#but they’re just too sweet… i need my fruit to be tart

[starbuck]

Top five favorite fruits!!

oooooooooo, this is fun!!

1. Cherries

Literally just the best… I’m always SO happy when cherry season starts and go into mourning when it ends… But, every summer, i FEAST on a big ol’ bowl of them for lunch every single day. I like spitting out the pits too! It’s fun!

2. Peaches

If you can get one perfectly ripe and juicy and with good texture, a peach is DELICIOUS!!!!!! One of the best fruits out there, no doubt. I prefer yellow peaches because I tend to like tart things more than sweet, but I won’t turn down a good white peach either! Last year I ate one like an apple in a frenzy over the trash can with the juice spilling all over my fingers and going everywhere and it was a truly primal experience.

3. Strawberries

Don’t get to have these very often due to their terrible habit of rotting the day after you buy them, but they’re my favorite berry by far when they’re good! The perfect breakfast fruit.

4. Honeycrisp Apples

I’ll eat a couple other types of apples as well, but honeycrisps are ideal. Got introduced to them by my eighth grade gym teacher and haven’t looked back since. If anyone out there has never had one of these, you’ve GOTTA try ‘em. It’ll change your life.

5. Blueberries

Not my favorite fruit by far, but I’ve developed an affection for them due to their excellent track record for NOT rotting before I can eat them! I also appreciate how easy they are to “prepare” since you just have to rinse them off and then they’re set! No chopping or peeling! That’s something I can get behind when I’m tired in the morning or just short on time!

Thanks for asking, friend!!!! ❤️❤️

[solbaby7]

Stuck Like Glue

rhysand x clingy!reader

warnings: light bullying, maybe some swearing

summary: You’re a little clingy and your High Lord never seems to mind but—maybe his friends do

clearing out my drafts, so don’t judge if it’s a lil short

—

It seemed harmless enough, hanging off of Rhysand’s shoulder or scuffling your way into his lap when the festivities had gotten entirely too much for you to endure on your own. His hand curls easily around your waist, fingers tapping at your thighs when you start pressing kisses down his neck in the middle of a conversation with one of the other High Lords.

Boredom quickly grew, excusing yourself with a kiss on Rhysand’s chest to go grab a drink. There’s more options to choose from than you can comprehend, drinks filled with hand tied tea bags or fresh fruit. You settle on something gentle, like tea with honey and you have full intentions to rush back to your High Lord, a smile in place and a few pastries in tow but the group he was speaking to before has huddled in closer, voices more hushed. “—just saying, Rhys. I don’t have a clue how you deal with her hanging off of you all the time.”

That was Cassian—cadence unmistakable even with all the overlapping voices in the crowd. Your smile falters, steps slowing as more of them pitch in, clapping sympathetic hands to Rhys’ shoulder and mumbling out different variations of how bad they felt for him. You say nothing, lemon tart shaking in your grasp and tears swell in your waterline as you wait for Rhysand to speak up—to tell them at they were stupid and wrong and had not the slightest fucking clue they were talking about.

But that never happens.

“She’s just a little attached—it’s cute.”

Attached.

You swallow the lump in your throat and enter again, a faux smile plastered in when you make a point to sit on the couch and not Rhysand’s lap. You refrain from reaching out to play with his fingers or trace the inky lines of his tattoos. There’s no spare kisses, no sweet words whispered for just the High Lord to hear, no fingers sneaking up to play in his hair or manicured nails scratching gentle patterns at the nape of his neck.

Just your hands in your lap, clutching that now half-cold cup of tea from before. “Baby, come sit over here.” Rhysand softly whispers, a hand already wrapping around your back to help move you but you stop him, head shaking in defiance as you slide just a little further away from him.

“That’s okay, there’s people around.”

“When has that ever stopped you before?”

He says it playfully but the smile you give back doesn’t reach your eyes. “I’m okay, Rhys. Thank you.”

His brows furrow, confusion evident but he doesn’t fight you on it.

He does, however, notice the way you pull your hand away whenever he reached for yours and halfway through a conversation with some male Rhysand had apparently known since he was younger; he tries to kiss you. Just a quick peck but you only offer your cheek instead. His frown deepens, eyes barely tearing away from you to finish what they were talking about because your distance is unmistakable.

There’s no fingers toying with the crisp lines of his dress pants. No hair tickling at the side of his neck or legs wrapped around his waist and the absence makes his jaw clench.

Rhysand’s friends leave for only a second, making promises to return with more drinks and that they hoped the Lord of Darkness could still keep up and he chuckles back some half-assed comment before fully turning to face you. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m having a great time.”

“You haven’t kissed me in hours.” It comes out like that’s the only fact he needed to make his point.

And to appease him now that no one was around, you lean forward and press a kiss to his mouth. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to be too much with your friends around.”

His brows raise again; that’s the second time now you’d said something along those lines. “Don’t worry about them—they’re just jealous anyway.”

You scoff like it’s an insult, quick to set the teacup down before you did something stupid like throw it. “Yeah, whatever.”

Rhysand forced you to meet his eye, a finger curled under your chin and you could feel the caress of his talons prodding at your mental barriers. “Show me what’s wrong.”

Your mouth opens to confess but out the corner of your eye you can see the guys returning, each holding their own bottle of whatever expensive liquor was left on display by the refreshment stands and your mouth shuts just as quickly. “There’s nothing wrong."

He doesn’t accept it, politely pulling you away from prying eyes. “Tell me, right now.”

A huffy sigh emits, shoulders slumping and tears well in your eyes. “I just want to have a good night without anyone thinking I’m too attached to you.”

His shoulders square out at the venom laced in the word and the previous conversation had between friends seemed to backfire. “Oh,” Guilty fingers trace warm cheeks, grazing over a wobbly chin and Rhys is crooning out apologies; promises that it wasn’t true—that he’d said whatever to get them off his back. “I didn’t mean it. I love when you’re all over me,” The truth in the words is undeniable and while you’d like to be mad, you really had missed the feel of him; his warmth and the grabby hands that always pulled you in closer.

“But, Cass said—“

“Cass is drunk and not getting any.” Rhys pulls you in closer, fingers raking through your hair while the other hand grips your hips just enough to push them flush with his own. The music thuds loudly, vibrating the floors and rattling the very blood in your body but everyone else seems to be having so much fun—laughing loudly and leaning into the other without the worry of being too much, too overbearing, too clingy or needy.

“But—“

“Don’t listen to him.” Pure affection sweetens his tone, love twinkling into amethyst irises when taking in every dip and curve of your features. “You’re perfect, just as you are.”

[moonstruckme]

hey! could i request a james potter x reader fic pls?? i have been thinking about him specifically non stop and now i just wanna be domestic and cute with him-

Me too lovely :')

James Potter x fem!reader ♡ 661 words

You’ve told James that you’re painting your toenails on the kitchen counter because it has good light, but he knows it’s really because you want to be near him. He’ll have to clean the counter again after you go, but he’s not complaining. He wants you near him too. 

And anyway, the kitchen does have good light. It streams in through the window to tangle in your hair and glance off your skin, illuminating the concentrated set to your mouth as you bend over your foot on the counter. 

James kisses you lightly, and one corner of your lips quirks up like you’re trying to stop it but can’t quite manage. You taste sweet and a bit tart. 

“Don’t mess me up,” you warn. “This is my last coat, it’s do or die.” 

“Stop eating my blackberries,” he counters, “and we’ll see. No promises.” 

You finish with your nails, setting the brush back in the polish and nabbing another blackberry from his bowl. James gasps, betrayed though not surprised. He pinches your side.

You laugh, leaning away from him fruitlessly. “Stop, I’m going to knock polish onto the rug!”

“You could at least vary your snacking,” James says. “My fruit salad is going to have hundreds of pieces of melon and two blackberries if you keep on like this.” 

“I just like blackberries best.” 

“So does Remus,” he chides with no real severity. “And when he gets here later today and they’re all gone, who do you think will be blamed?”

You bat your eyelashes at him, smiling angelically. “He doesn’t need to know there were going to be blackberries in here to begin with, does he?” you ask. The hope in your voice sparkles like sunshine off the ocean. 

James caves instantly at that tone, but he pretends to take at least a second to mull it over before capitulating. “Fair enough. Have at them, lovie. Leave no trace.” 

You descend like a hawk upon your prey, clawing through the bowl of fruit and popping blackberry after blackberry into your mouth. 

“I’m thinking of going to the store in a bit,” you say. 

James grins down at his cutting board, slicing the skin off a wedge of cantaloupe. “To replenish Remus’ blackberry supply?” he asks. He knows you’re too tenderhearted to truly rob his friend of something he enjoys; you’d be racked with guilt for the rest of the night. 

“To get lemons for lemonade.” You touch your big toe delicately, testing the dryness of your polish. “And if I stumble upon blackberries that look good while I’m there…” You shrug, turning away from him like you think you can hide your smile. As if he can’t hear it in your voice. “Then maybe I’ll grab some. To keep the peace.” 

James reaches over and grips your foot, channeling as much love as he can fit into a good squeeze. You gasp and nearly shriek when his thumb digs into a ticklish spot on your arch, grabbing onto his shoulder to keep from tipping off the counter. He sets a hand on your side to help, and he can feel your ribs shaking as you laugh. 

“Sorry, sorry,” James laughs. “I forgot about that spot.” He didn’t. “Wait for me to finish and we’ll go together, yeah?” 

Your nose scrunches with your smile. “Why, you wanna keep an eye on the blackberries?” 

“I was thinking we’d just get extra,” he proposes. 

You hum contentedly, and he takes the invitation to get further into your space, his hip bumping against your leg. “That’s very chivalrous of you,” you reply, your teasing softened by fondness. 

“Well, I do try. Pretty girls need to be kept happy, yeah?” 

You laugh again, grabbing James’ face in both hands. He knows when you let go, there’ll be sticky purple fingerprints on both of his cheeks. He doesn’t mind. 

“Flirt,” you accuse. 

James pushes forward until his nose is pressed up against yours. “Only for you.” 

[stellamancer]

cher(ease)  (satoru gojo x reader)

notes: i want to preface this by saying: yes, i know i posted a fic yesterday too. no, i am not actually that prolific. this was written for the willow house Meet Fruit collab. actually, i wrote it right after @willowser​ suggested it, but i waited to post it because I was actually a little unhappy with it when I was done writing it initially and i figured some time away from it might help. it did. a little. i think. now i’m not sure any more.. 

contains:  gender neutral reader, typical satoru gojo antics, some small manner of sexual tension

wc: 1.4k

You love cherries. 

They are, without a doubt, your favorite fruit; tart, sweet and easy to eat with their stems serving as a cute little handle. It does suck having to deal with eating around the pits, but your beloved cherries are worth the inconvenience. It’s truly, truly a shame that they’re only really available in the summer, but that just means you need to eat your fill when they’re in season.

Which is why, when you stumble across a display of them at the market, rows of cartons filled to the brim with bright, plump, juicy red cherries, you end up buying a carton or three without a second thought.

In retrospect, it might have been better to show some restraint. Maybe you had hungry eyes, or were just a touch too excited, or maybe it was even the fact that you’d spent an unspeakable amount of money on just cherries. Regardless, in order to attempt to absolve yourself of some of the buyer’s regret that’s clearly haunting you after splurging on fruit you benevolently decide to share them with the students and your fellow staff members at Jujutsu High. 

Or at least, that had been your intent. 

“Oh hey,” Satoru Gojo greets you casually as you walk into the staff room, his feet propped up on the table so he can lean his chair back as far as possible. In one of his hands is a cherry, one of your cherries, hanging delicately from its stem. “What’s up?”

“What are you doing?” you ask him reflexively, ignoring his question outright as a surge of annoyance courses through your veins. There’s a part of you that feels weird about suddenly feeling possessive over the cherries. You brought them to share with everyone and everyone includes Gojo. It shouldn’t be a big deal that he's gone ahead and helped himself to some without asking, and yet you still find yourself feeling agitated. 

"I was hungry," he replies nonchalantly, popping the cherry in his mouth. 

"And you thought it would be okay to snack on my cherries?" 

Gojo shifts forward in his chair and offers you an easy-going smile that only makes you scowl more. “There were so many in the fridge I’d thought you’d brought them to share.”

Your instinct is to argue, to be obtusely contrarian with him, but the fact of the matter is that he’s right, so you keep your mouth shut. Instead, you sit yourself down and stare at the half full carton of cherries on the table. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Gojo wiggling around, not-so-subtly vying for your attention like an overly excitable child. You ignore him and instead choose to think of the rising cost of produce. It was truly an ungodly amount you spent on those cherries and you know for sure that a year ago the same amount of them would have cost marginally less. When you thought about sharing them with the students, the blow to your wallet seemed bearable, their smiles worth the cost and more. But rather than your students' darling faces all you can see is the image of Gojo’s face, his cheeks stuffed with cherries like he’s a squirrel feasting on nuts. It’s annoying. Maybe you can get him to pony up and pay you back for a portion of what he’s eaten. Surely the heir to the Gojo clan can pay for some of the cherries he’s gobbled up. 

“Hey…” He’s whining loudly now, any attempts at being subtle abandoned. You consider ignoring him more, but think better of it and look in his direction. Unsurprisingly, he’s pouting, his perfectly moisturized lips puckering out, and you’re glad that his blindfold detracts from what is otherwise a disgustingly handsome face. “Why the long face?”

He’s mocking you. He’s totally mocking you. Not that you’d expect anything different from him. Rather than grace him with an actual answer, you shoot him a pointed look. There’s no goddamn way that he doesn’t know. But still, Gojo plays his favorite role and tilts his head innocently. When you don’t say anything more he exclaims, “Oh! I know! You must be hungry.”

Again, he’s not wrong, but this time he’s not exactly right either.

He grabs another cherry, this time holding it up in your direction. He grins as he propels it toward your mouth. “Here. Say ‘ah~’”

“Gojo, you are not feeding me.”

He ignores you, insistently pressing the cherry to your lips as he speaks, his voice an octave lower, "They taste really good, you know." 

The sexy drop of his voice is nothing short of deliberate— a tried and true tactic of his meant to get under your skin. You glare at him, your agitation clear as day. He is, as expected, completely unfettered, the cherry still flush against your lips. 

Your options at this point are to: wait until he gets bored and drops the cherry, possibly onto the floor— wasting it or shamefully accept it and endure him gloating about it for the rest of the day. As much as you’d love to waste Gojo’s time and sit at the table in a silent stalemate, you have other things to do. Important things.

So you open your mouth wide, wider than necessary, and use your teeth to rip the cherry from Gojo’s grasp in the most unattractive way possible. 

“Yay!” he cheers, choosing to focus on seeing just what he wants to see instead acknowledging that you obviously don’t want his offering. You consider, for one wild second, spitting it back in his face. However, you don’t and just drop the cherry into your open palm. Now what? Do you eat the cherry or just toss it? Frankly, it feels like a lose-lose situation either way, so you might as well go with the option that gives Gojo less satisfaction: you toss it into the trash can. 

“Aw…” His lips jut out to form an excessive pout.

“I already told you: you are not feeding me.”

“You’re no fun."

“I’m plenty of fun,” you dead pan at him, scowling. “I’m just not your plaything.”

“Meaning you won’t feed me either?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Not even if I say please?” 

“Nope.”

“Hmph.” He’s being overly dramatic and you both know it. “Guess I will enjoy the cherries all on my own, then.”

His voice drops again. The second time makes your body feel a little bit weird, but you remain largely immune to his antics, electing to grab another cherry to eat over paying him any mind. 

But Gojo reaches for the cherries right when you do, obviously and intentionally going for the same one you are, and your fingers brush against one another. You scowl and rather than play some weird version of finger footsie, you go for a different cherry.

Annoyed, you shoot him another glare, or at least, you intend to, but he’s pulled his dumb blindfold down and that’s a tell-tale sign that he’s up to no good. You can already feel your blood pressure rising. Dealing with him like this is even more of a pain than usual.

He holds your gaze, his eyes clear as the summer sky, glimmering, as he presses the cherry to his mouth every so gently, as if he’s kissing it. You watch, almost entranced, your mouth suddenly dry. Gojo rolls it over his lips, parting them ever so slightly to press the damn fruit further in, his tongue darting out and—

You force yourself to look away, rolling your eyes as you do. “What the hell are you doing? You look stupid.”

Gojo merely hums, chewing on the cherry. You hope he bites into the pit and dies of cyanide poisoning. 

He tosses a few more cherries into his mouth before he speaks, another seductive drawl, and though you would never admit it, you think your immunity grows weaker every time he uses that damn tone of voice. “Hey.”

“What,” you deadpan, glancing at him.

Gojo grins at you and his lips part just slightly, calling your attention to them again. He reaches up and slowly pulls a cherry stem from his mouth. It’s looped into a little knot and the sight of it throws you back to your middle school days— your classmates giggling quietly to themselves over the implications of things like tongue tied cherry stems and candies unwrapped using one’s tongue alone. 

“So,” he starts, his stupid blue eyes shining with shameless amusement, “have you heard what they say about people who can do this?”

He grins at you, far too pleased with himself for his own damn good. You know the answer he’s looking for. And he should know that hell will freeze over before you give it to him.

“Yeah. They call them idiots for putting the damn cherry stem in their mouths.”

[noodyl-blasstal]

The Good Lick Store - Best Served Cold Part 1

It's @tazsapphicweek!! Here's a story that started life last year when @ceilingfan5 and I plotted it out and meant to write it together but time happened and life happened. This year it was still rattling round my brain and they kindly gave me permission to go ham. So here's Best Served Cold!

You can read below or on Ao3

--

Raven wishes the bell on the door to Aw Beans! was slightly less cheerful. She’s not prepared for that level of peppy jingling this early in the morning, especially not when it’s coupled with the queue. The lines and noise are usually tempered by her desperate need for caffeine in the afternoon, but she knows Istus’ knee is playing up and Raven’s got some time before her next client so she’ll brave it. Early morning pep and crowds are worth it to please Istus, she’ll doubtless be putting a brave face on it, but Raven knows that a salted caramel green tea should help get her through the day. Aw Beans! is an institution at this point, nearly there as long as Raven and Istus, so when she finally makes it to the counter she smiles and idly chats to the new person on the till, takes her goods, and heads towards Istus, the same familiar route between their shops… although today it’s not so familiar.

Unit 12 has been empty for years, since Boyland’s accordion repair shop shut down no one else has stepped in, well, until now apparently. The sign for The Good Lick Store is big and gaudy with a series of light blubs around it to no doubt flash in terrible ways once it’s powered up. Raven hates it on sight. She hates the stupid font and the image of a tub with a swirl of what had better fucking not be ice cream in it over the ‘i’. She hates it even harder once she notices the smaller "It’s dewishis!" underneath. Istus makes the best ice cream, Istus is cutesy in the good way, the ‘that's my wife and I love her goofiness against my will’ way. How dare this place try and compete with anything she does?

Raven glares at the sign and turns away, she has tea to deliver.

–

Raven will never get tired of the way Istus lights up when she sees her, not that she’s never un-pleased to see Istus, but facial expressions are hard for Raven. It’s nice to see joy laid out so clearly.

“Raven! What a wonderful surprise, my love.” Raven pretends to roll her eyes at Istus’ attention, but presses a fond kiss to her sweet, delighted face before handing over the cup and a bag of fruit tarts that she couldn’t resist picking up. “For me? Thank you so much!”

After 30 odd years the novelty should probably have worn off, but it hasn’t. It's still just as much of a treat to roll into Istus’ shop and greet her… although Raven is grateful to no longer have to pretend that Aw Beans! ‘got her order wrong' and ask if there was any chance Istus might want it because it seems a shame to let it go to waste? It was only coincident the errors were always her favourites, honest.

But now she needs to focus. There’s bad news to deliver.

“There’s a new shop.” She says, as Istus takes her first sip, softening the blow with goodies is a happy coincidence at least, but thankfully she can be here for Istus too.

“It’s adorable isn’t it? "Dewishis!" So fun!” Istus sounds delighted.

Oh.

“You aren’t worried about competition?” Raven raises an eyebrow. “They’re pretty close to us… er, you, I mean.”

“We can be an us,” Istus says, taking Raven’s hand and kissing it. “With the amount of time I’m there I might as well be working part time at your shop.”

“I don’t remember ever seeing you tattoo somebody,” Raven says, laughing. “In fact, if I remember correctly, when I asked if you wanted to learn, you said ‘yuck’, right in front of the customer.”

“I maintain that it is yucky,” Istus says pleasantly. “But someone has to do it, and it may as well be my beautiful wife, who is worried about things beyond her control and projecting that concern on me.”

“You’re married??” Raven says, putting a hand to her chest, fake-aghast. “Oh lord, I’m a homewrecker.”

“I mean,” Killian interrupts from behind the point of sale machine. “Should we be worried?” She pauses… “...Not to get in the way of your smooching of course.”

“I am going to get in the way of the smooching, actually,” Carey says, whapping Killian with her cloth, and then gesturing pointedly to the mush jar.

“Raven instigated it,” Istus says, throwing Raven under the bus without a thought. “I’m also out of cash.” She opens her hands and looks mournfully at the lack of cold hard cash in them.

So much for the vows they swore to each other. Raven mutters some things that are not actually as grumpy as they sound, fishes out a note to stuff in the jar, kisses Istus’ hand one more time, and deposits the money in the already very full jar. “In my own place of business, so cruel!”

“I thought you didn’t work here?” Istus’ mouth tilts up at the corner.

Raven gasps. “I thought we were an us! Is this how you tell me it’s over? Oh, oh woe is me!” Raven looks her very saddest, summoning the biggest pout she can muster.

Istus cups her face so fondly, strokes a thumb across her cheek, and whispers far too loudly, “I could never be without you my love, you're the wings of my heart, the spring in my step, the sand in my hourglass, but don’t let them hear me say that or you’ll have to chuck another fiver in.”

Carey and Killian both groan in tandem.

“That’s at least ten. Self awareness won't save you, and stop enjoying it! It defeats the point of the jar when you revel in it.” Carey spares a moment to point a warning finger at them before she returns to her perfect sprinkle mix. She maintains that no one else does it right, there’s a graph about the colour, shape, and texture ratios, but no one else has managed to interpret it correctly.

“Don’t make us find another way to punish you for, well, all of this.” Killian gestures at the pair of them making eyes at each other and sighs heavily. Then grins and turns to Carey. “Promise me we’ll be this gross when we’re old?” She bats her eyelashes dramatically.

Carey rolls her eyes. “I hate you all.”

“Fine, since being in love is apparently illegal, I suppose I’ll resort to asking the pair of you what you think of the sign?” Raven’s mouth draws into a thin line at the thought of the garish mess.

Killian hisses and Carey narrows her eyes.

The terse “uh huh,” and the grunt of acknowledgement are simultaneous and tell Raven everything she needs to know. At least she's not the only one.

"Stop it, the lot of you. I know it's because you care about me, but this will be fun! We can do cross promotions, work together! ‘Get stabbed and ice it’ was fun, wasn't it?"

"That was different!" Says Raven indignantly. Because it's not the same, that was cute, there were stickers, it was her and Istus, it was fun! This is some evil ice cream conglomerate coming for sweet Istus' unsuspecting throat, and Raven refused to let that happen. By the looks on their faces, Killian and Carey agree.

"It was.” Istus says with consideration, then bats her eyelashes at Raven. “You see, I'm not in love with them." She pulls Raven in for another kiss as Carey and Killian boo loudly. "Now, I believe you have an appointment to get to?"

"...and about twenty five quid to add to the jar!" Carey points.

Raven plants another kiss firmly on Istus' lips and Istus laughs into it, when she surfaces she grabs another wodge of notes. "There, I rounded it up to thirty."

Istus laughs happily and waves Raven off with a flurry of blown kisses. She’d marry that woman tomorrow if she hadn’t done it already… although maybe they could do another vow renewal? It had been a few years since the last one…

–

The shop is empty when Istus stops by later that day, but there's a poster tacked up in the window. Frozen yoghurt! At least she assumes that’s what ‘fro yo!’ means. How fun! She makes a note of the website in her planner. She can look it up later on. It's exciting though - fro yo friends! That rolls off the tongue nicely. Istus can definitely send some of her customers their way, it'll be nice for them to get to try some new things. Maybe the Good Lick management would be willing to get involved in the outreach programme with them, she makes a note to mention that when she visits too.

–

"Istus, are you sure about this?" Carey stands, arms crossed, in front of the shop door. She knows Istus is an adult, a successful business owner who’s perfectly capable of making her own decisions, but she also worries. Istus is so ready to see the good in everyone, expects them to be as unfailingly kind as she is, and that's just not the world they live in.

“I’m so sure I made a card!” Istus flourishes the sprinkle themed envelope she has stashed in one of her deep pockets.

“You make cards for everything.”

“Only when I’m sure I want to.”

Istus smiles so beautifically, so confidently, that Carey doesn’t even know how to begin to challenge it. “But…” She tails off.

Istus just pats her on the shoulder. “I don’t want you to worry about work, Carey, there’s always a place for you here, it doesn’t matter if the new spot picks up some of our business, we’re absolutely fine.”

That hadn’t been what Carey was worried about, actually, but now she was going to cry about feeling so valued. Istus was hugging her, and she smelled so sweet and comforting, like the caramel popcorn she’d been mixing a batch of today, but then she wasn’t hugging her anymore and she was outside the shop waving… fuck. Fine. Maybe the people would be nice, and if they weren’t, the rest of them would deal with it.

–

Istus only feels slightly guilty for how she escaped the shop. It wasn’t a lie, she means it, Carey and Killian will always have work with her. They turn a good profit, and between her and Raven there’s plenty of money to keep things going regardless. Honestly, they could have retired years ago, but the community events need a place to happen and their friends need a place to work. Therefore the shop stays open no matter what.

It’s nice to see the way the shop looks, warm and bright. The old unit had been empty for ages, but there was finally going to be some life in it again! Boyland always used to keep it so neat, since he passed they’d taken turns to keep the weeds at bay and repaint the window and door frames, but they couldn’t get inside to do anything about the dust or the spiderwebs.

She peers in the large windowed portion of the door, knocks loudly, then waits… and waits. She could swear someone was inside, there was an unfamiliar car in the staff lot earlier and the lights are on, but she can’t see anyone. Maybe if she just puts the card under the door? She’s about to stoop down to try when two almost identical faces pop out from either side of the window. It’s startling, but Istus tries to recover herself as quickly as possible, afterall, she doesn’t want to be rude, they just need to be careful with jumping out at people like that.

“Hello!” She says through the door.

It creaks open and they step back in tandem. Their outfits are absolutely wonderful - white with colourful stripes and little matching hats.

“Oh, your uniforms are darling!” There’s still no real response. “Sorry, I sometimes get things a bit out of order. Let me try again.” Istus waves pleasantly. “Hello, I’m Istus, I work at Happy Scoops.” She stays in the doorway unsure if she’s allowed to enter, no matter how excited she is to see what they’ve done with the place.

“How charming.” Says the one on the left, that even with Istus’ disposition to believe the best in people, comes off as anything but sincere.

“I’m Lydia, and this is my brother, Edward.” Lydia’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes.

Istus powers through regardless, she came here with a job to do. “I brought you this to welcome you.” Istus holds out the card. “We’re all about community here, you know, cross promotions, helping each other out. I’m looking forward to being able to tell my customers about you. I’m sure they’d love to try something different.” She smiles encouragingly in case they’re anxious about meeting new people.

Edward plucks the card from her hand and it slides through his fingers to the ground.

“Oops.” He says without making any move to pick it up. “I can be so clumsy.”

It’s fine. It is. They might be embarrassed about opening it in front of her, this is probably just a clever way to allow them to savour it later.

“So you’re from the ice cream shop?” Lydia’s voice sounds warmer than before. See, it’s fine.

“I am, we’ve been here for years. Not that that’s a bad thing, it’s a joy! There’s lots of regular customers too, it’s good for that here.”

“Yes, well, it’s lovely that someone can cater to people with simple tastes.” Edward says it so kindly that it takes Istus a moment to realise it isn’t a compliment.

“Anyway, I suppose you’re probably very busy, with the… churning. Don’t let us keep you.” Edward smiles his broadest smile yet.

“Ta ta!” Lydia waves brightly.

The door shuts slowly enough for Istus to see Edward retrieve the card and drop it straight into the bin; she has a horrible feeling she was meant to.

--

I hope you enjoyed! If you want to keep reading you can find part two here.

[divine-donna]

prince charming

of course i have to include jacaerys. it took a while for me to warm up to him. but the longer i thought about him the more i started giggling and kicking my feet. so enjoy!

please keep in mind this is my own interpretation. these headcanons are just that. headcanons. if you don’t like them, just don’t read them and ignore this post.

one of prince jacaerys’s favorite pasttimes is to just sit in a bath. it’s a simple, mundane thing. but he feels at peace when he is alone in the tub with nothing but the sound of his own breath. the outside world cannot bother him.

there are few people that are better at cutting fruit than aemond. one of them is his mother, alicent. and the other is jacaerys. as an older brother, he took it upon himself to take care of his younger brothers. some of those duties included cutting up fruit for them.

he doesn’t need to look at his hands while cutting said fruit. he’s done it so many times. and on top of that, he spends a lot of time making pretty carvings. he’s carved a fruit into a dragon once (don’t ask him how long it took).

jace is one of the few people you know that really enjoys figs. but since they’re imported, he gets them rarely. which is why he cherishes them so much.

on the other hand, his favorite dessert has to be lemon cakes. the sweetness, the tartness, the cake that is not too moist nor too dry. it’s the perfect dessert to have after a meal.

if it weren’t for war, he would be a knight. a knight of the seven kingdoms and of the faith of the seven, much like his biological father. and he would most definitely be very popular.

much to the surprise of alicent and aemond, jace is actually close to helaena (outside of baela, rhaena, and his own brothers). the two of them get along quite nicely. jace has always been a man who respects the princess.

jace is not a fan of tourneys. he does not really care for them, like his uncle. but the bloodshed is something he doesn’t find entertaining. he prefers to cozy up inside his room with a good book or peel some fruit by a windowsill.

he is insecure in his looks. you were surprised to learn this. after all, prince jacaerys is quite handsome and he is a prince after all. but you learned that he was mostly insecure in his dark hair and dark eyes, both traits not associated with the targaryen dynasty (even though genetics can literally be weird and random).

his eyes especially are a soft spot. it was quite common for his uncles to comment on just how “dirty” his eyes looked. you, on the other hand, don’t believe that. regardless of his eye color, they were pretty and adorned with his long lashes.

jace need to go to a separate room, away other people, when he gets irritated. it is rare for him to lose his temper in front of people, especially since he’s quite patient. he needs alone time to cool off.

this, however, tends to lead to the prince bottling up his emotions. he holds a lot of resentment from years ago for aemond’s comments about his bastardy, even though he knows it’s the truth. it does mean he can hold a mean grudge however.

jace gives love through acts of service. he enjoys pampering his loved ones but especially you. you need a massage? he’s got you. you need a bath? he will prepare one for you. you want lemon cakes or fruit? he will get it for you. he especially likes to feed you fruit.

he receives love through quality time. the man enjoys just spending time with you and for you to go out of your busy schedule to spend time with him means a lot. it also means that you don’t care about his reputation. there are a lot of whispers about him. but to be with him is an indicator that you like him for who he truly is rather than his title.

surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), he has a secure attachment style. he is confident in the relationship between the two of you and trusts you to make good decisions. if you need anything from him, he will do as asked. you can always rely on him.

jace has two kinds of kisses. the first is the sweet, quick peck. it doesn’t matter where, but it’s the kind that makes your heart flutter. you always want to go back in for more.

the second is a longer, passionate kiss. you didn’t know jace could feel this hungry for you since he usually keeps his cool and is sweet and gentle. but that ferociousness when he gives you that heated, passionate kiss is so very attractive. you always melt whenever he gives those to you.

jace just...loves you. there is not a single thing he doesn’t love about you. he loves your body, your skin, your hands, your face, your personality. and he is so serious about loving you, treating you with gentleness. he can never answer when someone asks him what’s his favorite thing about you.

what about jace do you love so much? if you were to boil it down, you would list three things: his face, his hands, and his sweet nature. you love his face because how can you not? his face is so pretty, handsome, just attractive. he’s got lips that curve so nicely like his mother. and his eyes have beautiful long eyelashes.

his hands are...well, they’re very nice. you won’t go into more detail. aside from loving how long his fingers are and how soft his hands are. you’re honestly surprised he has managed to keep them that soft.

of course, you love his sweet nature. you haven’t met a man who treats you as well as prince jacaerys. he makes you feel secure and loved, even during your most difficult times.

“if i could marry the prince jacaerys, i would. how do i describe him? he’s sweet, kind, gentle. he’s an attentive lover. the gods have truly blessed me with a person as patient and kind as him.”

[dairy-farmer]

Heyy i hope you’re having a good weekend,

Have you read this fic yet??

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28008021

Its really fluffy and I was thinking what if it was the rest of the batfam relying too much on tim kind of like a mother, like in the fic, that made bruce notice that he would be a good mommy and he starts thinking of how tim would make such a good mommy to his own kids and that leads bruce to kinda be like, i want more kids actually and starts basically courting tim or something (sorry its not as coherent lol its like 2am rn)

-C

yes i have!!!!!! i love the concept of everyone just unanimously agreeing that tim was the head of the family!!!!!!!!!

the way that bruce in the end joined alongside them too. not yet calling tim mom but very much recognizing how tim, as a whole, is a figure that is very reliable.

he notices how all his children quickly run to tim for assistance or backup or to have him fulfill their needs. and bruce, in a way, also indulges into those same actions because tim is just...like that.

tim has always been a very steadying, reassuring type of person. he was the type of person who if you spotted them in the middle of a disaster you’d just know that everything was going to be okay.

bruce’s other children agreed and liked to keep tim busy, all vying for his attention or tuffing him into different directions. when they misbehaved bruce didn’t even have to lift a finger or say a word unless invited to by tim who took the discipline of bruce’s children into his own hands.

jason was stuck scrubbing dishes for two weeks when he accidentally left his edibles in an open container in his room, allowing damian to accidentally consume them when he went in looking for a pencil.

bruce hadn’t noticed it before but there was a noticeable...lightness to his older children. dick had always borne a lot of responsibility on his shoulders but lately, he’d been laughing louder and playing more. he was the one who got his ears lugged on the most by tim who scolded him about playing too roughly with his brothers and to know to ask about whether they wanted to play.

damian was always a bit of a proud child and it got him in trouble at school sometimes. bruce knew he struggled with making friends but was happily surprised to return home to the sight of damian and a little blonde boy systematically photographing and recording the various insects that populated the vegetable and flower garden. bruce recognized the camera hanging around damian’s neck as the one that usually sat on the shelf in tim’s room.

“they look like they’re having fun huh?”

bruce turned, work briefcase still in hand, to the sight of tim in some sneakers, trousers and a loose-fitting shirt.

“he’s ives’ half-brother, he told me while we were on a call a few days ago that his baby brother was having  a hard time making friends and i could understand him given i had my own little brother to worry about.”

there was a small smile tugging at the corner of tim’s lips. he was holding a small tray with two glasses of what seemed to be fruit punch and a lemon curd cookies.

tim looked every bit like an after-school mother entertaining their son and his new friend. before he continued forward to bring the boys their snacks bruce tried to sneak one of the little cookies and was quickly smacked away by tim who scolded him and ordered him inside where he could enjoy the ones on the cookie sheets.

they’re not alfred’s recipe. that much bruce can tell. but the cookie is buttery and sweet paired with a nicely tart fruit curd.

sometimes bruce will walk past the sight of alfred and tim folding laundry together and going over each person’s schedule for the week.

other times he’ll walk past the open door of the library and spot jason curled up on the sunny spot, his head nestled in tim’s lap as he quietly reads to him.

sometimes it’ll be jason. othertimes it’ll be a sweetly curled up damian or a relaxed cass.

it’s such a...fitting sight.

motherhood is becoming on tim. it’s such a natural look on him.

the thought strikes bruce one fairly normal evening.

both he and tim are at the office. they stop at tim’s corner office to get a few forms bruce needs and he spots the gift wrapped bow in the center.

it’s an office shower gift. teresa smalls, one of their PR workers is having a baby and they’re throwing her a small shower before she goes on maternity leave.

tim eases the top of the gift off, moving the card aside and ruffling through the tissue paper to show bruce the cutest little baby onesie he’s ever seen. little blue birds and intertwining branches cover it and tim coos as he holds it to his front.

and something in bruce...something just ‘clicks’ at the sight.

there’s something so right about tim as a mother, taking care of and loving bruce’s children.

despite his full household bruce has yet to actually have a baby.

it’s a daunting thought. one that is almost always soured because the women he’s been with weren’t...mothers. and bruce himself wasn’t exactly a shining paragon of paternal love.

but tim.

if tim were there to...help him...to guide his hand then bruce...could do it. he could do it. he already was. he was filling in the gaps where bruce couldn’t be there for his children, he was helping keep bruce’s family happy and together.

sometimes bruce will think back to that encounter in tim’s office. of his holding up that tiny little onesie to his body and marveling at it.

tim was already small, he was the smallest of bruce’s household.

and bruce well...bruce had been born a pretty big baby.

tim’s arms would be so full and overflowing with their child.

he’d coo over them the way he had in that office. he’d tenderly stroke their hair as they napped in his arms, he’d kiss their cheeks and play with them until they were bubbling with giggles.

bruce knew he would.

so if bruce starts standing a bit closer to tim no one ever mentions it. if he leans in closer when discussing a case, if he lowers his voice and whispers in tim’s ear, well that’s no one’s business.

tim grows used to bruce’s touch. the graze of a hand on his waist, his lower back, his cheek.

when one of bruce’s children run to him, eager to tattle on each other bruce offers them a simple ‘go tell your mother’ and the light in their eyes absolutely glow with mischief.

bruce starts sprinkling it in more, your mother this, your mother that. your mother told you to clean your room. your mother wants you to know there’s pastries from that bakery you like in the kitchen.

bruce couldn’t refer to tim as ‘mom’. even though every bit of him told him it was an appropriate title. so he settles for something else.

bruce starts calling tim his wife.

he says it for the first time at dinner and it gets him all sorts of looks from aorund the table and bruce stares back.

“what?” he asks. “if tim is your mother that must make him my wife shouldn’t it?”

tim blushes hotly to the tips of his ears and stutters which garners small snickers from around the table.

bruce sneaks up behind tim on occasion, gripping his hips while he’s doing a load of laundry and whispering ‘my wife’ in his ears until tim shivers.

tim gets introduced as bruce’s wife at events, the newspapers no longer refer to bruce as an eternal bachelor. bruce and tim never have an official wedding or sign any papers but it’s an acknowledged fact that they’re married and married couples spend time together.

they hold hands, they kiss, and they share a bed.

tim is such a sweet and tender little fuck. gasping wetly and letting out high-pitched gasps as bruce sunk into him and stretched out his little pussy with his cock.

bruce is tim’s husband, his love, his partner and there’s nothing between them. no barriers. nothing.

nothing that stops the hot flow of cum that bruce pumps into tim’s young womb.

tim parts his thighs further apart, whining as bruce presses in as deep as he can, mashing his cockhead to his cervix and groaning as he deposits over bit of himself into that welcoming entrance.

bruce stays plugged inside tim the whole night, holding him as he softly rocks on his cock, holding back moans so as to not wake up their children whose bedrooms are just down the hall.

there’s nothing more humiliating than hearing your parents have sex after all.

bruce holds tim the entire night, occasionally thrusting in as his cock gets hard again until tim is moaning and shivering around him. bruce may be getting up there in age but he’s still just a virile.

something that’s proved true when tim discovers he’s pregnant the next month. bruce kisses him full on the mouth when he learns, humming into that tender mouth and already imaging the sight of tim growing bigger with their child, tim being the wonderful little mommy to their child that bruce knows he is.

bruce is so happy.

“my sweet wife,” he whispers lowly, squeezing tim, “you’re going to be the mother to all of my children aren’t you?”

because there’s going to be more. at least a few. enough until that itch inside bruce is soothed by the sight of tim carrying his children and loving them with all the care and grace he always had.

a few. just a handful.

perhaps just two or even three.

yes. three would be perfect, a final tribute to his beloved wife, his third robin.

how perfect.

[philipr05]

Cerise, Chapter One

Shit.. the paper is due in two hours.

I always do this; starting my assignments the literal hour or two before they’re due. Now once again, in true Y/N fashion, I’m starting my Junior English final project at 10:13 pm. On top of that I have a pile of math homework; missing assignments from the last two weeks.

I hear a soft knock on the door. I hate it when people disturb my concentration.

“What is it mom?”

She opened the door. “Why are you up so late? Don’t you have sleep to catch up on?”

“Yeah, ok, whatever mom. Please leave, I’m trying to work.”

“Ok, ok, I just brought you some cherries. Did you clean this damn room of yours yet? It’s been like this for the past three weeks..”

I hate when she questions the obvious. It’s obvious it's not clean, and it’s apparent that I don’t have the time to clean it. She's asked this every single day for the last three weeks. I can’t contain it. 

“No mom, I haven’t.” I feel the yell coming out. I scream. “Get out of my room! You stupid bastard get out of my room!”

“You stupid bastard,” she repeats, evidently mocking me. “Clean up this room before you talk to your mother like that.” She sets the bowl of cherries on the clothes drawer by the wall adjacent to my bed. She pulls the door handle on her way out but still leaves the door cracked open. That bitch.

I guess I was a little hungry though. I got up from the criss-crossed position I was in on my bed, and grabbed the bowl of cherries before laying back down- knees up with my head and neck against the wall. I set the bowl on my nightstand and propped my laptop open on top of my knees. The ideal study position.

I reach over the bowl for a cherry. I popped one in my mouth, and I was overcome with the slightly bitter but sweet taste of the fruit. I loved the way that cherries tasted- not too sweet, not too tart. I rolled the cherry around my mouth with my teeth before being sure to eat around the pit in the center. 

After eating the meat of the cherry, I put the seed in between my lips, ready to fire it out. It was a straight shot from my lips to the trash bin in the corner of my room. This time, I grabbed a handful of the stemless cherries- six in total- and put them all in my mouth. Probably a choking hazard, but an efficient way to eat cherries nonetheless.

I lined the cherry seeds up against the inside of my right cheek. All ready for launching to the trash bin. I counted each seed as I sent them flying across the room.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Except there was no sixth seed ready to launch.

Oh shit. I just swallowed a cherry seed. I’m extremely squeamish about swallowing things, but I was freaking out knowing that those things had cyanine in them.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I rushed out of my room, breaking the silence of our 800 square foot apartment. “Mom, I need some water.”

“I’m not doing anything for you after you talk to me that way, you can get it yourself, N/A.”

“Holy shit mom, just get me a damn glass of water, I’m choking on a cherry seed!” I can’t stand her sometimes. She gets me a glass of water, and I aptly chug it down.

After around five minutes of coughing and convincing myself that the seed was no longer in my esophagus,  I went back to my room and slammed the door behind me. The stupid door was still slightly cracked open, so I kicked it behind me with my right foot. I took my phone out of my pocket and did a quick Google search.

“Ok, let’s see,” I begin typing, “How many cherry seeds does it take to kill a 17 year old, 5 foot 6 inch male?” I hit enter, and clicked on the first link that popped up. I scrolled down to the halfway point of the article to get an answer. 3-4 pits of a Morello cherry; 7-9 pits of a black cherry. Ok, so I was in the safe. A cherry seed wasn’t going to take my life today.

But maybe it wasn’t a cherry seed that would make my heart stop.

She will be in my semester two French 4 class next week. Cerise, they would call her. The French word for a cherry, and in some ways, she would remind me of one.

She was also sweet. Not so tart. I often found myself trying to decipher her every interaction with me, as if I was eating around the seed that represented her true intentions. One too many thoughts about her, and I’d eat a bowlful. I was, in fact, addicted to her. The idea of her. But she could never know, nor could I ever hint at it. I liked her a lot, and I still do. But all I can do now is play a game of solitaire- playing around with my thoughts and evaluating my interactions with her. I’d often think about whether she liked me back or not. Of course that would be truly impossible. But I was caught in a delusion. An unhealthy delusion.

But what if I liked being in that delusion?

Sometimes I just needed to force myself to get her out of my mind. I’d even lose sleep or stop doing homework as my mind would be flooded by the idea of her. But it couldn’t happen today. I have a paper to speed run.

I popped another cherry in my mouth and got to work.

[cookinguptales]

I know some of my followers also deal with dysautonomia and, like me, have to deal with consuming a truly disgusting amount of salt every day. I know that Liquid IV is well-loved by people in the dysautonomia community, but it’s never worked well for me? It just has so much sugar and I hate the way it tastes.

I switched to SaltStick’s electrolyte chewables a few years ago, and have found that those are much better for me. They still contain more sugar than I’d like, but eating it rather than drinking it makes me a lot less sick. (I just do not metabolize sugar well, lmao.) They’re the ones who make the Vitassium salt pills, which I also tried but found they were a little too hard on my stomach.

However, they’ve recently expanded their Vitassium line to chewables and a drink mix, which means they reformulated their usual lines specifically for people with POTS/dysautonomia/etc. (And also, if you have one of those illnesses and you fill out a lil form, you get a 20% discount off your orders from them.)

I just tried out their new drink mix today (the fruit punch flavor) and I have to say, I like it a lot more than Liquid IV? It has fewer vitamins, but that’s actually beneficial if you’re largely drinking it for the sodium. If I have to drink like 3-4 packets during a bad POTS day, I don’t need to be giving myself like 1000% of the daily recommended intake for some of these vitamins. (Note: SaltStick’s non-Vitassium drink mix does have more vitamins in it, but I suspect they lowered the amount in the Vitassium version for specifically this reason.)

Like LIV, each packet has 500 mg of sodium -- but oh my god, there is SO much less sugar. 2 g to LIV’s 11 g. I guess they realized that we don’t need as much sugar for simple salt absorption, so they replaced most of it with stevia. To me, that’d be enough reason right there to switch.

And personally, I do think it tastes better? But that could just be because I don’t like sweet things and LIV is sweet.

The downsides here are that they have way fewer flavors and the price/availability is a little rougher. 

Vitassium just launched their drink mix a few weeks ago, so they only have two flavors currently, fruit punch and pink lemonade. They have more flavors in their usual line, so maybe they’re coming...? Or maybe it’s harder to make them taste good with the Vitassium tweaks...? I’m not sure, honestly. I hope they at least bring the drink (and the vitassium chewables) out in their tart orange flavor, because that’s my favorite of the regular chewables.

The price of Vitassium is slightly higher, too, but... I mean, I think they’re pretty comparable. I just checked the websites and if you’re getting the tubes, LIV is 16 for $25 (or $1.56 each) and Vitassium is 12/$20 (or $1.66) which is more, but not a ton more? That said, a lot of people who need this might find that adds up fast. That said, Vitassium does offer that discount for people who are using their products for medical reasons, and so I paid $16 for my box, or $1.33 each. So that’d come out to be lower than LIV overall.

(Their website also shows that they’re releasing the drink mix in tubs now, too. I have not tried this! But the tubs are priced at 35 servings for $31.50, which would make it the cheapest option by far. That said, yeah, haven’t tried it. Probably will, though.)

The biggest downside is definitely availability. I have had days where I need salt fast and I can get Liquid IV at the grocery store. The convenience factor is definitely a thing. As far as I know, Vitassium can only be ordered online, so you really do kind of have to be mindful of your supply because they don’t take forever to ship, but like. It’s not gonna be two-day shipping, either. I’d say allow for about a week at the outside if you’re domestic. (idk about international.)

(They also have shipping fees, but it’s free shipping over... I wanna say $60? So I just make an order every couple months and really stock up.) 

Anyway, all this is to say that I’ll probably be switching to solely Vitassium, and I wanted to let my followers know that this product exists. I haven’t been sponsored by them or anything, but if they wanna give me free salt I will make like a deer and take it. 👀

[cupcakes-and-pain]

🍰 🍵 🕯

🍰 - If you were baking a cake to describe yourself what ingredients are you using?

Can I do cupcakes instead? :D No? Okay just asking haha

Hmm. I think it’s sweet, but it does have a bit of a bite underneath it. So maybe cocoa powder and coffee as main ingredients. There’s sugar, of course, but not quite enough to mask those tastes. But the bitter tannins make the cake stronger, you know? This is a cake that will do no harm, but take no shit, or at least it tries.

I’d have buttercream icing, because it feels right. But only only the top, not the sides. We don’t need to hide what’s going on inside the cake, let it show. Gold leafing decoration, because I like to be ~fancy~ when I can.

And maybe some raspberries on top. I hated them as a kid for some reason, but as I’ve grown, I realized it’s not their fault. Raspberries can be delight and really good. I just had to give them a chance.

☕️ - Plan a tea party! What will you be serving and who are you choosing as guests?

I think you meant this one? Because there’s no green tea in the ask game

Anyway! Little known fact about me but I LOVE tea parties. There’s a Christmas tea party in my area and I attend it every year. Besides that, I try to organize tea parties when I can, but it’s not always easy.

Because of this fact, I already know what I like to do for tea parties. I usually provide water when guests first arrive, then tea once everyone is there and seated. They can have as much tea as they want throughout the course of the party (I once had a guest drink 22 cups of tea. Considering her cup size, that was an absurd amount of tea. But it’s her choice and I respected it) and I provide a vast variety of flavors. I usually stick with the popular ones: chamomile, peppermint, green, black, chai, and then usually throw some fun ones in. My most recently hosted party had sour cherry, a personal favorite, and peach.

For food, I like to have three to four courses. They’re mostly desserts. I typically start with a scone and some butter and jam. Then there’s these really good tuna and grape sandwiches that I stole the recipe from the annual Christmas tea party. Sometimes I’ll serve soup. But I really like to end of with these absolutely incredible sour fruit tarts. They are SO good, and always a hit with guests.

I could go on way longer with how I’d decorate, but this answer is already long enough lol

As for guest list, I’ll probably invite my friends, people close to me, and the such. If I could have my dream invite list with anyone in history, I’d love to have tea with William Dorsey Swann and Marsha P. Johnson. They seem like they’d be fun to hang out with, just once. I’d probably die from excitement and the fear I’m going to mess up, tho. Maybe Jane Austen too. Just to talk to her.

🕯️- What are your secret dreams and hopes?

I want to have a family one day. I really like kids, and it’d be nice have some of my own and to see them grow up. My sister is going to off to college soon and it’s making me think about what it’s be like to be in my parents position.

Beyond that, I’d like to publish books and then get one or two fan interactions. That just seems like it’d be fun. I don’t want to be famous. I want to be a reclusive author who few know about and it’s like their in a secret book club. One sees me on the street once, and they stop and ask if it’s really me. They happen to have one of my books in their bag, and they beg to get it autographed. And then I say something wise or something and disappear. I want to be a legend but only to a small group of people. I want to be mysterious.

[hw2rosewar]

Helix Waltz 2: The Burning Roses CBT - Vince CG Story

(MTL) Translation:

Lilia Claupio: This tea party hosted by Duchess Richelieu is very grand!

LC: A pink rose on the table. I heard this is a new species cultivated by a gardener of a count’s family. He only gives it to some officials.

Luna Rewis: These little desserts are delicious too. Lady Claupio, would you like to try them?

LC: No, I have to keep an eye on my weight, so I can’t eat too many sweets. Besides, no matter how rich or exquisite the food is, the focal point of tea parties is still the tea and small talk...

LR: Hmm... Is that lady in the green dress on the balcony Miss Rovella? What is she doing there alone?

Kalia Rovella: Today’s assortment of desserts is remarkable! All the ones I like are here: coffee cake rolls, strawberry pudding, caramel muffins, and cherry blossom and green tea fruit tarts!

K: And of course my favorite chocolate mousse cake!

K: I just took one bite. Mm! It’s as delicious as I imagined. I’m so happy...

LC: ...

LR: So she’s here for the desserts.

LC: While the other ladies are drinking tea gracefully, she’s the one eating voraciously.

LC: There is no noble lady to be seen. Why did the Duchess invite her? Forget it, she’s from the countryside and hasn’t seen much of the world.

K: What should I eat next? Oh, this fruit tart!

LC: ...Isn’t she eating too much? ...How does she not feel any sense of guilt after devouring all that sugar?!

K: Ah, I really like the skill of this pastry chef. Some of these desserts are even better than those made by Miss Margarita... No, I can’t say that. She’ll be sad if she heard me just now.

Vince: ...

V: Miss Rovella, your black tea from the southern region has some milk and honey, as you like it. I have also prepared some lemon slices. Add them when needed.

K: Thank you, Mr. Vince. I didn’t expect you to remember my preferences for drinking tea.

V: Mm... It’s because you always smile when you drink a cup of sweetened black tea.

V: A genuine smile free of impurities. It is more touching than mere flattery and reminds me of your preferences.

K: Hmm...

V: What’s the matter, Miss Rovella? Is the tea still bitter? I see you’re eating one of the desserts on the table. Since bitter tea can relieve exhaustion, I didn’t add too much milk and honey to it.

K: No, Mr. Vince, your tea suits my taste very well. I just think you’re really considerate and kind.

K: You take care of every guest, notice their discomfort, and serve them in a timely manner. You’re really admirable.

V: As a servant, I’m just doing my duty. But Miss Rovella... you don’t need to speak so respectfully to an Oseland servant.

K: Why? You respect me, so I should treat you in the same way.

V: ...It’s too precious for me and too easy to lose. Still, you have my gratitude. You are sincere and kind. I am honored to serve a noble lady like you.

K: I feel the same way. Thank you for always taking care of me. I’m really happy today. I can drink the tea you made and eat these exquisite desserts, although I don’t have the candy I ate at the last tea party here...

V: Candy?

K: Mm-hmm, they were colorful candies. I remember there was peanut, mulberry, all kinds of flavors. They’re really delicious. I can’t find anything similar in any candy store in the capital...

K: I thought I’d have them again today... But I didn’t. It’s fine, these sweets are great too.

V: Is that so? I have some left. Here, you may take them.

K: Oh, thank you. Hmm, raspberry flavor. I didn’t have it last time.

V: These candies were made by an Oseland servant based on what was available in his hometown. If you’d like, I will ask him to prepare more of them for next time.

K: Really? I won’t take it for free. I’ll pay him!

V: Personally, I don’t think he needs compensation.

K: What makes you say that?

V: He makes delicious candy in hopes others will be happy when they eat it, but also to remember his hometown. It has nothing to do with money.

V: If he knew there was a lovely lady who liked what he did, he’d be very satisfied and make more candies for her.

K: Then he should consider opening a candy store! Make more people happy! If he runs into any financial problems, I’ll find a way to help him!

V: Perhaps there will be such a day in the future. But for now, he still wants to do his current job well.

V: ...Hold still, please.

K: What is it?

V: There’s... some leftover icing on your mouth. I’ll wipe it off for you.

K: Icing?! It must have been from the cake I just ate. I’m sorry for being an embarrassment...

V: No, seeing you enjoy yourself is enough.

V: In addition, these desserts have been prepared by me. I’m glad someone is having a good time.

T/N: Done via machine translation. Translations are not 100% accurate.

[toby-determined]

Day 20: Short and Sweet One-Shot - 10 Story Pitches that got denied

1.

“It will feature where, when, and how. People love interactive things so they’ll want to try going to the locations that I’ve written into the article which will help people be more engaged with both the town itself and the nature surrounding us. It’ll be great! Kids will like it, too, because they love them so much, you know.” 

“Rocks?” Morales deadpanned. “Kids love rocks?”

2.

“There has to be something going on down in there. People have reported hearing strange noises coming from them from all over the town! Even from within their houses. My theory is some sort of animal probably got all the runoff from the magic of this town and transformed into some sort of terrible monster that will eventually hurt someone. I’m willing to investigate this myself, I’ll even-”

“Toby, you’re not going down into the sewers.”

3.

“The hospital staff were so adamant that I couldn’t come in that they had security toss me out. That means the rumors have to be true! Why else would they not want me in there asking questions? If a kid sticks a magnet up his nose that’s anyone's Friday. But a fairy flying up some kids nose by mistake? Now that’s what we need on our front page!”

4.

“I’m telling you, this will be a big hit! Everyone in this town has been trying to get their hands on that thing for years. I mean, I personally wouldn’t know since I’ve only been here for a couple but from what I’ve heard from other people? It’s worth killing over! I have a foolproof plan that will ensure that secret will be everyone’s to share, not just some capitalist trying to make money off the common folk.” 

“I don’t think old lady Manning is a capitalist and you cannot break into her house for a apple tart recipe, Toby.”

5.

“Now I’ll have to go undercover for this one but with a little research and a good makeover I know I can pull it off! I may have to miss a few days in the office but it will be worth it to bust this thing wide open. Think of all the people that will be grateful to us, the Swynlake Squire, when we expose these people for what they really are! We’ve all just been living with them right under our noises, I mean the parent population alone in this town will be sending us fruit baskets for weeks!” 

“Toby, there is not a secret drug ring going on at the secondary school and even if there was you could not pass as a student.” A beat. “Or a dealer.”

6.

“Think about it, we could be solving a murder! I mean, I don’t know which murder yet but I figure I can just take whatever comes up. It’s not like I can pick and choose on that sort of thing. Unless…maybe I can if I pay them enough? Either way, it’ll be great. It’ll be just like the Mentalist but actually really solving a murder with a medium!”

7.

“That girl got bit by something. Even the town put out a statement about investigating what’s going on in those waters. I’ve heard rumors that there’s a place in there that doesn’t even have a bottom. It’s our duty to report the news to the citizens of this town and I would be more than willing to dawn a scuba suit, take a camera down with me, and dive until I reach the very bottom of that lake.”

8.

“You’ve seen it! They’ve got their own business alliance among themselves. They must be conspiracizing among one another. There’s something there, I just know it. I can figure it out. I promise! There’s an angle in there somewhere about capitalism or monopoly’s, right? That guy McWiggin is on the board! You think he would let a petition pass if someone came to town wanting to open one of those computer cafe’s and take away his customers? I don’t think so! They’re probably gouging prices, too and standing in solidarity with one another!”

9.

“I’ve never seen that bird move off that branch in the entire time I’ve been living in this town. Look! I’ve got the pictures to prove it.”

“Toby, that’s just a bird.”

“Morales, look! It’s so obviously a robot. How about this, I’ll climb up there, get a picture of it’s mechanical wiring, and we can run the story about how government is spying on this magic friendly town, right?”

10.

“I just think that this story could-”

“Toby?”

He turned away from the theory board he had been working on, eyebrows raised at the newspaper editor. “Yeah?”

“No.”

“But I-!”

“No.”

[miekasa]

random boyfriend levi hcs (modern au)

↯ pairing: levi ackerman x (fem) reader

↯ genres and warnings: modern au, fluff, i feel like he would honestly just be a quiet, gentle soul if given the opportunity to relax for once in his life lmao

↯ notes: i was planning to do some levi hcs, and then i got a request for them so yay! here you go, enjoy!

Has a carafe and fills it every morning (because he finishes it every day). He also absolutely does get his 6-8 glasses of water in on the daily thank you very much.

Oh he likes bubble baths. Not into lighting a thousand candles around him (altho he does like candles). Maybe one or two. Doesn’t stay for very long, but does like to get a good soak every once in a while, after he’s already showered of course.

Likes showering with you. A lot. Not necessarily for sexual antics, but he just likes it. Likes it a lot when you get all soapy and then hug him. 10/10. Although shower sex is always a welcome added bonus.

Fluffs your pillows for you in the morning behind your back. Not sure why it’s a secret for him, but it just is.

He’s like a fucking VIP member at SoulCycle or some shit and enjoys taking you with him to the classes just to see you sweat and suffer LMAO

Doesn’t mind doing things late at night with you, actually prefers it to some extent. Just don’t ask him to do anything dumb.

“Do you wanna walk to McDonald’s and get a McFlurry?” “No. I fucking hate McDonald’s and it’s 2am.” ....... “Do you want to drive around and maybe get some chinese food on our way back?” “... I’ll get the keys, let’s go.”

Surprisingly, likes to bake. It’s somewhat relaxing and therapeutic for him. He’s not the best at things like brownies and cakes and icing and decorating and all of that, but is really good at smaller, I suppose more refined desserts.

Think things like little fruit tarts, lemon squares, creme brûlée. Things that might not require a lot of ingredients, but are very particular in technique.

He doesn’t mind cooking though. But he likes cooking for other people best, not to mention he can be picky about his take-out. It can become a chore to him otherwise (and you can miss him with that meal-prepping bullshit), but he doesn’t mind cooking dinner if he knows it’s for you and him to share. And is willing to honor any particular meal request you might have.

Not exactly a wine connoisseur, but he doesn’t mind having a glass with you when you ask. He keeps bottles you and his friends get for him, but he doesn’t know shit about tasting and pairing and all that. If he needs to know or needs a recommendation, he’ll ask Erwin.

Into niche home design things like lighting fixtures, finding the perfect handles for his furniture and drawers, and things of that nature.

Very much a DIY kind of guy, and your fixer-upper. Need to assemble furniture? Fix a broken TV? Re-tile your bathroom floors? Levi’s your guy.

Loves candles. Not super sweet smelling ones like birthday cake and vanilla bean, but loves lighter, fruitier scenes like eucalyptus mixes, lemon, even sage. Always has candles on hand and never misses a single Bath and Body Works sale.

On that note, yes he does coupon. Why wouldn’t he? Capitalism already sucks and everything is so expensive, he’ll take a bargain where he can get it.

Never owned a speaker because he never saw any use for it, but one day, you coerced him into having a mini-karaoke session while you were cooking together and he found out he enjoyed it quite a bit. (The music playing a loud, not the karaoke. Even though he’s a pretty decent singer).

So when you bought him a record player for his birthday, it easily became one of his most valued possessions. And he’s really enjoyed collecting vinyls.

Other than that, he’s open to most kinds of music, and likes it if you make playlists for him—otherwise he’ll just listen to whatever you have made.

Levi and Erwin are presidents of the Beyhive but you didn’t hear that from me. Nothing but respect for THEIR Queen Bey.

Enjoys taking walks and going running when the weather is nice, and likes having you along with him. It’s actually on occasion on which he prefers to hold your hand in public. You don’t always talk much, but it’s still nice and Levi really relishes in it.

Genuinely laughs out fucking loud whenever you put a face mask on and cannot take you seriously for the next 20-35 minutes LMAO

“Hey, Casper, did you want me to get you a glass of water on my way back.” “FUCK YOU MY SKIN IS GLOWING LEVI!! GLOWING!!”

Despite that, he still fucking steals your other skin scare!! Like retinol isn’t expensive as hell!!

Likes getting massages from you, and may or may not have feigned or exaggerated soreness form his workouts a few times to get one.

Fucking hates pumping gas, but doesn’t trust the little brats at the gas station to do it for him, and would rather eat a pair of jeans than let you get out and get gawked at, so he does it himself.

If you’re in public doing something/looking at something and taking too long, Levi will just start nudging you to get you moving. Like if you’ve already spent 10 minutes looking at different pasta shapes in the grocery store, he’ll put a hand on your waist and slowly usher you back to the cart so you can actually finish your shopping (and go the fuck home).

On that note, he pulls you/grabs at you quite a bit, usually to out the way of other people or harms way (or so he claims). For example, pulls you back further onto the sidewalk while you’re waiting at the crosswalk; further away from the lines on the ground near trains and busses; away from Hange.

Really likes kissing you. Not in public, but doesn’t mind having you all over him in private. And honestly, when he wants it, he doesn’t mind being all over you either.

He’s a particularly big cuddle bug in the morning bye.

Likes it when you drive. Mostly because he can just chill in the passenger seat and take a nap.

LMAO he can’t ride a bicycle. If you taught him, he’d probably pick up pretty quickly, but nobody ever taught him so he doesn’t know how yet.

(When you find this out, you’re VERY eager to teach him and Levi feels like he might have finally met his demise). “Do you want some training wheels, Levi? I saw a pretty pink pair in the toy store on the way here.” “No, fuck you, I just need to find my balance—hey, don’t let me go! Do you want me to die???”

Despite not liking having his photo taken, he’s a pretty good photographer and doesn’t mind taking pictures of you.

Keeps a picture of you and him inside his wallet. You don’t know that it’s there.

Despises the dentist with every fiber of his being and would not fucking go if you didn’t force him to. Seriously, you have to book the appointment for him and everything or else he’s just not make one or go.

And it’s not even like he has bad teeth?? They’re fine, maybe just in need of the regular professional cleaning. He just hates people prodding inside his goddamn mouth.

Which is very weird and you tease him very loudly about because he’s fine with the doctor?? And the ophthalmologist?? And everything else but the dentist LMAO

Quite spontaneous with dates in all honesty. Sometimes he just sees shit or has an idea and asks you if you’d be down.

Not one for cliche coupley items, but you do have matching sneakers. (They’re his favorite pair of sneakers).

Picks up things you’ve left laying around and puts them in their proper place. “Levi have you seen my—” “It’s on your desk. Where it belongs.”

Museum dates! Not that he cares for the pompous air of museums, but objectively they’re nice. Quiet, pretty objects, clean. Overall, not so bad. Just don’t take him to a fucking history museum.

Has a habit of kissing the palm of your hand. It’s his silent way of telling you he loves you.

Lays his head on your lap when you’re sitting on the couch. Claims he’s not keeping up with your shows but secretly is. Curls up into a ball and takes a nap halfway through tho.

[twicecorner]

NSFW Tag Game

Roleplay in the boudoir isn't strange. Some of your partners even get costumes. Of course, some of those costumes see more use than others. Now you can't help but get at least a little horny whenever you see someone dressed like that. Who was it that forever changed how you see these ones?

How it works:

Go to “Random.org”.

Click on “Lists & More” and then “Lists Randomised”.

Enter the names of 18+ people/characters.

Use the first 8 to find out who really loves these outfits.

Tagged by @nsfwporty ; idk who to tag sooo if u see this and wanna do it go for it !

A/N: i added another category so I could get all 9 Twice members in lol I hope that’s okay. I also did the same sort of thing as @sinswithpleasure with the lil scenarios jumping between real life and purely roleplaying situations :) also sorry its so long and may sound repetitive.. I haven’t done something like this before TT

Police Officer - Nayeon

“You have the right to remain silent,” Officer Im Nayeon said, as she handcuffed you to the chair. “I already told you everything I know. I don’t know where she went, she knocked me out, took my car and left.” Nayeon slammed her fists on the metal table. She thought for a moment before saying, “Maybe there’s a way to get something we both want. I’ve been seeing you eyeing me ever since I walked in here.” You were confused as to why she’d bring that up, but you couldn’t help it, with a body like that and who doesn’t love a woman in uniform.She stepped out of the room for a moment and came back in with a totally different mood. Nayeon pushed your chair back and lowered herself onto her knees, unzipping your pants and pulling out your cock. Officer Im started to slowly stroke your length with her long, slender fingers, bringing it to stand at full attention. Your wrists were handcuffed behind you and the metal dug into your skin at her touch. Soon she brought her mouth to your tip and began furiously devouring your length. 

You watched and moaned as your rod moved in and out of Officer. Im’s wet mouth, “Fuck I need more, Officer.” Your attempt to jerk your hips in tandem with her movements failed when Nayeon completely removed her mouth from you. “You know, you’re not half bad looking and you have a nice big cock. But you’re gonna have to do better than that if you wanna cum. ” She stood up, picked the small handcuff keys from her pocket, jingled them in your face, and walked towards the door laughing to herself. “OK wait! Before she left she may have mentioned a possible place or two she was heading to.” Officer Im stopped with her hand on the doorknob and spun around. “Now, we’re getting somewhere.. Tell me where she is and you’ll be released.. In more ways than one.” She said, returning to the spot on her knees in front of you. She started deep throating you fast, you were impressed at her skills and also a little worried about who could have been watching from the one-way glass, but that soon left your mind when you felt yourself nearing your edge. Nayeon’s tight throat closed around your length and with a few more bobs of her head you were seeing white “Oh fuck! She’s at her old dorm, Officer” You moaned loudly, releasing yourself and painting her throat. After swallowing your load Officer Im stood up, took off your handcuffs, said thank you and left the room without any other word.

Doctor/Nurse - Momo

You’d been sick for about a week with a little head cold and your girlfriend, Momo, was doing all that she could to take care of you, practically acting like your personal nurse. Finally feeling better, you were relaxing in bed when you heard a knock on the door before Momo, dressed in a makeshift nurses outfit strutted in. “It looks like my little Y/N is feeling better! Would you like a lollipop for being such a good patient for Nurse Momo?” You both laughed.‘“No, but I can think of something sweeter that I want right now.”

 “And what would that be?”“I need the nurses special medicine to make me feel even better” You said smirking. Momo knew exactly what you meant before walking over to the bed hiking up her skirt and taking a seat on your face. Instantly you licked up her slit and gathered all of her nectar on your tongue. Momo always tasted so sweet. You ate her out, tongue fucking her and she planted her hands on your chest before grinding down on your face. She was a moaning mess and reached down with one hand slipping it under your sweats and began stroking your cock fast. You were both nearing your edge and with a few more licks and sucks at her clit she released her juices all over your face, at the same time you let go and let yourself erupt all over her hand and your stomach. “Maybe you should be sick more and I could be a nurse more often.”

 Maid/Butler - Tzuyu

“Your dinner is ready, Sir”, “Thank you Ms. Chou.” 

You sat at the small dining table looking out at the nighttime Seoul skyline from your apartment. Both you and Tzuyu liked the idea of one day living a lavish, wealthy lifestyle, and some nights you decided to roleplay around that idea. Tzuyu stood next to you in a classic maids outfit. “Ms. Chou, actually I think I’d like to start with dessert.” “And what would you like, sir?” You quickly got up from your seat and grabbed her waist pulling her in for a passionate kiss. “You” 

Without wasting any time you picked her up and sat her onto the dining table with her long legs, hanging over the edge. You licked your lips as you pulled off Tzuyu’s panties, like unwrapping a piece of candy. Making your way to her center, you planted kisses up her thighs and pushed her skirt up. “Your desert is ready and waiting, Sir” she said, breathily.

You instantly tore into the delicacy before you, hooking your arms under her legs and around her hips to pull her body closer to you. Tzuyu was always sweet, but in her maid fit, she seemed even sweeter. It was like eating the finest fruit tart from a Michelin star restaurant. “Ms. Chou you taste so good” You say between licks. You sucked at her clit and lapped up her juices. She moaned and grabbed handfuls of your hair, pulling your head further into her. You began tongue fucking her, “Oh Sir, right there, that feels so good oh f-fuck im gonna cum, Sir” Within seconds of sucking and licking she squirted all over your face. You drank up as much as you could, some dripping from your chin when she finally released your head from her thighs. “Mmm, Ms. Chou, you’re the best desert on the menu.”

Fairytale Character - Sana

Sana was always a fan of playing dress up, especially in the bedroom. She came out of the bathroom in a short, tight green skirt with a purple bikini top on, her red-orange hair completing the look. “It looks like Ariel finally got her legs” You laughed. “Now all I need is my Prince Eric for a true love's kiss” She said, smiling and sauntering over to you. Sana blew you a kiss and you playfully acted along catching it and putting it to your lips. “Come here, then Ariel, I can give you a lot more than a true love’s kiss.”  You pulled her in for a kiss as she sat on top of you. Your lips danced together while your tongues fought a fierce battle.

Before you knew it clothes were off, and Sana was on top of you bouncing up and down on your cock. The sound of skin slapping skin rang out through your room. Your cock slid in and out of her hole easily, it was practically drowning with how wet she was. “Oh fuck, I’m so close princess” You groaned, your swollen length pulsating inside of her. “Me too!” she said bouncing harder and faster, your hips matching her rhythm.

Suddenly Sana leaned forward, “I want my true love to kiss me while I cum all over his big cock” The second she said that and her perfect lips met yours, you both reached your edges, moaning into each other's mouths and riding out your orgasms. 

CEO/Boss - Jihyo

Being the CEO’s secretary had its perks, sure the rest of the office made fun of you for practically being Park Jihyo’s pet, being at her every beck and call, but there was a damn good reason for it. Park Jihyo wasn’t known for just being a great boss, but with a body and a mind like hers, anyone would gladly take the same position as you. It was a Friday night and you were both staying late to finish preparing for a board meeting next Monday. “Do you have all the copies ready Y/N?” “Yes, they’re all on the conference table, the bottles of water and pens are also ready.”

“Always one step ahead, that’s what I love about you.” You had to admit you’d be lying if you said you’d never fantasized about taking your boss, especially when she showed up looking the way she did. Jihyo sat at her desk chair and swing her feet onto the desk, “Ugh this week has been so stressful, thank God we have a weekend coming up”

“Ma’am.. I hate to remind you, but you have a schedule for both days of that said weekend”, “Fuck… I can’t even have a moment to relax or get a massage.. I don’t remember the last time I had one.” You don’t know where your confidence came from but you sprung out of your seat and stood next to her, “I think I could help with that, boss” You said, snaking your hands onto her shoulders. Jihyo seemed to relax under your touch as you rubbed your fingers into her tight muscles, “Oh yeah that’s good, right there” She said, practically moaning, as you kneaded a knot in her shoulder. You could feel the warmth build up in your groin as your member came to life hearing her. “Fuck it.” it was like you blinked and there you were standing behind your boss who was laid against her own desk, her jacket and bra discarded, her pants and underwear pulled down to her ankles and her heels still on. Similarly your shirt was also gone and your pants were pulled down, your thick cock running between your bosses ass cheeks. “Don’t just stand there, Y/N, fuck me already.” “Yes, ma’am” you said, plunging yourself into her warm depths, she was suffocatingly tight and wet. You took a few slow thrusts at first then, “Harder, you little shit. I’m not paying you overtime if you aren’t putting in the work.” You’ve never seen Jihyo like this, but quite frankly you liked it. Both of you were relieving built up stress and you were happily pounding into her. You pulled her hair so her back was flat against your chest and you ran your hand around to grab at her tits. Massaging her tit and pinching at her nipple drove her over the edge and you had to hold her up as her legs buckled. Jihyo’s pussy pulsated and you erupted inside of your boss, her walls milking your worn out cock. The two of you fell onto the desk, “Shit, boss that felt so fucking good.” “It looks like we might have to do this more often, baby.”

Devil/Angel - Dahyun

It was Halloween, you and your girlfriend, Dahyun, were at a friend's party. She insisted you dress up in a couples costume, but didn’t plan on looking for one until the very last minute, of course the only one left at the story was the devil and angel. Dahyun kept bumping her wings into everyone while you both danced but you couldn’t keep your eyes off of her. The white dress fit her well and there was something about the whole getup with you as a devil and her as an angel that was slowly turning you on. You grabbed her hand and brought her to the bathroom and lifted her onto the sink. She was about to take off the wings and halo, but you stopped her. “Keep them on. I wanna fuck my little angel.” Dahyun moaned at your words as you pierced her to the hilt with your length. “Oh God, yes” She moaned, throwing her head back and wrapping her creamy legs around your waist. Her heavenly pussy squeezed against your cock, her arms around your neck and gripping onto the plastic horns that adorned your head. The whole situation was sinful even if only halloween costumes. An angel being fucked by the devil, red and white flashes of movements, sounds of skin slapping skin. Dahyun was usually a conservative and quiet girl when it came to sex, but it seemed this situation also had a major effect on her. She was a moaning, mewling mess underneath you while you pounded into her. “I’m gonna.. Gonna cum” barely a whisper in your ear. “Cum for me, angel.” Dahyun’s body shook and convulsed with pleasure as she reached her peak. You held on to her and slowed your thrusts as she rode out her orgasm on your cock. You were close too and Dahyun knew it. She recovered and hopped off the sink, getting on her knees in front of you. She pumped your cock mercilessly, twisting and gripping it, massaging your aching balls until you erupted and painted her face. Spurts of cum shot out and marked her angelic face.

Athlete Coach - Mina

It was a normal day at the gym for you, you were a seasoned gymnast and had daily practices in prep for the Olympic Qualifiers coming up. When you got into the gym there was a group of girls also “practicing?” Although it wasn’t normal gymnastics, but rhythmic gymnastics. Gymnastics that also involved hoops, balls, and dance. You didn’t think much of it and went to the uneven bars to warm up. You lifted yourself up and from the peak of your pull up, someone caught your eye. The main dancer, it seemed, was standing in the middle of the other girls. She was wearing a black shimmery outfit demonstrating some move with the hoop above her head. She was elegant and seemed to know exactly what she was doing with every move of her body. After your practice you went over to find her. She was practicing alone in one of the dance rooms, “Hi, I’m Y/N I’m one of the gymnasts here, I haven’t seen you here before.. But your routine was really good!” 

She shyly smiled and looked back at you, “Hi Y/N, my name is Mina, Myoi Mina. I’m actually a ballet dancer, but the girls asked for my advice on their routine so I’ve been helping them prepare for the tournament. I’m glad you like it. I liked your routine as well, you sure know how to catch a girl's attention with all of those flips and such.” You laughed nervously, thinking maybe it was too obvious, but regardless you did catch her a few times staring at you too. “Haha yeah your moves were cool too, I don’t even think I’m that flexible enough to pull that off.” Mina took her chance with that. “Here let me show you.” She brought her leg straight up doing a split in the air, you gulped and your eyes trailed her body. “Holy shit” You said under your breath. She wasn’t wearing any panties… “Are you just gonna look or are you gonna help me, help you. I’ll teach you what you need to know about flexibility.”

Soon you were full on fucking in the empty dance studio, watching yourself in the floor to ceiling length mirrors as Mina showed off just how flexible she was. First you pounded her standing up with her leg straight in the air over your shoulder, next you had your way with her up against the mirror, her legs wrapped around your waist, contorting her body in all sorts of way to bring you both pleasure.. Mina kept surprising you with positions, downward dog with her back deliciously arched, on her back with her legs pulled up against her torso. She came a handful of times but was adamant about you finishing in what she thought was the perfect position. Mina returned to her standing position with her leg above her head, she loved watching herself in the mirror and she loved it even more to see herself getting pounded into. You grabbed her hips and pushed her against the mirror, her juices were already dripping down her legs from her splayed lips.”Cum inside me, I want to feel you inside of me while I dance.” You were sent over the edge and released your seed deep inside of the gorgeous dance teacher.

TV Show/Anime Character - Jeongyeon 

You and Jeongyeon had just finished watching the kdrama Mine and she had gotten pretty into the characters and particularly their style. Mine was about these women who are in the process of finding themselves and their own loves, however, the part that captured Jeongyeon’s interest was their lavish chaebol lifestyle. Of course it caught your interest too, the idea of being able to wear fancy clothes and drive a nice car with a mansion was always a fantasy. One night you both decided to test drive this fantasy for yourselves. You both got dressed in what was about the fanciest attire you had in your quaint apartment and went out for a dinner date. You had dinner at a nice steak restaurant where you had to make a reservation in advance and even have your car valeted. Dinner was amazing, considering the price, but it was worth it.

The drive home is when things began to heat up. It was about a 30 minute drive, feeling bold after some wine, you slid your hand over the gear shift to rest on Jeongyeon’s thigh. “That was a wonderful dinner, wasn’t it Ms. Yoo?” “Yes, it was, I say we go back to the Cadenza [a house name from Mine] and have some fun.” You slowly moved your hand up to just rest over her covered center. She held her breath as she grabbed your hand and pushed it towards her. You rubbed her through her panties and she did the same to you, stroking your covered length to life. “I don’t know if we’ll even make it home.” You said, taking a turn and drove to a secluded lookout point the two of you used to frequent in your younger days of dating. “I bet even the fancy and rich decide to get down and dirty sometimes” She said, while you hopped into the backseat.  Jeongyeon pulled off her panties before climbing to the back and straddling you. 

You pulled down your pants and let your erection spring free, until Jeongyeon lowered herself to the hilt. “You better not get any of your filthy cum on this dress. It’s expensive.” She said, pointing a finger at where your bodies were connected. “Don’t worry it’s expensive too and it’s not going anywhere but inside of you.” You said, grabbing her hips and starting to thrust up into her. She started bouncing on top of you and you both became moaning messes, erratically slamming your bodies together in the small space of the car. “Fuck I’m close” Jeongyeon moaned, “Me too” You replied, between thrusts. As your cock slipped in and out of her, you shifted your position ever so slightly and started hitting her g-spot exactly on point. “FUCK! Right there!” Jeongyeon’s orgasm caught her off guard as her movements slowed and her pussy pulsed around your cock, “Cum with me, baby.” On cue, you came pushing your dick as far as it could go inside of her, her pussy clamped shut around it milking you and not letting anything escape. As you rode out your orgasms she leaned into your ear and said, “You’re Mine.”

Waitress/Waiter - Chaeyoung

“Here’s your usual Y/N!” Chaeyoung smiled as she placed the plate of chicken and waffles and a cup of coffee in front of you. You were a regular at this diner near your house and for as long as you can remember, Chaeyoung had also been working there and serving you. She had this certain vibe to her that was different from anyone else in the town, from changing her hair color with the seasons, to having the most unique and fashionable outfits. The two of you had known each other for so long and you had a special relationship, one could call it something like a friends with benefits type deal. You finished your meal and Chaeyoung came with the bill. “You want the regular tip or the special tip today, Chae?” “The special.” She said, smirking. She told her coworker she was going on break and went into the storage room. You followed her a minute later. Chaeyoung was significantly smaller than you, but she was still able to push you and pin you up against the door crashing your lips together. “We gotta make this fast before the boss comes back.” You swiftly unbuckled your pants and picked her up. 

The only perks of having to wear a uniform for the job was that the uniform was only a short skirt. She moved her panties over to the side and you ran your tip through her slit. “Mmm fuck, you’re already so wet Chae.” Before she could answer you slipped inside of her and started pumping in and out of her warm cunt. It wasn’t the first time fucking in the storage room, nor would it be the last, but every time it was exhilarating. The threat of getting caught, of people hearing, knocking over stock shelves or brooms, made it even hotter than it was. That’s what Chaeyoung was, a daredevil, she pushed the limits. She certainly was no stranger to pushing you to your own limits, “Cum inside me Y/N, I want it. Tip me good, maybe even some extra for special service. Fuck, you’re so deep.” Her words sent shivers down your spine and your knees almost buckled as you came and painted her deepest insides with your seed. She loved being filled, the sensation of thick spurt after spurt being let out inside of her sent her over the edge too. Chaeyoung came, clinging onto you, digging her nails into your back. You let her down once you both recovered and cleaned up. “I think that tip will last me at least the rest of the week… Come back soon!” She waved before straightening her skirt and leaving the room.

[bubble-tea-bunny]

sweet talk

[tamaki suoh x reader]

author’s note: been rewatching ouran and found the time to write smth small. basically a really late valentine’s fic lol. i’m drafting an idea for takashi as well atm. maybe kyoya after? ;)

word count: 1,844

At this time of year, the weather is chilly, the air cold even without the presence of wind and warranting the need for a scarf to avoid a red-tipped nose and numb cheeks. Most days are gloomy, the overcast sky glaringly bright and difficult to look at. But today, it would seem the divine hand in charge of the course of the seasons has granted a reprieve, the clouds parting so the sun might wash over the grass that you and Tamaki sit upon currently, in the garden of the Suoh estate.  

The gardeners had finished their tasks this morning, as instructed by Tamaki the night before. It gave you two the opportunity to be out there alone in the afternoon. The hedges are trimmed and tidy, and the smell of freshly cut grass is strong. You inhale deeply, chest puffed, and sigh in satisfaction as the scent reaches your nose. It had been so long since you sat out in a garden, owed to the fact it had been too cold for that lately.

Tamaki chuckles at your enthusiasm and rifles through the picnic basket he’d brought with him. He pushes aside the array of deserts—cake slices, chocolate bars, fruit tarts, and more—their colorful wrappings crinkling loud enough to grab your attention.

“Where is it…” he mutters.

You tilt your head. "Where is what?”

The tip of Tamaki’s tongue sticks out the corner of his mouth, evidence of his concentration, and when he finally finds what he’s searching for, he holds it up like a first place prize, complemented by an exclamation: “Aha!”

It’s a small plastic pouch, clear with red stripes and tied near the top with a matching, shiny red poly ribbon to keep it closed. There’s what you assume to be candy inside, in various colors, but you don’t recognize it. You’re still just as clueless, but you don’t need to voice your question because Tamaki can see the confusion written across your face.

“It’s commoner candy!” he explains. “Well, commoner Valentine’s candy, more specifically.”

You continue to watch, intrigued by what he’s brought, as he pulls at the ribbon to loosen it and opens the pouch, reaching inside for one of the pieces of candy. He holds up the heart-shaped treat, gripped carefully between index finger and thumb, and angles it so you can see what’s written on it: Sweetheart.

Upon realizing there’s wording on it, and that the same must go for every heart in the bag, your eyes light up. “Cute!”

“It is, isn’t it?” Tamaki agrees, voice quiet as he observes the candy. The nickname is printed red though the lettering isn’t too sharp, which gives away that it was done by a machine. “Haruhi got one for all the host club members, and I wanted to share mine with you.”

When he turns to you, amethyst eyes warm like a summer night, you smile. And when he offers the bag of heart candies to you, you eagerly reach in for one. “How thoughtful!” You turn over the piece you picked out: Only You.

“Well, shall we try them together?” Tamaki inquires, and you nod. The two of you pop the candy into your mouths in unison, then sit silently for a moment in contemplation.

It’s… unique, is the best description you can come up with. The powdery, pressed substance is basically a sugar bomb that melts once it comes in contact with your tongue. But it isn’t the quality of sugar you’re accustomed to—it’s far and away from the refined sweetness of the handmade confections stashed away in the picnic basket Tamaki brought along. Still, this mass-produced goody is delightful in its own way, in taste and novelty, for you have never seen such small candies with words on them, and you say as much to your boyfriend, the last traces of the heart candy lingering on your lips which you lick away.

“They’re charming,” you remark, reaching for another piece. “For when you can’t find the words or get them out yourself.” You read what’s written on the yellow heart you grabbed, then turn it to show Tamaki: Be Mine.

Tamaki’s attention briefly diverts down to read it as well, and the corner of his lips lifts in a lopsided grin as he meets your eyes again. “Sure, they can be useful for some people, but I can get by just fine without candy telling me what to say. How could I call myself the king of the host club if I weren’t able to string together pretty words?” Always conducting himself with some semblance of dramatic flare, he puts a hand to his chest, and the sunlight reflects off his eyes in a way that makes it seem like there’s a tear or two forming in the corners.

As usual, his acting is impeccable, and you can’t contain your smile; he’s such a natural. You have no objections to his claim as king of the school’s host club, and if you’re being honest, you wish you had even half the charisma he does, that some of the skill he possesses at waxing lyrical would rub off onto you via proximity alone.

“They would’ve come in handy for me that day I confessed to you,” you admit shyly, and it’s Tamaki’s turn to tilt his head, confused but waiting for you to expound. “These candies say all the things I wanted to say to you then.”

The day you came to terms with your feelings about Tamaki and the day you actually revealed them to him were different, and the time in between had been spent in a state of conflict over whether it was worth mustering up the courage to approach him about it. There was little doubt in your mind that the president of the host club received declarations of love left and right, a routine part of his week, a clockwork consistency like that of waking in the morning and laying down to sleep in the evening. You’re a drop of water in the ocean; what could possibly make you stand out?

For all that, you figured you should confess anyway. Rejection was still an answer and it was better than nothing. At least after the gentle let down (because truly, Tamaki is, without fail, graceful in matters of love, both the reciprocal and the unrequited) your turmoil over what he may say would finally be put at ease.

Though you rehearsed over and over what you would say and how you would say it, the practice ends up being useless, and you weren’t sure why you even bothered. Once you met his kind gaze—expectant and patient, giving you the opportunity to gather the words in the stretching silence that would be oddly too long in any other context—the resolve you had slowly been building on your walk to the meeting point by the fountain crumbled. You tripped over your words at the sight of his tender smile. Tamaki just had that effect on people, and you wished he’d look at you that way always. To be on the receiving end of his affection was to bask in the warmth of a sun that never sets.

It’s a feeling you’re distinctly reminded of now, sitting in the garden on an uncharacteristically sunny day for winter and the center of Tamaki’s attention, and you think you might be set alight from the sheer intensity (due mostly to Tamaki; the sun is poor competition in contrast). He wears that beautifully soft expression, mind clearly having thought back to your confession as yours just had. But it seems his recollection differs slightly, for he presents a counterpoint.

“I thought you handled it perfectly.” He sets the bag of heart candies on the grass and braces himself with his now freed hand, which allows him to lean closer to you. He enters your bubble but you never mind it, and his touch is feather-light as he brushes your hair behind your ear.

You’re unpersuaded, however, and raise a brow. “Really?”

Tamaki chuckles and nods, blonde hair bouncing with the singular motion. “Your eyes spoke for the words you had trouble finding. I might be the one stringing together pretty poetry like diamonds around your neck”—his fingers slide lower to trace the curve of your collarbone left exposed by the cut of your blouse, and you shiver—“but you have no need for words at all, much less the turns of phrases on pieces of candy.”

“Is that why you liked me too?” you ask, remembering his own confession that had followed closely on the heel of yours. You keep your voice hushed because given how close to each other you are, there’s no need for any higher of a volume.

Tamaki hums in confirmation. His index finger delicately taps once, twice, thrice, on the hollow at the base of your throat, a sort of absentminded movement while absorbed in his thoughts, before he once more brings his hand up, cradling your cheek. “You say you’re a drop in the ocean but you’re the drops of morning dew on the roses just outside my bedroom window. My heart flutters to breathe you in.”  

You smile, bashful, and set your hand over his, interlacing your fingers. Your cheeks have darkened in a blush Tamaki would like to kiss. “Okay, I’m convinced,” you concede with a murmur. He’s so close to you now. “When I admitted how I felt, maybe it didn’t go as badly as I thought.”

This elicits another laugh from Tamaki. Instead of acting on his desire to run his lips along your silken skin (there would be time for that later), he settles for a quick peck on your nose, then reaches into the pouch of heart candies, temporarily abandoned but not forgotten. His fingers curl around two pieces and he pulls them both out rather than dropping one, but he sees the words on them before you do since his hand obscures them from your view.

“The powers governing destiny have destined our souls for each other,” he declares. “Because you and me, it’s love.”

He uncurls his fingers to reveal the candy in his palm, and you look down at them. The green one reads You & Me, and the blue one It’s Love. This prompts you to giggle. It’s music to his ears.

“What happened to not needing candy to tell you what to say?” Your tone is playful.

Tamaki shrugs, unable to hide his amused grin. “I pulled them out at random. If this is the universe speaking to me, who would I be to argue?”

You have no counter to this, not that you think there even is one. Destiny is destiny and as Tamaki feeds you one of the hearts and you bite into it, the sugar once more dissolving on your tongue, you can only thank those powers which make the world turn for conferring their blessing upon the two of you in such a deliciously sweet way.

[xcrystalzero]

it's called a starconch

pairing: childe x gn!reader

summary: a seashell shouldn't hold as much meaning as childe lets it. and yet, he can't seem to let go.

note: i think i'm going through my angsty teenage stage as a literal adult.... also this shit long, good luck! also SPOILER WARNING HERE FOR THE LIYUE ARCHON QUEST DONT READ IF YOU HAVENT FINISHED IT!!!!!!!

Childe had always loved the ocean. Coming from a little fishing village on the coast, the Snezhnayan ocean had always felt like home, but that wasn't the ocean he was talking about.

It was so warm here compared to his homeland, the coasts lined with fine golden sand that crumbled under his feet and shells of every color under the sun scattered about. One in particular caught his eye and Childe knelt down slowly to take it in his hand.

"It's called a Starconch!"

He nearly spun around in panic as the voice seemed to echo around him. He hadn't heard that voice in long enough that it almost sounded real, and yet, there was no way that could have been the case.

With a soft sigh, he turned his gaze back out towards the sea. Starconch...

~~~

Liyue was a country of colors. The moment he had first stepped off of the boat and into Liyue Harbor, he had been awed by the way that city seemed to shine. The warm light of a thousand lanterns hanging from every building he could see pushed back the darkness of night, bathing the place and the people in a golden glow.

And in that golden glow, he saw you.

"Welcome to Liyue Sir Tartaglia!" Your smile was warm like the city around you and yet, Childe sensed that it wasn't entirely genuine. "I am [name], a representative on behalf of the Liyue Qixing. It is an honor to have you in our harbor." Ah, that was why. Well, you were smart not to trust the Fatui who had just docked in the city you were meant to protect.

Well, two could play at that game. It took him but a moment to pull his usual grin to his face as he extended a hand. "Quite the warm welcome! Trust me, the honor is all mine."

He didn't miss the way the side of your mouth quirked slightly upwards at that as you regarded him with a somewhat bemused expression before returning the gesture.

"And please, call me Childe."

~~~

"Fancy seeing you here." Childe had been heading out on a request to monitor a Fatui base near the coast and had thought to grab some food for the road before he left when he saw your figure weaving between the various stands set up around Liuili Pavilion.

He wasn't sure how to feel about the way his heart seemed to jump at the sight of you though. It wasn't as though he didn't see you often. His position as a foreign diplomat and your role as a representative of the Qixing made it so that communication between you two was an all-too normal occurrence. Almost every day as luck would have it and yet, he wasn't sure if he would ever get bored of the prospect of running into you.

You turned to face him and Childe couldn't manage to hold back the laugh that erupted out of him. Your cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk, likely filled with a huge bite of the pastry you were currently cradling protectively in your hands as though you thought he was going to steal it from you.

Your cheeks went red as you threw a hand up in front of your face as you finished your bite before turning a glare back on him. "What..."

"Hungry?" He teased, stepping around you to scan the stand's wares as he pulled his wallet out.

"Shut it..." You muttered, promptly folding the wrapping of your pastry up over the top and slipping it into your pocket. "I thought you were Ganyu... She's always yelling at me not to eat so many sweets but they're just so good..."

Childe chuckled at that, earning him another sideways glare from your direction. "Ah, so is that your weakness then?" He plucked a handful of fruits from the stall as well as a pair of lemon tarts sitting in a small container to the side, offering the money for them to the stand owner as he stowed them in his knapsack.

"What do you need to know about my weaknesses Fatui?" Ah yes, there is was. The thing that had drawn Childe to you in the first place. The city of Liyue was warm and so were the people, but there were times when for you, that warmth rose into a heated blaze. You weren't afraid to challenge him, to dart across the line drawn by diplomacy and come just close enough that he was tempted to chase after you when you retreated.

There was a slight smirk on your face as you waited for his answer. He sighed, shrugging with a soft smile. "I mean, it can't hurt right?"

"You're insufferable." He might have been offended if you actually meant that. Thankfully, that smirk was still there so he had nothing to worry about.

"Say, I'm going out to the coast right now for some inspections. You think you can spare a moment to come with me?" The question was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"Why me?" You questioned immediately, suspicion evident.

"U-Um... Well it'll be a little suspicious if a Fatui Harbinger just takes off out of nowhere right?" An awful excuse truly. There had been multiple instances already in his short time in Liyue that Childe had just taken off to get done whatever it was that he needed to get done. In fact, it was something of a known fact within the Bank that he enjoyed heading out for smaller tasks every once in a while just to get some combat practice and stretch his muscles. That being said, there was no way you knew that so...

"So you want someone to account for you, is that it?" you remarked, crossing your arms over your chest as you studied him.

"Well..."

"Okay sure."

He shouldn't have let his gaze fly up to meet yours as quickly as he did. He shouldn't have let the jolt of happiness he felt show in his eyes, or allowed his smile to become the slightest bit more real. But he did, and he was sure that you noticed.

"A-Alright then, let's go!"

~~~

"Well, that went well." You clapped your hands together, brushing off any dirt that had accumulated as you made your way down the shore, taking a seat on a small outcropping or rock placed conveniently in the shade of a large tree.

Childe trailed after, taking big, dramatic steps as he tried to keep the ever shifting sand out of his shoes. "Sure did..." He heard your laughter and despite the fake pout he wore, the sound was nothing less than heartwarming.

"Take your shoes off!" you encouraged, kicking your feet up to show that you had already done a much. After a moment of hesitation, he complied, slipping his boats off and tossing them to the side as he took a seat beside you, staring out at the ocean.

Childe would have loved to say that the silence was comfortable. However, the truth of the matter was that he felt strange. The crash of waves onto the shore was nearly drowned out by the pounding of his own heart as though the thing were beating inside of his head instead of his chest. Well, they had been moving for a while, maybe he was just tired. Or dehydrated. His palms were sweaty though, that was new... Likely just the fact that he was wearing his coat. He wasn't built for the warm Liyue climate after all!

"Childe?" Oh no, your hand was on his shoulder. His already deafening heartbeat felt as though it was speeding up further, the heat in his body seeming to concentrate at the point where your hand made contact with him.

Wait. None of this was normal. All of these feelings seemed to be related to you in some way or another. How strange. Was he ... nervous?

"You called?" He didn't recall thinking those words, but they were already out of his mouth, complete in true "Childe" fashion with a teasing tone and smile. Wow, he was even better at faking it than he thought.

"You were completely spaced out... Don't tell me a little inspection is all it takes to tire out a Fatui Harbinger!" It sounded like just another dig at him but Childe was sure that he heard just the slightest bit of concern hidden in your joking words. The realization did not help his current confusion in the slightest.

"Nothing wears me out! You on the other hand, look like you could use a snack. Now, if only someone brought one..." He tossed back before digging into his bag and pulling out the little carton holding the pair of lemon tarts he had purchased earlier that day. He didn't miss the way your eyes lit up before you pointedly glanced away.

"You think you can bribe me into being nicer to you?" you scoffed.

"Whenever did I say anything like that?" Childe popped open the top, holding the tray out to you. After a moment, you hesitantly reached out, plucking one of the little tarts out.

"Thanks..."

Childe smiled as he took the other half of the pair, immediately taking a huge bite out of the side, savoring the way the tartness of the lemon contrasted with the buttery, flaky crust. "Anytime!"

"I have something for you too..." Popping the last of the treat into his mouth, Childe turned to face you only to see that you were holding something out to him. Taking it immediately, he held it up to his face, turning it about in his hands in confusion.

"Is this, a shell?"

When he looked back at you for confirmation, he was somewhat surprised to see a slight blush beginning to spread over the tops of your cheeks.

"It's called a Starconch! They're native to Liyue so I didn't think you'd seen one before." you offered as clarification as Childe continued to inspect the little thing.

"It's pretty. But why for me?"

There was a pause. "It may have reminded me of you..."

There it was again. The panicked rhythm of his heart and the warmth and the confusion. "Oh? This shell did?"

"It... It looked like your eyes. It's kind of pretty..."

Childe's gravestone was going to look so stupid. Here lies Tartaglia, 11th Harbinger in service of the Tsaritsa. Defeated by a seashell and a compliment about his eyes.

"What are you looking at me like that for Fatui?" He was drawn back to his present, sadly still alive self and your blushing face as you awaited his reaction. He attempted to pull a self-satisfied smirk to his face, combing his mind for a response that was just the perfect balance of confident and joking and accepting, and came up empty.

He tried, he tried as hard as he could but he couldn't think of anything. Anything except you that was. Slowly, he set the Starconch down beside him as he turned fully to face you.

"[name]?"

"Yes?" To your credit, you showed no sign of wanting to retreat. He could see the flash of panic in your eyes as he suddenly came closer and yet, you made no move to pull away.

"Do you really think of me as just disgusting Fatui?"

"Huh?" Apparently, that had not been what you were expecting. You blinked twice, evidently confused.

"Is that what you think of me?" he reiterated, not daring to break eye contact in case it gave you a chance to pull away.

"I mean, you are definitely Fatui but I don't think of you as disgusting or anything..." You offered, eyes wide as though you weren't sure what answer he wanted from you.

"And just to be clear, an honorable representative of the Liyue Qixing wouldn't want to be seen with the Fatui right?" There was a slight waver in his tone that he couldn't seem to get rid of it. He hated it. Rather than the usual confidence that oozed from his every word, he sounded unsure. Hesitant even.

It was you who broke eye contact then, glancing down at your hands as you kneaded them nervously in your lap. "Well, they probably shouldn't..." His heart dropped. "But..."

Childe's eyes flew open as you pressed your lips against his, your own eyes squeezed so tightly shut he was sure it hurt. It took a second of coaxing but he found himself slowly leaning into you, hands coming up to wrap around your waist as yours coiled over his shoulders before traveling up into his hair. He felt you smiling into the kiss and the thought spurred him on as he pulled you in until you were all but sitting on his lap.

It wasn't particularly fiery or passionate or anything he believed your first kiss would be like, but there was something else there. It felt like release. When you began to pull away, Childe let out a soft whine, lips following yours as you drifted tantalizingly out of range.

"Relax harbinger." you drawled, glancing up at him with half-lidded eyes, your expression tempting enough that he almost threw himself at you right then and there. "We have all the time in the world. I'm not going anywhere."

~~~

"I think this is turning into an actual problem."

Childe pouted in response to your remark as he continued to organize all of the starconches you had collected into neat little rows on the sand before you. There had to be at least 50 of them, all in different shapes and sizes of every shade blue one could imagine.

This had become your new ritual. Every free evening the two of you had, you would come back to this spot, the location of the first starconch exchange. What had started as a cute little bonding activity though, as with anything with Childe, had quickly become a competition. Now, it was a contest as the two of you continuously tried to one-up each other in finding the most beautiful starconch.

"It's fine! They're pretty right?" He turned towards you, stupid shit-eating grin plastered on his face. "They remind you of my eyes remember?"

You rolled your eyes as you straightened out the harbinger's less-than even rows. "Ah, how I regret saying that..."

"Rude!"

When all of the little shells had been perfectly arranged, the two of you stood back to consider them.

"I call the top right."

"Hey, I wanted that one!"

"Too bad, I was quicker."

Childe pouted again but didn't protest as he bent down to pick up the shell you had chosen and then one that he liked as well. When he reached out to offer it to you however, you reached for his other hand, grabbing the shell he had picked.

"Huh?"

You smiled. "You like this one and you like me, so I get this one. "

"I am ... confused," Childe confessed, though the smile adorning his lips contrasted his words. He reached for your free hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, tugging you away from your little shaded safe-haven and towards the water.

"Hey!" you protested though you let him pull you there, laughing the entire time. "What are you doing, we don't have a change of clothes!"

"Doesn't matter! It's a waste to come to the beach and never touch the water, don't you think?" Childe grinned as he pulled the two of you into the waves just in time for one to crash down, instantly soaking the two of you from waist down.

You gaped in faux shock as you swatted at the man's arm. "Childe!"

He laughed, a free, unrestrained sound unlike the one he was so used to performing in front of others when trying to remain the ever charming and relaxed Fatui diplomat the people of Liyue had to see him as.

Childe. He had told you to call him that. That was what everyone called him after all, and yet, it didn't sound right anymore. Not coming from you.

"Childe?" It was a question this time, as though you had been able to sense that something was amiss with your lover.

"Ajax," he replied.

"What?"

"Ajax, that's my name. My real one anyway."

Your eyes widened as you stared at him in shock, the hand you had resting against his arm slipping slowly down back to your side. "Is... Is it okay for you to tell me that?"

Childe scoffed, running a hand through his hair. Damn, this was more embarrassing than he thought it would be. It was just a name! "It's my name, and I want you to call me it. There shouldn't be a problem with that right?"

You stared at him for a moment longer before leaning in, placing soft lips against his for just a moment. "Alright then, Ajax. Don't regret it."

And then you dunked him, pushing him down the moment the enxt wave crested over you two. When he pulled himself back to the surface, sputtering in shock, there was a dangerous grin on his face.

"Oh, it's on now!"

~~~

"What's happening with that traveller you've been talking to recently?" There was nothing accusatory about your tone and yet, Childe couldn't help but hear is as an accusation.

"Nothing much," he shrugged. "They're looking for someone and the information they've dug up has been pretty useful so far."

"Useful huh..." Well now you were definitely suspicious. Childe felt bad about it, he really did, but there was no way he could involve you in any of this. His loyalty was to the Tsaritsa and he was required to carry out her orders. With your loyalty in line with the Qixing, he had no doubt that you would be at odds with the Fatui's plans in the coming weeks, but there was nothing he could do about that. What you didn't know couldn't hurt you.

If worst came to worst and he was forced to attack Liyue however, he had already made preparations. A quick look at your schedule for the coming weeks had confirmed that you were going to be taking a quick trip to Fontaine for some business you had chosen not to disclose with him. Not that he particularly cared what it was that you were doing, just that you would be gone when everything went south. As long as you weren't hurt, everything would be fine.

"They're a nice kid honestly! I introduced them to Zhongli yesterday and they seem to be getting along quite well!" Childe offered. You quirked an eyebrow at him, recognizing an olive branch when you heard it.

"I mean, Zhongli is a hard man to hate." You took the branch.

"Which reminds me, we're still on for dinner tonight right?" Childe could pat himself on the back for how smooth that conversation shift was. You seemed less impressed though as you rolled your eyes at him.

"I guess if I have to..."

"Hey!" You were laughing again and Childe felt his heart soften. He hated this game of keeping secrets from you, but if it kept you safe, kept you happy and content and laughing, he might be able to play the game for just a bit longer.

~~~

It felt like you were going to crush his ribcage, but Childe wouldn't have it any other way. He was sure that his grip on you was just as strangling as he buried his face in your neck.

Slowly, you pulled yourself away from him, eyes sad even as you mustered a smile to your face. "I'll be back in 3 weeks max okay! That's not that long!"

"Yes it is." Childe didn't mince his words and didn't miss your flinch at his statement. He wanted to badly to grab onto you and not let you take a step closer to that boat. To drag you back to his apartment with him and sit you down there until this was all over. But he couldn't.

You would be safer in Fontaine. You wouldn't be part of anything that happened. And best of all, if this all went fine, you wouldn't ever have to know what he did. He didn't want to lie to you, but he couldn't see a way around it this time.

Instead of voicing as much, he pulled you back in for a final kiss, not caring that there were definitely people watching and gaping at the show he was putting on. You hummed softly but didn't do much to fight him, letting him press himself into you as you gently brushed some stray strands of his way hair out of his face.

He only let go when the ship's captain sounded the horn in impatience, though his half-smile made it clear that he wasn't particularly mad at the young couple's display. You squeezed his hand once more.

"I'll see you soon okay Ajax."

"Be safe [name]." You nodded smiling at him once more before slowly detangling your fingers from his and making your way up the ramp onto the ship.

Childe waved until the ship had completely left the harbor, even when it was clear that there was no way you could still see him. When the shape of the ship had finally faded behind the sea fog, he grudgingly turned to make his way back to the Bank, only to be faced with a nervous looking Fatui recruit who nearly jumped when they made eye contact.

"M-Master Childe! There's some new information you should probably know about."

Childe raised his eyebrows in a silent question and when the recruit nodded, he took a slow breath it. So it was starting.

~~~

"Master Childe!" Ekaterina greeted him the moment he stepped through the doors of Northland Bank. He mustered the strength to give her a quick wave, even as his entire body ached at the slightest movement. The Foul Legacy transformation really was something but he wasn't sure he would ever truly get used to the backlash.

"How are you feeling?"

"Well enough," he lied. After that stunt that Signora and Zhongli had just pulled on him, he wasn't in the best mood at the moment. "What is the situation like?"

Ekaterina paused and Childe narrowed his eyes at the way some strange expression had crept suddenly onto her face. "What happened?"

"Well, you're quite the wanted man... It seems word has gotten out about your involvement in all this, though I'm not quite sure how..." The traveller huh? Well, that much was expected considering how things had gone. If only they hadn't gotten in his way. Of course, he had relished in the battle they had been able to share, but it would most definitely have been cleaner if they hadn't been around.

"That much is expected," he said with a soft laugh. Ekaterina offered him a thin smile, and that was when he knew that something was wrong. "There's something more isn't there?"

"Um... There was something..."

"Well, spit it out then."

"There were a few casualties in the event..."

"Really?" Childe was genuinely shocked by that. "Outside of the Millelith? I thought the adepti would have been able to protect everyone within the city."

"Yes well, most of the people in the city were fine... It's just, there were some just outside of the border..." Ekaterina fumbled with her words, eyes downcast in a way that was starting to worry Childe.

"Like?"

"Well, there was a ship that turned around because of a storm up ahead and ran straight into Osial's torrents," she finally spit it out, eyes flashing with panic when she finally looked back up at him.

"A ship? A ship..." Childe's blood ran cold. "A ship going where?"

"... Fontaine sir."

The next few moments may have been filled with silence to an outsider watching, but Childe's head was filled with a roaring. He heard voices and people and the sound of his blood rushing through his body and the air filling his lungs as he heaved in breath after breath. It was all just noise, there was so much noise.

Childe grabbed onto the counter as his feet collapsed from under him, breath coming in thick inhales as he struggled to gain purchase. No. This, this wasn't happening. There was no way.

"Where is the ship?" he managed to get out between breaths, eyes flashing up to Ekaterina. He wasn't sure if she squeaked in fright or it was just his delirious mind playing tricks on him, but she answered him anyway, hurt registering even in her voice.

"It washed up on shore this morning... There was no sign of anyone who had been on-board..."

This wasn't real. Childe's vision was starting to go dark, black edges creeping slowly inwards as he struggled to sit back up.

"That... That can't be possible. They're here. They probably made it back. They're waiting for me. I have to get to them." He attempted to push himself to his feet but all the strength in his body was gone. The black in his vision was growing and without warning, he found himself slumped against the cold tile of the Northland Bank floor.

"Master Childe!" Ekaterina's worried voice registered somewhere in his brain but the darkness was slowly encroaching.

His fingers attempted to clutch at something, only to find the chilly smoothness of tile beneath him. This was a dream, some fever nightmare brought on my the transformation. It was fine, he would open his eyes and everything would be fine. He could already see you, the little smirk on your face as you teased him for getting so worked up over nothing. Oh, you'd have a good laugh about this one.

And it was with the image of you in his mind that Childe passed out.

~~~

Childe barely remembered the weeks that had followed. He distinctly remembered not going to the funeral, partially because he would be arrested on the spot, but mostly because that would mean accepting it all, and he was not ready for that.

He still wasn't sure he accepted it.

And so, here he was. This wasn't your spot, the little cove with the rock and perfectly placed tree where you were constantly unearthing the most perfect starconches, but it was the Liyue shore, and that was all it took. Childe studied the shell in his hand for a moment, brushing the remaining flecks of sand off slowly as he did.

This was the prettiest one he had seen in a while. There weren't any visible cracks and the color was the richest blue, exactly like the one you had given him so long ago.

Childe considered the conch for a moment longer before sliding it into his pocket and turning away from waves.

"Why? Why won't you move on?"

Childe sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat as he trudged up the shore. The little shell rubbed against his fingers and even though he knew there was no one there, he spoke out loud.

"It reminds me of you. Everything does."