#and the chicken is a frozen block still in the freezer

[bending-sickle]

i am inconsolable (there’s no rice in the house)

[ddejavvu]

eddie brock my sweet boyfriend ❤️ you definitely have to teach him how to properly cook cause all he fucking eats is frozen tater tot, chicken nuggets, and takeout.

“Ok now we need to boil water for the pasta”

“How do you do that?”

“???? Eddie????”

Venom greets you at the door to Eddie's apartment before you can even knock, his teeth glinting in the low light of the hallway. You're always uneasy about him being seen, but there's not much foot traffic this far down the hallway.

"The oven is on fire," He informs you, with the same grin that he usually uses to say 'Hello, sex kitten.' He'd heard the phrase in a comedy once, and has not given it up no matter how many times you and Eddie plead with him.

"The- what?" Your similar grin fades, and you shove your way past him into the apartment.

Eddie calls from the kitchen, "The oven is not on fire!" But there's a panicked edge to his voice that you presume means the oven is, in fact, on fire.

"Eddie." You gush when you're finally granted a clear view of the kitchen. The doorway had been blocking most of the counter space, but now that you're standing inside, amidst a cloud of barely-breathable smoke, you see a charred mass inside the oven that you can't believe was once food.

"What happened?" You ask, and you wish there was more conviction in your tone, but you can't muster it. You're dumbfounded, aghast, and perhaps flabbergasted as well.

"The lasagna I planned for tonight needed to be thawed," Eddie explains, and Venom, like the traitor he is, sticks by your side, suspended from Eddie's own by a thick tendril of black goo, "And I didn't know that. I didn't have a day to leave it out on the counter, but it said to cook it at 425 for- like, an hour or something, once it was thawed. So I just-"

"Eddie," You warn, as if you can change the fate of the story by stopping him from telling you the ending.

Of course, that's not how it works.

"I put it in there at a higher temperature. For a few hours, too, because there was still ice on the top. I dunno," He scrapes a tired hand over his scruffy face, "I just thought- I thought it would work."

"It doesn't work," You note sadly, "Um- okay. Well, we can't eat that, so shove it in a trash bag and throw it away."

You watch as Eddie deals with the charred mass of lasagna, probably still frozen solid on the inside. You chance a glance into his fridge and something sickly twists at your gut when you find eggs and ketchup. That's it.

A peek into his freezer reveals frozen tater tots. Of course.

"Okay," You huff, shoving your sleeves up your forearm, "We're having breakfast for dinner, Eddie. Turn the stove on."

You place a pan onto the stovetop, intent on cracking eggs into it, but when Eddie turns a knob to heat the glass surface, he chooses the wrong one, and a burner on the other side of the stove flares to life.

"Oh, Eddie." You hum, and he looks appropriately sheepish, "Okay, just- don't touch anything, and watch me."

"I can do that," He nods, and Venom comes to hover over your shoulder.

"Are those eggs from Sonny and Cher?" He asks, and you feel slightly chastised from his scrutiny.

"Uh- yeah, Venom. They are." Eddie nods, watching you with a cautious gaze.

"You said I was not allowed to eat babies," Venom's eyes narrow, milky white and slimy, at his host, "Have babies been on-limits this whole time? How could you not tell me!"

"No! No, Venom, no eating babies," You inform the symbiote, trying to calm his rage before it has a chance to truly begin, "Eddie, while I make dinner, you lay out the ground rules for baby consumption."

"Copy that," Eddie nods, taking on Venom's indignance with a steely gaze and squared shoulders, "Only chicken babies, bud. And only if they're still in the eggshell."

Venom responds to this new information by taking the egg from your hand, crunching it whole between his teeth, shell and all. You suppose that's exactly what he was told to do. Neither you nor Eddie can stop him in time, but when the symbiote decides that raw egg is not his favorite flavor, you're both stunned into stiff silence as you're covered with the goopy, spit-up remains of the egg.

"Chicken babies are disgusting!" Venom declares, gargling water from the sink that nearly breaks beneath his heavy hand, "I would much rather eat human babies."

[shoku-and-awe]

Rainy day fried rice experiments! Testing three hypotheses today:

Daikon leaf furikake is good in fried rice.

Fake meat is fine after 2 years in the freezer.

Ajitama marinade is a good fried rice seasoning.

And all three were proved right! That's great news for my budget (wasting less and preserving) and also for eating less meat :)

The leaves for the furikake (whole process here) came free with a ¥200 daikon. I froze half of the furikake in a block and still have about a quarter left. The quality wasn't really affected by 6 months in the freezer—there was some ice but it didn't taste freezerburnt. It also cut/crumbled apart easily without defrosting. Nice.

The fake meat is Toffu brand yakiniku protein (old photo), which at first I did *not* like, but then my husband unknowingly bought several on sale and then we forgot about them. But this was the last one! It didn't look like 2 years in the freezer changed it much.

I rinsed off the sauce and diced it roughly. I liked the pea-sized pieces best—they felt meaty, albeit not identifiable as any specific meat. Any bigger than a pea and you might notice a spongy quality, and also the flavor of the marinade comes out.

So now my single portion of rice is looking more like a meal!

Mixed up the rice with the leaves and Toffu so the moisture would contribute to the crumbly texture you need for fried rice. Then I fried some onions, carrots, and frozen peas with a bit of powdered chicken stock. When that was done, I added the rice to the pan and seasoned everything with the ajitama marinade.

I had about 50 ml left from yesterday and didn't quite use it all. I might use the rest on some bean sprouts... Since I'm reusing a marinade for animal protein, whatever I do, I'm gonna make sure to cook it through.

The marinade is almost identical to the furikake seasoning, so I was sure the flavors would work, but it turned out a little too sweet. I added a big splash of Chinkiang black vinegar and some smoked ghost pepper. Much better!

To finish, I also beat 2 eggs to cook in a well in the middle, and minced several very wilty green onions to throw in once the heat was off. Et voilà!

Proper fried rice! Very tasty. A filling meal for two people from just one serving of rice, and now I'm smarter than before I cooked it, and also my freezer is less chaotic.

[the-wiggler]

If I could stay here, under your idle caress

Ellis tries to cook and plan fails successfully? 

word count: 2.2k

“My love?” A tentative voice calls into the dark room, curtains drawn. What little light filters through, Ellis can see the mountains of clothes on the floor, the layer of dust and the empty cups covering the room. On the bed in the corner, a mound under the heavy blanket shifts minutely, and their heart aches. “Oh, my Gem,” They coo, sitting on the side of the bed, slowly peeling back the blanket to reveal a sallow face, tired and weighed down, smooshed against the pillow. Ellis leans over and presses a soft kiss to their cheek, a hollow stare darting to them in vague recognition, “How are you, my dear?” 

They groan, shifting to bury their head in Ellis’s middle, quietly inhaling their scent. Their hand moves instinctively to stroke Gem’s hair, grounding repetitive motions as they sit in silence for a few minutes before Ellis breaks it, “Are you hungry? Think you can stomach some food?” 

They go to shake their head, instinctively wanting to remain in their bed despite their aching back and stiff legs. Then they register the slow acidic burn spread from their core and absently wonders when they last had a proper meal. “Yeah-could gof’r something.” Stringing together words with what little threads of energy they could muster, their voice hoarse from disuse. 

“Ok,” Ellis smiles, one last comforting stroke of their hair before they pull away, “I’ll get you something to eat, you try your best to get out of bed, ok?” They stand and go to pull the blackout curtains open, revealing a second set of thick daytime curtains, and illuminating the room in a soft light. Reaching behind the curtains, they push open the windows, letting the soft breeze and the noises of traffic below waft in. “Take your time, Gem. I’ll be just outside.” They press a gentle kiss on Gem’s forehead before they leave, and Gem misses them already. 

Outside, Ellis wracks their brain thinking what Gem could eat. They remembered the stacks of snack wrappers on the table and an idea flutters into their head, perhaps they could cook something? Sure, their cooking left much to be desired, but Gem had been giving them lessons (though they often ended up making out on the countertops instead). Their cooking “lessons” meant that Ellis could now, under supervision, make scrambled eggs, grilled cheese and pasta. And heat up soup. 

But their Gem deserved a good, warm, fresh meal, and though they had only “helped” Gem out in the kitchen, Ellis was confident they could handle this. They crack open Gem’s laptop, typing in their password (Ellis’s birthday), and pull up the recipe from a bookmark folder called “Cooking for Ellis”.

‘The perfect food for when I’m feeling sick, Oyakodon is a classic comfort food of Japanese home cooking. Simple, delicious, and utterly comforting, this is the kind of one-bowl meal you can cook in less than 30 minutes!’ The chipper description of this Japanese chicken and egg rice bowl had caught Ellis’s eye. Perfect. 

Firstly, the chicken. They rummage through the freezer until they grasped a small container of already-chopped chicken thigh. But it was still frozen, and Ellis didn’t have the time to sit around waiting for it to defrost. 

They sighed, cracking open the frozen block of meat and hacking away at it with a spoon until they had what they figured was a big enough portion for Gem to eat. Then, they slapped that in the microwave, doused it in sake, and let it sit, feeling very proud of themself. Off to a very positive note. 

Next, the onions. They carefully chopped off the ends of the onions, peeling off the crinkly skin and sliding them off to one side of the cutting board. Then they slice the onion in half, feeling the tears prick their eyes and their vision blur. 

A sudden strong gust of wind sends the loose onion skin flying off the counter like leaves in the sky. Ellis curses silently, eyes burning, and rushes to chase after the onion skin now scattered across the kitchen floor. When they finally collected the bits and deposited them into the bin, the tears in their eyes had yet to subside. 

Frustrated, they rub their eyes, forgetting the onion residue still on their hands. As their pain suddenly escalated, they cursed silently, blindly grasping around to find the sink and turn on the tap. Quietly panicking to avoid alerting their partner, Ellis rushes to wash their hands with soap and rinse their eyes, tears running down their face.

Once they had finally cleared the sulfuric acid from their eyes, they found their vision blurred and their nose running. They glance, a bit despondent, at the remaining onion and curse it out quietly. Through tears and sniffles, they finally cut the onion into slices Gem once termed ‘Julienne’. This time, they make sure to thoroughly wash their hands before scrubbing at their face. 

With a renewed sense of enthusiasm, they gaze proudly at the now conquered pile of onions on the chopping board. Despite this minor hiccup, Ellis felt ever optimistic, grabbing a bowl and mixing the liquid seasonings. 

Now, to start the cooking process. Ellis confidently opened the cupboard where Gem kept all their pots and pans. Having lived alone for so long, Gem only had two pans: a larger one for bigger meals when hosting guests, and a smaller one for personal use. Ellis frowned.

The recipe said one small pan should be enough, but…Ellis sent a distrustful look at the accursed mountain of unevenly cut onion pieces and decided to err on the side of caution. They grabbed the larger pan, dumping the onion and seasonings into it. 

The seasoning…barely covered the bottom of the pan, let alone the onions. 

A quick reference back to the recipe…and…yep, the seasonings should cover the onions. They inwardly grumbled at the idea of having yet another thing to wash and grabbed the smaller pan, pouring the sauce into it. Ellis watched as the liquid in the pan rose and rose until it reached the brim of the pan, forming the meniscus. Ok..too little for the big pan but too much for the smaller pan. 

Great. 

They pour the rest of the sauce down the drain, lamenting the wasted food. They move to dump the onions into the sauce, forgetting completely the rule of displacement. As the onions tumbled into the pan, the sauce flooded over the edge, forming a small pool around it. Ellis fights the urge to collapse into a heap on the ground and instead carefully lifts the already full pan up, spilling more sauce. They messily clean up the majority of the mess; the rest could be cleared up after they deliver this absolute guarantee of a good meal to their partner. 

Having lost a decent chunk of motivation (and seasoning) that they started with, Ellis turns on the stove, waiting for the sauce to come to a simmer. placing a lid over the pan and turning their attention to the mountain of dishes in the sink. 

They quietly hummed a song that reminded them of Gem, mind wandering to thoughts of the bright starry eyes of their partner as Ellis served them the perfect Oyakodon. It wasn’t that Ellis was doing this for the thank-you kisses they might receive…but they would be amiss if they said it wasn’t something of a motive. 

So lost in thought was Ellis that they completely forgot about the simmering, bubbling, and now boiling pan of sauce and onions just a few feet from them. It wasn’t until the metallic rattling of the lid against the pan did Ellis snap out of their daydreams and worriedly glanced over. 

The sauce had bubbled out of the pan, adding to the already large puddle. It was currently dripping over the counter down onto the drawers below, no doubt seeping into the cutlery and crockery that Gem kept there. Completely forgetting about the running tap, they grabbed a cloth and went to wipe at the angry mess on the stove, the hot liquid quickly seeping through the cloth and shooting through Ellis’s hands, making them curse loudly. 

The word rang out in the emptiness of the cosy apartment Gem had and they vaguely heard the soft padding of feet approach them before a quiet voice called out. “Ellis? Is- “Yes, my dear,” They quickly interrupt, rushing to intercept their partner at their bedroom door, “Are you feeling well enough to be up? Perhaps you should take a shower, Gem, freshen up.” They clutched their throbbing hand behind their back, chuckling nervously. 

Gem casts a confused look at Ellis. Their eyes dart from the sweat dripping down Ellis’s forehead to the panicked look in their bloodshot eyes and the hand they were not very inconspicuously hiding. They begin taking hesitant steps towards the kitchen despite Ellis’s weak assurances.

“No- don’t gaze upon my shame, please, I’m begging!” They joke weakly as Gem reaches the kitchen, but it was too late. Gem could only stare in silence as Ellis stood behind them, sheepish and awkward morphing into an overwhelming amount of guilt. The last thing Gem needed right now was more things to worry about, to shoulder Ellis’s burdens along with their own. 

“I-I’m sorry, Gem. I know this is the last thing you need; more things to do.” They sigh, “Look, take a shower, and I promise, once you get out, the mess will be gone. I’ll call up your favourite pizza place, you don’t have to worry about a thing.” Ellis tried to redirect their attention away from the mess, hoping to coax Gem away from the mess they had made. 

“Ellis-I-What…what were you trying to cook?” They whisper, a layer of incredulity concealed under genuine curiosity, their eyes fixated on the angrily rattling pan. 

“Well- I was trying to make an Oyakodon, you know, the one you had saved in your laptop?” Their partner nods wordlessly, “But clearly, I seemed to have overestimated my cooking abilities and I…oh. I forgot to make the rice.” They wring their hands together, watching their partner out the corner of their eye, waiting for the outburst. 

After a quiet sigh that seemed to pierce Ellis, Gem moves into the kitchen, slides the pan off the hot surface of the stove and carefully turns the stove off, leaving the liquid to cool. They turn off the running tap before grabbing another, not soaking wet, cloth and carefully lifting the hot pan lid, wincing at the burnt onions and billow of smoke that angrily escapes its confines. They deposit the pan in the sink and grab a bowl, filling it with ice and cold water and gently guiding Ellis’s throbbing hand into it. 

“Gem I- “Rest.” They quietly order, silencing any meek protests on the edge of Ellis’s tongue. They resign to sit at the dining table, hand submerged in the icey water. Silently, they watch Gem move through the kitchen cleaning up the mess, chewing on their lip nervously. 

Gem was always more on the quiet side, opting to save their energy for acts of service that made Ellis want to smother them in kisses. They talked in quiet smiles and averted gazes, a quiet language that Ellis had slowly become a well-learned expert in. But on days where they could barely manage to leave their bed, they resorted to one-word responses, sometimes just a vague nod, even.  

Ellis could tell, in Gem’s tense shoulders, that their disappointment was palpable- tired and exhausted, they still had to clean up after Ellis’s mess. Ellis had meant well, they didn’t doubt that Gem understood that, that they had only intended to provide a warm meal that Gem loved, but intentions meant little when the outcome directly contradicted it. 

“I really am sorry, my Gem. I…never intended to make more work for you.” They sigh, watching their partner move through the kitchen as they were stuck in the chair. They sighed, “But I did. Regardless of my intention, I…I made a right mess of things, and I can’t express my apologies enough.” They suddenly felt silly for ever thinking they could somehow whip up a meal when they could barely scramble an egg without burning something (or someone). 

A rub on Ellis’s cheek drags them out of their inner criticisms. A hand cupped their cheek gently, and they gazed up from where they were seated to stare at Gem’s eyes. In turn, Ellis turns their head to lay a gentle kiss on the palm of Gem’s hand. 

“You did,” They state matter-of-factly, quiet voice barely reaching Ellis’s ears. “But it’s not all bad. You managed to get me out of bed, didn’t you?” 

Ellis blinks slowly, then laughs, surprised. “I…hadn’t even noticed. I suppose it is a silver lining in all of this.” They place an unburnt hand over Gem’s waist, pulling them in and resting their head on their partner's stomach. “You really are too kind to me, my Gem.” 

“Nonsense.” 

[dollsonmain]

Got up at 3:30 on a day off just to breathe.

Here comes Son. I need alone time. Trying not to cry.

Anyway. Long, long rambly about food storage and handling.

Still EXTREMELY frustrated by the food handling and storage situation at the gas station, like it takes up space in my head when I'm not at work, and trying to remember what made it so efficient at Wegman's. I've probably already been over this I just can't remember. I'm also just like CAN I say anything? Would that go over well or be annoying? I don't know.

They've owned the place since 2020 and have been doing things this way the whole time as far as I know, and also afaik haven't been tracking expiration dates well at all so likely have no idea how much food/money they're wasting or how much expired food they're feeding customers.

I can't tell if Manager has had the food handler's training and is certified. It could be that she is certified but doesn't really care and it's not a place that a health inspector is likely to wander into and catch them.

Granted Wegman's is a food selling place so would care more about food handling and storage than a gas station, and turns pretty big profits so has more to spend on food handling and storage.

Though proper storage would save money over time and likely increase sales because customers would be able to trust they're going to get something "good" every time. Consistency is important to building a good reputation.

-

Storage

The first thing is a place for everything, everything in it's place.

If we were out of cheddar, for example, there would be an empty shelf in the big walk-in cooler. You could see with a glance that we were out of cheddar or that we had 5 blocks left and it was time to order more.

In the gas station, right now, there are 3 boxes of chicken patties. One in the primary freezer, one in the ice cream freezer, and one in the cooler, thawed and moldy. They should all be in the same place. They should all be frozen.

I wouldn't know there were three if I hadn't happened to stumble upon them myself.

The second is clear containers and washable labels.

Cheddar would arrive in cardboard boxes with each 40lb block in it's own plastic bag and each bag had a printed label on it. Cardboard boxes were discarded and the bags stacked on the shelf. This worked because a block of cheddar was a rectangle.

For things that don't stack easily, like olives which arrived in little plastic kegs, when it was time to open a keg they would be dumped out into large, clear, plastic food storage bins and labeled with what it was and it's expiration date. Once that date hit, regardless of what container it was in, it was discarded.

These food storage bins all had lids designed for stacking and it was very efficient to store because you could just stack everything neatly, see the labels, and see what was inside, it's status, and how much there was. If it got moldy or was running low, you could see.

Some for hummus, it came in large bags and was dumped into steel bins to be put onto the olive bar. The detriment to this is that being spread out into a steel bar bin means more surface area, so in the case of the gas station, keeping the sandwich salads in their original, plastic tubs works just as well in the mini fridge as transferring them to bins would. Less surface area in the containers and the round tubs take up about the same amount of space as the rectangular, stacked bins would. However, getting things in and out would be easier with stacked, rectangular bins.

The places where plastic bins would help the most at the gas station are the freezers and the cooler, though usually we don't have any deli stuff in the cooler other than bread. Right now there's lots of meat in there, too.

Don't get me started on how that's being stored. tl:dr it's wrong.

The dirty shipping boxes are put into the freezer as is, then opened, a hole ripped in the bag inside, and we just stick our [gloved] hand into the open bags to get stuff out. It is not ideal. If the box is up on it's end I can't see the label without taking the box out, if the box is lifted out of the freezer the wrong way the product all falls out, and you can't see how much is left without pulling out the whole box and looking inside. Knowing when to reorder is difficult because everything has to be dumped out to see how much is left.

And, since the bags are just open in there, everything gets frostbitten.

The cooler stays at 35F which is actually a bit low for food storage but is ok. One of the fridges (has factory-made sandwiches, lunchables, and small snack cheeses) gets up to 45-48F now and then long enough to be able to feel the change if I stick my arm in, and that's not acceptable, but I can't do anything about it. That fridge's compressor rattles something awful, too. It'll break soon I think.

-

Expiration dates

We get tubs of sandwich salads pre-made and Manager doesn't seem to understand how expiration dates work.

When we make the sandwiches, she wants the ones made with refrigerated ingredients marked for disposal after 7 days (it should be 4), and with frozen ingredients marked for 9 days (it should also be 4 because those ingredients are thawed as they sit in the cooler) (as a matter of fact the tubs should also be discarded 4 days after they're opened).

That's regardless of the expiration date on the pre-made salads or ingredients. Which is wrong.

For example, we had egg and tuna salads that expired on Oct 3 and were still making sandwiches with them on Oct7 because she decided they're still ok because of when they arrived.

Arrival date has no effect on expiration date, it's manufacture date and the expiration date of any individual ingredients when it's manufactured that affect the expiration date.

Anyway, those sandwiches were still being marked for 7 days out.

We got in a new tub of chicken salad but it expires on the 16th. Every sandwich with that chicken salad, regardless of when it's made, should have a disposal date no later than the 16th, but we're still marking them for 7 days out from when they're assembled.

A new-new tub of chicken salad arrived Thursday that expires on the 17th. Anything made with that tub should have a disposal date no later than the 17th. I guarantee they'll be marked 7 days out regardless of when they're assembled.

-

And like, if I were officially put in charge of these things I would implement these changes and put in a request for food bins immediately but I'm not in charge.

I already solved one minor problem. When I first started she would tell me to make as many sandwiches as there was bread in the bag because she hates trying to keep the bread fresh in the cooler.

Buns are in big, long, weirdly shaped bags for restaurants I guess, and they're difficult to close once you've ripped a hole in the middle to get to the bread.

I open the bags on a corner and tie the bags shut when I'm done.

... That was it. I just tie the bags shut, and the bread keeps longer.

Like.....

I'm so frustrated. Just let me fix it......

[compose-myself]

Due to a wildly irresponsible athletics coach in high school, I got heat stroke repeatedly as a kid. Now I’m just a couple hours away from heat stroke any given day in summer.

Here’s my recommendations if you have to be outside:

-Hair back in a braid and off your neck. Even a pony tail is still essentially a wool blanket hanging down your neck.

-Straw or bucket hat with vents and a wide brim. We’re called rednecks for a reason.

-Sports bra/bikini top with an open weave net beach coverup a la

-Shorts. I hate shorts. I feel half naked in shorts and my legs chafe. Hate them. Still wear them. Antiperspirant between your thighs helps a lot with the chafing.

-White sneakers for working, sandals otherwise. Too much sweat around your toes gets gross fast.

-Camel pack with ice water/gatorade and ice blocks wrapped in towels. Drink every time you feel even the slightest bit thirsty. You will be going inside for refills multiple times a day. Make your peace with the inconvenience.

-Put out two water bowls for your pets, one with ice.

-If little kids get sleepy and want a nap when they usually don’t need one, they’re probably overheating. Get them in a cool bath before they go down.

-Dedicate a significant percentage of your freezer space to ice trays. Even if you have an ice maker.

-If possible, acclimate slowly. You can move your comfort zone up a good fifteen degrees if you do it over a month or two.

-Siestas were invented for a reason. Start work as early as you can, the break from 3-7, then finish up and clean up.

-Carry chapstick. You can get tubes of gel that won’t leak if they melt in your pocket.

-Carry a spritz bottle. I can’t always get inside immediately when I get overheated and stop sweating. Spritz yourself all over, including the top of your head to cool off your hair.

-If you do overheat, get in a cool shower if possible. Otherwise hold ice packs to places close to blood flow: your neck, your wrists, between your thighs over your femoral arteries. Your entire blood volume cycles through your kidneys every couple minutes so if you can cool them off you’ll cool your whole body. Just holding your bare wrists under a running tap will work wonders in a pinch.

-Sleep naked if possible. Your nether regions are going to sweat a lot. Cool shower and air time will help prevent issues. If issues do happen, there’s a diaper rash ointment in the baby aisle called Baby Butt Paste that helps a lot.

-SUNSCREEN obviously. If you get sunburned anyway, aloe goop helps. For the love of all that’s holy, DO NOT USE ICY-HOT ON SUNBURNED SKIN. I do not care how sore your muscles are. That is curl-up-and-puke levels of pain.

-Plan for cold meals. Fruit and veggies, sandwiches, chicken/egg/tuna salad etc. You don’t want to run your stove or oven if you don’t have to. If you can though, eat spicy food. It kicks your body into extra cooling measures without actually adding heat to your system.

-Smoothies are better than ice cream and popsicles. Sugar makes it harder to thermoregulate and dairy doesn’t always sit well in the heat. Spinach, avacado, frozen blueberries, a spoonful of cocoa powder and a spoonful of lemon curd. Even picky toddlers will love it even though it’s essentially a salad in a cup.

-Grapes don’t freeze solid (it’s why we don’t have grape ice cream) so snack sized baggies of frozen grapes make fantastic cold snacks. No danger of broken teeth.

-If you lose power, don’t open your fridge/freezer unless you absolutely have to. Your food will stay cold enough for a couple hours if they’re not exposed to warm air.

Good luck!

For all of the northerners that stood up for Texas during our freeze and said, "Don't make fun of them, they've never dealt with this before. Their infrastructure isn't made for snow and freezing."

This one is for you.

Where I live 108°F with 80% humidity with no wind is normal.

Pacific North West is dealing historic best waves 35-40°C or 95-105°F.

First of all. Don't make fun of them for bitching about the heat. Just like Texas isn't built for a freeze and our pipes burst, Pacific North West isn't built for heat and a lot of their homes don't have AC.

If you live somewhere with a high humidity like 80+ HUMIDITY IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. The "humidity makes it feel cooler" is a lie once it gets beyond a point.

If you live somewhere with a lower humidity, misters are nice to cool off outside.

Once you get over 90°F (32°C) a fan will not help you. It's just pushing around hot air. (I mean if you can't afford a small AC unit because they're expensive as hell, by all means a fan is better than nothing).

If you have pets, those portable AC units aren't safe. If your pets destroy the outtake thing, it'll leak CO2. Window units are safer.

Window AC units will let mosquitoes or other small bugs in. Sucks, but that's life.

Now is not the time to me modest. If you have to cover for religious reasons, by all means. If you don't, I've seen people wear short shorts and a swim top. It's not trashy if it keeps you from getting heat stroke.

If you do have to cover up for religious reasons, look for elephant pants or something similar. They're made with a breathable material.

Shade is better than no shade, but that shit it just diet sun after some point. Don't think shade will save you from heat stroke.

I know the "drink your water" is a fun meme now, but if you're sweating excessively you need electrolytes. Drink Gatorade, Powerade, or Pedialite PLEASE. I don't care if you're fucking sitting in one spot all day. That shit WILL save you from heat stroke.

Most importantly. RESEARCH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT STROKE AND HEAT EXHAUSTION PLEASE!

If you're diabetic and can't drink Gatorade, mix water, fruit juice, and either lite salt or pink salt

If you can afford it, cover windows with thick curtains to insulate the house

If you have tile floors, lay on them with skin to tile contact. If you don't, laying your head on cool counters works too.

If the temperature where you're at is hotter than your body temperature, don't wear heat wicking clothing. Moisture wicking is safe though.

Check your medication labels. Many make you more susceptible to sun and heat

-Room temperature water will get into your body faster. This is something I learned doing marching band in high summer in Georgia, and it saved all of our asses. Sip it, don't gulp it, especially if you're getting into the red; same goes for whatever fluid you're drinking. And just in general drink during the day.

-If you are moving from an air conditioned space to an un-air conditioned space, if at all possible try to make the shift gradual. When my dad and I were working outside and in un-ac houses a few years ago, he'd turn the air down to low in the truck about ten-fifteen minutes before we got where we were going. This way your body doesn't go from low low temps to high temps. S'bad for you.

-If you can, keep your lights off during the day. Light bulbs may not generate a lot of heat, but the difference is noticeable when it gets hot enough. I literally only turn my bedroom light on in the evening when it gets too dark.

Don't be afraid to just like... pour water on yourself if you need to. The evaporation will cool you off.

Put your hand to the cement for 15 seconds. If you can't handle the heat, it'll burn your dog's paws. Don't let them walk on it.

Dogs with flat faces are more prone to heat stroke. Don't leave them out unsupervised.

Frozen fruit is delicious in water.

Wet/Cold hat/handkerchief on your head/neck will help you stay cool.

Pickle juice is great for electrolytes! You can even make pickle juice Popsicles!

Heat exhaustion is more, "drink water and get you cooled off." Heat stroke is more "Oh my god call 911."

Image Description provided by @loveize

[Image description: an infographic showing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The graphic is labeled "Heat Dangers: First Warning." Signs of heat exhaustion: faint or dizzy, excessive sweating, cool, pale, clammy skin, rapid, weak pulse, muscle cramps. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat exhaustion, get to a cool, air-conditioned place, drink water if conscious, and take a cool shower or use cold compress. Signs of heat stroke: throbbing headache, no sweating, red, hot, dry skin, rapid, strong pulse, may lose consciousness. If you think you or someone else may be experiencing heat stroke, call 911. End description]

Be safe.

-fae

[addierose444]

Sunday Meal Prep

While I genuinely enjoy cooking, meal prep is what makes it sustainable. I typically eat about 19 meals per week (no breakfast on the weekends), but cook a lot less frequently than that. My workday breakfast is peanut butter overnight oats which take just a few minutes to prepare. To make them I simply stir together half a cup of rolled oats, half a cup of milk, two large spoonfuls of peanut butter, and a splash of maple syrup. As the name suggests, the overnight oats are prepped the night before and then spend the night in the fridge absorbing the milk.  (I know it doesn’t look very good, but trust me they are delicious and thicken up significantly by morning).

Sunday is my primary meal prep day during which I prep four rice bowls (Sunday lunch and three meals for later in the week). During the week, I’ll often make two servings of other meals so that I can eat the first serving for dinner and the second for the next day’s lunch. 

As for my rice bowls, to cook the grains, I bring a cup and a half of water to a boil in a small pot and rinse my two-thirds of a cup of white rice and one-third of a cup of quinoa under cold water in a sieve. Once the water is boiling, I season it with a little bit of Better Than Bouillion Roasted Chicken Base, add the rinsed and drained grains, lower the heat, and set a timer for fifteen minutes. 

Meanwhile, I prep my protein which is the part that varies from week to week. About half of the time my protein of choice is tofu, but I like to mix it up with things like ground pork, refried beans, or Beyond Meat (when it’s on sale for less than actual meat). While the pork version is probably the tastiest, I’m really not a fan of handling raw meat and it’s also the most expensive version. Specifically, a pound of all-natural pork (from Trader Joe’s) is over 3.5 times the price of a fourteen-ounce block of Organic extra-firm tofu. 

To cook the ground meats, I use my cast iron skillet. I recently started using a 400-degree oven for the tofu as it allows me to cook the entire package in a single batch. The go-to vegetable for my rice bowls has been green beans. Once the protein is done cooking, I simply add some frozen green beans to the pan and cook for a few minutes. (I used to steam the green beans in the microwave first, but have found this to be unnecessary). 

To flavor my tofu and ground pork, I use a combination of sesame oil, soy sauce, and honey. I also used a pre-made sauce, Trader Joe's Soyaki, to add additional flavor to the grains and green beans. For the refried beans version, I simply grate in cheddar cheese. And, if I remember correctly, the Beyond Meat version didn’t require me to add any additional flavor elements. 

I typically, eat one serving while it’s still hot for my Sunday lunch. Finally, I transfer the cooled food to storage containers and clean up the remaining dishes. The container I use to reheat my lunch at work is America’s Test Kitchen’s top pick for glass food storage containers, the OXO Good Grips Smart Seal container. Overall, I’ve been very happy with the quality and performance of this container. These containers come in a variety of sizes and in both circular and rectangular shapes. I ordered the 3.5-cup rectangular container which fits really nicely inside my backpack and is comfortable to eat out of. While it looks and feels like the perfect size, on occasion I get nervous that I haven’t packed enough food simply because the container cooks too empty. The containers I use for the final two servings are ones I’ve taken restaurant leftovers home in. To keep the food fresh, I’ll throw one container into the freezer and the other two into the fridge. 

As for today’s dinner, I’d been craving carbonara for a while now and finally got around to buying the ingredients and making it! Carbonara is one of my all-time favorite meals and is actually pretty easy to make at home. My carbonara isn’t exactly traditional as I sub in bacon for the harder-to-find and more expensive guanciale. For a quarter pound of pasta, I use two slices of bacon, two eggs, and a third of a cup of pecorino romano. To serve, I grate parmigiano reggiano over the top. 

[heroes-feasting]

The Ultimate Sausage Pasta

“This is the best pasta I’ve ever had” - Everyone who’s tried it

Living with other people is a valuable experience for any young person - especially when you get the chance to share meals and recipes. It’s amazing what kinds of foods you can add to your cooking arsenal and this pasta is one of them!

Originally introduced through the friend of my housemate, I can say with absolute confidence that this is the best pasta I, and everyone who's tried it, has ever had. The best part? It only takes half an hour to make!

With it’s quick cooking time on consistent heat, easy steps, and simple ingredients, it makes for the perfect meal for everyone from an on-the-go student looking for a cheap, filling meal to a busy professional.

VEGETARIAN? No problem! Check the results sections for tips on changes to make the recipe work for you.

Prep: 5 mins                     Cook: 25 mins                       Overall: 30 mins

For the ingredients:

Half a bag (450 g) Rigatoni pasta

500g mild italian sausage, sliced into 3/4-inch pieces (I recommend Johnsonville brand, if available)

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp. sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced

2 tbsp. oil from the jar

1 cup (250 ml) low-sodium chicken broth*

1 block (150 g) chopped frozen spinach**

½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream (35%)***

* Feel free to use any homemade chicken broth or stock you have for a deeper flavour! If you store your homemade broth in the freezer using ice-cubes, you’ll need about 8 for a cup.

** If you’ve got the chopped frozen spinach that comes in little cylinders it’s about 3 of them. If you only have frozen whole leaf spinach (like I did here), take it out of the package and stick it in the microwave on a plate until it starts to defrost. Then, chop it up!

*** Feel free to use either 35% “cooking cream” or “heavy cream”. I’ve used both and haven’t noticed a difference. Do not use lighter creams as substitutes. You will end up with a cream soup instead of a cohesive sauce.

Start by boiling your pasta according to the directions listed on the package - straining it about 1 minute before it reaches al dente.

Next, heat up a high-rimmed skillet on medium heat and add your sausage. Allow it to fully cook through, about 12 minutes (internal temp of 160℉), stirring occasionally.

After the sausage has fully cooked, add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, and oil. Mix it with the sausage and cook until the garlic starts to turn a golden colour (2-3 minutes), stirring frequently.

TIP: After finely chopping your garlic, use the flat side of the knife to crush it. This will allow more flavour to release from the garlic.

Add the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits that got stuck. Allow the broth to come to a boil.

Add the frozen spinach to the boiling broth, breaking it up as it thaws. Allow it to cook until no frozen chunks remain, about 3-4 minutes.

NOTE: At this stage, you’ll probably start to think that there’s too little sauce in the pan, but resist the urge to add extra broth.

Add the heavy cream and stir. Allow it to come to a boil and incorporate, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

You might need to add a little more cream as it cooks. Ideally, you want the sauce to have taken on the lighter colour of the cream but still be able to see the darker colour of the broth.

NOTE: This was made with homemade chicken stock - giving it a deeper colour when the cream is mixed in. You’ll find your sauce to be much lighter if using store-bought broth.

Finally, keeping the heat on medium, add your strained past. Stir until you can see the sauce clinging to the noodles and making them shiny, about 2 minutes. There should only be a little sauce remaining at the bottom of the pan.

Overall, I would give this pasta a 5/5. I’ve honestly never made a recipe that everyone unanimously agrees is a hit with no changes. It’s so quick and easy that I make it almost every week without fail. In fact, I'm making it tomorrow!

As I’ve mentioned in the introduction, I would highly recommend this to anyone who is just starting to learn how to cook. The entire meal cooks in 30 mins on the same heat and is extremely forgiving. Perfect for those starting to venture past instant noodles and freezer meals!

EATING VEGETARIAN? No problem!: I’ve made this dish vegetarian several times and although you do lose some of the flavour, it’s still amazing. 

To substitute the sausage, I’ve either taken it out completely or I’ve used Beyond Meat sausage. Personally, I would recommend leaving the BM sausage out as it has a strange texture. If you enjoy BM and want to add it, add 2 tbsp. of neutral oil to the pan while heating it. Add the sausage and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.

You can substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth. I would also recommend adding ~1 tsp. italian seasoning with the broth (like the one used in the dwarven flatbread, but maybe skip the marjoram). This should make up for the loss of spicing from the sausage.

[the-one-who-lambs]

Okay, it's going on tumblr, better late than never.

It's a beautiful morning. I'm up at 8:15 in the morning preparing dinner, because I am an Extremely Busy Graduate Student who should probably know better than to write fanfiction instead of my master's thesis while at work. Basically every moment of my life for the next six months is either blocked off or precious recovery time, so I absolutely ADORE my crockpot for three reasons: I am busy, I need to eat well-balanced meals, and I love trying new recipes. I can do 10-15 minutes of prep time in the morning and come back to a slammin dinner after letting it simmer all day. It's an absolute treat.

Except my morning dinner prep turns out to be more of a trick, appropriately, because it's Halloween and I'm already decked out in my costume. I'm going as the Lamb from Cult of the Lamb, and I'm preparing a delicious feast for my flock. I start to chop my vegetables for the most delicious-looking lemon chicken orzo soup I've ever seen. The carrots are fine. The celery is fine. Cutting onion is the continued bane of my existence. While I'm handling the knife, it slips, and I slice right through the top couple millimeters of my fingernail at a pretty shallow angle. This probably wouldn't have been too concerning if I didn't also take the top bit of my fingertip with it. It's not a concerning amount of fingertip, but it's definitely a removed little bit, and I've cut through four layers of skin, probably. Hopefully.

I get annoyed because in two seconds my onion is bloody. I wash my hands, put on a bandaid, and wash and chop the rest of the cleaned onion. The bandaid is no longer sticking after like a minute. I put on another. It lasts two minutes so I put on another and it lasts two minutes as well. I use a washcloth to stop the bleeding mostly, and after about fifteen minutes I get a bandaid to finally stick and hold well. But I'm still bleeding kind of a lot and I don't know where my small chunk of fingertip went. I don't want to call my mom to ask how much fingertip is acceptable to have cut off but I wonder if I might have to go to the emergency room for stitches or something. in my lamb cosplay with a wooly tail and everything.

Problem for later. Soup is now. I put in the herbs and chicken stock and NO white wine into my crockpot because I forgot to buy it. I open the garlic and the container burps when I screw off the lid that my roommate didn't close properly last night and it smells a little different. I wonder if it's poisoned but then I look online and it's just a little fermented which apparently "unlocks the natural benefits" of garlic. As long as it tastes good I don't care. I take the chicken out of the freezer and change my bandage for what I think is the last time. I'm still bleeding a lot. Oh, wait. Fuck, i forgot to defrost the chicken last night. I take it out of the package in one big chunk and run it under water for a few minutes to defrost it just enough that I can remove the chicken diaper (you know, the absorbent pad with gel in the bottom of the package) without it sticking.

Spoiler alert: the chicken diaper tears as I'm trying to peel it off and it explodes its gelly substance all over the place. I pick off the white plastic coating that's frozen onto the chicken, which takes like 5-10 minutes, and run it under water again just to make sure there's no clear gel stuff stuck to it. I put it in the Agony Soup. I'm still a little worried that the gel touching my chicken somehow contaminated it or something, so I look up what it is and it's non-toxic so at least I have that going for me. I realize I probably shouldn't have touched raw chicken breasts with an open wound even if it's under a bandage. So I clean my hands REALLY well and go to disinfect the wound with hand sanitizer and prepare for the sting.

I'm pleasantly surprised that it doesn't sting, but five seconds after I realize that's NOT supposed to be a good thing, it hurts like hell. The One Who Waits is going to kick my ass for how I've been providing for my flock and I'm worried my soup is going to suck complete donkey dick.

It's been about 40 minutes at this point. The recipe as prepared on the stovetop takes 50 minutes, so I've actually saved no time because I have to make the orzo separately since the rest of the soup is going to be simmering all day. I have class in 20 minutes, I live a 25 minute walk away, and I still haven't had breakfast which I need to take with my medicine that I almost forgot to take. I don't want to bike because finger still goes ow. Instead of going to the emergency room I decide to pack 8 more bandaids and suck it up. I call a lyft, make a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal at my work desk, go to class in full costume, and eat my hot breakfast right in front of my professor. He is not at all fazed by any of what I'm doing.

You'd think this would've set me up for a terrible day but I had a BLAST and was not going to let that ruin my Halloween. At least the soup was good, and I remembered to bring my little recruitment pamphlets to the university to go with my costume! But, in retrospect, I probably should have just gone to the emergency room or at least student health services. I'm fine now, but there's a definite change of slope on the tip of my left pinky finger where it should be curved.

Did I tell y'all about the time I almost went to the emergency room in my lamb cosplay

[pinkpatiencecreepers]

Alone In A Crowd

1

Another slow shift. It wasn't that I didn't like the quiet here in the store, but I was bored and hungry. I took a glance at my watch and then at the door. It was 10 minutes to closing time and not a single soul had come in for the last hour. Another glance at the door as if it was telling me to wrap up the day. Another glance at my watch. Then, my stomach made loud growl and that was it. I jumped off the stool at the register and went to the room in the back to grab my stuff. Backpack hanging from one shoulder, along with my jacket and the store keys in hand. I rearranged some magazines and art catalogs before exiting, turning the lights off and locking the door behind me. One last glance at the books and records on the shelves and I made my way down the sidewalk.

Melrose Avenue was starting to get crowded with people leaving the other shops and making their way up towards the Strip to have a good time watching the bands that were playing tonight at the Roxy. But I couldn't be bothered, at least not yet. I was seeing double from the hunger and I was in dire need of a coffee. I made a beeline to the bodega and wasted no time coming in. I nodded to one of the dudes who worked there that was currently placing some chips on the stands and he nodded back. We already knew each other from all the other times I had been there, but we had never talked before, except for the few words exchanged when I was paying for my things. So, without further ado, I went straight to the coolers where they kept different types of packed sandwiches, frozen pizzas and other snacks to grab on the go, and picked two chicken salad sandwiches. They were rather small, so I instinctively knew one wouldn't be enough. I made my way back to the door and asked the lady at the counter for a large black coffee from the machine next to her. I also asked for a carton of cigarettes and a bag of Skittles. She started to pack my food in a brown paper bag while I was looking for the crumpled bills I had in the front pocket of my jeans. Just as I placed them on the glass surface, she handed me the bag and I almost ripped it in two in my attempt to start eating as soon as possible. She gave me a weird look but I shrugged it off. I haven't eaten anything since I left home this morning and I had skipped lunch to save some coin. My rent was due soon and I was short on the money. So, I just took one of the sandwiches from the plastic wrap, and I can swear I died and went back to life when I had the first bite. This fucking tiny piece of white bread, cold chicken and potatoes was indeed heavenly. And don't get me started on the coffee. It was piping hot and I burned my tongue at least 3 times, but again, I couldn't be bothered.

I was definitely taking my sweet time and so immersed in my food that I didn't realize that I haven't left the store and I was blocking the door. It was only when I felt someone tapping my shoulder and telling me to move that I came back to my senses. I lowered my head and apologized as a guy with long black hair came in and went to the freezers in the back. When he was coming back to the front I could see him better and I couldn't help to stare at him when he wasn't noticing. He was taller than me and looked like Johnny Thunders. I've seen a couple of guys like that before, but this one was in fact really handsome. His face was long and angular and he had a fine nose with a ring on it.

Although he seemed troubled by something and I saw why when he moved his hair out of his face when he was looking for something in his pockets. He had a huge black eye and it was starting to swell. He was cursing under his breath and I also saw why. He wanted to buy a bag of frozen beans to probably put on his face but he couldn't find his money. Whatever the case, I don't know what came into me, maybe the fact that he was cute and I was still malnourished and felt drunk even though I was sober as a rock, but I grabbed his arm.

"Hey, don't worry. I got you", I said to him as I placed my bag on the counter for a second and then gave the lady in front of us the change she had just given me a couple of minutes ago. He looked at me with a thankful expression and smiled. It was at that moment that I felt my knees become jelly and my insides melt. But I kept my composure, at least on the outside, or so I thought. "Thank you, I owe you one", he said. "It's okay, don't worry. Hope you feel better soon!", I replied and smiled back at him before turning on my heel and exiting the small establishment.

[mrsalwayswrite]

To Call Forth Love- Chapter 4

So I planned for this chapter and the next to originally be one but as I started writing it, the words kept flowing and oops....now its really long. So I decided to split it. This means that I’m pretty much done with the next chapter so I’ll be able to get it out in a few days! Yay!

Also, Ivar is pretty manipulative in this chapter. Someone made a comment in the last chapter that I want to acknowledge. Going forward this is kind of a theme but I just want to put that warning statement- if this is triggering for you, please read with caution. There is nothing explicit or graphic but its still manipulation. 

Words:4000

Warnings: swearing, manipulation

Tag List: @youbloodymadgenius​

Series Masterlist

Sitting in the office at work, Kari sipped on her smoothie as she plugged in numbers for an inventory order. She had just finished teaching one of her morning classes and was now doing some paperwork for Lydia while on her "lunch break". 

 She jumped when her phone suddenly buzzed- a text alert. Surprised and curious as to who would be texting her at this time, she unlocked her phone to see the text from an unknown number. 

 Unknown: hey u busy 2nite?

 Kari: who is this?

 Unknown: u fav person

 Kari: OMG! Ed Sheeran?!

 She giggled quietly to herself, returning back to the laptop screen. Normally she ignored any calls or texts from unknown numbers, but it had been a good morning and she was feeling playful. When there was no return text, she shrugged the conversation off and returned to the order. Apparently, the unknown number did not get the reaction they were hoping for or realized they text the wrong person. Either way, she did not care. 

 A couple minutes later, her phone started to vibrate repeatedly. Looking down, she saw she was getting a call from the unknown number. She hesitated to answer, but by the third ring her curiosity got the better of her and she answered it. 

 "Hello?"

 "FUCKING ED SHEERAN? REALLY?"

 She sat there stunned. "Ivar?"

 "Of course, it's me. Who the fuck were you expecting?" He asked, angrily. 

 "How did you get my number?"

 He ignored her question, his voice suddenly sounding muffled. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be a second…. damn it. I know!"

 "Who is that?" 

 "My brother.” He scoffed, muttering something unintelligible under his breath, before speaking to her again. “I have to head back into a meeting now."

 "Oh, ok?"

 "You didn't answer my question."

 Her mind was still reeling from the fact that Ivar Lothbrok had her number and was calling her out of the blue. "What question?"

 He huffed, exasperation evident in his tone. "Are you busy tonight?"

 "Why?"

 "I want to take you out."

 "Ivar," she sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead, "I told you, I can't."

 "Yeah and I don't believe you, so…."

 "No. I'm sorry but the answer is still no."

 "Fine. I have to go." He snapped then abruptly ended the call.  

 Slowly, she pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. What just happened? Before she forgot, she added his number to her contacts since she had the distinct feeling this would not be the last time he contacted her. Once done, she set her phone down and dropped her head into her hands. 

 It had been two days since he drove her home and she said they could be friends. In those two days, this was the first contact they had. She had hoped he grew bored with her since she was not playing his game, that she refused to go out with him. Maybe he finally decided she was not worth his time and moved on? Which was for the best. She could never fit into his world, there was no space for her there. Nor did she want to. She was happy, content with her life. 

 It was better for her to not allow Ivar into her life. That's what she repeated to herself as she tried to focus on the inventory order. 

 *****

 "Just put the bags right there, thank you." Kari said, placing the grocery bags, one in each hand, onto the tiled floor. The kitchen in her townhouse was small, two people could barely move around in it without bumping into one another. Thankfully, she did not spend much time in the kitchen. Cooking had never been her forte. 

 "Do you need anything else? I don't mind staying to help." The dirty-blond haired man asked, setting the two bags he carried down onto the floor. He started to shuffle forward but seemed to think better of it and leaned against the half-wall separating the kitchen from the short hallway. 

 "Erik, it's fine. If anything, I owe you. You never let me pay for gas money."

 He shrugged, and tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. "It's not a big deal. I needed to shop too."

 "Still, it's not fair to you." She turned around from placing the milk in the fridge to look at him. 

 "If I think of something you can do to repay me, I'll let you know. Deal?"

 "Perfect."

 "Do you still want a ride to work tomorrow?"

 She shut the door and jokingly waved a hand at him. "See! You're too nice."

 "I'd be ‘too nice’ if I also showed up with coffee for you."

 She laughed, moving some frozen fruit into the freezer. "You're too perfect to not have a girlfriend." 

 He rubbed the back of his neck, a flush growing on his cheeks and drawing out a boyish smile. "I don't know if I'd say that. I'll let you get to it. I'll meet you outside at nine?"

 "Thank you, Erik."

 "Of course." He popped his head around the wall to look into the living room. "See you, Alana!"

 "Bye, Erik!" The response came from the living room. 

 Kari continued to put her groceries away as she heard the front door click shut behind him. Somehow, she needed to figure out a way to pay him back. 

 Erik lived in the townhouse next door alone. When he learned that Kari did not own a car, he offered to give her rides whenever it worked out for both of their schedules. At first, she had been hesitant, still not having lived in the townhouse for long but eventually gave in because he always acted like such a gentleman. Every time he saw her, he made sure to greet her and ask about her day. He always held the door open for her and anybody else close by. A negative word never passed his lips, rather choosing to focus on the positive in life. A routine soon started to form and every two weeks they would meet up outside of their townhouses and go grocery shopping together. When she did not have to work early, he would occasionally give her rides to work since the bank he worked at was only a couple blocks away. That was the extent of their interactions though. She wondered about inviting him over for dinner as to thank him but she always chickened out in asking him. Perhaps that was what she needed to do after all.  

 Once all her groceries were put away, she headed into the living room, seeing her roommate and friend sitting on the couch with the TV on to the Great British Bake-off but looking down at her phone. 

 The brunette asked, dropping onto the second couch. "How was work?"

 "Good. You?" Alana looked up, her make-up flawless like usual on her delicate features. 

 "Nothing too exciting."

 "You know, if you'd waited two hours I could have taken you to the store."

 Kari nodded, fiddling with her diamond stud earring. "I know, but you're so busy with work and school. I know you like relaxing when you come home and Erik said he was free today."

 "Did he now?" Alana asked with a smug look.

 Kari tossed a throw pillow at her. "Don't start this again."

 The blonde caught the pillow, still grinning like the Cheshire cat. "You know he likes you. He's just too shy to ask you out."

 "He's a friend, it's been like seven months, I think if he was going to ask me out, he would have done it by now."

 "He. Is. Shy." Alana enunciated, as if talking to a child. She rolled her blue eyes, leaning back against the couch. "Shit, he only started to actually talk to me this summer."

 "Cause you are intimidating."

 Alana threw the pillow back at Kari. "Bitch, it's cause I radiate sexiness and he can't handle it."

 "That is most definitely it." 

 "Well the guy I hooked up with last weekend said I radiated sexiness."

 Kari wrinkled her nose, looking over at her roommate. "I don't want to hear that. It's bad enough when you bring them here."

 "You know, it wouldn't be the worst thing for you to actually go out with Erik. He's…. sweet." She quietly stated, eyes back on the TV. 

 "Yeah."

 "I'm fairly sure he'd treat you better than that fucker of ex."

 Kari picked invisible lint off her black leggings, apprehensive about where the topic was going. Her love life, and lack of it, was something Alana liked to remind her of frequently as of late. "Honestly, I'm even sure anymore he should count as an ex."

 "Well you were supposed to be exclusive, right? And then you find out he's been fucking other girls the whole time. That counts as a shitty ex."

 She winced at the reminder of her one attempt at dating. "I don't…. I don't think I'm ready."

 The blonde pointed a finger at her roommate without turning her eyes away from the TV. "Well don't wait around forever, you'll miss out."

 "Says the woman who hooks up with a different guy almost every other weekend."

 "And I'm not missing out!"

 Kari laughed. Feeling her phone vibrate, she pulled it out of her pocket and checked it to see a new text from Ivar. 

 Ivar: hell no, if we r gng 2 see the Northern Lights thn we're gng 2 Iceland or Norway.

 She smiled at the text, quickly typing in a reply. 

 Kari: fine, we'll add that to the list. Can I please put South Africa back on the list?

 She fiddled with her diamond stud earrings, looking back at their conversation throughout the day. Just looking at all the texts, she bit her lip to try and contain the smile. 

 Ivar had texted her in the late morning, asking her out again. To which she just texted back a one-word answer- "no". Apparently undeterred, he ignored her 'no', saying how he wanted to take her to this popular restaurant. Somehow the conversation spiraled into creating overly outrageous "dates" he would take her on, each one more fantastic than the last, with her encouraging and creating her own ideas. Their texting had lasted all day, and she found herself actually looking forward to his responses. Something she never would have expected, especially after how rudely he hung up on her the prior day. 

 So far her favorite "date" involved him renting out the entire Roman Colosseum in Rome and having a candlelight dinner in the middle of the arena. The most amusing one was when she suggested they go skydiving. He shut down that idea saying they would have to be strapped to instructors and the only man she should ever be strapped to was him. 

 Her phone vibrated in her hand, alerting her to his response. 

 Ivar: u r not swimming w/ sharks 

 She giggled, trying to imagine his facial expression. She actually had no desire to do half of the stuff she suggested but it was funny to get a rise out of him. 

 Kari: African safari?

 "What are you giggling at?" Alana questioned, giving her the side-eye. 

 The smile dropped from her face. "Nothing."

 "That doesn't sound like nothing."

 "Just a funny meme." She deflected, getting to her feet. There was no way she could tell Alana she had been texting Ivar all day. "I'm going to shower."

 As she headed upstairs to her room, her phone vibrated again. 

 Ivar: do u jus luv danger?

 Kari: I'm talking to you, aren't I? 

 She headed to her bathroom, turning the shower on and checking the temperature. In a spur of the moment decision, she tossed in a eucalyptus shower bomb. 

 Just before she jumped in, she looked at her phone one last time to find his response.  

 Ivar: touche, kitten, touche 😘

 *****

 The soothing soundtrack of nature played over the speakers in the yoga studio room. A few women were already in the studio with their yoga mats out, either stretching or quietly conversing as they waited. Depending on the day, the ten am morning class could be busy but typically it averaged about fifteen to twenty women.

 Kari bent over, touching her palms to the floor. Even though she would not be continuously doing the routine along with those in her class, she still liked to be limber and have her muscles warmed up. This was a beginner class, where she spent a good portion of the time either correcting people's forms or showing how to do a certain pose. A few of her coworkers complained about teaching beginner classes since when the participants walked through the door, you never really knew what level they were at. 

 Checking the clock hanging over the door, she saw she had five minutes before her class started. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the pull of her muscles. The door to the studio room opened but Kari continued to stretch, shifting to a downward facing dog pose, holding it. She could hear some people moving around but she focused on her breathing.  

 "Mmm, I could get used to seeing this."

 The familiar voice behind her, caused Kari to try and whip around in startled surprise, only to end up crashing onto her ass. 

 Above her stood Ivar with a devilish smile. "Hello, kitten." He softly said with smolder that instantly made her flush and a tendril of warmth curl in her belly. Standing there in his jeans and red shirt with his hair pulled back in a man bun, it was unfair how striking he looked. Even the braces over his legs did nothing to deter from his attractiveness. 

 She rose quickly to her feet, wiping her hands over her leggings and peeking at the others in the room. Most were curiously watching their interaction but remained where they were. 

 "What are you doing here?" She hissed, turning her gaze back up to meet his. "How did you find me?"

 He rolled his eyes. "You were wearing a Whole Wellness Yoga Studio shirt when I drove you home last week. Plus, hearing from Gyda that you work here…. You're not that hard to find."

 That made sense, even if she disliked the logic. "Ok, fine. Why are you here though?"

 "I want to take you out tonight."

 "Oh gods." She could not believe what she was hearing. The prior day they had spent most of the day texting and sure it was fun, but her answer had not changed. When he had not text her this morning, she assumed that was the last she had heard from him. Apparently, he decided to ask her out in person instead of over the phone like the past two times. "Ivar… No."

 "Why? You keep saying you can't but never why."

 "It's just…. look, I don't want to date."

 He took a step closer, face inches above hers. His voice dropped low, an underlying current of anger in his tone. Those piercing blue eyes challenged her. "You say that but I don't think that's the real reason. So, until you tell me the truth, your 'no' means fucking nothing. Friends tell each other things, right?"

 "You know, I don't think we should be friends anymore."

 He chuckled, still standing too close for a normal conversation. "Too late. I like you."

 "I'm still not going out with you." She placed her hands on her hips, trying to appear confident, hoping desperately he did not hear the wavering in her voice. 'This was for the best, it was best for both of them' she repeated in her mind. 

 "Fine. I'll wait for you to change your mind." He winked and stepped back. To her horror, she watched as he walked over to the side of the room where she kept her water bottle and light jacket. He grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it over before dropping down with his legs in a manspread, that stupid smirk still on his face. 

 She stomped over to him, whisper-shouting at him. "What are you doing?"

 "I'm waiting."

 "What?"

 "I'm not leaving until you agree to go on a date with me."

 "You can't...no…. Ivar." She whined. 

 "I walked all the way here to see you, even though my legs are quite painful today…. you wouldn't kick a cripple out when they just need to rest, would you?" He asked, eyes widened in mock innocence. One of his hands rubbed at his knee in exaggerated fashion as if to prove the discomfort he was in. 

 She groaned. "I hate you."

 "No, you don't." He gloated, then nodded towards the clock. "It's ten o'clock, it's time to start your class, I believe."

 Without another word, she moved to the front of the room. She refused to play this game. Her answer was 'no' and no matter what he said or did, her answer would not change. The whole time she could feel his rakish gaze on her, reminding her how tight her leggings and purple tank top were. She tried to focus on her class, smiling at the women she recognized and the ones that she assumed was new. "Let's begin. Everyone start in mountain pose. Take deep breaths, let's center ourselves."

 "Kari!" 

 She looked over at the older woman, Ingrid, who called out. The woman was easily one of Kari's favorites, doting upon those who worked at the yoga studio, and becoming the unofficial grandmother of them. Ingrid had been coming to the yoga studio for years but was forced to only take beginner level classes after a bad fall the prior year. She loudly complained about her doctor being an idiot and how she felt fine, but Lydia refused to let her attend any other class than beginner classes until otherwise said by her doctor. 

 "Yes?"

 Ingrid's hazel eyes twinkled with mischief from the front row where she stood. "You planning on introducing that handsome young man you've got over there?"

 "No, we are going to ignore his presence. He's going to be leaving soon." Kari flatly stated with a polite smile.

 "Hi! I'm Ivar!" He announced with a charming smile, his bright blue eyes alluring under the dim lights. Giving a little wave with his fingers, he continued, "I hope my presence doesn't bother all you lovely women, I just came to see my girlfriend and ask her on a date tonight."

 A chorus of "awwwws" filled the room. 

 Kari wanted nothing more than to bang her head against a wall. Or preferably, Ivar's head. She could not believe the audacity of him.

 "Where are you taking her?" One of the newer women asked in a flirty tone, pulling her shoulders back to emphasize her ample chest. 

 Ivar barely glanced at her, keeping his focus on Kari. "It's a surprise. I wanted to do something special."

 "Young man, if I were a few years younger, I would fight Kari here so you could take me on a date." Ingrid said with a laugh. 

 "I would be honored to take a lovely woman like you on a date." He sent a playful wink to Ingrid. 

 "Alright, let's get back to yoga." Kari tried to redirect the attention. Annoyed and upset did not even begin to describe how she felt. 

 "Well it was lovely to meet you, young man. Kari should have told us her boyfriend was so handsome. We might have convinced her to bring you in sooner for some eye candy." Ingrid teased. 

 "He's not my boyfriend." Kari retorted, shooting a glare at the smug raven-haired man. 

 "And that is why I'm trying to take her on a date." He placed a hand dramatically over his heart, eyes staring at her beseechingly. "Just for her to give me a chance."

 "Get her some tulips. Those are her favorite flowers." Karina called out from the back of the room. 

 "Can't go wrong with chocolate!"

 "Oh! Read her a sonnet and dance under the stars together!"

 "This is so romantic…. like something out of a movie." Someone loudly whispered, making a few others laugh. 

 Kari dropped her chin to her chest. Tears welled in her eyes. She knew those in the class meant well, that they were really just trying to help. But they were helping the wrong person. Why would Ivar not leave her alone? She told him 'no' multiple times, that should have been enough. Her tolerance for his behavior was waning rapidly and honesty she was not sure if she would fight back…. or surrender. 

 The chair scratched faintly on the floor followed by his footsteps landing audibly as he crossed the room to reach her. She refused to lift her head, her eyes squeezed shut. Not just to pretend she could not feel him standing so close to her, but to try and hide the single tear that rolled down her cheek. 

 "Kari." He whispered, the sound a caress of her name. 

 Still she did not move. 

 Gently, he tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him. His thumb wiped away the evidence of her tear. It was those captivating eyes, the ones that could both scorch everything in view but also send flames of desire dancing across her skin, that met hers. To her surprise, there was a softness in his gaze, a vulnerability, that was reminiscent of the few times they were alone. As if with just her, for a brief moment, he let his guard down and she could glimpse the real Ivar. 

 "Go out with me." He murmured faintly, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Standing in front of her, his broad back to the class gave them a semblance of privacy. "Please."

 "Why can't you let this go?" She begged quietly, staring up at him. 

 "I told you, I'm persistent." He smiled, almost shyly. 

 In his words, it felt like there was such a depth to them she was unaware of. That he was confessing something to her in which she did not have the key to fully understand. 

 She sighed softly, closing her eyes for a moment before looking at him again. "Fine. I'll go…. But it's only as friends, ok? This isn't…. Romantic. Just…. Just friends."

 "Sure, just friends." He leaned forward and pressed a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek. "I'll pick you up at seven."

 She nodded, feeling torn apart inside. 

 After a lingering look that breathed a flame into her belly, he spun on his heel to face the women. "She said yes!"

 A few cheers and clapping reverberated in the small yoga studio room. 

 "I graciously thank you all for your sound advice and encouragement with helping me to woo the beautiful Kari. Wish me luck as I plan to thoroughly spoil her tonight." Ivar dramatically bowed, shooting a quick wink at Kari as she watched him. 

 She desperately tried to fight the small smile off her lips. No one could say that Ivar was not charming or charismatic when it suited him. 

 As he finally made his way to the door, he turned around just before pushing it open. "Wear something nice." He said, pointing a finger at Kari and then walked out like a dream where one cannot decide if it was a nightmare or not. 

 The brunette ran a hand down her face before shoving aside her emotions and plastering a customer smile on. "I'm so sorry about all of this. Let's get back to it. I promise it won't happen again, ladies."

 "Kari, dear, you have fun with that boy tonight." Ingrid spoke up, eyes darting to the now closed door and back to the yoga instructor. "And if you don't want him, let me know. I'd still jump on him in a heartbeat. That boy has the prettiest eyes, I swear."

 A few sounds of agreement echoed in the room. 

 Kari could not stop her smile from turning genuine at Ingrid. No matter the situation, the feisty, older woman always knew how to make her laugh. "I promise I'll let you know. Now, back to mountain pose please."

 Silently, she hoped tonight was not a mistake.

[smarchit]

Unforgivable

Summary: A short little fluff fic with our boy. While cooking, Frankie does the most heinous thing someone can do - puts his cold ass hands on your warm body. Based on real-life events of me and my darling boyfriend and his own cold ass hands.

Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word count: ~650

"Babe, can you come here for a sec," Frankie called from the kitchen. He'd graciously offered to prepare dinner that night while you finished up your workday and you were always thankful he lent a helping hand wherever he could. It definitely helped that Frankie wasn't a half bad cook.

You slowly unfurled yourself from the blanket nest you'd made yourself on the couch and slipped into the tiny kitchen in your apartment. The early-December chill finally had settled in and you were making every attempt to keep warm. You hissed as your bare feet came into contact with the frigid tile flooring.

"Can you hold onto this?" he asked, nodding towards the styrofoam container that held leftover semi-frozen raw chicken. "I'll put this away. We can make something else with it this weekend, maybe."

You squeezed against the counter beside him and pinched the edge of the packaging to hold it down while he peeled off the meat from the paper lining.

"Yuck," you grimaced. You stuck your tongue out and scrunched up your face as Frankie tossed the extra chicken in a freezer bag. He playfully swatted you on the ass when he moved past you to put it in the freezer. You carefully washed your hands free of chicken juices and turned to smile at him.

He wordlessly tossed the dish towel over your head before you could finish rinsing your hands free of soap.

You didn't even bother removing the towel when you went to go dry your hands withit, hoping he'd remove it for you, if only to see his smile at the dumb face you were making beneath it.

Instead, what Frankie did next was absolutely, positively unforgivable.

He lifted up your shirt and pressed his ice cold, frozen hands against your now-exposed, still toasty warm torso.

"No!" you shrieked with laughter, trying to squirm away. "No! Holy shit!"

Frankie roared with laughter and crowded you against the countertop, sliding his cold hands all over you. "Nope, not getting away from me!"

"Bastard, evil man!" you gasped breathlessly as he moved his hands up to cup your tits. In the commotion, the dish towel slipped off your head and onto your shoulder. You smiled back at his wide, childlike grin at the absolute torture he was reigning down on you.

Frankie took the opportunity and pressed a soft kiss to your lips, momentarily lulling you into a false sense of security... before he removed his hands and pressed the cold backs of them to your skin.

"No, no, no!" you laughed, still trying to wiggle out of his iron grip. He had blocked you in with his body and he was not budging. "You jackass!"

He wrapped his arms around your waist - above your shirt this time, and pulled you in for a kiss. "Love you," he hummed.

"I love you too, but that was just evil," you said, still catching your breath from how hard you'd been laughing. You smiled and snuggled close against his chest.

Frankie shrugged and reached down to grab your ass as he held you. "I dunno. Seemed pretty fair to me after all those times you put your little cold ass feet on me at night."

You chuckled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Oh, my apologies to Mr. Space Heater. How long till dinner is ready?"

"It'll be done when you're finished with work," he said, looking over at the clock on the stove. "We're having chicken quesadillas."

"Mm, yummy," you replied, puckering your lips for another kiss.

Frankie just smirked and yanked the dish towel back over your head. Before you could say anything, he lifted it like a veil and finally gave you the kiss you'd been waiting for.

"I love you," you murmured as you wrapped your arms around his neck.

[rickgrimesdoingrickthings]

Carl started to giggle, looking at her Fox and blushing out of happiness. 'Ahhn I'm not a kid...I know how to crack some eggs...' and he was so nervous he cracked some of the shell into the frying pan- 'Ah. Ooops.' the teenager fished the fragment and threw it into the sink. Rick's heart was melting, watching them- and when Fox looked at him, he tensed his shoulders a bit, raised his eyebrows a little, and then he smiled shyly, looking down, lowering his head. 'How I'm going to cook the eggs? With...fire.' Carl joked, pointing for her to add some salt. Carl couldn't stop laughing and smiling, and shit, had weighted so much for Rick- it meant the world... Maybe Alexandria...wasn't a trap. They would have harmed them during the night...wouldn't they? Everyone seemed okay...no casualties so far, no problems... Rick opened the sink to wash his hands, and he kept staring, feeling the water. Yeah, it was real. His eyes got a bit wet, he tried to fake, quickly checking them to see if he wasn't being watched, he closed the water and prepared the sauce finally. Then he checked the fridge. "Let's see what we can use as filling for those pancakes..." He froze. There was a lot of stuff in the freezer- was it even okay to eat that? There was chicken and steak...oh my gosh...steak... His mouth watered. How the hell did Alexandrians still had that? Was it frozen? Did they have a stock of food, preserved for so long? Two years? Or they had prepared it? Did it really matter? Rick took the plastic with the slices of meat and looked at Fox and Carl, as if he were holding a pack of gold. "I'm preparing grilled steak. Right now. Where's the salt?" Carl pointed to Fox's hand. He also found a block of cheese, apparently homemade, and some prosciutto. "Oh I'm using these for the pancakes." Rick seemed quite practical at the kitchen, and son the pancakes were ready, filled with tomato sauce, that special ham and cheese. Grilled steaks and Carl's eggs with sausages. "Ah. Who cares about salad." He chuckled. "Sorry I used all the tomatoes to prepare the sauce." He had added onions and garlic, some oregano and salt- and some chili. That kitchen was a dream. Sometimes he paused and just stared at all that, rubbing his eyes and face, wondering if he wasn't hallucinating. Yeah. Sometimes...he still saw stuff. He hadn't talked to anyone but Michonne about it, but that was quite some time ago. That in front of him was very real. He looked at Fox with his stunned and happy eyes, which reflected such intense blue because of the morning sunlight and clear sky coming through the windows- "It's...it's real." Rick shrugged. "It's real." He nodded. And again, he was starving. Muscular, fit, but thin- just some days before, Rick was more hair than man, and he kept feeling hungry- and cold at night, due to his low body fat. He used to be softer when squeezed, not he had been bone and muscle mostly. "Who's calling Daryl? And Michonne?" Carl volunteered, stole a small bit of meat with his finger and shoved into his mouth, running away, smirking. Rick raised his palm a bit, as if about to call his attention, but the teenager was already gone- he burst into laughter- now they needed etiquette again...it felt so...odd. But good. Yes, Carl had his worries, about how that place was going to make them weaker and all, but that little bubble, Fox and Rick...oh Carl was so happy in that bubble. He also loved Michonne- is best friend. Finally, he took his apron off and looked at Fox. The happiness still marking his features. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice so sweet, but still holding that usual harshness, roughness- he had dealt with so many enemies. Sometimes he forgot he didn't have to speak like that. His mouth was watering so much, he kept swallowing frequently. @vuulpecula

Rick realized how Fox was stalling...tired. Had she...even slept? He stood and rushed to the bathroom to brush his teeth and fix his hair. Carl's eyes lit up when she mentioned chocolate chips. 'You guys have chocolate chips?' his smile was so precious. He realized she was tired and gave her arm a brief pat. 'Hey...get some rest. We can handle it. Sit a bit, get some coffee you too.' Sausages and eggs, Carl could do it, easy- he was grown up enough to know how to cook the basic. 'Yes, I've cooked before, dad taught me. It's a lot easier than kill walkers.' he smiled, jokingly. Yes, he could cook. Rick had taught him the basics of anything he would ever need to survive, from making traps to cooking. The boy started frying some eggs after setting the plates, Rick hurrying back to the kitchen, overhearing some of the conversation. "Daryl requested pancakes?" He raised his eyebrows, pouted a little bit tensing his lips. A sassy aura around him. Rick took the lead, getting near the stove, arranging the ingredients, grabbing and sipping some of his coffee as he got the frying pan. Wow...it was just like in the old days...the way she prepared his coffee...it brought memories. He opened the drawers, checking what they had in the house- the moment he spotted an apron, he took it and wore it. "And anyone asked what you wanted for breakfast, officer?" Rick started baking the pancakes, chopping the tomatoes to make the sauce in te blender- he was amazed to use a blender- blinking a few times. Carl side eyed his father, watching quietly as he prepared the eggs.

@vuulpecula

[sweatersarecomfyy]

I Have Wings - Part 4/6 (Bucky x reader series)

Series Summary: During Bucky’s time as the Winter Soldier he wasn’t alone. A girl with wings was also the subject of super-soldier testing, unfortunately she never gets to tell Bucky how he feels during their time together. When they meet years later, she remembers him but he doesn’t remember her. Does she tell him what she remembers, or will that affect their growing feelings for each other?

A/N: This chapter is super fluffy and ends kind of angsty, but don’t worry, Tomorrow there will be more! I hope you enjoy it. If you would like to see the future chapters, please follow my blog or the tag #i have wings.

The song I used in this chapter is ‘Love Someone’ by Lukas Graham.

Word Count: approx 1K - If you are liking this story or have feedback, let me know in a message or comment! Thank you for the likes!

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Tell me,” He insisted

“NO,” I said, leaning against the counter and folding my arms.

He mirrored me, looked me in the eyes, and gave an over-dramatic sigh, “If you don’t tell me the secret ingredient, I’m going to tell Sam about your little weakness.”

“I have no weaknesses,” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Oh really, because as I recall there is a certain trick one can do to make a bird fall asleep.”

I tried to look as ominous and scary as possible, going as far as to puff out my feathers, but his expression didn’t change, we were caught in a face-off.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I?” He smirked.

We stared at each-other for another second and then he gave another over-dramatic sigh and unfolded his arms.

“Alright, I’m going to go tell Sam,” He started walking towards the door.

I watched him walk, sure he was going to chicken out and turn around, but he didn’t.

“Wait!”

He turned around, his smirk getting more defined.

I huffed out a frustrated breath, “Fine.”

He raised his eyebrow expectantly.

“But it’s not a secret ingredient. It’s more like a secret process.”

“And?” He still stood by the door-frame.

I rolled my eyes, “I’ll teach you, okay? I’ll teach you.”

He clenched his fist in victory and jumped towards me.

“What?”

“Well, show me.”

“Now?”

“Yes now.”

I rolled my eyes again, but smiled at his antics nonetheless. I directed him to get some ingredients from the cupboard while I set up the mixer, and switched my music onto shuffle. A couple minutes later we were chatting away while mixing up the ingredients.

“You’re sure we put these in before?” James said, looking at the bag of chocolate chips.

“Yeah.”

“You’re sure?” He teased.

I grabbed them from him, “Yes. If you put them in after the flour mixture it will over-mix.”

He grabbed them back from me, split it open, and took a rather generous serving.

“Hey!”

“What?” He looked at me with feigned innocence, “Isn’t this part of the process?” He plopped them in his mouth.

I shook my head, laughing, and poured the rest of the chocolate into the mixer before he ate any more, “I suppose you will want to eat the dough too?”

“Duh.”

I pushed him in the shoulder, which ended up with him pushing me back, and then getting into a small pushing war that escalated as time went on before Sam walked in.

“Whacha’ doin’?” He said, looking at us knowingly.

James blushed, “Nothin’”

“Uh huh,” Sam kept walking.

Once he left we both broke into fits of giggles as the last of the flour was incorporating itself into the wet mixture. We both quieted down as we started scooping out the dough and rolling them into balls to put into the freezer. I was looking down at my hands, but I kept seeing him steal glances at me out of the corner of my eye. I smiled down at the chocolate chips.

“This recipe is unnecessarily complicated.”

“You’re unnecessarily complicated,” I retorted rather immaturely.

He snorted, “Well I guess that’s how you get good cookies.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

He thought for a second, “Weren’t you technically flattering me?”

I flicked a piece of dough at him and he made a sound of amused indignation.

“Where did you learn how to do this?” He asked, sounding amazed as he looked at the cookies.

I thought for a second, and the light happy feeling started to fade as I tried to think to back before everything had happened to me, happened to us. There was some sort of block. I just didn’t know where I had come from. My heart started to hurt again, but I hid it to the best of my ability. One of my first memories was of him, and I didn’t want to tell him that.

The first few guitar notes of one of my favorite songs started playing over the speakers and I smiled.

There are days

I wake up and I pinch myself

You’re with me not someone else.

He was staring at me, I don’t know how much of my thought process he could see, but he definitely saw the smile when the song started.

And I’m scared, yeah I’m still scared

That it’s all a dream.

“Let’s dance,” He held out his hand to me.

My eyes snapped up to his, and I took his hand tentatively. His hands found themselves on my hips and I circled mine up around his neck. He didn’t want to seem to do any of the things he taught me, but just to be close to me, swaying back and forth.

'Cause you still look perfect as days go by Even the worst ones, you make me smile I'd stop the world if it gave us time

He brought his forehead to mine, but didn’t look me in the eye, still just seeming like he wanted to be closer. I could feel his gentle breaths lift wisps of my hair.

'Cause when you love someone You open up your heart When you love someone You make room If you love someone And you're not afraid to lose 'em You'll probably never love someone like I do You'll probably never love someone like I do

Nearing the end of the song, we were literally dancing cheek to cheek. I closed my eyes, savoring our closeness, and felt as his grip on me tightened, bringing me closer to him. He sang the last verse of the song quietly into my ear along with the music.

“All my life I thought it'd be hard to find The one 'til I found you And I find it bittersweet 'Cause you gave me something to lose”

           When he had whispered the last word of the chorus he stopped and pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug. He didn’t see the tears that clung to my eyes, partially from happiness, and partially because of the conflict that was going on within my brain.

           “Can I ask you something?”

I nodded into his chest.

“Were we something, you know, before?”

I stiffened and pulled back slightly, not knowing what to do.

He looked at me longingly, and slightly hurt, it was almost enough to make me give in.

“James,” I took my hand off his shoulder “I…”

He caught my hand in his, “You know you can tell me anything.”

I looked down at our hands.

“Hey,” he lifted my chin back up to gaze into his eyes, “You’ve gotta know how I feel about you by now, I just want to know what happened.”

My vision grew blurry as the tears became real. I looked away from him blinking, “I don’t know James, I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

“Why?” He stepped back.

“Can’t you just see me in the now? What if I don’t want you to know that version of me?”

He let go of my hand, “But you knew me back then. Is that really fair?”

“Nothing that happened to us was fair,” I shook my head and folded my arms tightly over my chest.

He stood, watching me.

I shook my head again, “It’s in the past.”

“I can’t make peace with my past until I know what my past is,” He was frustrated now, his voice raised slightly. He looked away and then slowly turned towards me again, “Is this because of something I did in that time? Is that why you’re not telling me?”

He looked scared. “I don’t understand,” I replied.

“Are you scared of me?” He looked betrayed and took another step back.

I paused, trying to understand what he meant, and he must have taken that for an answer. “No, James, it wasn’t like…”

He scoffed.

“James…” I took a couple steps toward him, reaching out, but he just stepped back again. “I could never,” Tears were streaming down my cheeks again, “Please, please don’t do this.”

He looked at me sadly and I saw a tear roll down his cheek as well. “I love you Angel, I don’t want you to be scared of me.”

I sucked in a breath at this proclamation.

“But I need to know what happened,” He continued.

I opened my mouth but was interrupted by Fury coming into the room, who didn’t seem to see what was happening, “Angel, we need you for a mission.”

I didn’t move, but continued to look at James, hoping Fury would get the message. He looked back and forth between the two of us, and then back at me.

“Immediately,” He said authoritatively, “Anything else can be taken care of when we get back.”

When I still didn’t move he sighed and urged me, “We leave in 15 minutes, go get your bag.”

I nodded and he left.

“If you put the frozen dough in for 8 minutes at 350 degrees they’ll be the way you like them.”

James opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but I was already walking out of the room, trying to wipe my eyes and stifle the sobs that were making their way up my throat every couple of seconds.

[elevenharringtons]

Babysitting El; Part Two

Not me releasing the second part months later. 

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Reader (kinda)

Summary: Max and El help the reader prepare for their date with Steve. 

Warnings: Profanity 

Word Count: 2.9k

So sorry for the wait. On top of returning to work, I hit a major writer’s block for the ending. Honestly, I started working on other ideas before finishing this one, so that’s part of it.  It’s not quite what I had in mind, but it’s a nice little closure nonetheless. 

PART ONE HERE 

“Do you all even know what you’re doing?” You ask as the girls sit you down on a stool in front of the mirror. Max had found your bag of toiletries and promptly dumped it all over the counter of El’s dresser. She handed El a compact of pressed powder, taking the applicator in her own hands.

“How hard can makeup be?” Max scoffed. She dabbed the applicator into the powder, roughly applying it to your cheeks. You watched in horror as an ungodly amount of powder fell from the compact and onto the hardwood floor.

“Easy there, tiger,” you say under your breath, happy that the girls wanted to help you look your best, but also a little terrified watching as two tomboyish teens did your makeup for you.

“What’s this?” Max asked, taking a break from forcing powder into your pores and holding up a black eyeliner pencil. “Your makeup bag is an odd place for colored pencils, you know that right?”

“Why don’t I handle doing my own makeup?” You say, avoiding her statement entirely and grabbing the pencil from her hands. “I think Hopper has boxes of some of my mom’s old clothes somewhere in here.”

“Why would you wear your mom’s clothes?” Max scrunched her nose.

“You really want me going on a date in pajamas? Or how about my best aerobics class outfit? Total date vibe, right?” You quipped.

“There’s a door under Hopper’s chair,” El says.

“Okay fine! We’ll look through the clothes and you can do your makeup, but we get to do your hair!” Max replies.

“We’ll see,” you shrug, dragging your bottom eyelid down to apply the liner. Both El and Max gave you a look of disgust and confusion before shuffling out into the living room. Quite frankly, you didn’t know why you were putting so much effort into your makeup anyway. The girls were your only motivation to dress fancy for the night because they were so happy to get their mind off of stupid boys. But in your mind, there was no way Steve was putting as much effort into this as you were. You couldn’t be sure that he took extra clothes to work with him. For all you know, you would be sitting in the backroom of Scoops Ahoy over a USS Butterscotch talking about stuff you’d rather not bring up again with you dressed to the nines and him in a dorky sailor outfit. Not that you wouldn’t mind sitting in the backroom of Scoops talking over ice cream. Your mind was cloudy. Boys are complicated. Maybe Max is onto something.

“We couldn’t pick, so we brought you options!”

Max and El came bounding into the room, both with arms full of clothes, promptly dropping the clothes on the floor when they saw you. Looking at the pile on the floor, you would’ve guessed they tried to pick the ugliest clothes possible, but then again, they weren’t totally in tune with their own sense of fashion yet, so you let it slide. You picked up a dress from the top of the pile and examined it. There were layers upon layers, cumulating into a mess of chiffon and floral print that reminded you of the wallpaper that was in your childhood home.

“So my mother’s prom dress from the sixties qualifies as high fashion?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Prom?” El asked.

“It’s kind of like the Snowball, but for high schoolers,” Max explained, and El nodded in response. “El picked that one.”

“No, it was Max,” El said defensively. You looked at both of them several times before they both busted out in laughter.

“Okay, okay, it was me. But! What about this?” She held up a pair of bell bottom jeans and a printed blouse with padded shoulders. The print on the blouse wasn’t akin to wallpaper, so you weren’t mad about it, but something about dressing like a wild child from the early seventies didn’t seem like backroom Scoops Ahoy attire.

“Pants, a hard maybe. The blouse is a no. Next.” The girls scrambled to find another top to go with the pants.

“What about this?” El asked. She held up a black off-the-shoulder top. You were about to agree with her choice when Max butted in.

“She needs more color!”

“Actually I-“

“Here.” Max grabbed a suit jacket from the pile and threw it over the top. The simple look transformed into a regional manager position in two seconds. You sighed. You knew you had to let them down gently.

“Max, El. I love you all, I do. But, I think I’m going to go with the bell bottoms and the black top. I doubt Steve brought anything to change into after work and I don’t want to overshadow him for a date that probably isn’t even a date,” you say. El was excited about your choice, while Max just shrugged.

“Suit yourself. One day when you get married to him, I’m going to tell him that I tried to get you to dress better for your first date.”

“Max!” El quipped. You weren’t sure what your face looked like after her comment, but you knew your cheeks could melt steel with how hot they were.

“What? Just the truth. You know what? Take this,” she pulls a red scrunchie from her back pocket. “For good luck. And, you know, a pop of color.”

You slide the scrunchie over your wrist, grateful for the kind gesture from the redhead. You looked at both of the girls with a smile before gently closing the bathroom door to change. The jeans fit perfectly. The shirt was a bit baggy, but nothing a quick tuck couldn’t fix. You took a moment to stare at yourself in the mirror. How much you reminded yourself of your mother. Your uncle. You thought about El and how she was settling into her new life with Hopper. She was making friends, sure, but with this secret mission that Hopper was on, you weren’t sure how long her happiness would last. You shook the thought from your head and opened the door. The two girls gasped.

“You look amazing!” Max said.

“Pretty.” El smiled. You twirled around to give them a view from all sides.

“Now, about your hair,” Max began. “I was thinking larger than life. Tons of hairspray. You know, like the front of the latest Cosmo!”

“Cosmo?” El asked.

“It’s a magazine. I’ll show you one of my mom’s later,” Max replied and El nodded.

“Max, I appreciate wanting to go over the top, but I was thinking something simple. Maybe half up, half down? You can still go crazy with the hairspray if you want,” you say, and a wicked smile spreads across both of the girls’ faces.

“Maybe not too crazy,” you clarify.

“Aw, come on, Y/N! Lighten up! This isn’t my first time doing hair, you know,” Max said, grabbing a comb from El’s dresser. She gathered up half of your hair before motioning for your scrunchie. You obliged, letting her slide the velvet accessory from your wrist and watching as she secured your hair with it.

“Now, we tease.”

You watched in horror as the teen started running the comb forcefully through your hair. She started calling for hairspray from El like you were a surgery patient. Max sprayed the hairspray around your half teased hair before continuing with the rest. She was halfway around your head before she stopped short.

“What’s wrong?” El asked.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have teased it this much.”

“It looks fine to me.”

“Yeah, but, maybe I shouldn’t have teased the half part?”

“Max, it’s fine. I promise,” you smile. “Can I see the comb?”

Max let you take the reigns for a minute, watching as you teased the rest of your hair to match what she had already done. You motioned for the hairspray, which El handed you, and applied liberally.

“Now, I just need a soft bristle brush. There was one in my bag,” you say, and before you can give further instruction, Max has returned with it.

“Do I just brush it through?”

“Yeah, brush it through,” You say, and watch as she gently runs the brush through the teased tresses. The end result is a fabulous style that your mom would’ve been proud of. You grin at the mirror at the two girls.

“Thinking about your date?” Max breaks the silence.

“No. I’m thinking about how I look like Olivia Newton John in this outfit,” you laugh. It elicits a giggle from Max, but a raised brow from El.

“Grease,” you and Max say simultaneously, and El nods. The clock chimes, signaling that a new hour was upon you. You glance at the clock to see it was 7pm.

“Okay, I gotta head down there,” you say, moving through the girls and waving for them to follow you. You fling open the refrigerator door to nothing but cheap beer cans and a pack of sliced cheese singles. The freezer was no better, just an opened box of waffles and a plate of frozen chicken, which made you think that you probably should’ve put that out on the counter when you got here this morning.

“We’ll be fine,” Max assures you.

“You can’t leave the house, or Hopper will have my ass,” you reply. “I’ll just bring home something from the mall for dinner after I meet Steve.”

“We can just eat snacks for dinner. What if you go home with him?” Max wiggles her eyebrows at you, which El giggles at.

“I’m not going home with Steve tonight. We’re just catching up. I don’t even know anything about him other than the fact that he was nice to me in elementary school. It’s nothing like what you think it is,” you gather your purse and car keys before double checking that the girls had snacks in the cupboard to even eat. You’d talk with your uncle about proper nutrition later.

“Whatever you say,” Max says.

“Yeah, whatever you say,” El echoes, and the girls high five.

“Just promise me you won’t leave the house? Or get yourselves into some kind of intergalactic trouble?”

“Intergalactic is a strong word,” Max says.

“Max, just promise?” You have the door half open at this point, trying to make a deal with a teenager who probably doesn’t realize the scope of Hopper’s protectiveness over El. The girls both nod and hold their pinky fingers in the air before you exhale the stress of the entire day. Once you close the door, you make sure you hear the girls locking all of the locks on the front door and windows before you make your way to the car and head off to Starcourt.

*******************

Starcourt was prettier at night than it was earlier that day. The bright neon hues of pink and blue cut through the standard fluorescent mall lighting. You wouldn’t say that it was impossible to find Scoops Ahoy, it was easy to see the boat and the gimmicky marquee lighting, but it certainly seemed that it was a competition between all of the storefronts to see who could have the brightest lighting.

The mall was still relatively full of people grabbing last minute purchases or seeing a late showing of Back to the Future. You careen through a group of teenagers taking their time on the escalator. They aren’t too happy with you needing to go faster than them, but it doesn’t phase you. The anxious knot in your stomach continued to lead you to Scoops, your brain not fully processing everything that was happening in the moment. You couldn’t figure out why you were nervous to talk to a boy you didn’t see growing up. You were both completely separate entities from your younger selves, both with different life experiences. Still, your stomach continued to twist and turn as you could see the navy and white wallpaper ahead. The frosted glass window that led to the back room was closed. You could see his coworker manning the cash register, an unenthusiastic expression on her face.

“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you say as you approach the counter.

“I’m Robin?” She responds. “What can I get for you today?”

Before Robin even gives you the chance to respond, there’s a loud knock at the window causing both of you to jump.

“Oh, I’m not here for, um...is everything okay back there?” You stutter. She holds up a finger to you as she turns and shouts through the window.

“Hey, dingus! Keep it down back there, would you?”

The glass slides open, revealing Steve on the other side. He’s still dressed in that dorky sailor outfit, but his hat is missing from his wardrobe, his hair a somewhat styled mess. You can’t hear the banter going back and forth between the two, but it ends with the glass shutting again abruptly and Robin turning back to you with a shy smile.

“Sorry about all that. I lose track of all the girls that Steve brings in,” she says.

“Does that happen a lot?” You ask.

“No. So, as you can see, I’m in a little bit of shock right now. You can go in the back room through there. We close at nine, though, so whatever it is you all are doing, make it quick because I want to get home on time at least once this summer.”

Your cheeks flush a bright shade of red as you make your way to the back door, waving your thanks to Robin in the process. Steve was there to meet you at the door.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” you reply, looking over Steve’s shoulder at the break room table that had a single red rose in the center. “What’s all this?”

“Oh, you know, just...table decor. We keep it classy here at Scoops Ahoy,” Steve says, leading you to your seat at the table. The chair is cold metal, but you don’t seem to notice too much. Steve sits across from you, a slightly awkward silence settling in the room as you both steal glances at each other.

“So, how are things?” You ask, breaking the silence. He leans back in the chair, catching himself as it nearly tips over.

“You know, just…stuff. Making $3 an hour at an ice cream shop wasn’t necessarily the plan, but, you know…” Steve trails off. “Who am I kidding?”

“I mean, it’s not the worst thing in the world,” you add, trying your best to cheer him up. “I mean, you get free ice cream whenever you want. I’d say that’s a summer well spent.” Steve smiles a little halfway smile that makes your heart pound out of your chest.

“Okay, okay, enough about me though, you’re the one who hasn’t been here in forever.”

“Forever is a strong word,” you retort.

“How else would you describe a moving van getting the hell out of this town?” He stops himself. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Same here,” you say. It was quiet again. “It’s not all that, you know. Life outside of Hawkins. It’s just the same old bullshit, just a different town.”

“I don’t know about that,” Steve says. You cock an eyebrow in anticipation of what was to come. He hesitates, nervously laughing as he runs a hand through the hair in his face.

“I mean, it’s not like aliens have descended Earth and threatened to take over,” you say.

“That happened?”

“No. I’m just saying, whatever happens in Hawkins is probably not as bad as what happens in Indianapolis,” you reply.

“I mean, your uncle is the Chief of Police, you probably know everything,” Steve says.

“Not exactly,” you respond. Steve leaned in towards you at the table, motioning for you to do the same.

“Okay, you can’t tell anyone about this, got it?”

*******************

Steve had told you everything you already knew about Eleven, the Upside Down, and then some, including how Dustin Henderson had intercepted a Russian translation and how him and Robin were helping Dustin figure out the meaning. It was fascinating, and slightly scary. You knew that the Russians were causing Hopper some trouble, but not to this extent.

“Wow,” you say.

“I hope that doesn’t scare you off,” Steve says jokingly.

“Quite the opposite actually. I’m in.” You reply.

“Wait, what?”

“I want to help decode this thing,” you say.

“Y/N, no, it’s dangerous,” Steve leans in again, realizing he might’ve said too much.

“It’s dangerous for you too! Like I’m really gonna let you do this alone. Safety in numbers, right?”

“I guess,” Steve says warily.

“Plus, it’d give us a bit more time together,” you say, and a smile spreads across his face.

“So, you’re staying?”

“I guess it’s you’re lucky day,” you smile. Steve leans into you at the table again, but a knock at the window catches you both off guard.

“Hey, dingus! Your children are here,” Robin yells from beyond the glass.

“Children?” You ask.

“They probably want to sneak in the back to see a movie,” Steve says. He opens the partition to reveal Dustin, along with Max and El.

“What are you doing here?!” You and Steve say in unison.

“Heard you were on a date, just wanted to check in, see how it was going,” Dustin says. Eleven and Max are behind him, giggling softly.

“How’d you even get here?” You ask.

“Skateboard,” Eleven replies.

“Come on, I gotta get you all home before Hopper finds out,” you say, placing a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Thanks for everything.”

“See you tomorrow?” He asks.

“Tomorrow, yeah,” you smile, cheeks flushing a shade of red as you walk towards the giggling girls. You can hear Steve in the background telling Dustin that he would drive him home, too. You smile to yourself. 

It was good to be home.

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 202

September 29

Writing my journal very late tonight, because I have been doing stuff! The kiddo has been having a hard brain time lately, and though we have discussed it with professionals in ways I will not detail in this journal, I am still trying to find ways to cope in the everyday. The pandemic has been just ridiculously awful for mental health in general. Today after school we built a giant fort in the kitten room, with the cat tree as the central post and chairs, table and desk as auxiliary anchor points for the sheets. I tell you what, binder clips are where it's at when it comes to securing sheets to various anchor points. We declared the fort a no electronics, yes snacks and kittens zone, and hung out in there for awhile after school and awhile before bed, then left it standing for tomorrow. Anything novel is good, I feel, and forts always gave me a cozy and secure feeling that I hope to pass along. 

Tonight I have also been trying to assemble a YouTube playlist I'm calling "Good Thinking Skills." I found a channel called How to ADHD with lots of really good videos that I'm going to watch for my own sake later, but also videos on how to stimulate your brain properly, and how to deal with it when easy tasks seem impossible, stuff like that. I added some videos on mindfulness, some on what anxiety is, how to reframe negative thoughts and feelings, etc. I tried to find ones that were actually interesting, testing them by forcing myself to sit through them entirely with no outside stimulation. If I couldn't do it, boom, off the list. I'm planning on incentivizing watching the videos on the list by giving him points for watching. The kiddo tends to do very well with any computer based activity that earns him points, so here's hoping! I know the points system is supposed to generally limit screen time so this is sort of counterproductive, but the point of limiting screen time is to give him a better life, so anything that might make his life better, I figure, can also be the point of the points system. 

Wow, that was convoluted. I'm pretty tired. Anyway, the first presidential debate was tonight and my husband had to stream it and watch it while chatting with the members of the political science club he is the faculty advisor for. This meant that the debate was on in the bedroom, which made the bedroom poison all evening and I would not go near it unless necessary. Yikes. Politics are also not good for anybody's mental health right now. What a truly rotten year this has been, in so many ways. 

Today I went out and did a curbside pickup at Aldi because Instacart gave me a 20 dollar discount coupon plus waived the service fee to make me try them out. It worked well, I got all the groceries I ordered except the onion soup mix, which was not available. I need my onion soup mix for many onion soup purchases, so I am very much hoping it comes through in my Walmart order later in the week. Once I got all the groceries home, I broke down the big square of ground beef into pound baggies for the freezer and froze all the chicken breasts in the family packs 2 or 4 together. It is much easier than freezing the entire thing and then having to deal with an enormous block of frozen meat later. I have a family pack of chicken thighs in the big freezer that I am super not looking forward to dealing with someday. I also cleaned and organized a lot of the pantry (again) because that thing will not stay organized for love or money. I decided to try and get all my month's groceries (except ultra-perishables) at once, so I need a lot of pantry space and freezer space available! 

Okay, I was just thinking and remembered that my parents are considering coming to see us later on in October, God willing and the COVID don't rise, and they wanted me to look for hotel rooms for them, so I had to take a break and do a little bit of that. They haven't been here to visit us since we moved in (they helped Kiddo and I get here with the moving truck and all our stuff since Husband had to leave a month before us in order to start his new job on time. and it was all a big thing). It kind of sucks that we won't be able to show them most of the cool museums and historical places and Colonial Williamsburg that we've been scoping out for a year and a half, but see above re: the suckiness of the year. Just being able to see them is going to be really nice. And we will all be careful. I don't even know what the holidays this year are going to look like, but I feel very, very glad that last Christmas we went all out on the family togetherness and me and my sisters and our families and my parents were all together for the holiday for the first time in probably at least a decade. If we can't do nearly so much this year, at least we had that. 

Kitten news for the day: Kittens like forts. They especially like forts when you have used a cat tree as the main support pole. They especially especially like forts made out of dangly fabric pieces that they can play with and climb! Everyone had fun with the fort.  I didn’t get any pictures of the kittens in the fort because the fort is a no-electronics zone and even Mom leaves her phone outside. You’ll just have to use your imaginations.