you have time to throw together in the morning. 

You watch the distant skyline as you chew. Insects buzz in the air and you swat away a nosy fly. The smell of pollen underlines the lingering scent of singed metal and your own sweat. You enjoy the small moment to yourself, with the barely muffled noise of drills, wheels, and hollers all around. 

You dip your last carrot and close up the container of hummus. You wipe the lingering garlicky smear from your fingertips and zip away your leftovers and the used napkin. You push your head back to stretch your neck and loosen the stitch between your shoulders. 

“You’re prettier in the sunlight,” the rocky voice brings your chin back down. 

August approaches as you clutch your lunch box against your lap. You don’t know how to respond without putting your job in the balance, so you don’t. You push yourself to the edge of the truck bed but he’s quick. He’s right in front of you, close enough that you can’t jump down. 

“This your truck?” He muses as he gives it an emphatic look, “not too bad. Bit big for you, girl. Ah, but maybe you like handling big things.” 

His insinuation repulses you. He was rude before but now he’s just being gross. Doesn’t matter. Who are you gonna tell? Who’s going to care?

“Excuse me, my lunch is almost over,” you say as you teeter on the edge. 

“I’m sure the boss won’t mind,” he grins boastfully. 

“Really, I got a lot of work--” 

“I never heard about your promotion,” he intones. 

You stop short and bite back your words, “promotion?” 

“Right, you must’ve got one since you’re telling me what to do,” he challenges, crossing his arms to make himself even bigger. 

“I wasn’t. I’m trying to go back to work.” 

“I didn’t dismiss you,” he sneers. 

You ease back and nod. This isn’t the first time a man’s postured at you, it won’t be the last. You’ll let him get his rocks off. 

“Sure,” you nod. 

“Hmph,” he looks you up and down, “it always makes me wonder why women wander into metal shops. Really? You like being sweaty,” he steps even closer and you wince as he reaches and drags his thumb down your cheek, “dirty? I can think of better ways for that.” 

“Sir,” you say flatly. 

He trails his thumb down and presses on your bottom lip, “I’m new around here. Need someone to show me around. How about it?” 

You scowl and rip your mouth away from his hand, “you can’t be serious?” 

“Do I look like I’m fucking kidding?” He slowly pulls his arm back, crossing it once more across his chest, “what I know about this town is there’s no other fucking shop looking for tool and die, and let me tell you, princess, you’ll find they don’t pay pennies next to what I pay.” He brings a hand up to brush the short stubble darkening his jaw, “actually, we’re due for salary review. That’s what the finance officer tells me.” 

You understand his threat. Even if he doesn’t fire you, he can mess with your money. All the leering men, all their nasty words, wouldn’t be worth it if you didn’t get a half-decent cut. 

“Can your precious little head understand me?” His mouth slants in a half-smirk. 

“Not that difficult,” you hiss out.  

“Great, sounds like a plan, princess.” 

Before you can react, he steps forward. He grabs you by the waist and drags you forward on the open door of the truck bed. You yelp in surprise and bat his wrists, your lunch box bouncing out of your grasp onto the ground. He holds you to hover on the edge before he lowers you to the ground, crowding you. 

“Good girl,” he growls and squeezes before he lets you go. 

You struggle not to snarl outright. He takes a step back, not far enough. You turn your attention to your errant bag and bend to pick it up. 

“Mmm, I like that position,” he purrs. 

You snap up and tamp down your irritation. You wish you could say he’s the first man to be so disgusting but that would be a miracle. Especially in this line of work. He’s just the only one you can’t tell to go fuck himself. 

You face him, “can I go back to work?” 

“Mm, look at you, learning already; asking permission,” he clicks his tongue, “sure, go on, princess.” 

You hold back a shudder and turn to close the truck door. You toss your lunch bag over it. Whatever. 

You spin and stomp away, refusing to look back at him, even as you feel his gaze bearing down on you. You feel even more filthy than before. Not just because of his behaviour but your own weakness. You should say no, you should go work at the Pizza Hut, at least there, you can spit in the food of every ass who gives you lip. 

As you cross the yard towards the shop, you slow down. Your eyes meet those of Carey. He started at the same time as you. He asked you out. Several times. He glowers and narrows his eyes.

He looks at the other guys sat around him at the smokers’ table. They saw it. You know they did.

“All the fucking same, aren’t they?” He spits into the dirt as the other men look in your direction. “Cozying up to the boss to get a few extra bucks on her check.” He flicks his butt towards you as you near the door, “whatsa a matter, baby? You need some new panties? Oh, maybe you’re gonna buy a dress? Start dressing like a woman, huh?” 

The other guys chortle and you ignore them. They don’t matter. That’s the difference between them and August. He can actually ruin your life, they only wish they could. 

[urdreamgirls-dreamgirl]

ok picture it.

steve and eddie both work at a small cafe in the city that specializes in light sandwiches and pasta dishes. steve is the opening manager, off before eddie, a line cook, makes it in for the closing shift and the evening rush.

every day, steve leaves a “friendly reminder” note on the break room whiteboard for the closing shift and every day, eddie’s blood boils when he reads it. it’s not like the closing shift leaves the place looking like a dump; it’s difficult to juggle the dinner rush and pick up the morning shifts slack when they’d left all their dirty dishes in the sink from breakfast and done absolutely no prep for the closers.

in august, one of the cafes busiest months, when tables are full of rude tourists and college students, the closing manager goes on maternity leave and steve’s forced to cover for her. eddie and steve meet for the first time ever and eddie’s even more annoyed by the fact that steve is gorgeous and fuckin cheerful, even after long days where he’s constantly stepping in to defuse conflicts between horrible costumers and the waitstaff.

about two weeks into steve covering the closing shift, he rounds up all the line cooks, hostesses, and waiters and personally apologizes to them for thinking the closing shift was easy. this shit is hard! infinitely harder than opening the store in the morning. he promises them that when he returns to his morning shift duties, he’ll be much more conscious of the way the staff leaves the kitchen for the closers.

after the staff meeting, eddie’s cold feelings start to thaw. it’s clear that steve means what he said. eddie’s never seen a restaurant manager working with the dishwashers at the sink after close. and steve even agrees to let eddie stay after hours to try out some of his own recipes, in hopes they might make it to the menu someday.

after the closing manager returns from her maternity leave, there’s a remarkable shift in the atmosphere of the restaurant. prep work is done before the closers come in, no dishes pile up in the sink, and if there is ever left over work from a particularly busy morning, steve always stays after his shift is over to help take care of it. eddie can’t help but feel a growing fondness for the guy.

one night in december, when eddie’s stayed late to try a new recipe for christmas cookies, the little bell above the front door starts to jingle as it swings open and then closes. it’s not that unusual. sometimes a manager or one of the shift leads has forgotten something or a late delivery is set to arrive and someone has to be there to sign for it.

just as eddie is setting the cookies on a cooling rack, steve walks in to the kitchen, looking… really good. like, date night good. eddie briefly mourns the loss before he calls out a greeting from across the kitchen. steve looks up at him then, smiling wide.

“oh hey, man. forgot my phone in the office,” steve tells him in explanation, moving through the open door next to the walk in freezer. when he reappears in the kitchen, he holds up his phone triumphantly for eddie to see, grinning. he walks around the counter to stand next to eddie. “so what’s on the menu tonight?”

sometimes, when steve was still working the closing shift and had stayed late after mostly everyone had gone home, he’d ask eddie what he was cooking. and eddie, after the pivotal staff meeting, would tell him and sometimes, if he was super confident, he’d even offer steve a taste. steve would compliment him and tell him how awesome it was and, for a few shining moments, eddie would pretend that he could feel something between them.

“just some christmas cookies. trying to work out the mint-to-chocolate ration. wanna taste?” eddie looks up at steve then and thinks he must imagine the way the other man’s eyes dart to his mouth.

“yeah, sure,” steve murmurs softly in the quiet kitchen. eddie clears his throat and takes a small step back, out of steve’s space, and picks up one of the freshly baked cookies, holding it out to steve. steve takes it and takes a bite so big, he’s practically eaten the entire thing in one go. he chews, a contemplative look on his face, before his eyes widen, eyebrows shooting up into his hairline. “fuck, dude,” steve practically moans, mouth full. “i think you nailed it.” it’s a testament to how hot steve truly is that eddie can watch him speak with his mouth full and not be disgusted by him. not even a little bit.

“yeah?” eddie can feel the grin on his own face, practically splitting his cheeks in two.

steve steps a little closer, eating up the space eddie had tried to put between them. “you tried one yet?” steve asks, voice low. eddie swallows and shakes his head. steve’s eyes dart back down to eddie’s lips again, slower and more purposeful this time. “well, you gotta have a taste, eddie.” steve’s voice is practically a purr and eddie can feel the other man’s breath on his lips. neither of them moves to reach for another cookie. instead, steve lifts the remaining bite he has in his hands and lifts it to eddie’s mouth. eddie drops his jaw, obedient, even without being told, and feels steve place the cookie on his tongue. he chews, swallows, all while maintaining eye contact with steve. “good, right?” steve whispers. all eddie can do it nod.

and then, suddenly, the space between them is non-existent. eddie feels steve’s lips against his own, firm and so much softer than he could’ve imagined. steve has him pressed against the counter, his body firm against him and his hand plunged into eddie’s hair, loosening his tight bun. steve’s other hand is on his hip, inching up under the hem of his jacket. eddie let’s out an embarrassing little squeak before his own hands curl into the front of steve’s shirt.

as quickly as it starts, steve’s pulling away, placing a much more chaste kiss to the corner of eddie’s panting mouth.

“been dying to do that,” steve confesses, eyes meeting eddie’s searching. “i forget my phone here at least once a week. keep trying to run into you.” steve huffs out a little laugh. it’s eddie’s turn to look surprised, but he recovers quickly and pulls steve in for another kiss.

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 3, Episode 2

Episode 2 starts days or maybe a week after episode 1. The curfews and phone ban is in place, so Wilhelm and Simon make the most of their one hour of phone sex talking.

Blink and you miss it: Wilhelm snapped a quick instant picture of himself and Simon at the palace in the last episode, using the camera we saw on his desk. The heart is still on his hand, so maybe it's the next day, or maybe he's been filling it in every day.

Cinematography: Intense red light typically symbolizes their mutual love, and this scene is overflowing with it.

Lost in translation: They both finish the phone call with "puss", which means kiss, but not exactly. It's more platonic, something you can say and do with your parents, or your kids, or end phone calls with. The other word for kiss, "kyss", is more romantic/sexual, and would be super weird to end a phone call with. Simon is using that word when he says he would kiss Wilhelm's collar bone birth mark.

Subtext: Of course Vincent doesn't believe anyone was bullied. He's the biggest bully, but what he does is just a joke, or the other guy deserved it. This is gonna be a recurring theme™ in this episode, how various characters look back on and remember, or choose not to remember, what happened to them.

Subtext: If you didn't pick up this meaningful glance, you're blind. The initiation porno was totally real, and Nils and August clearly remember it, and weren't as flippant about it as Vincent.

Culture: In Sweden, inner city schools are typically better and have richer students than the poorer schools out in the suburbs. This is the exact opposite of the typical US school demographical pattern.

Subtext: Wilhelm avoids Farima's question by evading it. Note that it does make sense that she doesn't know what's going on at these schools since she's an employee, she's not upper-class herself. Wilhelm's parents know though since they attended Hillerska, but they would of course never admit it either.

Culture: Ironically, this is exactly how the real-world Danish royal family handled the Herlufsholm scandal in 2022 involving prince Christian. Only when the media storm in Denmark got too intense did they pull him out of the school, while furiously denying knowledge of the abuse or that he was involved in any way.

Cinematography: We're in the cursed music room, but the light is soft and golden, and the scene is just cute. No fight this time.

Subtext: We're touching the theme™ again, but from Simon's perspective. He has the same outsider perspective we have; speaking up about abuse is always good, and if the school's closing because of it, that's an obviously good thing. There's plenty of scenes in this episode showing that most Hillerska students don't share this perspective, they really love their school, as fucked up as it is.

Subtext: Although it sounds like a rehearsed PR line and Felice is thinking about her girl group here, it's gonna come true for her and Sara.

Subtext: Yuck. No further comment.

Cinematography: The immediate cut to Felice getting her aggressions out in gym class shows us exactly what she thought of what the principal said and how much it pissed her off.

Blink and you miss it: Simon audibly sniffs Wilhelm's hair.

Blink and you miss it: Micke made dinner for both of them, but in her depression, Sara ignores the cooked food (Pyttipanna, btw), and makes herself a cucumber sandwich instead.

Subtext: Micke is a man on a mission, and he is constantly steering the conversation towards helping Sara get her driver's license. For him, it's a way to make up for having been a shitty parent.

Culture: Sweden has long been a holdout of stick-shift cars, and if you don't do your practical test in a stick-shift, you'll get a restricted license, so it's not out of the ordinary for Micke to be teaching Sara how to drive one. However, automatics have seen a sharp rise in the last decade, and in 2024 automatics will finally overtake them.

Culture: The green ÖVNINGSKÖRNING sign is compulsory in Sweden if a car is being driven by someone on a learner's permit, with a parent or friend as the instructor. There's also a red version of the sign, which indicates it's a student driver with a professional instructor in a dual control car.

Cinematography: The room is filled to the brim with things to do, there's a bazillion board games, they have books, magazines, fidget thingies, they're drowning in stuff, and yet the girls are still soooooo boooored just because they don't have their phones. Except Madison, who is knitting.

Subtext: Here comes the theme™ again, and Fredrika is firmly in camp denial. Everyone else is just lying and exaggerating! The wheels are starting to turn in Felice's head though.

Subtext: Nils and August are finally talking about the initiation without Vincent being present, and they can finally be honest about what they actually thought about it. It happened, they didn't like.

Subtext: Their idea of fixing it however is not to go out publicly and talk about it, but to just quietly stop the tradition, hoping they'll be the last ones. (Since there are no second-year students in the show, we have no idea what happened to them, so we're just gonna ignore that.)

Subtext: And here comes the reason that August wanted to put a stop to it. He was completely humiliated by it, and he doesn't want anyone else to know that he was humiliated, because that just makes it worse. This is also the reason that traditions like this keep on going, no-one wants to blow the whistle on it, because everyone was abused, everyone was a victim, it's hard for abuse victims to speak up.

Cinematography: The talk with Nils triggered an anxiety attack for August, and being inside his small room doesn't exactly help. Him going so close to the camera that he almost bumps into it really shows how he feels like the walls are closing in on him.

Culture: This, kids, is a standard Swedish landline telephone jack. For the longest time I thought phone jacks looked like this everywhere, but it turns out that this particular design was only used in Sweden and Iceland(!?!). You won't find these in newer buildings because landlines are pretty much dying out, and if there are phone jacks they'll probably be using the much more common RJ-11 standard.

Culture: This, kids, is an Ericsson Diavox phone. The former government phone monopoly in Sweden, Televerket, only allowed certified and approved phones to be used on the network, and they only approved a very small set of phones, so everyone had pretty much the same phones in their homes. However, in the 1980's the market started getting flooded with "illegal" phones from other countries, so the monopoly simply stopped enforcing the rule, and you could finally, finally, plug in that novelty Garfield phone that you always wanted.

Blink and you miss it: Sara is studying for her driving test, and she's reading about driving in the dark.

Subtext: We're gearing up for the main plotline of the season, dropping more hints that maybe Wilhelm's image of Erik wasn't complete, and what August says sows some seeds of doubt in him.

Subtext: This song is objectively not very good, please don't kill me, but it is very sixteen-year-old-boy-just-singing-from-his-heart, not thinking about the text.

Subtext: Simon isn't wearing anything purple, but just after he posts his song video, he picks up a purple shirt, drops it immediately, and then the camera lingers on it. Colour theory goes brrrrrrrr. He thought about Wilhelm, and then stopped because his music is more important to him or something?

Subtext: Unlike Simon, Wilhelm immediately understands how problematic the text is for him, and how people will interpret it...

Subtext: ...but since he doesn't want to hurt Simon's feelings, he lies about why he thinks the song was a very, very bad idea. And he cushions it by telling Simon that he thinks the song is jätte-jätte-bra. Giant-giant-good.

Subtext: Yes, but also no, and someone from the court really should have given Simon some media training and explained to him why he has to be very careful about what he posts. But it's drama fuel, which is why this disaster is allowed to happen.

Subtext: A nice little throwback to season 1, this is exactly what Erik told Wilhelm in the first episode, about making sure that their public image is carefully curated.

Subtext: That's some on-the-nose foreshadowing there, since Felice is one of the main causes for the school ultimately closing.

Subtext: We're back to the theme™, Fredrika is saying pretty much the same thing as Vincent. It didn't happen, and if it did, it wasn't that bad.

Subtext: However, Felice isn't playing along this time, she's starting to speak up about the issues, and the result is a long, awkward silence, because her friends are not willing to do the same.

Subtext: Wilhelm and the rest of the rich kids are of course all wearing pretty expensive high-end hiking gear, in contrast with Simon who is simply wearing one of his usual hoodies and his usual winter jacket that we've seen before. That's a damn fine jacket from Fjällräven, btw, the same company that makes the weirdly globally popular Kånken backpacks.

Blink and you miss it: Henry is getting dragged for his actually quite reasonable objection to the tent groupings.

Subtext: Felice physically distances herself from her friends, and joins Simon and Wilhelm, in a nice little foreshadowing of the show's ending.

Blink and you miss it: Did you miss the line in last episode where Ayub said they were also gonna go camping at Talludden with their classmates from Marieberg? Well, here they are, because they pitched their tents nearby, and decided to go check out the Hillerska camp. It's not just Rosh and Ayub randomly walking through the woods.

Subtext: In season 2, we learned that Stella has a crush on Fredrika that she thinks is one-sided, but Fredrika sure has some kind of reaction to seeing Stella being close with Rosh. Jealousy, perhaps? Not clear at this point in time.

Subtext: Read the room Fredrika, for fuck's sake. At least Wilhelm has started learning to recognize privilege. The other rich kids probably recognize their privilege, but they're mostly just enjoying how much better they are than the poor regular kids.

Subtext: But Wilhelm's still got a lot more to learn. Yes, technically he is forced to spend his summer studying, and technically it is a kind of work, but the underlying reasons are completely different. If he skips it or fails, nothing bad will happen to him, unlike the Marieberg kids who rely on their summer jobs to have any sort of spending money.

Lost in translation: Wilhelm's dad says that the queen is going to be "sjukskriven", which is more serious than someone deciding on their own to take some time off or to use some sick days. It means that a doctor has evaluated you and decided that you are not fit to work, and that if you're a regular person, you are eligible for sick pay for the foreseeable future.

Cinematography: Yeah, mommy is really sick and Wilhelm is feeling the weight of responsibility, but take a look at that sunrise! It's so pretty! Wilhelm is completely in shadow because trouble whatever, but look at how that light just pops, with the sky and the water and the sun on the trees! Beautiful!

[love-belle]

you were my summer love !!!

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ in which their fall-in-love-again era is them missing each other while their friends go crazy over their relationship.

or

for when you know they'll be your love for all eternal summers. ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

social media au // pierre gasly x fem!reader

prequel - i want sweet revenge and i want him again ⋆·˚ ༘

warnings - language, mention of vodka once.

author's note - i am in fact not dead :) i hope u all like this <3 i will be back with a new post 4 months later jk I LOVE U THANK U

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by pierregasly, y/n4eva, gasly10 and 56,828 others

paddock.club pierre gasly and celine d'souza have called it quits on their relationship after almost three months of dating, sources close to the pair reported. the pair started dating back in august after gasly broke up with his "summer love", y/n y/l/n, affectionately named as augustine by gasly and his fans. although their break up was kept hush for a long time and so was their relationship, pierre wasted no time in moving on and with none other than social media influencer, celine d'souza. "there is no bad blood between them," sources claimed, "they just didn't fit well and it was no good trying to make it work." for more details about their short-lived relationship and the driver's summer romance with the singer, click on the link in our bio.

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liked by lewishamilton, carlossainz55, landonorris and 2,518,916 others

yourusername yeah i miss the way he kisses and the way he grabbed my ass but i can't do anything about it so idk i cry

14,782 comments

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-> username GIRLYPOP NO

landonorris i say we start treating y/n like a bad kitten every time she makes a bad decision

-> landonorris that came out wrong

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-> yourusername OFF MY PAGE U UNFORTUNATE MUTATIONS THAT ARE UNEMPLOYED FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS EVERY YEAR

-> username OH MY GOD

username i genuinely do not know what to do with this information

username THE WAY HE GRABBED MY ASS OMG

lewishamilton i would genuinely appreciate it if you gave me back my son

-> yourusername he's mine now move along

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-> yourusername omg i apologised??? and made u sandwiches??? and took roscoe for walks THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS???

-> username they're FRIENDS

-> username no bc their conversations must be WILD and so RANDOM

-> username im eating up every second of this

username now i js need max and nando to be besties 🤞🤞🤞🤞 with y/n and my life will be complete

-> yourusername i don't want them they're annoying

-> fernandoalo_official this is why pierre chose the other girl

-> yourusername SO LOW

-> maxverstappen1 the reason i like you is because you were drinking pure vodka out of a sippy cup at 8 am without blinking

-> yourusername this is why charles doesn't follow u x

-> maxverstappen1 THAT'S A LOW FUCKING BLOW

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pierregasly do something about it

15,729 comments

username SCREECHING WHAT THE FUCK

username i have never ever been this invested in someone else's life THIS BETTER BE WORTH IT

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username mf say this to HER

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username no bc i KNEW that something was gonna happen when he posted that song on his story

-> username fr like "when i touch her i feel like im cheating on u" BABE????

username cheating on u by charlie puth is actually so y/n and pierre coded it's INSANE

-> username the way my jaw dropped

charles_leclerc i should confiscate your phone for this

-> pierregasly you were the one who held an intervention for me so that i would "get my shit together"

-> charles_leclerc you don't HAVE to get your shit together if it means that i wouldn't be seeing her everyday

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-> username charles is so valid bc she scares ME

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-> username yeah and their most effective method (according to them) is locking them in a room

-> username do u think they know that one of them will not be making it out of the room and it'll probably be pierre 🧍

username i am a child of divorce this is christmas of '07 all over again 😔

landonorris i did NOT see you post this and then throw your phone up at the sky and screech as if someone just turned your ribs inside down to make you feel like a fairy

-> pierregasly stay away from me

-> oscarpiastri oh my god that was you??? i thought one of the cars ran over a cat on the track 😭

-> pierregasly okay mctwinks let's get you back in your playpens

-> landonorris unprovoked ☹️

-> oscarpiastri i would say watch your back but you're in the BACK so ☺️

-> pierregasly I WILL RUN YOU OFF

-> pierregasly i'm sorry my team told me i can't say that

username my head is wrapping itself around all this information like a shawl im going INSANE

username i know pierre is on all fours trying to get y/n to take him back

-> username as he should be idgaf

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by pierregasly, landonorris, lilymhe and 2,628,826 others

yourusername yeah i really missed the way he kisses and the way he grabbed my ass so i did something about it

tagged pierregasly

18,628 comments

username IDK WHETHER TO BE MAD OR HAPPY BUT HELLO???

username im gonna scream bc wtf

username NO WARNING WHAT THE FUCK

username sigh ARE U SURE

username are we SURE it's gonna STICK this time

-> yourusername im 182729291% sure charles is gonna murder him if he acts a bit silly again so i'd say it's looking pretty good!!!!

-> charles_leclerc alex hates it when y/n is sad and they both make it MY problem so i'm sorry if i wanna make pasta in a peaceful and tranquil environment instead of bitching about my best mate

-> alexandrasaintmleux you were the one who came up with the most creative insults every time don't LIE like a LIAR

-> pierregasly charles???

-> charles_leclerc they're LYING they LIE they're LIARS

username why am i js figuring it out that y/n is AUGUSTINE like from august by taylor swift

-> username BABE 😭😭😭😭 HOW DID U NOT KNOW

username something about pierre going from her summer love to love love (we don't talk abt what happened in the middle ☺️)

username someone sedate me they're BACK

username i just KNOW charles is pulling at his hair rn bc i know my man has so much dirt on pierre but they reconciled a bit too quickly

-> charles_leclerc I DIDN'T GET TO TELL HER ABOUT THE DUCK INCIDENT

-> pierregasly ONE WORD AND I WILL ERASE YOU FROM THIS EARTH

-> yourusername charles ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️ don't be shy ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️ i always liked u the most out of ALL his friends ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️ please elaborate ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

-> yukitsunoda0511 death would've been kinder than this ☹️

-> yourusername STOPPP U KNOW UR MY FAVOURITE I HATE THAT CHARLES MF HE TRIPS ME EVERY TIME I SEE HIM

-> charles_leclerc for the last time, i REALLY did not see the puddle exactly in front of you and i'm really really really really really sorry that you fell in that puddle. and ruined your dress. and made me pay for it. and then pushed me into a fountain.

-> alexandrasaintmleux say away from my gf charles_leclerc 😡😡😡😡😡😡

-> username i have a migraine

username the lore slowly coming to the surface

-> username NAH BC UR TELLING ME THAT YUKI AND Y/N ARE BESTIES???? ALEX AND Y/N ARE LIKE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️???? CHARLES AND Y/N HAVE BEEF???? HE PUSHED HER INTO A PUDDLE AND SHE PUSHED HIM INTO A FOUNTAIN????

-> username they kept us in the dark for so long we could've had it all 💔💔💔

username time to go on a vacation and make it a mission to hate the dude i meet and then fall in love with him

-> username HATE????

-> username pierre and y/n HATED each other when they first met but then long story short y/n saved him from a jellyfish and then it was lovers part of enemies to lovers ❤️

-> username oh the lore is WILD

username don't be a coward and record get him back with these lyrics 😡😡😡😡😡

-> yourusername i would but pierre would cry if i sang that song again now that he's back in my good books 😔💔

-> landonorris this is why you need to break up again x

-> pierregasly don't make me break check you next weekend

username is it a good time to mention that i saw u at lax and u looked WRECKED so im really glad ur both back together so that he can grab ur ass again

-> yourusername 😭😭😭😭 thank u my love

-> username tears

pierregasly thank you for doing something about it because i could NEVER

-> yourusername someone has to go to the counter and say "he asked for no pickles" in this relationship babe ❤️

-> charles_leclerc i have seen you both TREMBLING at the prospect of human interaction

-> yourusername why are u friends with him pierregasly

-> charles_leclerc not just him now 🥰

-> yourusername i am ready to break up with pierre if it means that i can get rid of this annoying parasite

-> charles_leclerc i go, alex goes

-> alexandrasaintmleux no you go away, i go to yourusername

-> yourusername DEVOURED AND BY HIS OWN GF

pierregasly all jokes (charles included) aside, i love you ❤️ thank you for hearing me out instead of pushing me down the stairs of instant death like charles told me you'd do

-> yourusername i love you 🫶🏼 i could never push u down the stairs, stair (singular) maybe but no ☺️

-> username why r u like this 🧍

username everyone cheer her crisis is GONE

≡;- ꒰ °instagram ꒱

liked by yourusername, carlossainz55, maxverstappen1 and 2,578,826 others

pierregasly you were my summer love and now you'll be my forever love

tagged yourusername

17,629 comments

username STOP TEARS ARE LEAKING

username can't believe this is the guy u told y/n she was trippin (she was btw ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️)

-> username character development and threats from f1 drivers does wonders to ur personality

username can't believe we're not gonna get anymore petty and bitchy songs anymore 💔💔💔

-> username maybe the petty and bitchy songs were all the comments from this group we collected along the way

username y'all cannot convince me that charles didn't at least TRY to tell y/n to let pierre GO simply bc he's a little shit

-> yourusername can confirm, the reason it didn't work was because then i'd have to AGREE with 🤮 charles 🤮

-> charles_leclerc you act as if i'm not actively gagging while talking to you

-> pierregasly so good to know that the reason i have a LOVING girlfriend is that she just hates my best friend

username pierre will forever be catching strays as long as y/n and charles remain friends 💔

username everyday i wake up and thank the lord that i exist in a world where pierre and y/n are together and that a dying jellyfish was the cause of it all ❤️❤️❤️

username real talk!!!!! how did mama gasly react when y/n told her that her son sucks

-> yourusername i didn't have to, she called me and told me that herself

-> username iconic

-> pierregasly i'm leaving the country and shaving my hair

username "forever love" i will be on the highway don't test me

username god i have seen and noted what u did for the others

username i love it when men are unapologetically in love with their gfs

lewishamilton happy for you both. please tell y/n to return my dog.

-> pierregasly she's currently cuddling roscoe and asking me to tell you to fuck right off

-> lewishamilton godmother privileges PROVOKED

username i will never be able to wrap my head around the fact that lewis hamilton and y/n y/l/n are FRIENDS like how'd THAT happen

-> username do u think they exchange fashion tips and pointers

-> username they deffo talk shit abt charles' fashion choices

-> username they should add him in the gc and TALK to him bc those choices are HORRENDOUS

username y/n 🎤🎤🎤 did u really key his car 🎤🎤🎤

-> yourusername my lawyer advises me to deny this false allegation

-> pierregasly she did something worse.

-> yourusername OKAAYYYYYYY U R NOT ALLOWED TO TALK HERE

-> pierregasly she put glitter ALL over the interiors

-> username WOAHAHSHSKSKSKD

-> username u deserved it 🗣️‼️

username i need a step by step walkthrough of exactly HOW these two got together and i need it NOW

username so when y/n hates publicly on a dude, she manages to make him her bf but when i do it, i make him my mortal enemy??? make it make sense 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

username it is so sexy of me to continue life even when life (instagram) throws obstacles (y/n and pierre being cute and shit) at me

username i will lay in my grave and dream of a love like theirs

-> username aahh haha didn't mean to get so philosophical mb

-> yourusername that was crazy babe

-> username it's true 😔💔

username me patiently waiting for a summer love that will have me ripping my hair off my scalp 🧍

username YOU WERE MYYYYY SUMMER LOOOVEEEEEEE

-> username one direction 🔛🔝

yourusername 4ever is not so bad after all ❤️

-> pierregasly with you it won't ever be enough ❤️

-> yourusername stop making me cry i have a reputation on here 🙁🙁🙁

-> username she says as if her personality isn't js crying over things all day long and being a Hater

-> yourusername OH FUCK OFF

yourusername i love you 🪤

-> pierregasly je t'aime mon cœur but the emoji? (i love you my heart)

-> yourusername it was the closest thing i could find to a tripod

-> landonorris 🔭 this is right here and also GROSS

-> username why are u all like this

yourusername off topic but i accidentally set off the fire alarm and now im locked in the bathroom bc the lock broke and im kinda Panicking

-> pierregasly why are you a fire hazard

-> yourusername THAT'S WHAT UR CONCERNED ABOUT

username i love it when bitches are chaotic like yessss!!!!!!! go and show us that unhinged energy!!!!!!!

[neumansg1rl]

i've never posted on here but i thought i’d contribute to this lovely community of fellow sluts for victoria neuman <33 (idk how to use tumblr, sorry if there are errors) 18+

summary: you and vicky are best friends and roommates sharing a joint under the stars. things get heated and she gets the munchies, but for you.

cw: smut, lesbian sex/oral, mention of alc & sharing a joint

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

After a long day, you and Victoria stumble into the backyard, your laughter echoing through the cool night air. You’ve just returned from a friend’s dinner party with Moroccan spiced lamb and couscous, where the cocktails flowed freely. Now, you're continuing the festivities with a joint under the stars.

"Can you believe Willa's story about her cat?" Victoria says, her words slightly slurred.

You laugh, taking a drag from the joint. "I know, right? Poor Pebbles, he's definitely plotting his revenge as we speak."

You collapse onto your outdoor couch, passing the joint back and forth, the warm glow of the backyard lights creating a soft ambiance around you.

"You know," Victoria says, her tone suddenly serious, "I'm really glad we're best friends."

You turn to look at her, your heart swelling with affection. "Me too, Vic. I love you like crazy."

"Not as much as I love you," she whispers.

You highly doubt that, but you smile anyway. "Agree to disagree."

You fall into a comfortable silence, the only sound the soft crackle of the joint burning.

"Do you remember that time we went skinny dipping in the lake?" Victoria says, breaking the silence.

You laugh, the memory flooding back. "How could I forget? We were so drunk, we almost got caught."

"And then we had to run back to the cabin naked," Victoria says, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

You grin. "We need another getaway."

You sit in companionable silence for a while longer, the joint burning down to the stub between the two of you.

"I love nights like these," Victoria says, her voice soft and giggly. "Just you and me, sharing memories and smoking a joint."

You feel a surge of affection for your friend again. "Same here, Vic."

You sit a little while longer, enjoying each other's company until the joint burns out.

"Come on," you say, standing up and offering Victoria a hand. "Let's go inside and get some snacks before the mosquitos eat us alive."

Victoria takes your hand, her skin soft and warm, and together you stumble back into the house, your laughter trailing behind.

As you enter the kitchen, Victoria makes a beeline for the snacks. She rummages through the pantry, pulling out bags of chips and cookies, while you head for the freezer, retrieving an ice cream sandwich.

You sit down at the kitchen table, unwrapping your ice cream sandwich and taking a slow, deliberate lick of the side. Victoria watches with interest, her eyes locked on your mouth.

"Want a taste?" you ask, holding out the frozen treat to Victoria.

Your friend nods, smiling, and leans in to take a bite.

Somehow, your faces are close. Too close. Then your mouth is on Victoria’s.

As your lips meet, a spark ignites between you, a feeling that has been simmering beneath the surface for years. You both pull back, your eyes meeting. You feel your cheeks warm. Your best friend, with low eyes and a sultry smile, awakens a part of you that you didn’t even know existed—well, you knew, but you were in denial.

Without a word, Victoria leans in again, pressing her lips to yours in a soft, tentative kiss. You respond, your body moving of its own accord, drawn to Victoria like a magnet. Your mouths move in perfect harmony. It’s a hungry kiss. Passionate. Warm like the August night.

You set the ice cream aside, your hands finding Victoria's waist, pulling her closer. Victoria responds in kind, her arms wrapping around your neck as the kiss deepens.

You lose yourselves in each other, the world fading away until there’s only the two of you, your bodies pressed together. You break apart, only for air, breathless and flushed.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," Victoria whispers, her gentle, yet throaty voice barely above a breath.

You smile, your heart overflowing with emotion. "Me too, you have no idea."

With an unspoken understanding, you and Vicky abandon your snacks and head toward her bedroom, your hearts racing. As you enter the room, the air is charged with electricity, the only sound your soft, eager breaths. It smells like Vicky's signature warm floral perfume, and that turns you on even more—to be in her space, to breathe in her scent.

You come together in a frenzy of need and desire, your lips meeting in a series of hungry, passionate kisses. Your bodies move as one, a tangle of limbs and heat as you explore each other with a fierce urgency.

In that moment, there are no rules, no expectations, just the raw, unbridled connection between you. You’ve longed for this, yearned for Victoria in ways you never dared to admit.

As you break apart, your chests heaving, you look into Victoria's eyes and see a fiery neediness that mirrors your own.

Without a word, you fall onto the bed, your hands and mouths finding each other with a primal instinct. Your lips meet in another fervent kiss, your tongues dancing and exploring each other's mouths.

Your breaths come in ragged gasps as Victoria's fingers trace sensual patterns across your skin. She gently guides you onto your back, her eyes never leaving yours. She lowers herself between your legs, her lips swollen and red. They connect with your soaking core, earning a deep moan.

“Y-yes, Vic…right there,” you shudder.

She hums against your throbbing pussy, “You like that?”

You let out a strangled moan, “Yes.”

“Good girl,” she purrs, sucking on your sensitive clit.

Your body arches and trembles with pleasure as Victoria's touch sends waves of ecstasy coursing through you.

While her mouth continues its exploration, your breaths grow shallower, your body tensing in anticipation. The rush of feelings coursing through you is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. It’s as if every nerve in your body is on fire, and you feel yourself approaching the edge quickly. It’s like she senses this, because she smirks. “Let go for me, baby. I want you to feel good.”

Just when you think you can’t take it any longer, her tongue finds that one perfect spot, and your vision darkens. A wave of pure ecstasy washes over you, and you cry out in pleasure as you come, your body shuddering and trembling beneath Vicky’s skillful touch.

As the last remnants of your orgasm fade, your breathing returns to normal, and you look into Victoria's dark eyes, your heart pounding in your chest. You feel an overwhelming sense of connection with your best friend, now lover, as if you’ve just shared something sacred and intimate. And you have.

Your lips meet again, and you taste yourself.

As the night wears on, you two find yourselves entwined in each other's arms, the warmth of your bodies providing comfort. You want to return the favor, but Victoria opts for cuddles. The passion of the last hour, along with the long day and dinner party, has left you both drained, and you soon succumb to the gentle lull of sleep, but not before feeling Vicky’s lips press against your forehead.

[narislvr]

HEY THERE, SUBW4Y GIRL

one-last-stop au ౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹ | e.williams x fem!reader

cw? reader is painfully bad at asking women out (she will get better dw) new characters introduced, plot is beginning, literally just fluff for now, book dialog and possible(not really) spoilers, not proofread

nari note ᝰ.ᐟ Hi! I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the support on the first part of this series, it really motivates me to keep going and I hope I don't disappoint! Im not staying entirely book accurate but If you've read the book and want certain scenes to show up then please let me know! If you'd like to be part of the taglist then lmk also! That's all for now, and thank you again ♡

m.list [๋࣭🪻] part one [ 🌆 ] palestine-resources & daily click

"The spark in Subway girls eyes ignites so brilliantly that August half expect her to jump out her seat. "Wait, that's my sandwich! I invented it!" ── page 35

Weekday evening shifts were your favorite.

The lights were always dim, painting the old diner atmosphere in hues of orange and amber, and with how slow it was, you weren't forced to run around hoping that table six wouldn't holler you over as you ran to get pancakes for table nine. It was actually quite nice at times.

Being a waitress at a 24/7 diner was not in your plans when you moved away from your last campus all the way in the other corner of the country, but Millers was nice. The building, despite it’s age and outdated fashion, was homey and even with the annoyance of leaving the place smelling like pancake batter and greasey bacon, it was a place youve come to hold dear in your heart.

Having a soft spot for the place and liking your job, however, didn’t mean that you were necessarily good at it a hundred percent of the time. Sleep deprived rushes particularly, made you loath coming in saturday evenings, but today was good.

The evening had been going relatively smooth so far. In the two and a half weeks you’ve worked here, your mistakes have leveled down to now and then little to mix-ups —not counting wedsdays slip up— and your boss, Eliza, had yet to come in and save the day by placing an extra plate of toast on your tray when you accidentally forget them in the kitchen.

With it being close to nine on a Thursday, work was slow, thus, you found yourself leaning on the front counter scribbling random drawings on your notepad with a Miller’s House Of Pancakes pen in hand. With the scribbling, you mindlessly began to reflect on your week so far; your first full day of lectures went well, and balancing work and lectures hasn't been so bad yet ──but then again, the semester just started. Rent was coming up and you had saved enough to pay your share of the apartment and really other than Monday morning's coffee accident, things have been good.

Monday morning…

Subway girl.

Truth be told, you hadn't stopped thinking about the pretty stranger you met on the train a little over three days ago. Sure, she may have only offered her kindness out of pitty at the sight of your teary face, but it was something touching to you nonetheless. It was something that she needed that day, spmething that went right. You didn't see her on your commute to work earlier today, and a part of you couldn't help but feel disappointed. She was just some girl ──green eyes, freckled cheeks, tall and teasing── you had talked to for no more than five minute and yet your mind couldn't stop replaying her smile and her fingers brushing the curve of your shoulders as she wrapped her scarf around you.

You were hopeless

Eliza comes up behind you, shaking her head with a tut of her tongue as she perches her elbow on the counter beside you. "Slacking off on the job, new girl?" Her brow was arched and despite the edge in her tone, you could tell she wasn't exactly scolding you for it either.

"Sorry," you respond as you straighten yourself up. There's a hint of a smirk on the women's face for a second before she shakes her head.

"You eat?" In the six hours you've been in shift, you hadn't eaten anything other than a pack of fruit snacks you'd taken from one of your roommates snacks in the pantry, but did she really have to know that.

‘Uhm, yes?”

"Liar. That's why you slack off. You don't eat. You have no energy," Eliza shakes her head calling out to the man on the grill before you were even able to argue back.

“Jesse!”

"What!" He responds, annoyance in his muffled voice.

“Ew special”

"I already made you one!" Eliza groans, responding with a "for the new girl, Jesse," in an even more annoyed tone before turning to leave at the sound of table 3 calling for more syrup.

What in the world was an ew special?

—

An Ew Special as it turns out, was a sandwich with hashbrown and some cheesy ketchup concoction which honestly, was way better than you expected.

The time on your cracked screen marked 10:07 as you made your way into the subway station for your commute back home. Atleast tonight you'd get a decent night's rest before another full day of lectures and another evening shift. And with that, you sat on one of the benches under fluorescent lighting waiting for your train.

Around your neck was the scarf from before, this time it being worn to keep you warm rather than to cover a stain on your shirt, and definitely not because it was a gift from the handsome girl from before. Nope.

It doesn't take long for your train to arrive, and as you walk in, you can't help but glance around for a familiar auburn haired girl. And again, she's not there, what were you expecting? She was merely a kind stranger, one of the few you've encountered and have never seen again, why would she be any different?

—

The following morning, you follow your usual routine. Wake up, take your vitamin c gummy and see if there's any breakfast worthy left overs before taking a shower, get ready, and leave the 4th floor apartment to make your way to your station. It was a nice routine, one you wouldn't mind repeating the rest of your days in Seattle with the exception of one new thing you've recently had the habit of doing: look around for the girl on the subway, Subway girl.

Subway girl was a smile lost in the tracks. A girl who showed up, saved the day, and blinked out of existence.

It was embarrassing the amount of times you've looked for her only for the same result, so, in order to save yourself another disappointment, you'd instead focuse on yourself and not look around.

And you don't look around, not intentionally atleast, not until a group of late-twenty year olds step off the car two stops into your ride and you catch a glimpse of a familiar auburn girl.

Subway girl. The flannel she had worn the day you'd first met her sat neatly on her lap alowing for a better view of the outlined tattoos on her arms as her white t-shirt sleeves were cuffed below her shoulders.

You couldn't believe your luck.

Her eyes were closed as her head leaned against the window sill, but as she felt your gaze from across of her, she slowly opened her eyes and her mouth formed a soft "oh" in surprise.

"Coffee girl," She smiles, sitting up in her seat as she turned to face you directly. There's a pleasant glint in her eyes as she looked at you, one that you hoped you'd see forever.

“Subway girl.”

Her smile spreads. “Mornin’.”

Your brain tries to reply with a "hi", perhaps ask about her day, but your mouth goes to say "morning", and so what comes out is, "Horny.”

Maybe it's not too late to jump out the emergency exit. You expect her to turn away, wonder why she'd even tried to talk to you, but instead she snorts.

Her eyebrows raise in amusement before she grins teasingly with her voice ever smooth, "I mean, sure, sometimes." She rolls her shoulders back and pulls down her faded green headphones, the ones you saw the day you met her, before setting them on her lap with her flannel and taking out her Walkman to pause her music. It was interesting, you'd never seen anyone actually use a Walkman ──much less walk around with it── but you didn't question it.

"Sorry, I'm─ morning brain. It's too early," you muster out and something shifts in her expression.

"Is it?" Subway girl asks with what seemed like genuine interest.

"Yeah, um... I had a late night.”

Her brows raise again, and you couldn't help but look away as she seemed to try and guess what it was that had kept you up. "Doing what?”

It's not necessarily a lie, but it's not exactly the truth, and really you just needed some cover to not look like an idiot after the word vomit from a moment earlier. "Oh, uh, I had a night shift. I wait tables at Miller's and it's twenty-four hours─”

"Miller's...? As in Miller's house of pancakes on the edge of the city?”

She rests her elbows on her knees and perches her chin on her hands. Her eyes are wide, and curious, her attention solely on you as she awaited your answer.

"You know it?”

She bites her lip, which is fine, and she shakes her head.

"Oh man, I used to wait tables there too," She says. "The owners would argue about how they wanted to name the place so it would always change until they stuck with that.. Jesse still in the kitchen?”

You laugh, her mind blown expression causing a flurry of butterflies in your stomach. Lucky again. "Yeah, he's been there forever. I can't imagine him ever not being there. Everyday as I clock in he's all─”

"Mornin' buttercup," She says in perfect imitation which earns another small laugh from you. "He's such a babe, right?”

"A babe? Oh god," Your reaction gets yet another snort out of her, and as the two of you meet gazes again you both fall into a fit of laughter. It was sweet, and nice, and maybe, just maybe, meant to be.

"Man, there's this thing they serve there now and.. God, it's delicious. I had it the other day, an Ew special'.”

The spark in Subway girls eyes ignites so brilliantly that you half expect her to jump out her seat. "Wait, that's my sandwich! I invented it!”

"No way! Really?"

"Ew is a play on to my initials E.W," She explains. "I had Jesse make it specual for me so many times that eventually everyone else started having them too. Can't believe he still makes them there. He might be in love with me or something," She quips.

"Maybe. He makes them all the time and it's absolutely delicious, it definitely brings you back after a long shift, so, thank you.”

“No problem,” Subway girl says. Shes got this far-off look in her eyes as if she were reminiscing on the sights of customers and the smells of the diner, but she shakes the look off and lets out an exhale. “God, I miss that place. I don’t know if you feel it but, something about it… It's magic.”

You don’t do magic, but who were you to say that when she looks so wistful as if there was a deeper meaning behind her words so you simply hum in agreement.

‘I don't know how they haven’t fired me yet. I’m not the worst waitress, promise, but I accidentally dropped a pie on a five-year-old two days ago. We had to give him a free T-shirt.”

It takes a second, but Subway girl laughs, loud and hearty before shaking her head. “You'll get the hang of it soon,” She says with so much confidence that you believe her instantly. “Small fuckin’ world, huh?”

“Yeah…” You agree. “Small fuckin world.”

A comforting silence lingers in the air as you smile at each other. Subway girl is the first to break it as she glances at the scarf sticking out of your bag, “Nice scarf, by the way.”

You forgot you still had it with you so you quickly go to take it out and hand it to her but subway girl is quick to hold up a hand. “I told you to keep it and besides,” she pulls out a blue plaid one out of her bag, “It's been replaced.”

You look between the scarf in your hand and the green eyed girl in front of you, “I, yeah– thank you again, so much. I wanted– I mean, it was my first day of class and i was already late and didnt want to show up looking–”

“Hey, I mean, Its not that you looked bad,” Subway girl counters. “You just… looked like you needed something to go right that morning. So.” She shrugs, and the intercom suddenly comes on, announcing a stop that was barely audible from how unusually garbled it sounded.

Subway girl points over at the board. “Thats your stop right? The one heading to the college?”

Shit. It was your stop.

You realize as you swing your bag onto your shoulder and glance at the girl across from you that you might never get this lucky again. You seeing her again after 4 days of disappointment could have just been the world messing with you, raising your hopes up only to have her leave for good leaving you with only the memory of the pretty subway masc who saved the day and left you wanting more.

“I’m working breakfast tomorrow. At Millers,” You blurt out as you stand up. “If you want to stop by I could sneak you a sandwich. As payback for the scarf y’know?”

Subway girl looks up at you with an expression so strange and unreadable that you feel your stomach drop, of course, you had to find a way to ruin this. Whatever “this” even was.

Her expression clears up however and she smiles again, “Oh, man. I'd love that.”

“Okay,” you say and start walking to the door, still looking at her. “Okay. Great. Cool. Yeah-” You were going to stop saying words any second now. God, you usually weren't this awkward about asking people out.

Subway girl only watches you go, an amused look in her eyes as she moves a strand of hair from her face.

“What's your name?” she asks.

You stop in your tracks and turn around accidentally hitting another passenger getting off with your bag. “Ah– It’s [ ]. My names [ ].”

Subway girl's smile softens as if she somehow already knew.

“[ ],” she repeats. “I’m Ellie.”

“Ellie.. Hi, Ellie.”

Subway girl, now known as Ellie, smiles. She brings her hand up to her face and gives you a small salute as you say her name, a dorky gesture but one you found endearing nonetheless.

There's a little warning bell to announce the door closing so you quickly step off while still trying to keep your eyes on the auburn haired girl.

“The scarf looks better on you anyways,” Ellie winks, and the Subway doors close in front of you.

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[fandomunite2107]

Help Wanted (Pt. 1)

Summary: Finding a part time job isn’t easy, especially if the owner doesn’t realize he’s hiring.

Bringing in the last box and placing it on your kitchen counter, you look around at your new apartment. Happy to have carried the last box up your flight of stairs, you wipe your hair away from you face, even though it was pretty early in the morning the temperature was still warm. Looking down on your counter at your to do list that you have made, you figure you might as well cross off a couple of items before its lunch time.

Deciding that the first thing you should do is clean your new apartment before you start to put things away, you find the bag of cleaning supplies that you bought a day ago. Starting with the kitchen and working your way through the bathroom and bedroom you dust, scrub, and vacuum until your new apartment is clean. Feeling satisfied with your work and a bit gross from sweating, you find the box marked bathroom and begin to put your shower items away along with your new bath rugs. After taking a shower and throwing on an outfit, you head to the kitchen and cross off the items that you had accomplished. Looking down at your phone you notice that it is well past lunch time and that you are starving. Figuring that it was time to take a break and explore your new neighborhood, you put on some shoes and grab your to do list and throw it into your bag.

Walking down the stairs leading up to your apartment building, you make the decision to find a local restaurant for lunch. After a couple blocks, you find a small cafe that looks promising. Walking in and looking up at the menu above the register, you notice that they have a variety of sandwiches and soups along with pastries. After you place your order, you find a table near a window looking out onto the street. The food that you ordered comes out and it tastes amazing, you make a mental note to try a pastry at some point.

You take out your phone and your to do list from your bag. You scan your list over, seeing what else you can accomplish today. One item on your list that you are dreading is checking your bank account and seeing what kind of budget you are going to be working with. Sighing, you open up your bank app and log in. The amount that you see in both your checking and your savings isn’t that great. You have a small amount of savings, but you hate to touch that. Your checking account isn’t that much better. You’re not sure that it will tide you over until your teaching job starts up in August. You knew that moving to the city was going to be a risk, but you didn’t have that much of a choice. Deciding that you’d like to eat more than just ramen noodles and crackers for all of your meals and wanting to decorate your apartment so that it feels like home, you add a new item to your to do list: find a part time job. You know that once school starts you won’t have too much extra time, but you’ll be able to work weekends and possibly a few nights. Gathering up your items, you throw away your trash and decide to walk a couple more blocks before heading back to your apartment and unpacking boxes.

As you were about to turn around and head back towards your apartment, you glance at a window with a piece of paper taped to it saying help wanted. You glance up at the sign to the building, seeing that it is a beef restaurant. You don’t have any experience working in the food service, but you’re a quick learner. Hoping that this is a way to cross off finding a part time job, you walk into the restaurant. There is a pretty decent line of people placing orders to go, so you wait in line hoping to ask for an application. Once the lady in front of you orders, you step up to the person taking orders at the register.

“What can I get you hun?” The man at the register asks, taking the pencil behind his ear to write down your order.

“Hi. I. Um. I saw your help wanted sign in your window.” You point to the window and smile. “I was just hoping to fill out an application.”

The man puts the pencil back behind his ear and looks around. Noticing that all of the other customers are either eating or taking their food to go, he sees that there is no longer a line behind you. “Do you have any experience in a restaurant?” He asks you.

“I don’t. But I am a quick learner and I work hard.” You say, hoping that not having any experience wouldn’t hurt your chances at the position.

The man smiles. “I see. Well, there isn’t too much to learn. I just need help out here in the front. You’d be cleaning tables, restocking the napkins, helping bag to go orders.”

“I can do that! Do you have an application that I can fill out?” You cut in, happy that the job isn’t for a cook, because you have very little skills in that department.

“Eh. We don’t need applications here. Think you can start now?” He asks.

Surprised by how fast this is going, you nod your head. “Oh. Sure. Y-Yes. I can start now.” Looking down at your outfit you wished you would’ve worn different shoes.

“Good. You seem like you’d fit in here.” The man holds out his hand for you to shake. “I’m Richie.”

Shaking his hand, you smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m y/n”. Adjusting the bag on your shoulder, you look around at the now almost empty restaurant. “What would you like me to do first?”

“Give me your bag. I’ll put it behind the counter here. You can start with cleaning the tables that are empty. The supplies are underneath that counter over there.” Richie points to where the supplies are hidden. You hand him your bag and make your way over to get the supplies. Once you have them, you pick a table by the window to get started.

As you start to spray down the table, you realize that you didn’t ask any of the important questions. How long are the shifts? How much money do you make? Is it fine if you are just doing part time and not full time? A bit embarrassed that you are going to have to ask those questions at some point after you were hired.

You eventually find a rhythm to cleaning. After you clean and wipe off the tables, you move on to cleaning the window by the door, noticing that it probably hasn’t been cleaned in awhile. Hearing a crash come from the kitchen and someone swearing, you look over to Richie who is taking a customer’s order. He doesn’t seemed phased by whatever is happening in the kitchen so you go back to cleaning the window.

“Dammit Richie! Why in the hell didn’t you call about the order I told you about yesterday.” Glancing over you see a man with a blue apron come out of the kitchen, shouting at Richie.

“Chill out cousin. I got it covered.” You hear Richie say.

“Just get it down. Now!” You take one more glance at Richie and the other man, making eye contact with him you give him a small smile.

“What are you doing?” The man asks you with his head tilted to the side. His volume a bit lower than when he spoke to Richie.

Placing the rag on the window sill, you turn to face him. “Oh. I’m cleaning the window. It looked like it needed it. I already finished with all of the tables.”

“Cousin. This is y/n.” Richie says pointing to you.

“Why is y/n cleaning my restaurant?” You feel the heat rise to your cheeks, as the man turns to ask Richie this question.

“Because I’m slammed up here! You got me making calls and taking orders on top of cleaning. I needed some help so I hired her.” Richie says that last statement with a poke to the man’s chest.

“Why the fuck would you hire someone when this isn’t your restaurant?! You can’t do that.” The man pinches the bridge of his nose and seems to take a deep breath. “Richie. We don’t have the money to hire anyone. We barely have the money to keep this place running as it is.” You’re not sure what you should do and you don’t want to make anything worst, so you slowly gather up the cleaning supplies and place them in the bucket.

“Look y/n. I’m sure you’re great. We just can’t hire anyone at the moment. I. I can pay you for your time that you did today, but that’s it.” The man runs his hand through his hair making it more messy than it was.

You walk up to Richie and the other man, feeling a bit defeated, hoping that this would’ve worked out. “It’s fine. You don’t have to pay me, I was only here for an hour or two.” You place the bucket of cleaning supplies on the counter. “Richie, it was nice to meet you” you hold out your hand to shake his. Turning to the other man. “Um..” You realize that you didn’t hear this man’s name yet.

“Carmen.” He responds going to shake your hand that you have left up mid air.

“Carmen, it was nice to meet you too.” You give a small smile.

Looking at Richie. “Would you mind handing me my bag?” After you grab your bag, you say to Richie. “Thanks. You might want to take down the help wanted sign.”

Carmen looks at Richie. “Seriously. You even put up a sign without asking?!”

“How are people going to know we’re hiring without a sign?” Richie yells back.

“We’re not hiring! Take the sign down now.” Carmen yells before going back to the kitchen.

“Sorry kid. Thought it’d work out.” Richie says to you on his way to take the sign down.

You sigh. “It’s fine. Something will work out.” You walk out the restaurant and turn towards your apartment building.

Walking into your apartment, you set your bag down on the kitchen counter and take out your to do list. Figuring it’s a bit late to look for another job at the moment, you settle in on unpacking some of your boxes. As the hours go by, you are able to set up your bedroom and front room, leaving only the kitchen boxes left to unpack. Feeling satisfied with what you have accomplished so far, you sit down to check your phone. There are a few text messages from people wondering how you are liking your new apartment and new city. After you type out a few responses, you decide that you need to figure out what you want to eat for dinner. You haven’t gone to the grocery store yet and you don’t have anything here to eat. Remembering your bank account from earlier, you know that eating out isn’t really an option until you start getting a paycheck. Sighing, you get your shoes back on and head to the grocery store that you remember passing earlier today.

Once at the store, you grab a basket and start to walk down the aisles. Trying to stretch your money, you pick up some off brand cereal, ramen noodles, and some soup that is on sale. Making your way to the check out, you notice that this store is actually pretty crowded and that the line is decently long. Scanning over some of the magazine covers as you wait to put your items on the belt, the person behind you accidentally hits you with their basket.

“Uh. Sorry.” The person says. Turning around to respond to them, you notice that it’s Carmen from the restaurant.

“Oh. It’s. It’s fine. Nice to see you again.” You give him a smile. It seems like it takes him a moment to figure out who you are.

“Right. Yeah. Sorry about earlier. My cousin doesn’t always think.” Carmen says rubbing his hand over his face.

It’s your turn to put your items up, so you unload your basket, not that it takes that long to do. “It’s okay. Really. Things happen.” As the lady at the checkout starts to ring up your items, Carmen places his items on the belt. Noticing that the final price of your total is more than what you had in your head, you look at the computer screen and realize that the soup that you thought was on sale actually isn’t. Feeling a bit embarrassed, you look at the lady checking you out, and give her a small smile. “I’m sorry. I guess I wasn’t paying attention to the signs right. I thought that soup was on sale.”

The lady looks at the soup that you picked out and then back to the screen. “Nope. They’re full price. You want them?”

“N-No. No thank you.” You reply. The lady takes the cans of soup out of your bag and makes some adjustment on the computer screen. You try to avoid eye contact with everyone.

Carmen looks up and takes in the situation. “I can get those for you if you want.” He says.

The man who fired you, well you guess not so much fired because there wasn’t a position to begin with, offering to pay for your soup turns out to be too much. You could feel some tears coming. You turn to him but don’t look him in the eyes. “Please don’t do that. It was just a mix up.” You whisper.

You quickly pay the lady and grab your two bags before walking out. You probably should have said something to him before you just ran out of there, but you were embarrassed and flustered. As you get a block away from the store, you see a car slow down beside you and the window rolls down.

“Hey.” You hear from the car. Not wanting to be involved in anything, you look straight ahead and starting walking at a bit of a faster pace. “Hey! Y/n!”

You slow down and look at the person in the car, seeing Carmen behind the wheel. “Oh. Hi again.”

“Do you need a lift?” He asks as he pulls the car over to the side.

“I’m fine. I only live a few more blocks away.”

“Get in. I’ll take you. It’s getting late. You shouldn’t have to walk alone.” Carmen says. You contemplate whether or not to get in. You don’t even know this person other than he owns a restaurant.

“Y/n.” You look back to him. “Just get in.” Making a decision, you open up the passenger door. Before sitting down, you notice that there is a bag on the seat from the grocery store with the soup that you didn’t get. You look to Carmen and notice the there’s a faint blush on his cheeks. “I wanted to get you those to make up for earlier.”

Moving the bag to the floor by your feet, you smile at him. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

Hearing a notification, Carmen reaches into his pocket for his phone. After reading something on his phone, he looks to you says, “Hey. I know that you were on your way home, but do you mind if I swing by the restaurant first?”

“Sure. That’s fine.” You adjust the bags at your feet and put on your seat belt. “Thanks for the ride. Um, and thanks for the soup Carmen.” You turn your head to look at him as he pulls back into traffic.

“Carmy.” He says as lights a cigarette.

“I’m sorry?” Not sure what he is referring to.

“Call me Carmy. Most people do.” He says, as he makes a turn onto another road.

You nod and smile, turning and watching the buildings go by as he drives.

**Part Two will pick up at the restaurant**

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A circle of overlapping semi-circular bright pink pickles arranged on a plate, viewed from a low angle. End ID]

مخلل اللفت / Mukhallal al-lifit (Pickled turnips)

The word "مُخَلَّل" ("mukhallal") is derived from the verb "خَلَّلَ"‎ ("khallala"), meaning "to preserve in vinegar." "Lifit" (with diacritics, Levantine pronunciation: "لِفِتْ"), "turnip," comes from the root "ل ف ت‎", which produces words relating to being crooked, turning aside, and twisting (such as "لَفَتَ" "lafata," "to twist, to wring"). This root was being used to produce a word meaning "turnip" ("لِفْتْ" "lift") by the 1000s AD, perhaps because turnips must be twisted or wrung out of the ground.

Pickling as a method of preserving produce so that it can be eaten out of season is of ancient origin. In the modern-day Levant, pickles (called "طَرَاشِيّ‎" "ṭarāshiyy"; singular "طُرْشِيّ" "ṭurshiyy") make up an important culinary category: peppers, carrot, olives, eggplant, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, and lemons are preserved with vinegar or brine for later consumption.

Pickled turnips are perhaps the most commonly consumed pickles in the Levant. They are traditionally prepared during the turnip harvest in the winter; in the early spring, once they have finished their slow fermentation, they may be added to appetizer spreads, served as a side with breakfast, lunch, or dinner, eaten on their own as a snack, or used to add pungency to salads, sandwiches, and wraps (such as shawarma or falafel). Tarashiyy are especially popular among Muslim Palestinians during the holy month of رَمَضَان (Ramaḍān), when they are considered a must-have on the إِفْطَار ("ʔifṭār"; fast-breaking meal) table. Pickle vendors and factories will often hire additional workers in the time leading up to Ramadan in order to keep up with increased demand.

In its simplest instantiation, mukhallal al-lifit combines turnips, beetroot (for color), water, salt, and time: a process of anaerobic lacto-fermentation produces a deep transformation in flavor and a sour, earthy, tender-crisp pickle. Some recipes instead pickle the turnips in vinegar, which produces a sharp, acidic taste. A pink dye (صِبْغَة مُخَلَّل زَهْرِي‎; "ṣibgha mukhallal zahri") may be added to improve the color. Palestinian recipes in particular sometimes call for garlic and green chili peppers. This recipe is for a "slow pickle" made with brine: thick slices of turnip are fermented at room temperature for about three weeks to produce a tangy, slightly bitter pickle with astringency and zest reminiscent of horseradish.

Turnips are a widely cultivated crop in Palestine, but, though they make a very popular pickle, they are seldom consumed fresh. One Palestinian dish, mostly prepared in Hebron, that does not call for their fermentation is مُحَشّي لِفِتْ ("muḥashshi lifit")—turnips that are cored, fried, and stuffed with a filling made from ground meat, rice, tomato, and sumac or tamarind. In Nablus, tahina and lemon juice may be added to the meat and rice. A similar dish exists in Jordan.

Turnips produced in the West Bank are typically planted in open fields (as opposed to in or under structures such as plastic tunnels) in November and harvested in February, making them a fall/winter crop. Because most of them are irrigated (rather than rain-fed), their yield is severely limited by the Israeli military's siphoning off of water from Palestine's natural aquifers to settlers and their farms.

Israeli military order 92, issued on August 15th, 1967 (just two months after the order by which Israel had claimed full military, legislative, executive, and judicial control of the West Bank on June 7th), placed all authority over water resources in the hands of an Israeli official. Military order 158, issued on November 19th of the same year, declared that no one could establish, own, or administer any water extraction or processing construction (such as wells, water purification plants, or rainwater collecting cisterns) without a new permit. Water infrastructure could be searched for, confiscated, or destroyed at will of the Israeli military. This order de facto forbid Palestinians from owning or constructing any new water infrastructure, since anyone could be denied a permit without reason; to date, no West Bank Palestinian has ever been granted a permit to construct a well to collect water from an aquifer.

Nearly 30 years later, the Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (also called the Oslo II Accord or the Taba Agreement), signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1995, officially granted Israel the full control over water resources in occupied Palestine that it had earlier claimed. The Argreement divided the West Bank into regions of three types—A, B, and C—with Israel given control of Area C, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) supposedly having full administrative power over Area A (about 3% of the West Bank at the time).

In fact, per article 40 of Annex 3, the PA was only allowed to administer water distribution in Area A, so long as their water usage did not exceed what had been allocated to them in the 1993 Oslo Accord, a mere 15% of the total water supply: they had no administrative control over water resources, all of which were owned and administered by Israel. This interim agreement was to be returned to in permanent status negotiations which never occurred.

The cumulative effect of these resolutions is that Palestinians have no independent access to water: they are forbidden to collect water from underground aquifers, the Jordan River, freshwater springs, or rainfall. They are, by law and by design, fully reliant on Israel's grid, which distributes water very unevenly; a 2023 report estimated that Israeli settlers (in "Israel" and in the occupied West Bank) used 3 times as much water as Palestinians. Oslo II estimations of Palestinians' water needs were set at a static number of million cubic meters (mcm), rather than an amount of water per person, and this number has been adhered to despite subsequent growth in the Palestinian population.

Palestinians who are connected to the Israeli grid may open their taps only to find them dry (for as long as a month at a time, in بَيْت لَحْم "bayt laḥm"; Bethlehem, and الخَلِيل "al-khalīl"; Hebron). Families rush to complete chores that require water the moment they discover the taps are running. Those in rural areas rely on cisterns and wells that they are forbidden to deepen; new wells and reservoirs that they build are demolished in the hundreds by the Israeli military. Water deficits must be made up by paying steep prices for additional tankards of water, both through clandestine networks and from Israel itself. As climate change makes summers hotter and longer, the crisis worsens.

By contrast, Israeli settlers use water at will. Israel, as the sole authority over water resources, has the power to transfer water between aquifers; in practice, it uses this authority to divert water from the Jordan River basin, subterranean aquifers, and بُحَيْرَة طَبَرِيَّا ("buḥayrat ṭabariyyā"; Lake Tiberias) into its national water carrier (built in 1964), and from there to other regions, including the Negev Desert (south of the West Bank) and settlements within the West Bank.

Whenever Israel annexes new land, settlers there are rapidly given access to water; the PA, however, is forbidden to transport water from one area of the West Bank to another. Israel's control over water resources is an important part of the settler colonial project, as access to water greatly influences the desirability of land and the expected profit to be gained through its agricultural exports.

The result of the diversion of water is to increase the salinity of the Eastern Aquifer (in the West Bank, on the east bank of the Jordan River) and the remainder of the Jordan that flows into the West Bank, reducing the water's suitability for drinking and irrigation; in addition, natural springs and wells in Palestine have run dry. In this environment, water for drinking and watering crops and livestock is given priority, and many Palestinians struggle to access enough water to shower or wash clothing regularly. In extreme circumstances, crops may be left for dead, as Palestinian farmers instead seek out jobs tending Israeli fields.

Some areas in Palestine are worse off in this regard than others. Though water can be produced more easily in the قَلْقِيلية (Qalqilya), طُولْكَرْم (Tulkarm) and أَرِيحَا ("ʔarīḥā"; Jericho) Districts than in others, the PA is not permitted to transfer water from these areas to areas where water is scarcer, such as the Bethlehem and Al-Khalil Districts. In Al-Khalil, where almost a third of Palestinian acreage devoted to turnips is located [1], and where farming families such as the Jabars cultivate them for market, water usage averaged just 51 liters per person per day in 2020—compare this to the West Bank Palestinian average of 82.4 liters, the WHO recommended daily minimum of 100 liters, and the Israeli average of 247 liters per person per day.

As Israeli settlement גִּבְעַת חַרְסִינָה (Givat Harsina) encroached on Al-Khalil in 2001, with a subdivision being built over the bulldozed Jabar orchard, the Jabars reported settlers breaking their windows, destroying their garden, throwing rocks, and holding rallies on the road leading to their house. In 2010, with the growth of the קִרְיַת־אַרְבַּע (Kiryat Arba) settlement (officially the parent settlement of Givat Harsina), the Jabars' entire irrigation system was repeatedly torn out, with the justification that they were stealing water from the Israeli water authority; the destruction continued into 2014. Efforts at connecting and expanding Israeli settlements in the Bethlehem area continue to this day.

Thus we can see that water deprivation is one tool among many used to drive Palestinians from their land; and that it is connected to a strategy of rendering agriculture impossible or unprofitable for them, forcing them into a state of dependence on the Israeli economy.

Turnips, as well as cabbage and chili peppers, are also grown in the village of وَادِي فُوقِين (Wadi Fuqin), west of Bethlehem. In 2014, Israel annexed about 1,250 acres of land in Wadi Fuqin, or a third of the village's land, "effectively [ruling] out development of the village and its use of this land for agriculture." Most of this land lies immediately to the west of a group of settlements Israel calls גּוּשׁ עֶצְיוֹן ("Gush Etzion"; Etzion Bloc). Building here would link several non-contiguous Israeli settlements with each other and with القدس (Al-Quds; "Jerusalem"), hemming Palestinians of the region in on all sides (many main roads through Israeli settlements cannot be used by anyone with a Palestinian ID). [2] PLO executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said that the annexation, which was carried out "[u]nder the cover of [Israel's] latest campaign of aggression in Gaza," "represent[ed] Israel’s deliberate intent to wipe out any Palestinian presence on the land".

This, of course, was not the beginning of this strategy: untreated sewage from Gush Etzion settlements had been contaminating crops, springs, and groundwater in Wadi Fuqin since 2006, which also saw nearly 100 acres of Palestinian land annexed to allow for expansion of the Etzion Bloc.

All of this has obviously had an effect on Palestinian agriculture. A 1945–6 British survey of vegetable production in Palestine found that 992 dunums were devoted to Arab turnip production (954 irrigated and 38 rain-fed; no turnip production was attributed to Jewish settlers). A March 1948 UN report claimed that "[i]n most districts the markets are well-supplied with all the common winter vegetables—cabbages, cauliflowers, lettuce and spinach; carrots, turnips and and beets; beans and peas; green onions, eggplants, marrows and tomatoes." By 2009, however, the area given to turnips in Palestine had fallen to 918 dunums. Of these, 864 dunums were irrigated and 54 rain-fed. This represents an increase in unirrigated turnips (5.8%, up from 3.9%) that is perhaps related to difficulty in obtaining sufficient water.

Meanwhile, Israel profits from its restriction of Palestinian agriculture; it is the largest exporter of turnips in West Asia (I found no data for turnip exports from Palestine after 1922, suggesting that the produce is all for local consumption).

The pattern that Ashrawi called out in 2014 continued in 2023, as Israel's genocide in Gaza occurs alongside the continued and escalating killing and expulsion of West Bank Palestinians. The 2014 annexations, which represented the largest land grab for over 30 years and which appeared to institute a new era of state policy, have been followed up in subsequent years with more land claims and settlement-building.

Israeli military and settler raids and massacres in the West Bank, which had already killed 248 in 2023 before the حَمَاس (Hamas) October 7 offensive had taken place, accelerated after the attack, with forced expulsions of Palestinians (including Bedouin Arabs), and harassment, raids, kidnappings, and torture of Palestinians by a military armed with rifles, tanks, and drones. This violence has been opposed by armed resistance groups, who defend refugee camps from military raids with strategies including the use of improvised explosives.

Support Palestinian resistance by buying an e-sim for distribution in Gaza; donating to help two Gazans receive medical care; or donating to help a family leave Gaza.

[1] 918 dunums were devoted to turnips according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) report for 2009; the 2008 PCBS report attributes 253 dunums of turnip cultivation to Al-Khalil ("Hebron") for 2006–7.

[2] Today, Gush Etzion is connected to Al-Quds by an underground road that runs beneath the Palestinian Christian town of بَيتْ جَالَا (Bayt Jala).

Ingredients:

Makes 2 1-liter mason jars.

500g (4 medium) turnips

1 beetroot

1 medium green chili pepper (فلفل حار خضرة), halved

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1 liter (4 cups) distilled or filtered water

25g coarse sea salt (or substitute an equivalent weight of any salt without iodine)

Some brining recipes for lifit call for the addition of a spoonful of sugar. This will increase the activity of lactic-acid-producing bacteria at the beginning of the fermentation, producing a quicker fermentation and a different, sourer flavor profile.

Instructions:

1. Clean two large mason jars thoroughly in hot water (there is no need to sterilize them).

2. Scrub vegetables thoroughly. Cut the top (root) and bottom off of each turnip. Cut each turnip in half (from root end to bottom), and then in 1 cm (1/2") slices (perpendicular to the last cut). Prepare the beetroot the same way.

If you need your pickles to be finished sooner, cut the turnips into thinner slices, or into thick (1/2") baton shapes; these will need to be fermented for about a week.

3. Arrange turnip and beet slices so that they lie flat in your jars. Add garlic and peppers.

4. Whisk salt into water until dissolved and pour over the turnips until they are fully submerged. Seal with the jar's lid and leave in a cool place, or the refrigerator, for 20–24 days.

The amount of brine that you will need to cover the top of the vegetables will depend on the shape of your jar. If you add more water, make sure that you add more salt in the same ratio.