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dailybeastarsthings · 1 year

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Easter With The Beasts

Easter is another important festive period besides Rexmas. While presents and decorations are not as necessary, there are still dozens of different customs and dishes, which play a great role during Easter. That is, if you choose to celebrate it, of course.

LEGOSHI

Easter used to be a very special day for Legoshi. While he stayed with his grandpa, they would always go for an egg hunt in the nearby park. There was a little twist, however. Since chocolate I poisonous for canines, Gosha hid real, chicken eggs in the park for Legoshi to find. They were always painted in bright colors. Some of them even had intricate designs.

When the egg hunt was over, Legoshi and Gosha went home and used the eggs to make egg salad and cake. They didn’t want them to go to waste after all.

Back in Cherryton, Legoshi used to be alone during Easter since the others would always go home to heir families, but he didn’t really mind. He used this time to sleep in, catch up on study material and watch games.

Now, since he dropped out of school, he has no plans for it. Maybe he should call Louis…

LOUIS

Louis never quite understood the meaning or the hype for Easter. He always saw it as some kind of unnecessary celebratory event or another excuse to waste the time and money of families, who decide to host large dinners for everyone to attend.

Even when very young, he didn’t even attend any egg hunting events, even when his father forced him to – he walked to an ice cream parlor and ate a sundae instead.

When in Cherryton, he was always called by his father to attend the Easter Charity Dinner and spend time with his fiancée. But just like at the Rexmas dinner, they would never actually engage in any meaningful conversation or any other impactful interactions for that matter.

Now that he is out of high school, maybe his father will give him some more space? Not really… He already received an invitation for this year’s event. Maybe he should call Legoshi and try to sneak out with him instead?

HARU

Haru always hated Easter with a fiery passion from a young age. Since kindergarten, his classmates would constantly tease her about being the Easter bunny and demand chocolate eggs from her. At some point she got so upset, she threw mud in someone’s face.

Even during her Cherryton studies, she would escape home to her parents – which is kind of a big deal since she would rather be alone.

While at home, she would usually help with the cooking and around the garden, scolding his father to take better care of the flowers and recommending him entire sections of books to do research.

Since she is out of Cherryton, she feels like her confidence levels are on the rise, hoping that the Easter bunny trend will end. She is also looking forward to trying her first ever chocolate egg this year. Hopefully, in peace…

SEVEN

Seven was always the kind of animal, who would be around her family during the Easter festivities. She still remembers it vividly: strawberry scones, minestrone and, since she never liked chocolate, vegetable eggs.

Now that last one might seem confusing for the ordinary carnivore reader, but vegetable eggs were always a hit with herbivores. The recipe instructs on taking vegetables, dicing them up, boiling them then mixing them up with sour cream, salt, pepper and parsley. Maybe oregano and basil if you chose tomato. Next, you need a medium sized potato. Carve it out, then fill it up with cheese and the vegetable cream. The tricky part is that you would need to create a ball out of the carved potato pieces and carefully place it in the middle of the cream (serving the purpose of the yolk), then closing it and baking it in the oven.

Ah, the memories. For some time after moving away, Seven would invite her parents over for dinner and serve them the traditional meals. However, after an argument with her mother, following the passing of her father, the two of them stopped talking or visiting.

Since then, she would usually take out a week of vacation at work and go to a spa or resort to relax. This year though, she plans on inviting her new friends over. Who knows, she might invite the entire Hidden Condo for dinner.

YAFYA

You would think that a Sublime Beastar has no time for such meaningless celebrations as Easter. And you would be right! Yafya doesn’t care about Easter and spends even more time on the lookout for criminals than usual.

GOSHA

Gosha always loved Easter. He doesn’t quite remember what he used to do when he was younger, but he has very fond memories of every single Easter from the very first egg hunt he organized for Legoshi.

When Legoshi enrolled Cherryton, they had a great argument, not talking for a while so he didn’t really have any celebrations for some time. Starting a part-time job at the local daycare, however, brought his original joy for the holiday back. He would organize two separate egg hunts every year. For carnivores, the usual real-egg deal. For herbivores, some delicious chocolate eggs. He also makes sure to bake easter themed cakes and cookies for the children, bringing them joy and putting a wide smile on their faces.

Since Legoshi dropped out and moved to his own place, though, he is thinking about rekindling the family traditions and invite him over for dinner at least…

Who would you visit this Easter?

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I hope all of you have a very Happy Easter!

#beastars #beastars overhaul

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brightgnosis · 2 years

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Cookies With Krampus 2021 Repost

Black & Whites for Cookies with Krampus with @msgraveyarddirt / @graveyarddirt! With special guest ThatDamnOkie, even- who was staying with me for the weekend!

We may or may not have gotten very shitfaced last night, and stuffed ourselves with as much sushi as humanly possible while binge watching S02 of The Witcher on Netflix, and then made our cookies for Krampus ... And I won't lie: I’m honestly really glad that we decided to make the actual cookie dough ahead of time before taking all the things that made us shitfaced. Because cooking while high was certainly an experience.

I’ve been looking for over a decade, now, for a cookie I kept calling a “Black & White”, that I made constantly in my childhood. And the only thing I could remember about it, was that it was a two part cake cookie made with one part chocolate cookie batter, and one part white cookie batter. But the fact that it was specifically a cake cookie made with sour cream was the bit that was the most important about it.

My mother swore she’d given the book to me when I moved out at 17, but I swear I never had it. Which means no recipe. And no matter how hard I’ve looked online over the years, I’ve never been able to find anything that was right, either; most results turned up some variation of a white cookie dipped in melted chocolate- which isn’t even remotely close to being like the cookies I remember. Adding “sour cream” to the searches never helps, either.

In fact, any time I’ve mentioned sour cream as a key ingredient in the cookies, I’ve gotten some kind of a grimace from whoever I’m talking to- as if the entire idea of sour cream in cookies was disgusting to them; needless to say the people in my life have not been as interested in trying to find this recipe as I’ve been over the last decade and a half.

It took me a ridiculous 15 years to track this recipe back down as a result. But eventually... Finally... I was actually able to find one book this month on Archive.Org that pinged my “hey, I vaguely recognize that cover!” sensors: Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Cake and Cookie Recipes, from 1980. And what do you know, I was right- and there she finally is again ... And definitely not what I remember her being named at all; no wonder I could never find the damned recipe anywhere every time I’ve gone looking for the thing!

I do not remember walnuts ever being involved in them. That bit really doesn’t surprise me, though; since I married him I’ve been a bit notorious among my Husband’s family for omitting nuts from recipes that call for them at every conceivable opportunity, because the damned things’ve always felt like chewing on Styrofoam to me ... I guess that’s apparently been a habit of mine for far longer than I thought 🤣 Whoops.

I found a copy of the book, in Hardcover, in “Very Good” condition, on Abe Books for like $5 with free shipping immediately afterwards, and may or may not have made a late night impulse purchase for the sake of childhood nostalgia. I may also have zero regrets about it even now.

I’m so glad that I stuck by it and kept trying to find the recipe even when everyone looked at me like I was nuts for it. They’re just as good as I remember- if not better, honestly, now that I’m a better cook 🤣 Now I jut need a glass of Eggnog to go with them.

#Old Cookies With Krampus #KrampusCookies #Original Content #Original Community Content #Old Blog Reposts #2021 #Personal #Food Is The Ultimate Love Language #NonTrad Housewife #My Experiments In Food #Vintage Recipes

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mxb3jokes · 8 months

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Funny Joke

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looonnamoon · 3 years

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OMG THANK GOD ITS HERE

also thanks for waiting

Alsoalso

happy Halloween!! 🧡🧡

I'm so happy to post this bc I've been working on it this weekend so yeah lol

Hope you like it sweets!

Here's part 1

[Unedited]

Sprinkled love pt. 2

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Headcanons

- after asking him out to a small coffee date, bakugou was ECSTATIC for it. For the rest of the week, bakugou worked out EXTRA hard, planned everything to a tee, and checked the weather every five minutes.

- he finally got a date with you and there's no way in HELL he was going to let this date be ruined in any way possible.

- it rained.

- oh, it rained. hard.

- never EVER trust the fucking weather network.

- as bakugou was getting ready to go out anyways, he heard the doorbell ring.

- now, what he was expecting was probably some package or something, furling his anger more.

-as he stomped towards the door and slammed it open, you could say he was extremely surprised to see you, shaking off the excess water off of your umbrella.

"Hey! Sorry I came here out of the blue but I was thinking since it rained, I was wondering if we could maybe just have our date here instead!" You said, with shine in your eyes.

- the new plan seemed perfect as he had just sent his kids over to his moms place for the day.

-it infuriated him inside because of how you came up with something even better than the original plan in such a short time.

- hot, tall, and now smart too? When are you going to stop being so... so.... perfect?

- the date went much better than expected because of how intimate it was.

- you two had chatted for a bit, then after he made you both coffee, while telling you about his garden and how he home grows his coffee (Mr. Impress you much?), you both decided to also quickly make some chocolate cookies as well, they would go well with the coffee and also the kids would like them too.

- then after, you both just sat on the couch and chatted about whatever for a while.

- it was so fun, getting to know eachother and discovering new and interesting facts about eachother.

- bakugou didn't expect to have this much enjoyment from talking to you. The way you talked so lowly and calmly made his heart calm and his mind take in every word you said.

- at that moment, just when you two leaned in, just as every other time, he admitted to himself that yes, he was in love again.

- after their first date, everything has gone so well for them. Usually you would like to come over after work so that you can show bakugou (and sometimes his kids) some new design for a cake or a new flavor entirely.

- you also like to come over at night when dinner is around because 1. Bakugous cooking is the best and 2. Baking night.

- when you come over, his kids are ecstatic because you always bring your notebook full of recipes to make with them

-it always gets so messy, bakugou thinks.

- but when he sees his kids smiling up at you in awe while you perfectly crack an egg with one hand, with that beautiful motherly smile

- he can't help but smile too at his growing perfect family.

- the family also likes to come to your bakery just to talk to you while you're on break and his kids like to watch you decorate a cake. (It's so satisfying to watch them decorate tbh)

- also when you guys go on dates, most of the time you go to cafes and order their pastries so that bakugou can praise you on how your baking is better than their "microwave muffins".

- the house WILL smell like cinnamon apple mixed with pumpkin spice bc it makes the house feel much more warmer than it used to be

- bakugou just thought it was because of the candles from bath n body works but then he sees you playing with your kids, just like he did

-maybe it wasn't the candles that made the house feel even warmer than ever

- when Halloween rolls around (huehue u see what I did-), oh be sure that there will be a shit ton of homemade treats for the kids.

- bakugou invited you over because he needed help with

A. Putting on the kids costumes

B. Giving out treats

- now, you came prepared with some pumpkin spice cookies mixed with white chocolate, small cupcakes, and some mini smores that you made yourself.

- and because bakugou likes to go all out and make it some form of a competition, his house is decked out to make it as spooky as possible.

- that mixed with some delicious homemade treats?

- immediately becomes the favorite house to go to on Halloween

- the house will be now extra clean everyday because of yours and bakugous tendency to clean

- no dust particles will be found at the bakugou household

- no no

- and there will always be amazing food on the dinner table and amazing dessert to go with it too

- with baking nights, you also like to make a small competition on who can make the better food?

-one night, it could be a meal

-another night, it could be a dessert

-usually it's close to a tie because you both read recipes well and you both wouldn't want to lose the game lol

- the kids are the judges too

- which again, leads to a tie because they're both so good!

-as you can see, this family is a food family yk

- and bakugou wouldn't have it any other way

- he has his three wonderful kids

-and he found and fell in love again with a woman who makes him and his kids happy

- thank god, he finally found the perfect family ♡

#mha bakugou #bakugou katsuki #anime #bakugou x reader #mha #bakugou x reader fluff #kiss me please #i love him so much #♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

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lassieposting · 3 years

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Ok...u got my attention...💘 for skuldugery and cassandra

OH BOY I GOT ONE

send me 💘 + A SHIP and i’ll tell you—

where they first met and how

Okay so when they first meet, it's way back before he met Skugwife, when he was on-again-off-again with China and Ghastly and making his way up the ranks in the Sanctuary army.

A dashing young officer with an impressive inheritance and a string of victories under his belt would've been prime 1600s marriage real estate. They meet at some Sanctuary party, dance together a bit, get along very well. Skug was already arrogant and vain, but he was also charming and funny, which was a bonus, and they were social equals - she's from a wealthy, landed family herself. She was interested in him and they were in each other's social circle from around his mid-20s to when he met Wifey and fell disgustingly in love, at which point she conceded defeat and let him go.

It's actually Gordon who brings them back into each other's lives in the 1980s. They've both changed a lot since they last saw one another and she's not really sure what to make of him. He's colder, more serious, and she knows he's lost...pretty much everyone. When she tells him to come by anytime, he's polite but detached and basically says that's not a good idea, so she doesn't expect to see much of him in the future. But he comes back some months later with a difficult case to ask if she's seen anything, and from that point on they work together sporadically, if she has any visions that might be useful to him.

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved

They rekindle their flirtation after he comes back in Dark Days. He's not okay, not in the slightest, and she can see it. He's faking being okay, but he's overselling it. She knew him through the period where his mother was killed, and he tried to play that off the same way. He ends up driving out to her cottage at some ungodly hour of the early morning because he's falling apart and he doesn't really have anywhere else to go. she takes him in, sits with him until long after the sun comes up and lets him talk it out until he's dozing off where he's sitting.

By the War of the Sanctuaries, they're Together.

who fell for who first ( if applicable )

She was rather taken with him when they first met. She liked to think of herself as the future Mrs Captain Pleasant. He was attracted to her, but also otherwise entangled and considerably less invested.

When they get back together, it's more. Falling in love at the same time.

where their first date was and what it was like

They've spent a lot of time together, usually at her cottage, already. But he gets it into his head he wants to take her on an actual date, and she's a homebody, so he decides to make her dinner. It's kind of a disaster because he hasn't had to cook anything in hundreds of years - he follows a recipe, but he still manages to burn it and get food absolutely everywhere with the electric whisk. He's pretty frustrated and upset that he ruined it, but she finds it hilarious, and they end up cuddling on the couch with takeout and a movie.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? )

She gives him a key. She prefaces it with a big speech about how it doesn't have to mean anything, he just spends so much time there that he might as well be able to let himself in, and she wants him to have somewhere he really feels safe and comfortable and her place can be that for him if he wants, and -

He kisses her mid-speech, so she never gets to finish it.

who proposes first

He does. She'd never bring up marriage to him, when she knows how his first one ended. She can't be completely sure he's done grieving his first love, and she doesn't want to hurt him, so it's better not to bring it up.

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away

It's not a secret at all. Valkyrie still goes nearly a decade without noticing.

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? )

They're in bed together first thing in the morning. He doesn't remember the last time he was this relaxed and happy. He watches her wake up and she cuddles closer into him with the squinty morning-sun-in-your-face look and he never thought he'd love this much again and it just. Comes out.

who’s more dominant

Neither, really. They're very much a team. She tempers his recklessness, and he gives her a nudge out of her comfort zone. She has the same ability Wifey had, though, to wrangle him without ever letting on that she's doing it.

where their first kiss was and what it was like

He was totally drained after unloading a year's worth of torture on her post-Dark Days, and she was trying to comfort him. It doesn't lead anywhere - she puts him to bed on her couch and stays with him so he feels safe enough to switch off and sleep.

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? )

She buys him a hideous Christmas sweater the first year they're officially together, but has yet to successfully bully him into wearing it.

how into pda they are

They're your average couple. If she drops in on him at the Sanctuary, she'll kiss him goodbye. He'll put his arm around her when they're walking, or let her hold his hand. But neither of them is an exhibitionist.

who holds the umbrella when it rains

He does. He could easily just redirect the rain, but she likes nature stuff and that includes getting soaked through on occasion, kissing him in the rain, and splashing through puddles.

where their usual ‘date spot’ is ( if applicable )

Her cottage, more often than not. He'll happily take her out whenever she wants to, but she's a homebody at heart and she's more fond of going for long walks in the countryside near her home or cooking together, watching old movies, that sort of thing.

who’s more protective

Him, by a million miles. She doesn't necessarily like the amount of violence in his life, but to her he's very much the capable soldier who can look after himself. But she is a pacifist and very into the hippie ideology, so especially after the Night of Knives, she relies on him to protect her. He knows damn well that the only reason he didn't lose her the same night Finbar died is because he just happened to be sleeping over and the would-be assassin got more than he bargained for.

how long it is before they sleep together ( can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’ )

Probably circa KOTW? It can't have been Death Bringer, or he'd have asked her to the Requiem Ball.

if they argue about anything

Not often. She's one of the most emotionally healthy people in this series, and she's the closest Skulduggery Pleasant has ever gotten to therapy. She's all about communication and talking it out.

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. )

Skug.

who steals whose clothes and how often

She steals his jackets and coats. She'll wear something just a little too light for the weather, so that he'll inevitably offer her his suit jacket. It's an old way of courting that she finds very endearing.

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? )

what their favourite nonsexual activity is

They bring out the Old Person in each other. They like to go for long walks, and picnics, and dancing to old gramophone records. They read books and bicker about how much they did or didn't enjoy them. She likes to garden and paint, and he's not half bad at art either, so they'll paint each other and laugh about it.

how long they stay mad at each other

They don't. They argue very little in the first place, but Cassie is very communicative, so she usually manages to head off any potential arguments before they even start.

what their usual coffee / tea orders are

She has hot chocolate, and he has his black.

if they ever have any children together

No - but if he was ever going to have children with anyone else, it should probably be Cassie. She's sensible, level-headed and emotionally healthy, so he could be the same loving-but-irresponsible dad he was with Skugbab.

if they have any special pet names for each other

She's "Cassie" and he's usually "sweetheart" or "lovey".

what their shared living space is like ( messy? clean? what kind of decor? )

He "moves into"/spends most of his time at her little hippie hobbit hole, so nothing matches, tapestries everywhere, Interesting™ colour schemes, fuckin...crystals and tarot cards and witchy shit everywhere. They both have to make some compromises ("You don't bug me about making the bed and I won't play the banjo in the shower")

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like

Very inappropriate to talk about at parties.

He's a Christmas grouch, but he did get two days off work, so they basically spent the entire time eating, fucking or fast asleep.

what their names are in each other’s phones

She's just "Cassie" but that makes her one of the few people in his phone not to be "Firstname Lastname". He's "SP".

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? )

They can never really make plans for set days or times because of his incredibly erratic work schedule, but they make time every week to just spend time together. Unless the world is ending, which it usually does at least once a year.

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first

She falls asleep first at a sensible hour, and wakes up when he gets in. If she sleeps through him coming home, he'll stay up for an hour or two to work on a case, but if he wakes her, he'll go straight to bed and she'll go back to sleep with him holding her.

After the Night of Knives, she gets very anxious and stressed about being alone, especially when she hears the door open. So he'll call and wake her when he's leaving the Sanctuary, so that she knows to expect him home, and he's at the end of the phone any time she wants to get hold of him.

who’s the big spoon / little spoon

He's the big spoon like 70% of the time, but she's not opposed to letting him be the little spoon at all. Even the strongest general sometimes needs a good snuggle.

who hogs the bathroom

Cassie likes to take a book into the bath and spend hours in there. He'll come in and out as he pleases and sometimes do her hair for her or swipe bubbles on her nose.

who kills the spiders / takes them outside

Skug. This is, apparently, one of the greatest benefits to having him around all the time. He's glad she's comfortable enough with him to be honest that she's using him for his spider removal skills.

#skulduggery pleasant #sp headcanons #cassdug #long post

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everydaycookiesbc · 2 years

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Christmas Cookie Decorating 101

Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that’s a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you generate your own ideas for cooking decorating.

DECORATING COOKIES BEFORE BAKING

Cookies can be decorated before baking with materials that withstand the heat of baking. Some things that you can place on your cookies before baking are:

-colored sugars or natural sugars such as pearl sugar

-jimmies, non-pareils, silver and gold dragées, and other sprinkles

-raisins and dried fruits such as cranberries

-nuts

These items can be placed on top of almost any cookie to dress it up a bit and give it a more festive appearance.

Paint a masterpiece

You can also paint your cookies before baking them. Make an edible food paint out of an egg yolk mixed with a few drops of food coloring and paint the cookies with a clean paintbrush. The paint will dry while baking and give the cookie a colorful, glazed appearance. This is a fun activity for kids!

A bit of trompe l’oeil

The folks at Better Homes and Gardens have a creative recipe for Colored Cream Dough ( [http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?page=2&storyid=%2Ftemplatedata%2Fbhg%2Fstory%2Fdata%2F11429.xml&catref=SC1407] ) which is a dough of frosting consistency that can be piped onto cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a writing or star tip, and then baked. The result is a cookie that looks like it has been frosted but the frosting is baked on and hard.

DECORATING COOKIES AFTER BAKING

Decorating cookies after baking them requires that you apply some kind of liquid-based substance that will adhere to the baked cookie, or that will act as a glue to attach other items. Usually, this takes the form of frosting, icing, or melted chocolate.

Frosting vs. Icing

There is a big difference between frosting and icing. Frosting is thick and holds shapes like rosettes and shells like those you see piped around the edges of a birthday cake. It remains soft to the touch and has a creamy texture, and most people think it tastes better because of the creamy buttery flavor. Icing, on the other hand, is a thinner, more liquid substance, and as it dries it thins out, becomes very smooth across the surface of your cookie, and hardens. This is the icing to use for the most beautiful, professional results.

Read More : Christmas Cookie Decorating 101

#everydaycookies #cookiecarnival #cookiesinvancouver #cookiesvancouver #vancouvercookie #originalcookie

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themasterofpotions · 3 years

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Marauders British Bake Off Au.

-Dumbledore and Mcgonagall are the judges.

-Dumbledore wears weird clothing with odd combinations of pieces

-he silently judges the contestants choices of techniques or flavors, but offers smiles when he's pleased

-Mcgonagall is more like Paul and not as easy to please

-her technicals are a lot more difficult but not impossible.

-None of the marauders knew each other before the show, but they got on pretty well.

-They make jokes often and playfully criticize each other's methods or flavors.

-Black is very good at chocolate work and he makes rather extravagant flavors that you don't think would work but do (not always though. Sometimes he does a bit too much)

-his pipping is actually very neat, but he gets easily distracted by whatever the rest of the marauders are doing

-hes had a few problems before with his cakes, but he's the first one to get a handshake from Mcgonagall and he rubs it in everyone's faces

-during the judging period of the technical he either tries to joke with James or walk around in circles from nerves

-james is straight rubbish at tarts and some pastries

-his scones and breads are absolutely lovely however

-he gets a bit quiet when things get tough and doesn't take to coming in last very well

-he often jokes with Sirius, but he sometimes makes his way to Lily's station when he can to flirt

-but whenever his mates need an extra hand at toppings or layering heavy cakes, he's always the first one to offer help

-Remus is pretty decent at chocolate work as well and has unique flavors once in a while

-but he typically sticks to more traditional and simple flavors which he's often told to work better at since he plays it a little too safe

-he then starts to work with coffee and tea like flavors which he receives good compliments

-his things are baked just, but his measurements are a bit disporting which has led him in last or close to last a couple of times

-he was one of the few that people thought would be sent home, but he saved himself in the last minute with his chocolate souffle

-he does rise up as an underdog and wins star baker twice

-Lily and Severus also bond since their stations are close to each other. They also learn that they live near each other and have tea and coffee off the show

-Lily is a very good baker on her own, but sometimes she sneaks glances behind her to see what Severus is doing

-Her baking comes out very good, but sometimes it lacks flavor

-her decorating is very creative and beautifully done

-she takes the criticism well but also very personally. She spends a lot of time at home practicing and reading new recipes and techniques to become better prepared

-it eventually pays off and she meets the semifinals with her family's recipes of jams and cakes

-she often gets a bit annoyed at James but it's mostly in jest unless she's freaking out from the pressure

-Severus is more precise with his measurements and he rarely has a problem with his baking

-hes the most experience baker which is surprising since he doesn't look like he would be

-he still a chemistry teacher and his students are actually cheering him on during the week which surprises him

-he often says his students will never let him live it down if he loses so he works hard for himself and for spite

-his decorating could use some work, but he does well with fruit decorating since he's very good with a knife

-he doesn't do much sweet baking and tends to do more savoury and rustic flavors with herbs from his personal garden

-his flavors a very good and can sometime seem like they wouldn't work like Black's, but they're a bit more reasonable and simple

-however he's done well with more delicate bits, and his macarons are just perfect

- he does some practice at home but with lessons and grading, he doesn't have as much time as he likes.

-he is almost sent home when his fruit tart wasn't set correctly and it became a bit raw at the crust

-he distance himself from others most of the time since he doesn't like distraction besides Lily and occasionally Remus

-but during the judging he walks around towards the gardens to calm himself

#we can have a marauder au #and snape and the marauders all compete against each other #i want severus to win #but it could totally be Lily or Remus #british bake off #hp #modern au #muggle au #harry potter #Severus snape #remus lupin #lily potter #lily evans #James potter #sirus black #albus dumbledore #minevra mcgonagall #the great british baking show #story prompts

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strangebrews · 4 years

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book worm

pairing: eddie/venom [on ao3]

summary: Venom starts learning about human existence by reading magazines - decides Eddie is doing a worse job at existing than previously thought. also porn

tags: pwp; sub eddie brock; fluff+humor; that’s the important ones

thank you @corpsesolo for lovingly bullying me into finishing this

Venom was an avid reader of magazines.

It became clear very soon that differentiating between which person would serve as an appropriate meal and which would not was the easiest part of survival on Earth—learning about humanity’s other nuances and quirks was much more complicated. So Venom turned to magazines to compile this new information, rather than pestering Eddie with questions like What is the point of hair?

The first one it’d found had been lying around Eddie’s dingy apartment, hiding under a stack of other papers. The content inside was mainly cars and motorcycles—not enough to spark Venom’s interest, so it’d tossed the thing aside—but during one of their trips to the store, the magazines caught its attention once more.

Food.

Venom recognized the colored pages, fixating on the chocolate layer cakes and sizzling steaks which decorated the covers. It snatched one up while Eddie was distracted, saving to read it under the bed once they returned home.

This version of reading turned out to be much better, Venom decided that night, because they described what to eat, where to eat, how to eat. Venom flipped through the pages in awe, memorizing recipes as its hunger grew, saliva dripping from the tip of its tongue.

Reading became Venom’s new nocturnal activity, after it’d made sure Eddie was safely snoring in his dreams. And Eddie had begun feeling his stomach hollow right after he’d flicked the lights off lately, but he’d brushed it off as just another side effect of symbiosis.

After the stock of new, food-themed magazines had run out for the month, Venom gravitated towards the surrounding ones—wildflowers blooming in meadows, fancy tables neatly set in lilac rooms, women holding guitars while men sat at a drum set beside them. Gradually it discovered that these papers held the real secrets to surviving here. And perhaps unsurprisingly so, Eddie was missing quite a lot of the pieces.

Venom was quick to understand and memorize, a thick stack of magazines slowly rising up beneath the bed. Reading had simply confirmed Venom’s opinion that the mechanics of human existence were odd and unnecessarily complex, but it read for the sake of making coexistence easier on Eddie. Anything for Eddie.

Things like flavors and the purpose of furniture were fairly easy to grasp, but the one detail Venom still struggled to understand was fashion. Appearance had never mattered to symbiotes, aside from how big you were and which tentacle-weapon was being swung at your head, so the fact that people categorized clothes as good and bad seemed unnecessary. Eddie’s tattered hoodies and worn-out jeans did have their five seconds of fame in certain editions, though.

Clothes, on the whole, were pointless to Venom. Constricting. Hot. Useless for survival in San Francisco. Eddie could stroll around naked at all times and he would be perfectly fine. Venom wouldn’t mind—would have preferred that, really.

“You know we have to pay for those.”

Venom was caught mid-snatch one day, tendril lingering in the place where it’d emerged from Eddie’s shoulder. The truth was that its attempts at robbery hadn’t been very good—Eddie had recognized the suction-like sensation as a piece of Venom leaving his body early on. Besides, it was pretty hard not to notice the back of your shirt being lifted and having something tucked into the waistband of your pants during each shopping trip.

Pay?

It was an innocent mistake, really. The magazines had failed to discuss any details regarding currency and Eddie was always taking those other paper books out of the bins for free. You couldn’t blame Venom for not recognizing that distinction.

Eddie had been paying for them all along. Or, at least, after he’d noticed—which was only two trips in. He would receive an odd look from the cashier each time he pushed extra change across the counter, but the just trust me seemed to settle their worries.

“You know, Vee, you’re reading all the boring ones anyway.”

Boring? Venom rushed to the surface of Eddie’s skin, a little head poking out in front of him. These are all fascinating. Which ones are not boring?

“Never mind.” Eddie had ventured into the territory before contemplating whether he was interested in exploring it with Venom. He wasn’t—for the record—interested in explaining what a porn mag was. But Venom was relentless, and it was quite challenging to stop a thought from gnawing at you when there was quite literally something gnawing at you from the inside out.

Which ones are not boring , Eddie? Venom had grown agitated. There’d been a single flash of something in Eddie’s brain, but he was doing a very good job at suppressing anything else. And because Venom hated secrets, it let two tendrils seep out from Eddie’s ears, creating the same feeling as water clogged inside of them. A feeling Eddie couldn’t stand for very long.

“Okay...okay! Stop fucking doing that—it’s the ones with the animals.” he swatted at his face and Venom disappeared back inside, satisfied. “The nature ones. Those are always pretty cool.”

Eddie was impressed with himself, he would admit, for successfully fooling Venom out of that one.

+++

Buying the magazines was no longer a secret after that and Eddie considered the new strategy which Venom had developed quite sweet—at first.

Because as it turned out, new knowledge made Venom consider itself quite the expert, and it insisted on directing Eddie towards what was right and wrong based on conventions—an especially unfortunate reality, considering Eddie had long been leading a very unconventional life.

They started off as little things—Venom offering soft pointers while they were attempting to cook. At some point between their meals of human heads and tater tots, Eddie had decided it would be advisable that he threw a vegetable into the mix every once in a while. Some soggy microwave peas or boiled broccoli stalks—delicacies that usually ended up thrown into the trash.

Needs more salt.

They were sauteeing this time around, a new word in Eddie’s vocabulary. “No it does not.” He had no clue what he was doing—the pepper slices were already sticking to the pan, burn marks visible—but Eddie was stubborn and insisted on salvaging at least a chunk of dignity in this case. He would eat the charred, flavorless crap and even crack a smile after swallowing.

MORE salt.

Venom seeped into the muscle of Eddie’s arm, steering him towards the shaker, and because it was impossible to stop the motion, for obvious reasons, Eddie resorted to another tactic.

“Can you please let me try this alone for once?” Guilt tripping—a softer version of guilt-tripping. Because Eddie was aware that he was a loser, but he was actively trying to not be as big of a loser. Pleading Venom to work on growth alone always worked and it loosened its grip.

The peppers still tasted like shit. Salted to perfection—granted—but disgusting nonetheless. Eddie could feel Venom pressing up against the walls of his abdomen, forcing a distance between it and the food coming down.

We should not try this anymore, Eddie. It was grumbling from somewhere within Eddie’s chest, tone bordering on a whine, and this time Eddie could not find a valid reason to argue with the request.

Venom started applying his tips to categories outside of food eventually. Every morning it would remind Eddie to make his bed with the covers tucked neatly under the mattress and draw the shades. It was a stupid detail, unnecessarily tidy for someone living alone, but if Eddie refused, Venom would hiss into his ear and force the action anyway.

Have some respect for aesthetics. It’d stolen that line from Better Homes and Gardens .

Circular motions, not back and forth. A tendril would slip out from Eddie’s shoulder in the bathroom, wrapping itself around his toothbrush to guide the motions.

And as time passed, Eddie began to recognize specific themes based on what Venom was nagging him about during a certain week—had begun to categorize the topics by magazine.

That was a very highly rated song. Skip back to it.

Rolling Stone.

Did you hear Brad Pitt is considering re-mating with Angelina Jolie.

US . Or People . One of those. Eddie had seen the tabloid slipped under his pillow the day before.

You should rearrange the furniture into a more symmetrical structure. It will relax you. Help with your sleeping patterns.

And you know, there were plenty of reasons why Eddie had been feeling more tense recently—considering he’d recently found a side gig involving saving the world. Reasons that caused new aches and pains to prick at his joints, blisters that Venom was more than willing to heal with a few touches, but they had agreed that their day to day would remain normal. As normal as possible, that is.

So this was what normal humans did—at least according to Good Housekeeping .

+++

It became routine for Annie to pop by the apartment, make sure that Eddie was okay. Okay was an arbitrary description, but at least okay based on the circumstances he found himself in now. She’d learned to trust Venom quite quickly—knew that it would keep Eddie safe—but there were certain things she needed to see herself in order to settle her worries. And she did, it turned out, enjoy the alien’s company.

Annie never truly explained the reason behind her visits, and Eddie never complained—any time with her was always a gift. He’d bought coffee at one point, to have something to offer apart from his stuttered sentences and stained couch. It was very cheap, very bland, instant coffee, but Eddie wasn’t necessarily in a position to be picky. It tasted fine to him.

It wasn’t fine for Venom anymore.

We should be embarrassed, serving a woman of her quality this kind of trash. Last month’s copy of Food Network Magazine had been a special edition—entirely dedicated to the science behind coffee production, with a list of do’s and don’ts regarding brands included at the end.

“We’re on a budget, Vee.” but a flush of embarrassment still managed to creep up the back of his neck. He’d have to start monitoring what Venom picked out at the store, he noted. It was getting out of hand. And besides, Annie never offered any indication that she was offended by what Eddie had given her in the cup. Though she had always been very good at forgiving his smaller fuck-ups.

“It’s good to see you’re doing well, Eddie.” They were standing in his doorway now, exchanging routine goodbyes. Annie’s smile was tighter on this occasion, less genuine, and it would’ve concerned Eddie if he hadn’t noticed her trying to secretly slip some magazines to the tendril peeking out from his right hip. Eddie snatched them from her hand before Venom had a chance to grasp them for itself.

They were outdated versions—ones Annie had read and reread, and were now collecting dust in the living room. “How do you know?”

She shrugged, but a true smile now tugged at her lips. “I just know.”

“Well do you know he tortures me with that knowledge later on?” Eddie sighed in defeat and handed the magazines over to the tentacle poking incessantly at his cheek, smushing the skin. He’d lost this battle—was unwilling to fight it against Annie, anyway.

“Oh, I’m sure what Venom has to say isn’t doing you any harm. Change is good sometimes, Eddie.” her expression was sheepish now—not exactly the choice of words she was going for, but they both let it go.

We should listen to her more often—she’s very intelligent.

He shut the door behind Annie and immediately decided they were going to the store to buy new coffee. Not because Venom had decided, but because Eddie had. He was running low at home (the can was only half empty) and it would be rude to have a shortage the next time Annie showed up unannounced. As for his decision to try out a new kind of coffee this time, that was coincidental.

Your posture is horrible.

They were walking down the aisles when Eddie felt a rush under his skin as his shoulders suddenly jerked upwards. “What the fuck man?” he shook off the pressure and reverted to his hunched state. Venom’s behavior was slowly becoming ridiculous—far from helpful anymore.

He chose the most expensive kind of coffee he could find— fuck it . And it seemed to please Venom, because it remained silent, rumbling softly at the surface of his arms. That, or it had finally learned its lesson.

Eddie noticed a tentacle slip towards the magazine stand as they passed, so just for good measure—to hammer his point in completely—he said, “No—we’re not buying those this time.” Venom was flustered by Eddie’s denial, but not enough to pass up an opportunity. It grabbed the closest thing on the shelf before they were out of reach, not paying attention to what it was. And Venom had learned something after all—how to float the magazine behind Eddie’s back so that he did not sense a thing.

The new magazine was...different. Definitely fascinating. Worthy of a read, a reread and then another reread. It quickly became one of Venom’s favorites.

And there was no nature in this one—not the nature Eddie had been talking about, anyway.

+++

Eddie had a boner.

It wasn’t necessarily a revelation—it was obviously not the first time he’d had the experience—but in the months following Venom’s arrival, those types of things had grown more complicated.

Complicated meant Eddie had refused to tend to certain biological needs. It was a combination of embarrassment and shyness, really—the notion that something would be watching him. How he would manage to have sex with anyone else ever again hadn’t been resolved yet. One misfortune at a time.

So Eddie repressed it. As best he could.

He’d found that meditating actually worked well when it came to toning down the horniness—if he dug his nails into his palms and forced his mind to visualize walls or rocks. The real issue with the boners was their frequency. He’d tried it once or twice under the shower, teeth grinding to prevent any noises from escaping, but it just wasn’t the same. Wasn’t enjoyable . It was the complete opposite of what everyone celebrated bachelor life for. Fucking tragic. And after nearly two months of avoiding any form of self-indulgent jerk off session, his dick was revolting against him.

It didn’t take a lot anymore—a brush of fingertips, a pat on the back, accidentally rubbing it against the counter. He’d left Mrs. Chen’s once sporting a halfie because she’d smiled at him for a bit too long—Mrs. fucking Chen . He’d buried that one deep into his memories, hoping Venom wouldn’t probe too deep—ironic.

So there was Eddie Brock that night, in the dark, unable to remember which perfectly innocent image had conjured up the situation this time around, with his cock slowly growing harder.

He palmed himself through the layers, still a bit hesitant. It couldn’t be that bad, he thought, having a bit of an audience. And besides, holding out on an orgasm was actually a health risk. The build-up of pressure could be lethal—he swore he’d read that somewhere at some point. Maybe it was even a slice of Venom’s newfound information mixing in with his own.

“Oh fuck it,”

He shoved the covers off, tugging his boxers just down to his thighs, the head of his cock bobbing out from underneath the fabric. He grabbed the base firmly, a sigh escaping from between his lips accidentally, but he couldn’t be fucking bothered anymore—it’d been too long.

He pumped once, twice, relief washing over his limbs. It was the first proper touch in months—he’d forgotten how good a hand and some imagination could feel.

You’re doing it wrong.

The voice grumbled from somewhere within Eddie’s chest, seemingly lower than usual, but Eddie continued, thrusting slightly into his palm on the third stroke.

You’re doing it wrong.

Eddie had assumed the first time was a mistake, but Venom made its presence clear now. He felt a rush along his legs, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake, and Venom’s head emerged from his hip, face inches away from where Eddie’s fingers were gripping.

“I’m doing it wrong?” he stopped mid-stroke, eyes locking in on Venom’s milky ones.

Yes.

Eddie swallowed the dryness in his throat, but still snorted in irritation. An alien —telling him he was jerking himself off wrong.

“Right, well if you’re the expert then why don’t you demonstrate?”

What he said was technically a joke—born from a combination of nerves and genuine frustration at being interrupted after he’d finally gathered the courage to do this. He ignored the prick of a desire that had been floating around in the back of his head.

A smile creeped onto Venom’s face, spreading its maw open wider, teeth glittering in the moonlight. It’d been waiting for this—the fact dawned on Eddie and his cock twitched in response. His invitation echoed off the walls.

Don’t touch.

A single tendril weaved its way between Eddie’s fingers, pulling his hand away to pin it down tightly into the mattress. Venom’s tongue replaced the touch immediately, licking up slowly from the base and dipping into his slit teasingly. It drew back only momentarily, a strand of saliva hanging between Eddie’s throbbing head and the end of its tongue. Eddie bit back a moan at the sight, wrists straining against Venom’s grip.

Venom responded to the reaction and repeated the motion once more, before wrapping its tongue around Eddie’s cock like a fist, another piece of it moving down to cup his balls. It pumped up and down in swift strokes, licking away the pre-cum coating Eddie’s cock and it felt fucking good —definitely better than any measly attempts he’d been making all these years.

Eddie’s cheeks had flushed completely and the tips of his ears burned red, a familiar pressure already beginning to rise in his belly. Venom stroked his cock in long, exaggerated motions, hovering after each one to build Eddie’s desperation. Proving a point , Eddie thought, mocking him for his silly, little human efforts but it was working— fuck , it was working.

It was ridiculous, actually, for him to be approaching an orgasm this quickly, his legs already quivering. But Eddie’s stubbornness towards proving his own point still tugged at his tongue so he mumbled, “Feels the same as always.”

That was enough to spark a reaction.

Eddie felt the shudder surge through his veins as Venom unwound its tongue, opening its jaws wider. For a moment he thought he’d crossed a risky boundary, God, it’s gonna bite my dick off, I’m going to be a sad, dickless man , but the fear was wiped away when Venom swallowed down his cock.

Eddie gasped at the suddenness, heels digging into the sheets as more tendrils sprouted out from between his thighs, winding their way up his hips.

“Fuck, Vee.” the words were drawn out, the hairs along Eddie’s arms bristling as Venom swirled its tongue. He had overcome any lingering embarrassment now, fixated on the heat engulfing him. He could feel Venom’s growing enthusiasm humming just beneath his skin.

It was wetter, hotter than a human mouth and Eddie fucked into the maw with increasing urgency, nearly burying himself to the hilt. Venom’s eyes simply narrowed.

Could you make an alien gag? Even now, balls deep in said alien’s throat, logic was nagging him.

No . Venom took him in deeper.

So Eddie had definitely been doing it wrong, it turned out. His entire body was on fire now, sweat coating his brow, the sharp tugs at his nipples sending pricks of delicious pain down his chest. It was nearly enough for him to miss the tentacle that had started slithering up the back of his right thigh.

“Vee….” This was happening. The tendril probed his ass, a few touches ghosting over his hole. Eddie whimpered at the contact—this was really fucking happening.

Venom pulled away from Eddie’s cock and flipped him over onto his knees with a surprising gentleness. Countless tendrils rubbed along his sides and over his stomach, brushing up against his balls as Eddie’s cock dripped onto the sheets. Waiting —the word flashed in front of his eyes. Venom was waiting for permission. Or for Eddie to beg. Perhaps a combination of the two, and Eddie had reached a point where he was eager to provide both.

“Please..” he had moaned himself hoarse already, the plea barely a whisper, but it didn’t matter—Venom could feel his need and the notion prompted him to angle outwards, spreading his ass apart.

A slim tendril pushed through the ring of muscle with ease, Venom’s own slipperiness serving as lube. It’d been a while since he had done things this way, but the feeling of being filled still sent the same shock up his spine, thighs trembling. He clenched experimentally and the tentacle grew thicker.

Venom slid more tendrils in, stretching Eddie out before merging into one piece. It settled into a steady rhythm quickly, wispy finger-like tentacles still skimming the underside of his cock.

Eddie rocked with the movement, teeth digging into the flesh of his cheek. The tendril grew thicker with each thrust, pressed right up against his prostate. It wasn’t an isolated feeling—Eddie sensed it along his arms, through his legs, eyes flooding with black as Venom massaged his entire body.

He mocked himself for denying this for so long, for actually considering to refuse if Venom had ever offered. It was better than any human hand or dick—and he was hyperly aware that his body was gradually being torn apart, but the feeling reigned over any pain. He needed more, more, more .

We can do this all the time, Eddie.

Eddie felt the thrumming of his thoughts being silenced as Venom curled tighter around his limbs, steadying his hips to bury itself deeper in him.

He came soon after that, messily, the fingers teasing his cock merging into a hand to empty him entirely.

With his heart fluttering against his ribcage, Venom pulled out gently and blanketed itself over Eddie’s body. Eddie was laughing, mainly in exasperation, partially in pain, but he still managed to squeeze a, “Which fucking magazine taught you how to do that, Vee?” in between giggles.

Venom’s answer was simple. Men’s Health .

#venom #symbrock #symbrock fic #eddie brock #venom 2018 #mine #it's donzo!!!!!#woohoo on to the next one lmfao

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peace-coast-island · 3 years

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Diary of a Junebug

An egg-cellent day for an adventure

It's another fun filled day of baking sweet treats at the camp as we've got a surplus of eggs to use up. Good thing Emilia decided to drop by along with her daughter Michele Toni for a well deserved mother-daughter weekend. I was hoping for the day when Emilia would stop by for a visit and now she's here!

(Psstt... Andrea, Selene, Paget, Lena, Rini, Malka, Kate, Annie, and Luciana- camp's open all year round for visitors so if you can, come on over!)

Along with collecting eggs scattered across the camp and making baked goods, Emilia's also filming a travel-style vlog for her channel Emilia Eats. She mainly does recipe videos with an occasional vlog, something she's been doing for about ten years now. Along with making videos Emilia runs a local catering company of the same name.

I've always loved Emilia's cooking and baking - it's one of the many things I look forward to when I visit home - second to my mom's, of course. Also I love her videos as she's got a sweet personality that makes me feel enthusiastic about baking. I've saved a lot of her recipes for reference and sometimes I just like watching her videos just to see old friends like Serena, Tony, and Michele.

I'm glad to see Emilia in a much better place. We caught up a bit at the wedding, where I got to know Michele Toni a bit more as well as catch up with her dad. The past few years have been rough on them but now it looks like things are finally settling down for Emilia and Mr. Phillips.

Little Michele Toni's so cute, she's almost like a mini-me of Emilia. Hard to believe she's a toddler now and it's so cute seeing her take an interest in baking! I always love seeing her "cooking" alongside her mom in various videos.

Around the time before Michele Toni was born, Emilia was going through a rough time. Up until then, the Phillips-Conrad family were a happy bunch. The family had a bit of unwanted publicity as Mr. Phillips was, and still is, a big name in town, so the fact that he, a white man, adopted two young black girls was something the media wanted to dig up dirt on. Truth is, there was nothing to stir up - Emilia and Michele's mom and Mr. Phillips were good friends and he was always like a father figure to the girls. Both didn't have much living family so they assigned each other as godparents to their kids.

For years they were a happy family - Emilia, Tony, and Michele. Tony was the one who helped Emilia get started with her channel, teaching her how to film and edit videos as well as get more views. Michele was the one who helped Emilia come up with recipe ideas and in the videos where she's featured, the two would often talk about their mom. Emilia always spoke fondly of her as did Tony while Michele would listen intently when the two told stories of the past. Those videos are always bittersweet to watch, especially now that Tony and Michele are gone.

Things changed when Tony went off to college, traveling abroad and rarely coming home. Michele also went abroad and later got caught up in a hectic, stressful lifestyle, leaving Emilia in Rosevine balancing her life as a baker and a Galaxy Fighter. We all had a feeling that Tony and Michele were going to leave while Emilia stayed so it was expected that the three would go their separate ways. They were still a close knit family though - none of us suspected that something was wrong.

The deaths of Tony and Michele were a huge shock to the community. Both were struggling with alcoholism and drug addiction as their lives took a toll on them. Tony died from a drug overdose and Michele drove off a bridge, both were at their lowest point due to unlucky breaks. Then months later Serena died in the Crystal Shadow War so in that time span Emilia lost her siblings and best friend.

It was a difficult time for everyone. I was also going through some rough patches myself so you can imagine how bad it was. Pretty much everyone I knew from home was going through a terrible time because the universe somehow decided to be a dick and throw all these tragedies at us.

Thankfully, those days are behind us. Months later I opened the camp, Emilia and the other Galaxy Fighters had their spirit revived thanks to a band of adventurers - I guess you can say the darkest hour is just before dawn. Not everything's perfect right now, but we're all doing a lot better, and that's what matters.

Along with some new friends sort of turning Rosevine upside down, Emilia was in for another unexpected turn. Not too long after Serena's death, Emilia started seeing some guy who wasn't good for her. Then Michele Toni was born and she was probably the best thing to ever happen for her mom and grandpa in light of the tragedies that plagued them. It wasn't until last year when Michele Toni made appearances on Emilia's channel and stole the show. Seeing the two of them bake together makes me so happy - and I'm glad that Emilia finally feels comfortable embracing her role as a mom.

Michele Toni had a lot of fun bringing us eggs she found while exploring the camp, her favorite place being the beach. Emilia says her favorite hangout spot is Sunburst Island because it reminds her of her family's summer home in Watercolor Vineyards. I've never been there but from how she, Tony, and Michele described it, the island sounds beautiful!

While sightseeing and scavenging for eggs, Emilia filmed for her vlog and caught me and Daisy Jane up on everything that's been going on at home. Selene, Arianne, and Vitoria are up to the usual, their latest adventure happened to be with Team Magic involving smoke screens, zombies, and frozen tidal waves. Kate's got a big tennis match coming up while Malka has a concert in a couple weeks. Rini and her grandma are doing well, running the shrine as usual and planning for their yearly spring trip to Tranquility Falls. Lena and Annie are busy at the hospital saving lives and helping others. Paget's doing all right, holding her own, taking it one day at a time. Andrea and Robin are doing their best too, keeping up with Selene and the others. Luciana's checking in on everyone as usual, coming to the rescue in the nick of time.

Hunting for eggs was a lot of fun! Emilia showed off her powers a little for the campers. As a Galaxy Fighter, she's Guardian Cyclone and her powers involve manipulating air into wind, creating powerful blasts that can be as strong as a hurricane. Since a good batch of the eggs are in hard to reach places (Why, Zipper, why?), it's a good thing we have Emilia here to help her out because she's currently the tallest person here right now, she's an agile climber, and can use her powers to drop eggs that are impossible to reach. In a stroke of luck, not a single egg was broken - and we were kinda rough with them.

Once we were satisfied with the amount of eggs we collected (maybe not satisfied but you can only collect so many eggs before you get annoyed by them popping up everywhere you go), it's time to get cooking! For savory dishes we made a bunch of quiches to put many of the eggs to good use and so we can freeze them for later. We made a bunch of different kinds - spinach and feta, four cheese, kimchi, salmon and cream cheese, shakshouka, garden veggies, sausage - it's a good thing we labeled everything! Of course, we used Emilia's trusty old recipe for a buttery, flaky crust that's not only delicious, but easy to make and freezes well.

The desserts was where we went all out. I happened to score a nice bargain with a barrel full of perfect peaches so we made a lovely pie with those. Daisy Jane taught us how to make egg tarts, a sweet treat I haven't had in forever. Coco made carrot cake cheesecake bars, Claude baked a giant quadruple chocolate mousse cake, and Dora made a lovely assortment of digestive biscuits to go with freshly brewed tea. Emilia made up a recipe on the spot - lemon vanilla cardamon bars - which turned out really good.

Since the lemon vanilla cardamon bars were such a hit, Emilia's gonna make a recipe video of it - at the camp. I still can't believe that Daisy Jane and I are gonna be on Emilia Eats - first for the vlog, now a recipe video! It's taken her years but Emilia plans to get most, if not all, her friends to appear on her channel. She plans to get Team Magic on next as she's planning a video with Mariposa and Skully, developing a recipe with Angie, figuring out what she wants to do with Luna that won't blow up the kitchen, and waiting on Pippa and Willow.

I can't wait to see what Emilia Eats has in store because Emilia's been knocking it out of the park lately! Her videos have always been consistently good but in the past few months she's been putting a lot more heart into it. Even when times were tough, Emilia always managed to put on a brave face. I remember watching her videos during those times, how despite everything that was going on, Emilia continued making recipes. We all have our different ways of coping with grief and hers was to continue with business as usual, which can be a good and bad thing.

Hanging out with her and watching her play with Michele Toni, I know for sure that Emilia's going to be all right. We can't undo the past and bring back lost loved ones, but we can carry on. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I think I see a little bit of Michele Toni's aunt and uncle in her. She's definitely got her mom's heart and spirit.

After a fun day of collecting eggs and baking, it's time for a well deserved bonfire dinner of quiches, seafood chowder, and freshly baked sourdough bread. Then tomorrow will be more egg hunting, baking, filming, and good old camping fun!

#animal crossing #animal crossing pocket camp #Diary of a Junebug #headcanon ramble

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desiraypark · 4 years

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When the Sun Sleeps in Canto Bight [5]

Previous Entire Work CHAPTER PLAYERS

The Knights of Ren: Ushar, Cardo, Trudgen, Ap’lek, Vicrul aka “Vic”, and Kuruk) Kylo Ren, Leader of the Knights of Ren Ruby Girard, The Beautiful Singer CHAPTER CONTENT N*FW -| Sexual content; mention of sex work; alcohol; language; back-story Additional Notes: Galactic Standard Calendar | 1920s Stockings, Tights, Nylons, Socks History by Vintage Dancer (scroll down to see how women of color (particularly Black women) wore their stockings) Word Count: 2,721

“I don’t get it. You fuck ‘em good, you give ‘em money and nice clothes—put ‘em up in a nice place, and they still aren’t satisfied. If I was a broad, I would be a-fuckin’ okay,” Ushar said, leaning back in a chair and smoking a cigarette. “She wants the ring, man. She wants the ring,” Cardo said. He was cleaning his gun. “Well, I’ve got a damn wife! Shit!” Ushar proclaimed. The Knights of Ren—all but Kylo, Vic, and Kuruk—were sitting in office of The Garden Lounge—their flagship establishment for over thirty years. It was a placed that lived up to its name: beautiful plant décor in the lounge; sky blue walls and plush brown carpeting—girls dressed in just enough to not be obscene, but just a little to remind you of “nature”, if you will. Vic was out front entertaining guests and Kuruk was manning the office. Trudgen was leaning against the teak-wood desk, downing a glass of whiskey, while Ap’lek was stretched out across the chaise. Finally, Kylo came in.

“Evening, fellas,” Kylo said. “Evening,” they responded. “Where’s Vic?” Kylo asked as he sat behind his desk. “Minglin’,” Ap’lek answered. “Do you have your fuckin’ shoes on my couch?” Kylo asked. Ap’lek sat up and planted his feet on the floor. “Sorry, Boss.” “What’s goin’ on with the wife?” Kylo asked Ushar. He shook his head. “Wife’s fine. It’s the other one that’s bein’ a fuckin’ brat,” he responded. “Why don’t you get rid of her?” Kylo asked, organizing things that didn’t need organizing on his desk. “Pussy’s too good, man.” The Knights chuckled. “Can somebody get—” Kylo started. At that moment, Vic walked through the door and left it open. Kuruk stood outside but stayed close enough to the office to hear what was going on. Vic sat beside Ushar, and Trudgen sat beside Ap’lek on the sofa. Kylo looked up at Kuruk and waved him in. “Come on in, Kuruk. Nobody’s gonna barge in here,” he said. Kuruk nodded, closed the door, and leaned against the wall beside it. “What’s goin’ on, fellas? Ap’lek, anything you wanna discuss?” Kylo asked. “Nope.” “I hear the Kesyk gang’s got a hold of some new toys. Automatic. Fast,” Cardo chimed in. “What makes ‘em special?” Kylo asked. “Faster. More precise. Lightweight,” Cardo answered. “Interesting. Look into it. How’s tricks?” “Steady,” Ushar answered. “The johns are startin’ to get a little bold, though. One of ‘em got a little rough with Hela and she cut him.” “Why can’t these bastards shoot their fuckin’ nut and leave?” Kylo asked. “How’s Hela?” “You know her. She’s cool but she said she’ll do it again,” Ushar answered. “As she fuckin’ should.

“Yeah, but--you think that would drive men away?” Ushar asked. “These fuckin’ johns would step over alligators to get some ass. And they know we’ve got the best fuckin’ girls and guys in Canto Bight. If they act like they have some sense, they ain’t gotta worry about nobody pullin’ no fuckin’ blades on ‘em.”

Ushar shrugged in reluctant agreement, and Vic smiled to himself.

The booze?” Kylo asked.

“Booze is flowin’. Hearin’ more complaints from South Side, though,” Vic answered. “They still waterin’ the shit down?” Kylo asked. “No. This time they’re puttin’ in too much,” Vic answered.

“People goin’ in for a couple of drinks and walkin’ out eatin’ the fuckin’ concrete,” Trudgen chimed in. He polished off his whiskey. “Fuckin’ idiots. I guess the only thing we can do is give them a fuckin’ recipe book or somethin’,” Kylo said. “Anything else goin’ on?” “Nope/No, boss,” the Knights said in unison. Vic cleared his throat. “There is one thing. Ren’s cousin reached out to me,” he said. “Sheev? That fuckin’ weirdo. What does he want?” “He was very vague. Said he wanted to discuss business and his “retirement”. Said to swing by the Death Star anytime. I was thinking Primeday? Around 2?” Vic suggested. “No can do. Got plans on Primeday. Centaxday. Afternoon.” Vic nodded. **********************

PRIMEDAY

Kylo had spent the afternoon before dreaming up the perfect Primeday dinner. Everything usually closed or closed early on Primeday, so he had to think fast. Once he got an idea, he made his list and headed out to the markets—the butcher for lamb chops; the produce vendor for potatoes, mushrooms, lemons, and carrots. He’d even snatched a bottle of wine from the Garden Lounge’s inventory, and bought a chocolate cake from the bakery. Ruby agreed to be picked up at three.

When Kylo pulled up at about 2:55, Ruby stood outside her building wearing another pink dress, blue baby doll heels, white stockings, and holding a white clutch in her hand. Thick curls peeped out of her white cloche hat. As she walked to the car, he climbed out and lifted his hands. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asked. Ruby froze. “What?” “You’re supposed to wait for me to come to your fuckin’ door,” he said. Ruby shook her head and kept walking, and he walked toward her. She looked him over—his tall figure dressed from head to toe in black: black trousers, black shirt, black vest, black oxfords. “I just thought it would be more convenient for me to wait outside for you,” she fibbed. Truth was, she didn’t want Crystal sizing him up and asking him questions. Kylo took her hand and led her to the car.

Kylo had called Ruby’s building a dump. His building was nice, but so lifeless and empty. No art on the walls; no flowers. His own apartment was similar. Clean. Very clean and neat. But no art. No colorful accents to catch your eye. He had a gramophone but owned no records. At least he had a radio. After he’d poured her a glass of wine in his tiny kitchen, she’d taken it upon herself to go into the living room and turn it on. Then, she got a better look at the place—no pictures. Just a burgundy couch that appeared to never have been sat on and a dining table with only two chairs in the corner. “You gonna leave me in here by myself, Babydoll?” Kylo called from the kitchen. Ruby smiled and walked back into the kitchen. Kylo had taken off his vest and rolled up his sleeves. He was standing over his stove, putting potatoes into a pot of water. Then, he went into the icebox and pulled out a thick piece of brown paper—stuffed with something. Ruby leaned against the counter and watched him work, trying to bite down a smile. “Tell me about yourself,” he requested. Ruby took a sip of her wine. “You first.” She saw his chest rise and fall, trapping a chuckle. “What do you wanna know?” Ruby thought back to the things Crystal told her. Where to start? Why did he call himself Kylo Ren if he was a Solo? An Organa? She chose to point at the most intriguing target. “Did you try to kill your father?” she asked. Kylo dropped pieces of meat into a bowl he’d filled with water. “I didn’t try to kill him. We got into a fight. He was winning. I pulled a knife on him to scare him off.” Ruby’s jaw dropped. “Oh…” Kylo didn’t continue. “May I ask what the fight was about?” Kylo sighed. He grabbed a bottle of vinegar from his cupboard and poured some into the bowl.

“I’d been out with some friends. Fuckin’ around. Stayed the night with some br--some girl--and didn’t come home until the next morning. I was 18. Thought I was a man. My dad wouldn’t let me inside. Told me I was falling to the Dark Side...that I needed to repent and start coming to sanctuary with him, yada-yada-yada. I told him to shove his sanctuary up his ass and we just started brawlin’ in front of the neighbors.” “So, you’ve always been a little smart mouth,” Ruby joked. Kylo laughed. “Not always. I was just tired of people telling me what to do.” Ruby put her wine glass on the counter, grabbed the edge, then lifted herself to sit high. Then, she yanked off her hat and fluffed her hair. “What did your mom have to say about all of this?” she asked. “She did what she usually did. Defended me in front of him. Because she hates him just as much as I do. But told me how much of a disappoint I was to her behind closed doors.” Ruby’s watched Kylo move about in silence--moving the meat around in the bowl. Everything was making sense. The typical tale—poor little rich boy, rebellious and angry. He glanced at her, then avoided her sympathetic stare--placing his eyes on the pot of boiling potatoes instead.

“I’m sorry you went through that,” she said. He shrugged and washed his hands.

"Eh. I’m over it. It was a long time ago,” he said. He dried his hands on a towel, then poured himself a glass of wine. “Your turn,” he said as he poured.

“What do you want to know?” Ruby asked, echoing him. “Tell me about your parents.” He rested his hip against the counter and took a sip.

“I think…my mom is essentially your dad,” she said with chuckle. “Everything is dark-sided to her. Singing about anything unrelated to the gods. The radio. Picture shows. Lipstick. She didn’t have to put me out. As soon as I turned 18, I was outta there.” Kylo listened to Ruby speak, but found himself getting lost in her--her hands that moved with every word she said; brown legs that lifted by the knee when the edge of the counter started cutting off her circulation. Even when she talked, there seemed to be a melody in her voice. She spoke highly of her father—apparently he was a laid-back and funny man—and she justified her mother’s puritan ways by admission of her being protective and caring. “So, mom wouldn’t think too highly of me, huh?” Kylo asked. “Oh, she’d probably melt into a puddle, she’d be so incensed,” Ruby said with a laugh. She guzzled the remainder of her wine. Ruby’s laugh made him smile. He tapped his fingers against his wine glass. “What does Ruby think about me?” he asked. A stillness fell over her. She stared at Kylo’s face—dark eyes boring into her; long waves draped over the side of his face as the result of a side part. Her eyes fell onto the stitches on his cheek, then back at his irises. “I think you’re impulsive and hot-headed,” she said. Kylo rolled his eyes and smirked. “…and passionate. Maybe even loyal...in search of something…” Potatoes began to knock against each other in the pot. Kylo stared into Ruby’s eyes, then at her painted lips. They parted just a centimeter, as though tired of being pressed together. Tired of not being touched. Kylo leaned in close and stopped. Ruby traveled the rest of the space and pressed her lips to his. He moved to stand directly in front of her and held the nape of her neck, pulling her closer as she rested her hands on his waist. He stopped kissing her but didn’t pull his face away. “You want me to stop?” he asked breathlessly. His heart was pounding and he silently prayed that she said “no”. “No,” she said. Kylo pressed his lips back against hers and ran his hand up her thigh. She held the back of his neck and deepened their kiss—pushing her tongue into his mouth. He let her tongue in, and the hand that was on her neck, moved up to grab a handful of her curls. Ruby moaned into his mouth and opened her knees. The feeling of Ruby’s knees moving against him made Kylo stiffen. His hand moved further up her thigh, and in between them. He slipped two fingers past the seat of her panties and rubbed them against her outer lips. Then, he rubbed his way to her warm core and pushed them inside. Ruby pulled her face away and rested her head against the cupboard. Her eyes were wide. “Your fingers are big,” she said with shock in her voice. Kylo smiled and kept fingering. He pushed her left knee open some more, then watched her face crinkle. She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip—allowing ecstasy to overtake her. Then, he stopped fingering her and bent at his waist. Just as he did so, the water on the stove began to boil harder. He jumped up—annoyed at the stove for doing its job—turned the burner off, yanked Ruby’s panties down, and put them in his pants pocket. Then, he pushed back the skirt of Ruby’s dress. She tilted to the left to lift the right hem, then tilted to the right to lift the left—revealing the hooked garters that pressed into her fleshy thighs and held her nylons up. She let the bottom of her dress bunch at her waist.

Kylo stared at her vulva—everything. The lips; the slit leaking from its top and probably down to her core with arousal; the brown rosebud that was fighting to be seen. Ruby pressed her palms against the counter and opened her legs more. Kylo smirked. “Anxious?” he asked. “Yes. I am,” she answered—breath loud, hot, and sure. Kylo bent at the waist and turned his body to the side. He dipped his head between Ruby’s inner thighs, and without hesitation, rapidly flicked his pointed tongue against her clit. Ruby cried out and grabbed a handful of his hair, moaning as he lapped her up. He didn’t abandon an inch of her—tongue venturing around, over, and inside of her—causing her to grind against his face. With a mouth full of pussy, he stared up at her, ego steadily growing with every squirm, every twitch of her brow and every bite of her lip. When he stuck his fingers back inside, she tightened her grip against his scalp and finally looked down at him. The sight of him looking up at her with darkened eyes made her own eyes close again, but he put space between his lips and her flesh. “Look at me when you come,” he said. A chill went down Ruby’s spine and she looked down into Kylo’s eyes. He inserted a third finger and massaged her walls as he sucked and ravaged her clit. Suddenly, he felt her contracting over his fingers. Her jaw dropped and a strained sound left her throat. Then, she let out an endless high-pitched moan and tried to pull away from his lips—but Kylo didn’t stop until his tongue absorbed the very last drop of her sweet cum. She fell backward and rested her head on the cupboard again—loud breaths filling the quiet of the kitchen. Barely giving her a minute, Kylo peeled her off the counter and tossed her over his shoulder—making her squeal as if she were on an amusement ride. He carried her to his bedroom and dropped her onto his bed. He pulled off her shoes, then pulled at the buttons of his vest. Ruby sat up, pulled her dress over her head, unclasped her bra, and tugged at the hook on her right garter. “Keep those on,” he said. He stared at her thighs and licked his lips.

Ruby moved her hand and fell back. She watched Kylo get completely naked. She barely got a good look at him before he was on top of her, planting kisses against her neck. He grabbed her right leg and pressed it back so that her knee was over her chest. Shortly after, she felt something warm and stiff rubbing against the outside of her core—it pressed into her, and the pressure sent a wave throughout her entire body. “Fuck…” they whimpered at the same time. Then, they chuckled. Kylo kissed her lips and inhaled her moans as he pushed more inches into her. He caught her grabbing the blanket in his peripheral, and slowly penetrated her until he couldn’t go any further. “You okay?” he asked. “Yes,” she strained to answer.

He grabbed her left hand and placed it over the meatiest part of his waist. Then, he dragged out of her, and drove back in. He held on to her right thigh, the leg still pushed back, and dipped in and out of her—fast enough to please, but slow enough for the both of them to feel their lover’s every twitch and pulse, and grip and stroke.

#when the sun sleeps in canto bight #chapter 6 coming thursday

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ohnoyoonoh · 4 years

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should haves | based off of sunflower by harry styles, like the meaning. | jaehyun angst | requested | a/n: i assumed how you wanted sunflower to be used in like the meaning, which i researched about. if you’re not satisfied with the story, please message me!

a photo-book was always a good way to reminisce memories. people say to live the moment, but jaehyun was the type of person to live the moment and capture it to relive the sweet memory once again.

he started the photo-book, once he received a polaroid as a christmas gift. he remembered when he started. he started exactly the first day of the new year. he thought it would be fun to take a picture of something everyday. then, he realized that taking one every day wasted precious film, but he also grew bored of capturing his cacti and little things in his apartment. despite the circumstances, his subjects evolved from the succulents placed in his home to himself or maybe his food to someone worth while.

jaehyun flipped to the next page after reaching the pictures that started to be filled with your presence. he chuckled, as one of the pair of polaroids were you and him covered in flour. that day was filled with joy as you both tried to make a homemade brownies after he found a recipe online that worked out with his best friends. he remembered that you only agreed because you didn’t fully trust him as he burnt the meal the last time he tried to make food.

“so we’re going to need three cups of chocolate chips,” you read the recipe on your computer before looking at him which he nodded. he searched through the drawers and cupboards to find the measuring cups and spoons. as he rummages in a drawer, he perked up his head, “babe, i don’t think we have measuring spoons or cups.”

meanwhile, you were busy taking out the other ingredients that were listed but stopped after hearing him. he squatted quietly as you pondered upon the subject. he watched your facial expressions change quickly as you thought of how to answer the statement. he understood your delayed response as it was rare to see a home-cooked meal made by the two of you. jaehyun typically just ordered not wanting to tire you out. “maybe, we can just eye it.”

“or we can just use the metric system,” he offered an option by pulling out the scale.

“yeah, we can do that, too. i don’t know to convert between the systems, though,” you scrunched your face. he could tell that you didn’t want to take the unnecessary steps to convert the measurements.

“i guess, we’re eyeing it then,” he said, putting the scale back into its place in the cupboard. relieved that you both didn’t needed to put extra effort into measurements, you started pouring the dry ingredients that needed less first in the bowl. “jae, can you get the flour?”

jaehyun hummed, as he opened the cupboard to reach for the flour. he didn’t realize that the bag wasn’t secured all too well as he tipped the bag over before grasping it tightly. his way of collecting the bag of flour didn’t end so well as the next thing he knew was that your work-space was covered in flour. his eyes widened, “oh. i’m so sorry, baby, i didn’t realize that bag was open.”

he wasn’t sure what to do since wetting a paper towel to clean up would cause another mess to deal with. flour mixed with water would make the mixture gummy and can stick to the surface. he knew that situation a little too well, when he was cleaning up after making a birthday cake for you. the white powder was all over the floor, but you. you were caked in the flour, he couldn’t help but chuckle at how silly you looked and managed to still looked cute.

“it’s okay, can you get me a damp paper towel? so i can wipe my eyes, i can barely open them. i also don’t like the taste of the flour,” you asked.

“yep. i’m sorry, baby,” he rushed to get what you needed but actually went to grab his polaroid camera as it was the perfect moment to do so.. you reassured that he was fine that it was just an accident. as he came back, he went to retrieve what you needed he made sure to not get any splatters of water near the floury mess. as he turned around to hand you the paper towel, he was faced with powder all over his face. he lightly coughed as it got into his mouth, still handing you the paper which you gladly took to wipe your face. needless to say, jaehyun had other plans in mind as he grabbed a fistful of flour and threw it at you, caking you in even more flour if that was even possible.

“oh, it is on, jung jaehyun.”

the flour battle extended from a portion to your kitchen to the entirety of it. jaehyun started the dramatic music, but he must have forgotten that he has his music on shuffle by default. the music determining where the little flour war started to go in terms of the fighting’s moment. the songs became the songs that you both enjoyed. the battle slowly progressed to you both laying on the ground, making snow angels. basking in the fun while it lasted, you didn’t want the moment to end.

“i couldn’t want you more, kissing in the kitchen like a dance floor,” jaehyun sang as he held your hand, pressing his lips to back of your hand. he wanted this moment to last, and he remembered the camera. without any comments, he quickly got up to grab it which was still on the counter. you watched him hop up before laying back down with the device in hand. he held it out, already perfected the angle to capturing the photo due to the amount of polaroids he has taken with you.

“that day was great. i remembered when johnny and doyoung caught us laying there laughing our heads off. doyoung yelled at us like there was no tomorrow,” jaehyun laughed. doyoung chewed their heads off for wasting the flour, but he confessed that he disliked that you both didn’t start later enough to where johnny and him could have joined. turning the pages, he finally reached the dried out sunflower which he was reminded to water the plant. he stood up from his sitting position on the floor, grabbing the water bottle and fed the sunflower. he smiled, it was pretty, the petal strong.

once he finished, he returned to the book, the page was dedicated to the little date that you had at the sunflower field. he always wanted to go to one, despite knowing full well, his allergies might start acting up.

“are you sure you want to have a date here? i don’t want you to get sick or anything,” you pushed the stray strands in front of his face to the side, joining it with the rest of his hair after you saw him trying to blow the pieces away. you stood at the entrance of the field, and he knew you wanted to make sure that he was committed into entering a world full of possibly allergies. the last time you visited a flower patch, he sneezed all week. but he didn’t regret going to it, though.

“yep, plus i’ve been wanting to go here,” he said. he smiled as dramatically did a spin, taking the scenery. taking the first steps into the field, he turned and stuck his hand out to you, “leggo.”

a warm feeling grew inside when you slipped your hand into his, which he started walking you through the beautiful garden. the stroll through the tall stocks of sunflowers left you both in awe. it was magnificent to see the golden petals, and you couldn’t get enough. despite being the same type of flower, they each looked different. each having a different characteristic.

“babe,” he called your name.

“hmm?”

“do you know why the flowers are facing us?”

“why?”

“when the sun is out, they face it.”

“mmm.. that’s nasty, i’m gonna go throw up,” you laughed at his cheesy pick up line. jaehyun enjoyed telling cheesy lines even if it makes you smack in the arm sometimes. he pouted, knowing it’ll get you to respond to his joke. you replied to his joke. “i’m sorry, bub. yes they do face the sun, because you are the sun.”

his pout turned into a big grin, dimples poking out. he shook his head, “no, you’re the sun. no going against my word. i said it first.”

you rolled your eyes, “fine. i lost this time. i will win next time.”

“and i said, no matter how hard you try, i somehow still win,” he grinned. “i was better at pick up lines. but they were full of cringe. you always made fun of yourself when you thought of the cheesy lines to say. and then when we got home, i started sneezing like crazy. i ended up having allergies. even when you knew you were right, you never made me feel bad by saying i told you so.”

flipping to the next page. the last page. the last polaroids. you holding the gift of ear pieces he given you. a picture of you two with some nctzens and the members holding a sign that said will you marry me. another image captured everyone standing in front of the busking crowd. finally you two standing in front of the eiffel tower. the day jaehyun asked you to marry him is one of his favorite days. the perfect opportunity was when nct had visited paris for a couple of things on their schedules. he used your bucket list to his advantage and chose the point of how you wanted to do a busking. it took awhile for the approval to do one, as the managers needed to get the male a permit to do it. he’s never been so jittery when hearing the result of his plan. he had multiple, but he wanted to knock something off of your bucket list. “ah, the busking. you were so nervous about singing because you only ever did it when you’re scrolling through social media or playfully doing so when it was a karaoke night with the boys.”

“jae, i don’t know i am really nervous. the only times i ever sing is like when we’re at our apartment and it’s just you. or when it’s karaoke night with the guys,” you said as jaehyun led you through the streets of the city of love. he chuckled as you commented how you didn’t feel the romance in the air, as you expected it to be but sure was pretty. he listened as you compared paris, saying it different from the korean streets but shared similar feelings. the only difference was it shared a little bit more diversity among people.

your hand in his, he squeezed it to reassure you, “you’ll be okay, baby. you shut everyone else out when you get so into the song so well. plus, the boys will be there, too. they’re part of your number one fanclub.” reaching the destination, you see the members already performing and gathered a small crowd. it grew bigger bit by bit. the live sound from the band made your heart race more but also somehow made you calm down. it was exhilarating to say the least. you always enjoyed buskings similar to these. watching them back in korea was something you did when you and jaehyun ran errands and always made sure to reach the time the singing buskings would start. the tune of pandora’s box grew louder as you neared the make-shift venue. jaehyun quitely sang the song as he led you to where the managers were waiting for you both .they helped jaehyun put his ear-pieces on, adjusting the box into his back pockets. the managers handed him another box, revealing to be your own set of ear pieces.

he showed you the ear pieces, taking it out of the box. you observed the ear pieces, reading the engraved words. you laughed, seeing that your inside joke landed as the design. you jokingly told jaehyun that if you were an idol that you would get a design on your earpieces that it would say be quiet, don’t cry on one and the other with i just want some milk. in your words, “it’s such an iconic line for teenage jaehyun.” you given him a side hug, showing your appreciation towards the ear-pieces even if you were going to only use them this one time.

jaehyun helped you prepare for the performance, straightening the wires making sure they didn’t get caught within your undergarments. he slipped the clip onto your waistband, adjusting it so it wouldn’t be uncomfortable as you sat in the chair. “you ready, love?”

“yeah, a little nervous but just as we practiced.” you nodded your head. you both waited for the song to end. he wasn’t going to join them for a song wanting to prepare as much as he can before the proposal. the busking venue the managers chosen was cute. there was a white blanket hanging behind them, which projected videos and pictures of the boys. the idea showing the members first as they performed and it subtly transitioned to your memories together as you done your songs were entirely his idea. he knew that you kept a pile of sd cards lying around with the vlog material that you had, along with the pictures. you enjoyed capturing the moments as he does with his polaroid. he left his thoughts after seeing that the boys finished. johnny patted jaehyun on the back. jaehyun took your hand in his once again, staring at you with a small smile. he awaited your response, wanting to know your final response to performing. you nodded, confirming that you were ready. he walked towards the two chairs, letting you pick which one you wanted to sit in. some of the members cleared the leftover chairs, creating a space just for you two. he thanked them with a head bow, donghyuck and mark shooting a thumbs up that everything was ready to go. johnny manned the computer that was connected to the projector, prepared to start the video when it was the right time.

jaehyun handed you a microphone, and he introduced the two of you. he knew how hard you’ve been practicing ever since that he told you that the managers were able to make the busking happen. you worked hard for a straight month. he was sure that you could debut as an idol if you wanted to.

exactly how he said, you immersed yourself into the song well that you forgot that you were singing to a crowd. it was just you and him. it felt so nice to sing your heart out to someone, knowing that they’ll treat it well. you were the one who jaehyun wanted to spend the rest of his life with. he was sure of it. he couldn’t help but stare at you as you sang your verses. he certainly was whipped for you. well in the words of mark. he watch you smile as the second song ended. opening your eyes, you met them with jaehyun’s. the crowd cheering you both before he spoke again, “i got a little surprise for you.”

the countless nights he stayed up to complete the video were surely worth the loss sleep, as your reaction was worth it. you may have cried, but it was worth it. the boys and the fans that helped him were overjoyed to hear you utter yes. the crowd at the busking also cheered again for the successful proposal. he grinned, remembering the loud claps and whistles that were for you two.

a tear dropping onto the page covered your smiles.

jaehyun wiped it off, but he couldn’t stop the incoming tears that soon fell onto the page. now he was here without you. he knew it was his fault. it was all his fault for you leaving him. he should have tried harder. he should have done something. he knows if he tried harder then that you would be there with him. he should have done better with the first argument you had. he should have listened to you and taken the time off from work. he should have learned from the first argument. he should have committed time to you more. he should have done it right the first time. he could have prevented these should haves and you would be right here with him.

but now here he is. he hoped to fix everything by watering the plant just like how he did with the sunflower earlier. now the given attention was a little too late as the sunflower finally let go all of its petals.

“Sunflowers just died Keep it sweet in your memory”

#jaehyun angst #nct fanfic #jaehyun fanfic #jaehyun scenario #mmm this is nasty #did not like that ending #i will go back to this scenario one day and do it again #bc i think i can make it better #aight #privéiest requests

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seagreen-meets-grey · 4 years

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When Lightning Strikes Ch. 8

When your life is nothing but a cloudless sky, lightning can come and strike you so unexpectedly, you won’t even know what hit you.

Or: When Hiccup and Astrid meet, it is as if lightning strikes.

[Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7] [Chapter 9] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] [Chapter 16] [Chapter 17] [Chapter 18] [Chapter 19] [Chapter 20]

Crossposted on ao3 and ff.net

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Her parents weren’t home when Astrid arrived. Letting herself in through the backdoor, she scanned the place, grabbed a handful of chocolate chips from the living room table and trudged up the stairs to her old bedroom that now served as a guest room.

The sheets were clean and not a single wrinkle dared to disturb the still sea of cream-colored linen. She felt like she just walked into one of the catalogues her mother had stacked in the giant, neat bookshelf downstairs. The only thing missing was the overly enthusiastic model having the time of her life feeling the fabric, and the book and glass of water decorating the nightstand to give a domestic impression. Looking around, Astrid found only the fine layer of dust on all surfaces betraying the perfect picture.

She dropped her duffle bag onto the tidy floor and let herself flop onto the mattress. Taking a deep breath, she could smell the detergent; the same one her mother had been using for as long as she remembered. Suddenly, she felt fifteen again, but in a room where no sports clothes and equipment littered the floor, the desk wasn’t covered in books and school supplies, and the walls weren’t decorated with pictures of friends and family and her rigorous, color-coded life plan.

Most of the photos now hung in her own living room, in-between several new ones, her wedding picture framed in the middle. The giant poster of her life plan was collecting dust amidst old furniture and boxes stuffed with her old toys in the basement two stories below. It wasn’t like that thing had worked out, anyway. Be the manager of an elite swim team at thirty? She still had a few years to go, but considering how she’d been training the same team of kids for a while now, that goal didn’t seem very realistic.

Not that that wasn’t the only part of the plan, which she’d designed way back in middle school, that hadn’t gone as she’d once been sure it would. The plan had considered boyfriends during her years of building her career, but no marriage and kids until she had the position she wanted. When Eret had proposed to her years before she’d even come close to that goal, and she’d said yes, she’d practically blown the whole plan to bits. And with everything else unexpected that had happened to her around the same time, she’d realized she couldn’t meticulously plan her whole life.

She pushed memories of that brief period away by jumping up and connecting her phone to her old stereo. To loud music, she danced through her room with a rag and a bottle of cleanser, singing and polishing every surface and every corner to the beat.

When she was done, she moved the party downstairs and set the table for dinner. In the past year and a half of being a wife, she’d jokingly donned an apron once a week and put her hair in an old-fashioned bun, waving a spatula around and putting on the act of a housewife from the fifties, much to her husband’s amusement. But both of them knew she only did this so she could practice her cooking skills, because she was too proud to admit that she didn’t have any.

Which was why there were pots of gratinated cauliflower, potatoes, and corned beef on the table when first her mother’s, then her father’s car appeared in the driveway. The meat had ended up too dry, but that’s why she’d prepared enough sauce in wise foresight. All in all, she was very proud of her achievement.

Her parents did a double-take when they came in and followed the clang of dishes into the kitchen where their daughter was washing pots and pans, surrounded by an utter chaos of cooking ingredients and supplies.

“Surprise,” Astrid grinned at their baffled reactions.

“I knew that was your car outside. What are you doing here?” her father asked. “Not that we’re not happy to see you, but you haven’t been to Berk in months.”

Her mother hung her jacket in the hallway and put her keys in the key holder under the cupboard with the spices, taking in the sight before her. “Did you cook?!”

“You don’t have to act so incredulous.” Upon both her parents’ raised eyebrows, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I made dinner and it’s not poisoned. Now would you please eat it before it gets cold?”

Drying her hands on her apron, she took it off and joined her curious parents at the table, ignoring their slightly doubtful expressions when they eyed the food.

She took a bite of potato and reached the same conclusion as her mother. “Way too much salt,” Wilma commented, scrunching her nose. “But the sauce is delicious.”

Although she didn’t like to hear it sometimes, Astrid had always appreciated her mom’s honest criticism. It’s how she knew what she could do and what needed to be better. There was no talking around bullshit in the Hofferson house.

Which was why she held her chin up high and sat upright, conveying the notion of confidence and an abundance of shameful failure that she had to hide, while they all bravely put more sauce on their food. She celebrated her small victory when every pot was clean and every stomach full.

“Are you staying the night?” her father asked, scraping the last bit of under-salted cauliflower from his plate.

“Actually, I’m gonna stay a bit longer.” She immediately felt two pairs of eyes set on her face as she started collecting plates and cutlery. Unperturbed, she looked up and shrugged. “Eret’s on a convention for two weeks and I didn’t want to sit alone at home all day. And since you keep asking me to visit more, I thought I’d swing by for a while.”

“Since when are you sitting at home all day?” her father asked. “Don’t they have any dogs to train at the moment?”

The long answer would have been that ever since the Breakneck Adventure Park over in Bog had opened and the Raven Point Zoo had had a series of vandalism cases, the popularity and financial situation of RPZ had forced every department to cut salaries, even over in the attached dog obedience school Astrid worked at. Either a whole lot of people needed to get a dog that they needed help with training really soon, or their PR team had to come up with a better solution.

She settled for the short answer. “Not really.”

Her father looked like he wanted to discuss her occupational situation further, but she really didn’t want to get into it at the moment. She missed the dogs. Talking about her issues wasn’t what she came here for; it was rather the opposite. She wanted to distract herself, push away everything she seemed to be failing at.

“Do we have cake?” She opened the fridge and a few cupboards, coming up empty.

Her mother shook her head. “There’s ice cream in the freezer.”

Astrid made a half-hearted attempt at checking, but she didn’t really want ice cream. Ice cream was for summer days and break-ups, and neither the former nor the latter applied to her right now. If she wanted to overstuff herself and quiet the craving she’d had since last night, she needed cake. And if there was none in the house, she would find a way to get her hands on it somehow. With a determined nod, she set her agenda for the next day.

She slept until noon, went shopping for ingredients, and looked up the easiest cake recipe she could find; one even she couldn’t mess up. It ended up a little too crispy anyway.

Trying not to think of what Eret might be doing or not doing at any given moment, she flipped through every magazine her mother had during the next three days, even the catalogues. Still asleep when her parents went to work, they usually found her lounging on the couch when they came back, or dozing in the hammock in the garden.

Her mother asked her about Eret at least twice a day and Astrid quickly grew tired of telling her that he was doing fine. She knew what her mom wanted to hear from her, but she wasn’t going to open up that can while she was browsing through the latest IKEA catalogue for the fifth time as if it was the most fulfilling activity in the world.

On her fifth day back at her parents’ house, she went into battle with the kitchen again and baked three cakes – the first one ended up too dry, the second was perfect except that she forgot to add sugar, and the chocolate cream she added to the third was way too sweet. She ate the whole thing that night and regretted it in the morning when she woke up feeling sick and frustrated.

Pushing away any stupid upcoming worries related to sickness in the morning, she finally decided to leave the house. If everything she’d left at her own house was catching up to her at her island of refuge, she wanted to do nothing else than run. Channel everything into her muscles, kick at the ground with every step, show the world that this was something she could do perfectly.

She got up and opened the window, then got dressed while the fresh air cleared her head and chased away the queasiness. After she splashed cold water in her face, she already felt much better.

When she came downstairs, her parents were sitting at the breakfast table reading the newspaper, the radio playing the usual morning program in the background. Surprised that she was up so early on a Saturday compared to the past days, they eyed her running gear while she poured herself a glass of orange juice.

“Aren’t you going to sit with us?” her mother asked.

Astrid shook her head and chugged down the juice. “I’ve been neglecting my training. I have to catch up.” She knew that her mother wouldn’t object to that. And it wasn’t as if she was lying; she did need to train more, especially now that the swimming hall was closed for renovations and her assistant had taken over training the kids at the place that belonged to that damned theme park in Bog. Heaven forbid she betrayed her principles and supported that place in any way, shape or form. But if she sat down now, she might have to listen to her mother asking her about her home life once again.

“But tonight we’re going out for dinner, okay?” her father shouted after her when she’d already grabbed a banana and was halfway out the front door.

“Sure!” she yelled back and then she was gone.

She ate her banana and stretched on the lawn before she put the peel in the trash and fell into a brisk pace, heading down the street. Running felt invigorating, like throwing off a heavy coat and allowing her cells to be injected with life again.

A soft morning breeze caressed her skin and the beams of the May sun on her back promised another warm day, even though the browning leaves in the front gardens she passed were screaming for it to rain.

The whole city was in bloom. Streets were glowing in white, pink and lavender, rich greens adorned the trees, petals and pollen were flying through the air, and Astrid was glad she didn’t have any allergies. A particularly beautiful patch of blue, orange and yellow flowers made her slow down for a moment, listening to the bumblebees buzzing around the vibrant colors. Breathing in the pleasant fragrance, she continued down a narrow path towards the park.

She hadn’t bothered to bring her phone and headphones, taking in the performances of various arias pleasantly filling her ears from every direction. A family of ducks crossed her path at the entrance of the park, heading for the lake that stretched through the whole park like a still river. The water was glistening in the sun, its smooth surface disrupted by water birds going about their morning activities and various insects dancing at the top. Plenty of people were already out and about, runners like her, people with their dogs, a few families. A young couple with a child in a stroller caught her eye and she ran faster.

Concentrating solely on the road and the rhythm of her feet and breath, she shut out everything else, as if she were wearing blinders. She counted to ten, sprinted, slowed down, started anew, until her lungs began to burn and her feet were stomping harder on the gravel.

Life was good. Despite her payment cuts, her mostly self-imposed lack of exercise, and what happened last weekend at home, she was okay. A failure wasn’t a failure if she could overcome it. It was just a minor hiccup on the road… Ha.

One and a half years later and even the word made her stomach drop. She was back in Berk, not just in the outskirts to get to Raven Point for work, to the swimming hall for training, or to her parents’ house for one afternoon. If she didn’t want to return to a quiet house where she would anxiously wait for her husband’s return, she would have to get over her paranoia that she could run into the one person in all of Berk she didn’t want to see. Or rather couldn’t allow herself to see.

One and a half years and he was still on her mind. Not every day, sometimes not even for weeks, but he was like that annoying mosquito in her bedroom that, no matter how often she killed it, always respawned the next night. Perhaps if she kept comparing him to obnoxious, bloodsucking insects, her feelings about him would finally change.

She should have brought music. Then she could have just turned up the volume of the most energetic songs she had on her phone and drowned out every thought. Although the rush of running had shaken the layer of lazy languor from her limbs, she’d opened the corner of her mind that she’d successfully blocked with ignorance up until now.

She started counting her steps, just to have something to focus on in order to keep her mind from spiraling.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…

She was at forty-nine when she evaded an old couple on their bicycles, and an ice cream cart on the other side of the lawn caught her eye.

It wasn’t so much the cart that made her heart stop out of the blue, without any preamble. It was the tall figure waiting in line, it was the auburn hair burning on his head like fire in the sun, it was the magnetism that instantly made her recognize him by pulling at her soul like the moon pulled at the ocean.

She tripped and caught herself on the next best thing, which happened to be a young man with dark hair and a dog leash hanging around his neck like the world’s longest, ugliest open tie.

“Whoa, there!” The guy put a hand on her arm, a flirty grin on his face. “No need to fall for me, although I understand why you might.”

Momentarily confused, she blinked at him flexing his bicep and unabashedly checking her out. “What?”

He winked. “You should come to the gym with me some time to work out, you look like you work out.”

“What?” she repeated, her brain only slowly catching up to the situation. Her head turned by itself, seeking out the ice cream cart, but there was only a kid delicately balancing two huge cones with ice cream running down his fingers. She blinked. Had she only imagined – no. There he was, a few paces to the left, coming towards her. Coming towards her.

She completely froze, her line of sight pinned to his face, ears deaf to the lame pickup lines still coming out of the guy’s mouth like a waterfall. Then he looked her way, and the moment blue eyes locked onto green, she was transported back to Dagur’s party where she’d felt like a bolt of lightning had shot straight through her.

He stopped short and stared with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape, face white as linen. Time slowed down, an eternity of mere seconds passed, the universe narrowing down to its only two inhabitants.

“Hey, are you alright?”

The guy’s voice yanked her back to planet Earth and she realized she was still holding onto his shoulder, spacing out in the middle of the path like an idiot. Her heart started to beat again at full capacity and she remembered how to fill her lungs with oxygen.

“I… sorry,” she stammered and bolted, lightning fueling her, and she sprinted and sprinted, away from the green emeralds boring into her back. Out of sight, out of mind, until she had used up all of her adrenaline and her legs gave out underneath her.

_______________

Hiccup’s understanding of space and time momentarily vanished. Gravity was an illusion. Down was up and up was down. Were dragons real? Words had no meaning. Tuna was a lie. A frying pan was a kind of bird. Colors tasted like witchcraft. The eyes of Astrid Hofferson were even more captivating than he remembered.

He was certain only that last one was true. It was a mystery to him how his heart was still beating. He didn’t register the ice cream escaping his grasp and painting a trail down his jeans onto his shoes. He was too occupied staring after the blonde ponytail swinging on her back, shorter than he remembered, as her frame became smaller and smaller until she rounded a corner and was but a fading melody riding the waves of the aftershocks she caused to his heart and soul.

“Dude, people are staring!”

Hiccup blinked a few times before shaking the haze off his brain and following the source of the complaint to the man in front of him.

“Did you shit your pants or something? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Checking just to be sure, he shook his head. No, he did not shit his pants. He wasn’t so sure about seeing a ghost, though. With an awkward cough, he returned to reality and frowned at the sticky stains on his clothes. Typical.

“Who– who were you just talking to?” he carefully asked his old friend, hoping desperately he hadn’t imagined her.

Snotlout’s face changed from embarrassed to overconfident in the blink of an eye. “That hot chick over there?” With his thumb, he pointed over his shoulder in the direction she had just disappeared to. “Yeah, she totally digs me. Wouldn’t admit it, but she did.”

“Did she tell you her name?”

“Psh, Hiccup, my man. Names are for second dates only.”

Hiccup raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Let me guess, she didn’t even talk to you and only accidentally bumped into you?”

Snotlout opened his mouth, closed it, then turned and whistled for his dog.

“Thought so,” he mumbled and followed Snotlout to where the man’s dog was pulling so hard on its leash it wasn’t exactly clear who was the master of whom. Before they made their way back to Snot’s apartment, Hiccup looked back once more, as if the remaining ghost of her presence would show itself and talk to him. But she was long gone.

On their way back into the city, Hiccup barely said a thing, still miles away. But it wasn’t like he was needed to fill the air with conversation since Snotlout was talking nonstop. Hiccup managed a comment here and there, but if he’d been asked what they’d been talking about when they reached the apartment, he would have been unable to answer.

The inside of the apartment was, to his nonexistent surprise, a mess. Dog toys and barbells were lying everywhere, one side of the rundown couch was full of dog hair, and it smelled of bacon and sweat. But what struck Hiccup the most was the nearly bald fir tree in the corner. Dry needles covered the ground and mismatched baubles and an assortment of cheap wooden decorations were desperately clinging to the twigs like a last lifeline.

“Really? Still?” he asked while Snotlout put dog food in a bowl. “I thought you wanted to throw that thing away weeks ago.”

Snotlout shrugged. “Eh. Didn’t seem worth the effort. It’s almost Christmas soon again, anyway.”

“It’s May, Snot.”

“So? As soon as I buy a new one, I just have to put the balls from one tree to the other. No need to cram everything back on the shelf.” He opened a can of coke and flopped onto the clean end of the couch.

With a defeated sigh, Hiccup decided to free the tree from its misery and started with taking off the wooden stars. In the background, Snotlout was scrolling through his phone and slurping his coke.

“Snot.”

“What?”

“At least bring me the boxes these go in.”

He heard a series of groans and shuffling, a few choice swear words, then an armful of cartons were unceremoniously dropped next to him and the slurping started anew. Sometimes, Hiccup wondered why they were friends. But some bonds just seemed to miraculously never break.

His mind wandered to the park again, to the blonde ponytail highlighted by the sun, to the two blue orbs circling his thoughts ever since. He was electrified in such a familiar way, his heart speeding up again at the mere memory of her frozen face as she stared back at him.

“I think it was Astrid,” he blurted out, for fear he would burst if he didn’t voice it.

The slurping stopped. “Who?”

“The girl from earlier. The one you probably drove off with your obnoxious flirting.”

Snotlout was quiet for a moment. “Am I really that awful?”

Hiccup had to smile despite himself. That was why he was still friends with Snotlout Jorgenson. Because as irritable and annoying and full of himself he was most of the time, underneath all that there was a boy who actually cared. Cared what women thought of him, what his father thought of him, even what Hiccup thought of him. It was rare that he showed his vulnerable side and Hiccup always made sure not to tease him about his honesty, aware of the trust his friend put in him.

“Depends on what you said this time. Maybe stop diving in full force every time a woman so much as glances at you. Usually, they don’t like that.”

The slurping continued, followed by a loud belch. “I can’t believe I’m taking advice from you. You’re not exactly the king of the ladies. And if that in the park was Astrid, then I can’t even begin to tell you how far out of her league you are.”

Hiccup didn’t need to be told that. He’d always known that she was unattainable for him, just not for the reason Snotlout thought. There’d been a connection between them, and if he’d considered it only a hopeful fragment of his imagination at first, he’d definitely felt it the last time he’d seen her.

“Jingle bells, Hiccup smells, Astrid ran away. She will never love you back and Snotlout is the king!”

“That’s not what happened.” Hiccup regretted telling him about her. In his defense, though, that had been after Snot had put extra rum in his tea during the Christmas party thrown by the neighborhood they’d grown up in together. And if the woman from the park had indeed been her, then he refused to believe that she’d run away. General running, that’s what she’d been doing. The athletic kind.

“Jingle bells, Astrid smells, Hiccup ran away. He is such an idiot and Snotlout is the king!”

“She doesn’t smell,” Hiccup mumbled, overwhelmed by the sudden memory of her flowery scent when he’d stood so close to her under the canopy. When he’d come to her wedding in an attempt to make peace with the fact that they could never be together. Because he’d been too late; because it wouldn’t have mattered. She loved another man that she would spend the rest of her life with, and coming to her wedding day of all times to tell her he wanted to be that man would not have been fair. She’d made her decision and he couldn’t just tell her what to do.

Maybe he really was an idiot.

A part of him wanted to drill Snotlout for details, ask what exactly she’d said, if she’d said anything at all. Ask if she still had a nose speckled with tiny freckles and ask if her eyes still resembled a clear blue summer sky.

But he didn’t. He’d sworn to get over her, and so far, that had worked… Or maybe not, he’d just chosen to ignore it and to tell himself he wasn’t still thinking about her.

“What about Angela?” it came from the couch, accompanied by the metallic crinkling sound of an empty can. “She seemed to like you. Or Crankyhead McPurplepants.”

“You mean Kristy?”

“If she’s the cranky one with the purple pants, then yeah.”

Hiccup shrugged. “None of them worked out.” A few months ago, he’d downloaded a dating app and dived into the world of online dating, only to delete his profile and create a new one every other week in a vicious cycle of loneliness and breakups when none of them could smother the fire for long that she’d started within him. He was completely and utterly hung up on a girl he barely knew and yet felt deep in his heart every time a storm was raging through the sky and bolts of lightning illuminated the night.

And if he spent the majority of the next day on a bench in the park where he’d seen her yesterday, then that was just a coincidence. Because even the prospect of being friends with her seemed impossible, and who was to say he hadn’t merely imagined her? Maybe he’d seen someone who looked a lot like her, maybe even a cousin or some kind of doppelganger designed to torment him.

But she didn’t show up again. His stomach was growling and he felt restless, his right leg jiggling up and down like a bouncy ball on a sugar rush. Who was he kidding, anyway? He was just being pathetic. Giving up with a heavy heart, he left the park and went to the only place in Berk that sold his favorite cheap sandwiches on a Sunday evening.

Entering the main kiosk at Berk Central Station, he headed straight for the fridge, deciding between turkey and tuna, and ending up grabbing both sandwiches. It was only when he turned around that he caught sight of the small corner with the drugstore products.

Her hair was hanging over her shoulder in a slightly messy braid that she kept absentmindedly fiddling with. The jeans she was wearing had a large coffee stain at the side. The letters on her hoodie read Berk Vikings Swim Team and a year in Roman numerals. She was frowning at something on the shelf in front of her.

He blinked once, twice, to make sure it was really her, here, in this very kiosk, at this very moment in time.

Before he could overthink it, he walked up to her and, only hesitating for a few seconds, reached out his hand to touch her shoulder ever so slightly. She winced the same moment he pulled back his hand from the shock that had just rushed through his fingertips at the contact.

She turned around in question and time froze once more.

He swallowed hard. “Hey.”

#httyd #hiccstrid #fanfiction #hiccup haddock #astrid hofferson #snotlout jorgenson #when lightning strikes #modern au #a bit of angst with a dash of drama #or the other way around #maja writes #ff #fic #how to train your dragon

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sigmastolen · 4 years

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but hey here's the 👀 cake!

cake: america's test kitchen old-fashioned chocolate layer cake*

frosting: america's test kitchen butter frosting*

filling: alton brown's orange marmalade, made in february from navel oranges from our garden

*links to random recipe blogs to get around atk's paywall; you're welcome 😇

i didn't get any sliced shots, alas, but i did a pretty ok job! my coworkers were very complimentary; also, it made them laugh. i didn't manage to bring any home for my family, either -- i left before things would down fully and left it there for the stragglers (and clerk t better remember my cake carrier, server, and Big Knife on tuesday!) -- but they said nice things about the scraps i left them from leveling the tops of the cakes.

@renee-mariposa the reconstituted powdered buttermilk worked perfectly well! the powder itself is kind of... sticky so when i've used it as a powder it tends to create clumps in the dry ingredients. after some deliberate stirring and a few minutes' rest, though, it dissolved nicely in the water. the resulting liquid was quite thin -- definitely nothing like real buttermilk, but it must have done the job, because the cake was plenty fluffy and tender. i might always use it this way in the future, instead of doing the powder and the water separately...

because i made all the stuff thursday night but assembled the cake friday morning, i stuck the frosting in the fridge overnight (so it wouldn't melt? is that a thing???) and while i took it out early to warm back up, it was still a little cool when i was trying to apply it to the cake. my cake game in general is Not That Strong, so while i DID attempt to do a crumb coat first, my white exterior ended up distinctly... speckled. and not that smooth. ah, well.

as for the EYES 👀👀 the 'recipe' says to use junior mints (which are larger) + full-size m&ms but i knew i wanted to avoid anything resembling the orange-juice-after-brushing-your-teeth effect, so i went with full-size + mini m&ms to go with the full-size + mini oreos. the mini oreos, it turns out, are VERY difficult to separate cleanly, both in terms of keeping the creme intact and avoiding crumbs -- but they sure are cute (and they matched the frosting i guess lol) also it turns out i have some m&m opinions: the mini ones have a higher candy coating:chocolate ratio and it is Inferior. also, note for the future: maybe make the eye placement a little more slice-friendly? idk

bonus turnaround video for maxuimum 👀👀👀

#vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas #Things That Look Delicious #attn:#renee mariposa

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musicnoots · 5 years

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Hold Me Tighter

Babe Heffron/Reader

Requested by anon: “Hey! If your requests are still open, would it be ok to request some good ol babe fluff? I’m having the worst time at uni right now and could really use some babe cuteness to cheer up”

A/N: Major sleepy Babe fluff. Hope you feel better anon <3

Synopsis: A sleepless night in the Ardennes leaves Babe restless and curious when he asks you a tricky question.

Tags: @gottapenny @croatianbagudna @dustyjjumpwings @higgles123 @wexhappyxfew @curraheev @medievalfangirl @bandofmarvels @those-dusty-jump-wings @majwinters @junojelli

“Are you comin’ with me to Philly?”

His voice is breathy, raspy and tired. His hands shake under the cold January night sky, eyes looking out at the snow right in front of his foxhole as he pulls you closer to his side, thin army-issued blanket spread from shoulder to shoulder.

Babe is tired, restless, and almost at the brink of tears when it comes to sleeping. Usually, he’s out like a light once the sun sets and the sky turns into the dampest shade of a black, but tonight, he can’t find himself to take the angels’ hands into slumberland where the sky is pink and the ground is as fluffy as the clouds.

He asks you the question like it isn’t the pink elephant in the room, fifteen different tangents going off in his head as he stares at the pile of snow in front of the foxhole. You shoot him a quizzical look, hand gripping the edge of the worn out blanket spread across your laps. “What?”

“Like, after the war? I mean—damn, I shoulda phrased it differently,” he stutters and his cheek start to grow red under the darkened sky. “Are you comin’ with me? Am I comin’ with you? Where we goin’ after the war?”

“You’re asking me this now?”

“My Ma always said it’s better to be prepared than sorry,” he yawns for the first time in hours since the sun said goodbye to the stars. Babe has this fear of losing you—not to bullets and grenades, no. He’s afraid he’ll lose you because of something stupid he did, like not telling you how much he loves you or if you wanted to come back to Philly with him. “And I’m kinda in love with you, y’know? I don’t ask you to come and cuddle with me in the middle of fuckin’ nowhere for nothin’.”

A small part of your heart, that isn’t frozen from the cold, warms up a little bit and your stiff lips curl up into a smile. “I feel your love so hard right now, Babe. So romantic. I love you, too.”

“Yeah, yeah, but tell me—where we goin’?”

You shrug. “I don’t know, I was thinking about going back home and just relaxing for a bit. War’s a tiring workplace, bub.”

“Aw man, so no Philly?” Babe whines, and you giggle, not sure if it’s the real Babe or the sleep deprivation clouding his head. “I was really hopin’ for Philly, Y/N, not gonna lie.”

“Alright, then it’s settled. It was nice knowing you, Babe.”

“Wait, nuuuuhhh—” He turn towards you and rests his head on your shoulder. He was going to caress your cheek like the gentleman he is, but he’s way to comfortable in the position he’s in under the blanket—slight warm and cozy next to your presence. “Y/N, I love you. A lot. And I am the man of your dreams. You don’t wanna be with the wrong guy, ‘cause I’m the right one for you.”

His words are slurred and his eyelids are droopy, obviously way too sleepy at this time of the night, but he fights against it to stay awake, sniffling as he tries to find the right words. You hum, squeezing his hand under the blanket as he drifts in and out of consciousness. “Well, Edward Heffron, what makes you the right one for me?”

“Well,” he tried to sit up but fails and ends up slumped against your side like a fat fish on land, “number one, I’m cute, and you like cute guys.”

“I do?”

“Yeah, a...nd I am very talented and romantic. You remember that heart I drew in the mud a while ago? That’s my Da Vinci side.” He draws a heart in the air with his pointer finger, giggling at the memory of him presenting you his masterpiece. You weren’t in the best mood back then, a little bit pissed at everyone when he dragged you out just to show you a lop-sided heart drawn with a twig he found laying around. “What else am I good at...um, I make a mean banana and peanut butter sandwich. The recipe is from my Ma, but I always pass it off as my own—shhhhhh, don’t tell her. What else...oh! I can also fart on command. Wanna see?”

“No,” you chuckle and wrap your arm around his shoulders, fingers rubbing hexagons on his cheek gently and softly and he melts into your touch.

Babe can just sit here and fade into dreamland while you play with a strand of hair peeking out from his helmet—this is his favorite way to fall asleep. With you right by his side and him snuggling into you like a cat on a rainy day, knowing that he’ll be safe in your arms. He always thinks about this moment, not in a war setting, but in a domestic setting where he is fast asleep on the couch of your shared Philly home with hot chocolate on his upper lip as you keep him by your side. He thinks about it way too much than he likes to admit, but if it’s that life he wants, then he might as well just marry you right here, right now and put a ring made of leaves on your finger.

He hums at the feeling of your fingertips on the nape of his neck so comfortably, he feel like he’s home. “I think ‘bout this all the time.”

“Baby, I know you like it when I play with your hair.”

“Yeah, I do. Can you move your hand just a little further ba—yeah, that’s the spot,” he moans as you he tug the little tuft of hair on the back of his head, eyelids screwing shut as he feels lighter than the clouds. “But I always think ‘bout us just living together. A small little home just for the two of us, a garden in the front—it’s mine, by the way—and a cat. I want a cat, Y/N. I don’t want a car, I want a cat.”

“Mm, and what would you name this cat?”

Babe is silent for a moment, and you think he’s asleep until his lips twitch. “I wanna name ‘im Sergeant Purrkins. Get it? ‘Cause...Perkins…” he yawns.

“Maybe it’s time for you to go to sleep,” you say, reaching to pull the blanket up but he slaps your hand away.

“Nooooo, I’m not finished yet!” he whines. “I need to tell you about our lives back home! You got me sidetracked, Y/N! Now I can’t remember what else I was thinkin’ about!”

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry.” You kiss his cheek, and Babe instantly forgives you. He loves it when you kiss him, especially in front of the guys—it makes him feel special. “Go on.”

“Thank you, as I was sayin’—I’m gonna marry ya. Gonna marry ya in the world’s biggest wedding with ice cream instead of cake because I’m cool like that. I’m gonna be the best husband in the entire world because I make good food and I love everything about you. Boobs and ass mostly, but I enjoy your lovin’, too.” He yawns, way too tired at this point to even continue on because it’s way past his bedtime. “So whaddya say, Y/N? You comin’ with...me to…”

Babe doesn’t even finish the sentence before he’s silent again. Eyelids shut tight, and snores escaping his parted lips as he finally falls asleep in the early hours of the morning in your arms. He dreams of that life back home with you—the one where you live comfortably with a ring on your finger, drinking hot chocolate by the windowsill as it rains outside. Sergeant Purrkins walks on the dining table as Babe pulls you into his lap and smothers you in kisses, your hand running through his locks just the way he likes it, and he will never grow hungry, just satisfied knowing that you’re his in the moment and for the years to come.

“Yes, I’ll go back to Philly with you,” you say, and he’s already fast asleep when you say it. So when you call it a night and find yourself sleeping just minutes after, you dream of the same life with Babe in Philly.

#band of brothers fic #band of brothers imagines #band of brothers imagine #band of brothers fanfic #band of brothers fanfiction #band of brothers #easy company #hbo war #babe heffron #edward heffron #babe heffron x reader

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prince-ampora · 4 years

Text

One Happy Christmas

INFO -dave focused -semi sadstuck -dave is ftm and june and jade are mtf -dave is mute so he signs -dave is going to school for a paleontology degree. you dont need to know that for this oneshot but its my headcanon so i wanted to share.

TRIGGER WARNINGS -abuse -bro and mom

***

"Dave! What are you doing for Christmas?" Dave shrugs at June's inquiry and flips another page in his textbook. "The Strilonde family was not very interested in holidays, not only because Mother was Jewish." Jade turns to Rose, "So are you and Dave Jewish?" Rose reads while talking, "By blood yes but we don't follow the religion or holidays." June smiles, "Then you two should come with me and Jade to Dad's house over Christmas break! He'd be happy to have more people to cook for." "I wouldn't mind that. Strider?" Dave shrugs and signs, "Sure I guess, as long as he's okay with having a guy like me over." June rolls her eyes, "You know he loves you, Dave." "Yeah, Dave! He even wanted to pay for your testosterone!" "I'm more than happy to use Bro's money for that." June laughs, I know.

Christmas break finally starts and June piles everyone into her car. The drive to Washington took a couple of hours, mostly spent listening to music and joking around. When they pull into the driveway, Dad Egbert is waiting for them. He waves to them as they pile out of the car and helps them unload their bags. "It's great to see you all again. Dave, Rose! How has everything been away from your parents?" "Amazing," They both say at the same time. Dad Egbert shows them to the kitchen and talks about what he'll make for Christmas dinner. "Would any of you like to help me with this tomorrow?" June and Jade offer to help but Rose says she'll be working. Dave decides to help too. "For now, let's put up the tree. I wanted my daughters here to help and having you two here as well is even better." Rose smiles and thanks him, and the group makes their way to the living room.

They get the tree up by an empty wall in between the door and stairs and have fun going through the ornaments, a lot of which were made by June and Jade in grade school. Dave teases June about her baby picture ornament and she laughs, "As if I haven't seen any of your embarrassing baby pictures Dave." They wrap lights around the tree in a speed competition and try their best to make the ornaments look evenly placed. Rose loses her mind. Jade eats popcorn off the strings. Typical Christmas things. Dave is smiling the entire time, which is so nice for a change. He even takes off his shades. He's safe here, he doesn't need to hide his emotions behind them. Dad Egbert put on Christmas music and June wraps some tinsel around her neck as a scarf and takes turns dancing with everyone. Rose plays her violin along to Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy and Carol of the Bells. June joins in on piano and Jade even gets out her bass. Dave doesn't have an instrument so he just beatboxes a little and does meme dances.

After they get back on track and actually put the star on the top of the tree, as well as some photos of each other ("You're an angel Dave, you need to be on the top of the tree." "Only if you're there too June."), they sit down to watch Christmas movies. Rose and Dave recommend Nightmare Before Christmas, June insists on seeing Home Alone, and Jade brought one of her copies of The Grinch, appalled that Dave and Rose had never seen it. Dad Egbert, June, and Dave fit on the couch. Rose happily shifts from the back of the couch, to the arm, to the floor, and Jade is content to curl up on the floor. Jade is the first to fall asleep, and Rose retires to Jade and June's room to work after Home Alone 3. Dad Egbert eventually gets tired and retires to his room, telling them that there are cookies in the fridge and to go to bed at a good time. They do because 3 am is totally a good time. Rose is already asleep on the top bunk with Jade, who had gone to her room at 2 am. June and Dave squeeze into the bottom bunk and fall asleep quickly.

In the morning, Rose works on her novel as June, Jade, and Dave try their best to be useful in the kitchen. Jade gets plants to chop up from the garden she started that summer, June helps her dad prep the meat and Dave tries to be useful where he can by getting out and putting away ingredients, handing out utensils, and washing dishes. After the main courses are started, Dad Egbert ushers everyone out of the kitchen so he can bake pies, cakes, and cookies for after. June "Bluh"'s at the Betty Crocker products on the counter and happily leaves to eat gushers on the couch. Neither Jade or Dave could bring themselves to tell her that those are Crocker products also. "Are you having fun, Dave?" Dave smiles and nods, "Yeah. I am." Dave and Jade compete in Mario Kart, with Jade coming out victorious. Rose eventually joins them and watches their match with occasional quips.

Today is Christmas. Dad Egbert had somehow found the time to wrap a bunch of presents in secret and place them all neatly under the tree, as well as fill stockings and hang them on the fireplace. He wakes the four of them up with cookies and hot chocolate and they groggily make their way downstairs. "It's a good thing I didn't wait to buy your presents. I was going to have June and Jade take them to you after the break." They sit in a half-circle and Rose is baited into putting on a Christmas hat and passing the presents out. Dad Egbert films the kids' reactions as they open their presents. He got June a nice blue dress and some other new outfits, a bra with good quality inserts, and some movie sets. Jade unwraps custom made dog ears and tail, some exotic plant seeds, a bra with good quality inserts, and some outfits as well. Dave, after hesitating, unwraps his presents to reveal some stuff for his turntables, a new binder, a book on weird preserved dead things, and a trans pride flag. Rose happily unwraps her presents of a violin care kit, some wizard cat-themed pajamas, and a hard drive and printer ink.

They each present Dad Egbert with their own present as well, cheap because College Students, which they bought before leaving for break. June got him some icing in a shaving cream themed bottle. Jade got him a book of Betty Crocker's secret recipes. Dave got his hand on a new pipe, and Rose came through with some really cool Dad™ hats. He cries while holding his presents and thanking them, pulling them into a hug. Dave doesn't start crying at all, what are you talking about, Shut Up Lalonde. After the hug ends he signs to everyone, "This was the best Christmas ever. Best day ever. I love you all." June smiles, "Y'know how we can make it even better?" Dave raises an eyebrow, "Let's mail your parents coal." Dave and Rose smile, "Hell. Yes."

A couple of days later, Dave gets an angry call from Bro, and Rose gets one from Mom. After they were done getting yelled at they hung up without a word. "What was yours about?" "'Elizabeth Strider you little bitch I will maim you. Your lucky I'm busy here or I'd go there and stab you.' Yours?" "Rose Lalonde, what the hell is this? I was gonna send you alcohol from my personal stash or maybe even some candy but not now. I'm gonna go drink this headache away and if I still remember this later, you'll see what happens when you cross me." They laugh at their terrible parent's predictable reactions and go down to join the others for breakfast. This is their family. Not an alcoholic and a weird puppet sword guy. Their family is the two girls and their father sitting at the table offering them food and smiling. They chose their family.

#homestuck #Homestuck AU #dave strider #ftm dave strider #trans dave strider #rose lalonde #jade harley #mtf jade harley #trans jade harley #june egbert #mtf june egbert #trans june egbert #dad egbert #Bro Strider #mom lalonde #abuse tw #mute dave strider #homestuck oneshot #eridan's oneshots

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