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welcometophu · 4 years ago

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Not Your Guardian Angel: Chapter 24

Marked Book 3: Not Your Guardian Angel

Chapter 24

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Pels is still on the phone when the door opens, and Jess and Shane come in. She says a quick goodbye and locks her phone before she stands up to drop it on Jess’s desk. Dad makes a face, and Pels sighs. “There are no texts for you to read anyway,” she points out.

“Hey, Dad,” Jess says. “I can’t see you, but I’m figuring you’re who Pels is talking to.” She slides Pels’s phone to the back of the desk and starts pulling containers from the plastic bag she carries. Shane leaves another bag on the floor near her before digging into the closet and emerging with three plates and three bowls.

Pels sits slowly on the edge of the bed again, reaching out when Jess hands her something. The extremely large paper cup is piping hot, despite the cardboard collar around it, and she inhales the rich, dark, caffeinated scent.

“I just assumed you’re one of those people who can drink caffeine at all hours,” Jess says with a small grin.

She starts unloading the second bag, and Pels is amazed at the amount of food on the desk. “I can,” she says, taking a too-hot sip because it just smells too good to resist. It burns, but it tastes wonderful. “Did you buy an entire restaurant?”

“We were indecisive, and we went to the Asian fusion place that just opened a block past Teas Please,” Shane says. He leaves the plates and bowls on the bed and returns to the closet to find a handful of large spoons. “Plum Pagoda. They have a little of everything, and we might have gone overboard. On the other hand, you’re healing, and you seem to be hungry every time we ask, so we figured storing the leftovers for midnight snacks wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“So, what kind of a mood are you in?” Jess asks. Dad’s leaning over the table, reaching out to nudge the lid for one low, flat container. “Pad Thai? Szechuan chicken? Sushi? Dumplings?”

Dad wiggles his fingers, like someone is actually going to see him and pass him a plate.

Fine.

Pels puts a bowl on top of a plate and hands them both to Dad. “Apparently someone either thinks he knows what I want, or he wants to live vicariously through my taste buds. Please don’t destroy those taste buds, Dad.”

“It’s nice not having to worry about who sees me,” he says mildly, ladling rice into the bowl. “Or rather, who doesn’t see me, but sees what I’m doing.”

Jess quickly opens all the paper and plastic containers, while Shane puts a spoon in each. They stand back while Dad adds the spicy chicken over the rice, along with something that smells vaguely sour and sweet and that Pels thinks might be Thai. He avoids the Pad Thai for now, but places several different kinds of dumplings and a spring roll on the plate, along with a selection of maki. Shane holds out both a fork and disposable chopsticks, and Pels grabs the fork.

“Okay, you’re right, I’m starving, and this is probably going to be round one of, well, more than one,” she mumbles as she takes the plate and bowl from Dad. She grabs one of the salmon rolls and shoves it into her mouth, sighing happily. “Yep. Hungry. Thank you for feeding me.”

Jess ends up on the floor, her shoulder bumped up against Shane’s legs where he sits on the edge of the bed. Pels is cross-legged, not touching either of them, but it still makes her feel vaguely warm inside seeing how comfortable they are with each other.

Okay then. That’s a thing.

“This is good,” Shane says with his mouth full, jabbing his chopsticks at the pile of noodles on his plate. “They have a buffet on weekdays. Which I think is supposed to be for the businesses, but it’s really cheap and it’d be great for students, too. Can’t you just see any of the sports teams there?”

Pels snorts, and has to grab her coffee because burning her mouth is the right idea after snorting spicy chicken.

She starts coughing, because really, it’s not.

Dad pats her back, hard, and she pushes him away. “I’m fine, not choking,” she assures everyone. “Just. My sinuses are burning. Is there water?”

Shane grabs a pitcher from Jess’s very large dorm fridge and pours a glass. Pels wishes it helped more than it does, but at least she no longer feels like she’s choking. Maybe she just needs to slow down a little.

“I am definitely going back,” Jess says around a mouthful of spring roll. “Will Nate be jealous? Are we going to single-handedly destroy the Teas Please economy if we switch allegiance to this new place?”

“We can split our time, I’m sure.” Shane pokes at noodles with his chopsticks. “Not to abruptly change the subject or anything, but—”

“That would be abruptly changing the subject,” Jess points out. She slides away from him, turning so she can see them both. When Pels moves to slide off the bed, onto the floor, Jess scoots backwards. They form a loose triangle with no one quite touching, while Dad stands near the desk, still looking at the food.

“I’ve just been thinking about the marks,” Shane says. “And what they mean for all of us. I’ve been figuring that everything started because Pels is our,” he gestures between himself and Jess, “soulmate. That this is a V relationship.”

“I’ve touched you both,” Pels says slowly. “The marks aren’t… done. Or whatever they’re supposed to do.”

“Which means this equation isn’t stable,” Jess says firmly. “I’m attached to you. Shane’s attached to you.”

“But you aren’t attached to each other.”

They look at each other when Pels points out the obvious.

“It’s not like we haven’t tried—”

“Shane told you about the kisses,” Jess interrupts him. “I’m just—gay.”

Pels isn’t sure she should put her opinions out there, all things considered. “If you’d asked me when I got to PHU if I was into guys or girls, I honestly would’ve answered that I didn’t know,” she says quietly. “Can sexuality evolve? And is this about sex, or is it about something else?”

When they both just look at her, it feels like they’re waiting for her to expand on her thoughts. She feels heat in her face, and she pulls her knees up, arms around her legs. “So. When I just look at Jess it’s like she’s a volcano,” she whispers. “You’re not a mountain. You’re on fire. You’re stable, yes, but you’re also waiting to rumble to life, and when you kiss me, I feel the lava under my skin. And Shane… You’re like bees and honey. There’s this sweetness in my belly, but also a buzzing like my entire body’s come to life. I can feel you both and you’re amazing, but different. And it wasn’t like this before. I didn’t feel like that the first time I saw you. It’s only now, after I’ve gotten to know you, and mostly after we’ve become well, a we. An us.”

Jess glances sideways at Shane. “So you think that even though we’ve been together since forever, maybe our relationship’s changed now because we have you?”

“Maybe?” Pels isn’t sure if that’s what she was saying, or if it’s something else entirely. Magical metaphysics is never going to be her strong suit. “I don’t really know anything about Ritual, or how it could change things.”

“It can’t make us do anything we don’t want,” Shane says firmly.

“But what if we do want, but don’t really think about it?” Pels says quickly, before he can lean too far back. She gestures between them. “What if you—can anything change? Just because it’s all of us here?”

“Fine,” Jess says, setting her plate aside. She crooks one finger at Shane. “Come on. Kiss me.” When he approaches, crawling rather than getting up off the floor, she adds, “Like you mean it. Not like we’re testing it out, but kiss me like you’d kiss me if I was, well—” Her gaze flicks sideways. “Kiss me like I’m her.”

He stops right in front of her, sitting back on his heels as his eyes go wide. “Are you sure? I don’t want to do anything you’re not comfortable with—”

“Just kiss me already,” Jess says. She surges forward, framing Shane’s face in her hands, leaning in to press her lips to his. Pels leans forward as Shane’s breath hitches, his hands coming up to cradle Jess’s head, mouth moving over hers. Jess nips at Shane’s lip, and warmth spreads through Pels as she watches. She curls her fingers together over her heart, trying to keep it from escaping.

Jess sits back with a rough exhale, her pale skin flushed beneath her freckles. “That was not bad,” she admits.

“It was different,” Shane says. “And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Jess—you’re you. You’re already a part of my life, and even if Pels were my only soulmate, you’d be part of that. Right?”

Jess’s brow furrows, and when she pulls her knees up, it’s almost as if she’s mirroring the way Pels sits. “True,” she says. “You and I are always going to be you and I, no matter what. That hasn’t changed.”

Pels can’t stand the suspense. “But did anything else change?” She holds up her wrist, because she didn’t feel a thing and her mark is exactly the same as it was before they kissed.

Shane’s gaze drops to his own wrist and he shakes his head. “I held Jess’s hand when we were walking to get food,” he says, voice low. “I don’t think kissing is actually that big a difference.”

“So that’s not what the equation needs in order to balance,” Jess mutters to herself. She rubs her thumb against the mark on her skin as if she can somehow push it into being more visible than the scattered ink that it is. “We’re still not stable.”

Pels wants to ask if Jess is attracted to Shane, but she feels like that must be a complicated thing. She’s not sure she understands it herself, and they’ve already kissed, so… she’s not sure what to do next. She hunches over, pulling her knees closer to her chest.

“Hey.” Shane tilts towards her, one hand on her shoulder; the bees spread under her skin and through her chest. “You okay?”

She nods quickly. “I’m not good at this.”

She feels a touch to the top of her head, fingers in her curls oh so briefly as Dad murmurs, “You’re doing better than you think, Pels. You’re right where you need to be.” A moment’s pause, his voice even lower as he says, “You’ve got this.”

When she looks up to find him, he’s gone.

She blinks. “…we’re alone.”

“What?” Shane looks at her, confused.

“Dad has actually left the three of us alone,” Pels clarifies. “He’s not in the room. He’s not watching over me. I’m alone. With the two of you.”

“C’mere.” Shane motions to her, and she meets him halfway, kissing him lightly before she sits back.

When Jess gestures, Pels goes to her instead. This time the kiss is stronger. Firmer. Like Jess is more sure of herself and wants to slip inside of her skin with her. Pels pulls back, an exhalation on her lips and her heart hammering.

Jess smirks.

“We should—” Pels gestures at the food, then gestures between them. “Or we could—?”

“Let’s finish eating.” Jess picks up the spring roll she set down, grinning around another bite. “We have plenty of time, right? There’s no point in rushing anything.”

“I don’t want to push either of you into anything you’re not ready for,” Shane says firmly.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing you two kiss again.” When they both look at her, Pels can feel the heat staining her skin. “I just like—I like both of you. And together, I just… I like that, too.”

“I can’t deny I like watching the two of you make out. It’s hot,” Shane admits.

“Because we’re girls?” Jess throws the remains of her spring roll at him.

Shane catches it and pops it in his mouth. “Nope. Because I like you, and you both look happy. Jess looks like she’s found a treasure, and Pels looks about ready to combust. So. I like watching the two of you make out.”

“When we’re done eating, that could be a thing,” Pels says shyly. She focuses on not burning her sinuses again with her spicy food, while also trying to eat it as quickly as she can. “Just practicing the kissing parts. Getting used to it. Since I’m getting the idea that as long as everybody’s got a chance to be kissed, we all kind of enjoy seeing it happen, too.”

It’s a physical thing, sure. She can feel it shivering through her body in ways she doesn’t completely understand. But as Shane leans over for a quick kiss to Jess’s forehead, it makes Pels’s heart bloom, hot and fast and hungry to see more of it.

She eats quickly, more awake and energized than she’s felt in a while. She watches Shane and Jess as she eats, taking in the casual affection. The moments when Jess reaches for Shane—simple things like stealing a bite from his plate, or offering a bite from her own—those affect Pels as much as the physicality of kissing.

She wants to see them like this. Together.

Maybe it’s not sexuality that affects her; maybe it’s emotions.

She sets her plate aside, closes her eyes. That might take some time to process.

“Hey.” Fingers ghost over her knee and she opens her eyes to find Shane sitting close. Jess is cleaning up their plates, packing up what remains of the food they brought home. There is a lot of food left; Pels is pretty sure it could be a midnight snack, and several meals tomorrow as well.

Shane coughs, and Pels realizes he must have said something. “Um. What?”

“You seem lost in thought.” He turns his hand palm up on her knee, and she slides her hand over his. Her is so much smaller than his, but their hands curve together and it feels nice the way the bees buzz under her skin. “Want to talk about it?”

“Still processing,” she admits. “But every time—every step—I’m doing better with this. With all of us. I may not be prepared to go further than we have, but everything we’ve done so far is on the table pretty much any time you want. We can hold hands. Kiss. All of that. Just… I’m good with it. And I really like seeing how comfortable you guys are together.” She flushes because like might not be the right word for it. She’s warm all over when she thinks about how they touch so easily, like emotions flow between them as if Jess really is made of lava. “It’s like you’re already one person. One soul in two bodies. It makes sense. I couldn’t have matched with Jess without you, could I have? Because you’re a package deal. We… we already talked about this.”

In the background, Jess stands in front of the fridge, the door open, a container in her left hand, her right hand lifted as she makes invisible notes in the air.

“Sometimes looking at the exact same thing from a different angle helps,” Shane says. He shifts so he’s sitting against the side of the bed with her, their hands still tangled and their bodies pressed together from shoulder to ankle. “Movie night, or sleep?”

Pels is not expecting the change in topic, and she doesn’t have an immediate answer.

Jess turns around, her brow furrowed and the fridge still open behind her. “What if…? No, that’s not it.”

“Put the container in and close the fridge,” Shane directs.

Jess seems surprised to realize she’s still holding food, and finishes cleaning up. She joins them on the floor, leaving space between where they sit and herself. Pels appreciates it—she’s not sure she could manage cuddling both of them at the same time. She’s not there yet.

Although.

“I am wide awake,” she admits. “And I feel like I could fall asleep at any moment. Would it be okay if I put on pajamas and crawled into bed? We could watch a movie, but then if I fall asleep no one has to move me.”

Jess looks over her head at Shane, and Pels is positive they are having a silent conversation that she can’t hear. They really are one soul in two bodies.

“I’ll be back in a minute; you guys get changed.” Shane pushes to his feet and grabs a pair of pants out of his bag before leaving.

Pels changes into shorts and a t-shirt quickly, her back to Jess, and is under the covers of Jess’s bed before Shane returns. Shane shakes out a sleeping bag on the floor, creating a makeshift bed, while Jess climbs over Pels to lie against the wall. Jess wraps an arm around Pels, holding her safely so she won’t fall off the narrow twin.

It’s almost too warm, and it makes focus on the movie Shane picks difficult. But it’s safe, and every once in a while Jess kisses her shoulder, and that’s just so nice that Pels floats along in soft bliss.

The Healers said she needed rest to heal, and she can’t think of anything more restful than this. She’s going to be fine for class in the morning.

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underimagines · 6 years ago

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falling in love at a coffee shop (asgore/reader)

Summary: “You meet one of your top-tier clients. Oh no, he’s cute.”

3k-Kofi Poll Results Drabble - Asgore/Reader, SOULmate AU: Humor, Fluff, & Romance (with just a dash of Angst™)

read it on ao3 / buy me a coffee

That guy had been staring at you for over ten minutes.

Not non-stop, of course, or else you’d have called the cops by now. But he kept glancing at you every so often, and you were starting to get nervous.

He was a big guy, a blonde Monster that reminded you of a minotaur. You didn’t feel any malicious intent rolling off him—not with that Hawaiian print shirt and khaki shorts combo, at least. Didn’t mean you felt any better about it, though. You just wanted some coffee, man.

Aside from that, you had much bigger things to worry about than the blooming possibility of a stalker. Like work, which you had in two hours. For a ten-hour shift. That you’d woken up an hour ago for. God, this sucked.

Work sucked. Life sucked. Everything sucked.

You took another swig of your cappuccino. Things sucked a little less.

It was still dark out, too, which meant that you were going to be stuck in your dead-end of a job for the better part of what was supposed to be a pretty nice day.

Maybe you could call in sick? Two hours seemed like a fine range of warning. You rubbed your temples, groaning into your arms. No, you couldn’t do that. You needed the money.

In that case.

You made it through three extra sugar packets to your already saccharine caffeinated slush of a drink, when a soft, baritone voice echoed from right behind you.

“Excuse me.”

The small shock caused you to jump, but thankfully, you caught your cup before it could tip. Which was more than just relieving, because it was scalding. Your “admirer” had the decency to look ashamed when you whirled around, fixing him with a death glare.

“Yeah?” Usually you weren’t so snippy, especially with strangers. But it was early, and you were tired.

“My apologies for disturbing you.” He began again, in a low, rumbling voice that made your palms feel sweaty. Turns out he was a lot bigger up close. This guy had to be, what? Six, seven-and-a-half feet? Maybe eight if you were pushing it. “But I couldn’t help but notice the symbol on your shirt. You work for D.T. Corp, correct?”

You glanced down, eyeing the tiny logo. It was like an abstract heart, almost square in shape, with a line running through the middle. Too avant-garde for your tastes, but at least it stuck out. The place had a nice reputation, so it wasn’t out of the ordinary that you got attention for it.

“Yeah, can I help you with something?” Your voice tipped more into customer-service mode instinctively, and you cringed. It was such an automatic response, you hated it.

The Minotaur…or whatever he was, gave you an awkward, shy smile. It was such a genuinely warm expression. Suddenly the room felt several degrees too warm for comfort.

“Ah, I am sorry to bother you. But I have important business to attend to at your workplace.”

Then it clicked. You knew you’d seen his face before. He was Asgore Dreemurr, the Ruler of the Monster Kingdom. Talk about your “TIFU” scenarios.

“I was expecting someone…taller.” You offered, giving him a small grin.

Asgore smiled back, the tension melting from his expression. “Ah, I get that often.”

The smile grew as you leaned back, patting the empty chair next to you. “If you’re in need of assistance, please, sit. I’ll be happy to help however I can, Your Highness.”

“Please, just Asgore is fine.” He waved a hand dismissively, settling onto the tiny booth-seat as best he could. It creaked under his weight. Jeez, he was big.

You coughed to clear your thoughts, taking another sip of your drink. “So, what can I help you with, Asgore?”

“Well, you see.” He reached around himself, pulling a small manila envelope. It was surprisingly crisp, and not at all wrinkled, despite being in what you assumed was his back pocket. “In this document I received, it stated that I would need a human witness with me to sign the procedural papers so that we could go ahead with the Reformation Plan.”

His smile dropped a bit at the edges, “However. The only human I am acquainted with would be our ambassador, a young child named Frisk. Given the circumstances, I’m afraid I could not ask them for their assistance. I was hoping that, possibly, I could ask a worker to find someone who’s available to take their place?”

You nodded sagely. Though you didn’t know much about this ambassador, you’d heard of them enough to know that your superiors were adamant that the proceedings take place in the presence of an adult committee. “Alright, so the meeting is…?”

He wrung his hands together. “In a week’s time.”

“And you need a volunteer witness to oversee a legal signing?”

Another nod. “Yes.”

“Understood.” Draining the rest of your coffee, you sighed. It was going to be a busy day. You hadn’t even clocked in yet and you were “on-the-job.” But there was no pussy-footing around this one, this guy was a big client. “Why don’t we meet at the administration building in, say…a few days, and we can speak to the front desk about finding an open appointment for one of our volunteers to assist you?”

It looked like you’d just offered him the world on a silver platter. “Oh, thank you! I would appreciate it.”

“No problem sir, we strive to offer our clients the best in customer service.” Your tone was steadily dropping into a “pre-trained” manner you’d grown very used to using over the phone. It was an unintentional instinct, but highly effective for the general position you had.

“That’s a relief to hear. I greatly appreciate your help!” When he smiled, the tips of two tiny fangs poked out from his upper lip. His eyes crinkled at the edges, one blue, one amber. Both sparkled in admiration. You hoped he didn’t catch you staring.

‘Get it together, agent.’

Like planned, you met up with Mr. Dreemurr at the end of the week. He was just as warm and friendly as when you’d first met him, though with an air of respectfulness that exuded from him like the floral scent he always carried. When it came to business, he seemed to take things seriously, which was both a great relief and a slight surprise to you.

It was his outfit that caught you off-guard the most. A long, royal purple robe encased his form from shoulder to feet, dragging ever-so-slightly on the floor. The shoulder-plates were thick and coated with ornate designs that put your Vera Bradley bag to shame.

He was big, bold, and bashful in a way that reminded you vaguely of Prince Adam from Beauty and the Beast. Considering you’d had a crush on said Prince from a very young age, you were beginning to regret lending your assistance to the royal. He was just too adorable for you to maintain a professional view, dammit.

His largeness just made things even tougher. It was difficult to keep a pleasant distance inside the terribly cramped elevators. It was obvious that he was trying to give you room, as much as he could, but you were still pressed into the fabric of his cape just enough that you could make out the flexing of muscles beneath. One of his hands sat on your shoulder, keeping you upright as he attempted to shift around the tiny space. He smelled so sweet and your entire body was flushed from head to toe with the heat of his body.

And the worst part? Asgore had no idea about the effect he had on you.

It was either that, or he was tormenting you for fun. You’d had a lot of clients who you were attracted to, physically, but you were quickly finding Mr. Dreemurr to be more charming than you’d ever expected.

The silence buzzed as you pressed against a wall, trying desperately to drown out the pounding of your heart with the dull hum of the elevator. Asgore shifted his weight, eyes glued to the far corner.

“So…again, I greatly appreciate your help. Genuinely. This has all been so…” He looked at a loss for words.

“Stressful?” You offered.

“I was going to say Tirritating, but that works too.” The monster chuckled gently. “Tiring and irritating.”

“Ah, I understand that.” You nodded solemnly. There were times when you often felt smad—your preferred phrase for anxious or melancholic scenarios. “So, um. How are things going? About the whole…erm. I mean. How are you adjusting to the Surface?”

His gaze softened considerably, smile hazy and faraway. “It’s changed quite a bit since the last time I was able to see it. Humans have evolved in so many ways. The technology today is amazing.”

Asgore turned to you, eyes shimmering with excitement. “My companions are teaching about how to use the Under—uh, Internet. So far I’ve become rather well-versed in may-mays.”

Did he mean memes? Ohmygod, he was precious.

“Oh?” You bit back the urge to giggle, “And how’s that going for you?”

Somehow, he perked up even more. “Wonderfully! I’ve recently become fond of a particular may-may that involves one person holding another’s flower before they descend into battle! Oh, and everything with the bees!”

“Bees?”

Asgore nodded. “My hobbies include gardening, so I’m quite used to having insects around. I’ve never been afraid of bees, oh, but Asriel was so afraid of them…!”

He stopped then. You watched the life drain from his movements, only understanding the shift when he glanced at you with sad, watery eyes. “Asriel was my son…he did not make it out of the Underground.”

“Oh…I’m sorry to hear that.” The horror of the statement sank into your gut, pummeling you with an unnecessary guilt. You had nothing to do with his son’s passing, but you still felt terrible. Like you’d somehow provoked the resurfacing of this memory.

A thick tension filled the small space, broken only by the soft hum of the elevator continuing to rise. Just as you moved to say something, trying to lift the mood, the elevator dinged. It came without warning, and you jumped a bit.

“Oh!” Asgore smiled, but his eyes were downcast. “We are here. I will let you lead the way.”

You clamped your lips shut, scurrying into the hall before you ultimately said something to make the situation worse. Stupid. You should have just kept your mouth shut. Kept your head down. It was against protocol to get friendly with clientele, and there was no doubt that the King of Monsterkind was not an exception. No matter how charming, or kind, or cute he was—

“Um, are you okay?” You jumped again. Asgore was leaning close to you as you walked, his large stride able to keep pace with your hurried steps with ease. He looked very concerned. “You look as if something is bothering you.”

“Oh—uh—no!” The words tumbled from your mouth gracelessly. “I’m just thinking about…work I’ll have to finish later today. Projects and all. Nothing huge.”

Ohmygod, shut up. You’re embarrassing yourself.

“Wowie! What branch of the corporation do you work for, if I may ask?”

“I’m a receptionist,” you replied bluntly. “It’s not a very prestigious job, but it has to be done. The company would fall apart without me.”

That was very unlikely, but you liked to think it anyway. It gave you a sense of self-importance and confidence in the workplace. Asgore nodded.

“I see! You seem very personable and friendly, I’m sure you’re very good at your job.”

Heat crawled up the back of your neck, a flush spreading across the bridge of your nose. “Oh, really? Thank you, sir, that means a lot to me.”

He gave you that sweet, simple smile again. Your heart pounded.

Dammit, dammit, dammit. You had to get out of this situation before you said something that could get you fired.

“So…why me?” Wait, that made no sense without context. “I mean, why me out of everyone else? I’m sure there are plenty of other highly qualified individuals who were available—we tend to pay legal officials to come in for most signings. Not that I’m not happy to help, of course.”

“Ah. Well,” Asgore began, a pink flush spreading across the ends of his ears. “I suppose you could say, out of convenience?”

“Oh.” Yeah that made sense. Kind of. “Well, I did offer, so you’ve got me there. I’m glad to be of service, though.”

“I’m glad to have your service!” He beamed. “Ah, but if I do recall, you seemed to recognize me, right? I suppose my reputation precedes me.”

You nodded. “It certainly does, Mr. Dreemurr. The entire corporation has been buzzing about your presence. We’re all very excited and lucky to have your patronage.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.” Asgore chuckled softly. “Though I do have to admit, I feel a bit guilty.”

“Guilty? About what?” Oh man, was this gonna be another sadness bomb? You braced yourself, just in case.

“Well, I was not entirely truthful about my reason for noticing you in the crowd.”

Oh. Well that was…slightly relieving. You cocked your head, trying to ignore the fluttery feeling in your stomach. “Now I’m a little worried. You haven’t been stalking me, have you?”

“Goodness, no!” He was quick to reply, looking shocked. “I just…well…that is to say…”

You stopped outside the office door. Asgore gently placed a paw over your shoulder. Your ears were pounding with the thrum of your heart.

“Have you ever heard of SOULmates?”

It felt like the world came to a sudden stop. Those words seemed to flip some switch inside you. Or maybe your feelings were finally bubbling to the surface. The words hung on the tip of your tongue, trembling and joyous.

“Y…Yes. But aren’t those just myths? N-Not to sound rude, of course.”

He just smiled. Your body fizzed with energy. “I suppose it would, after so long. But they are very…very real. And I happen to think…that we might be?”

“What would give you that idea?” It tumbled out before you could stop it, your natural curiosity overriding the urge to accept the idea blindly.

“Perhaps you cannot see it, but…here, let me try something.”

Then, standing outside the door to your boss’s office, King Asgore engaged you in battle.

Not literal battle, of course. But everything went dark, then…monochrome? The world looked like it was filled with a grid, the perfect setting for a battleground. Asgore stood before you, bathed in blacks and whites. Something small and spade-shaped floated in his outstretched palm.

Was that…his SOUL? You’d heard that Monsters had physical interpretations of SOULs, but you’d never seen one before. Looking closer, you saw that it wasn’t spade-shaped at all. It was an upside-down heart.

“Wow,” you whispered. Asgore’s eyes were filled with warmth as he gestured for you to look down.

You did.

It was an incredible sight.

Your SOUL, glowing like star in the dark of night. The color shimmered from top to bottom, almost gradient-like in tones. But obviously and unmistakably your most prominent trait.

“Is this…my SOUL?” You couldn’t help but ask, though you already knew the answer. SOUL research was common at D.T. Corp, but given your low ranking position, you’d never really been involved with any of it. The closest you’d gotten to seeing a human SOUL were the fake display models they kept out for visitors to look at.

But seeing the real thing was so much better.

“It’s so warm,” You murmured, cupping your hands beneath the tiny bouncing heart. As Asgore stepped forward to approach you, the glow brightened considerably. A shyness pooled through you when he chuckled.

“That glow is the sign. I suppose Monsters are more attuned to Magic than humans have been for centuries. Of course, this is an issue we’re trying to rectify. Though I suppose, we’ll have to take baby steps working our way up.”

You looked up at him, watching as his expression tensed. “That is to say…I was actually not going to tell you. Until later of course. But I felt, before we continued our business together, that it would be more beneficial to us both if you knew.”

All you could do was nod. It was against company policy to date clients, so it was good that he’d told you. And at the same time, your mind reeled.

Soulmates were a real thing. And you had a Soulmate! And he was a king! And also your client! And a Monster! The King of Monsters!!

Asgore reached out to steady you as you wobbled. “Ah, I knew this was too much. Please, put it out of your mind for now. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about things after business is taken care of. If you wish to, of course. If not, I would understand.”

His eyes flashed sadly, like he was expecting you to reject him. Without thinking, you blurted, “Of course!”

He looked up, then, a small expression of shock on his face. You scrambled to rectify your statement. “Of course, I would like to…discuss matters with you. After all, perhaps this situation could be beneficial to us both…in more ways than one?”

Mr. Dreemurr smiled. “I look forward to it. Ah. But for now, perhaps we shouldn’t keep them waiting. We’ve been standing out here for a while now.”

Ohmygod, you had, hadn’t you? It was an extremely lucky coincidence that hardly anyone was out in the hall, because you weren’t quite ready to accept the news yourself.

You had a soulmate.

You’d met your soulmate.

And he wanted your company.

He wanted you.

The realization sent a surge of child-like joy up your spine. For now, you could push future complications under the rug. Anything problematic that you had to deal with, you could certainly deal with later.

For now, you were happy.

The 3rd Ko-Fi Goal has been reached! I had a lot fun with this one, even if it is kind of open-ended. What would you do if you found out you were SOULmates with one of your company's biggest clients? I'd spontaneously combust on the spot.

- Mod Mellow

#undertale #asgore #asgore dreemurr #x reader #reader insert #kofi fic #kofi #fic #fanfic #ficlet #3k #mod mellow #long post #romantic #queued post

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johntropea · 8 years ago

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Filter coffee has more caffeine than an espresso...yes but no

Common cup size of black coffee

Espresso 1oz

30 - 50 mg of caffeine

Filter 8oz

65-120 mg of caffeine

Yes a cup of filter coffee has more caffeine than a cup of espresso

...but when you compare them ounce for ounce the tables turn

Espresso 1 oz

30 - 50 mg of caffeine

Filter 1 oz

8.1 -15 mg of caffeine

So basically you could drink 2 to 3 cups of espresso and consume the same amount of caffeine as 1 cup of filter coffee.

...you wouldn’t want to consume many filter coffee’s a day

From the article, Caffeine Content in Espresso vs Drip Coffee:

It is this much lower concentration of caffeine (per serving) in espresso that allow Italians to drink upwards of 5 to 10 espresso's per day without getting overly jittery. Try drinking a dozen 12 oz cups of drip coffee and you'll likely end up with a visit to the hospital from excessively high levels of caffeine in your system.

Caffeine is extracted early, so higher yields do not yield more caffeinated coffee, only over-extracted coffee.

- Wikipedia

Related study

…before exceeding the recommended maximum caffeine intake of 400mg per day….consumers can drink the following before diluting with milk or water

3 cups of espresso (30ml of black coffee per serving) 5 cups of stove top espresso (30ml of black coffee per serving) 2 cups of cold brew (60ml of black coffee per serving) 5 cups of French press (100ml of black coffee per serving) 2 cups of pour over (250ml of black coffee per serving)

Cold brew

"Caffeine's solubility is primary driven by temperature, such that at higher temperatures, significantly more caffeine will dissolve in solution than at cooler temperatures," says Joseph Rivera of coffeechemistry.com

"If you are using the same brew-to-water ratios, the cold brew will definitely have less caffeine than hot."

In other words, you extract more caffeine when you brew coffee with hot water.

Here is where things get a little bit complicated, and the answer to "Does cold brew coffee have more caffeine?" isn't exactly straightforward.

"One thing you need to consider is that cold brew coffee typically uses a much higher coffee-to-water ratio, anywhere between 2 to 2 1/2 times more," says Rivera.

"So, even though there is less caffeine extracted with the cold brew [method], the higher coffee-to-water ratio may compensate for this difference in solubility, and you may have a cold brew with equal, if not, more caffeine (although this is unlikely)."

Does Cold Brew Coffee Have More Caffeine than Hot Coffee?

Robusta beans have double the caffeine

The science behind a good cup of coffee

In Arabica coffee, caffeine content averages at 1.2% while Robusta at 2.2%. It is believed that this larger level of caffeine allows for robusta plants to thrive in more hostile environments as caffeine acts as a chemosterilant for insects.

Caffeine content by species and variety:

As seen from Table 1, caffeine levels can vary significantly but its been estimated that 90% of the caffeine is extracted within the first minute of brewing. The variance in caffeine levels is attributed to several factors including extraction time, temperature, grind level and type of coffee used - making true calculations difficult to publish.

Caffeine in Coffee

...bees may actually prefer nectar traced with caffeine and nicotine over nectar without.

Flower nectar, which is typically composed of sugars, is a plants way of attracting potential pollinators and ensuring the propagation of the plant species.

In the study researchers presented bees with both normal and nectar traced with caffeine - the result: bees preferred nectar with caffeine!. Why would a bee prefer nectar traced with nicotine/caffeine? ...One theory holds that these plants evolved over time to produce nectar traced with caffeine to somehow "hook" potential pollinators over those plants that don't - interesting idea. So what does this have to do with coffee? Perhaps more than we think.

What is most interesting about this research is that if indeed bees do prefer nectar traced with nicotine/caffeine - it is contrary to what most of us have read, in terms of the role of caffeine in the coffee plant. It is widely accepted that the robusta species of coffee have a much higher aptitude for surviving in the warmer/more aggressive environments, which unlike it is arabica counterpart thrives only in the cooler/less harsh areas of the environment. Part of the reason why robusta is so much more "robust" is due to increased levels of caffeine (and chlorogenic acid), which effectively serve as a chemical deterrent from insects attacks.

The idea is that since caffeine is a bitter tasting compound, insects that ingest the fruit of these plants will be deterred and move on to other hosts nearby.

[...]

Coffee is a self pollinating species, so perhaps the need to attract bees is not as important.

Buzzing Bees May be Addicted to Caffeine

Videos

youtube

According to the article, caffeine works by adhering to adenosine receptors in your brain, keeping the neurotransmitter from binding to those receptors. Adenosine slows down brain activity and causes you to feel sleepy, so when caffeine keeps it from binding, it keeps you from feeling sleepy. The brain compensates by creating more and more adenosine. So once you stop drinking coffee, all that adenosine comes back withe a vengeance, causing a strong desire to sleep and a throbbing headache.

So whenever you are feeling foul because of a dearth of coffee, blame your brain. It’s conspiring to make you feel worse. Or don’t ever stop drinking coffee. That’ll show your stupid brain who’s boss.

The Science Behind Coffee Withdrawal

Caffeine doesn’t really give you real “energy”. Instead, caffeine makes you feel energized by blocking your body’s ability to feel tired.

Caffeine blunts our drowsy feelings by disrupting adenosine metabolism. Adenosine acts as a depressant in the central nervous system, which promotes sleep and suppresses arousal. Adenosine essentially slows down the activity of neurons causing a feeling of drowsiness.

Adenosine plays a key role in the sleep-wake cycle and rises as the day progresses to encourage sleep at night. When we go to sleep, the adenosine is broken down to prevent grogginess in the morning, so we wake up feel refreshed.

Caffeine strongly resembles adenosine and binds to the adenosine receptors that saturate nerve cells. By reducing the number of available adenosine receptors, only a small amount of adenosine can bind to the receptors.

This results in you feeling less sleepy. (Not more energized.)

Is coffee bad for your hormones?

youtube

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